Hail and well met, good Cabalists! Rejoice, for today marks a most glorious occasion: the 100th episode of Lords of the Dungeon! To celebrate this momentous milestone, the Lords shall do something a bit different. Rather than delving into a single topic, we shall gather around the wizard’s table and share a collection of our own Game Mastering tips and tricks, little bits of arcane wisdom that may enrich your roleplaying adventures and aid you in your noble quest to become a mightier master of the game! Huzzah!
We're back from Gen Con with stories to tell! Lots of steps logged, games played, and high fives acquired. What were the big hits of the show, and where were we when the alarms went off? Plus, a completely normal amount of Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops.
The world is changing, what with everything being cozy and (some) crowdfunding projects fulfilling in weeks rather than years. This dizzying pace of evolution can be disorienting, which is why Notebook Nations seeks to comfort and console you by having throwbacks to the design decisions of years past.
Games Played Last Week:
01:55 -Wonderland's War (Tim Eisner, Ben Eisner, and Ian Moss, Druid City Games, 2022)
06:48 -The Quest for El Dorado: Expansion Collection (Reiner Knizia, Lautapelit.fi, 2025)
13:54 -Star Wars: Rebellion (Corey Konieczka, Fantasy Flight, 2016)
23:34 -Container (Franz-Benno Delonge, Thomas Ewert, and Kevin Nesbitt, Allplay, 2026)
30:06 -Tag Team (Gricha German & Corentin Lebrat, Scorpion Masqué, 2025)
We kicked things off at the Star Wars Unlimited Galactic Championship in Las Vegas, not as competitors in the main event but as fans soaking in the convention atmosphere and jumping into SWU games with some of the best players in the world during their breaks. The vibe at every table was incredible—full of camaraderie, excitement, and a shared love for a truly outstanding trading card game. No matter your skill level, players were patient, welcoming, and happy to walk you through plays in the side events. Now, the main event, that was all business. One more thing worth noting: the crowd spanned all ages, including families, which was great to see. Next year’s event is heading to Disneyland, so if you’re thinking about going, start planning now!
While we were in Vegas, we also tried a new game from Fort Circle Games: Hunt for Blackbeard. It’s a two‑player hidden‑movement game that really picks up speed once you understand the action flow, and the tension spikes beautifully in the final two rounds. The rules take a bit to settle in, but by the second playthrough we had it down. And if Blackbeard’s history isn’t familiar to you, keep reading below.
Blackbeard, born Edward Teach around 1680 in Bristol, England, became one of the most feared and legendary pirates of the Golden Age of Piracy, terrorizing the Caribbean and the Atlantic coast between 1716 and 1718. Known for his dramatic appearance—most famously his long black beard and the smoldering fuses he tied into it to intimidate enemies—he commanded the formidable Queen Anne’s Revenge, a 40‑gun warship crewed by hundreds of men. Blackbeard’s exploits included blockading Charleston, capturing merchant vessels, and cultivating a fearsome reputation that often allowed him to win without violence. He also operated with a small fleet that included the Adventure, a sloop commanded by his lieutenant Israel Hands, as well as smaller vessels such as the Margaret and the Sea Captain. His pirating career was short-lived, ending in November 1718 when he was killed in a fierce battle at Ocracoke Island, NC by Lieutenant Robert Maynard’s forces, cementing his place as one of history’s most iconic pirates.
Welcome to Episode 367 of the Board Game BBQ Podcast, in this weeks ep, Joe joins Conor and after trading socialising stories the lads chat about the games they've been playing lately.
Joe partners up and tries out The White Castle Duel to see if it packs the same punch as the OG, Conor gets the roll and write itch via digital addiction through the Ganz series. Does Joe's sizzle of 'Carnuta' get Conor to pick up his purchase pen again? While Conor waxes poetic about Eternal Decks for his while convincing Joe to play his own copy.
Don't forget to let us know about your answer to this week's Question of the Pod too! "What is your favourite digital implementation of a board game and why?'
All that and more when you sit down at the BBQ!
Clef and Tim try to get through all the stuff in the beginning quickly, but fail. When we finally get past all that, we do talk about our recent plays of Deep Regrets, Modern Art, Honeypot, Junk Drawer, Splendor Duel, and Ringyo. We also discuss some game mechanics that we would like to see in more games.
Board games start at 25:28.
Join the discord at discord.gg/s8hYtWkMS3 to jump into the discussion!
