The Better Board Games Podcast

Join McKay and Evan as we digest a year of gaming gone and talk about the next one to come!

So Evan and I had a lot to catch up on...Enjoy this super random and super fun Post Show episode where we are completely unguided on topic or direction!

We actually recorded and published this a while ago but we are updating here. 

We hope you enjoy our review of ways to teach that might just work for your group.

Welcome to the Super Post Show! We basically have a bunch of stuff to catch up on so enjoy the game related conversation!

If you want to find more of us McKay is on Instagram as thebgcritic and evan is everywhere as Being Friends.

Took a bit to get this one posted! In this episode we talk through what we take into consideration when we teach games. 

How do we value entertainment and thus our game collection? Is there a formula and a way to value one game above another? Can a $5 card game be worth more than your warhammer collection? We discuss all of this in this week's podcast!

In this episode we coin the phrase Tabling...or getting things to the table. Some games are easy and some are significantly harder. Let's look at what makes games one way or the other.

If you want to find out more about McKay and Evan check out Being Friends Official on Instagram or The Board Game Critic. We are also on Youtube!

Enjoy...and be good to people.

In this episode Evan and McKay discuss whether or not the goal of a game is to win. Why do we come around the table and why do we spend so much time doing this? Is it really to just give ourselves a gold star that we did something better than someone else that day? Listen to find out!

If you want to find more of Evan he is on most social media platforms as Being Friends
If you want to find more of McKay he is on most social media platforms as The Board Game Critic.

Thank you so much for following along and please reach out to us on any social media platform if you want to chat!

Evan and McKay talk through Solo games, why they exist, and what role they might fill in your gaming experience. 

If you want to find more of McKay he is on Instagram as @theboardcritic
If you want to find more of Evan he is on Youtube as Being Friends

Find Kelly @geekchic.gamer on Instagram because she is fantastic.

In this Episode McKay and Evan discuss whether or not you should feel bad about cheating in Co-op games and who the real victim is. I know we all have at least been tempted to do it, some of us absolutely do it all the time because winning is the most important thing about gaming...right? Wrong! And we will tell you why.

If you want to find more of Evan online look up Being Friends on Youtube or Being Friends Official on Instagram.

If you want to find more of McKay Online then check out The Board Game Critic on Instagram and Youtube or www.backfiregames.com 

This was a difficult one to record. I (McKay) decided to make some changes in my life based on things that I wasn't proud of. One of those things happen to be how I interact with a certain card game that I have historically been very fond of. This is a little bit about that story and I hope you enjoy it and feel the need to be better yourself.

In an extremely random turn of fate one of our post shows turned into some more profound conversation than we generally include in the post show. Enough so that we decided to turn it into its own episode. So welcome to the not post show. We discuss some of the difficulties of game night dynamics and of course how to be a better person. We also cover some of our findings from personality tests we have taken. 

As always you can find Evan and McKay on most social media platforms as Being Friends and The Board Game Critic.

In this episode we dive a little deeper into the idea of 8 types of fun and use a hastily made google sheet to analyze what ours are. This spreadsheet is available for you to try out as well at this link!

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/15Uf0Fam_35JY8nom03LhQ2ES-1iMA0XHMpof45cPOKg/edit?usp=sharing

Remember that it helps us a lot if you leave reviews! We also have a little incentive to listen to this episode. You might get to tell us what to do for our next episode!

Mark LeBlanc theorized that there are 8 types of fun that people find satisfaction in. We take a deep dive into those 8 different types of fun and talk about the games that you may enjoy in each category. 

To find more about Evan and McKay check our our instagram and youtube pages.

The Board Game Critic & Being Friends

In this episode we had a super fun time discussing when and why we should or should not use house rules to change a Board Game. I'm sure you all have some experience with this and we would love to know your opinion. Where we ended was with a really uplifting message of treating people how you would board games. Before you go judging or trying to change people make sure you really understand them and give them a chance. Also accept that a game may not have been designed for you. Make sure you have all the information before you start messing with rules...and people.

You can find more of McKay on Youtube and  Instagram as The Board Game Critic
You can find more of Evan on Youtube and Instagram as Being Friends

Be Decent!

McKay goes solo in this Episode of the Better Board Games Podcast! He talks about love lists and identifies some of the moments in Board games that bring joy and why. This is a far shorter episode without the fun back and forth but you may very well find it uplifting and enjoyable.

Please feel free to get in contact with McKay by email at thebgcritic@gmail.com

In this Episode Evan and McKay talk through what Board Games have done for them in their lives. There may be a little bit of justification for the obscene amount of money that they have spent on board games throughout their lives. 

If you want to find more of Evan and McKay you can follow them on Youtube and Instagram as Being Friends and The Board Game Critic.

In this episode Evan and McKay dive deep into gameplay curves and what that means for preferences of board games. Do you like games that are more exciting at the beginning and taper off to a gentle end or the opposite? Let us know on Instagram if you get the chance! We also talk about how keeping lists of things that you love about life can generally make you a more optimistic person and perhaps improve you life.

In the post show we talk about TV shows and new game acquisitions!

Find us on Instagram and Youtube as Being Friends and The Board Game Critic!

In this episode Evan and McKay talk about gateway games and how they play a part in your personal gaming journey. Are all games just a stepping stone to a more intense and involved game or is it okay to stop with gateway games and enjoy where you have come to? In the industry is there a negative stigmatism toward the term "gateway" games and how do we make sure that we aren't part of the problem?

To find more about McKay check out The Board Critic on either Youtube or Instagram.
To find more about Evan check out Being Friends on Youtube and/or Instagram.

Evan (from Being Friends) and McKay (The Board Game Critic) go over some interesting aspects of down time in board games. 

Down time is basically the time between when you stop playing your turn and when you can start participating in the game again. Some games have virtually no down time and others have a little too much. So what is the sweet spot and how can you make the game enjoyable regardless of how much down time there is in a game?

If you want to find more information about Evan and McKay you can find us on Instagram and Youtube under the names @BeingFriendsOfficial and @theBGcritic on Instagram and same names on youtube.