So Very Wrong About Games

Canadian measurement quirks and regional terminology kick things off before a wide-ranging tour of tabletop games. Highlights include cyberpunk cooperation in Deckers, economic tension in Salton Sea, expanded card play in Regicide Inferno, and tactical Star Wars campaign memories. The discussion also covers elegant two-player design, frustrating pacing, upcoming releases, and the story behind Arkhipov Day.

A whirlwind tour of recent plays spans castle-building, Napoleonic tactics, hidden identities, underwater exploration, and slippery penguins. News covers expansions, a Blitzkrieg successor, The LOOP’s return, and Arkhipov Day. The spotlight lands on Toy Battle, a compact clash of tile timing, tactical pressure, area control, and comeback potential that divides opinions on its depth and clarity.

We cover the gamut of historical figures this week, from shy spiders, Thor, the Italian Masters, Iggy Pop, Terry Bogard, and one underexamined and grossly underappreciated figure in the form of Vasily Arkhipov. He made your life possible, so you owe him at least a day. 01:07 AYURIS: D.E.I.: Divide et Impera (Tommaso Battista, Ludus Magnus Studio, 2022) Games Played Last Week: 04:01 -Patchistory (Yeon-Min Jung & Jun-Hyup Kim, Deinko Games, 2013) 07:04 -Grabble (Naoki Fukuda, CMYK, 2026) 10:47 -Creature Caravan: Wanderers (Ryan Laukat, Red Raven Games, 2024) 15:59 -Blood Rage: Valhalla (Eric M. Lang, Tycoon Games, 2026) 23:39 -Star Wars: Super Teams (Max Gerchambeau, Zygomatic, 2025) 27:09 -Claustrophobia 1643 (Croc & Laurent Pouchain, Monolith, 2019) 32:04 -Igloo Pop (Heinz Meister & Klaus Zoch, Zoch Verlag. 2003) 34:57 -Entropy (Tommaso Battista, Simone Luciani, & Nestore Mangone, Board&Dice, 2026) 41:36 -Rumble Nation (Yogi Shinichi, Hobby Japan, 2017) 44:25 -Tag Team (Gricha German & Corentin Lebrat, Scorpion Masqué, 2025) News (and why it doesn't matter): 47:53 Arkhipov Day! In recognition of Vasily Arkhipov saving the entire world on October 27, 1962, we celebrate Arkhipov Day on October 27th. 48:53 Tag Team expansions: Arthur's Legacy and SNK Arcade Legends (!). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

To paraphrase Sir Mix-a-Lot (O.B.E.), I like big bears and I cannot lie! Fat Bear Week is upon us. Let these corpulent kings of ursine excellence strut their stuff, and let us admire in awe at their tangible gains. These bears do not skip leg day. Some people have mukbang--we have out fat bears. Games Played Last Week: 01:05 -Panda Spin (Carl Chudyk, Moon Gate Design 2024) 05:04 -Brightcast (Nicholas Forker & Hugh Kramer, self-published, 2025) 09:10 -Landfall: A Cozy Volcano Island-Building Game (Evan Katz, Zachary Lee, and Josh Roberts, Evan and Josh's Very Special Game Company, 2026) 14:08 -Leaps and Ledges (Uncredited, MindWare, 2014) 16:44 -Spaggetin (Franco Spardo, Alley Cat Games, 2026) 20:24 -Othello (John W. Mollett, Lewis Waterman, and Goro Hasegawa, Tsukuda Original, 1973) 27:26 -Cyberpunk Trading Card Game (Chris Solis, WeirdCo, 2026) 33:50 -Floral (James Newman, Edition Spielwiese, 2024) 36:00 -Drillers (Roman Bednář & Adam Španěl, CGE, 2026) 41:31 -Jibber Jabble (Cassie Sikes, Allplay, 2026) News (and why it doesn't matter): 48:33 Got Five: Ghost! 49:26 Opera Magna: Throwback theme, novel distribution? 50:43 It's Fat Bear Week! https://explore.org/fat-bear-week 51:11 Feature Game: How to Save a World (Yuval Grinspun, Burnt Island Games, 2025) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A rapid-fire tour of recent tabletop adventures, from cooperative trick-taking campaigns and accessible deduction to fragile negotiations and endlessly replayable card play. They debate sprawling designs, clever two-player systems, auctions, area control, wordplay, and whether bigger editions lose their focus. Brief news covers AI art controversy, expansions, and new titles.

The SVWAG Canon (https://www.sowronggames.com/svwag-canon) is an elite list of games that Walker and Mark both very much enjoy. Walker is nervous around recommendations, per se, and the imitations on an ideal game library or somesuch is subject to many practical constraints--so instead SVWAG has an unruly list of games that are greatly enjoyed by both the hosts. And it is time for that list to be updated! 02:08 AYURIS: EGO (Reiner Knizia, Bitewing Games, 2025) Games Played Last Week: 04:52 -Dwellings of Eldervale (Luke Laurie, Breaking Games, 2020) 09:10 -Brumble Quest (J. Arthur Ellis, Plaid Hat Games, 2026) 13:53 -Endless Winter: Paleoamericans (Stan Kordonskiy, Fantasia Games, 2022) 16:31 -Banana Governance (Mukai, Mukai, 2025) 23:06 -Avalon: The Riven Veil (Jamie Jolly, Shadowborne Games, 2026) 30:26 -Cats Knocking Things Off Ledges (David Killing & Sen Foong-Lim, The Op games, 2026) 35:37 -The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers--Trick-Taking Game (Bryan Bornmueller, Office Dog, 2026) 38:06 -World Championship Russian Roulette (Anthony Burch, Tuesday Knight Games, 2017) News (and why it doesn't matter): 43:57 Please support us on Patreon! www.patreon.com/svwag 49:17 Glorious Listener Survey over 46:07 Concept Kids to Concept: Stories 47:00 Mass market, big box store versions of Scout and now Dro Polter 47:54 Wizards of the Grimoire (aka Bookie Bookie, Pew Pew) 3 48:24 Topic: Canon Update Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's hard to go wrong with cats. Even most people who don't like cats are wise enough to keep relatively quiet about it, lest they suffer the consequences. What consequences? Oh, I don't know, maybe the fury of needle-armed psychopaths who watch things die for fun! And that's just the cat owners. ZING I kid, I kid. We here at SVWAG have considerable enthusiasm for Official SVWAG cat, Chandler, aka Chan-Chan aka Chan Man aka Potato. Games Played Last Week: 00:54 -Movie Tricks (Vegard Eliassen Stillerud, Eilif Svensson, and Åsmund Svensson, Chilifox Games, 2025) 06:49 -Avalon: The Riven Veil (Jamie Jolly, Shadowborne Games, 2026) 15:04 -D.E.I.: Divide et Impera (Tommaso Battista, Ludus Magnus Studio, 2022) 17:27 -Barrage: The Colorado Connection (Tommaso Battista & Simone Luciani, Cranio Creations, 2024) 25:06 -Alibis (Yusuke Sato, Allplay, 2025) 27:36 -Landmarks (Rodrigo Rego & Danilo Valente, Floodgate Games, 2024) 28:22 -dnup (Kei Kajino, asmodee, 2025) 31:11 -Bookshelf (Caezar Al-Jassar, Alley Cat Games, 2026) 33:19 -Realm of Reckoning (Max Anderson, Zac Dixon, and Austin Harrison, IV Studio, 2026) 39:37 -Totally Human (Kasper Lapp, Bitewing Games, 2026) 45:52 -Cats Knocking Things Off Ledges (David Killing & Sen Foong-Lim, The Op games, 2026) News (and why it doesn't matter): 49:17 Glorious Listener Survey! https://forms.gle/ghqMH9cuiRWCVyZn9 49:46 Valuable creator, JonGetsGames, on hiatus 51:38 Dinosaurs, everybody! Dino Racer from Underdog and Marceline Leiman 53:08 Rebels Against Rebellion by Trevor Benjamin, David Thompson, and art by Kwanchai Moriya 54:32 Feature Game: Robo Rally Dice (Kane Klenko, Renegade Game Studios, 2026) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

