Episodes

Thursday Sep 01, 2022
Episode 48 - Roll and Move Games, Part 2
Thursday Sep 01, 2022
Thursday Sep 01, 2022
More rolling! More moving! More Sandi! Less Careers! It's part two of Roll-and-Move Games, wherein you can hear about:
"Ice cream and pizza are OP, plz nerf."
Frank calls this the best roll-and-move ever made.
This picture may help you understand Nizza.
"German games have to be based on a city"
Spreadsheet wars!
Art books!
One of Mike's former favorites has not aged well...but Sandi still likes it
And stick around until the end for a chance to participate in an upcoming episode!
Next month, we'll be revisiting another older episode and talking about new developments in the genre. In the meantime, if you'd be kind enough to write us an iTunes review it'd help us out a great deal. We'd also love to have you visit our website and let us know what kinds of games we should discuss next. You're also more than welcome to comment on the episode page, or our Facebook page, or tag @ascentofgames on Twitter - whatever way you prefer to share your opinions with us, we'd love to hear them. As always, we appreciate your listening - stay safe out there!
Website: https://www.ascentofboardgames.com
Email: ascentofboardgames@gmail.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ascentboardgames/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ascentofgames
Discord: http://discord.ascentofboardgames.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ascentofboardgames/
And, occasionally, Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/ascentofboardgames
Intro and outro music is "Evening Melodrama" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), licensed under a Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.
The Ascent of Board Games is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Some rights reserved.
Thank you for listening!

Tuesday Aug 02, 2022
Episode 47 - Roll and Move Games, Part 1
Tuesday Aug 02, 2022
Tuesday Aug 02, 2022
We've threatened it long enough, so we hope you're prepared for this - it's the Roll-and-Move episode! (Well, the first half of it, anyway...we have a lot to say.) Sandi fills in for the absent Joe as we discuss:
Careers
Careers for Girls ("Most Condescending Game Ever")
Careers for World War II British Military RPG Characters
Careers for Dinosaurs (in Cinemascope!)
Hexentanz - like Pachisi, but you don't know which pieces are yours
What IS the opposite of widdershins? (Turns out it's "sunwise" - thanks, Wikipedia!)
Is there such a thing as "too many expansions"? Mike says "Yes."
The secret to good karma? Collecting (often horrific) treasures!
We'll be back next month with more roll-and-move games, but (probably) less Careers. In the meantime, if you'd be kind enough to write us an iTunes review it'd help us out a great deal. We'd also love to have you visit our website and let us know what kinds of games we should discuss next. You're also more than welcome to comment on the episode page, or our Facebook page, or tag @ascentofgames on Twitter - whatever way you prefer to share your opinions with us, we'd love to hear them. For example, are these two-part episodes working for you, or would you prefer a single longer episode on a single topic? As always, we appreciate your listening - stay safe out there!
Website: https://www.ascentofboardgames.com
Email: ascentofboardgames@gmail.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ascentboardgames/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ascentofgames
Discord: http://discord.ascentofboardgames.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ascentofboardgames/
And, occasionally, Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/ascentofboardgames
Intro and outro music is "Evening Melodrama" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), licensed under a Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.
The Ascent of Board Games is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Some rights reserved.
Thank you for listening!

Friday Jul 01, 2022
Episode 46 - Deck Builders Revisited, Part 2
Friday Jul 01, 2022
Friday Jul 01, 2022
Hello again! A lot of what's going on in the world right now is Not Fun, but we're going to soldier on and return to our our look at deck-building games and what's happened in the genre since our first episode ever. This one may, at times, sound like the Renegade Games episode, but we promise we're not sponsored by them. (Not that we'd turn down some money from them, mind you...)
In this episode, we discuss:
The Cubitos Llama, distant relative of the Altiplano Llama from last month
A game that Frank thinks is even better than the beloved Legacy of Dragonholt
A tie-in with our sister Twitch RPG channel, Feats & Fables
Frank tells us about more great games we can't buy
A cross between Edge of Darkness, Seafall, and Scythe???
We coin the term "Quacks battle"
And we plan a heist of Frank's house
Stay tuned for a brand new topic next month! Will it be the long-dreaded Roll and Move episode? Tune in to find out! In the meantime, if you'd be kind enough to write us an iTunes review it'd help us out a great deal. We'd also love to have you visit our website and let us know what kinds of games we should discuss next. You're also more than welcome to comment on the episode page, or our Facebook page, or tag @ascentofgames on Twitter - whatever way you prefer to share your opinions with us, we'd love to hear them. As always, we appreciate your listening - stay safe out there!
Website: https://www.ascentofboardgames.com
Email: ascentofboardgames@gmail.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ascentboardgames/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ascentofgames
Discord: http://discord.ascentofboardgames.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ascentofboardgames/
And, occasionally, Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/ascentofboardgames
Intro and outro music is "Evening Melodrama" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), licensed under a Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.
The Ascent of Board Games is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Some rights reserved.
Thank you for listening!

Wednesday Jun 01, 2022
Episode 45 - Deck Builders Revisited, Part 1
Wednesday Jun 01, 2022
Wednesday Jun 01, 2022
Hi folks! It's time to jump in the Wayback Machine, revisit our very first episode, and see what's changed in the world of deckbuilders since 2018! Don't worry, we still have plenty of ideas for new episodes, but we're going to look back at older episodes occasionally to see what we missed the first time around and what new hotness has been released in the interim.
And, as seems to be usual lately, we've cut this episode in two because we don't know how to shut up. As a consolation prize, here's a picture of the adorable Altiplano llama, which SOME people just don't know how to appreciate.
Stay tuned for the back half of this episode next month! If you miss us before then, writing an iTunes review will help keep us fresh in your memory. We'd also love to have you visit our website and let us know what kinds of games we should discuss next. You're also more than welcome to comment on the episode page, or our Facebook page, or tag @ascentofgames on Twitter - whatever way you prefer to share your opinions with us, we'd love to hear them. As always, we appreciate your listening - stay safe out there!
Website: https://www.ascentofboardgames.com
Email: ascentofboardgames@gmail.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ascentboardgames/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ascentofgames
Discord: http://discord.ascentofboardgames.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ascentofboardgames/
And, occasionally, Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/ascentofboardgames
Intro and outro music is "Evening Melodrama" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), licensed under a Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.
The Ascent of Board Games is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Some rights reserved.
Thank you for listening!

Sunday May 01, 2022
Episode 44B - Boss Battlers, Part 2
Sunday May 01, 2022
Sunday May 01, 2022
And now, the thrilling conclusion of our Boss Battlers episode. Featuring:
Even more games that we've talked about a lot before...but also some new ones!
What dramatic moment did The Little Mermaid (the Disney movie) borrow from "The Call of Cthulhu" (the Lovecraft story)?
A not-Diablo, a not-Shadow of the Colossus, a not-Zelda, and a game that's ACTUALLY based on a video game.
What game was received by Frank's game group like "a five-day-old haddock"?
And what may be our most divisive difference of opinion yet, leading to a 20-minute discussion about what each of us really wants out of our story games.
Disagreements aside, we'll be back again next month to talk about even more games - and I promise there won't be nearly as many repeat visitors! In the meantime, maybe you could leave us an iTunes review? We'd also love to have you visit our website and let us know what kinds of games we should discuss next. You're also more than welcome to comment on the episode page, or our Facebook page, or tag @ascentofgames on Twitter - whatever way you prefer to share your opinions with us, we'd love to hear them. As always, we appreciate your listening - stay safe out there!
Website: https://www.ascentofboardgames.com
Email: ascentofboardgames@gmail.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ascentboardgames/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ascentofgames
Discord: http://discord.ascentofboardgames.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ascentofboardgames/
And, occasionally, Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/ascentofboardgames
Intro and outro music is "Evening Melodrama" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), licensed under a Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.
The Ascent of Board Games is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Some rights reserved.
Thank you for listening!

Friday Apr 01, 2022
Episode 44 - Boss Battlers, Part 1
Friday Apr 01, 2022
Friday Apr 01, 2022
Happy April! No fooling from us, just the first half of a loooong episode about Boss Battlers. Featuring:
Frank telling us about an obscure game that's long out of print...or is it?
Brian revealing his woeful ignorance of anime, which amuses Jayson no end
Joe spending the entire episode trolling Frank (with an assist from Jayson)
The proud history of farting monsters and the world's oldest known written joke.
You might also enjoy these links:
Ogre (2016 edition) with Ogre (1977 edition) shown for scale
Ogre (2016 edition) with baby (2013 edition) shown for scale
The Letters Page podcast, for all your official Sentinels of the Multiverse needs
The Cauldron, for all your unofficial (but very good) Sentinels of the Multiverse needs
Come back next month to hear the rest! In the meantime, maybe you could leave us an iTunes review? We'd also love to have you visit our website and let us know what kinds of games we should discuss next. You're also more than welcome to comment on the episode page, or our Facebook page, or tag @ascentofgames on Twitter - whatever way you prefer to share your opinions with us, we'd love to hear them. As always, we appreciate your listening - stay safe out there!
Website: https://www.ascentofboardgames.com
Email: ascentofboardgames@gmail.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ascentboardgames/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ascentofgames
Discord: http://discord.ascentofboardgames.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ascentofboardgames/
And, occasionally, Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/ascentofboardgames
Intro and outro music is "Evening Melodrama" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), licensed under a Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.
The Ascent of Board Games is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Some rights reserved.
Thank you for listening!

Wednesday Mar 02, 2022
Episode 43 - Pick-Up and Deliver Games
Wednesday Mar 02, 2022
Wednesday Mar 02, 2022
Hi folks! We're here again to deliver unto you a podcast episode about pick-up-and-deliver games! In addition to the insightful (?) game information you've come to expect from us, this episode includes:
Continued arguments about train games!
Mike being woefully uninformed about the transportation standards of the tin industry!
Ye Olde Clairol Dwarf!
A completely unsolicited publisher promotion!
Jayson tells us about the worst. Warship. Ever...and the ridiculous power of its cannons!
The game board that made Brian NOPE right out!
Frank tells us how to pronounce ALL the publishers!
We learn how Dracula likes his steak!
And the not-as-bad-as-it-looks player board from Maglev Metro!
If you liked this episode, maybe you could pick up our spirits by delivering us an iTunes review. (See what we did there?) We'd also love to have you visit our website and let us know what kinds of games we should discuss next. You're also more than welcome to comment on the episode page, or our Facebook page, or tag @ascentofgames on Twitter - however you prefer to share your opinions with us. As always, we appreciate your listening and would love to hear your comments. Stay safe out there!
Website: https://www.ascentofboardgames.com
Email: ascentofboardgames@gmail.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ascentboardgames/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ascentofgames
Discord: http://discord.ascentofboardgames.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ascentofboardgames/
And, occasionally, Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/ascentofboardgames
Intro and outro music is "Evening Melodrama" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), licensed under a Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.
The Ascent of Board Games is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Some rights reserved.
Thank you for listening!

Tuesday Feb 01, 2022
Episode 42 - Word Games
Tuesday Feb 01, 2022
Tuesday Feb 01, 2022
Welcome to February! In honor of the shortest month, we've created a "lightning round" on the topic of our favorite word games. We hope you find some new favorites, and/or tell us about some of your current ones!
Referenced in this episode:
Vincent Price (yes, that Vincent Price) does a commercial for a boxed version of Hangman (yes, that Hangman).
Another vintage commercial for an obscure yet cool-looking word game called RPM.
What does Scrabble look like in Arabic? Like this.
Several computer-based word games, including:
The obligatory Wordle
Its malevolent cousin, Absurdle
The Guess Word! Forehead app
Babble Royale (a/k/a Scrabble crossed with PUBG)
As usual, we'd love to have you visit our website and let us know what kinds of games we should discuss next, or maybe give us an iTunes review. You're also more than welcome to comment on the episode page, or our Facebook page, or tag @ascentofgames on Twitter - however you prefer to share your opinions with us. As always, we appreciate your listening and would love to hear your comments. Happy new year, and stay safe out there!
Website: https://www.ascentofboardgames.com
Email: ascentofboardgames@gmail.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ascentboardgames/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ascentofgames
Discord: http://discord.ascentofboardgames.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ascentofboardgames/
And, occasionally, Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/ascentofboardgames
Intro and outro music is "Evening Melodrama" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), licensed under a Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.
The Ascent of Board Games is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Some rights reserved.
Thank you for listening!