• #304: We Are Sick

    We haul ourselves off of our deathbeds to deliver this episode unto you. Prospects for our recovery seem dim, but we would sooner die than deprive you of that which is most sacred--namely content. Of course, illness may yet claim us, but we are far too stoic and noble to complain.


    01:49 AYURIS: Stroganov (Andreas Steding, Game Brewer, 2021)


    Games Played Last Week:

    04:46 -Hissy Fit (Levi Robertson and Chris Stone, Stone Age Distractions, 2023)

    06:53 -Finished! (Friedemann Friese, 2F-Spiele, 2017)

    12:01 -City of the Living (Sebastian Bleasdale and Reiner Knizia, Trick or Treat Studios, 2024)

    15:07 -Legacy of Yu (Shem Phillips, Garphill Games, 2023) 

    20:27 -Bus (Jeroen Doumen and Joris Wiersinga, Capstone Games, 2019)

    24:51 -Battlecrest: Metronn Base Game (Dustin Dobson & Milan Zivkovic, Button Shy, 2024)

    28:59 -G.I. JOE Deck-Building Game: Raise the Flagg Campaign Expansion (T.C. Petty III, Renegade Game Studios, 2023)

    31:25 -Gloomhaven: Buttons & Bugs (Joe Klipfel and Nikki Valens, Cephalofair Games, 2024)




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    42m | Mar 26, 2024
  • #303: Kutna Hora: The City of Silver

    We present to you a specially chemically-enhanced episode. Walker has been doping specifically in preparation, eschewing any sustenance other than military-grade lozenges. Mark will be performing his hosting duties while fully immersed in a tank of benzocaine oral painkiller. It is a good thing that the International Olympic Committee has no sway here in SVWAG studios, or we would likely get disqualified for the podcast luge event.


    Games Played Last Week:

    01:30 -Raising Robots (Brett Sobol & Seth Van Orden, Nauvoo Games, 2023)

    08:26 -Omen: Banks of the Styx (John Clowdus, Small Box Games, 2024)

    11:40 -Set a Watch (Mike Gnade and Todd Walsh, Rock Manor Games, 2019)

    13:47 -Cryo (Tom Jolly & Luke Laurie, Z-Man Games, 2021)

    17:33 -Formula D (Laurent Lavaur & Eric Randall, Asmodee, 2008)

    18:39 -Riftforce (Carlo Bortolini, 1 More Time Games, 2021)

    22:36 -Piazza Rabazza (Guido Hoffman and Jens-Peter Schliemann, Zoch Verlag, 2022)


    News (and why it doesn't matter):

    25:37 RoboRally Transformers: can Autobots get drunk?

    27:12 An expansion to Unfathomable, the Battlestar Galactica re-theme

    27:52 Burned was too pure for this crowdfunded world

    28:19 Etherstone from ThunderGryph Games by Virginio Gigli and Simone Luciani on Kickstarter

    29:11 Avatar: The Last Airbender co-op deckbuilder


    29:43 Feature Game: Kutná Hora: The City of Silver (Ondřej Bystroň, Petr Čáslava, and Pavel Jarosch, Czech Games Edition, 2023)


    51:24 SVWAG Presents Masterpiece Theatre: Avatar: The Last Airbender (2024)



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    59m | Mar 19, 2024
  • #302: Rules Explanations

    For reasons both personal and highly arbitrary, the SVWAG style guide (authored by gibbons, of course) does not countenance using the word "teach" as a noun, with the possible exception as a casual nickname for a teacher. Thus a game does not, in our parlance, have a "teach" except insofar as you call the person explaining the rules to you "teach". As in, "yo, teach, thanks for doing this thankless job, you make our hobby possible, I'm certainly not going to give you a hard time for any minor rules errors or didactic missteps, lemme buy you a pizza, teach, you incredibly physically attractive hero." 


    01:25 AYURIS: Sakura Arms (BakaFire, Level 99 Games 2022)


    Games Played Last Week:

    04:04 -La Granja: Deluxe Master Set (Michael Keller and Andreas "ode." Odendahl, Board&Dice, 2023)

    10:19 -Unchained (David Gregg, Trick or Treat Studios, 2024)

    18:04 -Paku Paku (Antoine Bauza, Ravensburger, 2017)

    21:34 -Turbo Kidz (Emmanuel Gauvain, Scorpion Masqué, 2023)

    23:46 -Nine Tiles Panic (Jens Merkl and Jean-Claude Pellin, Oink Games, 2019)

    25:49 -5 Towers (Kasper Lapp, Deep Print Games, 2023)

    26:33 -Clip Cut Parks (Shaun Graham and Scott Huntington, Renegade Game Studios, 2019)

    28:17 -The Same Game (Wolfgang Warsch, Edition Spielwiese, 2023)

    34:17 -Omen: Songs of Far Shores (John Clowdus, Small Box Games, 2024)

    38:45 -The Vale of Eternity (Eric Hong, Mandoo Games, 2023)

    43:27 -Sentinels of the Multiverse (Christopher Badell, Paul Bender, & Adam Rebottaro, Greater Than Games, 2011)


