We're being serious. Are board games a base line level of fun that we ought to take for granted? We're all together, we're all playing a game, that's better than doing nothing, right? It couldn't possibly be that simple with us. Before we arithmetise entertainment, we also talk about Tiny Towns , Zendo , and Escape Plan . 01:41 - Tiny Towns 07:23 - Zendo 13:24 - Escape Plan 29:52 - Are games fun no matter what? 38:05 - Horse Fever 38:39 - Dominant Species 39:35 - Loopin' Louie 44:46 - One Night ...
Apr 18, 2019•54 min
The train's pulling into the station and you've got a ticket, because this week we're talking all about hype. Why do we get irrationally excited about games we know nothing about? How much should we listen to our overly excited inner selves? Before it's all aboard, we also talk about Reykholt , PUSH , and Great Western Trail . 01:51 - Reykholt 10:13 - PUSH 14:54 - Great Western Trail 30:50 - Hype and anti-hype 32:41 - Res Arcana 33:45 - The 7th Continent 35:32 - El Grande 38:29 - Gloomhaven 38:5...
Apr 11, 2019•51 min
It's all well and good playing the newest, hottest games, but that doesn't stop us wanting to go back to some of the old goodies. We're counting down our top five games we want to revisit, to enjoy once more as we did in our youth. Relatively speaking. Before we get all wistful, we also talk about Eye My Favourite Things , On Tour , and Dune . 01:12 - Eye My Favourite Things 06:18 - On Tour 12:28 - Dune 18:40 - Cosmic Encounter 24:44 - Rex: Final Days of an Empire 26:10 - Root 31:55 - Games We W...
Apr 04, 2019•1 hr
Electronic board games! What will they think of next?! There's been a trend of more and more board games being translated into web and mobile apps, so join us as we make the jump to cyberspace . Before we plug in, we also talk about Heul doch! Mau Mau , Architects of the West Kingdom , and revisit Nusfjord . 01:19 - Heul doch! Mau Mau 05:19 - Architects of the West Kingdom 10:55 - A Feast for Odin 13:44 - Nusfjord 26:26 - Digital Board Games 27:20 - Through the Ages: A New Story of Civilization ...
Mar 28, 2019•51 min
We're at the table talking table talk, all the little things that get said while you're playing a board game. Sure, there's plenty to be said in a social deduction or negotiation game, but what about less talky games? What's appropriate and what isn't? Before we say something we regret, we also talk about Everdell , Concordia Venus , and Project: ELITE. 03:58 - Everdell 08:34 - Wingspan 12:07 - Concordia Venus 21:27 - Project: ELITE 25:56 - Escape: The Curse of the Temple 31:13 - Table Talk 37:0...
Mar 21, 2019•50 min
Some games offer an experience so unique, so unlike anything else, that you can't help but take notice. It might be a bold thematic setting, or a set of mechanics that you've never seen before. This week, we're counting down our favourite games that do something ... a little bit different. Before we stand out from the crowd, we also talk about Looting London , and Chimera . 01:05 - Looting London 04:17 - Chimera 09:45 - Unique Thematic Experiences 12:12 - Food Chain Magnate 16:11 - Space Cadets:...
Mar 14, 2019•57 min
Time to 'fess up. We're admitting to all the transgressions we've made in the world of board gaming. We're not proud of it, but there are a lot of games we haven't played that we should have. There are Kickstarters we've overspent on, and some we regret backing. And what would a good confessional be without owning up to our guilty pleasures? Before we ask forgiveness, we also talk about Excape , Race for the Galaxy , and Biblios Dice . 01:30 - Excape 07:57 - Race for the Galaxy 13:49 - Biblios D...
Mar 07, 2019•45 min
Gateway games are an often requested topic, but we wouldn't be us without a big old debate about them first. Are they important? Should you be trying to convert your friends at all? Isn't every game a gateway game if you just talk slowly enough? Before we raise the portcullis, we also talk about Targi , and Catan . 01:25 - Targi 07:19 - Catan 09:35 - Gateway games 17:11 - Forbidden Island 18:38 - Codenames 19:01 - Sushi Go! 22:23 - A Fake Artist Goes to New York 24:56 - Bärenpark 27:47 - Biblios...
Feb 28, 2019•56 min
It's always sad to see a game go. But sometimes it's just time to move on, to let it be free, to let someone else enjoy its esoteric rules and quirky components. Games leave our collections for many reasons, so let's take a look at some of them. Before we spark joy, we talk about Big Dig , Trains , and The River . 01:18 - Big Dig 05:00 - Trains 09:30 - The Quest for El Dorado 10:17 - The River 19:51 - Why Games Leave our Collections 27:40 - Through The Ages 27:40 - Mage Knight 29:02 - Founders o...
Feb 21, 2019•52 min
One year, baby! We did it. It's our first anniversary, and we're celebrating by ... putting out an episode of the podcast. We got a couple of reader questions that we thought would be especially pertinent for this occasion, as we look back on the impact Board Game Barrage has had on us. Before we pop the champagne, we talk about The Quacks of Quedlinburg , Forum Trajanum , and Narabi . 04:37 - The Quacks of Quedlinburg 08:57 - Forum Trajanum 15:08 - Narabi 21:00 - How has Board Game Barrage impa...
Feb 14, 2019•42 min
2019 is well underway, but with so many amazing games on the horizon, it's hard to know what to look out for. Fear not, listener, that's what we're here for. Join us as we count down our most anticipated games of the year. Before we cast our eyes ahead, we talk about New Frontiers: The Race for the Galaxy Board Game , and Hansa Teutonica. 02:33 - New Frontiers: The Race for the Galaxy Board Game 09:25 - Hansa Teutonica 18:13 - Most Anticipated Games of 2019 18:59 - Eclipse: Second Dawn for the G...
Feb 07, 2019•54 min
Objectivity is a nice goal, but what does it mean for board game criticism? Are there elements of board game design that we can have factual conversations about, without invoking our personal biases? We debate this in the only way we know how. Before we start shouting, we talk about Hyperspace , Gùgōng , and Wingspan . 02:30 - Hyperspace 08:52 - Gùgōng 14:43 - ZhanGuo 17:35 - Last Will 18:06 - Wingspan 21:37 - Innovation 26:26 - Critical Objectivity 26:58 - Nemesis 28:01 - Zombicide 32:01 - Hero...
Jan 31, 2019•54 min
Sometimes you're not looking to win or lose, you're looking for an experience . A lot of games promise to deliver thematic gameplay, but what does that mean for the mechanics? Does it have to be one without the other? Before we set the mood, we talk about Nusfjord , Paper Tales , and Nemesis . 03:25 - Nusfjord 09:43 - Paper Tales 15:25 - Nemesis 25:34 - Thematic Games We Like 26:08 - Mansions of Madness: Second Edition 29:58 - Nothing Personal 31:16 - Gloomhaven 31:35 - Android: Netrunner 32:05 ...
Jan 24, 2019•43 min
We throw back to our very first episode, with our biggest surprises and disappointments of the year gone by. 2018 was a year of highs and lows, but sometimes you just don't see them coming. The difference between expectation and the final product is what this week's episode is all about. Before we gaze back wistfully, we talk about Akrotiri , Blue Moon City, and This Guilty Land. 01:56 - Akrotiri 05:09 - Innovation 05:27 - Blue Moon City 10:31 - This Guilty Land 16:37 - 2018’s Biggest Disappoint...
Jan 17, 2019•43 min
Top ten, baby! We finally made it. And thus concludes our five part series of our favourite games of all-time. Frankly, we were changed by the experience, and will never be the same again. We hope you were too. 01:35 - Kalen #10 - Coloretto 03:30 - Mark #10 - True Colors 06:15 - Neilan #10 - Dominion 09:28 - Kalen #9 - Diplomacy 12:45 - Mark #9 - ??? (32:02) 13:10 - Neilan #9 - Guards of Atlantis 16:32 - Kalen #8 - ??? (01:24:54) 16:43 - Mark #8 - Brass: Birmingham 20:27 - Neilan #8 - Scythe 25:...
Jan 10, 2019•1 hr 31 min
The end is nigh! If you squint just right you can see it from here. We're almost done counting down our favourite fifty games of all time, so join us in the penultimate part of our five part series. 01:20 - Mark #20 - Caverna 03:18 - Neilan #20 - Archipelago 05:49 - Kalen #20 - Fuji Flush 07:43 - Mark #19 - Troyes 09:22 - Neilan #19 - Aeon's End: War Eternal 12:38 - Kalen #19 - Genoa 14:29 - Mark #18 - Cthulhu Wars 15:40 - Neilan #18 - Alchemists 18:38 - Kalen #18 - No Thanks! 20:09 - Mark #17 -...
Jan 03, 2019•1 hr 6 min
Okay, we're past the middle. It's all downhill from here, but the good sort of downhill. We're counting down our fifty favourite board games, in part three of what the world is calling our most ambitious endeavour yet! Well, we're calling it that. 01:01 - Neilan #30 - Grand Austria Hotel 02:35 - Kalen #30 - Startups 04:20 - Mark #30 - Pax Renaissance 06:37 - Neilan #29 - Azul 08:57 - Kalen #29 - Imperial 2030 10:37 - Mark #29 - Kemet 11:52 - Neilan #28 - Deception: Murder in Hong Kong 14:26 - Ka...
Dec 27, 2018•1 hr 5 min
Ten down, forty to go ... It's part two of our all-time top fifty lists! What surprises await us in this, the second installment of our historic feature?! Find out with us as we celebrate some fantastic board games! Kalen #40 – For Sale Mark #40 – Guards of Atlantis: Tabletop MOBA Neilan #40 – Hanamikoji Kalen #39 – Bruges Mark #39 – A Feast for Odin Neilan #39 – In the Year of the Dragon Kalen #38 – Crokinole Mark #38 – Sol: Last Days of a Star Neilan #38 – Kemet Kalen #37 – Taj Mahal Mark #37 ...
Dec 20, 2018•1 hr 3 min
We're counting down to our 50th episode, and what better way than to give our definitive lists of our 50 favourite games of all time?! You've been asking for it, so we've only gone and done it. Brace yourselves, we're just getting started. 01:11 - Mark #50 - Dungeon Fighter 02:51 - Neilan #50 - Werewords 04:36 - Kalen #50 - Agricola 06:28 - Mark #49 - Chronicles of Crime 08:07 - Neilan #49 - Biblios 09:28 - Kalen #49 - Concept 10:55 - Mark #48 - Pictomania 13:02 - Neilan #48 - Mage Knight Board ...
Dec 13, 2018•1 hr 1 min
It's question time again! After last week's massive success, we couldn't resist the urge to have you , loyal listener, once more do all the work for us. Before we turn the microphones around, we also talk about Brass: Birmingham , Exodus: Paris Nouveau , and Werewords . 01:52 - Brass: Birmingham 05:48 - Exodus: Paris Nouveau 09:55 - Werewords 15:30 - Listener Questions 15:39 - Should I play the classics? 15:39 - Catan 15:39 - Carcassonne 20:21 - What solo games do you like? 21:08 - Coffee Roaste...
Dec 06, 2018•46 min
It's your time to shine! We field questions from you, our adoring fans, in our first ever Q&A episode. You sent us the important topical issues you've been yearning for our take on, and takes ye shall receive. Before we line up in front of the mic, we also talk about Blokus , Brass: Lancashire , and Teotihucan: City of Gods . 01:42 - Blokus 06:16 - Brass: Lancashire 12:40 - Teotihuacan: City of Gods 19:20 - World Chess Championship 21:51 - Listener Questions 22:10 - Does Kalen hate co-ops? 22:50...
Nov 29, 2018•46 min
We're getting introspective this week, weighing up the mistakes we've made in our collections, and reflecting on our earlier selves. Would you reset your board game collection? What games might you not buy if you had to do it all over again? Before we turn back time, we also talk about Between Two Castles Of Mad King Ludwig , Claustrophobia , and KeyForge: Call of the Archons . 01:39 - Between Two Castles Of Mad King Ludwig 06:17 - Claustrophobia 10:43 - KeyForge: Call of the Archons 21:12 - Res...
Nov 22, 2018•56 min
Not everything has to be a competition, because this week we're talking about cooperation. I know, it's weird, in some games, you're not actually trying to beat the other players! We're counting down our favourite co-op games, "favourite" of course being a relative term in Kalen's case. Before we put our heads together, we also talk about SSH , Just One , and Hamsterrolle . 01:44 - SHH 04:39 - Just One 07:53 - Hamsterrolle 11:32 - Chess 14:12 - Our Favourite Cooperative Games 15:27 - Codenames D...
Nov 15, 2018•56 min
There's no love like your first love, and this week we're talking about our early board game crushes. These are the games that first got us into the hobby, that made us want to shout our love for board games to all who'd care to hear. Before we walk down memory lane, we also talk about Key to the City: London , Empires , and Guards of Atlantis . 03:31 - Key to the City: London 09:14 - Empires 15:48 - Guards of Atlantis 29:49 - Our First Board Game Crushes 30:34 - Connect Four 31:33 - Scrabble 32...
Nov 08, 2018•1 hr
We're doing some upgrades this episode, because we're talking about improving and enhancing the board games we already own through accessories, new components, and fancy inserts. Before we sleeve our cards, we also talk about Keyflower , The Palaces of Carrara , Welcome To... 's Halloween Expansion, and That's Not Lemonade! 01:41 - Keyflower 08:46 - The Palaces of Carrara 12:17 - Welcome To ... Halloween Expansion 15:22 - That's Not Lemonade! 18:50 - Component Upgrades 27:56 - Gloomhaven 33:59 -...
Nov 01, 2018•56 min
Essen SPIEL 2018! Okay, we're not technically at Essen SPIEL, but we've got that Essen FEEL . We're each counting down the five games that we most wish we were in Germany to play this weekend. Before we hand over our Euros, we talk about SPQF , Le Havre , and Scythe: The Rise of Fenris . 02:09 - SPQF 07:17 - Le Havre 12:31 - Scythe: The Rise of Fenris 17:06 - Essen Preview 17:49 - Magnastorm 19:11 - Futuropia 20:27 - Big Shot 22:41 - Gùgōng 24:21 - Shadows: Amsterdam 26:41 - Smartphone Inc. 28:0...
Oct 25, 2018•49 min
Board game dealbreakers, we all have them, and they're enough to dissuade us from buying or even playing some otherwise great games. This week, we go around the table and talk about two things each that put us off in board games. Before we start looking elsewhere, we talk about Illusion , and Food Chain Magnate . 02:16 - Illusion 04:46 - Food Chain Magnate 18:05 - Too Many Steps for Simple Tasks 18:35 - 1st & Goal 19:42 - Blood Bowl 21:04 - Baseball Highlights: 2045 21:36 - Automobiles 23:04 - T...
Oct 18, 2018•1 hr
How do you meet other board game enthusiasts? Just loving and owning board games isn't enough if you don't have anyone to play them with! It's not always easy to turn your friends into board gamers, so what are your other options? Well, sit back, as we cast our minds far, far back into the past, when the Board Game Barrage trio was just three separate unos . This is where it all began. Before we gather round the campfire, we talk about Crypt , Fool's Gold , and War Chest . 01:01 - Crypt 03:22 - ...
Oct 11, 2018•52 min
What’s your white whale? The one game you’ve been itching to get to the table for ages, but for whatever reason, just never have? Well, call me Ishmael, ’cause we’re counting down not just one, not five, but ten games each that we haven’t played, but really want to. Maybe this’ll be the kick in the pants we need … but probably not. Before we dust off our shelves of shame, we talk about CIV: Carta Impera Victoria , Raxxon , and Scythe: The Rise of Fenris . 01:36 - Carta Impera Victoria 04:49 - Ra...
Oct 04, 2018•48 min
Asymmetry is a powerful tool for game design, if done right. There's a lot of replayability right out of the box, and finding a playstyle that works for you can be very satisfying. But this dark alchemy has a darker byproduct: imbalance. When so much is different between each player, how do you ensure that things stay fair? Before we nerf plz, we discuss Container , and more Root . 01:40 - Container 12:28 - Root 18:08 - Scoreboard Update 20:04 - Balancing Asymmetry 26:49 - Vast: The Crystal Cave...
Sep 27, 2018•57 min