[EDIT] In this episode, Mark falsely attributes the co-authorship of Ayar to Nestore Mangone, when in fact it was designed by Mandela Fernandez-Grandon and Fabio Lopiano. We regret the error. Have you heard of the Walker Quint? This patent-pending, uncopyrightable system is more than just a game organizational schema--it is a multipurpose framework that will REVOLUTIONIZE YOUR LIFE in every way! It's more like a cult, really. Join us in following the Eternal Path of the Walker Quint. 01:43 AYURIS: Undaunted 2200: Callisto (Trevor Benjamin and David Thompson, Osprey, 2024) Games Played Last Week: 05:53 -Gold Country (Reiner Knizia, Bitewing Games, 2026) 09:45 -Bottle Imp (Günter Cornett, Grail Games, 2024) 15:27 -Las Vegas (Rüdiger Dorn, alea, 2012) 18:44 -Avalon: The Riven Veil (Jamie Jolly, Shadowborne Games, 2026) 28:06 -Tiletum (Simone Luciani and Daniele Tascini, Board&Dice, 2022) 32:53 -Baghdad: The City of Peace (Fabio Lopiano & Nestore Mangone, Alley Cat Games, 2025) 40:03 -Into the Machine (Kasper Lapp, AEG, 2026) 46:22 -Sentinels of the Multiverse: Definitive Edition (Christopher Badell & Adam Rebottaro, Greater Than Games, 2022) News (and why it doesn't matter): 54:19 Calactic Cruise rakes in the Dice Tower ards at Gen Con 54:36 Glorious Listener Survey! https://forms.gle/ghqMH9cuiRWCVyZn9 55:05 Nidavellir re-developed into Dwarves of Aquilon 56:20 One Page Rules is crowdfunding starter boxes 57:39 Blind buy for Games Workshop minis 1:00:35 Topic: Games that Build Cred Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The world is changing, what with everything being cozy and (some) crowdfunding projects fulfilling in weeks rather than years. This dizzying pace of evolution can be disorienting, which is why Notebook Nations seeks to comfort and console you by having throwbacks to the design decisions of years past. Games Played Last Week: 01:55 -Wonderland's War (Tim Eisner, Ben Eisner, and Ian Moss, Druid City Games, 2022) 06:48 -The Quest for El Dorado: Expansion Collection (Reiner Knizia, Lautapelit.fi, 2025) 13:54 -Star Wars: Rebellion (Corey Konieczka, Fantasy Flight, 2016) 23:34 -Container (Franz-Benno Delonge, Thomas Ewert, and Kevin Nesbitt, Allplay, 2026) 30:06 -Tag Team (Gricha German & Corentin Lebrat, Scorpion Masqué, 2025) 35:38 -Chang'an (Carlo Camarotto & Nestore Mangone, Arcane Wonders, 2026) 37:57 -Nokosu Dice (Yusuke Matsumoto, Engames, 2016) 44:12 -Kabuto Sumo: Sakura Slam (John Brieger, Michael Dunsmore, & Tony Miller, Allplay, 2024) News (and why it doesn't matter): 47:26 Glorious Listener Survey! https://forms.gle/ghqMH9cuiRWCVyZn9 48:26 The Lord of the Rings: King's Gambit price speculation and lamentation 52:21 Feature Game: Notebook Nations (Amy Droz & Dusty Droz, Dux Somnium Games, 2026) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We have recovered from SVWAG Con II: Electric Boogaloo, and to the best of our knowledge there was no "con crud" or equivalent contagion. We make no claims that the con possesses curative powers, though we haven't had anyone say that it *didn't* cure a chronic illness. 01:27 AYURIS: Andromeda's Edge (Luke Laurie and Maximus Laurie, Cardboard Alchemy, 2024) Games Played Last Week: 03:48 -Eternal Decks (Hiroken, tricktakers Games, 2025) 09:46 -D.E.I.: Divide et Impera (Tommaso Battista, Ludus Magnus Studio, 2022) 14:58 -Coalitions (Andrew Rourke, PHALANX, 2026) 21:37 -Smartphone Inc. (Ivan Lashin, Cosmodrome Games, 2018 24:42 -Wroth (Manny Trembley, Chip Theory Games, 2025) 32:19 -Alibis (Yusuke Sato, Allplay, 2025) 35:35 -Hot Streak (Jon Perry, CMYK, 2025) 36:16 -Green Team Wins (Nathan Thornton, 25th Century Games, 2022) 36:39 -The Resistance (Don Eskridge, Indie Boards & Cards, 2009) 38:49 -The Defence of Procyon III (Dávid Turczi, PSC Games, 2021) News (and why it doesn't matter): 44:06 Aristeia 2.0: Hexadome Tactics 45:55 XCom miniatures game for preorder 46:46 Malediction expands with new factions and starter sets 48:12 Allplay gives Dominant Species an Ian O'Toole facelift 48:54 Through the Desert gets a sequel: Through the Mountains 49:57 Spirit Island's future, according to R. Eric Reuss: https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/3728767/eric-s-2026-update 51:00 Topic: The Mid-Year Tag Questions Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices