Game Brain: A Board Game Podcast With Matthew Robinson And His Gaming Group

Ben and Paul discuss recent plays of Oathsworn, Here I Stand, and Tortuga 1667.  Then we go deeper with the 2023 English release of The Rich and the Good (formerly Hab & Gut).00:00:00 - Intro00:04:23 - Oathsworn00:26:56 - Tortuga 166700:35:16 - Age of Innovation update00:45:31 - Magnate: The First City00:56:14 - Lorenzo il Magnifico: The Pazzi Conspiracy01:05:06 - Here I Stand01:17:58 - The Rich and the Good

Tom and Trey talk about lots of newer plays, their Strategicon weekend, and review the new Great Western Trail game: New Zealand!0:00:00 IntroductionStrategicon ReviewCrisisMCDM RPGNinja Star GamesReputationAnachronyAge of Innovation0:27:00 Tom's Essen PreviewAmong CultistsThe White CastleEvacuationReworldShipyard 2nd Ed.0:40:30 Review: Great Western Trail New Zealand1:21:05 First Thoughts - Ark Nova: Marine Worlds-  Find Etamar at kirbooloni.com-  Game Brain Facebook Group-  Twitter-  Instagram

Tom, Matt, and Trey go on an epic journey to the Aegean Sea.0:00:00 IntroductionDune Imperium0:11:27 Voidfall0:29:57 Review: Aegean SeaInnovationGlory to Rome-  Find Etamar at kirbooloni.com-  Game Brain Facebook Group-  Twitter-  Instagram

Matt Robinson is back from his summer travels, and he's psyched to discuss his first play of Great Western Trail New Zealand.  Ben follows up with revised thoughts about Skymines.Matt then previews Voidfall, and the two share their initial thoughts on Age of Innovation.Plus:  CoraQuest, Lowlands, and The Rich and the Good.Timestamps to come.

Trey, Tom, and Jordan take a first look at Age of Innovation.0:00:00 Introduction0:05:00 Games on the BrainThe Crew10 Days in the USADead LastThe Barracks EmperorsSavage BowlLe PlateauTichu (again!)Iocane Productions on FacebookDisney LorcanaLast LightImperium: The ContentionReacting to the Past0:51:05 First Impressions: The Age of InnovationTerra MysticaGaia ProjectTerra NovaClans of Caledonia-  Find Etamar at kirbooloni.com-  Game Brain Facebook Group-  Twitter-  Instagram

Matt, Jordan, and Dmitry are joined by our friend David to do a deep dive on trick-taking card games.0:00:00 IntroductionIntro to David0:07:10 Defining terms and the genreTrick-takersShedders and Climbers0:13:00 Our history with card gamesHeartsBullshitBridge0:21:45  The game that made us love card gamesNokosu DiceSchadenfreudeCat In The BoxThe CrewMü0:41:30 Our top trick-takersEuchreScout9 LivesDurak Bug Council of BackyardiaTRICKTAKERs Inside JobTichuYokai SeptetFox in the ForestJekyll vs. Hyde1:31:05 What trick-takers to play firstScout9 LivesFive Three FiveThe Crew1:35:40 ResourcesTaylor's Trick-Taking TableDads on a Map Trick Talkers PodcastThe Trick-Taking GuildPortland Game Collective Discord 1:35:40 How to get these gamesTrickyimports.comTanukigamesatx.combooth.jp, buyee, zenmarket1:41:40 Other games to order from Japan1:46:30 A final few gamesVoodoo PrinceGhosts of ChristmasStick 'Em-  Find Etamar at kirbooloni.com-  Game Brain Facebook Group-  Twitter-  Instagram

Matt and Trey are joined by the newest member to our podcast, Jordan Sayyah, to review The War of the Ring: The Card Game0:03:00 Intro to JordanJSaysYeah on Discord0:08:00  Games we played this weekAge of SteamNanaStartupsInside Job0:30:00 Review:  War of the Ring: The Card GameWar of the RingQuartermaster GeneralRace for the GalaxyRoll for the Galaxy-  Find Etamar at kirbooloni.com-  Game Brain Facebook Group-  Twitter-  Instagram

