Episodes

  • #37 Playing Through Your Shelf of Shame
    Apr 22 2025

    Playing your unplayed games is fairly simple: Article I, code blue, section A, step / phase 1) determine if said game is still desirable. For determining desirability please reference Appendix 2, section D. For definition of desirability please reference glossary of terms in the D&D monster manual under “anthropomorphic animals”.

    For those who want the tips but can’t be bothered to listen: just play the games. Easy. It’s like the board game equivalent of “if you’re depressed, just be happy”. Works like a charm every time.

    Games we played:

    4:43 - Finca (2009, Wolfgang Sentker and Ralf zur Linde, Hans im Glück)

    11:02 - Fields of Arle (2014, Uwe Rosenberg, Z-Man)

    19:05 - Dominion (2008, Donald X. Vaccarino, Rio Grande)

    23:57 - Renature (2020, Michael Kiesling and Wolfgang Kramer, Pegasus Spiele)

    100 games before you die:

    30:44 - Carcassonne (2000, Klaus-Jürgen Wrede, Hans im Glück)

    https://boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/321471/100-tabletop-games-to-play-before-turning-100

    Topic:

    34:44 - Playing Through Your Shelf of Shame

    How I Finished My Gaming Backlog https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuszSUI_qBY

    How to Recognize a Terrible Anime https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G30xZxJLR8U

    Songs:

    100 Games to Play Before You Die by Michael, Tyler, Devon, and Josh of The Boise RainBeaus

    ROT by Bone Haus https://bonehaus.bandcamp.com/album/in-mourning

    All our socials https://linktr.ee/shelfstablecast

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    1 hr and 7 mins
  • #36 live from Treefort, Mass Market Replacements
    Apr 15 2025

    Great venue, fun crowd, good topic, Tom burps into the microphone- wait... Tom burps into the microphone? Gather round and listen in agony as we recommend Monopoly Deal to some innocents. Hold on, I think I had another game as a backup for this topic. Actually wait, I had two games as backups for this topic. Never mind, just move on to the next slide please.

    Topic: Mass Market Replacements

    Songs:

    ROT by Bone Haus https://bonehaus.bandcamp.com/album/in-mourning

    All our socials https://linktr.ee/shelfstablecast

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    1 hr and 3 mins
  • #35 ft. Dan Thurot of Space-Biff, Tariffs
    Apr 8 2025

    Came for the Minecraft villager sex scene, left moved by Dan's message on why our hobby is worth fighting for. Cringe. At the end of the day, aren't we all just adult babies in the making?

    8:16 - Intro: Dan Thurot of Space-Biff!

    Beyond Solitaire episode LARPing the Renaissance with Ada Palmer https://beyondsolitaire.buzzsprout.com/1091807/episodes/16834850-episode-189-ada-palmer-on-larping-the-renaissance

    Games we played:

    21:48 - Nyakuza / Orongo (2014, Reiner Knizia, CMON)

    29:14 - Pan Am (2020, Prospero Hall and Peter Lee, Funko Games)

    3MBG board game hall of fame about people https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9eMtH7370xQ

    41:12 - Pax Pamir 2nd (2019, Cole Wehrle, Wehrlegig)

    Pax Pamirs and Framing https://spacebiff.com/2020/06/29/talking-games-9/

    Topic:

    59:56 - Tariffs

    Call your reps, make your voice heard https://5calls.org

    Democratic Socialists of America https://www.dsausa.org

    Space-Biff! https://spacebiff.com

    Songs:

    ROT by Bone Haus https://bonehaus.bandcamp.com/album/in-mourning

    All our socials https://linktr.ee/shelfstablecast

    *This week only* If you are a pervert who likes this, consider nominating us for the Golden Geek awards https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/3489648/19th-annual-golden-geek-awards-nominations-open

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    1 hr and 37 mins
  • #34 Unstable Shelf
    Apr 1 2025

    Nothing to see here. Just a perfectly regular episode of Unstable Shelf where Tom and Kenny review some of the latest board game releases. This week, they discuss Kickstarters and why they are the best. Again, nothing to see here. Move along folks... Move along...

    Games we played:

    9:34 - Rebirth (2024, Reiner Knizia, Mighty Boards)

    15:23 - Hubworld Aidalon (2026, Cory DeVore & Michael Boggs, Earthborne)

    25:47 - The Gang (2024, John Cooper & Kory Heath, Kosmos)

    31:27 - Fishing (2024, Friedemann Friese, 2F-Spiele)

    Topic:

    37:20 - The Hype is Real

    Tom Vasel's Video Essay on Crowdfunding - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ

    Songs:

    TOR by Bone Your Mom

    based on ROT by Bone Haus https://bonehaus.bandcamp.com/album/in-mourning

    All our socials https://linktr.ee/shelfstablecast

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    56 mins
  • #33 Games That Should Get A Reprint
    Mar 25 2025

    Imagine you were Flat Stanley and a scientist experimented on you by branding and perforating your body with Quacks pieces. Now imagine that it's seven years in the future. You've recovered from the horrific event known only as "the incident". You now have a spouse and two beautiful children. A representative from CMYK shows up at your door with a megenta-colored suit and matching sunglasses. They politely request that you get into the car. Inside is the very scientist that ruined your life. They say they have a great new direction. Things will be different this time. The doors lock. Your children cry as the car drives away... GEDAGADIGADEGIDAGO

    Games we played:

    6:34 - Quacks (2018, Wolfgang Warsch, Schmidt Spiele)

    13:38 - Cthulhu Death May Die (2019, Rob Daviau & Eric M Lang, CMON)

    20:15 - Equinox / Colossal Arena (2021 og1997, Reiner Knizia, Plan B)

