Ambie and Crystal discuss a couple games they played recently, including Lost in Adventure: The Curse of Jack Parrot and Otter Chaos. Then we reveal our top 5 games of 2025 in our annual awards show, the Blitzies!
I’ve got a special treat for you The Cabal today: one of the most respected board game designers working today, and a true OG Cabalist, David Thompson! You know Dave from his work on the Undaunted series, War Chest, Sniper Elite: The Board Game, Resist!, The Valiant Defense series, and many others. Today, Dave and I talked about his origin story as a gamer, tabletop role-playing games, how he got his start in board game design, his design process, his collaborations with other designers, and much, much more. It’s a great conversation, and I hope you all enjoy it!
In today's episode, we're recording from Great Plains Game Festival in Lincoln, Nebraska. We talk about our recent plays, finish our top 25's and play some games with the audience.
Paula is queen for the day as she hosts a devious episode no one is happy about.
This Game is Broken is a comedy board game panel show with Matthew Jude, Dave Luza, Paula Deming, Nick Murphy and Mike Murphy. We play a lot of nonsense games full of role playing and trivia as well as other fun stuff which can be found at the links below.
This week Shelley and I check out the 'official game of Essen 2025'
Fair Enough by Friedemann Friese from Skellig Games
then we cooperatively work to build a tower for cats (though we could have done it competitively too!)
Cat and the Tower by Masakazu Takizawa from Arcane Wonders
Remember you can sponor the podcast 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:
There are big spiky moments that happen in the meta that is the board game hobby, and the Brass: Pittsburgh crowdfunding campaign feels like one of them. It is after all, a successor to the #1 ranked game on BGG. That's something! Enough so that it sent Mark into a bit of an existential spiral, and we're here to talk him down. Before we catch a falling Wallace, we talk about Hummingbirds, Fendo, and Soothsayers.
In episode 317 of The Secret Cabal Gaming Podcast, Don, Chris, and Jamie dive into a discussion about components in board games. They talk about components from the early years of the hobby and how they’ve evolved over time. The fellas also discuss how their taste for lavish components has changed throughout their years in the hobby. They gush about the stuff they love and bitch about the shit they hate in... The Component Show!
This time, Julie has some news, Tom's excited for Summer, and Eric wants to play games on vacation. We discuss the various games that live in our bags, just in case there's a chance to play them. Plus, we have a new Tale of Boardgaming Horror, and a heaping helping of Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops.
Some weeks, the tabletop world feels like it’s bursting with fresh ideas, and this lineup is a perfect snapshot of that creative energy. Wispwood and Tulikko both tap into mythic forests, but they do it with completely different rhythms. Wispwood leans into cozy tension of tile placement, but each has a different method of accomplishing the end goal. Tulikko’s quick tile‑placement puzzle hits that sweet spot of “teach in a minute, replay all night,” while Wispwood invites players to strategize and consider how to best accomplish the many goals set before them to claim victory over opponents.
Then there’s Moytura, which swings the pendulum toward epic conflict and ancient legend. It’s a game that feels like so many we have played in area majority but offers something new with semi-coop play to battle the game itself to keep it from winning. Torchlit takes trick‑taking in a direction I’ve rarely seen—Bottle Imp is the closest comparison, and even that only gets you partway there. Every hand becomes a tightrope walk where winning a trick and intentionally losing one feel equally viable, equally dangerous, and equally tempting. The game constantly asks you to reassess your position: Is this the moment to take win or is surrendering the trick actually the smarter play.
Rounding out the mix is All In: Predictions, a card game that leans into a poker vibe but adds its own clever twist. Instead of relying solely on the luck of the draw, each card comes with an action that lets you manipulate the flow of the round—mitigating randomness and giving you real agency over your hand. Yet the heart of poker still beats underneath: bluffing, reading the table, and deciding when to push your luck. What really sets the game apart is the shared‑pot mechanic. Even if you don’t have the strongest hand, you can still walk away with chips by correctly predicting who does. Suddenly every reveal becomes a mini‑mind game, and every player is invested in the outcome. It’s fast, social, and full of those “I knew it!” moments that make card games sing.
The Arkham Horror LCG Investigator Decks are pre‑built, ready‑to‑play decks that spotlight a single investigator’s strengths, signature cards, and thematic playstyle. Each one offers a curated experience that shows off what makes that character tick, whether it’s clever clue‑gathering, brute‑force monster smashing, or bending the rules of reality. They’re perfect for new players who want to jump in quickly and for veterans who enjoy seeing how Fantasy Flight interprets each investigator’s identity in deck form.
Thanks for listening and be sure to get over to the Discord channel for an opportunity to win Flip 7 with a Vengeance.
Join Jules, Conor and Lauren all the games hitting their tables and faces. Conor's hot take is that the number 1 game, Brass Birmingham, is in fact - good. Jules pours sweat, tears, and mostly blood into Moon Colony Bloodbath. Lauren hasn't been playing much but is there for moral support.
Question of the Pod: What board game is most likely to turn violent?
Tell us about the game and share your stories if you have them! Twisted ankle in twister? Clocked in the head in jungle speed? Flipped a table in Monopoly? We want to hear about it!
Timestamps:
What we’ve been playing [0:02:51]
Moon Colony Bloodbath [0:44:05]
Brass Birmingham [0:51:51]
Question of the Pod [1:01:19]
Fired up [1:14:13]
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
Anmelden
