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Catan

Tabletop Game Classics: 18 of the Best Old Board Games (plus 5 of the best old RPGs)

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On our podcast, we often say we aren't all about the new hotness. The reason for this is that there are some fantastic older board games and classic RPG that are still worth playing. Today I'm going to talk about some of the best older games that were originally published before the year 2000.

Ashley Rabum writes in to Ask The Bellhop:
"I just started listening and am going through the back catalogue and I’m loving it. I do have a question though: what are some older / out of print games that you would recommend tracking down?" [ READ MORE ]

Tabletop Five-O – Five Player Board Game Suggestions and Five Initial Play Reviews – Episode 49 Tabletop Bellhop Gaming Podcast

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 This is the 49th episode of the Tabletop Bellhop Gaming Podcast, an edited version of our live show recorded on July 10th, 2019. Join us as we stream live every week on Wednesdays at 9:30 Eastern on Twitch. If you like some video with your audio, you can also watch/listen to an unedited version of the show over on YouTube.

Ep 49 - Tabletop Five-O - Five player non-filler, non-party game recommendations. Also first looks at Zenteeko, Horizons, King of the Dice, Raiders of the North Sea, and Sorcerer. [ READ MORE ]

And The Award Goes To… Talking Tabletop Game Awards – Episode 43 Tabletop Bellhop Gaming Podcast

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 This is the 43rd episode of Tabletop Bellhop Live, an edited version of our live show recorded on May 22nd, 2019. Join us as we stream live every week on Wednesdays at 9:30 Eastern on Twitch. If you like some video with your audio, you can also watch/listen to an unedited version of the show over on YouTube.

Ep 43 - And The Award Goes To… We are talking all about tabletop game awards. Spiel, Golden Geek, Ennies and more. Also, an OSR RPG module review, digital Jaipur and BattleCON War of Indines. [ READ MORE ]

Life, The Universe, and More Than Catan – Episode 42 Tabletop Bellhop Gaming Podcast

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 This is the 42nd episode of Tabletop Bellhop Live, an edited version of our live show recorded on May 15th, 2019. Join us as we stream live every week on Wednesdays at 9:30 Eastern on Twitch. If you like some video with your audio, you can also watch/listen to an unedited version of the show over on YouTube.

Ep 42 - Life, The Universe, And More Than Catan. A look at games with similar mechanics as Settlers of Catan. Also a look at Tiny Towns, Brass Birmingham, The Duke and Colonies for Terraforming Mars. [ READ MORE ]

Looking for Games with a Similar feel to Catan – Ask the Bellhop

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The first question we ever answered here at Tabletop Bellhop was about The Settlers of Catan. Today I'm answering a question that goes way back to that first blog post.

David RY, clicked Ask The Bellhop to ask:
I have some friends who ONLY want to play Catan (I got invited to what I thought was a board game night but was actually just their regular Catan tournament style night), and I’m wondering what would be some good follow up games? They’ve been interested in Ticket to Ride and Takenoko but neither have the same feel of the trading/player interaction and the dice-rolling/chance part of the resource collecting (plus they all love the ability of the robber to screw someone over). Any help? [ READ MORE ]

Rock me, Daniel Zayus – Ep 18 Tabletop Bellhop Podcast

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 This is the 18th episode of Tabletop Bellhop Live, an edited version of our live show recorded on November 28st, 2018. Join us as we stream live every week on Wednesday’s at 9:30 Eastern on Twitch. If you like some video with your audio you can also watch/listen to an unedited version of the show over on YouTube.

Ep #18 - Rock me, Daniel Zayas. We talk Black Friday, Blokus and Cities & Knights of Catan and then talk Kickstarter with Daniel Zayas. [ READ MORE ]

Cities and Knights of Catan 12 Years Later

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A question about Settlers of Catan was the first question I ever answered here on the blog. Our first ever podcast episode was all about Catan and the various editions and expansions.  You could almost say The Tabletop Bellhop started with Catan.

That's why I'm bringing back this classic review of Cities & Knights of Catan for #ThrowbackThursday.
Below you will find my original review,  with only very minor editing. I'm trying to keep the feel and tone of the original post. I will, at times, insert comments or corrections, and you will find these in [square brackets]. After the original post, you can find my current thoughts on the game reviewed. [ READ MORE ]

The Next Round is on You – Episode 12 – Tabletop Bellhop Podcast

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This is the twelfth episode of Tabletop Bellhop Live, an edited version of our live show recorded on October 17th, 2018. Join us as we stream live every week on Wednesday’s at 9:30 Eastern on Twitch. If you like some video with your audio you can also watch/listen to an unedited version of the show over on YouTube.

This week we are talking about gaming in pubs and cafes. Dos, don’ts, tips, and tricks for playing in public. Including some game suggestions for public play. [ READ MORE ]

Dos and don’ts of tabletop gaming at cafes and pubs – Ask the Bellhop

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Ivan Sorensen, over on Google+ asks,

Gaming in pubs and cafes: [What are some] do's and don'ts.
Thanks for the question, Ivan.
I'm going to make an assumption here. I'm going to assume you are asking about public gaming events where a group of gamers gather at the local cafe or pub to play games with a variety of different people. If I'm wrong on this and maybe you were looking for date night game suggestions or tips for playing with your mates at the local watering hole let me know.
Since launching the Windsor Gaming Resource in 2002, I've run a variety of tabletop gaming events at a variety of venues. Many of these events have been at local coffee shops or cafes and at a couple of local pubs. Playing in public is not the same as playing at home. Similarly playing at a pub is not the same as playing at a cafe. Let's take a look at both of these. [ READ MORE ]