Garrett's Games 1000! Contest Winners! Top 10's for 2025 - so far! and Who Will Win The KdJ?

This week we celebrate making it to EPISODE 1000!!! Thanks to Bezier Games for their support. Thanks to Bezier, AMIGO, and Pandasaurus for their sponsorship with games for the contest! You can sponsor the podcast directly by going to www.patreon.com/garrettgames or check out our extensive list of games that no longer fit on OUR shelves, but belong on your table: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/16ovRDNBqur0RiAzgFAfI0tYYnjlJ68hoHyHffU7ZDWk/edit?usp=sharing First we talk Kennerspiel des Jahres - which do we want to win, and which do we think WILL win? Then we GIVEAWAY SOME GAMES to three lucky winners/viewers! Be sure to contact me at [email protected] if you're a winner! Finally, we spend some time reflecting on the year so far, picking our TOP 10 GAMES of the first part of 2025. Doug’s Top 10 for first part of 2025: Fromage by Matthew O'Malley, Ben Rosset from Road to Infamy Games - Episode 981 Draft and Write Records by Bruno Maciel from Inside Up Games - Episode 981 Bone Wars by Wim Goossens from Game Brewer & Cranio Creations - Episode 999 Looot by Charles Chevallier, Laurent Escoffier from Gigamic - Episode 997 Explorers of Navoria by Meng Chunlin from Qiling Games & Dranda Games & GaGa Games Episode 990 Castle Raisers by Erwan Le Minous, Anthony Perone from Wonderful World Board Games - Episode 997 Cargo Empire by Alexander Bogdanovsky, Pini Shekhter from Moaideas Game Design - Episode 978 Sparks by Adrian Adamescu, Kristian Amundsen Østby, Florin Purluca, Kjetil Svendsen from Alion – by Dr Ø - Episode 985 Endeavor: Deep Sea by Carl de Visser, Jarratt Gray from Burnt Island Games, Grand Gamers Guild and Cranio Creations - Episode 996 Azul Duel by Michael Kiesling from Next Move Games - Episode 993 Honorable Mentions: Only Murders in the Building by Aaron Donogh, Prospero Hall, David Iezzi from Funko Games and Goliath Games - Episode 987 3 Chapters by Joe Hout from Amigo - Episode 991 Faraway by Johannes Goupy, Corentin Lebrat from Pandasaurus Games and Catch Up Games - Episode 995 Shelley's Top 10 for the first part of 2025: Fromage by Matthew O'Malley and Ben Rosset from Road to Infamy Games - Episode 981 Atlantis Exodus by George Halkias, Konstantinos Karagiannis from dlp games - Episode 986 Resafa by Vladimir Suchy from Delicious Games - Episode 982 Looot by Charles Chevallier, Laurent Escoffier from Gigamic - Episode 997 Barcelona with the Passeig de Gracia Expansion by Dani Garcia from Board&Dice - Episode 994 Bone Wars by Wim Goossens from Game Brewer & Cranio Creations - Episode 999 Calcada by Vangelis Bagiartakis and Konstantinos Karagiannis from Piatnik - Episode 983 Castle Raisers by Erwan Le Minous, Anthony Perone from Wonderful World Board Games - Episode 997 Azul Duel by Michael Kiesling from Next Move Games - Episode 993 Only Murders in the Building by Aaron Donogh, Prospero Hall, David Iezzi from Funko Games and Goliath Games - Episode 987 Honorable Mentions: Faraway by Johannes Goupy, Corentin Lebrat from Pandasaurus Games and Catch Up Games - Episode 995 River of Gold by Keith Piggott from Office Dog and KOSMOS - Episode 998 Big Easy Busking by Joshua J Mills from Weird Giraffe Games - Episode 976  

For our last episode before we hit FOUR digits of episode releases, we take on TWO BIG GAMES that both use version of Action Points to do your turns! In Bone Wars, by Wim Goossens from Game Brewer and Cranio Creations, we become palentologists, publish about new dinosaurs, and compete to earn the favor of two famous scientists. In Ezra and Nehemiah, by Shem Phillips and SJ MacDonald from Renegade Game Studios and Garphil Games, we work to rebuild ancient Judah and its community. Thanks as always to our sponsor Bezier Games! Remember you can support the podcast directly by going to www.patreon.com/garrettsgames OR check out the extensive list of games that no longer fit on our shelves, but belong on your table HERE: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/16ovRDNBqur0RiAzgFAfI0tYYnjlJ68hoHyHffU7ZDWk/edit?usp=sharing Finally, you have a few days left to enter our giveaway contest for EPISODE 1000 which comes out NEXT WEEK. You have to do TWO steps: 1) SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube channel here: www.youtube.com/@garrettsgames 2) Leave a comment on one of our JUNE video episodes on the channel  

This week Shelley and I check out the cute and the beautiful Alpaca by Christian Giove from Pegasus Spiel and GateOnGames includes VERY cute alpacas in an introductory-level deck-building game River of Gold by Keith Piggott from Office Dog finds players meandering down a river board with spot gloss gold, gathering resources and money, building buildings, and delivering to customers. Thanks as always to our sponsor Bezier Games Remember to check out our YouTube channel here: www.youtube.com/@garrettsgames And sign up for our EPISODE 1000 giveaway contest. You have to 1) Subscribe to our YouTube Channel AND 2) Leave a comment on one of our JUNE video episodes. You can sponsor the podcast directly at www.patreon.com/garrettsgames OR check out our extensive list of games that no longer fit on our shelves, but BELONG on YOUR table here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/16ovRDNBqur0RiAzgFAfI0tYYnjlJ68hoHyHffU7ZDWk/edit?usp=sharing  

This week Shelley and I check out the THIRD Kennerspiel des Jahres nominee, the Viking-themed resource collection game Looot (yes, it's THREE o's) by Charles Chevallier and Laurent Escoffier from Hachette and Gigamic then we check out a title that's should make a splash at GenCon this year - build your 3-D castle to prevent the wolf army from invading your pig's fortifications in Castle Raisers by Erwan Le Minous and Anthony Perone from Wonderful World Board Games Thanks as always to our sponsor Bezier Games REMEMBER TO JOIN OUR CONTEST GIVEAWAY! Three listeners/viewers can win games from AMIGO, Pandasaurus, and Bezier Games! All you have to do is a) Go to our YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/@garrettsgames and SUBSCRIBE b) Write a comment on one of our JUNE video episodes  You can support the podcast and video series directly by going to www.patreon.com/garrettsgames OR check out our extensive list of games that no longer fit on our shelves, but BELONG on your table: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/16ovRDNBqur0RiAzgFAfI0tYYnjlJ68hoHyHffU7ZDWk/edit?usp=sharing  

This week Shelley and I check out the SECOND of the Kennerspiel des Jahres nominees: Endeavor: Deep Sea by Carl de Visser and Jarratt Gray from Burnt Island Games and Grand Gamers Guild then have fun with a bunch of short-legged dogs in Clash of Corgis, a self-published game from Deric Drazich Thanks as always to our sponsor Bezier Games! You can support the podcast directly by becoming a sponsor www.patreon.com/garrettsgames OR you can check out our estensive list of games that no longer fit on our shelves, but belong on your table: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/16ovRDNBqur0RiAzgFAfI0tYYnjlJ68hoHyHffU7ZDWk/edit?usp=sharing

This week it's a Pandasaurus Games extravaganza!  First, Shelley and I check out the fun 'draw and draw' in which we explore various maps and swap cards to take our actions: Rivages by Joachim Thome  then we play cards in one direction, but score in the opposite direction in the Kennerspiel des Jahres-nominated Faraway by Johannes Goupy and Corentin Lebrat Thanks as always to our sponsor Bezier Games! Remember to join our giveaway for Episode 1000 by subscribing to our YouTube channel and commenting on one of our June-released videos (starting on Tuesday). You can sponsor the podcast directly by going to www.patreon.com/garrettsgames or check out our extensive list of games that no longer fit on our shelves, but belong on your table: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/16ovRDNBqur0RiAzgFAfI0tYYnjlJ68hoHyHffU7ZDWk/edit?usp=sharing  

Shelley and I check out a cute little card game that's reminicent of Liar's Dice or Perudo Schrodinger's Cats by Heather and Christopher O'Neill, and Adriel Wilson recently re-published by AMIGO and then we pull a favorite off the shelf and add a new expansion: Barcelona with the Passeig de Gracia expansion by Dani Garcia from Board&Dice Thanks as always to our sponsor Bezier Games! You can support the podcast directly by becoming a sponsor www.patreon.com/garrettsgames OR you can check out our estensive list of games that no longer fit on our shelves, but belong on your table: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/16ovRDNBqur0RiAzgFAfI0tYYnjlJ68hoHyHffU7ZDWk/edit?usp=sharing  

This week Shelley and I check out a small card game for a large group Fritanga by Jose Luchoro and Rafael Miralles from Devir and then enjoy the smaller 2-player cousin of the award-winning Azul Azul Duel by Michael Kiesling from Next Move Games Thanks as always to our sponsor Bezier Games You can support the podcast directly by going to www.patreon.com/garrettsgames  OR check out our extensive list of games that no longer fit on our shelves, but belong on your table: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/16ovRDNBqur0RiAzgFAfI0tYYnjlJ68hoHyHffU7ZDWk/edit?usp=sharing  

Garrett's Games Episode 992! This week Shelley and I check out the little brother in the Great Western Trail series Great Western Trail - El Paso by Alexander Pfister and Johannes Krenner from Lookout Games then we check out a game that flew under the Essen radar for many Campus Galli by Steffen Bogen from HUCH! Thanks as always to our sponsor Bezier Games for their support. You can support the podcast directly by going to www.patreon.com/garrettsgames OR Check out the extensive list of games that no longer fit on our shelves, but belong on your table here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/16ovRDNBqur0RiAzgFAfI0tYYnjlJ68hoHyHffU7ZDWk/edit?usp=sharing And if you're looking for more Great Western Trail commentary, here are the other TWO episodes where we discuss the original and its first expansion: Website link for Episode 543: https://garrettsgames.com/garretts-games-543-kanagawa-and-great-western-trail Website link for Episode 679: https://garrettsgames.com/garretts-games-679-great-western-trail-expansion-and-lighthouse-run  

This week Shelley and I delve into fairytale combinations and tricktaking in 3 Chapters by Joe Hout from Amigo (thanks to Amigo for the review copy) and then we check out the rejuvenation of society on the British Isles in Rebirth by Dr. Reiner Knizia from Mighty Boards Thanks as always to our sponsor Bezier Games! You can sponsor the podcast directly by going to www.patreon.com/garrettsgames OR  Check out our extensive list of games that no longer fit on our shelves, but belong on your table: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/16ovRDNBqur0RiAzgFAfI0tYYnjlJ68hoHyHffU7ZDWk/edit?usp=sharing 3 Chapters was just released here in the US and here's the Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F4GJCDMG