Going Analog Show

Professional comedian Grant Lyon (who also creates board game videos and co-designed Curmudgeon) joins us on the podcast this week. We talk about "old" (pre-2018) games that need more live, mechanics that we seek out or actively avoid, and more party games we love playing.

Games mentioned on this episode:

Intro:

• Curmudgeon

Christina's topic: "Old" games that don't get enough love

• Love Letter
• Lost Legacy
• Grand Austria Hotel
• Taverns of Tiefenthal
• High Society
• Take 5
• Take a Number
• Cover Your Assets
• Cover Your Kingdom
• Potion Explosion
• Sea of Clouds
• Lords of Waterdeep
• Raiders of the North Sea
• Dominions
• Raiders of Scythia
• Descent: Journeys in the Dark
• Gloomhaven
• Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion

Shoe's topic: More party games

• Cross Clues
• Codenames
• Curmudgeon
• MTV: The Throwback Music Party Game
• Blockbuster
• Who's the G.O.A.T.?

Grant's topic: Seeking out or avoiding games based on mechanics

• Lords of Waterdeep
• Champions of Midgard
• Everdell
• Tidal Blades
• Architects of the West Kingdom
• Paladins of the West Kingdom
• Viscounts of the West Kingdom
• Kingswood
• Raiders of the North Sea
• Raiders of Scythia
• Sagrada
• Alien Frontiers
• Marco Polo
• Castles of Burgundy
• The Godfather
• The Godfather: A New Don
• Eclipse
• Beyond the Sun
• The Crew
• Gudetama: The Tricky Egg Card Game
• The Fox in the Forest
• The Fox in the Forest Duet
• Skull King

Final thoughts:

• Curmudgeon
• Honey Buzz
• Beyond the Sun

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Plaid Hat Marketing Manager Niki Shults and Multimedia Director Donald Shults talk board games -- and tons of D&D -- with us. Our topics:

1. What are some new party games you can play over Zoom or within one average household?

2. Is Catan still the perfect gateway game? If not, what is?

3. What are your best childhood memories of playing board games?

4. House rules: How do you feel about them?

Here are the games covered on the show:

Intro:

• Forgotten Waters
• The Settlers of Catan

Shoe's topic: Great party games for quarantine or households

• Telestrations
• Telestrations: Upside Drawn
• P for Pizza
• Herd Mentality
• Forgotten Waters
• Wavelength
• Just One
• Dungeons and Dragons
• Mastermind
• Master Word
• Corinth

Donald's topic: Is Settlers of Catan still the best gateway game?

• Monopoly
• Magic the Gathering
• Clue
• The Settlers of Catan
• Pandemic
• Dungeon Twister
• Dungeons and Dragons
• Ticket to Ride
• Azul
• Wingspan
• Hanabi
• Starfarers of Catan
• Tokaido
• Megaland
• King of Tokyo
• Welcome to
• Yahtzee
• Dominion

Niki's topic: Your first boardgame memories

• Uno
• Fireball Island
• Mouse Trap
• Dungeons and Dragons
• HeroQuest
• Big 2/Deuce
• Go to the Head of the Class
• Dungeons and Dragons

Christina's topic: Do you use house rules?

• Bye, Felicia
• Starfarers of Catan

Final thoughts:

• Forgotten Waters

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Guest Elizabeth Hargrave (Wingspan, Mariposas) drops a hint about her next project while we discuss our four new topics:

1. Learning factoids in non-educational games

2. How we can make board gaming more inclusive for everyone

3. Games whose themes have inspired innovative gameplay

4. Designing games and finishing prototypes

Games discussed in this episode:

Intro:

• Wingspan
• Tussie Mussie
• Mariposas

Christina's topic: How theme can lead to innovative gameplay

• Wingspan
• Mariposas
• Photosynthesis
• Wind the Film
• Remember Our Trip
• Here Comes the Dog
• Abomination: The Heir of Frankenstein
• Castell
• The Search for Planet X
• Viticulture
• Dead of Winter
• Battlestar Galactica
• The Thing: Infection at Outpost 31
• Scooby-Doo! Escape from the Haunted Mansion

Shoe's topic: Educational games that aren't educational games

• Wingspan
• Mariposas
• Tussie Mussie
• The Search for Planet X
• Beez
• Arraial
• Tokaido
• Cytosis: A Cell Biology Board Game
• Virulence: An Infection Card Game
• Pandemic
• Photosynthesis
• Castell
• Ticket to Ride
• 7 Wonders

Nick's topic: How do you know which prototypes to move forward with; how do you know when a game design's finished?

• Mariposas
• Wingspan

Final thoughts:

• Mariposas
• Wingspan: Oceania
• Beez
• The Search for Planet X
• Morels
• 7 Wonders
• 7 Wonders Duel
• 7 Wonders Duel: Pantheon
• Tokaido
• Hanabi

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Guest Timm Metivier of Meepleville (a board game cafe in Vegas and a channel for board game content) joins us to discuss the top 3 games we can't wait to get to the table, the business of running a board game cafe (you'd be surprised how he works around COVID), how we discover the games we want to buy, and more.

