Board Game Radio

In this episode, Doug and Michael discuss their Day 1 at GenCon! They discuss experiences in the exhibit hall, the hottest games, and instant reactions to a great first day at the convention!

In this week's episode, Doug and Michael share Michael's 2026 purchasing plan, talk solo games, discuss convention tips, preview Gencon with guest Harrison Dunn, and play a game of Blind Rank!

00:00:20 - Introduction & Follow-up

00:03:28 - Michael's Board Game Buying Challenge

00:11:15 - What's Awesome This Week in Gaming

00:22:37 - What's on Your Mind? - Convention Tips and Tricks

00:31:13 - Gencon Preview with Harrison Dunn

01:19:40 - Blind Rank

In this episode we’ll be sharing what’s awesome this week in tabletop gaming, discuss reprinting games and going on game buying sabbatical. Lastly we chat with guest Phill Klamm about all things Disney Lorcana and play a game of Troll er No with him!

00:00:20 - Introduction and Follow-Up

00:02:45 - This Week in Gaming

00:08:19 - What's On Your Mind?

00:08:50 - Reprints of Older Games: A Trend Analysis

00:16:48 - Not Buying Games

00:25:38 - Introduction to Phill Klamm and Lorcana

00:28:41 - Overview of Lorcana: The Trading Card Game

00:31:42 - Phil's Journey into Competitive Play

00:34:39 - What Keeps Phil Engaged in Lorcana

00:37:24 - Accessibility and Cost of Playing Lorcana

00:40:35 - Understanding the Mechanics of Lorcana

00:43:36 - Family Involvement and Community in Lorcana

00:46:35 - Getting Started with Lorcana

00:49:25 - Threats and Future of Lorcana

00:52:43 - Pack Opening and Final Thoughts

00:56:19 - The Excitement of Opening Packs

00:59:11 - The Joy of Gaming and Learning

01:00:32 - Troll or No: The Game Begins

This week we’ll be sharing what’s awesome this week in tabletop gaming, discuss industry awards and balancing fun with winning, chat with designer and developer Paul Salomon from GameHead Games, and play a game of The Great Game Guessing Game.

00:00:20 - Introduction and Follow-Up on Expansion Extravaganza

00:02:20 - This Week In Gaming: Spiel de Jahres Winners

00:10:00 - Industry Awards: Value and Insights

00:18:07 - Discussion on Playing for Fun vs. Winning

00:25:30 - Special Guest: Paul Solomon

00:26:54 - Journey into Board Games

00:28:29 - Role of Creative Director at Game Head

00:30:34 - Current Projects and Exciting Developments

00:32:44 - Designing vs. Developing Games

00:37:44 - Working with Designers and Publishers

00:42:47 - Signing Games from Renowned Designers

00:45:43 - Game Development Insights and Strategies

00:52:42 - Understanding the Board Game Industry

00:56:52 - The Social Aspect of Gaming

01:00:38 - The Great Game Guessing Game

This week Doug & Michael discuss upcoming releases from Stonemaier Games, Horrible Guild, and Pandasaurus Games, express gratitude to a local game store, ponder the best way to introduce new games, and the plethora of small box games available. The finish the episode by reviewing expansions for Faraway, Castle Combo, Honey Buzz, and Return to Dark Tower.

00:00:20 - Introduction to Board Game Radio

00:00:59 - Follow-Up on Previous Games

00:02:19 - This Week In Gaming

00:13:47 - Celebrating Local Game Stores

00:20:07 - What's On Your Mind?

00:20:21 - Choosing Games for New Players

00:33:31 - Discussion on Small Box Games

00:44:12 - Expansion Extravaganza

00:45:04 - Faraway: Under Starry Skies

00:49:40 - Castle Combo: Out of the Oubliette!

00:56:15 - Honey Buzz: Fall Flavors

01:06:49 - Return to Dark Tower: Covenant Expansion

In this week's episode Doug and Michael discuss the latest news and headlines including a new edition of Parks and data from Origins Game Fair. In addition, they also speculate on complainers in the hobby, reveal their high-five American themed games, and conclude last week's monthly game roundup with Frosted Blooms, Fox Grove, and Spooktacular.

00:00:20 - Introduction to Board Game Radio

00:20:42 - What's On Your Mind? - The State of Online Discourse in Gaming

00:39:00 - List Time - High-Five American Themed Games

00:56:52 - Monthly Game Roundup

00:57:34 - Spooktacular

01:03:36 - Frosted Blooms

01:13:16 - Fox Grove

In this week's show we'll be discussing some of the latest headlines like the Origins Game Fair, share what's on our minds including game complexity and the difficulty of reviewing games. We're gonna compete to guess games in redacted reviews, and we'll finish off the episode with a roundup of some of the games we've played recently, such as Root, First Class Letters, and Paper World!

00:00:20 - Introduction to Board Game Radio

00:01:30 - Follow-Up on Schaudenfreude Game

00:09:31 - Podcast Growth and YouTube Appeal

00:11:02 - This Week in Gaming: Origins Game Fair Highlights

00:11:43 - Origins Award Winners Discussion

00:19:21 - Attending Origins In The Future

00:25:13 - Creating Community in Board Game Retailing

00:28:03 - What's On Your Mind? The Essence of Game Reviews

00:39:06 - Understanding Complexity in Board Games

00:47:17 - Redacted Reviews

01:01:51 - Monthly Game Roundup

01:02:21 - Root

01:07:54 - First Class Letters

01:13:47 - Azul

01:15:20 - Paper World

01:21:06 - Wingspan - Digital

In this Episode Doug & Michael discuss some of the latest headlines like the Catan Championships and the latest Dominion expansion, share what’s on our minds about Bog Box Games and crowdfunding, ask stupid money/smart money questions about Deluxe Editions and Convention expenses, and we’ll finish off the episode with new segment called Collection Selection in which we draft deck-building games like Clank! and Lost Ruins of Arnak!

00:00 Introduction to Board Game Radio

06:29 This Week in Gaming: New Releases and Trends

12:19 Catan National Championship and Community Engagement

18:17 Exciting New Games and Expansions

22:01 What's On Your Mind?

22:15 Discussion on Big Box Games and Their Value

25:05 The Allure of Big Box Games

28:49 The Evolution of Crowdfunding in Board Games

36:55 Stupid Money, Smart Money: Crowdfunding Insights

52:08 The Value of Game Demos

56:19 Collection Selection: Drafting Deck Builders

In this episode Doug & Michael talk about the latest news including Amigo reprints and Asmodee. They also debate who spends more money, Trading Card Game Players or Board Gamers, followed by there takes on dice or cards as randomizers. A new segment, Great Moments in Gameschooling, highlights a father son design project. Lastly, they reveal their favorite games from 2021.

00:00 - Introduction to Board Game Radio

03:14 - Reflections on Recent Conventions

06:04 - Industry Trends and Revenue Insights

08:16 - New Game Releases and Updates

11:16 - Amigo Games Finding Homes

13:58 - Asmodee Crowdfunding Report

16:56 - BoardGameGeek Origins & Gencon Previews

20:11 - What's On Your Mind?

20:48 - TCG Players or Board Gamers

30:17 - Dice vs. Cards: The Randomizer Debate

35:15 - Great Moments in Game Schooling: Baseball Card GM

48:44 - List Time: Top Games of 2021

This week, Doug and Michael recap their experiences at ACD Expo 2026, one of the tabletop gaming industry’s premier retailer trade shows held in Madison, Wisconsin.

The hosts discuss the biggest trends from the show floor, including the growing popularity of trading card games and trick-taking games, along with standout titles from publishers across the industry. Highlights include upcoming releases such as Fox Grove, Frosted Blooms, For All Mankind, One Round?, Thunder Road: Ignition, Trickarus, and many more.

Join us as we share our favorite discoveries, discuss emerging trends, and take a look at what’s coming next in tabletop gaming.