What makes games difficult and why do we sometimes enjoy that? When does it go too far? Pete and Brendan explore the topic after discussing a very difficult game: the 2 player cooperative trick-taker Sail.
Jake and Paul deep dive the 2016 Kinnerspiel des Jahres Winner: Isle of Skye. Yo, that was 10 years ago? That's craaaazy! They go deep on the joys of variable scoring, catch up mechanisms, and the cozy vibes of building your own little thing.
Professor C. Thi Nguyen returns to the pod! We discuss process art, getting good, value capture, empathy, and his new book The Score.
A deep dive of a bona fide board game classic, Concordia
An exploration of what makes the historical war games so special but also so niche.
What are Area Control, Area Majority, and Area Conflict Games?
The Shapes of Games: Decision Spaces and Gameplay Arcs
All four hosts share their favorite games that have never been covered in the show's extensive 249 episode back catalogue of deep dives and lists!
What makes for a great family game experience?
Are games really puzzles set by players and mechanisms instead of a puzzle setter?
A strategy guide and card by card guide to Carl Chudyk’s Innovation.
Eight strategy tips to help you footing your footing in Challengers!
An insightful strategy article for Sid Sackson’s classic 1980 push-your-luck game, Can’t Stop.
What meaningful decision space lurks beneath one of the world’s most (in)famous games?
An exploration of the three types of objectives we see in games and how those objective types impact a game’s Decision Space.
7 Wonders Architects is a simple game with surprising depth and competitive potential. At first glance it seems incredibly random, but upon reaching a certain level of understanding the depth of your decisions become apparent.
