Cardboard Philosophy

Episode 011 - Should We Listen To Reviewers?

This week on the show we review our thoughts on reviewers… or more specifically… should we really care what they say? Or shouldn’t we? Does length of time in the hobby matter? And who are these people anyway?
I don’t know, I just write these episode synopsizes. I leave the philosophizing to Evan, Robert and Steve!
Want to ask a question or give us your two cents? Hit us up at cardboardphilosophypod@gmail.com!
Cites and Sources
Ankh: Gods of Egypt - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/285967/ankh-gods-egypt
Brass: Birmingham - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/224517/brass-birmingham
Castles of Burgundy - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/84876/castles-burgundy
Cards Against Humanity - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/50381/cards-against-humanity
Concordia - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/124361/concordia
Cubitos - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/298069/cubitos
Everdell - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/199792/everdell
Furnace - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/318084/furnace
Guillotine - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/116/guillotine
High Society - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/220/high-society
Hot Lead - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/339924/hot-lead
Magic: The Gathering - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/463/magic-gathering
Meeples & Monsters - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/336851/meeples-monsters
Medici - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/46/medici
Monikers - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/156546/monikers
Orongo - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/165556/orongo
Pipeline - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/256730/pipeline
Rex: Final Days of an Empire - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/104363/rex-final-days-empire
Root - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/237182/root
Spirit Island - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/162886/spirit-island
Stephenson’s Rocket - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/204/stephensons-rocket
Wingspan - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/266192/wingspan
Yellow & Yangtze - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/244114/yellow-yangtze
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Before you Play - https://www.youtube.com/@BeforeYouPlay
Board Gems - https://www.youtube.com/@BoardGems
SpaceBiff - https://spacebiff.com/

Episode 010 - Are House Rules Good? (Feat Austin Harrison from IV Studios!)

House rules are everywhere from the tables of aspiring game designers to the most casual of hobbiests.
But why? Are they a way to give a game more of the player’s personality? To fix broken mechanics? And when does that fun little rules twist change the game enough to become something more than what is printed on the box?
This week Steve, Robert and Evan dive into the topic of house rules with special guest Austin Harrison from IV Studios (Moonrakers, Veiled Fate, Fractured Sky).
Want to ask a question or give us your two cents? Hit us up at cardboardphilosophypod@gmail.com!
 
Cites and Sources
 Blood on the Clocktower - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/240980/blood-clocktower
Botswana/Wildlife Safari - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/398/wildlife-safari
Bridge - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/2181/bridge
Bristol 1350 - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/308989/bristol-1350
Crazy 8s - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/11017/crazy-eights
Euchre - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/6901/euchre
Go Fish - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/7682/go-fish
Hearts - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/6887/hearts
Hollywood 1947 - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/370621/hollywood-1947
Game of Thrones Board: The Board Game - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/103343/game-thrones-board-game-second-edition
Inis - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/155821/inis
…I should have known that! https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/277779/i-should-have-known
Just One - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/254640/just-one
Monopoly - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/1406/monopoly
Moonrakers - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/270239/moonrakers
Nick Bentley tweet https://twitter.com/Nick__Bentley/status/1632859582581075968?s=20
Ra - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/12/ra
Salem 1692 - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/175549/salem-1692
Schotten Totten - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/372/schotten-totten
Space Base - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/242302/space-base
Tortuga 1667 - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/218530/tortuga-1667
Twilight imperium (4th ed) - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/233078/twilight-imperium-fourth-edition
Uno - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/2223/uno
 

Episode 009 - What Is Player Interaction?

Interaction! All games are built on a foundation of interaction… well, most games.
With multiplayer solitaire style games becoming more and more popular, how do you define interaction? At what point does something make the jump from solitaire to interactive? What makes interaction anyway?
Evan, Robert and Steve dive into this and more on this week’s show!
Want to ask a question or give us your two cents? Hit us up at cardboardphilosophypod@gmail.com!
Cites and Sources
Age of Steam - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/4098/age-steam
Barrage - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/251247/barrage
Brass - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/224517/brass-birmingham or https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/28720/brass-lancashire
Codenames - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/178900/codenames
Decrypto - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/225694/decrypto
Inis - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/155821/inis
Just One - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/254640/just-one
Moonrakers - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/270239/
Mysterium - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/181304/mysterium
Pictionary - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/2281/pictionary
Rising Sun - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/205896/rising-sun
Taj Mahal - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/475/taj-mahal
Terra Mystica - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/120677/terra-mystica
The Great Zimbabwe - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/111341/great-zimbabwe
Through the Desert - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/503/through-desert
Thunder Road: Vendetta - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/342070/thunder-road-vendetta
Twilight Imperium - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/233078/twilight-imperium-fourth-edition
Veiled Fate - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/315695/veiled-fate
Wingspan - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/266192/wingspan

Episode 008 - Why Doesn’t EVERYONE Love Board Games?

We LOVE board games!
We love them so much we talk about them and what makes them tick on a weekly basis! But we’ve noticed a weird trend in society which begs the question - why doesn't EVERYONE love board games?
This week on the show Evan, Robert and Steve try to get to the heart of the issue! Is it a lack of minis? Too much beige? Or is there something deeper afoot?! Only one way to find out!
Want to ask a question or give us your two cents? Hit us up at cardboardphilosophypod@gmail.com!
Cites and Sources
Botswana - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgameversion/644366/japanese-edition-2022
Cards Against Humanity - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/50381/cards-against-humanity.
Cascadia - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/295947/cascadia
Catan - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/13/catan
Drawful - https://www.jackboxgames.com/drawful/ or https://www.jackboxgames.com/drawful-two/
Euchre - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/6901/euchre
Heat: Pedal to the Metal - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/366013/heat-pedal-metal
High Society - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/220/high-society
Hot Lead - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/339924/hot-lead
Just One - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/254640/just-one
Life - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/2921/game-of-life
Monopoly - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/1406/monopoly
Moonrakers - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/270239/moonrakers
Pokemon Trading Card Game - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/2165/pokemon-trading-card-game
Rising Sun - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/205896/rising-sun
Schotten Totten - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/372/schotten-totten
Scrabble - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/320/scrabble
Through the Ages - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/182028/through-ages-new-story-civilization
Through the Desert - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/503/through-desert
Whale Riders - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/305761/whale-riders
Zoo Vadis - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/368061/zoo-vadis

Episode 007 - Multiple Paths To Victory

You are on a long and winding trail and you come to a fork in the road, but unlike most forks, this one has 36 different tines! All the tines lead to the same place – a cabin filled with modern euro games… which path do you take?
This week on the show Evan, Robert and Steve choose which path to take and get to the nitty gritty of multiple paths to victory! Why do they work? When don’t they work? And the biggest question of all – are they fun? Evan would also like to make it clear that he should have mentioned Carnegie at some point because it’s a good game in his opinion.
Want to ask a question or give us your two cents? Hit us up at cardboardphilosophypod@gmail.com!
Cites and Sources
AquaSphere - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/159508/aquasphere
Backgammon - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/2397/backgammon
Bora Bora - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/127060/bora-bora
Castles of Burgundy - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/271320/castles-burgundy
Chess - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/171/chess
Crokinole - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/521/crokinole
Go - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/188/go
Great Western Trail – https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/341169/great-western-trail-second-edition
Guards of Atlantis II - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/267609/guards-atlantis-ii
Magic: The Gathering - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/463/magic-gathering
Oceans - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/232414/oceans
Pipeline - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/256730/pipeline
Root - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/237182/root
Schotten Totten - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/372/schotten-totten
Stroganov - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/323156/stroganov
Terra Mystica - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/120677/terra-mystica
Tigris & Euphrates - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/42/tigris-euphrates
Yellow & Yangtze - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/244114/yellow-yangtze

Episode 006 - Is There A Right Way To Teach A Game?

Today on the show, the boys celebrate making it to 6 episodes without a single table flipped by digging into the mystery and magic of “the teach!” Or more specifically - what separates a good teach from a bad one?
We’ll find out how they approach teaching and the reason a good teach is good and a bad teach is… well, generally a good way to have a bad time!
Want to ask a question or give us your two cents? Hit us up at cardboardphilosophypod@gmail.com!
Cites and Sources
Age of Steam - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/4098/age-steam
Anachrony - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/185343/anachrony
Botswana/Wildlife Safari - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/398/wildlife-safari
Bus - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/552/bus
Captain Sonar - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/171131/captain-sonar
Cat Blues - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/363/cat-blues
Dune: Imperium - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/316554/dune-imperium
Heat: Pedal To The Metal - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/366013/heat-pedal-metal
High Society - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/220/high-society
Just One - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/254640/just-one
Mosaic: A Story of Civilization - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/329551/mosaic-story-civilization
Monikers - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/156546/monikers
Pax Pamir: Second Edition - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/256960/pax-pamir-second-edition
Ra - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/12/ra
Rapido/Escape - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/357/excape
Root - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/237182/root
Stephenson’s Rocket - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/204/stephensons-rocket
Through The Desert - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/503/through-desert
Twilight Imperium: Forth Edition - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/233078/twilight-imperium-fourth-edition
Wavelength - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/262543/wavelength

Episode 005 - What Gives A Game Soul?

Where do board games go when they die? Better yet; can they go anywhere other than a recycling center? I guess the nicest way to put this is – do games have a soul?
Better yet, what gives a game "soul?" What makes a game feel "soulful" versus "soulless?" Those are just some of the questions that Evan, Robert and Steve tackle on this week’s show!
Want to ask a question or give us your two cents? Hit us up at cardboardphilosophypod@gmail.com!
Cites and Sources
18xx - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamefamily/19/series-18xx
Bora Bora - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/127060/bora-bora
Carpe Diem - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/245934/carpe-diem
Castles of Burgundy - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/84876/castles-burgundy
Cat Blues - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/363/cat-blues
Chess - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/171/chess
Dead Reckoning - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/276182/dead-reckoning
Detective: City of Angels - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/218074/detective-city-angels
Fractured Sky - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/370581/fractured-sky
Inis - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/155821/inis
Inis: Seasons of Inis - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgameexpansion/255588/inis-seasons-inis
Jordan Draper Games - https://www.jordandraper.com/
Lisboa - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/161533/lisboa
Mystic Vale - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/194607/mystic-vale
Ryan Laukat - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamedesigner/11854/ryan-laukat
Stephenson’s Rocket - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/204/stephensons-rocket
Through the Ages - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/182028/through-ages-new-story-civilization
Tokyo Tsukiji Market - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/257198/tokyo-tsukiji-market
Tokyo Metro - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/235344/tokyo-metro
Yellow & Yangtze - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/244114/yellow-yangtze

Episode 004 - Perfect Information

They say knowledge is power… but what if you have too much knowledge? Does that mean you have too much power? If absolute power corrupts absolutely will this power from knowledge corrupt you? Will you become some sort of unhinged board game demigod if there is too much information given to you on the table?
We’ll never know!
What we will know by the end of this week’s episode is what makes perfect information tick! Evan, Robert and Steve dive into why it is fun, when it isn’t fun and why we would ever want to hide information from a player!
Want to ask a question or give us your two cents? Hit us up at cardboardphilosophypod@gmail.com!
Cites and Sources
Africa - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/1315/africa
Age of Steam - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/4098/age-steam
Aristocracy - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/287247/aristocracy
Barrage - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/251247/barrage
Blood on the Clocktower - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/240980/blood-clocktower
Cartographers - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/263918/cartographers
Mythic Mischief - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/342894/mythic-mischief
Pipeline - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/256730/pipeline
Power Grid - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/2651/power-grid
Stephenson's Rocket- https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/204/stephensons-rocket
The Castles of Burgundy - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/271320/castles-burgundy
Through The Desert - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/503/through-desert
Quacks of Quedlinburg - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/244521/quacks-quedlinburg
Ra - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/12/ra
Werewolf - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/147949/one-night-ultimate-werewolf

Episode 003 - Does Size Matter?

For years mankind has pondered and debated the question – Does size matter?
Perhaps you have sized up this discussion for yourself. In fact, it has many branching thoughts:
How does component size effect our emotional response to a game?
Do certain sizes imply certain complexity levels?
Is CMON overcompensating for something?
Today on the show, under the unparalleled hosting stylings of Steve; Evan, Robert and Steve also throw this topic under the magnifier of sizable discussion!Want to give your thoughts or ask a question of your own? Hit us up at cardboardphilosophypod@gmail.com
Cites and Sources
Agricola - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/31260/agricola
Ankh: Gods of Egypt - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/285967/ankh-gods-egypt
Azul - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/230802/azul
Botanik - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/271529/botanik
Botswana (Wildlife Safari) - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/398/wildlife-safari
Crokinole - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/521/crokinole
Cthulhu: Death May Die - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/253344/cthulhu-death-may-die
Eric Lang - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamedesigner/1533/eric-m-lang
Equinox - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/329450/equinox
Heavy Cardboard Podcast Episode 163 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpaq3zEZ7GI
Hive - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/2655/hive
Hive Pocket - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/154597/hive-pocket
Joraku - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/180901/joraku
Jordan Draper - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamedesigner/89147/jordan-draper
Medici - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/46/medici
Nightmare Productions - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/904/nightmare-productions
Oath: Chronicles of Empire and Exile - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/291572/oath-chronicles-empire-and-exile
Pax Pamir: 2nd Edition - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/256960/pax-pamir-second-edition
Reiner Knizia - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamedesigner/2/reiner-knizia
Root - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/237182/root
Royal Visit - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/22245/royal-visit
The Quest for El Dorado - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/217372/quest-el-dorado
Wavelength - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/262543/wavelength
 
 
 

Episode 002 - What Is Decision Space?

For years we've been told that space is the final frontier, but who decided that?
This week Evan, Robert and Steve discuss what decision space is, how important it is to the board gaming experience and why some spaces feel better than others!
Join us at the table, share your thoughts and ask your own question at cardboardphilosophypod@gmail.com!
Games We Talked About
Bus - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/552/bus
Caesar!: Seize Rome in 20 Minutes - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/338957/caesar-seize-rome-20-minutes
Carolus Magnus - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/481/carolus-magnus
Cat Blues - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/363/cat-blues
Codenames - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/178900/codenames
Comic Hunters - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/322616/comic-hunters
Eriantys - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/341286/eriantys
Decrypto - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/225694/decrypto
Great Western Trail - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/341169/great-western-trail-second-edition
High Society - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/220/high-society
Kanban EV - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/284378/kanban-ev
Lisboa - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/161533/lisboa
Modern Art - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/118/modern-art
On Mars - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/184267/mars
Pax Pamir: Second Edition - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/256960/pax-pamir-second-edition
Pipeline - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/256730/pipeline