So Very Wrong About Games

This week we stumble on the terrible, horrifying fact that there are other hobbies than boardgames, and we take pity on those poor lamented souls who are enslaved in their thrall. Just what is scrapbooking, anyway? Walker has a theory, but no one is really sure. We should thus feel blessed that we chosen few enjoy the hobby that we do, and so we discuss ways to try to be decent while doing so. Games Played Last Week:-Clans of Caledonia 1m59s (Juma Al-Joujou, Karma Games, 2017)-Starship Samurai 4m04s (Isaac Vega, Plaid Hat Games, 2018)-Neuroshima Hex! 8m45s (Michal Oracz, Portal Games, 2006)-Hellapagos 9m50s (Laurence & Philippe Gamelin, Gigamic, 2017)-Azul 11m46s (Michael Kiesling, Plan B Games, 2017)-Fog of Love 14m33s (Jacob Jaskov, Hush Hush Projects, 2017)-When I Dream 18m13s (Chris Darsaklis, Drawlab Entertainment, 2016)-Goa 20m23s (Rudiger Dorn, Hans im Gluck, 2004)News (and why it doesn't matter) -Quartermaster General gets downright chilly 22m16s-The first ever Cthulhu game, ever (Walker's

A reminder that there is no necessary connection between our feature game and our topic. We would not divest ourselves of SEAL Team Flix, The Only Game that Matters, if for no other reason than we need it on hand so we can talk about it and only it for perpetuity. That, and it's great. Sorry, spoilers! Oh, and Walker was Keyser Söze the entire time.Games Played Last Week:-Cthulhu Wars 1m28s (Sandy Peterson & Lincoln Peterson, Peterson Games, 2015)-Decrypto 5m09s (Thomas Dagenais-Lespérance, Le Scorpion Masqué, 2018)-Gaslands 7m39s (Glenn Ford & Mike Hutchinson, Osprey Publishing, 2017)-Beowulf: The Legend 12m06s (Reiner Knizia, KOSMOS, 2005)-The Voyages of Marco Polo 15m04s (Simone Luciani & Daniele Tascini, Hans im Gluck, 2015)-Dungeon Degenerates: Hand of Doom 18m03s (Sean Äaberg & Eric Radey, Goblinko, 2018)News (and why it doesn't matter) -SVWAG Summer Schedule 20m29s-An editorial from Mark in the context of #MeToo: Making our gaming environment safe and welcoming 21m04sFeature Gam

It is important to stay flexible, and follow the ways of those who practise judo and jiu-jitsu. That is why we choke people as often as we can. Wait, that's not right. Rather, it is important to be supple and adaptable. We had intended to be on time and talking about different things, but sundry unrelated crises have changed both of those plans. We apologize for the delay, but we are confident our new plans are much better. We adapt. We choke. It is a good thing no one reads these, or these comments might be construed as an admission of assault. Games Played Last Week:-LOAD: League of Ancient Defenders 1m43s (Archon Studio, 2016)-The 7th Continent 3m42s (Ludovic Roudy & Bruno Sautter, Serious Poulp Games, 2017)-Heroes of Air, Land, & Sea 6m34s (Scott Almes, Gamelyn Games, 2018)-John Company 11m38s (Cole Wehrle, Sierra Madre, 2017)-Shards of Infinity 12m34s (Gary Arant & Justin Gary, Stone Blade Entertainment, 2018)-Grimslingers: The Northern Territory 15m30s (Stephen Gibson, Greenbrier Games,

We here at SVWAG take acronyms very seriously, but sometimes get carried away with such abbreviations. As a public service announcement, allow me to remind all of you that TI:4 stands for Twilight Imperium 4th Edition. It is purely coincidental that I mention this in the context of an episode dealing with games that have turn order problems. It is also a coincidence that Kemet is the feature game of said episode. Don't read too much into either of those facts, you wild conspiracist you.Games Played Last Week:-Ra 1m34s (Reiner Knizia, alea, 1999)-First Class 4m31s (Helmut Ohley, Hans im Gluck, 2016)-Dogs of War 7m49s (Paolo Mori, CMON, 2014)-Downforce 8m53s (Rob Daviau, Justin D. Jacobson, & Wolfgang Kramer, Restoration Games, 2017)-Deception: Murder in Hong Kong 10m39s (Tobey Ho, Grey Fox Games, 2014)-Skull 12m34s (Hervé Marly, Asmodee, 2011)News (and why it doesn't matter)-Borg's Command is that the Color be Red (Alert) 13m08s-Designing SEAL Team Flix 14m50s-First Cthulhu game ever 16m38s-Myt

