Ben and Paul deep dive the new area control, tableau-building, moon-exploiting, corporation-pleasing game "Shackleton Base."  They also discuss new hotness Civolution as well as Fromage and Men-Nefer.  Ben also offers up some family game suggestions for the holidays - all while attempting labored "Wicked" puns.

Matt and Jordan return to the world of miniature wargaming to get you up to speed on all of their recent adventures. 

Ben, Trey, and Paul go deep on The Lost Fleet, a hot new expansion for Gaia Project.

Plus, initial impressions from fresh Essen releases SETI, Asian Tigers, and Shackleton Base.

• 0:00:00 Introduction
• 0:09:45 SETI: Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence
• 0:30:15 Asian Tigers
• 0:44:50 La Famiglia: The Great Mafia War
• 0:46:15 Shackleton Base: A Journey to the Moon
• 1:03:05 Captain Flip
• 1:03:35 The Gang
• 1:18:15 Gadget Trick
• 1:21:10 Gaia Project: The Lost Fleet
• 2:13:20 Outro

-  Find Etamar at kirbooloni.com
-  Game Brain Facebook Group
-  Instagram

Join Matt and Jordan for the first episode of "Sprue'd Up!", an occasional Game Brain offshoot about two euro gamers taking their first steps into the world of miniature wargaming. 

• Star Wars: Shatterpoint
• Warhammer 40,000: Kill Team

Ben, Trey, and Paul explore the importance of enthusiasm at the game table.  Plus, recent plays of KCaloria, Zoo Tycoon, and Trey's first ever game of Twilight Imperium 4th Ed....

• 0:00:00 Introduction
• 0:04:27 kCaloria First Impressions
  • We All Take From the River
• 0:16:20 Zoo Tycoon First Impressions
• 0:38:50 Further Twilight Imperium 4th Ed. discussion 
  • 3 of a Kind
• 1:22:35 Episode Topic: Enthusiasm - 
  • What we bring to the game table
• 1:56:25 Outro

-  Find Etamar at kirbooloni.com
-  Game Brain Facebook Group
-  Instagram

Matt, Jordan, and Trey track the rise and fall of Jordan's relationship with Paul. We also review Rise and Fall!

• 0:00:00 Introduction
• 0:03:50 True Confessions: Mini Painting
  • CoraQuest
  • Heroscape
  • Warhammer: Kill Team
  • Star Wars: Shatterpoint
• 0:14:05 Matt's Essen Most Wanted
  • Asian Tigers
  • Civolution
  • Black Forest
  • Joyride
  • Andromeda's Edge
  • Shackleton Base: A Journey to the Moon
  • Saltfjord
  • Phoenix New Orizon
  • Spectacular
  • Rebirth
• 0:21:10 Jordan recounts the great 2024 betrayal of Twilight Imperium 4th Ed.
• 0:32:25 other Games on the Brain
  • Harmonies
  • Anno 1800: Die Erweiterung
• 0:36:24 Game Review: Rise & Fall
  • Archipelago

-  Find Etamar at kirbooloni.com
-  Game Brain Facebook Group
-  Instagram

Ben, Tom, and Paul do a deep dive on the midweight, gear-turning Euro Windmill Valley.  Plus, early impressions of Rise & Fall, some hot takes on Distilled, and flop sessions of Lost Atlas and Things in Rings.

00:00 - Intro
09:19 - Distilled
23:08 - Rise & Fall
44:03 - Railways of the Lost Atlas
56:16 - 18RoyalGorge
58:59 - Kutna Hora
01:01:42 - Things in Rings
01:05:55 - Windmill Valley

Ben and Paul talk about recent plays of Windmill Valley, Blades in the Dark, and Fields of Arle.  Plus, a gaming weekend in Palm Springs leads to hot takes on Things in Rings, Wilmot's Warehouse, Hollywood 1947, Forrest Shuffle, and Plantagenet, among others.  Oh, and Covid too, but that's a minor wrinkle.

00:07:31 - Windmill Valley

00:21:36 - Fields of Arle

00:29:56 - Blades in the Dark

00:43:45 - Plantagenet

00:49:09 - Pagan

00:55:54 - Gest of Robin Hood

00:56:26 - Oranenburger Kanal

00:59:10 - 21Moon

01:10:56 - Things in Rings

01:17:54 - Wilmot’s Warehouse

01:28:02 - Calimala

01:35:08 - Forest Shuffle

01:49:36 - Seers Catalogue

01:53:58 - Railways of the Lost Atlas

02:06:24 - Hollywood 1947

02:20:26 - Indonesia

Ben, Trey, and Paul deep dive the new 18xx innovator "Railways of the Lost Atlas." Also, the three discuss recent plays of "Terraforming Mars: Prelude 2,” "Pampero,” and “Twilight Imperium, 4th Edition.”

• 0:00:00 Introduction
• 0:04:08 Terraforming Mars: Prelude 2
• 0:16:12 Twilight Imperium 4th Ed
• 0:36:50 Pampero
• 0:53:05 Concordia: Balearica
• 1:01:00 Age of Innovation
• 1:11:45 Game Review: Railways of the Lost Atlas

-  Find Etamar at kirbooloni.com
-  Game Brain Facebook Group
-  Instagram

Matt and Jordan are joined by friend-of-the-pod Drew Conley to review inarguably the biggest board game release thus far of 2024: ARCS by Cole Wehrle and Leder Games. 

• 0:00:00 Introduction
  • Cascadero
  • Slay the Spire
• 0:28:30 Game Review: Arcs
  • Wehrlegig Games
• Find Drew at https://www.drewconleycomposer.com/ and https://www.youtube.com/@theboardgamecomposer
• Find more Jordan at https://www.youtube.com/@OptimalPlay

-  Find Etamar at kirbooloni.com
-  Game Brain Facebook Group
-  Instagram

Ben, Trey, and Paul talk about catching the game wave.  What happens when you ride it, what happens when you miss it, and what happens when you try to start your own.  Plus, plays of Arcs, 1930: The Golden Age of Airlines, and Nucleum: Australia.