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. 00:00 - Intro 02:33 - Inventions 14:47 - Western Empires / Mega Empires 23:25 - Terraforming Mars 29:37 - 1830 33:07 - City of the Big Shoulders 35:47 - Finger etiquette for board games

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:...

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 -  Find Etamar at kirbooloni.com -  Game Brain Facebook Group -  Instagram

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 -  Find Etamar at kirbooloni.com -  Game Brain Facebook Group - ...

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...

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 -  Find Etamar at kirbooloni.com -  Game Brain Facebook Group -  Twitter -  Instagram

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 -...

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 -  Find Etamar at kirbooloni.com -  Game Brain Facebook Group -  Twitter -  Instagram

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...

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 -  Find Etamar at kirbooloni.com -  Game Brain Facebook Group -  Twitter - ...

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 -  Find Etamar at kirbooloni.com -  Game Brain Facebook Group -  Twitter -  Instagram

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 -  Find Etamar at kirbooloni.com -  Game Brain Facebook Group -  Twitter -  Instagram