Simple, Yet Intriguing

I! AM!! BEOWULF!!!

Join the crew as they check in on Chris’s 2025 board game challenge—playing games based on movies! This week, we’re diving into a reimplementation of Reiner Knizia's Kingdoms: Beowulf: The Movie Board Game.

Chapters

00:00 - Spoiler warning

00:46 - Introduction

03:01 - Beowulf (movie) recap

13:27 - Beowulf: The Movie Board Game discussion

31:56 - Aha! moments

Hosted by: Luke O'Grady & Chris Lemieux

Produced by: Sophie Shin

Socials: Matt Winquist

Artwork by: Samm Ruppersberger

In today's episode (alt title 'How to Master your Dragon') Chris & Luke bandy words about the notoriously rules-light yet compelling game, Dragon Master. 🐉

We also debate whether this is a tile laying game at all! 🤷

Tally ho!

Chapters:

00:00 - Hello

00:47 - Intro & what we played this week (Halo Flashpoint)

05:20 - Dragon Master Rules & Basics

11:52 - Game Discussion

27:08 - Aha! Moments

This week, Pangea is splitting and the crew fight for world dominance as they chat through Knizia's pre-historic dice rolling/tile laying classic: Genesis (2006).

Chapters

00:00 - Intro

02:38 - What did we play this week?

09:06 - Genesis discussion

16:50 - Aha! moments

Hosted by: Luke O'Grady & Chris Lemieux

Produced by: Sophie Shin

Socials: Matt Winquist

Artwork by: Samm Ruppersberger

This week, Chris and Luke are praying to the gods of Easter Island as they chat through Knizia's blind auction / tile laying (maybe?) game: Orongo (recently re-released as Nyakuza).

Chapters

00:00 - Intro

00:55 - What did we play this week?

09:03 - Nyakuza discussion

21:44 - Aha! moments

Hosted by: Luke O'Grady & Chris Lemieux

Produced by: Sophie Shin

Socials: Matt Winquist

Artwork by: Samm Ruppersberger

What do freelance fantasy space-whale photography and the establishment of profitable medieval realms have in common? That the boys talk about both of those themes in this episode!

Chris and Luke bandy words about the classic tile-laying game Cosmolancer (originally released as Kingdoms), as well as the 2025 Spiel des Jahres awards (a very timely discussion), and the warm feeling of harming your friends* without facing any consequences.

*in the game

Tally ho! 🐳💫

00:00 - Intro

00:41 - Banter: on the 2025 Spiel des Jahres

09:53 - Cosmolancer background info

13:33 - Rules summary

16:49 - Game discussion

25:21 - Aha! moments

29:40 - 'I could harm you and then have no retribution personally!'

32:45 - Outro

Hosted by: Luke O'Grady & Chris Lemieux

Produced by: Sophie Shin & Chris Lemieux

Socials: Matt Winquist

Artwork by: Samm Ruppersberger

In this ✨premier episode✨, the lads continue laying tiles in order to collect gems and/or guide butterflies. Join Chris and Luke as they highlight the classic Knizia game Indigo (re-released & re-themed as Butterfly Garden)!

Chapters:

00:00 - Intro

00:49 - Banter: On Rulebooks

08:46 - Butterfly Garden explanation

13:42 - Butterfly Garden discussion

18:08 - Theme & Production

21:49 - Aha! moments

31:42 - Fun Fact!

Hosted by: Luke O'Grady & Chris Lemieux

Produced By: Sophie Shin

Socials: Matt Winquist

Artwork by: Samm Ruppersberger

We continue our adventures in Tile Laying with The Boys as Luke & Chris chat Mille Fiori - on glassblowing, card drafting, and pattern building in beautiful Venice.

Featuring surprise banter topic - going to Deep Space!

Chapters:

00:00 - Intro

01:00 - Going to Deep Space (MLEM Banter)

04:48 - Mille Fiori explanation

09:01 - Mille Fiori (boardgame) discussion

19:16 - Theme discussion

22:22 - Mille Fiori (real life art form) discussion

26:25 - Aha! moments

Hosted by: Luke O'Grady & Chris Lemieux

Produced By: Sophie Shin

Socials: Matt Winquist

Artwork by: Samm Ruppersberger

The crew is back with a shiny new Knizia series: Tile Laying with the Boys! Luke & Chris welcome our very own Mechanic Mechanic Matt to chat about the first game in the series: Rebirth.

Chapters:

00:00 - Introduction

01:02 - Get to know Mechanic Mechanic Matt!

12:50 - How to play Rebirth

19:09 - Rebirth Discussion

36:56 - Aha! moments

Hosted by: Luke O'Grady & Chris Lemieux

Guest: Matt Winquist

Produced by: Sophie Shin

Socials: Matt Winquist

Artwork by: Samm Ruppersberger

It’s time for a challenge check-in! The crew returns to see how Sophie’s board game resolution is going, diving into the depths of deduction in Sleuth and the wordy wheeling and dealing of BuyWord—both from the prolific designer Sid Sackson.

Hosted by: Luke O'Grady & Chris Lemieux

Produced by: Sophie Shin

Socials: Matt Winquist

Artwork by: Samm Ruppersberger

This week, the crew present you an offer you can't refuse: Gang of Dice! Plus, they rank all the games of their Cubes So Nice They Named it Dice: Dice Guys Finish Last series.

Chapters:

00:00 - Introduction

01:33 - What did we play this week? 

08:28 - How to play Gang of Dice

12:00 - Gang of Dice Discussion

17:45 - Aha! moments

27: 02 - Series rankings

Hosted by: Luke O'Grady & Chris Lemieux

Produced by: Sophie Shin

Socials: Matt Winquist

Artwork by: Samm Ruppersberger