Board Game Hot Takes

In Episode 181 we look back at the games we played in 2023 and talk about our biggest hits, and biggest misses in 2023.  This includes games that were published in 2023 but also games that were new to us in 2023.  We also talk about our Board Game Revelations - the things that changed gaming for us over the last year. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 00:28 2023 Awards 01:56 Biggest Surprises in 2023 - Yokohama, Age of Innovation, Frosthaven, Cyclades: Legendary Edition, Vagrantsong, Tichu, Hegemony: Lead Your Class to Victory, Fractal: Beyond the Void, Turing Machine, Apiary, Heat: Pedal to the Metal, Star Wars: The Deckbuilding Game, Motor City 15:06 Biggest Disappointments in 2023 - Lords of Ragnarok, Expeditions, Voidfall 22:14 Best New To Us in 2023 - Distilled, The Battle for Rokugan, Cat in the Box, Downforce, Revive 27:42 Best Productions Published in 2023 - Steam Up: A Feast of Dim Sum, The Castles of Burgundy: Special Edition, Robot Quest Arena, Apiary, Expeditions, Lords of Ragnarok 34:32 Look Back at Best Game Published in 2022 - Wonderland's War 37:08 Best Games Published in 2023 - Robot Quest Arena, Nucleum, Sea Salt & Paper, Dune: Imperium Uprising, Hegemony: Lead Your Class to Victory 47:42 Most Played Games of 2023 - Azul, Through the Ages: A New Story of Civilization, Tapestry, Obsession, Ark Nova, Azul, Can't Stop, Sea Salt & Paper, Star Realms, Beyond the Sun, Barrage, Star Realms 55:19 Board Game Revelations in 2023 1:02:00 2023 Board Game BGG Ranking Speculations - Nucleum, Apiary, Distilled, Hegemony: Lead Your Class to Victory, Darwin's Journey, Earth, Age of Innovation, Star Wars: The Deckbuilding Game, Frosthaven, The White Castle, Sky Team, The Witcher: The Old World, Forest Shuffle, Thunder Road: Vendetta, Kutna Hora, Stationfall, Evacuation, Dune: Imperium Uprising, Bloodstones, Envelopes of Cash

In Episode 180 we provide our hot take review of Wyrmspan* covering the mechanisms, the production, and our overall feelings of the game. We also provide some detailed comparisons with Wingspan, both the difference in mechanisms and the difference in our opinions on them We discuss a poll on fantastical vs. real-world themes in board games and then we discuss some board games on our table including Sol: Last Days of a Star, Mind MGMT, and Turing Machine. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 00:34 Poll: In general, do you prefer board games to have a real-world theme or a fantastical theme? 07:33 Wyrmspan Description 08:48 Gameplay and Mechanisms 28:57 Production and Theme 39:54 Final Thoughts 48:17 Sol: Last Days of a Star 55:23 Mind MGMT 62:37 Turing Machine 66:11 Listener Shout-out * Review copy provided by publisher

In Episode 179 we provide our hot take review of Turing Machine covering the mechanisms, the production, and our overall feelings of the game. We discuss a poll on fun in board games and then we discuss some board games on our table including Ceres, Clank! Legacy, and Tichu. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 00:17 Poll: Is 'Fun' an important aspect of a board for you when you purchase it or consider playing it? 10:23 Turing Machine Description 13:04 Gameplay and Mechanisms 26:10 Production and Theme 31:09 Final Thoughts 37:01 Ceres 44:30 Clank! Legacy 50:45 Tichu 58:30 Listener Shout-out

In episode 178, we discuss some hobby specific terms and how our definitions may vary from their original meaning. We also give examples of board games where those definitions are relevant (and also some examples where they aren't). We kick the conversation off by discussing a listener poll related to board game terminology. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 00:44 Poll Time: Do you use terminology when teaching or discussing board games that you don't ever use in other areas of your life? 04:42 Worker Placement (A Feast for Odin, Anachrony, Barrage, Orleans, Agricola, Apiary, Architects of the West Kingdom) 17:08 4X (Scythe, Eclipse: Second Dawn for the Galaxy, Space Empires 4X, Twilight Imperium, Fractal: Beyond the Void, Through the Ages: A New Story of Civilization) 30:28 Area Control (Blood Rage, Rising Sun, Ankh: Gods of Egypt, Scythe, Wonderland's War, El Grande) 37:49 Engine Building (It's a Wonderful World, Terraforming Mars, Anachrony, Fractal: Beyond the Void, Scythe, Space Base) 44:06 Euro (Trajan, Gaia Project, Viticulture, Catan, A Feast for Odin)

In Episode 177 we provide our hot take review of Apiary covering the mechanisms, the production, and our overall feelings of the game. We also discuss some games that have been on our table including Clank! Legacy, Fractal: Beyond the Void, and Sleeping Gods: Distant Skies. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 00:34 Apiary Description 1:54 Gameplay and Mechanisms 22:15 Production and Theme 27:51 Final Thoughts 33:09 Clank! Legacy: Acquisitions Incorporated 39:07 Fractal: Beyond the Void 48:50 Sleeping Gods: Distant Skies 58:38 Listener Shout-out

In Episode 176 we each discuss our top 5 board games that we only played once in 2023. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 01:34 Robot Quest Arena 04:04 Egizia: Shifting Sands 07:57 Darwin's Journey 12:12 Revive 13:56 Evacuation 15:32 Ticket To Ride: San Francisco 19:52 Battle for Rokugan 21:48 Boast or Nothing 25:46 The Quacks of Quedlinburg 28:02 Mosaic: A Story of Civilization 29:29 Pulsar 2849 30:55 Cat in the Box 33:25 Hegemony: Lead Your Class To Victory 37:48 Cyclades: Legendary Edition 40:19 Challengers!

In Episode 175 we discuss the top 5 games we want to play in 2024.  We also review last years' lists and look back on the games we got played. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction Last Year 1:02 #5 Adam Last Year - Paperback Adventures 2:45 #5 Tim Last Year - Welcome to the Moon 3:41 #5 Chris Last Year - Twilight Imperium 4th Edition 4:35 #4 Adam Last Year - Forbidden Stars 5:05 #4 Tim Last Year - Scout 5:40 #4 Chris Last Year - Mariposa 6:24 #3 Adam Last Year - Imperial 2030 7:26 #3 Tawantinsuyu: The Inca Empire 7:59 #3 Chris Last Year - Anunnaki: Dawn of the Gods 9:38 #2 Adam - Battle for Rokugan 10:46 #2 Tim Last Year - Revive 12:09 #2 Chris Last Year - Chaos in the Old World 13:45 #1 Adam Last Year - Pessoa 14:21 #1 Tim Last Year - Marrakesh 15:31 #1 Chris Last Year - My Father's Work This Year 18:40 #5 Tim - Millennium Blades 22:01 #5 Chris - Orleans 24:39 #5 Adam - Turing Machine 28:02 #4 Tim - Trickerion: Legends of Illusion 30:23 #4 Chris - Splendor 32:31 #4 Adam - Fractal: Beyond the Void 35:19 #3 Tim - Creature Comforts 37:01 #3 Chris - Kanban EV 41:44 #3 Adam - Clockwork Wars 44:04 #2 Tim - Oathsworn: Into the Deepwood 46:22 #2 Chris - Cosmic Frog 50:46 #2 Adam - Shogun 52:33 #1 Tim - Apiary 54:37 #1 - Chris - Bonfire/Merlin 58:26 #1 - Adam - John Company 2nd Edition

In Episode 174 we provide our hot take review of Dune: Imperium - Uprising covering the mechanisms, the production, and our overall feelings of the game. We discuss a poll on the quantity of published board games and then we discuss some board games on our table including Clank! Legacy Acquisitions Incorporated, Inis, Exit Advent Calendar: The Mystery of the Ice Cave, and The Quest for El Dorado. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 00:24 Poll: What do you think about the amount of hobby board games that are being published each year? 13:28 Dune: Imperium - Uprising 14:21 Gameplay and Mechanisms 33:05 Production and Theme 40:06 Final Thoughts 45:25 Clank! Legacy Acquisitions Incorporated 47:21 Inis 53:03 Exit The Game Advent Calendar: The Mystery of the Ice Cave 57:59 The Quest for El Dorado

In episode 173, we answer listeners questions in our first ever mailbag episode. Then we discuss some games that have been on our table including Ark Nova: Marine Worlds, Planet Unknown, Azul, and Agricola. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 01:52 What games or mechanisms have we switched our opinion on? 08:16 What are our thoughts on updated versions or sequels to games? 21:09 What are some of our other hobbies and do they tie back to board games? 26:21 If we could retheme a game, what would it be? 34:21 What makes a good rules teacher or teach? 42:53 What do we think of Tabletop Simulator vs. Board Game Arena 50:37 Planet Unkown 55:59 Ark Nova: Marine Worlds 1:03:14 Azul 1:04:55 Agricola 1:09:15 Listener Shoutout

In Episode 172 Tim discusses his 5 days spent at BGG Con 2023 including tips about attending a con, con experiences and many games played. We also discuss a poll about favorite gaming experiences. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 01:54 Poll Question: If you've ever attended a board game convention, what was your favorite part? 20:04 Sea Salt & Paper 21:22 Matryoshka 23:42 Evacuation 32:00 Voidfall 39:54 Nucleum 44:04 Dune: Imperium w/ Rise of Ix and Immortality 45:51 Fun Facts 48:51 Word Slam Family 49:38 Challengers! 51:06 Outlive 52:03 Summoner Wars 54:25 Age of Innovation 55:50 Ricochet Robots 58:25 Letter Jam 1:01:33 Federation 1:03:39 Clank! Catacombs 1:05:09 Scythe 1:09:34 Arboretum 1:12:10 Kutna Hora: The City of Silver 1:17:30 BGG Con Final Thoughts 1:25:20 Listener Shoutout