The games talked about on this episode:

Timm's topic: The top games we can't wait to get to the table

• Food Chain Magnate
• Trickerion
• Pax Porfiriana
• Telestrations: Upside Drawn
• Tekhenu: Obelisk of the Sun
• Tzok'in: The Mayan Calendar
• Teotihuacan: City of Gods
• Master Word
• Anachrony
• Barrage
• The Gallerist
• City of the Big Shoulders
• 18XX
• Escape Plan
• Vinhos
• On Mars
• Viscounts of the West Kingdom
• Sleeping Gods

Shoe's/Christina's topic: Running a board game cafe during COVID + how we discover games

• Bridge
• Pinochle
• Backgammon
• Catan
• Ticket to Ride
• Life
• Connect Four
• Tekhenu: Obelisk of the Sun
• Scooby-Doo: Betrayal at Mystery Mansion
• Pendulum
• Trois
• Ginkgopolis

Mike's topic: What does a board game cafe's business model look like?

• Cards Against Humanity
• Monopoly
• Sorry
• Risk
• Ticket to Ride
• Pandemic
• Battleship
• Lorenzo il Magnifico
• Hansa Teutonica

Final thoughts:

• Fingabol
• Crokinole

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The big games of the year have been announced. What do we think of them? The Dice Tower's Roy Cannaday joins us to discuss the Spiel and Kennerspiel des Jahres 2020 nominees/winners; if we still use "Euro" and "Ameritrash" to define those genres; video production during quarantine times; and his new, upcoming game, Last Light.

The games we talk about on this episode:

Intro:

• Last Light
• Eclipse
• Twilight Imperium
• Concordia

Christina's topic: Spiel des Jahres 2020 nominees/winners

• My City
• Nova Luna
• Pictures
• Just One
• Machi Koro Legacy

Shoe's topic: Kennerspiel des Jahres nominees/winners

• Hearts
• Spades
• The Crew
• Cartographers
• The King's Dilemma

Roy's topic: "Euro" vs. "Ameritrash"

• Settlers of Catan
• Carcassonne
• Arkham Horror
• Risk
• Century
• Concordia
• Black Angel
• The Magnificent
• Pret-A-Porter
• Abomination

Final Thoughts

• Luna
• Belfort
• Loot of Lima
• The Search for Planet X
• Marvel Champions

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Game designers Jon Gilmour (Dead of Winter, Dinosaur Island) and Ian Moss (Duelosaur Island, Wonderland's War) join us to discuss video games that would make cool board games, what video games have taught them about game design, our ideal gaming group, and how new RPGs make themselves stand out from the crowd.

Here are the games covered on the show:

Intro

• Dead of Winter
• Dinosaur Island
• Wasteland Express
• I Dissent
• Duelosaur Island
• Wonderland's War
• Bunkers and Badasses

Ian's topic: How do newer RPGs make themselves stand out?

• Bunkers and Badasses
• Kids on Bikes
• Jiangshi: Blood in the Banquet Hall
• Kids on Brooms
• Blades in the Dark
• Apocalypse World
• Fiasco
• ATMA
• The Quiet Year

Jon's topic: What video games have you played recently that would make cool board games?

• Path of Light and Shadow

Shoe's topic: What have video games taught Jon and Ian about game design?

• Dinosaur Island
• Duelosaur Island
• Taverns of Tiefenthal
• Quadropolis
• Dead of Winter
• Slide Quest
• Machi Koro Legacy
• My City

Christina's topic: What makes the ideal gaming group for you?

• Innovation
• Sagrada
• Azul
• Concordia

Final thoughts:

• Sonora
• Crokinole
• Bunkers and Badasses
• Santa Monica
• Smartphone
• Food Chain Magnate

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It's our 50th episode! We celebrate by discussing:

• Our top 3 games in BoardGameGeek's top 100
• Our favorite genres (and our favorite game in that genre)
• The best moments from our podcast so far
• The board game that got us into board gaming

Here are the games we mention on the show:

Mike's topic: Favorite game in our favorite genre

• Gloomhaven
• Hansa Teutonica
• 7 Wonders
• Libertalia
• Campy Creatures
• R (BraveRats)
• Orleans
• Caverna
• A Feast for Odin
• Alien Frontiers

Shoe's topic: Top 3 games in the BGG Top 100

• Caverna
• Tzolk'in: The Mayan Calendar
• Codenames
• 7 Wonders
• La Boca
• Wingspan
• Innovation
• Caverna: The Forgotten Folk
• Terra Mystica
• Crokinole
• Lords of Waterdeep
• The Castles of Burgundy
• Broom Service
• Hansa Teutonica
• Lords of Vegas
• Troyes
• Terraforming Mars
• Chess
• Boggle
• Monopoly
• Go
• Black Angel
• San Juan
• Concordia

