How to Use Shut Up & Sit Down to Find Board Games Worth Trying

Shut Up & Sit Down (SU&SD) publishes board game reviews, ranked-list videos, podcasts, and convention showcases, and you can use each format for a different kind of discovery: reviews for a verdict on one title, the Top 100 series for historically notable games, podcasts for clusters of smaller releases, and two-player showcases for player-count-specific ideas. The site's own recent output illustrates all four paths, so you can start browsing without an account or a fixed reading order.

Start With a Single-Game Review When You Already Have a Title in Mind

The review format is the most direct way to get an opinion. Recent examples on the site include Review: Yotei, presented by Matt as "one of his absolute favourites from 2026," and Review: Jisogi: Anime Studio Tycoon, described as "a delightfully themed euro" with a wry question about whether you can produce an anime and turn a profit.

Use reviews like this when:

• A game is already on your radar and you want a critical take before buying.
• You want to judge whether a theme (anime studio management, for instance) matches your group's taste.
• You prefer a video walkthrough over a rulebook.

The review pages are written in the site's characteristic informal voice, so treat them as opinionated commentary rather than neutral specification sheets. Expect humour and asides alongside the assessment.

Use the Top 100 Series to Find Canonical and Overlooked Games

The site runs a recurring Top 100 Board Games of All Time video series. The ninth episode, themed Innovation, has hosts Matt and Tom working through entries on a giant chalkboard. This format is useful when you want a curated shortlist rather than a single verdict: each episode groups games around a theme, so you can watch one instalment and come away with several candidate titles that share a design quality you care about.

A practical approach: pick the episode theme that matches what your group enjoys, note the titles mentioned, then search the site for a full review of any that stand out. The series is episodic, so earlier instalments cover different themes and are worth working through if you want a broader list.

Check the Podcast for Batches of Smaller Games

The SU&SD podcast is where the hosts cover several games per episode, often smaller or quirkier releases. Two recent episodes show the range:

The small-boxes episode is the clearest example of a discovery use case: if you want compact games that travel well or suit short sessions, an episode built around tiny titles gives you multiple options in one listen. Podcast episodes are less structured than reviews, so keep a note of game names as they come up and look them up afterwards.

Match Discovery to Your Player Count

If you usually play with exactly two people, general reviews and Top 100 lists may recommend games that don't suit you. The site addresses this directly with New Games for Two | Board Games Direct #7, a showcase video covering "some of the new 2 player games that you'll soon see popping up at conventions," with brief looks inside the boxes of more than 60 games. The stated aim is to give "a rough sense of which games you might like to check out" — so treat it as a screening tool, not a final verdict, and follow up on promising titles elsewhere on the site.

The same Board Games Direct coverage includes a series of short videos by Dani Standring, which suit quick scanning when you don't want a full-length review.

A Workable Browsing Routine

1. Define your constraint first — player count, session length, or theme. This determines which format to open.
2. Scan the matching format: a review for one title, a Top 100 episode for a themed shortlist, a podcast for small games, or the two-player showcase for duo options.
3. Shortlist two or three titles and note why each appealed.
4. Cross-check by reading or watching a full review of each shortlisted game before committing.

The main limitation to plan around: the site publishes opinion-led video and audio content, and the homepage mixes reviews, podcasts, and event coverage without a formal database structure. There is no indication of a searchable game index or filter system, so discovery depends on browsing recent posts and series episodes rather than querying a catalogue. If you need structured data such as player counts, play times, or prices, verify those details from the publisher or a retailer — the SU&SD material is best used to decide what to investigate, not as a reference for specifications.