Game Brain: A Board Game Podcast About Our Gaming Group

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.

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 & Avalon

00:14:10 - 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

Special guest Jennifer Schlickbernd joins Trey to review Thunder Road: Vendetta and discuss starter modes in boardgames.

0:00:00 Introduction0:02:35 Recent PlaysMerkatorArboreaPirates of Maricaibo20 StrongkCaloria launches on Kickstarter0:27:10 Game Review: Thunder Road: VendettaCar Wars (1981)Thunder Road (1986)The White Castle (2023)0:56:45 Discussion - Learning Modes in GamesEvacuationThinkerThemer's reviewReviveVoidfall

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Ben and Paul discuss recent plays of Bloodstones, Bruxelles 1893, and Apiary. Then they try to figure out what's the best way for a group to select a game to play. Is it a democratic process?  A dictatorial one? Or maybe just a roll of the dice.

15:47 - Apiary
19:22 - Horseless Carriage
23:20 - Bruxelles 1893: The Belle Epoque
36:03 - Bloodstones
51:55 - How to choose a game?

Hosts Matt, Tom, Trey, and Ben unite for our list of the best boardgames of 2023!

0:00:00 Introduction0:05:10 Contest ResultsSol: Last Days of a Star0:18:35 Game Brain's Top Boardgames of 20230:20:04 T16 Great Western Trail: New Zealand0:25:20 T16 Inferno Guelphs and Ghibellines Vie for Tuscany, 1259-12610:27:30 T13 Bloodstones0:29:00 T13 Scholars of the South Tigris0:32:00 T13 Thunder Road: Vendetta0:34:35 12 Apiary0:37:10 11 Horseless Carriage0:43:15 10 Rats of Wistar0:46:15 9th Stationfall0:50:08 8th Earthborne Rangers0:54:50 7th White Castle0:59:05 6th Kutná Hora: The City of Silver1:03:10 5th Voidfall1:09:28 4th Nucleum1:16:05 3rd Age of Innovation1:24:45 2nd Evacuation1:33:40 1st Hegemony: Lead your class to victory

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Ben and Paul catch up on the games they played over the 2023 holiday break.  Afterwards they reflect on their favorite play sessions and new-to-them games.  Strangely enough, they seem to gravitate towards their favorite meltdowns, which is a commentary on something, not sure what.

Games discussed include Marrakesh, Dude, K2, Age of Steam, and Manhattan Project 2: Minutes to Midnight.

Timestamps to come...

Trey, Tom,  and Ben review Evacuation as we evacuate 2023.

0:00:00 Introduction0:05:22 Recent PlaysAgricolaForbidden StarsBloodstonesManhattan Project 2: Minutes to MidnightDaybreakEnter the contest to win a copy of Sol:Last Days of a Staremail us at [email protected]:51:10 Game Review: EvacuationThe games of Vladimir Suchý

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Ben, Trey, and Jordan discuss the city-building, dynamic economy game Kutná Hora: The City of Silver.  Plus recent plays of Horseless Carriage, Nucleum, and more.

Hosts Matt, Tom, Trey, and Ben unite for our 200th episode and revisit our favorite games from our time on the podcast.

0:00:00 Introduction0:05:45 BGGCon ReportSol: Last Days of a StarTabletop NetworkDaimyo: Battle for JapanRats of WistarKutná Hora: The City of SilverApiary Space BEES!EvacuationWhite CastlekCaloria0:58:00 Other PlaysUr: 1830 BCSeptimaEvenfall1:16:05 Our Favorite Games of the PodcastBen #3 - Red CathedralMatt #3 - Ark NovaTrey #3 - Imperial SteamTom #3 - BarrageBen #2 - Hegemony: Lead Tour Class to VictoryMatt #2 - Age of InnovationTrey #2 - War of the Ring: The Card GameTom #2 - Imperial SteamBen #1 - BarrageMatt #1 - BarrageTrey #1 - The TranscontinentalTom #1 - Pipeline

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A new Solo Mode has arrived, just in time for Matt to take you down the rabbit hole of Earthborne Rangers and the current LCG renaissance. 

Ben catches up with Ken Kuhn of GMT Games, who talks about his company, what's coming down the pipeline, and of course 18XX (and war games too!).  They also chat about recent plays of Sky Team, Evacuation, 535, Kutná Hora, The Plum Island Horror, Arborea, and 1880.

Time codes to come!

Tom and Trey review The White Castle, discuss what makes a game "elegant," and they each give their top 10 Elegant Games. 

0:00:00 IntroductionHarold & Kumar Go to White CastleBGGConTabletop NetworkRats of Wistar0:16:50 Quick Discussion of  EleganceThe GalleristThunder Road: Vendetta0:25:45 Game Review: The White Castle0:56:30 Our Top 10 Elegant Games

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Tom and Elder talk about their early play(s) of Nucleum, and other recent games of note. 

Ben and Trey discuss direct aggression: how does it make them feel, when does it work, and how should it be managed.  Plus, discussions of Coffee Traders, Voodoo Prince, and Sons of Anarchy: Men of Mayhem

0:00:00 Introduction0:02:35 Games on the BrainCoffee TradersHere I StandVoodoo PrinceGreat Western Trail New ZealandLorenzo il Magnifico: The Pazzi ConspiracySons of Anarchy: Men of MayhemThunder Road: Vendetta0:48:00 Design Topic: Directed AggressionTerraforming MarsVoidfallTrey's pillars of directed aggressionRisk 1959Diplomacy 1959Civilization 1980Axis & Allies 1981Through the Ages: A New Story of CivilizationSurvive: Escape from Atlantis!Cosmic FrogSkyminesThe Rich and the GoodDuneLords of VegasMaria Forbidden Stars

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Ben, Candice, and Jordan discuss some early initial impressions of Voidfall, the new game from Mindclash.  This is not a review - just some thoughts :)  Plus, some chat about recent plays and playtests!

00:02:27 - Trajan
00:10:57 - Age of Innovation & Gaia Project
00:15:06 - Skymines
00:20:48 - Great Western Trail NZ
00:27:11 - 18EUS
00:33:50 - Voidfall
01:19:45 - Here I Stand

Ben and Paul discuss recent plays of Oathsworn, Here I Stand, and Tortuga 1667.  Then we go deeper with the 2023 English release of The Rich and the Good (formerly Hab & Gut).

00:00:00 - Intro
00:04:23 - Oathsworn
00:26:56 - Tortuga 1667
00:35:16 - Age of Innovation update
00:45:31 - Magnate: The First City
00:56:14 - Lorenzo il Magnifico: The Pazzi Conspiracy
01:05:06 - Here I Stand
01:17:58 - The Rich and the Good

Tom and Trey talk about lots of newer plays, their Strategicon weekend, and review the new Great Western Trail game: New Zealand!

0:00:00 IntroductionStrategicon ReviewCrisisMCDM RPGNinja Star GamesReputationAnachronyAge of Innovation0:27:00 Tom's Essen PreviewAmong CultistsThe White CastleEvacuationReworldShipyard 2nd Ed.0:40:30 Review: Great Western Trail New Zealand1:21:05 First Thoughts - Ark Nova: Marine Worlds

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Tom, Matt, and Trey go on an epic journey to the Aegean Sea.

0:00:00 IntroductionDune Imperium0:11:27 Voidfall0:29:57 Review: Aegean SeaInnovationGlory to Rome

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Matt Robinson is back from his summer travels, and he's psyched to discuss his first play of Great Western Trail New Zealand.  Ben follows up with revised thoughts about Skymines.

Matt then previews Voidfall, and the two share their initial thoughts on Age of Innovation.

Plus:  CoraQuest, Lowlands, and The Rich and the Good.

Timestamps to come.

Trey, Tom, and Jordan take a first look at Age of Innovation.

0:00:00 Introduction0:05:00 Games on the BrainThe Crew10 Days in the USADead LastThe Barracks EmperorsSavage BowlLe PlateauTichu (again!)Iocane Productions on FacebookDisney LorcanaLast LightImperium: The ContentionReacting to the Past0:51:05 First Impressions: The Age of InnovationTerra MysticaGaia ProjectTerra NovaClans of Caledonia

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Matt, Jordan, and Dmitry are joined by our friend David to do a deep dive on trick-taking card games.

0:00:00 IntroductionIntro to David0:07:10 Defining terms and the genreTrick-takersShedders and Climbers0:13:00 Our history with card gamesHeartsBullshitBridge0:21:45  The game that made us love card gamesNokosu DiceSchadenfreudeCat In The BoxThe CrewMü0:41:30 Our top trick-takersEuchreScout9 LivesDurak Bug Council of BackyardiaTRICKTAKERs Inside JobTichuYokai SeptetFox in the ForestJekyll vs. Hyde1:31:05 What trick-takers to play firstScout9 LivesFive Three FiveThe Crew1:35:40 ResourcesTaylor's Trick-Taking TableDads on a Map Trick Talkers PodcastThe Trick-Taking GuildPortland Game Collective Discord 1:35:40 How to get these gamesTrickyimports.comTanukigamesatx.combooth.jp, buyee, zenmarket1:41:40 Other games to order from Japan1:46:30 A final few gamesVoodoo PrinceGhosts of ChristmasStick 'Em

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Matt and Trey are joined by the newest member to our podcast, Jordan Sayyah, to review The War of the Ring: The Card Game

0:03:00 Intro to JordanJSaysYeah on Discord0:08:00  Games we played this weekAge of SteamNanaStartupsInside Job0:30:00 Review:  War of the Ring: The Card GameWar of the RingQuartermaster GeneralRace for the GalaxyRoll for the Galaxy

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Tom, Trey, and Ben talk about everything from the Spiel des Jahres, to gaming in Japan, to all their recent discoveries.

Iki1880: China Bug Council of BackyardiaNokosu DiceVoodoo PrinceOrleans: Trade & IntrigueTortuga 1667 FindorffFuture Review:  War of the Ring: The Card Game

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Trey and Elder review Wayfarers of the South Tigris.

0:00:00 Introduction0:02:13 Games on the BrainGalactic Starcuiser closesWoodcraftGenotype 0:20:45 Review: Wayfarers of the South TigrisScholars of the South Tigris

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Tom and Ben talk about our recent Golden Geek Nomination and deconstruct the special sauce that makes Hegemony so great!

Tom, Ben, and Trey circle back to the review the new edition of Tragedy Looper.

0:00:00 Introduction0:04:00 Twilight Imperium Fourth Edition0:12:10 HegemonyThe Cost0:38:00 Great Western Trail: Agentina0:49:20 Fast Sloths0:59:05 Foundations of RomeRa1:09:10 Tragedy Looper: New TragediesBGG First EditionWhiz Kids Pre-order

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Tom, Ben, and Dmitry discuss game night drama, whether or not they'll ever receive Hegemony, and the difference between games and puzzles.

Tom, Matt, Trey and Ben gather to reveal their Top 5 Games of 2022!

0:00:00 Introduction0:05:40 Games we played this weekRed CathedralStationfallBarrage: The Nile AffairBoonlakeBlack Angel0:32:20 Top Games of 2022LacrimosaDeal with the DevilGuards of Atlantis IIReady Set Bet56:30 Weather MachineMosaic: A Story of CivilizationAutobahn1:22:30 Blood on the ClocktowerBen's #1: CarnegieTrey's #1: The TranscontinentalTom's #1: TiletumMatt's #1: John Company, 2nd Ed.2:02:45 Honorable MentionsAtiwaThe Old Prince 1871Libertalia: Winds of GalecrestCat in the BoxWayfarers of the South TigrisRevive

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Ben, Trey, Elder, and Paul discuss the 2020 game The Red Cathedral and its 2022 expansion The Red Cathedral: Contractors.

00:02:40 - Ramen Fury
00:07:01 - Scholars of the South Tigris
00:13:30 - Hegemony
00:19:27 - Tzolkin
00:20:26 - Robotech Reconstruction
00:38:23 - Woodcraft
00:43:40 - Imperial Steam
00:59:34 - Red Cathedral + Contractors

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Ben lost power in the great LA blizzard of 2023, but just because his house was dark didn't mean the podcast had to be.  And so Ben and Paul bravely wrapped themselves in blankets and churned out an episode in a heatless house,  sharing their gaming stories of the past two weeks:  Mosaic, Deal with the Devil, Crisis, Red Cathedral and several others.

Time codes:

Mosaic:  05:54

Santiago 18:14

Wiz War:  25:53

Glory to Rome, Import/Export: 31:35

Deal with the Devil: 34:38

Tragedy Looper: New Tragedies 49:16

Crisis:  50:23

Red Cathedral:  01:05:10

Horseless Carriage: 01:20:57

Ben, Tom, and Trey deep dive Mosaic: A Story of Civilization and discuss what makes a civ game... a civ game?  Plus, recent plays of Dune and Cosmic Frog.

Trey gets it in gear with Tom and Dmitry and their first impressions of Splotter's Horseless Carriage. 

0:00:00 Introduction0:06:45 Traitors Talk0:21:10 Games on the BrainDmitry's 5x5 List: Tichu, Barrage, Indonesia, Panamax, AutobahnMosaicWestern EmpiresThrough the AgesNations Trey's 5x5 List: Mosaic, Autobahn, Imperial Steam, On Mars, Horseless CarriageTrickerion0:45:20 Endurance0:46:45 Tragedy Looper0:47:50 WizWar Kickstarter0:55:10 Heat: Pedal to the Metal0:59:45 First Impressions:  Horseless Carriage

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Talking about our favorite Splotter games in anticipation of "Horseless Carriage."  Plus, The Traitors, which blends social deduction party games with reality TV.

Ben and Paul talk about Lords of Vegas as well as fairness and games and the new reality series "The Traitors."

00:00:00 - Intro

00:03:55 - The Traitors

00:17:47 - Fairness + Winning Discussion

00:47:41 - Vast: The Mysterious Manor

00:53:56 - Weather Machine 

01:01:19 - 18Mag

01:11:41 - Mind MGMT

01:15:44 - Lords of Vegas

We're back from a busy holiday season, and we have games to talk about:  Woodcraft, Imperial Steam, Wayfarers of the South Tigris, and Matt's first ever game of Twilight Imperium!

Tom, Candice, and Ben talk about Tiletum.  Plus, Candice tells us all about the games she played and people she met from five back-to-back conventions!

Ben, Trey, and Dmitry discuss the 2022 game, Autobahn.  Plus, recent plays of Deal with the Devil, Lacrimosa, and Atiwa.  Plus, they discuss a recent piece in the New York Times about strategy games.

Matt discusses the state of the solo mode in 2022 by looking at the solo modes from this season's top Essen games. 

Ben, Tom, and Paul chat about recent plays of Atiwa, Tiletum, Fracis Drake, and Maria.  Plus, recommendations for good games to play at Thanksgiving.

All four hosts are here this week to talk about a whole mess of hot Essen releases, as well as a deep dive on one of the season's biggest games, Revive. 

00:05:30 Ready Set Bet00:10:30 Oak00:19:50 Autobahn00:30:30 Tiletum00:57:30 Revive

00:00:00 Introduction00:09:15 Maricaibo: The UprisingFrancis Drake00:23:00 Let's Go! To JapanNote: Josh Wood is NOT the designer of Isle of Cats - that's Frank WestJosh Wood's best known games are Cat Lady and Santa Monica00:32:30 Ready, Set, Bet00:45:45 Autobahn01:01:45 Oak01:08:50 Revive01:15:40 Federation01:35:15 Discussion: Narrative and the move toward Baroque design02:03:10 Thank you and outro

Tom, Paul, and Elder talk about recent plays of "Food Chain Magnate" and "Space Station Phoenix" and then games they would play for the rest of their lives.  Plus, Tom has more news from Essen.

Matt, Tom, Ben and Dmitry discuss the 2022 release "Skymines" (aka Moon-basa) as well as preview their most anticipated games of Essen 2022 and give four Essen games a brief "rulebook review". 

Tom, Trey, Paul, and Ben discuss the 2019 release "Western Empires" as well as "On Mars," "Ticket to Ride," "Viticulture," and "Food Chain Magnate."