It's tiiiiiiime! It's the top fifty! That's right, the much anticipated, much celebrated, much imitated (we definitely did it first) event of the season is here. We're counting down each of our favourite fifty games of all time! Or at least, for right now! It's a beautiful, beautiful thing, and we'd love if you pulled up a chair and joined us for it.

06:36 - Kellen #50 - Santiago 07:59 - Neilan #50 - Jaipur 09:30 - Mark #50 - Findorff 11:22 - Kellen #49 - Genoa 12:37 - Neilan #49 - The Great Zimbabwe 14:32 - Mark #49 - Jump Drive 16:02 - Kellen #48 - 6 nimmt! 17:31 - Neilan #48 - Fun Facts 19:09 - Mark #48 - Cthulhu Wars 20:43 - Kellen #47 - Balderdash 22:24 - Neilan #47 - Splendor & Splendor Duel 24:38 - Mark #47 - Dominant Species 26:35 - Kellen #46 - Race for the Galaxy 27:45 - Neilan #46 - Cuzco 29:43 - Mark #46 - Ricochet Robots 31:57 - Kellen #45 - Feed the Kraken 33:57 - Neilan #45 - Mille Fiori 35:24 - Mark #45 - Splendor 37:38 - Kellen #44 - Root 39:22 - Neilan #44 - Challengers! 42:03 - Mark #44 - German Railways 43:24 - Kellen #43 - Acquire 45:11 - Neilan #43 - Anachrony 46:54 - Mark #43 - Signorie 48:33 - Kellen #42 - Brass: Lancashire 50:23 - Neilan #42 - Innovation 51:44 - Mark #42 - Smartphone Inc. 53:13 - Kellen #41 - Startups 54:48 - Neilan #41 - Ark Nova 56:00 - Mark #41 - Dune: Imperium

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PAX Unplugged was a blast, and we played so much stuff that we're dying to tell you about - many of them with our beloved listeners. We braved the cold and the rain of Philadelphia, on the other side of the country, to bring you this episode jam-packed with games - so there's no room for any dilly dallying. Hits include Forest Shuffle, Arcs, Findorff ... and loads more!

02:14 - 5 Towers 06:57 - Nigoichi 11:01 - Cabanga! 15:00 - Age of Steam 17:33 - Falling 20:36 - Infiltraitors 24:38 - Tangram City 28:19 - The Great Zimbabwe 30:40 - Schadenfreude 35:57 - Forest Shuffle 40:35 - Arcs 48:36 - Findorff

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In what could be our most grandiose episode yet, we attempt to tame the wild history of all of board games. We traverse the timeline, unpacking what we consider to be the great epochs of the hobby, in an attempt to explain how modern game design evolved into its present form. Before we unpack the deep lore, we talk about General Orders: World War II, Oak, and Big Boss.

Timecodes:

02:36 - General Orders: World War II 11:47 - Oak 20:24 - Big Boss 31:20 - The great epochs of board games 31:45 - The First Epoch 33:17 - The Royal Game of Ur 34:37 - Senet 43:23 - The Second Epoch 44:50 - Monopoly 48:11 - Risk 50:29 - Operation 56:23 - The Third Epoch 57:22 - Catan 1:02:33 - Dominion 1:20:19 - The Fourth Epoch

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Uh oh, is that thunder? That must mean it's time for a lightning round - we're scooping up all the lovely questions and suggestions that just aren't big enough for the main event, and stuffing them in the blender. This week, it's public spaces, warning labels, gaming tips, and PAX Unplugged. Before we put fingers on buzzers, we talk about Gift of Tulips, Five Three Five, and Anunnaki: Dawn of the Gods.

Timecodes:

01:36 - Gift of Tulips 10:20 - Five Three Five 16:52 - Anunnaki: Dawn of the Gods 32:08 - How American society affects board gaming 39:54 - What are we excited to play at PAX 40:26 - Stationfall 40:56 - Blood on the Clocktower 41:30 - The Great Zimbabwe 41:50 - Pax Porfiriana 43:40 - Roads & Boats 44:49 - Warning stickers on games 48:22 - Hot gaming tips

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Drafts are back, baby. And not just any old draft, no, but to celebrate the return of the greatest game, we're drafting none other than the best of the only true and living doctor, Reiner Knizia. Who ends up with the best list? Vote for your favourite, you could win a $50 gift voucher! Before we doc it up, we talk about Empire's End, My Favourite Things, and Four Horsemen.

