Podcast

Operation Game Night

Games, Hobbies, Leisure

Travis Smith, Jared Erickson, and Clayton Gable get together to discuss the latest and greatest in board games in this weekly podcast. What's hot, what's hitting the table, featured discussions about board games and the board gaming culture, and the primary mission objective- to play more board games!

Episodes
165
Releases
Weekly
Typical length
1 hr 9 min
On air since
2024
Latest episode
6 days ago

Episodes

165 episodes, newest first

  1. Put Your Board Games On A Diet

    Show notes

    Heavy board games are awesome. They’re also the easiest games to love in theory and never actually play. So we try something different: we put our biggest boxes and brain-burners on a diet and draft lighter replacement games that still scratch the same itch. We even keep score using the BoardGameGeek weight scale, because nothing says “game night” like competitive math.

    We start with a quick debrief on what’s been hitting the table lately, from tiny dexterity games like Grabble and Dro Polter to family-friendly card play with Collect and the addictive legacy pacing of My Island. Then we take a detour into Lovecraft with Miskatonic Tales: Journey to Innsmouth, breaking down what works in a choose-your-own-adventure campaign board game and what gets in the way, like heavy reading, awkward audio, and errata friction.

    Then the main event: our Biggest Loser board game edition. We pair heavyweight favorites with lighter alternatives, including Agricola to Harvest, Eldritch Horror to Tiny Epic Cthulhu, Root to Unmatched, Mage Knight to Dragons of Etchstone, Arc Nova to Wingspan, and Gloomhaven to Tales from the Red Dragon Inn. If you’ve been craving the feel of deep strategy without the all-night commitment, these swaps are built for your shelf and your schedule.

    Subscribe for more raw, unedited board game talk, share this with your group chat, and leave a review to help more gamers find us. What heavyweight game would you replace first, and what’s your go-to lighter substitute?

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    1 hr 10 min
  2. A Local Game Store Gets A Second Life

    Show notes

    We go from cooperative poker boss fights to instant-teach party games, then zoom out to the real work of keeping a friendly local game store alive. CJ joins to tell the story behind Let’s Play Games and Hobbies in Hanover, Pennsylvania - and he has managed taking over a game store with his full time job.

    • Hell Of A Deal as a cooperative poker-style boss battler with action-based betting chips
    • Managing souls, folding decisions, and the temptation track as the core tension
    • Work game day wins, including Nerts as frantic shared-solitaire
    • Foolish Fool as a no-teach rules-and-chaos party game for big groups
    • Size Wise as a fast, light guessing game with quick tension
    • Hellbreak TCG preview, horror IP appeal, and the jump scare mechanic
    • How we bought Let’s Play Games and Hobbies to keep it open
    • Building a welcoming store culture by greeting every customer
    • Online shop and shipping realities, including a costly first order
    Try them out for yourself if you’re listening to this and let us know what you think

    https://www.facebook.com/letsplayhanover

    We want to hear from our listeners! Send us a text with recommendations, weigh in on discussions, or just say hi!

    Support the show

    As always, come interact with us online, let us know if you have any feedback, and leave us a review/comment anywhere you get your favorite podcasts!

    https://www.instagram.com/operation_game_night_podcast/

    Show your support for the OGN Crew by contributing to the OGN War Chest:

    https://www.buzzsprout.com/2396881/support

    1 hr 28 min
  3. The Benevolent Board Game Dictator Method

    Show notes

    Twenty people show up for game night, dinner ends, and everyone looks at the game shelf like it’s a bomb that might go off. We’ve lived that nightmare, so we lay out a real, tested blueprint for running a big board game night with multiple tables without letting it turn into chaos.

    We start with quick debriefs on two small-box wins: Collect! by CMON, a light card game with slick powers and shifting displays, and Grabble by CMYK, a ridiculous handful of trinkets that somehow turns into three minutes of pure tension and laughter. Then Travis recaps a long-awaited “blind date” game day with Clay’s old crew, including Trick to the Future (fuel rods as a living bid), the mind-game bidding of Cursed Court, and why Architects of the West Kingdom still feels like a clean worker placement classic that flies at the table. Finally, Travis debriefs Night at the Zoo by Albi, a tile-drafting puzzle about returning lost animals to the zoo...at night!

