If you've listened to even just one episode of this podcast, you've probably realized that Bill and Kaz are not perfect. Despite what they might say. Far from it! This lack of perfection has led to some interesting mix-ups. Let talk about them!
Everyone could use an upgrade sometimes, even our favorite games. The guys talk expansions this week and compare the ones that work to the ones that make you wonder why they ever bothered.
The guys discuss a recent a recent negative presence at game night and ask for your solutions. Plus! Some games sit in your collection unplayed, for months, maybe even years. Why do we keep them?! Bill and Kaz rank the games in their collections that they just can't bring themselves to let go and explain why they never will.
The guys get some professional input from an expert in instruction on how best to teach a game. Spoiler Alert! They've been doing it wrong. Yelling, 'Why Aren't You Getting This?!?!' is apparently NOT the best way to teach a board game.
Teaching a game can be tricky, what with all the rules and such. The guys break down their choices for most favorite games to teach newbies. Now if only they could teach themselves to love.
Aren't all the best games the ones where you get to move a lot of pieces around? Who knows. But they sure are fun to play. This week the guys, discuss their picks for unique worker placement games. Let's move some meeples!
Let's build our dream city. This week Bill and Kaz rank the top 5 best city building games. Oh the power of playing God. Yes, yes I will put this heavy factory in the suburbs! And there's nothing you can do about it! MUAHAHAHA!
Bill and Kaz start season two with a recap of the year that was and look forward to exciting plans for next year.
See you in Season Two!
It's that time of year again. A time to reconnect with family, friends, and that legacy game you've been meaning to finish for the last 6 months. That's right, the holidays have arrived. But what to play??? Bill and Kaz have some suggestions to make your celebrations perfect with just the right game for any group. Get the chairs and cram that last cookie in your mouth. It's game time!
The tables have turned. He that was once the judge becomes the judged. Jamaica hits the table to be deemed worthy or unworthy. This time Kaz is in the hot seat to prove the worth of this classic racing game and Bill is the skeptic to be convinced . Will he succeed? The tension is palpable. Thankfully, Jamaica is silly.
The time of reckoning is upon us. Scores will be settled and chits called in. Ragusa comes back to the table. Bill and Kaz replay Ragusa after a contentious attempt several weeks ago. Bill likes this game, Kaz does not. Will Bill be able to change Kaz's mind or will this game be forever banished from game-night? Exciting!
Bill and Kaz flip the script from last week's episode and talk about the mechanisms that just fall flat. Can these mechanisms regain to their former glory? Were they ever really that good? What is the meaning of life? Two of these questions will be answered. Well, one for sure. 42.
Surprise compliment! I think you're really great. Didn't that make your day? I hope so champ! The guys trade compliments and get into the mechanisms that make them perk up and take notice when a designer incorporates them into a game. Is player elimination and heavy take that on the list? No, no they are not. Also, your outfit is on-point today. Gotcha again!
Sometimes a game is just contentious. The guys break down a recent play of Ragusa, a game that Bill absolutely loved, and Kaz absolutely did not love. Can their relationship be repaired? Will they ever play games again? Only time will tell.
Chess finally has a worthy successor! Also, an epic tale shipping woes and Kickstarter heroes. Then the guys unveil discovered secrets of the Board Game Geek rating system and go through their choices of games that deserve to be higher on that list. Research!
Scaling! It's not just what's happening to your skin in the winter, it's also how well a game plays with different player counts. Go figure. Bill and Kaz discuss how some games do it really well, while others just seem to fall off a cliff at certain player counts. Then the guys breakdown their choice of games for 2-players. Head to head, baby!
Luck can be infuriating in board games, but sometimes a bit of luck can take a game from good to great. The guys break down some games that take the press your luck mechanism and make it shine. Plus, the final Spooky games recommendations! Happy Halloween ya goofs!
After breaking down some recent game experiences, Bill and Kaz regale us with an epic tale of battling aliens on a derelict space craft. Then the spooky list continues to help you with your October board game choices. Spook on!
This episode is jaaaaaaam-packed. Bill and Kaz build reefs, become master painters, and manage a farm of the chunkiest animals imaginable. Then the guys interview Len Kendall about his most recent board game, Western Tropic. It's a beautiful take on Poker that incorporates board game mechanisms to create a unique experience. Also, it's October! Time for some spooooky recommendations.
Bill and Kaz return to the mic with a discussion of how people find out about new games these days. How does a designer/publisher stand out and reach that audience? Then the guys go over the games that just don't shine as brightly as they used to. Some of them may surprise you and some may make you nod your head silently in agreement. Write to us and tell us which was which!
Kaz gets some games off the shelf he's never played but has been meaning to. Then the guys talk their top 6 games that play 6. Do they even know that many people?
Kaz gets grumpy at Stefan Feld's magic bread as he and Bill recount their recent Carpe Diem experience. Then the guys sit down to chat with Carla Kopp from Weird Giraffe Games about her approach to design and lessons learned after several successful years in the industry. Also, is Puffins Love Muffins the best name for a game ever? Yes, yes it is.
Bill and Kaz remember when they used to be terrible human beings and were shipwrecked on a mysterious island for jerks. They did escape but while sailing home to the quaint little town of Amity, New York, they were attacked by a giant shark named Mandibles. Close the beach! Then it's off to game night for some game group interviews and shenanigans. Also, Kaz can't stop saying 'love' at the end of the episode. Weird.
Why the heck are some game art designs soooooo bland? Are art designs room badly lit? Do Germans hate color? Is it a practical joke gone awry? Kaz and Bill contemplate these deep thoughts and the games that just keep getting better the more you play them.
There is so much construction talk in this episode you might just be inspired to slap on some overalls and try your hand at this 'carpentry' stuff that's all the rage these days. A french suburb under construction, a Gothic English cathedral being built brick by brick, and designing your very own gosh darn bear park are just a few examples of the types of games the guys get into before taking a deep dive into the mechanism of deck building.
This episode is an olive branch to anyone who has fond memories of classic games. In an effort to find some common ground, the guys have come up with some modern gaming alternatives to the classics. So, the next time you're floundering, trying to come up with the perfect game to intro to your Risk/Monopoly/Sorry/Clue loving buds, you'll have some good suggestions to reach for. Enjoy, and happy gaming to all!
Bill and Kaz spend a minute trying to figure out just how you explain the hobby to the non-initiated. Kaz goes down a rabbit hole obsessing over a game he just can't figure out, which spurs the guys to talk about what to do with games that just don't measure up. Plus a rundown of some top drawer co-op choices. It's so much fun when we put aside our differences and work together, am I right?
Bill and Kaz get into some fun recent playthroughs, one of which was designed by god-among-men and Roasted Games darling, Phil Walker-Harding! Also, do they like The Mind or do they not like The Mind? It's hard to tell. Then they take a minute to talk over their Arkham Horror 3rd Edition experience and some tips for getting big games to the table. Thanks for the suggestion Dillon!
Bill and Kaz reach out to designers Corey Andalora and Donnie Coleman to discuss their current Kickstarter project, Capital Vices. The get into design team dynamics, individual design approaches, gaming preferences, and some exciting upcoming projects, OF THE FUTURE! Also, the guys talk about Wasteland Express TWICE in one episode, so you know, it's probably pretty good.
