In this episode, we board the Jolly Roger and steal from treasure from a Spanish galleon in Tortuga 1667! In Tortuga 1667, players take on the role of pirates attacking Spanish ships near the island of Tortuga and stealing their gold. Half of the players are secretly working for the British and half for the French. At the start of the game, you kno…

In this episode, we round up some lone wolves and carve out our territory in… The Wolves! The Wolves is a 2022 game designed by Ashwin Kamath and Clarence Simpson with art by Pauliina Linjama and a quality production from publisher Pandasaurus Games. In The Wolves, between two and five players each controls a pack of wolves vying for territory acro…

In this episode, we try to save the planet from a relentless alien invasion in Under Falling Skies! Under Falling Skies is a 2020 board game designed by designed by Tomáš Uhlíř published by Czech Games Edition with art by Petr Boháček and Kwanchai Moriya. It’s a solo game about repelling an alien invasion that clearly takes some inspiration from th…

In this episode, we see if Jack can steal the goose that lays golden eggs from the giant at the top of the beanstalk in The Blood of an Englishman! In 2016, Renegade Games published a two-player card game inspired by “Jack and the Beanstalk” called The Blood of an Englishman. One player takes on the role of Jack, attempting to steal the giant’s tre…

In this episode, I try out a new format by giving very brief reviews of ten games I played at our local board game convention, Tennessee Game Days, earlier this fall! Tennessee Game Days is an event held each spring and fall here in Nashville, Tennessee, where people come from around the state and the region to spend a few days in hotel convention …

In this episode, we try to figure out if our opponent put the poison in our glass or in his glass in the game In Vino Morte! In Vino Morte is a 2016 game designed by Chris Anderson with art by Ben Toz and published by Button Shy Games. It’s inspired by that classic scene in The Princess Bride where the Dread Pirate Roberts and the scoundrel Vizzini…

Usually when I review and recommend a board game here on the podcast, I’ve played that game at least ten times. That way I know the game well and I know it has some staying power. That means I usually review older games, but I like to play new games, too! That leads me to this bonus episode you’re listening to right now. Instead of a scripted and h…

In this episode, we see what happens when heroes from stories and legends battle it out in Unmatched! Unmatched is actually a series of games from Restoration Games. That company specializes in taking older games and redesigning them for a modern audience. They have “restored” games like Downforce, Fireball Island, Thunder Road, and Dark Tower. Unm…

Usually when I review and recommend a board game here on the podcast, I’ve played that game at least ten times. That way I know the game well and I know it has some staying power. That means I usually review older games, but I like to play new games, too! That leads me to this bonus episode you’re listening to right now. Instead of a scripted and h…

In this episode, we battle for the honor of hosting the king in our chateaus in Royal Visit! Royal Visit is a 2021 game designed by Reiner Knizia with art by Karl James Mountford and published by Iello Games. It’s a two-player game, with players occupying opposite ends of a valley hoping to attract the visiting king to their magnificent chateaus. T…

In this episode, we become Scottish chieftains expanding our lands in… Isle of Skye: From Chieftain to King! The Isle of Skye is one of the large islands off the northwest coast of Scotland, famous for its stunningly beautiful landscape and as the home to the Scottish clans of MacLeod and MacDonald. This mountainous land suitable for fishing and fa…

Usually when I review and recommend a board game here on the podcast, I’ve played that game at least ten times. That way I know the game well and I know it has some staying power. That means I usually review older games, but I like to play new games, too! That leads me to this bonus episode you’re listening to right now. Instead of a scripted and h…

We reviewed the game Mysterium in our last episode, and Emily and I had a great time recording her “color commentary” about the game. Mysterium is all pictures and no words, and my artist wife had a lot to say about the game! I only used a few minutes of our conversation in the episode, so I thought I would share an extended cut here as a bonus epi…

In this episode, we work together to solve a murder in the game with no words… Mysterium! Have you ever heard of a game that sounds so good, you find yourself ordering a copy from Poland because the US edition hasn’t come out yet and you want it right now? Probably not, but I’m the kind of guy who does that kind of thing. And that’s how I got my co…

Usually when I review and recommend a board game here on the podcast, I’ve played that game at least ten times. That way I know the game well and I know it has some staying power. That means I usually review older games, but I like to play new games, too! That leads me to this bonus episode you’re listening to right now. Instead of a scripted and h…

In this episode, we take a look a game that you’ll want to know about if you’re tired of playing tic-tac-toe… Gobblet Gobblers! Gobblet Gobblers is a 2003 game published by Blue Orange Games, and it turns tic-tac-toe into a genuinely fun game. In the box, you’ll find four long wood pieces that you fit together like a tic-tac-toe board, along with t…

In this episode, we work together to catch a sneaky, pot-pie-stealing fox in the cooperative kids game Outfoxed! Outfoxed is, I’m pretty sure, the only board game where players take on the role of detective chickens. You see, Mrs. Plumpert’s prize pot pie has been snatched by a sneaky fox, and it’s up to a plucky group of detective chickens (or is …

In this episode, we build cities and farms and roads in the modern classic, Carcassonne! Carcassonne is a tile-laying game. Players take turns drawing square tiles and adding them to a common medieval landscape. On your turn, you draw a tile and place it somewhere on the landscape, making sure that the sides of the new tile match the sides of any a…

Usually when I review and recommend a board game here on the podcast, I’ve played that game at least ten times. That way I know the game well and I know it has some staying power. But recently, the 11-year-old has been on a kick to play new games, that is, games he’s never played before. That makes it hard to play a game repeatedly with him, but it…

In this episode, we try to avoid a pandemic like it’s the 14th century by escaping the city on an apple cart in Bristol 1350! Bristol 1350 is a lively game for up to nine players about escaping the Black Death in Bristol, England, in the 14th century. Publishing a game about escaping a pandemic during a pandemic is something of a bold move, but it’…

In this episode, we’re going back to the space race with the upcoming new expansion, Space Explorers: Age of Ambition! Back in Episode 19, I reviewed a game called Space Explorers published by 25th Century Games. I interviewed Chad Elkins, the one-man show behind 25th Century Games, and he gave me my first podcast exclusive: 25th Century had an exp…

In this episode, we have a very special guest joining us to review Takenoko, a game that teaches you what to do in the unlikely event someone gives you a panda. Takenoko is a 2011 game designed by Antoine Bauza and published by Bombyx Studios. In the game, players work together to grow a bamboo garden and send a friendly panda around that garden ea…

In this episode, we see whose path to enlightenment lasts the longest in Tsuro: The Game of the Path! What is Tsuro? It’s an Asian-inspired game about finding one’s way. The title comes from the Japanese word tsūro, which means “route.” The game board, which is decorated with a richly illustrated phoenix, consists of a 6 by 6 grid of squares. Each …

In this episode, we go searching for dragon treasure while moving very quietly in the board game called Clank! In Clank!, players take on the role of dungeon explorers, attempting to steal treasure from a dragon who really doesn’t want her treasure stolen. As players move around the dungeon, they’ll unavoidably make noise, and the more noise they m…

In this episode, we review a game that will have you pressing your luck to recover lost treasure–Incan Gold! Incan Gold is a 2005 game designed by Alan R. Moon (Ticket to Ride) and Burno Faidutti. In the game, between 3 and 8 players take on the role of treasure hunters exploring the ruins of an ancient Incan temple looking for turquoise, obsidian,…

In this episode, we take a look at one of the best two-player games around, Patchwork, a game about quilting! Patchwork is a colorful 2014 game designed by Uwe Rosenberg with art by Klemens Franz that takes the notion of patches on a quilt and turns it into an elegantly designed game for exactly two players. In Patchwork, players take on the role o…

In this episode, we take a look at a modern classic, a game about collecting gems and impressing fancy people… Splendor! Splendor is a 2014 game from Space Cowboys that handles 2 to 4 players in 30 to 60 minutes per game. In the game, players take on the role of jewel collectors during the Renaissance, trying to build the most prestigious collectio…

In this episode, we learn about an upcoming game about building mountains and seeking knowledge in Oros! Oros is a 2-to-4-player game which takes its name from the geological term orogenesis, the process of mountain building when two tectonic plates collide. In the game, players take turns shifting and colliding tiles on a shared map, representing …

In this episode, we take a look at a game of queens and kings and dragons and knights and basic arithmetic in… Sleeping Queens! Sleeping Queens is a 2005 game designed by Miranda Evarts with art by Jimmy Pickering and Red Hansen. In the game, players compete to collect some rather whimsical queens, like the Pancake Queen, the Cat Queen, and the Boo…

In this episode, we time-travel to the 1960s to compete in the space race between the United States and the Soviet Union in… Space Explorers! Space Explorers is a 2017 board game that conjures up the excitement of the 1960s space race. Players take on the roles of heads of space research centers, recruiting a variety of experts to build and launch …

In this episode, we travel to a beautiful island off the coast of Greece famous for its white and blue buildings in the board game Santorini! Santorini is a charming and puzzly game designed by Gordon Hamilton and published in 2016 by Roxley Games. In Santorini, players take on the role of builders in ancient Greece. Each player has two workers, wh…

In this episode, we travel to 17th century Japan for some competitive vacationing in the board game Tokaido! Tokaido is a 2012 game designed by Antoine Bauza with art by Xavier Durin and published by Funforge. Players take on the roles of travelers in 17th century Japan making their way along the Tokaido, which means “eastern sea road.” The Tokaido…

We’re back with another family game recommendation, one that will have you taking tricks and exploring space: The Crew! “The Crew: The Quest for Planet Nine” is a 2019 game from Kosmos Games designed by Thomas Sing with art by Marco Armbruster. In the game, players take on the role of astronauts working together to find a mysterious ninth planet at…

This is a short podcast for people who enjoy playing games with family and friends, but this time, I’m recommending a game to play without family and friends: the city-building, solo game Sprawlopolis. Sprawlopolis is a 2018 release from Button Shy Games, designed by Steven Aramani, Danny Devine, and Paul Kluka, with art by Danny Devine. Like all B…

We’re back with another family board game recommendation, one that will have you eating your vegetables: Abandon All Artichokes! Abandon All Artichokes is a 2020 game from Gamewright designed by Emma Larkins with illustrations by Bonnie Pang. No one likes to eat artichokes, right? That’s the premise behind this game, which has players composting ar…

We’re back with another family board game recommendation, this time with a game that will have you bluffing, bribing, and smuggling: Sheriff of Nottingham. If you’ve ever wanted to play a bad guy, then Sheriff of Nottingham, a 2014 game from Arcane Wonders, is the game for you. In the game, designed by Sergio Halaban, Andre Zatz, and Bryan Pope, pl…

We’re back with another family board game recommendation, this time with a game that will have you cheering on cute, colorful penguins: ICECOOL. ICECOOL is a 2016 game designed by Brian Gomez and published by Brain Games. The kids call it the “penguin game” because it involves flicking little plastic penguins around a cardboard maze decked out to l…

We’re back with another family board game recommendation, a game that will make you want an ice cream cone: Rocky Road a la Mode! Rocky Road a la Mode, a 2017 game from Green Couch Games, is a compact, colorful, and easy to learn game for 2 to 4 players that captures a bit of that ice cream truck magic. The game was designed by Joshua J. Mills, wit…

We’re back with another family board game recommendation. Ever want to create your own Rube Goldberg machine? Then Gizmos is the game for you. Gizmos is a 2018 game from CMON Games designed by Phil Walker-Harding very much in the spirit of a Rube Goldberg machine. Players take on the role of inventors, constructing ever more elaborate contraptions …

In this episode, I have another family board game recommendation: Herbaceous. Herbaceous was designed by Steve Finn and published in 2017 by Pencil First Games. The game’s art is by the amazing Beth Sobel. Sobel’s art makes Herbaceous is one of the prettiest games we own. Players take on the roles of herb collectors, growing and potting herbs like …

In this episode, I have another recommendation for a great game for couples: Wingspan, a game about birds. Wingspan was published in 2019 by Stonemaier Games. It was designed by Elizabeth Hargrave and features art by Natalia Rojas, Ana Maria Martinez Jaramillo, and Beth Sobel. Back in 2014, Hargrave and her husband had recently started birdwatching…

In this episode, I’m changing things up a bit and recommending a great board game for couples: PARKS by Keymaster Games. I’m a big fan of the US National Parks, ever since I took my kids out west on what we called the Animal-Vegetable-Mineral Tour. We saw the largest of each: we went whale-watching off the coast of San Francisco, we saw redwoods an…

In this episode, we have another family game recommendation: Forbidden Island. Forbidden Island, published in 2010 by Gamewright, is a cooperative game where the players work together to explore a mysterious island, find its treasures, and escape before the island floods. If you’re successful, then everybody wins! If not, well, in my house, we usua…

In this episode, we have another family game recommendation: Deep Sea Adventure. Deep Sea Adventure is a push-your-luck game with colorful components about diving for underwater treasure. It was designed by Jun Sasaki and Goro Sasaki, and published in 2014 by Oink Games, a Japanese publisher that specializes in games that come in very small boxes. …

In this episode, we have more family game recommendations: Sushi Go! and its sequel, Sushi Go Party! In some sushi restaurants, the sushi comes out on a conveyor belt, and customers pick the sushi they want as it moves past them. The game Sushi Go! plays with that idea, using what it calls “pick and pass.” The game consists of a big deck of cards, …

This episode features another family game recommendation: Love Letter, designed by Seiji Kanai, and now published in the US by Z-Man Games with art by the amazing Andrew Bosley. In Love Letter, players try to get their love letter to the princess. The original game featured just 16 cards, with colorful characters from the royal court: a prince, a k…

In this episode, I have another family board game recommendation, Space Park. The game was published in 2018 by Keymaster Games, and it was designed by Henry Audubon with art by Brian Edward Miller. In Space Park, players cruise around the galaxy collecting crystals and trading those crystals in for badges. Keymaster, as I’ve learned, makes really …

Welcome to the First Player Token podcast, a short podcast for folks who enjoy playing board games with family and friends. In this episode, we’re taking a look at a great family game called Kingdomino. Kingdomino was published in 2016 by Blue Orange Games. It was designed by Bruno Cathala and features art by Cyril Bouquet. In Kingdomino, players t…

Welcome to the First Player Token podcast, a short podcast for people who enjoy playing board games with family and friends. If you’d like to try a few new board games, but don’t know where to start, this podcast is for you. In each episode of the First Player Token podcast I review and recommend a game that’s been a hit with my family or friends. …