Marc and Matt have started playing Magic again, so they're going to talk about the game itself, its impact in the gaming community, and the new online implementation -- "Arena".

2:15 - MtG as a game
21:18 - MtG as a drafting game
26:42 - Theme
46:28 - MtG as an institution
1:00:59 - MtG Arena

Music: Sailing The Solar Wind by Abstraction

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We've finally taken the plunge into 18xx train games, and guess what? They're awesome! Marc and Orion talk about what makes a game an 18xx game, what the appeal is, and some of their favorite experiences yet.

1:14 - It's not that intimidating, we promise
3:07 - Overview and history of 18xx
7:04 - Fundamental principles of 18xx
14:24 - Brutal indirect conflict
17:51 - Two design philosophies/emphases in different 18xx games -- operational and financial
27:19 - Why having friends is good
28:32 - Emergent strategic exploration
35:48 - 18xx as narrative-creating experiences
50:08 - Barriers to getting into 18xx
57:16 - Amina the cat voices her opinions

Music: Sailing The Solar Wind by Abstraction

Like the podcast? Want to watch it being recorded, live? Consider supporting it on Patreon.