In this video, we review Cascadero, a strategic tile placement board game from legendary designer Reiner Knizia.
Published by Bitewing Games, Cascadero sees players placing envoys, connecting towns, triggering bonuses, and trying to build the most efficient network across the board. But is this another clean, clever Knizia classic — or just a dry puzzle dressed up in fancy Ian O’Toole artwork?
We take a look at the gameplay, strategy, player interaction, production quality, replayability, and whether Cascadero deserves a place on your shelf.
If you enjoy Reiner Knizia board games, clever abstract strategy games, tile laying, network building, and tense Euro-style decisions, this Cascadero review should help you decide whether it’s worth picking up.
On the 17th episode of OPS, we're giving our thoughts on Marabunta, Oranienburger Kanal and Fromage! What did we think of them? And let us know in the comments what YOU thought of them.
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We're proudly sponsored by VICTORY PINTS, who specialize in board games and are located in our hometown of Winnipeg, Manitoba. They aim to have the best board game selection in the city and are also happy to special order you anything they don't have available!
Pop in and purchase any board games that have been featured on AYCB in the last year and say the discount code "TOP SHELF BILLING" to receive 10% off the games!
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0:00 Own It, Play It, or Skip It?
0:34 MARABUNTA
11:34 ORANIENBURGER KANAL
22:13 FROMAGE
Short of time, I'm giving a side-by-slide comparison, with commentary, of the Stefan Dorra friendship-risking game of bribery, Intrigue. 1994 FX Schmid, 2005 Mayfair (via Amigo), and 2016 Igiari. (I think I mistakenly said in the video that that one was from the early 2020s. And how do you pronounce Igiari, anyway?)
Board Gems highlights older board and card games that are still great games today, and deserve to not be forgotten!
Traditional game labels of Ameritrash and Euro are very useful, but how about 7 new types of labels? We used 7 varied fantasy Japanese Clans (from The Legend of the 5 Rings) to describe Top BGG games. This discussion doesn’t fret about area control or competitive/coop so much, rather just what the designers had in mind when creating it. Regardless of modern day kickstarter campaigns or expanding strategy games, these labels apply universally! Though there is room for some debate, just like how dungeon crawlers are a room of some debate on labeling!
Other Games mentioned: Star Wars Unlimited, Azul, Tokaido, Europa Universalis The Price of Power, Uno, Wingspan, 7 Wonders, Catan, Battlestar Galactica, Santorini, Alice is Missing, John Company 2nd Edition, Diplomacy, Unfathomable, Alice is Missing, Brass: Lancashire, This War of Mine
Table of Contents:
Intro - (0:00)
Background - (0:40)
Lion Clan - (1:27)
Crane Clan - (3:04)
Phoenix Clan - (4:21)
Dragon Clan - (5:06)
Unicorn Clan - (6:42)
Crab Clan - (8:33)
Scorpion Clan - (10:05)
Star Wars Rebellion (BGG #10) - (11:52)
Terraforming Mars (BGG #9) - (12:55)
War of the Ring 2nd Ed (BGG #8) - (14:38)
Dune Imperium Uprising (BGG #7) - (17:13)
Twilight Imperium 4e (BGG #6) - (20:44)
Gloomhaven (BGG #4) - (26:00)
Pandemic Legacy Season 1 (BGG #3) - (28:25)
Brass Birmingham (BGG #1) - (30:16)
Our Favorite Clans - (31:40)
🎲 Another month, another stack of board games played.
In this episode of Games of the Month, we’re ranking everything we played — from the biggest surprises to the one game we think is a true masterpiece.
Some impressed us… some didn’t quite land — but one stands above the rest.
💬 Which one would be YOUR #1?
In this video:
0:00 Intro
0:30 20 Strong: Nemesis
3:01 Lairs
5:00 Toy Battle
7:16 5-Minute One Piece
9:16 ONE-HIT Heroes
11:02 Flip 7: With A Vengeance
13:00 Leviathan Wilds
15:12 Mosaic
18:05 GAME OF THE MONTH
20:09 Outro
Board Game Hangover is your go-to channel for everything board games! From the best board game reviews, playthroughs, and top 10 lists to board game upgrades, house rules, and gameplay tips — we help you discover the best board games, improve your board gaming experience, and have a good laugh along the way. Whether you're into strategy board games, party games, solo board gaming, or family board games, you're in the right place.
We completed one 8 hour session of a JRPG TTRPG, of controlling heroes to go through a story! In Last Arc: Tactics Analogue you will craft a character (akin to DnD with D20 rolls) by choosing a class and the corresponding Technicks. You’ll even get money to spend on early equipment! With Alex’s Pathfinder experience of DM’ing almost weekly, we jump into this game and discuss combat, the setting we made, and the story that emerged. Will Gandalf the Green survive?
Other games mentioned: Imperial Assault, Heroquest, Dungeons and Dragons 3.5
Nemesis: Retaliation is the third installment of the Nemesis horror board game series. Like the first two, it is designed as a standalone game.
This time, players take on the roles of highly trained marines, entering the alien nest with strict orders and the most advanced tools available. But will they be well-prepared enough to face the unrelenting horde that awaits them? In Nemesis: Retaliation, players must survive against overwhelming odds and the possibility of betrayal at every step.
Welcome back to Homo Ludens! Join me on the sunny shores of the French Riviera for the 2026 Cannes International Boardgame Festival. In this video, we take a deep dive into the Carré Histoire, the dedicated heart of historical gaming at the festival, to see what the vibrant French wargaming scene has in store for us this year.
Whether you're a fan of grand strategy, tactical skirmishes, or innovative deck-building, the French scene is pushing the boundaries of the "playable history" we love. We’re sitting down with three of the most exciting publishers in the hobby to look at their latest releases and upcoming prototypes.
Shakos Games
We explore their diverse lineup of beautifully produced historical titles, including:
- Rex Britanorum: High-stakes Arthurian conflict.
- Breizh 1341: The War of the Breton Succession brought to the tabletop.
- Napoleon 1870: A fresh look at the Franco-Prussian War through the Shakos lens.
Les Trois Zouaves
The Zouaves are back with tactical depth and historical flavor:
- Austerlitz: The newest entry in the acclaimed Time for Heroes series.
- L'Envol de l'Aigle: A fascinating look at an upcoming deck-building game focused on Napoleon's daring escape from St Hélène.
Nuts! Publishing
We wrap up with a look at the newest addition to their Combat Ration series:
- Guerre Éclair: A fast-paced, tense depiction of the 1940 German invasion of France.
Your support not only keeps the lights on but also grants you access to our private Discord server, where we discuss history, design, and our favorite games.
If you would like to donate to Drive Thru Games, you can use the "Thanks" button under the video, or please check out the Gamefound Pledge Manager - https://tinyurl.com/2p8tbhpu
Intro (00:00);
Everyone Should Play (02:10);
Nostalgic (03:29);
Retro (05:11);
Dungeon Design (06:56);
Turn My Brain Off (08:28);
Not Really My Thing But... (09:48);
Indie Game (11:31);
Made Me Think (13:09);
Favorite Antagonist (14:52);
Favorite Protagonist (16:52);
Criminally Overlooked (18:50);
Needs A Remake (20:24);
Overrated (22:25);
Underrated (23:47);
Over Hated (25:40);
Best Combat (26:38);
Biggest Personal Impact (28:41);
Favorite Art Style (30:35);
Favorite Story (32:20);
Favorite Game (34:13);
If you would like to donate to Drive Thru Games, you can use the "Thanks" button under the video, or please check out the Gamefound Pledge Manager - https://tinyurl.com/2p8tbhpu
Intro (00:00);
Everyone Should Play (01:58);
Nostalgic (03:28);
Retro (04:46);
Design Elegance (06:05);
Turn My Brain Off (07:42);
Not Really My Thing But... (09:08);
Indie Game (11:10);
Made Me Think (13:21);
Favorite Solo (15:46);
Favorite Party (17:10);
Criminally Overlooked (18:11)
Needs A Remake (20:26)
Overrated (22:43)
Underrated (23:30)
Over Hated (25:06)
Best Combat (27:34)
Biggest Personal Impact (29:26)
Favorite Art Style (32:06)
Favorite Story (34:17)
Favorite Game (35:45)
🔥 The board game scene is constantly changing… and April 2026 is STACKED.
In this video, we break down the Top 10 Hottest & Most Popular Board Games right now, based on what everyone is talking about, playing, and hyping up on BoardGameGeek.
From brand new releases to surprise comeback hits — these are the games dominating the hobby RIGHT NOW.
In this video:
0:00 Intro
0:42 10th place
3:17 9th place
6:28 8th place
9:19 7th place
11:19 6th place
13:57 5th place
16:44 4th place
19:16 3rd place
21:24 2nd place
23:25 1st place
26:09 Outro
Board Game Hangover is your go-to channel for everything board games! From the best board game reviews, playthroughs, and top 10 lists to board game upgrades, house rules, and gameplay tips — we help you discover the best board games, improve your board gaming experience, and have a good laugh along the way. Whether you're into strategy board games, party games, solo board gaming, or family board games, you're in the right place.
Dans cette vidéo, je retrouve Polgara (https://www.lepointdepolgara.fr
) pour une discussion approfondie autour de Meltwater, un jeu aussi radical dans sa proposition ludique que dans son propos.
À travers cette review, nous nous interrogeons sur ce que peut être un jeu de société aujourd’hui : est-il un simple produit de divertissement, ou peut-il proposer une véritable expérience esthétique et philosophique ? Meltwater nous sert ici de point de départ pour explorer les limites du médium, la manière dont ses mécaniques peuvent être détournées ou mises en tension, et ce que cela implique pour les joueuses.
Dans ce monde post-apocalyptique où les survivants s’affrontent sur les glaces de l’Antarctique après une guerre nucléaire, le jeu propose une expérience dépouillée, brutale, presque inconfortable, qui questionne directement notre rapport à la guerre, à la stratégie, et à la victoire.
Meltwater est-il un jeu “anti-guerre” ? Ou simplement une autre manière de représenter le conflit ? C’est ce que nous essayons de démêler dans cette discussion.
Si ce type de contenu vous intéresse, vous pouvez soutenir la chaîne sur Ko-fi et rejoindre notre communauté Discord : https://ko-fi.com/homoludens1871
What makes a game more tactical than strategic? More strategic than tactical? What are the ratios for specific games? And what do we gravitate towards more and why? All of that in more in this week's episode!
We're proudly sponsored by VICTORY PINTS, who specialize in board games and are located in our hometown of Winnipeg, Manitoba. They aim to have the best board game selection in the city and are also happy to special order you anything they don't have available! Pop in and purchase any board games that have been featured on AYCB in the last year and say the discount code "TOP SHELF BILLING" to receive 10% off the games! https://www.victorypints.ca
Welcome to BoardGameBollocks, where we throw cardboard into the arena and see what survives. In this review of Monster Pit, I’m taking a look at the gameplay, components, theme, replay value, and whether this monster-bashing brawler is actually worth your time and money. Is it a hidden gem of chaotic arena combat, or just another beastly box of overhyped nonsense? Let’s find out.
Expect honest opinions, a proper breakdown of how it plays, and no sugar-coated rubbish.
I'm on the hunt for the best light, medium and heavy solo board game. Each episode I look at one solo game that I've been playing in each complexity category and see if it can knock off the current champion in its weight category. This episode, I'm looking at The Hobbit: There & Back Again, Creature Caravan and SETI!
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✨Official AYCB Discord Community✨ https://discord.gg/FdUC8NEU8P
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🙏Or if you'd prefer, send us a tip!🙏 https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=CXLGV558UV98S
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We're proudly sponsored by VICTORY PINTS, who specialize in board games and are located in our hometown of Winnipeg, Manitoba. They aim to have the best board game selection in the city and are also happy to special order you anything they don't have available!
Pop in and purchase any board games that have been featured on AYCB in the last year and say the discount code "TOP SHELF BILLING" to receive 10% off the games!
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0:00 Current Champions
1:15 The Hobbit: There & Back Again
16:34 Creature Caravan
31:26 SETI
45:52 Current Top Solo Games
Roll and move makes a comeback with this simple party game? We review this re-release by CMYK, of taking an asymmetric zany racer, and rolling a D6 on your turn to move! It has no hand management and little dice manipulation within the race, but you will be drafting and secretly selecting your racers for each race! And one of the maps has spaces to make you trip or go forwards/backwards. Is this a bargain at only $30, or does the gameplay have too little agency for what it is?
Anmelden
