So Very Wrong About Games

On this day of Labour, we offer our solidarity to you. We also offer our labour, because we don't take many days off. No union for us in the opinion mines! I'd complain to my manager, but since that's me, I guess I'd be inclined to ignore it. Classic conflict on interest. The gibbons only complicate the org chart in unhelpful ways. Games Played Last Week: 01:01 -Hot Streak (Jon Perry, CMYK, 2025) 04:13 -High Tide (Marceline Leiman, Underdog Games, 2024) 09:23 -Hyperborea (Andrea Chiarvesio & Pierluca Zizzi, Asterion, 2014) 12:55 -Tianxia (Antonio Petrelli & Daniele Tascini, Board&Dice, 2025) 20:37 -Federation (Dimitri Perrier and Matthieu Verdier, Explor8, 2022) 27:49 -Through the Desert (Reiner Knizia, Allplay, 2024) 29:43 -So Clover! (François Romain, Repos Production, 2021) 34:24 -Figment (Wolfgang Warsch, CMYK, 2025) News (and why it doesn't matter): 39:42 Kasper Lapp's INK 40:37 Support us on Patreon! www.patreon.com/svwag 41:22 Adam and Brady Sadler's The Malice of Light Adventures from Twintale Studios 42:51 Suna Valo by Andreas Odendahl 43:14 Part of the Pickaxe Network! Join us Thursday, September 25th at 17:00-18:30 BST for Pickaxe week on the Yogscast feed. 43:40 Feature Game: Light Speed: Arena (Leonardo Alese, James Ernest, Tom Jolly, and Emanuele Santellani, Tablescope, 2025) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I've always chafed at the conventional wisdom that young goats are good at trick-taking games. Or, at least, ones where you are not incentivized to go null. Do they hold their cards in their cloven hooves? Do their dead eyes come to life when contemplating the vagaries of trump suits? It must be true, though, because I have it on good authority from a cartoon rabbit that tricks are for kids. 01:23 AYURIS: Envelopes of Cash (Andy Schwarz, Envelopes of Cash LLC, 2023) Games Played Last Week: 03:57 -Ginkgopolis (Xavier Georges, Pearl Games, 2012) 08:48 -Vaultbreakers (Valentino Mori, Vaultbreakers Games, 2024) 13:07 -Sidereal Confluence (TauCeti Deichmann, Wizkids, 2017) 17:46 -Uprising: Curse of the Last Emperor (Cornelius Cremin, Pawel Mazur, & Dirk Sommer, Nemesis.Games, 2021) 20:01 -Hot Streak (Jon Perry, CMYK, 2025) 21:47 -Signal (Jasper Beatrix, DVC Games, 2025) 26:36 -KINGs: TRICKTAKERs (Hiroken, Joyple Games, 2023) 32:40 -Quantum (Eric Zimmerman, Funforge, 2013) -Fromage (Matthew O'Malley and Ben Rosset, Road to Infamy Games, 2024) News (and why it doesn't matter): 38:52 Part of the Pickaxe Network! Join us Thursday, September 25th at 17:00-18:30 BST for Pickaxe week on the Yogscast feed. 39:49 Hanami by Keymaster, reprint of Reiner Knizia's Samurai, on Kickstarter 40:51 Topic: Trick-Taking Games Redux Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Losing a component is rough. Knowing that one of your games is incomplete is like having a permanent absence in your soul. It's one thing to eschew that one added expansion--that's a triumph of restraint. But that missing block in Viking See-Saw will taunt you forever, a blight on your consciousness that can never be healed. Maybe I'm exaggerating. Games Played Last Week: 00:52 -Uprising: Curse of the Last Emperor (Cornelius Cremin, Pawel Mazur, & Dirk Sommer, Nemesis.Games, 2021) 04:37 -Riftforce: Beyond (Carlo Bortolini, 1 More Time Games, 2022) 09:44 -Unstoppable (John D. Clair, Renegade Game Studios, 2025) 3D printed tokens: https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/1851400332/ 14:27 -Signal (Jasper Beatrix, DVC Games, 2025) 20:35 -Viking See-Saw (Reiner Knizia, itten, 2021) 23:19 -Dune: Imperium--Uprising (Paul Dennen, Dire Wolf, 2023) 28:32 -MicroMacro: Kids--Crazy City Park (Johannes Sich, Edition Spielwiese, 2025) 29:35 -Champions of Midgard (Ole Steiness, Grey Fox Games, 2015) News (and why it doesn't matter): 31:57 Part of the Pickaxe Network! Join us Thursday, September 25th at 17:00-18:30 BST for Pickaxe week on the Yogscast feed. 32:57 Ryan Laukat's Song of Silveranth 33:42 Feature Game: The Lord of the Rings: Fate of the Fellowship (Matt Leacock, Z-Man Games, 2025) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Inigo: I am waiting for you, Vizzini. You told me to go back to the beginning. So I have. This is where I am, and this is where I’ll stay. I will not be moved. Brute: But the Prince gave orders — Inigo: — So did Vizzini — when a job went wrong, you went back to the beginning. And this is where we got the job. So it’s the beginning, and I’m staying till Vizzini comes. -The Princess Bride (who knew Inigo was a Black Sabbath fan?) 02:39 AYURIS: Federation (Dimitri Perrier and Matthieu Verdier, Explor8, 2022) Games Played Last Week: 05:32 -The Gang (John Cooper and Kory Heath, KOSMOS, 2024) 10:08 -The King Is Dead: Second Edition (Peer Sylvester, Osprey Games, 2020) 13:28 -TEAM3 PINK (Alex Cutler & Matt Fantastic, Brain Games, 2019) 18:02 -Rebel Princess (Daniel Byrne, José Gerardo Guerrero, Kevin Peláez, and Tirso Virgós, Zombi Paella, 2023) 23:00 -Fives (Taiki Shinzawa, CMYK, 2025) 26:53 -Bargain Hunter (Uwe Rosenberg, Valley Games, 1998) 31:14 -The Lord of the Rings: Fate of the Fellowship (Matt Leacock, Z-Man Games, 2025) 32:48 -Line of Fire: Burnt Moon (Trevor Benjamin & David Thompson, Osprey Games, 2025) 39:22 -Cosmic Frog (Jenna Felli, Devious Weasel Games, 2020) 45:05 -Planepita (Eisuke Fuijinawa & Kazunori Hori, SzpiLAB, 2022) News (and why it doesn't matter): 47:15 Part of the Pickaxe Network! Join us Thursday, September 25th at 17:00-18:30 BST for Pickaxe week on the Yogscast feed. [EDIT: Mark says the wrong date on the show. The correct date is September 25th.] 48:35 Expansions! For Freedom: The Underground Railroad, Twilight Imperium 4th, Thunder Road: Vendetta, and another edition of Shogun because why not? 51:08 Update on CGE's Harry Potter-themed Codenames: CGE pledges 100% of profits to appropriate charities 52:14 Devir pledges to replace racist imagery in Ace of Spades 53:09 Topic: Starting Over Your Collection Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

"We don’t ask that you stop loving your fantasy world. We ask you stop paying money for the privilege to dream of it. If you want to read the [Harry Potter] books or watch the movies, consider buying second-hand or renting them from a library. Small changes can make sure you never put your hard-earned money into JKR’s hands." -Blacklist CGE zine Games Played Last Week: 01:01 -Through the Desert (Reiner Knizia, KOSMOS, 1998) 05:49 -Tiletum: Prospect for Silver (Simone Luciani & Daniele Tascini, Board&Dice, 2025) 10:10 -Endeavor: Deep Sea (Carl de Visser and Jarratt Gray, Burnt Island Games, 2024) 18:03 -Through Ice and Snow (Fernando Eduardo Sánchez, 2Tomatoes Games, 2024) 22:41 -Hot Streak (Jon Perry, CMYK, 2025) 27:39 -The Lord of the Rings: Fate of the Fellowship (Matt Leacock, Z-Man Games, 2025) News (and why it doesn't matter): 41:05 New Doom board game(s) by Modiphius 41:46 High Tide by Marceline Leiman 42:20 SVWAG's statement on boycotting Czech Games Edition and in support of trans and non-binary gamers Blacklist CGE zine: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/10BUxxRO08jS9ZFnfnt0dnMPEZi5lrwke 44:15 Feature Game: Vantage (Jamey Stegmaier, Stonemaier Games, 2025) Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A chief misgiving Mark has about the con is that he is a terrible playtester. He was able to play two unpublished games, and while the designers were gracious he is seldom able to offer anything of much substance. "This game," he might say, "has cards. And other things." Past that, for some reason, when confronted with a prototype his faculties often fail him. 01:48 AYURIS: Arborea (Dani Garcia, Alley Cat Games, 2023) Games Played Last Week: 05:00 -Phantom Division (Pete Ruth & Mark Thomas, Phantom Horizon, 2026) 14:38 -Westphalia (Amabel Holland, Hollandspiele, 2019) 23:33 -Project: ELITE (Konstantinos Kokkinis, Marco Portugal, & Sotirios Tsantilas, CMON, 2020) 27:19 -Ankh: Gods of Egypt (Eric M. Lang, CMON, 2021) 33:25 -Rise & Fall (Christophe Boelinger, Ludically, 2024) 38:15 -Space Cadets: Dice Duel (Geoff Engelstein and Sydney Engelstein, Stronghold, 2013) 43:06 -Outlive (Gregory Iliver, La Boite de Jeu, 2017) News (and why it doesn't matter): N/A 45:22 Topic: SVWAG Con Report Chef Ashlee: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100068315809451 Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The purest juxtaposition that reveals the absurdity of "take that" effects can be found in many of your heavier games and some consims with cards. You gather the resources, marshal your forces, laboriously haul those troops hither and yon, and then sometimes have to manage some activation tokens or whatnot to finally get it on. And then your opponent plays the "nuh uh" card. Fun! 01:19 AYURIS: Daybreak (Matt Leacock & Matteo Menapace, CMYK, 2023) Games Played Last Week: 04:35 -Star Wars Unlimited (Jim Cartwright, Tyler Parrott, Daniel Schaefer, & Jeremy Zwirn, Fantasy Flight Games, 2024) 09:33 -Steam Power (Martin Wallace, Wallace Designs, 2024) 16:20 -Spot It! Bluey (Denis Blanchot, Jacques Cottereau, Guillaume Gille-Naves, & Igor Polouchine, Blue Orange, 2025) 19:15 -Mosaic: A Story of Civilization (Glenn Drover, Forbidden Games, 2022) 21:47 -TowerBrix (Simon Thomas, KOSMOS, 2024) 25:46 -Walk the Plank: Deluxe Edition (Shane Steely & Jared Tinney, Mayday Games, 2017) 28:36 -Bomb Busters (Hisashi Hayashi, Pegasus Spiel, 2024) 32:47 -Paint the Roses (Ben Goldman, North Star Games, 2022) 38:24 -Kinfire Delve: Scorn's Stockade (Kevin Wilson, Incredible Dream Studios, 2024) 41:55 -Transgalactica (Daniele Tascini, Devir, 2025) 49:15 -Phantom Division (Pete Ruth & Mark Thomas, Phantom Horizon, 2026) News (and why it doesn't matter): 55:14 Looking forward to SVWAGCon! 55:43 Topic: Take That Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

"Dear friend, if you wanna feel better Don't let the devil make you toss this letter If you've been crossed up by hoodoo voodoo A wizard or the lizard You got family trouble, man trouble, woman trouble No light through the tunnel If you're lookin' for a true friend, or a true lover Or if you've been livin' undercover Well, I'm comin' to your town to break it all down And help you with all of this I'm lookin' to help you find bliss one day Or one way, can't miss" -Jack White, "Archbishop Harold Holmes", presumably extolling the virtues of the Millipede Death Cult Games Played Last Week: 01:14 -Cthulhu: Death May Die--Fear of the Unknown (Rob Daviau, Eric M. Lang, and Marco Portugal, CMON, 2024) 06:28 -Dune: Imperium--Uprising (Paul Dennen, Dire Wolf, 2023) 12:48 -Innovation Ultimate (Carl Chudyk, Asmadi Games, 2025) 18:25 -Leviathan Wilds: Deepvale (Justin Kemppainen, Moon Crab Games, 2025) 22:03 -Line of Fire: Burnt Moon (Trevor Benjamin & David Thompson, Osprey Games, 2025)  27:23 -Rumble Nation (Yogi Shinichi, Hobby Japan, 2017) 29:23 -Iron Forest (Brian Gomez, Brain Games, 2024) 32:23 -Crash Octopus (Naotaka Shimamoto, itten, 2021) 33:08 -Junk Art (Jay Cormier & Sen-Foong Lim, Pretzel Games, 2016) 33:51 -The Breach (Michele Morosini, Ludus Magnus Studio, 2024) 41:27 -A Gentle Rain (Kevin Wilson, Incredible Dream Studios, 2024) News (and why it doesn't matter): 44:34 Open registration for SVWAG Con (July 25th-July 27th) on Eventbrite! https://tinyurl.com/25s6p5jd 45:24 REPRINTS! PitchCar and expansions, Ra: The Dice Game, Rheinlander, Junk Art 49:35 Carnegie expansion in development 49:52 Feature Game: Shackleton Base: A Journey to the Moon (Fabio Lopiano & Nestore Mangone, Sorry We Are French, 2024) Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It is remarkable to reflect on how much hobbies can demand of us, and certainly board gaming is no different. Setting aside the administrative, economic, and social burdens; we then have to spend so much time teaching, setting up, and tearing down. Alas! 23-step processes for general set up prior to the 12-step individual player board set up. It was not always thus, but here we are. 01:42 AYURIS: Voidfall (Nigel Buckle & Dávid Turczi, Mindclash Games, 2023) Games Played Last Week: 07:15 -Shackleton Base: A Journey to the Moon (Fabio Lopiano & Nestore Mangone, Sorry We Are French, 2024) 13:37 -Cthulhu: Death May Die--Fear of the Unknown (Rob Daviau, Eric M. Lang, and Marco Portugal, CMON, 2024) 17:48 -Barony: Heroes (Marc André, Grail Games, 2025) 21:04 -Netrunner: System Gateway (Zoe Cohen, McGregor Crowley, June Valencia Cuervo, Max Chippington Derrick, Gregory Tongue, and Jade Wesley, Null Signal Games, 2021) 34:37 -Planepita (Eisuke Fuijinawa & Kazunori Hori, SzpiLAB, 2022) 40:50 -ALIEN: Fate of the Nostromo (Scott Rogers, Ravensburger, 2021) 44:47 -Endeavor: Deep Sea (Carl de Visser and Jarratt Gray, Burnt Island Games, 2024) News (and why it doesn't matter): 50:05 Germán P. Millán's Covenant 50:35 Blood Rage: Valhalla expandalone to be on crowdfunding 53:52 Little Soldiers: green army men miniatures game 54:38 SVWAG Con (July 25th-July 27th) SOLD OUT 55:34 Topic: Setup and Teardown Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Apparently the American custom of the "push present" can trace its roots to the Anglo-Indian tradition of the "baby bauble", although in the latter case jewellery is the more standard gift (instead of, say, boardgames). Can we acknowledge that baby bauble is a much less crude term? Let's try to be classy here, people. There is already enough about childbirth that is fraught. Games Played Last Week: 2:07 -Galactic Cruise (T.K. King, Dennis Northcott, and Koltin Thompson, Kinson Key Games, 2025) 6:31 -Cerebria: The Inside World (Richard Amann, Viktor Peter, István Pócsi, Frigyes Schőberl, Nick Shaw, & Dávid Turczi, Mindclash Games, 2018) 12:53 -Phantom Division (Pete Ruth & Mark Thomas, Phantom Horizon, 2026) 23:19 -Space Gits (Mike Hutchinson, Planet Smasher Games, 2025) 28:03 -Earthborne Rangers (Andrew Fischer, Brooks Flugaur-Leavitt, Andrew Navaro, Adam Sadler, and Brady Sadler, Earthborne Games, 2023) 30:00 -Dro Polter (Paul Schulz, Oink Games, 2023) 33:14 -Shackleton Base: A Journey to the Moon (Fabio Lopiano & Nestore Mangone, Sorry We Are French, 2024) 40:56 -TONKS (Apocrypha_Now, Web-published, 2023) News (and why it doesn't matter): 43:41 Flurry of Friedemann Friese: Formidable Farm, Fearless, Five Families 44:45 Open registration for SVWAG Con (July 25th-July 27th) on Eventbrite! https://tinyurl.com/25s6p5jd 45:14 Feature Game: 7 Empires (Mac Gerdts, PD-Verlag, 2024) Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Walker's approach to parenting eschews what he sees as the coddling endemic in other families. He believes in competition above all else, where newbs must be pwned and even babies must git gud. "L2P" is his family motto. Some appalled anthropologists tried making a documentary about the Walker household, but they were forced to tone it down and release it as Squid Game. 01:21 AYURIS: Through