Board Game Hot Takes

In Episode 204 we conclude the 2024 countdown of our top 40 Board Games of all time with choices 1-10. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 02:29 Chris #10 Apiary 07:13 Adam #10 Battle for Rokugan 11:30 Tim #10 The Castles of Burgundy 13:25 Chris and Tim #9 Agricola 18:08 Adam #9 - Ankh: Gods of Egypt 21:37 Chris #8 - Eclipse: 2nd Dawn for the Galaxy 23:54 Tim #8 - Pulsar 2849 26:20 Adam #8 - Sol: Last Days of a Star 29:31 Chris #7 - A Feast for Odin 33:48 Adam #7 - Shamans 37:32 Tim #7 - Tapestry 40:04 Chris #6 - Voidfall 44:09 Adam #6 - The Expanse Board Game 39:32Tim #6 - Cyclades 52:24 Chris #5 - Tapestry 55:51 Adam #5 - Gaia Project 59:20 Tim #5 - Lorenzo Il Magnifico 1:02:10 Chris #4 (Adam #3) - Dune: Imperium Uprising / Dune: Imperium 1:04:56 Adam #4 -  Arcs / Brian Boru 1:11:40 Tim #4 - Nucleum 1:15:09 Chris #4 - Gaia Project 1:18:51 Tim #3 - Everdell 1:21:03 Chris #2 - Distilled 1:24:55 Adam #2 - Eclipse: Second Dawn for the Galaxy 1:26:42 Tim #2 - Dune: Imperium 1:28:06 Chris #1 - Pan Am 1:31:33 Adam #1 - Fractal: Beyond the Void 1:35:35 Tim #1 - Gaia Project / Age of Innovation

In Episode 203 we continue the 2024 countdown of our top 40 Board Games of all time with choices 11-20. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 01:34 Chris #20 La Granja 03:58 Adam #20 Voidfall 06:32 Tim #20 Sea Salt & Paper 08:08 Chris #19 Darwin's Journey 11:28 Adam #19 - Pax Pamir 2nd Edition / Arcs 15:09 Tim #19 - Tichu 16:01 Chris #18 - Blood Rage 18:28 Adam #18 - Baseball Highlights 2045 22:22 Tim #18 - The Voyages of Marco Polo / Marco Polo II: In the Service of the Khan 23:44 Chris #17 - Thunder Road: Vendetta 26:29 Adam #17 - Barrage 29:35 Tim #17 - Clank! Catacombs 30:52 Chris #16 - Obsession 33:46 Adam #16 - Marrakesh 37:11 Tim #16 - Lost Ruins of Arnak 37:56 Chris #15 - Azul 39:47 Adam #15 - Hegemony: Lead Your Class to Victory 43:37 Tim #15 - Ark Nova 45:07 Chris #14 - Teotihuacan: City of Gods 48:22 Adam #14 -  Wonderland's War 49:42 Tim #14 - Thunder Road: Vendetta 51:45 Chris #13 - Marrakesh 53:04 Adam #13 - Cat in the Box 55:34 Tim #13 - Le Havre 56:18 Chris #12 - Barrage 57:35 Adam #12 - Pan Am 59:55 Tim #12 - Blood Rage 1:01:15 Chris #11 - Maracaibo 1:04:37 Adam #11 - Smartphone, Inc. 1:07:05 Tim #11 - Terraforming Mars

