So Very Wrong About Games

This week we stumble on the terrible, horrifying fact that there are other hobbies than boardgames, and we take pity on those poor lamented souls who are enslaved in their thrall. Just what is scrapbooking, anyway? Walker has a theory, but no one is really sure. We should thus feel blessed that we chosen few enjoy the hobby that we do, and so we discuss ways to try to be decent while doing so.

Games Played Last Week:
-Clans of Caledonia 1m59s (Juma Al-Joujou, Karma Games, 2017)
-Starship Samurai 4m04s (Isaac Vega, Plaid Hat Games, 2018)
-Neuroshima Hex! 8m45s (Michal Oracz, Portal Games, 2006)
-Hellapagos 9m50s (Laurence & Philippe Gamelin, Gigamic, 2017)
-Azul 11m46s (Michael Kiesling, Plan B Games, 2017)
-Fog of Love 14m33s (Jacob Jaskov, Hush Hush Projects, 2017)
-When I Dream 18m13s (Chris Darsaklis, Drawlab Entertainment, 2016)
-Goa 20m23s (Rudiger Dorn, Hans im Gluck, 2004)

News (and why it doesn't matter)
-Quartermaster General gets downright chilly 22m16s
-The first ever Cthulhu game, ever (Walker's excited) 24m05s
-Kwanchai Moriya Targets The Game 26m46s
-Terraforming Mars metastasizes further (Mark's excited) 28m31s
-Race races further into the galaxy 29m02s
-Catan isn't history thanks to Catan Histories 30m13s

Feature Game: Street Masters 31m13s (Brady & Adam Sadler, Blacklist Games, 2018)

Topic: Board Game Table Etiquette 54m28s

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A reminder that there is no necessary connection between our feature game and our topic. We would not divest ourselves of SEAL Team Flix, The Only Game that Matters, if for no other reason than we need it on hand so we can talk about it and only it for perpetuity. That, and it's great. Sorry, spoilers! Oh, and Walker was Keyser Söze the entire time.

Games Played Last Week:
-Cthulhu Wars 1m28s (Sandy Peterson & Lincoln Peterson, Peterson Games, 2015)
-Decrypto 5m09s (Thomas Dagenais-Lespérance, Le Scorpion Masqué, 2018)
-Gaslands 7m39s (Glenn Ford & Mike Hutchinson, Osprey Publishing, 2017)
-Beowulf: The Legend 12m06s (Reiner Knizia, KOSMOS, 2005)
-The Voyages of Marco Polo 15m04s (Simone Luciani & Daniele Tascini, Hans im Gluck, 2015)
-Dungeon Degenerates: Hand of Doom 18m03s (Sean Äaberg & Eric Radey, Goblinko, 2018)


News (and why it doesn't matter)
-SVWAG Summer Schedule 20m29s
-An editorial from Mark in the context of #MeToo: Making our gaming environment safe and welcoming 21m04s

Feature Game: SEAL Team Flix 26m03s (Pete Ruth & Mark Thomas, WizKids, 2018)

Topic: When and Why to Get Rid of Games 51m57s

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It is important to stay flexible, and follow the ways of those who practise judo and jiu-jitsu. That is why we choke people as often as we can. Wait, that's not right. Rather, it is important to be supple and adaptable. We had intended to be on time and talking about different things, but sundry unrelated crises have changed both of those plans. We apologize for the delay, but we are confident our new plans are much better. We adapt. We choke. It is a good thing no one reads these, or these comments might be construed as an admission of assault.

Games Played Last Week:
-LOAD: League of Ancient Defenders 1m43s (Archon Studio, 2016)
-The 7th Continent 3m42s (Ludovic Roudy & Bruno Sautter, Serious Poulp Games, 2017)
-Heroes of Air, Land, & Sea 6m34s (Scott Almes, Gamelyn Games, 2018)
-John Company 11m38s (Cole Wehrle, Sierra Madre, 2017)
-Shards of Infinity 12m34s (Gary Arant & Justin Gary, Stone Blade Entertainment, 2018)
-Grimslingers: The Northern Territory 15m30s (Stephen Gibson, Greenbrier Games, 2018)


News (and why it doesn't matter)
-Netrunner Runs No More? 18m00s
-Kung Fu Panda...? 18m41s
-Monolith: A New Mold for Kickstarter? 19m07s
-Summer Hours at SVWAG? 23m02s

Feature Game: Food Chain Magnate 23m11s (Jeroen Doumen & Joris Wiersinga, Splotter Spellen, 2015)

Topic: Board Game Storage 48m56s

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We here at SVWAG take acronyms very seriously, but sometimes get carried away with such abbreviations. As a public service announcement, allow me to remind all of you that TI:4 stands for Twilight Imperium 4th Edition. It is purely coincidental that I mention this in the context of an episode dealing with games that have turn order problems. It is also a coincidence that Kemet is the feature game of said episode. Don't read too much into either of those facts, you wild conspiracist you.

Games Played Last Week:
-Ra 1m34s (Reiner Knizia, alea, 1999)
-First Class 4m31s (Helmut Ohley, Hans im Gluck, 2016)
-Dogs of War 7m49s (Paolo Mori, CMON, 2014)
-Downforce 8m53s (Rob Daviau, Justin D. Jacobson, & Wolfgang Kramer, Restoration Games, 2017)
-Deception: Murder in Hong Kong 10m39s (Tobey Ho, Grey Fox Games, 2014)
-Skull 12m34s (Hervé Marly, Asmodee, 2011)


News (and why it doesn't matter)
-Borg's Command is that the Color be Red (Alert) 13m08s
-Designing SEAL Team Flix 14m50s
-First Cthulhu game ever 16m38s
-Mythic Battles Pantheon returns 17m52s
-Warhammer Quest Adventure Card Game decamps to Terrinoth 18m44s

Feature Game: Kemet 20m44s (Jacques Bariot & Guillaume Montiage, Matagot, 2012)

Topic: Turn Order 51m02s

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You can have too much of a good thing, which is why Mark always tries to interrupt Walker before he can finish a single sentence. Of course, "too much" is a highly subjective idea, whether applied to game length or pie. This week Keyflower is discussed, which is not too long but can feel too short--except if it were not too short it would be too long. Clear enough.

Games Played Last Week:
-Star Wars: Imperial Assault 3m25s (Justin Kemppainen, Corey Konieczka, & Jonathan Ying, Fantasy Flight, 2014)
-Lords of Vegas 5m31s (James Ernest & Mike Silenker, Mayfair, 2010)
-Sagrada 6m41s (Adrian Adamescu & Daryl Andrews, Floodgate Games, 2017)
-Thunderbolt Apache Leader 8m12s (Dan Verssen, DVG, 2012)
-Ginkgopolis 9m57s (Xavier Georges, Pearl Games, 2012)
-Ora et Labora 11m46s (Uwe Rosenberg, Lookout Games, 2011)
-Dungeon Alliance 15m11s (Andrew Parks, Quixotic Games, 2018)
-Spheres of Influence 20m33s (Josh Lamont, Little Nuke Games, 2016)

News (and why it doesn't matter)
-Jetpack Joyride 24m45s
-Spring Meadow 25m22s
-Contest Results! 25m55s
-Mark on The Long View (again) 26m36s

Feature Game: Keyflower 27m57s (Sebastian Bleasdale & Richard Breese, R&D Games, 2012)

Topic: Games that Are Too Long 51m45s

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We delve into the culinary arts here at So Very Wrong About Games; having failed at math but excelling in eating, both Mark and Walker eschew conventional rating systems for gastronomical ones. They had considered rating the rating systems themselves, but were reminded of the podcast's firm stance against paradoxes. So, they threw all their pies into a bag and drew them randomly. It's been a confusing week, to say nothing of the mess.

Games Played Last Week:
-Quantum 1m00s (Eric Zimmerman, Funforge, 2013)
-Spheres of Influence 2m23s (Josh Lamont, Little Nuke Games, 2016)
-Lords of Hellas 3m37s (Adam Kwapinski, Awaken Realms, 2018)
-Core Worlds 4m24s (Andrew Parks, Stronghold Games, 2011)
-Ethnos 7m03s (Paolo Mori, CMON, 2017)
-Sakura Arms 11m41s (BakaFire, AEG, 2017)
-Empires: Age of Discovery 13m28s (Glenn Drover, Eagle-Gryphon Games, 2015)
-Too Many Bones 16m33s (Adam Carlson & Josh Carlson, Chip Theory Games, 2017)


News (and why it doesn't matter)
-Jettisoning Arcadia Quest into space 19m33s
-More Clank, more space 21m02s
-Cosmic Encounter is the answer to life, the universe, and everything 21m21s
-Giant Azul 25m40s
-Last contest reminder 26m55s


Feature Game: Bag-Building Bonanza 27m30s
Hyperborea (Andrea Chiarvesio & Pierluca Zizzi, Asterion, 2014)
Orleans (Reiner Stockhausen, dlp Games, 2014)
Altiplano (Reiner Stockhausen, dlp Games, 2017)

Topic: Rating Systems 55m27s

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Walker encourages you to tell friends about So Very Wrong About Games, despite his not listening to the podcast. Mark has recommended it to him, but apparently Walker's contempt for his co-host's opinions is not limited to games, but extends also to the podcast they produce together about games. One assumes Walker also does not read the episode descriptions, which is truly risky, and might create an incentive to make them devoted to discussing his manifold character flaws.

Games Played Last Week:
-Forbidden Stars 2m51s (Samuel Bailey, James Kniffen, & Corey Konieczka, Fantasy Flight, 2015)
-Dice Hockey 4m17s (Artyom Nichipurov, Unpublished Wolff Designa prototype)
-Ortus Regni 5m46s (Jon Sudbury, Jon Sudbury Games, 2014)
-Xia: Legends of a Drift System 7m00s (Cody Miller, Far Off Games, 2014)
-Skull 9m27s (Hervé Marly, Asmodee, 2011)
-Cockroach Poker 9m27s (Jacques Zeimet, Dre Magier Spiele, 2004)
-Escape: The Curse of the Temple 14m24s (Kristian Amundsen Østby, Queen Games, 2012)
-878: Vikings – Invasions of England 15m16s (Beau Beckett, Dave Kimmel, & Jeph Stahl, Academy Games, 2017)


News (and why it doesn't matter)
-Ortus Regni back...ish 17m19s
-Tokyo Game Market 19m18s
-Nostalgic Splat Attack 19m38s
-Knizia auctions Lost Cities 20m13s

Feature Game: Preview of Crisis at Steamfall 22m36s (Tom Stasiak, Beautiful Disaster Games, 2018)

Topic: Interview with Chris Cieslik of Asmadi Games 40m16s

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Mark tries to come to terms with his outright hypocrisy, largely on the basis that he feels it's acceptable for him but not for everyone else. Walker yearns for glory, but learns to his disappointment that glory is not legal tender and cannot be exchanged for goods or services. Lords of Hellas offer such piercing insights into the soul, "self-knowledge" being one of its 43 victory conditions. Also, SVWAG is giving away stuff.

Massive Darkness Giveaway: 1m33s

Games Played Last Week:
-Spirit Island 3m05s (Eric Reuss, Greater Than Games, 2017)
-John Company 4m21s (Cole Wehrle, Sierra Madre Games, 2017)
-Altiplano 5m57s (Reiner Stockhausen, dlp Games, 2017)
-Fairy Tale 9m14s (Satoshi Nakamura, Z-Man Games, 2004)

News (and why it doesn't matter)
-Asmodee for sale? Maybe? Maybe not? 10m42s
-Forbidden City Forbidden 11m43s
-Spiel des Jahres 12m24s
-More Kemet. Purple for everything! 13m05s
-Jakub Rozalski's art under scrutiny 13m32s

Feature Game: Lords of Hellas 17m05s (Adam Kwapinski, Awaken Realms, 2018)

Topic: Problematic Expansions 51m14s

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As it happens, games do not spawn ex nihilo, fully armed and armored from Zeus' forehead. I'm certain that's what most of you believed, but it's not true! To confirm this implausible fact, Mark sat down with Eric Reuss, the designer of Spirit Island, to talk about stuff. Walker and Mark also discuss The City of Kings, a game that is a fascinating mixture of euro mechanics, grand adventure, and both excellent and terrible theming.

Games Played Last Week:
-Kemet 1m25s (Jacques Bariot & Guillaume Montiage, Matagot, 2012)
-The Castles of Burgundy 3m22s (Stefan Feld, alea, 2011)
-878: Vikings – Invasions of England 4m40s (Beau Beckett, Dave Kimmel, & Jeph Stahl, Academy Games, 2017)
-One Deck Dungeon: Forest of Shadows 7m12s (Chris Cieslik, Asmadi Games, 2018)
-Warhammer Underworlds: Shadespire 8m19s (David Sanders, Games Workshop, 2017)

News (and why it doesn't matter)
-Acros forced off of Steam 12m55s
-X-Wing Second Edition 14m16s
-Empyreal: Spells and Steam 18m39s

Feature Game: The City of Kings 19m01s (Frank West, The City of Games, 2017)

Topic: Interview with Eric Reuss, designer of Spirit Island 41m32s

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This podcast scales seamlessly from 2 to an in finite number of listeners, but we're not nearly that optimistic. Walker sometimes dreams of a solo mode, but sadly Mark insists on speaking. Mark and Walker again turn to Vlaada Chvatil, a designer who loves idiosyncrasy and detail--sometimes to excess. Walker asks if it would be appropriate to rant, and Mark gladly lets him off leash.

Games Played Last Week:
-Railroad Tycoon/Railways of the World 1m52s (Glenn Drover & Martin Wallace, Eagle-Gryphon Games, 2005)
-House of Borgia 3m13s (Scott Almes, Gamelyn Games, 2017)
-Ex Libris 5m24s (Ada P. McIver, Renegade Game Studios, 2017)
-Situation 7 7m27s (Marvin Glass, Parker Brothers, 1969)
-Biblios 10m47s (Steve Finn, Iello, 2007)
-Corporate America 13m15s (Teale Fristoe, Nothing Sacred Games, 2013)
-Winner's Circle 14m36s (Reiner Knizia, Face2Face, 2001)
-Rheinlander 15m30s (Reiner Knizia, Face2Face, 1999)

News (and why it doesn't matter)
-7 Wonders expands, Walker sighs 16m32s
-SVWAG expands, Walker sighs 17m37s
-Renegade Arboretum 18m41s


Feature Game: Mage Knight: The Board Game 20m25s (Vlaada Chvatil, WizKids, 2011)

Topic: Player Scaling 51m39s

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