Board Game Barrage

We're back with the terrible acronym and the branding nightmare that is BGBDOG - I don't even know what it stands for to be honest, but this week we're turning the spotlight on an incredible force in the industry, Vlaada Chvátil, touring his incredible games all the way through to the true modern classic that is Codenames. Before we check in on our favourite Czech, we talk about Wyrmspan, 3 Ring Circus, and La Famiglia: The Great Mafia War.

02:01 - Wyrmspan 12:29 - 3 Ring Circus 23:29 - La Famiglia: The Great Mafia War 39:39 - Vlaada Chvátil 42:32 - Arena: Morituri te salutant 47:47 - Prophecy 50:09 - Through the Ages: A Story of Civilization 52:58 - Galaxy Trucker 54:44 - Mage Knight 56:13 - Codenames 57:26 - Space Alert 58:03 - Battlestar Galactica: The Board Game

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We're in the thick of 2024 now, but there's still plenty more to come - and with that vast undiscovered country (as my father called it) ahead of us, we have loads of games to look forward to. But not all hype is made equally, so here are the ones we're most excited about. Before we mark our calendars, we talk about Savage Bowl: Trick Taking Game, Rear Window, and Cuba.

01:44 - Savage Bowl: Trick Taking Game 10:19 - Rear Window 17:42 - Cuba 27:48 - Most Anticipated Games of 2024 28:42 - Cities 32:41 - The Same Game 38:00 - We're Sinking! 40:50 - Keyside 42:45 - Arcs 45:00 - Mordred 47:34 - Civolution 48:55 - Undaunted 2200: Callisto 49:48 - Spectral 50:26 - Cysmic 50:58 - Red Dust Rebellion 51:22 - A Gest of Robin Hood 51:48 - Congress of Vienna 52:09 - Cthulhu: Dark Providence 52:47 - Slay the Spire: The Board Game 54:14 - RoboMon 54:58 - Cascadero

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Three hundredth episode! But no time to celebrate, we're deep in the new year now, which means it's back to your regularly scheduled podcast, and it's time to reflect on the year past, and contemplate what lays ahead for us in a post-300 world. That's right, we're paying for the crimes of last year's resolutions. Before we look a little back, but mostly forward, we talk about Orichalcum, Mino Dice, and Last Light.

01:46 - Orichalcum 12:42 - Mino Dice 20:08 - Last Light 34:34 - Revisiting Mark's 2023 Resolutions 39:24 - Revisiting Neilan's 2023 Resolutions 42:11 - Revisiting Kellen's 2023 Resolutions 45:59 - Mark's 2024 Resolutions 48:50 - Neilan's 2024 Resolutions 42:20 - Kellen's 2024 Resolutions 56:32 - BGB in 2024?

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We made it! We've arrived at last at the final ten(-ish) games, in fact, our TOP TEN (or so?) favourite games of all time. Thanks for joining us again on this yearly pilgrimage, as always it's the journey that's the important thing - but that's not to say that there isn't some exciting moving and shaking to happen at the destination. That said, it's time to pass out on the couch.

01:34 - Neilan #10 - The Resistance 05:00 - Mark #11 - Caylus 1303 05:51 - Mark #10 - Arboretum 07:39 - Kellen #10 - Dominion 11:11 - Neilan #9 - The Oracle of Delphi 12:35 - Mark #9 - Mr. President: The American Presidency, 2001-2020 16:33 - Kellen #9 - Telestrations 18:38 - Neilan #8 - The Search for Planet X 20:40 - Mark #8 - Marvel Champions: The Card Game 23:14 - Kellen #8 - Inis 24:37 - Neilan #7 - Pictomania 26:17 - Mark #7 - Time's Up! 27:33 - Kellen #7 - El Grande 30:06 - Neilan #6 - Alchemists 32:42 - Mark #6 - Fresh Fish 35:07 - Kellen #6 - Wizard 39:14 - Neilan #5 - Time's Up! 40:11 - Kellen #5 - Time's Up! 41:39 - Mark #5 - Brass: Lancashire 43:30 - Neilan #4 - Sidereal Confluence: Trading and Negotiation in the Elysian Quadrant 48:34 - Mark #4 - Bus 50:55 - Kellen #4 - Archipelago 54:52 - Neilan #3 - Blood on the Clocktower 57:04 - Mark #3 - The Estates 1:00:02 - Kellen #3 - Dune 1:03:50 - Neilan #2 - A Feast for Odin 1:05:55 - Mark #2 - Agricola 1:08:52 - Kellen #2 - Cthulhu Wars 1:11:50 - Neilan #1 - Through the Ages: A New Story of Civilization 1:14:57 - Mark #1 - Biblios 1:16:03 - Kellen #1 - Innovation

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We're almost bursting at the seams, but there's room for a little more. It's the penultimate episode of our five part series, the Top 50 games of all-time! We're moving on to our 20th to 11th favourite games, which means it's time for some big risers and dramatic falls. Make yourself a coffee (sugar's over there in the corner), it's not time to sleep just yet.

03:45 - Kellen #20 - Cosmic Encounter 06:25 - Neilan #20 - Ra 08:09 - Mark #20 - Stationfall 11:25 - Kellen #19 - Lords of Vegas 13:18 - Neilan #19 - Patchwork 15:51 - Mark #19 - Glen More II: Chronicles 19:16 - Kellen #18 - Omen: A Reign of War 21:45 - Neilan #18 - Stationfall 24:05 - Mark #18 - Tigris & Euphrates 26:10 - Kellen #17 - Insider 29:45 - Neilan #17 - Taj Mahal 31:45 - Mark #17 - El Grande 33:33 - Kellen #16 - Fuji Flush 35:01 - Neilan #16 - Guards of Atlantis II 36:26 - Mark #16 - Chicago Express 38:13 - Kellen #15 - Maskmen 40:39 - Neilan #15 - Exit: The Game 42:31 - Mark #15 - Imperial 2030 44:22 - Kellen #14 - Babylonia 46:22 - Neilan #14 - Blue Lagoon 47:57 - Mark #14 - Lancaster 50:14 - Kellen #13 - The Resistance: Avalon 51:01 - Neilan #13 - Cthulhu Wars 51:46 - Mark #13 - Ra 53:06 - Kellen #12 - A Study in Emerald (Second Edition) 55:50 - Neilan #12 - Tzolk'in: The Mayan Calendar 57:54 - Mark #12 - Age of Steam 59:52 - Kellen #11 - Troyes 1:03:06 - Neilan #11 - Brass: Birmingham 1:05:58 - Mark #11 - Race for the Galaxy

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It's a new year which is an awkward time to be right in the middle of something, but we're doing a thing here. It's part three of our Top 50 games of all-time! This week it's our 30th to 21st favourite games, and this is where things start to get spicy. This is like five chilis next to the menu item hotness we're talking. Grab a bib and join us for another course!

03:45 - Mark #30 - Cuba Libre 04:08 - Kellen #30 - Coloretto 05:58 - Neilan #30 - Watson & Holmes 07:28 - Mark #29 - Stephenson's Rocket 09:06 - Kellen #29 - So Clover! 10:22 - Neilan #29 - Undaunted: Stalingrad 12:18 - Mark #28 - 1830: Railways & Robber Barons 13:59 - Kellen #28 - Keyflower 15:34 - Neilan #28 - Gaia Project 16:55 - Mark #27 - Tramways 18:47 - Kellen #27 - Hansa Teutonica 20:06 - Neilan #27 - War of the Ring: Second Edition 22:09 - Mark #26 - Modern Art 23:38 - Kellen #26 - SCOUT 25:06 - Neilan #26 - Yellow & Yangtze 26:09 - Mark #25 - Hansa Teutonica 28:01 - Kellen #25 - Glory to Rome 29:39 - Neilan #25 - Scythe 31:39 - Mark #24 - Container 32:50 - Kellen #24 - American Bookshop 34:34 - Neilan #24 - Decrypto 35:54 - Mark #23 - La Granja 37:36 - Kellen #23 - I'm the Boss! 39:32 - Neilan #23 - The Quest for El Dorado 40:26 - Mark #22 - Pax Pamir: Second Edition 43:09 - Kellen #22 - Diplomacy 44:17 - Neilan #22 - Gloomhaven 45:43 - Mark #21 - Pictomania 47:39 - Kellen #21 - Decrypto 49:30 - Neilan #21 - Hansa Teutonica

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It's the second leg of the grand tour that is the top fifty. This week, we're doing our 40th to 31st favourite games ... of all time! It's almost like Christmas just keeps going! Grab a glass of sherry and join us by the fire, we're not about to stop any time soon.

