Episode 273 - Paul Salomon, The Spiel Des Jahres, and Giant Thumbs

In this week's episode, Doug and Michael share Michael's 2026 purchasing plan, talk solo games, discuss convention tips, preview Gencon with guest Harrison Dunn, and play a game of Blind Rank!00:00:20 - Introduction & Follow-up00:03:28 - Michael's Board Game Buying Challenge00:11:15 - What's Awesome This Week in Gaming00:22:37 - What's on Your Mind? - Convention Tips and Tricks00:31:13 - Gencon Preview with Harrison Dunn01:19:40 - Blind Rank

In this episode we’ll be sharing what’s awesome this week in tabletop gaming, discuss reprinting games and going on game buying sabbatical. Lastly we chat with guest Phill Klamm about all things Disney Lorcana and play a game of Troll er No with him!00:00:20 - Introduction and Follow-Up00:02:45 - This Week in Gaming00:08:19 - What's On Your Mind?00:08:50 - Reprints of Older Games: A Trend Analysis00:16:48 - Not Buying Games00:25:38 - Introduction to Phill Klamm and Lorcana00:28:41 - Overview of Lorcana: The Trading Card Game00:31:42 - Phil's Journey into Competitive Play00:34:39 - What Keeps Phil Engaged in Lorcana00:37:24 - Accessibility and Cost of Playing Lorcana00:40:35 - Understanding the Mechanics of Lorcana00:43:36 - Family Involvement and Community in Lorcana00:46:35 - Getting Started with Lorcana00:49:25 - Threats and Future of Lorcana00:52:43 - Pack Opening and Final Thoughts00:56:19 - The Excitement of Opening Packs00:59:11 - The Joy of Gaming and Learning01:00:32 - Troll or No: The Game Begins

This week we’ll be sharing what’s awesome this week in tabletop gaming, discuss industry awards and balancing fun with winning, chat with designer and developer Paul Salomon from GameHead Games, and play a game of The Great Game Guessing Game.00:00:20 - Introduction and Follow-Up on Expansion Extravaganza00:02:20 - This Week In Gaming: Spiel de Jahres Winners00:10:00 - Industry Awards: Value and Insights00:18:07 - Discussion on Playing for Fun vs. Winning00:25:30 - Special Guest: Paul Solomon00:26:54 - Journey into Board Games00:28:29 - Role of Creative Director at Game Head00:30:34 - Current Projects and Exciting Developments00:32:44 - Designing vs. Developing Games00:37:44 - Working with Designers and Publishers00:42:47 - Signing Games from Renowned Designers00:45:43 - Game Development Insights and Strategies00:52:42 - Understanding the Board Game Industry00:56:52 - The Social Aspect of Gaming01:00:38 - The Great Game Guessing Game

This week Doug & Michael discuss upcoming releases from Stonemaier Games, Horrible Guild, and Pandasaurus Games, express gratitude to a local game store, ponder the best way to introduce new games, and the plethora of small box games available. The finish the episode by reviewing expansions for Faraway, Castle Combo, Honey Buzz, and Return to Dark Tower.00:00:20 - Introduction to Board Game Radio00:00:59 - Follow-Up on Previous Games00:02:19 - This Week In Gaming00:13:47 - Celebrating Local Game Stores00:20:07 - What's On Your Mind?00:20:21 - Choosing Games for New Players00:33:31 - Discussion on Small Box Games00:44:12 - Expansion Extravaganza00:45:04 - Faraway: Under Starry Skies00:49:40 - Castle Combo: Out of the Oubliette!00:56:15 - Honey Buzz: Fall Flavors01:06:49 - Return to Dark Tower: Covenant Expansion

In this week's episode Doug and Michael discuss the latest news and headlines including a new edition of Parks and data from Origins Game Fair. In addition, they also speculate on complainers in the hobby, reveal their high-five American themed games, and conclude last week's monthly game roundup with Frosted Blooms, Fox Grove, and Spooktacular.00:00:20 - Introduction to Board Game Radio00:20:42 - What's On Your Mind? - The State of Online Discourse in Gaming00:39:00 - List Time - High-Five American Themed Games00:56:52 - Monthly Game Roundup00:57:34 - Spooktacular01:03:36 - Frosted Blooms01:13:16 - Fox Grove

In this week's show we'll be discussing some of the latest headlines like the Origins Game Fair, share what's on our minds including game complexity and the difficulty of reviewing games. We're gonna compete to guess games in redacted reviews, and we'll finish off the episode with a roundup of some of the games we've played recently, such as Root, First Class Letters, and Paper World!00:00:20 - Introduction to Board Game Radio00:01:30 - Follow-Up on Schaudenfreude Game00:09:31 - Podcast Growth and YouTube Appeal00:11:02 - This Week in Gaming: Origins Game Fair Highlights00:11:43 - Origins Award Winners Discussion00:19:21 - Attending Origins In The Future00:25:13 - Creating Community in Board Game Retailing00:28:03 - What's On Your Mind? The Essence of Game Reviews00:39:06 - Understanding Complexity in Board Games00:47:17 - Redacted Reviews01:01:51 - Monthly Game Roundup01:02:21 - Root01:07:54 - First Class Letters01:13:47 - Azul01:15:20 - Paper World01:21:06 - Wingspan - Digital

In this Episode Doug & Michael discuss some of the latest headlines like the Catan Championships and the latest Dominion expansion, share what’s on our minds about Bog Box Games and crowdfunding, ask stupid money/smart money questions about Deluxe Editions and Convention expenses, and we’ll finish off the episode with new segment called Collection Selection in which we draft deck-building games like Clank! and Lost Ruins of Arnak!00:00 Introduction to Board Game Radio06:29 This Week in Gaming: New Releases and Trends12:19 Catan National Championship and Community Engagement18:17 Exciting New Games and Expansions22:01 What's On Your Mind?22:15 Discussion on Big Box Games and Their Value25:05 The Allure of Big Box Games28:49 The Evolution of Crowdfunding in Board Games36:55 Stupid Money, Smart Money: Crowdfunding Insights52:08 The Value of Game Demos56:19 Collection Selection: Drafting Deck Builders

In this episode Doug & Michael talk about the latest news including Amigo reprints and Asmodee. They also debate who spends more money, Trading Card Game Players or Board Gamers, followed by there takes on dice or cards as randomizers. A new segment, Great Moments in Gameschooling, highlights a father son design project. Lastly, they reveal their favorite games from 2021.00:00 - Introduction to Board Game Radio03:14 - Reflections on Recent Conventions06:04 - Industry Trends and Revenue Insights08:16 - New Game Releases and Updates11:16 - Amigo Games Finding Homes13:58 - Asmodee Crowdfunding Report16:56 - BoardGameGeek Origins & Gencon Previews20:11 - What's On Your Mind?20:48 - TCG Players or Board Gamers30:17 - Dice vs. Cards: The Randomizer Debate35:15 - Great Moments in Game Schooling: Baseball Card GM48:44 - List Time: Top Games of 2021

This week, Doug and Michael recap their experiences at ACD Expo 2026, one of the tabletop gaming industry’s premier retailer trade shows held in Madison, Wisconsin.The hosts discuss the biggest trends from the show floor, including the growing popularity of trading card games and trick-taking games, along with standout titles from publishers across the industry. Highlights include upcoming releases such as Fox Grove, Frosted Blooms, For All Mankind, One Round?, Thunder Road: Ignition, Trickarus, and many more.Join us as we share our favorite discoveries, discuss emerging trends, and take a look at what’s coming next in tabletop gaming.

In this episode Doug and Michael follow-up on some Spiel des Jahres News and Speculate on Bluey Catan. They also discuss games ending in ties and the allure of weird games. Then, they play a game of Troll er No about Return to Dark Tower and Marvel United. Lastly, the finish with a monthly game roundup including titles such as Lost Cities, Cozy Stickerville, Lone Wolves, Catan: On the Road, and Cloudspire.00:00:00 - Introduction and Follow-Up00:10:13 - This Week In Gaming00:22:45 - What's On Your Mind: Ties in Gaming00:29:03 - The Allure of Weird Games00:35:43 - Troll or No: A Game of Reviews00:55:24 - Monthly Game Roundup00:56:33 - Lost Cities00:59:11 - Cozy Stickerville01:05:49 - Lone Wolves01:10:19 - Catan: On the Road01:16:25 - Cloudspire