Game Brain: A Board Game Podcast About Our Gaming Group

Ben, Candice, and Paul review "1848: Australia" and then discuss how to demystify the 18xx genre.0:00;00 - Introduction: Welcome Ben, Omnigamer Candice and Gamebreaker Paul: Railways of Australia, 1848, 18xx, Avalon, Tank Duel, TI4, Die Macher, Tribune0:09:07 - This Week’s Game Night: Eclipse; Eclipse: Second Dawn; (TI) Tzolk’in (Tribes expansion) Pax Pamir 2nd ed, The Climbers, (Santiago) Railways of the World Async on BGA (Eastern America Map) Pictomania, 2nd ed, (Through the Ages, Pictionary) Telestrations after Dark, Top Ten, Destinies, (Sagrada, Clank, Clank: Legacy) 18 Ireland, 1817,0:41:41 - Game News: Village Big Box, Stonewall Uprising,(Twilight Struggle)0:46:37 - Games on the Brain: Hegemony, Stonewall Uprising, 1979: The Iranian Revolution, Free at Last, 1941: The Race to Moscow,  Black Orchestra, Labyrinth: The War on Terror, Wings for the Baron, Wonderland Tour (Quacks of Quedlinburg Heaven and Ale) 1;07:42 - Review of 1848 Australia:  1822 PNW, 1846, 1830, 1889, 1817, 18 Chesapeake2:02:22 - Falling in love with 18xx: Agricola, Ticket to Ride, 18 Ireland, 18 Chesapeake,18 Los Angeles, 1822, Railways of the World, Brass, 1846, 1817, Age of Steam, 1882, 1840, Vienna, 1829, 1889, 1849, 1862, 1872, 18xx.games2;48:22 - Sign Off: Taking a Break

Ben and Paul make up for episodes of neglected game sommelier segments with this mega roundup of questions we're overdue to answer.0:00:00 - Introduction: Welcome Ben and Paul 0:04;39 - This Week’s Game Night: 1848, Dice Realms, Taverns of Tiefenthal, (Russian Railroads) 18Ireland 0:23:11 - Board Game Sommelier0:24:10: Games for an Adult Community: Scrabble, Catan, Wavelength, Tichu, Telestrations, Ticket to Ride, 6 Nimmt, A Fake Artist Goes to New York, Just One, Concordia, Mahjong0:32:10 - Games for Newish Players who value Player Interaction:  Fresh Fish, Innovation, Concordia, Crisis, Gunkimono, Voluspa, Santorini, Twilight Struggle0:44:20 - Games/Designers that Suggest a Player who likes them  is a good or bad fit for the group: Sagrada, Catan, Arkwright, 18xx, Brass, Twilight Imperium, Foundations of Rome, Cards Against Humanity, Werewolf, Mafia, Avalon, Secret Hitler, Code Names, Decrypto, Ticket to Ride, 18Chesapeake, Age of Steam, Otello, Exploding Kittens1:03:05 - Economic Games with Player-Driven Economies (for train game and Splotter enthusiasts): Lowlands, Hegemony, Modern Art, Bohnanza, Navagador, Clans of Caledonia, Food Chain Magnate, Brass, Kraftwagen, Art Decko1:11:28 - Games that Hold Up: Taverns of Tiefenthal, Carnegie; and that don’t: Art Decko, Bitoku; and maybe both; Russian Railroads; Brick and Mortar1:17:30 - Six Player Games:  (like Architects of the West Kingdom and Libertalia, but not Dune) Quartermaster General, Railways of the World, Tribune, Keyflower, Key to the City: London, Medici, Viticulture (Tuscany), Thunder Alley1:24:26 - Shag, Marry, Kill: Barrage, 18xx, Avalon1:31:09 - Sign Off: @kirbooloni.com

0:00:00 - Introduction: Welcome Tom, Candice and Mike0:09:57 - This Week’s Game Night: Carnegie Deluxe (Gingkopolis, Carson City, Troyes,) Time of Crisis, (Railways of the World) Battle for Rokogon, Dale of Merchants, (El Grande, Babylonia, Wiz War)0:30:00-  Game News: BGG Con 2022, (Ark Nova, Messina) Cat in the Box, Undaunted: Stalingrad, Undaunted: Reinforcements, (Undaunted: Normandy, Undaunted: Africa) San Francisco, War of the Ring: The Card Game (Hunt for the Ring, Successors)0:49:34 - Time of Crisis Review: Age of Iron and Rust Expansion, Twilight Imperium1:35:45 - The Joys of Hand Management: Dominion, Dune Imperium, Terraforming Mars, Ark Nova, Race for the Galaxy, Twilight Struggle, Undaunted Normandy; Everdell, Scout, Bohnanza, Glory to Rome, Hand in the Sea, Arboretum, (Art Decko, Modern Art) Time of Crisis, Mumbasa/Sky Mine, Friedrich, Maria, Terraforming Mars: Prelude, Dual Powers (Labyrinth, Twilight Struggle,) Pax Porfiriana, Twilight Struggle, (Agricola, Gloomhaven) Star Wars: the Card Game, Taj Mahal2:21:36 - Sign Off: Kirbooloni.com

This week’s guest, Jim Pinto, is a prolific indie RPG designer known for his work on Protocol and other notable projects. He discusses the challenges of GMing, emphasizing the importance of admitting flaws to enhance storytelling. The conversation shifts to his love for the asymmetrical game Root, where each faction plays distinctly, requiring unique strategies. Jim also shares insights on designing games to minimize GM arbitration and enhance player agency. They explore the appeal of asymmetry in gameplay, highlighting standout examples like Twilight Struggle and Dune.

Ben, Dmitry, and Paul discuss the 2012 game "Ginkgopolis" as well as its expansion "Ginkgopolis: The Experts."  Plus, what makes us want to give a game a second chance.0:00:00 - Introduction: Welcome Ben, Philosophical Gamer Dmitry, and Game Breaker Paul.0:04:29 - This Week’s Game Nights: Avalon, Lowlands, Ark Nova, Time of Crisis, (Food Chain Magnate) Caesar!, (Blitzkrieg!) K2, Healthy Heart Hospital (Jaws, Top Gun) (Dice Hospital, Clinic) 18 Ireland, 1848, Scout, Mafia, (Bohnanza) Carnegie (Teotihuacan) (Black Angel) Agricola, Lorenzo, (Werewolf) Blood on the Clocktower1:11:11 - News: Spiel de Jarre nominations: Cascadia, Scout, Top Ten (Wavelength); Seven Wonders: Architects, Echoes: Thr Dancer, Magic Rabbit, My Goldmine, So Clover, Track 12 Hamilayas, Kennerspiel: Cryptid, Dune Imperium, Living Forest; Ark Nova, Cora: Rise of the Empire; Witchstone; Bureau of Investigation (Sherlock Holmes, Consulting Detective) Decorum, Wavelength1:21:40 - No Games on the Brain1:22:23 - Review of Gingkopolis: Troyes, Black Angel, Carnegie, Expancity, Underwater Cities, Arboretum, Eclipse2:08:17 - What Makes Us Give a Game a Second Chance: (Barrage) Age of Steam, Avalon, Beyond the Sun, Lowlands, Tzolkin, Ankh, Merv, Embarcadero, Coimbra, Great Western Trail, Faiyum, Mind Mgmnt, Dinosaur Island, Terraforming Mars, Fields of Arle, Heaven and Ale, Gaia Project, Terra Mystica2:37:33: Sign off

0:00:00 - Introduction: Welcome Game Enthusiast Matt #1, Game BreakerPaul and Game Designer Trey.0:03:45 - This Week’s Game Night: Perseverance, Crescent Moon (Root, Oath, Pax games) Agricola0:13:03 - This Week’s Game News: Azul, Master Chocolatier; Origins reinstates mask requirements; Awaken Realms Castles of Burgundy (Castles of Mad King Ludwig); Evergreen (Photosynthesis)0:28:50 - Games on the Brain: Reacting to the Past (Argent); Burn Cycle (Cloud Spire, Too Many Bones)0:37:21 - Review of Perseverance Chronicles Episodes One and Two: Trickerion, Cerebrea, Anachrony, Brass, Brass Lancashire, Age of Steam, Coimbra, Twilight Struggle, Troyes, El Grande, CO2, Archipelago, The Great Wall, Le Havre1:18:57 - Complexity1:39:42 - Board Game Sommelier: Panamax, 1:49:17 - Sign Off; kirbooloni.com, gamebrainpod.com

0:00 INTRO10:33 GAME NIGHTPerseveranceAvalonCrescent MoonCrisisScapegoatLetter JamFoundations of RomeNemesis: Lockdown56:00 GAME NEWSCardboard CreationsTrailblazerThe ThingDragonlance1:10:00 REVIEW: CRISIS1:42:48 MEMBER SEGMENT: THE SEMI-COOP GAME2:09: 30 WRAP-UP

Just a quick note that this week's episode will drop on Wednesday instead of the usual Monday. Thanks for your patience!

Trey is joined by Tom and Dmitry to review Libertalia:Winds of Galecrest and discuss Simultaneous Action Selection.0:00:00 Introduction0:05:02 Game Night AvalonCrisisLignum (Teotihuacan, Caylus)0:29:10 Game NewsTerraforming Mars FREEDesperation (Fiasco, Durance, Winterhorn) Orenberger Canal (Ora et Labora, Le Havre)RaSleeping Gods,: Distant SkiesMCDM Monster BookAutobahnAge of Steam Deluxe Expansion Maps Catherine: The Cities of TzarinaStranger Things: Attack of the Mind Flayer0:49:20 Games on the BrainCrisis (Crystal Palace), NY Times Magazine April 15 AI and Language article (The Gallerist, Panamax, Kanban, Tank Duel)1:03:10 - Game Review - Libertalia: Winds of Galecrest1:24:52 Member Segment Simultaneous Action SelectionYomi; Lorenzo, Risk, Diplomacy, Agricola, Twilight Struggle, Die Macher, Fresh Fish, Wallenstein, Shogun, Dune, Cash and Guns, Last Stand, Maharajah, Race for the Galaxy, Robo Rally, Captain Sonar-  Find Etamar at kirbooloni.com-  Game Brain Facebook Group-  Twitter-  Instagram

Ben, Paul, and Candice review "Railways of the World" and then discuss what makes a game "fun-forward."00:00:00 - Intro00:03:02 - Game Night—00:05:21 - Lorenzo il magnfico—00:09:15 - Avalon—00:09:58 - Crisis—00:15:57 - Forged in Steel—00:18:49 - Survive: Escape from Atlantis—00:20:58 - Tapestry—00:21:43 - 18Ireland00:23:47 - Game News—00:24:00 - Oranienburger Kanal—00:26:35 - Anunnaki: Dawn of the Gods—00:28:00 - Skymines00:33:12 - Games on the Brain—00:35:23 - No Retreat—00:44:44 - Autobahn—00:50:50 - Feudem (& Arkwright)00:55:49 - Review:  Railways of the World —01:36:49 - Age of Steam01:54:09 - Discussion: Fun Forward Games—02:04:32 - Catan—02:05:24 - Twilight Imperium—02:07:06 - Santiago—02:09:43 - Jaws—02:12:29 - Automobiles—02:16:28 - Carson City—02:20:12 - Quartermaster General—02:24:13 - Smartphone Inc.—02:26:52 - Tank Duel!!—02:30:27 - Citadels!!!—02:33:47 - Castles of Mad King Ludwig—02:35:07 - Dead of Winter