Game Brain: A Board Game Podcast About Our Gaming Group

The 2024 Golden Geek Award nominations have just been revealed, and we're choosing faves, making endorsements, and offering sweeping predictions on which games will win. Oh and by the way, thanks to everyone who voted and nabbed us a nom! Don't worry, we're focused on the games, not shameless self-promotion (well, maybe just a little self-promotion). Plus, Ben, Jordan, and Paul talk about recent plays of Ironwood, Galactic Cruise, Arcs, and Twilight Imperium.

Ben and Jordan talk about recent plays of Inventions, Galactic Cruise, Twilight Imperium, Arcs, and Resist. Plus, discussion about space games — what does the concept of space bring to a game, and what makes a game a SPACE GAME (as opposed to a game set in space). Notations to come.

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: Argentina 01:30:40 - Skymines 01:39:48 - City of the Big Shoulders

Trey, Ben, and Dmitry review the 2024 release Let's Go To Japan. IntroductionWatch What Crappens wins Best Pop Culture PodcastThe TraitorsGames on the BrainBaseball Highlights 2045GamefoundStar Wars: UnlimitedForce TableNetrunner at Nullsignal.gamesKnarrMarrakeshCuzcoGame ReviewLet'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. IntroductionRecent PlaysMerkatorArboreaPirates of Maricaibo20 StrongkCaloria KickstarterGame Review: Thunder Road: VendettaCar WarsThunder RoadThe White CastleDiscussion - Learning Modes in GamesEvacuationreviewReviveVoidfall - Find Etamar at kirbooloni.com - Game Brain Facebook Group - Instagram

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! IntroductionContest ResultsSol: Last Days of a StarGame Brain's Top Boardgames of 2023Great Western Trail: New ZealandInferno Guelphs and Ghibellines Vie for Tuscany, 1259-1261BloodstonesScholars of the South TigrisThunder Road: VendettaApiaryHorseless CarriageRats of WistarStationfallEarthborne RangersWhite CastleKutná Hora: The City of SilverVoidfallNucleumAge of InnovationEvacuationHegemony: Lead your class to victory - Find Etamar at kirbooloni.com - Game Brain Facebook Group - Instagram

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. IntroductionRecent PlaysAgricolaForbidden StarsBloodstonesManhattan Project 2: Minutes to MidnightDaybreakSol:Last Days of a StarGame Review: EvacuationVladimir 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. IntroductionBGGCon ReportSol: Last Days of a StarTabletop NetworkDaimyo: Battle for JapanRats of WistarKutná Hora: The City of SilverApiaryEvacuationWhite CastlekCaloriaOther PlaysUr: 1830 BCSeptimaEvenfallOur Favorite Games of the PodcastRed CathedralArk Nova Imperial SteamBarrageHegemony: Lead Tour Class to VictoryAge of InnovationWar of the Ring: The Card GameImperial SteamBarrageBarrageThe TranscontinentalPipeline - Find Etamar at kirbooloni.com - Game Brain Facebook Group - Twitter - Instagram

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. IntroductionHarold & Kumar Go to White CastleBGGConTabletop NetworkRats of WistarQuick Discussion of EleganceThe GalleristThunder Road: VendettaGame ReviewThe White CastleOur 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 IntroductionGames on the BrainCoffee TradersHere I StandVoodoo PrinceGreat Western Trail New ZealandLorenzo il Magnifico: The Pazzi ConspiracySons of Anarchy: Men of MayhemThunder Road: VendettaTerraforming MarsVoidfallRiskDiplomacy Civilization Axis & AlliesThrough the Ages: A New Story of CivilizationSurvive: Escape from Atlantis!Cosmic FrogSkyminesThe Rich and the GoodDuneLords of VegasMaria Forbidden Stars - Find Etamar at kirbooloni.com - Game Brain Facebook Group - Twitter - Instagram

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