Episode 8: The one about railroads, energy empires, and thoughts on Legacy games

Episode 8 is finally here ... a, few days later than usual, but here nonetheless! In this episode, we talk about the game we recently played, the expansion to Scythe, and Legacy games vs. traditional campaign games.

Recently Played (00:15)

With Jeff busy re-playing Skyrim, and Jeremiah heads down with the new Pokemon game, board games weren't played as much over the holidays. Except that Jeremiah did get in a game of Russian Railroads: American Railroads.

News (10:10)

Scythe: Invaders from Afar expansion is releasing, and we give our impressions of what we know about it so far.

"it" Factor (20:35)

We dive into big games that come in small packages. These are games that deliver deep, rich experiences but don't have a lot of components or take up a lot of shelf space.

2-Player Review (34:15)

We ironically played a game of The Manhattan Project: Energy Empire during a power outage, and give you our thoughts on it.

#culture (49:23)

With the recent announcement of Android: Netrunner - Terminal Directive and the overwhelming success of Pandemic Legacy, we talk about the pros and cons of Legacy-style games.

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Episode 7: The one about replayability and card and dice versions of games

We're back! In our seventh episode, we talk about what we've been up to recently (mostly Mechs vs. Minions), a new announcement from Tasty Minstrel Games (TMG), the importance of replayability, and much more.

Recently Played (00:15)

With not a lot of different games being played since our last recording, we go into great depth into our recent plays of Mechs vs. Minions.

News (08:58)

Big news in the industry as TMG announces that they're going hipster and doing a startup.

"it" Factor (22:04)

Using Blood Rage as a backdrop, we talk about the idea of replayability in games, what drives it, and why randomness doesn't necessarily equal replayability.

2-Player Review (37:30)

We played a recent game of Small World, and are ready to give our thoughts on it.

#culture (51:53)

"The Card Game" and "The Dice Game" versions of existing board games are all the rage these days. What do we think of them? We go over the good, the bad, and the ugly.

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Side Quest 1: Thematic gaming and why I love it

Side Quest is a new podcast format for those times when the guys can't get together to record. They will usually cover a single topic and allow each of us to deep dive into something that we really want to talk about, but don't always have the time for in our regular format.

In Jeff's first side quest, he gives you his thoughts about theme, thematic gaming, and why he loves it so much.

Introduction (00:15)

Jeff goes over the basics of what theme is and what theme is not.

Arkham Horror (08:21)

A discussion of why Arkham Horror is not a thematic game, despite the fact that an overwhelming majority of people think that it is.

Legendary Encounters (Alien) (13:35)

The first of two games that illustrate perfectly what is meant by thematic gaming: Legendary Encounters: An Alien Deck Building Game.

X-Wing (18:34)

The second game that Jeff thinks perfectly captures the spirit of true thematic gaming, Star Wars X-Wing Miniatures Game.

Final Thoughts (23:41)

The discussion comes to a close with Jeff giving his final thoughts on everything theme.

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Episode 6: The one about Halloween, roaming mechs, and the power of hype

In our sixth episode, Jeff and Jeremiah talk about what we've been up to recently (game-wise), what we think the best game(s) to play on Halloween are, and the power of (or problems with!) hype.

Recently Played (00:15)

Jeff rambles on about his recent play of Clank and Jeremiah talks about Celestia.

News (09:13)

The guys go into a bit of detail talking about a game out on Kickstarter: Medici: The Card Game

"it" Factor (09:13)

Jeremiah and Jeff each give their pitch for what they think the best game to play on Halloween is.

2-Player Review (09:13)

After a recent playing of Scythe, Jeff and Jeremiah are ready to give their verdict of this game, specifically for its viability with 2.

#culture (09:13)

Hype is a funny thing: It can rocket a game to the top of the BGG hotness, wildly increasing sales ... but it can also leave many players disappointed in its wake. What do we think of it?

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Episode 5: The one about Essen Spiel 2016

In our fifth episode Jeff and Jeremiah go over their Top 10 games (in no particular order, of course) that they are collectively looking forward to at Essen Spiel 2016. Timestamps (+ descriptions) below, if you want to skip to any section(s) that appeal to you.

Number 10 (01:52) - Kingdomino from Blue Orange 

Number 9 (06:34) - Fabled Fruit from 2F Games

Number 8 (11:48) - Orleans: Trade & Intrigue from dlp games

Number 7 (17:22) - Small World: River World from Days of Wonder

Number 6 (21:34) - Welcome Back to the Dungeon from IELLO

Number 5 (25:40) - Inis from Matagot

Number 4 (31:14) - 7 Wonders: Duel - Pantheon from Repos Production

Number 3 (36:10) - The Last Friday from Ares Games

Number 2 (40:49) - Alchemists: The King's Golem by Czech Games Edition

Number 1 (47:13) - Power Grid: The Card Game by 2F Games

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Episode 4: The one about Mechs vs. Minions, the use of apps, and punishing difficulty

In our fourth episode we continue our quest to deliver great all-around content about everything tabletop. Timestamps (+ descriptions) below, if you want to skip to any section(s) that appeal to you.

Recently Played (00:15)

Where we run through our recent games of Brass and Yggdrasil

News (09:13)

Jeremiah gives his impressions of the newly released Sushi Go app ... and of course we have to talk about Mechs vs. Minions!

The "it" Factor (20:06)
Our discussion of difficulty in games, and why games that can be punishingly difficult can still be some of the best gaming experiences ever.

2-Player Review (31:55)
How well does Evolution: Climate (and Evolution) plays with just two people?

#culture (47:15)
With the recent release of Mansions of Madness 2.0, we run through the highs (and lows) of board games that use digital apps.

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Episode 3: The one about the ending of a partnership and women in gaming

In our third episode we finally begin our standard format that most of our podcasts will follow. Timestamps (+ descriptions) below, if you want to skip to any section(s) that appeal to you.

Recently Played (00:15)

Where we run through our recent games of Mythos Tales and Thief's Market

News (09:03)

Our reaction to the recent big news in board games that (surprisingly!) has nothing to do with Asmodee acquiring a new company

The "it" Factor (19:37)
An in-depth discussion of one of our favorite game mechanisms: Coop-repetitive (whatever the heck that is)

2-Player Review (27:35)
How well does Manhattan Project: Chain Reaction plays with just two people?

#culture (40:17)
Where you can listen to two dudes stumble their way through a delicate discussion of women in gaming

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Episode 2: The one about our Top 10 Games (in no particular order)

In our second episode, we kick off our series of Top 10s by going through each of our Top 10 tabletop games of all time ... in no particular order. Rather than spending time agonizing over which of these games is better than which of these other games, we want to simply celebrate 10 games (each) that we just love, and are always in the mood to play!

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Episode 1: The one about us and our Gen Con recap

Welcome to The Boarding Party, a bi-weekly podcast about board games, card games, and all things tabletop.

We're your hosts, Jeremiah DeBenedetto and Jeff Lozito and we're thrilled to have you join us. In our podcast, we will have discussions about news, trends, and anything else that strikes our fancy in the world of tabletop gaming. In addition to those discussions, we will also talk about how games play specifically with 2 players, and do a series of Top 10s (always in no particular order).

For our first Podcast, we give you a brief introduction to us and our gaming journeys, and a Gen Con recap ... what we loved, what we didn't love, and what we learned.

Thanks for listening!

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