So Very Wrong About Games

Even the steadfastly Imperial Americans are familiar with metric measurements of distance, volume, and temperature; but alas, the metric French Republican calendar has fallen by the wayside. Consisting of 12 months of exactly 30 days each (3 10-day weeks) with 5 (or 6, for leap years) interstitial days called "complementary days." I mean, you couldn't call them holidays what with your trying to purge religious influence on your calendar! In a fun twist, each of the 360 normal days, instead of Saint's Days, was meant to commemorate the "treasures of the rural economy." Like horseradish day (Frimaire 12), or rabbit day (Nivôse 15). Even more exotic was metric time, and don't get me started on that.Games Played Last Week:01:31 -Tobago: Volcano (Bruce Allen, Zoch Verlag, 2020)03:50 -Ascension Tactics: Miniatures Deckbuilding Game (Justin Gary & Ryan Sutherland, Stone Blade Entertainment, 2021)06:18 -Uprising: Curse of the Last Emperor (Cornelius Cremin, Pawel Mazur, & Dirk Sommer, Nemesis.Games, 2021)08:50 -Resist! (Trevor Benjamin, Roger Tankersley, & David Thompson, Salt & Pepper Games, 2022) 14:07 -The Adventures of Robin Hood (Michael Menzel, KOSMOS, 2021)15:44 -Regicide (Paul Abrahams, Luke Badger, & Andy Richdale, Badgers from Mars, 2020)16:38 -51st State: Master Set (Ignacy Trzewiczek, Portal, 2016)18:16 -Swords around the Throne (Renaud Verlaque, My Kind of Games, 2022)23:23 -Wormholes (Peter McPherson, Alderac Entertainment Group, 2022)27:04 -Blitz Bowl: Season 2 (James M. Hewitt, Games Workshop Ltd., 2020)News (and why it doesn't matter):33:07 SHUX! September 30-October 2. SVWAG on stage for two live shows on October 1.33:22 Unboxed: Board Game Experience and Design by Gordon Calleja and MIT Press releases October 4.34:13 Pandemic everything! Star Wars: The Clone Wars--A Pandemic System Game34:35 Mac Gerdts' Crossing Oceans35:43 International Gamers Awards winners announced: Carnegie, Ark Nova, and Cascadia.[EDIT: In the broadcast we mistakenly refer to the International Gamers Awards as the International Gaming Awards. We apologize for the error.]36:14 Disney trading card game: Disney Lorcana37:47 Feature Game: Capital Lux 2: Generations (Eilif Svensson & Kristian Amundsen Østby, Aporta Games, 2020)Our Sponsors:* Check out Express VPN: https://expressvpn.com/SOWRONGGAMESAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

We encourage elaborate deception in this week's episode. Go on designers, up your game. While we can't accept anything from you in terms of gifts or donations, you can totally fool us. Stack yourselves three deep in a trenchcoat! Pretend to be long-lost, estranged, and newly-dead relatives! Don silly hats and fake moustaches! Games Played Last Week:01:00 -Monumental (Matthew Dunstan, Funforge, 2020)06:37 -Spirit Island: Jagged Earth (R. Eric Reuss, Greater Than Games, 2020)08:52 -Ragusa (Fabio Lopiano, Braincrack Games, 2019)12:52 -Dead Reckoning (John D. Clair, Alderac Entertainment Group, 2022)18:04 -Castles of Mad King Ludwig: Collector's Edition (Ted Alspach, Bézier Games, 2022)22:04 -Space Weirdos: A Skirmish Heartbreaker (Casey Garske, Garske Games, 2021)27:29 -Oathsworn: Into the Deepwood (Jamie Jolly, Shadowborne Games, 2022)34:38 -Battlecrest: Fellwoods Base Game (Dustin Dobson & Milan Zivkovic, Button Shy, 2022)News (and why it doesn't matter):37:53 We have a Patreon. Please keep mum about it, designers! www.patreon.com/svwag39:11 Fun Facts by Repos Production39:40 David Thompson and BeyondSolitaire working on a game about the Night Witches40:31 Almost Innocent on KS: co-op deduction40:52 Come Together and hold a music festival41:44 Feature Game: Mosaic: A Story of Civilization (Glenn Drover, Forbidden Games, 2022)Our Sponsors:* Check out Express VPN: https://expressvpn.com/SOWRONGGAMESAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Fatal Fury 3's subtitle was Road to the Final Victory, ironic given that there were then four more Fatal Fury titles (the first's subtitle was The King of Fighters, which is its own huge delightful kettle of fish). While Fatal Fury Special (the actual third Fatal Fury title, which made 3 the fourth, please do keep up) was worthy in its own right, 3 is clearly where the Fatal Fury series hit its stride. This is to say nothing of the introductions of Ryuji Yamazaki and Blue Mary!It's either this or Kant, folks. 01:25 AYURIS: Dogs of War (Paolo Mori, CMON, 2014)Games Played Last Week:03:12 -Cosmic Frog (Jim Felli, Devious Weasel Games, 2020)06:20 -Flotilla (J.B. Howell & Michael Mihealsick, WizKids, 2019)07:55 -Massive Darkness 2: Hellscape (Alex Olteanu & Marco Portugal, CMON, 2022)09:29 -Dead and Breakfast (Rodrigo Rego, Braincrack Games, 2018)12:12 -So, You've Been Eaten (Scott Almes, LudiCreations, 2022)16:13 -Fateforge: Chronicles of Kaan (Gordon Calleja, Mighty Boards, 2023)20:27 -Ice Floes & Foes (Kees Meis & Dennis Merkx, Keep Exploring Games, 2021)23:35 -Sentinels of the Multiverse (Christopher Badell, Paul Bender, & Adam Rebottaro, Greater Than Games, 2011)27:52 -Santorini (Gord!, Roxley, 2016)News (and why it doesn't matter):29:02 Chip Theory Games gifting board game media types with swords30:09 Vital Lacerda and Ian O'Toole: Inventions: Evolution of Ideas30:40 HeroScape will be distributed by Hasbro's crowdfunding platform, HasLab31:34 Astra from Mindclash games: straight to retail32:18 Topic: Efficiency EurosOur Sponsors:* Check out Express VPN: https://expressvpn.com/SOWRONGGAMESAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Not every game needs to be four huge boxes full of other boxes and plastic. Some can be delightfully simple games... with boxes that are too big due to crowdfunding. Other games could be underappreciated Reiner Knizia classics brought to a new underappreciating audience! Via, I guess, the medium of crowdfunding. Hm. I suppose I don't have a point, except that we, like pearls before swine or a Knizia before a gamer, are ungrateful contradictory ingrates.Games Played Last Week:01:58 -Meadow (Klemens Kalicki, Rebel Studio, 2021)07:26 -Chronicles of Avel (Przemek Wojtkowiak, Rebel Studio, 2021)10:42 -Massive Darkness 2: Hellscape (Alex Olteanu & Marco Portugal, CMON, 2022)13:36 -Noli (Jack Caesar & Alessio Cavatore, River Horse Ltd., 2022)18:40 -Barrage: The Leeghwater Project (Tommaso Battista & Simone Luciani, Cranio Creations, 2019)22:30 -Stephenson's Rocket (Reiner Knizia, Pegasus Spiele, 1999)25:19 -The Mirroring of Mary King (Jim Felli, Devious Weasel Games, 2022)29:05 -Oathsworn: Into the Deepwood (Jamie Jolly, Shadowborne Games, 2022)36:23 -Siege of Mantua (Amabel Holland, Hollandspiele, 2022)News (and why it doesn't matter):41:01 Friedemann Friese's Findorff41:46 SLightly more HeroScape news on Hasbro Pulse43:50 Revive by Aporta Games44:40 Feature Game: It's a Wonderful World (Frédéric Guérard, La Boîte de Jeu, 2019) and It's a Wonderful Kingdom (Frédéric Guérard, La Boîte de Jeu, 2021)Our Sponsors:* Check out Express VPN: https://expressvpn.com/SOWRONGGAMESAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

I met a gamer from an antique landWho said: “Two vast and trunkless legs of plasticStand in the desert. Near them, on the sand,Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown,And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,Tell that its sculptor well those passions readWhich yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed:And on the pedestal these words appear:'My name is Cool Mini or Not, Kickstarter of Kickstarters.Look on my pledges ye Mighty, and despair!"Nothing beside remains. Round the decayOf that Colossal Wreck, boundless and bareThe lone and level sands stretch far away.-Percy Bysshe Shelley's "Cool Mini or Not"01:17 AYURIS: Empyreal: Spells & Steam (Trey Chambers, Level 99 Games, 2020)Games Played Last Week:03:21 -Marvel Dice Throne (Gavan Brown, Nate Chatellier, & Manny Trembley, Roxley, 2022)05:39 -Yggdrasil Chronicles (Cédric Lefebvre, Ludonaute, 2019)09:51 -Brian Boru: High King of Ireland (Peer Sylvester, Osprey Games, 2021)14:37 -Massive Darkness 2: Hellscape (Alex Olteanu & Marco Portugal, CMON, 2022)16:26 -Paint the Roses (Ben Goldman, North Star Games, 2022)18:20 -Décorum (Harry Mackin, Charlie Mackin, & Drew Tenenbaum, Floodgate Games, 2022)21:24 -Horizon Wars: Zero Dark (Robey Jenkins, Precinct Omega Publishing, 2020)23:11 -Skull (Hervé Marly, Asmodee, 2011)23:37 -Dungeons & Dragons: Dungeon Scrawlers--Heroes of Undermountain (Vangelis Bagiartakis & Konstantinos Karagiannis, Wizkids, 2021)24:57 -So Clover! (François Romain, Repos Production, 2021)27:04 -Hour of Need (Adam Sadler & Brady Sadler, Blacklist Games, 2022)29:58 -Framework (Uwe Rosenberg, Edition Spielwiese, 2022)29:58 -Nova Luna (Uwe Rosenberg & Corné van Moorsel, Edition Spielwiese, 2019)31:03 -Cerebria: The Inside World (Richard Amann, Viktor Peter, István Pócsi, Frigyes Schőberl, Nick Shaw, & Dávid Turczi, Mindclash Games, 2018)35:42 -XenoShyft: Onslaught (Keren Philosophales & Michael Shinall, CMON, 2015) and Dreadmire (Michael Shinall, CMON, 2017)37:32 -Fateforge: Chronicles of Kaan (Gordon Calleja, Mighty Boards, 2023)News (and why it doesn't matter):41:59 AGL Tournament Pack--Bixie Edition for Aristeia!42:37 FFG's Star Wars: The Deckbuilding Game42:50 Pandasaurus and Elizabeth Hargrave's The Fox Experiment44:06 Topic: Done with CMON?1:05:23 SVWAG Presents Masterpiece Theatre: PreyOur Sponsors:* Check out Express VPN: https://expressvpn.com/SOWRONGGAMESAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

The Smart Car was truly out-of-the-box thinking. "Why do passenger cars all have to be the way they are?" asked some clever group of designers, and designed the minimalistic teensy Smart Car. Of course, the challenges posed by manufacturing the little thing, or driving the little thing on a highway, or walking away from a crash in the little thing, proved to be compelling arguments in favour of more traditional passenger car manufacture. What I'm saying is that sometimes the box exists for a reason, notwithstanding the virtues of experimentation. Games Played Last Week:01:48 -The Guild of Merchant Explorers (Matthew Dunstan & Brett J. Gilbert, AEG, 2022)06:25 -Street Masters (Adam Sadler & Brady Sadler, Blacklist Games, 2018)11:37 -Oltréé (Antoine Bauza & John Grümph, Studio H, 2021) 17:08 -Massive Darkness 2: Hellscape (Alex Olteanu & Marco Portugal, CMON, 2022)21:46 -Paint the Roses (Ben Goldman, North Star Games, 2022)24:04 -Groundhog Day: The Game (Propsero Hall, Funko Games, 2021)26:21 -Framework (Uwe Rosenberg, Edition Spielwiese, 2022)29:11 -Circadians: Chaos Order (S J Macdonald & Zach Smith, Garphill Games, 2022)33:59 -For Science! (R. Eric Reuss, Grey Fox Games, 2021)35:39 -Vengeance (Gordon Calleja, Mighty Boards, 2018)News (and why it doesn't matter):42:24 Tiletum from Daniele Tascini and Simone Luciani, update on the Daniele Tascini controversies44:47 HeroScape will not return with pre-painted minis and ode to American retail47:31 SVWAG at the Shut Up & Sit Down Expo: SHUX! September 30 - October 247:45 Feature Game: Space Station Phoenix (Gabriel J. Cohn, Rio Grande Games, 2022)Our Sponsors:* Check out Express VPN: https://expressvpn.com/SOWRONGGAMESAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

There was a time you could just stroll in a big box store in the United States and just buy a miniatures skirmish game that was actually pretty good. Sure, it didn't have analog movement or anything, but it used true line of sight and had amazing plastic terrain. So much plastic. Like, a whole lot. One the one hand, Hasbro says they're bringing HeroScape back, but on the other, ain't no way it's coming back the same as it was. They're going to bleed us dry for those little pre-painted dolls--even assuming they're still pre-painted, that is.Games Played Last Week:02:22 -My Father's Work (T.C. Petty III, Renegade Game Studios, 2022)04:20 -Kleos (Jim Kavanagh, Azure Horizon Games, 2021)08:14 -Meeple War (Max Valembois, Blue Cocker Games, 2016)10:23 -Imperium: The Contention (Gary Dworetsky, Contention Games, 2021)12:24 -Neuroshima Hex! 3.0: Beasts (Joanna Kijanka, Portal Games, 2021)13:48 -Catch the Moon (Fabien Riffaud & Juan Rodriguez, Bombyx, 2017)15:09 -A Feast for Odin: The Norwegians (Gernot Köpke & Uwe Rosenberg, Feuerland Spiele, 2018)16:45 -Zeppelin Attack! (Eric B. Vogel, Evil Hat Productions, 2014)19:22 -Arctic Scavengers (Robert K. Gabhart, Rio Grande Games, 2009)20:43 -Capital Lux 2: Generations (Eilif Svensson & Kristian Amundsen Østby, Aporta Games, 2021)23:04 -Wonderland's War (Tim Eisner, Ben Eisner, & Ian Moss, Druid City Games, 2022)26:53 -Flourish (James A. Wilson & Clarissa A. Wilson, Starling Games, 2021)News (and why it doesn't matter):29:37 Everdell digital on Steam by Dire Wolf30:37 www.patreon.com/svwag31:39 HeroScape: Age of Annihilation announced at GenCon34:35 Imperium: Horizons expandalone for Classics/Legends with 14 new civilizations37:05 SVWAG at the Shut Up & Sit Down Expo: SHUX! September 30 - October 237:19 Feature Game: Carnegie (Xavier Georges, Quined Games, 2022)Our Sponsors:* Check out Express VPN: https://expressvpn.com/SOWRONGGAMESAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Times are bad. Children no longer listen to their elders and everyone is running a Kickstarter. When I started this hobby I had no idea I would get a crash course in international shipping and logistics. Back in the day you might have had a friend in Germany send you the hot new thing, now you're tracking to see when the container ship with your stuff gets to leave port in China. 01:24 AYURIS: Beyond the Sun (Dennis K. Chan, Rio Grande Games, 2020)Games Played Last Week:03:42 -Legacy of Dragonholt (Nikki Valens with Daniel Clark, Tim Flanders, Annie VanderMeer Mitsoda, & Greg Spyridis, FFG, 2017)09:51 -Dungeons & Dragons: Dungeon Scrawlers--Heroes of Undermountain (Vangelis Bagiartakis & Konstantinos Karagiannis, Wizkids, 2021)11:36 -The Great Wall (Kamil 'Sanex' Cieśla, Robert Plesowicz, & Łukasz Włodarczyk, Awaken Realms, 2021)15:08 -Eriantys (Leo Colovini, Cranio Creations, 2021)20:28 -Northgard: Uncharted Lands (Adrian Dinu, Shiro Games, 2022)26:14 -Space Station Phoenix (Gabriel J. Cohn, Rio Grande Games, 2022)30:07 -Don't L.L.A.M.A. Dice (Reiner Knizia, AMIGO, 2021)31:21 -Circadians: Chaos Order (S J Macdonald & Zach Smith, Garphill Games, 2022)37:35 -Mosaic: A Story of Civilization (Glenn Drover, Forbidden Games, 2022)News (and why it doesn't matter):47:38 Peter Pan by Marc Paquien48:07 Reprint of Traumfabrik: Nightmare Productions (by Trick or Treat Productions)48:29 Return of the 7th Sea CCG 48:45 Deal with the Devil: hidden roles, app-driven, huge theological questions49:26 Bloodstones by Martin Wallace50:31 SVWAG at the Shut Up & Sit Down Expo: SHUX! September 30 - October 251:11 Topic: Does the Industry Demand Too Much?Our Sponsors:* Check out Express VPN: https://expressvpn.com/SOWRONGGAMESAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Much talk of animals this week, what with wombats and mass animal harvesting in Stroganov. Mark's experience was that despite covering many hot-button issues in his medical ethics classes, the one that invariably produced the most voluble emotional responses was that of medical testing on animals. Pit Bull owners, in particular; despite there being no medical testing of the type discussed on Pit Bulls. Go figure. Games Played Last Week:01:03 -San Francisco (Reiner Knizia, Rebel Studio, 2022)04:44 -Ca$h 'n Guns: Second Edition (Ludovic Maublanc, Repos Production, 2014) 06:69 -Carnegie (Xavier Georges, Quined Games, 2022)08:15 -Vengeance (Gordon Calleja, Mighty Boards, 2018)10:17 -Dungeons & Dragons: Dungeon Scrawlers--Heroes of Undermountain (Vangelis Bagiartakis & Konstantinos Karagiannis, Wizkids, 2021)12:58 -Dungeons, Dice & Danger (Richard Garfield, alea, 2022)15:44 -Space Station Phoenix (Gabriel J. Cohn, Rio Grande Games, 2022)20:09 -The Great Wall (Kamil 'Sanex' Cieśla, Robert Plesowicz, & Łukasz Włodarczyk, Awaken Realms, 2021)23:08 -Hand-to-Hand Wombat (Matthew Inman, Elan Lee, & Cory O'Brien, Exploding Kittens, 2022)26:38 -Transmissions (Adam West, CrossCut Games, 2022)27:54 -Legacy of Dragonholt (Nikki Valens with Daniel Clark, Tim Flanders, Annie VanderMeer Mitsoda, & Greg Spyridis, FFG, 2017)News (and why it doesn't matter):32:06 SVWAG at the Shut Up & Sit Down Expo: SHUX! September 30 - October 232:30 SVWAG back on YouTube: Video review of Stars of Akarios' Preludehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXJrOXhZz0E32:42 Gordon Calleja's Fateforge: Chronicles of Kaan33:33 Undaunted: Battle of Britain34:37 Ascending Empires: Zenith edition 2023 WizKids35:48 Hickory Dickory36:20 Spirit Island: New Horizons Target-exclusive38:42 CMON's Dune: War for Arrakis39:20 Feature Game: Stroganov (Andreas Steding, Game Brewer, 2021)Our Sponsors:* Check out Express VPN: https://expressvpn.com/SOWRONGGAMESAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

We celebrate the release of a palindrome episode with the glorious news of the return of SHUX, the Shut Up & Sit Down Expo. Perhaps more relevantly, SVWAG are invited guests! Both Mark and Walker will be in Vancouver from September 30th to October 2nd. Now that you know where they will be, you can more efficiently avoid them. Or you could go play a game with them, whatevs.02:54 AYURIS: Tidal Blades: Heroes of the Reef (Tim Eisner & Ben Eisner, Druid City Games, 2020)Games Played Last Week:05:45 -Vengeance: Roll & Fight (Gordon Calleja, Noralie Lubbers, & Dávid Turczi, Mighty Boards, 2022)10:05 -Regicide (Paul Abrahams, Luke Badger, & Andy Richdale, Badgers from Mars, 2020)10:52 -Scape Goat (Jon Perry, Indie Boards & Cards, 2020)12:54 -Battlelore 2nd Edition (Richard Borg & Robert A. Kouba, FFG, 2013)15:57 -Millennium Blades: Collusion (Joshua Van Laningham & D. Brad Talton, Jr., Level 99 Games, 2021)21:32 -Golem (Flaminia Brasini, Virginio Gigli, & Simone Luciani, Cranio Creations, 2021)22:42 -Clash of the Gladiators (Reiner Knizia, Rio Grande Games, 2002)27:17 -Guards of Atlantis II (Artyom Nichipurov, Wolff Designa, 2022)28:22 -Ghost Adventure (Wlad Watine, Buzzy Games, 2020)31:36 -Orléans (Reiner Stockhausen, dlp Games, 2014)33:01 -Shamans (Cédrick Chaboussit, Studio H, 2021)37:19 -Carnegie (Xavier Georges, Quined Games, 2022)38:39 -Scythe (Jamey Stegmaier, Stonemaier Games, 2016)39:44 -The Guild of Merchant Explorers (Matthew Dunstan & Brett J. Gilbert, AEG, 2022)News (and why it doesn't matter):41:09 Discordia by Bernd Eisenstein41:25 Spiel des Jahres Winner: Cascadia from Randy Flynn and Flatout Games, Kennerspiel Living Forest from Aske Christiansen and Ludonaute41:52 The Wordle nightmare evolves into board form42.32 Sabika by Germán P. Millán43:00 SVWAG at the Shut Up & Sit Down Expo: SHUX! September 30 - October 243:57Topic: Fumbling towards a New NormalVideo: Board Game Design: How COVID 19 changed the board game industry foreverhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QM190p6MiPkOur Sponsors:* Check out Express VPN: https://expressvpn.com/SOWRONGGAMESAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy