So Very Wrong About Games

Latest Episodes:

#277: Race to the Raft Sep 05, 2023

Show notes

No cats were harmed during the recording of this episode. Official SVWAG cat Chandler (aka Potato aka Chan-Chan aka The Chan-Man) had his dignity challenged when Mark laughed at his strange partially-shaved body, but we don't think that counts. Official SVWAG dog Bruno (aka The Dog) resents human non-walk activities, but again, that probably doesn't count. The editorial gibbons and the HR gibbons colluded to classify Mark and Walker as "sub-animal automated speakboxes" and then took Labour Day off.

Games Played Last Week:

01:10 -Marshmallow Test (Reiner Knizia, Gamewright, 2020)

03:30 -Amun-Re: 20th Anniversary Edition (Reiner Knizia, Alley Cat Games, 2023)

05:52 -Everything Ever (Nathan Thornton, Floodgate Games, 2023)

10:28 -Sushi Boat (Dario Massarenti and Francesco Testini, Japanime Games, 2023)

14:49 -Fit to Print (Peter McPherson, Flatout Games, 2023)

20:58 -That's Not a Hat (Kasper Lapp, Ravensburger, 2023)

22:18 -Lunar Rush (Steven "Skippy" Brown, Dead Alive Games, 2023)

29:03 -Aegean Sea (Carl Chudyk, Asmadi Games, 2023)

37:16 -Lacuna (Mark Gerrits, CMYK, 2023)

News (and why it doesn't matter):

39:08 Snow Planner--dice worker-placement ski resort

39:48 Rats of Wistar by Simone Luciani and Danilo Sabia

41:09 David Thompson and Nils Johansson's Battle Card

42:46 Apology--Aegean Sea cannot be a feature game

43:45 Feature Game: Race to the Raft (Frank West, The City of Games, 2023)

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

#276: Gaming on the Road Aug 29, 2023

Show notes

I was originally going to riff on Ginsberg's Howl, but I confess I had completely forgotten what a monster of a piece it is--redolent in imagery and references that are very much of a time since past. I considered then moving on to Nelson's On the Road Again, and faced the opposite problem--man, that song has some simple lyrics. I guess Shelley and Shakespeare are the sweet spot.

01:24 AYURIS: Praga Caput Regni (Vladimír Suchý, Delicious Games, 2020)

Games Played Last Week:

03:56 -Shadowrift (Jeremy Anderson, Game Salute, 2012)

06:41 -Jetpack Joyride: Deluxe Edition (Michał Gołębiowski, Lucky Duck Games, 2019)

10:18 -Barcelona (Dani Garcia, Board&Dice, 2023)

14:22 -Regicide (Paul Abrahams, Luke Badger, & Andy Richdale, Badgers from Mars, 2020)

17:17 -Project: ELITE (Konstantinos Kokkinis, Sotirios Tsantilas, Artipia Games, 2016)

20:33 -Ready Set Bet (John D. Clair, AEG, 2022)

26:32 -Aegean Sea (Carl Chudyk, Asmadi Games, 2023)

34:52 -So Clover! (François Romain, Repos Production, 2021)

39:02 -Northgard: Uncharted Lands (Adrian Dinu, Shiro Games, 2022)

40:35 -Forest Shuffle (Kosch, Lookout Games, 2023)

News (and why it doesn't matter):

41:39 Borderlands: Mister Torgue's Arena of Badassery looking oddly pedestrian

43:18 Can't Stop! talking about MAGNETS

44:51 Tabletop miniatures games contain multitudes: setting vs. mechanisms

47:58 Topic: Gaming on the Road

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

#275: Nidavellir Aug 22, 2023

Show notes

As a certain talk-show huckster was wont to say, we train people how to treat us. Without absolving other people of their own responsibility, we can nonetheless take a certain amount of responsibility for entirely predictable reactions to our own decisions. "Don't feed the troll," goes the internet wisdom, and wise it is--Mark routinely fails to heed that good advice in the face of taunting by Walker. That said, Walker cannot claim to be long-suffering about Mark's mythological digressions while simultaneously goading him with mythologically-themed games.

Games Played Last Week:

01:41 -Demon Ship (Malev Da Shinobi, Black Site Studios, 2023)

06:05 -Space Base (John D. Clair, AEG, 2018)

10:22 -Snap Ships Tactics (Josh Derksen, Snap Ships, 2023)

15:00 -Knarr (Thomas Dupont, Bombyx, 2023)

19:39 -Quantum (Eric Zimmerman, Funforge, 2013)

23:00 -Orléans Stories (Reiner Stockhausen, dlp Games, 2019)

26:18 -Dracula vs Van Helsing (Maxime Rmbourg and Théo Rivière, Mandoo Games, 2023)

29:02 -Caverna: Frantic Fiends (Karl-Heinz Kettl, Jürgen Mayrhofer, and Uwe Rosenberg, Lookout Games, 2022)

News (and why it doesn't matter):

32:10 After Us, a game of post-apocalyptic apes, features NO GIBBONS. #nogibbonsnosale

32:55 Disney Lorcana price woes; allegations gouging

35:21 Orléans: The Plague. Diverse token printing woes!

36:54 www.patreon.com/svwag

37:54 Agricola 15 is the gift that keeps on taking--redundant components with the expansion

40:39 Check out Howie of What Does It Eat on Judge John Hodgman #630

41:12 Regicide giveaway on Twitch! Saturday, August 26th at 12:00 PM.

41:41 Feature Game: Nidavellir (Serge Laget, GRRRE Games, 2020)

Nidavellir: Thingvellir (Serge Laget, GRRRE Games, 2020)

Nidavellir: Idavoll (Serge Laget, GRRRE Games, 2022)

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

#274: Cruel Betrayal of Expectations Aug 15, 2023

Show notes

David Hume argued that all ideas are either simple or complex, and that in turn all complex ideas are merely composed of simple ideas. He wasn't a huge fan of some of those complex ideas; he used the example of a chimera, where you take a lion, a snake, and a goat (three simple ideas, but we can quibble with that later if you like) and smush them all together to get a complex idea. Hume was sceptical about complex ideas, to say the least.

We can agree or disagree with Hume on many fronts, and indeed this is a podcast fundamentally aligned with German Idealism; but we would happily ally ourselves with the Humeans to declare with one unified voice that "phygital" is an abomination that must be purged.

01:37 AYURIS: Ultimate Railroads (Helmut Ohley & Leonhard "Lenny" Orgler, Hans im Glück, 2021)

Games Played Last Week:

04:43 -Witchstone: Full Moon (Martino Chiacchiera & Reiner Knizia, R&R Games, 2023)

11:57 -Lacuna (Mark Gerrits, CMYK, 2023)

16:20 -Dice Miner (Joshua DeBonis & Nikola Risteski, Atlas Games, 2021)

18:11 -Pavlov's House (David Thompson, Dan Verssen Games, 2018)

25:06 -Marvel United (Andrea Chiarvesio and Eric M. Lang, CMON, 2020)

30:05 -Demon Ship (Malev Da Shinobi, Black Site Studios, 2023)

36:47 -Caverna: The Forgotten Folk (Uwe Rosenberg & Alex Wilber, Lookout Games, 2018)

42:03 -Pocket Master Builder (Wei-Min Ling, MaiMin Games, 2022)

46:30 -Flick of Faith (Paweł Stobiecki, Jan Truchanowicz, & Łukasz Włodarczyk, Awaken Realms Lite, 2019)

49:45 -Oros (Brandt Brinkerhoff, Aesc Games, 2023)

56:08 -Fantasy Realms: Deluxe Edition (Bruce Galssco, WizKids, 2022)

News (and why it doesn't matter):

58:38 Walker complains about marketing copy buzzwords

59:55 Digital "ownership" vs. "actual" ownership as applied to Altered

1:02:11 Tiny Laser Heist!

1:03:28 Magic: the Gathering Heist at GenCon; persons of interest and incriminating t-shirt

1:04:58 Richard Garfield's Spynet reborn as Shadow Blades

1:05:56 IANAL, Farms Race and Fair Use

1:11:46 Topic: Cruel Betrayal of Expectations

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

#273: Games from the Crypt Aug 08, 2023

Show notes

There was A Time Before. Historians no doubt will soon abandon the antiquated notions of BCE and CE, and will instead resort to the infinitely more practical Pre-SVWAG and Post-SVWAG eras. In the dim and distant past of Pre-SVWAG, people had the audacity to release games before we could weigh in on them officially. Whether this was borne of opportunism, undue haste, or some other impulse we will not speculate.

03:40 AYURIS: Khôra: Rise of an Empire (Head Quarter Simulation Game Club, IELLO, 2021)

Games Played Last Week:

05:02 -The Defence of Procyon III (Dávid Turczi, PSC Games, 2021)

08:34 -Catacombs: Red Box (Aron West, Elzra, 2022)

10:40 -Snap Ships Tactics (Josh Derksen, Snap Ships, 2023)

17:03 -Wizards of the Grimoire (Cole Banning and Joe Banning, Grimoire Games, 2022)

19:01 -Super Fantasy Brawl (Jochen Eisenhuth, Mythic Games, 2022)

22:59 -Autobahn (Fabio Lopiano and Nestore Mangone, Alley Cat Games, 2022)

24:57 -Age of Civilization (Jeffrey CCH, ICE Makes, 2019)

29:05 -Mists over Carcassonne (Klaus-Jürgen Wrede, Hans im Glück, 2022)

32:36 -That's Not a Hat (Kasper Lapp, Ravensburger, 2023)

34:12 -Wonderland's War (Tim Eisner, Ben Eisner, & Ian Moss, Druid City Games, 2022)

38:50 -Agricola 15 (Uwe Rosenberg, Lookout Games, 2022)

News (and why it doesn't matter):

45:11 GenCon happened

45:54 In response to GenCon hauls, ask what was purchased

46:50 EVE Online gets (another) tabletop adaptation by Titan Forge Games

47:36 Pirates of Maracaibo, pseudo-sequel to Maracaibo

48:13 Guilty Gear: The Board Game by Level 99, in point of fact Exceed Season 7

50:08 Colosseum 3rd edition by Fantasia

51:14 Foundations of Rome minimalistic version called Foundations: Metropolis

51:56 GenCon can't express concern over anti-LGBTQ laws and then re-up with Indiana until 2030

53:34 Topic: Games from the Crypt

Successors 3rd. ed, La révolution française, Sword of Rome, Here I Stand, Loopin' Louie, Die Kutschfahrt zur Teufelsburg, Gunslinger, Battlestar Galactica, Dark Moon, Colosseum, Princes of Florence, Android, Android: Netrunner, New Angeles, Descent, Imperial Assault, Star Wars: Rebellion, Axis and Allies: WWI 1914, Warhammer 40,000, Warhammer Fantasy Battle, Diplomacy, Formula Dé, Inkognito

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

#272: Archeos Society Aug 01, 2023

Show notes

Perhaps the greatest lingering question is how and why the Ethnos fantasy races were translated into academic professions for Archeos Society's re-theme. Apparently dwarves (Ethnos) are analogous to photographers (Archeos Society), and orcs (orc board!) are akin to curators. Odd. Halflings into students seems appropriately condescending.

As much as the comparison stings, though, I can't teally object into making trolls professors. I've met some that truly fit the description.

Games Played Last Week:

03:07 -Race to the Raft (Frank West, The City of Games, 2023)

08:08 -Dorfromantik: The Board Game (Michael Palm and Lukas Zach, Pegasus Spiele, 2022)

14:30 -Too Many Bones: Dart (Adam Carlson & Josh J. Carlson, Chip Theory Games, 2020)

18:10 -Lords of Ragnarok (Adam Kwapiński, Awaken Realms, 2023)

26:58 -Blood Rage: Promos Box (Eric M. Lang, CMON, 2019)

29:23 -Project: ELITE (Konstantinos Kokkinis, Marco Portugal, & Sotirios Tsantilas, CMON, 2020)

32:22 -One Deck Galaxy (Chris Cieslik, Asmadi Games, 2022)

35:35 -Amun-Re: 20th Anniversary Edition (Reiner Knizia, Alley Cat Games, 2023)

42:49 -Cthulhu: Death May Die (Eric M. Lang & Rob Daviau, CMON, 2019)

News (and why it doesn't matter):

46:07 From Chinatown to Waterfall Park; simpler?

47:05 Invincible hero deckbuilding game

48:06 Undaunted: Normandy Early Access on Steam

49:40 Nucleum by Dávid Turczi and Simone Luciani

50:29 Feature Game: Archeos Society (Paolo Mori, Space Cowboys, 2023)

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

#271: Expeditions Jul 25, 2023

Show notes

Some randomness is accepted nearly uncritically by many gamers. Conventional deckbuilders have exceptionally high variance as a rule, but no one bats an eye. We accept that anything martial might have mixed results, even after repeated attempts--in fact, many protest when the wound-making is too deterministic. Tiles from a bag? Sure. The instant that locomotion is involved, though, your typical gamer gets all shirty.

Magical Athlete would like a word.

Games Played Last Week:

02:52 -Don't L.L.A.M.A. Dice (Reiner Knizia, AMIGO, 2021)

06:00 -Lacuna (Mark Gerrits, CMYK, 2023)

08:25 -Picky Eaters (Tanya Basu and Avi Setton, Le Fou, 2024)

14:42 -Spirit Island: Nature Incarnate (R. Eric Reuss, Greater Than Games, 2023)

15:43 -Time Barons (Jon Perry and Derek Yu, WizKids, 2014)

19:07 -Kemet: Blood and Sand (Jacques Bariot & Guillaume Montiage, Matagot, 2021)

21:40 -Shards of Infinity (Gary Arant & Justin Gary, Stone Blade Entertainment, 2018)

25:36 -Merchant of Venus (Richard Hamblen, Avalon Hill, 1988)

News (and why it doesn't matter):

32:44 Firefighters on Duty; real-time co-op from the team behind Kitchen Rush and Rush M.D.

34:08 Infinity: Endsong--new rules and units for free (as always with Infinity)

35:26 Dorfromantik goes competitive with Das Duell

37:12 Match of the Century by Paolo Mori--Spassky vs. Fischer's 1972 chess championship

39:36 Turbo Kidz--real-time blind racing

40:41 Sunrise Lane by Reiner Knizia and Horrible Guild

41:09 DM-less roleplaying in Bramble Trek

41:28 Mass market fare by Games Workshop--Space Marine and Combat Arena

43:22 Granblue Fantasy skirmish board game

44:05 Feature Game: Expeditions (Jamey Stegmaier, Stonemaier Games, 2023)

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

#270a: Bonus Patreon Sampler Jul 22, 2023

Show notes

We offer to you a sampler, a little smorgasbord, a variety platter of content from our Patreon. We hope this will placate you in light of our absence last week. If you'd like more, you can of course support us on Patreon. Only if you want to, though. We'll still be wrong either way.

www.patreon.com/SVWAG

03:46 Pledge of Indifference 2023-07-06 Audio (we also publish a video version)

03:56 Shipwrights of the North Sea

07:17 Tanares Adventures Ultimate Edition

11:41 Cyclades Legendary Edition

18:14 Buttons & Bugs

20:23 Other pledges: Planet Unknown Supermoon, Stroganov expansion

(Note: Mark did not end up backing Projekt Riese, but Walker did back Cyclades Legendary Edition)

21:23 BLOAT #18

21:44 World Beyond SVWAG--Returnal's storytelling, emergent vs. narrative storytelling, have difficulty with emergent storytelling in video games, but prefer it in board games, Nikki Valens

34:45 Meta Media--ethical standards of US Supreme Court, Thurgood and Cecilia Marshall, "dicta," rules textualism, For Sale, Tower of Babel: Reiner Knizia vs. Hans im Glück

52:34 SIZZLER #1

Credit to elevenlabs.io for the introduction voice.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

#270: Ra Jul 18, 2023

Show notes

While we pride ourselves on editorial standards here at SVWAG, we have no shame when it comes to pandering. We thus present to you the episode of SVWAG with the most cat discussion yet. The good news is that Chandler (aka Chan-Chan aka Potato aka SVWAG Cat) is doing extremely well. Could a co-host stint be far behind? Perhaps a guest appearance by Bruno (aka SVWAG Dog)? Whatever we think the market wants.

Games Played Last Week:

02:20 -The Siege of Runedar (Reiner Knizia, Ludonova, 2021)

03:27 -Radiant: Offline Battle Arena (Jack Murray, Heel Turn Games, 2019)

04:26 -Sakura Arms (BakaFire, Level 99 Games, 2022)

05:35 -Blitzkrieg!: World War Two in 20 Minutes (Paolo Mori, PSC Games, 2019)

06:36 -Green Team Wins (Nathan Thornton, 25th Century Games, 2022)

08:24 -Imperium: The Contention (Gary Dworetsky, Contention Games, 2021)

10:08 -Ankh: Gods of Egypt (Eric M. Lang, CMON, 2021)

14:14 -SEAL Team Flix (Pete Ruth & Mark Thomas, WizKids, 2018)

16:49 -Cosmic Frog: Find Muck (Jim Felli, Devious Weasel Games, 2023)

21:45 -Mindbug Beyond (Skaff Elias, Richard Garfield, Marvin Hegen, and Christian Kudahl, Nerdlab Games, 2023)

23:07 -Neuroshima Hex!: The Year of Moloch (Michał Oracz, Portal Games, 2021)

24:30 -Robotech: Reconstruction (Dr. Wictz, Strange Machine Games, 2023)

30:44 -Challengers! (Johannes Krenner and Markus Slawitscheck, 1 More Time Games, 2022)

36:48 -Heaven & Ale (Michael Kiesling & Andreas Schmidt, eggertspiele, 2017)

39:36 -Night of the Ninja (Justin Gary, Brotherwise Games, 2021)

44:14 -The Resistance (Don Eskridge, Indie Boards & Cards, 2009)

48:25 -Uprising: Curse of the Last Emperor (Cornelius Cremin, Pawel Mazur, & Dirk Sommer, Nemesis.Games, 2021)

News (and why it doesn't matter):

52:27 Please consider supporting us on Patreon! www.patreon.com/svwag

54:15 Wolves by Coyote and Crow Games

55:46 Keep the Heroes Out Boss Battles in October

56:29 Shards of Infinity: Saga on Kickstarter

57:53 Upcoming reprints: Gloomhaven Buttons & Bugs, El Grande, Calimala, Tigris & Euphrates

59:37 American FTC underscores importance of disclosure in media

1:02:48 Stupor Mundi on Board Game Arena prior to crowdfunding

1:04:12 Dogfight!: Rule the Skies in 20 Minutes! Not by Paolo Mori

1:05:05 Feature Game: Ra (Reiner Knizia, alea, 1999)

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

#269: Credibility in Crowdfunding Jul 04, 2023

Show notes

Two crowdfunding campaigns stand before you. One only tells lies, the other only tells the truth. Both claim to be innovative and to be able to deliver on time. How do you decide which one to back? Or wait, a crowdfunding campaign launches but during the funding period every individual component is replaced by a new one; is it the same campaign? Or wait, there are five crowdfunding campaigns on one side of a track and one campaign on the other, and this trolley...

02:25 AYURIS: Imperium: The Contention (Gary Dworetsky, Contention Games, 2021)

Games Played Last Week:

03:56 -Tapple (Uncredited, The Op Games, 2021)

06:43 -Undaunted: Battle of Britain (Trevor Benjamin and David Thompson, Osprey Games, 2023)

08:14 -Oh No, Volcano! (Phil Walker-Harding, Buffalo Games, 2023)

10:58 -The Siege of Runedar (Reiner Knizia, Ludonova, 2021)

16:04 -Sakura Arms (BakaFire, Level 99 Games, 2022)

18:17 -Autobahn (Fabio Lopiano and Nestore Mangone, Alley Cat Games, 2022)

22:35 -Sidereal Confluence: Bifurcation (TauCeti Deichmann, WizKids, 2022)

25:55 -For What Remains (Paul Low, David Thompson, & Ricardo Manuel Luis Tomas, DVG, 2020)

30:38 -Cosmic Frog: Find Muck (Jim Felli, Devious Weasel Games, 2023)

34:43 -Root (Cole Wehrle, Leder Games, 2018)