So Very Wrong About Games

Latest Episodes:

#287: Voidfall Nov 14, 2023

Show notes

The shift from Beckett references to low-grade puns might strike one as jarring, but it is important to note that both hosts have essentially been twelve going on sixty for most of their lives. If it's not juvenile and/or obscure, it is difficult for the hosts to process--they become disoriented and frightened. In such circumstances, a nice Star Control II reference will probably calm them down. Hey, there's one of those in this episode, too!

Games Played Last Week:

01:52 -Great Western Trail: New Zealand (Alexander Pfister, eggertspiele, 2023)

07:03 -FlickFleet: Xeno Wars (Jackson Pope & Paul Willcox, Eurydice Games, 2022)

13:04 -White Castle (Israel Cendrero & Sheila Santos, Devir Games, 2023)

16:38 -Forgotten Depths (Peter Albertson, Void Knight Games, 2022)

20:37 -Omicron Protocol (Brendan Kendrick & Bernie Lin, Dead Alive Games, 2022)

29:09 -Among Cultists: A Social Deduction Thriller (Stefan Godot, Godot Games, 2023)

News (and why it doesn't matter):

38:40 Rafter Five: Dexterity from Oink Games

39:23 Expandalone to Wizards of the Grimoire (aka Bookie-Bookie Pew-Pew) on Kickstarter: Shifting Sands

41:00 Feature Game: Voidfall (Nigel Buckle & Dávid Turczi, Mindclash Games, 2023)

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#286: Through the Desert Nov 07, 2023

Show notes

One has to be careful in buffet situations. There are so many options, and you are pulled in so many different directions. You must differentiate the false urgency from the genuinely pressing, and it is a test of your evaluation and timing skills to successfully navigate your priorities. What to do, and when? How much of what? If you fail to make the wise choices, you might not get through the dessert.

Games Played Last Week:

02:20 -IKI: Akebono (Koota Yamada, Sorry We Are French, 2023)

08:22 -Inhuman Conditions (Tommy Maranges & Cory O'Brien, Web published, 2018)

13:19 -FlickFleet: Xeno Wars (Jackson Pope & Paul Willcox, Eurydice Games, 2022)

18:09 -Gods Love Dinosaurs (Kasper Lapp, Pandasaurus Games, 2020)

22:35 -That's Not a Hat (Kasper Lapp, Ravensburger, 2023)

26:00 -Fun Facts (Kasper Lapp, Repos Production, 2022)

31:33 -Sail (Akiyama Koryu & Korzu Yusei, Allplay, 2023)

35:51 -Sunrise Lane (Reiner Knizia, Horrible Guild, 2023)

38:55 -Sky Team (Luc Rémond, Le Scorpion Masqué, 2023)

News (and why it doesn't matter):

40:35 Dexterity expansions! Tokyo Highway: Rainbow City and ICECOOL Wizards

41:22 Gaia Project expansion in "late 2024"

42:42 Sand by Devir Games

42:57 Calimala reprint by Alley Cat Games

43:57 Through the Desert on Kickstarter with A Message from the Stars and Switchbacks

44:25 My Favourite Things on Kickstarter: trick-taking and social ranking

45:37 Diablo role-playing and board games

45:59 Dragons Down by Mr. B Games on Kickstarter, inspired by the madness that is Magic Realm

48:35 Feature Game: Through the Desert (Reiner Knizia, KOSMOS, 1998)

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#285: Updating the Canon Oct 31, 2023

Show notes

"'Well, I remember it as though it were an episode ago'

Said Walker the Host as he reeled back to clear whatever foreign matter

May have nestled its way into his mighty throat

Many a poor design had met its demise while staring point-blank down

The cavernous barrel of this awesome critical machine

Truly a wonder of nature, this urban gamer

Walker the Host had many a story to tell

And it was a frequent occasion such as this that he did

...

'Say Bigney, do you wanna play games with me?

Say, Bigney, do you wanna play games by my side?

Ah, Bigney, do you wanna play games with me?

Say, Bigney, SAY, BIGNEEEEEY'"

-Walker the Host, lesser-known variant of Tommy the Cat (Primus, 1991)

02:12 AYURIS: Bitoku (Germán P. Millán, Devir, 2021)

Games Played Last Week:

04:32 -Imperial Miners (Tim Armstrong, Portal Games, 2023)

07:34 -Imperium: Legends (Nigel Buckle & Dávid Turczi, Osprey Games, 2021)

12:00 -Knarr (Thomas Dupont, Bombyx, 2023)

12:39 -My Island (Reiner Knizia, KOSMOS, 2023)

16:41 -G.I. JOE Deck-Vuilding Game: New Alliances--A Tranformers Crossover Expansion (Dan Blanchett, Renegade Game Studios, 2023)

21:58 -Anunnaki: Dawn of the Gods (Simone Luciani and Danilo Sabia, Cranio Creations, 2023)

30:33 -Sky Team (Luc Rémond, Le Scorpion Masqué, 2023)

33:51 -Messina 1347 (Raúl Fernández Aparicio & Vladimír Suchý, Delicious Games, 2021)

News (and why it doesn't matter):

40:53 Next Valiant Defense game by David Thompson illustrated by Nils Johansson: Guadalcanal

41:42 Tiny Epic Crimes misallocation shenanigans

42:48 Please support us on Patreon! Or don't, that's cool. Two new bonus episodes coming this week! www.patreon.com/svwag

43:23 Topic: Updating the Canon

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#284: Zoo Vadis Oct 24, 2023

Show notes

On October 27th, 1962, a man named Vasili Arkhipov saved the world. Literally. Had he not stood up to his commanding officer and refused to launch a nuclear warhead during the Cuban Missile Crisis, the resulting retaliations would have obliterated all human life. Probably the marmosets and gibbons, too. We here at SVWAG think the man deserves a holiday in his honour, especially given that we all owe our lives to him. October 27th is Arkhipov Day.

Games Played Last Week:

01:05 -Undaunted: Stalingrad (Trevor Benjamin and David Thompson, Osprey Games, 2022)

05:56 -Voidfall (Nigel Buckle & Dávid Turczi, Mindclash Games, 2023)

25:58 -Louis XIV (Rudiger Dorn, alea, 2005)

29:46 -Terraforming Mars: The Dice Game (Jacob Fryxelius, FryxGames, 2023)

33:26 -Trailblazers (Ryan Courtney, Bitewing Games, 2023)

37:08 -Argent: Mancers of the University (Trey Chambers, Level 99 Games, 2015)

46:06 -Planet Unknown (Ryan Lambert & Adam Rehberg, Adam's Apple Games, 2022)

48:50 -Cockroach Poker (Jacques Zeimet, Drei Magier Spiele, 2004)

News (and why it doesn't matter):

52:32 Haunted Lands by Ludus Magnus

53:24 Check out sowronggames.com: Searchable episode notes, SVWAG profiles, the Canon, and more!

54:29 Arkhipov Day: Oct. 27th. Celebrate Vasili Arkhipov and his having saved the human race!

55:30 Feature Game: Zoo Vadis (Reiner Knizia, Bitewing Games, 2023)

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#283: Calling It a Win Oct 17, 2023

Show notes

"Somethin' tells me it's all happening at the zoo

I do believe it

I do believe it's true

The monkeys stand for honesty

Giraffes are insincere

And the elephants are kindly but they're dumb

Orangutans are skeptical

Of changes in their cages

And the zookeeper is very fond of rum

Zebras are reactionaries

Antelopes are missionaries

Pigeons plot in secrecy

And hamsters turn on frequently

What a gas, you gotta come and see

At the zoo"

-Simon and Garfunkel, "At the Zoo", clearly written about contemporary board games

01:39 AYURIS: -G.I. JOE Deck-Building Game (T.C. Petty III, Renegade Game Studios, 2021)

Games Played Last Week:

04:28 -Knarr (Thomas Dupont, Bombyx, 2023)

06:05 -Trolls & Princesses (Pim Thunborg, Game Brewer, 2023)

13:14 -Imperium: Legends (Nigel Buckle & Dávid Turczi, Osprey Games, 2021)

17:11 -Neotopia (Orlando Sá and André Santos, Arcane Wonders, 2023)

24:27 -Trailblazers (Ryan Courtney, Bitewing Games, 2023)

28:21 -Federation (Dimitri Perrier and Matthieu Verdier, Explor8, 2022)

34:21 -Whirling Witchcraft (Erik Andersson Sundén, Alderac Entertainment Group, 2021)

37:41 -Cosmoctapus (Henry Audubon, Paper Fort Games, 2023)

40:00 -Paku Paku (Antoine Bauza, Ravensburger, 2017)

42:59 -R (Seiji Kanai, Kanai Factory, 2011)

45:46 -Yura Yura Penguin Mini (Yabuchi Ryoko, Self-published, 2022)

48:06 -Innovation (Carl Chudyk, Asmadi Games, 2010)

54:25 -Don't L.L.A.M.A. Dice (Reiner Knizia, AMIGO, 2021)

55:11 -Almost Innocent (Philippe Attali, Kolossal Games, 2023)

57:59 -Albedo (Kai Herbertz, Herbertz Entertainment UG, 2017)

59:39 -Zoo Vadis (Reiner Knizia, Bitewing Games, 2023)

1:07:02 -A Feast for Odin (Uwe Rosenberg, Feuerland Spiele, 2016)

News (and why it doesn't matter):

1:10:15 Attribution is incredibly important, especially in new media

1:12:00 Doctor Rat: deduction

1:12:37 International Gamers Awards ceremony: https://www.internationalgamersawards.net/ceremony/2023-ceremony

1:13:23 Warhammer: The Old World is coming back in 2024

1:14:43 Little Plastic Train Company's Deluxe Board Game Train Sets: Wave 2 on Kickstarter

1:15:29 Duel of Ages' redevelopment, Worldspanner: Factions by Brett G Murrell, soon on Kickstarter

1:17:05 Topic: Calling It a Win

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#282: City of the Great Machine Oct 10, 2023

Show notes

It's all Fat Bear Week and puns this week, both of which share one important characteristic--they have distended, pendulous bellies. Wait, that wasn't it.

It's that they are both to be respected for their power and danger. Those people you hear about who try to live with bears always suffer the same fates as the serial deployers of puns, in that they are both found dead and alone.

Games Played Last Week:

01:42 -Undaunted: Stalingrad (Trevor Benjamin and David Thompson, Osprey Games, 2022)

04:45 -Don't L.L.A.M.A. Dice (Reiner Knizia, AMIGO, 2021)

08:02 -Can't Stop (Sid Sackson, Playte Games, 2023)

14:23 -Hybris: Disordered Cosmos (Damien Chauvreau, Aurora Game Studio, 2023)

27:38 -Praga Caput Regni (Vladimír Suchý, Delicious Games, 2020)

28:52 -Fast & Furious: Highway Heist (Prospero Hall, Funko Games, 2021)

32:32 -Trolls & Princesses (Pim Thunborg, Game Brewer, 2023)

37:06 -Battle Card: Series 1 (Nils Johansson and David Thompson, Postmark Games, 2023)

News (and why it doesn't matter):

40:32 A Study in Emerald 3rd Edition by CMON

41:43 Star Trek: Into the Unknown

43:36 Mythic shamelessly goes in for yet more money, again, for Darkest Dungeon

45:37 Feature Game: City of the Great Machine (German Tikhomirov, CrowD Games, 2023)

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#281: Games for Mixed Company Oct 03, 2023

Show notes

We turn to yet another discussion of important issues in boardgaming, this time

WE INTERRUPT YOUR SILLY EPISODE NOTES FOR A SERIOUS ANNOUNCEMENT

It is fat bear week! The possibility of a US federal government shutdown has been averted, and thus the voting public (even foreigners, we won't tell) may vote on which lorge bois of the ursine variety shall take the prize! For those uninitiated, the US National Park Service runs a bracketed competition to determine the preferred corpulent bear. Note: none of these bears are anthropomorphic, nor have any been inadvisably given projectile weapons.

01:20 AYURIS: Ankh: Gods of Egypt (Eric M. Lang, CMON, 2021)

Games Played Last Week:

03:45 -My Island (Reiner Knizia, KOSMOS, 2023)

08:23 -3 Ring Circus (Remo Conzadori and Fabio Lopiano, Devir, 2023)

14:36 -Uprising: Curse of the First Age Expansion (Cornelius Cremin, Pawel Mazur, and Dirk Sommer, Nemesis.Games, 2023)

16:38 -Sky Team (Luc Rémond, Le Scorpion Masqué, 2023)

24:21 -Green Team Wins (Nathan Thornton, 25th Century Games, 2022)

28:42 -Faeries & Magical Creatures (Glenn Drover, Foridden Games, 2023)

34:22 -Aquatica: Cold Waters (Ivan Tuzovsky, Arcane Wonders, 2020)

News (and why it doesn't matter):

38:08 GameTrayz making a new folding table

39:49 Renegade reprinting Hasbro designs: Nexus Ops, Vegas Showdown, Risk: 2210 and Risk Godstorm

40:53 Sci-Fi Undaunted! Undaunted 2200: Callisto

42:31 Consider supporting us on Patreon! www.patreon.com/svwag

43:25 Topic: Games for Mixed Company

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#280: Knarr Sep 26, 2023

Show notes

Any old person could consult Wikipedia, but only the true elite tune in to SVWAG to hear Walker summarize random boat-related articles for them. It's a power move to rival even the most outrageous exploits of the viking peoples.

Games Played Last Week:

00:50 -Faeries & Magical Creatures (Glenn Drover, Foridden Games, 2023)

05:27 -Dogfight! (Carlo A. Rossi, PSC Games, 2023)

09:48 -Ceylon (Chris Zinsli and Suzanne Zinsli, Ludonova, 2018)

12:10 -Almost Innocent (Philippe Attali, Kolossal Games, 2023)

16:55 -Barrage: The Nile Affair Expansion (Tommaso Battista and Simone Luciani, Cranio Creations, 2022)

22:33 -Jenga Maker (Uncredited, Hasbro, 2022)

25:21 -Dungeons & Dragons: Dungeon Scrawlers--Heroes of Waterdeep (Vangelis Bagiartakis and Konstantinos Karagiannis, WizKids, 2023)

27:53 -3 Ring Circus (Remo Conzadori and Favio Lopiano, Devir, 2023)

33:16 -Paku Paku (Antoine Bauza, Ravensburger, 2017)

36:39 -Emerge (Adam DeYoung, Pandasaurs Games, 2023)

42:18 -Albedo (Kai Herbertz, Herbertz Entertainment UG, 2017)

44:22 -Sky Team (Luc Rémond, Le Scorpion Masqué, 2023)

48:24 -Battle Card: Series 1 (Nils Johansson and David Thompson, Postmark Games, 2023)

52:33-Wabash Cannonball (John Bohrer, Rio Grande Games, 2023)

News (and why it doesn't matter):

58:54 Uprising: Curse of the Last Emperor expansion contents unboxing and live stream

59:36 New Food Chain Magnate on Gamefound in November by Lucky Duck Games

1:00:52 Second Edition Yokohama (domestic and deluxe) by Synapses Games

1:02:11 Redeveloped Hansa Teutonica with gangster theme being shopped around by Andreas Steding

1:03:05 Ghost in the Shell from River Horse Games coming in 2024

1:03:34 Feature Game: Knarr (Thomas Dupont, Bombyx, 2023)

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#279: Barcelona Sep 19, 2023

Show notes

We return to the bizarre cant of Letterkenny, invoking specifically the term "ferda," which is a contraction of "for the boys/girls." It is a great way to punctuate a sentence, especially if you do not wish to be understood--but that is true of all cant. Relatedly, if you haven't already, please do peruse our own glossary on sowronggames.com! We are not above our own cant, especially given our penchant for acronyms.

Games Played Last Week:

02:07 -My Island (Reiner Knizia, KOSMOS, 2023)

05:48 -Too Many Bones: Unbreakable (Josh J. Carlson, Adam Carlson, Logan Giannini, and Josh Wielgus, Chip Theory Games, 2023)

11:14 -El Grande (Wolfgang Kramer & Richard Ulrich, Hans im Gluck, 1995)

15:03 -Asgard's Chosen (Morgan Dontanville, Mayfair Games, 2013)

19:07 -Wild Tiled West (Paul Dennen, Dire Wolf, 2023)

24:33 -Dawn of Ulos (Jason Lentz, Thunderworks Games, 2023)

26:41 -Marshmallow Test (Reiner Knizia, Gamewright, 2020)

28:04 -Kabuto Sumo: Total Mayhem (John Brieger, Michael Dunsmore, and Tony Miller, BoardGameTables.com, 2022)

31:46 -Just One (Ludovic Roudy & Bruno Sautter, Repos Production, 2018)

32:31 -Perfect Words (Paul-Henri Argiot, TIKI Editions, 2023)

News (and why it doesn't matter):

34:32 Cheap 3D Catan and Ticket to Ride at Costco

36:34 Bitewing Games to crowdfund Knizia's Cascadeo and Cascadito

37:44 Flatout Games' Nocturne and anthropomorphic animals

39:58 Tiny Mini Golf--generate and then play mini gold courses

40:56 PSA: Friends don't let friends go into Games Workshop lifestyles blindly

45:15 Feature Game: Barcelona (Dani Garcia, Board&Dice, 2023)

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#278: Ending Games Early Sep 12, 2023

Show notes

Walker and Huey voted to end the game early, but there were then procedural questions as to whether that warranted a runoff in the French Presidential style. Chip III repeated his preference for a ranked-choice voting system, but he couldn't decide whether his second choice was a single transferable vote or first past the post. Meanwhile, Mark gerrymandered the rest of the table into one sprawling district, and made three new districts intersect at his spine so he got three votes to everyone else's collective one. He moved, seconded, and veto-proofed a motion to the effect that everyone else should stop talking.

00:59 AYURIS: Cryo (Tom Jolly & Luke Laurie, Z-Man Games, 2021)

Games Played Last Week:

03:23 -The Witcher: Old World (Łukasz Woźniak, Go On Board, 2023)

11:55 -My Father's Work (T.C. Petty III, Renegade Game Studios, 2022)

15:09 -City of the Great Machine (German Tikhomirov, CrowD Games, 2023)

20:47 -Gang of Dice (Reiner Knizia, Mandoo Games, 2022)

23:10 -Tinderblox (Rob Sparks, Alley Cat Games, 2020)

24:29 -Cat in the Box: Deluxe Edition (Muneyuki Yokouchi, Bézier Games, 2022)

28:23 -Just One (Ludovic Roudy & Bruno Sautter, Repos Production, 2018)

33:49 -Deception: Murder in Hong Kong (Tobey Ho, Grey Fox Games, 2014)

40:32 -Jenga Maker (Uncredited, Hasbro, 2022)

48:14 -My Island (Reiner Knizia, KOSMOS, 2023)

News (and why it doesn't matter):

53:28 New Can't Stop is being published by Playte Games (magnetic enclosure!)

[EDIT: The episode erroneously attributes the publisher as Tanuki games, but that is the retailer; the publisher is in fact Playte. We apologize for the error.]

54:17 MicroMacro: Crime City - Showdown

55:07 Barrage: New Lands on Kickstarter; new maps

55:36 Planta Nubo by Keller, Odendahl, and Rosenberg

55:56 Apiary by Stonemaier; yet another missed zombibees opportunity

56:52 Battlecrest Year Two by Button Shy

57:37 Topic: Ending Games Early

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