BoardGameGeek's Scott Alden (owner) and Lincoln Damerst (host of GameNight!) stops by to offer their thoughts on all three Azul games, the monsterous Abomination, and our favorite popular and under-the-radar games from BGGCON.

Games discussed:

Intro:

• Abomination
• Azul
• Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra
• Azul: Summer Pavilion

Christina's topic: Best game of BGGCON

• Aquatica
• Marvel Champions: The Card Game
• Silver
• Silver Bullet
• Medium

Aldie's topic: Best game at BGGCON...that no one's heard of

• Soviet Kitchen Unleashed
• Colorful
• Match Me: What Color Is This?
• Tokyo Series
• The Magnificent
• Escape: The Curse of the Temple
• Automania
• Santa Maria
• Rebel Nox
• Capital Lux
• Offshore
• Horticulture Master
• Orchard Ocean
• Draw Your Own Conclusions
• Telestrations

Lincoln's topic: Abomination

• Tapestry

Final thoughts:

• The Mind
• The Mind Extreme
• Wavelength

John D. Clair (Ecos, Mystic Vale) talks us through his mechanics-first approach to game design. And the group discusses our favorite Star Wars, deckbuilding, and engine-building games.

Games discussed:

Intro:

• Mystic Vale
• Custom Heroes
• Space Base
• Edge of Darkness
• Ecos: The First Continent
• Ascension
• Ascension: Skulls & Sails

Shoe's topic: Engine-building games

• Rise of Augustus
• Gizmos
• Great Western Trail
• Innovation
• Dominion
• Magic: The Gathering

John's topic: From inspiration to game

• Downfall
• War Chest
• Dead Reckoning
• Black Angel

Christina's topic: Deck-building games

• Shards of Infinity
• Tyrants of the Underdark
• The Big Book of Madness
• Aeon's End
• Path of Light and Shadow
• Thunderstone
• Thunderstone Quest
• Concordia
• Res Arcana
• Clank!
• Clank! In! Space!
• Clank! Legacy: Acquisitions Incorporated

Jess's topic: Star Wars board games

• Star Wars: Rebellion
• Star Wars: The Card Game
• Star Wars: Destiny
• Star Wars: Imperial Assault
• Star Wars: Outer Rim
• Star Wars: X-Wing Miniatures
• Star Wars: Legion
• Star Wars: Armada

Final thoughts:

• Slide Quest
• Draw Your Own Conclusions

Rob Manuel (Indie Megabooth, ex-G4TV/Geek & Sundry) discusses what it takes to be a successful board game content creator, plus how to talk to non-gamers about board games over the holidays, why there aren't more negative game reviews, and some Ravensburger appreciation

Games we mentioned:

Intro:

Age of Steam   Christina's topic: How to talk to people about board games over the holidays Monopoly The Settlers of Catan Agricola Caverna Risk Small World Kingdomino Wind the Film Broom Service Hive Mind Scattergories Red Dragon Inn Happy Salmon King of Tokyo Lost Cities Hanabi Codenames Just One Taboo Love Letter Ticket to Ride   Rob's topic: What it takes to be a successful board game content creator in 2020 Wingspan Tapestry   Shoe's topic: Why isn't there more negative coverage or reviews in board game media? Fog of Love The Grizzled Pandemic Legacy   Nick's topic: Ravensburger love Journey Around the World Labyrinth Enchanted Forest Heimlich & Co. Flying Carpet Scotland Yard Disney Villainous Puerto Rico San Juan The Castles of Burgundy Carpe Diem Bora Bora Jaws Troll

Jerry Hawthorne (Mice and Mystics, Stuffed Fables) talks about how he world-builds for his story-rich adventure games. Also: kid-friendly family games, dopamine (and how game design taps into it), and what we do with the content we never see in adventure/legacy games.

Intro:

Mice & Mystics Stuffed Fables Comanauts Aftermath Battlelands   Christina's topic: How do we feel about the content we might not see in campaign/legacy games? Pandemic Legacy   Mike's topic: Game recommendations for kids of different ages Penguin Trap Don't Break the Ice Bugs in the Kitchen Loopin' Louie Buckaroo! Jenga Pie Face Celestia Fireball Island Mysterium Dixit Muse Snake Oil Apples to Apples   Jerry's topic: Dopamine and board games Agricola   Final Thoughts: Pret-a-Porter Tussie Mussie Betrayal Legacy Betrayal at House on the Hill Horrified Skulk Hollow

Bebo (Be Bold Games) brings the strangest/coolest topic to date. Also: most anticipated Essen releases, the biggest problems in the industry, and games that are/aren't worth the setup time.

Games we discussed:

Bebo's topic: Which 3 games in a trench coat are you?

• Caverna
• Battleline
• Junk Orbit
• Rebel Nox
• Wingspan
• Flamme Rouge
• Web of Spies
• Detective: City of Angels
• Deception: Murder in Hong Kong
• Caverna: The Forgotten Folk
• Barenpark
• Tokaido

Mike's topic: Essen Spiel games we're looking forward to

• Terramara
• Maracaibo
• Ecos
• Cat Lady
• Evolution
• On Mars
• Deep Blue
• Abyss
• Azul: Summer Pavilion
• Marco Polo 2
• Vast
• Root
• Merchant's Cover
• Pret-a-Porter
• Paranormal Detectives

Christina's topic: Games that are and aren't worth the set-up time

• Yinzi
• A Feast for Odin
• Mysterium
• Dixit
• Muse
• Eclipse
• Terra Mystica
• Pipeline
• Teotihuacan
• Star Wars: Imperial Assault
• Gloomhaven
• Aftermath
• Mice and Mystics
• Stuffed Fables
• Twilight Imperium

Shoe's topic: What are the biggest problems with the board game hobby/industry today?

• Cards Against Humanity
• Monopoly
• The Settlers of Catan
• King of Tokyo
• Ticket to Ride
• Pickomino
• Mousetrap
• Care Bears: On the Path to Care-a-Lot
• Battlestar Galactica: The Board Game

Final thoughts:

• Munchkin
• Crown of Emara
• The Primary
• Hive Mind
• Decrypto
• Blockbuster
• Time's Up: Total Recall
• Monikers
• Taboo

Why are some games so hard to buy? Scott Morris of GTS Distribution explains the manufacturing/distribution process for us -- plus recent faves that we've been playing and some of the best worker-placement games (with a twist).

Games we discussed:

Scott's topic: How games get into stores, why they sell out, why they take so long to restockRoot Batman: Gotham City Chronicles 7th Continent Shoe's topic: Recent favesLetter Jam Boggle Scrabble Parks Campy Creatures Space Park Paladins of the West Kingdom Raiders of the North Sea Architects of the West Kingdom Christina's topic: Worker placement twists and favesAgricola Caverna Tzolk'in Everdell Everdell: Pearlbrook Vindication Alien Frontiers Caverna: Forgotten Folk A Feast for Odin Near and Far Above and Below Final thoughts:Sorcerer City Abomination

28: Nikki Valens (Mansions of Madness, Quirky Circuits) tells us how she goes from designing horror games to cute and adorable ones, plus our fave co-op games, how legacy games use legacy elements, and escape-room games

Games we discussed:

Intro:

Quirky Circuits Eldritch Horror Mansions of Madness Arkham Horror Legacy of Dragonholt Cloudspire   Shoe's topic: Designing horror-themed vs. family-friendly games Dread   Jess's topic: Favorite co-op games The Mind Magic Maze Robinson Crusoe: Adventures on the Cursed Island Detective Harry Potter: Hogwarts Battle Hanabi Team3 Mental Blocks Letter Jam Scrabble Pandemic Legacy: Season One   Nikki's topic: Legacy games Charterstone Betrayal Legacy Risk Legacy Rise of Queensdale Machi Koro Legacy Aeon's End: Legacy   Christina's topic:  Escape room design and games Exit: The Game -- Dead Man on the Orient Express Unlock! Escape Adventures The Tale of Ord  Mystery House: Adventures in a Box   Final Thoughts: Vindication Vinhos Viticulture Brass; Birmingham Brass: Lancashire Trogdor!!

27: Scott Alden (BoardGameGeek co-founder) asks if there are too many games being published, Christina wants to know the top 3 non-obvious things we look for in games, Shoe tackles the baggage of BoardGameGeek reviews head-on, and Nick raves about an all-time import favorite, Wind the Film

Games we mentioned:

Intro:

Tricks and the Phantom   Scott's topic: Too many games? Monopoly   Shoe's topic: Board Game Geek ratings Gloomhaven Tapestry Tigris & Euphrates Wingspan   Christina's topic: Top 3 qualities you look for in a game (besides gameplay and fun) Dead Man's Cabal Architects of the West Kingdom Azul Time Barons Castles of Burgundy Broom Service Space Park Castles of Mad King Ludwig Yinzi Rising Sun   Nick's topic: Wind the Film! Wind the Film! Let's Make a Bus Route Blend Coffee Lab. Take the "A" Chord In Front of the Elevators Lost Cities Coffee Roaster   Final thoughts: Vindication Sabotage Edge of Darkness Mystic Vale Gloom Parks

Tech journalist/author and first-time designer Dan Ackerman chats with us this week. Our new topics: the making of his board game Techlandia, how important winning is, the current state of board game media, and how the indie tabletop scene feels like the indie video game scene from five years ago.

Games we mentioned:

Intro: Techlandia Pipeline   Mike's topic: Importance of winning a board game Terra Mystica Foundations of Rome Fleet: The Dice Game Heroes of Land, Air, and Sea   Christina's Topic: Current state of board game media Flocks & Flyways   Dan's topic: How the indie board game scene is similar to indie video games five years ago Mansions of Madness Zombicide Star Wars: Imperial Assault   Final Thoughts:  The Estates Wingspan Le Havre Resident Evil 2: The Board Game Arkham Horror Deck Box Dungeons Silver Ecos

Mega gaming convention Gen Con 2019 is over! We team up with Board Game Spotlight to announce our games of the show, our favorite early prototypes (of games we won't see until 2020), why we buy what we buy at the show, and building communities.

Intro:

The Walking Dead: Something to Fear   Christina's topic: Gen Con Game of the Show Dead Man's Cabal Abomination Medium The Mind Unmatched Star Wars: Epic Duels Foundations of Rome Letter Jam   Lizzy's topic: What's worth the Gen Con haul, and what do we wait to order later? Black Angel Troyes Solenia Sininster Six Welcome to... Draftosaurus Quacks of Quedlinburg Silver Nine Tiles Panic Team3 Time Chase Ishtar Funkoverse Strategy Game Century: Golem Edition Era: Medieval Age SHOBU   Derek's topic: Importance of building community at conventions Just One Lisboa   Shoe's topic: Favorite prototypes/games to look forward to Foundations of Rome Namiji Tokaido Metal Gear Solid: The Board Game Wonderland's War Adventure Tactics Time of Legends: Destinies Time of Legends: Joan of Arc Chronicles of Crime The Isofarian Guard Holi: Festival of Colors Tidal Blades Fossilis Detective: City of Angels   Final Thoughts Point Salad Deck Building: The Deck Building Game Q.E.