PODCAST · leisure
Current Plays
by Current Plays
Join your hosts Jordan and Thomas for friendly banter about games that we're playing, gaming news, hobbying, and just about everything else. Every week we play a board game together, then once per month we do a deep dive on the games we played for you to enjoy! Join us to find out what we liked, what we didn't like, discussion on game play, mechanics, and components, and hopefully enjoy some laughs. Find all our information at https://currentplayspodcast.wixsite.com/currentplays
Episodes
-
S3E43 - Tapestry
This week on Current Plays, Jordan and Thomas turn their attention to Tapestry, Stonemaier Games’ bold and brilliant take on the civilization-building board game. Rather than following the familiar path of traditional civilization games, Tapestry charts its own course, delivering a wonderfully...
-
S3E42 - The Guild of Merchant Explorers
This week on Current Plays, Jordan and Thomas explore The Guild of Merchant Explorers, a light strategy board game about charting new territories, building trade routes, and expanding your influence across a beautifully illustrated world. With approachable rules and a relaxed pace, The Guild of...
-
S3E41 - River of Gold
This week on Current Plays, Jordan and Thomas set sail down the River of Gold! With simple rules that belie a surprising amount of depth, this is a game that gets you playing quickly without leaving the strategic thinking at the dock. And what a beautiful game it is. The production is absolutely...
-
S3E40 - Duel of Meloch
This week on Current Plays, Jordan and Thomas step into the arena with Duel of Meloch, the newest release from Stonemaier Games! Imagine taking the DNA of Scythe and Expeditions, shrinking it down to an ambitious head-to-head duel, and setting two players loose in a race to accomplish competing...
-
S3E39 - Golem
This week on Current Plays, Jordan and Thomas delve into Golem, a wonderfully intricate euro where ancient magic, precious marbles, and a whole lot of very important decisions come together. At the heart of the game is a fascinating action selection system that constantly asks you to weigh three...
-
S3E38 - Endeavor Deep Sea
This week on Current Plays, Jordan and Thomas dive beneath the waves with Endeavor: Deep Sea, an uplifting game of exploration, marine research, and conservation. And while there may be plenty of ocean to explore, there certainly isn't an endless supply of actions, so making the most of every...
-
S3E37 - Galactic Cruise
This week on Current Plays, Jordan and Thomas check passengers in, prepare excursions, and try to build the most successful luxury vacation company in Galactic Cruise. Beneath its cheerful theme of interstellar tourism lies a richly deep euro game packed with interconnected systems, rewarding...
-
S3E36 - Last Light
This week on Current Plays, Jordan and Thomas launch into the stars with Last Light by Roy Cannaday and Grey Fox Games, a lightning-fast 4X adventure where the fate of the galaxy can change in the blink of an eye. Expand your empire, explore the unknown, exploit precious resources, and prepare…
more -
S3E35 - The Anarchy
This week on Current Plays, Thomas is away, so Jordan is joined by special guest Ryan from How I Roll on YouTube to wage a civil war in The Anarchy by Garphill Games. Set against the backdrop of 12th-century England's struggle for the throne, every decision carries weight as castles are…
more -
S3E34 - Revenant
This week on Current Plays, Jordan and Thomas descend into the fractured world of Revenant, Mindclash Games’ highly anticipated follow-up to Voidfall. As you might expect from Mindclash, this is not a game that hands out easy decisions. Every action matters, every resource is precious, and every...
-
S3E33 - Marvel Dice Throne Missions
This week on Current Plays, Thomas is away, so Jordan is joined by special guest host Logan for a trip into the Marvel Universe with Marvel Dice Throne Missions. Together, they take on a series of standalone challenges that deliver all the fast-paced combat, dramatic dice rolls, and satisfying…
more -
S3E32 - The Hobbit: There and Back Again
This week on Current Plays, Jordan and Thomas leave the sprawling epics behind for a cozy journey through Middle-earth with The Hobbit: There & Back Again by Reiner Knizia. Sometimes a lighter adventure is exactly what the table needs, and this charming little trek proved that simple doesn’t mean...
-
S3B3 - BreakOut Con 2026
Your hosts Jordan and Thomas run through the various games they played at BreakOut Con 2026; with a little dose of the old banter thrown into this nostalgic long-form bonus episode!
-
S3E31 - Star Trek: Captain's Chair
This week on Current Plays, Jordan and Thomas take the captain’s chair and set a course for one of the biggest surprises in recent memory: Star Trek: Captain’s Chair. Jordan may be the resident Trekkie, but even Thomas, with only a passing familiarity with the franchise, found himself completely...
-
S3E30 - Tianxia
This week on Current Plays, Jordan and Thomas journey across imperial China with Tianxia, a grand strategy game of diplomacy, influence, and shifting power. Provinces rise and fall, alliances form and fracture, and every action sends ripples across the empire as players work to guide the fate of...
-
S3E29 - Food Chain Magnate
Order up, folks! This week on Current Plays Jordan and Thomas are cookin’ up burgers, slingin’ pizza, and movin’ cola like hotcakes in Food Chain Magnate, the big daddy of strategic restaurant games! From hiring errand boys and management trainees to building a marketing machine that’d make the…
more -
S3E28 - A Feast for Odin
This week on Current Plays, Jordan and Thomas set sail with A Feast for Odin, Uwe Rosenberg’s sprawling Viking epic and a true modern classic. From raiding and trading to crafting and exploring, the game offers a remarkable range of paths to prosperity with each one weaving into the next like the...
-
S3E27 - Feya's Swamp
This week on Current Plays, Jordan and Thomas finally venture into Feya’s Swamp, a long-anticipated journey into a shifting landscape of settlements, trade, and careful positioning. As the swamp slowly fills with villages and pathways, the board begins to tighten around the players, turning every...
-
S3E26 - Civilization: A New Dawn
This week on Current Plays, Jordan and Thomas chart a course through history with Sid Meier’s Civilization: A New Dawn, bringing the legendary computer franchise to the tabletop. From humble beginnings to world-shaping influence, the game captures the sweeping arc of building a civilization:...
-
S3E25 - The White Castle
This week on Current Plays, Jordan and Thomas step through the gates of The White Castle by Isra C. and Shei S., a sharp and elegant euro set in feudal Japan. Beneath its serene exterior lies a game of razor-focused decision making, where every die placement matters and every action feels...
-
S3E24 - Ark Nova
This week on Current Plays, Jordan and Thomas head to the zoo with Ark Nova, the heavyweight strategy title currently ranked #2 on BoardGameGeek. Tasked with building the most successful modern zoo, the hosts dive into a design packed with clever decisions, long-term planning, and a steady stream...
-
S3E23 - Ezra and Nehemiah
This week on Current Plays, Jordan and Thomas travel to ancient Jerusalem with Ezra and Nehemiah, a game of rebuilding, restoration, and carefully chosen actions. From the first turn, the engaging action-selection system takes centre stage, with three shared action areas that interlock in...
-
S3E22 - The Old King's Crown
This week on Current Plays, Jordan and Thomas kneel before the throne of The Old King’s Crown—and emerge utterly enchanted. What begins as a simple, elegant contest for power quickly reveals itself as a masterclass in subtle manipulation, clever timing, and razor-fine positioning. Every move…
more -
S3E21 - Creature Caravan
This week on Current Plays, Jordan and Thomas set out on a gentle journey with Creature Caravan by Ryan Laukat and Red Raven Games. It’s a relaxed, mid-weight adventure where clever planning and quiet efficiency guide your caravan across a beautifully illustrated world brought to life by Laukat’s...
-
S3E20 - On Mars
This week on Current Plays, Jordan and Thomas touch down on the red planet with On Mars by Vital Lacerda—a monumental design where every system, resource, and decision is shared, intertwined, and fiercely consequential. From the moment boots hit Martian soil, the game demands careful timing,...
-
S3E19 - War Story: Occupied France
This week on Current Plays, Jordan and Thomas step into the opening mission of War Story: Occupied France, a story-driven experience set in a world of uncertainty, difficult choices, and scarce resources. From the very first decisions, the game asks players to act with incomplete information,...
-
S3E18 - Architects of the West Kingdom
This week on Current Plays, Jordan and Thomas revisit Architects of the West Kingdom, returning to one of Garphill Games’ most approachable takes on worker placement. With a mitt-full of workers in hand right from the start, the game flips the usual scarcity on its head, encouraging bold plays,...
