Game Brain: A Board Game Podcast About Our Gaming Group

A podcast about Board Games and friendship, and a real life board game group! Join us every week for an in-depth look at the board gaming hobby, including board game news, reviews and much, much more.

#215: El Burro

Tom, Trey, and Elder review El Burro. 0:00:00 IntroductionJenny Nicholson's videoStar Wars Unlimited Expansion Shadows of the GalaxyGuards of Atlantis IIBlood on the Clocktower Concordia0:31:50 Game Review: El Burro: A La Granja GamePlanta NuboLa GranjaAgraCooper IslandTroyes- Find Etamar at kirbooloni.com- Game Brain Facebook Group- Instagram

05-29
01:09:55

#214: Salton Sea

Ben and Trey go deep into Salton Sea and also share initial impressions of Pax Penning and El Burro. Plus, the two revisit Heaven & Ale and chat about what they want out of a game store.

05-13
01:41:39

#213: Beware the Fun Sponge

Ben and Paul chat about some recent plays, including Salton Sea, and then Ben shamelessly attempts to communicate to Queen Games about his missing Marrakesh expansion. Afterwards, the two explore the importance of enthusiasm at a game table and the dangers of becoming the dreaded FUN SPONGE.

05-07
01:48:46

#212: 2024 Golden Geek Predictions

The 2024 Golden Geek Award nominations have just been revealed, and we're choosing faves, making endorsements, and offering sweeping predictions on which games will win. Oh and by the way, thanks to everyone who voted and nabbed us a nom! Don't worry, we're focused on the games, not shameless self-promotion (well, maybe just a little self-promotion).Plus, Ben, Jordan, and Paul talk about recent plays of Ironwood, Galactic Cruise, Arcs, and Twilight Imperium.

04-30
01:39:11

#211 Space Games!!

Ben and Jordan talk about recent plays of Inventions, Galactic Cruise, Twilight Imperium, Arcs, and Resist. Plus, discussion about space games — what does the concept of space bring to a game, and what makes a game a SPACE GAME (as opposed to a game set in space).Notations to come.

04-15
01:36:17

#210: Finger Etiquette and Games

Ben and Paul talk about recent plays of Inventions, Terraforming Mars, and City of the Big Shoulders. Then they do a deep dive about finger etiquette and games: why does it bother us, how do we address bad behavior, and what are the most common mistakes. Shots will be fired. Takes will be hot.00:00 - Intro02:33 - Inventions14:47 - Western Empires / Mega Empires23:25 - Terraforming Mars29:37 - 183033:07 - City of the Big Shoulders35:47 - Finger etiquette for board games

04-01
01:40:34

#209: Second Wind Games

Tom, Jordan, and Ben discuss games they had shrugged off but later came to love. Plus, recent plays of Imperium Horizons, Legacies, and El Grande.00:00 - Intro00:06 - Legacies26:11 - Avalon29:14 - El Grande34:14 - Franchise39:31 - Second Wind Games41:51 - Modern Art46:26 - Imperium Horizons54:37 - Dune Imperium: Uprising01:02:22 - Android: Netrunner01:08:42 - Black Angel01:14:26 - A Feat for Odin01:17:49 - Gold West01:19:55 - Boonlake01:22:06 - Great Western Trail: Argentina01:30:40 - S...

03-25
01:43:18

#208: Let's Go To Japan

Trey, Ben, and Dmitry review the 2024 release Let's Go To Japan.0:00:00 IntroductionWatch What Crappens wins Best Pop Culture PodcastThe Traitors0:08:48 Games on the BrainBaseball Highlights 2045 on GamefoundStar Wars: UnlimitedTry online at Force TableNetrunner at Nullsignal.gamesKnarrMarrakeshCuzco00:51:30 Game Review: Let's Go to JapanStationfallSanta Monica- Find Etamar at kirbooloni.com- Game Brain Facebook Group- Instagram

03-18
01:34:07

#207: Exploring Root, Agonizing in Cuzco

Ben, Matt, and Paul sit down to talk about games they're going deep with (Root), and games that are brutalizing them (Cuzco). And everything in between.00:08:04 - Traitors & Avalon00:14:10 - Root00:39:34 - Franchise00:50:36 - Netrunner01:07:10 - Cuzco01:25:00 - Dinosaur Gauge01:29:49 - Legacies01:36:52 - Lunar01:38:00 - Tournament at Avalon, Mino Dice01:40:00 - Boon Lake: Artifacts01:43:45 - Shikoku 1889

02-26
01:45:21

#206 Thunder Road: Vendetta

Special guest Jennifer Schlickbernd joins Trey to review Thunder Road: Vendetta and discuss starter modes in boardgames.0:00:00 Introduction0:02:35 Recent PlaysMerkatorArboreaPirates of Maricaibo20 StrongkCaloria launches on Kickstarter0:27:10 Game Review: Thunder Road: VendettaCar Wars (1981)Thunder Road (1986)The White Castle (2023)0:56:45 Discussion - Learning Modes in GamesEvacuationThinkerThemer's reviewReviveVoidfall- Find Etamar at kirbooloni.com- Game Brain Facebook Group-...

02-11
01:21:53

#205: How to Choose a Game for Game Night

Ben and Paul discuss recent plays of Bloodstones, Bruxelles 1893, and Apiary. Then they try to figure out what's the best way for a group to select a game to play. Is it a democratic process? A dictatorial one? Or maybe just a roll of the dice.15:47 - Apiary19:22 - Horseless Carriage23:20 - Bruxelles 1893: The Belle Epoque36:03 - Bloodstones51:55 - How to choose a game?

01-29
01:21:15

The Best Boardgames of 2023!

Hosts Matt, Tom, Trey, and Ben unite for our list of the best boardgames of 2023!0:00:00 Introduction0:05:10 Contest ResultsSol: Last Days of a Star0:18:35 Game Brain's Top Boardgames of 20230:20:04 T16 Great Western Trail: New Zealand0:25:20 T16 Inferno Guelphs and Ghibellines Vie for Tuscany, 1259-12610:27:30 T13 Bloodstones0:29:00 T13 Scholars of the South Tigris0:32:00 T13 Thunder Road: Vendetta0:34:35 12 Apiary0:37:10 11 Horseless Carriage0:43:15 10 Rats of Wistar0:46:15 9th Stationfall0...

01-22
01:54:14

#203 Dude, Where's My Keshi?

Ben and Paul catch up on the games they played over the 2023 holiday break. Afterwards they reflect on their favorite play sessions and new-to-them games. Strangely enough, they seem to gravitate towards their favorite meltdowns, which is a commentary on something, not sure what.Games discussed include Marrakesh, Dude, K2, Age of Steam, and Manhattan Project 2: Minutes to Midnight.Timestamps to come...

01-08
02:02:17

#202: Evacuation

Trey, Tom, and Ben review Evacuation as we evacuate 2023.0:00:00 Introduction0:05:22 Recent PlaysAgricolaForbidden StarsBloodstonesManhattan Project 2: Minutes to MidnightDaybreakEnter the contest to win a copy of Sol:Last Days of a Staremail us at contact@gamebrainpod.com0:51:10 Game Review: EvacuationThe games of Vladimir Suchý- Find Etamar at kirbooloni.com- Game Brain Facebook Group- Twitter- Instagram

12-18
01:55:55

#201: Kutna Hora: The City of Silver

Ben, Trey, and Jordan discuss the city-building, dynamic economy game Kutná Hora: The City of Silver. Plus recent plays of Horseless Carriage, Nucleum, and more.

12-11
02:01:23

#200 Our 200th Episode Extravaganza!

Hosts Matt, Tom, Trey, and Ben unite for our 200th episode and revisit our favorite games from our time on the podcast.0:00:00 Introduction0:05:45 BGGCon ReportSol: Last Days of a StarTabletop NetworkDaimyo: Battle for JapanRats of WistarKutná Hora: The City of SilverApiary Space BEES!EvacuationWhite CastlekCaloria0:58:00 Other PlaysUr: 1830 BCSeptimaEvenfall1:16:05 Our Favorite Games of the PodcastBen #3 - Red CathedralMatt #3 - Ark NovaTrey #3 - Imperial SteamTom #3 - BarrageBen #2 - Hegemo...

12-04
01:56:59

Solo Mode #8: Earthborne Rangers and the Co-Op LCG Renaissance

A new Solo Mode has arrived, just in time for Matt to take you down the rabbit hole of Earthborne Rangers and the current LCG renaissance.

11-27
43:25

#199: Chatting with Ken Kuhn of GMT Games

Ben catches up with Ken Kuhn of GMT Games, who talks about his company, what's coming down the pipeline, and of course 18XX (and war games too!). They also chat about recent plays of Sky Team, Evacuation, 535, Kutná Hora, The Plum Island Horror, Arborea, and 1880.Time codes to come!

11-13
02:00:29

#198: The White Castle

Tom and Trey review The White Castle, discuss what makes a game "elegant," and they each give their top 10 Elegant Games. 0:00:00 IntroductionHarold & Kumar Go to White CastleBGGConTabletop NetworkRats of Wistar0:16:50 Quick Discussion of EleganceThe GalleristThunder Road: Vendetta0:25:45 Game Review: The White Castle0:56:30 Our Top 10 Elegant Games- Find Etamar at kirbooloni.com- Game Brain Facebook Group- Twitter- Instagram

10-30
01:41:26

#197 First Look at Nucleum

Tom and Elder talk about their early play(s) of Nucleum, and other recent games of note.

10-16
01:40:49

John L. Edwards

The finger etiquette section is frikkin' weird.

04-24 Reply

Linda Marin

This podcast in gaming is nice, I like it. I have a request for you, can you please create a podcast on this game as well: https://www.apkmamba.com/netboom-mod-apk/

11-22 Reply

Joe Drimmer

No main menu of episode content for the benefit of your listeners?? Boooo :((

01-06 Reply

Joe Drimmer

I was interesting to hear about Yokohama. Interview by phone is simply disrespectful for the listener, and it just a shame that this is how you chose to do it.

11-29 Reply

DavidR

Definitely my favorite game podcast!

11-16 Reply

11-02

06-28

09-30

05-29

Recommend Channels