    26:45 - Everdell (2018, James A. Wilson, Starling Games)

    100 games before you die:

    32:33 - Welcome To (2018, Benoit Turpin, Blue Cocker)

    https://boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/321471/100-tabletop-games-to-play-before-turning-100

    Topic:

    39:49 - Games That Should Get A Reprint

    A good thread on potentail reprints : https://www.reddit.com/r/boardgames/comments/1gagmjn/the_2024_list_of_games_that_need_to_be_reprinted/

    Join us:

    THIS FRIDAY Podfort, Mar 28 https://treefortmusicfest.com/podfort-2025/

    Songs:

    100 Games to Play Before You Die by Michael, Tyler, Devon, and Josh of The Boise RainBeaus

    ROT by Bone Haus https://bonehaus.bandcamp.com/album/in-mourning

    All our socials https://linktr.ee/shelfstablecast

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    1 hr and 7 mins
  • #32 The Benefits of a Gamer Lifestyle
    Mar 18 2025

    What if I told you there was a lifestyle that could make your heart healthier, your brain smarter, your looks smokin', and the world a better place? I mean, there probably is something like that (punch reading? sex charity?) That's about as far as we got with the hypothetical. We're talking board games as usual. But hey, those can be good for you too! This episode features considerably more positivity and coincidentally more games we played together. It wasn't intentional, but we'll take it.

    Games we played:

    10:02 - Samurai (1998, Reiner Knizia, Fantasy Flight)

    17:53 - Deus (2014, Sebastien Dujardin, Pearl)

    26:46 - Las Vegas Royale (2019 og2012, Rüdiger Dorn, Alea)

    30:36 - Power Grid The Card Game (2016, Friedemann Friese, Rio Grande)

    100 games before you die:

    34:40 - Ticket to Ride (2004, Alan R. Moon, Days of Wonder)

    https://boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/321471/100-tabletop-games-to-play-before-turning-100

    Topic:

    37:04 - The Benefits of a Gamer Lifestyle

    Amabel Holland Mechanisms as Metaphors video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wG4zLcKsCiA

    Cardboard Ghosts by Amabel Holland https://www.routledge.com/Cardboard-Ghosts-Using-Physical-Games-to-Model-and-Critique-Systems/Holland/p/book/9781032813448

    Reality is Broken by Jane McGonigal https://janemcgonigal.com/2020/01/13/hello-world/

    Relationship Between Puzzles and Cognitive Function in Adults 50+ https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/gps.5085

    Michael Walker Revolutionizes Physical Therapy https://www.sowronggames.com/322-michael-walker-revolutionizes-physical-therapy

    The Role of Board Games in the Lives of Autistic People https://autism.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/ARI-game-changer.pdf

    Join us:

    Podfort, Mar 28 https://treefortmusicfest.com/podfort-2025/

    Songs:

    100 Games to Play Before You Die by Michael, Tyler, Devon, and Josh of The Boise RainBeaus

    ROT by Bone Haus https://bonehaus.bandcamp.com/album/in-mourning

    All our socials https://linktr.ee/shelfstablecast

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    1 hr and 12 mins
  • #31 Are Cozy Games A Thing?!?!
    Mar 11 2025

    Grab a couple of your favorite kids/pets and strap them to you by a warm fire. It's time to get cozy. Or is it? Is cozy a thing? Was it a thing and now it's just blasé? Perhaps even cozé? Kenny pulls a Tom on this one and absolutely rags on cozy games for a good century. Also: the appearance of everyone's favorite Disney animal companion, Aladdin's jolly blue genie.

    Games we played:

    3:23 - Catlantis (2019, Prospero Hall, Ravensburger)

    11:49 - Autumn Harvest / Tea Dragon Society (2020/2018, Steve Ellis II and Tyler Tinsley, Renegade)

    23:08 - Cosmic Frog (2020, Jenna Felli, Devious Weasel)

    31:00 - Five Tribes (2014, Bruno Cathala, Days of Wonder)

    100 games before you die:

    37:20 - Splendor (2014, Marc Andre, Space Cowboys)

    https://boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/321471/100-tabletop-games-to-play-before-turning-100

    Topic:

    43:00 - Are Cozy Games A Thing?!?!

    Join us:

    Podfort, Mar 28 https://treefortmusicfest.com/podfort-2025/

    Songs:

    100 Games to Play Before You Die by Michael, Tyler, Devon, and Josh of The Boise RainBeaus

    ROT by Bone Haus https://bonehaus.bandcamp.com/album/in-mourning

    All our socials https://linktr.ee/shelfstablecast

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    1 hr and 9 mins
  • #30 live from SaltCON, Con-Maxing
    Mar 4 2025

    In case it's not clear from the recording, Tom destroyed his voice.

    Games we played:

    3:57 - Res Arcana (2019, Thomas Lemann, Sand Castle)

    7:15 - Die Macher (1986, Karl-Heinz Schmiel, Spielworxx)

    13:45 - Cat Blues (2024 og1998, Reiner Knizia, Bitewing)

    18:58 - Letter Tycoon (2015, Brad Brooks, Breaking Games)

    100 games before you die:

    23:01 - Magic Maze (2017, Kasper Lapp, Sit Down)

    https://boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/321471/100-tabletop-games-to-play-before-turning-100

    Topic:

    28:41 - Con-Maxing

    43:57 - Q and A

    Join us:

    Podfort, Mar 28 https://treefortmusicfest.com/podfort-2025/

    Songs:

    100 Games to Play Before You Die by Michael, Tyler, Devon, and Josh of The Boise RainBeaus

    ROT by Bone Haus https://bonehaus.bandcamp.com/album/in-mourning

    All our socials https://linktr.ee/shelfstablecast

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    54 mins