Game Brain: A Board Game Podcast About Our Gaming Group #247: Old King's Crown
8 snips
Dec 24, 2025 Discover the exciting lane battling game, Old King's Crown, where card flipping meets asymmetric factions. Delve into the tension-filled bid for kingdom cards and the strategic depth added by evolving factions. The hosts share their experiences with Twilight Imperium's expansions and the engaging solo play of Kingdoms Forlorn, highlighting its captivating campaign design. With comparisons to other popular titles and insights into player interactions, this discussion is packed with gaming wisdom and holiday cheer!
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Episode notes
Breakthroughs Change Faction Balance
- Thunder's Edge adds breakthroughs and a fracture area that can change the strategic map and reward exploration.
- Breakthroughs give faction-powerful abilities and can alter tech synergy to rebalance factions mid-game.
Solo Obsession With Kingdoms Forlorn
- Matthew dove deep into Kingdoms Forlorn as a solo project because other big boss-battlers felt too long or campaign-heavy.
- He praises its character-centric 30-hour arcs, fail-forward design, and solo-friendly structure compared to Aeon Trespass Odyssey.
Backed For Art, Found A Great Game
- Matthew backed Old King's Crown for its art and at first assumed the game might disappoint mechanically.
- He was surprised to find the same artist, Pablo Clark, also designed a deep, well-balanced game.