Chits and Chat: Recent Episodes
EaseDrop Podcast Network
Alex Kruse and Kaz Gable choose a theme to review a series of board games around. Then at the end of the run of episodes they present their top 10 choices. The first theme is "Best Games to Take Out to a Restaurant or Bar".
This week Alex and Kaz attempt the coup of coups in the challenging coop game, Regicide.
Oink Games is known for odd name and publishing pocket games that actually fit in your pocket! This week Alex and Kaz try out one of the best in the line, Scout. Let's go to the circus!
If only someone would design a fully modular roll and write! Well, calm your nerves my friends, because we have the game for you. This week Alex and Kaz take a look at the Phil Walker-Harding mash-up, Explorers.
This week Alex and Kaz hit the road on the most epic of road trips following the most questionable of routes in the flip and write, On Tour.
The apocalypse has never been more neon! This week Alex and Kaz attempt to become the leaders of the brave new world of punks in the colorful and action packed, Radlands.
A great game doesn't have to be complex. This week Alex and Kaz check out the simple and addictive, Push.
Can't beat an original. This week Alex and Kaz take on the ancient game of Ludus Latrunculorum.
This week Alex and Kaz trek up into the mountains of the Pacific Northwest to play the splendid, Cascadia.
These days we're doing everything from home, working, fraternizing, and now escape rooms! This week Alex and Kaz take a crack at the challenging escape room in a box series, Unlock!
You can't beat a classic. This week Alex and Kaz play one of the best. The Uwe Rosenberg origina, Bohnanza.
Everyone has a favorite season. But do they have a favorite roll and write for every season? Probably not. Well, now your quarter year conundrum is over. This week Alex and Kaz play the roll and write for every season, Rustling Leaves.
This week Alex and Kaz blow the dust off the classic of classics, the ancient and engaging Royal Game of Ur.
Some of the best things in life are free. Like this week's game! This week Alex and Kaz play the well done and completely free roll and write, Rats High Tea at Sea.
This week Alex and Kaz battle their inner demons head to head in the surprisingly fresh, Jekyll vs Hyde.
At last they did it. They made a dinosaur park. The secret? Teeny tiny dinosaurs! This week Alex and Kaz make their own dino them parks in the quick and colorful, Draftosaurus.
The watering hole is the place to wet your beak after a long day in the African heat. However, you've got to be on guard because not every animal is there to just drink water. This week Alex and Kaz try to sneak a sip before getting too spooked by that rustling nearby in the Reiner Knizia family game, Kariba.
First elevators and now a bus route. This week Alex and Kaz check out the Saashi and Saashi classec, Let's Make a Bus Route.
Nothing beats a great cup of coffee in the morning and the perfect companion to morning roasty goodness is this week's game, Viva Java: The Coffee Game: The Dice Game. Roll and write your way to the specialty roast to beat all specialty roasts.
Nothing is so frustrating to a gardener as to have their beautiful vegetable patch overtaken by an uninvited plant. This week Alex and Kaz grab their spades and weed out the invasive artichokes in the quick and fun, Abandon All Artichokes.
The exciting life of the medieval farmer! Subsistence life at its best. This week Alex and Kaz check out the Uwe Rosenberg classic, Agricola All Creatures Big and Small. Let's breed some sheep!
This week Alex and Kaz take an abstract dive into 3D puzzley madness in the challenging game, NMBR 9.
Bugs. They're a tricky bunch. What if you could master them for your own purposes? Why, you'd rule the world! However, let's start small and try to defeat just one other person. Oh crap, they are a master of bugs too. To arms, bugs! To countless arms!
This week Alex and Kaz try to outsmart each other in the battle of creepy crawlies that is, Hive.
Captains of industry. Was their ever a time they shone more brightly than the late 1800s? This week Alex and Kaz get to don their tophats and wool suits and attempt to make the most efficient industrial engine the world has ever seen in the fantastic, Furnace.
Clues clues clues. This week's game is full of clues. Alex and Kaz attempt to discover the answer to these clues in the tricky game, Just One.
Ah, Timeline. You tricky little game. You seem so simple and easy, and then you make me look like a fool! This week Alex and Kaz test the history recall in the fun and challenging game, Timeline.
