Board Game Homies

In Episode 32, we discuss our collective Shelf of Shame! To start off the episode, we chat about the games that are bringing us joy: Love Letter: Batman, Spire's End: Hildegard, Endeavor: Deep Sea, and lower Tariffs in the U.S. which means… Kickstarter notifications.With so many unplayed games on our shelves, we decided to submit our individual top 5 most-excited-to-play games to Angela to secretly rank them. Angela reveals our collective top 4 games, and we discuss the state of our shelves and how we got to this point. Excitement, regret, shame, hope, and joy… all of these emotions describe how we feel about our shelves of shame. We're past calling them shelves of opportunity as our unplayed game count keeps ticking up this year; we knew we needed to talk about it, and one of us may have been feeling like they needed to confess.

In Episode 31, we review Root by Leder Games! To start off the episode, we chat about the games that are bringing us joy: Moon Colony Bloodbath, The Search for Planet X, Neko Syndicate, Kabuki Tricks, and Joyride.Deep in the woodlands, an adorable and ruthless war is waging between Marquise de Cat and the creatures of the forest. As the Woodland Alliance spreads sympathy to unite all against the oppressive cats, the Eyrie Dynasties are rebuilding their forces and roosts to take back the forest. The vagabond? They're out for themselves swaying between aiding or harming the other factions while collecting all of the things. As the war continues, new factions are moving in: the Lizard Cult fills the forest with whispers of the Dragon God, the Riverfolk Company are quickly establishing trade routes to supply the demands of the battling factions, and the Lord of the Hundreds are swarming in and hoarding any and all items they can find to make them stronger. Grounded in the Law of Root with well timed back-stabbing, only one faction–well, unless a vagabond has decided to form a coalition then it will be two–will rule the woodlands! The homies enjoy this asymmetric war game and still have much more to discover–but will there ever be time???Get to know us @ https://lnk.bio/BoardGameHomies

In episode 30, we review Furnace by Hobby World and Arcane Wonders. To start off the episode, we chat about the games that are bringing us joy and discuss tariffs in the US and how they are intersecting with the board game world, including how they are impacting our FLGS. As we discuss in the episode, the tariffs have been ever changing, and, though we recorded less than three days ago, it was just announced this morning that there is another 90 day pause in tariffs, and the overall tariffs on Chinese goods has been reduced from 145% to 30%. If you are uninterested in the tariff conversation or if it's a little too much right now, you can skip the conversation (timestamps: 12:05-34:40.) The games bringing us joy are: Taluva, Stonespine Architects, Sea Salt & Paper, and Deep Regrets.Furnace is an engine-builder played over 4 rounds, each with 2 phases: auction and production. Each player has 4 bidding discs numbered 1-4, a starting company, and a start-up card. During the auction, players place their discs to either win company cards or gain compensation. After all cards from the auction have been processed, each player works through their company cards, activating production and/or processing materials to ultimately produce the most money to win the game. Although a bit of a “multi-player solitude” game–as Angela likes to say–we all enjoy this game and appreciate the 45 minute play time. Though–one of us may already be questioning how long we'll want to keep it in the collection. Get to know us @ https://lnk.bio/BoardGameHomies 

In Episode 29, we review the Clank! Legacy: Acquisitions Incorporated. To start off the episode, we chat about the games that are bringing us joy: Bus (1999), The Guild of Merchant Explorers, Tales of Arthurian Knights, and Torchlit.Clank! Legacy: Acquisitions Incorporated expands upon the deck-building of Clank!, incorporating legacy-style gameplay. Players will found their franchise of the legendary adventuring company, Acquisitions Incorporated, and shepherd their fledgling treasure-hunters to immortal glory over the course of multiple games by shaping events that transpire before them. The game board, deck, and world of Clank! changes as players make decisions throughout individual games, creating a unique campaign tailored to your adventuring party. Be cunning, be bold, and most importantly, be ready… Unless you're Reed, in which case, you just watch Angela destroy your hopes and dreams.Join us on our (largely) spoiler-free adventure and explore the world of Clank! Legacy: Acquisitions Incorporated.Get to know us @ https://lnk.bio/BoardGameHomies

In episode 28, we discuss games we played [mostly] once. We all try to play a new game multiple times to better form our opinions, but, sometimes, the judgement is strong and once is enough. For these games, the gameplay or theme wasn't interesting, we felt like we saw everything there was to see, or the game did not fit the gaming group. However, it isn't all one and done–some of the games we bring up are games we couldn't stop thinking about after the first play. We also revisit a few of our previous joy games that are no longer bringing us joy. Get to know us @ https://lnk.bio/BoardGameHomies 

In episode 27, we review Rebel Princess and Fishing. To start off the episode, we chat about our Board Game Homie Weekend on the coast and what brought us joy: Brass: Birmingham, Daybreak, Nerdz Day Sale, and Clank! Legacy: Acquisitions Incorporated. Rebel Princess is a trick taking game that takes place over five rounds. Each player selects a Princess (each with their own special once-per-round ability) and attempts to avoid princes like the plague at the party. Just like Hearts, players must follow, and there is no trump suit. At the end of each round, count your proposals (number of prince cards and the dreaded frog prince that counts for five proposals) and add those points to your score. Collect every prince AND the frog, and you'll score -10 points. At the end of the game, the player with the least amount of points wins! Fishing is a trick taking game that takes place over eight rounds. Each player has a boat and a fishing net; during the round, you catch each card you won in a trick (or snatched from playing a zero) and add them to your net. At the end of the round, each card in your net is worth a point and then are shuffled and added to the bottom of any cards already on your boat. At the beginning of the next round, you draw cards from your boat deck to fill your hand. If you ever aren't able to completely fill your hand, you get to supplement from the Ocean deck; the Ocean deck has more valuable cards and introduces the trump suit. The player with the most points at the end of the eighth round wins!We've been having fun exploring trick takers (Angela and Gillean's collections have been exploding in growth!) and getting to discuss what we enjoy and dislike about the two. While we enjoyed both of these games, our levels of enjoyment vary for each. Connect with us @ https://lnk.bio/BoardGameHomies 

In episode 26, we review Finspan by Stonemaier Games. To start off the episode, we chat about the games that are bringing us joy: The Guild of Merchant Explorers, Root, Arcs, and Baseball Highlights: 2045.You are a marine researcher seeking to observe aquatic life at different depths of the world's seas and oceans over the course of four weeks, or in-game rounds. To do so, you'll be exploring three different dive sites that specialize in different aspects of expanding your research: growing the collection of fish, discovering freshly laid eggs, and hatching eggs into young and consolidating to form schools of fish. Each dive site grants resources that will allow you to discover fish by providing their needed provisions or conditions, which could include discarding cards from hand, discarding eggs, and/or consuming young fish or other shorter fish in the ocean. Complete end-of-week objectives and keep discovering fish to become the most successful marine researcher!The homies have now played all three games in the Wingspan universe, and we each rank them differently!Connect with us @ https://lnk.bio/BoardGameHomies 

In episode 25, we celebrate our one year anniversary of the pod! We chat about how we all met, the games and mechanics we love, hobbies we enjoy outside of board games, and all of the joy in between. Thanks for engaging in board game conversations and BGA games with us over the past year!Get to know us @ https://lnk.bio/BoardGameHomies

In episode 24, we review Lisboa by Eagle-Gryphon Games. To start off the episode, we chat about the games that are bringing us joy: Hansa Teutonica, Let's Go! To Japan, Compile: Main 1, and…learning the rules.On November 1, 1755, Lisboa suffered an earthquake of an estimated magnitude of 8.5–9.0, followed by a tsunami and three days of fires that almost completely destroyed the city. Players take on the role of influential nobles who will help in the reconstruction and economic development of the city to receive graces from the King and the Marquis. You will work with the architects to build Lisboa anew, with the Marquis to develop commerce, and with the King to open buildings–all in the pursuit of gaining influence and the most important thing of all: wigs.Connect with us @ https://lnk.bio/BoardGameHomies

In episode 23, we review SETI: Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence by Czech Games Edition (CGE.) To start off the episode, we chat about the games that are bringing us joy: Cities, Creature Caravan, Viticulture Essential Edition, and Star Tycoon. In SETI: Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, scientific institutions set their sights beyond planet Earth in the search for extraterrestrial life. Through landing on planets, scanning distant star systems for signals, and analyzing collected data, players will detect traces of life and eventually discover an alien species. Conduct further research into the alien species, effectively utilize your resources (including multi-use cards - one of our favorite aspects of SETI!), and accomplish milestones to establish your institution as the one to make the most significant contributions to understanding alien life within our galaxy. Another visually stunning game by CGE! We've had some interesting plays of this game, and we're looking forward to more.  And it's not beige! @ https://lnk.bio/BoardGameHomies 

In episode 22, we review Dune: Imperium and Dune: Imperium - Uprising by DireWolfDigital and discuss our first, second, and third impressions of the game. To start off the episode, we chat about the games that are bringing us joy: SETI: Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, Castle Combo, Cities, and nana: Christmas Edition. Vying for dominance of Arrakis, the leaders of the Great Houses of the Landsraad manipulate resources and their political influence to control the spice to control the universe. Through worker placement and deck building, each leader sends Agents across Dune to gather water, solari, and spice while crafting alliances with the four major Factions, sending units to the Conflict, and gaining persuasion. Beware of spies helping your rivals, disruptions in plans from intrigue cards, and sandworms joining the Conflict; don't start celebrating your win too soon. We love Dune, and, surprisingly, we all come to the same conclusion on which game comes out ahead.  The spice must flow, and this podcast [usually] does too. Find us on Instagram ⁠@boardgamehomies

In episode 21, we discuss Flip 7 by The Op Games and Captain Flip by PlayPunk–but, first,–we chat about our New Year's board game resolutions! Unsurprisingly, we all want to play more games.  Self proclaimed: “the greatest card game ever,” Flip 7 is a push your luck party game! Keep flipping cards for the chance of more points AND the risk of busting. First person to 200 points wins! This game is fun, fast, and fliptastic. Just like… Captain Flip! Another push your luck game but with tiles instead of cards. Plus, there are pirates! Each turn, pull a tile from the bag, consider the revealed side, and flip it if you don't like it. Through various pirate abilities, collect the most coins without busting to win! The game end is triggered once four of the five columns have been filled by one player.  Find us on Instagram ⁠@boardgamehomies

In Episode 20, we celebrate our year of gaming together by focusing on games that were new to us in 2024! We start with a cumulative top 5 (the points are made up, and we're trusting Angela's calculations) and roll into rapid(ish)-fire questions to share our individual opinions on our least and most favorite plays of the year, favorite expansions, most interesting mechanics, games we were wrong about, best two player game…and more! Find us on Instagram ⁠@boardgamehomies and let us know about your year in gaming!

In Episode 19, we review Barrage by Cranio Creations and discuss our first, second, and third impressions of the game. To start off the episode, we chat about the games that are bringing us joy: SCOUT, Odin, Skull, and Windmill Valley.  It's 1922, and the new World is embracing Tesla's energy revolution. CEOs representing four national companies are racing to produce energy by building dams, hydro-electric powerhouses, and conduits. All this is to control the flow of water and to create enough energy to complete contracts. However, fulfilling contracts alone won't guarantee success in this endeavor: the company, alongside their executive officer, must manage resources through limited shared actions and increasing costs while capitalizing on their individual player powers. We all agree this game is hard and feels mean, but it's a dam good time. Make your opinions known on instagram ⁠@boardgamehomies

Are you tired of playing Catan and only Catan with your family? Does your aunt always crush you at her favorite card game? Do you need some game ideas for playing with your niblings or bringing to the family holiday party? In Episode 18, we discuss games to play over the holidays with a focus on low(er) rules overhead, shorter play times, and games that don't suck. Find us on Instagram ⁠@boardgamehomies and look for our holiday guides!

In Episode 17, we review Nucleum by Board&Dice and discuss our first, second, and third impressions of the game. To start off the episode, we chat about the games that are bringing us joy: The White Castle: Matcha, New York Zoo, Gentle Rain, and Marvel Champions: The Card Game. In Nucleum, it's the economic and technological boom of 19th-century Saxony, and you are working hard to earn victory points through building and powering urban buildings, obtaining and completing contracts, and racing to milestones set by the king himself, Frederik Augustus. Be the most successful industrialist by advancing your income tracks, expanding your network, and upgrading your technologies in this heavy euro board game. We all enjoy this game and the interesting decisions it presents–especially through the action tiles that double as rails. Make your opinions known on instagram ⁠@boardgamehomies

In Episode 16, we review the Clank!s by Dire Wolf and Renegade Game Studio and discuss our first, second, and third impressions of the games. To start off the episode, we chat about the games that are bringing us joy: The Lord of the Rings: Duel for Middle-earth, Regicide, and… Becky? The Deck-Building Adventures Clank!, Clank! In! Space!, and Clank! Catacombs all have similar base mechanics and objectives; through deck building (duh), thieves quickly and QUIETLY descend to the depths seeking one artifact and looting for extra treasures along the way. However, the more Clank! each thief makes, the more likely they are to be knocked out by the dragon and potentially lose all of their points. Will everyone make it out in time??? Hopefully not! Each of these games have a twist! Built off of the game system of Clank! A Deck-Building Adventure, Clank! In! Space! features a spaceship and fun sci-fi pop culture references, and Clank! Catacombs features fantasy vibes and a tile board that is created as the thieves explore. We definitely have a preference between the three, and we can't wait to try Clank! Legacy Acquisitions Incorporated.  Keep an eye on our instagram ⁠@boardgamehomies for Becky's Clank! presentation. 

In Episode 15, we review Revive by Aporta Games and discuss our first, third, and eighth impressions of the game. To start off the episode, we chat about our shared joy from attending the Pacific Northwest Game Swap: Oregon Edition where Angela, Becky, and Gillean sold games, Reed purchased games, and we all engaged in some lively board game conversations.  Set in a post-apocalyptic world, each player leads a tribe that is working to rebuild the world in this deck building, tech tree, and map exploration game. Through hand and resource management, each tribe works to explore new lands, build buildings, and repopulate desolate cities. All the while, players work to advance their machine tracks and utilize their tribe's special ability to reinhabit the Earth's frozen surface. Along the way, artifacts are uncovered and obtained to increase end game score multipliers and trigger the game end. Three of us are obsessed with Revive and celebrate that it has entered Board Game Geek's Top 100; and then there's Angela. Make your opinions known on instagram ⁠@boardgamehomies

In Episode 14, we discuss Culling board games from our collections. To start off the episode, we chat about the games that are bringing us joy: Nucleum, Clank!: Catacombs, Railroad Tiles, and Barrage. Gillean and Becky have been building a board game collection since 2011 and have culled over 65 games; Angela and Reed are newer to curating their collections through thoughtful purchases and culling choices. With the motivation of selling games at the first (hopefully of many!!) Pacific Northwest Game Swap Oregon Edition, we discuss what motivates us to remove games from our collections, reasons we hold on to games for longer than we should, how one actually gets rid of a game, and lessons learned through the games we've held on to or culled. On the flip side, we also share some musings about building a lasting game collection and the importance of the people we play our games with. Find us on instagram ⁠@boardgamehomies to tell us your culling lessons and regrets!

In Episode 13, we review Wyrmspan by Stonemaier Games and discuss our first, second, and third impressions of the game. To start off the episode, we chat about what's bringing us joy: Nucleum (x2), Revive (x2), and sharing the love of board games with others. Set in the modern day, you are building a sanctuary for dragons by excavating caves in order to entice dragons in this tableau and engine building game. By exploring the caverns and playing cards, you gain resources, cards, eggs, and advancement on the Dragon Guild for additional benefits–make sure you are keeping an eye on end round scoring! With many similarities to Wingspan, comparisons are made throughout our discussion, and we all land in different caverns regarding our preferences. Two things we can agree on are needing answers about what kind of meat we're using to entice our dragons and whose milk are we feeding to the hatchlings? Let us know your thoughts on Wyrmspan (and Wingspan!) on instagram ⁠@boardgamehomies

In Episode 12, we discuss our top 5 favorite games of the summer. To start off the episode, we chat about what's bringing us joy: Daybreak, Lisboa, Clank!: A Deck-Building Adventure, Clank!: Catacombs, and Ark Nova (again?!) Whether we're at a brewery, grabbing lunch, or sipping lattes, these are our go-to small box games this summer: 5. Sea Salt & Paper by Bombyx 4. Deck of Cards 3. Azul Mini by Next Move Games 2. Love Letter by Alderac Entertainment Group 1. Nana by @ Mob+ Let us know which games you would add to the list on instagram ⁠@boardgamehomies

In Episode 11, we review Everdell by Starling Games and discuss our first and second impressions of the game. To start off the episode, we chat about what's bringing us joy: Splendor Duel, Wyrmspan, Hegemony, Rebel Princess, and Carcassonne. Over the river and through the woods to Everdell we go! Beneath the Ever Tree, we curate our cities by building constructions and inviting critters to inhabit those spaces. In this worker placement and tableau building game, you play through the seasons at your own pace as you gain points through playing cards into your city and being the first to complete public objectives. Look for combos to capitalize on when bringing critters into your city and through card abilities that synergize–though be wary, you may find yourself in a loop of actions that don't elevate your city; we've lost many to this affliction: Everdelling. Some say, Angela is still upstairs Everdelling, eternally stuck in second place.  Catch a glimpse of Everdelling in action on instagram ⁠@boardgamehomies 

In Episode 10, we review Kanban EV by Eagle-Gryphon Games and discuss our first and second impressions of the game. To start off the episode, we chat about what's bringing us joy: Euchre, trick taking games at the Portland Game Collective Convention, Root, and the hope that Becky will play more games with friends. Working on an electric vehicle assembly line, we dedicate time to train towards certification, and we select car designs to upgrade and eventually test–all the while stocking the warehouse with necessary parts in order to then assemble cars for R&D in Kanban EV. All of this is to prepare to be evaluated by our supervisor, Sandra, as she inspects each department throughout the week and eventually schedules meetings to discuss our performance goals. We all agree this game is super thematic, AND you don't have to be interested in middle management or cars to enjoy the play (but it's okay if you are [Angela!!])! If you enjoy big, thinky games, definitely give Kanban a try if you get the chance. Impress Sandra and find us on instagram ⁠@boardgamehomies

In Episode 9, we discuss Losing in board gaming. To start off the episode, we chat about the games that are bringing us joy: Railroad Ink, Between Two Castles of Mad King Ludwig, The Castles of Burgundy, Kanban EV, and Captain Flip (plus a sticker surprise!) Our hobby is competitive, and we all play to win, but, ultimately, we're playing to spend time together and have a good time. How do we manage the feelings of losing while also being part of creating an enjoyable experience for everyone? We discuss how frustration, trash talking, and gloating play into our gaming experiences as well. Losing sucks, but there's so much we can learn from the game loss and the folks sitting around the table with us. Find us on instagram ⁠@boardgamehomies to see the zingers from our text thread about the games we've played (and lost.)

In Episode 8, we review Bruxelles 1893: Belle Époque and discuss our first, second, and third impressions of the game. To start off the episode, we chat about the games that are bringing us joy: Robinson Crusoe: Adventures on the Cursed Island, Faraway, Ark Nova with Marine Worlds, Castles of Burgundy, and Carcassonne. Building the first Art Nouveau buildings, we–Paul, Paul, Paul, and Victor–balance worker placement,  managing finances, and art collecting in order to build our houses, win area majorities, and increase scoring multipliers for the end game. For playing as architects, this game is a mean one, but we thoroughly enjoy this knife fight in a phone booth.  Share your thoughts about Bruxelles 1893: Belle epoque with us on instagram ⁠@boardgamehomies

In Episode 7, we review Kutná Hora: The City of Silver and discuss our first, second, and third impressions of the game. To start off the episode, we chat about the games that are bringing us joy: Isle of Cats, The King Is Dead: Second Edition, Faraway, and Paladins of the West Kingdom. Developing the City of Silver through purchasing plots of land, securing building permits, and expanding the mines, we discuss the variable economic market, constructing the grand Saint (Santa) Barbara's Cathedral, and paying taxes in this hand management and tile placement game by Czech Games Edition. Although this game makes for an enjoyable play that none of us will turn down, it has us thinking about what creates staying power in a game. Share your thoughts about Kutná Hora: The City of Silver with us on instagram ⁠@boardgamehomies

In Episode 6, we review Ark Nova and discuss our first, second, and third impressions (and many more!) of the game. To start off the episode, we chat about the games that are bringing us joy: Expeditions: Gears of Corruption, Root, Haggis, and MLEM: Space Agency. Gathering animals, forming partnerships, and garnering support from sponsors, we discuss building our reputation, zoo appeal, and conservation points through polyomino placement of enclosures, balancing the flow of actions, and hate drafting (aka snapping) against friends. Our group has been obsessing over this game – it has been played solo, online, in two different houses, and at four, three, and two player counts. We love a big deck game, and it shows.  Share your experiences and strategies on our instagram @boardgamehomies 

In Episode 5, we explore FOMO (fear of missing out), crowdfunding, and upgrades. To start off the episode, we chat about our shared joy from attending our local board game convention that hosted high score tournaments for Azul, Cascadia, and Wingspan, a two player tournament, and space to play games with strangers. Board game tables, metal coins, and Ark Nova (oh my!)–we discuss how FOMO and coveting shows up for each of us in this hobby, and how it relates to crowdfunding. Find out which one of us is the self-proclaimed worst FOMO offender and learn our preferred upgrades from glamorous to thrifted. Check out Reed's perfect Ark Nova upgrade gift and a picture of Gillean coveting Ark Nova on instagram @boardgamehomies

In Episode 4, we review Harmonies and The White Castle and discuss our first, second, and third impressions of these games. To start off the episode, we chat about the games that are bringing us joy: Spire's End: Hildegard, Age of Innovation, Thunder Road: Vendetta, and Ark Nova.  Surrounded by beautiful artwork and components, we discuss drafting tiles and building habitat patterns to attract animals to our landscapes in Harmonies, a tile drafting and placement game by Libellud, and we discuss the exacting elegance of the 9 actions of The White Castle, a resource management and worker and dice placement game by Devir. We're all awestruck by these two games, but it's Becky who shookith the group into silence in less than 9 seconds… Share your thoughts about Harmonies and The White Castle with us on instagram @boardgamehomies -- we promise we won't cull anyone for disagreeing with us!

In Episode 3, we review Brass Birmingham and discuss our first, second, and twenty-third impressions of the game. To start off the episode, we chat about the games that are bringing us joy: Brass Birmingham, King of Tokyo, Splendor Duel, and Dune Imperium: Uprising. Through the canal and rail eras of the Industrial Revolution, we discuss market variability, loans, emergent strategies, and hand management in this very thinky–yet engaging–game. We're obsessed, and one of us (who apparently still doesn't know ALL the rules) is so pleased to be playing so much Brass Birmingham. Share your thoughts about Brass Birmingham with us on instagram @boardgamehomies and check out our raging coal market. 

In Episode 2, we review Wonderland's War and discuss our first, second, and third impressions of the game. To start off the episode, we chat about the games that are bringing us joy: Wyrmspan, Revive, Bruxelles 1893: Belle Époque, Sea Salt & Paper: Extra Salt, and Tokaido. At the Mad Hatter's Tea Party, we discuss this bag building and area control game from Druid City Games. Fill your bag with Wonderlandians and a little or a LOT of madness and then bet against your friends as you all battle for control of Wonderland. This game makes for a tea-rrifically fun time! Content Note: we discuss the design of the castles and their anatomical resemblance. If you'd like to skip, the timestamps of the castle discussion are 18:05 - 19:35. Share your thoughts about Wonderland's War with us on instagram @boardgamehomies and take a peek at these curious castles!

In Episode 1, we review Apiary and discuss our first, second, and third impressions of the game. To start off the episode, we chat about the games that are bringing us joy: Dune Imperium, White Castle, Kutna Hora, and Terraforming Mars: The Dice Game.  Out in the cosmos, we discuss the mechanics of bumping bees to build our hives in this worker placement game from Stonemaier Games. Three of the four of us are buzzing about this game, and one of us isn't waggling their bee butt yet.  Share your thoughts about Apiary with us on instagram @boardgamehomies and find a photo of Gillean's painted Queen Bee!