GeekNights Tuesday - Gaming

Tonight on GeekNights, Scott reviews Spiel Essen. In the news, BioWare is killed by capitalism, Wizards of the Coast refused to voluntarily recognize its new unions, Hasbro appoints a new Wizards of the Coast president, and Bolsonaro fled Brazil after losing his election. Also we'll be live at PAX Unplugged!

Related LinksForum Thread

• Spiel Essen

Discord Chat

• Spiel Essen

Bluesky Post

• Spiel Essen

Things of the Day

• Rym - Feast of the Unicorn
• Scott - Tiny Steam Train Wheel Slip!

Tonight on GeekNights, we review The Old Prince 1871. It's an 18xx game, and you can play an alpha implementation at 18xx.games. It's a good one, designed by Lucas Boyd. We've previously reviewed 1817, 1889: History of Shikoku Railways, and 1846: The Race for the Midwest: you know we love a good train game.

In the news, the Steam Frame is finally here, Nintendo has a big sale, and the Nintendo Direct was overall solid.

Related LinksForum Thread

• The Old Prince 1871

Discord Chat

• The Old Prince 1871

Bluesky Post

• The Old Prince 1871

Things of the Day

• Rym - Wading through making a DOOM map in Waded
• Scott - Hacks.Guide

Tonight on GeekNights, we consider the humble Board Game Night. Many of you host (or try to host) them. Some of them are public. Many are haunted by that guy. In the news, Big Walk is out, you can play The Old Prince at 18xx.games right now, and Rockstar Games is an evil union-busting company and it's going to court soon.

Related LinksForum Thread

• Board Game Night

Discord Chat

• Board Game Night

Bluesky Post

• Board Game Night

Things of the Day

• Rym - Yahtzee Proficiency Test with Detailed Feedback
• Scott - The Hardest Working Font in Manhattan

Tonight on GeekNights, we consider the game of Association Football. More commonly known as soccer, it's a game of high drama, clever play, and FIFA corruption that is cemented in societal and cultural history.

In the news, a Manhattan skyscraper is collapsing, XBOX is collapsing, YOASOBI x Overwatch slaps, and the new Ghost in the Shell slaps.

Related LinksForum Thread

• Association Football

Discord Chat

• Association Football

Bluesky Post

• Association Football

Things of the Day

• Rym - EVANGELION BRAND NEW SERIES PRODUCTION CONFIRMATION
• Scott - Free Printable Graph Paper

Tonight on GeekNights, we review Mina the Hollower (2026). It's fantastic, evoking the feeling of old NES games but with modern design sensibilities. In the news, the Steam Machine is actually here and still a reasonable price (considering the unreasonable pressure the AI bubble is putting on computer components), Civ VII added hotseat multiplayer, and Deltarune chapter 5 drops TOMORROW.

Related LinksForum Thread

• Mina the Hollower (2026)

Discord Chat

• Mina the Hollower (2026)

Bluesky Post

• Mina the Hollower (2026)

Things of the Day

• Rym - "I Never Read The Animorphs," a poem by Neil Cicierega
• Scott - Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields

Tonight on GeekNights, we consider what happens when one chases the meta. This is especially a problem when competitive and casual players mix and is the topic of several GeekNights lectures. In the news, Furality was phenomenal this year, and the Nintendo Direct was underwhelming.

Related LinksForum Thread

• Chasing the Meta

Discord Chat

• Chasing the Meta

Bluesky Post

• Chasing the Meta

Things of the Day

• Rym - Furality Ultra: Tsop B2B Loprov (Full Stage Visuals)
• Scott - NTSC-RS

Tonight on GeekNights, we consider games where the numbers go up. Like Balatro or Slay the Spire or 9 Kings or Vampire Survivors. These games might intersect with deeper societal problems related to the signifier and the signified and the trap of hyperreality. In the news, the NAACP calls for a boycott of southern public school athletics due to their extreme gutting of voting rights, Ferrari launches the Luce, and nobody is booking rooms for the World Cup.

Related LinksForum Thread

• Games where the numbers go up

Discord Chat

• Games where the numbers go up

Bluesky Post

• Games where the numbers go up

Things of the Day

• Rym - Otakon 08 Geeknights promo
• Scott - Sales & Dungeons

Tonight on GeekNights, we talk about the games we played at PAX East 2026, including Spokes, Magical Athlete, The Third Man, Take Time, Tezuma Trick, Big Wave, QE, Catch the Moon, Robokraft, False Kingdom, Juggernaut, Peanuts Talent Show, and John Company 2.0. In the news, there's a Halloween game (not that one, and there's another Mario movie.

Related LinksForum Thread

• Games we played at PAX East 2026

Discord Chat

• Games we played at PAX East 2026

Bluesky Post

• Games we played at PAX East 2026

Things of the Day

• Rym - YUNBYUL BALLET COMPANY Ballet GAT
• Scott - How to fold the UNICORN

Tonight on GeekNights, we consider puzzles in games. In the news, New York is suing Valve over illegal gambling, Valve's new hardware release timeline is heavily impacted by the RAM crisis but might still come in 2026, Blades 68 is launching (Rym was in the playtest), and Nintendo is suing the United States over our president's illegal tariffs.

Related LinksForum Thread

• Puzzles in Games

Discord Chat

• Puzzles in Games

Bluesky Post

• Puzzles in Games

Things of the Day

• Rym - Introducing Reg!
• Scott - Modern Illustration

Tonight on GeekNights, we review Paris Connection, also known as SNCF: France & Germany. It's no 1817, but it's a distilled real train game that's worth playing. In the news, Overwatch 1 is back and Diablo 2 is back.

Related LinksForum Thread

• Paris Connection

Discord Chat

• Paris Connection

Bluesky Post

• Paris Connection

Things of the Day

• Rym - Canada Curling Controversey
• Scott - Battlegroup Clash: Baltics