    News (and why it doesn't matter):

    49:39 Ninja Division declares bankruptcy, leaves thousands of Kickstarter backers in the lurch

    50:57 New Mage Knight expansion! Apocalypse Dragon from WizKids by Phil Pettifer

    51:43 Star Trek Star Realms

    52:02 Magical Athlete reprint by CMYK in 2025


    52:41 Topic: Rules Explanations



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    1h 14m | Mar 12, 2024
  • #301: Leonardo da Vinci's Codex Leicester

    Before shouting about toys professionally, Mark taught ethics at a health sciences university. He discussed matters of life and death, of cutting edge controversial technologies, of war and politics, and matters of fundamental rights and duties. He has learned two lessons from those experiences: never ever talk about animal rights with a pit bull owner, and his views on Mass Effect are vastly more controversial than any of his other views. In this episode, he is at least smart enough to stay silent about dogs.


    Games Played Last Week:

    01:54 -Street Masters (Adam Sadler & Brady Sadler, Blacklist Games, 2018)

    07:45 -The Barracks Emperors (Wray Ferrell and Brad Johnson, GMT Games, 2023)

    15:08 -Dune: Imperium--Uprising (Paul Dennen, Dire Wolf, 2023)

    17:58 -Tank Duel: Enemy in the Crosshairs (Mike Bertucelli, GMT Games, 2019)

    28:09 -Lunar Rush (Steven "Skippy" Brown, Dead Alive Games, 2023)

    32:27 -Regicide (Paul Abrahams, Luke Badger, & Andy Richdale, Badgers from Mars, 2020)


    News (and why it doesn't matter):

    34:44 Modiphius' upcoming Mass Effect game by Eric Lang and Calvin Wong Tze Loon

    36:49 Ares will publish and distribute new Mega Empires (further descendants of Mega Civilization)

    38:17 Heroscape: Age of Annihilation from Renegade Games--prepaints and all your money 

    44:57 Street Masters Kickstarter buyer's guide redux


    48:15 Feature Game: Leonardo da Vinci's Codex Leicester (Changhyun Baek, Flaminia Brasini, Virginio Gigli, Stefano Luperto, and Antonio Tinto, DiceTree Games, 2023)



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    1h 8m | Mar 5, 2024
  • #300: Patrons' Top 20

    Walker was all like "there's this card effect in Successors" and Mark was all like "nuh-uh" but Walker was like "yeah, fer sure" and Mark goes "no way" and Walker says "way" and that's a 100% accurate transcript.


    01:53 AYURIS: Dice Realms (Thomas Lehmann, Rio Grande Games, 2022)


    Games Played Last Week:

    04:07 -Lorenzo il Magnifico (Flaminia Brasini, Virginio Gigli, and Simone Luciani, Cranio Creations, 2016)

    10:55 -Leonardo da Vinci's Codex Leicester (Changhyun Baek, Flaminia Brasini, Virginio Gigli, Stefano Luperto, and Antonio Tinto, DiceTree Games, 2023)

    17:00 -Darwin’s Journey (Simone Luciani and Nestore Mangone, ThunderGryph Games, 2023)

    21:23 -The North: Provenance (John Clowdus, Small Box Games, 2020)

    27:03 -Sail (Akiyama Koryu & Korzu Yusei, Allplay, 2023)

    28:18 -MLEM: Space Agency (Reiner Knizia, Rebel Studio, 2024)

    31:15 -My Island (Reiner Knizia, KOSMOS, 2023)

    36:48 -Successors 4th Edition (Richard H. Berg and Mark Simonitch, PHALANX, 2022)


    News (and why it doesn't matter):

    46:25 Lifeboats reprint: Plank of Carneades

    47:27 Mike Hutchinson running a survey on Gaslands: https://forms.gle/8DjmJDxpaivpsznW7

    48:06 Eric Lang and Ken Grul's Life in Reterra from Hasbro

    48:24 Please support us on Patreon, if so inclined! www.patreon.com/svwag


    51:02 Topic: The Patrons' Top 20



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    1h 17m | Feb 27, 2024
  • #299: Nucleum

    The theory of the atom first posited by the pre-Socratic philosopher Democritus in roughly the 4th Century BCE. None of his actual writings have survived. The great thing about the pre-Socratics is that so few of their works are available, you can spend about ten minutes (or less!) and have read as much of their stuff as have the world's leading experts. 