Suspicions are high this week as Alex and Kaz determine if everyone is who they say they are, in the exciting social deduction game, Spyfall.
Spooky season is upon us and Alex and Kaz are reviewing the perfect game to kick it off. The macabre and quirky card game, Gloom.
This week Alex and Kaz head off (hahaha) to the French Revolution in the tongue in cheek game, guillotine.
This week Alex and Kaz shrink themselves down to visit the small and clever locale that is, Tiny Towns.
This week Alex and Kaz run straight past numbers 1-4 in the abstract card game, Take 5!
Here we are again. How time flies when you're having. This week Alex and Kaz are rounding up the last 25 games they're reviewed and ranking them for your listening pleasure. Enjoy!
Finally. Finally! They made the game we've all been clamoring for. The game with all our favorite sugary breakfast cereal creatures, BooBerry, Count Chocula, FrankenBerry, et al. The biggest surprise? It's actually pretty good! The game that is, the cereal is of course delicious. But you already knew that. This week Alex and Kaz pour themselves a heaping bowl of, Monster Crunch! The Breakfast Battle Game.
This week Alex and Kaz play the goofy game, LLAMA. Can math, abstract gameplay, and llamas mesh together into a great game? They can if Reiner Knizia is involved!
This week Alex and Kaz take down a game you've probably never played but should. The Bruno Cathala overlooked gem, Dice Stars. Abstract euro roll and write for the win!
Ah, 1980s era communism; rationing, shortages, unrest. Sounds like a great theme for a game, right?! Well, this week Alex and Kaz find out as they play the surprising, Kolejka. Finally, history CAN be fun!
A quick mind is something to be admired. Testing your mental speed and acuity is what makes board gaming fun. This week Alex and Kaz play a game that has this in spades and yet is simple, fun, and easy for anyone to pick up. That game of course is, Spot it!.
For some gamers "salad" is a thing to be avoided at all costs. In the land of delicious pub food, why would you waste precious space on your plate reserved for more satisfying choices? But what, I ask you, if your salad scored you points? HA! Is this some new genetically modified vegetable concoction you ask. No! It is not. It is a this weeks game. Listen in as Alex and Kaz play the aptly named in all ways, Point Salad.
Pirates are notorious for pushing their luck. This week Alex and Kaz channel that urge to play the very piratey, luck pushing game, Port Royal. Assemble your people!
One wonders about 7 Wonders. The massively popular streamlined civ building game. But one would be wise to also wonder about 7 Wonders Duel. Veeeery wise. This week Alex and Kaz go head to head in the brother from another mother, 7 Wonders Duel.
Trying to understand someone else's intentions is confusing at the best of times. Now try doing it without words and limited options. Not only is it confusing, but it becomes pretty zany fun. This week Alex and Kaz attempt to read each others minds in the challenging, but oh so satisfying game, Similo.
It's hard to explain this weeks game. I mean, at its heart it is based around the preparation to play a game, not the game itself. Can that be fun? Does that make sense? See?! It's hard to explain this game! Anyway, this week Alex and Kaz take a look at Roll Player. It's pretty good.
Ah the circus. A bizarre spectacle from a time long passed. But imagine the circus in its heyday, strongmen, acrobats, jugglers, the ringleader. Now imagine them all with giant weird flea heads and you've got Uwe Rosenberg's Circus Flohcati. This week Alex and Kaz try out this weirdly designed but fun family game.
This week Alex and Kaz return to the bean fields of Mr. Uwe Rosenberg in the game, Wurfel Bohnanza. How can farming beans be so much fun?!
Well, the zombies are back, if they ever left. This week Alex and Kaz take a look at the little dice rolling game for brain connoisseurs, Zombie Dice.
The color palette. Primary, secondary, tertiary colors. What does that mean? What do they want? To do battle for dominance of course. This week Alex and Kaz jump into the fray in the game, Red 7. Abstract color combat at its finest.
This week Alex and Kaz jet off to a future society of intrigue and tactics in the unique game, Capital Lux. To space!
Oh, the lonely cartographer. Wandering out into the wilderness to discover the mysteries of the wildlands beyond the kingdom. Armed only with sheets of paper, surveying tools, and a chipper attitude. What creatures exist out there? What hazards and wonders will be revealed? This week Alex and Kaz attempt to find out in the comfort of their very own homes, in the game, Cartographers.
We've all been there. It's a busy day and you're just trying to get your family somewhere, but lo and behold you're all stuck waiting for an elevator. Which one is going to come first? Ok, kids, get in that line. Honey, you take that one. I'll get in this line. Oh, crap, we lost one of the kids. She'll turn up. Such is the adventure that awaits you in the surprising, fun, and fresh, In Front of Elevators.
This week Alex and Kaz go head to head with unusual characters, in the easy to pick up and fantastically presented, Unmatched. Little Red Riding Hood vs velociraptors, anyone?
This week Alex and Kaz take a chance with a group of people that aren't them, and play the game Wavelength. Was it worth it? Yes, yes I believe it was.
The classics never die they say. This week Alex and Kaz test that theory with the appropriately named, Skull. An ancient game reimagined for modern times. You don't even need real human skulls anymore!
It's off to the mystical forest to find the lost shrines this week. Yes, the guys are playing the lighthearted game, Kokoro.
Let's play with some gigantic tiles! This week Alex and Kaz attempt to outwit each other in the addicting abstract game, Qwirkle. Hope you have some table space!
Mount your horse and grab your katana. It's time to roll the dice, literally, as you battle the other feudal clans for dominance. It's Age of War.
This week the guys take a look at Quarto, a game from 1991 that feels timeless. Plus, it looks pretty dashing on a table.
Sometimes even peaceful things can become a competition. As such we have the colorful head to head battle for oneness that is, Mandala. This week the guys hike to the mountains to try to find their place in the universe.
It's that time again. Top 5 roundup! This week Alex and Kaz make their top 5 lists to recommend their choices for the best games to take out and their favorite games overall. Just in time for holiday shopping!
Yee haw! Grab your six gun, and a sack, it's time to rob a train! This week Alex and Kaz board the express train across the wild west to play the zany and thematic, Colt Express. Keep your eyes peeled for that Marshall!
Very few games are themed around Africa that make it to the game shelves of our local game stores. This week Alex and Kaz take a look at one of the best, Targi. Let's head to market!
Turns out there's more to the spy game than gadgets and fast cars. It also takes a clever mind and a team to back you up. But be careful! There are always competing spies around to pick up on your secret transmissions and steal your glory. This week Alex and Kaz match wits in the super secretive game, Codenames.
Blue may be the loneliest number, but it can also be stunning and exciting. Of course I'm talking about the game, Azul. This week Alex and Kaz try their hand at this well known tile laying game. Prep the factories!
Alex and Kaz are back at the tiny epic table. This time with TACTICS! That's right, they finally introduced tactical strategy to gameplay. Or, they forgot to update the placeholder name before publishing. Either way, the guys take a look and let you know if this Tiny Epic holds it's own in the Tiny Epic universe. Oh yeah, it's called, Tiny Epic Tactics!
Some people just start off great and keep getting better. This week Alex and Kaz talk about the first widely published game from designer Phil Walker-Harding, Archaeology. Does the recently rereleased and expanded game still hold up?
This week Alex and Kaz tackle the very green, very alliterative game, Fuji Flush. A Friedmann Friese game through and through, the guys must out smart each other and build alliances at the same time. Who wants to join the 2 club?
This week Alex and Kaz travel to France to play the roll and write, Castles of Burgundy TCG. A little game with a lot of choices, COBTCG may be the definition of a "gamer's" roll and write. Let's find out.
Alex and Kaz jockey for potion domination in the witchy world of Broom Service The Card Game. Grab your broomsticks. Are you a bold witch or a cowardly witch?
Two generals, battling over three theaters of war, in an epic saga. That was the theme of the WW2 show I watched on the history channel yesterday. Coincidentally, it's also the theme of the game this week! Alex and Kaz test their grand strategic mettle, by going head to head in the small, but surprisingly deep game; Air, Land, and Sea.
Can you trust your eyes? Will they betray you? This week Alex and Kaz challenge themselves to the fun confusion of the challenging game, Illusion.
Alex and Kaz collect a bunch of chameleons they found. Then, confident in their animal wrangling abilities, they decide they are ready for the big show and start their own zoos. What can go wrong? Find out as they play both Coloretto and Zooloretto to find who is the most 'retto one of all.
Alex and Kaz attempt to decipher a complex set of rules for the classic Korean game, Go Stop. With the help of a rules reference and some good old fashioned grit and determination they just might find a pretty great game.
All aboard the roll and write express. This week Alex and Kaz talk about the fantastic game, Railroad Ink. A game of many versions. Which one do they like? Listen and find out!
It's time to head to the south pole and live the life of a penguin. Yes, the dream we've all held most dear but never dared attempt. Now you can! Alex and Kaz do just that when they tackle the family game, Hey, That's My Fish!.
Don't stop, won't stop, can't stop, should've stopped. These are some of the many thoughts that will run through your brain while playing the classic push your luck game, Can't Stop. Grab some dice and join Alex and Kaz to find the perfect stopping strategy.
Can a game freshen your breath and provide 20 minutes of enjoyment? Maybe! Well, the enjoyment part at least. Don't eat your game components everyone. Alex and Kaz try to resist that temptation while playing the tiny but curiously strong game, Mint Works.
When you are travelling in space you need a good team. There's a lot of dangers out there, so you had better be a well oiled machine. Or just a group of people who just met each other and are doing their best. Either way, you'll have fun with the co-op trick taking game, The Crew.
This week Alex and Kaz explore some interesting locations and vye (get it?!?!?!) for control in the well crafted, Vye.
This week Alex and Kaz match wits in a cross-country game of cat and mouse in the Tim Fowers original, Fugitive. Get ready for some Harrison Ford jokes.
Alex and Kaz try their hand at competitive skyscraper construction in the fun and accessible, Blueprints.
Alex and Kaz are off to feudal Japan! Like most tourists they wander around and take in the sites. That is, until they catch the eye of some geishas and then must compete for their favor in the clever game, Hanamikoji.
Got $1.56 handy? Like board games? Then you are in luck my guy or gal, because we have the game for you. Coin Age! This week Alex and Kaz root around the couch cushions for a bit of change to play this clever little area control game.
Staking claims and searching for gold on the way to riches. This week Alex and Kaz take a look at the roll and write, Rolled West. Will they hit it rich? Listen in to find out. There's gold in them there 12 sided dice!
As a nod to classic games, the guys start season 2 with one of the best, Backgammon. Does it still hold up as a game you should check out today? What exactly is a "gammon"? Answers to all these question, and more!
Has it been this long already? It's time for a Top 5 round up! Alex and Kaz rate the last batch of games against each other to pick their top 5 games for taking out, games overall, and Kaz's catchphrases. The white board is a gryphon in disguise!!
Silver and Gold! The most precious of metals. Aaaaand the game Alex and Kaz are checking out this week. A fun little flip and write by the exceptional Phil Walker-Harding. Let's find some treasure!
We're off the settle the west and have adventure. Alex and Kaz play Button Shy's, Circle the Wagons. Let's get homesteading!
Alex and Kaz blast off in the tiniest space ships imaginable to conquer the galaxy, in the classic big game in a small package, Tiny Epic Galaxies.
This week Alex and Kaz grab some chopsticks, a menu, and peruse the sushi conveyor for the perfect meal in the colorful game, Sushi Roll.
It's time to trade some spices and make that sweet, sweet gold. Alex and Kaz hit the silk road with their bushels of saffron, turmeric, cardamom, and cinnamon in the Plan B Games kick-off game, Century Spice Road.
This week Alex and Kaz take charge of the situation and finally go after these pesky viruses themselves, in the fun and fast, Pandemic: The Cure.
This week Alex and Kaz put on their investigator trench coats and prepare themselves for the horror of the old ones in the quick card game, Tides of Madness.
Alex and Kaz attempt to corner the renaissance gem market in the classic game, Splendor.
Alex and Kaz take to the stars in the 3rd game of the "Galaxy" series, Jump Drive. Jump Drive for the Galaxy?
Alex and Kaz dust of their tartan kilts and kick some Roman butt, in the quick and chaotic game, Romans Go Home.
Alex and Kaz don pirate hats and hoist the jolly roger to play the Grandpa Beck classic trick taking game, Skull King.
Alex and Kaz put on some lederhosen and build a tiny medieval German village in the game, Oh My Goods!
Alex and Kaz grab their paint brushes and berets and head to the big city to make a name for themselves in the fun and light game, A Fake Artist Goes to New York.
Alex and Kaz jump behind the wheel and the prep station of their very own food trucks to play the interesting game, Food Truck Champion.
Alex and Kaz put on pointy red hats and grab they're mining tools to play the innovative pocket game, Saboteur. The first traitor mechanism board game!
Alex and Kaz reach out to their underworld contacts and plan some heists in the futuristic game, Grifters. There's a lot of crime in the utopia!
Alex and Kaz don some space suits and jump into an epic push and pull struggle between galactic powers in the pocket size, Anthelion.
Alex and Kaz strap on the running shoes and get warmed up to play the surprisingly good The Hare and The Tortoise.
Alex and Kaz attempt to plan the best fireworks shows the world has ever seen with surprisingly little information. Safety rules be damned!
Alex and Kaz follow a path through a mystical forest in the trick taking game, The Fox in the Forest. A great spin on the genre that Alex takes VERY SERIOUSLY!
Alex and Kaz toss away unnecessary gear and brave a scary dungeon, or rather send someone else to brave a scary dungeon, in Welcome To The Dungeon.
It's all been leading up to this! Alex and Kaz present their top 5 games for taking out based on the 25 games they've reviewed so far. Plus, a bonus Top 5 of their favorite games overall. Top 5s all around!
Alex and Kaz take race to take over the world one little cube army at a time, in the pint size 8 Minute Empire.
Alex and Kaz play the best take on Chess since, well, it's just an awesome take on Chess. The Duke!
Alex and Kaz navigate the twisty world of dragons and enlightenment with the game, Tsuro.
Alex and Kaz review the Reiner Knizia classic Lost Cities. Put on your archaeologist pants and grab your maps. I've got a great feeling about this expedition!
Alex and Kaz enter the world of petticoats and intrigue with the popular game Love Letter.
Alex and Kaz travel bravely from their tiny kingdoms in search of new tiny lands in the bite size 4x game, Tiny Epic Kingdoms.
Alex and Kaz try page through some mysterious tomes while sporting ridiculous haircuts in the dynamic game Biblios.
Alex and Kaz determine who is the cleverest of all while playing the fantastic roll and write, Ganz Schön Clever (That's Pretty Clever).
Alex and Kaz hack their way through the jungle and brave untold perils to the find mysterious ruins in The Lost Expedition. Watch out! That jaguar is back!
Alex and Kaz put on their galoshes and head to the docks to play the quirky game, Harbour.
The way of the stone or the way of the stream? Such are the questions Alex and Kaz must ask themselves while finding their centers, maintaining focus, and exploring the game, Onitama.
Alex and Kaz look deep into each others eyes and discuss the gaming experience that is The Mind. Then they grab a throwing star and hope a floating rabbit grants them extra life. THE MIND!
Alex and Kaz learn to be master Japanese watercolor painters in the beautifully designed game, Kanagawa.
Alex and Kaz try to expand their word building prowess with the Tim Fowers game Paperback. Can you win the game by just spelling tree over and over? Let's find out!
Alex and Kaz take a dive into the whimsical Deep Sea Adventure, a Wes Anderson movie in a little box.
Alex and Kaz try to survive scrambling around the dirty back alleys of London. Who is the killer? Let's peer down this alley and...is that a detective dog?
Who's the best mayor of your little Japanese town? You are! Provided of course that you can grow your town into a bustling city of excitement and commerce. You have under an hour. Go! I mean, Machi Koro!
Alex and Kaz talk the fast and fun deck builder, Star Realms. Also, Kaz tries and fails to remember the most basic facts about the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Alex and Kaz run through the civilization building game The Flow of History. Also, Kaz eventually learns how to pronounce 'agrarian'. Learning!
Kingdomino expands upon the classic domino gameplay and adds some fun elements to explore.
We're starting it off with one of our favorite games to take out on the town and play over a couple drinks or a meal.