Board Game Hot Takes

In Episode 211 we've gone back to the mailbag and answered our listener's questions.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

01:07 What mechanisms do each of you gravitate towards?

6:16 What are your feelings on board games becoming video games and vice versa?

15:48 What makes a good rulebook to you?

25:41 What games would you take on a trip that are appropriate to play outside?

30:33 What tactics have you used to get a non-gamer into board game night?

39:27 Describer your ideal 3 course board game meal.

48:17 Listener Shoutout

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In Episode 210 we give our hot take review on Daybreak covering the mechanisms, the production, and our overall feelings of the game.

We discuss a poll on quarterbacks in co-op games. We also discuss some games that have been on our table including Batman: Gotham City Chronicles, Cat in the Box, and 7 Wonders Duel, and give a future take on Lord of the Rings Duel for Middle Earth

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

00:20 Poll: Who's the quarterback when playing co-op games in our game group?

08:24 Daybreak Description

10:22 Gameplay and Mechanisms

20:57 Production and Theme

33:35 Final Thoughts

39:35 Batman: Gotham City Chronicles

49:45 Cat in the Box

55:27 7 Wonders Duel and Lord of the Rings Duel for Middle Earth

1:01:21 Listener Shoutout

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In Episode 209 we discuss the Board Game Geeks Top 20 games.

We also discuss a poll on whether you've been influenced to buy a game because it was high up on that ratings list.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

00:29 Poll: Do you think a board game being in the Board Game Geek Top 20 ever influenced your decision to buy it?

07:35 Feature Discussion - Board Game Geek Top 20 Games.

58:24 Listener Shoutout

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In Episode 208 we discuss some of our biggest annoyances that some publishers do in regards to the production, components, or presentation of their board games. We look at games that have these problems but also games that we think solved those issues.

We also discuss a poll on whether a past production issue would turn us off from future games by that publisher.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

00:36 Poll: Has a production or component issue ever made you hesitate in buying another game from that publisher?

11:50 Top 3 Board Game Production Pet Peeves

13:50 Boring or non-thematic first player tokens (Discussed: Nucleum, Boonlake, Pan Am. Wingspan/Wyrmspan, Tzolk'in: The Mayan Calendar, Dune: Imperium, Dinosaur Island)

20:03 Bad rulebooks (Discussed: Kemet: Blood and Sand, Bitoku, Batman: Gotham City Chronicles, Trellis, One Deck Galaxy, Arcs, Smartphone, Inc., Inis, Tainted Grail, This War of Mine)

28:34 Game boxes are too small (Discussed: Great Wall, Lords of Hellas, Blood Rage, Ankh: Gods of Egypt, Return to Dark Tower, Lords of Ragnarok)

36:57 Paper thin player boards (Discussed: Terraforming Mars, Underwater Cities, Pan Am, Apiary, Tapestry)

42:44 Lack of diverse representation in art (Discussed: Hansa Teutonica, Grand Austria Hotel, Skyrise, Royal Visit, My Father's Work, Abducktion)

49:15 Repetitive Card Artwork (Discussed: Capital Lux 2: Generations, Nidavellier, Revive, Tapestry, Star Realms, Shamans)

55:48 Molded inserts that make setup or teardown harder (Discussed: Great Western Trail: 2nd Edition, Lords of Waterdeep, Apiary, Expeditions, Dwellings of Eldervale, Cat in the Box, Wonderland's War, Brass: Birmingham)

1:02:24 Production obstructs function (Discussed: Voidfall, Arcs, Smartphone, Inc., Trekking the World, Eclipse: 2nd Dawn, Trouble, Tacocat

1:09:26 Excessive Card Tucking (Discussed: One Deck Galaxy, Terraforming Mars, Revive, Expeditions, La Granja, Lacrimosa, Space Base, Aquatica)

1:17:30 Runner Ups (Discussed: Voidfall, Magic: The Gathering, Scythe, Carcassone, Baseball Highlights 2045, Star Realms)

1:21:56 Listener Shoutout

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In Episode 207 we give our hot take review on Luthier covering the mechanisms, the production, and our overall feelings of the game.

We discuss a poll on publisher/designer behavior influencing your interest in buying games. We also discuss some games that have been on our table including Arcs: The Blighted Reach Expansion, Poetry for Neanderthals, and Sail.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

00:45 Poll: Do the personalities (good or bad), political stances, or past business practices (good or bad) of a publisher or designer influence your willingness to buy a game?

11:50 Luthier Description

14:38 Gameplay and Mechanisms

32:19 Production and Theme

39:10 Final Thoughts

47:15 Poetry for Neanderthals

51:14 Arcs: The Blighted Reach Expansion

1:00:58 Sail

1:06:40 Listener Shoutout

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In Episode 206 we're joined by Arwen from the Cardboard Time Podcast to discuss the reasons that we decide to buy games.

We discuss a poll on how much thought you put into a game before purchasing it.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

04:45 Poll: How much thought do you put into your choice to purchase a board game?

09:24 Why do we buy games?

10:13 Interactive puzzle

14:16 Easy teach with strong decision space

18:12 I've played it, I LOVE it, and I have a group to play it with

22:14 Captivating system

27:34 Mechanically or thematically unique

31:15 The best version of a mechanism

34:27 Unique or novel

37:58 Accessibility

46:09 Intriguing and deeply discounted

50:22 Speed Round Questions

1:05:54 Listener Shoutout

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In Episode 205 we revisit our hot takes on Arcs covering the mechanisms, the production, and our overall feelings of the game.

We discuss a poll on traveling with games. We also discuss some games that have been on our table including Captain Flip, Architects of the West Kingdom, and A Gest of Robin Hood.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

00:48 Poll: When you travel on vacation, how many games do you bring with you?

08:24 Arcs Description

10:12 Gameplay and Mechanisms

33:01 Production and Theme

42:50 Final Thoughts

49:58 Captain Flip

53:29 Architects of the West Kingdom

56:25 A Gest of Robin Hood

If you enjoy the show, please consider supporting us at https://www.patreon.com/boardgamehottakes

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In Episode 204 we conclude the 2024 countdown of our top 40 Board Games of all time with choices 1-10.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

02:29 Chris #10 Apiary

07:13 Adam #10 Battle for Rokugan

11:30 Tim #10 The Castles of Burgundy

13:25 Chris and Tim #9 Agricola

18:08 Adam #9 - Ankh: Gods of Egypt

21:37 Chris #8 - Eclipse: 2nd Dawn for the Galaxy

23:54 Tim #8 - Pulsar 2849

26:20 Adam #8 - Sol: Last Days of a Star

29:31 Chris #7 - A Feast for Odin

33:48 Adam #7 - Shamans

37:32 Tim #7 - Tapestry

40:04 Chris #6 - Voidfall

44:09 Adam #6 - The Expanse Board Game

39:32Tim #6 - Cyclades

52:24 Chris #5 - Tapestry

55:51 Adam #5 - Gaia Project

59:20 Tim #5 - Lorenzo Il Magnifico

1:02:10 Chris #4 (Adam #3) - Dune: Imperium Uprising / Dune: Imperium

1:04:56 Adam #4 -  Arcs / Brian Boru

1:11:40 Tim #4 - Nucleum

1:15:09 Chris #4 - Gaia Project

1:18:51 Tim #3 - Everdell

1:21:03 Chris #2 - Distilled

1:24:55 Adam #2 - Eclipse: Second Dawn for the Galaxy

1:26:42 Tim #2 - Dune: Imperium

1:28:06 Chris #1 - Pan Am

1:31:33 Adam #1 - Fractal: Beyond the Void

1:35:35 Tim #1 - Gaia Project / Age of Innovation

In Episode 203 we continue the 2024 countdown of our top 40 Board Games of all time with choices 11-20.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

01:34 Chris #20 La Granja

03:58 Adam #20 Voidfall

06:32 Tim #20 Sea Salt & Paper

08:08 Chris #19 Darwin's Journey

11:28 Adam #19 - Pax Pamir 2nd Edition / Arcs

15:09 Tim #19 - Tichu

16:01 Chris #18 - Blood Rage

18:28 Adam #18 - Baseball Highlights 2045

22:22 Tim #18 - The Voyages of Marco Polo / Marco Polo II: In the Service of the Khan

23:44 Chris #17 - Thunder Road: Vendetta

26:29 Adam #17 - Barrage

29:35 Tim #17 - Clank! Catacombs

30:52 Chris #16 - Obsession

33:46 Adam #16 - Marrakesh

37:11 Tim #16 - Lost Ruins of Arnak

37:56 Chris #15 - Azul

39:47 Adam #15 - Hegemony: Lead Your Class to Victory

43:37 Tim #15 - Ark Nova

45:07 Chris #14 - Teotihuacan: City of Gods

48:22 Adam #14 -  Wonderland's War

49:42 Tim #14 - Thunder Road: Vendetta

51:45 Chris #13 - Marrakesh

53:04 Adam #13 - Cat in the Box

55:34 Tim #13 - Le Havre

56:18 Chris #12 - Barrage

57:35 Adam #12 - Pan Am

59:55 Tim #12 - Blood Rage

1:01:15 Chris #11 - Maracaibo

1:04:37 Adam #11 - Smartphone, Inc.

1:07:05 Tim #11 - Terraforming Mars

In Episode 202 we continue the 2024 countdown of our top 40 Board Games of all time with choices 21-30.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

00:47 Chris #30 Wolves

03:33 Adam #30 Star Wars: Rebellion

05:23 Tim #30 Grand Austria Hotel

08:56 Chris #29 Godspeed

12:24 Adam #29 - Blood Rage

13:55 Tim #29 - Rising Sun

15:21 Chris #28 - Yokohama

18:43 Adam #28 - Beyond the Sun

22:42 Tim #28 - Tzolk'in: The Mayan Calendar

24:52 Chris #27 - Ark Nova

30:19 Adam #27 - Age of Galaxy

33:05 Tim #27 - Underwater Cities

36:12 Chris #26 - Terracotta Army

38:52 Adam #26 - Revive

40:05 Tim #26 - Boast or Nothing

43:00 Chris #25 - Lost Ruins of Arnak

47:10 Adam #25 - Godspeed

47:48 Tim #25 - Architects of the West Kingdom

50:14 Chris #24 - Wonderland's War

54:32 Adam #24 -  Dune

48:35 Tim #24 - Isle of Skye: From Chieftain to King

1:02:48 Chris #23 - Terraforming Mars

1:06:09 Adam #23 - Patchwork

1:09:37 Tim #23 - Apiary

1:12:10 Chris #22 - Tzolk'in: The Mayan Calendar

1:12:51 Adam #22 - Haggis

1:14:53 Tim #22 - Libertalia: Winds of Galecrest

1:18:02 Chris #21 - Kanban EV

1:20:56 Adam #21 - Terraforming Mars

1:21:36 Tim #21 - Wonderland's War