So Very Wrong About Games

We've always been here. Waiting, in this basement, yelling into the can. When we invented podcasts all those years ago it was merely as avenue for our pre-existing subterranean discourse. Now some of you have joined us, and our labours are no longer in vain. Once the power dies out, we'll still be here, yelling into the can. About boardgames. Games Played Last Week: -Race for the Galaxy: Xeno Invasion 1m43s (Thomas Lehmann, Rio Grande Games, 2015)-Everdell 5m54s (James A. Wilson, Starling Games, 2018)-Starfarers of Catan 10m06s (Klaus Teuber, Mayfair Games, 1999)-Barbarians: The Invasion 12m44s (Martino Chiacchiera, Marta Ciaccasassi, & Pierluca Zizzi, Tabula Games, 2018)-Forbidden Sky 19m21s (Matt Leacock, Gamewright, 2018)News (and why it doesn't matter)-Asmodee sold, Asmodee buys something 21m55s-Taiwanese flag flap 23m58s-CMON tries zombies for the first time ever 25m27s-More Spirits on the Island 26m13sFeature Game: Stephenson's Rocket 28m03s (Reiner Knizia, Grail Games, 2018)Topic: Dealing with Frustration 54m40sAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Reading your audience is a hard thing, and not even just when blasting your errant opinions over the interwebs. Mark couldn't read the room when Walker requested a certain game, and that didn't end well. Walker couldn't perceive Mark's growing misgivings about the feature game. This one time I thought a baby boy was a baby girl and the parents were very offended. Life is hard!Games Played Last Week: -Star Realms 2m19s (Robert Dougherty & Darwin Kastle, White Wizard, 2014)-Amun-Re: The Card Game 4m59s (Reiner Knizia, Super Meeple, 2017)-Endeavor: The Age of Sail 7m03s (Carl de Visser & Jarratt Gray, Burnt Island Games, 2018)-Ortus Regni 9m26s (Jon Sudbury, Jon Sudbury Games, 2014)-Star Wars: Imperial Assault - Jabba's Realm 12m02s (Todd Michlitsch & Paul Winchester, FFG, 2017)-Pandemic: Reign of Cthulhu 13m10s (Matt Leacock & Chuck D. Yager, Z-Man, 2016)-Mage Knight Board Game 15m42s (Vlaada Chvatil, WizKids, 2011)-Race for the Galaxy: The Brink of War 18m25s (Thomas Lehmann, Rio Grande Games, 2010)News (and why it doesn't matter)-Fighting games have sequels, so too must Street Masters 19m45s-Carcassonne goes on safari 21m48s-The Grail lost? 22m44sFeature Game: 24m24s-Battle for Rokugan (Molly Glover & Tom Jolly, Fantasy Flight, 2017)Topic: Gateway Games 51m50sAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I hope you're planning your Arkhipov Day festivities. Don't get me wrong, I dig Stanislav Petrov as much as the next guy, but for my money Vasili Arkhipov is the man, and he doesn't get nearly enough credit. Because, you know, he either saved your life or your ancestors' lives--the least we could do is give the man a holiday. He doesn't even have a card in Twilight Struggle! See, I brought it back to games in the end.Games Played Last Week: -Galaxy Trucker: Missions 3m00s (Vlaada Chvátil, CGE, 2015)-Terraforming Mars: Prelude 6m04s (Jacob Fryxelius, Stronghold, 2018)-Quartermaster General: Prelude 7m01s (Ian Brody, Griggling Games, 2018)-Star Wars: Imperial Assault - Jabba's Realm 9m24s (Todd Michlitsch & Paul Winchester, FFG, 2017)-Specter Ops 10m24s (Emerson Matssuchi, Plaid Hat Games, 2015)-Master of the Galaxy 14m54s (Timofey Bokarev & Konstantin Seleznev, Ares Games, 2018)-Paper Tales: Beyond the Gate 19m38s (Masato Uesugi, Strongold, 2018)News (and why it doesn't matter)-Fog of Love expands to LGBTQ scenarios 24m22s-Z-Man Lords over Vegas 25m34s-SVWAG SWAG: Take our stuff 26m20s-Pfister Blacks Out Hong Kong 27m46s-Mac Gerdts brings the love in Concordia 28m37s-Terraforming Mars digitally 29m40s-Chip Theory's neoprene obsession 30m00sFeature Game: 31m28s-Level 7 [Omega Protocol] (Will Schoonover, Privateer Press, 2013)Topic: Keeping Games Moving 57m42sAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We're always wondering about what comes next, always on the lookout for the next big thing--both in games and broadcasting. That's why we're open to being elevated to the judiciary, so the next time there's a search committee feel free to add Mark and Walker to the ol' shortlist. We're open to traveling, so it doesn't have to be any particular country. We hear The Hague is nice? Games Played Last Week: -Mystic Vale 2m02s (John D. Clair, AEG, 2016)-Sentinels of the Multiverse 6m27s (Christopher Badell, Paul Bender, & Adam Rebottaro, Greater Than Games, 2011) -Istanbul 10m34s (Rudiger Dorn, Pegasus Spiele, 2014)-Vengeance 11m49s (Gordon Calleja, Mighty Boards, 2018)-XenoShyft: Onslaught 13m30s (Keren Philosophales & Michael Shinall, CMON, 2015)-51st State: Master Set 15m46s (Ignacy Trzewiczek, Portal, 2016)-War Chest 17m46s (Trevor Benjamin & David Thompson, AEG, 2018)-Menara 21m41s (Oliver Richtberg, Zoch Verlag, 2018)News (and why it doesn't matter)-Food Chain Magnate catches up to condiments 22m07s-Takla's bridge to nowhere 23m28s-The Boldest, a Wagnerian epic 24m22s-The city published once in a Blue Moon 25m36s Feature Game: Gaslands 27m42s (Glenn Ford & Mike Hutchinson, Osprey Publishing, 2017)Topic: The Perils of Collecting 54m58sAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We would like to apologize for the poorer audio quality of this episode. The editor (Mark) would dearly like to attribute it somehow to Walker's illness-induced stupor, but try as he might he can't seem to blame the victim on this one. The microphone has let us all down, dear listeners, and all we can do is vow not to repeat the twin errors--the one being the reduced audio quality, the other in Mark not being able to scapegoat the victim.Games Played Last Week: -Street Masters: Redemption 1m30s (Brady Sadler & Adam Sadler, Blacklist Games, 2018) -Sentinels of the Multiverse 3m35s (Christopher Badell, Paul Bender, & Adam Rebottaro, Greater Than Games, 2011)-SEAL Team Flix 7m34s (Pete Ruth & Mark Thomas, WizKids, 2018)-Mystic Vale 10m57s (John D. Clair, AEG, 2016)-Vengeance 13m10s (Gordon Calleja, Mighty Boards, 2018)-Isle of Skye: From Chieftain to King 16m26s (Andreas Pelikan & Alexander Pfister, Lookout Games, 2015) News (and why it doesn't matter)-Mississippi Queen: too many reprints? 17m00s-The Key series Flows on 20m21s-Pretzel Games puts Men at Work 21m31s-Neuroshima Hex! gets fantastical in Monolith Arena 22m31s Feature Game: BattleCON 23m54s (Brad D. Talton, Level 99 Games, 2010)Topic: Catch-up Mechanics 53m31sAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sometimes, dear listeners, the news does matter, and in such instances our hosts feel under-equipped to address them properly. Such is the nature of crippling incompetence. I mean, they could have devoted their time to worthwhile pursuits (like playing games) but instead they shout into a can to strangers (about playing games). But sometimes circumstances demand a brief segue into matters of consequence, and so we here at SVWAG swear by the majestic mountains of Manitoba to do our best.Games Played Last Week: -Ethnos 1m54s (Paolo Mori, CMON, 2017) -El Grande 2m52s (Wolfgang Kramer & Richard Ulrich, Hans im Gluck, 1995)-Who Goes There? 4m34s (Anthony Coffey & Jesse Labbe, Certifiable Games, 2018) -Street Masters: Twin Tiger 8m51s (Brady Sadler & Adam Sadler, Blacklist Games, 2018) -Level 7 [Invasion] 10m49s (Will Schoonover, Privateer Press, 2014)-Grand Austria Hotel 13m19s (Virginio Gigli & Simone Luciani, Lookout Games, 2015)-Mecanisburgo 15m43s (Servando Cavallar, Gen-X Games, 2008)News (and why it doesn't matter)-Walker discovers Norwegia 20m05s-BattleCON big (huge) box 20m45s-El Dorado gets hexed 21m05s-dlp Games' callous disregard and intellectual laziness re: Manitoba 21m29s Feature Game: Too Many Bones: Undertow 29m19s (Adam Carlson & Josh J. Carlson, Chip Theory Games, 2018)Topic: Difficulty in Co-ops 52m01sAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Oh, hello there. The door's unlocked--just come on in. Please pardon our informal setting, here, we just want you to be comfortable. I suppose, though, that a tone of complete familiarity shouldn't prevent us from doing introductions. I'm the episode description, and I'm the thing you don't read. Our hosts are Mark Bigney and Mike Walker, and they're the ones you don't respect. Stay with us for a while, won't you?Games Played Last Week: -Aeon's End 1m15s (Kevin Riley, Action Phase Games, 2016), -XenoShyft: Onslaught 4m43s (Keren Philosophales & Michael Shinall, CMON, 2015), -Fast Forward: Fortress 11m17s (Friedmann Friese, Stronghold Games, 2017), -Asgard's Chosen 16m24s (Morgan Dontanville, Mayfair Games, 2013), -Age of Industry 21m26s (Martin Wallace, Treefrog Games, 2010)News (and why it doesn't matter)-Ancient Rome falls to a Pandemic 23m31s-Horizon: Zero Dawn 24m36s-There's a party and you're not invited 26m06s Feature Game: Sentinels of the Multiverse 27m05s (Christopher Badell, Paul Bender, & Adam Rebottaro, Greater than Games, 2011)Sentinels of the Multiverse: OblivAeon 36m53s (Christopher Badell, Paul Bender, & Adam Rebottaro, Greater than Games, 2018)Topic: Explaining Rules 54m14sAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Walker, ever truculent, finally succumbs to the inevitable and submits his top ten. Now we can move on, and it is best we do, as there is no shortage of games to be played! Gencon is over and the new releases flow like sweet chocolate milk. Despite this pressure, Mark and Walker find the time to indulge in old classics of yesteryear, and not just the "classics" from "back in the day" of "2012".Games Played Last Week:-Eclipse 3m00s (Touko Tahkokallio, Lautapelit.fi, 2011)-Dungeon Alliance 4m41s (Andrew Parks, Quixotic Games, 2018)-Outlive 8m16s (Gregory Iliver, La Boite de Jeu, 2017)-Food Chain Magnate 9m20s (Jeroen Doumen & Joris Wiersinga, Splotter Spellen, 2015)-Star Wars: Imperial Assault 12m22s (Justin Kemppainen, Corey Konieczka, & Jonathan Ying, Fantasy Flight, 2014) -Blue Lagoon 14m37s (Reiner Knizia, Blue Orange, 2018)-Mechs vs. Minions 17m02s (Chris Cantrell, Rick Ernst, Stone Librande, Prashant Saraswat, & Nathan Tiras, Riot Games, 2016)-Ghost Blitz 19m55s (Jacques Zeimet, Zoch Verlag, 2010)-Kingdomino: Age of Giants 22m00s (Bruno Cathala, Blue Orange, 2018) -Cult of the Cockroach King/Don't Mess with Cthulhu Deluxe 23m09s (Yusuke Sato, Indie Boards & Cards, 2018)-Root 25m34s (Cole Wehrle, Leder Games, 2018)-DC Spyfall 27m04s (Uncredited, Cryptozoic Entertainment, 2018)-Civilization 30m00s (Francis Tresham, Avalon Hill, 1980)News (and why it doesn't matter)-Quite a quantity of Quarriors 36m57s-Norwegians' toast to Odin 38m53s-Jabba lands on your mobile device 39m57s-OblivAeon is a lie 41m16s-Walker gets digital 42m34s-The Great Looping One loops ever onward, praise be his biplane 43m16s Feature Game: The Voyages of Marco Polo 44m24s (Simone Luciani & Daniele Tascini, Hans im Gluck, 2015)Topic: Walker's Top 10 Games (whatever that means) 1h10m51sIn no particular order:-Tigris & Euphrates-Scythe-Space Hulk-Gaia Project-Orleans-Level 7: Invasion-Diplomacy-Hansa Teutonica-Kemet-Axis and Allies: WWI 1914Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We are but slaves to your whims here at SVWAG, and when our massed masters demand that we dance for their amusement, we must perforce oblige. We resisted for a time, but clearly that was folly. The people have spoken, and their demands will be met: we will descend to the realm of clickbait and listicles and present to your our top 10 games. Walker remains dubious of the enterprise, but Mark is confident that slavish obedience is the path to true happiness.Games Played Last Week:-Battle for Rokugan 1m11s (Tom Jolly & Molly Glover, FFG, 2017)-Warhammer 40K: Kill Team 5m04s (Uncredited, Games Workshop, 2018)-Hit Z Road 8m09s (Martin Wallace, Asmodee, 2016)-Outlive 10m00s (Gregory Iliver, La Boite de Jeu, 2017)-Lost Cities: Rivals 12m13s (Reiner Knizia, KOSMOS, 2018)-Shogun 14m11s (Dirk Henn, Queen Games, 2006)-Mansions of Madness 2nd Edition 17m35s (Nikki Valens, FFG, 2016)-Scythe: The Rise of Fenris 23m38s (Ryan Lopez DiVinaspre & Jamey Stegamaier, Stonemaier Games, 2018) News (and why it doesn't matter)-More Neue Heimat = The Estates 25m05s -More Dune = more silly Spice memes 27m59s-More Meeple Circus = more joy 29m31s-More Spirit Island = more dead colonizers 29m49s-More Shadespire = Nightvault 30m48sFeature Game: Root 32m31s (Cole Wehrle, Leder Games, 2018)Topic: Mark's Top 10 Games of All Time 56m49s#10: Tribune Expansion#9:Ra#8:Infinity#7:Loopin' Louie#6:Race for the Galaxy: The Brink of War#5:Gloomhaven#4:Imperial 2030#3:Antike II#2:Blue Moon Legends#1:Tigris & EuphratesAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Unveiling the genius of Reiner Knizia in Tigris & Euphrates and its sequel Yellow & Yangtze. Critique of recent games played, news on Richard Garfield's distribution model. Diving into the strategic brilliance and gameplay depth of Tigris & Euphrates, contrasting tile mechanics in Yellow & Yangtze, and exploring the thematic depth in both games.