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Boardgames To Go

Boardgames To Go 253 - Retro Games at Dice Tower West (with DaveO)

·1 hr 22 min·5 clips
Mark and Dave-O reveal their strict 25-year rule for playing only retro games at Dice Tower West.
Mark Johnson hosts Dave O'Connor (Dave-O) to discuss their experiences at Dice Tower West 2026, focusing on a dedicated retro gaming day they organize annually. They explain their self-imposed rule: games must be at least 25 years old to qualify as retro, which for 2026 means titles from 2001 or earlier. The conversation covers the logistics of bringing these older games to the convention, including relying on drivers and the convention library, though they note many retro titles are stored off-site. Mark and Dave list the games they played, such as Giganten, Aladdin's Dragons, Big City, Chinatown, Dragon's Gold, Nürnberger Bratwürst, Galloping Pigs, Clunker, Union Pacific, San Marco, Africa, Capitol, Attila, Von Kap bis Kairo, and Flinke Pinke. They share highlights, with Dave favoring Chinatown for its negotiation and Mark enjoying San Marco for its smooth gameplay and close finish. The hosts address listener questions from Discord, including which retro games haven't aged well and what defines an 'OG' (old-school German) game. They contrast retro games' simplicity and focus on interaction with modern games' layered mechanisms and player boards. Personal anecdotes emerge, like Mark's habit of reacquiring sold games and Dave's massive collection. The episode concludes with speculation about retro games for 2027, including Puerto Rico and Age of Steam, and a reminder for listener feedback.

As heard by us

A Dice Tower West chat uses San Marco and Arbos to test which older games still earn shelf space.

Board Games To Go 253 follows Mark Johnson and David O'Connor at Dice Tower West as they talk through how a long-running collection changes the memory of older games.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

You get Mark Johnson and Dave O'Connor back from Dice Tower West, with old-game reconsiderations, nickname warmth, and one relieved recovery from Rick's car.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →
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