Nick's topic: The game that got us into board gaming

• HeroQuest
• Magic: The Gathering
• Vampire: The Masqerade
• Talisman
• Catan
• Monopoly
• Monopoly: The Lord of the Rings Trilogy Edition
• Sorry!
• Trouble
• Puerto Rico
• Bohnanza
• Thunderstone
• Illuminati
• Car Wars
• Arkham Horror

Final thoughts

• War of the Ring

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Two guests! Nick Brachmann (Leder Games) and John de Campos (Terrible Games) join us to discuss their upcoming games (Fort and Token Terrors Battlegrounds, respectively) and our four new topics:

1. Deckbuilding games with a unique twist
2. Our other hobbies that we'd like to see brought to life for tabletop gaming
3. The differences between "design" and "development"
4. Establishing a visual identity for a game company

Here are the games discussed/mentioned in this episode:

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We're talking so many "favorites" today: our favorite games where points don't matter, favorite games that revolve around illustrations (not necessarily drawing), favorite board game universes, and favorite game-induced social interactions.

Our guest is Eric Slauson, designer of Tattoo Stories, Nerd Words, and the upcoming MonsDRAWsity.

Here's a list of the games discussed on the show:

Intro

• Tattoo Stories
• Nerd Words: Science!
• MonsDRAWsity
• Welcome To...
• Tumblin' Dice

Christina's topic: Favorite type of social interactions

• Twilight Imperium
• Exit
• Unlock!
• Level 7: Omega Protocol
• Forgotten Waters
• Charterstone
• Arcadia Quest
• Dead of Winter
• Telestrations
• MonsDRAWsity
• The Crew
• Deckscape

Eric's topic: Favorite games where the points don't matter

• Medium
• Mobscenity
• Bye, Felicia!
• Just One
• Wavelength
• Telestrations
• Alcatraz: The Scapegoat
• Flip Ships
• FUSE
• Tokaido
• Namiji

Shoe's topic: Great games that revolve around illustrations (not drawing)

• MonsDRAWsity
• Dixit
• Muse
• Visitor in Blackwood Grove
• Pictures
• Imagine
• Drawful
• Mangaka: The Fast & Furious Game of Drawing Comics
• Cartooner: The Fast & Furious Game of Drawing Comics
• Escape the Dark Castle

Jess's topic: Favorite game universes

• Above and Below
• Near and Far
• Roam
• Sleeping Gods
• Roll Player
• Cartographers
• Lockup: A Roll Player Tale
• Kingdomino
• Queendomino
• Dragomino
• Ex Libris
• Star Trek Ascendancy
• Scythe
• Eclipse
• Cthulhu Wars

Final thoughts

• Stellar
• MonsDRAWsity
• Tattoo Stories
• Nerd Words: Science!

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What do we really mean when we want to play a "storytelling" game? Designers Sen-Foong Lim and Banana Chan join to discuss this as well as the upcoming Jiangshi RPG, our favorite board game themes, and board game cultural appreciation vs. appropriation.

Here's a full list of games discussed on the show:

Intro

• Jiangshi: Blood in the Banquet Hall
• Scooby-Doo: Betrayal at Mystery Mansion
• Sea of Legends
• Dune RPG
• Junk Art
• Dungeons & Dragons: Rock Paper Wizard
• The Legend of Korra: Pro-Bending Arena
• Scooby-Doo: Escape from the Haunted Mansion
• Mind MGMT
• Kingdom Rush
• Betrayal at House on the HIll

Christina's topic: What are inspirations for the settings in your games?

• Jiangshi: Blood in the Banquet Hall
• Scooby-Doo: Escape from the Haunted Mansion

Banana's topic: Favorite game themes that you don't see as often

• Succulent
• Pret-a-Porter
• Abomination: Heir of Frankenstein
• Alice is Missing
• Wait for Me
• Anachrony
• T.I.M.E Stories
• Belfort

Shoe's topic: Story-based/RPG-style board games

• ATMA
• Forgotten Waters
• Mice & Mystics
• Aftermath
• Dead of Winter
• Sea of Legends
• Warp's Edge
• Tales of Arabian Nights
• Once Upon a Time
• Fiasco
• Paranoia
• Kobolds Ate My Baby
• Apocalypse World
• Monster Hearts
• Dungeons & Dragons
• Pathfinder
• Kids on Bikes
• Samurai

Sen's topic: Cultural appreciate vs. appropriation

• Jiangshi: Blood in the Banquet Hall
• Arkham Horror
• Puerto Rico

Final thoughts

• Jiangshi: Blood in the Banquet Hall
• Wait for Me
• Dissident Whispers
• The Shivers
• Gloomhaven
• Surrealist Dinner Party
• Mechanica

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