the Desert (Reiner Knizia, KOSMOS, 1998) Games Played Last Week: 02:56 -Pocket Paladin (Joe Klipfel, Mythfield Games, 2025) 09:44 -7 Empires (Mac Gerdts, PD-Verlag, 2024) 21:10 -A Gentle Rain (Kevin Wilson, Incredible Dream Studios, 2024) 24:37 -Flip 7 (Eric Olsen, The Op Games, 2024) 25:31 -NMBR 9 (Peter Wichmann, ABACUSSPIELE, 2017) 27:44 -Earthborne Rangers (Andrew Fischer, Brooks Flugaur-Leavitt, Andrew Navaro, Adam Sadler, and Brady Sadler, Earthborne Games, 2023) 31:23 -Everdell (James A. Wilson, Starling Games, 2018) 35:12 -Shackleton Base: A Journey to the Moon (Fabio Lopiano & Nestore Mangone, Sorry We Are French, 2024) 40:47 -Animal Upon Animal (Klaus Miltenberger, HABA, 2005) News (and why it doesn't matter): 45:16 Open registration for SVWAG Con (July 25th-July 27th) on Eventbrite! https://tinyurl.com/25s6p5jd 47:38 Support us on Patreon! www.patreon.com/svwag 48:12 Law 96 threatens hobby game stores:  https://www.ctvnews.ca/montreal/article/hobby-shops-say-it-will-be-game-over-for-their-businesses-due-to-quebecs-language-law/ 49:49 Topic: Small Box, Big Game Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

"Because of the long-standing mutual enmity between Meany and Brown, Meany was named among the suspects in The Case Of Encyclopedia Brown’s Mangled Corpse. Meany denied the allegations. 'It’s true that Detective Brown and I didn’t see eye to eye, but I would never do something so downright dirty rotten as murder him,' Meany said. 'Besides, it’s a matter of public record that, at the time the crime was committed, I was at the North Pole watching the penguins.'" -"Idaville Detective 'Encyclopedia' Brown Found Dead In Library Dumpster", The Onion 01:42 AYURIS: Zoo Vadis (Reiner Knizia, Bitewing Games, 2023) Games Played Last Week: 4:12 -Sky Team (Luc Rémond, Le Scorpion Masqué, 2023) 7:20 -Ofrenda (Orlando Sá & André Santos, Osprey Games, 2025) 12:51 -Galactic Cruise (T.K. King, Dennis Northcott, and Koltin Thompson, Kinson Key Games, 2025) 20:05 -Twins (Reiner Knizia, Oink Games, 1996) 23:59 -Clinic Deluxe Edition (Alban Viard, AVStudioGames, 2019) 28:23 -Stationfall (Matt Eklund, Ion Game Design, 2023) 37:46 -Great Western Trail: New Zealand (Alexander Pfister, eggertspiele, 2023) 40:45 -Schotten Totten 2 (Reiner Knizia, IELLO, 2020) 45:18 -Corps of Discovery: A Game Set in the World of Manifest Destiny (Jay Cormier & Sen-Foong Lim, Off the Page Games, 2025) News (and why it doesn't matter): 49:13 Balance updates to Fromage 50:17 Tianxia by Daniele Tascini & Antonio Petrelli, another "T" game by Board&Dice 50:39 Burned by Stone Circle Games will have a crowd sale on The Game Crafter soon 51:19 Open registration for SVWAG Con (July 25th-July 27th) on Eventbrite! https://tinyurl.com/25s6p5jd 51:45 Topic: Pulling Levers Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We generally frown on ad hominem here at SVWAG, ensconced as we are in our glass houses. In the case of Jean-Jacques Rousseau (known affectionately as "Ja-Jay" by no one), though, who wrote extensively about proper methods of childhood education, we shall report that he confessed to rather callously sandbagging his lover into abandoning their children (Rousseau claimed there were five of them, though records are tricky). Way to be a douchebag, Jay-Jay. 01:47 AYURIS: City of the Great Machine (German Tikhomirov, CrowD Games, 2023) Games Played Last Week: 03:36 -River Rats (Mathijs Jansen & Robin Stokkel, Four Suits Studio, 2025) 08:08 -The Gang (John Cooper and Kory Heath, KOSMOS, 2024) 09:47 -SCOUT (Kei Kajino, Oink Games, 2019) 11:47 -Storm Raiders (Shem Phillips, Arkus Games, 2025) 13:36 -Tigris & Euphrates (Reiner Knizia, Hans im Gluck, 1997) 16:17 -Corps of Discovery: A Game Set in the World of Manifest Destiny (Jay Cormier & Sen-Foong Lim, Off the Page Games, 2025) 21:58 -Dogs of War (Paolo Mori, CMON, 2014) 25:27 -Stroganov: Turukhan (Andreas Steding, Game Brewer, 2024) 32:48 -Veiled Fate (Max Anderson, Zac Dixon, and Austin Harrison, IV Studio, 2022) 40:29 -Jekyll & Hyde vs Scotland Yard (Gaëtan Beaujannot, Olivier Cipière, and Geonil, Mandoo Games, 2023) News (and why it doesn't matter): 43:56 SEAL Team Flix follow up Phantom Division! Stealth! Tactics! Flicking! on Kickstarter  44:29 Pacific Command, fleet miniatures game, by Osprey and Mike Hutchinson 45:41 Agricola Special Edition on Gamefound 47:43 Catacombs Alpha, new minimalist Catacombs starter, on Kickstarter 48:25 Open registration for SVWAG Con (July 25th-July 27th) on Eventbrite! https://tinyurl.com/25s6p5jd 49:17 Topic: The Social Contract Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I've read several different accounts of the battle of Sekigahara, and I swear there's no mention of Kevin Bacon or anyone bleaching their hair. How am I to know if Pony Boy stayed golden?  Games Played Last Week: 01:42 -MicroMacro: Kids--Crazy City Park (Johannes Sich, Edition Spielwiese, 2025) 04:20 -Good Puppers (Chris Cieslik, Asmadi Games, 2021) 07:38 -23 Knives (Tyler J. Brown, Play to Z, 2025) 15:13 -TEAM3 GREEN (Alex Cutler & Matt Fantastic, Brain Games, 2019) 20:04 -Marabunta (Reiner Knizia, Space Cowboys, 2023) 21:28 -Ra (Reiner Knizia, alea, 1999) 23:13 -Ra: The Dice Game (Reiner Knizia, Rio Grande Games, 2009) 26:16 -Moving Company (Guo Jiahui & Wu Ying, Whales Entertainment, 2025) 31:42 -Santorini: Riddle of the Sphinx (James Van Niekerk & Paul Saxberg, Roxley, 2025) 37:30 -The Crew: Family Adventure (Thomas Sing, KOSMOS, 2024) 42:07 -Hot Streak (Jon Perry, CMYK, 2025) 43:42 -Flip 7 (Eric Olsen, The Op Games, 2024) News (and why it doesn't matter): 45:09 Open registration for SVWAG Con (July 25th-July 27th) on Eventbrite! https://tinyurl.com/25s6p5jd 46:35 Tabletop Tycoon acquires the rights to Eric Lang CMON designs: Blood Rage, Rising Sun, Ankh, Arcadia/Starcadia Quest 48:48 Follow-up to SEAL Team Flix: Phantom Division on Kickstarter! (Pete Ruth, Mark Thomas) 50:52 Sniper Elite: Operation Kraken on Gamefound 52:02 Feature Game: Rumble Nation (Yogi Shinichi, Hobby Japan, 2017) Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Walker and Mark almost come to blows over Flip 7 this week. Their disagreements over the merits of the product (Game? Experience? Way of Life? Sub "Roll a 6, Win a Cookie" distraction?) have long simmered, but the fundamental schism can no longer be ignored or papered over. They finally have it out.  02:27 AYURIS: Knarr (Thomas Dupont, Bombyx, 2023) Games Played Last Week: 03:36 -Autobahn (Fabio Lopiano and Nestore Mangone, Alley Cat Games, 2022) 06:39 -Scythe (Jamey Stegmaier, Stonemaier Games, 2016) 09:47 -Fairy Tale (Satoshi Nakamura, What's Your Game?, 2008)  15:00 -Moon (Haakon Gaarder, Sinister Fish Games, 2023) 18:17 -Spots (Alex Hague, Jon Perry, and Justin Vickers, CMYK, 2022) 21:13 -ito (326, Arclight Games, 2019) 28:06 -Deep Rock Galactic (Ole Steiness, MOOD Publishing, 2022) 31:45 -Flip 7 (Eric Olsen, The Op Games, 2024) News (and why it doesn't matter): 35:50 Recall from Alion by Dr. Ø; pseudo-sequel to Revive? 38:07 Open registration for SVWAG Con (July 25th-July 27th) on Eventbrite! https://tinyurl.com/25s6p5jd 38:40 Topic: What Makes Longer Games Worth It? Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

