Men on Board: Recent Episodes
Men on Board
Men on Board is a bi-weekly board gaming podcast where each episode will focus on a particular category within the hobby. The categories will be anything from a mechanic, to a theme, to a particular designer or publisher, or whatever else we come up with that week. Each episode will usually focus on two games from the category and contain a discussion of each as well as some comparing and contrasting between them. Also, every episode will include a discussion that pulls back and looks at a Broader View topic about the board gaming hobby.
We are once again temporarily back, although (hopefully) this time it is going to be less temporary! This time around, we are reflecting on the last two years and specifically focusing on remote gaming. We talk about we we liked about the experience as well as the things that didn’t particularly work for us. We also have a discussion about the King’s Dilemma as a test case for remote gaming, as Mat and Other Matt compare their experiences of playing it in person with Aaron who played it mostly remotely. Finally, we have another conversation about the future of the show.
[00:00:00] - Introduction [00:00:35] - Catching Up [00:06:29] - Outlining the Episode [00:07:31] - Pros of Remote Gaming [00:22:59] - Cons of Remote Gaming [00:41:40] - King’s Dilemma: In Person vs. Remote [01:11:20] - The Future of the Show
Men on Board is part of the Dice Tower Network of podcasts. Find other great podcasts at https://www.dicetower.com/dice-tower-network.
We’re (temporarily) back! This is a bit of special episode and breaks from any of our normal format as we just wanted to catch everyone up on what we’ve been doing over the last year. So join us as we talk about our gaming adventures during the pandemic, including games that we’ve played over Zoom, Tabletop Simulator, and a little bit of gaming within social bubbles. We also talk about our experiences with the upcoming Roll Player Adventures from Thunderworks Games. Finally, we talk a little bit about the future of the podcast and when you can expect to hear from us regularly again.
[00:00:00] - Disclaimer [00:00:58] - Introduction [00:07:22] - Social Deduction Games over Zoom [00:13:20] - RPGs over Zoom [00:27:00] - Other Games over Zoom [00:29:54] - Twilight Imperium 4th Edition on Tabletop Simulator [00:42:24] - Other Games on Tabletop Simulator [00:45:43] - Digital Implementation of Board Games [00:48:18] - Campaign Games in Social Bubbles [00:55:18] - Roll Player Adventures [01:05:24] - The Future of the Show
Men on Board is part of the Dice Tower Network of podcasts. Find other great podcasts at https://www.dicetower.com/dice-tower-network.
Today we’re looking at games that both have artwork created by the extremely talented Vincent Dutrait. First we take a look at Museum and then we discuss Treasure Island. Then, in our broader view, we have a short conversation about how artwork impacts gameplay for us.
[00:00:00] - Introduction [00:01:55] - Vincent Dutrait [00:02:20] - Museum [00:23:39] - Treasure Island [00:38:26] - Comparison [00:46:32] - Other Games with Art by Vincent Dutrait [00:49:22] - Broader View
Men on Board is part of the Dice Tower Network of podcasts. Find other great podcasts at https://www.dicetower.com/dice-tower-network.
Sorry for the short delay in getting this one out to you, but it will be worth the wait! We’re going back to theme today and discussing two games set in the Marvel Universe: Legendary: A Marvel Deck Building Game & Marvel Champions. We start off the episode a bit uncharacteristically by having a discussion about our favorite Marvel characters, but then the rest of the episode is the usual game discussion that we provide. We end things with a conversation about what games from our collections that we would save from a burning building (after Aaron gives a major safety caveat about the dangers of house fires).
[00:00:00] - Introduction [00:01:59] - Marvel [00:06:13] - Legendary: A Marvel Deck Building Game [00:22:22] - Marvel Champions [00:36:30] - Comparison [00:44:14] - Other Marvel (or other Super Hero) Games [00:48:28] - Broader View
Men on Board is part of the Dice Tower Network of podcasts. Find other great podcasts at https://www.dicetower.com/dice-tower-network.
Today we’re taking a look at two recently released games that use engine building in two different ways: Fantastic Factories and Ecos: First Continent. We then have a conversation about the cult of the new and the balance between playing new and old games.
[00:00:00] - Introduction [00:01:16] - Engine Building [00:01:44] - Fantastic Factories [00:17:35] - Ecos: First Continent [00:37:44] - Comparison [00:45:24] - Other Engine Building Games [00:48:43] - Broader View
Men on Board is part of the Dice Tower Network of podcasts. Find other great podcasts at https://www.dicetower.com/dice-tower-network.
We are going back to one of Aaron’s favorite categories: social deduction. We’re covering a large span of time between games as we’re talking about the classic Ultimate Werewolf and the soon to be released Blood on the Clocktower. Please note that we have not played the official release of Blood on the Clocktower and we’ve only played with a print and play version, so we will not be discussing any of the game components. Finally, in our Broader View, we talk about metagaming.
[00:00:00] - Introduction [00:01:57] - Social Deduction [00:02:45] - Ultimate Werewolf [00:16:55] - Blood on the Clocktower [00:34:40] - Comparison [00:45:16] - Other Social Deduction Games [00:49:05] - Broader View
Men on Board is part of the Dice Tower Network of podcasts. Find other great podcasts at https://www.dicetower.com/dice-tower-network.
Today we are talking about two games that both have players building a collection of cards in order to chain different effects in the game: Everdell and Wingspan. Both games also have the adorable overlap of involving animals, as well as being very popular. And speaking of popularity, in our Broader View, we have a conversation about the impact of hype on the hobby.
[00:00:00] - Introduction [00:01:06] - Tableau Building [00:02:38] - Everdell [00:17:59] - Wingspan [00:34:55] - Comparison [00:44:02] - Other Tableau Building Games [00:47:00] - Broader View
Men on Board is part of the Dice Tower Network of podcasts. Find other great podcasts at https://www.dicetower.com/dice-tower-network.
With the release of The Rise of Skywalker, we wanted to take the opportunity to geek out over Star Wars and talk about two games from within the Star Wars universe: Star Wars: Rebellion and Star Wars: Outer Rim. Then, in our Broader View, we have a conversation about narratives in games.
[00:00:00] - Introduction [00:00:50] - Star Wars [00:02:44] - Star Wars: Rebellion [00:19:24] - Star Wars: Outer Rim [00:34:07] - Comparison [00:44:23] - Other Games either about Star Wars or like Star Wars [00:47:24] - Broader View
Men on Board is part of the Dice Tower Network of podcasts. Find other great podcasts at https://www.dicetower.com/dice-tower-network.
We weren’t looking at the calendar very closely when we decided to do a Kiki for our last episode because we didn’t realize that we’d be doing back to back Kikis so we could talk about PAX Unplugged! But we had a lot of fun in Philadelphia this year so we wanted to talk about what we saw and the games that we played. We’ll be getting back to our regular format for the next episode.
[00:00:00] - Introduction [00:01:04] - PAX Unplugged 2019 [00:08:26] - Oath [00:11:41] - The Shivers [00:15:03] - Divinity Original Sin: The Board Game [00:16:34] - Arkham Horror: Final Hour [00:21:14] - Paranormal Detectives [00:25:46] - The Magnificent [00:30:55] - Fantastic Factories [00:34:04] - Corinth [00:37:09] - Deep Blue [00:41:23] - Ecos: First Continent [00:45:26] - Blood on the Clocktower [00:57:23] - The Helios Conspiracy (Megagame)
Men on Board is part of the Dice Tower Network of podcasts. Find other great podcasts at https://www.dicetower.com/dice-tower-network.
First off, we’d like to apologize for our unplanned, unannounced one week hiatus! Aaron was busy writing a murder mystery party that we did last weekend, so we’re just catching up on our other nerdy endeavors. And while we’re talking about scheduling, we believe that we’re going to have an episode releasing on December 2nd, but there is a chance that it won’t release until December 9th. We’re pretty sure that it’s going to be a Kiki about holiday gift ideas.
Anyway, onto the actual episode itself! Today we’re talking about two deduction games: Mystery of the Abbey and Awkward Guests. In our Broader View, we have a discussion about pacing in games. We touch very quickly at the end of the episode about how all 5 of us should be at PAX Unplugged this year, and we’re really excited about it!
[00:00:00] - Introduction [00:02:15] - Deduction [00:04:05] - Mystery of the Abbey [00:19:46] - Awkward Guests [00:35:16] - Comparison [00:45:42] - Other Deduction Games [00:49:13] - Broader View
Men on Board is part of the Dice Tower Network of podcasts. Find other great podcasts at https://www.dicetower.com/dice-tower-network.
We’re calling this episode Mystery + because both of the games that we’re talking about our mysteries with a little bit of a stretch, but the truth is that this episode could have been called a lot of things because these games have a lot in common. The games that we are talking about our Deception: Murder in Hong Kong and Obscurio. Then, in our Broader View, we start out with every intention of having a conversation about maintaining balance at the table when you are in a GM-like role in a game, but we go all over the place and end up having a conversation about how bad we are at playing games with kids.
[00:00:00] - Introduction [00:00:46] - Mystery + [00:01:41] - Deception: Murder in Hong Kong [00:17:15] - Obscurio [00:34:52] - Comparison [00:45:14] - Other Mystery Games with a Little Bit Extra [00:48:09] - Broader View
Men on Board is part of the Dice Tower Network of podcasts. Find other great podcasts at https://www.dicetower.com/dice-tower-network.
The episode length is a little bit longer than usual because we are talking about two games with a lot going on with their strategy and we really wanted to dig deep into them. The games we’re talking about today are Underwater Cities and Terraforming Mars. Later, we have a discussion about games where repeated plays allow additional strategies to emerge. At the very end of the episode, we put out a call for suggestions on games or comparison suggestions from the audience. So if you have an idea that you’d like us to talk about, please feel free to send us an email or contact us through boardgamegeek or any of our social media pages!
[00:00:00] - Introduction [00:03:19] - Habitat Building [00:03:55] - Underwater Cities [00:21:46] - Terraforming Mars [00:38:16] - Comparison [00:47:20] - Other Habitat Building Games (or something like that) [00:51:41] - Broader View [01:03:57] - Call for Suggestions
Men on Board is part of the Dice Tower Network of podcasts. Find other great podcasts at https://www.dicetower.com/dice-tower-network.
Today we’re pressing our luck with our success of having all five hosts on the show next week and repeating the process while talking about two Flip & Write games: Welcome To… and Cartographers. Then, in our Broader View, we talk a little bit about our opinions on player turn length.
[00:00:00] - Introduction [00:00:55] - Flip & Write [00:02:11] - Welcome To… [00:17:04] - Cartographers: A Roll Player Tale [00:33:23] - Comparison [00:44:28] - Other Flip & Write Games (Or games that make us think of these games) [00:48:21] - Broader View
Men on Board is part of the Dice Tower Network of podcasts. Find other great podcasts at https://www.dicetower.com/dice-tower-network.
Today not only marks our 50th episode, but it is also our 2 year anniversary of launching this podcast! To celebrate, we each picked a game from our first 49 episodes to revisit and discuss how our opinions on it have evolved over additional plays. Thank you to everyone that has supported us over the last 2 years, and we are looking forward to another 50 episodes with you!
[00:00:00] - Introduction [00:01:09] - Second Anniversary Extravaganza [00:04:31] - Mat’s Choice: Cerebria: The Inside World [00:12:09] - (Other) Matt’s Choice: Ticket to Ride [00:22:29] - Jameson’s Choice: Cryptid [00:34:29] - Aaron’s Choice: Mansions of Madness Second Edition [00:42:41] - Josh’s Choice: Root [00:53:27] - Looking Toward the Future
Men on Board is part of the Dice Tower Network of podcasts. Find other great podcasts at https://www.dicetower.com/dice-tower-network.
The recording of this episode ended up going on for a crazy long amount of time, so if something in the episode sounds a little bit weird, it’s probably because a 5 minute non-sequitur or tangent was edited out. With that out of the way, today’s category is games by designer Stefan Feld, and we’re looking at Trajan and Castles of Burgundy. Then in our Broader View, we talk about longevity of board games. What you won’t hear is our conversation about board game canon in the Broader View, but you will at some point in the future!
