The GamerNode Show: A Board Game and Video Game Podcast · GamerNode

GamerNode Show 101: Top 75 Board Games, 15-8

·31 min·2 clips

Discover how Underwater Cities forces players into tense decisions with its card-matching worker placement system.

Host Eddie Inzotto continues his personal ranking by revealing his 15th through 8th favorite board games from his collection. This episode focuses exclusively on eight titles after two games from his original top 15 left his library. The main topics are detailed reviews of each game, starting with number 15, "Underwater Cities," a 2018 worker-placement and tableau-building game by Vladimir Suchý ranked 43rd on BoardGameGeek. Number 14 is the widely acclaimed "Concordia," a 2013 territory-building and hand-management game by Mac Gerdts ranked 21st overall. Number 13 is Uwe Rosenberg's "Glass Road," a 2013 card-driven resource management game featuring a unique resource wheel mechanism. Number 12 is the solo or cooperative fantasy adventure "Gloom of Kilforth," a 2015 dice-rolling quest game designed by Tristan Hall. The slot for number 11 is skipped as the game "Trajan" left his collection. Number 10 is Rosenberg's "Ora et Labora," a 2011 resource conversion and village-building game he considers the designer's best work. Number 9 is "Coimbra," a 2018 dice-drafting and resource management game by Flaminia Brasini and Virginio Gigli with distinctive art. Number 8 is "Folklore: The Affliction," a 2017 narrative-driven, Ameritrash-style game that simulates a tabletop RPG experience without a game master. A surprising claim is that "Ora et Labora" is superior to Rosenberg's more famous titles like "Agricola." An interesting insight is the "action splitting" mechanism in "Glass Road," where players benefit from cards opponents play. The host finds the abstracted storytelling in "Gloom of Kilforth" more immersive than many detailed dungeon crawlers. He notes the extensive map expansions for "Concordia" significantly alter strategic play. The resource wheel in "Glass Road" is described as a clever but polarizing component gimmick. He argues "Folklore: The Affliction" deserves more recognition for its ambitious RPG-in-a-box design. The tone is conversational and enthusiastic, reflecting a single host's deep personal passion for his curated collection. The style is educational and review-focused, blending mechanical explanations with subjective appreciation. Board game enthusiasts seeking detailed reviews and discovery of eurogames or thematic adventures will love this episode. Listeners preferring multi-host discussions or those uninterested in solo gaming might skip it.

As heard by us

Eddie Inzotto's ranking detour puts Underwater Cities at the center, with enough mechanical detail to show why it lands at 15.

Eddie Inzotto shifts the ranking to cover 15 through 8 after two games drop out, and that bookkeeping gives way to the main stop at Underwater Cities at number 15.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

You want one rank-shuffle and one deep, friendly dive into Underwater Cities.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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