This week Shelley and I check out a wonderful sequel to one of our favorite games
Formaggio by Ben Rosset from Road to Infamy Games
then we enjoy a cute trick-taking/deck building game with Charles Schultz artwork
Peanuts Talent Show! by Root and Koudai Tateno from CMON
Remember you can support this podcast and our video series directly by going to www.patreon.com/garrettsgames OR check out our extensive list of games that no longer fit on our shelves, but belong on your table:
Oh man, oh man, it's time that we ask you (yes, you) to tell us (yes, us) what your favourite games are, because for one time a year, it doesn't matter what we think about games, but you better be ready to tell us what you think about games. A lot of you did, so here it is, the listener top 20! Before we ask you to do all the work, we talk about Emberheart, Gods & Mortals, and Feya's Swamp.
01:30 - Emberheart 14:11 - Gods & Mortals 23:46 - Feya's Swamp 37:14 - A Feast for Odin 37:55 - Agricola 38:32 - Terraforming Mars 39:17 - Guards of Atlantis II 40:09 - Concordia 42:05 - Tigris & Euphrates 43:16 - Blood on the Clocktower 44:00 - El Grande 44:47 - The Castles of Burgundy 46:12 - Inis 47:38 - Race for the Galaxy 48:06 - Arcs 49:08 - Ark Nova 49:30 - Root 50:06 - Innovation 51:11 - Spirit Island 52:05 - Ra 52:51 - Brass: Birmingham 53:26 - Dune: Imperium 54:04 - Hansa Teutonica
Good morrow, esteemed Cabalists. On this day, the Lords of the Dungeon convene in earnest discourse upon the noble Art of designing encounters within the realm of role-playing. They shall expound upon the intricacies of social dealings, the perils and stratagems of martial combat, and the treacherous trials imposed by the very environment itself, each bearing its own hazards and the promise of worthy reward. By what methods, then, might one craft encounters most fitting and memorable for their grand adventures? Attend closely, and let the inquiry be joined with vigor. Huzzah!
This time, Tom crows about another victory for Vasel's Law with the announcement of The King's Gambit. Then, Julie pens her own Tale of Boardgaming Horror (but she makes Eric read it), and we move on to a field of Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops.
Compania, Flip 7 With a Vengeance, and DC Breakout each scratch a very different itch, but together they paint a fun snapshot of where modern tabletop design is heading. Compania leans into the current wave of streamlined games, that incorporate two types of mechanics, worker placement and area majority. It’s the kind of design where every turn feels consequential—don’t plan accordingly and be challenged to catch up to the other players. The game’s charm comes from how accessible it feels despite its core; turns are quick, the iconography is clean, and the tension ramps steadily as players jockey for position on a board that never quite seems to have enough to go around.
Flip 7 With a Vengeance takes the opposite approach, embracing chaotic, push‑your‑luck energy with a theatrical flair. It builds on the original Flip 7 formula but adds a layer of “gotcha” cards and combo‑driven moments that make the table erupt. It’s fast, loud, and intentionally swingy—the kind of filler that shines when you want to reset the mood or get a group laughing.
DC Breakout, meanwhile, provides quick, fun experience in a racing game where random dice roll meets strategic position that allows for some tense situations as players jockey for the finish line.
Thanks for listening and hope you are able to get one of the games above to the table.
Join Dana, Lauren and Jules as they have a very unserious time chatting about everything hitting their tables. Jules is getting into argy-bargy playing a game that he guarantees gives you Eclipse in a smaller box and time with March of the Ants. Dana has been playing a game named after a Welsh town - no not Llanfairpwllgwyngyll, it's Tenby! Lauren has been ... wait for it ... enjoying the coop deduction puzzle in Take Time!
Question of the Pod: Come up with a great name for a board game and tell us how it plays.
Timestamps:
Games we’ve been playing [0:13:48]
March of the Ants [0:46:06]
Take Time [0:53:22]
Tenby [0:58:41]
Question of the Pod [1:11:36]
Fired Up [1:20:23]
SPONSORS
Our podcast is proudly sponsored by Advent Games and More Than Meeples. Advent Games is an Australian online board game store based in Sydney, NSW. http://www.adventgames.com.au/
PATREON
Hey there, BBQ fans! Guess what? We’ve got a Patreon! By joining, you’ll unlock exclusive content, gain access to a members-only section of our Discord where you can help shape the show, and so much more. Plus, your support will help us grow and bring some awesome new projects to life in 2025.
At the Board Game BBQ Podcast, we’re passionate about what we do and promise to keep the fun and shenanigans rolling. We’re so grateful for your support! Joining our Patreon is totally optional, and we ask that you don’t contribute if it’ll cause financial stress. But if you’d like to chip in from just USD$5 a month, click the link to check out our Patreon page. Thanks a million for being amazing! We’re committed to creating a welcoming and inclusive community, and you all make it special. See you at the BBQ!! https://www.patreon.com/BoardGameBBQ
On this episode of On Board Games, Erik talks with Steve Chivvers all about the recent BGG@Sea cruise they took down under. After that, they dive into one of the largest Review-a-palooza's they've ever done.
Games reviewed are:
Panda Royale
Moon Colony Bloodbath
Koekeshi
Ticket To Ride Marklin
Animal Rescue Team (followed by an ad break)
Vivo
Rebel Princess
Lightspeed Arena
Forest Shuffle
Eternal Decks
A Place for all my Books
Nemesis
Gnoming Around
3-2-1 Countdown
Toilz + Trouble
You can get a discount on Zencastr.com using this link.
This week's guest is head of inventor relations at Ravensburger Thorsten Gimmler. We talk about No Thanks and developing games...but which games did he choose?
This week it's two very different Arcane Wonders titles - one co-op for up to 10 players, and the other strategy game with awesome bits:
Ito by Mitsuru Nakamura
and
World Wonders by Ze Mendes
Remember to SUBSCRIBE and check out our videos for every game we discuss on the audio podcast!
You can support our work here an on our video series directly by going to www.patreon.com/garrettsgames OR check out our extensive list of games that no longer fit on our shelves, but belong on YOUR table:
On this VIOLENT episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Matt and Tom engage in gladiatorial combat to finally decide who is the ULTIMATE BOARD-BOY!
We begin our gauntlet with a bout of ‘Neko Syndicate’ - a BLOODY game of cats making sushi deliveries in a sort of tableau-building pyramid! It’s nasty stuff.
Round 2 threatens an EXPLOSIVE END in ‘Bombusters’ - a co-operative family game where various anthropomorphised rabbits deal with increasingly complicated explosives. Red wire? Yellow wire? Either way? Prepare for an absolutely brutal listening experience.
Then, the knockout punch! ‘Off With Their Heads!’ is our grand finale, and has you rolling* (punches), writing (wills)... and playing (cards)? Sounds peaceful, yeah? Well it’s only got a flippin’ GUILLOTINE in the title!! It’s going to be an utter casserole.
Have a great week, everybody!
Timestamps:
02:06 - Neko Syndicate
14:34 - Bombusters
24:12 - Off With Their Heads!
*There’s no actual rolling, but that can be our little secret.
My annual Mark Madness contest is over, and co-host Adam Brocker joins me to wrap it up. Adam won the prediction contest last year, and this was his prize...a side job to work with me! Now we have a new winner, Mark363, who I am working to locate. If he's willing, in 2027 he will join me to run the next version of this contest.
In 2026 Adam had suggested we take a closer look at games that were designed by pairs or teams of designers, in contrast with their solo work. With that in mind, we set up four divisions of sixteen game titles apiece. One division was centered around Wolfgang Kramer's solo and partnered design work, then another with Alan R. Moon, one more with Bruno Cathala, and a final centered around the mostly-Italian designer collaborations.
After everyone made their predictions, we started voting for the games we liked best, wanted to win, or for any other reason. Gradually games were knocked out in a series of 1v1 matchups, leaving Azul, Ticket to Ride, 7 Wonders Duel, and Grand Austria Hotel as our Final Four. In the end, Ticket To Ride was the ultimate winner, which meant Mark363 had done the bes with his predictions.
Excuse my technical difficulties, but disc golf and baseball are back in a big way and Clef and Tim talk all about it before getting into the new Battle of the Recent Plays. We have quite the fight card with Wondrous Creatures, Flamecraft Duals, Marrakesh (2022), Pacts, Medina, and Nusfjord all making an appearance. We also talk about the "Eureka!" moment that can happen in the middle of playing a game.
Board games start at 28:18!
Join the discord at discord.gg/s8hYtWkMS3 and visit punchboardparadise.com for more info on PPCon 2026!
Ambie and Crystal discuss Escape Comics: The Alien Ship. Then Ambie interviews Heather Newton, the lead organizer of Protospiel Online, and we learn a bunch about Protospiel and Protospiel Online!
0:00-Intro
0:44-Recent Games - Escape Comics: The Alien Ship
6:34-Interview with Heather Newton
44:55-Outro
45:59-Bloopers
THIS WAS RECORDED LIVE ON 1ST APRIL SO IF YOU WANT TO WATCH THE BATTLEGROUND PLEASE CHECK OUT THE LINKS BELOW
As the players gather around for their 4th year of podcasting they begin with some news that was announced on the recent live stream. We'll be taking a podcasting break for the time being so we can rest, re-coup and assess the next steps
THE BIRTHDAY ATTENDEES - JP, Rob, Adrian, Davey & Kerley
In this episode you'll learn: - more about the recent news as JP and team discuss more about it - 32 games played in 2025 enter the ring and we'll see which ones make it through 5 knockout rounds for best game played.
OUR 2025 PLAYED LEGENDS ENTERING THE BATTLEGROUND (32 GAMES) Star Trek Captains Chair, Earthborne Rangers, Cloudspire, Ada's Dream, Slay the Spire: The Board Game, Galactic Cruise, Twilight Imperium 4, Nucleum, Perseverance Ep3, Shackleton Base, Nemesis Retaliation, Company of Heroes 2nd Edition, Endeavour Deep Sea, Primal The Awakening, Flip 7, Ants, Deckers, Kinfire Council, Tiny Epic Game of Thrones, Sidereal Confluence, Elder Scrolls Betrayal of the Second Era, Lisboa, Hegemony, Kreel Manor, Furnace, Apex Legends, Pandemic Legacy: Season 0, Trickerion, Tenby, Cascadia, Ark Nova, Rebirth
Anmelden
