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The Resistance

From Board Game Barrage Wiki

  Top 10 - 2020, 2019, 2018

  Top 10 - 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018

Episode 352: Combined Top 50 Games of All-Time 2025 Draft: 10-1
Episode 352
Episode 352

Well, we started this thing, so I guess we ought to finish it, as ill-advised as that might be. This is where all the chickens come home to roost, where we learn how badly we've set ourselves up to fail - but you never know, it might just all work out! It's the top ten greatest board games ... of all-time!

Released: January 15, 2026

Episode 326: Top 50 Games of All-Time 2024: Neilan's 30-11
Episode 326
Episode 326

Neilan's back to continue the journey down the lazy river of cardboard that is his top 50 board games of all time. It's games 30 through 11! I just counted, and that's twenty amazing games that I can't wait to tell you all about! 

Released: January 30, 2025

Episode 314: Bringing Out the Best in People
Episode 314
Episode 314

It's about people, right? Below all the mechanics, after all the rules explanations, beyond every crushing loss and glorious win, what really matters is people we're playing with. Some games make that more apparent than others, and we're here to celebrate that. Before we realize it's about the friends we made along the way, we talk about Arcs, and Luthier.

Released: August 22, 2024

Episode 299: Top 50 Games of All-Time 2023: 10-1
Episode 299
Episode 299

We made it! We've arrived at last at the final ten(-ish) games, in fact, our TOP TEN (or so?) favourite games of all time. Thanks for joining us again on this yearly pilgrimage, as always it's the journey that's the important thing - but that's not to say that there isn't some exciting moving and shaking to happen at the destination. That said, it's time to pass out on the couch.

Released: January 18, 2024

Episode 283: Good Artists Copy, Great Artists Steal
Episode 283
Episode 283

Not all are as blessed as we are by the gift of truly original thought, and so many turn to others for inspiration. Whether it's Newton standing on the shoulders of giants, or stealing from our rich neighbour Xerox, many great ideas are born from what has come before. Before we make the inspired choice, we talk about Masters of Renaissance: Lorenzo il Magnifico – The Card GameInnovation Ultimate, and Dawn of Ulos.

Released: July 6, 2023

Episode 260: Top 50 Games of All-Time 2022: 10-1
Episode 260
Episode 260

Here it is, the one we've all been waiting for, the Board Game Barrage top ten games of all time! It's been a long road and we'll wrap it up by seeing some old favourites ... and maybe a few new faces? Old or new, these are the thirty games we enjoy the most (at least, right now.)  We loved sharing these lists with you and hope you've enjoyed listening to them!

Released: January 19, 2023

Episode 226: Metapod
Episode 226
Episode 226

Metagaming is all about the game that exists within (and without) the game - it's everything that's not written in the rules. Whether that's something that emerges at your table, or in the community at large, it can be a big part of the social experience, and we're all for it. Before we get meta, we talk about Rum & Pirates, Box One, Shamans, and Crescent Moon.

Released: May 19, 2022

Episode 208: Top 50 Games of All-Time 2021: 10-1 (ft. Tom Brewster)
Episode 208
Episode 208

It's the grand finale of the event of events that is the BGB Top 50 Games of All-time! These are our ten absolute favourite games, and, fittingly, it's a bumper episode with more than one surprise. Joining us in the peanut gallery this week, it's none other than the manic imp of Shut Up & Sit Down himself, the absolute mad genius that is Tom Brewster. Buckle in, it's going to get weird.

Released: January 13, 2022

Episode 207: Top 50 Games of All-Time 2021: 20-11 (ft. Ambie Valdés)
Episode 207
Episode 207

The penultimate episode of the grand series is here, it's the BGB Top 50! As the journey approaches its end, we're venturing into our 20th to 11th favourite games, with some support from the peanut gallery. And with thirty more board games to blitz through, who better to help us than Ambie Valdés of Board Game Blitz!

Released: January 6, 2022

Episode 187: Fantasy Draft: BoardGameGeek 201-300
Episode 187
Episode 187

We're back with another fantasy draft, as we keep on moving down the BoardGameGeek top games list. If you're not familiar, we're each picking a standalone collection of five games before our picks get stolen out from under us. Want to win a $50 gift card? You've got to vote on whose collection is best! Before we get the knives out, we talk about Raiders of Scythia, and Ankh: Gods of Egypt.

Released: August 19, 2021

Episode 176: Sweet Summer Lovin'
Episode 176
Episode 176

We love listener questions, and this week we’ve got a couple that we thought made for some fun talking points. Specifically, we’re trying to find the salt licorice of board games, and start planning some easy breezy summer games. Before our quick twosome, we talk about Trekking the World, Inkling, My City, and Ruination.

Released: June 3, 2021

Episode 159: Picking Favorites
Episode 159
Episode 159

We've been doing it a lot lately, so we thought we'd reflect on the ways that we evaluate our favourite games. How do you even begin to compare extremely dissimilar games, some party, some strategy? The process of making and ordering our lists is a fun challenge every year, and one we'd recommend you try too! Before we make hard choices, we talk about Medici: The Dice Game, The Gallerist, and Iberian Gauge.

Released: February 4, 2021

Episode 158: Top 50 Games of All-Time 2020: 10-1
Episode 158
Episode 158

It's the big one! We've come at last to the grand finale of the Board Game Barrage Top 50 Games of All Time ... Top. Ten. Baby. These are our absolute favourite games, forty (thirty?) all together, that we'd just about never turn down a game of. Thanks for joining us on this ride, it's been wild.

Released: January 28, 2021

Episode 136: H-h-h-hot Hot Hot
Episode 136
Episode 136

Hot days call for hot questions! To counter the California heat wave, we get breezy with a round of hot questions. We take a long hard look at games we love, but don't play, and give our takes on the theme to end all themes. Before we get heated, we talk about Ctrl, New York Zoo, and Renature.

Released: August 20, 2020

Episode 135: Social Climbing
Episode 135
Episode 135

It's a Social Deduction BGBBOB! For those that don't know what that means, it's a Board Game Barrage Battle of (the) Board...games, where we pit all of the best social deduction games against each other in a fight to the DEATH! Or at least, a fight to be on our definitive ranked list. Before we release our social butterflies, we talk about Gemblo, and Quest.

Released: August 13, 2020

Episode 129: Fight for Your Right to Party
Episode 129
Episode 129

BGBBOB, party edition! For those not keeping up, that's BGB Best of Board Games, which is definitely not the final name (but also maybe is) for our recurring feature where we duel rank games into an incontestable ordered list. This week we confer, fight, and bargain our way to the best fifteen party games. Before we spike the punch, we also talk about Twice As Clever, Wavelength, and 6 nimmt!

Released: July 2, 2020

Episode 125: REwrite the Stars
Episode 125
Episode 125

Once loved board games will often circle back into the limelight with reprints, but we're also starting to see a lot more get remasters and remakes too. We take a look at this trend, and discuss some re-imaginings our favourite board games, whether it's a full on new version, or just a new coat of paint. Before we re-re-re-repeat, we talk about Cities: Skylines, Colorful, and Maharaja.

Released: June 4, 2020

Episode 104: Top 50 Games of All-Time 2019: 10-1
Episode 104
Episode 104

Here it is, the episode you've all been waiting for, the grand finale, the culmination of five weeks of episodes. These are our top ten favourite board games of all-time, games that we absolutely adore, and would happily play at a moment's notice. Heck, we'd even play the games on each others' lists ... on, you know, birthdays and special occasions. That's how good they are.

Released: January 9, 2020

Episode 99: Sore Today, Strong Tomorrow
Episode 099
Episode 099

It's getting close now, can you feel it? Or are you just feeling sore from the game you just lost? We're talking sore losers and sore winners: people who are hard to be around when they lose or win a game. What can you do to avoid being that person, and what games bring out the worst in us? Before we fight our feelings, we talk about Paris: New Eden, Glory to Rome, and No Swap No Pay.

Released: December 5, 2019

Episode 84: Best With Two
Episode 084
Episode 084

Kellen graces us with his absence, which means it's time for Mark and Neilan to start talking numbers. Specifically, player numbers. We're talking about optimal player counts for games, whether games ever mean what they recommend on the box, and how well they scale. Before we count to ten, we talk about Vindication, Royal Palace, Throw Throw Burrito, and Pipeline.

Released: August 22, 2019

Episode 77: What You Don’t Know Can’t Hurt You
Episode 077
Episode 077

This week we're talking about hidden trackable information. That is, information about the game state that could be remembered or recorded, but the game design (usually) assumes that players haven't. Is it okay to memorize or divulge this information? Before we take notes, we also talk about Papà Paolo, Oceanos, and Pax Pamir (Second Edition).

Released: July 18, 2019

Episode 61: Beware of the Cyber
Episode 061
Episode 061

Electronic board games! What will they think of next?! There's been a trend of more and more board games being translated into web and mobile apps, so join us as we make the jump to cyberspace. Before we plug in, we also talk about Heul doch! Mau Mau, Architects of the West Kingdom, and revisit Nusfjord.

Released: March 28, 2019

Episode 52: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Theme
Episode 052
Episode 052

Sometimes you're not looking to win or lose, you're looking for an experience. A lot of games promise to deliver thematic gameplay, but what does that mean for the mechanics? Does it have to be one without the other? Before we set the mood, we talk about Nusfjord, Paper Tales, and Nemesis.

Released: January 24, 2019

Episode 50: Top 50 Games of All-Time 2018: 10-1
Episode 050
Episode 050

Top ten, baby! We finally made it. And thus concludes our five part series of our favourite games of all-time. Frankly, we were changed by the experience, and will never be the same again. We hope you were too.

Released: January 10, 2019

Episode 41: The First Cut Is the Deepest
Episode 041
Episode 041

There's no love like your first love, and this week we're talking about our early board game crushes. These are the games that first got us into the hobby, that made us want to shout our love for board games to all who'd care to hear. Before we walk down memory lane, we also talk about Key to the City: London, Empires, and Guards of Atlantis.

Released: November 8, 2018

Episode 32: Are We Having Fun Yet?
Episode 032
Episode 032

In this week's fun episode, we talk gaming etiquette, or the unspoken rules that surface when you're playing a board game. They often have nothing to do with the game itself, but what's appropriate? Should you deliberately help and hinder others at the table? Before we let the Wookiee win, we also discuss Let's Make a Bus Route, Sailing Toward Osiris, Fleet, and Founders of Gloomhaven.

Released: September 6, 2018

Episode 30: Party Party Party
Episode 030
Episode 030

We're staying up all night to count down our favourite party games! You know the feeling. Everyone's at your place, no one's talking, it's a little bit awkward ... but then you break out some of these fifteen amazing party games, and suddenly everyone's back in, talking, laughing and shouting until the early hours. We also talk about JamSumo, Isle of Trains, and Root.

Released: August 23, 2018

Episode 17: The Best Things in Life Are $20 or Less
Episode 017
Episode 017

What games can you get for $20? Quite a few really good ones, it turns out. We also discuss Scythe, Watson & Holmes, and Mansions of Madness: Second Edition.

Released: June 7, 2018

Episode 8: Just Deserts
Episode 008
Episode 008

Trapped on a desert island and forced to bring only five board games? We've all been there. And we're going back. To the island. The board game island.

Released: April 5, 2018