Episodes
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Ben and Paul deep dive the new area control, tableau-building, moon-exploiting, corporation-pleasing game "Shackleton Base." They also discuss new hotness Civolution as well as Fromage and Men-Nefer. Ben also offers up some family game suggestions for the holidays - all while attempting labored "Wicked" puns.
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Matt and Jordan return to the world of miniature wargaming to get you up to speed on all of their recent adventures.
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Missing episodes?
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Ben, Trey, and Paul go deep on The Lost Fleet, a hot new expansion for Gaia Project.
0:00:00 Introduction0:09:45 SETI: Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence0:30:15 Asian Tigers0:44:50 La Famiglia: The Great Mafia War0:46:15 Shackleton Base: A Journey to the Moon1:03:05 Captain Flip1:03:35 The Gang1:18:15 Gadget Trick1:21:10 Gaia Project: The Lost Fleet2:13:20 Outro
Plus, initial impressions from fresh Essen releases SETI, Asian Tigers, and Shackleton Base.
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Join Matt and Jordan for the first episode of "Sprue'd Up!", an occasional Game Brain offshoot about two euro gamers taking their first steps into the world of miniature wargaming.
Star Wars: ShatterpointWarhammer 40,000: Kill Team -
Ben, Trey, and Paul explore the importance of enthusiasm at the game table. Plus, recent plays of KCaloria, Zoo Tycoon, and Trey's first ever game of Twilight Imperium 4th Ed....
0:00:00 Introduction0:04:27 kCaloria First ImpressionsWe All Take From the River0:16:20 Zoo Tycoon First Impressions0:38:50 Further Twilight Imperium 4th Ed. discussion 3 of a Kind1:22:35 Episode Topic: Enthusiasm - What we bring to the game table1:56:25 Outro
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Matt, Jordan, and Trey track the rise and fall of Jordan's relationship with Paul. We also review Rise and Fall!
0:00:00 Introduction0:03:50 True Confessions: Mini PaintingCoraQuestHeroscapeWarhammer: Kill TeamStar Wars: Shatterpoint0:14:05 Matt's Essen Most WantedAsian TigersCivolutionBlack ForestJoyrideAndromeda's EdgeShackleton Base: A Journey to the MoonSaltfjordPhoenix New OrizonSpectacularRebirth0:21:10 Jordan recounts the great 2024 betrayal of Twilight Imperium 4th Ed.0:32:25 other Games on the BrainHarmoniesAnno 1800: Die Erweiterung0:36:24 Game Review: Rise & FallArchipelago
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Ben, Tom, and Paul do a deep dive on the midweight, gear-turning Euro Windmill Valley. Plus, early impressions of Rise & Fall, some hot takes on Distilled, and flop sessions of Lost Atlas and Things in Rings.
00:00 - Intro
09:19 - Distilled
23:08 - Rise & Fall
44:03 - Railways of the Lost Atlas
56:16 - 18RoyalGorge
58:59 - Kutna Hora
01:01:42 - Things in Rings
01:05:55 - Windmill Valley -
Ben and Paul talk about recent plays of Windmill Valley, Blades in the Dark, and Fields of Arle. Plus, a gaming weekend in Palm Springs leads to hot takes on Things in Rings, Wilmot's Warehouse, Hollywood 1947, Forrest Shuffle, and Plantagenet, among others. Oh, and Covid too, but that's a minor wrinkle.
00:07:31 - Windmill Valley00:21:36 - Fields of Arle
00:29:56 - Blades in the Dark
00:43:45 - Plantagenet
00:49:09 - Pagan
00:55:54 - Gest of Robin Hood
00:56:26 - Oranenburger Kanal
00:59:10 - 21Moon
01:10:56 - Things in Rings
01:17:54 - Wilmot’s Warehouse
01:28:02 - Calimala
01:35:08 - Forest Shuffle
01:49:36 - Seers Catalogue
01:53:58 - Railways of the Lost Atlas
02:06:24 - Hollywood 1947
02:20:26 - Indonesia
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Ben, Trey, and Paul deep dive the new 18xx innovator "Railways of the Lost Atlas." Also, the three discuss recent plays of "Terraforming Mars: Prelude 2,” "Pampero,” and “Twilight Imperium, 4th Edition.”
0:00:00 Introduction0:04:08 Terraforming Mars: Prelude 20:16:12 Twilight Imperium 4th Ed0:36:50 Pampero0:53:05 Concordia: Balearica1:01:00 Age of Innovation1:11:45 Game Review: Railways of the Lost Atlas
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Matt and Jordan are joined by friend-of-the-pod Drew Conley to review inarguably the biggest board game release thus far of 2024: ARCS by Cole Wehrle and Leder Games.
0:00:00 IntroductionCascaderoSlay the Spire0:28:30 Game Review: ArcsWehrlegig GamesFind Drew at https://www.drewconleycomposer.com/ and https://www.youtube.com/@theboardgamecomposerFind more Jordan at https://www.youtube.com/@OptimalPlay
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Ben, Trey, and Paul talk about catching the game wave. What happens when you ride it, what happens when you miss it, and what happens when you try to start your own. Plus, plays of Arcs, 1930: The Golden Age of Airlines, and Nucleum: Australia.
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Tom, Trey, and Elder review El Burro.
0:00:00 IntroductionJenny Nicholson's videoStar Wars Unlimited Expansion Shadows of the GalaxyGuards of Atlantis IIBlood on the Clocktower Concordia0:31:50 Game Review: El Burro: A La Granja GamePlanta NuboLa GranjaAgraCooper IslandTroyes
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Ben and Trey go deep into Salton Sea and also share initial impressions of Pax Penning and El Burro. Plus, the two revisit Heaven & Ale and chat about what they want out of a game store.
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Ben and Paul chat about some recent plays, including Salton Sea, and then Ben shamelessly attempts to communicate to Queen Games about his missing Marrakesh expansion. Afterwards, the two explore the importance of enthusiasm at a game table and the dangers of becoming the dreaded FUN SPONGE.
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The 2024 Golden Geek Award nominations have just been revealed, and we're choosing faves, making endorsements, and offering sweeping predictions on which games will win. Oh and by the way, thanks to everyone who voted and nabbed us a nom! Don't worry, we're focused on the games, not shameless self-promotion (well, maybe just a little self-promotion).
Plus, Ben, Jordan, and Paul talk about recent plays of Ironwood, Galactic Cruise, Arcs, and Twilight Imperium. -
Ben and Jordan talk about recent plays of Inventions, Galactic Cruise, Twilight Imperium, Arcs, and Resist. Plus, discussion about space games — what does the concept of space bring to a game, and what makes a game a SPACE GAME (as opposed to a game set in space).
Notations to come. -
Ben and Paul talk about recent plays of Inventions, Terraforming Mars, and City of the Big Shoulders. Then they do a deep dive about finger etiquette and games: why does it bother us, how do we address bad behavior, and what are the most common mistakes. Shots will be fired. Takes will be hot.
00:00 - Intro02:33 - Inventions
14:47 - Western Empires / Mega Empires
23:25 - Terraforming Mars
29:37 - 1830
33:07 - City of the Big Shoulders
35:47 - Finger etiquette for board games
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Tom, Jordan, and Ben discuss games they had shrugged off but later came to love. Plus, recent plays of Imperium Horizons, Legacies, and El Grande.
00:00 - Intro
00:06 - Legacies
26:11 - Avalon
29:14 - El Grande
34:14 - Franchise
39:31 - Second Wind Games
41:51 - Modern Art
46:26 - Imperium Horizons
54:37 - Dune Imperium: Uprising
01:02:22 - Android: Netrunner
01:08:42 - Black Angel
01:14:26 - A Feat for Odin
01:17:49 - Gold West
01:19:55 - Boonlake
01:22:06 - Great Western Trail: Argentina
01:30:40 - Skymines
01:39:48 - City of the Big Shoulders -
Trey, Ben, and Dmitry review the 2024 release Let's Go To Japan.
0:00:00 IntroductionWatch What Crappens wins Best Pop Culture PodcastThe Traitors0:08:48 Games on the BrainBaseball Highlights 2045 on GamefoundStar Wars: UnlimitedTry online at Force TableNetrunner at Nullsignal.gamesKnarrMarrakeshCuzco00:51:30 Game Review: Let's Go to JapanStationfallSanta Monica
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Ben, Matt, and Paul sit down to talk about games they're going deep with (Root), and games that are brutalizing them (Cuzco). And everything in between.
00:08:04 - Traitors & Avalon00:14:10 - Root
00:39:34 - Franchise
00:50:36 - Netrunner
01:07:10 - Cuzco
01:25:00 - Dinosaur Gauge
01:29:49 - Legacies
01:36:52 - Lunar
01:38:00 - Tournament at Avalon, Mino Dice
01:40:00 - Boon Lake: Artifacts
01:43:45 - Shikoku 1889
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