Rattlebox Games- Network Feed

Brendan shares things he likes a lot about Revive, from Aporta games.Distinct player factions7 Wonders (2010)Shared map with interactionMosaic: A Story of Civilization (2022)Combotastic Tech TreePraga Caput Regni (2020)Do you enjoy Revive? Share your thoughts on it over on boardgamegeek in guild #3269.

Springing from a great conversation over on the PU&D Guild forums on Boardgamegeek, Brendan reflects on what makes for a great first play. Join us, won’t you?“The Poisoned Chalice”A Great Teach“How to Teach Games Like a Pro”The Party Game CastNucleum (2023)Happy Salmon (2016)Everdell Farshore (2023)Nanty Narking (2019)Life & Mood & AtmosphereTiny Towns (2019)Carpe Diem (2018)The Hunger (2021)Rats of Wistar (2023)MindsetAndroid: Netrunner (2012)John’s criteriaPredisposition – Sidereal Confluence (2017)Surprise – Free Radicals (2022)Atmosphere – Bärenpark (2017)What makes a good play for you? Share your thoughts over on boardgamegeek in guild #3269.

Brendan shares his first impressions of three games he tried recently for the first time. Join us, won’t you?XenoShyft: Dreadmire (2017)Aeroplanes: Aviation Ascendant (2012)Valeria: Card Kingdoms (2016)Concordia Venus (2018) expansionWhat games have you tried out recently? Share your plays over on boardgamegeek in guild #3269.

Brendan shares a summary of his plays in June and his plans for July. Join us, won’t you?June Top of the StackTOTAL For the Year so far: 15/18NEW GAME – Aeroplanes✓SHELF CLEARER – In The Year of the Dragon✓NEW GAME 2 – Xenoshyft: Dreadmire✓Top 50 Choice – Ghost Stories✓Shelf of OpportunityExpand YourShelfJuly Top of the StackNEW GAME – Wondrous CreaturesSHELF CLEARER – Fallen AngelNEW GAME 2 – Kinfire Delve: Callous’ GrottoTop 50 Choice – Dungeon PetzWhat games did you play in June? Share your thoughts over on Boardgamegeek in guild #3269.

Brendan talks about what games Cancer gamers might like or be good at. Join us, won’t you?Sea and ShoreLe Havre (2008)A Feast for Odin (2016)Nusfjord (2017)Fleet: The Dice Game (Second Edition) (2020)Emotional and Material RealmsUnconscious Mind (2024)Comanauts (2019)Cerebria: The Inside World (2018)Psychic AbilitiesArkham Horror: The Card Game (2016)Mind MGMT: The Psychic Espionage “Game.” (2021)Mysterium (2015)Establish TrustThe Resistance (2009)A Game of Thrones: The Board Game (Second Edition) (2011)Diplomacy (1959)Molly House (2025)Dead of Winter: A Crossroads Game (2014)CrabsCrabs Adjust Humidity (2013)Crabs in a Bucket (2023)Oh Crab! (2025)What games from each category did I miss? What other aspects of the Cancer sign should we take into account? Share your thoughts over on boardgamegeek in guild #3269.

Brendan shares his first impressions of three games he tried recently. Join us, won’t you?Project: ELITE (2020)Escape: The Curse of the Temple (2012)Molly House (2025)Pax Pamir: Second Edition (2019)Root (2018)Hollywood 1947 (2023)Above and Below (2015) revisitedWhat games have you tried lately? Share your thoughts over on boardgamegeek in our guild, #3269.Transcript: TXT and PDF

Brendan looks back at the games that came out in 2007 and 2008 to see which games are the best games. Join us, won’t you?Top 5 from 2007-2008A Touch of Evil: The Supernatural Game (2008)Le Havre (2008)Galaxy Trucker (2007)Race for the Galaxy (2007)Lost Cities: The Board Game (2008)Honorable Mentions1960: The Making of the President (2007)Dominion (2008)Pandemic (2008)Parade (2007)Biblios (2007)SuperlativesBest Memories: Whoowasit? (2007)Things to Come: League of Six (2007)Weirdest Game: Space Alert (2008)Game I Should Like But Don’t: Battlestar Galactica: The Board Game (2008)Game I Should Like But Don’t: Cosmic Encounter (2008)Episode 670: Nah, I’m GoodSurprise: Patrician (2007)Excluded because of my Top 50Brass: Lancashire (2007)Agricola (2007)Ghost Stories (2008)Last Night on Earth: The Zombie Game (2007)What games do you like best from 2007 and 2008? Share your thoughts over on boardgamegeek in guild #3269.

Brendan talks about several underused mechanisms he loves. Join us, won’t you?Evenfall (2023)Upper Row / Bottom RowElysium (2015)Valley of the Kings (2014)Action TowersElysium (2015)One player has all the pointsAndroid: Netrunner (2012)Follow and copyGlory to Rome (2005)Puerto Rico (2002)Broom Service (2015)Arcs (2024)Auctions You Don’t Mind LosingFurnace (2020)Brian Boru: High King of Ireland (2021)Action Cards that also ScoreConcordia Venus (2018)What mechanisms would you like to see in more games? Share your thoughts over on boardgamegeek in Guild #3269.

Brendan shares his first impressions of three games he tried recently. Join us, won’t you?One Night Ultimate Alien (2017)Nefarious (2011)Trickdraw (2022)Drones vs Seagulls⁠ (2022)Flipology (2019)Crossfire (2017)Savernake Forest (2023)Nimalia (2023)What games have you tried lately? Share your plays over on boardgamegeek in guild #3269.

Brendan shares his thoughts about the films he watched in March and April of 2025. Join us, won’t you?The Devil Wears PradaPrêt-à-Porter (2010)Fit to Print (2023)DoomDOOM: The Board Game (2016)PhilomenaSherlock Holmes Consulting Detective: The Thames Murders & Other Cases (1981)The PostFit to Print (2023)Watergate (2019)ThelmaHolding On: The Troubled Life of Billy Kerr (2018)Apollo 13High Frontier (2010)Apollo: A Game Inspired by NASA Moon Missions (2020)Shackleton Base: A Journey to the Moon (2024)TrumboHollywood 1947 (2023)The Man from EarthCosmosSETI: Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (2024)Judgment at NurembergHeart EyesWhat films did you watch in March and April of 2025? Share your viewing over on boardgamegeek in guild #3269.

Brendan shares his first impressions of three games he tried out recently. Join us, won’t you?Whitehall Mystery (2017)Scotland Yard (1983)Time Bomb Evolution (2016)Madame Medora’s House of Curiosities (2024)Cockroach Poker (2004) (revisited)Have you played any of these games? If so, what do you think of them? Share your thoughts over on boardgamegeek in guild #3269.

Brendan shares his thoughts about games with scripted openings and their effect on gameplay. Join us, won’t you?Concordia (2013)Which games have the most heavily-scripted openings?Chess (1475)Puerto Rico 1897 (2022)Barrage (2019)Food Chain Magnate (2015)Brass: Birmingham (2018)7 Wonders (2010)What experience have you had with scripted openings? Share your thoughts over on boardgamegeek in guild #3269.

Brendan talks about the books he read in Jan, Feb, and March of 2025. Join us, won’t you?The Murder of Roger AckroydThe Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-Centered PlanetThe Labyrinth IndexFuturistic Violence and Fancy SuitsPrisoner’s BaseFritz Leiber’s Fafhrd and the Gray MouserThe Field Guide to Dumb Birds of North AmericaKing of the VagabondsHorror MovieSong of SusannahThe SearcherTwelve OwlsThe HunterYouth GroupTourist SeasonThe Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Politics and ReligionThe Eyes Are the Best PartWhat did you read in the first part of this year? Share your reads over on boardgamegeek in guild #3269.

Brendan shares his gameplay stats from May. Join us, won’t you?May 2025 Top of the StackNEW GAME – Sorcerer City XSHELF CLEARER – Badass Zombie Killers XNEW GAME 2 – Fallen Angel XTop 50 Choice – Pulsar 2849 ✓Shelf of OpportunityMy Top 50Expand yourShelfJune 2025 Top of the StackNEW GAME – AeroplanesSHELF CLEARER – In The Year of the DragonNEW GAME 2 – Xenoshyft: DreadmireTop 50 Choice – Ghost StoriesWhat did you play in May? Share your plays over on boardgamegeek in Guild #3269.

Brendan shares his first impressions of 3 games he tried for the first time recently. Join us, won’t you?EthnosPaolo MoriRed RisingFantasy Realms (2017)Pulsar 2849 (revisited – 1 Year, 11 Months, 15 Days dusty)Vladimír Suchý51st State: Master SetImperial Settlers (2014)Have you tried these games? If so, what do you think of them? Share your thoughts over on boardgamegeek in guild #3269.

Brendan shares thoughts about Stories being adapted into board games, and what makes them work. Join us, won’t you?Capture the feeling of the sourceJaws (2019)The Goonies: Never Say Die (2021)Back to the Future: An Adventure Through Time (2016)Adapting but with a generic storyLast Friday (2016)InBetween (2017)Use the setting without imitating the plotRed Rising (2021)The Expanse Board Game (2017)A Game of Thrones: The Board Game (Second Edition) (2011)Similar but uniqueA Touch of Evil: The Supernatural Game (2008)Obsession (2018)Which games do you think do a good job translating story into game experience?PU&D742: Stories Adapted into Board GamesTranscript: PDF and TXT

Brendan shares his thoughts and experiences about asymmetric games. Join us, won’t you?Free Radicals (2022)Emergent AsymmetryOrléans (2014)Everdell (2018)Minor Asymmetry – competitiveObsession (2018)7 Wonders (2010)Minor Asymmetry – cooperativePandemic (2008)Horrified (2019)Flash Point: Fire Rescue (2011)Harry Potter: Hogwarts Battle (2016)Major Asymmetry – competitiveAndroid: Netrunner (2012)Root (2018)Vast: The Crystal Caverns (2016)A Gest of Robin Hood (2024)Sidereal Confluence (2017)XCOM: The Board Game (2015)Captain Sonar (2016)Spirit Island (2017)How do you feel about asymmetric games? Share your thoughts over on boardgamegeek in guild #3269.

Brendan shares his first impressions of three games he tried recently. Join us, won’t you?Ponzi Scheme (2015)Isle of Skye: From Chieftain to King (2015)Free Radicals (2022)Lords of Waterdeep (2012)Moon Colony Bloodbath (2025)Dominion (2008)Have you played any of these games? Share your thoughts over on boardgamegeek in guild #3269.Transcript: TXT or PDF

Brendan shares his experience with Frosthaven’s campaign storytelling, reflecting on how it works and where it comes up short. Join us, won’t you?Frosthaven (2022)Gloomhaven (2017)Dungeons & Dragons (5th Edition)Dead of Winter: A Crossroads Game (2014)What do you think of Frosthaven‘s storytelling style? Share your experiences over on boardgamegeek in guild #3269.

Brendan shares his thinking about asynchronous learning and online learning. Join us, won’t you?How To Teach Board Games Like a ProGames mentioned in the discussionRevive (2022)Underwater Cities (2018)Gaia Project (2017)Age of Innovation (2023)What’s your thinking about how best to teach and learn games, particularly for asynchronous play?