Summary

In this episode of the Game Schooler podcast, Doug and Michael discuss their high five games from 2021 that they hadn't yet played. They also talk about the challenge of finding games that the whole family will enjoy and the importance of having fun while gaming. They highlight the benefits of playing older titles and the joy of interacting and laughing with others during gameplay. In this part of the conversation, Doug and Michael discuss the concept of being in a reviewer bubble and the importance of being a player rather than just a critic. They then introduce the game of the week, Speculation, a family-friendly stock market game. They explain the gameplay mechanics and highlight the fun and strategic elements of the game. In the School of Gaming segment, they discuss pain points in games and the balance between having enough challenge and not making the game feel like work. In this episode, Michael and Doug discuss pain points in board games and how they can enhance the gaming experience. They share personal anecdotes about games that have caused frustration and disappointment, as well as games that strike the right balance of challenge and enjoyment. They also discuss the importance of adversity and overcoming obstacles in games, and how it can make the experience more rewarding. Finally, they share their top five games that they believe are better played digitally.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction

00:44 Follow-up from last week

19:25 Skills and Fun in Speculation

37:12 School of Gaming: Pain Points

49:30 High Five: Games Better Digitally

In this conversation, Michael and Doug discuss their recent gaming experiences and interactions with listeners. They talk about the joy of playing games for the first time and the importance of learning and understanding the rules. They also discuss the competitive nature of some games and the different experiences they provide. Michael shares a heartwarming story about his daughter's love for board games. The conversation continues with a discussion of the game of the week, First in Flight, and its gameplay mechanics and educational value. Additionally, Doug and Michael discuss the tools that can be helpful in teaching games, such as having the actual game set up, using dice trays, and providing card holders. Doug and Michael conclude the episode by discussing their top five dice-chucking games. They highlight games like Dice Hunters of Therion, Impact, Can't Stop, King of Tokyo and Dice Throne. They also reflect on how their show has evolved over time and how their preferences and criteria for recommending games have changed.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction and Follow-up

20:58 - Game of the Week - First in Flight

50:58 - School of Gaming - Physical Tools For Teaching Games

01:03:13- High-Five: Dice-Chucking Games 2.0

In this episode of the GameSchooler podcast, the Doug and Michael discuss recent gaming experiences, and their game of the week, Pyramido. Pyramido is a tile placement game with interesting and meaningful choices. They also discuss the significance of storytelling in gaming, the connection between storytelling mechanisms and themes, the impact of setting in gaming, the creation of stories in gaming. And wrap it up with the high-five games from the last three years they still want to play.

00:00:00 - Introductions & Awesomeness

00:21:08 - Game of the Week: Pyramido

00:45:54 - School of Gaming: Storytelling in Gaming

00:59:37 - High-Five: Games From The Last 3 Years We Still Want To Play

In this episode, Doug and Michael discuss their recent experiences, including a story about encountering a wizard at a Goodwill store. They also talk about using roll and write games for handwriting practice and highlight the GameSchooler Discord server. Doug and Michael discuss the cooperative and engaging gameplay Forbidden Jungle, the Game of the Week. The conversation then shifts to the topic of adapting hobby games for the classroom, considering the constraints of time and player count. They discuss strategies such as utilizing solo modes, turning games into mini cooperative experiences, and using games as worked examples to teach concepts. In the Game Schooler High-Five, they discuss classic games like Yahtzee, Guess Who, and Monopoly that deserve more respect and still provide enjoyable gaming experiences.

00:00:00 - Introductions, Wizards, and What's Awesome In Gaming

00:18:29 - Game of the Week: Forbidden Jungle

00:41:00 - Adapting Hobby Games for the Classroom

01:00:36 - Classic Games That Deserve More Respect

In this episode of the GameSchooler Podcast, Doug and Michael discuss math games. They provide recommendations for games that cover various math skills, including sequencing, counting, addition and subtraction, probability, and multiplication. They also highlight games that combine multiple math skills. The hosts share their personal experiences with these games and emphasize the educational value of incorporating math into gameplay. They also explore the secondary game market, including platforms like BoardGameGeek, eBay, and Facebook. They also explore other options like local game stores and thrift shops. The conversation then shifts to their top 10 games from 2014, including titles like Colt Express, Red7, and Splendor.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction - Follow-Up & What's Awesome In Gaming

17:13 - Game of the Week: Math Games

48:37 - School of Gaming: The Secondary Game Market

01:03:07 - Top 10 Games From 2014 (10 Years Ago)

Summary

In this episode of the Game Scholar Podcast, Doug and Michael follow-up on last week's high five list, the impact of screen time, a new fan group on Board Game Arena, the benefits of campaign and legacy games, and the bonding and friendship that can be fostered through gaming. They also highlight Colorbrain as their Game of the Week, a family-friendly trivia game that is accessible to players of all ages. They also delve into the concept of fighting the inner completionist in the School of Gaming segment. In the first part of the conversation, Doug and Michael discuss the concept of expansions and completionism in board games. They advise being aware of the reasons behind purchasing expansions and not falling into the trap of buying them without actually playing them. They also acknowledge that it's impossible to be a completionist in the board game hobby due to the constant release of new games and expansions. They end the episode with a High-Five List of Retail Games That Feel Deluxe!

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction - Follow-Up & What's Awesome In Gaming

14:34 - Game of the Week: Color Brain

28:36 - School of Gaming: Fight the Inner Completionist

43:57 - High Five: Retail Games that Feel Deluxe

In this episode of the Game Schooler podcast, the Doug & Michael discuss their new setup, share a Small World story, talk about instant turnoffs in gaming, and revisit their Game of the Week, Marvel United. They discuss the game's mechanics, art, affordability, and replayability. They also provide insights into the game's educational value and its ability to promote skills such as selflessness, problem-solving, and communication. The hosts share their personal preferences and discuss the importance of knowing what turns them off in a game. The hosts discuss various aspects of board games, including inappropriate content in family-friendly games, issues with one versus many games, considerations for game length and complexity, challenges of solo gaming, post-game frustrations, the importance of aesthetics and artwork, and the role of rulebooks in game enjoyment. They also share their top five games that could benefit from new artwork.

00:00 Introduction

01:13 New setup and plans

02:07 Small World story

03:05 Turnoffs in gaming

08:17 Game of the Week: Marvel United

17:44 Review of Marvel United

43:31 School of Gaming: Instant Turnoffs

50:09 Inappropriate Content in Family-Friendly Games

52:06 Issues with One Versus Many Games

54:31 Considerations for Game Length and Complexity

58:45 Challenges of Solo Gaming

01:00:13 Post-Game Frustrations

01:01:13 Importance of Aesthetics and Artwork

01:02:39 The Role of Rulebooks in Game Enjoyment

01:04:44 High Five: Games That Need New Artwork

In this week’s episode we'll cover Zooloretto, our Game of the Week, discuss Whether a Good Deal Increase Interest in a Game in The School of Gaming,  and wrap it up by revealing our Top 10 Games from 2019!

00:25:00 - Game of the Week

00:44:16 - School of Gaming

00:54:46 - High-Five Games

In this week’s episode we'll cover Lost Ruins of Arnak, our Game of the Week, discuss What Jobs Within The Board Game Industry Would You Like To Have in The School of Gaming,  and wrap it up by revealing the Best Cover Art in our High-Five!

00:22:33 - Game of the Week

00:47:07 - School of Gaming

00:57:01 - High-Five Games

In this week’s episode we'll cover The A.R.T. Project, (00:13:20) our Game of the Week, discuss Balancing Fun & Winning (00:36:17) in The School of Gaming,  and wrap it up by revisiting our High Five Games of 2022 (00:47:24)!