Board Game Hot Takes

2025 Lookback and Board Game Awards

In Episode 284 we take a look back at 2025 and discuss some of the great (and no so great) games we played last year. Most of them were even published last year.Timestamps:00:00 Introduction2:27 Biggest Surprises in 2025 (Dead Cells, Hot Streak, Slay the Spire: The Board Game)16:45 Biggest Disappointments in 2025 (Wroth, Scoville 2nd Edition, SETI: Search for Extra-terrestrial Intelligence)25:04 Best New to Us in 2025 (Lords of Vegas, Thurn and Taxis, Crokinole, Nokosu Dice)30:23 Best Production Published in 2025 (Hot Streak, March of the Ants Evolved Edition, Stupor Mundi)36:51 Lookback at Best Games of 2024 (Unconscious Mind, Fromage, Civolution)40:35 Best Games of 2025 (March of the Ants Evolved Edition, Luthier, Moon Colony Bloodbath)48:40 Board Game ResolutionsIf you enjoy the show, please consider supporting us at https://www.patreon.com/boardgamehottakesFollow us on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/boardgamehottakes.bsky.socialJoin our Board Game Arena Community: https://boardgamearena.com/group?id=11417205Join our Discord server at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://discord.gg/vMtAYQWURd

Hot Topic: Are We In Peak Board Gaming?

In Episode 282 we discuss the current state of the hobby and if it's the best it's ever been. Are we in peak board gaming? Where do we go from here? If you enjoy the show, please consider supporting us at https://www.patreon.com/boardgamehottakesFollow us on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/boardgamehottakes.bsky.socialJoin our Board Game Arena Community: https://boardgamearena.com/group?id=11417205Join our Discord server at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://discord.gg/vMtAYQWURd⁠

Top 5 Games We Only Played Once in 2025

In Episode 281 we look back at the games we played once for the first time in 2025. Great games and we want to play them more. We briefly look at last year's list and see how we did.00:00 Introduction04:24 Last Year's List04:34 Luthier05:04 Marrakesh05:21 Dune06:12 Unconscious Mind07:25 Thunder Road: Vendetta08:27 Lancaster09:44 Dune: Imperium Uprising (6 Player)09:53 Biohack10:01 Ceres10:39 March of the Ants11:36 Clockwork Wars12:38 Hallertau12:55 Walnut Grove15:01 Black Forest15:42 Endeavor: Deep Sea16: 32 Top 5 Games We Only Played Once in 202516:44 Moon Colony Bloodbath20:14 Modern Art23:45 Crokinole27:56 Chaosmos30:51 Frozen Frontier32:30 Rebirth34:34 Manhattan Project: Energy Empire36:27 Stroganov39:35 SETI: Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence41:17 Crystal Palace43:57 Ada's DreamIf you enjoy the show, please consider supporting us at https://www.patreon.com/boardgamehottakesFollow us on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/boardgamehottakes.bsky.socialJoin our Board Game Arena Community: https://boardgamearena.com/group?id=11417205Join our Discord server at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://discord.gg/vMtAYQWURd

Top 5 Board Games We Want To Play in 2026

In Episode 280 we look back at last year's list of games we wanted to get played and then we discuss the games that are top of mind we hope to get to try over the next year.Timestamps:00:00 Introduction02:12 Last Year's Top 5 we wanted to play in 2025 (and how we did)02:21 Civolution 05:40 Joyrides: Survival of the Fastest06:08 Wroth06:32 SETI: Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence09:58 Dune: War for Arrakis10:48 Windmill Valley12:21 Lord of the Rings: Duel for Middle Earth13:46 Endeavor: Deep Sea15:18 Resafa16:05 Andromeda's Edge / Rock Hard: 197717:26 World Order18:47 Wondrous Creatures19:44 Rats of Wistar21:35 Power Vaccuum22:40 Top 5 Games we want to play in 202622:40 Coming of Age25:04 Primacy: A Coyote and Crow Card Game29:31 Eternal Decks34:12 Echoes of Time38:55 Lords of Baseball41:33 Everdell: Silverfrost43:54 Burn the Fort48:57 Rise and Fall52:08 Ants54:15 Rebuilding Seattle1:00:33 Unicorn Fever1:03:20 Sanctuary1:09:03 Speakeasy1:12:42 Ayar: Children of the SunIf you enjoy the show, please consider supporting us at https://www.patreon.com/boardgamehottakesFollow us on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/boardgamehottakes.bsky.socialJoin our Board Game Arena Community: https://boardgamearena.com/group?id=11417205Join our Discord server at: ⁠⁠⁠https://discord.gg/vMtAYQWURd

Ada's Dream

In Episode 279 we give our hot take review on Ada's Dream covering the mechanisms, the production, and our overall feelings of the game.We cover a poll on Multi-player Solitaire board games and then discuss some games that have been on our tables including Lords of Vegas, Ticket to Ride, and Nokosu Dice.Timestamps:00:00 Introduction00:25 Poll: How do you feel about 'Multi-player Solitaire' Games?15:19 Ada's Dream Description18:06 Gameplay and Mechanisms38:58 Production and Theme48:51 Final Thoughts1:00:42 Lords of Vegas1:06:13 Ticket to Ride1:08:11 Nokosu DiceIf you enjoy the show, please consider supporting us at https://www.patreon.com/boardgamehottakesFollow us on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/boardgamehottakes.bsky.socialJoin our Board Game Arena Community: https://boardgamearena.com/group?id=11417205Join our Discord server at:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://discord.gg/vMtAYQWURd⁠⁠