The Long View

In this episode of The Long View, we examine the game Rising Sun by Eric Lang. How close is this to Blood Rage? What, if anything, makes it unique? Should you have both in your collection? Join us as we explore these questions and more in this episode.

In this episode of The Long View, we revisit the classic game Through the Ages. Special guest host Brent Celmins discusses the original game, the new Edition, A New Story of Civilization, the App and the Leaders and Wonders expansion. What's changed? Are the changes for the better? How do you remake a classic? Listen to hear our thoughts.

In this episode of The Long View, we continue our tradition of being different! Instead of yet another list about the best games of last year, we look back two years, to see what games have stood the test of time. Join me and special guest Steve Oksienik as we attempt to review as many of the awesome games from 2018 as we can. Thanks for listening!

In this special episode of The Long View, I share my thoughts and experiences from this year's Pax Unplugged in Philadelphia. What games caught my attention? What were the hits of the show for me? What can you look forward to trying? Is this a convention you should consider attending? Tune in to find out! Thanks for listening!

In this episode of The Long View, I'm pleased to be joined by Martin Griffiths as we discuss the game, Time of Crisis. What makes this game so unique? Is it the perfect hybrid euro/wargame? What does the expansion add? Tune in to hear our thoughts about this fascinating game.

In this episode, I'm proud to be joined by special guest Roger Leroux as we discuss the game of Twilight Struggle. What makes this game a classic in the minds of so many? What makes it so thematic? What, if anything, does the newly released Turn Zero add? Just how much replay value is in this game? Tune in to hear our thoughts. Thanks for listening!

In this episode of The Long View, I'm pleased to be joined by special guest Chris Whitpan of the Game All Nite podcast as we discuss the hidden euro classic Palaces of Carrara. Why hasn't this game gotten a wider release? Is it worth the trouble to track down a copy? Tune in and find out in this episode!

In this episode of The Long View, I'm pleased to be joined by first time contributor Mark Fredrickson as we discuss the hidden gem Bruxelles 1893. Thanks for listening! Thanks to our sponsor www.gamesurplus.com for their continued support of the show. Go and check out how Elaine and Carmen are bringing the world of board games to you! Thanks as well to Punchboard Media! Check out a wealth of excellent board game media at www.punchboardmedia.com!

In this episode of The Long View, I'm pleased to be joined by Luke Heidebrect as we discuss the Martin Wallace Classic, Automobile. Is this game more than the sum of your twelve decisions? Does it offer different and unique strategies over time? Does it deserve to be ranked higher than it is in our opinion? Listen and find out! Thanks for listening! Thanks to our sponsor www.gamesurplus.com for their continued support of the show. Go and check out how Elaine and Carmen are bringing the world of board games to you! Thanks as well to Punchboard Media! Check out a wealth of excellent board game media at www.punchboardmedia.com!

Join me and Historian Justin Nordstrom as we explore the backstory of Fort Sumter, by Mark Herman. We examine the history behind the game and debate how well the setting informs the game design, and what connections can be found between the actual history surrounding this time period and the gameplay. We hope you enjoy this discussion of Fort Sumter - The Secession Crisis 1860 - 1861. Thanks to our sponsor www.gamesurplus.com for their continued support of the show. Go and check out how Elaine and Carmen are bringing the world of board games to you! Thanks as well to Punchboard Media! Check out a wealth of excellent board game media at www.punchboardmedia.com!

Dylan the Boardgame Trucker debuts on the Long View to teach TC and Joe about Mottainai, a brainmelting card game from Carl Chudyk, famed designer of Glory to Rome and Innovation! Thanks to our sponsor www.gamesurplus.com for their continued support of the show. Go and check out how Elaine and Carmen are bringing the world of board games to you! Thanks as well to Punchboard Media! Check out a wealth of excellent board game media at www.punchboardmedia.com!

Geof is back in the saddle to give you some context to enhance your enjoyment of Great Western Trail! Thanks to our sponsor www.gamesurplus.com for their continued support of the show. Go and check out how Elaine and Carmen are bringing the world of board games to you! Thanks as well to Punchboard Media! Check out a wealth of excellent board game media at www.punchboardmedia.com!

In this episode of Board Game Backstory, I'm happy to be joined by historian Justin Nordstrom as we examine the historical context of 1960 the Making of the President. Thanks to our sponsor www.gamesurplus.com for their continued support of the show. Go and check out how Elaine and Carmen are bringing the world of board games to you! Thanks as well to Punchboard Media! Check out a wealth of excellent board game media at www.punchboardmedia.com!

