Isaac Vega (designer of Ashes Reborn, co-designer of Dead of Winter and Forgotten Waters) and Lindsey Rode (designer of Labyrinthos) take a quick break from managing their new company, Rose Gauntlet Entertainment, to discuss gaaames! Our topics: our favorite board game names, mixing technology with tabletop, and how we feel about attending conventions this year. The games discussed in this episode: Intro: Dead of Winter Forgotten Waters Ashes Reborn: Rise of the Phoenixborn Keystone: North Ameri...
Apr 01, 2021•56 min•Ep. 63
Great board game discussions with Monique and Naveen of Before You Play! What games did we change our minds on (either way) after a second play? What games have we invested the most in? And what ones do we find hardest to get to the table...for whatever reason? Here are the games covered in this episode: Christina’s topic: Games you’ve invested the most in Lost Ruins of Arnak Abomination: The Heir of Frankenstein Killer Bunnies Dead of Winter Scythe Scythe: Rise of Fenris Wingspan The Quacks of ...
Mar 18, 2021•49 min•Ep. 62
The always fun, always funny Paula Deming from Things Get Dicey joins the podcast this week to discuss: Board games that really get us riled up (in good and bad ways) The games in our "shelf of opportunity" that we're most excited to get to Why we livestream playthroughs -- or not The games discussed on this episode: Intro: Tidal Blades: Heroes of the Reef Kingdom Rush: Rift in Time Christina’s topic: Games that get you hyped Dominant Species Targi Twilight Imperium Draw Your Own Conclusions Tel...
Mar 04, 2021•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 61
Sarah Shah of Board Games in a Minute slows down just long enough to record a podcast with us. We chat about our favorite games centered around animals, our big pet peeves when teaching (or learning) a new board game, and publisher Capstone Games. The games mentioned in this episode: Christina’s topic: What are some of your favorite games centered around animals? Everdell Ecos: First Continent Gods Love Dinosaurs Evolution Oceans Endangered Calico Isle of Cats Beez Honey Buzz Aqua Garden Heaven ...
Feb 18, 2021•48 min•Ep. 60
This is a special Voltron Podcast episode with Boards Alive's Aaron Cassidy! (Touchy subject) We talk about the recent drama and controversies in the board game biz (and whether we can separate the art from the artists). (And not-so-touchy) On a lighter note, we also discuss video-game-licensed board games and deckbuilding in games we wouldn't call deckbuilding games. Shoe: Board games based on video game licenses that you've enjoyed or are excited about Bloodborne Kingdom Rush: Rift in Time Blo...
Feb 04, 2021•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 59
We're so obsessed with board games, that we enjoy them...even when we're not actually playing them. What are these "play-adjacent" activities that we love so much? And what are our favorite components? And why on earth are we talking about jigsaw puzzles on a board game podcast? The board games we discuss on this episode: Christina’s topic: your favorite game components Everdell Tidal Blades Honey Buzz Wingspan Wavelength Blockbuster Potion Explosion Portal Dragoon Ascension Life Siphon Guts of ...
Jan 21, 2021•46 min•Ep. 58
Party game of the year! Light game of the year! Medium-weight game of the year! Heavy game of the year! We grab two of our social-bubble gaming crew (James Hudson of Skybound and Shoe's co-worker Tom Twedell), and we all give our picks for the #1 games in all those categories for 2020. Plus: What trends did we see in 2020 (and what might we see in 2021? And how did gaming get us through the rough patches of last year? The games covered in this episode: Intro: Bloodstone Tom’s topic: Party and Li...
Jan 07, 2021•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 57
Professional comedian Grant Lyon (who also creates board game videos and co-designed Curmudgeon) joins us on the podcast this week. We talk about "old" (pre-2018) games that need more live, mechanics that we seek out or actively avoid, and more party games we love playing. Games mentioned on this episode: Intro: Curmudgeon Christina’s topic: “Old” games that don’t get enough love Love Letter Lost Legacy Grand Austria Hotel Taverns of Tiefenthal High Society Take 5 Take a Number Cover Your Assets...