Timecodes:

02:33 - Empire's End 12:15 - My Favourite Things 21:15 - Four Horsemen 27:48 - Drafting Reiner Knizia games 33:44 - Tigris & Euphrates 34:49 - Zoo Vadis 36:32 - Ra 37:47 - Modern Art 39:19 - The Quest for El Dorado 41:03 - Blue Lagoon 42:03 - Lost Cities 45:29 - Medici 46:39 - Stephenson's Rocket 47:44 - My City 49:13 - Taj Mahal 52:09 - Babylonia 53:29 - Mille Fiori 55:14 - Yellow & Yangtze 58:04 - High Society

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Are board games stuck? Not to be dramatic or anything, but it does seem like we keep circling the same ideas over and over again, right? We speculate on where we think the hobby is headed, and whether or not it needs a shake up. Before we plateau, we talk about Orchard, Hadrian's Wall, Terracotta Army, and Santiago.

Timecodes:

03:09 - Orchard: A 9 card solitaire game 06:49 - Hadrian's Wall 13:45 - Terracotta Army 24:34 - Santiago 35:45 - Board game stagnation 38:17 - Return to Dark Tower 41:55 - Mr. President: The American Presidency, 2001-2020 43:55 - Turing Machine 44:09 - Cryptid 45:59 - Dead Reckoning 50:37 - Stationfall

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It's almost time for Essen SPIEL 2023, the great German Mecca of our people - and while we're not going ourselves, that's not going to stop us yearning. We're hear to tell you about all the amazing games available at the show this year that you ought to be excited about. Before we gaze longingly across the Atlantic, we talk about Asara, Skytear Horde, and Dwellings of Eldervale.

Timecodes:

02:31 - Asara 10:15 - Skytear Horde 14:04 - Dwellings of Eldervale 28:11 - Essen SPIEL 2023 Preview 30:04 - The Same Game 32:52 - Among Cultists: A Social Deduction Thriller 32:40 - Ticket to Ride Legacy: Legends of the West 34:11 - Civolution 35:25 - World Wonders 36:42 - Dying Message 38:27 - Kutná Hora: The City of Silver 40:24 - Tiny Mini Golf 42:19 - Arabella 43:38 - ArcheOlogic 45:41 - Terra Pyramides 46:51 - Sunrise Lane 48:25 - Evacuation 49:54 - TwinStar Valley 51:04 - Planta Nubo

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A little prune, a little embellish, a nip, a tuck, and a flourish, and we can get this thing just how we like it. We're looking at all the little things that we'd like to see more of, all the things we'd like to see less of in the world of board games. Before we giveth and taketh away, we talk about First in Flight, Tramways, and Wandering Towers.

Timecodes:

02:39 - First in Flight 11:57 - Tramways 23:32 - Wandering Towers 31:50 - What we want more and less of in games 33:13 - More middleweight 35:18 - More emergence 36:50 - Stationfall 37:13 - Troyes 37:13 - Glory to Rome 37:13 - Innovation 38:13 - Archipelago 39:03 - Sidereal Confluence: Trading and Negotiation in the Elysian Quadrant 40:02 - More rough edges 41:57 - Cosmic Frog 44:11 - More Saga 44:11 - Dead Reckoning 46:24 - Oath: Chronicles of Empire and Exile 46:36 - More community conventions 47:49 - More games with less rules 49:09 - Less trick takers 51:05 - Less board games 53:35 - Less dour color palettes 54:54 - Eschaton 55:13 - 3 Ring Circus 56:02 - The Guild of Merchant Explorers 56:27 - Less generic themes 57:37 - Less individual player boards 58:44 - Less multiplayer solitare 1:00:23 - Less content creators working for publishers

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Timing is everything, which is why it's so important that this episode came out when it did. Had we made it too early, it would have felt dated, and any later, you wouldn't have been ready for it. Before it's about time, we talk about Planet etuC, Undaunted: Stalingrad, Undaunted: Battle of Britain, and Tycoon: India 1981.

Timecodes:

01:47 - Planet etuC 07:43 - Undaunted: Stalingrad 10:35 - Undaunted: Battle of Britain 14:01 - Tycoon: India 1981 30:36 - Can mechanics be dated? 39:42 - Ankh: Gods of Egypt 40:16 - That's Not a Hat 40:48 - Thunder Road: Vendetta 41:38 - Cthulhu Wars 42:11 - Disney Lorcana

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I leave for one episode and these idiots are talking about eating board games. Hard hitting questions for hard hitting board game journalists, Kellen & Mark are on the scene reporting in. Before we claw our way back from this, we talk about Power & Weakness, Haggis, and Star Wars: The Deckbuilding Game.

Timecodes:

02:40 - Power & Weakness 16:28 - Haggis 24:28 - Star Wars: The Deckbuilding Game 36:31 - What gets you excited about two player games? 46:04 - Azul 46:30 - What is the most edible looking board game? 47:10 - Through the Desert 47:54 - Azul: Master Chocalatier 48:25 - Pax Pamir: Second Edition 49:04 - Juicy Fruits 49:54 - Wingspan 50:33 - Zendo

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A solid end game trigger can be such an overlooked part of the design of a game. The conventional wisdom for most things is to start strong and finish strong, so we look at some of our favourite ways that games can end. Before we reach the end of the road, we talk about Robot Quest Arena, Mr. President: The American Presidency, 2001-2020, and Expeditions.

Timecodes:

02:07 - Robot Quest Arena 08:52 - Mr. President: The American Presidency, 2001-2020 30:11 - Expeditions 47:33 - Inis 48:09 - Azul 51:35 - Ethnos 51:52 - Pax Pamir: Second Edition 52:31 - I'm the Boss! 53:12 - Archipelago 54:22 - War of the Ring: Second Edition 55:16 - Innovation 55:31 - Pax Porfiriana 55:41 - John Company: Second Edition 56:16 - Dune 56:51 - Stationfall 57:25 - 7 Wonders Duel 58:34 - The Quest for El Dorado 1:00:04 - Scythe 1:00:45 - Blood Rage

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It's convention season, and the big one is almost upon us, as board gamers across America prepare to descend on Indiana. Gen Con! We won't be there this year, but that won't stop us anticipating what we could be playing at the show. Before we want what we can't have, we talk about Fancy Feathers, Beast, Mr. President: The American Presidency, 2001-2020, and Mercator.

Timecodes:

02:43 - Fancy Feathers 08:31 - Beast 16:55 - Mr. President: The American Presidency, 2001-2020 22:43 - Merkator 29:53 - Aurum 31:12 - Age of Innovation 35:06 - Ahau: Rulers of Yucatán 37:03 - Inheritors 40:11 - City of the Great Machine 42:41 - The Fox Experiment 44:01 - SpellBook 46:13 - Tesseract 48:15 - Wild Tiled West 50:14 - Kutná Hora: The City of Silver 52:38 - General Orders: World War II 54:13 - 3 Ring Circus 56:21 - Wandering Towers 1:00:32 - The Search for Lost Species 1:01:02 - Legacies

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Not all are as blessed as we are by the gift of truly original thought, and so many turn to others for inspiration. Whether it's Newton standing on the shoulders of giants, or stealing from our rich neighbour Xerox, many great ideas are born from what has come before. Before we make the inspired choice, we talk about Masters of Renaissance: Lorenzo il Magnifico – The Card Game, Innovation Ultimate, and Dawn of Ulos.

Timecodes:

01:59 - Masters of Renaissance: Lorenzo il Magnifico – The Card Game 11:18 - Innovation Ultimate 21:45 - Dawn of Ulos 32:45 - Game Design Inspirations 34:41 - Apples to Apples 37:03 - Magic: The Gathering 40:53 - Final Girl 40:53 - Hostage Negotiator 42:26 - Acquire 42:49 - Witchstone 42:49 - Ingenious 44:19 - Blood on the Clocktower 44:44 - The Resistance 48:10 - Dark Moon 49:16 - Cthulhu Wars 49:16 - Chaos in the Old World 50:13 - Nova Luna 50:13 - Habitats 50:52 - Lowlands 51:25 - El Grande 52:04 - Red Rising 52:04 - Fantasy Realms

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After much consternation at his exclusion from our Mount Rushmore of games, we've decided to honour legendary designer Sid Sackson elsewhere - a BGB Designer Spotlight! I think these used to be called BGB DOGs but even Mark forgot about that bit of branding. Oh well. Before we make amends, we talk about Magicalligraphy, Hamlet: The Village Building Game, and Tournament at Camelot.

Timecodes:

01:33 - Schedule update 03:11 - Magicalligraphy 09:30 - Hamlet: The Village Building Game 19:48 - Tournament at Camelot 27:56 - Sid Sackson 30:14 - Piggly Wiggly 32:16 - High Spirits with Calvin and the Colonel 35:54 - Bazaar 39:28 - Focus/Domination 40:20 - I'm the Boss! 41:18 - Can't Stop 42:48 - Acquire The Sid Sackson Portal: https://sacksonportal.museumofplay.org

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We've reached the end of our fantasy draft series, the last in this increasingly dire list of games from which we pluck five gems each, and then get you to vote on your favourites. There's a (potential) $50 gift card in it for you! Before the last dance, we talk about Seas of Havoc, Whale to Look, and Dorfromantik: The Board Game.

