In this episode of On Board Games, Don, Erik are joined by Marc Specter from Grand Gamers Guild to talk about what they've played/done lately including: Tir Na Nog Box One Spiel Presents "Made for Play" Everdell Belgium Beer Race Great news! ShushCon is coming up: http://shushcon.com/ (21:13) Next, they talk about things they've tried related to gaming including: Storing games most efficiently using the Bin Packing Problem http://verolog.deis.unibo.it/bpp-spreadsheet-solver. Doing a one-print run expansion for Endangered https://grandgamersguild.com/products/endangered-monarc ..read more

The Specialists is a 1-4 player family game that plays in about an hour. It’s recommended for ages 14+ on the box, but that’s way higher than the reality. I’d say gamer kids of 10 will be fine – maybe a little lower. The theme sees you putting together a team of (you guessed it) specialists to pull off a series of heists. It works well enough, but in reality this is a largely abstract dice drafting and set collection card game. In the box you’ll find six reversible boards (that come together to make the main board), four small player boards, 21 dice, 100+ cards, and 150+ cardboard chits ..read more

The 1923 Cotton Club board game is a small box worker placement game for 2-4 players. Although if you’re predominantly a two-player gamer, I’d potentially steer clear (see ‘key observations’ below). The game takes about an hour to play. It is quite a basic euro game, so while the box says 12+ I’d say gamer kids around 10-years-old should be fine. Most information is public, so it is easy to ask questions where required. And the small amount of hidden info has clear reference notes in the rulebook. The theme, if anything, is more likely to be an issue for some parents (guns, ille ..read more

This week, Adrian catches us up on his Dallas Trip and game meetup with a friend/fan, Jeff tries out the AI in Dune Imperium, and Zach unsuccessfully tries to buy something.  00:00:27 - Engagement Period: Youtube techniques 00:03:39 - What have we been playing?: Dune Imperium, Scoville, Descent, Res Arcana 00:28:54 - Mid-Show Banter Break!  01:01:39 - News: Stonemaier Clears Ukrainian Partner Debts 01:04:51 - News: Undaunted Digital 01:07:15 - News: Arcs: Collapse and Conflict in the Void 01:10:33 - News: Fog Over Carcassonne Co-Op 01:14:38 - KS: 51st State Ultimate E ..read more

In this episode of On Board Games, Don, Erik and Stephen Hanan talk about what they've played/done lately including: Payday Frost Haven Inscription Nemesis Lockdown Mystery Dice Kickstarter Merchants & Maruaders Star Trek Panic Tiny Epic Dungeons Great news! ShushCon is coming up: http://shushcon.com/ (19:27) Next, they talk about how to start playing RPGs. Inverse Genius: http://www.inversegenius.com/ On Board Games is a proud member of the Punch Board Media Group. Patreon account: http://www.patreon.com/obg Twitter: @onboardgames RSS Feed: http://onboardgame ..read more

Ark Nova is a sprawling action selection/tableau building euro for 1-4 players. A solo game lasts about an hour. But with 2-4 you’re looking at two hours or more. And for once the high age on the box (14+) is probably about right. Not only is it long, but there are a lot of icons and mucho (oft hidden) card reading involved. For quite a mechanical euro, the zoo theme is well implemented. Players use action cards to build enclosures, gain sponsorship, add animals, create conservation/educational associations, or get more cards. You basically build up your own zoo on your player board. It c ..read more

This week, Jeff and Zach take their turn at a duo podcast while adrian learns his job. Jeff gets deep into some caves in LOTR Journeys in Middle Earth and Zach reset his TI 4 play clock. 00:00:36 - Engagement Period: While Adrian is away... 00:02:43 - What have we been playing?: JIME, Red Cathedral, TI 4 00:56:46 - Banter Break!:  Uncharted, Forbidden West, Peacemaker, Weather 01:12:49 - News: Kickstarter Block chain follow-up 01:15:43 - News: New Exit Games 01:19:56 - KS: Deep Rock Galactic 01:26:59 - KS: Bloc by Bloc 3rd MHGG Twitch Slack Channel  Patreon Guild ..read more

Lost Ruins of Arnak is a 1-4 player euro game, released in 2020 (and reviewed by me the same year). Arnak Expedition Leaders is the first significant expansion for the game, outside of some downloadable solo content and promo cards. On its release, the game became an instant hit. And is in the board Game Geek Top 50 games of all time (at time of writing). It combines light deck building and resource management mechanisms with a well realised and accessible Indiana Jones-style theme. In my original review, I praised Arnak for being both a mechanical and thematic triumph, offering ..read more

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