Solving Your Board Game Problems

Overview

This episode of a “board game collection therapist” features the host reviewing patrons’ game shelves (with some photos appearing uncensored). The guiding idea is to fix bloated / ugly / unplayable collections through:

• Culling
• Matching games to who you actually play with
• Optimizing for table space and storage

The goal isn’t to own fewer games—it’s to own games that get played without ruining game night.

Key lifestyle / collection strategies

Buy for reality, not fantasy

• Stop buying only what sounds perfect.
• Big, rules-heavy games often flop if your typical group won’t learn/teach them.
• If games aren’t getting played, the resulting frustration can hurt more than having fewer titles.

Play to your situation

Choose games that are playable with:

• Your typical group size (often 5–8 for casual gatherings)
• Your group’s teaching comfort level
  • If people won’t learn rules longer than ~15 minutes, plan accordingly

Let go (and possibly sell)

• If a game you love (e.g., epic narrative) doesn’t fit how you can currently teach/play, set it aside or sell it.
• Don’t keep “fantasy experiences” you can’t reproduce in your real group.

Cull ruthlessly

Ask of each game:

• When was the last time you played it?
• Was the experience memorable?
• Is it taking up space that could be used for more versatile, frequently played titles?

Additional culling guidance:

• Remove redundancies (multiple games that deliver the same niche experience).
• Prioritize games that match your current tastes—not only your collection-size goals.

Travel / portability-focused advice

Keep a “backpack subset”

If you play at a specific local board game bar/community event, maintain a subset that fits in a backpack. Box size matters because you may be limited by:

• what you can carry
• what you can teach quickly

Use “filler” and quick-access games at arrivals

Start-of-night games should be:

• small-box
• flexible in player count
• fast to teach/play (often 10–20 minutes)

Recommended filler/quick-access games mentioned:

• Llama
• Flip Seven
• Trio
• Jungo
• No Thanks

Player-count and flexibility tips

Cover multiple player counts

Aim for games that work across different group sizes so you’re not stuck whenever attendance changes.

Example flexibility picks:

• Libertalia (stronger with higher player counts)
• Cult Express (adds chaos; described as meaner, so group-fit matters)
• Zuvardist (light negotiation up to 7 players)
• Hot Streak (race-betting style; bigger “event” feel)

If your common nights are 5–8

• Seven Wonders Architects (3–7 players; low downtime for big groups)
• Captain Flip (easy to get into)

Two-player collector reality check

For collectors who buy primarily for 2-player:

• Be honest about how often you actually play 2-player.
• If you don’t play 2-player often, adding more may be wasted space.

Health / meal routine mentioned (sponsor: Huel)

The host uses a time-saving meal strategy to free up evening time for gaming:

• Huel Black Edition powder
  • Shake with water; ready in ~30 seconds
  • Can be eaten while playing
  • Notes: chocolate flavor and balanced nutrition

Cost/time angle:

• Cited cost: £1.79 per meal
• Claims it saves £10+ vs takeaway

Discount/promo:

• Mentions promo code “actual LOL 15” for 15% off (via link/QR)

Notable collection-specific fixes (examples from patrons)

Velon (Bulgaria)

Issue: Racing-heavy collection; problem is games don’t reach the table. Advice:

• Match games to group teaching limits.
• Sell/set aside long-rule games (example given: Sleeping Gods, due to a ~15-minute teaching reality).

Jade (Netherlands)

Issue: Shelf space blocked by husband’s study books. Advice:

• Declutter duplicates and non-study items.
• Consider culling older “one-case-at-a-time” crime bundles that consume too much space.

Explicit recommendation:

• Avoid the “red box” Jack the Ripper-focused Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective case early/on its own.
• Keep those crime boxes for later or skip.

Rotation strategy:

• Buy one crime game, finish it, then rotate—don’t hoard multiple simultaneously.

Jack (NYC)

Issue: Limited ability to bring large games on the subway; mostly 2-player games, but nights are 5–8. Advice:

• Remove some small boxes that aren’t worth it.
• Add higher-player-count, easy-to-teach options.

Suggested adds:

• Cult Express
• Waterfall Park
• RA
• Las Vegas
• Flip 7

Ryan

Issue: Lots of new Gen Con purchases; wants more “space” and better taste-curation. Advice:

• Don’t overbuy convention hype—research and test mechanics more strategically.
• Explore mechanics by picking representative “popular” examples instead of random variants.
• Thin out repeated types (e.g., multiple similar games; one abstract trick-taking game is likely enough).
• Revisit older “classics” (in print for a reason).

Mel (England)

Issue: Loves small party games; dislikes big boxes overflowing shelves. Advice:

• Consider missing classics that fit silly/party chaos (examples: Cockroach Poker / Spicy alternatives).
• Also suggested:
  • Survive the Island (family-level, competitive “eat the survivors” theme)
  • Anomia (speed/word/party guessing)
  • Poetry for Neanderthals (hit each other with an inflatable club; speak in single syllables)
  • Shifty Spies (wink/tag-and-catch vibe; noted as out of the host’s sight/possibly out of print)

Stefan (UK)

Asked to be roasted. Roast targets:

• oversized boxes
• excessive shelf clutter
• disconnected/unglued shelving setup
• too many redundant / “not recommended” titles

General takeaway:

• Fewer oversized boxes, better shelving, stop hoarding content that doesn’t get played.

Specific annoyance:

• An expansion box was used to replace the base game’s own box representation (example: Cosmic Encounter).

Notable locations / products / named items

Collections reviewed

• Velon (Bulgaria)
• Jade (Netherlands)
• Jack (New York City)
• Ryan (room aesthetics & Gen Con)
• Mel (England)
• Stefan (UK)

Sponsor/product mentioned

• Huel (Huel Black Edition)
• Promo code mentioned: actual LOL 15

Board game locations referenced

• A board game bar with a weekly gathering (city-specific, unnamed)

Game highlights mentioned across reviews

• Heat, Steampunk Rally, Joyide, Root, Sleeping Gods
• Libertalia, Cult Express, Zuvardist, Hot Streak
• Scout, Llama, Flip Seven, Trio, Jungo, No Thanks
• Seven Wonders Architects, Captain Flip, NAR, Through the Desert
• Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective (Jack the Ripper “red box” called out)
• Chronicles of Crime (noted as taking space)
• Exploding Kittens, Throw Throw Burrito
• Colt Express, Ra, Waterfall Park, Quacks, Melee Fury
• Ark Nova, SETI, Scythe (heavier consideration)
• Las Vegas, Herd Mentality
• Gizmos, Quest for Elderado, Carcassonne
• Earth, Forest Shuffle
• Bonanza, Quax (mentioned as negotiation/push-your-luck/deckbuilding comparisons)
• Ticket to Ride, Sheriff of Nottingham
• Cockroach Poker, Spicy, Survive the Island, Poetry for Neanderthals, Shifty Spies
• Cosmic Encounter, Marvel United, Wingspan, Aisle of Cats, In the Footsteps of Darwin, Abyss, Between Two Castles of Mad King Ludwig, “racoo”