Timecodes:

03:12 - Seas of Havoc 10:42 - Whale to Look 19:50 - Dorfromantik: The Board Game 29:10 - Drafting BGG's #901-1000 32:17 - Caylus 1303 33:43 - Ready Set Bet 36:03 - Mosaic: A Story of Civilization 37:12 - Clever Cubed 38:51 - Condottiere 40:20 - Adrenaline 42:54 - Meeple Circus 45:13 - Automobiles 47:54 - Unmatched: Battle of Legends, Volume Two 49:12 - Lowlands 50:04 - Genoa 52:46 - Santa Monica 54:41 - Feed the Kraken 58:02 - Homesteaders 1:01:25 - First Rat

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We're veering into the dark roads of board game classification, but this time with a goal in mind - how to best highlight games that feature strong interaction. Shouldn't BoardGameGeek have a scale for that somewhere? And while we're at it, BGG ... Before we put our thoughts in the suggestion box, we talk about Guatemala Café, and Ride the Rails.

Timecodes:

01:56 - Guatemala Café 12:43 - Ride the Rails 23:09 - Quantifying interactivity 25:43 - A Feast for Odin 32:13 - Yucatan 34:31 - What else should be on a BGG page? 37:15 - Stationfall 44:20 - Biblios

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Are we living in a golden age of board games? It's a simple question, but there's a lot to unpack - what even qualifies as a golden age, have we already had one, and if we are living in one, when does it end? Before we go for gold, we talk about That's Not a Hat, Pulsar 2849, and Barrage.

Timecodes:

01:39 - That's Not a Hat 02:19 - Cockroach Poker 10:52 - Pulsar 2849 19:58 - Barrage 33:30 - Are we in a golden age? 48:32 - Scythe 57:31 - Ark Nova

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We're lucky to have covered wide swathes of the board game world, but there was a time when some of those things were aspirational. Like achievements to cross off on the great board game check list ... or like that Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson movie. You know they invented that phrase? Wild. Before we make our list, we talk about Municipium, and Yucatan.

Timecodes:

02:27 - Municipium 12:47 - Yucatan 29:38 - Board game checklist/bucket list 31:17 - Twilight Imperium: Fourth Edition 35:15 - Diplomacy 35:57 - Playing landmark games 38:39 - Blood on the Clocktower 41:05 - Board game conventions 45:24 - Board game meetups 48:10 - You don't need everything for a game 48:29 - Dominion 49:52 - Guards of Atlantis II 50:38 - Two player and abstract games 52:26 - Designing a board game

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It's just two of us, so we turn our attention to the burning questions that you've been asking us, in a feature we're calling Topic Talk Back. This is not to be confused with the format we've used before, mailbags are old news now, and we'd appreciate it if you'd stop bringing it up. Before we do anything but rustle in the cloth sack, we talk about By Stealth and Sea, and Undaunted: Stalingrad.

Timecodes:

02:38 - By Stealth and Sea 12:11 - Undaunted: Stalingrad 25:41 - Topic Talk Back 26:37 - Favorite Campaign Games 27:20 - Gloomhaven 27:44 - Frosthaven 30:56 - Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon 33:31 - Games that are too short? 34:03 - The Voyages of Marco Polo 34:17 - Marco Polo II: In the Service of the Khan 35:38 - Woodcraft 37:47 - Designer Mount Rushmore

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It's the penultimate draft of the BGG Top 1000 series, and all of these games are garbage ... but it's up to us to sift through that garbage, and each find a collection of five games that's worthy of you. Vote for your favourite, and you could win a $50 gift voucher! Before we find diamonds in the rough, we also talk about Paperback Adventures, and Woodcraft.

Timecodes:

02:31 - Paperback Adventures 13:29 - Woodcraft 23:51 - Drafting BGG's #801-900 26:27 - Babylonia 28:37 - Blue Lagoon 30:57 - A War of Whispers 32:22 - Signorie 33:19 - The Mind 34:52 - Pictomania 36:04 - Brian Boru: High King of Ireland 36:57 - Santiago 38:45 - Werewords 39:49 - Battle for Rokugan 41:19 - Vasco da Gama 43:20 - Cerebria: The Inside World 44:21 - Bullet♥︎ 46:10 - Incan Gold 49:00 - Railroad Ink Challenge: Lush Green Edition

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