If you're having second thoughts about that one comfort game your best friend always brings to game night, might I recommend a warm glass of milk? Tip... SPLASH. Oh my goodness no! What have you done? I meant a glass of milk to sip and calm your nerves! How could you just go and destroy best friend's deluxified copy of Splendor? It's signed by the designer and by five of the worlds greatest gem cutters. Literally a family heirloom passed on from three generations. What are we going to do? Do you have a blow dryer on you?

Games we played:

9:34 - Time Barons (2014, Jon Perry & Derek Yu, WizKids)

14:36 - Age of Rail South Africa of South African Railroads (2011, John Bohrer, Capstone)

26:35 - QE (2019, Gavin Birnbaum, BoardGameTables)

32:35 - The Lord of the Rings The Confrontation (2005, Reiner Knizia, Fantasy Flight)

100 games before you die:

37:25 - Grand Austria Hotel (2015, Virginio Gigli & Simone Luciani, Lookout)

https://boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/321471/100-tabletop-games-to-play-before-turning-100

Topic:

42:39 - Games That Were Ruined for Us

Songs:

100 Games to Play Before You Die by Michael, Tyler, Devon, and Josh of The Boise RainBeaus

ROT by Bone Haus https://bonehaus.bandcamp.com/album/in-mourning

Patreon https://www.patreon.com/c/ShelfStableCast

All our socials https://linktr.ee/shelfstablecast

Sam Altman turns to the crowd and motions. "For 2027, we're revealing our most exicting evolution yet... humanity will be optional." The crowd errupts in applause. The keynote stage fades to black as an electro swing remix of Hi-Ho from Snow White begins blasting at full volume.

DISCLAIMER: this episode is satire. Everything we do is human made. We do not cover games that use AI art. We are opposed to the plagiarisation of people's hard work, the environmental impact, and the cocktail that is unregulated bias + misinformation + lack of accountability in these generative models that are being force fed down our thoats. Thank you sensei, viva la revolucion!

Games we played:

6:46 - Chu Han (2024, Thomas Lehmann, Matagot)

14:11 - Age of Innovation (2023, Helge Ostertag, Capstone)

24:20 - Shadow Moon Syndicates (2026, Jarrod Carmichael, Arkus)

32:27 - Dino Racer (2026, Marceline Leiman, Underdog)

100 games before you die:

35:54 - El Grande (1995, Wolfgang Kramer & Richard Ulrich, Hans im Gluck)

https://boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/321471/100-tabletop-games-to-play-before-turning-100

Topic:

40:42 - UnstAIble Shelf

Songs:

100 Games to Play Before You Die by Michael, Tyler, Devon, and Josh of The Boise RainBeaus

ROT by Bone Haus https://bonehaus.bandcamp.com/album/in-mourning

Patreon https://www.patreon.com/c/ShelfStableCast

All our socials https://linktr.ee/shelfstablecast

Look, I don't make the rules. Scoop that peanut butter and plop it in your medium roast. No, don't eat the peanuts with a spoon! Gross. Grab yourself one of those boba straws and slurp it up!

1:31 - Intro: Richard Garfield

Characteristics of Games (2012, George Skaff Elias & Richard Garfield & K. Robert Gutschera, MIT Press)

https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262542692/characteristics-of-games

9:56 - We Have to Know!

Games we played:

23:58 - Innovation (2010, Carl Chudyk, Asmadi)

Topic:

35:54 - Making a Netrunner

Where to find Richard:

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamedesigner/14/richard-garfield

Songs:

ROT by Bone Haus https://bonehaus.bandcamp.com/album/in-mourning

Patreon https://www.patreon.com/c/ShelfStableCast

All our socials https://linktr.ee/shelfstablecast