Alex of Bottom Shelf Board Games joins TC and Joe talks about the great The Great Zimbabwe! Splotter Spellen released The Great Zimbabwe in 2012. Grab a handful of cows and build monuments to the gods in this modern classic! Thanks to our sponsor www.gamesurplus.com for their continued support of the show. Go and check out how Elaine and Carmen are bringing the world of board games to you! Thanks as well to Punchboard Media! Check out a wealth of excellent board game media at www.punchboardmedia.com!

Aaron of Boards Alive joins TC and Joe for an in-depth look at the asymmetrical faction pseudo-civ game, Imperial Settlers. Can you find the hidden ninja? Thanks to our sponsor www.gamesurplus.com for their continued support of the show. Go and check out how Elaine and Carmen are bringing the world of board games to you! Thanks as well to Punchboard Media! Check out a wealth of excellent board game media at www.punchboardmedia.com!

Come join Moe as he explains to TC and Joe his experiences with Donning the Purple. Donning the Purple is a recently released one to three player game about the fight to be emperor in volatile pre collapse Rome. Thanks to our sponsor www.gamesurplus.com for their continued support of the show. Go and check out how Elaine and Carmen are bringing the world of board games to you! Thanks as well to Punchboard Media! Check out a wealth of excellent board game media at www.punchboardmedia.com!

From the Desk of Geof Gambill... In the first episode of Board Game Backstory, we examine the game Bora Bora by Stefan Feld. In this, and every episode of Board Game Backstory, I will examine a game, how it plays, and the time and place where the game is set. This historical backdrop will, hopefully, increase your enjoyment of the games we love to play. Thanks to our sponsor www.gamesurplus.com for their continued support of the show. Go and check out how Elaine and Carmen are bringing the world of board games to you! Thanks as well to Punchboard Media! Check out a wealth of excellent board game media at www.punchboardmedia.com!

David of the Long View of Scythe returns to climb a mountain. With Trains! That's right, this episode of The Long View examines Snowdonia, a game of worker placement focused on the famous Snowdonia train. It's a pleasure train in Wales whose purpose is to give you a beautiful view from the top of a mountain. Thanks to our sponsor www.gamesurplus.com for their continued support of the show. Go and check out how Elaine and Carmen are bringing the world of board games to you! Thanks as well to Punchboard Media! Check out a wealth of excellent board game media at www.punchboardmedia.com!

Ray is back on the Long View. This time he sings praise for Battlecon, the Arcade Fighter-esque card game with an endless supply of fighters! Thanks to our sponsor www.gamesurplus.com for their continued support of the show. Go and check out how Elaine and Carmen are bringing the world of board games to you! Thanks as well to Punchboard Media! Check out a wealth of excellent board game media at www.punchboardmedia.com!

In this episode of the Long View, Maurice introduces TC and Joe to Cataclysm, a new type of war game from GMT! Thanks to our sponsor www.gamesurplus.com for their continued support of the show. Go and check out how Elaine and Carmen are bringing the world of board games to you! Thanks as well to Punchboard Media! Check out a wealth of excellent board game media at www.punchboardmedia.com!

TC and Joe take a look back at how the games of 2017 have aged as we enter 2019. Thanks to our sponsor www.gamesurplus.com for their continued support of the show. Go and check out how Elaine and Carmen are bringing the world of board games to you! Thanks as well to Punchboard Media! Check out a wealth of excellent board game media at www.punchboardmedia.com!

The work so far of designer Ryan Laukat, covered by OG Geof Gambill. Thanks to our sponsor www.gamesurplus.com for their continued support of the show. Go and check out how Elaine and Carmen are bringing the world of board games to you! Thanks as well to Punchboard Media! Check out a wealth of excellent board game media at www.punchboardmedia.com!

The perennial resource trading classic with Joe Huber and Eric Brosius. Thanks to our sponsor www.gamesurplus.com for their continued support of the show. Go and check out how Elaine and Carmen are bringing the world of board games to you! Thanks as well to Punchboard Media! Check out a wealth of excellent board game media at www.punchboardmedia.com!

As we approach Essen 2018, TC and Joe take a look back at the games of last year's Essen. Thanks to our sponsor www.gamesurplus.com for their continued support of the show. Go and check out how Elaine and Carmen are bringing the world of board games to youl! Thanks as well to Punchboard Media! Check out a wealth of excellent board game media at www.punchboardmedia.com!

The Long View of Arkham Horror the Card Game by Fantasy Flight Games. Thanks to our sponsor www.gamesurplus.com for their continued support of the show. Go and check out how Elaine and Carmen are bringing the world of board games to youl! Thanks as well to Punchboard Media! Check out a wealth of excellent board game media at www.punchboardmedia.com!

David Taranto stars in this episode of the Long View about the beloved euro/battler hybrid by Stonemaier Games! Go out to the agrarian landscape and harvest crops alongside hulking mechs! Thanks to our sponsor www.gamesurplus.com for their continued support of the show. Go and check out how Elaine and Carmen are bringing the world of board games to youl! Thanks as well to Punchboard Media! Check out a wealth of excellent board game media at www.punchboardmedia.com!

Ryan of the Bridge City Boardgamers joins TC and Joe to discuss the classic family game, Alhambra, which is notable for having the most "big box editions" of any board game ever. Oh, and for that silly wall that new players accidentally finish before the game is over. Thanks to our sponsor www.gamesurplus.com for their continued support of the show. Go and check out how Elaine and Carmen are bringing the world of board games to youl! Thanks as well to Punchboard Media! Check out a wealth of excellent board game media at www.punchboardmedia.com!

Andy Denison joins TC and Joe as he talks about his extended forays into the 18xx genre. Wanting to take the next step into stock-driven route-building train-rusting economic smack-downs? Watch out for falling companies! Thanks to our sponsor www.gamesurplus.com for their continued support of the show. Go and check out how Elaine and Carmen are bringing the world of board games to youl! Thanks as well to Punchboard Media! Check out a wealth of excellent board game media at www.punchboardmedia.com!

Trent Hamm, friend of the Long View and formerly heard on the Android Netrunner episode, returns to talk about the new Living Card Game from Fantasy Flight. Well, it's 20 years old but keeps on coming back! How does this classic look in its newest iteration? Find out on this episode with TC and Joe! Thanks to our sponsor www.gamesurplus.com for their continued support of the show. Go and check out how Elaine and Carmen are bringing the world of board games to youl! Thanks as well to Punchboard Media! Check out a wealth of excellent board game media at www.punchboardmedia.com!

For the People is a classic wargame that pits players against each other as the Union and Confederacy during the Civil War. It uses a card driven system you may know of from Twilight Struggle, and its designer, Mark Herman, is credited with inventing that system. Hear about this wargaming classic from Jonathan, whose previous Long View appearance dealt with Hands in the Sea, a card-driven game set in the Punic Wars. Jonathan researches not only the game but the historical context to provide a robust analysis of classic wargames. Thanks to our sponsor www.gamesurplus.com for their continued support of the show. Go and check out how Elaine and Carmen are bringing the world of board games to youl! Thanks as well to Punchboard Media! Check out a wealth of excellent board game media at www.punchboardmedia.com!

Hailed as the ultimate partner trick taking game, Tichu has a somewhat obscure past if you read its rulebook. Out of that supposed obscurity, it has risen to be respected by gamers in all parts of the hobby. Mary Prasad, whom you may know as diceychic, tells all about one of her favorites in this installment of the Long View Podcast. Thanks to our sponsor www.gamesurplus.com for their continued support of the show. Go and check out how Elaine and Carmen are bringing the world of board games to youl! Thanks as well to Punchboard Media! Check out a wealth of excellent board game media at www.punchboardmedia.com!

Tiny houses are all the rage. Applying that concept to popular board games we end up with the topic of tonight's Long View: Agricola All Creatures Big and Small. Do you think meat is murder? Did you cry after your third begging card? Have you tried giving water to an Animeeple?Do you play primarily with 2 players in 30 minutes or less? Well I've got the perfect game for you! Thanks to our sponsor www.gamesurplus.com for their continued support of the show. Go and check out how Elaine and Carmen are bringing the world of board games to youl! Thanks as well to Punchboard Media! Check out a wealth of excellent board game media at www.punchboardmedia.com!

Get more than just your feet wet in this deep exploration of Hands in the Sea, a two player deck-building war game set in Roman times. Inspired by the asymmetrical A Few Acres of Snow, Hands in the Sea expands the system with dedicated sea combat among other features. Jump on the trireme with Joe and TC and let guest Jonathan take us through this episode of the Long View Podcast. Thanks to our sponsor www.gamesurplus.com for their continued support of the show. Go and check out how Elaine and Carmen are bringing the world of board games to youl! Thanks as well to Punchboard Media! Check out a wealth of excellent board game media at www.punchboardmedia.com!

Tiny houses are all the rage. Applying that concept to popular board games we end up with the topic of tonight's Long View: Agricola All Creatures Big and Small. Do you think meat is murder? Did you cry after your third begging card? Have you tried giving water to an Animeeple?Do you play primarily with 2 players in 30 minutes or less? Well I've got the perfect game for you! Thanks to our sponsor www.gamesurplus.com for their continued support of the show. Go and check out how Elaine and Carmen are bringing the world of board games to youl! Thanks as well to Punchboard Media! Check out a wealth of excellent board game media at www.punchboardmedia.com!

El Grande. The Great One. How many games have lasted more than 20 years under the scrutinous eye of tabletop aficionados? None can truly be worthy of uttering its name, but for this episode we have invited back he who is admittedly "so very wrong about games", Mark Bigney. Mark's self-aware inadequacy in approaching such a colossal subject is certain to have you laughing and cringing in similar proportions. Jump into the Castillo and keep your hands off the king's territory in the queen mother of Area Control: El Grande. Thanks to our sponsor www.gamesurplus.com for their continued support of the show. Go and check out how Elaine and Carmen are bringing the world of board games to youl! Thanks as well to Punchboard Media! Check out a wealth of excellent board game media at www.punchboardmedia.com!

Newcomer Luke takes us through a history of Tolkien board games as we dive deep into The Battle of Five Armies from Ares Games. Thanks to our sponsor www.gamesurplus.com for their continued support of the show. Go and check out how Elaine and Carmen are bringing the world of board games to youl! Thanks as well to Punchboard Media! Check out a wealth of excellent board game media at www.punchboardmedia.com!

Norm joins Joe and TC on official business on behalf of the Culture Bureau of the Canadian Government: The Long View of Crokinole! Regarded as Shuffleboard in the Round, Crokinole mixes tabletop and Parlor games to create a dexterity game that ranks among the top games on BGG. Thanks to our sponsor www.gamesurplus.com for their continued support of the show. Go and check out how Elaine and Carmen are bringing the world of board games to youl! Thanks as well to Punchboard Media! Check out a wealth of excellent board game media at www.punchboardmedia.com!

Lord of the Rings the Confrontation stands out among the hundreds of designs by the prolific Dr. Reiner Knizia. It's a two player head to head wargame with hidden units, like a concentrated Stratego. There's quite a bit to this game despite its small size a quick playtime. Ray Myers joins the Long View for the first time to tell us about this classic by a modern master. Thanks to our sponsor www.gamesurplus.com for their continued support of the show. Go and check out how Elaine and Carmen are bringing the world of board games to youl! Thanks as well to Punchboard Media! Check out a wealth of excellent board game media at www.punchboardmedia.com!

No Pun Included is here to guide us through ancient Egyptian battlefields in The Long View of Kemet! Kemet is a highly respected conflict game with a crazy card-playing combat system that incorporates sleight of hand. Hop on a giant scarab and learn about this amazing board game! A wise man once said: --In the land of Nile there were once five Great Men; and they said, "we shall build pyramids to bring glory and praise unto ourselves [and then attack each other mercilessly]." Thanks to our sponsor www.gamesurplus.com for their continued support of the show. Go and check out how Elaine and Carmen are bringing the world of board games to youl! Thanks as well to Punchboard Media! Check out a wealth of excellent board game media at www.punchboardmedia.com!

Experience the dark underworld of Japan on a new level in this deep exploration of the tabletop strategy game, Yedo. Players work as Japanese clan leaders working to overthrow the Shogun. Alex Singh from Youtube Channel Bottom Shelf Board Games guides us through this tense and dangerous board. Be vigilant for Samurai in this installment of The Long View Podcast. Thanks to our sponsor www.gamesurplus.com for their continued support of the show. Go and check out how Elaine and Carmen are bringing the world of board games to youl! Thanks as well to Punchboard Media! Check out a wealth of excellent board game media at www.punchboardmedia.com!

Mark Bigney of All the Games you Like are Bad fame takes a moment to ponder something good in his gaming experience: Tribune Primus Inter Pares. This Roman game designed by Karl-Heinz Schmiel and published by Fantasy Flight in 2007 sees players competing for the favor of various interest groups in Roman Society. It's an early worker placement game that's maintained a high status despite its age. Join Joe and TC as Mark guides us through the gladiator pits and the senate while we fight for the prime pears! Thanks to our sponsor www.gamesurplus.com for their continued support of the show. Go and check out how Elaine and Carmen are bringing the world of board games to youl! Thanks as well to Punchboard Media! Check out a wealth of excellent board game media at www.punchboardmedia.com!

The Long View welcomes back Tony Fryer to talk about his favorite Uwe Rosenberg game, Ora et Labora. Featuring no randomness, a resource wheel, a dollop of monastery building, and a massive helping of resource conversion, Ora et Labora sits firmly in the boardgamegeek top 100. Listen as Tony takes us on a trip to Ireland or France in this deep dive about a modern classic. Thanks to our sponsor www.gamesurplus.com for their continued support of the show. Go and check out how Elaine and Carmen are bringing the world of board games to youl! Thanks as well to Punchboard Media! Check out a wealth of excellent board game media at www.punchboardmedia.com!

