This time, we discuss the finer points of hosting a game night. From the guest list, to the planned games, to what to do about the food, we attempt to answer what seems like a simple question from the mailbag. Also, we have a new Tale of Boardgaming Horror, and a healthy dose of Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops.

00:00 - Introduction

00:49 - It's Vegas Time (Dice Tower West)

01:19 - Tom's Birthday and Personal Talk

03:20 - Game Night

30:15 - Tale of Boardgaming Horror

35:40 - Star Wars The Deckbuilding Game: Mandalorian and Empire and Rebels Reinforcements

40:17 - Forbidden Legacy

44:16 - Hercules and the 12 Labors

48:48 - The Pride Pursuit

51:41 - Strange Slot Simulator

56:38 - Tea and Rum

Questions? Tales of Horror? tom@dicetower.com

Dice Tower West Registration dicetowerwest.com

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00:00:30 Intro
00:04:45 Recent RDTN Poll
00:14:00 LOTR: Fellowship of the Ring Trick Taking Game
00:17:00 Quick Hits
00:17:30 Sandcastles
00:19:45 Gruntz
00:22:11 Computer Junkyard
00:27:45 Enemies of Gotham City
00:32:15 Six Sided Seas
00:36:15 Miniature Market
00:39:00 Abroad
00:53:30 Bunny Kingdom Town
00:59:30 Game Toppers LLC
01:01:00 All Mine
01:10:00 Outro

Some game nights feel like a whirlwind tour through every corner of the hobby, and this week’s lineup delivered exactly that. Sand Castles and Grunts are two wildly different flavors of competition—one a charming, tactical puzzle of building and defending fragile seaside creations, the other a scrappy, tongue‑in‑cheek skirmish game where your squad of blocky little soldiers bumbles bravely toward victory. Both games share that delightful “easy to teach, surprisingly clever” vibe that keep things fresh in the hobby at times.

Then we have world of Computer Junkyard and the comic‑book chaos of Enemies of Gotham City. Computer Junkyard scratches that nostalgic itch, letting players sift through piles of retro tech to assemble the best contraptions—half strategy, half puzzler. Enemies of Gotham City flips the script into full superhero mayhem, where iconic villains clash, plot, and posture in a fast‑moving battle of wits and wickedness.

Then there is a trio of games that each bring their own distinct charm. Six Sided Seas turns dice‑driven piracy into a pirate battle across unpredictable waters, while Abroad offers a gentle, globe‑trotting experience built around exploration and cultural discovery. Bunny Kingdom Town offers a bright, two player, family‑friendly strategy—one about expanding adorable rabbit realms, with enough take‑that spice to keep it from being a solitaire style game. All Mine is a gamer’s trick taking game where the play is fast, but the planning is what wants you coming back for more. This is one of those games that stays in the game bag to be pulled out to end the evening or get things started.

And speaking of big swings, this is the perfect moment to remind listeners to sign up for notifications on Game Toppers’ upcoming Kickstarter. We rave about their mats for a reason—the quality is top‑tier, the artwork is stunning, and this next series looks like one people will be proud to show off on game night. We’ve already got our eyes on the Lord of the Rings designs, and that purple plain mat is calling our name. Honestly, who doesn’t need another game mat.

Thanks for listening

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Episode 369 — The Board Game BBQ Podcast

Backflip your way into this week's episode of the Board Game BBQ Podcast! This week, Conor's been keeping it varied, running through the light and quick Captain Flip alongside meatier fare in Entropy and Carnegie, while Jules has been getting into the simultaneous card-flipping fun of Dnup. The lads also talk through the latest, hottest crowdfunding gems they have their eyes on.  

 

The crew also tackle this week's question of the pod: "What Board Game Experience Do You Wish You Could Go Back and Relive, and Why?"

 

All that and more on this week's episode of the Board Game BBQ Podcast!

