The Gateway Gamers

Bryan is flying solo this week and heading back to summer camp, which is obviously a terrible idea.In this episode of The Gateway Gamers Podcast, Bryan takes a look at Camp Grizzly Second Edition from Trick or Treat Studios, the cooperative survival horror board game that drops you into Camp with a masked killer on the loose. Bryan breaks down what it’s like to play Camp Grizzly, including the theme, components, setup, gameplay, length, difficulty, and replayability, while taking a closer look at what the 2026 Second Edition brings to the table.Is Camp Grizzly the tabletop slasher movie experience we’ve been waiting for, or should Bryan have just stayed home? Grab your flashlight, avoid the creepy cabin in the woods, and join Bryan for another episode of The Gateway Gamers Podcast.

This week on The Gateway Gamers, Bryan is flying solo and diving headfirst into the world of word games. We’re talking deck building, spelling, vocabulary, books, and games that make you question whether you actually know how words work.Bryan takes a look at Hardback, the deck-building word game where your vocabulary is almost as important as your card choices, Dead Letters from Pillbox Games, My Book Nook, and Defenders of the Dictionary, the upcoming word game currently making its way through Kickstarter.Some of these are cozy. Some are clever. Some make you feel pretty good about yourself until you realize you’ve been staring at the same letters for five minutes.If you’re into word games, spelling games, vocabulary games, deck builders, solo board games, or just looking for something a little different for your next game night, this one is for you.Listen in, see what made the cut, and as always, let us know what word games we need to try next.Link to Defenders of the Dictionary Kickstarter -> https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/adamsapplegames/defenders-of-the-dictionary?utm_source=chatgpt.com

A Very Special Episode of The Gateway Gamers is here!Bryan takes a look at three games from Very Special Games: Landfall, Abducktion, and Out of Orbit. Three very different games from a publisher that deserves spending a little more time with.And at the end of the episode, Bryan kicks off a brand new segment where he looks back at games covered on previous episodes and answer the important questions: Is it still in the collection? Does it still get played? Or has it quietly disappeared into the board game abyss?So give it a listen, check out Very Special Games, and stick around to the end for the new segment. As always, thanks for listening and supporting The Gateway Gamers.

The Villainous roster keeps getting bigger, and this time Ravensburger is bringing two very different Disney villains to the table. In the newest expansion, Disney Villainous: Success at Any Cost, we get Prince Hans from Frozen and Héctor De La Cruz from Coco.Bryan Marvel and RP sit down to see how these two characters stack up against the growing Villainous lineup. We break down their unique decks, goals, abilities, and strategies, talk about what makes each character tick, and ultimately ask the most important question: Is Success at Any Cost worth adding to your Villainous collection?Whether you've been playing Disney Villainous since the beginning or you're a gateway gamer looking for your next Disney board game, we're taking a closer look at what this new expandalone brings to the table.Is Hans finally getting the Villainous treatment he deserves? Does Héctor De La Cruz make for a compelling villain? And how does this new box compare to the other Villainous expansions?Give it a listen, then let us know: Which Disney villain do you want to see added to Villainous next?The Gateway Gamers Podcast is all about helping new and experienced gamers find the games worth playing, with a particular love for great IPs, accessible gameplay, and the occasional excuse to argue about board games.

Games That Belong in Every Classroom!This week on The Gateway Gamers Podcast, Bryan heads back to the classroom to talk about some of the children’s games that have become staples in his kindergarten room.These aren’t just games that keep kids busy. They sneak in counting, dexterity, storytelling, pattern recognition, memory, communication, and plenty of problem solving while still being genuinely fun to play.Bryan takes a look at Animal Upon Animal, Strike!, Rory’s Story Cubes, The Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel Game, I Want My Teeth Back!, and Hurry Up Chicken Butt! and talks about what makes each one work so well with young gamers.If you’re a teacher, parent, or just looking for great educational board games for kids, this episode is packed with games that can help introduce children to tabletop gaming while building real classroom skills.Because sometimes the best way to learn is to just sit down and play a game.🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts!