Board Game Hot Takes

In Episode 141 we provide our hot take review of Scythe covering the mechanisms, the production, and our overall feelings of the game. We also discuss a poll about whether past experience with a designer may keep you away from a game by that designer.Twitter Poll Results:I don't pay attention - 21%Yes - 40%No - 29% Then we discuss some board games on our table and future takes including Steam Up: A Feast of Dim Sum, Frosthaven, and They Live: Assault on Cable 54. Timestamps:00:00 Introduction00:39 Poll: Do you avoid trying certain board games because of your experience with that designer's other games?10:51 Scythe Description13:01 Gameplay and Mechanisms28:57 Production and Theme35:21 Final Thoughts40:51 Steam Up: A Feast of Dim Sum48:31 Frosthaven1:07:15 They Live: Assault on Cable 54

In Episode 140 we provide our hot take review of Mosaic: A Story of Civilization covering the mechanisms, the production, and our overall feelings of the game. We also discuss a poll about how board game awards impact your interest in games.Twitter Poll Results:Yes, puts them on my radar - 62.8%Yes, I need them now - 1.3%If already interested - 13%Nah - 22.9% Then we discuss some board games on our table and future takes including Legacy of Yu, Clank! In! Space!, Clank! Catacombs, Clank! Legacy 2, and Galactic Renaissance. Timestamps:00:00 Introduction00:28 Poll: Do you think board game awards influence your interest in board games?04:40 Mosaic: A Story of Civilization Description06:30 Gameplay and Mechanisms24:53 Production and Theme30:18 Final Thoughts33:31 Galactic Renaissance36:26 Clank! In! Space!, Clank! Catacombs, and Clank! Legacy 238:46 Legacy of Yu

In Episode 139 we provide our hot take review of Earth covering the mechanisms, the production, and our overall feelings of the game. We also discuss a poll about nature as a board game theme.Twitter Poll Results:Love it - 32%Like it if done right - 39%Variety is good - 21%Will avoid - 8% Then we discuss some board games on our table including Scout, Votes for Women, and Distilled. Timestamps:00:00 Introduction00:25 Poll: How do you feel about nature as a game theme?08:32 Earth Description11:12 Gameplay and Mechanisms23:45 Production and Theme33:40 Final Thoughts38:46 Scout46:15 Votes for Women59:50 Distilled

In Episode 138 we each discuss 5 games that will be leaving our collection. We talk about why these games are leaving, why they weren't getting played, and in some cases, what's replaced them on the shelves. We also discuss a poll on Twitter about regret after culling games.Twitter Poll Results:Yes, Immediately- 4.5%Yes, A While Later - 38.1%No - 34.3%I've Never Culled A Game - 23.1% Timestamps:00:00 Introduction01:50 Poll: Have you ever culled a board game from your collection and then regretted it?08:31 10 Games Getting Culled10:03 Hansa Teutonica Big Box12:39 Dice Realms17:35 One Deck Galaxy20:18 The Castles of Burgundy: The Card Game23:49 18Ireland26:40 A Feast for Odin30:05 Snowdonia: Deluxe Master Set33:06 Wayfarers of the South Tigris36:43 Undaunted: Normandy39:37 Lords of Waterdeep44:31 Honorable Mentions - Long Shot: The Dice Game, Dice Throne, Furnace

In Episode 137 we provide our hot take review of Yokohama covering the mechanisms, the production, and our overall feelings of the game. We also discuss a poll on paying more than MSRP for a board game.Twitter Poll Results:Yes, Money is No Object - 11%Yes, I'd Pay a Bit More -61.3%Nope - 25.2%These Options Suck - 2.5% Then we discuss some board games on our table including A Taste for Wine and Murder, Pioneer Rails, and Motor City. Timestamps:00:00 Introduction04:55 Poll: Are there any out of print games that you'd be willing to pay more than the original retail price for?11:08 Yokohama Description13:12 Gameplay and Mechanisms29:15 Production and Theme33:12 Final Thoughts37:37 A Taste for Wine and Murder42:22 Pioneer Rails50:02 Motor City1:01:24 Listener Shoutout

In Episode 136 we provide our hot take reviews of 3 different 2-player deck dueling cards including Air, Land, and Sea, Radlands, and Star Wars: The Deckbuilding Game. We also discuss a poll on preferred length for 2 player games.Twitter Poll Results:<30 Minutes - 24.5%30-90 Minutes - 58.3%>90 Minutes - 2.6%Depends on the Opponent - 14.6% Timestamps:00:00 Introduction01:23 Poll: Preferred length of 2-player game?5:23 Air, Land, & Sea Description08:25 Gameplay and Mechanisms14:01 Production and Theme16:38 Final Thoughts16:13 Radlands Description20:48 Gameplay and Mechanisms27:17 Production and Theme29:35 Final Thoughts31:13 Star Wars: The Deck Building Games Description34:51 Gameplay and Mechanisms42:28 Production and Theme45:58 Final Thoughts

In Episode 135 we provide our hot take review of Distilled covering the mechanisms, the production, and our overall feelings of the game. We also discuss a poll on board game terminology. Twitter Poll Results: Mechanics - 52.4% Mechanisms - 47.6% Then we discuss some board games on our table including Sea Salt & Paper, Teotihuacan: City of Gods, and Space Base. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 00:24 Poll: Mechanisms or Mechanics? 4:51 Distilled Description 7:23 Gameplay and Mechanisms 24:43 Production and Theme 31:24 Final Thoughts 36:52 Distilled Themed Cocktail 40:36 Sea Salt & Paper 45:36 Teotihuacan: City of Gods 48:16 Space Base 53:21 Listener Shoutout

In Episode 134 we each discuss our top 5 favorite board games that are ranked with a number higher than 1,000 on  Board Game Geek 'top games of all time' list and talk about why we like them, whether we think they should be higher, and what might be keeping them that far down the rankings. We also discuss a poll on Twitter about listening to music while playing board games. Twitter Poll Results: Always- 28.9% Depends on the Game - 20.1% Depends on the Players - 20.3% Never - 30.7% Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 00:40 Poll: Do you listen to music while you play board games? 09:00 Top 5 games ranked higher than 1,000 on BGG. 13:49 Kabuto Sumo 15:54 Sentient 18:04 LACORSA Grand Prix Game 22:10 Asara 25:19 Trekking The World 28:31 Rap Godz 31:23 Terracotta Army 32:56 The Expanse Board Game 36:15 M.U.L.E. The Board Game 41:05 The Castles of Tuscany 43:53 Age of Galaxy 46:20 Tiki Topple 50:53 Rajas of the Ganges: The Dice Charmers 53:11 Capital Lux 2: Generations 54:45 Batman: Gotham City Chronicles 59:00 Honorable (or other) Mentions: Lacrimosa, Super Skill Pinball 4cade, Mariposas, Guillotine, The Artemis Project, Top Gun Strategy Game, Godspeed, Tic-Tac-Toe

In Episode 133 we feature a couple of really exciting expansions including Tapestry - Fantasies & Futures and Dune: Imperium - Immortality covering the mechanisms, the production, and our overall feelings of the expansions as well as our rankings of our favorite expansions for these games. We also discuss Brass: Birmingham taking the BGG #1 game of all time spot from Gloomhaven after 5 years. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 00:40 Brass: Birmingham takes the BGG #1 spot from Gloomhaven 06:58 Tapestry - Fantasies & Futures 8:55 Gameplay and Mechanisms 17:57 Production and Theme 30:11 Tapestry Expansion Ranking and Final Thoughts 37:05 Dune: Imperium - Immortality 38:31 Gameplay and Mechanisms 51:45 Production and Theme 54:19 Dune: Imperium Expansion Ranking and Final Thoughts

In Episode 132 we provide our hot take review of A Feast for Odin covering the mechanisms, the production, and our overall feelings of the game. We also discuss a poll on if you special order games through your local game store if they don't have them in stock. Twitter Poll Results: Special Order - 21.6% Order Online - 67.6% I never shop local store - 10.8% Then we discuss some board games on our table including Capital Lux 2: Generations and In the Year of the Dragon. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 00:22 Poll: Do you special order games through your local game store if they don't have them in stock? 07:30 A Feast For Odin Description 08:56 Gameplay and Mechanisms 24:18 Production and Theme 28:02 Final Thoughts 32:19 A Feast for Odin Themed Cocktail 37:20 Capital Lux 2: Generations 40:59 In the Year of the Dragon 39:33 Listener Shoutouts