The Cardboard Herald

Do we want more? Do we want less? What do we want when we play a new expansion to a board game? We give our thoughts on what makes a great board game expansions with some examples of our favorites and our least favorites on this week’s edition of The Cardboard Herald Podcast

0:00 - Introductions and What We’ve Played This Week

11:08 - Our Topic This Week: What Makes a Great Board Game Expansions

31:15 - Eric’s Number 5: 7 Wonders Duel: Pantheon

34:48 - Jack’s Number 5: Architects of the West Kingdom: Works of Wonder

38:24 - Eric’s Number 4: Spirit Island: Jagged Earth

40:37 - Jack’s Number 4: Spirit Island: Jagged Earth

43:33 - Eric’s Number 3: Dune Imperium: Rise of Ix

52:38 - Jack’s Number 3: Viticulture Tuscany Essential Edition

1:00:54 - Eric’s Number 2: Arcs: Blighted Reach Campaign

1:09:01 - Jack’s Number 2: Undaunted: Reinforcements

1:16:02 - Eric’s Number 1: Wingspan Oceania

1:22:06 - Jack’s Number 1:Terraforming Mars Prelude

1:27:11 - What Do We Want An Expansion of Harmonies to Look Like? 

1:32:34 - Listener Comments!

01:41:13 - Outro!

Stonks! On this week of The Cardboard Herald Podcast, Jack and Eric talk about the nebulous topic that is how to value games.

0:00 - Introductions and What Games We’ve Played!

34:22 - The Lore Corner

1:16:37 - What is Our Most Valuable Game?

1:17:03 - Return to The Lore Corner

1:21:52 - Outroduction

This week, we wanted to give a somewhat thorough overview of how the board game industry is reacting to the announced tariffs and what it means for us, as consumers in this hobby.

Here are some of the links we reference in the video:

https://stonemaiergames.com/the-darkest-timeline/

https://boardgamegeek.com/blog/1/blogpost/172826/publishers-talk-more-about-us-tariffs

https://solisgamestudio.com/blog/the-growing-bay-area-industry-that-tariffs-may-kill

0:00 - Introductions

00:47 - Topic Introduction: How Do Tariffs Affect the Board Game Industry 

07:35 - What Are Tariffs?

19:13 - What Are People in the Industry Saying?

54:42 - What Are Things We Can Do To Help Out?

01:09:20 - Outro!

You’re stranded on an abandoned island with only you, five board games, four friends and one million dollars from a disheveled content creator. What five games do you bring?

0:00 - Introductions and What Games Have We Played This Week!

10:00 - Topic: Games We Would Bring to a Desert Island

17:07 - Parameters of What Games We’re Bringing

21:25 - Eric and Jack Game #1

25:35 - Jack Game #2 

28:00 - Eric Game #2

30:27 - Jack Game #3

34:37 - Eric Game #3

39:05 - Jack Game #4

48:52 - Eric Game #4

52:54 - Jack Game #5

57:09 - Eric Game #5

1:02:04 - Eric’s Villain Monologue 

01:05:05 - Listener Lists

01:14:41 - Outro!

What games make gamers? Jack and Eric chat about what games are best to introduce people to the hobby and some common pitfalls games might have that would preclude them from this discussion.

0:00 - Introductions and What Games Have We Played This Week!

15:04 - Topic: Gateway Games

01:02:14 - Listener Comments

01:10:27 - Our Recommendations for a Universal Gateway Game

01:18:36 - Outro!

Eric and Jack chat about what solo gaming is like in 2025 and give recommendations on the best games to start out on your own.

0:00 - Introductions and What Games Have We Played This Week!

17:55 - Topic: Solo Gaming in 2025

51:50 - Our Recommendations for Gateway Solo Games

01:04:05 - Outro!

On this week’s episode, Eric and Jack share their advice and experiences in building a game group! Spoiler alert: Eric recommends solo games.

0:00 - Introductions and What Games Have We Played This Week!

19:00 - Topic: How To Build A Gaming Group

58:40 - Listener Question #1 - How To Handle A Gaming Group With an Awkward Number of Players?

01:06:42 - Outro!

We got too many games and we’re not gonna take it anymore! In this week’s episode, Eric and Jack talk about why somewhat might cull their board game collection, what factors to determine which games to keep, and best practices for removing games from your collection.

0:00 - Introductions!

01:26 - What Games Have We Played This Week!

21:45- Topic: Purging a Board Game Collection

01:09:35 - Listener Contributions

01:16:30- Outro!

John has designed numerous hit #boardgames most prominently for #AEG and #brotherwisegames. This was a great chat we had after getting a chance to hang out for the weekend at Platypus Con 2025 in Juneau, AK.

00:00 - Intro

01:19 - Breaking in and beyond card crafting

05:51 - The origin story

12:43 - Transition to game design full-time

18:15 - Honing your craft

24:25 - Pitching, showing & development

32:45 - Mistborn, STORMLIGHT, Oh My!

51:39 - Designing what comes natural

53:47 - Adapting a world

60:27 - Ambitions to originality

67:42 - A new Mystic Vale

Links:

Our Site - https://www.cardboardherald.com

Our Video Channel - https://www.youtube.com/TheCardboardHerald

Our Twitter - https://twitter.com/CardboardHerald

Our Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/user?u=9669551

But like what do we even mean when we say something's our favorite game? Jack and Eric discuss that and more in this week’s episode

0:00 - Introductions!

01:21 - What Games Have We Played This Week!

20:49 - Topic: The Concept of “Favorite Games”

51:56 - Listener Contribution #1

01:02:18 - Outro!