Dec 10, 2020•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 56
Plaid Hat Marketing Manager Niki Shults and Multimedia Director Donald Shults talk board games -- and tons of D&D -- with us. Our topics: 1. What are some new party games you can play over Zoom or within one average household? 2. Is Catan still the perfect gateway game? If not, what is? 3. What are your best childhood memories of playing board games? 4. House rules: How do you feel about them? Here are the games covered on the show: Intro: Forgotten Waters The Settlers of Catan Shoe’s topic:...
Nov 25, 2020•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 55
Guest Elizabeth Hargrave (Wingspan, Mariposas) drops a hint about her next project while we discuss our four new topics: 1. Learning factoids in non-educational games 2. How we can make board gaming more inclusive for everyone 3. Games whose themes have inspired innovative gameplay 4. Designing games and finishing prototypes Games discussed in this episode: Intro: Wingspan Tussie Mussie Mariposas Christina’s topic: How theme can lead to innovative gameplay Wingspan Mariposas Photosynthesis Wind ...
Nov 02, 2020•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 54
Guest Timm Metivier of Meepleville (a board game cafe in Vegas and a channel for board game content) joins us to discuss the top 3 games we can't wait to get to the table, the business of running a board game cafe (you'd be surprised how he works around COVID), how we discover the games we want to buy, and more. The games talked about on this episode: Timm’s topic: The top games we can’t wait to get to the table Food Chain Magnate Trickerion Pax Porfiriana Telestrations: Upside Drawn Tekhenu: Ob...
Oct 15, 2020•56 min•Ep. 53
The big games of the year have been announced. What do we think of them? The Dice Tower's Roy Cannaday joins us to discuss the Spiel and Kennerspiel des Jahres 2020 nominees/winners; if we still use "Euro" and "Ameritrash" to define those genres; video production during quarantine times; and his new, upcoming game, Last Light. The games we talk about on this episode: Intro: Last Light Eclipse Twilight Imperium Concordia Christina's topic: Spiel des Jahres 2020 nominees/winners My City Nova Luna ...
Oct 01, 2020•56 min•Ep. 52
Game designers Jon Gilmour (Dead of Winter, Dinosaur Island) and Ian Moss (Duelosaur Island, Wonderland's War) join us to discuss video games that would make cool board games, what video games have taught them about game design, our ideal gaming group, and how new RPGs make themselves stand out from the crowd. Here are the games covered on the show: Intro Dead of Winter Dinosaur Island Wasteland Express I Dissent Duelosaur Island Wonderland’s War Bunkers and Badasses Ian’s topic: How do newer RP...
Sep 17, 2020•57 min•Ep. 51
It's our 50th episode! We celebrate by discussing: Our top 3 games in BoardGameGeek's top 100 Our favorite genres (and our favorite game in that genre) The best moments from our podcast so far The board game that got us into board gaming Here are the games we mention on the show: Mike's topic: Favorite game in our favorite genre Gloomhaven Hansa Teutonica 7 Wonders Libertalia Campy Creatures R (BraveRats) Orleans Caverna A Feast for Odin Alien Frontiers Shoe's topic: Top 3 games in the BGG Top 1...
Sep 03, 2020•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 50
Two guests! Nick Brachmann (Leder Games) and John de Campos (Terrible Games) join us to discuss their upcoming games (Fort and Token Terrors Battlegrounds, respectively) and our four new topics: Deckbuilding games with a unique twist Our other hobbies that we'd like to see brought to life for tabletop gaming The differences between "design" and "development" Establishing a visual identity for a game company Here are the games discussed/mentioned in this episode:...
Aug 20, 2020•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 49
We're talking so many "favorites" today: our favorite games where points don't matter, favorite games that revolve around illustrations (not necessarily drawing), favorite board game universes, and favorite game-induced social interactions. Our guest is Eric Slauson, designer of Tattoo Stories, Nerd Words, and the upcoming MonsDRAWsity. Here's a list of the games discussed on the show: Intro Tattoo Stories Nerd Words: Science! MonsDRAWsity Welcome To... Tumblin' Dice Christina’s topic: Favorite ...
Aug 06, 2020•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 48
What do we really mean when we want to play a "storytelling" game? Designers Sen-Foong Lim and Banana Chan join to discuss this as well as the upcoming Jiangshi RPG, our favorite board game themes, and board game cultural appreciation vs. appropriation. Here's a full list of games discussed on the show: Intro Jiangshi: Blood in the Banquet Hall Scooby-Doo: Betrayal at Mystery Mansion Sea of Legends Dune RPG Junk Art Dungeons & Dragons: Rock Paper Wizard The Legend of Korra: Pro-Bending Arena...
Jul 23, 2020•1 hr 27 min•Ep. 47
Uber content creator Ruel Gaviola (Geek & Sundry plus a million other things) joins us this week to talk about under-the-radar games that need more love, games we can play outside that won't get blown away, genres we don't like (and exceptions to them), and online communities. Here's a full list of games discussed on the show: Mike's topic: Games we can play outdoors Heckmeck Pickomino Q.E. Hanabi Deluxe Shobu Backgammon Dominoes Secrets Wavelength Pinnacle Jenga Azul Shoe's topic: Recent un...
Jul 08, 2020•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 46
We talk (non-roll-and-write) board games that are perfect for streaming to your friends, and we delve into how a game company like The Op works with so many big-name licenses (Marvel, Harry Potter, and...um, Golden Girls). Plus, what is that X factor that makes a game really great? And Mike Zipkin gives impressions on Nintendo's Clubhouse Games. Here's a full list of games discussed on the show: Intro Star Wars: Dark Side Rising Harry Potter: Death Eaters Rising Die Hard: The Nakatomi Tower Heis...
Jun 24, 2020•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 45
How should game publishers and designers respond to recent political events? We also talk about premium components (the business behind them and how we do our own upgrading) and reissued/remade games like King of Tokyo Dark and Kemet: Blood and Sand. James Hudson, senior director of tabletop gaming at Skybound Games (Sorcerer City, Superfight, Tidal Blades) joins us this week for this discussion. Here's a full list of games discussed on the show: Intro The Grimm Masquerade Guardian's Call Sorcer...
Jun 10, 2020•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 44
We talk about Plaid Hat's new storytelling adventure game Forgotten Waters, our other favorite pirate-themed games, and some of the most memorable characters in board gaming. But...is quarantining slowly killing our love for board games? We have three special guests! Video game designer Tim Schafer (whose work on The Secret of Monkey Island influenced Forgotten Waters), and Forgotten Waters co-designers Isaac Vega and Joe Ellis. Here's a full list of games discussed on the show: Intro Forgotten ...
May 27, 2020•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 43
What are our favorite two-player, solo, and roll-and-write games? Do you want to restart or fail forward when you lose a cooperative adventure? And we all love designer Uwe Rosenberg! With guest Jamey Stegmaier of Stonemaier Games (Wingspan, Tapestry, Scythe). Here's a full list of games discussed on the show: Intro Wingspan Viticulture Scythe Euphoria Tapestry Shoe's topic: What are our favorite two-player and solo games? Lost Cities Hanamikoji Jixia Academy Onitama 7 Wonders Duel 7 Wonders Sha...
May 06, 2020•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 42
Which games transport us to new places or worlds? What makes a good asynchronous digital game? And how does sheltering in place change how a designer goes about his business? Board game designer Emerson Matsuuchi (Century series, Metal Gear Solid, Specter Ops) joins us to discuss. Here's a full list of games discussed on the show: Intro Century Metal Gear Solid Foundations of Rome Christina's topic: What are your top board games that help you escape? Tokaido Namiji Tales of Arabian Nights Hive M...
Apr 22, 2020•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 41
The world has changed. How are we playing games now? How has coronavirus impacted the game-publishing business? And why is community more important than ever? We cover these big topics with Nolan Nasser (CEO) and Jacob Way (COO) of Deep Water Games (Welcome To..., Hanamikoji). In lighter news, we go on and on about one of our favorite games of 2020 so far: The Crew. It's so amazing, we guaranteed our guests their money back if they bought it and didn't like it. Here's a full list of games discus...
Apr 08, 2020•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 40
How do we pick which board games to cull when we move? What is gaming life like in the military? What's considered a classic nowadays? And what's our ideal convention experience -- deadly viruses aside, that is? Lizzy Funkhouser (Board Game Spotlight) and Derek Funkhouser (Skybound Games) join us to discuss! Here's a full list of games discussed on the show: Intro Medium Q.E. The Walking Dead: Something to Fear Herbaceous Sprouts Derek's topic: What makes an evergreen or classic board game? Axis...
Mar 18, 2020•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 39
Why we'll never get some of our friends to play board games; the best laugh-so-hard-we-always-cry games; board game movies (our faves and the ones we'd like to see); and whether high-production trailers are good -- and bad -- for Kickstarter campaigns. Games discussed on the show: Mike's topic: board game movies -- the good, the mostly bad, and what we want to see Clue Jumanji Battleship The Castles of Burgundy Pandemic Pandemic: Legacy Settlers of Catan One Night Ultimate Werewolf Gloomhaven Ro...
Feb 26, 2020•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 38
Mike Young (Plan B) explains why game publishing is so tough! Plus, our fave board game franchises and imports. Games mentioned on the show: Shoe's topic: Game franchises Azul Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra Azul: Summer Pavilion Century Century: Golem Edition Chess Othello Ticket to Ride Settlers of Catan Codenames Cottage Garden Indian Summer Spring Meadow Funkoverse Strategy Game Unmatched Android: Netrunner Magic: The Gathering Mexica Tikal Java Terraforming Mars Castles of Tuscany Castles of ...
Feb 12, 2020•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 37
BoardGameGeek just turned 20! Owner/co-founder Scott Alden and Director of Media Lincoln Damerst stop by to talk about the two-decade making of the do-everything board game website, its most underrated games, and much more. Games discussed: Intro & Scott's topic: How did you first hear about BoardGameGeek? Settlers of Catan Manhattan Die Hanse Magic: The Gathering Chess Poker UNO Risk Mahjong Scrabble Carcassonne Black Box Lost Cities Wingspan Thunderstone Dominion Android: Netrunner Love Le...
Jan 29, 2020•1 hr 25 min•Ep. 36
It's time for Going Analog's 2019 Games of the Year! The crew offers their picks for the best of last year, talks about the state of their board game collections, and makes New Years gaming resolutions. Plus: What are we most excited to play in 2020? Games discussed: Shoe's topic: Games of 2019 Medium Silver: Bullet Letter Jam Ecos: First Continent Sorcerer City Paladins of the West Kingdom Maracaibo Egizia: Shifting Sands Klask Pipeline Q.E. Wavelength 5211 In Front of the Elevators Remember ou...
Jan 15, 2020•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 35
BoardGameGeek's Scott Alden (owner) and Lincoln Damerst (host of GameNight!) stops by to offer their thoughts on all three Azul games, the monsterous Abomination, and our favorite popular and under-the-radar games from BGGCON. Games discussed: Intro: Abomination Azul Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra Azul: Summer Pavilion Christina's topic: Best game of BGGCON Aquatica Marvel Champions: The Card Game Silver Silver Bullet Medium Aldie's topic: Best game at BGGCON...that no one's heard of Soviet Kitch...
Dec 18, 2019•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 34
