In Episode 318 we answer a bunch of mailbag questions asked by our Patreon supporters.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

00:39 What's your Spirit Game?

04:39 Have you ever sold or traded a game away but later decided you wanted it back in your collection?

10:07 What games are just dumb fun?

15:03 Are there any games you'd like to see get a digital implementation?

19:39 What are your most gifted games?

24:57 What game was reimplemented wrong and the original was much better?

30:39 What is the first favorite happy moment in board gaming that comes to mind?

36:10 Will we ever attend another public board game convention?

39:53 How have you grown as a person through playing board games?

44:48 If you could only play 2 games the rest of your life which ones would you select and why?

49:00 What are your Grail Games to play and/or own?

57:21 What mics and DAWs do we own and other questions about creating the podcast?

1:02:48 Which games are worse to play on Board Game Arena than in person?

1:07:21 How did the hosts of the show meet?

If you enjoy the show, please consider supporting us at https://www.patreon.com/boardgamehottakes

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In Episode 317 we give our hot take review on Wondrous Creatures covering the mechanisms, the production, and our overall feelings of the game.

We discuss a poll on discovery vs. mastery and also discuss some games that have ALMOST been on our table including World Order and Distilled: Cocktails.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

01:31 Poll Time: Which do you enjoy most about enjoying board games - Discovery or Mastery?

10:20 Wondrous Creatures Description

12:28 Gameplay and Mechanisms

30:07 Production and Theme

37:12 Final Thoughts

44:39 World Order

51:32 Distilled: Cocktails

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In Episode 316 we play and discuss many of our favorite party games and you can play along with us.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

03:37 Balderdash

11:04 Wavelength

18:05 Green Team Wins

22:59 Skull

27:18 Poetry for Neanderthals

31:12 Scattergories

35:57 Flip 7

39:57 Hot Streak

43:59 Heads Up!

48:58 Mad Gab

53:48 Scattergories: Categories

56:17 Subjective

1:01:33 Wits and Wagers

1:04:31 Challengers!

1:10:41 Codenames

If you enjoy the show, please consider supporting us at https://www.patreon.com/boardgamehottakes

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In Episode 315 we discuss our top 3 resource economies in board games.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

00:25 Beat The Expert Contest Winners

04:43 Top 3 Resource Economies in Board Games (Brass: Birmingham, Clans of Caledonia)

13:12 Tinner's Trail

19:33 Power Grid

24:02 Modern Art

28:05 Keyflower

34:51 Creature Comforts

40:58 Smartphone, Inc.

44:58 M.U.L.E. The Board Game

51:19 Arborea

56:33 Eclipse: Second Dawn for the Galaxy

If you enjoy the show, please consider supporting us at https://www.patreon.com/boardgamehottakes

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In Episode 314 we give our hot take review on Entropy covering the mechanisms, the production, and our overall feelings of the game.

We discuss a poll on how other people's experience at the game table impacts you and also discuss some games that have been on our tables including Pokemon Modern Art, Wavelength, and Duel of Meloch.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

00:24 Poll Time: Does another player's bad experience impact your enjoyment of a board game

09:00 Beat the Experts Contest Update

11:50 Entropy Description

13:45 Gameplay and Mechanisms

31:54 Production and Theme

41:06 Final Thoughts

51:36 Pokemon Modern Art

53:26 Wavelength

58:32 Duel of Meloch

1:10:17 Listener Shoutout

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In Episode 313 we discuss a bunch of recent games that we've been playing. We also catch listeners up on the BGHT Beat The Expert Contest.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

08:52 Dawn of Madness

24:18 Trio / nana

29:23 Wingspan Pocket

48:17 Sanibel

46:30 Mister Diamond

51:07 Gunsen: The Battle for Toshi Ranbo

1:01:22 Stationfall

1:10:37 Dominant Species

1:14:46 Railroad Tiles

If you enjoy the show, please consider supporting us at https://www.patreon.com/boardgamehottakes

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In Episode 312 we conclude the 2026 countdown of our top 50 Board Games of all time with choices 1-10.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

00:40 Tournament of Champions Contest Update

03:25 Ark Nova

06:17 Azul

08:14 Pan Am

12:33 The Castles of Burgundy

16:27 Ankh: Gods of Egypt

19:23 Star Realms

23:41 Grand Austria Hotel

27:06 March of the Ants: Evolved Edition

29:16 Terraforming Mars

32:11 Nucleum

36:37 Pan Am

37:31 Blood Rage

39:54 Civolution

42:50 Smartphone, Inc.

45:33 Dune: Imperium - Uprising

48:12 Everdell

50:37 Wonderland's War

52:28 Gaia Project

55:29 Agricola

57:13 Sol: Last Days of a Star

1:02:44 Eclipse: Second Dawn for the Galaxy

1:05:28 Clank! Catacombs

1:08:20 Hegemony: Lead Your Class to Victory

1:10:31 Distilled

1:15:18 Gaia Project

1:17:31 Dune: Imperium

1:20:25 Darwin's Journey

1:25:56 Dune: Imperium - Uprising

1:30:19 Eclipse: Second Dawn for the Galaxy

1:33:54 Tapestry

If you enjoy the show, please consider supporting us at https://www.patreon.com/boardgamehottakes

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In Episode 311 we continue the 2026 countdown of our top 50 Board Games of all time with choices 11-20.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

00:47 Contest Announcement

05:10 Underwater Cities

08:33 Tycoon India 1981

11:03 Luthier

16:00 Isle of Skye: From Chieftain to King

19:50 Manhattan Project: Energy Empire

22:31 Speakeasy

26:18 Blood Rage

29:05 The Expanse Board Game

32:45 Echoes of Time

35:55 Cthulhu: Death May Die

41:06 Blood Rage

42:02 Endeavor: Deep Sea

44:32 Darwin's Journey

47:12 Lords of Vegas

49:16 Teotihuacan: City of Gods

53:16 Lost Ruins of Arnak

56:53 Dune: War for Arrakis

58:40 La Granja

1:02:33 The Lord of the Rings: Duel for Middle Earth

1:05:26 Stockpile

1:08:21 Obsession

1:12:31 Wonderland's War

1:14:18 Baseball Highlights: 2045

1:16:47 Agricola

1:19:52 Terraforming Mars

1:21:24 Gaia Project

1:23:41 Tzolk'in: The Mayan Calendar

1:27:05 Tichu

1:29:54 Dune: Imperium - Uprising

1:31:21 Lost Ruins of Arnak

If you enjoy the show, please consider supporting us at https://www.patreon.com/boardgamehottakes

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In Episode 310 we continue the 2026 countdown of our top 50 Board Games of all time with choices 21-30.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

00:43 Le Havre

04:10 Shamans

07:02 Wonderland's War

09:22 Emberleaf

11:54 Tag Team

14:56 Azul

18:22 Marco Polo II: In The Service of the Khan

21:19 Emberleaf

23:44 Heat: Pedal to the Metal

27:28 Sea Salt & Paper

30:05 Frozen Frontier

33:36 Thurn & Taxis

37:00 Tapestry

40:22 Barrage

43:00 Reforest

45:50 Pirates of Maracaibo

48:10 Brian Boru: High King of Ireland

50:47 Civolution

53:16 Moon Colony Bloodbath

55:36 Battle for Rokugan

58:07 Ark Nova

1:01:55 Scythe

1:05:41 Dune

1:08:20 Scythe

1:09:32 Endeavor: Deep Sea

1:11:58 Terraforming Mars

1:14:27 7 Wonders Duel

1:17:27 Revive

1:19:47 Fractal

1:22:41 Barrage

If you enjoy the show, please consider supporting us at https://www.patreon.com/boardgamehottakes

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In Episode 309 we continue the 2026 countdown of our top 50 Board Games of all time with choices 31-40.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

00:41 Reforest

03:42 Ada's Dream

05:53 Rats of Wistar

08:57 March of the Ants - Evolved Edition

11:33 Brass: Birmingham

14:26 Yokohama

17:36 Thunder Road: Vendetta

22:30 Reforest

23:28 Crokinole

25:52 Rebirth

27:37 Echoes of Time

29:07 A Feast for Odin

33:27 Rising Sun

35:00 Biohack

36:43 Revive

39:10 Manhattan Project: Energy Empire

42:50 Soothsayers

46:02 Godspeed

49:16 Stupor Mundi

53:40 Robot Quest Arena

54:29 Splendor: Duel

58:22 Clans of Caledonia

1:02:18 Mosaic: A Story of Civilization

1:03:45 Thunder Road: Vendetta

1:06:06 Boast or Nothing

1:08:11 Survive the Island

1:11:27 Outlive

1:15:44 Keyflower

1:18:54 SpaceCorp: 2025-2300AD

1:22:33 Clank! In! Space!

If you enjoy the show, please consider supporting us at https://www.patreon.com/boardgamehottakes

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In Episode 308 we start the 2026 countdown of our top 50 Board Games of all time with choices 41-50.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

03:50 Anachrony

06:31 Spirit Island

09:44 Let's Go To Japan

13:56 Harmonies

16:12 Star Wars: The Deckbuilding Game

17:32 Maracaibo

20:31 Mosaic: A Story of Civilization

22:02 Masters of Renaissance: Lorenzo il Magnifico The Card Game

24:19 Biohack

27:05 Azul

28:51 Pax Pamir 2nd Edition

30:50 Cascadia

33:45 Woodcraft

36:10 Speakeasy

37:53 Emberleaf

42:39 The White Castles Duel

44:55 Revive

47:30 The Guild of Merchant Explorers

50:48 The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring: Trick-Taking Game

53:51 Xenon Profiteer

55:08 Nemesis

1:00:16 Voidfall

1:02:41 Star Wars: Rebellion

1:03:59 Robot Quest Arena

1:06:41 Slay the Spire: The Board Game

1:11:39 High Society

1:12:49 Smartphone, Inc.

1:15:51 Tzolk'in The Mayan Calendar

1:17:54 Age of Galaxy

1:19:57 Cthulhu: Death May Die

If you enjoy the show, please consider supporting us at https://www.patreon.com/boardgamehottakes

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Join our Board Game Arena Community: https://boardgamearena.com/group?id=11417205

Join our Discord server at:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://discord.gg/vMtAYQWURd