Author: Chris

Episode 595: Top Ten Phil Walker-Harding Games From drafting the cartoon sushi plate to building a bear park, Phil Walker-Harding has designed board games that are easy to bring to the table and full of clever choices. But which ones are his best? This week on Board Gamers Anonymous, Chris and Tim count down their Top Ten Phil Walker-Harding games! In Voice of the Gamers, we explore the designer’s catalog, celebrate the games that keep us coming back, and debate which deserve a spot at the top. Will your favorite make the list—or will it get left behind with the…

How to Win Friends and Influence Gamers Which board game do you bring to game night when you have one chance to make everyone say, “We need to play that again”? This week on Board Gamers Anonymous, Chris and Tim share games to win over children, families, non-gamers, experienced gamers, and heavy strategy fans. In Voice of the Gamers, we explore games that make a lasting impression through eye-catching production, memorable gameplay, and the right experience for the right crowd. Whether you’re introducing friends to modern board games or impressing someone who’s played everything, choosing the right game can turn…

Tim’s Darkest Timeline: One Game Has to Go Three great games. One has to disappear from Tim’s gaming options forever. And Chris has generously volunteered Tim to make every terrible decision. This week on Voice of the Gamers, we put Tim through a gauntlet of impossible board game choices. Beloved classics, modern favorites, and games he thought were safe on his shelf suddenly face elimination. Will he sacrifice nostalgia? Betray his favorite mechanisms? Spend ten minutes arguing that the question is fundamentally unfair? Chris brings the choices, Tim brings the anguish, and everyone listening gets to judge him from the…

It hasn’t hit the table in years. You can barely remember the rules. But suggest getting rid of it, and suddenly you’re prepared to defend that box like it contains a family heirloom. This week, Chris and Tim tackle Never Play, but Never Purge! in our Voice of the Gamers feature: the games that don’t get played but will always have a home in our collections. From cherished memories and impossible-to-replace favorites to sprawling adventures waiting for the perfect group, we explore why a game’s value sometimes goes beyond its play count. Are we preserving a piece of our gaming…

Episode 591 – What If?! Tabletop Twists What if one moment in tabletop gaming history had gone differently? This week on Board Gamers Anonymous, Chris and Tim are messing with the timeline. In our Voice of the Gamers feature, we ask the tabletop questions you probably shouldn’t ask: What if a landmark game had never been published? What if a major designer had made a completely different choice? What if an influential publisher never existed? What if a convention never took off—or a game that changed the hobby had completely flopped? Change one decision, remove one game, alter one moment…and…

Board Game Red Flags: When We Know a Game Isn’t for Us We all have them: those little warning signs that make us look at a board game and immediately start planning our escape from the table. This week, Chris and Tim break down their biggest board game red flags—the mechanisms, themes, design choices, components, and other telltale signs that can turn “Want to play this?” into a very quick “I’m good.” Maybe it’s a rulebook that looks like it requires continuing education credits. Maybe it’s a game proudly advertising 240 minutes of playtime. Maybe there are 47 different resources,…

Episode 589 – Roll for Initiative…With Strangers! This week, Chris is joined by our good friend Chris Rodriguez from Board Games for the Better to tackle something almost every gamer has experienced at some point: the anxiety of sitting down at a table with people you don’t know. Whether you’re walking into a local game night for the first time, looking for a seat at a convention, or trying to find a new gaming group, playing with strangers can be intimidating. Chris and Chris talk about the challenges of putting yourself out there, finding a group where you feel comfortable,…

Episode 588: 13 Years of BGA — Taking on the BGG Top 100 Board Gamers Anonymous is officially 13 years old! To celebrate, Chris is joined by Tim and Game Master Dave, together on the podcast for the very first time, for a special look at the BoardGameGeek Top 100 games. All three of us are diving into the list and giving our hot takes: the games that deserve their spots, the ones that should be higher, the ones we can’t believe are still there, and the sacred cows we’re willing to knock down a few pegs. After 13 years…

Episode 587: The Clue Is…10 Games That Keep You Guessing The clue is…a great game night! Chris and Tim count down 10 games built around giving clues, deciphering hints, and guessing the right words or numbers. Some clues will lead straight to the answer, while others may leave everyone wondering what their teammates were thinking. In Roll for Preview, Chris checks out DC Deck-Building Game: Green Lantern Corps, while Tim heads Abroad. Then, in Roll for Review, Chris puts the pedal to the prehistoric metal with Dino Racer, and Tim shares his thoughts on Whistle Mountain, Rebirth, and Hoplomachus: Origins. If you haven’t yet, check out the…

Chris is joined by Game Master Dave for an episode packed with previews, reviews, and a dive into the world of solitaire gaming. Roll for Preview: Chris checks out Reiner Knizia’s Medici Traders, a tile auction game that brings a new spin to the classic Medici system, while Dave digs into Drillers. Roll for Review: Chris stomps into King of Tokyo: Godzilla, while Dave tackles Lumberjacks with Rocket Launchers, Hot Streak, and Flip 7. Then it’s time for Solitaire Game Commander Dave! Dave takes command of the table to explore solo gaming, including Agricola, Master of Britain, B-17: Queen of…