Wargamer Katie from Katie's Game Corner is here to take us back to war in the time of Rome and Carthage with Commands and Colors Ancients! Considered by many to be the pinnacle of the commands system designed by Richard Borg, C and C has held a spot in the boardgamegeek top 100 for a long time! Thanks to our sponsor www.gamesurplus.com for their continued support of the show. Go and check out how Elaine and Carmen are bringing the world of board games to youl! Thanks as well to Punchboard Media! Check out a wealth of excellent board game media at www.punchboardmedia.com!

Race for the Galaxy entertained gamers from all areas of the spectrum for years. Then, a dice game off-shoot was released that challenged players to consider resources with the unpredictability of a thrown cube. Thus, Roll for the Galaxy slapped the gaming populace upside the head by allowing new players an entry point into one of the thinky-est game systems ever devised, by the prolific Tom Lehmann with some help and published by Rio Grande games in 2014-ish. Max Schmalzried is making his Long View Debut to inform YOU about one of the most entertaining dice offshoots in board games! Thanks to our sponsor www.gamesurplus.com for their continued support of the show. Go and check out how Elaine and Carmen are bringing the world of board games to youl! Thanks as well to Punchboard Media! Check out a wealth of excellent board game media at www.punchboardmedia.com!

Ricky Royal joins TC and Joe in this episode to talk about a heavy cooperative game known for its brutal difficulty and well-realized theme. We're talking about Robinson Crusoe Adventures on the Cursed Island by Ignacy Trzewiczek and published in 2012 by Portal Games. The struggle is real, and it's all about survival. Build yourself a shelter out of wood and fur and tune in to this in-depth analysis of a modern classic. Thanks to our sponsor www.gamesurplus.com for their continued support of the show. Go and check out how Elaine and Carmen are bringing the world of board games to youl! Thanks as well to Punchboard Media! Check out a wealth of excellent board game media at www.punchboardmedia.com!

Here's a crossover episode between The Long View and The Good, the Board and the Ugly. Come join Joe, Trent, and Andy as Geof tells about his experiences at the first ever PAX Unplugged convention held in Philadelphia at the same time as BGG Con. Thanks, as always, to our sponsor www.gamesurplus.com for their continued support of The Long View, and thanks, of course, to YOU for listening!

You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. -Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower We unpack the epic tabletop recreation of war in this episode of the Long View on D Day at Omaha Beach. Here to guide us toward the enemy fortifications is none other than Travis Hill of Low Player Count, right in his element with this solo game! Designed in 2009 by John H. Butterfield and currently ranked 4th on the list of wargames on boardgamegeek.com Thanks, as always, to our sponsor www.gamesurplus.com for their continued support of The Long View, and thanks, of course, to YOU for listening!

With the help of the man who started the Long View, Geof Gambill, we will travel to Mars! Geof discusses Terraforming Mars, a game he has an inside perspective on which was published in 2016 by Stronghold Games. Let's all hope our corporations fare better than Mark Watney as we bring plants among other improvements to the perilous landscape! Thanks, as always, to our sponsor www.gamesurplus.com for their continued support of The Long View, and thanks, of course, to YOU for listening!

The Hexagamers are here to talk about one of their favorite games, 7 Wonders. What makes this drafting classic so appealing? How is it that its 2 player spin-off, 7 Wonders Duel, is one of the highest rated games of all time on boardgamegeek.com? Whitney and Wes are here with hosts TC and Joe to answer these and other biting questions in the Long View of 7 Wonders! Thanks, as always, to our sponsor www.gamesurplus.com for their continued support of The Long View, and thanks, of course, to YOU for listening!

Paul Grogan and Carissa Join TC and Joe as they delve deep into the narrative driven choose-your-own-adventure style detective game! It's a game near and dear to Paul's heart ever since he bought one of the first editions back in the 1980's! How can a game released over 35 years ago still be getting updates and reprints? Find out on the Long View! Thanks, as always, to our sponsor www.gamesurplus.com for their continued support of The Long View, and thanks, of course, to YOU for listening!

Tony and Kyle of the Dual Gauge Podcast join T.C. and Joe to talk about two of Dual Gauge's favorite 18xx designs: 1837, released in 1994, and its follow up, 1824, released in 2005 and designed by Helmut Ohley and Leonhard Orgler. Thanks, as always, to my sponsor www.gamesurplus.com for their continued support of The Long View, and thanks, of course, to YOU for listening!