Author: Anthony
Anthony
Anthony cofounded Board Gamers Anonymous in 2013 and has been on (almost) every episode. Today, he lives in Philadelphia with his family and teaches first year writing at Thomas Jefferson University.
Reiner Knizia is one of the most decorated and prolific game designers of the last 25 years. His games have undergone something of a rediscovery in the last two years as well, with reprints of his biggest hits including Medici, Tigris & Euphrates, Samurai, Ra, Amun-Re, and recent releases and announcements of Modern Art and Through the Desert. So, it’s not surprising that he’s released a brand new, Spiel des Jahre nominated game that few in the west had even heard of before the nominations went out. But that’s exactly what Quest for El Dorado is, and as I recently…
On Episode 129 of BGA, Anthony and Chris dig into Five Tribes and share 6 games you might like if you also like this one – breaking them down by lighter, similar, and heavier weights. To start, we’ll dig into our question of the week, asking you, the listeners what game mechanic you use to introduce people to board gaming. Next, we dive into our acquisition disorders, including Queendomino and Terraforming Mars: Hellas & Elysium. Then we dive into our recent plays with The Quest for El Dorado and In the Year of the Dragon: 10th Anniversary Edition. Both games…
Anthony and Jason take a deep dive on one of the most hotly anticipated games of 2017 with First Martians: Adventures on the Red Planet. They look at the game’s components and theme, how it plays, the issues with the rulebook that have been the talk of early backers, and how the app operates. Plus a non-spoiler discussion of the first campaign and how it fulfills on Portal’s promise for a narrative experience. Want to stay up to date with all of ENGN’s content – make sure to connect with us on Twitter (@ENGN_Podcast), on Facebook (www.facebook.com/boardgamersanonymous), and on our…
There’s something irresistible about a CMON big box game. Never the most complex of games, these behemoths nonetheless evoke a kind of giddiness you rarely see in similarly weighted games. Maybe it’s the miniatures. Maybe it’s the exceptional artwork. Heck, maybe it’s the well illustrated, feature rich rulebooks. Whatever it is, I can’t help myself when CMON releases a new minis game. I want to play with all those little toys. Rum & Bones was not a game I enjoyed (or picked up) in its first release, so when Second Tide became available, it offered an opportunity to get in…
It’s a dark time – one of disease, pestilence, and death. The Dark Ages settled over Europe like a cold, wet blanket, dousing aspirations, and leaving behind shivering peasants, just happy to be alive. So, you know, it wasn’t a great time. Games set in that period can be one of two things – they can either be a reminder of just how horrible it was to be alive, or they can give us a glimpse at the people and efforts made to make things better. This is one of the latter, and highlights the efforts involved in overcoming all…
On the last episode of Board Gamers Anonymous, Anthony reviewed The Godfather: Corleone’s Empire, designed by Eric Lang and published by CMON. He gave this otherwise solid game a tepid review because (without actually using the term) he felt it was “overproduced”. It got me to thinking – when can we judge that a game is “overproduced”? Is it even possible to overproduce a game, considering that we are in a hobby where we are basically playing with toys? Don’t we want our toys to look and feel their best? I’m wading in highly subjective waters, I know. I do…
In a special fifth episode this month, we’re taking questions from the listeners! Thanks to everyone who shared their questions on Facebook and Twitter. In addition to listener questions, we are looking at some upcoming acquisition disorders, including the expansion for Harry Potter Hogwarts Battle, Mario Level Up!, and Bob Ross: Art of Chill. Then we dig into reviews of recent plays including The Godfather: Corleone’s Empire and Lignum. Make sure to connect with us on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/boardgamersanonymous), Twitter (@bgapodcast), and on www.www.boardgamersanonymous.com
Anthony and Jason dig into the deep cuts for some cult of the not-so-new games that we haven’t had a chance to talk about yet. Jason kicks things off with a pair of lighter card-weight games with Gem Rush (from Victory Point Games) and The Banishing (from WizKids). Anthony then ups the weight with Conflict of Heroes with the Solo Expansion. Find out how this very popular war game plays with the solo expansion attached to it. Stay tuned for not just the new stuff that’s lighting up the charts, but the old school stuff will shine through when it…
Jason sits down with Jason Tagmire from Button Shy Games for a chat about his latest Kickstarter, Twin Stars: Adventure Series I. We chat about designing Twin Stars, running monthly kickstarters, and getting rolling as a small company. We also briefly talk about another popular Button Shy game, Pentaquark. Jump on the kickstarter before it expires on Wednesday, 7/26! Also, check us out on twitter (@engn_podcast), www.boardgamersanonymous.com/, iTunes/ Google Play Store, and wherever else solo gamers hang out!
It’s that time again – Anthony and Chris sit down to discuss the BGG Hotness, giving a rundown of the top 15 games currently on the Hotness list. In addition to the hotness review, we’ll have early previews of Summit the Board Game and Scott Pilgrim’s Precious Little Card Game. We also provide at the table impressions of Word Slam and automobile, and we ask the listeners this week about games and mechanics they avoid in our Question of the Week. Question of the Week: 1:34 Acquisition Disorders: 6:37 At the Table: 11:38 Feature: BGG Hotness Review 25:34 Make sure…