So Very Wrong About Games

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)

36:48 -Tigris & Euphrates (Reiner Knizia, Hans im Gluck, 1997)

News (and why it doesn't matter):

38:30 Avatar: The Last Airbender Crossroads of Destiny by Prospero Hall

39:10 Spy x Family Love Letter, because of course

39:53 Kaiju Table Battles by Amabel Holland

Designer diary: https://boardgamegeek.com/blogpost/149425/designer-diary-kaiju-table-battles-or-queer-love-l

41:18 Topic: Credibility in Crowdfunding

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It is a well-known fact, observed by Infinity: the Game, Across the Spider-Verse, and Undaunted: Battle of Britain, that a Sikh man in uniform is always a good look. So here's to pilot Singh in his Hurricane! Not to mention Sergeant Singh in his power armour, and Captain Singh in his Spider-Man movie (in my heart, it is his film).

Games Played Last Week:

01:01 -The Defence of Procyon III (Dávid Turczi, PSC Games, 2021)

11:02 -That's Not a Hat (Kasper Lapp, Ravensburger, 2023)

14:49 -Beyond the Sun: Leaders of a New Dawn (Dennis K. Chan and Joseph Summa, Rio Grande Games, 2023)

19:50 -Thunder Road: Vendetta (Dave Chalkers, Brett Myers, Noah Cohen, Rob Daviau, Justin D. Jacobson, Jim Keifer, and Brian Neff, Restoration Games, 2023)

25:07 -Sherlock Holmes: Baker Street Irregulars (Cédric Asna, Makaka Editions, 2019)

27:26 -It's a Wonderful World (Frédéric Guérard, La Boîte de Jeu, 2019)

31:48 -IKI (Koota Yamada, Sorry We Are French, 2015)

34:41 -Knarr (Thomas Dupont, Bombyx, 2023)

News (and why it doesn't matter):

36:30 Doggerland; 15,000 BCE

36:58 Further confirmation of Paolo Mori's Dogs of War 2nd edition

37:29 Adventure Time RPG from Cryptozoic

37:43 Monty Python Zombicide? Wha...?

38:30 FISH FISH FISH! Nusfjord Big Box

39:37 Aristeia! will see more in the future; Corvus Belli's history of being consumer-friendly

42:23 Planet Unknown: Supermoon expansion and reprint on Gamefound July 7th

43:14 Feature Game: Undaunted: Battle of Britain (Trevor Benjamin and David Thompson, Osprey Games, 2023)

1:04:54 SVWAG Presents Masterpiece Theatre: Fast X

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Times are bad. Children no longer obey their parents and everyone is running a Kickstarter. It is trivially easy to string together quotations going back to the dawn of human civilization lamenting how the youth are ruining everything, how the good old days were so great, and wishing we could go back to the golden age. See, I blame it on the baby boomers aging and succumbing more and more to nostalgia. See, in the good old days, before the boomers, we had things in perspective.

01:51 AYURIS: Anno 1800 (Martin Wallace, KOSMOS, 2020)

Games Played Last Week:

03:37 -Yucatan (Guillaume Montiage, Matagot, 2023)

14:06 -Skytear Horde (Giacomo Neri and Riccardo Neri, Skytear Games, 2023)

15:44 -Sorcerer City (Scott Caputo, Druid City Games, 2020)

20:50 -Dungeons & Dragons: Dungeon Scrawlers--Heroes of Waterdeep (Vangelis Bagiartakis and Konstantinos Karagiannis, WizKids, 2023) 

25:36 -Dorfromantik: The Board Game (Michael Palm and Lukas Zach, Pegasus Spiele, 2022)

26:15 -The Red Cathedral: Contractors (Isra C. and Shei S., Devir, 2022)

30:06 -Judgement: Eternal Champions (Gunmeister Games, Creature Caster, 2022) 

36:27 -My City: Roll & Build (Reiner Knizia, KOSMOS, 2022)

40:51 -That's Not a Hat (Kasper Lapp, Ravensburger, 2023)

43:25 -Tinderblox (Rob Sparks, Alley Cat Games, 2020)

45:03 -Radiant: Offline Battle Arena (Jack Murray, Heel Turn Games, 2019)

News (and why it doesn't matter):

48:41 Monopoly Scrabble. What?

49:42 Follow-up: Soldiers in Postman's Uniforms still available!

50:24 Perseverance: Castaway Chronicles episodes 3 & 4

51:27 "Dinosaurs, everybody!" VelociRapture by Xoe Allred

52:51 Knarr by Thomas Dupont, already available on BGA

54:30 Topic: Top 10 Revisited & "Golden Age"

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Mark's enthusiasm for Dungeon Scrawlers is telling. Whereas most children enjoy mazes, drawing, or even colouring, Mark instead as a child enjoyed the programmatic, deterministic mundanity of connect-the-dots. Straight(ish) lines and ascending natural numbers only, please. No doubt at a similar age Walker was already pursuing his jock/theatre kid synthesis, doing a number from Gilbert & Sullivan as his endzone dance after scoring a touchdown. 

01:13 AYURIS: Soldiers in Postmen's Uniforms (David Thompson, Dan Verssen Games, 2021)

Games Played Last Week:

03:32 -Tindaya (Lolo González, Red Mojo, 2022)

06:41 -Radiant: Offline Battle Arena (Jack Murray, Heel Turn Games, 2019)

09:07 -Formula D (Laurent Lavaur & Eric Randall, Asmodee, 2008)

12:15 -Undaunted: Battle of Britain (Trevor Benjamin and David Thompson, Osprey Games, 2023)

16:39 -Orléans (Reiner Stockhausen, dlp Games, 2014)

18:48 -Witchcraft! (Trevor Benjamin, Roger Tankersly, and David Thompson, Salt & Pepper Games, 2023)

23:49 -The Red Cathedral (Israel Cendrero & Sheila Santos, Devir Games, 2020)

26:13 -Castles by the Sea (Jon Benjamin and Michael Xuereb, Brotherwise Games, 2023)

31:12 -Sherlock Holmes: Baker Street Irregulars (Cédric Asna, Makaka Editions, 2019)

33:32 -Dorfromantik: The Board Game (Michael Palm and Lukas Zach, Pegasus Spiele, 2022)

38:51 -Ragnarocks (Gord!, Grey Fox Games, 2022)

41:44 -Princes of the Renaissance (Martin Wallace, Mercury Games, 2016)

50:00 -The Taverns of Tiefenthal (Wolfgang Warsch, Schmidt Spiel, 2019)

52:19 -The Crew: Mission Deep Sea (Thomas Sing, KOSMOS, 2021)

53:40 -Marshmallow Test (Reiner Knizia, Gamewright, 2020)

57:47 -Dice Miner (Joshua DeBonis & Nikola Risteski, Atlas Games, 2021)

58:50 -Dungeons & Dragons: Dungeon Scrawlers--Heroes of Waterdeep (Vangelis Bagiartakis and Konstantinos Karagiannis, WizKids, 2023)

1:00:55 -Viking See-Saw (Reiner Knizia, itten, 2021)

1:03:20 -Thunder Road: Vendetta (Dave Chalkers, Brett Myers, Noah Cohen, Rob Daviau, Justin D. Jacobson, Jim Keifer, and Brian Neff, Restoration Games, 2023)

1:07:25 -Splendor Duel (Marc André and Bruno Cathala, Space Cowboys, 2022)

1:08:51 -Crazy Tower (Alexis Harvey, Félix Leblanc, Manuel-Lucas Bergeron Duhamel, & Mathieu Auger, Synapses Games, 2020)

News (and why it doesn't matter):

1:10:35 Terraria board game by Paper Fort Games

1:11:09 Witchcraft! on Gamefound

1:11:14 Heroscape to be re-resurrected by Renegade Games

1:12:32 Regicide Legacy Badgers from Mars

1:13:46 The Smurfs: Hidden Village board game

1:14:26 Conquest Princess: Fashion is Power

1:15:08 Worms board game by Mantic

1:15:34 Gloomhaven 2nd Edition will have an upgrade pack

1:16:47 Board gamers: Be good allies during Pride Month and oppose book bans

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We are very proud of our strict editorial standards here at SVWAG. Among them is our firm stance on Monty Python references, which are very firmly circumscribed. Philosophers are mentioned all the time, but never the song; and similarly we discuss Mozart here (in two different media!) without any kind of passing gesture to his decomposition. People have tried to smuggle in other references to the show, but those responsible have been sacked.

Games Played Last Week:

01:34 -Dice Hospital: ER--Emergency Roll (Matthew Dunstan and Brett J. Gilbert, Alley Cat Games, 2022)

02:35 -Joan of Arc: Orléans Draw & Write (Ryan Hendrickson and Reiner Stockhausen, dlp Games, 2022)

04:46 -Tinderblox (Rob Sparks, Alley Cat Games, 2020)

06:36 -Similo (Martino Chiacchiera, Hjalmar Hach, & Pierluca Zizzi, Horrible Guild, 2019)

08:21 -Crazy Tower (Alexis Harvey, Félix Leblanc, Manuel-Lucas Bergeron Duhamel, & Mathieu Auger, Synapses Games, 2020)

09:30 -Glenn Drover's Empires: Galactic Rebellion (Don Beyer and Glenn Drover, Eagle-Gryphon Games, 2016)

17:40 -The North: Provenance (John Clowdus, Small Box Games, 2020)

20:45 -Tsukuyumi: Full Moon Down (Second Edition) (Felix Mertikat, Grey Fox Games, 2021)

27:21 -Radiant: Offline Battle Arena (Jack Murray, Heel Turn Games, 2019)

News (and why it doesn't matter):

31:00 Marceline Leiman points out hidden barriers to minoritized people and the importance of accessibility

32:59 Freaky Frogs from Outaspace by Friedemann Friese

33:45 Metal Gear Solid from Emerson Matsuuchi finally being piblished by CMON

35:58 Tankersly, Benjamin, and Thompson reunite with Albert Monteys for Witchcraft! 

36:34 Please support us on Patreon! www.patreon.com/svwag

37:46 Feature Game: Lacrimosa (Gerard Ascendi and Ferran Renalias, Devir, 2022)

1:00:13 SVWAG Presents Masterpiece Theatre: Amadeus

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The episode notes will be released in installments. The base pledge, "Generic Non-Sequiturs," will give you the first two sentences and the last sentence. But don't miss out on the "Forced Macross Reference" add-on pack, which gives you sentence five; or the "Austen Allusion" pack featuring sentence four. The ultra-limited "Stupid Kant Wordplay" pack will never be reprinted (until, let's face it, next week's episode notes, when you'll be subjected to some more regardless). Pledge now!

01:29 AYURIS: Vienna Connection (Jakub Poczęty, Przemysław Rymer, Ignacy Trzewiczek, & Jakub Łapot, Portal Games, 2021)

Games Played Last Week:

04:21 -Mindbug Beyond (Skaff Elias, Richard Garfield, Marvin Hegen, and Christian Kudahl, Nerdlab Games, 2023) 

05:59 -Abandon All Artichokes (Emma Larkins, Gamewright, 2020)

06:49 -Crazy Tower (Alexis Harvey, Félix Leblanc, Manuel-Lucas Bergeron Duhamel, & Mathieu Auger, Synapses Games, 2020)

09:03 -Empires: Age of Discovery (Glenn Drover, Eagle-Gryphon Games, 2015)

13:22 -Ierusalem: Anno Domini (Carmen García Jiménez, Devir, 2023)

16:31 -Raccoon Tycoon (Glenn Drover, Forbidden Games, 2018)

19:26 -Agricola 15 (Uwe Rosenberg, Lookout Games, 2022)

20:49 -Cacti (John Clowdus, Small Box Games, 2020)

23:22 -Company of Heroes (Bryan Kromley, Bad Crow Games, 2021)

23:22 -Darkest Dungeon: The Board Game (Nick Niotis and Argyris Poungouras, Mythic Games, 2022)

News (and why it doesn't matter):

34:18 Our take on the Quackalope v. Into the Unknown controversy: Pay-to-play infomercials and editorial content shouldn't mix in board game media 

38:41 Anti-cookie propaganda from the pie partisans

39:10 Spiel des Jahres nominees: Dorfromantik, Fun Facts, and Next Station: London

Kennerspiel des Jahres: Challengers, Iki, and Planet Unknown

41:11 Portal continues to support Neuroshima Hex!: The Merchants Guild

41:21 Catalyst Game Labs kicks off new board game division with Overlords in Training, 

41:53 Battletech starter set in Target

42:52 Topic: Completionism

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It is a truth universally acknowledged in eurogames that every famous historical man (it's almost always a man, of course) had a retinue of about 2-5 hangers-on whose sole job was to impress him. They did this mostly by doing stuff he did; maybe after he did them, maybe running states he conquered, maybe even by doing the stuff he was credited with. Their names are lost to antiquity. All we know is that they liked solid colours, and that the famous dude was most impressed with one of them. 

Games Played Last Week:

00:54 -Lacrimosa (Gerard Ascendi and Ferran Renalias, Devir, 2022)

06:30 -Tapple (Uncredited, The Op Games, 2021)

07:48 -Forests of Pangaia (Thomas Franken, Pangaia Games, 2022)

09:48 -Wizards of the Grimoire (Cole Banning and Joe Banning, Grimoire Games, 2022)

12:46 -Sentinels of the Multiverse (Christopher Badell, Paul Bender, & Adam Rebottaro, Greater Than Games, 2011)

16:51 -So Clover! (François Romain, Repos Production, 2021)

19:07 -Spots (Alex Hague, Jon Perry, and Justin Vickers, CMYK, 2022)

20:42 -Hemloch: Dark Promenade (John Clowdus, Small Box Games, 2017) HEMLOCH 2011

24:41 -Hanamikoji (Kota Nakayama, EmperorS4, 2013)

25:52 -Vengeance: Roll & Fight (Gordon Calleja, Noralie Lubbers, & Dávid Turczi, Mighty Boards, 2022)

29:12 -Spirit Island (R. Eric Reuss, Greater Than Games, 2017)

News (and why it doesn't matter):

29:50 The Pirate Republic: The Africa Gambit

30:15 Guards of Atlantis II can't credit its author on BGG, they're not registered on BGG

30:59 Nine Tiles: Chainsaw Man by Oink Games

32:13 Summer PSA: Be careful of games outside! Cards and tokens will flee and disappear

33:49 Night Witches: Fort Circle Games, Liz Davidson, and David Thompson about the 588th Night Bomber Regiment 

35:16 Feature Game: Darwin’s Journey (Simone Luciani and Nestore Mangone, ThunderGryph Games, 2023)

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"L'enfer, c'est les autres," wrote Sartre, which translates into "why don't nobody wanna play with me?" You see, Sartre only liked his consims and other historical wargames, but people didn't want to join him--possibly on account of there having been less history back in his old-timey days. His angst over unplayed games was the key inspiration of his existentialist philosophy. Camus tried to show him that the answer is to play with randos with his work "The Stranger."  

01:52 AYURIS: Tribune (Karl-Heinz Schmiel, Spielworxx, 2021)

Games Played Last Week:

06:33 -Imperium: The Contention (Gary Dworetsky, Contention Games, 2021)

09:57 -Distilled (Dave Beck, Paverson Games, 2023)

17:25 -Quartermaster General (Second Edition): Total War (Ian Brody, Ares Games, 2020)

22:26 -Sniper Elite: Eagle's Nest (Roger Tankersly and David Thompson, Rebellion Unplugged, 2022)

28:53 -Tapple (Uncredited, The Op Games, 2021)

30:29 -The Great Zimbabwe (Jeroen Doumen and Joris Wiersinga, Splotter Spellen, 2012)

36:52 -Guards of Atlantis II: Tabletop MOBA (Artyom Nichipurov, Wolff Designa, 2021)

41:07 -Hanamikoji (Kota Nakayama, EmperorS4, 2013) 

43:49 -Darwin’s Journey (Simone Luciani and Nestore Mangone, ThunderGryph Games, 2023)

News (and why it doesn't matter):

46:16 Thank to Warmboy, our Discord, and all our listeners

47:18 Walker is disgusted by How to Lose a Guy in 10 DMs

47:53 Planet Unknown reprint/expansion

48:50 Shards of Infinity on crowdfunding

49:52 Ryan Laukat's Creature Caravan

50:28 Mythic Games' serial quasi-extortion; 6: Siege and all upcoming projects 

55:40 Cysmic's many versions; people ask for economy but back the toys

58:44 Walker's patience is running out along with his shelf space

59:30 Faiyum: Privileges expansion

1:00:31 Topic: Right Game, Wrong People

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In the show Ted Lasso (possibly the subject of a future Masterpiece Theatre?), French-Canadian goaltender Zoreaux asks to be called Van Damme. This is partly because people kept mispronouncing his name as "Zorro," and also because he admired the Muscles from Brussels. The point is that even people who thought it was stupid respected his wishes and called him what he wanted to be called, because that's what not being a jerk is. Similarly, ain't nothing necessarily wrong with being called Sally, but if you consistently call someone Sally when they don't want to be called that, you're being a toxic jerk. 

It doesn't have to be a big deal, and we're not the ones making it a big deal. Call people what they want to be called. It costs you nothing and decency is always a good look.

Games Played Last Week:

00:49 -Hot Lead (Reiner Knizia, Bitewing Games, 2022)

02:49 -Masters of the Universe: Fields of Eternia The Board Game (Dave Ketch and Jakub S. Olekszyk, Archon Studio, 2022)

09:48 -Beyond the Sun: Leaders of a New Dawn (Dennis K. Chan and Joseph Summa, Rio Grande Games, 2023)

14:06 -Keep the Heroes Out (Luís Brüeh, Brueh Games, 2022)

18:33 -Theurgy (Charlotte Dowling and Oliver Josiah, The Ministry of Meeples, 2022)

23:37 -Tapple (Uncredited, The Op Games, 2021)

26:52 -Empyreal: Spells & Steam (Trey Chambers, Level 99 Games, 2020)  

29:47-Ethnos (Paolo Mori, CMON, 2017)

News (and why it doesn't matter):

34:06 Cysmic on KickStarter; toys galore

36:10 Guards of Atlantis II

37:24 Go vote for the Golden Geek wards on BGG!

38:00 MasQueOca's exclusionary edits and language; common decency demands proper pronoun use

39:08 Feature Game: Stationfall (Matt Eklund, Ion Game Design, 2023)

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We get introspective this week, or at least as much as the editorial gibbons allow. If we get too deep they get nervous, and as every podcaster will tell you, nervous gibbons are bad for the show. Walker, Mark alleges, is a masochist who sacrifices himself on the altar of speed, which may or may not mean game flow; Walker counters that Mark abuses the takesies-backsies. 

01:50 AYURIS: Imperium: Classics and Imperium: Legends (Nigel Buckle & Dávid Turczi, Osprey Games, 2021)

Games Played Last Week:

06:13 -XenoShyft: Dreadmire (Michael Shinall, CMON, 2017)

11:24 -Raccoon Tycoon (Glenn Drover, Forbidden Games, 2018)

16:01 -Dwellings of Eldervale (Luke Laurie, Breaking Games, 2020)

20:37 -Code of Nine (BakaFire, Z-Man Games, 2012)

22:47 -Akropolis (Jules Messaud, Gigamic, 2022)

25:47 -Ortus Regni (Jon Sudbury, Jon Sudbury Games, 2014)

29:11 -Rallyman: DIRT (Jean-Christophe Bouvier, Holy Grail Games, 2023)

38:21 -Resist! (Trevor Benjamin, Roger Tankersley, and David Thompson, Salt & Pepper Games, 2022)

News (and why it doesn't matter):

41:14 Support us on Patreon! Tons of exclusive content and bennies at www.patreon/svwag 

42:41 Mike Hutchinson's Hobgoblin on Kickstarter

43:34 Walker's Who Asked for This? Call of Duty: The Board Game by Arcane Wonders

44:39 Walker's Who Asked for This? The Last Spell: The Board Games

45:23 Path of Civilization by Fabien Gridel, simultaneous play Civ game

45:48 Altay: Dawn of Civilization by Paolo Mori and Ole Steiness, deck-building/kingdom-building

46:14 Revive: Call of the Abyss expansion

47:15 Bitoku: Resutoran expansion

47:36 Ernest et Célestine, co-operative back-drawing from Space Cow

48:27 Non-Key game from Richard Breese: The Glade

48:59 Topic: The Games Must Flow

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