You can have too much of a good thing, which is why Mark always tries to interrupt Walker before he can finish a single sentence. Of course, "too much" is a highly subjective idea, whether applied to game length or pie. This week Keyflower is discussed, which is not too long but can feel too short--except if it were not too short it would be too long. Clear enough. Games Played Last Week:-Star Wars: Imperial Assault 3m25s (Justin Kemppainen, Corey Konieczka, & Jonathan Ying, Fantasy Flight, 2014)-Lords of Vegas 5m31s (James Ernest & Mike Silenker, Mayfair, 2010)-Sagrada 6m41s (Adrian Adamescu & Daryl Andrews, Floodgate Games, 2017)-Thunderbolt Apache Leader 8m12s (Dan Verssen, DVG, 2012)-Ginkgopolis 9m57s (Xavier Georges, Pearl Games, 2012)-Ora et Labora 11m46s (Uwe Rosenberg, Lookout Games, 2011)-Dungeon Alliance 15m11s (Andrew Parks, Quixotic Games, 2018)-Spheres of Influence 20m33s (Josh Lamont, Little Nuke Games, 2016)News (and why it doesn't matter)-Jetpack Joyride 24m45s-Spring M

We delve into the culinary arts here at So Very Wrong About Games; having failed at math but excelling in eating, both Mark and Walker eschew conventional rating systems for gastronomical ones. They had considered rating the rating systems themselves, but were reminded of the podcast's firm stance against paradoxes. So, they threw all their pies into a bag and drew them randomly. It's been a confusing week, to say nothing of the mess.Games Played Last Week:-Quantum 1m00s (Eric Zimmerman, Funforge, 2013)-Spheres of Influence 2m23s (Josh Lamont, Little Nuke Games, 2016)-Lords of Hellas 3m37s (Adam Kwapinski, Awaken Realms, 2018)-Core Worlds 4m24s (Andrew Parks, Stronghold Games, 2011)-Ethnos 7m03s (Paolo Mori, CMON, 2017)-Sakura Arms 11m41s (BakaFire, AEG, 2017)-Empires: Age of Discovery 13m28s (Glenn Drover, Eagle-Gryphon Games, 2015)-Too Many Bones 16m33s (Adam Carlson & Josh Carlson, Chip Theory Games, 2017)News (and why it doesn't matter)-Jettisoning Arcadia Quest into space 19m33s-More Clan

Walker encourages you to tell friends about So Very Wrong About Games, despite his not listening to the podcast. Mark has recommended it to him, but apparently Walker's contempt for his co-host's opinions is not limited to games, but extends also to the podcast they produce together about games. One assumes Walker also does not read the episode descriptions, which is truly risky, and might create an incentive to make them devoted to discussing his manifold character flaws. Games Played Last Week:-Forbidden Stars 2m51s (Samuel Bailey, James Kniffen, & Corey Konieczka, Fantasy Flight, 2015)-Dice Hockey 4m17s (Artyom Nichipurov, Unpublished Wolff Designa prototype)-Ortus Regni 5m46s (Jon Sudbury, Jon Sudbury Games, 2014)-Xia: Legends of a Drift System 7m00s (Cody Miller, Far Off Games, 2014)-Skull 9m27s (Hervé Marly, Asmodee, 2011)-Cockroach Poker 9m27s (Jacques Zeimet, Dre Magier Spiele, 2004)-Escape: The Curse of the Temple 14m24s (Kristian Amundsen Østby, Queen Games, 2012)-878: Vikings – Invasion

Mark tries to come to terms with his outright hypocrisy, largely on the basis that he feels it's acceptable for him but not for everyone else. Walker yearns for glory, but learns to his disappointment that glory is not legal tender and cannot be exchanged for goods or services. Lords of Hellas offer such piercing insights into the soul, "self-knowledge" being one of its 43 victory conditions. Also, SVWAG is giving away stuff.Massive Darkness Giveaway: 1m33sGames Played Last Week:-Spirit Island 3m05s (Eric Reuss, Greater Than Games, 2017)-John Company 4m21s (Cole Wehrle, Sierra Madre Games, 2017)-Altiplano 5m57s (Reiner Stockhausen, dlp Games, 2017)-Fairy Tale 9m14s (Satoshi Nakamura, Z-Man Games, 2004)News (and why it doesn't matter)-Asmodee for sale? Maybe? Maybe not? 10m42s-Forbidden City Forbidden 11m43s-Spiel des Jahres 12m24s-More Kemet. Purple for everything! 13m05s-Jakub Rozalski's art under scrutiny 13m32sFeature Game: Lords of Hellas 17m05s (Adam Kwapinski, Awaken Realms, 2018)Top

As it happens, games do not spawn ex nihilo, fully armed and armored from Zeus' forehead. I'm certain that's what most of you believed, but it's not true! To confirm this implausible fact, Mark sat down with Eric Reuss, the designer of Spirit Island, to talk about stuff. Walker and Mark also discuss The City of Kings, a game that is a fascinating mixture of euro mechanics, grand adventure, and both excellent and terrible theming.Games Played Last Week:-Kemet 1m25s (Jacques Bariot & Guillaume Montiage, Matagot, 2012)-The Castles of Burgundy 3m22s (Stefan Feld, alea, 2011)-878: Vikings – Invasions of England 4m40s (Beau Beckett, Dave Kimmel, & Jeph Stahl, Academy Games, 2017)-One Deck Dungeon: Forest of Shadows 7m12s (Chris Cieslik, Asmadi Games, 2018)-Warhammer Underworlds: Shadespire 8m19s (David Sanders, Games Workshop, 2017)News (and why it doesn't matter)-Acros forced off of Steam 12m55s-X-Wing Second Edition 14m16s-Empyreal: Spells and Steam 18m39sFeature Game: The City of King

This podcast scales seamlessly from 2 to an in finite number of listeners, but we're not nearly that optimistic. Walker sometimes dreams of a solo mode, but sadly Mark insists on speaking. Mark and Walker again turn to Vlaada Chvatil, a designer who loves idiosyncrasy and detail--sometimes to excess. Walker asks if it would be appropriate to rant, and Mark gladly lets him off leash. Games Played Last Week:-Railroad Tycoon/Railways of the World 1m52s (Glenn Drover & Martin Wallace, Eagle-Gryphon Games, 2005)-House of Borgia 3m13s (Scott Almes, Gamelyn Games, 2017)-Ex Libris 5m24s (Ada P. McIver, Renegade Game Studios, 2017)-Situation 7 7m27s (Marvin Glass, Parker Brothers, 1969)-Biblios 10m47s (Steve Finn, Iello, 2007)-Corporate America 13m15s (Teale Fristoe, Nothing Sacred Games, 2013)-Winner's Circle 14m36s (Reiner Knizia, Face2Face, 2001)-Rheinlander 15m30s (Reiner Knizia, Face2Face, 1999)News (and why it doesn't matter)-7 Wonders expands, Walker sighs 16m32s-SVWAG expands, Walker sighs 17m3

You wouldn't like Mark when he's angry, but that's probably attributable to his being fundamentally unlikable at the best of times. At any rate, Walker tries to rein him in from ranting too long about obvious component failures, publisher laziness, and alleged outright theft. Walker, for his part, just wants things to mean something. We are seekers here at So Very Wrong About Games.Games Played Last Week:-Spirit Island 2m10s (Eric Reuss, Fabled Nexus, 2017)-The City of Kings 4m00s (Frank West, The City of Games, 2018)-Warhammer Underworlds: Shadespire 6m00s (David Sanders, Games Workshop, 2017)-World of SMOG: Rise of Moloch 9m04s (Fel Barros, Christophe Madura, Alexandru Olteanu, David Rakoto, & Michael Shinall, CMON, 2018)-Shadowrift: Skittering Darkness 9m47s (Jeremy Anderson, Game Salute, 2018).-John Company 15m22s (Cole Wehrle, Sierra Madre, 2018)News (and why it doesn't matter)-Music and geopolitics 22m14s-Red Raven Targets the mass market 24m10s-App didn't kill Imperial Assault 2

Mark and Walker delve into matters of criminal justice this week, pondering the balance and tradeoffs between deterrence, retribution, and rehabilitation. Walker seems to think that Bunny Kingdom a form of cruel and unusual punishment, whereas Mark seems to think that any form of travel is necessarily a form of inhumane rendition. Anyway, they're sellouts now, so if you send them free stuff in the mail they'll say whatever you want them to.Games Played Last Week:-When I Dream 3m22s (Chris Darsaklis, Repos Productions, 2016)-Noria 6m09s (Sophia Wagner, Stronghold, 2017)-A Feast for Odin 8m46s (Uwe Rosenberg, Feuerland Spiele, 2016)-Space Hulk 3rd Edition 12m13s (Richard Halliwell, Games Workshop, 2009)-XenoShyft: Onslaught 14m00s (Michael Shinall, CMON, 2015)-Massive Darkness 18m07s (Raphaël Guiton, Jean-Baptiste Lullien, & Nicolas Raoult, CMON, 2017)-Feudum 21m12s (Mark K. Swanson, Odd Bird Games, 2018)News (and why it doesn't matter)-More Shade, more Spire 28m15s-Boarders' backers left in

Times are bad--children no longer respect their elders and everyone is running a Kickstarter. Nostalgia fuels our news segment today, with varying levels of scorn for cherished memories. For those of you playing along at home with their So Very Wrong About Games bingo cards, Walker talks about a Mystic Vale expansion and Mark brings up Macross--let us know if that makes five in a row.Games Played Last Week:-Not Alone 1m48s (Ghislain Masson, Stronghold Games, 2016)-Quartermaster General: 1914 2m49s (Ian Brody, PSC Games, 2016)-Mythic Battles: Pantheon 5m07s (Benoit Vogt, Monolith, 2017)-Formula D 7m10s (Laurent Lavaur & Eric Randall, Asmodee, 2008)-Rising Sun 9m30s (Eric Lang, CMON, 2018) vs. -Blood Rage 9m30s (Eric Lang, CMON, 2015)-The City of Kings 13m34s (Frank West, The City of Games, 2018)News (and why it doesn't matter)-Mousetrap Redux...? 16m59s-Robot? Eck. 19m12s-The Mystic Vale gets yet bigger 20m11s-So much Confrontation 21m21s-2nd editions for Claustrophobia and Race 23m15sFeature Game: GKR

We adopt a policy of firm opposition to irresolvable paradoxes here at So Very Wrong About Games. Then again, everything we say is wrong, so take that for what it is worth. Don't even ask us about sets not containing themselves. We turn our attention to Vlaada Chvatil's work for the first time, and ruminate about multiplayer conflict games and how they often fail. Also, swimwear...? And "cascades of nightmarish terribleness," which might become our new podcast name.Games Played Last Week:-World of SMOG: Rise of Moloch 1m10s (Fel Barros, Christophe Madura, Alexandru Olteanu, David Rakoto, & Michael Shinall, CMON, 2018)-Concordia 2m59s (Mac Gerdts, PD-Verlag, 2013)-Meeple Circus 8m30s (Cedric Millet, Matagot, 2017)-Clans of Caledonia 10m13s (Juma Al-Joujou, Karma Games, 2017)-Rum & Bones: Second Tide 11m31s (Michael Shinall, CMON, 2017)-Warfighter 13m59s (Dan Verssen, DVG, 2014)News (and why it doesn't matter)-April Fools disappointment roundup 16m06s-More Mystic, more Vale 17m25s-Mo

Mark references several films while trying, and failing, to keep his composure. Walker tells stories that may or may not resemble reality. Both hosts rant about design decisions they find inexplicable. It's a very cathartic experience for all involved.Games Played Last Week:-Dinosaur Island 1m16s (Jonathan Gilmour & Brian Lewis, Pandasaurus, 2017)-Cockroach Poker Royal 2m17s (Jacques Zeimet, 999 Games, 2012)-Caverna: The Cave Farmers 4m05s (Uwe Rosenberg, Lookout Games, 2013) -Unusual Suspects 6m00s (Paolo Mori, Cranio Creations, 2015)-Too Many Bones 8m45s (Adam & Josh Carlson, Chip Theory Games, 2017)-Infinity 12m16s (Gutier Lusquiños Rodríguez, Corvus Belli, 2005)-Warhammer Underworlds: Shadespire 13m38s (David Sanders, Games Workshop, 2017)-Food Chain Magnate 15m35s (Jeroen Doumen & Joris Wiersinga, Splotter, 2015)News (and why it doesn't matter)-Bruno's Imaginarium 19m15s-Other Bruno's Chawai 19m45s-Asmodee: The Movie 20m20s-Shilling for Dinosaur Island 21m10s-Infinity plus one

Mark and Walker explore how sophisticated the rejoinder "git gud" can be, perhaps indicating that they are getting good at unhelpful trash talking. Perhaps anything can be an art. Perhaps being a better degerenate is truly the life lesson they have extracted from their years as hobbyists; Mark's experiences have certainly turned him into a fantasy racist. Join us for A Very Special Episode of So Very Wrong About Games.Games Played Last Week:-Path of Light and Shadow 1m05s (Travis R. Chance, Jonathan Gilmour, & Nick Little, Action Phase Games, 2017)-Catacombs 4m02s (Ryan Amos, Marc Kelsey, & Aron West, Elzra Corp., 2015)-Barony 5m56s (Marc Andre, Matagot, 2015)-Core Worlds 7m22s (Andrew Parks, Stronghold, 2011)-Antike II 8m05s (Mac Gerdts, PD-Verlag, 2014)-Rum & Bones: Second Tide 10m49s (Michael Shinall, CMON, 2017)News (and why it doesn't matter)-Mercury taking on Valley Games' legacy with Big City 13m59s-Monsterpocalypse mutates, rises again 14m50s-Death Note, an animated ser

Walker pretends to tolerate Mark's digression into pronunciation, and in exchange Mark pretends to be surprised to hear that TI4 has problems. Both fail to be even remotely surprised that CMON is in the plastic pushing business, novelty or creativity optional. Games Played Last Week:-Zombicide: Black Plague 4m39s (Raphaël Guiton, Jean-Baptiste Lullien, & Nicolas Raoult, CMON, 2015)-Black Orchestra 6m08s (Philip duBarry, Game Salute, 2016)-Tobago 15m00s (Bruce Allen, Zoch Verlag, 2009)-The Nasty 7 16m07s (Jacques Zeimet, Drei Hasen in der Abendsonne, 2015)-Twilight Imperium 4th Edition 17m10s (Dane Beltrami, Corey Konieczka, & Christian T. Petersen, Fantasy Flight, 2017)-Ortus Regni 18m08s (Jon Sudbury, Jon Sudbury Games, 2014)News (and why it doesn't matter)-Zombies! In! Space! 20m30s-Where to avoid hearing more from Mark 21m57s-Mage Knight likes big boxes and cannot lie 23m27sFeature Game: World of SMOG: Rise of Moloch 24m08s (Fel Barros, Christophe Madura, Alexandru Olteanu, David Rakoto &am

Why can't we all just get along? This week Mark and Walker agree that anyone causing pain should be tortured to death. Wait, that doesn't work. Okay, can we agree that people who cause pain wrongly are wrong? Hm. That seems problematic. What about we should shun those that aren't friendly? Crap. Let's just say that everyone should be nice to me, how's that?Games Played Last Week:-Clans of Caledonia 2m45s (Juma Al-Joujou, Karma Games, 2017)-Gaia Project 5m15s (Jens Drögemüller & Helge Ostertag, Feuerland Spiele, 2017)-Path of Light and Shadow 6m08s (Jonathan Gilmour, Travis Chance, & Nick Little, Indie Boards and Cards, 2017)-World of SMOG: Rise of Moloch 11m19s (Fel Barros, Christophe Madura, Alexandru Olteanu, David Rakoto & Michael Shinall, CMON, 2018)-Deception: Murder in Hong Kong 15m50s (Tobey Ho, Jolly Thinkers, 2014)News (and why it doesn't matter)-Luma Games and historical linguistics 16m34s-Palladium finally puts Robotech backers out of their misery 17m24s-Terrafor

Walker acts on his firm conviction that sympathy is for the weak, and the internet seems to endorse this position. Fueled by Mark's misery, the pair utter a great deal of words on the topic of Rising Sun, which has had a firm grip on their gaming time of late. They then decide to move on to matters of history and politics, which are always safe topics. Nothing could possibly go wrong.Games Played Last Week:-Arcane Academy 3m49s (Eric Lang & Kevin Wilson, IDW Games, 2016)-Dogs of War 5m26s (Paolo Mori, CMON, 2014)News (and why it doesn't matter):-Deep in deep trouble 11m04s-Star Trek Ascendancies yet further 16m19sFeature Game: Rising Sun 18m12s (Eric Lang, CMON, 2018)Topic: Inappropriate Themes 53m22sAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Mark and Walker dare the siege perilous in this, their thirteenth installment. Walker shares a rare moment of sincerity, and Mark restrains himself from taunting him for the lapse. Rising Sun is revisited and compared to Twilight Imperium, and shockingly Mark highlights ways in which that is favorable to TI:4. Mass hysteria ensues.Games Played Last Week:-Tigris & Euphrates 2m16s (Reiner Knizia, Hans im Gluck, 1997)-Inkognito 3m36s (Leo Colovini & Alex Randolph, Ares Games, 1988)-Charterstone 4m40s (Jamey Stegmaier, Stonemaier Games, 2017)-Barony 9m29s (Marc Andre, Matagot, 2015)-Rising Sun 10m58s (Eric Lang, CMON, 2018)-Twilight Imperium: Fourth Edition 13m44s (Dane Beltrami, Corey Konieczka, & Christian T. Petersen, Fantasy Flight, 2017)-Han 19m14s (Michael Schacht, ABACUSSPIELE, 2014)News (and why it doesn't matter):-Harry Potter Minis Game 21m38s-Race for the Galaxy's Branching Expansions 23m04s-Munchkin CCG...? Munchkin CCG. 24m20s-AMIGO en los Estados Unidos 25m23sFeature Game: 51st S