 

Sizzling Games:

Carnegie: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/310873/carnegie

Dnup: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/432456/dnup

 

Other games mentioned:

Captain Flip: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/393325/captain-flip

Entropy (2017): https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/223151/entropy-worlds-collide

Entropy (2026): https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/462941/entropy

Black Rose Wars Resonance: https://gamefound.com/en/projects/xplored/black-rose-wars-resonance

Orbitstar: Expedition to Darwin IV: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/422171/orbitstar-expedition-to-darwin-iv

DECKO: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/449146/decko

 

SPONSORS

Our podcast is proudly sponsored by Advent Games and More Than Meeples.

 

Advent Games is an Australian online board game store based in Sydney, NSW.  http://www.adventgames.com.au/

 

More Than Meeples is an Australian retail and online game store based in Brisbane, QLD.

https://morethanmeeples.com.au/

 

PATREON

Hey there, BBQ fans! Guess what? We’ve got a Patreon! By joining, you’ll unlock exclusive content, gain access to a members-only section of our Discord where you can help shape the show, and so much more. Plus, your support will help us grow and bring some awesome new projects to life in 2025.

At the Board Game BBQ Podcast, we’re passionate about what we do and promise to keep the fun and shenanigans rolling. We’re so grateful for your support! Joining our Patreon is totally optional, but if you’d like to chip in from just USD$5 a month, click the link to check out our Patreon page.

Thanks a million for being amazing! We’re committed to creating a welcoming and inclusive community, and you all make it special. See you at the BBQ!! https://www.patreon.com/BoardGameBBQ

 

SOCIALS

Support the podcast and join the community!

https://linktr.ee/BoardGameBBQ

 

LISTEN ON APPLE PODCASTS:

https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-board-game-bbq-podcast/id1515192971

 

LISTEN ON SPOTIFY:

https://open.spotify.com/show/4VZjYJV1E3AWND62urWlP9

 

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On this episode of On Board Games, Erik talks with Bruce Voge III about games (and other things) they've played lately.

Games discussed are:

• Hitster
• Cozy Stickerville
• Stage Tour
• Pictures
• Camp Grizzly
• Market Fresh

You can get a discount on Zencastr.com using this link.

(43:33) Then, the two talk about games with unusual mechanics.

----------------------------------------------------------------

Inverse Genius: http://www.inversegenius.com/ Patreon account: http://www.patreon.com/obg

RSS Feed: http://onboardgames.libsyn.com/rss

Email us: onboardgamesmailbag@gmail.com

On Board Games Guild at Board Game Geek

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This week's guest is game designer Matt Green. We talk about urban degradation, class consciousness, and petty British nimbyism...but which games did he choose?

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/five-games-for-doomsday--5631121/support.

Support the show here

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This week Peter & Mike discuss tableau builders. _________________________ YouTube - www.youtube.com/channel/UCrOtGhui_jdLdoQNI7PU4Pg X - @onestopcoopshop Discord - discord.gg/p4jX8AF Merch: one-stop-co-op-shop.creator-spring.com/ Donate to One Stop Co-op Shop - www.patreon.com/onestop Email - onestopcoopshop@gmail.com

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Listen, usually I edit the SU&SD podcast with a spring in my step and glee in my heart. But this week, I’m textbook “Lurgied”. Merriam Webster “Grotty”. The very definition of a “Nasty Wee Man”. I’m not bothering with a proper description this week.
See, this pod was not edited with a step of spring and heart of glee, no no. It was edited with ducts of snot and larynx of mucus. A head full of plague. Listen to these words and imagine my shuddering form snipping away at them; slowly saturating my ‘Logitech G840 Gaming Mouse Pad™’ with sticky-sweet mansweat. Mmm.
Have a great week, everybody!
Timestamps:
01:20 - Kingdom Crossing
15:19 - Totally Human
22:46 - Emblems

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Hey now, Cabalists! Today we crash into another episode of The Cabal by talking about a strange Instagram account called PokeStreetz, where morons engage in fisticuffs over Pokémon cards. Then we gab about the games we've been getting into, including Ants, Doggerland, Carnegie, Horror on the Orient Express, and Dark Pact, before featuring Avalon: The Riven Veil from Jamie Jolly. Then, after Tony T's gaming news segment, we get into a discussion about gaming spaces and what we think is important to maximize fun and comfort. Ants: 00:06:51, Doggerland: 00:20:55, Carnegie: 00:28:48, Horror on the Orient Express: 00:37:17, Dark Pact: 00:46:10, Avalon The Riven Veil Review: 01:03:30, News with Tony T: 01:41:27, Gaming Spaces: 02:27:44. 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/

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Please join us on the Boardgames To Go discord server where you can chat online with other podcast listeners. Which is more elegant? Perhaps they both are?

@Gregarius

Openers: • Mark: dnup • Greg: Gold Country What the heck is "elegance" in boardgame design or play, anyway? Can it be defined? Probably not, but it can definitely be discussed. Greg suggested on our Discord server that the term is so imprecise, so subjective, that no one should use it any longer. I disagree. Though it definitely is subjective, it's also been talked about for so long in our hobby that some common characteristics have emerged. I had fun digging through BGG archives, but also much further back into rec.games.board and Sumo magazine to read how it's been considered (or re-considered) for decades. Now, there are even YouTube videos from designers & publishers that talk about the concept. Plus a lot of reviewers/pontificators, like us. It's not accurate to say we reached any definitive conclusions, but I do believe we identified some common characteristics that hobbyists mean when they say a game is elegant. 1. Fewer rules. Possibly in an absolute sense, but more often we mean there are a modest amount of rules relative to the game's subject, experience, or what it's trying to do. Probably fewer rules compared to "peer" games, too. However, the rules still need to be clear, not suffering from brevity. 2. A "clean" and highly functional physical design. Boardgames are tangible items, and the ability to see & handle the game components across the table without reading glasses or tweezers or endless storage containers is a strong aspect of an elegant boardgame. The physically beautiful abstracts have a leg up here. 3. Natural or intuitive gameplay. This relates to both of the above characteristics, and is especially interesting to think about for our usual themed boardgames. The rules, the production, and setting or subject of a game can help make it easier to learn & play a game just because it "makes sense." Players can almost anticipate how & why certain things happen, rather than just needing to remember the rules. Game duration sometimes get mentioned, but even I don't like to include that as a quality of a game's elegance. True, a lot of common examples for elegant games tend to be shorter (and so do my favorites), but I believe that's correlation rather than causation. At least theoretically, a longer and thematically complex game could still be elegant in the way it's learned, played, and physically experienced. (The degree of difficulty for the designer/publisher is quite high, and I struggle to think of any great examples, but I want it to be possible.) I really recommend designer Matthew Dunstan's entire YouTube channel, and this episode about game elegance in particular.

How to design elegant games Closers: • Greg: Thrift store finds • Mark: How games like Carolus Magnus can receive themes that are both arbitrary and perfect at the same time Also be sure to check out the excellent BGG blog by

@waxbottle, Mostly Short Sentences

-Mark

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The SVWAG Canon (https://www.sowronggames.com/svwag-canon) is an elite list of games that Walker and Mark both very much enjoy. Walker is nervous around recommendations, per se, and the imitations on an ideal game library or somesuch is subject to many practical constraints--so instead SVWAG has an unruly list of games that are greatly enjoyed by both the hosts. And it is time for that list to be updated!

02:08 AYURIS: EGO (Reiner Knizia, Bitewing Games, 2025)

Games Played Last Week:

04:52 -Dwellings of Eldervale (Luke Laurie, Breaking Games, 2020)

09:10 -Brumble Quest (J. Arthur Ellis, Plaid Hat Games, 2026)

13:53 -Endless Winter: Paleoamericans (Stan Kordonskiy, Fantasia Games, 2022)

16:31 -Banana Governance (Mukai, Mukai, 2025)

23:06 -Avalon: The Riven Veil (Jamie Jolly, Shadowborne Games, 2026)

30:26 -Cats Knocking Things Off Ledges (David Killing & Sen Foong-Lim, The Op games, 2026)

35:37 -The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers--Trick-Taking Game (Bryan Bornmueller, Office Dog, 2026)

38:06 -World Championship Russian Roulette (Anthony Burch, Tuesday Knight Games, 2017)

News (and why it doesn't matter):

43:57 Please support us on Patreon! www.patreon.com/svwag

49:17 Glorious Listener Survey over

46:07 Concept Kids to Concept: Stories

47:00 Mass market, big box store versions of Scout and now Dro Polter

47:54 Wizards of the Grimoire (aka Bookie Bookie, Pew Pew) 3

48:24 Topic: Canon Update

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Clef and Tim talk all the games they played at DoaMcoN 2026 and it is loaded. We had a great time and there are so many games to talk about. Thank you to everyone that contributed to the great weekend and we can't for next year! Join the discord at discord.gg/s8hYtWkMS3 to jump into the discussion!

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Clef and Tim are back from DoaMcoN 2026 and are joined by James to talk all about disc golf and food! This is Part 1 and does not have the board games you are looking for. Go to Part 2 if you want to hear all the board game talk!

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• Welcome to Jon, Chris, and Rena
• Announcement
• News
• Retro Preview - Celebrimbor's Secret
  • https://visionofthepalantir.com/2018/06/30/celebrimbors-secret/
• Deck Spotlight - Dale
  • https://www.ringsdb.com/decklist/view/8959/a-dale-as-old-as-time-1.0
  • https://ringsdb.com/decklist/view/24689/dalepassesintothewest-1.0
  • https://ringsdb.com/decklist/view/9696/dude-where-s-my-cloak-1.0
• AMA
• Soliloquy

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In this second actual play of RPG Jamais Vu, our protagonist meets some old friends and goes to the theatre. 

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/five-games-for-doomsday--5631121/support.

Support the show here

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From soup cans to scented dice. We explore Pop Art with Bruce Voge and then have a round table discussion, sharing our experiences at GenCon with Brynn Symington, James Engelhardt, and Gubbins.

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This week Peter & Mike review Wingspan Pocket. Next week we have a design discussion about tableau builders. _________________________ YouTube - www.youtube.com/channel/UCrOtGhui_jdLdoQNI7PU4Pg X - @onestopcoopshop Discord - discord.gg/p4jX8AF Merch: one-stop-co-op-shop.creator-spring.com/ Donate to One Stop Co-op Shop - www.patreon.com/onestop Email - onestopcoopshop@gmail.com

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We love a good old game - there are a lot that of games over a decade old that we'd happily sing the praises of, but if we were being brutally honest, how many of them do we think would make it in today's markets? How much have tastes really moved on since these games were in their prime? Before we let nostalgia get the better of us, we talk about I'm Out, Evenglow, and Trials of Maya.

03:08 - I'm Out 09:28 - Evenglow 13:32 - Trials of Maya 29:40 - If old games were released today 31:29 - Pandemic Legacy: Season 1 39:14 - War of the Ring: Second Edition 42:22 - Terraforming Mars 44:30 - Star Wars: Rebellion 46:41 - Twilight Struggle 48:01 - The Castles of Burgundy 50:08 - Through the Ages: A New Story of Civilization 52:37 - Great Western Trail 54:02 - Brass: Lancashire 57:52 - 7 Wonders Duel 59:51 - Scythe

Get added to the BGB community map at: https://boardgamebarrage.com/map

Send us topic ideas at: https://boardgamebarrage.com/topics

Check out our wiki at: https://boardgamebarrage.com/wiki

Join the discussion at: https://boardgamebarrage.com/discord

Join our Facebook group at: https://boardgamebarrage.com/facebook

Get a Board Game Barrage T-shirt at: https://boardgamebarrage.com/store

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In this month's Spielworxx Bulletin, Ben and Uli sit down to talk about the games that made them.  

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Support the show here

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Hey Now, Cabalists! In Episode 121 Don and Jamie talk about Party Games and Casual Games and give a bunch of their favorites.

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Ben sits down with the doyenne of British board gaming, Tony Boydell, to chat games and his wonderful museum of board games, 5 years after its opening. 

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Support the show here

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