In episode 49, we look back on our 2025 board game resolutions and look forward to the year ahead with new resolutions and 2026 predictions and by reflecting on lessons learned, surprises, and disappointments.

In 2025…

…we all thought we would play more games with our partners,

…most of us planned to spend less money on board games (someone said no purchasing for the whole year!!),

…two of us hoped to play 100 percent of our collection,

…one of us vowed to create a trick taker collection.

In 2026…

New goals.

New games.

Bold predictions.

Get to know us @ https://lnk.bio/BoardGameHomies

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Board game shelf design created by Jenna Rose from The Board Game Garden. Check out "My 2026 Board Game Journal! | Goals, challenges, statistic tracking & more!" on YouTube!

Bird Game Homies poster created by HummingBelle!

For episode 48, Angela secretly analyzed, ranked, and combined our individual top 10 lists to create our cumulative TOP 10 New-to-Us Games We Played in 2025. We react to and chat about each game in our top 10, and then we move into rapid-fire questions to share our favorite themes, our biggest game surprises, games we’re ready to toss out the window while on the freeway, and much, much more. This episode is then wrapped up by visiting our listeners', followers' and friends’ favorite games of 2025!

Get to know us @ https://lnk.bio/BoardGameHomies

In episode 47, we discuss our top new-to-us trick takers played in 2025; we played so many new trick takers this past year, they needed their own episode! We start with a cumulative top 5 (the points are made up, but, don’t worry, Angela created multiple tiebreakers this time), and then we roll into rapid(ish)-fire topics to share our individual opinions on best themes, interesting mechanics, games we didn’t vibe with, and more. Get to know us @ https://lnk.bio/BoardGameHomies

In episode 46, we review two expansions: The White Castle: Matcha published by Devir and Wyrmspan: Dragon Academy published by Stonemaier Games. But, first! We chat about what is bringing us joy: Yokai Septet, 12 Chip Trick, Sausage Sizzle!, and Galileo Galilei. 

The White Castle: Matcha introduces the tea ceremony to the game and a new means to influence the court with new members of your clan: Geishas. This includes taking actions in order to proceed along the Path of Tea; progress far enough along this path, and your Geisha will earn a spot in the Tea House, granting your clan additional influence within the court of Himeji. This expansion incorporates a suite of new game spaces, cards, player boards, and workers. However, one of the pivotal changes that Angela isn’t a huge fan of is the addition of another die, bringing the total actions a player takes from three in the base game to four in a round.

Wyrmspan: Dragon Academy introduces more of everything from the base game, from caverns, to dragons, to guilds, to objectives. However, the most appealing changes (in our homie opinions) are the addition of the round tracker and fledgling dragons. When a player passes out of a round, they get a choice of bonuses to take into the next round, rather than the flat 6 coins you previously got in the base game. Fret not, as there is still an option for those 6 coins if you get there early enough, but the others provide resources and one fewer coin, which may be just what you need to entice that dragon. As for the fledglings, they are a fifth type of dragon that lack any abilities from the start but can transform with enough care from your trainer (often in the form of providing different resources.) They also increase in score the more you attract to your caves.

Two worthy expansions! Listen in to find out who these expansions are for and if you need to add to cart.

Get to know us @ https://lnk.bio/BoardGameHomies

Paul Dennen has entered the waiting room.

In episode 45, dreams do come true, and we interview Paul Dennen! Join us to hear about Paul’s path to becoming a board game designer at Dire Wolf, his long-standing board game group, and–perhaps most importantly–his preferred board game player color. We chat about his newest games and a few of our older favorites: Lighting Train, Clank!: Catacombs - Underworld, Clank! Legacy: Acquisitions Incorporated, and Dune: Imperium Uprising. We touch on tie breakers, DND, and opportunistically stabbing your friends in Clank! (thank you, Paul!!! - Becky) We wrap up with a fun round of rapid fire questions for Paul.

Get to know us @ https://lnk.bio/BoardGameHomies

In episode 44, we review Ostia by uchibacoya, Crafty Games, and Skellig Games. But, first! We chat about what is bringing us joy: The Lord of the Rings: Duel for Middle-Earth - Allies, Panda Spin, Kutna Hora: The City of Silver, and Bananagrams.

Ostia is a game for 1-4 players that takes place in 103 A.D. and is centered around the Ostia Portus in Rome. Each player’s board represents the Portus, and that is where they manage their fleet: picking up and placing their ships across each segment like a mancala board in order to build up their resources and take actions like building ships and buildings, supplying food to citizens and nobles, and trading. As players branch out across the Mediterranean, it’s a race to secure end game scoring through destination tiles and bonus reward icons. Along the way, players are encouraged to establish bases beyond Ostia to strengthen their trading routes and upgrade their fleet actions. The homies are obsessed and love how all of the mechanics come together in this game.

