Game Brain: A Board Game Podcast With Matthew Robinson And His Gaming Group

Ben, Trey, and Paul explore the importance of enthusiasm at the game table.  Plus, recent plays of KCaloria, Zoo Tycoon, and Trey's first ever game of Twilight Imperium 4th Ed....0:00:00 Introduction0:04:27 kCaloria First ImpressionsWe All Take From the River0:16:20 Zoo Tycoon First Impressions0:38:50 Further Twilight Imperium 4th Ed. discussion 3 of a Kind1:22:35 Episode Topic: Enthusiasm - What we bring to the game table1:56:25 Outro-  Find Etamar at kirbooloni.com-  Game Brain Facebook Group-  Instagram

Matt, Jordan, and Trey track the rise and fall of Jordan's relationship with Paul. We also review Rise and Fall!0:00:00 Introduction0:03:50 True Confessions: Mini PaintingCoraQuestHeroscapeWarhammer: Kill TeamStar Wars: Shatterpoint0:14:05 Matt's Essen Most WantedAsian TigersCivolutionBlack ForestJoyrideAndromeda's EdgeShackleton Base: A Journey to the MoonSaltfjordPhoenix New OrizonSpectacularRebirth0:21:10 Jordan recounts the great 2024 betrayal of Twilight Imperium 4th Ed.0:32:25 other Games on the BrainHarmoniesAnno 1800: Die Erweiterung0:36:24 Game Review: Rise & FallArchipelago-  Find Etamar at kirbooloni.com-  Game Brain Facebook Group-  Instagram

Ben, Tom, and Paul do a deep dive on the midweight, gear-turning Euro Windmill Valley.  Plus, early impressions of Rise & Fall, some hot takes on Distilled, and flop sessions of Lost Atlas and Things in Rings.00:00 - Intro09:19 - Distilled23:08 - Rise & Fall44:03 - Railways of the Lost Atlas56:16 - 18RoyalGorge58:59 - Kutna Hora01:01:42 - Things in Rings01:05:55 - Windmill Valley

Ben and Paul talk about recent plays of Windmill Valley, Blades in the Dark, and Fields of Arle.  Plus, a gaming weekend in Palm Springs leads to hot takes on Things in Rings, Wilmot's Warehouse, Hollywood 1947, Forrest Shuffle, and Plantagenet, among others.  Oh, and Covid too, but that's a minor wrinkle.00:07:31 - Windmill Valley00:21:36 - Fields of Arle00:29:56 - Blades in the Dark00:43:45 - Plantagenet00:49:09 - Pagan00:55:54 - Gest of Robin Hood00:56:26 - Oranenburger Kanal00:59:10 - 21Moon01:10:56 - Things in Rings01:17:54 - Wilmot’s Warehouse01:28:02 - Calimala01:35:08 - Forest Shuffle01:49:36 - Seers Catalogue01:53:58 - Railways of the Lost Atlas02:06:24 - Hollywood 194702:20:26 - Indonesia

Ben, Trey, and Paul deep dive the new 18xx innovator "Railways of the Lost Atlas." Also, the three discuss recent plays of "Terraforming Mars: Prelude 2,” "Pampero,” and “Twilight Imperium, 4th Edition.”0:00:00 Introduction0:04:08 Terraforming Mars: Prelude 20:16:12 Twilight Imperium 4th Ed0:36:50 Pampero0:53:05 Concordia: Balearica1:01:00 Age of Innovation1:11:45 Game Review: Railways of the Lost Atlas-  Find Etamar at kirbooloni.com-  Game Brain Facebook Group-  Instagram

Matt and Jordan are joined by friend-of-the-pod Drew Conley to review inarguably the biggest board game release thus far of 2024: ARCS by Cole Wehrle and Leder Games. 0:00:00 IntroductionCascaderoSlay the Spire0:28:30 Game Review: ArcsWehrlegig GamesFind Drew at https://www.drewconleycomposer.com/ and https://www.youtube.com/@theboardgamecomposerFind more Jordan at https://www.youtube.com/@OptimalPlay-  Find Etamar at kirbooloni.com-  Game Brain Facebook Group-  Instagram

Ben, Trey, and Paul talk about catching the game wave.  What happens when you ride it, what happens when you miss it, and what happens when you try to start your own.  Plus, plays of Arcs, 1930: The Golden Age of Airlines, and Nucleum: Australia.

Tom, Trey, and Elder review El Burro. 0:00:00 IntroductionJenny Nicholson's videoStar Wars Unlimited Expansion Shadows of the GalaxyGuards of Atlantis IIBlood on the Clocktower Concordia0:31:50 Game Review: El Burro: A La Granja GamePlanta NuboLa GranjaAgraCooper IslandTroyes-  Find Etamar at kirbooloni.com-  Game Brain Facebook Group-  Instagram

Ben and Trey go deep into Salton Sea and also share initial impressions of Pax Penning and El Burro.  Plus, the two revisit Heaven & Ale and chat about what they want out of a game store.

Ben and Paul chat about some recent plays, including Salton Sea, and then Ben shamelessly attempts to communicate to Queen Games about his missing Marrakesh expansion.  Afterwards, the two explore the importance of enthusiasm at a game table and the dangers of becoming the dreaded FUN SPONGE.

The 2024 Golden Geek Award nominations have just been revealed, and we're  choosing faves, making endorsements, and offering sweeping predictions on which games will win.  Oh and by the way, thanks to everyone who voted and nabbed us a nom! Don't worry, we're focused on the games, not shameless self-promotion (well, maybe just a little self-promotion).Plus, Ben, Jordan, and Paul talk about recent plays of Ironwood, Galactic Cruise, Arcs, and Twilight Imperium.

Ben and Jordan talk about recent plays of Inventions, Galactic Cruise, Twilight Imperium, Arcs, and Resist.  Plus, discussion about space games — what does the concept of space bring to a game, and what makes a game a SPACE GAME (as opposed to a game set in space).Notations to come.

Ben and Paul talk about recent plays of Inventions, Terraforming Mars, and City of the Big Shoulders.  Then they do a deep dive about finger etiquette and games: why does it bother us, how do we address bad behavior, and what are the most common mistakes.  Shots will be fired.  Takes will be hot.00:00 - Intro02:33 - Inventions14:47 - Western Empires / Mega Empires23:25 - Terraforming Mars29:37 - 183033:07 - City of the Big Shoulders35:47 - Finger etiquette for board games

Tom, Jordan, and Ben discuss games they had shrugged off but later came to love.  Plus, recent plays of Imperium Horizons, Legacies, and El Grande.00:00 - Intro00:06 - Legacies26:11 - Avalon29:14 - El Grande34:14 - Franchise39:31 - Second Wind Games41:51 - Modern Art46:26 - Imperium Horizons54:37 - Dune Imperium: Uprising01:02:22 - Android: Netrunner01:08:42 - Black Angel01:14:26 - A Feat for Odin01:17:49 - Gold West01:19:55 - Boonlake01:22:06 - Great Western Trail: Argentina01:30:40 - Skymines01:39:48 - City of the Big Shoulders

Trey, Ben, and Dmitry review the 2024 release Let's Go To Japan.0:00:00 IntroductionWatch What Crappens wins Best Pop Culture PodcastThe Traitors0:08:48 Games on the BrainBaseball Highlights 2045 on GamefoundStar Wars: UnlimitedTry online at Force TableNetrunner at Nullsignal.gamesKnarrMarrakeshCuzco00:51:30 Game Review: Let's Go to JapanStationfallSanta Monica-  Find Etamar at kirbooloni.com-  Game Brain Facebook Group-  Instagram

Ben, Matt, and Paul sit down to talk about games they're going deep with (Root), and games that are brutalizing them (Cuzco).  And everything in between.00:08:04 - Traitors & Avalon00:14:10 - Root00:39:34 - Franchise00:50:36 - Netrunner01:07:10 - Cuzco01:25:00 - Dinosaur Gauge01:29:49 - Legacies01:36:52 - Lunar01:38:00 - Tournament at Avalon, Mino Dice01:40:00 - Boon Lake: Artifacts01:43:45 - Shikoku 1889

Special guest Jennifer Schlickbernd joins Trey to review Thunder Road: Vendetta and discuss starter modes in boardgames.0:00:00 Introduction0:02:35 Recent PlaysMerkatorArboreaPirates of Maricaibo20 StrongkCaloria launches on Kickstarter0:27:10 Game Review: Thunder Road: VendettaCar Wars (1981)Thunder Road (1986)The White Castle (2023)0:56:45 Discussion - Learning Modes in GamesEvacuationThinkerThemer's reviewReviveVoidfall-  Find Etamar at kirbooloni.com-  Game Brain Facebook Group-  Instagram

Ben and Paul discuss recent plays of Bloodstones, Bruxelles 1893, and Apiary. Then they try to figure out what's the best way for a group to select a game to play. Is it a democratic process?  A dictatorial one? Or maybe just a roll of the dice.15:47 - Apiary19:22 - Horseless Carriage23:20 - Bruxelles 1893: The Belle Epoque36:03 - Bloodstones51:55 - How to choose a game?

Hosts Matt, Tom, Trey, and Ben unite for our list of the best boardgames of 2023!0:00:00 Introduction0:05:10 Contest ResultsSol: Last Days of a Star0:18:35 Game Brain's Top Boardgames of 20230:20:04 T16 Great Western Trail: New Zealand0:25:20 T16 Inferno Guelphs and Ghibellines Vie for Tuscany, 1259-12610:27:30 T13 Bloodstones0:29:00 T13 Scholars of the South Tigris0:32:00 T13 Thunder Road: Vendetta0:34:35 12 Apiary0:37:10 11 Horseless Carriage0:43:15 10 Rats of Wistar0:46:15 9th Stationfall0:50:08 8th Earthborne Rangers0:54:50 7th White Castle0:59:05 6th Kutná Hora: The City of Silver1:03:10 5th Voidfall1:09:28 4th Nucleum1:16:05 3rd Age of Innovation1:24:45 2nd Evacuation1:33:40 1st Hegemony: Lead your class to victory-  Find Etamar at kirbooloni.com-  Game Brain Facebook Group-  Instagram

Ben and Paul catch up on the games they played over the 2023 holiday break.  Afterwards they reflect on their favorite play sessions and new-to-them games.  Strangely enough, they seem to gravitate towards their favorite meltdowns, which is a commentary on something, not sure what.Games discussed include Marrakesh, Dude, K2, Age of Steam, and Manhattan Project 2: Minutes to Midnight.Timestamps to come...