-
Bonus Episode - Past Plays: 2025 In-Review
This week on Current Plays, Jordan and Thomas set the games aside and look back at the year that was in Past Plays: 2025 In-Review. From plays and player counts to favourites, surprises, and patterns they didn’t expect, the hosts dig into the stats behind a year at the table. It’s a reflective,...
-
S3E17 - Obsession
Pray, compose yourselves and adjust your waistcoats; this week on Current Plays, Jordan and Thomas ascend the grand staircase of society with Obsession, a most refined contest of reputation, refinement, and relentless social manoeuvring in Victorian England. Estates are improved, guests are...
-
S3E16 - Trickerion
Step right up, ladies and gentlemen, to the Grand Stage of Strategic Sorcery! This week, Jordan and Thomas don their sparkling capes and perfectly waxed moustaches as we dive into Trickerion: Legends of Illusion, Mindclash’s masterwork of misdirection, meticulous planning, and marvellously…
more -
S3E15 - It's a Wonderful Kingdom
This week on Current Plays, Jordan and Thomas take the throne in It’s a Wonderful Kingdom, a clever blend of kingdom-building, resource planning, and fantastic use of the “I cut, you pick” card selection. The duo digs into the game’s standout systems—from its escalating resource production to the...
-
S3E14 - Skara Brae
This week on Current Plays, Jordan and Thomas each venture to ancient Skara Brae - separately, but in spirit together! With Thomas away, the hosts both took this Garphill Games 2025 Ancient Anthology release for a solo spin, exploring how this powerhouse cranks the resource management dial all…
more -
S3E13 - Black Forest
This week on Current Plays, Jordan and Thomas venture into the Black Forest. Uwe Rosenberg’s 2024 update to Glass Road is a blend of brain-burning euro strategy and pastoral charm. True to form, it’s a game of careful timing, clever planning, and that signature Rosenberg tension that keeps every...
-
S3E12 - Warhammer Underworlds
This week on Current Plays, Jordan and Thomas descend into the shadowy depths of Warhammer Underworlds: Nethermaze, where blades flash, ghosts wail, and victory is as fleeting as a skaven’s courage. Thomas commands Skittershank’s Clawpack—swift, sneaky, and just a bit stabby—while Jordan leads…
more -
S3E11 - Tales of the Arthurian Knights
Hear ye, hear ye! Gather ‘round the podcast hearth, noble listeners, for this week on Current Plays, Sir Jordan and Sir Thomas taketh up their quests in Tales of the Arthurian Knights. In this most wondrous game of adventure and fortune, our gallant hosts dost wander through the lands of Camelot,...
-
S3E10 - Anachrony
This week on Current Plays, Jordan and Thomas warp through space-time with Anachrony from Mindclash Games - a sprawling, cerebral sci-fi masterpiece that proved time travel can actually work on the tabletop. Designed by Dávid Turczi and the Mindclash team, this one’s part worker placement, part...
-
S3E9 - Expeditions
The mechs are marching once again! Bringing the weird for October, this week on Current Plays, Jordan and Thomas venture into Expeditions by Stonemaier Games and strap in for the Gears of Corruption expansion. This twist on the Scythe universe adds even more depth, danger, and delightful...
-
S3E8 - Alma Mater
Class is in session on Current Plays! This week, Jordan and Thomas don their academic robes for Alma Mater from Eggertspiel, a brainy euro where you’re not just running a university, you’re shaping the very curriculum of the Renaissance. Recruiting professors, publishing books, attracting the…
more -
S3E7 - Dwellings of Eldervale
This week on Current Plays, Jordan and Thomas step through a portal into the elemental realms with Dwellings of Eldervale. Designed by Luke Laurie, this game smashes together two genres you wouldn’t expect to share a table: euro-style worker placement and “dudes-on-a-map” fantasy brawling. The...