    The core of the show is Clay’s 20-person birthday game night plan: three tables, table captains who teach, themed rounds (party games, card games, racing and betting), start times that keep people moving, and intentional rotations so nobody gets stuck at the wrong table all night. We also share the one place the plan broke, what we learned about fragile games with casual players, and how a posted schedule and even a quick “vibe coded” website can level-set expectations fast.

    We wrap by going over the fence with Star Wars Zero Company and Star Wars Galactic Racer, plus Clay’s trip to San Francisco and a stop at Dogpatch Games that turns into gaming in public. If you like board game night tips, hosting advice, and honest game talk, subscribe, share the show with your game group, and leave us a review.

    We want to hear from our listeners! Send us a text with recommendations, weigh in on discussions, or just say hi!

    Support the show

    As always, come interact with us online, let us know if you have any feedback, and leave us a review/comment anywhere you get your favorite podcasts!

    https://www.instagram.com/operation_game_night_podcast/

    Show your support for the OGN Crew by contributing to the OGN War Chest:

    https://www.buzzsprout.com/2396881/support

    1 hr 20 min
  4. Barn Boy Games Turns Family Play Into A Business

    Show notes

    How do you turn a goofy argument like “Is a stop sign taller than an emu?” into a party game people can learn in seconds and replay for years? We sit down with Kerry and Ryan from Barn Boy Games out of Lancaster, PA to talk about their first Kickstarter board game, Height Fight, and the long, messy, surprisingly thoughtful road from homemade prototypes to a retail-ready product.

    We start with quick hits from our own tables, from the relaxing solo puzzle of Enchanted Ivy to a conversation-sparking Tales card set, plus a clever “face-down” twist that makes Catan feel fresh again. Ryan shares why Seven Wonders Architects keeps landing on the table with young kids, and we swap notes on the Wingspan universe, including how Wyrmspan can stretch game night into a real endurance run.

    Then we get into the heart of it: Height Fight is a family-friendly party card game built on relative height guessing, team debate, and that satisfying moment of reveal. Kerry and Ryan break down the gameplay loop, scalability for big groups, how they approached playtesting and rule trimming, and why they’re obsessed with premium components, great art, and a player-first experience. If you care about tabletop game design, Kickstarter board games, or finding a game that actually gets kids and grandparents laughing together, this one’s for you.

    Subscribe for more board game talk, share this with a friend who loves party games, and leave a review!

    We want to hear from our listeners! Send us a text with recommendations, weigh in on discussions, or just say hi!

    Support the show

    As always, come interact with us online, let us know if you have any feedback, and leave us a review/comment anywhere you get your favorite podcasts!

    https://www.instagram.com/operation_game_night_podcast/

    Show your support for the OGN Crew by contributing to the OGN War Chest:

    https://www.buzzsprout.com/2396881/support

    58 min
  5. An OGN Reunion Debrief!

    Show notes

    A board game weekend can go one of two ways: the table clicks and everyone rides the momentum, or you bog down in rules, downtime, and “maybe next time.” We just got back from a Colorado Springs hang, and we’re sharing the exact mix that worked, plus the honest reactions when a game is clever but your brain still bounces off it.

    We start with Reforest, a small box tableau builder that packs a surprisingly puzzly decision space. From there we sprint into lighter, faster wins like Tiny Mountain Goats, then dig into Pet Quartet, a tight card drafting and set collection game that turns simple choices into brutal math tension, especially at two players. We also talk about a scoring twist that makes high-value cards feel like both opportunity and trap.

    Day one closes with a weird, wonderful Wingspan Pocket matchup where a tucking combo forces everyone else to push the pace just to stay alive. Day two is the full reunion game night formula: Flip 7 as the warm-up, dnup as the “teach it right and it sings” card game, Totally Human as the hidden role surprise that had the whole room negotiating rocket ships, and Jibber Jabble as a tiny party game that turns into nonstop laughter and post-round debate.

    If you like board game recommendations, game night hosting tips, and small box games that actually deliver, hit subscribe, share this with your favorite game night organizer, and leave a review with the best game you played recently. What should we put on the table next?

    We want to hear from our listeners! Send us a text with recommendations, weigh in on discussions, or just say hi!

    Support the show

    As always, come interact with us online, let us know if you have any feedback, and leave us a review/comment anywhere you get your favorite podcasts!

    https://www.instagram.com/operation_game_night_podcast/

    Show your support for the OGN Crew by contributing to the OGN War Chest:

    https://www.buzzsprout.com/2396881/support

    48 min
  6. We Stress-Test Game Night Scenarios (ft. Tim from Board Game Hot Takes)

    Show notes

    A Golden Geek Award winner joins us, and we do what any responsible board game podcast would do: we immediately test whether he can actually host a great game night. Tim from Board Game Hot Takes stops by for a full debrief plus a rapid-fire hosting quiz built around real life situations that every board gamer runs into sooner or later.

    We start at the table with Misfit Heroes and its card crafting style setup that creates hilarious hybrid characters while keeping the gameplay in quick, satisfying tableau-builder territory. Then we talk legacy in two very different ways: Mountain Goats Legacy as a family-friendly, low-friction campaign with small scenario twists, and Enchanted Ivy as a solo puzzle with tight placement decisions, guest requirements, and optional challenge goals for players who want more bite.

    After that, we put Tim on the spot: office team building (Just One, Sushi Go, For Sale), a blind board game date (Lord of the Rings Duel for Middle Earth, White Castle Duel, and a smart pivot into Clank Catacombs or Grand Austria Hotel), post-dinner holiday chaos (Flip 7, Subjective, Hot Streak), and the core group heavyweight night (Manhattan Project Energy Empire, Dune Imperium Uprising, Isle of Skye, plus a euro curveball called Ants). We close “over the fence” with a real conversation about AI fears, sci-fi warnings, what we’re reading, and why everyone should check out Dark Matter on AppleTV.

    If you enjoy board game recommendations, game night hosting advice, and honest hobby talk, subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review. What’s your go-to game night opener?

    We want to hear from our listeners! Send us a text with recommendations, weigh in on discussions, or just say hi!

    Support the show

    As always, come interact with us online, let us know if you have any feedback, and leave us a review/comment anywhere you get your favorite podcasts!

    https://www.instagram.com/operation_game_night_podcast/

    Show your support for the OGN Crew by contributing to the OGN War Chest:

    https://www.buzzsprout.com/2396881/support

    1 hr 20 min
  7. Betting On Betting Games

    Show notes

    We had a question stuck in our heads: can you make a board game betting episode that actually feels like a bet? So we built a weird little experiment where we “bet on betting games” by turning five racing betting games into one meta race, powered by our own head-to-head choices. Think pub meeple-style matchups, but the results move games forward on a track while we sweat our $100 bet slips.

    We put Hot Streak, Camel Up, Ready Set Bet, Downforce, and Long Shot The Dice Game on the starting line, then force 30 comparisons across production, mechanics, and fun factor. The category split changes everything. A game you love can dominate on table presence and still lose ground on mechanical depth, or vice versa. Watching the standings evolve makes you rethink what you actually mean when you call something “the best” betting game.

    Before the race, we debrief which board games hit the table this week, including Modern Art auctions, Fliptoons deck-building math, the surprisingly addictive Wingspan Pocket, and a deep dive on Reforest as a beautiful, pocket-sized mountain puzzle with clever light and stacking rules. Then we run both races, settle the payouts, and discuss why the format works and where it might break down.

    If you’re into board game night, racing board games, or anything in the betting games lane, come argue with our picks. Subscribe for more, share this with your group chat, and leave a review telling us which game belongs on the next starting grid.

    We want to hear from our listeners! Send us a text with recommendations, weigh in on discussions, or just say hi!

    Support the show

    As always, come interact with us online, let us know if you have any feedback, and leave us a review/comment anywhere you get your favorite podcasts!

    https://www.instagram.com/operation_game_night_podcast/

    Show your support for the OGN Crew by contributing to the OGN War Chest:

    https://www.buzzsprout.com/2396881/support

    1 hr 23 min
  8. The Great Board Game Cull

    Show notes

    Your board game shelf can either fuel game night or quietly smother it. We sit down to talk about the messy, satisfying work of board game culling: how we decide what stays, what gets sold, and what gets donated when our collections start feeling heavier than our actual playtime.

    We start with a bright spot: Wingspan Pocket, a streamlined card version that delivers the engine-building fun in a quick 25 to 30 minutes. From there, we get into the real-world logistics of offloading games, including Facebook Marketplace, game store trade-ins, and the chaos of board game swaps. We also vent about the swap “dark arts” like inflated Kickstarter pricing, and we share a few wins that actually refreshed the collection without adding more clutter.

    Then we hit the mission objective: our current cull piles. We talk kids’ games we’ve outgrown, card games we keep buying even though we are not “competitive card people,” and the awkward problem of expansions that take up space without adding much value. Along the way, we get honest about sacred cows, collector instincts, and the simple truth that physical board games are one of the last forms of media you truly own.

    If you’re trying to sell board games, donate board games, or just build a board game collection that fits your life, this one will help. Subscribe, share the episode with a friend, and leave a review, then tell us what’s on your cull pile.

    We want to hear from our listeners! Send us a text with recommendations, weigh in on discussions, or just say hi!

    Support the show

    As always, come interact with us online, let us know if you have any feedback, and leave us a review/comment anywhere you get your favorite podcasts!

    https://www.instagram.com/operation_game_night_podcast/

    Show your support for the OGN Crew by contributing to the OGN War Chest:

    https://www.buzzsprout.com/2396881/support

    1 hr 22 min
  9. Grab Bag: Testing The 8 Kinds Of Fun Against Board Games

    Show notes

    A single game store run turns into the most relatable tabletop gaming story possible: we drive out for one small box, get hit by the shopping bug, and walk out with expensive choices we absolutely did not need. Then we put one of them on the table and it completely redeems itself. We break down why Ready Set Bet High Roller Edition feels like the “real” version of the experience, how the oversized production changes readability and table energy, and why betting games keep winning crowds even when nobody thinks they like gambling.

    From there we shift into what we’ve been playing lately, from Mystic Vale’s clever card crafting deck builder (upgrading cards without bloating your deck) to quick, addictive shedding and climbing card games like Down Up, Linko, and Bacon. If you love light strategy card games, fast teaches, and designs with real player agency, this stretch is packed with practical reasons these hit the table again and again. Travis also checks in on Star Trek Captain’s Chair and why solo campaign systems feel so satisfying when every win or loss reshapes your starting deck.

    The grab bag centerpiece is a rapid “litmus test” using Marc LeBlanc’s MDA framework and the eight kinds of fun: sensation, fantasy, narrative, challenge, fellowship, discovery, expression, and submission. We name the first board game that fits each category and invite you to argue with our picks. We finish over the fence with Broadway’s & Juliet, an unexpected fall-flavors takeover, the joy of becoming a wing-place regular, and a growing obsession with the remastered Star Trek original series. Subscribe for more board game talk, share this with a friend who impulse-buys games, and leave a comment with your own “8 kinds of fun” picks!

    We want to hear from our listeners! Send us a text with recommendations, weigh in on discussions, or just say hi!

    Support the show

    As always, come interact with us online, let us know if you have any feedback, and leave us a review/comment anywhere you get your favorite podcasts!

    https://www.instagram.com/operation_game_night_podcast/

    Show your support for the OGN Crew by contributing to the OGN War Chest:

    https://www.buzzsprout.com/2396881/support

    1 hr 9 min
  10. Our Current Top 10 Board Games

    Show notes

    We celebrate two years of Operation Game Night by ranking our current top 10 board games and owning the messy reality behind how those lists actually get made. We also debrief what hit the table this week, then zoom out on why table time, audience, and life constraints shape our tastes more than hype ever will.
    • remembering impossible face-down tiles in Wilmot’s Warehouse by building a shared story
    • using Wavelength to spark sharp clues and even sharper table talk at a birthday party
    • ranking our current top 10 and admitting when “great” games drop because they never get played
    • highlighting the designs we trust most right now, from quick teaches to heavy tension
    • comparing how we play today, including family nights, solo campaigns, and weight differences
    go listen to all those, and then join our Discord and like and subscribe because we're here every week.

    We want to hear from our listeners! Send us a text with recommendations, weigh in on discussions, or just say hi!

    Support the show

    As always, come interact with us online, let us know if you have any feedback, and leave us a review/comment anywhere you get your favorite podcasts!

    https://www.instagram.com/operation_game_night_podcast/

    Show your support for the OGN Crew by contributing to the OGN War Chest:

    https://www.buzzsprout.com/2396881/support

    1 hr 17 min
  11. 2 Years of Operation Game Night: Our Favorite Episodes & What We're Playing Now

    Show notes

    Two years, 130+ episodes, and more games than we can count — and we're celebrating with a full roundtable. Amanda Lee (emptynestboardmama) and Mike (TheMeepleThatLoses) join us to look back at the episodes that defined Operation Game Night's first two years and dig into everything hitting our tables right now.

    We run through a stacked "what we've been playing" segment: Pyradice (Amanda's dice-and-quarry pyramid builder), Six-Sided Seas and Tug of Roar from Inside Up Games, Kanō (the gorgeous paint-pot pattern game Mike says out-Harmonies Harmonies), Night at the Zoo from SETI designer Tomáš Holek, Wingspan Pocket, and the two heavy hitters — Reiner Knizia's Gold Country and the deck-builder Star Trek: Captain's Chair.

    From there we get nostalgic, counting down the episodes and moments that meant the most over two years of the show — the guests, the debates, the running jokes, and the games that started it all.

    Thank you to everyone who's listened, watched, argued with our rankings, and shown up for game night these last two years. Here's to what's next.

    Chapters:
    0:00 Two years in — welcome back Amanda & Mike
    2:29 The plan: plays, top 5 episodes, celebrating 2 years
    2:51 What we've been playing
    5:37 Pyradice, Six-Sided Seas & Tug of Roar (Amanda)
    8:54 Night at the Zoo, Kanō & Wingspan Pocket (Mike)
    18:07 Gold Country — Knizia via Bite Wing (Clay)
    25:52 Star Trek: Captain's Chair — the solo deck-builder (Travis)
    41:18 Our Top 5 OGN Episodes of All Time

    Let us know what your favorite episodes have been in the comments!

    We want to hear from our listeners! Send us a text with recommendations, weigh in on discussions, or just say hi!

    Support the show

    As always, come interact with us online, let us know if you have any feedback, and leave us a review/comment anywhere you get your favorite podcasts!

    https://www.instagram.com/operation_game_night_podcast/

    Show your support for the OGN Crew by contributing to the OGN War Chest:

    https://www.buzzsprout.com/2396881/support

    1 hr 32 min
  12. Peter C. Hayward & Baba Is You Board Game Design

    Show notes

    We trade stories about the small games that save a night, from bluffing chaos at a wrestling convention to real-time trading frenzies that only work with the right group. Peter C. Hayward joins us to get honest about what makes a design worth releasing, how Baba Is You becomes a competitive board game, and why he built a board game career as a long-term plan to move to LA and write scripts.
    • Cockroach Poker as a near-perfect late-night bluffing game for non-gamers
    • Picking the right small box game for a new crowd
    • Triangulation as a low-rules word guessing team game
    • Stonk Market as a frenetic real-time trading party game
    • Mr. President as an overwhelming, fascinating solo simulation
    • Flip Seven With Vengeance and the “right level of mean”
    • My City vs My Island and why legacy arcs work
    • Designing around tension instead of theme or mechanics
    • Why “it functions” is not a good enough reason
    • Rolling Deep and the goal of making a game people remember
    • Baba Is You design breakthroughs for a 2-player abstract campaign
    • Risk aversion in creative industries and why ambition matters
    • Peter’s visa journey and the shift toward screenwriting
    • Things and Rings as a Zendo-inspired “vibes” deduction game
    • Reading habits as a trainable attention skill
    if you are listening to this podcast, do us a favor and subscribe to us on YouTube. If you're already subscribed, give us a like, leave us a comment, leave us a review
    go ahead and hit us up on Instagram if you want to do a collab

    Check out Peter's Blueprints for Life Podcast at https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlK7TV83QHJ8vo6pfbgXA-DqiuaOQW-St&si=BZQU0ZAJ9EvzLjSs

    We want to hear from our listeners! Send us a text with recommendations, weigh in on discussions, or just say hi!

    Support the show

    As always, come interact with us online, let us know if you have any feedback, and leave us a review/comment anywhere you get your favorite podcasts!

    https://www.instagram.com/operation_game_night_podcast/

    Show your support for the OGN Crew by contributing to the OGN War Chest:

    https://www.buzzsprout.com/2396881/support

    1 hr 35 min
  13. Clearing The Shelf Of Opportunity (ft. Games Y Mas & Peter C. Hayward)

    Show notes

    You know that moment when you look at your shelf and realize you’re collecting faster than you’re playing? We start there with Vic from the Games Y Mas podcast, breaking down the “pile of shame” pact that forces real table time and sparks honest mini-reviews of what’s been worth it and what hasn’t. From cozy roll-and-write vibes in Tend to the frustration of vague rulebooks, we talk about what makes a board game night land for different kinds of players.

    Then a happy accident changes the whole vibe: designer Peter C. Hayward drops into the call a week early and jumps right into the deep end. We dig into Coimbra, dice placement, and the bigger question behind so many euro games: do you feel motivated by victory points, or do you want clean win conditions and a satisfying finish line? That thread runs through everything from tiny solo card games like One for Sorrow to big favorites like Quest for El Dorado, Clank, and Lost Ruins of Arnak, including why Arnak feels so “perfectly developed” when the systems are tuned just right.

    We also go ambitious and weird with GMT’s Mr. President now in a digital Steam version, talk theme park obsession and Universal Studios stories, and close with a movie debrief that turns into a real conversation about what The Odyssey should be about. If you like tabletop gaming, game design talk, and pop culture that connects back to play, you’ll feel right at home. Subscribe, share this with a friend who has a shelf of opportunity, and leave a review with the one game you swear you’ll finally play next.

    We want to hear from our listeners! Send us a text with recommendations, weigh in on discussions, or just say hi!

    Support the show

    As always, come interact with us online, let us know if you have any feedback, and leave us a review/comment anywhere you get your favorite podcasts!

    https://www.instagram.com/operation_game_night_podcast/

    Show your support for the OGN Crew by contributing to the OGN War Chest:

    https://www.buzzsprout.com/2396881/support

    1 hr 7 min
  14. GameHead Games Wave 2 Sneak Peek

    Show notes

    We catch up with Paul Solomon from GameHead Games, trade notes on recent plays, then dig deep into what Wave 1 taught him about selling small box board games that actually last. We break down the biggest hooks in GameHead Wave 2, from time-travel trick taking to semi-co-op scoring, plus Gen Con plans and a few spicy prototypes.
    • Paul’s family play of Ribbidi Flibbity as a Candyland alternative
    • Clayton’s thoughts on The Four Doors as a compact Matt Leacock co-op
    • Travis’s rundown of Gruntz as a fast skirmish with rock paper scissors combat
    • Components talk including cloth mats and why they can kill usability
    • GameHead Wave 1 takeaways including the impact of standout art and clear hooks
    • Trick To The Future overview including fuel rods, time travel, perfect journeys and nil play
    • Pet Quartet as a Coloretto-inspired game with “exactly one or four” scoring tension
    • Friendly Fishing’s core twist of scoring your own points plus the player to your left
    • Size-Wise as a teach-in-seconds party game about reading the room, not trivia
    • Wild Magic set collection pressure where the weakest color can get wiped
    • Gen Con promos, pins, and booth details for Gamehead
    • Pit Stop Rally preview where passing turns into an advantage
    • Lobby Snacks as a trick-taking game about winning without overspending
    • Gamehead’s long-term vision including a bigger-box Squirrel Scouts tease
    • Over the fence updates on movies, books, musicals, and baking a cake
    Like and subscribe, and we will catch you next week!

    We want to hear from our listeners! Send us a text with recommendations, weigh in on discussions, or just say hi!

    Support the show

    As always, come interact with us online, let us know if you have any feedback, and leave us a review/comment anywhere you get your favorite podcasts!

    https://www.instagram.com/operation_game_night_podcast/

    Show your support for the OGN Crew by contributing to the OGN War Chest:

    https://www.buzzsprout.com/2396881/support

    1 hr 29 min
  15. The Definitive Trick-Taking Game Ranking

    Show notes

    Trick-taking games are everywhere right now, but not all of them earn a permanent spot on the shelf. We put Clay’s full taste on the record with a ranked list of 35 trick-taking games, from “still happy to play” to the titles that absolutely nail what we love about the genre: clean decisions, readable hands, and one great twist that changes everything without adding a rulebook’s worth of exceptions.