"Observers brought attention to [Gritty's] appearance, which could be construed as frightening, while The Guardian described him as an "acid trip of a mascot." Response to Gritty's introduction was immediate and sharply mixed, with many fans on social media expressing bewilderment and some fright at his appearance. Public perception of Gritty became increasingly positive as Gritty's antics, which subverted the cuddly, family-friendly appearance and demeanor of other NHL mascots, gained more attention on social media." -Wikipedia Games Played Last Week: 00:56 -Can't Stop (Sid Sackson, Playte Games, 2023) 04:01 -Tigris & Euphrates (Reiner Knizia, Hans im Gluck, 1997) 13:09 -Hansa Teutonica: East Expansion (Andreas Steding, Argentum Verlag, 2010) 19:06 -Pandemic: Fall of Rome (Matt Leacock & Paolo Mori, Z-Man, 2018) 22:03 -SpellBook (Phil Walker-Harding, Space Cowboys, 2023) 24:40 -Skara Brae (Shem Phillips, Garphill Games, 2025) 29:52 -Sausage Sizzle (Inka and Marcus Brand, 25th Century Games, 2012) 32:07 -Unstoppable (John D. Clair, Renegade Game Studios, 2025) 38:41 -Toy Battle (Paolo Mori & Alessandro Zucchini, Repos Production, 2025) 40:38 -Leviathan Wilds (Justin Kemppainen, Moon Crab Games, 2024) 43:48 -Men at Work (Rita Modl, Pretzel Games, 2019) News (and why it doesn't matter): 49:10 Lunar Rush expansion: Innovation 49:30 Open registration for SVWAG Con (July 25th-July27th) on Eventbrite! https://tinyurl.com/25s6p5jd 49:58 Lord of the Rings: Fate of the Fellowship 51:18 Please support us on Patreon! www.patreon.com/svwag 53:32 Feature Game: Hot Streak (Jon Perry, CMYK, 2025) [EDIT] We neglected to disclose that this was a review copy provided by the publisher. We apologize for the omission. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

"gibber--intransitive verb :to speak rapidly, inarticulately, and often foolishly" -Merriam-Webster "gibberer--noun :the hosts of SVWAG" Games Played Last Week: 01:17 -Sausage Sizzle (Inka and Marcus Brand, 25th Century Games, 2012) 05:22 -Landmarks (Rodrigo Rego & Danilo Valente, Floodgate Games, 2024) 09:11 -Skara Brae (Shem Phillips, Garphill Games, 2025) 14:20 -Moving Company (Guo Jiahui & Wu Ying, Whales Entertainment, 2025) 16:49 -First Rat (Gabriele Ausiello & Virginio Gigli, Pegasus Spiele, 2022) 20:47 -Barbecubes (Brett J. Gilbert & Rob Sparks, Alley Cat Games, 2025) 24:35 -Unstoppable (John D. Clair, Renegade Game Studios, 2025) 29:48 -Battle of Mekaverse (Reiner Knizia, Kids Logic, 2024) 34:25 -Dorfromantik: The Board Game (Michael Palm and Lukas Zach, Pegasus Spiele, 2022) 37:41 -Toy Battle (Paolo Mori & Alessandro Zucchini, Repos Production, 2025) 40:04 -Dungeon Twister: The Card Game (Christophe Boelinger, Asmodee, 2013) 46:34 -Rumble Nation (Yogi Shinichi, Hobby Japan, 2017) News (and why it doesn't matter): 50:10 SETI expansion: Space Agencies 50:46 Flamecraft digital 51:28 POGs are coming back? Slam Throne 52:02 Open registration for SVWAG Con (July 25th-July27th) on Eventbrite! https://tinyurl.com/25s6p5jd 53:53 Feature Game: Gibberers: The Word Game of Language Invention and Civilization Development (Keisei, Hobby Japan, 2024) Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Chaka Khan, let me rock you Let me rock you, Chaka Khan Let me rock you, that's all I wanna do Chaka Khan, let me rock you Let me rock you, Chaka Khan Let me rock you, 'cause I feel for you -Chaka Khan, "I Feel for You" 01:26 AYURIS: Barcelona (Dani Garcia, Board&Dice, 2023) Games Played Last Week: 03:10 -Snap Ships Tactics: Swarm Box (Josh Derksen, Snap Ships, 2025)  10:13 -Battle of Mekaverse (Reiner Knizia, Kids Logic, 2024) 15:34 -Everdell Farshore (James A. Wilson & Clarissa A. Wilson, Starling Games, 2023) 20:19 -Trading Titans (Reiner Knizia, Kids Logic, 2024) 25:03 -TAH WARS: Dice Tower Game (Luca Vince Caltabiano, BOARD TO DEATH, 2025) 31:06 -Things in Rings (Peter C. Hayward, Allplay, 2024) News (and why it doesn't matter): 35:06 Lifeboat by Jeff Siadek reprint on Kickstarter 37:15 Underwater Cities: Data Era expansion 38:18 Open registration for SVWAG Con (July 25th-July27th) on Eventbrite! https://tinyurl.com/25s6p5jd 39:55 Topic: Tricky Edge Cases Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

