Board Game Hot Takes

In Episode 230 we return to the mailbag and answer a bunch of our listener's board game related questions. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 1:03 What draws you to boardgames and what do you get most of your hobby? Why do you play boardgames. 8:48 What are your thoughts on thumbing down people on Board Game Arena? 17:13 What games or mechanisms have tiers that you can find in games at light, mid-weight, and heavy weights? 27:41 Do you ever consider board games as works of art? 41:37 What games do you often refuse to play because it's too much work to pack up when you're done playing? 47:48 Best crowdfunding success stories? 55:44 Where do you hear about new games and how do you choose what you're going to review? 1:03:21 How many hours a week do you commit to the podcast? 1:11:54 Listener Shoutout If you enjoy the show, please consider supporting us at https://www.patreon.com/boardgamehottakes Follow us on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/boardgamehottakes.bsky.social Join our Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/boardgamehottakes Join our Board Game Arena Community: https://boardgamearena.com/group?id=11417205 Join our Discord server at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://discord.gg/vMtAYQWURd

In Episode 229 we look back at the games we played once for the first time in 2024. Great games and we want to play them more. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 1:58 Luthier 4:06 Lancaster 5:05 Clockwork Wars 6:18 Marrakesh 8:49 Dune: Imperium Uprising 6 Player 11:12 Hallertau 12:59 Dune 16:58 Biohack 19:06 Walnut Grove 21:32 Unconscious Mind 25:07 Ceres 27:33 Black Forest 28:19 Thunder Road: Vendetta 31:53 March of the Ants 33:51 Endeavor: Deep Sea 38:05 Runners Up (Xenon Profiteer, Mosaic, Mille Fiori, Tokaido Duo) 41:37 Listener Shoutout If you enjoy the show, please consider supporting us at https://www.patreon.com/boardgamehottakes Follow us on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/boardgamehottakes.bsky.social Join our Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/boardgamehottakes Join our Board Game Arena Community: https://boardgamearena.com/group?id=11417205 Join our Discord server at: ⁠⁠⁠https://discord.gg/vMtAYQWURd

In Episode 228 we look back at last year's list of games we wanted to get played and then we discuss the games that are top of mind we hope to get to try over the next year. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 00:52 Last Year's Top 5 we wanted to play in 2024 (and how we did) 00:56 Millennium Blades 05:41 Orleans 08:22 Turing Machines 09:38 Trickerion: Legends of Illusions 10:28 Splendor 12:30 Fractal 14:24 Creature Comforts 16:05 Kanban EV 18:09 Clockwork Wars 19:05 Oathsworn; Into the Deepwood 20:54 Cosmic Frog 22:09 Shogun 22:37 Apiary 24:33 Bonfire / Merlin / Marrakesh 26:12 John Company: 2nd Edition 00:56 Millennium Blades 27:17 Top 5 Games we want to play in 2025 27:55 Civolution 29:44 Joyride: Survival of the Fastest 34:16 Wroth 37:12 SETI: Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence 38:57 Harmonies 43:45 Dune: War for Arrakis 49:42 Windmill Valley 51:11 Lord of the Rings: Duel for Middle Earth 53:10 Endeavor: Deep Sea 56:09 Resafa 58:54 Andromeda's Edge / Rock Hard: 1977 1:00:57 World Order 1:05:11 Wondrous Creatures 1:06:57 Rats of Wistar 1:11:03 Power Vacuum If you enjoy the show, please consider supporting us at https://www.patreon.com/boardgamehottakes Follow us on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/boardgamehottakes.bsky.social Join our Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/boardgamehottakes Join our Board Game Arena Community: https://boardgamearena.com/group?id=11417205 Join our Discord server at: ⁠⁠https://discord.gg/vMtAYQWURd

In Episode 227 we give our hot take review on Fromage covering the mechanisms, the production, and our overall feelings of the game. We share poll results on including expansions when you play your favorite games and then discuss some games that have been on our table including Let's Go! To Japan, Flip 7, Azul: Summer Pavilion, and Barrage: Duel. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 00:25 Poll: If a board game you love has an expansion, how likely are you to include one when playing? 07:45 Fromage Description 09:33 Gameplay and Mechanisms 20:34 Production and Theme 26:54 Final Thoughts 30:25 Let's Go! To Japan and Flip 7 36:03 Azul: Summer Pavilion 41:40 Barrage: Duel 47:51 Listener Shoutout If you enjoy the show, please consider supporting us at https://www.patreon.com/boardgamehottakes Follow us on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/boardgamehottakes.bsky.social Join our Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/boardgamehottakes Join our Board Game Arena Community: https://boardgamearena.com/group?id=11417205 Join our Discord server at: ⁠⁠https://discord.gg/vMtAYQWURd

In Episode 226 we conclude our adventures at BGGCon in Dallas. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 02:54 Hegemony: Lead Your Class To Victory 10:37 Black Forest 25:48 Dune 44:40 Skyrise 52:25 Can't Stop 57:53 Unconscious Mind 1:09:50 Stamp Swap 1:14:07 Final Thoughts 1:24:20 Listener Shoutout If you enjoy the show, please consider supporting us at https://www.patreon.com/boardgamehottakes Follow us on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/boardgamehottakes.bsky.social Join our Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/boardgamehottakes Join our Board Game Arena Community: https://boardgamearena.com/group?id=11417205 Join our Discord server at: ⁠https://discord.gg/vMtAYQWURd

In Episode 225 we continue the journey through our experience at BGGCon in Dallas that we started on last week's episode. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 02:39 Let's Go To Japan 06:08 Lancaster 15:18 Dune Imperium Uprising 3v3 32:01 Enemy Anemone 34:17 BGHT Meetup (Flip 7 and That's Not a Hat) 42:53 Capital Lux II 45:35 Flip 7 48:00 Glory to Rome 54:56 Listener Shoutout If you enjoy the show, please consider supporting us at https://www.patreon.com/boardgamehottakes Follow us on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/boardgamehottakes.bsky.social Join our Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/boardgamehottakes Join our Board Game Arena Community: https://boardgamearena.com/group?id=11417205 Join our Discord server at: https://discord.gg/vMtAYQWURd

In Episode 224 we recount our experience at BGGCon in Dallas. Since this was Chris and Adam's first big game convention we discuss expectations, apprehensions, and excitement leading up to it and then we cover our first couple days of gaming and shenanigans. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 05:50 BGGCon 2024 - Expectations, Apprehensions, and Excitement 10:45 Eclipse: Second Dawn for the Galaxy: Seekers and Outcasts Expansions 17:20 Things in Rings 25:12 Underwater Cities (Fail!) 27:23 Everdell: Farshore 36:35 Robot Quest: Arena 40:54 Mosaic: A Story of Civilization 50:37 Surfosaurus: MAX 54:10 Le Havre 1:00:47 SCOUT If you enjoy the show, please consider supporting us at https://www.patreon.com/boardgamehottakes Follow us on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/boardgamehottakes.bsky.social Join our Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/boardgamehottakes Join our Board Game Arena Community: https://boardgamearena.com/group?id=11417205

In Episode 223 we discuss player counts. Which genres and games are best at each player count and which player counts we like the best. We also discuss a poll on listener's average player counts at game night. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 01:03 Poll: How big is your average player count on game night? 05:50 Feature Discussion - Player Counts If you enjoy the show, please consider supporting us at https://www.patreon.com/boardgamehottakes Follow us on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/boardgamehottakes.bsky.social Join our Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/boardgamehottakes Join our Board Game Arena Community: https://boardgamearena.com/group?id=11417205

In Episode 222 we give our hot take review on Let's Go To Japan covering the mechanisms, the production, and our overall feelings of the game. We also discuss some games that have been on our table including Looot, Frozen Frontiers, and The Lord of the Rings: Duel for Middle Earth. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 01:06 Let's Go To Japan Description 02:58 Gameplay and Mechanisms 19:10 Production and Theme 29:11 Final Thoughts 33:41 Looot 39:41 Frozen Frontiers 49:11 The Lord of the Rings: Duel for Middle Earth If you enjoy the show, please consider supporting us at https://www.patreon.com/boardgamehottakes Follow us on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/boardgamehottakes.bsky.social Join our Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/boardgamehottakes Join our Board Game Arena Community: https://boardgamearena.com/group?id=11417205

In Episode 221 we take a look at several games that have voting mechanisms or a theme based around voting. We also discuss some games that have been on our tables including Stamp Swap, Flamecraft, and Frozen Frontier. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 05:07 Top 3 Games with Voting 05:12 Werewords 10:19 Godspeed 15:06 Balderdash 18:27 Votes for Women 22:11 Blood on the Clocktower 27:11 The King's Dilemma 30:17 Lancaster 34:57 Twilight Imperium: 4th Edition 40:27 Hegemony: Lead Your Class to Victory 44:42 Stamp Swap 56:35 Flamecraft 1:05:26 Frozen Frontier 1:11:33 Listener Shoutout If you enjoy the show, please consider supporting us at https://www.patreon.com/boardgamehottakes Follow us on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/boardgamehottakes.bsky.social Join our Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/boardgamehottakes Join our Board Game Arena Community: https://boardgamearena.com/group?id=11417205