In Episode 17, we review Nucleum by Board&Dice and discuss our first, second, and third impressions of the game. To start off the episode, we chat about the games that are bringing us joy: The White Castle: Matcha, New York Zoo, Gentle Rain, and Marvel Champions: The Card Game. In Nucleum, it’s the economic and technological boom of 19th-century Saxony, and you are working hard to earn victory points through building and powering urban buildings, obtaining and completing contracts,...

In Episode 16, we review the Clank!s by Dire Wolf and Renegade Game Studio and discuss our first, second, and third impressions of the games. To start off the episode, we chat about the games that are bringing us joy: The Lord of the Rings: Duel for Middle-earth, Regicide, and… Becky? The Deck-Building Adventures Clank!, Clank! In! Space!, and Clank! Catacombs all have similar base mechanics and objectives; through deck building (duh), thieves quickly and QUIETLY descend to the depths...

In Episode 15, we review Revive by Aporta Games and discuss our first, third, and eighth impressions of the game. To start off the episode, we chat about our shared joy from attending the Pacific Northwest Game Swap: Oregon Edition where Angela, Becky, and Gillean sold games, Reed purchased games, and we all engaged in some lively board game conversations.  Set in a post-apocalyptic world, each player leads a tribe that is working to rebuild the world in this deck building, tech tree, and...

In Episode 14, we discuss Culling board games from our collections. To start off the episode, we chat about the games that are bringing us joy: Nucleum, Clank!: Catacombs, Railroad Tiles, and Barrage. Gillean and Becky have been building a board game collection since 2011 and have culled over 65 games; Angela and Reed are newer to curating their collections through thoughtful purchases and culling choices. With the motivation of selling games at the first (hopefully of many!!) Pacific...

In Episode 13, we review Wyrmspan by Stonemaier Games and discuss our first, second, and third impressions of the game. To start off the episode, we chat about what’s bringing us joy: Nucleum (x2), Revive (x2), and sharing the love of board games with others. Set in the modern day, you are building a sanctuary for dragons by excavating caves in order to entice dragons in this tableau and engine building game. By exploring the caverns and playing cards, you gain resources, cards, eggs, and...

In Episode 12, we discuss our top 5 favorite games of the summer. To start off the episode, we chat about what’s bringing us joy: Daybreak, Lisboa, Clank!: A Deck-Building Adventure, Clank!: Catacombs, and Ark Nova (again?!) Whether we’re at a brewery, grabbing lunch, or sipping lattes, these are our go-to small box games this summer: 5. Sea Salt & Paper by Bombyx 4. Deck of Cards 3. Azul Mini by Next Move Games 2. Love Letter by Alderac Entertainment Group 1. Nana by @ Mob+ Let...

In Episode 11, we review Everdell by Starling Games and discuss our first and second impressions of the game. To start off the episode, we chat about what’s bringing us joy: Splendor Duel, Wyrmspan, Hegemony, Rebel Princess, and Carcassonne. Over the river and through the woods to Everdell we go! Beneath the Ever Tree, we curate our cities by building constructions and inviting critters to inhabit those spaces. In this worker placement and tableau building game, you play through the...

In Episode 10, we review Kanban EV by Eagle-Gryphon Games and discuss our first and second impressions of the game. To start off the episode, we chat about what’s bringing us joy: Euchre, trick taking games at the Portland Game Collective Convention, Root, and the hope that Becky will play more games with friends. Working on an electric vehicle assembly line, we dedicate time to train towards certification, and we select car designs to upgrade and eventually test–all the while stocking the...

In Episode 9, we discuss Losing in board gaming. To start off the episode, we chat about the games that are bringing us joy: Railroad Ink, Between Two Castles of Mad King Ludwig, The Castles of Burgundy, Kanban EV, and Captain Flip (plus a sticker surprise!) Our hobby is competitive, and we all play to win, but, ultimately, we’re playing to spend time together and have a good time. How do we manage the feelings of losing while also being part of creating an enjoyable experience for...

In Episode 8, we review Bruxelles 1893: Belle Époque and discuss our first, second, and third impressions of the game. To start off the episode, we chat about the games that are bringing us joy: Robinson Crusoe: Adventures on the Cursed Island, Faraway, Ark Nova with Marine Worlds, Castles of Burgundy, and Carcassonne. Building the first Art Nouveau buildings, we–Paul, Paul, Paul, and Victor–balance worker placement,  managing finances, and art collecting in order to build our houses, win...

In Episode 7, we review Kutná Hora: The City of Silver and discuss our first, second, and third impressions of the game. To start off the episode, we chat about the games that are bringing us joy: Isle of Cats, The King Is Dead: Second Edition, Faraway, and Paladins of the West Kingdom. Developing the City of Silver through purchasing plots of land, securing building permits, and expanding the mines, we discuss the variable economic market, constructing the grand Saint (Santa) Barbara’s...

In Episode 6, we review Ark Nova and discuss our first, second, and third impressions (and many more!) of the game. To start off the episode, we chat about the games that are bringing us joy: Expeditions: Gears of Corruption, Root, Haggis, and MLEM: Space Agency. Gathering animals, forming partnerships, and garnering support from sponsors, we discuss building our reputation, zoo appeal, and conservation points through polyomino placement of enclosures, balancing the flow of actions, and hate...

In Episode 5, we explore FOMO (fear of missing out), crowdfunding, and upgrades. To start off the episode, we chat about our shared joy from attending our local board game convention that hosted high score tournaments for Azul, Cascadia, and Wingspan, a two player tournament, and space to play games with strangers. Board game tables, metal coins, and Ark Nova (oh my!)–we discuss how FOMO and coveting shows up for each of us in this hobby, and how it relates to crowdfunding. Find out which...

In Episode 4, we review Harmonies and The White Castle and discuss our first, second, and third impressions of these games. To start off the episode, we chat about the games that are bringing us joy: Spire's End: Hildegard, Age of Innovation, Thunder Road: Vendetta, and Ark Nova.  Surrounded by beautiful artwork and components, we discuss drafting tiles and building habitat patterns to attract animals to our landscapes in Harmonies, a tile drafting and placement game by Libellud, and we...

In Episode 3, we review Brass Birmingham and discuss our first, second, and twenty-third impressions of the game. To start off the episode, we chat about the games that are bringing us joy: Brass Birmingham, King of Tokyo, Splendor Duel, and Dune Imperium: Uprising. Through the canal and rail eras of the Industrial Revolution, we discuss market variability, loans, emergent strategies, and hand management in this very thinky–yet engaging–game. We’re obsessed, and one of us (who apparently...

In Episode 2, we review Wonderland’s War and discuss our first, second, and third impressions of the game. To start off the episode, we chat about the games that are bringing us joy: Wyrmspan, Revive, Bruxelles 1893: Belle Époque, Sea Salt & Paper: Extra Salt, and Tokaido. At the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party, we discuss this bag building and area control game from Druid City Games. Fill your bag with Wonderlandians and a little or a LOT of madness and then bet against your friends as you all...

In Episode 1, we review Apiary and discuss our first, second, and third impressions of the game. To start off the episode, we chat about the games that are bringing us joy: Dune Imperium, White Castle, Kutna Hora, and Terraforming Mars: The Dice Game.  Out in the cosmos, we discuss the mechanics of bumping bees to build our hives in this worker placement game from Stonemaier Games. Three of the four of us are buzzing about this game, and one of us isn’t waggling their bee butt yet.  Share...