So Very Wrong About Games

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#307: Galactic Renaissance Apr 16, 2024

Show notes

While we have little experience with Ed Sullivan's TV offerings, his legacy is a fascinating one. While he capitulated to pressure during the Red Scare, he did show remarkable courage in platforming African American performers despite opposition from his sponsors. Quite surprising is that the illness that eventually killed him was kept a secret from him by his family, a practise that was already frowned on in the United States by the seventies but is still widespread in many parts of the world.

Games Played Last Week:

01:36 -The Vale of Eternity (Eric Hong, Mandoo Games, 2023)

04:28 -Voidfall (Nigel Buckle & Dávid Turczi, Mindclash Games, 2023)

08:42 -Radlands (Daniel Piechnick, Roxley, 2021)

10:11 -Mindbug Battlefruits (Christian Kudahl, Marvin Hegen, Skaff Elias, and Richard Garfield, Nerdlab Games, 2024)

14:36 -ICECOOL Wizards (Brian Gomez, Brain Games, 2024)

19:32 -Ratyl (Andy Gallagher, Busy Dad Games, 2023)

25:46 -Agricola (Revised Edition) (Uwe Rosenberg, Lookout Games, 2016)

29:42 -Almost Innocent (Philippe Attali, Kolossal Games, 2023)

31:18 -E.T. The Extra-Terestrial: Light Years from Home Game (Propsero Hall and Brian Kirk, Funko Games, 2022)

33:55 -Dune: Imperium--Uprising (Paul Dennen, Dire Wolf, 2023)

38:16 -Word Traveler (Thomas Dagenais-Lespérance, Office Dog, 2024)

News (and why it doesn't matter):

41:11 Earth Reborn by Christophe Boelinger possibly to be expanded

44:31 Vladimír Suchý and Delicious Games go to Resafa

45:12 Feature Game: Galactic Renaissance (Christian Martinez, Matagot, 2024)

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#306: What Brings You Back Apr 09, 2024

Show notes

It is said that both politics and religion are not good conversational fodder among people you don't know well (and perhaps not even for people with whom you are close), but sadly those are among Mark's favourite topics. The sun having been devoured may cause the astronomers to be delighted, but Mark knows a portent when he sees one, and he is confident some kind of sacrifice to appease violent spirits is in order. Walker escalates things by invoking the divine right of kings, the intersection of religion and politics, but then again escalation is Walker's default instinct. Further proof of Fenrir's influence, no doubt!

01:44 AYURIS: Space Station Phoenix (Gabriel J. Cohn, Rio Grande Games, 2022)

Games Played Last Week:

03:54 -Black Rose Wars: Rebirth (Andrea Colletti, Diego Fonseca, and Marco Montanaro, Ludus Magnus Studio, 2024)

11:15 -G.I. JOE Deck-Building Game: Raise the Flagg Campaign Expansion (T.C. Petty III, Renegade Game Studios, 2023)

12:34 -Hissy Fit (Levi Robertson and Chris Stone, Stone Age Distractions, 2023)

16:09 -Almost Innocent (Philippe Attali, Kolossal Games, 2023)

16:47 -Don't L.L.A.M.A. Dice (Reiner Knizia, AMIGO, 2021)

17:15 -Matches (Daniel McKinley, Thing 12 Games, 2024)

19:42 -FORK (Ta-Te Wu, Sunrise Tornade Game Studio, 2023)

22:08 -Voidfall (Nigel Buckle & Dávid Turczi, Mindclash Games, 2023)

25:13 -Battlecrest: Metronn Base Game (Dustin Dobson & Milan Zivkovic, Button Shy, 2024)

28:55 -Omen: Whispers of the Muse (John Clowdus, Small Box Games, 2024)

News (and why it doesn't matter):

32:11 Divine Right is back on Kickstarter

34:04 Light Speed Arena by Tablescope Games on Kickstarter May 7

36:26 Topic: What Brings You Back?

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#305: Barely Alive Apr 02, 2024

Show notes

I never really understood the term "undead." I mean, it's a binary, right? If it's not dead it must be alive, at least in the context of things that could or were once alive. The negation never seemed to be doing enough work to imply what it was intended to imply. That is, until Walker and Mark got sick. They're not dead, but going straight to "alive" seems a rather hopeful exaggeration. Undead seems appropriate for now.

01:47 AYURIS: Carnegie (Xavier Georges, Quined Games, 2022)

Games Played Last Week:

03:48 -Legacy of Yu (Shem Phillips, Garphill Games, 2023)

07:30 -Set a Watch (Mike Gnade and Todd Walsh, Rock Manor Games, 2019)

09:12 -Gloomhaven: Buttons & Bugs (Joe Klipfel and Nikki Valens, Cephalofair Games, 2024)

15:03 -Stonespine Architects (Jordy Adan, Thunderworks Games, 2024)

17:23 -Marshmallow Test (Reiner Knizia, Gamewright, 2020)

19:21 -Black Rose Wars: Rebirth (Andrea Colletti, Diego Fonseca, and Marco Montanaro, Ludus Magnus Studio, 2024)

21:47 -Almost Innocent (Philippe Attali, Kolossal Games, 2023)

25:52 -Paint the Roses (Ben Goldman, North Star Games, 2022)

28:50 -Fromage (Matthew O'Malley and Ben Rosset, Road to Infamy Games, 2024)

32:40 -Dragonbond: Lords of Vaala (Jack Caesar and Alessio Cavatore, Draco Studios, 2023)

37:52 -City of the Living (Sebastian Bleasdale and Reiner Knizia, Trick or Treat Studios, 2024)

News (and why it doesn't matter):

42:31 Micro Macro Bonus Box has come home

43:26 Age of Innovation balance adjustments for Illusionists and Navigators

46:22 Don't Starve the board game

47:26 Upcoming from Alex "Green Team" Cutler: Don't Skip Leg Day and Box Top Pinball Haunted House from Pandasaurus

48:44 Walker cuteness weakness: Kyoto no Neko

49:30 Railroad Tiles from Horrible Guild

50:38 Lots of content on our Patreon: www.patreon.com/svwag

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#304: We Are Sick Mar 26, 2024

Show notes

We haul ourselves off of our deathbeds to deliver this episode unto you. Prospects for our recovery seem dim, but we would sooner die than deprive you of that which is most sacred--namely content. Of course, illness may yet claim us, but we are far too stoic and noble to complain.

01:49 AYURIS: Stroganov (Andreas Steding, Game Brewer, 2021)

Games Played Last Week:

04:46 -Hissy Fit (Levi Robertson and Chris Stone, Stone Age Distractions, 2023)

06:53 -Finished! (Friedemann Friese, 2F-Spiele, 2017)

12:01 -City of the Living (Sebastian Bleasdale and Reiner Knizia, Trick or Treat Studios, 2024)

15:07 -Legacy of Yu (Shem Phillips, Garphill Games, 2023)

20:27 -Bus (Jeroen Doumen and Joris Wiersinga, Capstone Games, 2019)

24:51 -Battlecrest: Metronn Base Game (Dustin Dobson & Milan Zivkovic, Button Shy, 2024)

28:59 -G.I. JOE Deck-Building Game: Raise the Flagg Campaign Expansion (T.C. Petty III, Renegade Game Studios, 2023)

31:25 -Gloomhaven: Buttons & Bugs (Joe Klipfel and Nikki Valens, Cephalofair Games, 2024)

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#303: Kutna Hora: The City of Silver Mar 19, 2024

Show notes

We present to you a specially chemically-enhanced episode. Walker has been doping specifically in preparation, eschewing any sustenance other than military-grade lozenges. Mark will be performing his hosting duties while fully immersed in a tank of benzocaine oral painkiller. It is a good thing that the International Olympic Committee has no sway here in SVWAG studios, or we would likely get disqualified for the podcast luge event.

Games Played Last Week:

01:30 -Raising Robots (Brett Sobol & Seth Van Orden, Nauvoo Games, 2023)

08:26 -Omen: Banks of the Styx (John Clowdus, Small Box Games, 2024)

11:40 -Set a Watch (Mike Gnade and Todd Walsh, Rock Manor Games, 2019)

13:47 -Cryo (Tom Jolly & Luke Laurie, Z-Man Games, 2021)

17:33 -Formula D (Laurent Lavaur & Eric Randall, Asmodee, 2008)

18:39 -Riftforce (Carlo Bortolini, 1 More Time Games, 2021)

22:36 -Piazza Rabazza (Guido Hoffman and Jens-Peter Schliemann, Zoch Verlag, 2022)

News (and why it doesn't matter):

25:37 RoboRally Transformers: can Autobots get drunk?

27:12 An expansion to Unfathomable, the Battlestar Galactica re-theme

27:52 Burned was too pure for this crowdfunded world

28:19 Etherstone from ThunderGryph Games by Virginio Gigli and Simone Luciani on Kickstarter

29:11 Avatar: The Last Airbender co-op deckbuilder

29:43 Feature Game: Kutná Hora: The City of Silver (Ondřej Bystroň, Petr Čáslava, and Pavel Jarosch, Czech Games Edition, 2023)

51:24 SVWAG Presents Masterpiece Theatre: Avatar: The Last Airbender (2024)

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#302: Rules Explanations Mar 12, 2024

Show notes

For reasons both personal and highly arbitrary, the SVWAG style guide (authored by gibbons, of course) does not countenance using the word "teach" as a noun, with the possible exception as a casual nickname for a teacher. Thus a game does not, in our parlance, have a "teach" except insofar as you call the person explaining the rules to you "teach". As in, "yo, teach, thanks for doing this thankless job, you make our hobby possible, I'm certainly not going to give you a hard time for any minor rules errors or didactic missteps, lemme buy you a pizza, teach, you incredibly physically attractive hero."

01:25 AYURIS: Sakura Arms (BakaFire, Level 99 Games 2022)

Games Played Last Week:

04:04 -La Granja: Deluxe Master Set (Michael Keller and Andreas "ode." Odendahl, Board&Dice, 2023)

10:19 -Unchained (David Gregg, Trick or Treat Studios, 2024)

18:04 -Paku Paku (Antoine Bauza, Ravensburger, 2017)

21:34 -Turbo Kidz (Emmanuel Gauvain, Scorpion Masqué, 2023)

23:46 -Nine Tiles Panic (Jens Merkl and Jean-Claude Pellin, Oink Games, 2019)

25:49 -5 Towers (Kasper Lapp, Deep Print Games, 2023)

26:33 -Clip Cut Parks (Shaun Graham and Scott Huntington, Renegade Game Studios, 2019)

28:17 -The Same Game (Wolfgang Warsch, Edition Spielwiese, 2023)

34:17 -Omen: Songs of Far Shores (John Clowdus, Small Box Games, 2024)

38:45 -The Vale of Eternity (Eric Hong, Mandoo Games, 2023)

43:27 -Sentinels of the Multiverse (Christopher Badell, Paul Bender, & Adam Rebottaro, Greater Than Games, 2011)

News (and why it doesn't matter):

49:39 Ninja Division declares bankruptcy, leaves thousands of Kickstarter backers in the lurch

50:57 New Mage Knight expansion! Apocalypse Dragon from WizKids by Phil Pettifer

51:43 Star Trek Star Realms

52:02 Magical Athlete reprint by CMYK in 2025

52:41 Topic: Rules Explanations

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#301: Leonardo da Vinci's Codex Leicester Mar 05, 2024

Show notes

Before shouting about toys professionally, Mark taught ethics at a health sciences university. He discussed matters of life and death, of cutting edge controversial technologies, of war and politics, and matters of fundamental rights and duties. He has learned two lessons from those experiences: never ever talk about animal rights with a pit bull owner, and his views on Mass Effect are vastly more controversial than any of his other views. In this episode, he is at least smart enough to stay silent about dogs.

Games Played Last Week:

01:54 -Street Masters (Adam Sadler & Brady Sadler, Blacklist Games, 2018)

07:45 -The Barracks Emperors (Wray Ferrell and Brad Johnson, GMT Games, 2023)

15:08 -Dune: Imperium--Uprising (Paul Dennen, Dire Wolf, 2023)

17:58 -Tank Duel: Enemy in the Crosshairs (Mike Bertucelli, GMT Games, 2019)

28:09 -Lunar Rush (Steven "Skippy" Brown, Dead Alive Games, 2023)

32:27 -Regicide (Paul Abrahams, Luke Badger, & Andy Richdale, Badgers from Mars, 2020)

News (and why it doesn't matter):

34:44 Modiphius' upcoming Mass Effect game by Eric Lang and Calvin Wong Tze Loon

36:49 Ares will publish and distribute new Mega Empires (further descendants of Mega Civilization)

38:17 Heroscape: Age of Annihilation from Renegade Games--prepaints and all your money

44:57 Street Masters Kickstarter buyer's guide redux

48:15 Feature Game: Leonardo da Vinci's Codex Leicester (Changhyun Baek, Flaminia Brasini, Virginio Gigli, Stefano Luperto, and Antonio Tinto, DiceTree Games, 2023)

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#300: Patrons' Top 20 Feb 27, 2024

Show notes

Walker was all like "there's this card effect in Successors" and Mark was all like "nuh-uh" but Walker was like "yeah, fer sure" and Mark goes "no way" and Walker says "way" and that's a 100% accurate transcript.

01:53 AYURIS: Dice Realms (Thomas Lehmann, Rio Grande Games, 2022)

Games Played Last Week:

04:07 -Lorenzo il Magnifico (Flaminia Brasini, Virginio Gigli, and Simone Luciani, Cranio Creations, 2016)

10:55 -Leonardo da Vinci's Codex Leicester (Changhyun Baek, Flaminia Brasini, Virginio Gigli, Stefano Luperto, and Antonio Tinto, DiceTree Games, 2023)

17:00 -Darwin’s Journey (Simone Luciani and Nestore Mangone, ThunderGryph Games, 2023)

21:23 -The North: Provenance (John Clowdus, Small Box Games, 2020)

27:03 -Sail (Akiyama Koryu & Korzu Yusei, Allplay, 2023)

28:18 -MLEM: Space Agency (Reiner Knizia, Rebel Studio, 2024)

31:15 -My Island (Reiner Knizia, KOSMOS, 2023)

36:48 -Successors 4th Edition (Richard H. Berg and Mark Simonitch, PHALANX, 2022)

News (and why it doesn't matter):

46:25 Lifeboats reprint: Plank of Carneades

47:27 Mike Hutchinson running a survey on Gaslands: https://forms.gle/8DjmJDxpaivpsznW7

48:06 Eric Lang and Ken Grul's Life in Reterra from Hasbro

48:24 Please support us on Patreon, if so inclined! www.patreon.com/svwag

51:02 Topic: The Patrons' Top 20

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#299: Nucleum Feb 20, 2024

Show notes

The theory of the atom first posited by the pre-Socratic philosopher Democritus in roughly the 4th Century BCE. None of his actual writings have survived. The great thing about the pre-Socratics is that so few of their works are available, you can spend about ten minutes (or less!) and have read as much of their stuff as have the world's leading experts.

Games Played Last Week:

01:53 -Kingdom Rush: Elemental Uprising (Alara Cameron, Helana Hope, and Sen-Foong Lim, Lucky Duck Games, 2023)

04:15 -Assault on Doomrock: Ultimate Edition (Tom Stasiak, Beautiful Disaster Games, 2023)

06:43 -Caverna: The Cave Farmers (Uwe Rosenberg, Lookout Games, 2013)

07:22 -Hidden Leaders (Andreas Müller, Markus Müller, & Raphael Stocker, BFF Games, 2022)

08:28 -AQUA: Biodiversity in the Oceans (Dan Halstad and Tristan Halstad, Sidekick Games, 2024)

13:05 -Project: ELITE (Konstantinos Kokkinis, Marco Portugal, & Sotirios Tsantilas, CMON, 2020)

16:54 -Lacuna (Mark Gerrits, CMYK, 2023)

19:33 -5 Towers (Kasper Lapp, Deep Print Games, 2023)

News (and why it doesn't matter):

24:05 Kemet: Rise of the Gods reprint with additional modules on crowdfunding soon from Matagot

25:11 Burned on Kickstarter February 13 from Stone Circle Games and Jon Moffat

25:52 Wandering Galaxy: new Crossroads game from Plaid Hat Games

26:52 Feature Game: Nucleum (Simone Luciani & Dávid Turczi, Board&Dice, 2023)

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#298: Deckbuilding Feb 13, 2024

Show notes

Every man wants to be a macho, macho man

To have the kind of body always in demand

Jogging in the mornings, go man go

Work outs in the health spa, muscles glow

You can best believe that he's a macho man

Ready to get down with, anyone he can

You can tell a macho, he has a funky walk

His western shirts and leather, always look so boss

Funky with his body, he's a king

Call him Mister Ego, dig his chains

You can best believe that he's a macho man

He likes to be the leader, he never dresses grand

-"Macho Man" by The Village People

03:05 AYURIS: Guards of Atlantis II (Artyom Nichipurov, Wolff Designa, 2022)

Games Played Last Week:

05:06 -AQUA : Biodiversity in the Oceans (Dan Halstad and Tristan Halstad, Sidekick Games, 2024)

08:05 -Bloodstones (Martin Wallace, Wallace Designs, 2023)

09:36 -Kingdom Rush: Elemental Uprising (Alara Cameron, Helana Hope, and Sen-Foong Lim, Lucky Duck Games, 2023)

10:45 -Imperium: Horizons (Nigel Buckle and Dávid Turczi, Osprey Games, 2024)

15:48 -Tokyo Highway: Rainbow City (Naotaka Shimamoto and Yoshiaki Tomioka, itten, 2023)

19:32 -Sail (Akiyama Koryu & Korzu Yusei, Allplay, 2023)

21:33 -For Science! (R. Eric Reuss, Grey Fox Games, 2021)

24:45 -Charioteer (Matt Calkins, GMT Games, 2022)

27:59 -Great Western Trail: New Zealand (Alexander Pfister, eggertspiele, 2023)

35:09 -Don't L.L.A.M.A. Dice (Reiner Knizia, AMIGO, 2021)

36:14 -That's Not a Hat (Kasper Lapp, Ravensburger, 2023)

News (and why it doesn't matter):

37:54 Bus from Capstone reprint in 2024

38:34 Burned on Kickstarter February 13 from Stone Circle Games and Jon Moffat

39:15 CMON moving to Gamefound for A Song of Ice and Fire Tactics

41:37 Topic: Deckbuilding

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