On this morally bankrupt episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down podcast, Tom and Matt are once again doing what they do best; playing at board games and going “:-)”
First up is Emberheart! It’s got dragons, it’s got bidding, it’s got scales and wings and another attribute that we can’t quite recall. And it’s goooooood! Following that, our podboys sit at the cardstock conveyor belt that is Sushi Go Party: Chef’s Special! Listen as they they pluck onigiri, california rolls, and strawberry deserts directly from the waiting palm of the chef - cramming them all at once into eachothers’ mouths! Now that’s a Sushi Go Party.
And finally, a spot of Eternal Sevens - a spiritual-sequel to the underground hit of 2025, Eternal Decks. It’s got Tom feeling complicated thoughts about cards, about sequels, about lightning, and about bottles....
Ambie and Crystal discuss a couple games they played recently, including Color Jam and the second edition of Rosetta: The Lost Language. Then we just chat and reminisce about the podcast and the end of it all. Thanks for tuning in for the final regular episode of Board Game Blitz!
Hey Now, Cabalists! We’re kicking things off with a look at culling games from our collections before getting into what’s been hitting the table lately, including Animal Rescue Team, Entropy, Super Auto Pets Card Battle, Carnegie, and Eschaton. Then we take a closer look at our featured game, Revenant, designed by Allan Kirkeby. Tony T brings us the latest in Tabletop Gaming News, and we close out the show with a discussion about how to set yourself up for success on your very first play of a game. Animal Rescue Team: 00:09:00, Entropy: 00:20:33, Super Auto Pets Card Battle: 00:28:34, Carnegie: 00:36:51, Eschaton: 00:51:08, Revenant Review: 01:07:37, News with Tony T: 01:43:21, Succeeding at Your First Play: 02:47:22. Check out our sponsors Restoration Games at https://restorationgames.com/, Game Toppers at https://www.gametoppersllc.com/ and Prester's Painting at https://www.presterspainting.com/
We have recovered from SVWAG Con II: Electric Boogaloo, and to the best of our knowledge there was no "con crud" or equivalent contagion. We make no claims that the con possesses curative powers, though we haven't had anyone say that it *didn't* cure a chronic illness.
01:27 AYURIS: Andromeda's Edge (Luke Laurie and Maximus Laurie, Cardboard Alchemy, 2024)
We are excited to kick off our designer series with one of our favorite designers, David Thompson. Undaunted is one of our all time favorite series along with War Chest.
He has a catalog of great historical games and is adding a new one designed along beside Trevor Benjamin called Rebels Against Rebellion. In this episode we talk about the historical significances of this Civil War era game. But look at the design and development process.
For more information, check out the Kickstarter and the publisher, Flying Pig Games.
Opener: Thief's Market Closer: 3D printing and game aids/enhancements During the summer I always get in plenty of gaming…but not always with my normal game group. Often I'm away on vacation, or at a game convention. Or they are. Regardless, it means I get together with those local friends a little less often, and I miss it. Of course I enjoy going on my own vacations, but it'll also be nice when things get back to normal. This shouldn't shock anyone…I'm very much a "back to normal" kind of guy. This episode is normal in the sense that it's just me, talking about stuff that interests me…possibly more than it interests others! Between last time & this the Spiel des Jahres and other prizes were announced: Jinxo, Rebirth, and Mookie Island. All great games. This year I watched the awards ceremony live on YouTube, which was "simulcast" in AI-translated English voiceover. At least I think that's how that worked. BGG was the host for the English broadcast, and I think there were other options, e.g. in Portuguese. Very cool. Also, as much as I feel I already know about the SdJ organization and its awards, I still learned a lot from listening to the audio versions of Oliver Kinne's outstanding game journalism on the subject. These are short and easy to take in. Highly recommended for anyone who is avid about our hobby. I think it's required reading/listening for anyone who has a podcast or blog or video show about boardgaming. https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2026/06/09/spiel-des-jahres-th...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYYEXheFKkA Similarly useful were Ben Maddox's outstanding interviews of the nominated designers. He did this on his excellent 5 Games for Doomsday podcast, which is also available on YouTube (the way of podcasts, these days… sigh). If you listen to one, listen to the Donald X Vaccarino interview. If you listen to two, add the Reiner Knizia one. But go ahead and listen to all of them. Really worthwhile. Kudos to these other game journalists, Ben & Oliver! After that I talk about what makes "a Mark Johnson game," because I sometimes hear that folks are surprised I play any long, complicated games at all. I do, and I also play new games. This goes to explain some of why I do, and which ones I enjoy. -Mark
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