01:21 - Neilan #40 - Bus 03:52 - Mark #40 - Panic on Wall Street! 05:38 - Kellen #40 - Pax Porfiriana 08:56 - Neilan #39 - In the Year of the Dragon 10:33 - Mark #39 - Ark Nova 12:04 - Kellen #39 - Seas of Strife 14:55 - Neilan #38 - Inis 16:29 - Mark #38 - Hanabi 18:19 - Kellen #38 - Codenames 19:59 - Neilan #37 - Iberian Gauge 21:43 - Mark #37 - Anomia 24:26 - Kellen #37 - Food Chain Magnate 26:33 - Neilan #36 - Codenames 27:32 - Mark #36 - Lords of Vegas 28:53 - Kellen #36 - Rumble Nation 30:26 - Neilan #35 - Azul 31:19 - Mark #35 - Dungeon Fighter 33:35 - Kellen #35 - Wind the Film! / Photograph 35:47 - Neilan #34 - Eclipse: Second Dawn for the Galaxy 38:01 - Mark #34 - Tycoon: India 1981 40:39 - Kellen #34 - Square on Sale 42:26 - Neilan #33 - Werewords 44:06 - Mark #33 - Genoa 45:29 - Kellen #33 - Imperial 2030 47:19 - Neilan #32 - Twice as Clever! 48:35 - Mark #32 - Merkator 50:55 - Kellen #32 - Cockroach Poker 52:33 - Neilan #31 - Kemet 53:29 - Mark #31 - Blue Lagoon 54:56 - Kellen #31 - Bruges

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It's tiiiiiiime! It's the top fifty! That's right, the much anticipated, much celebrated, much imitated (we definitely did it first) event of the season is here. We're counting down each of our favourite fifty games of all time! Or at least, for right now! It's a beautiful, beautiful thing, and we'd love if you pulled up a chair and joined us for it.

06:36 - Kellen #50 - Santiago 07:59 - Neilan #50 - Jaipur 09:30 - Mark #50 - Findorff 11:22 - Kellen #49 - Genoa 12:37 - Neilan #49 - The Great Zimbabwe 14:32 - Mark #49 - Jump Drive 16:02 - Kellen #48 - 6 nimmt! 17:31 - Neilan #48 - Fun Facts 19:09 - Mark #48 - Cthulhu Wars 20:43 - Kellen #47 - Balderdash 22:24 - Neilan #47 - Splendor & Splendor Duel 24:38 - Mark #47 - Dominant Species 26:35 - Kellen #46 - Race for the Galaxy 27:45 - Neilan #46 - Cuzco 29:43 - Mark #46 - Ricochet Robots 31:57 - Kellen #45 - Feed the Kraken 33:57 - Neilan #45 - Mille Fiori 35:24 - Mark #45 - Splendor 37:38 - Kellen #44 - Root 39:22 - Neilan #44 - Challengers! 42:03 - Mark #44 - German Railways 43:24 - Kellen #43 - Acquire 45:11 - Neilan #43 - Anachrony 46:54 - Mark #43 - Signorie 48:33 - Kellen #42 - Brass: Lancashire 50:23 - Neilan #42 - Innovation 51:44 - Mark #42 - Smartphone Inc. 53:13 - Kellen #41 - Startups 54:48 - Neilan #41 - Ark Nova 56:00 - Mark #41 - Dune: Imperium

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PAX Unplugged was a blast, and we played so much stuff that we're dying to tell you about - many of them with our beloved listeners. We braved the cold and the rain of Philadelphia, on the other side of the country, to bring you this episode jam-packed with games - so there's no room for any dilly dallying. Hits include Forest Shuffle, Arcs, Findorff ... and loads more!

02:14 - 5 Towers 06:57 - Nigoichi 11:01 - Cabanga! 15:00 - Age of Steam 17:33 - Falling 20:36 - Infiltraitors 24:38 - Tangram City 28:19 - The Great Zimbabwe 30:40 - Schadenfreude 35:57 - Forest Shuffle 40:35 - Arcs 48:36 - Findorff

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In what could be our most grandiose episode yet, we attempt to tame the wild history of all of board games. We traverse the timeline, unpacking what we consider to be the great epochs of the hobby, in an attempt to explain how modern game design evolved into its present form. Before we unpack the deep lore, we talk about General Orders: World War II, Oak, and Big Boss.

Timecodes:

02:36 - General Orders: World War II 11:47 - Oak 20:24 - Big Boss 31:20 - The great epochs of board games 31:45 - The First Epoch 33:17 - The Royal Game of Ur 34:37 - Senet 43:23 - The Second Epoch 44:50 - Monopoly 48:11 - Risk 50:29 - Operation 56:23 - The Third Epoch 57:22 - Catan 1:02:33 - Dominion 1:20:19 - The Fourth Epoch

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