Gameopolis Podcast

Mark shares some sad news and explains what is ahead for Gameopolis.

In this Session Report show, Mark and Jeff give the "point-5" treatment to GameWright's Forbidden Desert!

We launch right into this session report with a description of which roles we each assume in this two-player game, and then right into some specific examples of play (which includes many notes of what things we find most forbidding about this particular desert). Our coverage includes some comparisons with the game's predecessor, Forbidden Island. After Mark and Jeff finish their coverage of this two-player example of play, Mark tells us a bit of his experience in a more recent, four-player example of play.

We always love to hear from our listeners, so please post a comment to this blog entry (at www.gameopolis.org or gameopolis.libsyn.com), or send us an email at [email protected]!

Stay tuned for Show 29.0, coming at you faster than an Explorer wearing a Jetpack!

NOTE: To download, right-click on the "POD" icon above, and choose "Save Target As..." Select a download location on your computer, and save. After saving, play the file from your downloaded copy.

In Show 28.0 of Gameopolis, Mark and Jeff inadvertently do a cooperative games extravaganza. But before any of that starts, observing tradition there is discussion of a Dusty Old Box…Actually it's a bag of Dusty Old Things (which sounds like an allergist's nightmare). Mark very enthusiastically describes the Dusty Old Things that Jeff presents him. After that it's a quick visit to our listener mailbag before we launch into the main show topics.

Mark takes the first main segment of the show, with coverage of Forbidden Desert: long-awaited sequel to Forbidden Island. He covers the rules, the most obvious differences and similarities with Forbidden Island, and --of course-- talks about the quality of the game components.

After Mark's main segment, Jeff dives into a second main segment on Valley Games' D-Day Dice, with focus on the rules of play, and the publisher's very clever use of game components.

We'd love to hear from you, so if you get a moment, please post a comment to this blog entry (at www.gameopolis.org or gameopolis.libsyn.com), or send us an email at [email protected]!

• 00:00:00 Prelude
• 00:01:35 Dusty Old Box
• 00:10:39 Listener Feedback
• 00:16:00 Happy 4th birthday, Gameopolis
• 00:17:34 Forbidden Desert, by Gamewright Games
• 00:40:10 D-Day Dice, by Valley Games
• 01:09:46 Signoff

Stay tuned for Show 28.5 --our session report on one of these filler games-- coming at you faster than a raging sandstorm!

NOTE: To download, right-click on the "POD" icon above, and choose "Save Target As..." Select a download location on your computer, and save. After saving, play the file from your downloaded copy.

Strap in for a multipart Session Report show where Mark and Jeff give the "point-5" treatment to an unprecedented three games!

We start off with a quick session report of Babylon, then onto a slightly less-quick session report of the Carcassonne Dice Game. Finally, we do a more in-depth session report of Fast Flowing Forest Fellers -with a special guest-host, Mark's daughter! Just before we wrap this episode, we have a quick diversion with a return of our segment "As Far As Possible, Game Goes Kaupankaynti", in which Mark brings home a description of a great game store in Portsmouth, NH.

We always love to hear from our listeners --it truly does make our day-- so please post a comment to this blog entry (at www.gameopolis.org or gameopolis.libsyn.com), or send us an email at [email protected]!

• 00:00:00 Prelude
• 00:01:30 Session Report of Babylon
• 00:06:30 Session Report of Carcassonne Dice Game
• 00:14:53 Session Report of Fast Flowing Forest Fellers (FlussFeiber)
• 00:25:43 As Far As Possible, Game Goes Kaupankaynti: Diversions Puzzles & Games
• 00:30:40 Signoff

Stay tuned for Show 28.0, coming at you faster than a lumberjack riding a log through the rapids!

NOTE: To download, right-click on the "POD" icon above, and choose "Save Target As..." Select a download location on your computer, and save. After saving, play the file from your downloaded copy.

Jeff shares some recent sad news, and gives an explanation of what's to come.

In Show 27.0 of Gameopolis, Mark and Jeff revisit a topic not discussed since way-back in Show 6.0: Filler Games! Before launching into tho second installment of our Fillers discussion, Jeff opens up a Dusty Old Box that he describes as a familiar game in an unfamiliar box. Confused? Intrigued? Then this show will set your mind at ease! Our discussion of this Dusty Old Box reminds Mark of another tidbit of Mark's Personal Gaming Trivia --a very humorous incident from his past gaming group-of-old.

After the Dusty Old Box and Mark's Personal Gaming Trivia segments, Mark and Jeff discuss eight Filler Games, that we hope you'll enjoy.

Lastly, at NO ADDITIONAL COST to you, we throw in a bonus segment on Gamewick Games' zombie-themed semi-cooperative card game, Pittsburgh 68. Jeff describes the things he loves about this old-style zombie movie experience.

We'd love to hear from you, so if you get a moment, please post a comment to this blog entry (at www.gameopolis.org or gameopolis.libsyn.com), or send us an email at [email protected]!

• 00:00:00 Prelude
• 00:03:00 Dusty Old Box
• 00:10:35 Mark's Personal Gaming Trivia
• 00:13:58 Carcassonne Dice Game
• 00:19:30 Babylon
• 00:26:28 Quoridor
• 00:33:04 Fast Flowing Forest Fellers (FlussFeiber)
• 00:39:57 Wits & Wagers
• 00:49:56 Safari Jack
• 00:58:03 The Very Clever Pipe Game
• 01:03:13 Guillotine
• 01:11:25 Pittsburgh 68
• 01:32:50 Signoff

Related links:

• 1 Carcassonne Dice Game on Boardgamegeek
• 2 Babylon on Boardgamegeek
• 3 Quoridor on Boardgamegeek
• 4 Fast Flowing Forest Fellers on Boardgamegeek
• 5 Wits & Wagers on Boardgamegeek
• 6 Safari Jack on Boardgamegeek
• 7 The Very Clever Pipe Game on Boardgamegeek
• 8 Guillotine on Boardgamegeek
• 9 Pittsburgh 68 on Boardgamegeek

Stay tuned for Show 27.5 --our session report on one or more of these filler games-- coming at you faster than a game of Babylon!

NOTE: To download, right-click on the "POD" icon above, and choose "Save Target As..." Select a download location on your computer, and save. After saving, play the file from your downloaded copy.

Grab your parachute, put on your jump boots, and get ready to follow along as we "Point-5" Axis & Allies: D-Day on Show 26.5!

This was a three-player game that we played with our good friend Bill. Mark talks about the strategic discussions he had with Bill, as the two of them teamed-up as US and UK forces. We also talk about how the unique play elements in the D-Day sequel impact game play and tactics, relative to standard Axis & Allies.

We always love to hear from our listeners --it truly does make our day-- so please post a comment to this blog entry (at www.gameopolis.org or gameopolis.libsyn.com), or send us an email at [email protected]!

Stay tuned for Show 27.0, coming at you faster than strafing P-38 Lightning!

NOTE: To download, right-click on the "POD" icon above, and choose "Save Target As..." Select a download location on your computer, and save. After saving, play the file from your downloaded copy.

Show 26.0 of Gameopolis sees Mark and Jeff hosting a franchise-specific celebration that can ONLY be termed a "Spectacular". In this Spectacular, Mark and Jeff take a deep dive into the Axis & Allies board game series, with special focus on the boardgames in the series of more limited historical scope. Before launching the Spectacular, however, Mark and Jeff open up a Dusty Old Box that might teach you something if you're not careful!

After the Dusty Old Box segment, Mark and Jeff launch into a walkthrough of five different Axis & Allies board game titles, with emphasis on the new wrinkles introduced into the A&A game system by each game.

We'd love to hear from you, so if you get a moment, please post a comment to this blog entry (at www.gameopolis.org or gameopolis.libsyn.com), or send us an email at [email protected]!

• 00:00:00 Prelude
• 00:02:21 Dusty Old Box
• 00:15:11 Jeff talks about Mark W. Allen's "Midway Submerged" eBook/book
• 00:16:44 Axis & Allies background and memories
• 00:19:30 Axis & Allies Europe
• 00:30:54 Axis & Allies Pacific
• 00:34:35 Axis & Allies D-Day
• 00:46:55 Axis & Allies Battle of the Bulge
• 00:57:55 Axis & Allies Guadalcanal
• 01:19:31 Signoff

Related links:

• Midway Submerged by Mark W. Allen can be found on http://www.ussbatfish.com

Stay tuned for Show 26.5 --our session report on one of these Axis & Allies games-- coming at you faster than a screaming dive-bomber!

NOTE: To download, right-click on the "POD" icon above, and choose "Save Target As..." Select a download location on your computer, and save. After saving, play the file from your downloaded copy.

Get ready for the Rootinest, Tootinest, Shootinest Session Report we've ever done on Gameopolis, as we "Point-5" Twilight Creations' Deadlands: Battle for Slaughter Gulch. Yeehaw!!!! This episode is also our 50th regular episode of Gameopolis, so get ready to hear the clinking of a few toasting champagne glasses throughout the episode!

This was a three-player game that we played with our good friend Bill. We cover this play session at a high level, sticking to our overall strategies, and the game elements that we felt impacted the play experience the most. We also discuss some potential house rules that we would consider trying out.

We always love to hear from our Podcast Nation, so please post a comment to this blog entry (at www.gameopolis.org or gameopolis.libsyn.com), or send us an email at [email protected]!

Stay tuned for Show 26.0, coming at you faster than Mad Scientist flying an autogyro!

NOTE: To download, right-click on the "POD" icon above, and choose "Save Target As..." Select a download location on your computer, and save. After saving, play the file from your downloaded copy.

Show 25.0 of Gameopolis is a knock-down, drag-out episode that will have you reaching for your break-away prop furniture. But first, Mark and Jeff keep to Gameopolis tradition and cover a very old Dusty Old Box -a game with a colorful box and a colorful game board. After the Dusty Old Box Mark and Jeff dig into the show's first main segment by covering Merchant of Venus one last time, but they take a slightly different tact this time, by focusing on the differences --the deltas, if you will-- between the Avalon Hill version and the new Fantasy Flight Games' version. Mark finishes this segment by stating he will never mention Merchant of Venus again --for at least a half-hour!

After their discussion of Merchant of Venus deltas, Mark and Jeff move onto the show's second main segment, which gives this episode its knock-down, drag-out flavor: a discussion of Twilight Creations' Deadlands: The Battle for Slaughter Gulch. Jeff discusses the game elements and mechanics of this old west-meets-horror-meets-steampunk boardgame, as well as its production values.

We end the episode by signing-off just before Mark's hungry dogs overrun the studio and take over the microphones.

We'd love to hear from you, so if you get a second, please post a comment to this blog entry (at www.gameopolis.org or gameopolis.libsyn.com), or send us an email at [email protected]!

• 00:00:00 Prelude
• 00:01:25 Dusty Old Box
• 00:11:24 MoV: Avalon Hill to Fantasy Flight deltas
• 00:41:45 Deadlands: Battle for Slaughter Gulch
• 01:05:08 Signoff, and siege of Studio B by hungry hounds

Stay tuned for Show 25.5 --our 50th Episode, and Session Report on Battle for Slaughter Gulch-- coming at you faster than a hipshot from a six-shooter.

NOTE: To download, right-click on the "POD" icon above, and choose "Save Target As..." Select a download location on your computer, and save. After saving, play the file from your downloaded copy.