No take backsies @ link in bio wherever you listen to podcasts.

Get to know us @ https://lnk.bio/BoardGameHomies

In episode 43, we review Emberheart published by Mindclash Games and designed by Rob Fisher and Adam Porter. But, first! We chat about what is bringing us joy: The Hobbit: There and Back Again, LUZ, Bomb Busters, and Speakeasy. 

Emberheart is a game for 2-4 players that takes place on an ancient and mystical island full of dragons. As the champions on the island, build up your resources and crew to gain glory by snagging dragons from the poachers or saving them from the mountain and then pair them with a color matching preserve or hero. Lock your friends out of taking actions and balance how far you’re willing to move up the Flame track for more resources and giving the other champions glory for keeping their cool. While all four homies agree this game has a place in many collections, their personal enjoyment of the game varied.

Update: Gasp!! Designer correction corner! Thanks to Adam Porter for chiming in that we were indeed playing the Leader (first player) token wrong. It has a powerful secondary action that allows you to take back and reposition/reconfigure one of your parties of workers. All the rules reads and we missed that one!!

Open a box and start punching while you listen @ link in bio or wherever you listen to podcasts! Get to know us @ https://lnk.bio/BoardGameHomies

In episode 42, we discuss the games we have on order or have recently received and are very excited to play! First, we chat about what is bringing us joy: Shackleton Base: A journey to the Moon, The White Castle Duel, Emberheart, and Castle Combo: Out of the Oubliette!

Do your games magically appear like ours? From Dungeons and Kittens RPG to Speakeasy, we’ve got quite the list of games we’re looking forward to. Listen in to hear about each game or–for some of us around the table–the top hits. With rainy days ahead, we’re hoping to catch up on our unplayed games (episode 32: shelf of shame!) so we’re ready when these games arrive.

Connect with us @ https://lnk.bio/BoardGameHomies

In episode 41, we discuss Jungo, Trio, and Combo – all three published by Happy Camper. First, we chat about what is bringing us joy: Dungeons & Kittens, Ostia, Sweet Lands, and Skull King. On this episode, Becky, Reed, and Gillean prepared a special joy segment called: Ambush Angela!

Jungo, Trio, and Combo are all brightly colored card games that play in 15-20 minutes or less. We love that Happy Camper is taking harder to find games and reimplementing them to reach a greater audience!

Jungo (2-5 players) is a reimplementation of Hachi Train with a jungle theme. In this game, players are racing to be the first to empty their hand of cards. To shed cards, players must be able to overplay the card or set of cards last played. This is done by playing a higher value or a larger set of cards (for example, three 1s beat two 2s.) The fun part is balancing shedding cards to win and adding cards to your hand to build a better hand. Cards can never be rearranged, but when a card is added by either drawing a card instead of playing or by beating the cards on the table, it can be placed anywhere in the hand. 

Trio (3-6 players) is a reimplementation of Nana (one of our top collective favorites!!!) In Trio, players are trying to be the first to collect three sets of matching cards (three 1s, three 9s, three 10s, etc…) or all three 7s to win the game. Trio introduces a team playing variant and makes the winning condition of collecting two sets that add or subtract to 7 (4s and 11s, 5s and 2s, etc.)

Combo (2-6 players) is a reimplementation of Surfosaurus MAX. In Combo, players work together to create different smoothie combos–the easiest being a collection of any combination of suits and numbers to the trickiest being a run in a single suit. Gameplay is simple: play a card and draw a card until all players have played two or three cards (depending upon the number of players.) Players score if their card contributes to the winning combo; there are some fun nuances here! The game ends after everyone has been the starting player an equal number of times (depending on player count), and the player with the most points wins!

Get to know us @ https://lnk.bio/BoardGameHomies 

In episode 40, we review Molly House designed by Jo Kelly and Cole Wehrle and published by Wehrlegig Games. First, we chat about what is bringing us joy: Twinkle Starship, Nokosu Dice, Haggis - Grok Edition, and Apiary.

Molly House is a 2-5 player game all about creating joy in the queer community in early 18th century London; build your reputation and joy by cruising the streets (eyes), throwing festivities, and foiling threats. Though… all will be for naught if the Community’s joy isn’t raised alongside the players’ joy or if the Molly houses are raided and the community is betrayed by informers. This game is rich in queer history and strategically leaves space for interpretation and wondering. Will you stay loyal to the community and prioritize their joy or will your stack of indictments and their threats of death persuade you to collaborate with the Society for the Reformation of Manners?

In this episode, we also discuss the Zenobia Award–a competition and mentoring program–which connected Jo Kelly with Cole Wehrle to create this historical game. We share quotes from and highly recommend “Origin Stories: Molly House – An Interview With Co-Designer Jo Kelly” by Alex of Talking Shelf Space.

Get to know us @ https://lnk.bio/BoardGameHomies