Here are the show notes for the episode Bosworth and Freakshow Chardonnay from Meeples & Wine—your podcast of board game reviews for couples, with a drink in hand!
Wine We’re Tasting Today:
Freakshow Chardonnay 2024 by Michael David Winery
Location: Lodi AppellationProfile: Golden straw color with aromas of apricot, citrus, and herbaceous notes. Flavors of Asian pear, honeydew, and juicy peach pie, finished with a lasting oak-inspired touch.Details: 50% aged in new French oak for 4 months, 50% stainless steel (no oak), 99% malolactic fermentation (softens that tart malic acid into smoother lactic acid).Pairings ideas: Buttery dishes, rich cream pastas, broiled fish with butter, steak with garlic butter, buttered rolls.Winery site: https://michaeldavidwinery.com/Game We’re Playing:
Bosworth (1998)
A chaotic 2-4 player chess variant where pieces are cards drawn randomly from your personal pile. Same classic chess pieces (pawns, knights, rooks, bishops, queen, king), but with twists: pawns move/capture sideways too, kings can capture their own pieces to escape check, and it’s all about multiplayer mayhem on a 6×6 board with blocked corners and face-down covers. Goal? Checkmate everyone else’s kings—last king standing wins!
BGG page: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/645/bosworthDesigner: Mark Alan Osterhaus (also Apples to Apples, Shipwrecked)Artist: John Kovalic (Munchkin, Cash ‘n Guns, etc.)Publisher: Out of the Box Publishing (defunct since 2015)Rating: 5.8/10 | Weight: 2.1/5 | Players: 2-4Historical nod: Named after the Battle of Bosworth Field — https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-Bosworth-Field
How It Plays with Two Players & Our Takes
Super fun with two—keeps the random draws and tension without too much ganging up.Fun Score (1-10): Michael: 8 | Suzy: 7Couch Score (will it wreck the relationship? 1-5): Michael: 3 | Suzy: 2 (mild trash talk potential, but mostly laughs)Time Sink to Learn Rules (1-5): 1 — Pick it up in one or two games, no heavy YouTube needed.Final Sip
How’s the Freakshow Chardonnay evolved since opening? (We chat about it in the episode!)
Last Call – Kickstarter/Gamefound Spotlight
Boktor: A Cooperative Dungeon Quest by Fox Troll Games
Fast-paced dungeon crawler for 1-6 players—explore modular dungeons, evolve your heroes, battle Tyrants, and stop the Vortex. Quick setup, intuitive rules, real strategy, all in ~60 minutes.
Check it out: https://gamefound.com/en/projects/fox-troll-games/boktor-a-cooperative-dungeon-quest
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