While the cat's away... Chris is traveling the globe this episode, so Jason has free reign over the game selections. Will his recent streak of mediocre contributions to the gem lineup continue? Or will digging deep into the library produce some new favorites? Join Jason Yanchuleff, Bill Arney and newcomer Ken Cantrell as they investigate 3 more possible gems. FEATURED GAMES:00:00 Intro & Banter 00:25:11 Feudality 00:57:03 Campanile 01:20:50 Quebec MUSIC (courtesy of https://epidemicsound.com):Feudality: “Medieval Feast”, Trabant 33 Campanile: “At the Sicilian Market”, Trabant 33 Quebec ..read more

Fantasy is a theme that has exploded into popularity in the past 30 years or so. It has had an impact on books, movies, TV, video games, and not least, board games. In this episode of Hidden Gems, your hosts Chris Alley, Bill Arney, and Cameron Lockey celebrate their enjoyment of the genre and review three fantasy-themed games. FEATURED GAMES:00:00 Intro & Banter 00:46:38 Gargon 01:13:52 Lost Legends 01:53:55 Dragonstrike MUSIC (courtesy of https://epidemicsound.com):Roma: “Battle Sword”, Phoenix Tail Pillars of the Earth: “Sacral Message”, Cercles Nouvelles Forum Trajanum: “Arriving in ..read more

What is it about Stefan Feld that keeps us coming back for more? In this latest episode pulled from some lesser known titles of his vast catalog, join your regular hosts Chris Alley and Jason Yanchuleff as they welcome guest host Daniel Wahlen of The Game Table to chat about a new crop of 3 potential gems. FEATURED GAMES:00:00 Intro & Banter 00:33:02 Roma 00:59:01 Pillars of the Earth: Builder's Duel 01:32:33 Forum Trajanum MUSIC (courtesy of https://epidemicsound.com):Roma: “Battle Sword”, Phoenix Tail Pillars of the Earth: “Sacral Message”, Cercles Nouvelles Forum Trajanum: “Arriving i ..read more

Make sure your seat backs and tray tables are in their upright positions before you fly the friendly skies with the Hidden Gems crew of Chris Alley, Bill Arney and Jason Yanchuleff as they soar through a new trio of games. Will the guys first attempt at the "two-and-a-new" format fly or end up grounded? Find out if any new gems are to be had on this latest, airline-themed episode. FEATURED GAMES:00:00 Intro & Banter 00:41:45 Blue Skies 01:13:14 Jet Set 01:40:29 Sky Team MUSIC (courtesy of https://epidemicsound.com):Blue Skies: “Street Groovin'”, Grip City Cronies Jet Set: “Vacay”, Riverw ..read more

The Spiel series continues with a new installment of nominees from 2012! Dig in with you hosts Chris Alley, Cameron Lockey and Jason Yanchuleff as they take a look at another crop of prestigiously nominated, yet strangely overlooked games -- listen in to hear our thoughts on the Spiel judges' decisions! FEATURED GAMES:00:00 Intro & Banter 00:27:19 Kulami 00:50:21 Miss Lupun 01:14:56 Kingdom Builder MUSIC (courtesy of https://epidemicsound.com):Kulami: “T Minus 5”, Farrell Wooten Miss Lupun: “Manhattan Mystery”, Stationary Sign Kingdom Builder: “Wonders”, Gavin Luke FOLLOW US:Email: hidde ..read more

Scares are aplenty in this year's special Halloween edition of Hidden Gems! Will poor Dean survive a night at the Kurtz's? Will Jason and Cameron do better on Chris' torturous Halloween-themed trivia game show? And, most importantly, will we find any more gems? Join your hosts Chris Alley, Jason Yanchuleff, Bill Arney and Cameron Lockey as they bring you three fresh reviews of unusual, forgotten, and under-appreciated Halloween-themed games in this 2023 episode of Hidden Gems! FEATURED GAMES: 00:00:00 Sketch: Chapter I - "All Little Boys Should Have A Mother" 00:04:34 Intro & Banter 00:34 ..read more

Castle building in the Scottish highlands, spicy peppers and a game about, well...  Watch out for the smelly stuff on this episode with your hosts Chris Alley, Bill Arney and Jason Yanchuleff as they step around three poo-tential gems from publisher Zoch Verlag. FEATURED GAMES:00:00:00  Intro & Banter 00:30:03 Kalimambo 00:49:04 Scharfe Schoten 01:17:48 Kilt Castle MUSIC (courtesy of https://epidemicsound.com):Kalimambo: "Bwamu", Balafola SuediScharfe Schoten: “Pots and Pancakes”, Alexandra Woodward Kilt Castle: "Old Scottish Town", Trabant 33 FOLLOW US:Email: hiddengemsboardga ..read more

Words with sheep, network building in the islands (also with sheep) and a vicious abstract (not so much about sheep). This week, your hosts Chris Alley, Bill Arney and Jason Yanchuleff take on the good and the baa-aa-ahd of three titles by designer Marcel-André Casasola Merkle. FEATURED GAMES:00:00:00  Intro & Banter 00:29:51 Attribute 00:48:55 Santa Cruz 01:16:56 Attika MUSIC (courtesy of https://epidemicsound.com):Attribute: "Cows on the Loose (60s Pop Version)", Magnus Ringblom Santa Cruz: “To the Ends of the Earth”, Edgar Hopp Attika: "Fight Until We Die", Ruiqi Zhao FOLLOW ..read more

We all know and love this prolific designer of the Catan series, but what lesser known (or just less talked about) gems might be hiding in his repertoire? This week, join your hosts Chris Alley, Bill Arney and Jason Yanchuleff as they take a look at three games by the late Klaus Teuber. FEATURED GAMES:00:00:00  Intro & Banter 00:39:29 Wacky Wacky West 01:06:56 Tumult Royale 01:36:22 Domaine MUSIC (courtesy of https://epidemicsound.com):Wacky Wacky West: "Full Moon Rag", Roy WilliamsTumult Royale: “Recorder Menuet No 1”, Cercles Nouvelles Domaine: "British Royalty", Trailer Worx FOLL ..read more

In this special episode of Hidden Gems, your hosts Chris Alley, Bill Arney, and Cameron Lockey review three Roman-themed games including one requested by one of our Patreon Gem Miners. FEATURED GAMES:00:00:00  Intro & Banter 00:22:35 Sylla 00:51:31 Ave Caesar 01:21:39 Constantinopolis MUSIC (courtesy of https://epidemicsound.com):Sylla: "Conspiracy, Inc", Alec SlayneAve Caesar: “Bring on the Adventure”, Raymond Grouse Constantinopolis: "Dance of the Wildcats", Deskant FOLLOW US:Email: hiddengemsboardgamepodcast@gmail.com Web: https://hiddengems.games Patreon: https://patreon.com/hid ..read more