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Zeshawn from Board and Shield has played over 500 board games — and he's just as deep in the book world as the board game one. In this episode of the Board Game Secret Show we go all the way down the rabbit hole: how a Game of Thrones version of Risk pulled him into the hobby, why he merged books and board games onto one account, the narrative campaign games worth your table (Dragon Eclipse, Oathsworn, Spire's End), a hot take that might get him canceled (Castles of Burgundy is overrated), and his complete all-time Top 10 — including why Black Rose Wars will NEVER leave the #1 spot.

We also cover the board-game-to-book pipeline: what to read if you love Blood Rage, the cozy parallel to CozyStickerville, and the standalone novels every gamer should pick up.

🎲 Follow Zeshawn here:

@ZeBoardandShield

https://www.instagram.com/boardandshield/

https://www.tiktok.com/@boardandshield

The #1 way you can support me is join my community here: https://crdbrd.app/

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⏱️ TIMESTAMPS

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0:00 — Cold open / teaser

0:30 — Who is Zeeshan & Board and Shield

1:03 — How we connected on TikTok

2:34 — Cross-posting TikTok / IG / YouTube + why he hates editing

5:08 — Being authentic beats high production

6:07 — His first videos: nerves, photos → talking to camera

7:53 — Will we ever get long-form? The monthly-recap idea

9:29 — The origin story: Game of Thrones Risk changed everything

13:08 — Champions of Midgard & his first worker placement

14:31 — Getting people into the hobby (the gateway-game problem)

16:13 — Top 10 lists & the YouTubers that hooked him

18:26 — Books or board games — which came first?

18:53 — Between Two Fires: a horror book deep dive

21:57 — His reading journey & the deluxe-edition parallel to board games

25:01 — Why he merged books + board games onto one account

27:21 — Niching down vs. being yourself (and dealing with haters)

29:13 — Booktok creators worth following — and how huge that world is

31:39 — The golden age of Lord of the Rings board games

33:35 — There and Back Again & the "cozy" debate

34:22 — Cozy Stickerville obsession

37:15 — Corey Konieczka (Twilight Imperium → Cozy Stickerville) & Vantage

41:33 — Narrative campaign games: Dragon Eclipse & Oathsworn

44:04 — Dragon Eclipse as an arena battler ("I wish it were Pokémon")

47:03 — Can board game writing ever match a real novel?

48:32 — Tainted Grail & the Spire's End games

53:08 — Sponsor break: Cardboard

54:01 — Getting board gamers INTO books

56:08 — Legends & Lattes: the cozy book pick

57:06 — Can a book capture the *feeling* of a board game?

59:36 — Standalone book recs (The Sword of Kaigen, Blood Over Bright Haven)

1:00:21 — The paid-content & publisher journey

1:03:36 — Staying selective + the one publisher he hasn't worked with (Awaken Realms)

1:04:40 — Auto-buy publishers & designers: Board & Dice + Stefan Feld

1:05:41 — HOT TAKE: Castles of Burgundy is overrated

1:08:38 — Favorite Board & Dice game (Teotihuacan)

1:09:46 — Windmill Valley & Danny Garcia

1:11:20 — More hot takes: Ark Nova & Viticulture

1:14:07 — THE ALL-TIME TOP 10 — #10 Marvel Champions

1:17:36 — #9 Avalon

1:19:09 — #8 Nusfjord

1:21:13 — #7 Blood Rage

1:22:23 — #6 Primal: The Awakening

1:23:31 — #5 Dominion

1:26:36 — #4 Santorini

1:29:30 — #3 Inis

1:30:57 — #2 Spirit Island (is it really cozy?)

1:33:01 — #1 Black Rose Wars (the forever #1)

1:38:09 — Breaking into the list: Grimm Coven

1:44:15 — The future of Board and Shield & where to follow him

1:45:20 — How he finds time for all of it

1:46:37 — Closing thoughts: the stories behind the hobby

#boardgames #boardgamecommunity #tabletopgames #booktok #blackrosewars