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A conversation about tabletop games
Episodes
Thursday Jun 20, 2019
Thursday Jun 20, 2019
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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Saturday Jun 01, 2019
Saturday Jun 01, 2019
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.
Tuesday May 21, 2019
Tuesday May 21, 2019
I arbitrarily set a deadline for declaring the best games of 2018, and now is that time. I haven't played all of the games from last year that I wanted to, but I did play a good number, and these are my favorites. It's kind of a weird list! I think I was a bit anti-popular opinion this year, so if you want some eclectic choices, here you go. As usual, Matt and Orion join in with their comments and mockery. Don't look at the timestamps if you want to avoid SPOILERS.
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5:58 - Reprints of Note
7:49 - #10: Hardback
8:46 - #9: Dr. Esker's Notebook
9:38 - #8: Teotihuacan
11:14 - #7: Passtally
12:39 - #6: Decrypto
15:32 - #5: Coimbra
19:35 - #4: Gugong
23:58 - #3: Let's Make a Bus Route
27:21 - #2: Sprawlopolis
31:09 - #1: 1822CA
37:29 - Games we played the most in 2018
38:55 - Games of note for Orion and Matt
42:20 - A spectacularly bad idea is developed
44:47 - Most disappointing 2018 games
51:51 - Notable new-to-us games of 2018
55:13 - Memories
Music: Sailing The Solar Wind by Abstraction
Like the podcast? Want to watch it being recorded, live? Consider supporting it on Patreon.
Wednesday May 15, 2019
Wednesday May 15, 2019
Matryoshka is available on Kickstarter right now!
I sit down with Cassie and Dan to talk about Matryoshka, a trading and bluffing card game about those Russian nesting dolls I didn't know the name of until I heard about this game. It's the first of hopefully many localization projects Cassie is organizing for Letiman Games. Their enthusiasm is infectious as they talk about this project, some of the rad art they've commissioned, and what's in store for the future of Letiman. I even pitch my own idea for a game that needs a North American printing, because I'm shameless like that.
Click to see more about Letiman Games and Cassie.
Music: Sailing The Solar Wind by Abstraction
Like the podcast? Want to watch it being recorded, live? Consider supporting it on Patreon.
Tuesday May 07, 2019
Tuesday May 07, 2019
We're back talking about books! After navigating schedules, we've finally managed to reconvene to talk about the third and final installment of the Three Body Problem series: Death's End. The scope of this book is truly immense, even as the main themes distill and come to a head. Remember, there are full spoilers here, so we recommend you read these fantastic books first.
1:41 - An unusual beginning
9:22 - The swordholder and the male/female metaphor
16:24 - Post-deterrence and 4D chess
21:42 - Fairy tales
25:44 - c
28:48 - Bunkering down
32:24 - The museum
34:21 - The final decision
42:08 - Circling back to the beginning
Music: Sailing The Solar Wind by Abstraction
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Friday Apr 26, 2019
Friday Apr 26, 2019
G2S is a great weekend of gaming for those in the New England area. Marc and Orion attended this year and we're here to tell you all about it. We've got ugly games, beautiful games, and aesthetically controversial games. Also, Matt's not here so we get to briefly mention a sport superior to hockey. But mostly games still, don't worry.
2:04 - The Bloody Inn
4:49 - Let's Make A Bus Route
9:54 - Sidereal Confluence
19:29 - Die Macher
35:19 - Glory To Rome
37:27 - Wingspan
45:10 - Gaia Project
Music: Sailing The Solar Wind by Abstraction
Like the podcast? Want to watch it being recorded, live? Consider supporting it on Patreon.
Thursday Apr 04, 2019
Thursday Apr 04, 2019
We played a whole bunch of new games at PAX East and you're going to hear about them! Marc, Matt, and a SECOND Marc bring you the lowdown on every single one of them. This is a mega episode with some mega games (but not megagames, sadly). One of them is easily leading GOTY contention for 2019. We've got euros, we've got dexterity games, we've got train games, and one that kinda looks like a children's construction set. Don't even get me started on Trollfjord.
Spoilers below if you don't want to know our rankings.
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3:07 - MtG Sealed
9:50 - Video Game Highlight: Lemnis Gate
11:26 - #17: Blood on the Clocktower
18:45 - #16: Ceylon
21:08 - #15: Solenia
23:47 - #14: Trollfjord
30:36 - Dexterity Game Interlude
37:20 - #13: Majolica (introduction)
38:19 - #12: The Climbers
43:12 - #11: The Quest For El Dorado
49:36 - #10: Passtally
53:50 - #9: Welcome To...
1:01:11 - #8: Noctiluca (and more Majolica)
1:09:17 - #7: Symphony #9
1:16:30 - #6: 1906 San Francisco
1:21:26 - #5: Coimbra
1:30:03 - #4: Arboretum
1:33:18 - #3: Irish Gauge
1:40:15 - #2: Pax Pamir
1:49:45 - #1: Pipeline
Music: Sailing The Solar Wind by Abstraction
Like the podcast? Want to watch it being recorded, live? Consider supporting it on Patreon.
Monday Mar 18, 2019
Monday Mar 18, 2019
Orion and Marc talk about some of the 2 player games they've been playing recently. There's a good mix of popular and obscure, good and bad here. What makes a great 2 player experience, and what are some of the dynamics created when you make a 2 player game vs. a multiplayer game? Also, Marc rants for a bit.
1:25 - Broader themes with 2p games
7:53 - 7 Wonders Duel
15:50 - Hanamikoji
22:29 - Anthelion
26:29 - Master Of Wills
29:39 - IT'S TANGENT TIME!
36:13 - Targi
46:56 - Innovation
58:24 - 13 Days
1:04:44 - Dual Powers
1:09:37 - Keyforge
Music: Sailing The Solar Wind by Abstraction
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Saturday Feb 23, 2019
Saturday Feb 23, 2019
NOTE: The Kickstarter date for Thrive has been pushed back to March 5th instead of February 26th as mentioned in the audio.
I sit down with Adam Rehberg to discuss the upcoming abstract game Thrive where the pieces adapt and grow stronger as the game progresses. I also ask him about his start with modern board gaming and becoming a designer and publisher. Thrive will be up on Kickstarter on March 5th.
Music: Sailing The Solar Wind by Abstraction
Like the podcast? Want to watch it being recorded, live? Consider supporting it on Patreon.
Friday Feb 15, 2019
Friday Feb 15, 2019
Who could have guessed that birds would be an exciting part of early 2019 among gamers? Elizabeth Hargrave might have been able to predict it, as her new game Wingspan, published by Stonemaier, is both mechanically interesting and lavished with a beautiful production. I sit down with her to talk about her design philosophy, what it's like to see her first published design do so well, and, of course, birds. Because birds are great!
0:44 - Wingspan and birds
21:29 - Tussie-Mussie
26:24 - Elizabeth's history with gaming
30:36 - Different themes and the designing community
39:34 - The pitching and publishing process
Music: Sailing The Solar Wind by Abstraction
Like the podcast? Want to watch it being recorded, live? Consider supporting it on Patreon.