#359: Top Brass

#359: Top Brass

Author: Board Game Barrage April 23, 2026 Duration: 59:07

There are big spiky moments that happen in the meta that is the board game hobby, and the Brass: Pittsburgh crowdfunding campaign feels like one of them. It is after all, a successor to the #1 ranked game on BGG. That's something! Enough so that it sent Mark into a bit of an existential spiral, and we're here to talk him down. Before we catch a falling Wallace, we talk about Hummingbirds, Fendo, and Soothsayers.

06:59 - Hummingbirds
14:44 - Fendo
18:53 - Soothsayers
29:23 - Brass: Pittsburgh crowdfunding

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Board Game Barrage is a weekly conversation with Kellen, Neilan, Mark, and Christina that feels like pulling up a chair at a lively game night. The discussion centers on the board games they’ve actually been playing, from the newest releases causing a stir to older titles that deserve another look. You’ll hear their distinct personalities and opinions clash and align as they debate strategies, dissect mechanics, and share those memorable, often hilarious moments that happen around the table. This isn’t a formal review show, but a genuine chronicle of their hobby. The heart of the podcast lies in its focus on the social experience of gaming-how to navigate different player styles, keep the atmosphere positive, and ultimately enjoy the company and the competition, regardless of who comes out on top. It’s about the shared stories that emerge from a box of cardboard and wood. Each episode is a deep dive into what makes games fun, frustrating, and fascinating, delivered with a blend of enthusiasm and friendly critique. Tune in to Board Game Barrage for an authentic, unscripted look at the modern board gaming landscape through the eyes of four dedicated friends who love to talk about what they play.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Board Game Barrage
Podcast Episodes
#369: The Life-Changing Magic of a Minimalist Board Game Collection [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:15
We're downsizing, imagining a brighter future where we don't have hundreds of games to fret about not playing, but a very slight, extremely manageable twenty. Some say it can't be done, but that's never stopped us before…
#368: I Will Always Love You [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:28
We love a good old game - there are a lot that of games over a decade old that we'd happily sing the praises of, but if we were being brutally honest, how many of them do we think would make it in today's markets? How mu…
#367: One vs. Many [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:33
We play a lot of games. Which is great, because a lot of games get made, and we get to play them ... but it does come at the cost of always having to learn (and teach) something new, grappling with rules, and gets in the…
#366: Collaborative Draft: Games of 2017 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:09:46
We're back to collaborate (and listen) to figure out together what the best games of 2017 were. Are? It's a collaborative draft, and if you haven't heard one of these before, get ready for an honest to goodness mess. Bef…
#365: Gen Con 2026 Preview [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:54
Gen Con is Gen Coming, so we're looking in our wizard's glasses to tell you what's what. Whether you're going or not, you're gonna want to know what the hot games are, and we've got you covered. Before we Indianapolize,…
#364: Mechanism Matchup [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:10:18
There are two board game mechanisms you just can't escape, they're on everyone's mind, flooding the discourse. That's combat, and card draw mitigation. Everyone won't stop talking about them. So we had to weigh in too, n…
#363: The Dark Depths of Mailbag [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:34
It's been a while since we've plumbed the depths of the bottomless chasm we call "fanmail", so this week we're reaching our hands as far as we can and pulling out some questions that have yet to see the light of say. Bef…
#362: Hot Takes About Board Games [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:58
The people demand takes, so get 'em while they're hot. We're weighing in on some possibly bad, certainly edgy opinions, and deciding where we land (spoiler: we're always right). Before we get heated, we talk about Diplom…
#361: Collaborative Draft: Games of 2016 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:07:44
We had such fun collaboratively coming up with our definitive Top 50 list back in December, that we've decided to do it again. In the spirit of award season, we're celebrating the games of yesteryear, or yester-ten-years…
#360: Guessing Golden Geeks Galore [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:15
It's long been said that we're the foremost experts in knowing which way the awards winds blow, so we're putting our talents to use guessing, nay, predicting, nay, deciding who the winners in the Golden Geeks are going t…