Hosts Rick and Andrea, board gamers from the 417 area code, dedicate this episode to the game mechanic of drafting. They first discuss four recent plays: the cooperative trick-taking game Sail, the flip-and-will route-builder Trails of Tucana, the revised engine-builder Machi Koro 2, and the shared-tableau card game Splitto. Their main topic is a deep dive into closed drafting games, where players select from a private hand before passing cards along. They explain their personal preferences, with Andrea favoring open drafting for its information, while Rick notes closed drafting works best when all players are experienced. The hosts list their top seven closed drafting games, starting with the itinerary-planning Let's Go to Japan and the classic Sushi Go. Newer titles Splitto and the Dungeons & Dragons-themed map-drafter Edge of the Realms make the list, alongside the animal-preserve game Namalia and the iconic civilization builder Seven Wonders. Their top pick is the peaceful card-sequencing game Ohanami. A memorable moment is Andrea recounting how they "whooped" an experienced gamer at the seemingly simple Trails of Tucana. They also share a humorous story of failing their first game of Sail because they ignored the Kraken to race forward. The episode reveals that they often add drafting to games like Terraforming Mars to balance luck, and Rick details how a new player can unintentionally disrupt the card balance in a game like Blood Rage. The tone is casual and conversational, filled with the hosts' personal anecdotes and clear enthusiasm for sharing games they enjoy. This episode is perfect for board gamers seeking new game recommendations or wanting to better understand drafting mechanics. Listeners who prefer heavy strategy or narrative-driven games over light-to-medium weight card and tile games might find it less engaging.
