Board Game Barrage
Society & Culture
About
Join Kellen, Neilan, Mark, and Christina for a podcast about board games, the latest hotness, and how to have fun with your friends even when you're losing.
Episodes
- #360: Guessing Golden Geeks Galore
In episode #360 of Board Game Barrage, the hosts predict the winners of the Golden Geeks awards. The episode also features discussions on the board games Chronicles of Crime: 2400, Quarto, and Shackleton Base: A Journey to the Moon.
- #359: Top Brass
The crowdfunding campaign for Brass: Pittsburgh, a successor to a top-ranked game on BoardGameGeek, is discussed as a significant event in the board game hobby. The episode also covers Hummingbirds, Fendo, and Soothsayers.
- #358: Our Listeners' Top 20 Board Games of All-Time 2026
In episode 358 of Board Game Barrage, the hosts reveal the listeners' top 20 board games of all time. The episode also includes discussions on the games Emberheart, Gods & Mortals, and Feya's Swamp.
- #357: We Played a Mass of Games!
In episode #357, the hosts discuss a large number of board games they played, covering titles such as Dark Pact, Totally Human, Banana Governance, Gold Country, Staked!, Secret Tribe, Habemus Papam, 3 Chapters, and Hellapagos. Specific tim…
- #356: On the Road Again
In episode #356, "On the Road Again," the Board Game Barrage hosts discuss their anticipated games for Dice Tower West. They cover Ghost Lift, Cities, and I, Napoleon, along with a list of other games they plan to play.
- #355: Anticipation Auction: Games of 2026
I think it's fair to say that we crushed this last year (although some of us better than others), so it's only correct and right that we should return to do it again. What are the best games of 2026 going to be? Well, only we know, but we'…
- #354: Don't Call It a Comeback
All of this has happened before and will happen again. Everything comes back around, including games you could swear you've played before. Whether they're remakes, reimplimentations, or rejuvenations, we're tackling the world of board game…
- #353: Getting it Just Right
Sometimes you know the type of game you want to play, just not exactly which game quite fits the bill. Is that heavy Euro too heavy? That deck builder not builder-y enough? Before we sit down with Goldilocks, we talk about Rise and Fall, a…
- #352: Combined Top 50 Games of All-Time 2025 Draft: 10-1
Well, we started this thing, so I guess we ought to finish it, as ill-advised as that might be. This is where all the chickens come home to roost, where we learn how badly we've set ourselves up to fail - but you never know, it might just…
- #351: Combined Top 50 Games of All-Time 2025 Draft: 30-11
Happy new year! We're back to continue the very peaceful, collaborative, kind endeavour that is coming together to harmoniously assemble our top 50 games. It's been nothing but chill, friendly vibes, and we expect that to continue into 202…
- #350: Combined Top 50 Games of All-Time 2025 Draft: 50-31
Okay, things are a bit different this year. In honour of our 350th episode (a very important milestone), we're going to combine forces, like ... Voltron. I'm the head, and my left and right feet are here with me to collaboratively (yes, yo…
- #349: Anticipation Auction 2025 - And the Winner Is…
Remember way back at the beginning of the year when we took some bets on what we thought the games of the year were gonna be? Well, all those good and bad decisions are back to help or haunt us, as we tally up where things stand with the e…
- #348: Got 'Em, Ghost Turkey
Somehow Ghost Turkey returned. And you never saw it coming! That might be because we forgot to remind people that it's Thanksgiving, but never mind that, the important thing is you're fools . Not us though, we're back with yet another juic…
- #347: Bob's Design
BGBBOB is back, and it's been long enough that you might need a reminder. Ten game designers enter the ring, and through the arduous process of one vs one battles, we arrive at our (and not just our, but the ) definitive ranked list of ...…
- #346: It's One Bananagrams, How Much Could It Cost?
This episode is not about Bananagrams (at least, I don't think so), but it is about the price of things (though not Bananagrams specifically, shut up about Bananagrams). In a world where everything costs more, we're talking about the value…
- #345: Essen SPIEL 2025 Hype List
Not perturbed by Kellen's trip to Germany, we're all daydreaming about the motherlode of board game conventions, Essen SPIEL. There's a lot of games coming to the show, and because we're not going, and presumably you aren't either, we'll j…
- #344: ... But the Second Leaves a Mark
Dreaded continuity! We're following up Episode 41 from seven years ago about the games that started our love for board games! After those first loves, what really got our hearts aflutter with the joy that the hobby had to offer? Before we…
- #343: Fantasy Draft: Card Games
The draft's back! This time it's card games, and we're picking the bestof what ought to be a staple of any good collection. We love card games, we love drafting games, and you love winning money, so be sure to vote for whoever you think dr…
- #342: Oops! All Foreplay
There's any number of subtle innuendoes we could've gone with, but this is what we're doing I guess . If you haven't got there yet, we're talking about games that aren't just slow rides, but instead leave you gasping for more right as they…
- #341: A Little Bit of Mailbag
One, two, three, four, five, everybody in the car so come on let's ride ... to the mailbag! We're answering your pressing questions - and oh how they press - about all manner of things: Crowdfunding ads! Narrative games! Getting jaded abou…
- #340: All by Myself
Are board games best played multiplayer? Who can say, but whether it's because you can't get people together at the appropriate time, or you're just itching to play something on your lonesome, there's a burgeoning scene of solo games out t…
- #339: One and Done
Sometimes once is enough, you know? Doesn't mean it was bad , but it might just be that you can have too much of a good thing. We're talking about board games that we'd recommend everyone play once, but only once . Before we hit and run, w…
- #338: Gen Con 2025 Preview
Gen Con! Where all the cool games are, before you even know they're cool. Or hot! We've got you covered, if you want to know what all the best stuff coming out of Indianapolis is going to before before anyone else, then look no further tha…
- #337: Our Listeners' Top 20 Board Games of All-Time 2025
It's time again to turn the tables and get your take, to feel out the collective tastes of you, the listeners of the show. It's the annual Listener Top 20! You've been sending in all of your lists (thank you!), I've been compiling all of t…
- #336: Happy Little Accidents
When playing games it's easy to fall into the trap of over-anaylsing turns, or questioning whether the move we made was the right one, or even allowing people to roll back whole turns - so we're asking if maybe we've been wrong this whole…
- #335: A Cole New Wehrle
A dazzling place you never knew ... until now that is! We're diving deep on beloved designer Cole Wehrle in another designer spotlight. We dig back into his Roots, and explore the many Arcs that led to his Oath to revolutionize thematic bo…
- #334: Nothing's Done It Better
Well, we finally did it. We played CATAN, and it was ... good! And then we started wondering, is there anything that's done quite the same thing that that game is doing? And then that got us wondering how many games there are like that, wh…
- #333: Gold3n G33ks
Happy 333! In honour of our three hundred and thirty third episode, BoardGameGeek has decided to host an emergency session of the Golden Geek Awards, and we're here to tell you about all the nominees that satisfy the crucial conditions of…
- #332: Hard Pass!
I would say that, for the most part, there's very little we won't play - but we also know what we like, and especially what we don't like. Every so often a game gets suggested that we have to say "literally anything but" to. Before we pass…
- #331: One Thing I Hate About You
We've spent a lot of time over the years singing the praises of the games we love, but they can't be perfect right? Surely there's something, one little thing, that bugs us - a small blemish in our otherwise most beloved games? Before we c…
- #330: We Played a Load of Games!
We just got back from Dice Tower West, so you know what that means ... bunches and bunches of games! Between the convention, and the meetup, and just hanging out at Mark's place, we got a lot of great stuff played, and we're going to give…
- #329: All the Stars Are Here!
I'm not sure why you'd make a hall of fame that's not also a sidewalk, but that's exactly what BoardGameGeek have gone and done - they've curated 25 games into their hall of fame, and we're here to judge them for their choices. It's weird…
- #328: Anticipation Auction: Games of 2025
Okay, pay attention, this is gonna be different! We're looking at the rest of 2025, deciding what we think the most well received games of the year are going to be - but then we're going to be bidding on them, auction style. Whoever's slat…
- #327: Top 50 Games of All-Time 2024: 10-1
It's finally time to cap it all off with the cream of the cream, Mark and Neilan's final set of ten games each! These are the games that we think are the pinnacle of our respective tastes, that we'd never turn down, that any person ought t…
- #326: Top 50 Games of All-Time 2024: Neilan's 30-11
Neilan's back to continue the journey down the lazy river of cardboard that is his top 50 board games of all time. It's games 30 through 11! I just counted, and that's twenty amazing games that I can't wait to tell you all about! 00:59 - #…
- #325: Top 50 Games of All-Time 2024: Mark's 30-11
And back to Mark! It's the soggy middle of his top 50, or as he insists on calling it, his numbers 30 through 11. That is twenty more delicious games, and he's here to tell you all about them while we continue to berate and praise him for…
- #324: Top 50 Games of All-Time 2024: Neilan's 50-31
It's meeeeeeeeeee! So if you care to find my top 50 list, look right here. The first twenty incredible games on the list that early critics are calling "surprisingly tasteful" and "delightfully roomy" is finally yours to consume. It's the…
- #323: Top 50 Games of All-Time 2024: Mark's 50-31
It's time! The grand spectacle that is our greatest games of all time is here at last! We're breaking things out a bit differently this year, so Mark's taking center stage while Kellen & Neilan mock his choices. It's the first twenty games…
- #322: And What a Year It's Been
As we approach the end of 2024, it's about time we stop, take stock, and dare I say look back at the year that's been. The highs, the lows, the mids - all the stars are here, and we're going to break them down for you with some of our favo…
- #321: Fire Away, Ghost Turkey
Gobble Bobble, here comes trouble in the form of a pairing we never thought we'd see - Bob and the Ghost Turkey have delivered us another holiday nightmare. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Before we tuck in, we talk about Tapple , Mini Rails…
- #320: We Played A Clump of Games!
We've been to Las Vegas and back for the very unofficial recurring gathering we like to call BarrageCon (which is really just all of us hanging out at Mark's place). We had a lot of games lined up to play, and I daresay we did a pretty goo…
- #319: One Exception To Rule Them All
I think it's fair to say at this point, that we've pretty firmly established each of our respective tastes when it comes to board games, whether it's for genre, theme, mechanic, whatever. There's always something, though, right? Something…
- #318: A Mix of Things We'd Like To See with Mike DiLisio
The Fandango Tank returns! The ever wonderful Mike DiLisio joins us again, this time to collectively cast our minds forward to some things we'd like to manifest into the board game future. We've got a mess of ideas, a veritable mixtape of…
- #317: Fantasy Draft: Overrated Games
So we've done a lot of these drafts before, but I don't think we've done one quite like this. This time we're each trying to draft a set of five games that we think you might agree are incredibly overrated. What does that mean exactly? Wel…
- #316: Four Heads Are Better Than One
I'm in a bit of a quandary here, because Mark told me not to tell you what this episode is even about, but I want this description to be, well, descriptive but he's glaring at me really hard, and making a throat slitting gesture so I daren…
- #315: Essen SPIEL 2024 Hype List
We may or may not be going to Germany (who can say), but that's where all the good gaming is gonna be, so that's what we're gonna talk about. It's almost Essen SPIEL! That sure is a lot of games debuting there though, so which ones should…
- #314: Bringing Out the Best in People
It's about people, right? Below all the mechanics, after all the rules explanations, beyond every crushing loss and glorious win, what really matters is people we're playing with. Some games make that more apparent than others, and we're h…
- #313: That Don't Impress Me Much
The only thing worse than coming away from a first game with a really bad impression, is when it takes a really long time to shake. Imagine all the amazing games you're not playing because of one bad first game! Whether we saw the error of…
- #312: Fantasy Draft: Spiel des Jahres Winners
It's awards season, which means that Germany's back to tell us what games are popping off over there. And that also means we're back to tell you what we think about what they think. More than that - we're looking through the annals of Spie…
- #311: Of Lovers and Travel
We've all been travelling about so much recently (some of us may or may not still be) that we often find ourselves asking, "what games should I pack?" Some games are better suited for playing on the go than others, and we're going to get t…