Board Game Homies

For episode 48, Angela secretly analyzed, ranked, and combined our individual top 10 lists to create our cumulative TOP 10 New-to-Us Games We Played in 2025. We react to and chat about each game in our top 10, and then we move into rapid-fire questions to share our favorite themes, our biggest game surprises, games we’re ready to toss out the window while on the freeway, and much, much more. This episode is then wrapped up by visiting our listeners', followers' and friends’ favorite games of 2025! Get to know us @ https://lnk.bio/BoardGameHomies

In episode 24, we review Lisboa by Eagle-Gryphon Games. To start off the episode, we chat about the games that are bringing us joy: Hansa Teutonica, Let’s Go! To Japan, Compile: Main 1, and…learning the rules.On November 1, 1755, Lisboa suffered an earthquake of an estimated magnitude of 8.5–9.0, followed by a tsunami and three days of fires that almost completely destroyed the city. Players take on the role of influential nobles who will help in the reconstruction and economic development of the city to receive graces from the King and the Marquis. You will work with the architects to build Lisboa anew, with the Marquis to develop commerce, and with the King to open buildings–all in the pursuit of gaining influence and the most important thing of all: wigs.Connect with us @ https://lnk.bio/BoardGameHomies

In Episode 65, we review Clans of Caledonia and its recent and only expansion, Clans of Caledonia: Industria. But, first! We chat about what is bringing us joy: Cascadia: Alpine Lakes, ASHES: Blackout Protocol, and The White Castle: Bōeki. Clans of Caledonia, published by Karma Games, is perhaps a perfect game. A mid-to-heavy game with a variable economic market, thematic mechanics and gameplay (including distilling whiskey!), and delightful thinking space. Over the course of five rounds, players take turns and pass once they have run out of money and options. All players produce basic resources and have the opportunity to refine their goods using any bakeries, distilleries, or cheese dairies they have built. Players then receive victory points based on the scoring tile of the current round, and then the cycle begins again. Clans of Caledonia: Industria adds more of what we already love (contracts, clans, shipping tiles, round goals, and map tiles), thoughtful mini expansions (market dice, farmer’s markets, additional end game scoring tiles, and contract refill board), and the largest module of them all: the train map with delivery bonuses to explore throughout the game and milestones to strive for and achieve before your opponents. Did we mention this game is perfect? It is. (Just maybe don’t ask Reed… 👀) Get to know us @ https://lnk.bio/BoardGameHomies

In Episode 64, we review Container published by Allplay. But, first! We chat about what is bringing us joy…and anti-joy: Haggis, Marrakesh, Trajan, and Sausage Sizzle!Container is a closed economy game for 3-5 players: build factories to produce and store containers while building warehouses to store and sell containers. The catch? You can’t sell your own containers, and everyone sets their own prices. A fairly simple game with complexity created by the individuals sitting around the table. How cheap are your friends? Can you find a way to capitalize on Reed’s big payout? Will you let Angela play and win using the same strategy from the last game? How many loans are you willing to take???Do we like making our own market? The group may be divided, but they all agree on primarily only purchasing from Becky’s warehouses. 💅Get to know us @ https://lnk.bio/BoardGameHomies 

In Episode 63, we review Recall published by Pegasus Spiele. But, first! We chat about what is bringing us joy: Hanami, Tiny Mountain Goats, playing games at Reed’s house, and Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring - Trick-taking Game.Recall is a deep strategy and action selection game for 1-4 players that plays over 13 rounds. Coming from the designers of and one of the artists of Revive, Recall is heavily influenced by Revive’s mechanics, look, and feel. We didn’t go into this episode planning on comparing Recall to Revive, but it was difficult to talk about Recall without recalling its predecessor. 👀Recall, Revive, both? We’ve got varying opinions on this one. Get to know us @ https://lnk.bio/BoardGameHomies