While we pride ourselves in playing more games in a week than many play in a month, when we take a week away from the SVWAG studio we often face a truly herculean backlog of games to discuss. This two-week period is no exception. Rest assured, we would never leave our dear listeners in the lurch, so we will keep you updated so you need not miss a thing. 01:00 AYURIS: Race to the Raft (Frank West, The City of Games, 2023) Games Played Last Week: 03:40 -Knarr (Thomas Dupont, Bombyx, 2023) 06:42 -Quin (Brian Rooney and Taeleen Woodard, Arch & Gravity Publishing, 2024) 11:41 -Slay the Spire: The Board Game (Gary Dworetsky, Anthony Giovannetti, and Casey Yano, Contention Games, 2024)  14:47 -Gùgōng: Pànjūn (Andreas Steding, Game Brewer, 2020) 22:00 -Skull (Hervé Marly, Asmodee, 2011) 24:09 -Space Gits (Mike Hutchinson, Planet Smasher Games, 2025) 30:06 -Bad Company (Kenneth Minde, Kristian Amundsen Østby, and Eilif Svensson, Aporta Games, 2021) 34:44 -Rebirth (Reiner Knizia, Mighty Boards, 2024) 36:48 -Tír na nÓg (Isaac Shalev & Jason Slingerland, Grand Gamers Guild, 2024) 38:51 -Let's Go! To Japan (Josh Wood, AEG, 2024) 41:52 -Keyflower (Sebastien Bleasdale & Richard Breese, R&D Games, 2012)  42:54 -Altay: Dawn of Civilization (Paolo Mori & Ole Steiness, Ares Games, 2024) 47:09 -Abandon All Artichokes (Emma Larkins, Gamewright, 2020) 49:58 -Quacks (Wolfgang Warsch, Schmidt Spiele, 2018) 52:02 -23 Knives (Tyler J. Brown, Play to Z, 2025) 59:15 -Ghost Blitz: Spooky Doo (Jacques Zeimet, Zoch Verlag, 2016) News (and why it doesn't matter): 1:03:26 Catacombs Alpha, new entry point in the Catacombs series, on crowdfunding 1:04:13 Tariff highlights: Stegmaier lawsuit, CMON, Greater Than Games 1:07:15 Open registration for SVWAG Con (July 25th-July27th) on Eventbrite! https://tinyurl.com/25s6p5jd 1:07:47 Commands & Colors news: new Memoir '44, Battle of Hoth 1:09:08 SVWAG interview with James of One Man Clapping episode #26 Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tiebreakers are arguably a kind of endgame scoring. I respect the fact that they are invariably necessary (I mean, if for no other reason than if they're omitted some smartass like me will complain). That said, clearly if the scoreboard goes to 200+ I don't imagine we'll be hauling out the second tiebreaker condition all that much. Frequently the endgame conversion of resources to points already serves as a tiebreaker anyway.  01:48 AYURIS: Nidavellir (Serge Laget, GRRRE Games, 2020) Games Played Last Week: 04:57 -FlickFleet (Jackson Pope & Paul Willcox, Eurydice Games, 2018) 11:55 -Slay the Spire: The Board Game (Gary Dworetsky, Anthony Giovannetti, and Casey Yano, Contention Games, 2024)  14:21 -Altay: Dawn of Civilization (Paolo Mori & Ole Steiness, Ares Games, 2024) 17:19 -Wizards of the Grimoire: Shifting Sands (Cole Banning & Joe Banning, Grimoire Games, 2025) 21:23 -Risk 2210 A.D.: Frontline (Mike Gills, Renegade Game Studios, 2025) 32:57 -Calimala (Fabio Lopiano, Alley Cat Games, 2024) 37:20 -Ransom Notes: House Party Edition (Josh Roberts, Evan and Josh's Very Special Games Company, 2023) 40:16 -Leviathan Wilds (Justin Kemppainen, Moon Crab Games, 2024) 42:57 -Regicide (Paul Abrahams, Luke Badger, & Andy Richdale, Badgers from Mars, 2020) News (and why it doesn't matter): 45:15 New Meltwater by Capstone Games 46:19 Open registration for SVWAG Con (July 25th-July27th) on Eventbrite! https://tinyurl.com/25s6p5jd 47:24 Topic: Endgame Scoring Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices