Board With Finns

In this emotionally supportive episode, we confess our sins to each other. The originial and truest sin: That some board games just stay on shelves for no good reason! Why have we forsaken these unlucky few?! Join us in this confessional as we never use this catholic allegory.... and somehow bring it back to Root! Amen. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this weeks episode we veer almost accidentally into a Cole Wherle Special, as we discuss games that happen "above the table". A normal phrase. That everyone uses. Normally. How do these new narrative-driven games full of negotiation and exploitation stack up to the OG war sim Diplomacy? We then fiercely negotiate the pros and cons of Oath and John Company and the relative merits of "mild" exploitation. Exciting stuff! After this we will all need a shit down. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this super creative episode our intrepid heroes tackle some RPG hooks! Where do our minds wander in the aether betwixt conscious thought and creative whimsy... what secluded pathways through endless oceans of artistic fonts can we find? And can we drive a car into them? Do elder gods slumber below ancient theatres? And is that blimp actually a bomb? Only time will tell! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this deeply mechanical and cube-laden episode of Board With Finns, we tackle the concept of euro games! Are we finally losing our love of theme...and being hypnotically drawn to efficiency puzzles? Who can say? Not me.... I'm an AI. Even more shocking - does the concept of a pure euro game still exist in the world of high production values?... and games looking generally less shit than they did 10 years ago? Again, I can't say, I'm too busy trying to feed my starving family, plow a field and making sure I have a cow AND a sheep....#Agricola #LordsOfWaterdeep #Parks #Wingspan #Wyrmspan #FoodChainMagnate Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this incredibly tense episode (as Tom gasps for breath) we discuss the Top 10 boardgames of all time according to the most reliable source of information... THE INTERNET!! People love lists and people love Board Game Geek - and we combine both to chat about the Top 10 games according to BGG. Are they truly diamonds of the golden age of boardgaming?... Or are they simply tarnished iron pyrite forged in the limp fire of the "Cult of the New"?! Join us and find out before one of us drowns! #BoardGameGeek #Top10 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the clock strikes midnight a sallow moon peers from an inky blackness onto the mottled soil of a hastily dug grave. A wolf howls as a flash of lightning illuminates the rough cut letters of the headstone...."Here lies... Board With Finns!". In this spooky (spoopy) episode we chat about some halloween games and what makes them perfect for pumpkin season. #FuryOfDracula #TheBloodyInn #BoardGames #TTRPGs Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the grim darkness of the 41st millenium, there is only Board With Finns! Strap on your power armour because in this episode we are off the hunt some xenos, as we discuss the Warhammer 40k: Wrath and Glory RPG. We then crash out of the Warp into a woodland clearing and have a chat about the narrative nest of the Root RPG, where revolutionary moles, mustachioed foxes and princely rabbits bring down an evil empire of their own. Finally, we reminisce about ACTUALLY playing an RPG with Iita over the Summer?! Omnissiah be praised! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this deeply philosophical episode of Board With Finns, we delve into what makes an RPG and what makes a board game... and what is the difference? So pull on your chunkiest sweater and move to the room in your house that smells most of mahogany: We are getting intellectual! Or... as close as we get to that. Cogito Ergo Nun. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the last of the summer sun sets beyond an idyllic beach, the Board With Finns crew carefully pack away their hawaiian shirts and tasteful swimwear, and head back to the studio. On this episode we discuss the board games that we played while sipping margharitas and grilling makkara. Did Iita forget about Port Royal or simply repress the memories? Simon talks about the simple but lonely joy of raising exotic birds and learning their tongue in Wingspan. As is his way, Tom discusses the graphical design nightmare, but incredible Vegasy game, Lords of Vegas, with the added bonus that it is completely impossible to buy. No one has more of an eye on the average board game consumer than Board With Finns! #PortRoyal #Wingspan #LordsOfVegas #RicochetRobots Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The smell of sunscreen is in the air! With our bags packed and hawaiian shirts on, we swing by the studio for one last episode before heading off on our summer vacation. In an episode about as "off the rails" as it is possible to get, we veer wildly from games we have played recently to games we talked about previously. Choo choo, all aboard, this train is about to set sail.... to the moon! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We look to the future in this pre-review episode of Board With Finns! With our special guest Nikos, we lug over 3 suitcases full of RPG books into the studio, and chat about the systems we are most excited about running in the (near) future. We dart from alley to alley as we whisper our thoughts on Blades in the Dark, and raise a muddied and bloodied cleaver in honour of the two-headed basilisk in Mörk Borg. But it's not all doom and gloom! We should have enough big dyke energy to help us stalk a leviathan before the light of the world is finally extinguished!Blades in the Dark // Mörk Borg // Thirsty Sword Lesbians // Ten Candles // Fate Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There is no "I" in "Team".... or in "Boardgames". Coincidence? Perhaps. But we don't have time to philosophize now! Disease cubes are spreading across the globe, the undead rise from swamps around an isloated chinese village, and Cthulhu stirs in the depths of the ocean. Only we stand in the way of complete global annihilation.... but Tom has been arrested in Shanghai and Iita punched the Pope. Things look dire for humanity. This week we discuss some top co-operative games - and how teamwork makes the dream work when the theme work(s). #Pandemic #GhostStories #EldritchHorror #ForbiddenIsland Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this beginner friendly episode of Board With Finns, we discuss the lasting legacy of Settlers of Catan and other great gateway games. What makes a great gateway game? How do we buy a Ticket to Ride? How do I joust on a hobby horse?? All questions that will be bravely answered in this episode! As always, we stay RIGIDLY ON TOPIC, the complete opposite of how we holiday in Japan (or attack Tokyo). #Catan #TicketToRide #Tokaido #Cascadia #KingOfTokyo Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The game is afoot... and these games are about to get SOCIAL! We discuss the rising evolution of social deduction games, when they work and when they don't. We crest the hill onto the great vista of Detective Club, the pinacle of an easy-teach easy-play social deduction game. Is it the best of the best? The clues suggest so! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The internet is a broiling sea of tales of RPG discontent, but hold me close dear sailor, the safe shores of Board With Finns lies just beyond the horizon! In this misdirectingly non-nautical themed episode, we discuss when RPG games have gone wrong or simply miss the mark. Part therapy session, part confessional, all true! Perhaps 90s Hugh Grant was the hero this haunted land deserves, but not the one it needs right now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A sun-dappled glade nestled in a secluded wood, the perfect place... for an ambush! This week we take a look at the evergreen darling of Top 10 lists: Root! A dog-eat-dog area control game that pits cute critters with wildly asyymetric agendas at each other for ultimate woodland supremacy. Will the anarcho-socialist crows be crushed under the boot of the feline military industrial complex?!...Or will a mysterious knife wielding raccoon step in to help out? This isn't your usual sleepy hollow. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In our most romantic episode so far, we discuss (sexy) games to play on (sexy) dates. Candlelit delights, the smell of roses, the soft sounds of effervescent champagne, and potentially a stack of sheep in battle formation. Sensual. Who will pass the Jaipur acid test or be forced to do battle among the stars? Are these just metaphors for lovemaking? Perhaps. Let's skip dessert... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Auctions! The smell of the oil paintings, the cold touch of marble sculptures, the glint in the eye of the auctioneer as he fondles his gavel. Surely these visceral elements couldn't be reproduced in a board game? Well, Dr. Reiner Knizia will die trying! In our most exclusive and opulent episode, we discuss High Society, Quantitative Easing, and Modern Art. How much are we willing to pay for champagne? Has the economic crash of 2008 left a psychological mark on us all? Will most of this episode summary be questions? ...Time for me to get going...going...gone. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings Board With Finns! In this episode we venture into the very depths of time and space, to alien worlds, and the 1970s. Does the classic Cosmic Encounter fill us with the joy of intergalactic shenanigans or does it just remind us of Richard Dreyfuss sculpting a crude mountain from mashed potato? We then set our space compass towards Dune. A beautiful game of intrigue, backstabbery, and war. So put on the Dune soundtrack by Toto as you Harkonen your Atreides while we Fremen on your Spacing Guild. Spicy! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this cyber-niche episode of Board With Finns we enter the neo-noir world of Android Netrunner. One of our favourite asymmetric living card games that pits plucky hackers against faceless and soulless corporations. Is 90% of this episode devoted to listing names of specific cards that no sane normal person has heard of?.... Yes, yes it is. Don't blame us - we are just obsessed. "The future is already here – it's just not evenly distributed". Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this professional episode of Board With Finns, we discuss how the professionals do it! What are our favourite RPG streams and what do we steal from them? Is Critical Role the king of the hill? Is Brennan Lee Mulligan our favourite Lee Mulligan? Did anyone else watch Wildcards or was it just Tom? Most importantly, is inspiration the same thing as theft? - Perhaps! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On a dark New England street, we find a lost figure, huddled under rags, fighting for warmth from the cold existential nightmare of cosmic insignificance.... it's Bo! With our special guest tucked neatly by a microphone we discuss our impressions of the Call of Cthulhu RPG and try to understand Tom's deep seated issues with only running horror RPGs. Strange is the night where black stars rise, And strange moons circle through the skies, But stranger still is Board With Finns. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this bone chilling episode we discuss one of Tom's favourite RPG settings: Deadlands! Horror in the Weird West - No Will Smith, but plenty of skin walkers, knife spiders, and things trying to crawl down your throat while you sleep. Need a change from Dungeons and/or Dragons? Then is the american frontier the place for you? Let's discuss! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In our most hungover and rambling episode yet, we discuss cute games with cute animals. How do we feel about the natural world of Cascadia? Is it the perfect chill gateway game - and how does it compare to other tile and meeple placement GREATS like Carcassone and Alhambra? We meander towards the Panda-centric Takenoko and chat about how "cuteness" and theme can make or break a game. Join us on this fairytale trek into boardgame nonsense! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode we dive into a discussion about the most majestic yet terrifying space opera games, Twilight Imperium 3 and Twilight Imperium 4. War, negotiation, and the ability to bullshit your friends are key diplomatic pillars, so how do both of these editions stack up against each other? Finally, we tackle aspects of TTRPG preparation we find the most important, and discuss how we structure an adventure around the most fickle of beasts: Player Characters! Pubbability? 10/10. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this opening episode of Board With Finns we have a deep dive into our recent gaming adventures. Do the large hats add to the experience of Dogs of War? Will we lose our minds in the velveteen bags of Wonderland's War? We debate the pitfalls and pit-climbs of Legacy games and propose the Pubbability metric of boardgaming within bars. Plus, an insight into the crazy world of a West Marches DnD campaign that has spanned years! Is Scythe a good boardgame? Are some of us actually Finnish?!? Tune in to find out! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.