[00:00:00] - Introduction [00:01:08] - Stefan Feld [00:03:09] - Trajan [00:20:40] - Castles of Burgundy [00:38:29] - Comparison [00:47:11] - One other Stefan Feld game, and then some other games [00:51:38] - Broader View
Men on Board is part of the Dice Tower Network of podcasts. Find other great podcasts at https://www.dicetower.com/dice-tower-network.
So while editing this episode, we realized that we kept referring to the series of games that we talk about in this episode as the Arkham Files, when in actuality the name of the series is the Arkham Horror Files! Hopefully everyone will be able to forgive the faux pas. But in this episode, we’re talking about Eldritch Horror and Arkham Horror Third Edition. In our Broader View, we talk about what we like about games that share a universe, and what other games we would like to see expand their universe into other games.
[00:00:00] - Introduction [00:01:03] - Arkham Horror Files [00:01:39] - Eldritch Horror [00:16:08] - Arkham Horror Third Edition [00:29:27] - Comparison [00:45:23] - Other Games from the Cthulu Mythos [00:49:20] - Broader View
Men on Board is part of the Dice Tower Network of podcasts. Find other great podcasts at https://www.dicetower.com/dice-tower-network.
We accidentally completely lost our sense of time in this episode, so it unfortunately ended up a little bit shorter than we usually like, but the end result should make up for the play length! Today, we’re talking about two games that share a theme of competing television networks: Primetime and The Networks. In our Broader View, we have a conversation about fiddly bits.
[00:00:00] - Introduction [00:00:32] - Television [00:02:46] - Primetime [00:19:16] - The Networks [00:29:54] - Comparison [00:38:34] - A couple games with a show theme and some other games [00:41:08] - Broader View [00:50:40] - Programming Note
Men on Board is part of the Dice Tower Network of podcasts. Find other great podcasts at https://www.dicetower.com/dice-tower-network.
Today we’re talking about the games Seasons and Res Arcana, and we called the category magic, but the connection between these games is a lot less general than that. Later, in our Broader View, we talk about the advantages and disadvantages in common types of variable set ups in games.
[00:00:00] - Introduction [00:00:51] - Magic [00:01:41] - Seasons [00:21:00] - Res Arcana [00:36:15] - Comparison [00:45:12] - Other Games with a Magic Theme (Except for Josh’s choice) [00:48:29] - Broader View
Men on Board is part of the Dice Tower Network of podcasts. Find other great podcasts at https://www.dicetower.com/dice-tower-network.
In this episode we are looking at two cooperative games where players are each playing as a miniature on a board and exploring a dungeon: Dungeons & Dragons Castle Ravenloft and Warhammer Quest Silver Tower. Then, in our Broader View, we talk about how games are adapted into other games and what the relationship is between the feelings players get in the different games…or at least, we try to talk about that.
[00:00:00] - Introduction [00:00:33] - Dungeon Crawling [00:00:57] - Dungeons & Dragons Castle Ravenloft [00:18:20] - Warhammer Quest Silver Tower [00:33:08] - Comparison [00:45:01] - Other Dungeon Crawling Games (For the Most Part) [00:49:09] - Broader View
Men on Board is part of the Dice Tower Network of podcasts. Find other great podcasts at https://www.dicetower.com/dice-tower-network.
Today we’re taking a look at theme parks in two very different ways: Unfair and Dinosaur Island. Because both of these games have some swingy randomization mechanics, we then talk about our thoughts about randomness in games in our Broader View.
[00:00:00] - Introduction [00:00:34] - Theme Parks [00:01:34] - Unfair [00:17:24] - Dinosaur Island [00:34:16] - Comparison [00:45:51] - Other Theme Park Games (For the Most Part) [00:49:08] - Broader View
Men on Board is part of the Dice Tower Network of podcasts. Find other great podcasts at https://www.dicetower.com/dice-tower-network.
Today we’re taking a look at the games that we played and our overall experiences that we had at Origins Game Fair 2019. We played a lot of games, so some of our thoughts are quicker than others!
[00:00:00] - Introduction [00:01:38] - Origins 2019 [00:13:19] - Calico [00:14:58] - Cartographers: A Roll Player Tale [00:15:43] - On Tour [00:17:47] - Gorus Maximus, Egizia: Shifting Sands, & Crown of Emara [00:19:25] - Pipeline [00:20:51] - Call to Adventure [00:22:44] - Underwater Cities [00:25:30] - Illusion [00:26:33] - Medium [00:29:11] - Smartphone, Inc. [00:31:56] - Die Tavernen im Tiefen Thal [00:32:55] - Obscurio [00:35:51] - Endeavor: Age of Sail [00:36:30] - Gem Hens [00:37:20] - Tuki [00:38:52] - Men at Work [00:39:23] - One Night Ultimate Super Villains [00:39:52] - Our Favorite Moments from Origins 2019
Men on Board is part of the Dice Tower Network of podcasts. Find other great podcasts at https://www.dicetower.com/dice-tower-network.
This episode was edited the night after getting back from Origins, so these show notes are going to be short and to the point! Today we’re talking about two games that were both originally published by Days of Wonder: Cleopatra and the Society of Architects and Colosseum. Because both of these games were then later reprinted, we have a conversation about reprints and games that we would like to see be reprinted. Most importantly, as of this episode Mat is officially back in Pittsburgh so we will once again be recording our episodes altogether in the same location!
[00:00:00] - Introduction [00:01:29] - Days of Wonder [00:02:44] - Cleopatra and the Society of Architects [00:17:49] - Colosseum [00:34:48] - Comparison [00:39:11] - Other Days of Wonder Games [00:42:47] - Broader View
Men on Board is part of the Dice Tower Network of podcasts. Find other great podcasts at https://www.dicetower.com/dice-tower-network.
We apologize for the delay in getting today’s episode out, but we think that it was worth the day’s wait! Today we’re talking about two pick up and deliver games: Firefly and Merchant of Venus. Then in our Broader View, we have a conversation that we’re calling The Logistics of Longer Games: Running Long, where we pretty much just talk about social etiquette when playing long games. If you’re going to be at Origins next week and you see us around, please say hi!
[00:00:00] - Introduction [00:01:02] - Pick Up and Deliver Games [00:01:40] - Firefly [00:16:09] - Merchant of Venus [00:32:05] - Comparison [00:41:37] - Other Pick Up and Deliver Games [00:44:57] - Broader View
Men on Board is part of the Dice Tower Network of podcasts. Find other great podcasts at https://www.dicetower.com/dice-tower-network.
Today’s Kiki is all about art in boardgames, and we run through exactly how much we value art and what we look for in art. We didn’t announce it in this episode, because we didn’t know it at the time of recording, but next week we will be back with another regular episode where the category is going to be Pick Up and Deliver games and we’re going to talk about Merchant of Venus and Firefly.
[00:00:00] - Introduction [00:04:07] - Does art matter in board games? [00:19:34] - What kind of styles of art are we drawn toward? [00:36:22] - How does art influence gameplay for us? [00:39:08] - What do we think of art as a mechanic in games? [00:45:29] - What is some of our favorite and least favorite art in games?
Men on Board is part of the Dice Tower Network of podcasts. Find other great podcasts at https://www.dicetower.com/dice-tower-network.
We went a little bit long today, but that’s because we’re essentially talking about 9 different games in our descriptions. And that’s because today we are taking a look at asymmetrical games by comparing Vast: The Crystal Caverns and Root. We then take a step back and talk about how we learn games. We also get a little bit excited about the upcoming Origins: Game Fair, so be on the lookout for us if you are heading to Columbus next month!
[00:00:00] - Introduction [00:00:34] - Asymmetric Games [00:01:55] - Vast: The Crystal Caverns [00:18:21] - Root [00:35:36] - Comparison [00:46:27] - Other Asymmetric Games [00:50:14] - Broader View
Men on Board is part of the Dice Tower Network of podcasts. Find other great podcasts at https://www.dicetower.com/dice-tower-network.
Today we’re talking about games with a steampunk theme, and we’re discussing The World of SMOG: On Her Majesty’s Service and Victorian Masterminds. Then in our Broader View, after looking forward to Victorian Masterminds for what felt like forever, we talk about anticipation of games and what games and events that we’re currently anticipating.
[00:00:00] - Introduction [00:00:43] - Steampunk [00:02:30] - The World of SMOG: On Her Majesty’s Service [00:22:02] - Victorian Masterminds [00:39:27] - Comparison [00:43:56] - Other Steampunk Games [00:48:00] - Broader View
Men on Board is part of the Dice Tower Network of podcasts. Find other great podcasts at https://www.dicetower.com/dice-tower-network.
While editing this episode, we realized that we had some unfortunate audio issues, and we apologize for the quality in some parts! Because of this, we edited a little bit more than we usually do, bringing the episode length down a little bit. Hopefully this will clear up the confusion when you hear Aaron talk about how the recording is going long during the episode!
The category in this episode is Cerebria, which is a shared theme between two different games from Mindclash Games. Specifically, we’re talking about Cerebria: The Inside World and Cerebria: The Card Game. In our Broader View, we have a discussion about variable player counts in board games.
[00:00:00] - Introduction [00:01:11] - Cerebria [00:02:20] - Cerebria: The Inside World [00:23:26] - Cerebria: The Card Game [00:36:00] - Comparison [00:41:52] - Other Games with Two Implementations [00:45:03] - Broader View
Men on Board is part of the Dice Tower Network of podcasts. Find other great podcasts at https://www.dicetower.com/dice-tower-network.
Starting off with a programming note, due to moving this episode is going to be a gap filler until we get the games unpacked and the studio set up in Aaron’s new house. Episode 38 will be airing on April 22, 2019. For this episode, we’re talking about our experiences and opinions on tabletop RPGs, and we spend a lot of that time talking about a campaign of Mutants & Masterminds.
[00:00:00] - Introduction [00:01:48] - What do we like about RPGs? [00:08:51] - What do we look for in a system [00:24:41] - What kind of characters do we like to play [00:39:12] - Do we prefer to GM or play characters?
Men on Board is part of the Dice Tower Network of podcasts. Find other great podcasts at https://www.dicetower.com/dice-tower-network.
As of this episode, our friend and occasional fill-in host Other Matt is officially joining the cast of Men on Board. We accidentally forgot to elaborate on how this is going to work moving forward on the show itself, but what will happen is that Matt is going to be more regularly filling in for Josh and other hosts are there are conflicts in our schedules so that we can produce even more content! That being sad, at the end of this episode we announce that there may be some delays in some upcoming episodes due to some logistics surrounding Aaron moving.
Anyway, in this episode we’re celebrating Other Matt joining us by talking about historic war games. In particular, we’re looking at Memoir 44 and 1775: Rebellion. In our Broader View, we have a discussion about the different ways that combat resolution is handled in games and what we like and don’t like about these systems.
[00:00:00] - Introduction [00:01:11] - Historic War Games [00:01:40] - Memoir 44 [00:17:02] - 1775: Rebellion [00:33:01] - Comparison [00:42:51] - Other Historic War Games [00:46:45] - Broader View [01:01:20] - Programming Announcement
Men on Board is part of the Dice Tower Network of podcasts. Find other great podcasts at https://www.dicetower.com/dice-tower-network.
Today we are focusing on two games by the designer/codesigner Daniele Tascini: Teotuhican: City of Gods and Tzolk’in: The Mayan Calendar. We also probably mispronounced about half of this episode. In our Broader View, we talk about things we like and dislike about rule books. At the end of the episode, we also make some announcements about the future of the show.
[00:00:00] - Introduction [00:00:55] - Daniele Tascini [00:01:38] - Tzolk'in: The Mayan Calendar [00:16:26] - Teotihuacan: City of Gods [00:33:51] - Comparison [00:44:21] - Other Games That Are Similar In Some Way [00:47:56] - Broader View [01:00:23] - Programming Announcement
Men on Board is part of the Dice Tower Network of podcasts. Find other great podcasts at https://www.dicetower.com/dice-tower-network.
Today, instead of doing one of our standard format episodes we’re doing a Kiki about what we thought about 2018 in terms of gaming, as well as looking ahead to our hopes for 2019. We also may have hit a new record for mispronunciations (until our next regular episode).
[00:00:00] - Introduction [00:01:48] - Games Workshop [00:10:36] - CMON [00:14:35] - Kickstarter [00:25:19] - Disposability of Gaming Experiences [00:30:31] - Eurogaming [00:35:49] - Favorite Games of 2018 [00:38:50] - Time Stories [00:43:33] - Hopes for 2019 [00:46:52] - Comas [00:48:44] - Final Rambling Thoughts
Men on Board is part of the Dice Tower Network of podcasts. Find other great podcasts at https://www.dicetower.com/dice-tower-network.
As of this episode, Men on Board is officially a part of the Dice Tower Network! We talk a little bit about that and some new things that we’re going to be doing with the podcast. Our category this week is mystery games, and we explore that through Tragedy Looper and Mysterium. Then in our Broader View, we talk about what we like about mysteries more generally, and we spend a lot of time talking about how much we enjoy murder mystery parties.
[00:00:00] - Introduction [00:04:33] - Mystery Games [00:05:19] - Tragedy Looper [00:24:51] - Mysterium [00:39:21] - Comparison [00:47:56] - Other Mystery Games [00:52:25] - Broader View
The murder mysteries that we were talking about during the Broader View can be found at https://www.freeformgames.com.
Men on Board is part of the Dice Tower Network of podcasts. Find other great podcasts at https://www.dicetower.com/dice-tower-network.
This episode, we’re happy to have our friend Other Matt once again step in to help us out while Josh was unavailable. Today we’re looking at two very logical deduction games, Sleuth and Cryptid, and taking a look at how these games handle the mechanic in a very pure fashion. In our Broader View, we are putting out our New Year’s Resolutions just in time for the end of January.
[00:00:00] - Introduction [00:00:52] - Deduction Games [00:01:48] - Sleuth [00:17:30] - Cryptid [00:38:32] - Comparison [00:48:17] - Other Deduction Games [00:52:50] - Broader View
In our first episode of 2019 we’re looking at two bag building games that use their shared mechanic and two different ways. First up is the push your luck style of Quacks of Quedlinburg and next we have the worker placement style in Orleans. In our Broader View, we each discuss our dream combination of a mechanic, theme/IP, designer, and publisher for a game.
[00:00:00] - Introduction [00:01:05] - Bag Building Games [00:01:27] - Quacks of Quedlinburg [00:18:31] - Orleans [00:34:23] - Comparison [00:45:21] - Other Bag Building Games [00:48:18] - Broader View
On the last day of 2018 we’re talking about racing games and comparing Formula D and Downforce. In our Broader View, we have a discussion about what we do when we’re not enjoying a game. We’re also still on the lookout for any feedback or suggestions while we’re taking a look at potential switching up our format. Happy New Year everyone!
[00:00:00] - Introduction [00:02:20] - Racing Games [00:02:58] - Formula D [00:20:10] - Downforce [00:29:34] - Comparison [00:36:52] - Other Racing Games [00:39:52] - Broader View
We’re switching up the schedule this week and pushing back Episode 33 to December 31st and instead we’re releasing this Board Game Kiki episode about Pax Unplugged 2018. Just as a heads up, we had some technical difficulty while recording, so when things sound choppy or when we’re talking a mile a minute, that’s why. With Christmas approaching, we also give our version of a gift guide in the form of what gifts we would give to each other. Finally, we are once again putting out the call for feedback as we have some discussions behind the scenes about potentially switching up our format.
[00:00:00] - Production Update[00:00:49] - Introduction[00:02:20] - Pax Unplugged 2018[00:08:38] - Victorian Masterminds[00:10:48] - The River[00:12:30] - Fog of Love[00:15:23] - Manhattan[00:16:49] - Ricochet Robots[00:17:58] - Micropolis[00:18:13] - Pax Unplugged Lending Library Etiquette[00:21:14] - Gorus Maximus[00:23:13] - Quacks of Quedlinburg[00:25:03] - Fog of Love (Again)[00:27:04] - Fae[00:28:34] - Pax Unplugged Final Thoughts[00:31:10] - Gifting Guide[00:47:38] - Request for Feedback
Gifting Guide
Aaron’s GiftsFrom Josh: The Nameless Campaign and Prince AaronFrom Jameson: Betrayal at Baldur’s GateFrom Mat: Tzolk’in
Mat’s GiftsFrom Aaron: ScytheFrom Josh: Arboretum DeluxeFrom Jameson: Ricochet Robots
Jameson’s GiftsFrom Mat: SantoriniFrom Aaron: My Little ScytheFrom Josh: Dragon Castle
Josh’s GiftsFrom Jameson: Warhammer Quest: Blackstone FortressFrom Mat: Prodigal’s ClubFrom Aaron: Fog of Love
This episode ended up being a little bit longer because we were having a lot of fun in our Broader View, so hopefully you enjoy the extra content! The category this week is cooperative games, and both of our cooperative games that we’re talking about have an island theme: Robinson Crusoe and Spirit Island. In our Broader View, we continue with the island theme and we discuss what three games (or as Jameson insists three games and a deck of cards) would we bring to a desert island. We also all cheat and sneak in an honorable mention.
[00:00:00] - Introduction [00:00:53] - Cooperative Games [00:01:10] - Robinson Crusoe [00:18:49] - Spirit Island [00:36:17] - Comparison [00:45:29] - Other Cooperative Games [00:47:51] - Broader View
Recommendations:
Aaron: Forbidden Sky Josh: Sentinels of the Multiverse Jameson: Battlestar Galactica Mat: Big Book of Madness
Aaron’s Desert Island Games:
1) Arcardia Quest 2) Twilight Imperium Third Edition 3) Sentinels of the Multiverse Honorable Mention: Cerebria
Josh’s Desert Island Games:
1) Scythe 2) Lost Cities 3) Werewolf Honorable Mention: Ticket to Ride
Jameson’s Desert Island Games:
1) Arcardia Quest 2) Battlestar Galactica 3) Mysterium Honorable Mention: Spirit Island
Mat’s Desert Island Games:
1) Captain Sonar 2) Schotten Totten 3) Werewolf Honorable Mention: Ticket to Ride Europe
In this episode we’re talking about Next Move, which is an imprint from the publisher Plan B Games. We’re talking about both of the games that Next Move has published to date: Azul and Reef. In our Broader View, we talk about what we consider filler games and how we feel about them.
[00:00:00] - Introduction[00:01:05] - Next Move Games[00:01:29] - Azul[00:16:27] - Reef[00:31:39] - Comparison[00:40:36] - Other Tile Laying Games[00:43:31] - Broader View
In this shorter than average episode, we’re going back to Social Deduction games, but this time we’re focusing on games that play in a short amount of time. Specifically, we’re talking about One Night Ultimate Werewolf and Crossfire. In our Broader View, we talk about playing games at parties, and we end up spending way too much time talking about our frustrations with Cards Against Humanity.
[00:00:00] - Introduction[00:01:40] - Social Deduction[00:02:27] - One Night Ultimate Werewolf[00:15:56] - Crossfire[00:27:04] - Comparison[00:33:38] - Other (Short) Social Deduction Games[00:36:48] - Broader View
Shakespeare is the category this week as we discuss the games Histrio and Shakespeare. In our Broader View, we talk about settings in board games, and the conversation goes into some places that we weren’t expecting and get a little bit real.
[00:00:00] - Introduction[00:00:47] - Shakespeare (Category)[00:01:25] - Histrio[00:13:32] - Shakespeare (Game)[00:34:41] - Comparison[00:43:37] - Other Games about Putting on Shows[00:46:21] - Broader View
This week we’re looking at two series of games that simulate the feeling of an escape room: the Unlock series and the Exit series. Because of the nature of these games, we were very careful to avoid spoilers, and only lightly touched on a few topics that may be considered slight spoilers, so I have noted those times in the show notes below, along with what is talked about in general. In our Broader View, we talk about how to make your game group more inclusive with a particular focus on inclusivity for gay men.
[00:00:00] - Introduction[00:00:33] - Escape Rooms[00:02:38] - Unlock Series[00:13:53] - SPOILER: Vague references to mechanics in Squeek & Sausage and The Formula[00:16:42] - SPOILER: Discussions about the set up of The Island of Doctor Goorse and vague references to frustrations with the game[00:21:26] - Exit Series[00:23:57] - SPOILER: Commentary about the design of the wheel in Pharaoh’s Tomb and Sunken Treasure[00:33:21] - SPOILER: Slight spoiler about the overall nature of Dead Man on the Orient Express[00:33:56] - Comparison[00:39:52] - Other Games that feel like Escape Rooms[00:43:52] - Broader View
Today we’re celebrating our one year anniversary, and because this episode is coming out a day late, it is actually coming out on our one year anniversary! So in honor of making it a full year, we’re going back to our very first category and revisiting hidden movement with Specter Ops and Nuns on the Run. In our Broader View, we reflect on the last year of recording this podcast. Thank you to everyone that has been on this journey with us!
[00:00:00] - Introduction [00:01:07] - Hidden Movement [00:02:12] - Specter Ops [00:20:01] - Nuns on the Run [00:31:25] - Comparison [00:37:11] - Other Hidden Movement Games [00:41:40] - Broader View
This episode went longer than we try to keep our episodes, but since we're talking about Twilight Imperium that seemed appropriate. Specifically, we're talking about Twilight Imperium Third Edition and Twilight Imperium Fourth Edition. Also, because Josh has never played Twilight Imperium, we brought in our friend (Other) Matt to fill in our fourth chair. In our Broader View, we talk about playing games that are an all day event.
[00:00:00] - Introduction [00:03:25] - Twilight Imperium [00:06:09] - Twilight Imperium Third Edition [00:31:46] - Twilight Imperium Fourth Edition [00:34:14] - Comparison [00:56:49] - Other Epic Games [00:59:52] - Broader View
Today we're discussing board games that are in some degree hybrids of board games and video games. These are games that require smartphone apps in order to be played, and the two games that we're featuring are Stop Thief! and Mansions of Madness Second Edition. Then, in our Broader View, we're going to flip the script and talk about board games that have been made into apps and how we feel about that.
[00:00:00] - Introduction [00:00:43] - App Integration [00:01:19] - Stop Thief! [00:16:26] - Mansions of Madness Second Edition [00:40:10] - Comparison [00:42:56] - Other Games with App Integration [00:46:43] - Broader View
In part two of our two part "plus" series, we're looking at deckbuilding games that both have some mechanics that go a little bit beyond the typical deckbuilding game. Specifically, we're talking about Clank!: A Deck-Building Adventure and The Quest for El Dorado. In our Broader View, we go on a series of tangents about sleeving, shuffling, and storing cards, which we're calling card maintenence.
[00:00:00] - Introduction [00:01:07] - Deckbuilding Games with a Little Bit Extra [00:02:18] - Clank!: A Deck-Building Adventure [00:19:16] - The Quest for El Dorado [00:32:20] - Comparison [00:38:35] - Other Deckbuilding Games [00:42:43] - Broader View
In this episode's category, we're looking at two deduction games that have a little bit more going on than just straightforward deduction: Mystery Express and Alchemists. In our Broader View, we talk about Aaron's pet peeve of Deduction and Mystery being used as synonyms. Also in this episode, we're putting the call out for feedback as we near our one year anniversary of podcasting and look forward to the future.
[00:00:00] - Introduction [00:01:02] - Deduction Games with Something More [00:02:17] - Mystery Express [00:18:48] - Alchemists [00:34:17] - Comparison [00:38:26] - Other Deduction Games [00:43:31] - Broader View [00:54:20] - Looking Forward and a Request for Assistance
Today we're taking a look at a publisher that typically makes family friendly games that can be scaled up in complexity with expansion content: Queen Games. Specifically, we're talking about Alhambra and Fresco. In part two of our two part Broader View conversation about expansions, we discuss our thoughts about when we integrate expansions.
[00:00:00] - Introduction [00:00:34] - Queen Games [00:02:19] - Alhambra [00:15:20] - Fresco [00:28:25] - Comparison [00:34:39] - Other Games from Queen Games (and a game with a Queen) [00:38:11] - Broader View
In this episode, we're looking at games with a lot of available expansion content: Carcassonne and Dominion. In our Broader View, we have a discussion about what we consider before purchasing an expansion for a game.
[00:00:00] - Introduction [00:00:43] - Prolific Expansions [00:01:20] - Carcassonne [00:15:33] - Dominion [00:30:02] - Comparison [00:38:08] - Other Games with a Prolific Number of Expansions [00:41:19] - Broader View
In our first Board Game Kiki, we're talking about everything that we did and played at Origins Game Fair 2018! These Kiki episodes are going to be sporadic and occur only when we have something that we want to talk about that doesn't fit into our normal format.
[00:00:00] - Introduction [00:02:50] - Origins 2018 [00:07:08] - Queen Games [00:07:23] - Luxor [00:09:32] - Alhambra [00:10:39] - Franchise & Other Upcoming Queen Games [00:12:12] - Bezier Games [00:12:31] - One Week Ultimate Werewolf [00:13:28] - Werewolf Legacy [00:16:13] - Reef [00:18:41] - The Mind [00:20:25] - Nyctophobia [00:22:08] - Decrypto [00:23:24] - Nightfalls [00:26:55] - Ticket to Ride New York [00:28:59] - Seven Wonders Armada [00:32:15] - Dragon Castle [00:33:27] - 1754 [00:35:52] - Tudors [00:38:05] - Ladies & Gentlemen [00:38:51] - An Outsider's Perspective from our Friend Topher [00:42:30] - Thank You
Today we're looking at two games designed by Alexander Pfister: Mombasa and Great Western Trail. In our Broader View, we talk about game designer signatures. Shorter show notes courtesy of getting home very late after Origins 2018!
[00:00:00] - Introduction[00:00:51] - Alexander Pfister[00:01:30] - Mombasa[00:17:01] - Great Western Trail[00:32:38] - Comparison[00:38:37] - Other Games Like These In Some Way[00:42:35] - Broader View
This week we're looking at set collection with Splendor and Century: Golem Edition (which is mechanically identical to Century Spice Road, but Aaron just likes animating golems more than trading spices). In our Broader View, we discuss how component quality can enhance or detract from our enjoyment of a game.
[00:00:00] - Introduction [00:00:56] - Set Collection [00:01:23] - Splendor [00:16:24] - Century: Golem Edition [00:31:13] - Comparison [00:38:41] - Other Set Collection Games [00:41:44] - Broader View
After starting off with some bad news last episode and promising the same for this week, we were pleasantly surprised to see that we did not have the same issue in this recording! This week, we're talking about the social deduction games Two Rooms and a Boom and The Resistance. In our Broader View, we talk about deception in games and it gets a little bit real.
[00:00:00] - Introduction [00:00:41] - Social Deduction Games [00:01:32] - Two Rooms and a Boom [00:15:59] - The Resistance [00:30:05] - Comparison [00:34:58] - Other Social Deduction Games [00:38:11] - Broader View
Unfortunately, we had some issues with the recording in this episode, so Mat's sound quality is a little bit distracting. As a result, we had to do some creative editing, so hopefully this doesn't sound too jarring. But in this lo-fi episode, we're discussing Ghost Stories and Zombicide: Black Plague, two cooperative games where dice combat is a major part of the game. In our Broader View, we have a discussion about dealing with alpha players.
[00:00:00] - An apology [00:00:46] - Introduction [00:01:28] - Cooperative Dice Games [00:02:14] - Ghost Stories [00:17:05] - Zombicide: Black Plague [00:33:13] - Comparison [00:39:50] - Other Cooperative Dice Games [00:42:40] - Broader View
The category for this episode is card drafting games which we define as games where a player gets a hand of cards, selects one of those cards, and then passes the hand off to another player. The games that we're comparing our Sushi Go Party and 7 Wonders. In our Broader View, we talk about storing game components.
[00:00:00] - Introduction [00:00:45] - Card Drafting [00:01:50] - Sushi Go Party [00:15:23] - 7 Wonders [00:34:11] - Comparison [00:39:57] - Other Card Drafting Games [00:43:14] - Broader View
This episode takes a look at two similar appearing games that are actually very different. The category is Mad King Ludwig, who was actually King Ludwig II of Bavaria. The games we're talking about today are Castles of Mad King Ludwig and The Palace of Mad King Ludwig, which are both tile laying games but play very distinctly from each other. In our Broader View, we discuss aggressive gameplay and our personal reactions to it.
[00:00:00] - Introduction [00:00:41] - Mad King Ludwig [00:01:59] - Castles of Mad King Ludwig [00:17:43] - The Palace of Mad King Ludwig [00:31:31] - Comparison [00:41:55] - Other Tile Laying Games [00:44:43] - Broader View
We're hoping that this episode is going to be the first in a series of episodes about Spiritual Successors of games (but if not it works well enough on its own!). In our first installment of Spiritual Successors, we're taking a look at Eric Lang's series of mythology based area control games: Blood Rage and Rising Sun. In our Broader View, we're talking about exclusive content in gaming.
[00:00:00] - Introduction [00:00:50] - Spiritual Successors [00:01:26] - Blood Rage [00:22:34] - Rising Sun [00:34:37] - Comparison [00:46:42] - Other Spiritual Successors [00:49:35] - Broader View
This episode went a little bit longer than usual, but that's because we have been waiting to talk about Mindclash Games since we started this podcast! Today we're looking at the two games that have been released by Mindclash to date: Anachrony and Trickerion. In our Broader View, we give some advice about how to teach complicated games.
[00:00:00] - Introduction [00:00:32] - Mindclash Games [00:01:35] - Anachrony [00:24:43] - Trickerion: Legends of Illusion [00:45:38] - Comparison [00:48:51] - Other Games in the Same Style as Mindclash Games [00:52:13] - Broader View
Today we're taking a look at a niche category of games, where players are divided into teams, and each member of the team is playing a different style of game. Specifically, we're talking about Captain Sonar and Ladies & Gentlemen. In our Broader View, we talk a bit more about teamwork in games.
[00:00:00] - Introduction [00:00:31] - Asymmetrical Team Games [00:00:57] - Captain Sonar [00:17:20] - Ladies & Gentlemen [00:36:39] - Comparison [00:44:06] - Other Asymmetrical or Team Games [00:46:46] - Broader View
Inspired by Valentine's Day, this week's category is Two Player Games and we talk about Star Realms and 7 Wonders Duel. In our Broader View, we talk about playing games with your significant other. Also, we say "spoiler" a lot in this episode for some reason.
[00:00:00] - Introduction [00:00:32] - Two Player Games [00:01:19] - Star Realms [00:15:28] - 7 Wonders Duel [00:27:47] - Comparison [00:33:29] - Other Two Player Games [00:39:05] - Broader View
In this episode we talk about two of our favorite games by designer Eric Lang. First we discuss The Others: 7 Sins and then we chat about Arcadia Quest. In our Broader View, we debate the pros and cons of Kickstarter.
[00:00:00] - Introduction [00:00:41] - Eric Lang [00:01:51] - The Others: 7 Sins [00:21:30] - Arcadia Quest [00:35:15] - Comparison [00:44:25] - Other Games by Eric Lang [00:45:46] - Broader View
Today we're talking about the dice placement games Sagrada and Roll Player. In our Broader View conversation, we talk about owning multiple games that do similar things in your collection.
[00:00:00] - Introduction [00:01:34] - Dice Placement [00:01:59] - Sagrada [00:18:56] - Roll Player [00:36:07] - Comparison [00:46:06] - Other Games [00:49:42] - Broader View
Happy New Year! This first episode of 2018 is all about Battlestar Galactica. We look at and compare Battlestar Galactica the Board Game as well as Dark Moon, or as it was originally called, BSG Express. In our Broader View, we talk about Intellectual Property in games.
[00:00:00] - Introduction [00:00:56] - Battlestar Galactica (the show) [00:02:15] - Battlestar Galactica (the board game) [00:24:45] - Dark Moon [00:38:03] - Comparison [00:46:31] - Other Games [00:49:35] - Broader View
Happy Holidays everyone! As we get ready to head home and spend some time with our families, we decided to talk about the family weight games Forbidden Island and Ticket to Ride. In our Broader View, we talk a bit more about playing games with our families over the holidays.
[00:00:00] - Introduction [00:00:50] - Family Games [00:02:22] - Forbidden Island [00:16:05] - Ticket to Ride [00:32:06] - Comparison [00:35:20] - Other Family Games [00:39:15] - Broader View
The category for this episode is Area Control and we talk about Kemet and Scythe. In our Broader View, we start out trying to define the terms Ameritrash and Eurogame, but we end up spending more time just talking about the terms in general.
[00:00:00] - Introduction [00:02:20] - Area Control [00:03:55] - Kemet [00:24:27] - Scythe [00:39:38] - Comparison [00:46:59] - Other Area Control Games [00:50:52] - Broader View
In this episode, we look at Worker Placement games and compare Agricola with Viticulture. In our Broader View, we give some advice about how to lose gracefully.
[00:00:00] - Introduction [00:00:45] - Worker Placement [00:01:36] - Agricola [00:19:26] - Viticulture [00:38:22] - Comparison [00:47:17] - Other Worker Placement Games [00:51:29] - Broader View
In our (slightly late) Halloween episode, we take a look at two cooperative games with a traitor mechanic and a horror theme: Dead of Winter and Betrayal at House on the Hill. In our Broader View, we try to figure out why we love games even though they are flawed.
[00:00:00] - Introduction [00:01:44] - Horror Games [00:02:22] - Dead of Winter: A Crossroads Game [00:24:56] - Betrayal at House on the Hill [00:43:05] - Comparison [00:51:04] - Other Horror Games [00:53:29] - Broader View
City Building is the theme of choice in this episode and we explore it by discussing the games Quadropolis and Suburbia. In our Broader View, we talk about selecting the right complexity level for your gaming group.
[00:00:00] - Introduction [00:00:44] - City Building [00:02:45] - Quadropolis [00:20:19] - Suburbia [00:35:23] - Bonus Content: Suburbia vs. Castles of Mad King Ludwig [00:39:10] - Comparison [00:43:07] - Other City Building Games [00:45:34] - Broader View
This episode is all about designer Bruno Cathala's games Five Tribes and Yamatai. In our Broader View, we talk a little bit about Analysis Paralysis.
[00:00:00] - Introduction [00:01:51] - Yamatai [00:21:36] - An Apology to Bruno Cathala [00:22:07] - Five Tribes [00:39:30] - Comparison [00:46:30] - Other Games by Bruno Cathala [00:49:03] - Broader View
Music by Delicious Pastries
In this episode we talk about Hidden Movement games by comparing Fury of Dracula and Letters From Whitechapel. Then in our Broader View discussion we talk about teaching strategy.
[00:00:00] - Introduction [00:00:42] - What is Hidden Movement? [00:01:47] - Fury of Dracula [00:21:20] - Letters From Whitechapel [00:35:26] - Comparison [00:43:08] - Other Hidden Movement Games [00:47:28] - Broader View
Music by Delicious Pastries
In this introductory episode we introduce ourselves and talk about our gaming history and our individual point of views about the board gaming hobby. We then have a broader view discussion about bringing people into the hobby.
[00:00:00] - Introduction [00:02:00] - Aaron [00:06:14] - Josh [00:08:44] - Jameson [00:11:54] - Mat [00:15:42] - General Gaming Discussion [00:29:18] - Broader View
Music by Delicious Pastries