This week Shelley and I explore to very different games that begin with F

First we collect resources and attempt to make excellent alcoholic drinks in

Fantasy Brewers by Michael Schacht from Grail Games

then we get card and try to create the best ant trails in the draw and draw game

Fantastic Trails by Jordy Adan from NSV

Thanks to this week's sponsor Dr. Finn's Games

You can sponsor the podcast directly by going to www.patreon.com/garrettsgames OR

check out the extensive list of games that no longer fit on our shelves, but belong on your table:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/16ovRDNBqur0RiAzgFAfI0tYYnjlJ68hoHyHffU7ZDWk/edit?usp=sharing

This week Shelley and I get a chance to check out games from two game BOOKS published or forthcoming from one of our favorite designers - Dr. Finn!

First we check out

Dr. Finn's Book of Solo Strategy and Word Games (Amazon Link Below):

https://www.amazon.com/Finns-Book-Solo-Strategy-Games/dp/B0FBJYZZ48

and three games from the forthcoming

Dr. Finn's Book of 2-Player Strategy and World Games (Kickstarter Link Below):

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/drfinnsgames/biblios-qandp-dr-finns-2021-games/creator

Then we check out another one of our Essen 2025 pick ups:

Popcorn by Victor Saumont from Iello

Thanks to our sponsor this week - Dr. Finn's Games

You can sponsor the podcast and our video series directly by going to www.patreon.com/garrettsgames OR check out our extensive list of games that no longer fit on our shelves, but belong on your table:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/16ovRDNBqur0RiAzgFAfI0tYYnjlJ68hoHyHffU7ZDWk/edit?usp=sharing

This week Shelley and I chuck dice and fill in rows in

Clickety Clack by Ralf zur Linde from NSV

then we head to Japan and strategically place our ronin figures into cities to do actions & funfill contracts in

Ronin by Emanuele Ornella from Queen Games

Remember you can sponsor the podcast at www.patreon.com/garrettsgames OR

check out our extensive list of games that no longer fit on our shelves, but belong on your table:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/16ovRDNBqur0RiAzgFAfI0tYYnjlJ68hoHyHffU7ZDWk/edit?usp=sharing

This week Shelley and I create our own little ponds and populate them with frogs and insects in

Pondscape by Tomas Holek from Pink Troubadour and Capstone Games

then we build a canal-side city and place buildings for majority scoring in

Tolleno by Gilles Turbide from Sit Down!

Thanks As always to our sponsor Bezier Games - check out their store at www.beziergames.com

You can support the podcast and our YouTube video series by going to www.patreon.com/garrettsgames OR

check out our extensive list of games that no longer fit on our shelves, but belong on your table:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/16ovRDNBqur0RiAzgFAfI0tYYnjlJ68hoHyHffU7ZDWk/edit?usp=sharing

Shelley and I are traveling through our games this week, heading first to France to bike around the countryside in

Postcards by Eric Dubus and Simon Kayne fron Synapses Games

then we check out the northern part of our own continent in

Photo Tour North America by Oleg Meleshin, Eugene Timashov and Yury Yamshchikov from Timashov Publishing

Thanks as always to our sponsor Bezier Games, and check out their web store at www.beziergames.com!

You can sponsor this poscast and our video series directly by going to www.patreon.com/garrettsgames OR

check out the extensive list of games that no longer fit on our shelves, but belong on your table:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/16ovRDNBqur0RiAzgFAfI0tYYnjlJ68hoHyHffU7ZDWk/edit?usp=sharing

Now that it's ACTUALLY 2026, we can look ack on 2025 and run through our Top 10 games that we first played in 2025. If you want to go back and listen to our list from the first 1/2 of the year, head here:

EPISODE 1000:

https://traffic.libsyn.com/garrettsgames/GarrettsGames1000.1.mp3

Here are our lists, including the Honorable Mentions, as well as the episode and possible video links for each game:

Doug's List

Honorable Mentions (5)

• Please Don't Burn This Village by Simon Weinberg from Fireside Games
  • Audio: https://traffic.libsyn.com/garrettsgames/GarrettsGames1023.mp3
  • Video: https://youtu.be/XVTUakC54gk
• Everdell Silverfrost by James and Clarissa Wilson from Starling Games & Tabletop Tycoon
  • Audio: https://traffic.libsyn.com/garrettsgames/GarrettsGames1010.mp3
  • Video: https://youtu.be/wI5I9rLtOYs
• Looot by Charles Chevallier and Laurent Escoffier from Gigamic
  • Audio:https://traffic.libsyn.com/garrettsgames/GarrettsGames997.mp3
  • Video: https://youtu.be/Gu971L2ZeAs
• Draft and Write Records by Bruno Maciel from Inside Up Games
  • Audio: https://traffic.libsyn.com/garrettsgames/GarrettsGames981.mp3
  • Video: https://youtu.be/5EQswvbj5fc
• Viva Catrina by Fred Boulle and Gregory Grard from The Flying Games
  • Audio: https://traffic.libsyn.com/garrettsgames/GarrettsGames1016.mp3
  • Video: https://youtu.be/ldc8TfR3ztk

Top 10

• Aquaria by Tomas Holek from Delicious Games and Capstone Games
  • Audio: https://traffic.libsyn.com/garrettsgames/GarrettsGames1022.mp3
  • Video: https://youtu.be/YuErHyNbVzU
• Up or Down? by Wolfgang Kramer and Michael Kiesling from Capstone Games
  • Audio: https://traffic.libsyn.com/garrettsgames/GarrettsGames1022.mp3
  • Video: https://youtu.be/RFNCJRc7c9E
• Llama Llama by Kaya Miyano from Allplay
  • Audio: https://traffic.libsyn.com/garrettsgames/GarrettsGames1024.mp3
  • Video: https://youtu.be/OU0o4ywLdFA
• Bone Wars by Wim Goossens from Game Brewer and Cranio Creations
  • Audio: https://traffic.libsyn.com/garrettsgames/GarrettsGames999.mp3
  • Video: https://youtu.be/BLA5KvMhGUI
• MySeven (or Double Seven) by Michael Schacht from Schmidt Spiele
  • Video: https://youtu.be/qn2cfsPe3Lo
• Sanctuary by Mathias Wigge from Capstone Games and Feuerland Spiele
  • Audio: https://traffic.libsyn.com/garrettsgames/GarrettsGames1024.mp3
  • Video: https://youtu.be/UWU6UFP8NEA
• Meister Makatsu by Reiner Knizia from AMIGO
  • Audio: https://traffic.libsyn.com/garrettsgames/GarrettsGames1020.mp3
  • Video: https://youtu.be/i4LE8SgJR4w
• Pondscape by Tomas Holek from Pink Troubadour and Capstone Games
  • Audio: Upcoming
  • Video: Upcoming
• Orloj: The Prague Astronomical Clock by Abraham Sanchez Hermida & Paloma Pascual from Perro Loko Games & Devir
  • Audio: https://traffic.libsyn.com/garrettsgames/GarrettsGames1021.mp3
  • Video: https://youtu.be/SsGUQAowwS8
• Fromage by Matthew O'Malley & Ben Rosset from Road to Infamy Games
  • Audio: https://traffic.libsyn.com/garrettsgames/GarrettsGames981.mp3

Shelley's List

Honorable Mentions (5)

• Biddle by Carsten Rohlfs & Ralf zur Linde from AMIGO
• Viva Catrina by Fred Boulle and Gregory Grard from The Flying Games
  • Audio: https://traffic.libsyn.com/garrettsgames/GarrettsGames1016.mp3
  • Video: https://youtu.be/ldc8TfR3ztk
• Up or Down? by Wolfgang Kramer and Michael Kiesling from Capstone Games
  • Audio: https://traffic.libsyn.com/garrettsgames/GarrettsGames1022.mp3
  • Video: https://youtu.be/RFNCJRc7c9E
• Flip 7 by Eric Olsen from The Op Games
• MySeven (Double Seven) by Michael Schacht from Schmidt Spiele
  • Video: https://youtu.be/qn2cfsPe3Lo

Top 10

• Meister Makatsu by Reiner Knizia from AMIGO
  • Audio: https://traffic.libsyn.com/garrettsgames/GarrettsGames1020.mp3
  • Video: https://youtu.be/i4LE8SgJR4w
• Aquaria by Tomas Holek from Delicious Games and Capstone Games
  • Audio: https://traffic.libsyn.com/garrettsgames/GarrettsGames1022.mp3
  • Video: https://youtu.be/YuErHyNbVzU
• Resafa by Vladimir Suchy from Delicious Games
  • Audio: https://traffic.libsyn.com/garrettsgames/GarrettsGames982.mp3
  • Video: https://youtu.be/NnkHwK1PxCc
• Ofrenda by Orlanda Sa & Andre Santos from Osprey Games
  • Audio: https://traffic.libsyn.com/garrettsgames/GarrettsGames1003.mp3
  • Video: https://youtu.be/S5Z31sBTdRk
• Sanctuary by Mathias Wigge from Capstone Games and Feuerland Spiele
  • Audio: https://traffic.libsyn.com/garrettsgames/GarrettsGames1024.mp3
  • Video: https://youtu.be/UWU6UFP8NEA
• Everdell Silverfrost by James and Clarissa Wilson from Starling Games & Tabletop Tycoon
  • Audio: https://traffic.libsyn.com/garrettsgames/GarrettsGames1010.mp3
  • Video: https://youtu.be/wI5I9rLtOYs
• Kathmandu by Stefan Feld from Queen Games
  • Audio: https://traffic.libsyn.com/garrettsgames/GarrettsGames1009.mp3
  • Video: https://youtu.be/BcCEw7CICLo
• Fromage by Matthew O'Malley & Ben Rosset from Road to Infamy Games
  • Audio: https://traffic.libsyn.com/garrettsgames/GarrettsGames981.mp3
• Pondscape by Tomas Holek from Pink Troubadour and Capstone Games
  • Audio: Upcoming
  • Video: Upcoming
• Orloj: the Prague Astronomical Clock by Abraham Sanchez Hermida & Paloma Pascual from Perro Loko Games & Devir
  • Audio: https://traffic.libsyn.com/garrettsgames/GarrettsGames1021.mp3
  • Video: https://youtu.be/SsGUQAowwS8

Episode 1026! This week Shelley and I work with trees, both logging them and becoming stewards of the forest in

Forestry by Michal Peichl from Pink Troubadour, Capstone Games, and Pegasus Spiele

then we work our media accounts with cute animal photos in

Paw Up by Reiner Knizia from Pegasus Spiele

Thanks as always to our sponsor Bezier Games!

Remember that YOU can sponsor the podcast directly by going to www.patreon.com/garrettsgames OR checking out our extensive list of games that no longer fit on our shelves, but belong on your table:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/16ovRDNBqur0RiAzgFAfI0tYYnjlJ68hoHyHffU7ZDWk/edit?usp=sharing

Shelley and I work to help young women come to power and influence in the late 19th and early 20th century in

Kartini: From Darkness to Light by Sherria Ayuandini from ION Game Design

then we head to the British Isles and hang out with the pagans in

Druids of Edora by Stefan Feld from Alea and Ravensburger

Thanks as always to our sponsor Bezier Games!

Remember you can support the podcast and our video series over on YouTube by going to www.patreon.com/garrettsgames OR check out our extensive list of games that no longer fit on our shelves, but belong on your table:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/16ovRDNBqur0RiAzgFAfI0tYYnjlJ68hoHyHffU7ZDWk/edit?usp=sharing

GG&G 1024! This week Shelley and I check out two mini-box games from Allplay

Llama Llama by Kaya Miyano

For the Emperor by Whitney Loraine

Then check out a bigger game, which is actually the smaller cousin of Ark Nova

Sanctuary by Mathias Wigge from Capstone Games and Feuerland Spiele

Thanks as always to our sponsor Bezier Games!

Remember you can support the podcast and our video series (for which we have editions for each of these games) by going to www.patreon.com/garrettsgames OR check out the extensive list of games that no longer fit on our shelves, but belong on your table:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/16ovRDNBqur0RiAzgFAfI0tYYnjlJ68hoHyHffU7ZDWk/edit?usp=sharing

GG&G 1023! Shelley and I build gardens and bribe dragons this week in two great family-weight games

The Hanging Gardens by Gregory Grard and Matthieu Verdier from Gigamic

and

Please Don't Burn My Village by Simon Weinberg from Fireside Games

Thanks as always to our sponsor Bezier Games!

Remember that you can support the podcast by heading over to www.patreon.com/garrettsgames OR check out the extensive list of games that no longer fit on our shelves, but belong on your table:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/16ovRDNBqur0RiAzgFAfI0tYYnjlJ68hoHyHffU7ZDWk/edit?usp=sharing