PODCAST · games
Men on Board
by Men on Board
Men on Board is a bi-weekly board gaming podcast where each episode will focus on a particular category within the hobby. The categories will be anything from a mechanic, to a theme, to a particular designer or publisher, or whatever else we come up with that week. Each episode will usually focus on two games from the category and contain a discussion of each as well as some comparing and contrasting between them. Also, every episode will include a discussion that pulls back and looks at a Broader View topic about the board gaming hobby.
Episodes
-
Pandemic Check-In 2
We are once again temporarily back, although (hopefully) this time it is going to be less temporary! This time around, we are reflecting on the last two years and specifically focusing on remote gaming. We talk about we we liked about the experience as well as the things that didn’t particularly...
-
Pandemic Check-In
We’re (temporarily) back! This is a bit of special episode and breaks from any of our normal format as we just wanted to catch everyone up on what we’ve been doing over the last year. So join us as we talk about our gaming adventures during the pandemic, including games that we’ve played over…
more -
Episode 60: Vincent Dutrait
Today we’re looking at games that both have artwork created by the extremely talented Vincent Dutrait. First we take a look at Museum and then we discuss Treasure Island. Then, in our broader view, we have a short conversation about how artwork impacts gameplay for us. [00:00:00] - Introduction...
-
Episode 59: Marvel
Sorry for the short delay in getting this one out to you, but it will be worth the wait! We’re going back to theme today and discussing two games set in the Marvel Universe: Legendary: A Marvel Deck Building Game & Marvel Champions. We start off the episode a bit uncharacteristically by having a...
-
Episode 58: Engine Building
Today we’re taking a look at two recently released games that use engine building in two different ways: Fantastic Factories and Ecos: First Continent. We then have a conversation about the cult of the new and the balance between playing new and old games. [00:00:00] - Introduction [00:01:16] -...
-
Episode 57: Social Deduction
We are going back to one of Aaron’s favorite categories: social deduction. We’re covering a large span of time between games as we’re talking about the classic Ultimate Werewolf and the soon to be released Blood on the Clocktower. Please note that we have not played the official release of Blood…
more -
Episode 56: Tableau Building
Today we are talking about two games that both have players building a collection of cards in order to chain different effects in the game: Everdell and Wingspan. Both games also have the adorable overlap of involving animals, as well as being very popular. And speaking of popularity, in our...
-
Episode 55: Star Wars
With the release of The Rise of Skywalker, we wanted to take the opportunity to geek out over Star Wars and talk about two games from within the Star Wars universe: Star Wars: Rebellion and Star Wars: Outer Rim. Then, in our Broader View, we have a conversation about narratives in games.…
more -
Board Game Kiki Episode 8: PAX Unplugged 2019
We weren’t looking at the calendar very closely when we decided to do a Kiki for our last episode because we didn’t realize that we’d be doing back to back Kikis so we could talk about PAX Unplugged! But we had a lot of fun in Philadelphia this year so we wanted to talk about what we saw and the...
-
Episode 54: Deduction
First off, we’d like to apologize for our unplanned, unannounced one week hiatus! Aaron was busy writing a murder mystery party that we did last weekend, so we’re just catching up on our other nerdy endeavors. And while we’re talking about scheduling, we believe that we’re going to have an…
more -
Episode 53: Mystery +
We’re calling this episode Mystery + because both of the games that we’re talking about our mysteries with a little bit of a stretch, but the truth is that this episode could have been called a lot of things because these games have a lot in common. The games that we are talking about our...
-
Episode 52: Habitat Building
The episode length is a little bit longer than usual because we are talking about two games with a lot going on with their strategy and we really wanted to dig deep into them. The games we’re talking about today are Underwater Cities and Terraforming Mars. Later, we have a discussion about games...
-
Episode 51: Flip & Write
Today we’re pressing our luck with our success of having all five hosts on the show next week and repeating the process while talking about two Flip & Write games: Welcome To… and Cartographers. Then, in our Broader View, we talk a little bit about our opinions on player turn length. [00:00:00] -...
-
Episode 50: Anniversary Extravaganza
Today not only marks our 50th episode, but it is also our 2 year anniversary of launching this podcast! To celebrate, we each picked a game from our first 49 episodes to revisit and discuss how our opinions on it have evolved over additional plays. Thank you to everyone that has supported us over...
-
Episode 49: Stefan Feld
The recording of this episode ended up going on for a crazy long amount of time, so if something in the episode sounds a little bit weird, it’s probably because a 5 minute non-sequitur or tangent was edited out. With that out of the way, today’s category is games by designer Stefan Feld, and…
more -
Episode 48: Arkham Horror Files
So while editing this episode, we realized that we kept referring to the series of games that we talk about in this episode as the Arkham Files, when in actuality the name of the series is the Arkham Horror Files! Hopefully everyone will be able to forgive the faux pas. But in this episode, we’re...
-
Episode 47: Television
We accidentally completely lost our sense of time in this episode, so it unfortunately ended up a little bit shorter than we usually like, but the end result should make up for the play length! Today, we’re talking about two games that share a theme of competing television networks: Primetime and...
-
Episode 46: Magic
Today we’re talking about the games Seasons and Res Arcana, and we called the category magic, but the connection between these games is a lot less general than that. Later, in our Broader View, we talk about the advantages and disadvantages in common types of variable set ups in games. [00:00:00]…
more -
Episode 45: Dungeon Crawling
In this episode we are looking at two cooperative games where players are each playing as a miniature on a board and exploring a dungeon: Dungeons & Dragons Castle Ravenloft and Warhammer Quest Silver Tower. Then, in our Broader View, we talk about how games are adapted into other games and what...
-
Episode 44: Theme Parks
Today we’re taking a look at theme parks in two very different ways: Unfair and Dinosaur Island. Because both of these games have some swingy randomization mechanics, we then talk about our thoughts about randomness in games in our Broader View. [00:00:00] - Introduction [00:00:34] - Theme Parks...
-
Board Game Kiki Episode 6: Origins 2019
Today we’re taking a look at the games that we played and our overall experiences that we had at Origins Game Fair 2019. We played a lot of games, so some of our thoughts are quicker than others! [00:00:00] - Introduction [00:01:38] - Origins 2019 [00:13:19] - Calico [00:14:58] - Cartographers: A...
-
Episode 43: Days of Wonder
This episode was edited the night after getting back from Origins, so these show notes are going to be short and to the point! Today we’re talking about two games that were both originally published by Days of Wonder: Cleopatra and the Society of Architects and Colosseum. Because both of these...
-
Episode 42: Pick Up and Deliver
We apologize for the delay in getting today’s episode out, but we think that it was worth the day’s wait! Today we’re talking about two pick up and deliver games: Firefly and Merchant of Venus. Then in our Broader View, we have a conversation that we’re calling The Logistics of Longer Games:...
-
Board Game Kiki Episode 5: Art
Today’s Kiki is all about art in boardgames, and we run through exactly how much we value art and what we look for in art. We didn’t announce it in this episode, because we didn’t know it at the time of recording, but next week we will be back with another regular episode where the category is...
-
Episode 41: Asymmetric
We went a little bit long today, but that’s because we’re essentially talking about 9 different games in our descriptions. And that’s because today we are taking a look at asymmetrical games by comparing Vast: The Crystal Caverns and Root. We then take a step back and talk about how we learn…
more -
Episode 40: Steampunk
Today we’re talking about games with a steampunk theme, and we’re discussing The World of SMOG: On Her Majesty’s Service and Victorian Masterminds. Then in our Broader View, after looking forward to Victorian Masterminds for what felt like forever, we talk about anticipation of games and what…
more -
Episode 39: Cerebria
While editing this episode, we realized that we had some unfortunate audio issues, and we apologize for the quality in some parts! Because of this, we edited a little bit more than we usually do, bringing the episode length down a little bit. Hopefully this will clear up the confusion when you…
more -
Board Game Kiki Episode 4: Role Playing Games
Starting off with a programming note, due to moving this episode is going to be a gap filler until we get the games unpacked and the studio set up in Aaron’s new house. Episode 38 will be airing on April 22, 2019. For this episode, we’re talking about our experiences and opinions on tabletop…
more -
Episode 38: Historic War
As of this episode, our friend and occasional fill-in host Other Matt is officially joining the cast of Men on Board. We accidentally forgot to elaborate on how this is going to work moving forward on the show itself, but what will happen is that Matt is going to be more regularly filling in for...
-
Episode 37: Daniele Tascini
Today we are focusing on two games by the designer/codesigner Daniele Tascini: Teotuhican: City of Gods and Tzolk’in: The Mayan Calendar. We also probably mispronounced about half of this episode. In our Broader View, we talk about things we like and dislike about rule books. At the end of the...
-
Board Game Kiki Episode 3: 2018 Retrospective
Today, instead of doing one of our standard format episodes we’re doing a Kiki about what we thought about 2018 in terms of gaming, as well as looking ahead to our hopes for 2019. We also may have hit a new record for mispronunciations (until our next regular episode). [00:00:00] - Introduction...
-
Episode 36: Mystery
As of this episode, Men on Board is officially a part of the Dice Tower Network! We talk a little bit about that and some new things that we’re going to be doing with the podcast. Our category this week is mystery games, and we explore that through Tragedy Looper and Mysterium. Then in our…
more -
Episode 35: Deduction
This episode, we’re happy to have our friend Other Matt once again step in to help us out while Josh was unavailable. Today we’re looking at two very logical deduction games, Sleuth and Cryptid, and taking a look at how these games handle the mechanic in a very pure fashion. In our Broader View…
more -
Episode 34: Bag Building
In our first episode of 2019 we’re looking at two bag building games that use their shared mechanic and two different ways. First up is the push your luck style of Quacks of Quedlinburg and next we have the worker placement style in Orleans. In our Broader View, we each discuss our dream...
-
Episode 33: Racing
On the last day of 2018 we’re talking about racing games and comparing Formula D and Downforce. In our Broader View, we have a discussion about what we do when we’re not enjoying a game. We’re also still on the lookout for any feedback or suggestions while we’re taking a look at potential…
more -
Board Game Kiki Episode 2: Pax Unplugged 2018
We’re switching up the schedule this week and pushing back Episode 33 to December 31st and instead we’re releasing this Board Game Kiki episode about Pax Unplugged 2018. Just as a heads up, we had some technical difficulty while recording, so when things sound choppy or when we’re talking a mile…
more -
Episode 32: Cooperation
This episode ended up being a little bit longer because we were having a lot of fun in our Broader View, so hopefully you enjoy the extra content! The category this week is cooperative games, and both of our cooperative games that we’re talking about have an island theme: Robinson Crusoe and…
more -
Episode 31: Next Move
In this episode we’re talking about Next Move, which is an imprint from the publisher Plan B Games. We’re talking about both of the games that Next Move has published to date: Azul and Reef. In our Broader View, we talk about what we consider filler games and how we feel about them. [00:00:00] -...
-
Episode 30: Social Deduction
In this shorter than average episode, we’re going back to Social Deduction games, but this time we’re focusing on games that play in a short amount of time. Specifically, we’re talking about One Night Ultimate Werewolf and Crossfire. In our Broader View, we talk about playing games at parties…
more -
Episode 29: Shakespeare
Shakespeare is the category this week as we discuss the games Histrio and Shakespeare. In our Broader View, we talk about settings in board games, and the conversation goes into some places that we weren’t expecting and get a little bit real. [00:00:00] - Introduction[00:00:47] - Shakespeare...
-
Episode 28: Escape Rooms
This week we’re looking at two series of games that simulate the feeling of an escape room: the Unlock series and the Exit series. Because of the nature of these games, we were very careful to avoid spoilers, and only lightly touched on a few topics that may be considered slight spoilers, so I…
more -
Episode 27: Hidden Movement
Today we’re celebrating our one year anniversary, and because this episode is coming out a day late, it is actually coming out on our one year anniversary! So in honor of making it a full year, we’re going back to our very first category and revisiting hidden movement with Specter Ops and Nuns on...
-
Episode 26: Twilight Imperium
This episode went longer than we try to keep our episodes, but since we're talking about Twilight Imperium that seemed appropriate. Specifically, we're talking about Twilight Imperium Third Edition and Twilight Imperium Fourth Edition. Also, because Josh has never played Twilight Imperium, we...
-
Episode 25: App Integration
Today we're discussing board games that are in some degree hybrids of board games and video games. These are games that require smartphone apps in order to be played, and the two games that we're featuring are Stop Thief! and Mansions of Madness Second Edition. Then, in our Broader View, we're...
-
Episode 24: Deckbuilding +
In part two of our two part "plus" series, we're looking at deckbuilding games that both have some mechanics that go a little bit beyond the typical deckbuilding game. Specifically, we're talking about Clank!: A Deck-Building Adventure and The Quest for El Dorado. In our Broader View, we go on a...
-
Episode 23: Deduction +
In this episode's category, we're looking at two deduction games that have a little bit more going on than just straightforward deduction: Mystery Express and Alchemists. In our Broader View, we talk about Aaron's pet peeve of Deduction and Mystery being used as synonyms. Also in this episode,...
-
Episode 22: Queen Games
Today we're taking a look at a publisher that typically makes family friendly games that can be scaled up in complexity with expansion content: Queen Games. Specifically, we're talking about Alhambra and Fresco. In part two of our two part Broader View conversation about expansions, we discuss…
more -
Episode 21: Prolific Expansions
In this episode, we're looking at games with a lot of available expansion content: Carcassonne and Dominion. In our Broader View, we have a discussion about what we consider before purchasing an expansion for a game. [00:00:00] - Introduction [00:00:43] - Prolific Expansions [00:01:20] -...
-
Board Game Kiki Episode 1: Origins 2018
In our first Board Game Kiki, we're talking about everything that we did and played at Origins Game Fair 2018! These Kiki episodes are going to be sporadic and occur only when we have something that we want to talk about that doesn't fit into our normal format. [00:00:00] - Introduction…
more
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
Men on Board is a bi-weekly board gaming podcast where each episode will focus on a particular category within the hobby. The categories will be anything from a mechanic, to a theme, to a particular designer or publisher, or whatever else we come up with that week. Each episode will usually focus on two games from the category and contain a discussion of each as well as some comparing and contrasting between them. Also, every episode will include a discussion that pulls back and looks at a Broader View topic about the board gaming hobby.
HOSTED BY
Men on Board
Loading similar podcasts...
Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Men on Board have?
Men on Board currently has 71 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Men on Board about?
Men on Board is a bi-weekly board gaming podcast where each episode will focus on a particular category within the hobby. The categories will be anything from a mechanic, to a theme, to a particular designer or publisher, or whatever else we come up with that week. Each episode will usually focus...
How often does Men on Board release new episodes?
Men on Board has 71 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Men on Board?
You can listen to Men on Board 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 Men on Board?
Men on Board is created and hosted by Men on Board.
URL copied to clipboard!