Tom, Trey, and Ben talk about everything from the Spiel des Jahres, to gaming in Japan, to all their recent discoveries.Iki1880: China Bug Council of BackyardiaNokosu DiceVoodoo PrinceOrleans: Trade & IntrigueTortuga 1667 FindorffFuture Review:  War of the Ring: The Card Game-  Find Etamar at kirbooloni.com-  Game Brain Facebook Group-  Twitter-  Instagram

Trey and Elder review Wayfarers of the South Tigris.0:00:00 Introduction0:02:13 Games on the BrainGalactic Starcuiser closesWoodcraftGenotype 0:20:45 Review: Wayfarers of the South TigrisScholars of the South Tigris-  Find Etamar at kirbooloni.com-  Game Brain Facebook Group-  Twitter-  Instagram

Tom and Ben talk about our recent Golden Geek Nomination and deconstruct the special sauce that makes Hegemony so great!

Tom, Ben, and Trey circle back to the review the new edition of Tragedy Looper.0:00:00 Introduction0:04:00 Twilight Imperium Fourth Edition0:12:10 HegemonyThe Cost0:38:00 Great Western Trail: Agentina0:49:20 Fast Sloths0:59:05 Foundations of RomeRa1:09:10 Tragedy Looper: New TragediesBGG First EditionWhiz Kids Pre-order-  Find Etamar at kirbooloni.com-  Game Brain Facebook Group-  Twitter-  Instagram

Tom, Ben, and Dmitry discuss game night drama, whether or not they'll ever receive Hegemony, and the difference between games and puzzles.

Tom, Matt, Trey and Ben gather to reveal their Top 5 Games of 2022!0:00:00 Introduction0:05:40 Games we played this weekRed CathedralStationfallBarrage: The Nile AffairBoonlakeBlack Angel0:32:20 Top Games of 2022LacrimosaDeal with the DevilGuards of Atlantis IIReady Set Bet56:30 Weather MachineMosaic: A Story of CivilizationAutobahn1:22:30 Blood on the ClocktowerBen's #1: CarnegieTrey's #1: The TranscontinentalTom's #1: TiletumMatt's #1: John Company, 2nd Ed.2:02:45 Honorable MentionsAtiwaThe Old Prince 1871Libertalia: Winds of GalecrestCat in the BoxWayfarers of the South TigrisRevive-  Find Etamar at kirbooloni.com-  Game Brain Facebook Group-  Twitter-  Instagram

Ben, Trey, Elder, and Paul discuss the 2020 game The Red Cathedral and its 2022 expansion The Red Cathedral: Contractors.00:02:40 - Ramen Fury00:07:01 - Scholars of the South Tigris00:13:30 - Hegemony00:19:27 - Tzolkin00:20:26 - Robotech Reconstruction00:38:23 - Woodcraft00:43:40 - Imperial Steam00:59:34 - Red Cathedral + Contractors

Ben lost power in the great LA blizzard of 2023, but just because his house was dark didn't mean the podcast had to be.  And so Ben and Paul bravely wrapped themselves in blankets and churned out an episode in a heatless house,  sharing their gaming stories of the past two weeks:  Mosaic, Deal with the Devil, Crisis, Red Cathedral and several others.Time codes:Mosaic:  05:54Santiago 18:14Wiz War:  25:53Glory to Rome, Import/Export: 31:35Deal with the Devil: 34:38Tragedy Looper: New Tragedies 49:16Crisis:  50:23Red Cathedral:  01:05:10Horseless Carriage: 01:20:57

Ben, Tom, and Trey deep dive Mosaic: A Story of Civilization and discuss what makes a civ game... a civ game?  Plus, recent plays of Dune and Cosmic Frog.