-
S3 - Bonus 1 - Cyclades: Legendary Edition
Gather ye ‘round the base of Mount Olympus and get ready to wage war in Ancient Greece! In this episode of Current Plays, we dive into Cyclades: Legendary Edition, where gaining the favour of the Gods is the only way to win. The auction-style bidding system steals the spotlight, forcing players…
more -
S3E6 - Darwin's Journey
Pack your specimen jars and polish your spectacles because it’s time for an expedition in the Galápagos! In this episode of Current Plays, Jordan and Thomas set sail with Darwin’s Journey and quickly discover it’s survival of the sharpest mind. They gush over the game’s top-notch design, delight…
more -
S3E5 - LotR: Fate of the Fellowship
This week on Current Plays, we journey into Middle-earth with The Lord of the Rings: Fate of the Fellowship. The hosts dive into what was done right with this iteration of two large properties, from its thematic immersion to clever systems. But trouble stirs in Mordor as our adventurous hosts…
more -
S3E4 - Æterna
This week your hosts tackled Æterna, by Martin Wallace and published by Ares Games. Vie for power in ancient Rome by conquering distant lands to bring back spoils and build buildings for the people, but too much wealth and power will incur the wrath of those people! Check out our thoughts on this...
-
S3E3 - Dune: Imperium - Uprising
This week, Jordan and Thomas discuss the 2023 sensation Dune: Imperium - Uprising, by Paul Dennen, and published by Dire Wolf. Dune: Imperium - Uprising is a worker placement and deck-building game based on the Dune IP. Its thematic elements and excellent design make it one of the best games in…
more -
S3E2 - Tiletum
Your intrepid hosts Thomas and Jordan discuss their current play of Tiletum. The European Renaissance game of trading and cathedral building. This time, at 3 players! Wow!
-
S3E1 - Lost Ruins of Arnak
The Current Plays Podcast is back! In this episode, Jordan and Thomas discuss their recent play of Lost Ruins of Arnak with the Lost Expedition expansion - Co-op Campaign style!
-
S2E13 - Wonderful Kingdom, White Castle, Trickerion, Near and Far
The Hosts discuss getting value out of games with repeated plays, solo games vs. games as a social activity, hobby time, and board game expansions. In our Other Plays, Jordan and Thomas focus on Dorfromantik, 7 Wonders Duel, and Rhino Hero. For our Current Plays, we discuss It's a Wonderful...
-
S2E12 - Grand Austria Hotel, Unmatched, Tiletum, & Iki
For May, 2024. Jordan kicks it off with an exclamation of just how good X-Men '97 is (it really is), Dune, and how they relate to crowdfunding of board games. In our Other Plays, Thomas discusses Gloomhaven: Buttons and Bugs, and Jordan discusses Mother of Frankenstein. Our Current Plays includes...
-
S2E11 - Concordia Venus & Res Arcana
For April 2024, this episode is jam packed with our plays from March and April including Zavandor, The Hobbit, Forest Shuffle, Dice Thorne Adventures, 20 Strong, and Legacy of Yu! Thomas also mentions several games he claims are not worth mentioning. We end off the episode with our plays of...
-
S2E10 - BreakOut Con 2024
Your intrepid hosts Jordan and Thomas discuss their time at this year's BreakOut Con in Toronto, including lots of games like Ex Libris, Sobek: 2 Players, Wizards of the Grimoire, Trekking through History, Brass: Birmingham, The Fox Experiment, Battle Tech, and Tiletum.
We're indexing this podcast's transcripts for the first time — this can take a minute or two. We'll show results as soon as they're ready.
No matches for "" in this podcast's transcripts.
No topics indexed yet for this podcast.
Loading reviews...
ABOUT THIS SHOW
Join your hosts Jordan and Thomas for friendly banter about games that we're playing, gaming news, hobbying, and just about everything else. Every week we play a board game together, then once per month we do a deep dive on the games we played for you to enjoy! Join us to find out what we liked, what we didn't like, discussion on game play, mechanics, and components, and hopefully enjoy some laughs. Find all our information at https://currentplayspodcast.wixsite.com/currentplays
HOSTED BY
Current Plays
Loading similar podcasts...
Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Current Plays have?
Current Plays currently has 50 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Current Plays about?
Join your hosts Jordan and Thomas for friendly banter about games that we're playing, gaming news, hobbying, and just about everything else. Every week we play a board game together, then once per month we do a deep dive on the games we played for you to enjoy! Join us to find out what we liked,...
How often does Current Plays release new episodes?
Current Plays has 50 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Current Plays?
You can listen to Current Plays on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Current Plays?
Current Plays is created and hosted by Current Plays.
URL copied to clipboard!