Board Game Hot Takes

Favorite Board Games of All Time 2026 Edition (11-20)

Board Game Hot Takes

Show Notes

In Episode 311 we continue the 2026 countdown of our top 50 Board Games of all time with choices 11-20. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 00:47 Contest Announcement 05:10 Underwater Cities 08:33 Tycoon India 1981 11:03 Luthier 16:00 Isle of Skye: From Chieftain to King 19:50 Manhattan Project: Energy Empire 22:31 Speakeasy 26:18 Blood Rage 29:05 The Expanse Board Game 32:45 Echoes of Time 35:55 Cthulhu: Death May Die 41:06 Blood Rage 42:02 Endeavor: Deep Sea 44:32 Darwin's Journey 47:12 Lords of Vegas 49:16 Teotihuacan: City of Gods 53:16 Lost Ruins of Arnak 56:53 Dune: War for Arrakis 58:40 La Granja 1:02:33 The Lord of the Rings: Duel for Middle Earth 1:05:26 Stockpile 1:08:21 Obsession 1:12:31 Wonderland's War 1:14:18 Baseball Highlights: 2045 1:16:47 Agricola 1:19:52 Terraforming Mars 1:21:24 Gaia Project 1:23:41 Tzolk'in: The Mayan Calendar 1:27:05 Tichu 1:29:54 Dune: Imperium - Uprising 1:31:21 Lost Ruins of Arnak If you enjoy the show, please consider supporting us at https://www.patreon.com/boardgamehottakes Follow us on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/boardgamehottakes.bsky.social Join our Board Game Arena Community: https://boardgamearena.com/group?id=11417205 Join our Discord server at:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://discord.gg/vMtAYQWURd⁠⁠

More from Board Game Hot Takes

Oct 19, 2026

In Episode 323 we're joined by board game designer Connie Vogelmann to discuss our top 3 board games we wish we'd designed. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 00:56 Connie tells us about Tideward and Weaverbirds 12:16 Top 3 board games we wish we'd designed 15:26 Baseball Highlights 2045 19:04 The Gang 23:05 Dominion 26:27 Glass Road / Black Forest 33:03 Smartphone, Inc. 36:34 It's a Wonderful World 40:14 Blue Lagoon 44:47 Nemesis 49:56 Eclipse: Second Dawn for the Galaxy 52:58 Fromage 58:54 Super Motherload 1:04:08 Nexus Ops 1:12:29 Will the BGHT Hosts ever design a board game? If you enjoy the show, please consider supporting us at https://www.patreon.com/boardgamehottakes Follow us on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/boardgamehottakes.bsky.social Join our Board Game Arena Community: https://boardgamearena.com/group?id=11417205 Join our Discord server at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://discord.gg/vMtAYQWURd⁠⁠

Oct 12, 2026

In Episode 322 we discuss epic (big, long) board games. How do you define an epic game? Are they worth the time investment? What games do you consider epic games? How often do you want to be playing them? If you enjoy the show, please consider supporting us at https://www.patreon.com/boardgamehottakes Follow us on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/boardgamehottakes.bsky.social Join our Board Game Arena Community: https://boardgamearena.com/group?id=11417205 Join our Discord server at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://discord.gg/vMtAYQWURd⁠⁠

Oct 5, 2026

In Episode 321 we give our hot take review on Bus covering the mechanisms, the production, and our overall feelings of the game. We discuss a poll on Duel Games and then discuss some games on our table including Ostia, Gunsen, and Jisogi: Anime Studio Tycoon. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 01:17 Poll Time: How do you feel about Duel games? 12:12 Bus Description 14:15 Gameplay and Mechanisms 29:01 Production and Theme 33:39 Final Thoughts 38:20 Ostia 51:26 Gunsen: The Battle for Toshi Ranbo 55:57 Jisogi: Anime Studio Tycoon If you enjoy the show, please consider supporting us at https://www.patreon.com/boardgamehottakes Follow us on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/boardgamehottakes.bsky.social Join our Board Game Arena Community: https://boardgamearena.com/group?id=11417205 Join our Discord server at:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://discord.gg/vMtAYQWURd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Sep 28, 2026

In Episode 320 we discuss the board game collecting as a part of the hobby. Do we consider ourselves collectors? What makes an interesting collection? Why do board games make good (or bad) collections? If you enjoy the show, please consider supporting us at https://www.patreon.com/boardgamehottakes Follow us on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/boardgamehottakes.bsky.social Join our Board Game Arena Community: https://boardgamearena.com/group?id=11417205 Join our Discord server at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://discord.gg/vMtAYQWURd⁠

Sep 21, 2026

In Episode 319 we give our hot take review on Gunsen COLON The Battle for Toshi Ranbo covering the mechanisms, the production, and our overall feelings of the game. We discuss a poll on whether its okay to concede in a 2-player game and then discuss some games on our table including Ants, World Order, and Origin Story: Heroes and Villains. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 00:24 Poll Time: Is it acceptable to concede in a 2-player game? 12:38 Gunsen: The Battle for Toshi Ranbo Description 14:29 Gameplay and Mechanisms 40:10 Production and Theme 44:56 Final Thoughts 52:25 Ants 1:03:37 World Order 1:11:52 Origin Story: Heroes and Villains If you enjoy the show, please consider supporting us at https://www.patreon.com/boardgamehottakes Follow us on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/boardgamehottakes.bsky.social Join our Board Game Arena Community: https://boardgamearena.com/group?id=11417205 Join our Discord server at:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://discord.gg/vMtAYQWURd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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