It's ESSEN SPIEL week! BJ from Board Game Gumbo is back with TEN more games that he has the ENVIE to buy at ESSEN SPIEL 2025. Plus, there's a little bit of lagniappe, with six interesting games that might slip under the radar, and two expansions that would have definitely come home in the Gumbo suitcase. Do these games catch your eye, too?

Roux Dat: recap of games played at our recent game night, including Spooktacular, Squirrel Away and Trio!

The summer break is over, and we are back in the Gumbo Pot! This time, Jeremy from the Acadiana Board Gamers is back to teach us how to play CASCADIA ALPINE LAKES, out on Kickstarter right now from our friends at Flatout Games.  You like Cascadia? You want it even more breezy, and with a 3D component? Check this game out! 

Kickstarter Lagniappe -- sneak peeks at crowdfunding projects for CASCADIA ALPINE LAKES and SNOWDONIA GRAND TOUR + SPECIAL EDITION

Tenpenny Parks is live on Kickstarter -- here's BJ's review from 2022 and a link to a playthrough if you are curious as to the gameplay

Roux Dat: Game day recaps of recent plays of Luthier, Tag Team and Legions of Kadmon

BJ reviews the solo option of playing DIRT & DUST, the new deck building rally race game from Albi.

BJ from Board Game Gumbo discusses twenty new games to check out at SPIEL ESSEN 2025 coming up in October!

Inside the new Lost Ruins of Arnak: Adventure Chest. Is it needed? Define "need"!

Josh Ballaugh (designer of Coalition: Councils of the Republic) journeyed to PROTOSPIEL CHICAGO and gave us a wrap up of the visit — including plays of HORS D’OEUVRES, HEXAPOD, and SANT…

What is an abstract? What are our favorite abstracts? Does ATHENA add anything that's necessary to AKROPOLIS? Find out the answers as BJ ponders the questions further.

YouTube video by Board Game Gumbo (Board Game Gumbo)

Are expansions essential to add to the gameplay on the very first play of the game? Or should the teacher wait for the players to become more familiar? BJ explores the topic through the lens of IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF DARWIN: CORRESPONDENCE

Top Ten Favorite Games of 2024! BJ lists out his favorite game experiences and the games that will stay in his collection!

Vantage is for gamers with a sense of adventure, who want to recapture the days of turning on a computer or opening up a game box with no clue what to expect from this particular session. Here's BJ deeper thoughts after playing it solo.

Small box games that we enjoyed on our recent trip to Europe: Uno, Duck & Cover, and Finished!

Uchibacoya launches the Garden Trilogy on Kickstarter next month! BJ previews what we know about the project.

Roux Dat #68: recent plays of Rebel Princess Deluxe Edition (HAPPILY NEVER AFTER expansion) and READY SET BET

Jeremy’s Gaming Gratons: DRACULA’S CURSE, which Jeremy says is Betrayal at House on the Hill meets Castlevania without player elimination

Roux Dat #67: recent plays of ENDEAVOR DEEP SEA and GALILEO GALILEI

Logan is back with mini reviews of some of the many games that the Acadiana Board Gamers discord group has been playing, including Galileo Galilei, Sail, Nature and Tabletop Inc.