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.
Episodes
Ben and Paul do a deep dive review on the cozy, classic-feeling worker placement game Oranges & Lemons. Plus, recent plays of Cargo Empire, Spicy, Fromage, Kites, Ito, and Guards of Atlantis II.
00:00 Intro
04:08 Kites
09:35 Cargo Empire
15:49 Guards of Atlantis II
28:02 Spicy
34:56 Fromage
39:50 Ito
48:19 Review game - Oranges & Lemons
Ben and Jordan check in on some recent game sessions - some short, some long, and some VERY long. Ben has some things to say about hot new games Lightning Train and Shinjuku. Jordan then shares some impressions about 1817 and Defense of Procyon III. Plus, an epic breakdown of another epic Twilight Imperium session, and we wrap things up with the game that maybe made us happiest: Hot Streak.
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Ben and Paul talk about recent plays of Eclipse, Scape Goat, and 23 Knives. Plus, the two explore the question: what happens if game night becomes stale?
00:00 Intro
04:50 Eclipse
13:56 Land & Freedom
17:28 Scape Goat
32:39 Man-Eating House
38:31 Gadget Trick
42:15 Age of Innovation
44:10 Ito
47:08 23 Knives
59:42 Dune / Discussion topic: how to revitalize game night
Matt is back on the pod for a very big rundown of some noteworthy game sessions: some amazing, others not so much. Matt, Jordan, and Ben are going around the horn with a chunky board game roundup.
00:00 Intro
03:12 Daggerheart
18:01 Fiasco
21:08 Transgalactica
30:03 Corps of Discovery / Manifest Destiny
36:55 Oranges & Lemons
45:27 Toy Battle
52:56 Nusfjord
01:01:10 Dune Imperium Uprising
01:10:31 Innovation
01:13:14 Courtisans
01:14:27 I...
Ben, Paul, and Trey discuss first impressions of two big games: Moon Colony Bloodbath and Endeavor Deep Sea. Somehow, we all got mad at each other in each game. Fun!
We also chat about recent game plays of Dune Imperium and Wavelength, and extra bonus: the return of Games on the Brain!
00:00 Intro
00:57 Game Rooms
08:05 Dune Imperium
21:44 Wavelength
33:49 Ito
41:37 Landmarks of the Lost Atlas
51:40 Oranges & Lemons
53:00 Barcelona...
Ben, Paul, and Jordan go deep on the color-coded agony machine that is Asian Tigers. Plus, chatter about Ito, We All Take From the River, and Elder Scrolls.
00:00 Intro
05:21 Elder Scrolls
12:59 Ito
33:13 Rail on the Hill
38:19 Founders of Gloomhaven
41:55 Mr. Pai Pai
44:17 Gibberers
53:06 We All Take From The River
01:05:53 Guards of Atlantis, Land and Freedom updates
01:07:33 Asian Tigers review
Ben, Trey, and Jordan review the 2025 space tourism game Galactic Cruise. Plus initial impressions of Molly House, Gibberers, and Land and Freedom. Jordan also gives an update on 5 v 5 Guards of Atlantis, and Trey has fresh thoughts on Dune Imperium, Keyflower, and Avalon.
Stefan Feld's epic kitchen sink game Civolution was one of the biggest releases of 2024. With an hour teach, a million mechanics, and a wild theme, does this beast crumble under its own weight or triumph in maximalist glory? Ben, Paul, and Jordan discuss.
Plus, the three weigh in on the March Meepleness Bracket and share thoughts on recent plays of Guards of Atlantis II, Galactic Cruise, and Eternal Decks.
00:00 Introduction
02:...
It's two episodes for the price of one. Come join for a double header of Table Scraps. First, Ben and Paul talk about what pity cards you can and can't play at game night: the "bad day" card, the "I've been out of town" card, and so many more.
Then we get down to the real pressing questions: if games were sushi, what sushi would they be? Be sure to subscribe to Table Scraps on Youtube here: htt...
Ben, Trey, and special guest Chris dive deep with the rotating space hotness SETI. Plus, talk about a marathon session of 1817.
00:00 Intro
12:10 1817
25:09 Railways of the Lost Atlas
30:50 Whistle Mountain
33:04 SETI
In this episode of Game Brain, Ben and Paul dive deep into the ancient world with a full review of Men-Nefer, exploring its mechanics, strategy, and whether it’s an classic Egyptian Euro (oxymoron?) in the making. But that’s not all—we also break down Mind MGMT, Serenissima, and DroPolter, dissecting the mind games, economic battles, and dexterity highjinks within these standout titles. Plus, we check in on The Traitors on Peacock...
Ben and Paul talk about punctuality and game night: what do you do when you're running late? When is it okay to run late? What do we owe those who are late? And what about showing up too early? It's all about timing and game night.
Matt, Paul, Trey, Tom, Jordan, and Ben convene to discuss their top games of the year. Plus, awards in categories such as "Best New To Me Game," "Biggest Disappointment," and "Best Expansion."
We had a variety of audio issues in this episode; so apologies in advance for the not amazing sound quality.
Drew Conley Go Fund Me: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-drew-dcon-rebuild-after-eat...
Ben and Paul discuss their favorite gaming sessions of 2024. Then, in advance of a future Game Brain top 10 episode (or something in that mold), Ben shares his favorite non-top 10 games of last year, specifically #25-#11. This list will make some listeners angry, and Ben apologizes in advance.
Please help our friend Drew recover from the devastating wild fires here in Los Angeles. Find his GoFundMe here: https://gofund....
Welcome to Table Scraps, a new board game chat show here at Game Brain. We'll be posting these eps from time to time, and if the tech gods are kind to us, there will even be a video component.
Today Ben and Paul chat about the sort of games Anna Scott (not a real person), Barack Obama, and Erin Brockovitch would enjoy, and then they explore how to get someone like Jennifer Lawrence to play Catan. Because it could hap...
The new hotness has flooded the marketplace, and Ben and Jordan are here to make sense of it. Which new releases live up to the hype, exceed it, and fall short of it? We cover a lot of ground; so buckle up!
00:00 Introduction
11:22 Kraftwagen: Age of Engineering
13:00 Stress Botics
14:48 Unconscious Mind
16:47 Landmarks
18:08 Shackleton Base
21:00 Gaia Project: The Lost Fleet
25:44 Harmonies
31:19 Age of Rail: South Africa
40:51 Th...
Ben and Paul deep dive the new area control, tableau-building, moon-exploiting, corporation-pleasing game "Shackleton Base." They also discuss new hotness Civolution as well as Fromage and Men-Nefer. Ben also offers up some family game suggestions for the holidays - all while attempting labored "Wicked" puns.
Matt and Jordan return to the world of miniature wargaming to get you up to speed on all of their recent adventures.
Ben, Trey, and Paul go deep on The Lost Fleet, a hot new expansion for Gaia Project.
Plus, initial impressions from fresh Essen releases SETI, Asian Tigers, and Shackleton Base.
- 0:00:00 Introduction
- 0:09:45 SETI: Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence
- 0:30:15 Asian Tigers
- 0:44:50 La Famiglia: The Great Mafia War
- 0:46:15 Shackleton Base: A Journey to the Moon
- 1:03:05 Captain Flip
- 1:03:35 The Gang
- 1:18:15 Gadget Trick
- 1:21:10 G...
Join Matt and Jordan for the first episode of "Sprue'd Up!", an occasional Game Brain offshoot about two euro gamers taking their first steps into the world of miniature wargaming.
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