Dave Gullett

 David G.  @davebo   Openers: • Mark: Maquis and Canopy • Dave: Earth      My friend Davebo has been on the podcast many times, but not for a while. During the time he's been away he decided to sell his California home and relocate to North Carolina, both to be by his oldest kid, now married, as well as to start a new chapter in life. In the podcast he talks a little about those reasons, and what it's like to be a boardgamer who uprooted himself from local groups and friend networks to be in a new place, finding &amp; meeting new people. Of course, gamers do this all the time, but I'm more familiar with it happening earlier in life, when you go off to college, get your first professional job somewhere else, maybe move again to buy a home &amp; start a family. Or like me, maybe you had a career move at some point, like when I moved 300 miles from Norcal to SoCal, leaving behind MY local game group.  At that time, I wasn't much more than thirty years old, and finding new gamer friends was something I needed to do...but I don't recall feeling especially challenged by it. Now, though, I can anticipate another move when I eventually retire, and finding new friends when I'm in my sixties feels different. Perhaps it shouldn't, but I'm a little daunted just thinking about it. Dave's not in his sixties, but he's not in his thirties, either. He's now done what I will need to do eventually. Of course, it matters what sort of community you find yourself in, how expansive your hobby is, and other factors. Online gaming was always around, but really took off during the pandemic. That's an interesting way to meet new people AND stay in touch with the gamers "back home."  Closers: • Dave: "High five" games • Mark: Can we get more boardgames that tie in to landmarks, places to visit, and a sense of history?    -Mark

<a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/user/davebo" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> David G. @davebo </a> Openers: • Mark: <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/148729/maquis" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Maquis</a> and <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/295607/canopy" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Canopy</a> • Dave: <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/350184/earth" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Earth</a> <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/image/5009864/maquis" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/image/5090694/canopy" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/image/6699821/earth" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a> My friend Davebo has been on the podcast many times, but not for a while. During the time he's been away he decided to sell his California home and relocate to North Carolina, both to be by his oldest kid, now married, as well as to start a new chapter in life. In the podcast he talks a little about those reasons, and what it's like to be a boardgamer who uprooted himself from local groups and friend networks to be in a new place, finding &amp; meeting new people. Of course, gamers do this all the time, but I'm more familiar with it happening earlier in life, when you go off to college, get your first professional job somewhere else, maybe move again to buy a home &amp; start a family. Or like me, maybe you had a career move at some point, like when I moved 300 miles from Norcal to SoCal, leaving behind MY local game group. At that time, I wasn't much more than thirty years old, and finding new gamer friends was something I needed to do...but I don't recall feeling especially challenged by it. Now, though, I can anticipate another move when I eventually retire, and finding new friends when I'm in my sixties feels different. Perhaps it shouldn't, but I'm a little daunted just thinking about it. Dave's not in his sixties, but he's not in his thirties, either. He's now done what I will need to do eventually. Of course, it matters what sort of community you find yourself in, how expansive your hobby is, and other factors. Online gaming was always around, but really took off during the pandemic. That's an interesting way to meet new people AND stay in touch with the gamers "back home." Closers: • Dave: <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/317702/fun-light-games-make-you-high-five-each-other" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"High five" games</a> • Mark: Can we get more boardgames that tie in to landmarks, places to visit, and a sense of history? <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/geekmail/compose?touser=MarkEJohnson" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> -Mark</a>

Boardgames To Go 217 - Moving to New Places...and Boardgaming (with Dave Gullett)

Opener: Ark Nova...on BoardgameArena  I feel like most of this year--really everything since BGGcon last November--has been about me embracing the fullness of this hobby in a post-pandemic way. Along with the realization that no one can really embrace ALL of it. There's just too much. I've simultaneously been maximizing my hobby and realizing the unavoidable limitations involved.  This episode certainly fits that overall "story arc." In May I managed to play a lot of games with various friends in all sorts of settings: my local game group, on a business trip, at a Games Day, during a lunch hour at work, online in several ways, and more. Plus there's the extra parts of our hobby, like podcasts and magazines. Looking back, I feel like I did a LOT. Even so, I'm aware of the things I didn't do, because there's just so much time in a month. At least several of those opportunities were with a wider range of gaming friends, something that wasn't possible a year or two ago.  Closer: Spiel des Jahres nominations and recommendations

Opener: Ark Nova...on BoardgameArena I feel like most of this year--really everything since BGGcon last November--has been about me embracing the fullness of this hobby in a post-pandemic way. Along with the realization that no one can really embrace ALL of it. There's just too much. I've simultaneously been maximizing my hobby and realizing the unavoidable limitations involved. This episode certainly fits that overall "story arc." In May I managed to play a lot of games with various friends in all sorts of settings: my local game group, on a business trip, at a Games Day, during a lunch hour at work, online in several ways, and more. Plus there's the extra parts of our hobby, like podcasts and magazines. Looking back, I feel like I did a LOT. Even so, I'm aware of the things I didn't do, because there's just so much time in a month. At least several of those opportunities were with a wider range of gaming friends, something that wasn't possible a year or two ago. Closer: Spiel des Jahres nominations and recommendations

Boardgames To Go 216 - Mark's Mega Month of May

Opener: Votes for Women  What is "normal" in our hobby? For a while I've realized that what I felt most comfortable &amp; familiar with in boardgaming is a little but stuck in the past, not coincidentally the times when I was first diving in deep with it. This is about the 10-year period from 1996-2006, give or take. The hobby today feels different. It IS different. Not better or worse (I try to convince myself), just different. But different in what ways?  In this solo episode I consider this. Before I tackle the present day I think aloud about how the hobby started, how it progressed, and how it got to when I first played Settlers, Medici, or Bohnanza. I think a lot about the perspective of someone working at Origins or Gencon, perhaps at a game distributor's booth, going to those events from the 1970s to the present day. I actually think there are some that span those fifty years(!) in our hobby, if not always behind a booth then at least participating in it. From that vantage point, you'd definitely see things change over time, and I think with some hindsight you could identify some "waves" or "generations" within the hobby. Characteristics more of one time than another. Trends that come &amp; go.  Even within euro-style hobby boardgaming, I think you could subdivide my earlier era to today and note some important differences. That's what I'm thinking about, and I welcome input from listeners, too. Am I all wet here? Or am I onto something? Does it even matter in any way?  I think it may matter in the sense that I'm trying to stay true to the types of boardgaming I most enjoy, while simultaneously NOT becoming a fossilized dinosaur. Can it be done? Of course. Thinking about these kinds of things is how I go about it.  Closer: Mark Madness 2023 tournament! Congrats to winner Patrick Pence!   -Mark

Opener: <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/311900/votes-women" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Votes for Women</a> What is "normal" in our hobby? For a while I've realized that what I felt most comfortable &amp; familiar with in boardgaming is a little but stuck in the past, not coincidentally the times when I was first diving in deep with it. This is about the 10-year period from 1996-2006, give or take. The hobby today feels different. It IS different. Not better or worse (I try to convince myself), just different. But different in what ways? In this solo episode I consider this. Before I tackle the present day I think aloud about how the hobby started, how it progressed, and how it got to when I first played Settlers, Medici, or Bohnanza. I think a lot about the perspective of someone working at Origins or Gencon, perhaps at a game distributor's booth, going to those events from the 1970s to the present day. I actually think there are some that span those fifty years(!) in our hobby, if not always behind a booth then at least participating in it. From that vantage point, you'd definitely see things change over time, and I think with some hindsight you could identify some "waves" or "generations" within the hobby. Characteristics more of one time than another. Trends that come &amp; go. Even within euro-style hobby boardgaming, I think you could subdivide my earlier era to today and note some important differences. That's what I'm thinking about, and I welcome input from listeners, too. Am I all wet here? Or am I onto something? Does it even matter in any way? I think it may matter in the sense that I'm trying to stay true to the types of boardgaming I most enjoy, while simultaneously NOT becoming a fossilized dinosaur. Can it be done? Of course. Thinking about these kinds of things is how I go about it. Closer: Mark Madness 2023 tournament! Congrats to winner Patrick Pence! <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/geekmail/compose?touser=MarkEJohnson" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> -Mark</a>

Boardgames To Go 215 - The New Normal

Steve Paap

 Nonsense Junkie  @elschmear   Opener: • Mark: Caesar's Empire • Steve: Trendy    My friend Steve Paap joins me again, but this time he turns the tables, interviewing ME on my own podcast. We talk about the history of the podcast, what I think about wargaming, and some of my curmudgeonly tendencies in boardgaming. It was fun to talk about with him, and he claims we only got through half of his questions! Perhaps in another year or so we can try again.  Closers: • Steve: Competitive tournaments at a game convention • Mark: Finding other boardgamers at my work    -Mark

<a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/user/elschmear" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Nonsense Junkie @elschmear </a> Opener: • Mark: <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/341496/caesars-empire" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Caesar's Empire</a> • Steve: <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/1412/trendy" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Trendy</a> <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/image/7432275/markejohnson" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a> My friend Steve Paap joins me again, but this time he turns the tables, interviewing ME on my own podcast. We talk about the history of the podcast, what I think about wargaming, and some of my curmudgeonly tendencies in boardgaming. It was fun to talk about with him, and he claims we only got through half of his questions! Perhaps in another year or so we can try again. Closers: • Steve: Competitive tournaments at a game convention • Mark: Finding other boardgamers at my work <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/geekmail/compose?touser=MarkEJohnson" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> -Mark</a>

Boardgames To Go 214 - Turning the Mic Around on Me (with Steve Paap)

We're just about finished now. Azul emerged victorious from the SdJ division voting, Terraforming Mars from the Kenners, The Crew Mission Deep Sea from the A La Cartes, and Brass Birmingham from the Golden Geeks. Now that I step back and look at those, they seem like wonderful, fantastic, even inevitable champions from each of their respective divisions...not that I was smart enough to predict them all for my bracket. These four champions now face each other, though you'll hear not quite the way I'd originally intended. It all works, though, and before long we'll have the top two vote-getters in the Mark Madness Championship for 2023.

We're just about finished now. Azul emerged victorious from the SdJ division voting, Terraforming Mars from the Kenners, The Crew Mission Deep Sea from the A La Cartes, and Brass Birmingham from the Golden Geeks. Now that I step back and look at those, they seem like wonderful, fantastic, even inevitable champions from each of their respective divisions...not that I was smart enough to predict them all for my bracket. These four champions now face each other, though you'll hear not quite the way I'd originally intended. It all works, though, and before long we'll have the top two vote-getters in the Mark Madness Championship for 2023.

Boardgames To Go 213E - Mark Madness 2023 The Final Four

This micro-episode shares some overview of the Rounds 1 &amp; 2 voting, such as blowout wins and close calls. I get to share the Sweet 16 and imagine which of the four games in each of the four divisions will emerge victorious to battle against the others. Hint: don't bet against The Crew (any version!) Please remember to keep voting. Each round of voting is open for a few days, and I keep adding to the same geeklist to do it. Scroll down to find it.  https://boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/312399/mark-madness-2023-bgtgs-battle-award-winners?itemid=9636466#9636466

This micro-episode shares some overview of the Rounds 1 &amp; 2 voting, such as blowout wins and close calls. I get to share the Sweet 16 and imagine which of the four games in each of the four divisions will emerge victorious to battle against the others. Hint: don't bet against The Crew (any version!) Please remember to keep voting. Each round of voting is open for a few days, and I keep adding to the same geeklist to do it. Scroll down to find it. <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/312399/mark-madness-2023-bgtgs-battle-award-winners?itemid=9636466#9636466" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/312399/mark-madness-2023-bgtgs-battle-award-winners?itemid=9636466#9636466</a>

Boardgames To Go 213D - Mark Madness The Sweet 16

The third micro-episode of the podcast talks about the predictions that are now locked-in and the voting that we're all just starting. Follow the link below and subscribe to that geeklist where it happens.  https://boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/312399/boardgames-go-madness-2023-battle-award-winners    Quick LinksGet Embed PlayerDownload Audio File

The third micro-episode of the podcast talks about the predictions that are now locked-in and the voting that we're all just starting. Follow the link below and subscribe to that geeklist where it happens. <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/312399/boardgames-go-madness-2023-battle-award-winners" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/312399/boardgames-go-madness-2023-battle-award-winners</a> Quick LinksGet Embed PlayerDownload Audio File

Boardgames To Go 213C - Mark Madness Round 1 Voting

The SECOND micro-episode of the podcast that spreads the news and encourages folks to enter predictions &amp; make votes in a 64-title, single-elimination contest between award-winning boardgames.   https://boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/312399/boardgames-go-madness-2023-battle-award-winners

The SECOND micro-episode of the podcast that spreads the news and encourages folks to enter predictions &amp; make votes in a 64-title, single-elimination contest between award-winning boardgames.  <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/312399/boardgames-go-madness-2023-battle-award-winners" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/312399/boardgames-go-madness-2023-battle-award-winners</a>

Boardgames To Go 213B - Boardgames To Go Madness Predictions

The first micro-episode of the podcast that spreads the news and encourages folks to enter predictions &amp; make votes in a 64-title, single-elimination contest between award-winning boardgames.   https://boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/312399/boardgames-go-madness-2023-battle-award-winners

The first micro-episode of the podcast that spreads the news and encourages folks to enter predictions &amp; make votes in a 64-title, single-elimination contest between award-winning boardgames.  <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/312399/boardgames-go-madness-2023-battle-award-winners" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/312399/boardgames-go-madness-2023-battle-award-winners</a>

Boardgames To Go 213A - Welcome to Boardgames To Go Madness

Greg Pettit

Please join us on the Boardgames To Go discord server where you can chat online with other podcast listeners.  Openers: Mark - BGTG Madness! Greg - LLAMA on BGA   @Gregarius   Longtime friend of the podcast Greg Pettit returns to talk about thrifting boardgames. What is that? It's a hobby-within-a-hobby about finding used games at thrift shops, garage sales, and other sources of secondhand titles. To get good results you should be dedicated to doing this, checking locations regularly because on any given day there's likely to be nothing good. However, from time to time you may be fortunate enough to find a game you'd love to add to your own collection, or else one that you could use for parts. If you're like me when I used to do this, you're happy to sell the game on ebay, BGG Geekmarket, Facebook Marketplace, or some other venue...and then use the proceeds to buy other games. :-)  Greg tells about the thrifters guild here on BGG, TheThriftyGamer.net website/utility, and the vicarious thrill and congratulations that go on regularly through the Thrift Finds of the Week.  For some serious thrifters, they acquire more games than they can really utilize, so what they like to do is give them away to good homes. Isn't that cool? Related to that concept is the notion of the Thrifty Secret Santa annual gift exchange. Greg stepped in to run this over a decade ago, and has been doing it ever since with the assistance of some helper "elves." It's a wonderful tradition where games are exchanged for the holidays, but no one buys anything. In particular, no one send a gift just by clicking an order button online from a wishlist. Instead, used games are being exchanged from the heart, often accompanied with a lot of personal craftsmanship and care in the gift-giving. I have yet to participate myself, being content to watch from the sidelines as people enjoy the sending and receiving. But with some encouragement and demystification from Greg, perhaps podcast listeners and I may want to be a part of it next year.   Closers: Greg - Tigris &amp; Euphrates tournament for the Old-School German Style Games Guild Mark - Mandala and "upgrading" a game's components to play outside   -Mark

Please join us on the <a href="https://discord.io/BoardgamesToGo" rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Boardgames To Go discord server</a> where you can chat online with other podcast listeners. Openers: Mark - <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/312399" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">BGTG Madness!</a> Greg - <a href="https://boardgamearena.com/gamepanel?game=lama" rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">LLAMA on BGA</a> <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/user/Gregarius" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> @Gregarius </a> Longtime friend of the podcast Greg Pettit returns to talk about thrifting boardgames. What is that? It's a hobby-within-a-hobby about finding used games at thrift shops, garage sales, and other sources of secondhand titles. To get good results you should be dedicated to doing this, checking locations regularly because on any given day there's likely to be nothing good. However, from time to time you may be fortunate enough to find a game you'd love to add to your own collection, or else one that you could use for parts. If you're like me when I used to do this, you're happy to sell the game on ebay, BGG Geekmarket, Facebook Marketplace, or some other venue...and then use the proceeds to buy other games. :-) Greg tells about the <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/guild/193" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">thrifters guild here on BGG</a>, <a href="https://www.thethriftygamer.net/" rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">TheThriftyGamer.net website/utility</a>, and the vicarious thrill and congratulations that go on regularly through the <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/309309/thrift-finds-week-2023" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Thrift Finds of the Week</a>. For some serious thrifters, they acquire more games than they can really utilize, so what they like to do is give them away to good homes. Isn't that cool? Related to that concept is the notion of the <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/2949499/2022-thrifty-santa-discussion-thread" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Thrifty Secret Santa annual gift exchange</a>. Greg stepped in to run this over a decade ago, and has been doing it ever since with the assistance of some helper "elves." It's a wonderful tradition where games are exchanged for the holidays, but no one buys anything. In particular, no one send a gift just by clicking an order button online from a wishlist. Instead, used games are being exchanged from the heart, often accompanied with a lot of personal craftsmanship and care in the gift-giving. I have yet to participate myself, being content <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/305955/2022-thrifty-santa-look-what-i-got-list" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">to watch from the sidelines as people enjoy the sending and receiving</a>. But with some encouragement and demystification from Greg, perhaps podcast listeners and I may want to be a part of it next year. Closers: Greg - <a href="https://boardgamearena.com/tournament?id=187416" rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Tigris &amp; Euphrates tournament</a> for the <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/guild/3948" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Old-School German Style Games Guild</a> Mark - <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/264241/mandala" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mandala</a> and "upgrading" a game's components to play outside <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/geekmail/compose?touser=MarkEJohnson" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> -Mark</a>

Boardgames To Go 212 - Thrifting Boardgames (with Greg Pettit)

Mark Johnson's occasional &amp; opinionated podcast about family strategy boardgames

I like the fact that Mark keeps this podcast simple, straightforward, and consistent. It&#39;s like an audio blog since he doesn&#39;t try to do anything more special than give his personal thoughts on games he&#39;s played and cons he&#39;s attended. I feel like I have a better sense of his tastes than most other reviewers, so I know what I&#39;ll think of a game based on his opinion of it.

Straightforward and personal

Probably my favorite board game podcast. Just wish they came out more often.

Great coverage

Boardgames To Go

Outdoor Boardgaming

Notice: I'm in the process of moving this blog over to Boardgamegeek. I'm still running the show, and the podcast will still be available through your normal subscription (iTunes, or whatever)--I'm just using a different host on the internet. This move is only happening because I think it will be more convenient for my listeners, and it may also generate more comments. Please follow me over to

BGTG 123 - Outdoor Boardgaming (with Dave Gullett)

At last! Another All About show, and one I'd been planning to do for some time. My buddy and BGG.com roommate Greg Pettit has played the game a fair bit, and shared his opinions about the game's strategies, reputation, graphic production, and more. Also, we managed to play the newly-released card game adaption of E&amp;T at the con, which gave us even more to think about.-MarkP.S. Pretty ridiculous

At last! Another All About show, and one I'd been planning to do for some time. My buddy and <a href="http://BGG.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">BGG.com</a> roommate Greg Pettit has played the game a fair bit, and shared his opinions about the game's strategies, reputation, graphic production, and more. Also, we managed to play the newly-released card game adaption of E&amp;T at the con, which gave us even more to think about.-MarkP.S. Pretty ridiculous

BGTG 43 - Nov. 6, 2005 - All About Euphrat & Tigris (with Greg Pettit)

Stephanie Kelleher

If you pay attention to the episode numbers, you'll see this one actually belongs before the previous show about Essen. I only needed to hurry that one out in time for the big game fair in Germany this week. I'd recorded this episode focusing on Martin Wallace's Brass with guest Stephanie Kelleher (songlian on BGG). Stephanie is at Essen right now helping with the BGG/Geekdo booth!We both

If you pay attention to the episode numbers, you'll see this one actually belongs before the previous show about Essen. I only needed to hurry that one out in time for the big game fair in Germany this week. I'd recorded this episode focusing on Martin Wallace's Brass with guest Stephanie Kelleher (songlian on BGG). Stephanie is at Essen right now helping with the BGG/Geekdo booth! We both

BGTG 97 - All About Brass (with Stephanie Kelleher)

Greg Wilzbach

This was a fun show to record, sitting down with the local gamer &amp; friend who designed the BGTG logo(s). After some general chat about how Greg's background, how he got into the hobby, and joined the Santa Clarita Boardgamers, we got into the main theme of the show: boardgame presentation. For a graphics and design-savvy guy like Greg, that value of a game's good presentation is obvious. For a

BGTG 30 - Game Presentation with Greg Wilzbach

Stephen Glenn

Mark Jackson

Stephen Glenn and Mark Jackson rejoin me (Mark JOHNson) to continue this series. In 2012, these two guys polled a number of experienced gamers (a few designers, many reviewers, all enthusiasts) for their top games, consolidated their answers, and asked to come on my podcast to count down the results. I was pleased to be part of the poll, and doubly pleased to have them on Boardgames To Go. I really like how Stephen describes this:  "a fun list to discuss over coffee &amp; pie." The poll was for our favorite games, not necessarily the best games. We even got to submit a top fifteen, which took the usual tough request for a top ten and gave us more breathing room for five more titles. I know in my case, it made it easier to add some very recent games to my longstanding favorites.  On each podcast we're counting down a bunch of titles  until we get to a final show with the Top Ten. I'll be interspersing 100 Great Games countdown episodes with my other podcast episodes. Here are #31-40 on the list, counted down in reverse order as we discuss them on the podcast. This show was especially fun because BGG had gone down for maintenance when we did our recording! That meant that we had to go on our own knowledge and memories of the games' designers, publishers, and years, in addition to usual opinions about how they play. Fortunately, we're getting so high up in the list now that the games are very notable. I think we did pretty well without our normal reference material...but you tell me! Note: we had a little audio problem with Mark Jackson halfway through the podcast, but stick with us! I edited around it as best I could, and it gets better after the Ave Caesar/Ausgebremst/Q-Jet discussion.

Stephen Glenn and Mark Jackson rejoin me (Mark JOHNson) to continue this series. In 2012, these two guys polled a number of experienced gamers (a few designers, many reviewers, all enthusiasts) for their top games, consolidated their answers, and asked to come on my podcast to count down the results. I was pleased to be part of the poll, and doubly pleased to have them on Boardgames To Go. I really like how Stephen describes this:  "a fun list to discuss over coffee &amp; pie." The poll was for our favorite games, not necessarily the best games. We even got to submit a top fifteen, which took the usual tough request for a top ten and gave us more breathing room for five more titles. I know in my case, it made it easier to add some very recent games to my longstanding favorites.  On each podcast we're counting down a bunch of titles  until we get to a final show with the Top Ten. I'll be interspersing 100 Great Games countdown episodes with my other podcast episodes. Here are #31-40 on the list, counted down in reverse order as we discuss them on the podcast. This show was especially fun because BGG had gone down for maintenance when we did our recording! That meant that we had to go on our own knowledge and memories of the games' designers, publishers, and years, in addition to usual opinions about how they play. Fortunately, we're getting so high up in the list now that the games are very notable. I think we did pretty well without our normal reference material...but you tell me! Note: we had a little audio problem with Mark Jackson halfway through the podcast, but stick with us! I edited around it as best I could, and it gets better after the Ave Caesar/Ausgebremst/Q-Jet discussion.

BGTG 145 - 100 Great Games, part 5 (with Stephen Glenn and Mark Jackson)

Finally! I've wanted to get back to a theme show for a while, and one on microgames has been on my to-do list. As I say in the show, this is really sort of training me for doing some shows about wargames. I'm not ready to do that yet, but it will come someday.This was another recording using the mobile device, a Treo 650, rather than my normal laptop &amp; headset mic rig. There's a drop in audio

BGTG 26 - Microgames

Mike Siggins

Once again I'm pleased to bring Mike Siggins' boardgame commentary to podcasting with our annual show recapping his observations about Essen. Mike writes some of these in his column on Funagain.com, called The Gamer's Notebook, and that piece is a good companion to this BGTG episode.At the end, I also have a brief review on the one Essen title I've managed to play so far, Wolfgang Kramer's Origo.

Once again I'm pleased to bring Mike Siggins' boardgame commentary to podcasting with our annual show recapping his observations about Essen. Mike writes some of these in his column on <a href="http://Funagain.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Funagain.com</a>, called The Gamer's Notebook, and that piece is a good companion to this BGTG <a href="http://episode.At" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">episode.At</a> the end, I also have a brief review on the one Essen title I've managed to play so far, Wolfgang Kramer's Origo.

BGTG 74 - Post-Essen 2007 (with Mike Siggins)

Dave Arnott

Part 2 of my discussion with Dave Arnott was about game awards. There are a bunch of them, from the Spiel des Jahres to the Golden Geeks. We talk about a whole range of them, and also consider how game awards are similar or different from other artistic awards, such as the Oscars. (By the way, I did go see Slumdog Millionaire that night, and though I liked it I wouldn't have called it the Best

BGTG 92 - Game Awards (with Dave Arnott)

Last year, my buddy Dave Arnott and I talked on the phone about how we'd now been in the hobby for a decade. In that time the hobby was in many ways the same, but the interesting parts were the differences. Now we have Boardgamegeek, do a lot less overseas ordering, and I can't recall the last time I played a game with a separate page of card translations we all had to hand back &amp; forth while

BGTG 75 - Decade+1 Retrospective (with Dave Arnott)

Now that the first decade of the new century &amp; millennium is past, Dave &amp; I reflected on what that ten-year span meant for boardgames. Back in late 2007 he &amp; I recorded a "decade+1" retrospective for episode #75, but that had a little different focus. For that earlier show, we tried to talk about our own introduction and growth in the hobby, like what games we first learned about &amp; played, how

BGTG 105 - Games of the Decade (with Dave Arnott)

I had a few technical challenges with this show--hopefully none of them come through in the recording. (I did the intro on my little Treo phone/PDA thingie, then pasted it into my normal Audacity recording software. I hadn't noticed that this fiddled with my normal sampling rate, which affects some CD burners. I think I fixed it, though.) By all means, let me know if something is amiss.Note the

BGTG - May 30, 2005 (SR: Struggle of Empires, Alhambra, Flowerpower)

Listener, Siggins.Siggins, Listener.The oldtimers in this hobby will recognize the name instantly, as well as my play on Ken Tidwell's introduction of Mike Siggins to his new readers on the Internet. Mike was one of the earliest writers and savvy reviewers of the new crop of German boardgames. Starting in the late 1980s(!) with other mags, he's most notable for his decade-long, near-solo effort

BGTG 38A - Oct 4, 2005 - Euro/Wargame Hybrids (with Mike Siggins)

As promised, here's my annual episode running through the new Essen games that have caught my eye. There are games I'm pretty sure I want, others I'm pretty sure I don't, and a whole bunch I need to know more about first (hopefully by playing).Essen opens its doors to everyone tomorrow, and the press-only day has already started. Folks like me will be checking internet sites repeatedly through

BGTG 87 - Essen Anticipation 2008

As promised, here's the post-Essen followup show. A few weeks ago I talked about the games I was interested in hearing more about at Essen. Now here's Mike Siggins, coming on the podcast to give BGTG listeners some firsthand accounts of his time at the fair, and impressions of some games. Be sure to also read Mike's column (the "Gamer's Notebook") at Funagain on the same subject. -Mark

BGTG 65 - Oct 27, 2006 - Post-Essen Show (with Mike Siggins)

Whew! Finally a new show. Like the last time I (unintentionally) took a little time off from the podcast, it was a little hard to get back into the swing of things. Last time I thought a simpler Session Report and Feedback show was the way to get back into the podcasting groove, but this time I wanted to try a theme show. That's because I'd been hearing the excellent series hosted by Eric Burgess

BGTG 61 - Aug 2, 2006 - Friendly, Local Game Stores

Tonga Bonga

A nice, big session report. Last week's session wasn't any longer than the previous one, but instead of playing one big game (Struggle of Empires), this time we played several shorter games. These are always my favorite game nights, though I can handle a longer game once in a while.I also was able to open with several listener comments, which was fun. Keep 'em coming.Email Mark JohnsonGamesTonga

BGTG - June 5, 2005 (SR: Tonga Bonga, David & Goliath, Oltremare, Tichu, Oceania)

David Gullett

Have you ever played Bunco? I'm now in a couples Bunco group, a new thing for me. It goes without saying that this is not the kind of gaming group I normally have, and talk about on the show. These are not hobby gamers. They aren't even party gamers. They're just regular folks, all empty nest-ers (or close to it, like me), who get together to talk, have dinner &amp; drinks. That we play a game or two at the end of the night for a few bucks' stakes is purely a social activity, absolutely not intended to be competitive. After Bunco kind of wore off, the group switched to LCR. Yikes!Here's my Catch-22: I want a game that's more fun for me because it has a little bit of strategy, but everyone else wants a game that is so easy &amp; automatic that it doesn't pressure anyone or limit conversation. Almost by definition, this is a no-man's land since it's looking for a game that has decision-making yet requires no thought.Well, gamers often make suggestions about titles they think are light enough, but really aren't. Or we consider party games. In this podcast I cover that very topic with Dave Gullett, who is the rare gamer who understands my dilemma! In the show we go through a lot of ideas, and I proceed to basically shoot them all down for one reason or another. Am I the problem? Or is it basically un-solvable with the constraints I've given myself?Look at all the types of games we consider, and please give me your own ideas. Particularly if you've had some success in similar situations, tell me about the games you played as well as describing that situation and its other players.

Have you ever played Bunco? I'm now in a couples Bunco group, a new thing for me. It goes without saying that this is not the kind of gaming group I normally have, and talk about on the show. These are not hobby gamers. They aren't even party gamers. They're just regular folks, all empty nest-ers (or close to it, like me), who get together to talk, have dinner &amp; drinks. That we play a game or two at the end of the night for a few bucks' stakes is purely a social activity, absolutely not intended to be competitive. After Bunco kind of wore off, the group switched to LCR. Yikes!Here's my Catch-22: I want a game that's more fun for me because it has a little bit of strategy, but everyone else wants a game that is so easy &amp; automatic that it doesn't pressure anyone or limit conversation. Almost by definition, this is a no-man's land since it's looking for a game that has decision-making yet requires no thought.Well, gamers often make suggestions about titles they think are light enough, but really aren't. Or we consider party games. In this podcast I cover that very topic with Dave Gullett, who is the rare gamer who understands my dilemma! In the show we go through a lot of ideas, and I proceed to basically shoot them all down for one reason or another. Am I the problem? Or is it basically un-solvable with the constraints I've given myself?Look at all the types of games we consider, and please give me your own ideas. Particularly if you've had some success in similar situations, tell me about the games you played as well as describing that situation and its other players.

BGTG 144 - Gaming with Regular People (with David Gullett)

Lincoln Damerst

I grabbed two of my artistically talented friends (Greg did my podcast logo!) and put them on the microphone to talk about their hobby-within-a-hobby: handcrafted games. These guys have both taken a known, existing boardgame or two and hand made their own copies. It might have been to create something that's hard to get, or it might have been to make a personalized, deluxe version of a favorite

BGTG 107 - Handcrafted Games (with Lincoln Damerst and Greg Wilzbach)

David G. (davebo)              Greg Wilzbach (gawilz)              Mike Mayer (Mike Mayer)          You haven't heard from me lately (unless you subscribe to my wargames podcast), but I'm still here, still gaming. However, there HAS been a transformation in my engagement with the hobby. For the past half-year I've firmly been in the mode of downsizing my collection. Why, and why now? Well, that's some of what this podcast is about. I'm joined by three of my local gaming buddies, Dave, Greg, and Mike. Dave isn't exactly downsizing, but he's disciplined about NOT letting his collection grow. So as he gets new games, he sells off others. I'm actually shrinking my collection. The other two guys are in a different frame of mind. Greg is running out of storage space, but still wants all of his games (and more). Mike thinks anyone who wants to get rid of games is crazy. It all adds up to a variety of interesting opinions about downsizing a collection.

David G. (<a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/user/davebo" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">davebo</a>) <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/users?country=United%20States" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/geekmail/compose?touser=davebo" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a> <a></a> <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/user/davebo" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/user/davebo" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/microbadge/36862" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/microbadge/3453" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/microbadge/28554" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/microbadge/9709" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/microbadge/10415" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a> Greg Wilzbach (<a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/user/gawilz" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">gawilz</a>) <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/users?country=United%20States" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/geekmail/compose?touser=gawilz" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a> <a></a> <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/user/gawilz" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/user/gawilz" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/microbadge/5344" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/microbadge/512" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/microbadge/3959" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/microbadge/20155" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/microbadge/2836" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a> Mike Mayer (<a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/user/Mike%20Mayer" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mike Mayer</a>) <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/users?country=United%20States" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/geekmail/compose?touser=Mike%20Mayer" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a> <a></a> <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/designer/6713" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/user/Mike%20Mayer" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/microbadge/612" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/microbadge/16480" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/microbadge/257" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/microbadge/2799" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/microbadge/2042" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a> You haven't heard from me lately (unless you subscribe to my wargames podcast), but I'm still here, still gaming. However, there HAS been a transformation in my engagement with the hobby. For the past half-year I've firmly been in the mode of downsizing my collection. Why, and why now? Well, that's some of what this podcast is about. I'm joined by three of my local gaming buddies, Dave, Greg, and Mike. Dave isn't exactly downsizing, but he's disciplined about NOT letting his collection grow. So as he gets new games, he sells off others. I'm actually shrinking my collection. The other two guys are in a different frame of mind. Greg is running out of storage space, but still wants all of his games (and more). Mike thinks anyone who wants to get rid of games is crazy. It all adds up to a variety of interesting opinions about downsizing a collection.

Boardgames To Go 182 - Downsizing a Collection

This audio session report mostly talks about the games I played at two recent Santa Clarita Boardgamer sessions. What do people listen for in an audio session report, anyway? I don't spend any time explaining the mechanics of the games. That's not a good use of anyone's time, especially my own. You can follow the links below to learn all you'll want about rules &amp; mechanics.I'm primarily telling

BGTG - May 14, 2005 (SR: Crokinole, Schrille Stille, Star Wars Attack of the Clones, Puerto Rico, Traumfabrik)

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