In Episode 202 we continue the 2024 countdown of our top 40 Board Games of all time with choices 21-30. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 00:47 Chris #30 Wolves 03:33 Adam #30 Star Wars: Rebellion 05:23 Tim #30 Grand Austria Hotel 08:56 Chris #29 Godspeed 12:24 Adam #29 - Blood Rage 13:55 Tim #29 - Rising Sun 15:21 Chris #28 - Yokohama 18:43 Adam #28 - Beyond the Sun 22:42 Tim #28 - Tzolk'in: The Mayan Calendar 24:52 Chris #27 - Ark Nova 30:19 Adam #27 - Age of Galaxy 33:05 Tim #27 - Underwater Cities 36:12 Chris #26 - Terracotta Army 38:52 Adam #26 - Revive 40:05 Tim #26 - Boast or Nothing 43:00 Chris #25 - Lost Ruins of Arnak 47:10 Adam #25 - Godspeed 47:48 Tim #25 - Architects of the West Kingdom 50:14 Chris #24 - Wonderland's War 54:32 Adam #24 -  Dune 48:35 Tim #24 - Isle of Skye: From Chieftain to King 1:02:48 Chris #23 - Terraforming Mars 1:06:09 Adam #23 - Patchwork 1:09:37 Tim #23 - Apiary 1:12:10 Chris #22 - Tzolk'in: The Mayan Calendar 1:12:51 Adam #22 - Haggis 1:14:53 Tim #22 - Libertalia: Winds of Galecrest 1:18:02 Chris #21 - Kanban EV 1:20:56 Adam #21 - Terraforming Mars 1:21:36 Tim #21 - Wonderland's War

In Episode 201 we start the 2024 countdown of our top 40 Board Games of all time with choices 31-40. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 01:11 Top Games of All Time - How we made our lists 08:44 Chris #40 Battle for Rokugan 10:57 Adam #40 Brass: Birmingham 12:54 Tim #40 Rajas of the Ganges 14:47 Chris #39 - Castles of Burgundy 16:55 Adam #39 - Star Wars: The Deckbuilding Game 20:22 Tim #39 - Voidfall 21:28 Chris #38 - Nidavellir 26:32 Adam #38 - Apiary 27:30 Tim #38 - Marrakesh 29:11 Chris #37 - Fractal: Beyond the Void 31:22 Adam #37 - Rising Sun 33:55 Tim #37 - Scythe 36:12 Chris #36 - The Quacks of Quedlinburg 39:21 Adam #36 - It's a Wonderful World 41:37 Tim #36 - Viticulture: Essential Edition 43:43 Chris #35 - Robot Quest Arena 46:03 Adam #35 - Capital Lux 2: Generations 48:03 Tim #35 - Space Base 50:30 Chris #34 - Smartphone, Inc. 52:10 Adam #34 -  SpaceCorp 2025 - 2300 AD 55:21 Tim #34 - Sky Team 58:56 Chris #33 - Through the Ages: A New Story of Civilization 1:01:02 Adam #33 - Xenon Profiteer 1:02:29 Tim #33 - Revive 1:04:50 Chris #32 - Woodcraft 1:08:18 Adam #32 - Glory to Rome 1:11:24 Tim #32 - Battle for Rokugan 1:12:32 Chris #31 - Heat: Pedal to the Metal 1:15:56 Adam #31 - Star Tycoon 1:20:52 Tim #31 - Star Realms

In Episode 200 we provide our hot take review of D.E.I.: Divide et Impera covering the mechanisms, the production, and our overall feelings of the game. We discuss making the podcast after 200 episodes. We also discuss some games that have been on our table including Hallertau and Kanban EV and a Future Take on Founders of Reyvick. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 02:08 Discussion: Episode 200! 05:58 D.E.I.: Divide et Impera Description 07:53 Gameplay and Mechanisms 17:08 Production and Theme 23:51 Final Thoughts 28:43 Hallertau 37:30 Future Take: Founders of Reyvick 42:39 Kanban EV If you enjoy the show, please consider supporting us at https://www.patreon.com/boardgamehottakes