    Games Played Last Week:

    01:53 -Kingdom Rush: Elemental Uprising (Alara Cameron, Helana Hope, and Sen-Foong Lim, Lucky Duck Games, 2023)

    04:15 -Assault on Doomrock: Ultimate Edition (Tom Stasiak, Beautiful Disaster Games, 2023)

    06:43 -Caverna: The Cave Farmers (Uwe Rosenberg, Lookout Games, 2013)

    07:22 -Hidden Leaders (Andreas Müller, Markus Müller, & Raphael Stocker, BFF Games, 2022)

    08:28 -AQUA: Biodiversity in the Oceans (Dan Halstad and Tristan Halstad, Sidekick Games, 2024)

    13:05 -Project: ELITE (Konstantinos Kokkinis, Marco Portugal, & Sotirios Tsantilas, CMON, 2020)

    16:54 -Lacuna (Mark Gerrits, CMYK, 2023)

    19:33 -5 Towers (Kasper Lapp, Deep Print Games, 2023)


    News (and why it doesn't matter):

    24:05 Kemet: Rise of the Gods reprint with additional modules on crowdfunding soon from Matagot

    25:11 Burned on Kickstarter February 13 from Stone Circle Games and Jon Moffat

    25:52 Wandering Galaxy: new Crossroads game from Plaid Hat Games


    26:52 Feature Game: Nucleum (Simone Luciani & Dávid Turczi, Board&Dice, 2023)




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    55m | Feb 20, 2024
  • #298: Deckbuilding

    Every man wants to be a macho, macho man

    To have the kind of body always in demand

    Jogging in the mornings, go man go

    Work outs in the health spa, muscles glow

    You can best believe that he's a macho man

    Ready to get down with, anyone he can


    You can tell a macho, he has a funky walk

    His western shirts and leather, always look so boss

    Funky with his body, he's a king

    Call him Mister Ego, dig his chains

    You can best believe that he's a macho man

    He likes to be the leader, he never dresses grand


    -"Macho Man" by The Village People


    03:05 AYURIS: Guards of Atlantis II (Artyom Nichipurov, Wolff Designa, 2022)


    Games Played Last Week:

    05:06 -AQUA : Biodiversity in the Oceans (Dan Halstad and Tristan Halstad, Sidekick Games, 2024)

    08:05 -Bloodstones (Martin Wallace, Wallace Designs, 2023)

    09:36 -Kingdom Rush: Elemental Uprising (Alara Cameron, Helana Hope, and Sen-Foong Lim, Lucky Duck Games, 2023)

    10:45 -Imperium: Horizons (Nigel Buckle and Dávid Turczi, Osprey Games, 2024)

    15:48 -Tokyo Highway: Rainbow City (Naotaka Shimamoto and Yoshiaki Tomioka, itten, 2023)

    19:32 -Sail (Akiyama Koryu & Korzu Yusei, Allplay, 2023)

    21:33 -For Science! (R. Eric Reuss, Grey Fox Games, 2021)

    24:45 -Charioteer (Matt Calkins, GMT Games, 2022)

    27:59 -Great Western Trail: New Zealand (Alexander Pfister, eggertspiele, 2023)

    35:09 -Don't L.L.A.M.A. Dice (Reiner Knizia, AMIGO, 2021)

    36:14 -That's Not a Hat (Kasper Lapp, Ravensburger, 2023)


    News (and why it doesn't matter):

    37:54 Bus from Capstone reprint in 2024

    38:34 Burned on Kickstarter February 13 from Stone Circle Games and Jon Moffat

    39:15 CMON moving to Gamefound for A Song of Ice and Fire Tactics


    41:37 Topic: Deckbuilding



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    1h 4m | Feb 13, 2024
  • #297: Envelopes of Cash

    Let us, following in Andy Schwarz's example, highlight the fine work of Nancy Skinner, a California state senator whose "Fair Pay to Play Act" granted college athletes in California the right to profit from their name, image, and likeness. This forced the NCAA to allow such changes more broadly.

    It hasn't been perfect, but let's acknowledge one thing: if someone's gonna be making millions off your name and face, maybe--just maybe!--you should be able to get a cut. 


    Games Played Last Week:

    01:43 -AQUA : Biodiversity in the Oceans (Dan Halstad and Tristan Halstad, Sidekick Games, 2024)

    06:24 -Imperium: Horizons (Nigel Buckle and Dávid Turczi, Osprey Games, 2024)

    13:40 -World Wonders (Zé Mendes, Arcane Wonders, 2023)

    19:33 -MLEM: Space Agency (Reiner Knizia, Rebel Studio, 2024)

    24:14 -Maskmen (Jun Sasaki and Taiki Shinzawa, Oink Games, 2014)

    28:27 -The Barracks Emperors (Wray Ferrell and Brad Johnson, GMT Games, 2023)

    32:17 -Tokyo Highway: Rainbow City (Naotaka Shimamoto and Yoshiaki Tomioka, itten, 2023)

    37:14 -Vengeance (Gordon Calleja, Mighty Boards, 2018)

    40:03 -Charioteer (Matt Calkins, GMT Games, 2022)


    News (and why it doesn't matter):

    44:29 "Wednesdays with Walker"--streaming on Twitch

    45:05 Unpublished Flickateers by Trevor Benjamin and David Thompson

    45:55 Storm Raiders by Shem Phillips

    46:48 Voidfall Solo Online by Mark Hutchinson! https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/3222419/play-voidfall-solo-online-fan-made-app


    47:59 Feature Game: Envelopes of Cash (Andy Schwarz, Envelopes of Cash LLC, 2023)




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    1h 7m | Feb 6, 2024
  • #296: Dexterity Games Revisited

    It has been many a year since our early days, our salad days when we were younger and dumb and didn't know what we were doing. Much has changed, in that we are now older and dumb and don't know what we're doing. But the inexorable march of time has at least offered many new offerings in the broad tent of dexterity games, and so it is past time that we focus on one of our preferred genus of toy.


    01:26 AYURIS: Golem (Flaminia Brasini, Virginio Gigli, & Simone Luciani, Cranio Creations, 2021)


    Games Played Last Week:

    04:19 -Anachrony (Dávid Turczi, Mindclash Games, 2017)

    11:11 -Welcome to the Moon (Alexis Allard & Benoit Turpin, Blue Cocker Games, 2021)

    15:44 -General Orders: World War II (Trevor Benjamin and David Thompson, Osprey Games, 2023)

    22:16 -Sail (Akiyama Koryu & Korzu Yusei, Allplay, 2023)

    25:25 -Burned (Jon Moffat, Stone Circle Games, Unpublished)

    28:39 -My Island (Reiner Knizia, KOSMOS, 2023)

    34:50 -Bloodstones (Martin Wallace, Wallace Designs, 2023)


    News (and why it doesn't matter):

    39:59 Mythic Games sells Anastyr and Hel: The Last Saga to CMON; backers will get base game only

    41:44 Renegade Games' Axis and Allies: G.I. Joe

    44:19 Ads for Votes for Women pulled from Facebook because they apparently think women's suffrage is contentious

    47:00 Carolingi pulled from Gamefound, pre-orders directly from Sea Cove Games

    47:59 7 Empires from Mac Gerdts

    49:27 Star Trek: Away Missions goes Original Series


    51:52 Topic: Dexterity Games Revisited




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    1h 20m | Jan 30, 2024
  • #295: Federation

    A pretty solid rule of thumb is that if you've been disappointed in a kind of game, try David Thompson's version of it and see how delightful it can be. Hidden movement got you down? Sniper Elite is the cure. Abstract chunky tiled fighty thing didn't please? War Chest might please. Mediocre skirmish cramping your style? For What Remains is ready to serve. It's a good thing he has styles of games he hasn't explored, lest he just obsolete the remainder of the games industry. Give him time. He'll collaborate with everyone eventually.


    Games Played Last Week:

    01:41 -Beast (Aron Midhall, Elon Midhall, and Assar Pettersson, Studio Midhall, 2022)

    07:17 -Iberia (Jesús Torres Castro and Matt Leacock, Z-Man Games, 2016)

    11:42 -Sankoré: The Pride of Mansa Musa (Mandela Fernandez-Grandon and Fabio Lopiano, Osprey Games, 2024)

    18:16 -Bitoku: Resutoran (Germán P. Millán, Devir, 2023)

    23:00 -Kurz vor Knapp (Helmut Punke and Tobias Punke, Zoch Verlag, 2020)

    28:06 -Animal Upon Animal (Klaus Miltenberger, HABA, 2005)

    29:33 -Bloodstones (Martin Wallace, Wallace Designs, 2023)


    News (and why it doesn't matter):

    38:01 Shipyard reprint from Delicious Games

    38:55 In the Gang from KOSMOS

    39:56 Kabuto Sumo: Sakura Slam on Kickstarter


    40:51 Feature Game: Federation (Dimitri Perrier and Matthieu Verdier, Explor8, 2022)



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    1h 2m | Jan 23, 2024
  • #294: 2023 Year in Review

    As ever, and with no clue what a lang syne is (much less an auld-y type configuration), we embrace the new year by commemorating the old. We would venture that the new year only truly begins once SVWAG has given its imprimatur on the best game published in the preceding year. The Julian Calendar was abandoned in favour of the Gregorian, and it is evident that the Gregorian should be abandoned in favour of the SVWAGgering Calendar. 


    Games Played Last Week:

    01:34 -Kutná Hora: The City of Silver (Ondřej Bystroň, Petr Čáslava, and Pavel Jarosch, Czech Games Edition, 2023)

    06:53 -Voidfall (Nigel Buckle & Dávid Turczi, Mindclash Games, 2023)

    07:57 -K2 (Adam Kałuża, Rebel Sp. z o.o., 2010)

    09:35 -Cover Your Assets (Brent Beck & Jeffrey Beck, Grandpa Beck's Games, 2011)

    11:52 -Assault on Doomrock: Ultimate Edition (Tom Stasiak, Beautiful Disaster Games, 2023)

    16:53 -Road Trippin (Uncredited, Guilt Free Gaming, 2021)

    19:42 -Evacuation (Vladimír Suchý, Delicious Games, 2023)

    28:05 -Solar Titans (Phillip Gee and Xian Wu, SunnySideUp Games, 2023)

    31:03 -Tiny Mini Golf (Kamis Kamiński, Self-published, 2023)


    News (and why it doesn't matter):

    Nothing to see here.


    34:25 Topic: 2023 Year in Review

    35:04 Mark and Walker's Top 10s

    52:28 SVWAG 2023 Game of the Year

    53:37 Special Categories




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    1h 18m | Jan 16, 2024
  • #293: Out of Print Games Revisited

    Heraclitus, an ancient Greek philosopher, claimed that you never step in the same river twice; for it is not the same river and you are not the same person. Such as it is with games! They are reprinted and thus reborn, all along some blurred spectrum of redesign spanning from carbon copy all the way to entirely new design.

    Let us not forget Heraclitus' student Cratylus, who evidently thought Heraclitus some kind of squish, insofar as he is credited with countering that you cannot step into the same river once.


    01:25 AYURIS: Perseverance: Castaway Chronicles Episodes 1 & 2 (Richard Amann, Thomas Vande Ginste, Viktor Peter, Wolf Plancke, & Dávid Turczi, Mindclash Games, 2022)


    Games Played Last Week:

    03:32 -Rats of Wistar (Simone Luciani and Danilo Sabia, Cranio Creations, 2023)

    09:15 -Voidfall (Nigel Buckle & Dávid Turczi, Mindclash Games, 2023)

    11:00 -Faiyum: Privileges (Friedemann Friese, 2F-Spiele, 2023)

    15:04 -Horizon Wars: Midnight Dark (Robey Jenkins, Precinct Omega Publishing, 2023)

    22:52 -Burned (Jon Moffat, Stone Circle Games, Unpublished)

    26:36 -My Island (Reiner Knizia, KOSMOS, 2023)

    30:40 -Trick Shot (Second Edition) (Artyom Nichipurov, Wolff Designa, 2023)

    35:05 -Napoleon's Conquests (Bruno Lamotte, Fellowship of Simulations, 2023)

    42:47 -Splendor Duel (Marc André and Bruno Cathala, Space Cowboys, 2022)

    43:42 -Federation (Dimitri Perrier and Matthieu Verdier, Explor8, 2022)


    News (and why it doesn't matter):

    47:23 War Story: Occupied France; narrative game by David Thompson, Dave Neale, and Osprey Games

    49:02 Keyside: Richard Breese and 

    49:37 Turing Machine on Boardgamearena and designer's notes on BGG

    50:49 Terra Pyramides by Kiesling & Kramer

    51:06 Moby Trick

    51:25 Halo miniatures game by Mantic Games

    52:02 Gaia Project Expansion announced, again 

    52:49 RIP Bryan Ansell, co-founder of Games Workshop


    54:05 Topic: Out of Print Games Revisited




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    1h 18m | Jan 9, 2024
  • #292: Arborea

    "This here's a jam for all the gamers

    Tryin' to do what those rulebooks offer

    Get shot down 'cause you're overzealous

    Take too long, opponents get jealous

    Ok, smarty, go to a party

    Games are on the menu for everybody

    You wanna play a game that's more complexer

    But you're standin' on the wall like you was Poindexter


    A game is laid out, one not played out

    The options unfold and your mind just spins out

    They say you should take your turn or get removed

    So come on, gamer, and just bust a move"


    -Young MC, noted foe of analysis paralysis

    Games Played Last Week:

    01:10 -Evolution: Climate (Dominic Crapuchettes, Dmitry Knorre, & Sergey Machin, North Star Games, 2016)

    05:57 -Tiny Epic Crimes (Scott Almes, Gamelyn Games, 2023)

    10:20 -The Fox Experiment (Jeff Fraser and Elizabeth Hargrave, Pandasaurus Games, 2023)

    13:45 -Undergrove (Elizabeth Hargrave and Mark Wootton, AEG, 2024)

    15:15 -Votes for Women (Tory Brown, Fort Circle Games, 2022)

    17:52 -The Gods Will Have Blood (Daniel Bullock, Lock Horns Games, 2023)

    21:56 -Green Team Wins (Nathan Thornton, 25th Century Games, 2022)

    23:40 -Fun Facts (Kasper Lapp, Repos Production, 2022)

    24:31 -Just One (Ludovic Roudy & Bruno Sautter, Repos Production, 2018)

    24:39 -So Clover! (François Romain, Repos Production, 2021)

    25:55 -Duhr: The Lesser Houses (Jenna Felli, Devious Weasel, 2018)

    30:47 -No Thanks! (Thorsten Gimmler, AMIGO, 2004)

    32:37 -Leonardo da Vinci's Codex Leicester (Changhyun Baek, Flaminia Brasini, Virginio Gigli, Stefano Luperto, and Antonio Tinto, DiceTree Games, 2023)

    38:58 -Road Trippin (Uncredited, Guilt Free Gaming, 2021)

    41:00 -Star Trek: Away Missions (Andrew Haught, Mike Haught, and Phil Yates, Gale Force Nine, 2023)


    News (and why it doesn't matter):

    47:35 Shackleton Base: A Journey to the Moon by Fabio Lopiano and Nestore Magone, published by Sorry We Are French 

    48:04 Amabel Holland in The New Yorker: https://www.newyorker.com/culture/annals-of-inquiry/the-personal-political-art-of-board-game-design

    48:36 Zombie Sniper. That is all. 

    48:59 Jenna Felli's upcoming game Murray the A**hole Frog (trans designer and trans artist) and upcoming novel Serpent Ascending 

    50:24 Co-op Dungeon Scrawlers?! 2together by OldChap Editions

    51:24 Andy Schwarz's "Financial Reckoning" for Envelopes of Cash: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/envelopesofcash/envelopes-of-cash/posts/3995962

    52:47 Assault on Doomrock: Ultimate Edition accidentally published with crypto-fascist imagery. Burn the "Banner of Kekistan" 


    54:48 Feature Game: Arborea (Dani Garcia, Alley Cat Games, 2023)




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    1h 19m | Jan 2, 2024
  • #291: Adventure Games

    Just before Mark is de-platformed, he would like to remind the SVWAG audience of two very important facts.

    First, he is but a man shouting into a can, and just because he doesn't like the thing you like doesn't make either less worthy of respect, dignity, and chocolate. He is willing to accept the possibility that he's Playing It Wrong and/or Doesn't Get It and/or needs to Git Gud and/or is just insufficiently evolved.

    Second, a reminder that complaints are to be directed to support@aircanada.ca.


    01:12 AYURIS: El Grande (Wolfgang Kramer & Richard Ulrich, Hans im Glück, 1995)


    Games Played Last Week:

    02:26 -Age of Innovation (Helge Ostertag, Capstone Games, 2023)

    07:55 -Mage Knight: The Board Game (Vlaada Chvatil, WizKids, 2011)

    14:08 -Knarr (Thomas Dupont, Bombyx, 2023)

    15:13 -The Fox Experiment (Jeff Fraser and Elizabeth Hargrave, Pandasaurus Games, 2023)

    18:45 -Android: Netrunner (Richard Garfield and Lukas Litzsinger, Fantasy Flight Games, 2012)

    23:23 -Apiary (Connie Vogelmann, Stonemaier Games, 2023)

    29:49 -Air, Land & Sea (Jon Perry, Arcane Wonders, 2018)

    31:47 -Schadenfreude (ctr, Studio Turbine, 2021)

    34:13 -For Science! (R. Eric Reuss, Grey Fox Games, 2021)

    38:13 -Paku Paku (Antoine Bauza, Ravensburger, 2017)

    40:01 -The Crew: Mission Deep Sea (Thomas Sing, KOSMOS, 2021)

    41:03 -G.I. JOE Deck-Building Game: Raise the Flagg Campaign Expansion (T.C. Petty III, Renegade Game Studios, 2023)

    44:01 -My Island (Reiner Knizia, KOSMOS, 2023)


    News (and why it doesn't matter):

    45:09 Unchained by Trick or Treat Studios, inspired by Nightfall

    45:49 Small Box Games' three Omen sets on Kickstarter now!

    46:21 Quacks of Quedlinburg Duel 

    46:40 Votes for Women reprint on Kickstarter

    47:16 German magnets! Die verdrehte Spuknacht

    48:28 You can support us on Patreon, if you're so inclined: www.patreon.com/svwag

    49:12 Nucleum: Australia


    49:29 Topic: Adventure Games



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    1h 13m | Dec 19, 2023
  • #290: Mindclash Games

    A review of So Very Wrong About Games, not actually by Werner Herzog:

    "To listen to SVWAG is to court madness. One host is beholden to the delusion that if he utters sufficient words in a short period of time he may stave off his inevitable death, whereas the other grapples with the false consciousness of refusing to acknowledge life's meaninglessness. Collectively their banter serves as a cruel rebuke to evolution, a bitter mockery of humanity's purported superiority over a nature they despise and denigrate. It is reason's death rattle in the face of pure chaos. Thank you for recommending Rhino Hero Super Battle, I enjoyed it with my family very much. Four stars."


    01:20 AYURIS: Agricola (Uwe Rosenberg, Lookout Games, 2007) and Agricola (Revised Edition) (Uwe Rosenberg, Lookout Games, 2016)


    Games Played Last Week:

    04:25 -Ceres (Gustaf Sundström, Artipia Games, 2023)

    10:22 -Daybreak (Matt Leacock & Matteo Menapace, CMYK, 2023)

    13:59 -Raising Robots (Brett Sobol & Seth Van Orden, Nauvoo Games, 2023)

    16:02 -Demon Ship (Malev Da Shinobi, Black Site Studios, 2023)

    19:58 -Hyperborea (Andrea Chiarvesio & Pierluca Zizzi, Asterion, 2014)

    26:19 -Vaalbara (Olivier Cipière, Studio H, 2022)

    29:03 -Septima: Shapeshifting & Omens (Robin Hegedűs, Mindclash Games, 2023)


    News (and why it doesn't matter):

    36:45 Preview of Phantom Division Relaunch on Gamefound

    38:24 French Revolution! 1793 Patriots & Traitors on Gamefound 

    39:21 Redevelopment of Omen: A Reign of War from John Clowdus and Small Box Games next year


    40:16 Topic: Mindclash Games



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    1h 2m | Dec 12, 2023
  • #289: Daybreak

    Dexterity games, dismissed by many in the board game world as children's toys (whereas, by contrast, we laud them as children's toys), can offer a unique window into the player's soul. A fine dexterity game is a crucible in which one's true character emerges. Are you an assertive, grandiose table-hog capable of great feats but undone by hubris? Are you a small-minded, plodding dilettante lacking in ambition or imagination? Junk Art can reveal all!


    Games Played Last Week:

    02:11 -Age of Innovation (Helge Ostertag, Capstone Games, 2023)

    13:33 -Paku Paku (Antoine Bauza, Ravensburger, 2017)

    14:49 -Belratti (Michael Loth, Mogel-Verlag, 2018)

    16:47 -Revive: Call of the Abyss (Helge Meissner, Kristian Amundsen Østby, Eilif Svensson, and Anna Wermlund, Aporta Games, 2023)

    22:13 -Tetra Tower (Uncredited, Enksy, 2014)

    24:27 -Junk Art (Jay Cormier & Sen-Foong Lim, Pretzel Games, 2016)

    27:47 -General Orders: World War II (Trevor Benjamin and David Thompson, Osprey Games, 2023)

    36:30 -Riftforce (Carlo Bortolini, 1 More Time Games, 2021)

    37:20 -The Wolves (Ashwain Kamath and Clarence Simpson, Pandasaurus Games, 2022)

    39:34 -Cthulhu: Death May Die (Eric M. Lang & Rob Daviau, CMON, 2019)

    43:19 -Drags 2 Riches (David Pettifer, Bored Wreckers Inc, 2023)


    News (and why it doesn't matter):

    48:35 Prepare to get uncomfortable: Hollandspiele's Doubt Is Our Product about the tobacco industry

    50:59 Aqua, oceanic tile-laying

    51:44 Mark laments the market rewarding bad actors: Palladium Games and Steamforged Games


    56:19 Feature Game: Daybreak (Matt Leacock & Matteo Menapace, CMYK, 2023)



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    1h 20m | Dec 5, 2023
  • #288: All the Games

    There's no time no time at all we must get to the games there's been so many all the time one after another hurry hurry we must get to all of the games


    01:26 AYURIS: Riftforce (Carlo Bortolini, 1 More Time Games, 2021)


    Games Played Last Week:

    03:07 -Septima (Robin Hegedűs, Mindclash Games, 2023)

    10:42 -White Castle (Israel Cendrero & Sheila Santos, Devir Games, 2023)

    16:25 -Paku Paku (Antoine Bauza, Ravensburger, 2017)

    20:45 -Nekojima (David Carmona & Karen Nguyen, Unfriendly Games, 2023)

    25:02 -Catch the Moon (Fabien Riffaud & Juan Rodriguez, Bombyx, 2017)

    27:25 -TEAM3 GREEN (Alex Cutler & Matt Fantastic, Brain Games, 2019)

    30:58 -Piazza Rabazza (Guido Hoffman and Jens-Peter Schliemann, Zoch Verlag, 2022)

    33:43 -Tumblin' Dice (Carey Grayson, Randy Nash, and Rick Soued, Eagle-Gryphon Games, 2004)

    35:38 -After Us (Florian Sirieix, Catch Up Games, 2023)

    43:12 -Raising Robots (Brett Sobol & Seth Van Orden, Nauvoo Games, 2023)

    46:49 -Moonrakers (Max Anderson, Zac Dixon, and Austin Harrison, IV Studio, 2020)

    52:14 -Great Western Trail: New Zealand (Alexander Pfister, eggertspiele, 2023)

    53:09 -Tiger and Dragon (Hashimoto Atsushi, Oink Games, 2021)

    56:21 -Mosaic: Wars and Disasters (Glenn Drover, Forbidden Games, 2023)

    1:01:00 -Ready Set Bet (John D. Clair, AEG, 2022)

    1:03:12 -Fairy Tale (Satoshi Nakamura, Z-Man Games, 2004)

    1:05:04 -Hollywood 1947 (Travis Hancock, Facade Games, 2023)

    1:08:46 -My Island (Reiner Knizia, KOSMOS, 2023)

    1:11:08 -Daybreak (Matt Leacock & Matteo Menapace, CMYK, 2023)

    1:17:37 -Arborea (Dani Garcia, Alley Cat Games, 2023)

    1:19:48 -Nucleum (Simone Luciani & Dávid Turczi, Board&Dice, 2023)


    News (and why it doesn't matter):

    1:25:25 Anno 1800 Expansion

    1:25:54 "Pop culture" That's Not a Hat

    1:26:33 Albedo available as print and play!

    Cards: https://kaiherbertz.files.wordpress.com/2018/06/albedoprintandplayfullcolor.pdf

    Rules: http://hespiele.de/downloads/albedo_en.pdf

    1:27:35 City of the Living: Prosperity (by Reiner Knizia) with zombies



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    1h 29m | Nov 28, 2023
  • #287: Voidfall

    The shift from Beckett references to low-grade puns might strike one as jarring, but it is important to note that both hosts have essentially been twelve going on sixty for most of their lives. If it's not juvenile and/or obscure, it is difficult for the hosts to process--they become disoriented and frightened. In such circumstances, a nice Star Control II reference will probably calm them down. Hey, there's one of those in this episode, too!


    Games Played Last Week:

    01:52 -Great Western Trail: New Zealand (Alexander Pfister, eggertspiele, 2023)

    07:03 -FlickFleet: Xeno Wars (Jackson Pope & Paul Willcox, Eurydice Games, 2022)

    13:04 -White Castle (Israel Cendrero & Sheila Santos, Devir Games, 2023)

    16:38 -Forgotten Depths (Peter Albertson, Void Knight Games, 2022)

    20:37 -Omicron Protocol (Brendan Kendrick & Bernie Lin, Dead Alive Games, 2022)

    29:09 -Among Cultists: A Social Deduction Thriller (Stefan Godot, Godot Games, 2023)


    News (and why it doesn't matter):

    38:40 Rafter Five: Dexterity from Oink Games

    39:23 Expandalone to Wizards of the Grimoire (aka Bookie-Bookie Pew-Pew) on Kickstarter: Shifting Sands


    41:00 Feature Game: Voidfall (Nigel Buckle & Dávid Turczi, Mindclash Games, 2023)




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    1h 20m | Nov 14, 2023
  • #286: Through the Desert

    One has to be careful in buffet situations. There are so many options, and you are pulled in so many different directions. You must differentiate the false urgency from the genuinely pressing, and it is a test of your evaluation and timing skills to successfully navigate your priorities. What to do, and when? How much of what? If you fail to make the wise choices, you might not get through the dessert. 


    Games Played Last Week:

    02:20 -IKI: Akebono (Koota Yamada, Sorry We Are French, 2023)

    08:22 -Inhuman Conditions (Tommy Maranges & Cory O'Brien, Web published, 2018)

    13:19 -FlickFleet: Xeno Wars (Jackson Pope & Paul Willcox, Eurydice Games, 2022)

    18:09 -Gods Love Dinosaurs (Kasper Lapp, Pandasaurus Games, 2020)

    22:35 -That's Not a Hat (Kasper Lapp, Ravensburger, 2023)

    26:00 -Fun Facts (Kasper Lapp, Repos Production, 2022)

    31:33 -Sail (Akiyama Koryu & Korzu Yusei, Allplay, 2023)

    35:51 -Sunrise Lane (Reiner Knizia, Horrible Guild, 2023)

    38:55 -Sky Team (Luc Rémond, Le Scorpion Masqué, 2023)


    News (and why it doesn't matter):

    40:35 Dexterity expansions! Tokyo Highway: Rainbow City and ICECOOL Wizards

    41:22 Gaia Project expansion in "late 2024"

    42:42 Sand by Devir Games

    42:57 Calimala reprint by Alley Cat Games

    43:57 Through the Desert on Kickstarter with A Message from the Stars and Switchbacks

    44:25 My Favourite Things on Kickstarter: trick-taking and social ranking

    45:37 Diablo role-playing and board games

    45:59 Dragons Down by Mr. B Games on Kickstarter, inspired by the madness that is Magic Realm


    48:35 Feature Game: Through the Desert (Reiner Knizia, KOSMOS, 1998)




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    1h 6m | Nov 7, 2023
  • #285: Updating the Canon

    "'Well, I remember it as though it were an episode ago'

    Said Walker the Host as he reeled back to clear whatever foreign matter

    May have nestled its way into his mighty throat

    Many a poor design had met its demise while staring point-blank down

    The cavernous barrel of this awesome critical machine

    Truly a wonder of nature, this urban gamer

    Walker the Host had many a story to tell

    And it was a frequent occasion such as this that he did

    ...

    'Say Bigney, do you wanna play games with me?

    Say, Bigney, do you wanna play games by my side?

    Ah, Bigney, do you wanna play games with me?

    Say, Bigney, SAY, BIGNEEEEEY'"


    -Walker the Host, lesser-known variant of Tommy the Cat (Primus, 1991)


    02:12 AYURIS: Bitoku (Germán P. Millán, Devir, 2021)


    Games Played Last Week:

    04:32 -Imperial Miners (Tim Armstrong, Portal Games, 2023)

    07:34 -Imperium: Legends (Nigel Buckle & Dávid Turczi, Osprey Games, 2021)

    12:00 -Knarr (Thomas Dupont, Bombyx, 2023)

    12:39 -My Island (Reiner Knizia, KOSMOS, 2023)

    16:41 -G.I. JOE Deck-Vuilding Game: New Alliances--A Tranformers Crossover Expansion (Dan Blanchett, Renegade Game Studios, 2023)

    21:58 -Anunnaki: Dawn of the Gods (Simone Luciani and Danilo Sabia, Cranio Creations, 2023)

    30:33 -Sky Team (Luc Rémond, Le Scorpion Masqué, 2023)

    33:51 -Messina 1347 (Raúl Fernández Aparicio & Vladimír Suchý, Delicious Games, 2021)


    News (and why it doesn't matter):

    40:53 Next Valiant Defense game by David Thompson illustrated by Nils Johansson: Guadalcanal

    41:42 Tiny Epic Crimes misallocation shenanigans

    42:48 Please support us on Patreon! Or don't, that's cool. Two new bonus episodes coming this week! www.patreon.com/svwag


    43:23 Topic: Updating the Canon



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    1h 20m | Oct 31, 2023
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So Very Wrong About Games
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