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

Ben and Paul talk about Lords of Vegas as well as fairness and games and the new reality series "The Traitors."00:00:00 - Intro00:03:55 - The Traitors00:17:47 - Fairness + Winning Discussion00:47:41 - Vast: The Mysterious Manor00:53:56 - Weather Machine 01:01:19 - 18Mag01:11:41 - Mind MGMT01:15:44 - Lords of Vegas

We're back from a busy holiday season, and we have games to talk about:  Woodcraft, Imperial Steam, Wayfarers of the South Tigris, and Matt's first ever game of Twilight Imperium!

Tom, Candice, and Ben talk about Tiletum.  Plus, Candice tells us all about the games she played and people she met from five back-to-back conventions!

Ben, Trey, and Dmitry discuss the 2022 game, Autobahn.  Plus, recent plays of Deal with the Devil, Lacrimosa, and Atiwa.  Plus, they discuss a recent piece in the New York Times about strategy games.

Matt discusses the state of the solo mode in 2022 by looking at the solo modes from this season's top Essen games. 

Ben, Tom, and Paul chat about recent plays of Atiwa, Tiletum, Fracis Drake, and Maria.  Plus, recommendations for good games to play at Thanksgiving.

All four hosts are here this week to talk about a whole mess of hot Essen releases, as well as a deep dive on one of the season's biggest games, Revive. 00:05:30 Ready Set Bet00:10:30 Oak00:19:50 Autobahn00:30:30 Tiletum00:57:30 Revive

00:00:00 Introduction00:09:15 Maricaibo: The UprisingFrancis Drake00:23:00 Let's Go! To JapanNote: Josh Wood is NOT the designer of Isle of Cats - that's Frank WestJosh Wood's best known games are Cat Lady and Santa Monica00:32:30 Ready, Set, Bet00:45:45 Autobahn01:01:45 Oak01:08:50 Revive01:15:40 Federation01:35:15 Discussion: Narrative and the move toward Baroque design02:03:10 Thank you and outro

Tom, Paul, and Elder talk about recent plays of "Food Chain Magnate" and "Space Station Phoenix" and then games they would play for the rest of their lives.  Plus, Tom has more news from Essen.

Matt, Tom, Ben and Dmitry discuss the 2022 release "Skymines" (aka Moon-basa) as well as preview their most anticipated games of Essen 2022 and give four Essen games a brief "rulebook review". 

Tom, Trey, Paul, and Ben discuss the 2019 release "Western Empires" as well as "On Mars," "Ticket to Ride," "Viticulture," and "Food Chain Magnate."

Ben and Matt revisit Grand Austria Hotel with the Let's Waltz expansion before doing a deep dive with their initial impressions of the 2022 release John Company, Second Edition by Cole Wehrle.  Afterwards, they discuss the expectations they carry — perhaps unfairly — into a game night.

Now that we've finally notched some in-person plays The Transcontinental and Carnegie, we share our thoughts about what's changed in person versus online.  Plus, we talk about the modular game boards that pique our interest and recent plays of Tzolkin, Fresh Fish, and Ethnos.

00:00:00 Introduction: A discussion of Cossacks and the Steppe00:04:30 Avalon Poll results and discussionTom calls our listeners "trolls" and compares them to the "Silent Majority."00:08:20 Game NightHighly abbreviated Avalon discussion00:09:30 WormholesTrajanMore highly abbreviated Avalon talk wiithout talking about the actual game.Underwater CitiesBen does a Paul impression. Tom does a Mike impressionThe first of many discussions about minks, ermines, sables, stoats, and ferrets00:24:25 Great Western Trail: Argentina18Chesapeake00:43:00 Lacrimosa00:47:45 DaybreakPandemic: Rising Tide00:58:30 Vegas ShowdownLords of VegasJames Ernest / Cheapass Games / Crab Fragment LabsBlock and Key01:13:30 Review: Stroganov - designed by Andreas Steadingapologies to Andreas Steading for calling him Andreas SteadlingDarwin's JourneyThe Transcontinental01:58:40 Outro

Ben, Candice, and Paul review "1848: Australia" and then discuss how to demystify the 18xx genre.0:00;00 - Introduction: Welcome Ben, Omnigamer Candice and Gamebreaker Paul: Railways of Australia, 1848, 18xx, Avalon, Tank Duel, TI4, Die Macher, Tribune0:09:07 - This Week’s Game Night: Eclipse; Eclipse: Second Dawn; (TI) Tzolk’in (Tribes expansion) Pax Pamir 2nd ed, The Climbers, (Santiago) Railways of the World Async on BGA (Eastern America Map) Pictomania, 2nd ed, (Through the Ages, Pictionary) Telestrations after Dark, Top Ten, Destinies, (Sagrada, Clank, Clank: Legacy) 18 Ireland, 1817,0:41:41 - Game News: Village Big Box, Stonewall Uprising,(Twilight Struggle)0:46:37 - Games on the Brain: Hegemony, Stonewall Uprising, 1979: The Iranian Revolution, Free at Last, 1941: The Race to Moscow,  Black Orchestra, Labyrinth: The War on Terror, Wings for the Baron, Wonderland Tour (Quacks of Quedlinburg Heaven and Ale) 1;07:42 - Review of 1848 Australia:  1822 PNW, 1846, 1830, 1889, 1817, 18 Chesapeake2:02

Ben and Paul make up for episodes of neglected game sommelier segments with this mega roundup of questions we're overdue to answer.0:00:00 - Introduction: Welcome Ben and Paul 0:04;39 - This Week’s Game Night: 1848, Dice Realms, Taverns of Tiefenthal, (Russian Railroads) 18Ireland 0:23:11 - Board Game Sommelier0:24:10: Games for an Adult Community: Scrabble, Catan, Wavelength, Tichu, Telestrations, Ticket to Ride, 6 Nimmt, A Fake Artist Goes to New York, Just One, Concordia, Mahjong0:32:10 - Games for Newish Players who value Player Interaction:  Fresh Fish, Innovation, Concordia, Crisis, Gunkimono, Voluspa, Santorini, Twilight Struggle0:44:20 - Games/Designers that Suggest a Player who likes them  is a good or bad fit for the group: Sagrada, Catan, Arkwright, 18xx, Brass, Twilight Imperium, Foundations of Rome, Cards Against Humanity, Werewolf, Mafia, Avalon, Secret Hitler, Code Names, Decrypto, Ticket to Ride, 18Chesapeake, Age of Steam, Otello, Exploding Kittens1:03:05 - Economic Games with Player-Dri

0:00:00 - Introduction: Welcome Tom, Candice and Mike0:09:57 - This Week’s Game Night: Carnegie Deluxe (Gingkopolis, Carson City, Troyes,) Time of Crisis, (Railways of the World) Battle for Rokogon, Dale of Merchants, (El Grande, Babylonia, Wiz War)0:30:00-  Game News: BGG Con 2022, (Ark Nova, Messina) Cat in the Box, Undaunted: Stalingrad, Undaunted: Reinforcements, (Undaunted: Normandy, Undaunted: Africa) San Francisco, War of the Ring: The Card Game (Hunt for the Ring, Successors)0:49:34 - Time of Crisis Review: Age of Iron and Rust Expansion, Twilight Imperium1:35:45 - The Joys of Hand Management: Dominion, Dune Imperium, Terraforming Mars, Ark Nova, Race for the Galaxy, Twilight Struggle, Undaunted Normandy; Everdell, Scout, Bohnanza, Glory to Rome, Hand in the Sea, Arboretum, (Art Decko, Modern Art) Time of Crisis, Mumbasa/Sky Mine, Friedrich, Maria, Terraforming Mars: Prelude, Dual Powers (Labyrinth, Twilight Struggle,) Pax Porfiriana, Twilight Struggle, (Agricola, Gloomhaven) Star Wars: the Card Game,

Trey is joined by Tom and RPG designer jim pinto to review Root and explore asymmetry in games.0:00:00 Message about audio quality0:01:08 Introductionjim pinto at Post World GamesA Good Book for Bad GMsDogs in the Vinyard0:20:50 Game Night Clank: A Deck-Building AdventureThe HungerRicochet RobotsThe Resistance: AvalonShadows over CamelotGlass RoadTime of Crisis: The Roman Empire in Turmoil0:30:00 Game NewsTerra NovaTerraforming Mars: Dice GamePraxis / ProtocolAtiwaBGG on Great Western Trail: ArgentinaTigris and Euphrates in beta on BGACentury Spice Road and Copenhagen on BGA 0:44:19 Games on the BrainHistory of the WorldHegemony: Lead Your Class to VictoryBlood on the ClocktowerNo Rolls Barred plays youtube link0:57:08 Game Review: Root1:27:34 Member Segment: Beyond AsymmetryTwilight StruggleAndroid: NetrunnerHistory of the WorldDuneThe Great ZimbabweHere I StandWatergateStar Wars: RebellionCrescent MoonOathVastTime Agent-  Find Etamar at kirbooloni.com-  Game Brain Facebook Group-  Twitter-  Instagram

Ben, Dmitry, and Paul discuss the 2012 game "Ginkgopolis" as well as its expansion "Ginkgopolis: The Experts."  Plus, what makes us want to give a game a second chance.0:00:00 - Introduction: Welcome Ben, Philosophical Gamer Dmitry, and Game Breaker Paul.0:04:29 - This Week’s Game Nights: Avalon, Lowlands, Ark Nova, Time of Crisis, (Food Chain Magnate) Caesar!, (Blitzkrieg!) K2, Healthy Heart Hospital (Jaws, Top Gun) (Dice Hospital, Clinic) 18 Ireland, 1848, Scout, Mafia, (Bohnanza) Carnegie (Teotihuacan) (Black Angel) Agricola, Lorenzo, (Werewolf) Blood on the Clocktower1:11:11 - News: Spiel de Jarre nominations: Cascadia, Scout, Top Ten (Wavelength); Seven Wonders: Architects, Echoes: Thr Dancer, Magic Rabbit, My Goldmine, So Clover, Track 12 Hamilayas, Kennerspiel: Cryptid, Dune Imperium, Living Forest; Ark Nova, Cora: Rise of the Empire; Witchstone; Bureau of Investigation (Sherlock Holmes, Consulting Detective) Decorum, Wavelength1:21:40 - No Games on the Brain1:22:23 - Review of Ging