In Episode 199 we talk about types of games that don't get us excited... but we also reflect on why that is and talk about some games in those genres that have worked or might work for us. We also discuss a related poll on genres or types of board games that are an immediate turn off. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 00:24 Poll Time: Are there any genres or types of board games that are an automatic turn off? 02:56 Game types that we're not into 05:47 Skirmish Games (Guards of Atlantis II, Warhammer 40K, Heroclix, Batman: Gotham City Chronicles, Star Wars: X-Wing Miniatures Game, Battletech) 10:50 Team Games/Cooperative Games (Cerebria: The Inside World, Batman: Gotham City Chronicles, Star Wars: Rebellion, Ankh: Gods of Egypt, Sky Team, Oathsworn: Into the Deepwood, Cthulhu: Death May Die, Codenames, Rush Out) 19:18 Collectable Card Games (Magic: The Gathering, Wonders of the First, Disney Lorcana, Star Wars Unlimited, Mindbug, Star Realms) 28:14 Party Games (Trivial Pursuit, Apple to Apples, Codenames, Challengers!, Skull, Just One, So Clover, Green Team Wins, Balderdash, El Grande, Libertalia) 38:45 Multi-player Solitaire (Hallertau, Nucleum, Bruxelles 1893, Wingspan, 43:20 Negotiation Games (John Company, Rising Sun, Dune, Pax Pamir: 2nd Edition, Diplomacy, Chinatown, Poker, Eclipse: Second Dawn for the Galaxy) 50:47 Message Games (Daybreak, Doubt is our Product, This War of Mine, Meltwater: A Game of Tactical Starvation) 54:17 Wargames (Maria, Twilight Struggle, Undaunted) 1:00:23 Abstract Games (Mandala, Cascadia, Azul, Sagrada, Project L) 1:02:03 Trick Taking Games (Shamans, Cat in the Box, Brian Boru: High King of Ireland, Skull King, Lettertricks, Euchre, Spades, Boast or Nothing. 1:05:39 Listener Shoutout

In Episode 198 we each discuss our top 5 board games that have a small footprint on the table. We also discuss a poll on whether the footprint of a game influences your purchase. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 00:24 Poll Time: Does the footprint of a board game on the table have an impact on whether you'll purchase a game? 07:26 Top 5 Small Footprint Games 09:14 Skull 12:42 Age of Galaxy 16:08 For Sale 19:15 High Society 22:06 Watergate 25:30 Rajas of the Ganges: The Dice Charmers 28:34 Five Three Five 33:21 Calico 37:48 Sea Salt & Paper 38:53 Patchwork 44:29 Disney Villainous 48:55 Sky Team 56:20 Shamans 59:27 Star Realms, Hero Realms, Cthulhu Realms 1:03:44 Haggis 1:07: Runners Up (Star Wars: The Deckbuilding Game, Shards of Infinity, Cat in the Box, Cafe, Azul, Hissy Fit) 1:14:18 Listener Shoutout

In Episode 197 we each discuss our top 5 board games that we really like but can't seem to win. We also discuss a poll on whether you've bought board games because of an award. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 00:24 Poll Time: Have you ever purchased a board game because it won a prominent award? 04:45 Top 5 Games We Suck At 07:46 Tapestry 10:32 Space Base and Nidavellir 14:42 Barrage 18:32: Apiary 20:17 The Castles of Burgundy 22:50 The Voyages of Marco Polo and Marco Polo II: In the Service of the Khan 25:54 Underwater Cities 28:40 Eclipse: Second Dawn for the Galaxy 32:44 Dune 35:35 Ark Nova 41:14 Yokohama 42:35 Pan Am 44:15 Agricola 48:02 Clank! Legacy 50:00 Runners Up (Battle for Rokugan, Skyrise, Rising Sun) 54:28 Listener Shoutout

In Episode 196 we provide our hot take review of Biohack covering the mechanisms, the production, and our overall feelings of the game. We discuss a poll on buying expansions sight unseen. We also discuss some games that have been on our table including Camel Up, Le Havre, and Skyrise. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 00:20 Question: Are there any games you would buy an expansion for without knowing anything about them? 08:33 Wyrmspan Giveaway Winner 09:26 Biohack Description 11:09 Gameplay and Mechanisms 31:41 Production and Theme 41:41 Final Thoughts 44:58 Camel Up 49:38 Le Havre 57:05 Skyrise 1:03:34 Listener Shoutout If you enjoy the show, please consider supporting us at https://www.patreon.com/boardgamehottakes

In Episode 195 we discuss the second half of our semi-annual BGHT convention. 3 gamers, 5 days, 16 games played. In this episode we discuss 8 of those games including several that were new to us. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 00:42 Revive 06:20 Starship Captains 13:31 Tzolk'in: The Mayan Calendar 16:27 Marvel Remix 19:10 Voidfall 35:10 Galactic Renaissance 45:57 Marrakesh 50:31 Pan Am 55:22 Listener Shoutout If you enjoy the show, please consider supporting us at https://www.patreon.com/boardgamehottakes