Did someone say Phil Walker-Harding? Praise be!

The prolific designer (Sushi Go!, Barenpark, Imhotep, Gizmos, Adventure Games, and so many more!) joins Christina and Shoe to talk about how his film background has surprisingly influenced his design process. Plus, Phil's been noticing the "playfulness" inherent in some games recently. Why is he excited about this, and what does it mean for his own designs? Watch or listen to find out!

Timeline:

• 3:01 - Going Analog's game pick: Rivages.
• 5:32 - Phil's game pick: Acquire.
• 9:27 - Going Analog's topic: How Phil's film background influences his game design.
• 25:56 - Phil's topic: Playfulness in game design.

We just wrapped up last year with our 2024 Games of the Year episode, so naturally, it's time to move on with our lives and think about what gets us all excited about 2025. What are we looking forward to playing? What have we previewed previously and are now eagerly awaiting the retail release? What's the buzz we're hearing from others in the biz?

Comedian and board game content creator Grant Lyon joins the show to share his thoughts on the biggest offerings for this new year. Plus, with the roller coaster that's TikTok and the continued rise of online toxicity, just how are we looking at board game social media these days?

Timeline:

• 4:45 - Going Analog's game pick: Andromeda's Edge.
• 14:18 - Grant's game pick: Dice Throne.
• 19:38 - Going Analog's topic: 2025 games we're looking forward to.
• 45:44 - Grant's topic: the state of board game social media.

We did it, folks! We recorded our 2024 Games of the Year episode before the end of the year! (We didn't say anything about releasing it before the end of the year, though.) Joining us just under the wire is content creator and Twitch streamer Beneeta Kaur who contributed her own picks. We actually played a good number of games in-person with Beneeta this year, so we know she has great taste!

Tune in for our favorite party, light, medium, and heavy games of the year. What did we miss? What do we NEED to play? Tell us on our socials!

Timeline:

• 2:42 - 2024 Party Games of the Year.
• 13:42 - 2024 Light Games of the Year.
• 25:22 - 2024 Medium Games of the Year.
• 46:40 - 2024 Heavy Games of the Year.