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Welcome to This Board Game Life
Rob and Mark discuss the news, some recent games that they played and then discuss how they have been pleasantly surprised with IP games lately. Games discussed in this episode include: Mountain Goats: Legacy, The Game Makers, Kingdom Crossing, Luthier, Planet Unknown and Space Base.
Published On: September 2nd, 2026Mark and Rob discuss the news, recent gaming, and some of the surprise hidden costs of a crowdfunding campaign. Enjoy! Games discussed in this episode include: Star Trek Chrono-Trek, Star Trek: Captain's Chair – To Boldly Go, Jump Masters!, Night at the Zoo, Ostia, Shadow Hunters, Mountain Goats: Legacy, Dragons of Etchinstone and Camel Up (Second Edition).
Published On: August 19th, 2026Rob and Mark talk about recent news, recent gaming, and have the Gen Con 2026 debrief. Games discussed in this episode include: Pandemic Legacy: Season 2, Sniper Elite: The Board Game, Cover Your Assets, Zombicide: White Death – Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Timecrash, Mountain Goats: Legacy, Architects of the West Kingdom, Viscounts of the West Kingdom, Magical Athlete, Escape: The Curse of the Temple
Published On: August 5th, 2026
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Join Rob from This Board Game Life as he cracks open Arkham Travel Guide, a roll-and-write route-charting game he tracked down after searching for it at Gen Con. In this unboxing, Rob walks through everything in the box — the chunky dice, dry erase markers, dry-erase player boards, and the various decks of cards — while flipping through the rulebook to explain how the game plays. From the game's six phases to the personal objectives, effect cards, and the Old Ones themselves, Rob gives you a full first look at what's inside. Arkham Travel Guide is a 1–4 player roll-and-write set in H.P. Lovecraft's infamous city, where you take on the unlikely role of a travel guide crafting tour routes through streets filled with curio shops, mysterious gates, and horrible places. Players roll and collectively choose dice to draw in tourists and chart routes, giving everyone a fair degree of control over the randomness. Your goal is to build a route packed with tourists and different landmarks for victory points — all while surviving an encounter with one of the Great Old Ones like Cthulhu or Dagon. Playing in about 30–40 minutes, it's a strategic puzzle wrapped in classic Lovecraftian atmosphere. Arkham Travel Guide Designer: Dan Lièvre Publisher: CrowD Games | 2025 1–4 players | 30–40 min | Ages 14+ 00:00 Intro 01:35 Components 02:19 Dice And Markers 02:53 Rulebook 04:39 Game Boards 05:00 Back Cover 06:19 Cards 09:00 Storage 09:16 Final Thoughts https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/439409/arkham-travel-guide
Published On: September 3rd, 2026Rob from This Board Game Life unboxes "That's Mine!", a quick card game he picked up from the Hasbro Games booth at Gen Con. Watch as he cracks open the box, walks through everything inside—from the game cards to the reference and final round cards—and takes a first look at the colorful, cartoony artwork. Along the way, Rob explains the basics of how the game plays and shares his initial thoughts on what to expect. That's Mine! (also known as Minero) is a fast-paced, quick-slapping card game for 2–5 players that plays in about 10 minutes. Players take turns flipping cards from the draw pile, racing to claim gems, gold nuggets, and diamonds—while avoiding worthless pyrite (fool's gold). But be careful: if four sticks of dynamite are flipped, the mine blows and wipes the remaining treasure off the table! Once the deck runs out, whoever claimed the most valuable loot wins. That's Mine! Designer: Ken Gruhl Publisher: Hasbro | 2025 2–5 players | 10 min | Ages 8+ 00:00 Intro 01:38 Components 02:00 Game Description 03:24 Components Overview 05:00 Card Details 05:53 Final Thoughts https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/451065/that-s-mine
Published On: September 2nd, 2026Mark and Rob are back for another game filled podcast. Learn what games were played recently, get the latest on the gaming industry news, then check out the topic for this week. Are board game designers out of ideas? Are video games the new well of inspiration? See what the guys have to say. Enjoy.
Published On: September 2nd, 2026Join Rob from This Board Game Life as he unboxes Word Wipe, a game he picked up at Gen Con 2026 as part of AEG's big game night. In this video, Rob walks through everything inside the box — from the hundreds of hand and table cards to the hint cards and sand timers — and explains how the game plays. He breaks down the core concept with a few quick examples and shares his first impressions after getting hands-on time with it. Stick around for a full look at what this fast-paced party game has to offer. Word Wipe is a fast, cooperative, real-time word association game for 2–10 players, designed by Matt Bahntge and Peter C. Hayward and published by Alderac Entertainment Group. Players work together to clear a growing spread of cards before time runs out by choosing a secret word that links a hidden hand card to one or more cards on the table. Once a player makes their attempt, the rest of the group races against a timer to guess the exact word — correct guesses wipe cards away, while misses add more to the pile. It's a chaotic, collaborative challenge that rewards quick thinking and creative connections as your team tries to clear the whole board before the clock hits zero. Word Wipe Designer: Matt Bahntge Publisher: Alderac Entertainment Group | 2026 2–10 players | 10–30 min | Ages 10+ 00:00 Intro 00:33 Game Overview 01:16 How It Works 02:25 Components 03:35 Gameplay 04:48 Cards Closer Look 06:20 Final Thoughts 07:13 Outro https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/468067/word-wipe
Published On: September 1st, 2026Rob from This Board Game Life unboxes Assemble!, a compact little card game he picked up at Gen Con 2026 during the AEG Big Game Night event. Join him as he cracks open the tiny box, walks through the components, and flips through the hero cards, rules sheet, and first player token. Rob also explores the clever box design and shows off the artwork and card quality along the way. Assemble! is a fast-paced, team-building card game for 2–4 players where you draft, play, and position cards to build the ultimate squad of heroes inspired by classic archetypes from across fandom. Each hero brings a distinct role, and the real fun comes from combining them in new ways to unlock abilities and create powerful synergies. As the game evolves, you'll adapt your strategy, watch what your opponents are assembling, and aim to build the strongest team by the end. Playable in just 10–15 minutes, it's a quick and clever game from designers Remo Conzadori and Stefano Negro, published by AEG in 2026. Assemble! Designer: Remo Conzadori Publisher: Alderac Entertainment Group | 2026 2–4 players | 10–15 min | Ages 10+ 00:00 Intro 00:40 Game Description 02:00 Opening The Box 02:29 Rules Overview 04:01 Components 04:45 Card Details 05:35 Box Storage 06:22 Final Thoughts https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/468063/assemble
Published On: August 31st, 2026In this video, Rob from This Board Game Life unboxes Honeypot, a game he picked up at the AEG Big Game Night event during Gen Con 2026. He walks through everything inside the box, from the rulebook and punch-out tokens to the secret cache folders and the massive deck of cards. Along the way, Rob explains the different card types, scoring symbols, and how the drafting and passing works, plus a few fun stories from the event where he got to meet designer Joseph Z. Chen. Honeypot is a quick and simple "I Stack, You Choose" card game for 1–6 players, playing in about 15–30 minutes. You take on the role of secret agent bears trying to gather the best intel and spy supplies without getting stung, arranging secret caches to tempt your opponents while sifting through the ones passed to you. It's a highly interactive set collection puzzle with a huge deck that keeps every round fresh, featuring delightful artwork by Kwanchai Moriya. From the team behind Calico, Cascadia, and the Point Salad series, it's easy to teach and perfect to share with friends and family. Honeypot Designer: Joseph Z. Chen Publisher: Flatout Games | 2026 1–6 players | 15–30 min | Ages 10+ 00:00 Intro 02:37 Components 03:00 Rule Book 04:58 Card Folders 05:20 Player Cards 06:59 Card Types 09:00 Final Thoughts https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/458391/honeypot
Published On: August 30th, 2026
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