So Very Wrong About Games

Vantage

"We don’t ask that you stop loving your fantasy world. We askyou stop paying money for the privilege to dream of it. Ifyou want to read the [Harry Potter] books or watch the movies, considerbuying second-hand or renting them from a library. Smallchanges can make sure you never put your hard-earnedmoney into JKR’s hands."-Blacklist CGE zineGames 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 Modiphius41:46 High Tide by Marceline Leiman42:20 SVWAG's statement on boycotting Czech Games Edition and in support of trans and non-binary gamersBlacklist CGE zine: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/10BUxxRO08jS9ZFnfnt0dnMPEZi5lrwke44:15 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

SVWAG Con Report

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 He was able to play two unpublished games, and while the designers were gracious he is seldom able to offer anything of much substance.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/A45:22 Topic: SVWAG Con ReportChef Ashlee: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100068315809451Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

#369: Take That

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 ThatAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

#368: Shackleton Base

"Dear friend, if you wanna feel betterDon't let the devil make you toss this letterIf you've been crossed up by hoodoo voodooA wizard or the lizardYou got family trouble, man trouble, woman troubleNo light through the tunnelIf you're lookin' for a true friend, or a true loverOr if you've been livin' undercoverWell, I'm comin' to your town to break it all downAnd help you with all of thisI'm lookin' to help you find bliss one dayOr one way, can't miss"-Jack White, "Archbishop Harold Holmes", presumably extolling the virtues of the Millipede Death CultGames 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/25s6p5jd45:24 REPRINTS! PitchCar and expansions, Ra: The Dice Game, Rheinlander, Junk Art49:35 Carnegie expansion in development49:52 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

#367: Set Up and Tear Down

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 Covenant50:35 Blood Rage: Valhalla expandalone to be on crowdfunding53:52 Little Soldiers: green army men miniatures game54:38 SVWAG Con (July 25th-July 27th) SOLD OUT55:34 Topic: Setup and TeardownAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices