So Very Wrong About Games

The range of new features our merch line has opened up is endless. Who wore it better?, SVWAG Hypebeast, Project Runway SVWAG, Making the Cut SVWAG, the possibilities abound! Get me Tim Gunn on the line, I'm sure he's heard of us. I'm sure we'll see His Grace, Professor Doktor Doktor Vincent, Duke of Diesel, esq. O.B.E. in a t-shirt two sizes too small before long. 01:07 AYURIS: Imperial Struggle (Ananda Gupta & Jason Matthews, GMT Games, 2020)Games Played Last Week:03:26 -Black Hole Rainbows (Uncredited, June Dune Games Production, 2022)06:45 -Ascension Tactics: Miniatures Deckbuilding Game (Justin Gary & Ryan Sutherland, Stone Blade Entertainment, 2021)15:00 -Meeples and Monsters (Ole Steiness, Alderac Entertainment Group, 2022)17:17 -Assault on Doomrock: Ultimate Edition (Tom Stasiak, Beautiful Disaster Games, 2022)22:45 -Teotihuacan: Late Preclassic Period (Rainer Ahlfors, Andrei Novac, & Daniele Tascini, Board2Dice, 2019)28:01 -Crash Octopus (Naotaka Shimamoto, itten, 2021)31:39 -Reichbusters: Project Vril (Jake Thornton, Mythic Games, 2020)33:45 -Città-Stato (Simone Cerruti Sola, Giochix.it, 2021)37:06 -Clinic Deluxe Edition (Alban Viard, AVStudioGames, 2019)40:32 -IKI (Koota Yamada, Sorry We Are French, 2015)News (and why it doesn't matter):41:51 SVWAG on break42:25 Warpgate: Beyond by Artyom Nichipurov and Wolff Designa on Gamefound43:11 Renegade reprinting Crusaders: Thy Will Be Done and distributing expansion44:30 Can we stop using the word "pimp" in gaming contexts? Let us "bling" instead45:18 MERCH! soverywrongaboutgames.myspreadshop.com (or .ca) 15% off the next two weeks!46:45 Topic: Draws and Red FlagsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Much art is discussed this week, from French Romantics, to pirate stuff, to conspiracist vision boards, to whatever Walker is doing when he uses clothespins on felt. Mark wonders whether he can justify leaving in dead air and calling it "bold use of negative space," but the deeper worry is that too many people would prefer the silence. Games Played Last Week:01:14 -Ark Nova (Mathias Wigge, Feuerland Spiele, 2021)05:46 -Agricola (Revised Edition) (Uwe Rosenberg, Lookout Games, 2016)10:09 -Witchstone (Martino Chiacchiera & Reiner Knizia, R&R Games, 2021)10:50 -Republic of Virtue (Amabel Holland, Hollandspiele, 2021)15:08 -Pulsar 2849 (Vladimír Suchý, CGE, 2017)22:58 -Libertalia: Winds of Galecrest (Paolo Mori, Stonemaier Games, 2022)31:16 -Pictures: Orange (Daniela Stöhr & Christian Stöhr, PD-Verlag, 2021)34:50 -Reichbusters: Project Vril (Jake Thornton, Mythic Games, 2020)38:11 -Table Battles (Amabel Holland, Hollandspiele, 2017)43:19 -Ascension Tactics: Miniatures Deckbuilding Game (Justin Gary & Ryan Sutherland, Stone Blade Entertainment, 2021)News (and why it doesn't matter):47:22 Arcs: Collapse and Conflict in the Void by Cole Wehrle and Leder Games48:06 Zheng He solo game by Geoff Engelstein and David Thompson49:07 Avatar: The Last Airbender Fire Nation Rising50:01 Dead by Daylight board game by Brad Talton of Level 99 Games 51:53 No singing in The Wizard of Oz Adventure Book Game53:09 Feature Game: Riftforce (Carlo Bortolini, 1 More Time Games, 2021)Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We're always on the lookout for new potential taglines here at SVWAG, as our earlier efforts "that one where the guy talks to that dude" and "we shout into a can so you don't have to" have been deemed insufficient. "We like it hard" was put forth by Walker, but the editorial staff are afraid it is apt to be misconstrued. "We weaponize children" was rejected for the opposite reason, namely that it might be correctly interpreted. Specificity tends to get us into trouble, which is why we have kept "a boardgaming podcast about boardgames" for as long as we have.1:04 AYURIS: Project: ELITE (Konstantinos Kokkinis, Marco Portugal, & Sotirios Tsantilas, CMON, 2020)Games Played Last Week:02:33 -Crusaders: Thy Will Be Done (Seth Jaffee, Tasty Minstrel, 2018)04:54 -Beyond the Sun (Dennis K. Chan, Rio Grande Games, 2020)08:48 -Gutenberg (Katarzyna Cioch & Wojciech Wiśniewski, Granna, 2021)11:24 -Reign (Uncredited, PlayMonster, 2020)16:55 -Gizmos (Phil Walker-Harding, CMON Global Limited, 2018)18:30 -Combat Commander: Mediterranean (Chad Jensen, GMT Games, 2007)23:15 -Jekyll vs. Hyde (Geonil, Mandoo Games, 2021)27:08 -Ankh: Gods of Egypt (Eric M. Lang, CMON, 2021)30:52 -Merchants Cove (Jonny Pac, Carl Van Ostrand, & Drake Villareal, Final Frontier Games, 2021)33:33 -Caverna: The Cave Farmers (Uwe Rosenberg, Lookout Games, 2013)News (and why it doesn't matter):37:16 Co-op Carcassonne: Nebel über Carcassonne, "Fog over Carcassonne"38:00 Frostpunk and Dying Light Adaptations39:00 Undaunted Normandy on PC, Mac, and iPad by Bookmark Games40:04 51st State Master Set Ultimate Edition on Gamefound 40:29 Topic: Difficulty in Co-opsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We are Canadian, and thus must perforce apologize for those we may have slandered, misquoted, or used their name in vain: Warmboy, Alan Turing, Dewey, Peggy Lee, Dick Pound, Bruno Faidutti, and His Grace, Professor Doktor Doktor Vincent, Duke of Diesel, esq. O.B.E. We are honoured to have inadvertently tarnished the reputations of such grandees.Games Played Last Week:00:52 -The Quest for El Dorado: The Golden Temples (Reiner Knizia, Ravensburger, 2019)03:59 -Copenhagen (Asger Harding Granerud & Daniel Skjold Pedersen, Queen Games, 2019)05:12 -Imperium: Classics and Imperium: Legends (Nigel Buckle & Dávid Turczi, Osprey Games, 2021)07:51 -Città-Stato (Simone Cerruti Sola, Giochix.it, 2021)10:39 -Caesar!: Seize Rome in 20 Minutes! (Paolo Mori, PSC Games, 2022)15:07 -Petrichor: Collector's Edition (David Chircop, Mighty Boards, 2021)17:58 -Merlin: Big Box (Stefan Feld & Michael Rieneck, Queen Games, 2020)20:24 -Kleos (Jim Kavanagh, Azure Horizon Games, 2021)24:51 -Vampire: The Masquerade -- Vendetta (Charlie Cleveland & Bruno Faidutti, Horrible Guild, 2020)News (and why it doesn't matter):26:46 Turing Machine from Scorpion Masqué 28:06 Reiner Roundup: Into the Blue, Longboard, San Francisco29:05 New logo and incoming SVWAG merch!29:55 Feature Game: Bitoku (Germán P. Millán, Devir, 2021)1:01:15 SVWAG Presents: Masterpiece Theatre: All of Us Are DeadAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It is a strange thing for one's hobby to be utterly infused with a nominally competitive structure. I would venture to say that knitters, for instance, devote precious little thought as to whether they can knit more or less well than their fellow crafters. Perhaps it is different for scrapbookers, I don't know, they seem like a ruthless lot.01:16 AYURIS: Aristeia! (Alberto Abal, Jesús Fuster, & David Rosillo, Corvus Belli, 2017)Games Played Last Week:04:20 -Città-Stato (Simone Cerruti Sola, Giochix.it, 2021) 07:04 -Uprising: Curse of the Last Emperor (Cornelius Cremin, Pawel Mazur, & Dirk Sommer, Nemesis.Games, 2021)15:34 -G.I. JOE Deck-Building Game (T.C. Petty III, Renegade Game Studios, 2021)17:16 -Bitoku (Germán P. Millán, Devir, 2021)22:58 -Steamwatchers (Marc Lagroy, Mythic Games, 2021)29:44 -Regicide (Paul Abrahams, Luke Badger, & Andy Richdale, Badgers from Mars, 2020)30:58 -Boonlake (Alexander Pfister, Capstone Games, 2021)38:18 -Shards of Infinity: Into the Horizon (Gary Arant, Justin Gary, Ryan Sutherland, Jared Saramago, Mataio Wilson, & Jason Zila, Stone Blade Entertainment, 2021)39:49 -For Science! (R. Eric Reuss, Grey Fox Games, 2021)41:43 -Niagara (Thomas Liesching, Zoch Verlag, 2004)News (and why it doesn't matter):43:34 Riftforce expansion: Beyond43:57 Instead of sci-fi -> fantasy, Aeon's End -> Astro Knights44:30 Ravensburger investing in GameFound45:45 Sláine: Warlord Games' cavalcade of talent47:05 Topic: Having Fun While LosingAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The So Very Wrong About Games line of Action Princess Dolls (TM) are coming to a store near you! Thrill to all your favourite characters, like Huey, Dewey, and Louis, each with weird monochromatic accessories and some spring-loaded gimmick that'll bruise some kid in Oregon and thus be regulated into weaksauce! Plus, get the Kingston Action Playset. Your parents put it together, batteries not included.Games Played Last Week:01:57 -Puzzle Strike 2 (David Sirlin, Sirlin Games, 2022)08:49 -The Crew: Mission Deep Sea (Thomas Sing, KOSMOS, 2021)10:59 -Uprising: Curse of the Last Emperor (Cornelius Cremin, Pawel Mazur, & Dirk Sommer, Nemesis.Games, 2021)11:36 -Reign of Witches (Amabel Holland, Hollandspiele, 2020)16:56 -Bitoku (Germán P. Millán, Devir, 2021)18:47 -Riftforce (Carlo Bortolini, 1 More Time Games, 2021) 20:54 -Orléans: Invasion (Inka Brand, Markus Brand, & Reiner Stockhausen, dlp Games, 2015) 22:18 -Regicide (Paul Abrahams, Luke Badger, & Andy Richdale, Badgers from Mars, 2020)25:29 -Final Girl (Evan Derrick & A.J. Porfirio, Van Ryder Games, 2021)News (and why it doesn't matter):31:54 Iron Forest on Kickstarter February 8th by Brain Games33:20 Hand-to-Hand Wombat on Kickstarter now35:05 Rolling Heights from John D. Clair on Kickstarter February 8th35:51 Space Station Phoenix by Gabriel J Cohn and Rio Grande Games in April 202236:58 Deep Rock Galactic: The Board Game on Kickstarter February 10th38:08 Libertalia: Winds of Galecrest by Paolo Mori and Stonemaier Games39:33 Feature Game: G.I. JOE Deck-Building Game (T.C. Petty III, Renegade Game Studios, 2021)Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

No, dear listener, we haven't played that one regional trick-taking game popular in the Adirondacks where the only red card is the 9 of diamonds and you play counter-clockwise and the bid is called in pig latin and you have to wear your socks on your hands. I'm sure it's a blast. We are but tourists in the wide world of taking tricks, and to some extent it can be a hobby unto itself. Contract Bridge alone! But we share our thoughts all the same.01:49 AYURIS: Clans of Caledonia (Juma Al-JouJou, Karma Games, 2017)Games Played Last Week:03:50 -Uprising: Curse of the Last Emperor (Cornelius Cremin, Pawel Mazur, & Dirk Sommer, Nemesis.Games, 2021)05:22 -Radlands (Daniel Piechnick, Roxley, 2021)10:04 -Tabbanusi: Builders of Ur (David Spada & Daniele Tascini, Board&Dice, 2021)12:33 -Shamans (Cédrick Chaboussit, Studio H, 2021) 16:09 -Ankh: Gods of Egypt (Eric M. Lang, CMON, 2021)17:51 -SCOUT (Kei Kajino, Oink Games, 2019)21:14 -Steamwatchers (Marc Lagroy, Mythic Games, 2021)22:28 -MicroMacro: Crime City--Full House (Johannes Sich, Pegasus Spiele, 2021)22:54 -El Grande (Wolfgang Kramer & Richard Ulrich, Hans im Gluck, 1995)[EDIT: Mark incorrectly said that El Grande was playable on Boardgamegeek when he should have said Board Game Arena. We apologize for the error.]25:47 -The Field of the Cloth of Gold (Amabel Holland, Hollanspiele, 2020)News (and why it doesn't matter):29:19 Bonfire on yucata.de29:55 Yak wrangling with Pretzel Games30:53 David Thompson's next Valiant Defense game: Lanzerath Ridge on KS31:56 La Granja reprint from Board&Dice on KS33:01 3D printable, pay-what-you-want Blood Rage files on KS34:12 51st State Ultimate Edition from Portal launching February 2235:50 Topic: Trick-Taking Games1:03:52 Masterpiece Theatre: Midnight MassAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's a star-studded eleganza extravaganza, featuring your two least-favourite SVWAG hosts giving you an incomplete capsule summary of a terrible year of great games. Of course, they neglected to play That One Game, of course, which means that all their observations are utterly useless, but how does that differentiate this episode from any other? This offering is more classy, however, as in a concession to the glitz and glamour of end-of-year shows, both hosts begrudgingly and uncharacteristically wear pants. (You might be asking--is that "pants" in the British sense or the Canadian sense? The answer is yes.)Games Played Last Week:02:50 -Fossilis (David Alberto Diaz, Kids Table BG, 2020)05:07 -In Too Deep (Josh Cappel & Daryl Chow, Burnt Island Games, 2021)10:17 -French Toast (Uncredited, Blue Beard Entertainment, 2021)12:06 -Magnate: The First City (James Naylor, Naylor Games, 2021)18:02 -Corrosion (Stefan Bauer, Capstone Games, 2021)20:35 -G.I. JOE Deck-Building Game (T.C. Petty III, Renegade Game Studios, 2021)24:18 -Uprising: Curse of the Last Emperor (Cornelius Cremin, Pawel Mazur, & Dirk Sommer, Nemesis.Games, 2021)29:46 -Monstrology (Andy Lubershane, Middle Brain Games, 2017)33:06 -Conquest & Consequence (Craig Besinque, GMT Games, 2021)YEAR IN REVIEW35:59 Personal Top 10s58:07 SVWAG Game of the Year1:08:48 Special Categories1:25:37 SVWAG Presents Masterpiece Theatre Year in ReviewAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the 14th Century B.C.E., the pharaoh Akhenaten attempted to shift Egypt into monotheism centered on the cult of the god Aten. Apparently there's some who argue it was possibly instead henotheism, whereby many gods are acknowledged but one is elevated above the others--a claim advanced about many ostensibly mono- or polytheistic religions, even some practised today--but at any rate is was exceptionally controversial. By the time his son Tutankhaten became pharaoh, the cult of Aten was suppressed, and the ascendancy of the god Amun was restored in a polytheistic pantheon. Hence the new pharaoh's name was changed from Tutankhaten to Tutankhamun. Theme!Games Played Last Week:05:51 -Coyote (Spartaco Albertarelli, New Games Order, 2015)07:19 -Assault on Doomrock: Ultimate Edition (Tom Stasiak, Beautiful Disaster Games, 2022)13:11 -Furnace (Ivan Lashin, Hobby World, 2021) 15:24 -That Time You Killed Me (Peter C. Hayward, Pandasaurus Games, 2021)22:03 -The Adventures of Robin Hood (Michael Menzel, KOSMOS, 2021)26:16 -Final Girl (Evan Derrick & A.J. Porfirio, Van Ryder Games, 2021)34:43 -Radlands (Daniel Piechnick, Roxley, 2021)38:06 -Crash Octopus (Naotaka Shimamoto, itten, 2021)41:53 -7 Wonders: Architects (Antoine Bauza, Repos Production, 2021)News (and why it doesn't matter):43:35 Kickstarter Christmas! Upcoming For Science! giveaway44:17 Boardgamegeek 2021 Support Drive44:37 Walker a guest on Board Game Barrage 45:29 25th Century Games' Ra with Ian O'Toole art46:12 Games Workshop backtracks, re-issues Cursed City46:53 See you again in 202247:36 Feature Game: Ankh: Gods of Egypt (Eric M. Lang, CMON, 2021)Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Some things, of course, from Josie and the Pussycats have aged poorly. The idea of "record stores" and CDs (that could, in turn sell out like they were PS5s or something) is downright quaint--especially given the format of this show. I'm pretty confident that the cultural moment of Moviefone Guy has well and truly passed, despite the continued use of both movies and phones. Do people still know who Carson Daly is? I confess I never really did. Mostly I know him from that totally jerkin' movie, Josie and the Pussycats.01:39 AYURIS: Watergate (Matthias Cramer, Capstone Games, 2019)Games Played Last Week:04:10 -Sine Tempore (Luca Bernardini & Andrea Colletti, Ludus Magnus Studio, 2018)06:27 -L.A.M.A. Dice (Reiner Knizia, AMIGO, 2021)07:08 -Llamaland (Phil Walker-Harding, Lookout Games, 2021)11:40 -G.I. JOE Deck-Building Game (T.C. Petty III, Renegade Game Studios, 2021)13:59 -Assault on Doomrock: Ultimate Edition (Tom Stasiak, Beautiful Disaster Games, 2022)19:40 -Wingspan (Elizabeth Hargrave, Stonemaier Games, 2019)21:20 -Factory Funner (2nd ed) (Corné van Moorsel, Boardgametables.com, 2021)26:18 -Ethnos (Paolo Mori, CMON, 2017)28:32 -Undaunted: Reinforcements (Trevor Benjamin, David Digby, David Thompson, & Dávid Turczi, Osprey Games, 2021)37:49 -Bitoku (Germán P. Millán, Devir, 2021)40:28 -Gutenberg (Katarzyna Cioch & Wojciech Wiśniewski, Granna, 2021)News (and why it doesn't matter):45:48 Kickstarter moving to blockchain is better for... reasons46:32 Fairy Tale Inn from Remo Conzadori and Paolo Mori47:09 New Patreon-exclusive Discord channel48:00 Asmodee sold to Swedish Embracer group for €2.75 billion 48:26 Asmodee purchased retailer Miniature Market sometime in 202150:08 Topic: Going Off-Script1:11:16 Masterpiece Theatre: Josie and the PussycatsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices