Operation Game Night

Travis, Clay, & Jared
  • 4.6 (11)
  • Games
  • Updated Weekly

Travis Smith, Jared Erickson, and Clay 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! 

  1. 1d ago

    Speakeasy

    A five-hour learning game sounds like a warning label, but Speakeasy has the rare kind of weight that makes us lean in instead of bounce. I’m Clay, and I’m joined by Mike from Meeple That Loses on Instagram to talk through Vital Lacerda’s Speakeasy board game and why it’s hitting so hard for fans of heavy eurogames, worker placement, and deep “efficiency puzzle” planning. We dig into what makes the theme actually work: Prohibition-era Manhattan, building distilleries, running rum across the city, and turning deliveries into real momentum on your player board. Mike explains how Lacerda’s signature cascading turns show up here, plus the constant pressure of police heat and mob wars that can punish sloppy defense. If you’ve ever wondered what justifies a long, complex strategy game, this chat gets specific about the mechanisms that create tension, pacing, and payoff. We also talk practical reality: ideal player count for newcomers, why pre-watch prep helps, and why the player aids matter more than you’d think in a rules-dense game. Then we zoom out to compare Speakeasy to other Vital Lacerda titles, including which games make the best stepping stones before you commit. If you’re curious about Speakeasy, Vital Lacerda games, or the best thematic heavy board games to try at a convention, hit play. Subscribe, share this with your heaviest-game friend, and leave a review telling us which big game is next on your bucket list. 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

    22 min

  2. 3d ago

    A Whimsical Pirate Tea Game That Teaches Modern Board Game Basics

    Pirates who serve tea instead of plundering feel like a joke until you see how well the idea works on the table. Clay sits down with Mike from Meeple That Loses to review Pirates of the High Teas, the 2026 release from designer Emily Vincent and Pink Hawk Games, and we dig into why this light board game is such an easy sell for a relaxed game night. You draft tea cards that act like scoring objectives, draft dish cards that provide flavors and fleet colors, then try to serve the captain for the biggest doubloon payout. Simple goal, surprisingly chewy choices. We walk through the core systems: nine rounds of worker placement, card drafting from face-up displays or the top of the deck, and the constant tension of turn order as the left-to-right ship positions determine who grabs the perfect card first. We also get into the gadgets that add momentum and interaction, like the cannon that refreshes a market row, the monkey that grabs extra cards, and the parrot that lets you sell snacks to the crew for quick cash when your captain combo just won’t cooperate. If you like contract fulfillment, set collection, and approachable strategy, there’s a lot to like here. Then the real debate hits: is Pirates of the High Teas a “Critter Kitchen killer” that trims the fat and delivers the fun faster, or is it a pleasant game that doesn’t quite carve out its own identity among modern gateway favorites? We talk art, theme, teachability, and the key puzzle decisions, including stacking cards for better flavor matches and whether it ever makes sense to score only half a tea card’s requirements. If you’ve been hunting for an entry-level worker placement game with great table presence and a cozy, funny vibe, this conversation will help you decide if it belongs on your shelf. Subscribe for more board game reviews, share this with a friend who loves food-themed games, and leave a rating with your take: streamlined gem or too familiar? Thanks for Mike from the Meeple that Loses on Instagram for chatting with us! 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

    18 min

  3. Jun 11

    Coming of Age with Tiff!

    A board game about growing up sounds like pure theme, until you see Coming of Age’s head-shaped player board packed with mood tracks, goals, and friendships. We’re joined by Tiffany from tiffs.board.games, and she walks us through why this Dani Garcia design surprised her: it looks like a lot, but after one play the whole system snaps into focus and starts flying. We break down the core mechanism as a clean dice-placement Eurogame. You start small with a D4 and a short list of childhood interests, then add bigger dice as new places open up, from the cinema to the basketball court to the music store. Each choice shifts you across five emotion tracks, and those shifts aren’t just flavor. They generate points and resources, including motivation tokens that pay for key actions. We also dig into frustration tokens, the push-your-luck lever that lets you change course when the roll doesn’t match your plan, but can cost you value later. Then we get into the rest of the loop: bus stop actions, building friendships (including a clever way to connect directly with other players), and goal systems that determine how many endgame objectives you’re even allowed to score. We also talk honestly about the theme debate, why some people bounce off the “left is bad” framing, and why the game still feels like a smart integration of mechanics and story for a medium-weight, under-an-hour play. If you’ve been on the fence about Coming of Age, this conversation is built to help you decide. Subscribe for more board game breakdowns, share this with a friend who loves theme-forward Euros, and leave a review. Would you rather a life-theme game feel realistic or feel rewarding? Be sure to check out Tiff at @tiffs.board.games on instragram! 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

    20 min

  4. Jun 9

    Lairs with Tiff! Are the expansions actually essentials?

    A two-player board game that feels like Battleship grew up, learned dungeon design, and decided to mess with your head. Clay Gable is joined by Tiff from @tiffs.board.games on intstagram to unpack Lairs from Kids Table Board Games, a build-then-explore dungeon crawl where you create a maze behind a screen, hide treasure, plant a trap and a monster, then race through your opponent’s creation while they do the same to you. We break down what makes the system click: the moment-to-moment tension of turning corners, the satisfaction of building a dungeon that “reads” like a puzzle, and the mind games that show up fast once you learn how your opponent thinks. We also get honest about the base game. The core loop is fun and the production is charming, but the limited variety can leave experienced gamers wanting more after a couple plays, especially if you start to feel like hustling is always the obvious move. Then we dig into what the expansions add to replayability and strategy. The Adventure Pack brings more monsters, traps, and new actions that open up your decision space, while Deeper Dungeons goes bigger with larger boards, challenges, bosses, terrain like mist that blocks peeking, special wall types like lock-and-key obstacles, and even asymmetrical characters. If you’re shopping for a great two-player strategy board game, a compact dungeon crawler, or a hidden movement experience with real table talk, this conversation will help you decide how deep to go. If you enjoy the show, subscribe, share this with a friend who loves tense head-to-head games, and leave a review. Are expansions a dealbreaker for you, or part of the fun? 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

    19 min

  5. Jun 4

    Crying in the Theater Seeing Sheep Detectives

    A move will humble any gamer, especially when you’re staring at a wall of boxes that all say “games.” While I’m packing up and Clay’s dialing in a newly upgraded office setup, we take a break from the usual board game grind and go over the fence into the stuff we’ve been watching and playing lately and why it’s scratching the same strategy itch. Clay brings a wild movie recommendation: Sheep Detectives, a murder mystery where a flock has to solve the shepherd’s death. It sounds absurd, it’s way better than it has any right to be, and yes, it lands real emotional punches. If you’ve ever rolled your eyes at a premise and then gotten completely won over, you’ll get it. From there we pivot into digital deck-building games and why they’re exploding right now. I break down what makes Slay The Spire 2 such a smart deck-building roguelike, including the most important deckbuilder lesson: you don’t have to take a card every time. We talk archetypes, enemy intent, relic synergies, and how limited card removal changes your whole strategy. Then we dig into Vampire Crawlers, a Vampire Survivors inspired dungeon crawling deckbuilder with a slick sequencing mechanic that can double your power when you play cards in the right cost order. We also shout out Balatro as an easy, addictive on-ramp to the genre. If you’re into deck builders, roguelikes, strategy games, or you’re just curious why digital card games feel so satisfying, hit play. Subscribe, share the episode with a friend, and leave a review. What’s your go-to deckbuilder right now, and what’s the one rule you wish you learned sooner? 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

    25 min

  6. Jun 2

    Rolling for Recovery: Operation Tabletop's Fight Against Veteran Isolation

    Seth Ewing lost his brother to suicide in 2017. The guilt nearly broke him. What pulled him back? A Dungeons & Dragons group that refused to let him isolate. Now he's turned that experience into Operation Tabletop — a nonprofit using board games to fight veteran isolation, substance abuse, and the identity crisis that hits after military service. In this episode, Seth shares his raw personal story, how Operation Tabletop got started with just 4 friends and 2 people at their first event, and how they've grown to serve nearly 900 participants a year — with plans to expand nationwide. How you can help: 🎲 Attend a game night (civilians welcome!) 💵 Donate — $10 puts a veteran in a seat for the night 📦 Mail games from your shelf of shame 👕 Buy merch and spread the word 🌐 Website: https://www.operationtabletop.org 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OperationTabletop850 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/operation_tabletop/ 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/operation-tabletop/ 📦 Mail games to: PO Box 99, Niceville, FL 32588 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

    34 min

  7. May 28

    Clay's New Favorite Game!

    The moment that Ra statue gets grabbed, the whole table tightens up, because you don’t get to ease into an auction in this game. Clayton Gable and I, Travis Smith, unpack why Ra by Reiner Knizia still feels like one of the smartest, most interactive auction board games ever made, and why Clayton just bumped it to his number one game of all time. We also gush a bit about the gorgeous modern production from 25th Century Games and how the tactile components amplify the tension that’s already baked into the design. We walk through how Ra actually plays in plain language: limited sun discs, open information, tiles building in a shared lot, and auctions that can be triggered by you or forced by the draw. From there, we dig into the decisions that matter most, like balancing persistent scoring sets (monuments, pharaohs, rivers) against round-by-round needs (civilizations and floods). If you’ve ever felt the pain of ending a round with unspent bidding power, this game’s timer track and forced Ra tiles will feel both cruel and perfect. Then we get into the psychology and table reads: when to force an early auction to steal value, why pacing is the real skill, and how the “best” disc like the 16 can betray you when opponents refuse to let the lot get too juicy. We also point you toward the Decision Space podcast for a deeper Ra breakdown if you want to go full strategy brain. If you love tight game design, push-your-luck pressure, and auctions that stay engaging from the first pull to the last tile, hit play. Subscribe, share this with your game night group, and leave a review with your hottest Ra take. 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

    20 min

  8. May 26

    Through The Desert by Reiner Knizia

    Two camels per turn shouldn’t be enough to create real tension, but Through The Desert keeps proving otherwise. We’re back on Operation Game Night with Travis and Clay, digging into Reiner Knizia’s classic board game of camel caravans, watering holes, oasis points, and ruthless positioning. Clay brings notes from the AllPlay reprint and why the production choice matters less than what’s happening on the board: a clean ruleset that turns every placement into a commitment. We break down how scoring actually drives behavior, from snatching watering holes to chasing the longest caravan bonuses, and why the enclosure rule is the sneaky engine that can blow a game wide open. Then we get into the part players remember most: interaction. Through The Desert isn’t gentle. You have to “police” the map, read threats, and decide when to abandon your own plan to stop someone else’s land grab. Player count changes everything, too. At two players the fight can feel tight and zero-sum, but at three the desert becomes a richer tactical puzzle where you can pivot, pressure, and sometimes let opponents collide while you quietly bank points. We also talk mind games you don’t see in the rulebook, plus a key design twist: the ending can be accelerated when a camel color runs out, making tempo a weapon you can manipulate. If you love classic board games, area control, route building, and sharp Reiner Knizia strategy, this conversation will put Through The Desert back on your table. Subscribe for more, share this with a friend who misses the old-school greats, and leave a review with your favorite “I got blocked” story. 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

    19 min
See All (145)

4.6
out of 5
11 Ratings

About

Travis Smith, Jared Erickson, and Clay 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! 

Information

  • Creator
    Travis, Clay, & Jared
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    145
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Operation Game Night
  • Show Website
    Operation Game Night

You Might Also Like