    Along the way, we warm up with recent plays that hit very different corners of tabletop gaming. Clay breaks down Game Makers, a big box board game about making board games, complete with a rotating wheel, resource timing, and contract fulfillment choices that constantly ask “keep this for scoring or spend it for upgrades?” Travis shares thoughts on First Giants and why some modern worker placement and set collection designs can be solid yet still struggle to stand out once you already own a few favorites. We also shout out Pictomania as a drawing party game that actually feels strategic, with speed, deduction, and scoring pressure baked into every round.

    Then we hit the main event: Clay’s definitive trick-taking ranking, including classics like Hearts and Spades, modern hits like Skull King and Cat In The Box, and why cooperative trick-taking games like The Crew are so satisfying when the whole table becomes your partner. The top spot goes to a story-driven Lord of the Rings co-op trick taker that keeps the mission magic and adds theme and progression for maximum payoff.

    Subscribe for more board game rankings, trick-taking game recommendations, and honest takes, and if you disagree with our list, share the episode and tell us your top three trick-taking games.

    We want to hear from our listeners! Send us a text with recommendations, weigh in on discussions, or just say hi!

    Support the show

    As always, come interact with us online, let us know if you have any feedback, and leave us a review/comment anywhere you get your favorite podcasts!

    https://www.instagram.com/operation_game_night_podcast/

    Show your support for the OGN Crew by contributing to the OGN War Chest:

    https://www.buzzsprout.com/2396881/support

    1 hr 16 min
  16. OGN's Game of the Year Watch

    Show notes

    A lot of games feel fun for one night and then vanish into the shelf. We wanted to figure out the opposite: the board games that keep tugging at your brain weeks later, the ones you actually want to play again instead of just admiring the box.

    We start by debriefing what we played recently, including Harvest and why its planting and harvesting rhythm feels so satisfying even when you get absolutely thwomped. Clayton breaks down quick hitters like Excalibur, Pick A Pepper, Tag Team, and Mind Bug, then we spend real time on Hanami, the gorgeous Keymaster Games take on Reiner Knizia’s Samurai. The production is deluxe, but the hook is the same classic tension: surround spaces, win majorities, and watch a simple tile placement turn into sharp area control decisions in about 30 minutes.

    Then Travis brings in newer plays like Solstis and a first pass at Container before we geek out over dnup (Down Up), a small-box card shedding game from the designer of Scout that adds nasty interaction, clever flipping values, and that “one more round” feeling. From there, we hit our midyear “new to us in 2026” rankings, with standouts like Gazebo, Old King’s Crown, Layers, and more, plus a quick over-the-fence check-in on shows, reading, and a wild World Cup moment.

    If you like board game reviews, top three lists, and practical “should we play this again?” talk, subscribe, share the episode with your game group, and leave a review so more people can find us.

    We want to hear from our listeners! Send us a text with recommendations, weigh in on discussions, or just say hi!

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    1 hr 8 min
  17. Travis is Back and Clay Has Opinions About 38 Games | June Deployment Report

    Show notes

    They're back. Travis survived the move. Clay survived a month without his leader. The long form format is officially back by popular demand — and to celebrate, Clay drops a full military-tier deployment report on 38 games across 69 plays in June.

    Plus: Travis debriefs on Lairs and Deep Regrets (Lovecraftian push-your-luck fishing game — yes it's as good as it sounds), a shoutout to Jared playing Root and Skull King somewhere overseas, Clay's new job with the National Wrestling Coaches Association, Travis settling into Space Force, and a mutual vote on who is most likely to become the grouchy old gamer shaking his fist at the clouds.
    Spoiler: it's Clay.

    Chapters:
    0:00 — We're back! Long form returns
    0:57 — The return of Travis & apologies for the solo month
    2:41 — Rolling Deep & Eureka Kickstarter talk
    3:16 — Like, subscribe, leave a review (seriously though)
    5:18 — Travis debrief: Lairs with the Adventure Pack
    13:36 — Travis debrief: Deep Regrets & Deeper Regrets
    24:06 — Shoutout to Jared playing Root overseas
    25:18 — Clay's June Deployment Report — 38 games, 69 plays
    26:33 — Dishonorable Discharge tier
    34:23 — Honorable Discharge tier
    43:34 — Reserves tier
    47:28 — Active Duty tier
    58:09 — Special Forces tier
    1:01:47 — Over the fence: new jobs, the move, life updates

    We want to hear from our listeners! Send us a text with recommendations, weigh in on discussions, or just say hi!

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    1 hr 9 min
  18. Bärenpark In 30 Minutes

    Show notes

    New Zealand has no wild bears, which is exactly why we end up talking about building the best bear zoo we can. Clay and Sam dig into Baron Park, the Phil Walker-Harding tile-laying board game that turns Tetris-style polyomino pieces into a fast, satisfying puzzle you can teach to almost anyone. If you love games that reward smart placement without burying you in rules, this one keeps delivering that “one more turn” feeling.

    We walk through how the game actually flows: place a tile, cover an icon, draft the next tile, and slowly expand your park as construction sites unlock new boards. Along the way we talk about the difference between lowly amenity tiles and those juicy animal enclosures, plus the risk of grabbing a huge high-point piece that simply will not fit. We also get into the bear statue race mechanism, where finishing sections early pays off big, and how the optional expert variant adds goal tiles that give experienced players extra targets without making the game feel heavier.

    You will also hear the real table talk: how Baron Park scales at two, three, and four players, why it can feel fiddly on Board Game Arena compared to moving physical pieces, and why setup might be the true final boss unless you get an organizer. Then we detour into a spirited Patchwork debate that reveals what each of us actually wants from a polyomino puzzle.

    If you enjoy Baron Park, zoo board games, family strategy games, or quick tile-laying games with meaningful choices, hit subscribe, share this with a friend who loves puzzles, and leave a review. What is the one tile you always regret taking?

    We want to hear from our listeners! Send us a text with recommendations, weigh in on discussions, or just say hi!

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    21 min
  19. Convince me Catan is a Good Game

    Show notes

    Catan has a weird superpower: it’s one of the most loved gateway board games and one of the most mocked “I’m too serious for this” targets. We lean into that tension and ask the honest question: is Settlers of Catan actually good, or are we just remembering 1995 with rose-colored glasses? Clay brings the frustration many hobby gamers feel, like three-hour runtimes, dead turns, and trading that drags. Sam joins us bright and early from New Zealand to make the case that the problem usually isn’t Catan, it’s how the table plays it.

    We get tactical fast: why Catan is closer to an engine builder than a pure dice fest, how initial placement and number coverage can prevent that “I got nothing for 20 minutes” spiral, and why upgrading to cities early changes the whole pace. We also talk trading etiquette, decisiveness, and simple house rules that reduce early pain without turning the game into something unrecognizable.

    Then we zoom out to what keeps Catan ubiquitous in board game culture: replay value through changing board layouts and changing opponents, plus expansions that add the right kind of variety. Sam shares favorites like Seafarers and the Through The Fog scenario, plus lighter add-ons like Helpers of Catan for asymmetric player powers. If you’ve ever sold your copy and wondered whether you should buy it back, this conversation is for you. Subscribe, share this with your game night group, and leave a review with your hottest Catan take.

    Check out Sam at https://www.instagram.com/mesmerealm_games/

    We want to hear from our listeners! Send us a text with recommendations, weigh in on discussions, or just say hi!

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    27 min
  20. A 40th Birthday Becomes A 20-Game Challenge

    Show notes

    We trade the usual birthday expectations for a weeklong board game celebration as Mike turns 40 and brings a list of 20 games he wants on the table. We break down what makes the list work, which titles he’s most hyped to play, and why having a partner who truly loves the hobby changes everything.

    •building a 20-game birthday week list that’s realistic to play
    •who’s joining the sessions and how the week is structured
    •early plays and quick hits like Druids of Edora and Dunup
    •goofy story moments in Botany and why it stays memorable
    •bigger table picks like A Gest of Robin Hood and Great Western Trail
    •why Tapestry is the must-play birthday tradition
    •Barnes and Noble clearance surprises with Pick a Pepper and Floristry
    •the one brand-new birthday buy he hopes arrives in time: Trismegistus

    https://www.instagram.com/themeeplethatloses/

    We want to hear from our listeners! Send us a text with recommendations, weigh in on discussions, or just say hi!

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    19 min