JP: 0:32

Welcome to Whose Turn Is It Anyway your board gaming podcast where we put you right in the middle of our gaming group. I'm joined by Adrian. Hello, Tambo. Hello, and the lovely Becky. Hi. We're here to talk about board games. But yeah, board games, but most more specifically, nice number ones. Were more nice number ones. This is our fifth round. And it's been 16 episodes since we did the last one, as well as Yeah, I looked because I thought it's been a while. I did not realise it was that long. So we are back for another round, so I can't wait for that. How are y'all doing?

Becky: 1:05

Well, I got an octave lower. Yeah. vocal range.

JP: 1:09

Do you sound like Barry White?

Becky: 1:10

Yeah, that's part of it. That's my charm today.

JP: 1:14

I gotta love your love, baby. But

Becky: 1:16

I've had a chest infection. I've never had one of those before. wouldn't recommend. Yeah, not been fun. Fair enough. Yeah, but you're here. I'm here now. Yeah, I feel better. I don't sound like I feel better. But you know, I'm soldiering on because I'm so boring. Now. I'm fine. I'm just bloody. Yeah,

JP: 1:36

well done. The recording. You want to talk about board games? Of course. Nice one. How about you? Say How about you boys? That just makes you sound? Yeah. Hi, boy. How about you chaps?

Tambo: 1:47

I'll be born soon fine.

Becky: 1:48

Yeah, that's not boring. That's good.

Tambo: 1:52

Not loving life. I'm okay.

JP: 1:55

Not loving you know Hey, Mike glad I can do T

Adrian: 2:04

I am good. I bought VR my first VR headset at the weekend we

JP: 2:07

got your photo in our WhatsApp group and I we didn't get a photo of you in in the VR. To see you just like doing beat Sabre or something.

Adrian: 2:15

So yeah, so nearly full it over a couple of times. And I've had some real horrendous motion sickness trying to fly a plane and stuff. I've been loving it. So yeah. But it's a weird experience.

Becky: 2:27

Do you have an area cordoned off in your living room? Or are you kind of just free wandering?

Adrian: 2:32

Oh yeah, I find when you've got a little sort of living room area so it's just what's there so I've already had to refund the game because I bashed the wall with the controller. And I really needed it a second time and I was like, I can't play this game and they do a thing where within two hours of you buying it you can ask for a refund refund because I know that people have problems with different VR things. And I was just like yeah, that's not what I'm having to be very careful with what I buy because of the size of my living but I'm still very much enjoying

JP: 2:56

that like I like slashing game you don't like hack people just like smashing the wall? Yeah, it's

Adrian: 3:03

virtual hot. I think it's called Red Hot VR calm was called Red

Becky: 3:07

Hot VR sounds like yeah, very different. Oh,

JP: 3:09

that's the show to you on?

Adrian: 3:10

Yes a time only minutes as you move. Yeah, so kind of you're standing still and looking at what all the problems are and it's super hard to

Becky: 3:19

try and work out like a game that sounds like something else.

Adrian: 3:22

You're trying to work out what to do in the next situation. But you kind of have to grab for things that are quite far away repeatedly. Which you don't do in a lot of the games that I've played so far. So yes, I'm definitely and I kept hitting the wall when I went to go and grab it because you want to do it quickly so you can stop time again

Becky: 3:39

punching the walls but yeah basically holes in his walls that than the television so it's true Yeah,

JP: 3:44

so we're just glad that super hot was a video game and not a dirty weekend

Adrian: 3:50

well you JP

JP: 3:51

I've been fine yeah, but good. Probably bet them to

Becky: 3:57

know you've been meaning.

JP: 3:58

It's just been like since Essen has been a full on Yeah, in a good way. Yeah, it's been I think it's really ignited a little bit more kind of passion for the hobby, which I didn't think was possible which is probably dangerous. But yes, you know, we've got loads of new games to churn through obviously jumped on the the gaming rules stream kind of a couple of times as well. I know you have Adrian as well. And it's just nice to be playing some new things and trying some other games out. So yeah, I've been enjoying it. Shall we talk about the games then? Move on. Let's do it so we're here in this next segment, which is obviously let's talk about hex where we talked about all of our board gaming shenanigans So Becky you're keen to go

Becky: 4:45

I'm gonna do a little double bite of the apple here because I can't really

JP: 4:49

work on the rules breaking for any first player could screw you JP carry on

Becky: 4:53

Yeah, yeah, I'm ill let me Oh, yeah. I'm gonna talk about this because I can't really talk about it. So this is not my actual thing. But I've been playing the prototype version of on unfringed.co latest game makers of Zuuli we all know big fan of that called Molehill Meadows. If they can't Talk about the gameplay or, or what actually happens, except to say I really, really liked it, and was thinking about how I could do better next time. After I'd had the first go while I was bumbling around my house doing household chores and things, which, as we mentioned before, I think is a really good what kind of mark of a really good game. Yeah, you kind of mind single. What's the puzzle here? How can I crack? Oh, I'd like another go. So. Yeah.

JP: 5:43

So this is really awkward for us because we've not played it. I don't know anything about it. We're in the listener shoes right now watch

Becky: 5:49

this space. It's, it's yeah, it's very different from Zuuli. Except for the fact that it is simple on the outside, crunchy on the inside. Okay. Yeah, so it's got a very, you know, a nice, nice premise, simple premise. However, there's a lot of, you know, variability. That's all I'm gonna, you're gonna say that's all I gotta say about that. You go.

JP: 6:13

Hopefully Chris. She's not let any secrets out there subliminally so I'm thinking

Becky: 6:18

about you. Can you get

Adrian: 6:22

that armadillos reference can only be applicable to a handful of people? Yeah. One country that's a

JP: 6:28

good point. One country and born of a similar timeframe to where you were born mid 80s, early, mid 80s. Born It was a Dime Bar advert. It was definitely dying by but

Becky: 6:39

my main thing the main cause my main cause is gonna be Septima. Yeah, so played like a very quick couple of rounds of this when I bought it, in essence. tucked into it by you guys. Totally. You're all your fault. Yeah, buying it. I'm not even he's not even going to try and pretend that it wasn't. I mean, I wanted to play it. But one evening has to be said that I don't take a lot of convincing with that. Do I really buying games I was

Adrian: 7:04

about to say considering you blamed on someone else you went I'm gonna go off and watch your video while you were arrested. And half hour later it bought the game it didn't feel very much.

Becky: 7:13

Well, I was just more concerned that you were going to moan at me for taking up room in the car. But you know, anyway, I bought it. We played a couple of rounds that evening, which kind of was just enough to kind of whet the appetite and make you think, Oh, we're looking forward to playing this. We actually played it last night you pop around JP and yeah, really enjoyed it. Really, really enjoyed it. We played the basic version, and then cleaved straight on and played the full events first full full game. Yeah. And needless to say, clearly beat us both times, obviously. But I had really good fun. It was really interesting to see the differences between the basic version which I think is a really good primer. And speaking as a person who isn't normally into that kind of level of crunchy mind clash kind of games. I feel like I'm a proper gamer now. No. I really enjoyed the level of thinking. But then it ramped up in a way that felt manageable. Yeah. I'm glad actually I read when I was reading the rules and there's like a little pop up thing that Raven talking to you and it says something along the lines of exactly like that. Yeah, in my mind. And it says something along the lines of oh think you're good at gaming Do you don't don't think about you know, trying the more advanced one first I thought well, I'm I'm not gonna ignore Raven. That would be you know, implying that I know more than a raven, which is definitely not true. So I'm going to follow the rules for the first time in my life and yeah, we did the basic version, which was really good. enjoyed it, and then did the fall. Yeah, with the ritual track and the right track and yeah, it was really good. Really enjoyed the game. Beautiful graphics. Kind of easy, not easy gameplay, but you're basically selecting one of eight or nine actions if

JP: 8:59

you think you're right, it is easy gameplay. Yeah, but the thinking

Becky: 9:04

and the it's got just enough of what is the game state going to like in a minute that I can still kind of keep up with. That involves you having to think well, I'm gonna go there but and then if someone goes and goes and does something else, like here's the people you want to tell thanks, JP, you're welcome with the right kind of colour ointment I had. You're welcome. Then you have to think oh no, I need to change my game plan now and I'm not used to that kind of level of having to change my one track.

JP: 9:34

One plan, plan mind plan I

Becky: 9:38

really really enjoyed it. I'm really looking forward to next you know next time we play it Yeah, it's very in keeping with the time Yeah, you know, it's yeah, this is this kind of nice winter again. Yeah, it's good.

JP: 9:49

Start it's really good. I really enjoyed it. And I've got my copy now but we've obviously played yours from Essen. And yeah, there's a little bit of partly when you said offset the base game I was like But, you know, you have to remember that. It's all about me.

Becky: 10:09

Well, I did I if it's any consolation, I did text you. Just be as I was about to set it up. You will drive Yeah, so If you were consulted, said Yeah, so if you'd have gotten there first I'd have to setup for one. But actually, you know, it played quite quickly considering it's a brand new game for everybody,

JP: 10:28

I think. Yeah, it's, you know, some mind clashes latest, it's people always gonna go, where does it rank? That's usually the next question that comes. Where does it rank up for you back? It's a bit difficult for you to answer.

Becky: 10:39

Yes, the top one for me. Well, I mean, the only thing I've got to compare it to is Astra and I think it can't really be compared. No, I like Astra still, I think it does have its problems. We haven't played it much, since those that sort of brand new out of the box excitement times. That's not to say I won't get back to it. But I think this is it's just a very different game to the rest of Mindclashes catalogue, isn't it? Yeah. So yeah, this sits at number one for me. Fair enough. But I will still play Trickerion I will do it.

JP: 11:08

You should do it is it is a beefy boy. But like you say, the the what you're doing is straightforward. In terms of your actions, yeah, it kind of logically makes sense. Apart from the theatre, that's always takes a bit of inspiration. But in terms of what you're supposed to be doing, you kind of get it. Yeah. But it's just the planning, or planning in it.

Becky: 11:30

glad I've kind of, I feel like a bit like I've levelled up Well, I'm from honest with my kind of understanding of games a bit more. And, yeah, just kind of that next level of having to think a little bit more further down the line, which is not something I've normally had to think about. And I'm just gonna throw this in there, because I'm super excited. I beat Kerley in Ark Nova the other day. Again, I think we were playing on Board Game Arena. And I was really ill. So i count that as a double win

Adrian: 12:01

Has he announced his leaving of the Ark Nova commnity.

JP: 12:07

Think he's lost twice now. So he's, yeah, see you later.

Becky: 12:11

I mean, you know, he's beaten me about seven times. And it's like, you know, this is a very small proportion. But I'm just enjoying the the wind, because it doesn't happen very often.

JP: 12:20

Just very quickly. But to set tomorrow, I think the thing that I like about that game, that mechanic is that, that first bit of the round, you select a new card, and you've got nine cards in your hand. And you're like, right, What's everyone doing? That's what everyone's thought, yeah. What you think

Becky: 12:37

encourages you to have a dialogue, whether you actually follow through with what you're saying you're gonna do, or whether you're lying completely, is,

JP: 12:44

and it's weird, in a good way. Because you're like, actually, I want to know that you're going to move because if you move, I'm gonna play my move. And then we both have the matching bonus. And then we can both do a suit more powerful version of the action at a cost of suspicion, which is a trap that rises, and then witch hunters kind of look out their hooks and try to capture your witches and trick them into a trial and they get maybe rescued or exiled in air quotes. Because they're witches. And I

Becky: 13:12

think what happens to them starts with an ex, but exile.

JP: 13:16

e-cuted, maybe Yeah, but they don't say that. What do they say? But he starts that dialogue. It's the fact that you may go on a bluff your partner, the partner, you may want to bluff your opponent. Yeah, I did. And he kept feeding him with with magic

Becky: 13:31

when it benefited me.

JP: 13:34

But that's the bit I really enjoy, which is quite unique in the game. So Adrian, what have you been playing mate?

Adrian: 13:40

I have been burning my way through my shelf of shame. Or shells of shame as is at this point. Yeah. Yeah. Multiple Kallax cubes at this point full of games I haven't played so. Obviously, good. A good chunk of those are Essen related purchases. But what I thought I'd talk about is evacuation which actually isn't on my shelf of shame. It was well, I nearly bought that lesson. But didn't. So Evacuation is a I'm going to ruin his surname like everyone else seems to I'm sure but Vladimir Suuchi from delicious games, which is his his own company. Basically, he designs all the games that they produce. So it's kind of his own thing. And yeah, I was on the gaming rules. YouTube channel with a friend of the channel pool, and I was joined by stalker of the channel, Marcus.

JP: 14:28

I saw him on the video, they'll look at these peas in a pod.

Adrian: 14:32

So yeah, so we all played a game of evacuation, and I had a lot of fun with it. The basic premise is that I can't remember whether you've just ruined the previous world or like the sun's about to explode or some reason you have to leave the old world is not. It's not good for whatever reason, you have to leave it and go to a new world. Which kind of like to or whatever you want to call it. I'm trying to think of the name new Caprica. New Caprica. That's what I was trying to think of. So you're going to new Caprica, essentially, but not in Battlestar Galactica one. So yes, you're going to the new world. And one of the kind of main points is that when you start you're producing all of your resources on the old world, and all of your population can set on the old world, and you need to sort of move it shuttle it across in spaceships to the new world. And as you shuttle it across, you produce more stuff on the New World and less stuff on the old world because there's no population on the new world. And you keep doing that over several turns in, you still have to feed the stuff that people that are left on the old world. And you have to feed the people on the New World, as well as build everything you need to build in order to win the game. So you're kind of playing this real balancing act of moving what you need to across, but not too fast, or finding a way to shuttle it back as well. So that you're feeding both populations, and building what you need on both sides. So there's no point building a spaceship on the new side, when most of what you're doing is shuttling it across from the old side to the new side. Same as there's certain buildings and things you need to build on the new side. And sometimes you've just got the resources on the old side. And it's better to build it there and transport and sometimes you'll have it on the new sign use build it there, where you want it sort of things, you're playing this real sort of balancing act of making sure you've got what you want to produce where you want to produce it, or the ability to ship it across to the New World as you go. And mechanically, it does it in a few different ways. But it all kind of comes together quite nicely, there was a couple of bits, I was like, I'm not too sure that that's a clean way of doing it. And it's a bit maybe awkward. And I personally kind of bought some bought into like there's like these abilities where depending on how you set up on the New World, you gain extra production, you have to buy the card and play the card. I didn't realise how powerful it wasn't, I bought the wrong cards and stuff. But for the most part for a first playthrough, it seemed remarkably smooth. And I got quite a bit of AP in the last turn. Because if I managed to find one extra production, I would have won the game. And so I was trying to scramble to get the right, the right hex with all what I needed on it didn't matter which way I went, was one short. But otherwise, it's really good. And a really interesting mix of mechanisms. There's kind of an action selection at the bottom where you put a card. And those cards do different actions in different slots. But also the different slots are worth different values for going along the track. And the further along the track, the more you get to do. So that's the most efficient actions have a lower number. But it means you get up the track slower. So it gives you less options. Whereas the sort of the generally weaker options are the ones that don't give you as much powerful and it gets you off the track quicker. And you're kind of trying to work out what combination of these things you need, as well as trying to have to manage moving everything from the Old World to the New World, making sure ongoing options. So there's Yeah, I would say it's right at the top end of mid heavyweight, okay. And it's mostly a solo experience. You're mostly working out your own puzzle. But there's enough of chances of blocking people and stuff that there is enough going on. Yeah. But yeah, really interesting. I picked up underwater cities while I was at Essex, it's quite cheap. And it's the same design of the same company. And while I've been told that there's not a lot of overlapping mechanics in it, there's a similar feel similar sort of style to them. So it now has really helped me to get and what set us

JP: 18:36

off of that is visual. One gain that's passed me by underwater cities. I remember it coming out. Remember a lot of buzz about it? Yeah, those people love it. And the thing I think it still gets a lot of love today. Yeah. So

Adrian: 18:49

that's why I picked it up was It was nearly half the price of evacuation on an Essen deal. And I was like, I don't know, but I'll go with the older one that I've not played. It's cheaper. Yeah. But yeah, this evacuation was really good. And I think there's gonna be quite a few people who get a lot of plays out of it. Because there's different ways to approach moving all your stuff in the Old World to the New World.

JP: 19:10

Yeah, variability in strategies and you reminded

Becky: 19:14

me to call that parable that you've got like foxes on one side of an island and ducks on the other side, and you've got to keep Oh, yeah, it's back and forward to kind of to kind of buffer you never leave the fall. Yes, with whatever. I don't know why I just got that little mental images you were talking about

JP: 19:29

fully been like a dog that has a bone goes to the lake and then drops the bone because it wanted the bone from this reflection and then lost the bone. Definitely not.

Adrian: 19:42

Fox or chicken side and you have to move it across. I remember working trying to work that one out.

JP: 19:48

Now. Sounds good. I think it's one I saw at Essen. I wasn't really like other know that it didn't kind of grab anything. Oh, I need to check this out. But now I've kind of looked at it and check some vids out and things are like I should have checked that out because I think that's probably my street. But we'll, we'll see.

Adrian: 20:04

It was on my list. And then it just so happened to say underworld underwater cities was cheap instead, and then when Paul was like, John can play evacuation. Yes, please.

JP: 20:14

Yeah. Tea.

Tambo: 20:15

Yeah. So While you guys are asking I was done Cornwall. So play lots of games. Lots and lots. But the one I wanted to mention now is the one that was most unexpected that really enjoyed was Tiny..in the tiny epic range was Tiny Epic Dinosaurs. Nice. Yeah, it was. I love a good worker placement I think we all do. So it's just a tiny box, you open up and you put down like four, four little boards, I mean, little, little kind of cards. So it's a small game, your tiny little dinosaurs cute. Yeah, thanks as Becky would love them, oh, the large carnivore and you get like a smaller kind of little wrap toward like a T rating. Or you get a large herbivore and a small herbivore. So it's very simple. We have 14 dinosaurs, you get about five workers in the game, you get an extra one at certain point around five or four cannonball. And you get one bigger workplace. And so you can put them on someone else's spot. So the same usual kind of culture. So your sports, you're basically you just got out, you can go out and catch dinosaurs, the ones you want, which is quite cool mechanics, you got more little dice. And if you roll a NetSuite, you caught it fine. You get the dinosaur that you wanted the sport you wanted. Or if you want an egg, unfortunately you get to, which is a bad thing, because they breed and then

Adrian: 21:24

it can be a bad day, but could be a good thing what you're going for. Yeah.

Tambo: 21:28

And if you get like, I think there's a cross icon with the symbol, but unless you go into swipe, swipe yet like a crow mark. That's right. It's like the slash Yeah, you go into med bay, which isn't bad thing, you still keep the dinosaur but it frees up the space was another person. It's quite good little thing. Yeah. And then you do that. And then you got a research section making research cool little dinosaurs that have really cool abilities for the game or when game scoring depends on which ones you get by and other sections barriers because you've got a little your own little map where you got bigger enclosures. So you got put get your dinosaurs, you collect them, then you've got make sure you be able to put them into enclosed areas. So that's the same old aspect, they can share enclosure, or they can you can't have mixed you can make a big hole three, but if you have to in one enclosure they breed and then you've got to make sure you can feed them for the resources of food

Becky: 22:16

sounds very, Uwe Rosenberg. Dinosaur life though, isn't it?

Tambo: 22:21

Very cool. It's like a tiny little mark November, we got to put your barriers and make sure you do it the right way so you can fit them.

JP: 22:26

Or is it very Rosenberg because we all know who very Rosenberg breeding method is? It doesn't matter how many sheep or animals you have. You just add one. Yeah,

Adrian: 22:37

no, this is for every two you add.

JP: 22:39

It's more natural. Yeah, that makes sense. It's full sheet, we've read enough five

Tambo: 22:46

there's a penalty as well if you can't, if you can't feed them, you don't have enough food. The hub of the meat is the escaping the eat one of the other times was on the way out, you can choose and choose the fake cat which is quite important part of the game. I think sometimes you might want to choose which one to get eaten. And then the harbour force they escaped the destroy barrier to be on day one. So it's not too punishing. So if you have three dinosaurs that you can feed, only one punishment is that happens once in that time. It's really really good fun. I really enjoyed it. And the idea is to fill the contracts at the top so you've got to have say two big meteors on one little Herbert there's little contracts and when you fill them you can try to try and change it with your beginning objective you got a hidden one. And if you can change that you can pull off two at the same time and you get it and Phoebe's in the game.

Becky: 23:36

Sounds really good. It sounds like what I thought Dinosaur Island was gonna be Yeah. Which isn't. I mean, I don't mind that game but what you've just described it sounds what I thought that game was going to be.

Tambo: 23:48

Yeah, it's great. So it's travelling as well. So so small, you just put out a table just bring it out. Gaming gaming

Adrian: 23:54

gaming games. Yeah. Scott Helms. Yeah, so

JP: 23:57

they do a lot of the busy tiny Epic Games small boxes but they pack a punch for what's in

Tambo: 24:02

Yeah, we played a little Tiny Epic Planets which is very good but it was only my brother playing so we need more players for that. Galaxies sorry galaxies. Yes. Tiny Epic Galaxies, which is supposed to be the best one I think there's the highest rate

Adrian: 24:13

Yeah, it's probably my favourite out of the two of them but deines was really close second. I think it's fantastic and it is so it feels like it gives you loads of options but if you make a couple of missteps such again done so if something breaks out when it shouldn't getting down if you don't fulfil that extra cut that chain contract when you need to gain like you're going to lose to someone else around the table and so it's quite it's still fairly tight game to the to try and win it but actually it gives you quite a lot of options to stay in it if you want so if you've got four people around the table nice it's not doesn't feel too punishing but to win it is quite tough.

Tambo: 24:52

Yeah, I mean you play it for 50 minutes or 40 minutes I think Max if there's more players but that's a nice quick game and it's a great worker placement is fantastic. Really

JP: 25:01

really nice yeah I'm gonna be quick with my one is we will I broke my cherry on Stefan Feld Okay, yeah,

Adrian: 25:09

you did.

JP: 25:10

So we play castles of Burgundy. So Adrian very kindly brought is very shiny the looks were isn't to my house. And yeah, we cracked open again. I've been keen to play castles for a long time it's been again, again, it's, you should play Castles of Burgundy. It's one of those kinds of it's one of those classic games. Yeah.

Becky: 25:31

having not played it,

JP: 25:32

you should you would love it. I reckon you would enjoy castles.

Adrian: 25:36

I think everyone around this table. Yeah, JP was the one I was a bit like, I don't know if JP is going to enjoy this song. But yeah, you seem to really enjoy love

JP: 25:43

to nothing should I get no, don't don't get it, you don't need to stop. So I haven't got it. But now I just I'm not going to explain it. I think everyone probably knows what Castles is. And we've explained it on the podcast a number of times. But I just yeah, it was quite chill, but it still had a good level of decision making because essentially just rolling two dice. And then you're picking the actions based on the numbers or what you can do. But obviously the dice can be mitigated through the workers. Yeah, nudge them up and down, spin them. And so it's not all complete random nonsense. There's obviously an element of randomness in there because you're rolling dice. But that kind of makes the game for me, it's like I really need a four or six and maybe a two I can do something with balls. I've got a three and a five.

Adrian: 26:31

Day we had I think what sums up castles beautifully for me because he he'd spent all his workers in previous turns and then was like, I need anything but two fours. Everything I can just draw something to get the two fours and enrolled two fours, brilliant baby lift himself with one more walks he had like I think he had like one worker left and anything else would let him do what he used to do. But if it did lift himself a couple of workers then you would have still been able to do it. But it's that balancing act of use the workers earlier or not? Yeah, it's summed up Davies last term summed up how I feel about it quite nicely. But

JP: 27:04

yeah, it's just generally I could have racked up and gone again. Yeah, it's one of them games like we could just play again. Play again. And you were showing us the the vinyasa expansion looks interesting. So something like an expansion. Yeah. It's just the fact that these boards that they had, obviously, the deluxe version, it has like a I think it's three legs. Yeah.

Adrian: 27:26

Well, yeah, it's triple 123 Or maybe four. Or

JP: 27:31

layered board. It's like, kind of sloping, like hillside of where the vineyards would go. And it just looks cool. I'm I'm a sucker for as it as it were. But now just looks fun. And yeah, loved it.

Adrian: 27:47

I'm glad you enjoyed it. Don't

JP: 27:48

really good. Thank you for bringing it around. You both convinced me I want to play dinosaurs and castles. I think you should give it a go Rocky and if you play with Adrian's copper, you'll get to play with his acrylic hex pieces, which are very nice. But yeah, I really enjoyed it recommend if anyone hasn't played it, or has kind of thought it's old. I don't want to play by the title. Not gonna lie. Yeah, I mean, you might castles or beige, isn't it? It's not the most exciting themes. But just ignore that go in, mechanically is fun. It's now time for our main event where we are going to talk bring back an old friend, which is nice number ones. So if this is your first nice number ones episode, then God damn it go back to our old ones, because we've done four of these already. And thanks to Adrian's brainchild from way back when last year. It's essentially an episode where we take a variety of categories. And we kind of pick our favourite games and these really nice circumstances. And it's a good way of actually kind of thinking of particular games that we might not played for a while. We think, oh, yeah, I should go and play that. And it's really good to kind of go for your collections go for the games you play trying to find ones that really fit these categories. And I've always, always enjoyed doing these episodes. I think everyone kind of likes to jump on and have a little playdough and so yeah,

Becky: 29:13

normally when I'm deciding I have to stand there looking at the shelf. Yeah, yeah, cuz I'm having to kind of really, you know,

JP: 29:19

I'm on BGG I'm literally just going right, right. Is that one fit? Does that fit that? Will Goddamnit agents picked a really difficult one? It always does. It always does. So anyway, I've got got a few to run through. So shall we get on with it? Let's do it. So our first least number one is your favourite game. Without cards.

Becky: 29:38

It's a tricky one. This is a tricky one really, really tricky.

JP: 29:41

I just came up cards. And just to kind of stipulate cards meaning cards, shape size sizes used for player aids use for play and actions holding things in your hand. Those kinds of things. I'm not saying that that the product material cannot be used because I think that would wipe out every single

Becky: 30:00

game ever. The box is made out of card.

JP: 30:04

So that's kind of what a meaning so yeah, shall I go first? Go for it. I have picked Eclipse. You see got me down. Yeah. And it took me a while to get through my collection looking at Don't think I've got that many games that don't have cards but Eclipse was one. I was thinking go for the components in the tray in my head game line. Well, there's the tech tray. That's fine. You've got that bit yeah, you got the player trays. That's all good. And on there for all know, you've got those starting player, first player in the traitor vault, but they're not card. They're like proper, chunky cardboard. Yes. bits. So there's not like a playing card. So I thought I'd allow that soon as my episode. Yeah, you're allowed. So yeah, clips. And then it kind of got me excited about the new factions that are coming, which should be here soon. Because I put that preorder in a long time ago. And we got to see them, ask them or see the material to the they kind of laid it all out. Retype, wasn't it? Yeah, they lay them all out in the table. They weren't demoing anything. So we added like all the look for in the biggest thing, I'm actually excited. I'm going off topic, I don't care. The biggest thing I'm excited about the Eclipse, kind of new factions and species that are coming out is that they're bringing the Alliance mode from an old first edition Eclipse into the game. And that's where you can actually form in the team up with someone and perform in like an alliance of the whole game for the whole game and win as a team. Oh, so if you're feeling that, maybe on your own, it's not going to happen. And I've been there. It's not gonna happen. You may go, shall we? Shall we team up and try and take down the someone who maybe has a lot of territories and things so yeah, looking forward to that.

Adrian: 31:49

It's a great choice and one I actually didn't think of, but it is a great choice. Yeah.

JP: 31:53

Took me a while. Yeah, so anyway, he's good. Next, Adrian.

Adrian: 31:57

This was really tough. Like really tough. All of my favourite game put

JP: 32:01

it in because it wasn't a this is not my question my best

Adrian: 32:03

cards in it. And again, there's because cost is a burgundy was my first thought. Yeah, but some of the expansions in the solo mode have cards, so I discounted it from the list. So I'm gonna pay the new thing I picked up at s and I played a few times now and it makes me chuckle which is Viking Seesaw Oh, the little balance definitely doesn't. It definitely. is okay. Yeah, I'm having so much fun with this little game at the moment, it takes everything I loved about minute work, which has cards in it boils it down into this tiny little box of just pure awesome balancing stuff and trying to balance things in a way that undoes the opponent, the opponent, as well, because if things if when teeter totter, so even when doesn't take it off, if stuff comes off, they've got added to their pile, and the winner is the one with the fewest things in that pile at the end of the game. So it's kind of like that thing a minute work, we're always trying to play stuff so that it marks up other people's terms, as well as active places, as well as doing the dexterity thing. It's just that it's a it's a it's a seesaw, so it looks like a little boat with a sort of a bit underneath the fulcrum underneath. So it kind of teeter totters as you put things on, and then you've got a variety of different shapes, different weighted items need to keep putting them on each side. And then as soon as it tips, you take like a little cargo bit off of the centre. And that adds to your pile of stuff you've got to add on. And then once all of those cargo bits in the centre, you just basically go well, who's, who's got what left? And it's a great little dexterity game that, as I say, for me kind of replaces men at work in a tiny little box. Right and Becky,

Becky: 33:40

so my pick is BarenPark. There's no cards is there?

JP: 33:44

I don't know. No, it's not.

Becky: 33:48

Okay, I'm glad Adrian is saying that. Yeah, you got to get it out of the box to look because you know, all in all honesty, I was actually walking around the supermarket with Kerley telling me the questions that we'd had, you know, so I didn't have the chance to actually do what I would normally do on a niche number one, but I like Baron Park, because it's really quick. I think gameplay is different every time because you're covering up different parts of the map and using different sort of polygons to know kind of shape, Tetris shapes, whatever it is each time as well. Yeah, and it's quick and easy. It's almost I would say probably language, language independent. As long as you understand the rules, which are you know, you could probably even if you didn't speak someone's language, you could probably explain it to them just by just by pointing at things which I think okay, that doesn't necessarily make a good game but I think it's a really useful so accessible Yeah, really accessible. And what's not to like about bear Tetris? Yeah, apart from like about their Tetris the stupid thing that comes in the box that allegedly is there to help you put your pieces in different bits I mean, get

Adrian: 34:59

out the insert organiser is legendary. Even I

Becky: 35:04

have to go on I'm good at like, you know, characters and then

JP: 35:08

this thing is three pieces of concrete bits

Adrian: 35:11

of cardboard that you kind of put together into a Y shape and sort of belong bit goes from corner to corner. Yeah. And then the other bit goes to the other corner. So it's almost like an X without one leg. And then you're supposed to use that somehow to organise all of these bits of cardboard. I

Becky: 35:28

mean, it's just nonsense. It's nonsense. I don't know. Does

JP: 35:32

it go underneath it as well? Slide everything.

Adrian: 35:35

I checked it instantly. absolute

Becky: 35:38

joke. I mean, I know that I'm a bit of a, you know, sort of insert board jazz or snow or jazz or snob? Yeah, but folded space. It is not. But I just don't know why they even invented it.

JP: 35:49

Other inserts are available. Nice to you. Did you? Did you find one? Yeah, I've

Tambo: 35:52

got one. I don't own it. But I played it again. When I was away. pronouncing it right. It's Carcassonne. Yeah. It's all it is tiles and worker placement. There's no cut.

Becky: 36:03

Yeah, one of the first games I ever played. Yeah, yeah. And I really enjoyed

Tambo: 36:06

it. We just paid to play I think she plays the best player because it's about 60 tiles and you just turn over put your work if you want to claim a road or

JP: 36:11

unless you're Adrian, he gets ready rages overcast like it.

Adrian: 36:15

I love Carcassonne. But I have had a few I have had a few games where I've just been waiting for one piece and it never comes from everyone else manages to pull it. And as Joe like kind of as a joke. I've just sort of sit off the table if you get this piece now and they've got it. So I've jokingly sort of just my copy just flat on the floor. Just because it's like well, you've won by country mile. Because I can't get you. You've won farms and all that lot. So yeah. Good game.

Tambo: 36:45

Good game. Really enjoyed that.

JP: 36:47

Yeah. Nice.

Becky: 36:47

So we played it. Yeah. Wow. It's my

Tambo: 36:50

brother. To me.

JP: 36:51

Yeah, classics all around. Okay, that's the first one down. Let's go into the next one. Which is favourite game you should sell. You just can't bring yourself to do it.

Becky: 37:02

I've got an answer for that. Come on. It makes me sad. But I really should sell Everdell

JP: 37:10

That's my motto. I would agree with you.

Becky: 37:13

I know. You've got the big box. And I love it. And the pieces are beautiful. And it's about cute little woodland critters that are like anthropomorphize with little glasses. It's just it's it's singing my language. I don't play it hardly at all.

JP: 37:28

I'm so shocked.

Becky: 37:29

I know. We hardly ever play it. Maybe the fact that it's in the big box is what puts us off but I don't think it is we just realised when we were going through all our collection yesterday. I don't think I've taken it off the shelf for I don't know how long and there's always something I'd rather play. Yeah, it makes me a little bit sad in my in my little

JP: 37:51

little would have been superseded now in a way I

Becky: 37:54

think it has for me. I'm not I'm not gonna lie. We've got the deluxe super swanky, you know, beautiful wind and it's beautiful. I will never sell it. I will never sell it unless you know. I needed the money desperately, you know? Yeah, of course. It's not like my firstborn child. But it's all it is. I will never sell it while I have the option to never sell it. But I don't play it. I just don't play it anymore. But it's got a beautiful tree. Oh god, it's making me sad thinking about why don't play it. But

JP: 38:27

me. Are you gonna rectify this? And like, you know what? I'm gonna put an event in tomorrow.

Becky: 38:31

Maybe I should. Maybe I should but I'd rather play something else. Yeah, to be honest.

JP: 38:36

That's fine. That's a great answer, not what I would have expected. That shocked me when I'm shocked myself when I when I have to make a quick footnote though. Because I spoke to Kerley about your bloody selling my Everdell that No, no, no, you don't you mentioned about what he's mentioned. Is that you obviously looking at your collections. Yeah, because they're all together on one colour shelf. And you said yeah, we need to make sure we you know, call this and reduce them down and Akerley as mentioned it seems to be his games that the ones that has been reduced and not yours.

Becky: 39:12

sell his games he's absolutely liberty to sell them. I however, waited keeping my game on the on the big box of games that I'm going to sell. I know as anyone. Well, I might take it off because I don't want them. Yeah, well. If if a divorce happened and we had to split the box, I don't know what we do. Because

Adrian: 39:38

you keep taking Kerley's space while he's selling.

JP: 39:42

I just love that there's a meta game that's going on in your shelves like invading countries, like getting rid of some of yours or taking over the space well,

Becky: 39:55

there's distinct kind of like mine, like a continuum of colours, mine starts on the right or on the left, the stuff at the bottom that he really dislikes like all my small little silly games. They're saying they don't care what he says. And then we've got some sort of like a common ground like neutral ground in the middle. Things like Mansions of Madness and So, yeah, sort of common ground in the middle. But if he wants to sell his own games, that's absolutely correct.

JP: 40:23

How do you say Tambo? Okay, so

Tambo: 40:26

I think I want to, I don't know, I should sell because I never really play anymore. It's Doom Now, okay. Yeah, okay, I'll put off you. You did, I did on a play that probably four or five times I've bought a few. I've never played it since then I'd like to say it's always something else to play by always thinking back and I'm going to play it because I love that game. And then I've also spent so much time paying all the figures you have.

Adrian: 40:48

Doom not Dune though do Doom doom. Doom, sorry, here on the right page now,

Tambo: 40:56

so I was like, I spent all that time I can't go. So I should say I don't play it. But I don't want to sell it because I put so much effort put in the figures. And it's just I do

Becky: 41:04

have a thing. I will play that some time. And then somebody else comes along that you'd rather play.

Tambo: 41:09

Exactly. And then you at least four pairs with him as well, which is a bit of a but um, yeah. That's my pick of a

JP: 41:16

good choice. Adrian,

Adrian: 41:18

can I give my choice to Becky so she can have a second status? The one you don't you don't have? I don't really have an answer, because I sold all of my stuff that probably would have been on this list about six months ago.

Becky: 41:29

So it's very good. I wish I could be more ruthless. I do.

Adrian: 41:32

Yeah. Like, if you'd asked me this sort of six, seven months ago, I'd probably say ghost stories, because it was the first game I ever bought. Yeah. And despite the fact that I love it, it's hard to put on the table. Because some people don't like it. And other people, I think I don't want to teach this game to you. Because there's quite a bit going on to it for a cold game. It's, it's very tough. But yeah, finally was like six months ago, I was like, I haven't played that for nearly two and a half years. I'm keeping it for sentimental reasons. Because my first board game I ever bought that can go. Yeah. And yeah, it was probably the one of maybe two games at the time that I thought I'm keeping these for sort of the wrong reasons. And they've stayed on the shelf for a while. But no, there's nothing on my shelf now like this stuff. I'm going to sell a grid calm. But it's, it's had its day, it's gone. You're very good at that. I probably realised a month two months ago that I was like, Nope, that can go I need more space on the shelf. But new games in I bought. So that's got a game, I was quite

JP: 42:29

struggling with this, like XCOM would have been the answer. But I've sold it and I took me a while to sell that game. For me for the same reasons that you have for Ghost Stories It was first games games have a lot of nostalgia and kind of love for it because it brought me back into the hobby, blah, blah, blah, and eventually just went look, you know, I'm gonna play this anymore, get rid of it. So I got rid of it. The one I put on here is Game of Thrones. And I don't think I will ever sell it. But there are better games than Game of Thrones second edition. It's old, so more 11 years old, came out in 2012. A bit janky. And we played it recently, rustic had had a great time with it. And I always have a great time with it. But sometimes with that game when you play it, it can drag on. And we've had games where you get to a point where I always say to people was there's a few wind conditions where you can get to, you know, first of seven castles, you know, the most castles when the 10th round is ended or the third on official wind condition is when we can't be asked to play it anymore. Because it's been seven, eight hours because you know who's gonna win and everyone's given, we just kind of yeah, go neck on top of it. And yeah, so I probably should sell it like from a logical point of view. But I don't think Oh, well. Yeah, just because it's just got that nonsense that you just throw in like once a year.

Tambo: 43:56

It's great fun. Yeah. banter, isn't it? Just the whole way people get wound up?

Adrian: 44:01

Yeah, I own it. And I haven't played it my own copy for like 18 months, but it's not one that I would put on my list because I enjoy playing it. Yeah. And it offers an option to me that I don't have many other options on the shelf for so it doesn't sit in that category for me. But yeah, I can understand why you sort of feel that way.

JP: 44:17

Yeah, it's kind of hard. You know, this is what your heart's telling you and what your brains telling you kind of thing your brains going really,

Tambo: 44:25

you're lucky to get twice a year. If that.

JP: 44:26

Yeah, that's what it is. Okay, so the next news number one that we have is favourite game that you wish with all your heart that you were better at, but you just aren't. And maybe never will be. So I'll go first. For me. It's an Anachrony. Bloody lovely Anachrony. One of my favourite games ever, let alone mind Flash game favourite games ever. And I seem to get worse at it. Know that feeling. I first played it and I got in the high 70s 80s which is a good score. You can get 90 Isn't 100 That's a very good score and an acronym. But when I look at my score history, it's like 80s 70s 60s 50s or 60s. Go back to the 50s And then once I got 40 odd

Adrian: 45:19

as it did since you've added in the expansions as it does your high school without the expansions because some probably would have been some expansions do that where they lower the score. I don't know a Kerley though.

JP: 45:30

Do they? Do they not? No. No. A case my point Yeah. So in, in kind of relation to other people's. That it's like, and yeah, and I, I thought I was alright. And then you kind of go, No, you shit. It's just really annoying, because I want to be good. Like, I can play Trickerion and I can do right Trickerion and play Voidfall for can do or Voidfall. So I know. I've got the mental capacity for it. It's just for some reason that game. I don't know. I can't figure it out. Maybe or maybe I did figure it out and I've lost it. Anyway. Yeah, love it. And I always will love it. And yeah, it might just be one that I have to kind of play solo for about a month solid just to make sure I get the strategies in my head but that's my answer. Who's next?

Tambo: 46:19

Okay, all Mindclash Games. I love all of them. Yeah, but I just wish I was better all I know. I

JP: 46:28

hear Yeah.

Tambo: 46:28

I mean, I just I so I've really enjoyed playing them. But I'm never winning. And I'm never that good at it. Because it's so big. I enjoy playing it but I wish I was better at it. Yeah, some of the times you see people take you thinking all that content would you want I don't do that. I just want

JP: 46:44

to crap that you just think you're not a question. I'm not clever enough for this. Can I get there? You know if I

Tambo: 46:52

had to choose a specific one think it would be whether machine? For me. I love that game. But there's other servers. That's normal. Yeah, it's not my class. Okay. So

Adrian: 47:01

it's allowed to be where the machine because yeah, that is tough. Yeah, it's tough.

Tambo: 47:04

I have one. My first game was good hands. Beginner's luck. Mike just came second day. We just beat me.

Becky: 47:08

That's the worst thing if you do. Yeah,

JP: 47:11

yeah. But that's the thing, isn't it? Because you, I've been there and you've looked into it. Because you first play, you're pushing buttons. Sometimes you don't know why you're doing what you're doing. And it can pay off and you feel really good about that. And then you're like, can you recreate that? Nope. That's why

Becky: 47:28

I don't want to ever play. It's a wonderful world ever again, because I did really well that first time just by going, I'm gonna pick yellow things. Go on, just do it. And I did really well. And I know that if I actually tried next time and put thought into it, it would all go horribly wrong. Yeah.

Tambo: 47:44

Waiting for me.

JP: 47:45

There we go. So yes, a fair choice. Yeah, it's a tough game. But you guys,

Adrian: 47:51

well, I'm gonna have a humble brag here, I think and say that I struggle with this list because I do pretty much all right,

JP: 47:57

Becky. So it's got a bit big.

Adrian: 48:03

Normally, if I play game like two or three times I win it at least once, which would suggest that I'd like that least on average sort of thing I'm probably doing all right, because the people not around the table with and also normally pretty good at these games. So I always think to myself, That's okay. So I really quite struggled with this one. The one I came up with was Marvel Splendour. I always seem to come second or third in that out of four players. I think. I maybe have one at once out of 20 Odd plays. Yeah. And I really enjoy both splendours both base splendour and marble splendour. But yeah, I just don't have a great win record. I always feel like Arch one more turn would have won that for me or something I didn't

Tambo: 48:43

do do better with the base Splendour than you do the marbles.

Adrian: 48:47

sleds play because I don't own base splendour. I've only played it once against actual people. And the rest of the time has been against the bots and I do pretty well against bots. I'm guessing because they're bots on the app, whereas Marvel splendour, and I think I won the first game of splendour I ever played but Marvel spend yourself pay a bunch of times that anyone wants. And it's normally because I lose track of how many Avenger tanks are out there. Or I say for those who don't know, Marvel Splendour over normal, I'm not going to explain full splendour. But for Marvel Splendour, you have to get a mix of all of the colours to be able to unlock the final bid and you have to get a top level card, which is a nice thing that they didn't have in basement or you don't need to do in basement, you have glowing look one of the top level cards, but also there's a three point token which goes back and forth with whoever has the heroes with the most Avengers takes on them. And I always seem to lose track of that or I think I'm just about to take it off someone and then they plant an Avenger that I didn't expect them to get. And then I end up losing by a couple of points normally,

Becky: 49:49

my favourite game that I just wish I was better at is not going to surprise anybody Terraforming Mars. Yeah, I just feel like I spent such a lot of time playing that game. And I even I'm gonna admit this around the table now and to all the listeners out there. I even got Kerley to coach me which was difficult to ask him to do in the first place because it'd be a little bit of sick. A little bit singing on off. Yeah, but he's a really good teacher and it's very irritating. Like I'd get him to set up like a hand of tonight you start Seeing cards and a few prologues and a couple of corpse exactly like you have that does it? Because that's where we sort of highlighted that that's where I was going wrong. A lot of times I was making bad choices, because I get fixated on microbes or micro. We did a lot of not him telling you, you're wrong, because he doesn't do that. He just said, Well, this is how I would have and it's, of course, that makes sense. To recognise the pattern. Yes, exactly. And then give it you know, a week on I do it again. I'm just as crap as I was before.

JP: 50:50

You just gone for microbes again.

Becky: 50:52

Yeah. But it doesn't seem nothing I seem to do to try and improve my play of this. I mean, I haven't tried very hard. I'm not gonna lie, as in like, probably the only thing I should do is play online, maybe a lot. Something that I can play a lot for games again, and then do it again. And then do it again. Yeah. Yeah. I think maybe I have gotten a bit more used to playing games online. So I've just started playing quite a bit of Board Game Arena. I'm actually really liking that. So maybe I should do it to improve my gameplay, but I've spent so many hours playing that game. Why am I still utterly crap? It just really winds me up. You'd think at least a couple of times. I've just locked out and I'm second day, but then when you when you play games with curly, and he's your main person you play games with? You have to all I was except that, you know, losing is on the cards more than it's tough to but yeah, but when you do is lovely. Even then, like when I beat him over the other day, I actually asked him Did you do something? Did something go wrong for you? Did you accidentally been a card that you meant to because we were playing on your phone in the toilet? Yeah. I didn't really believe that it actually happened. I mean, I you know, I was very lucky. But then it makes you think what I must have been just really lucky, then. You don't ever feel like you should claim your victory because you feel like they should absolutely. must have happened.

JP: 52:20

Took down the champ.

Becky: 52:22

Wow. Yeah. Once out of the million.

JP: 52:28

Last game good is your last game?

Becky: 52:29

Absolutely. Terrifying. loss should be bad. But I'm not Fair enough.

JP: 52:34

Fair enough. Right? We're going to change gears because it's your favourite game. That gives you the most AP analysis paralysis.

Adrian: 52:44

As everyone seems to have AP, yes, I shall go. I think the game I'm going to choose is Smartphone Inc. And so I think it's fair to say a lot of us in our group get analysis paralysis. And it's normally I've planned out my turn and the person before does a thing. And suddenly all the plans out the window. And they're quite heavy games quite often. That caused this smartphone is not a particularly heavy game, it's sort of comfortably midway, I would say. And there's a bit of the beginning, where you have to take your screens and all that long, you have to arrange them so that they give you the most things, and everyone gets a pay. But because it's all at the same time, you don't really notice it. But it absolutely does in your head, you're like I'm gonna read it. And they'll always be someone who's finished first, who sat there waiting five minutes for everyone else to rearrange their towels, but the other three players around it but all frantically doing the same. So work out how to get the best combination of tools in order to do it. And the tiles are double sided in something like for the big tiles. And so you kind of constantly fit that can I do know that hasn't worked out, okay. And eventually you just have to kind of give up, especially in like the later rounds where you just I just have to go with what I can get. And so yeah, everyone has analysis paralysis. But most people are having exactly the same time, which is why I like that they're not waiting for the turn. Quite often the worst kind of analysis paralysis is when someone's taking a 10 minute turn. 1520 minute turn, and you're like, come on. Whereas I love that game. I've played a few cop few games of it now. And it keeps climbing up my list of games, because AP happens all at the same time.

JP: 54:21

Yes, that's good to surprise me. It was what it was. Is this a good Phone Guy good for you. I

Becky: 54:26

haven't played it.

Adrian: 54:27

It sounds good, easy teachers? Well, because the stages that happen are on the board. And it's got a little marker that tells you exactly what stage is happening. Very obvious. It's really talked several times now. And it's one of the smoothest teachers out there. I think, for the weight of game.

JP: 54:44

For me, I know struggles. I'm generally okay. There are moments and as Adrian said happens in a few games where you just get locked, but the one that calls out to me is probably Lorenzo il Magnifico. And the reason for that is the four towers that has basically 16 cards on them. And it's pretty much what you said, Adrian is like you plan. Right my turn. I'm going to grab the third card up on the third tower. I've got my servants, everything ready. The dice are rolled to what You need to be perfect. But you just not quite first in turn order and as someone next that card and then you have to reevaluate completely everything. Yeah. Work out what to do and what combinations and because the 16 cards you don't really memorise them or when you're constantly scanning them go right in this one. I really need that card. Yeah, but I can't afford that card and, and you end up in this kind of panic station of I need to move the game forward. Yeah. But you're now rethinking the entire kind of strategy and what you're trying to do, and you only really have four workers in the game around. And one of them's crap. Cousin is the cousin that you have to kind of prom with servants to make actually useful. It's gone. Because it's zero. So yeah, it's really tight as a game. So when a card goes that you could afford and it's perfect for you. And I think falls down.

Adrian: 56:12

I think one of the big things that certainly causes AP and myself is where I've planned maybe one or two. And then I don't know why, but I quite often get the sat next to you as well, which like, what he's gonna do one of these two things, so I'll do this. And he goes, No, I'm going over here, and haven't even thought that he might. And I'm like,

JP: 56:29

why? Oh, God.

Adrian: 56:30

Nothing's gonna happen. Like I thought it would. Lorenzo Il Magnifico is quite good for that as well, because you're thinking they wouldn't really want that. And then someone takes it and you're like, I haven't even planned remotely for that happening.

JP: 56:43

Yeah. So that's mine.

Becky: 56:46

Mine's easy. And mine is terraforming once again. But that's because I wish I was better at it. So I keep I keep thinking, I should know what to do with this. I should know how to, you know, to get over this. Oh, no, they've taken that right. Well, what I'm going to do now then always not next on my plants are I just get this kind of decision. Just falling? I can. It's almost like you can see the matrix? Like none of it's making any sense. I think you guys mentioned made a good point. I think maybe the terms aren't actually taking that long in the grand scheme of things. It's just my experience of them seems to be a lot longer because our our general turns are quicker. Yeah. So if I was playing in a in a group with other people, maybe it wouldn't be as obvious.

JP: 57:31

Fair enough. See?

Tambo: 57:34

So the one I said came quickly to my friend was Skymines, when we played that gave me a big loss of AP but only printed at once, I suppose kind of reason why maybe but there's the turns side, you got to think as far as the head as you can. The planning as the plan that the cards on the next stage, you'll forget to stage ahead and things like that. AP goes all over me and I I try and figure for my turn comes but I just can't do it. Without any planning year round is planning the next round. The next round. But orientated once that really counts. So my other big favourite was Isabella. Yeah, that was a that's one of the select when someone goes on the spot, and you're like, Holton has changed. I gotta figure something because it gets back to me. And I'm still trying, and always apologise a lot for that.

JP: 58:17

Is that more for the buildings that go down? Yeah, it's obviously in Lisboa, it's not a kind of worker placement per se. Is it? Because that's literally cardplay. Yes, this is the buildings is usually where, you know, I'm going to open that public building or put a particular shopping or whatever, and you get no running the resource for about Yeah, hold. Thanks for the follow

Adrian: 58:39

action on that one, as well as the follow action can be quite Yeah. Do I take the follow action now? You know, oh, I'm expecting this follow action. All those kinds of things in this bar.

Tambo: 58:51

So yeah, that's it ready for me?

JP: 58:53

Up? Yeah. Nice. Nice. Okay, so now come to our last nice number one, which is your favourite game that was worth all the hype.

Becky: 59:02

easy one for me. But it's quite specific. So I'm gonna say Ark Nova with the marine expansion. So I think Ark Nova I thought originally Oh, yeah, this is this is definitely worth the hype, then it sort of I don't know fell off for me a little bit. I kind of fell out of love with it just for a little bit. That came back again. But this Marine World expansions, absolutely brilliant really, really refreshes the game. I think fixes all the problems that that Ark Nova sort of was prone to. So when you've got that kind of shop of all your animals in the middle, that just seem to sit there for ages. All right, every time you do a break, you're fresh to turn that last to slip off, but it can take a long time. So now you've got this kind of new mechanic where a big wave comes along and crashing into the ocean. No, it doesn't doesn't know it washes them clean and they go off to live in lovely. somewhere else. Yes. But it does, clear everything that's really nice because then you've got a whole fresh shop. So before when you're kind of reputation range is really kind of limiting what you're going to get. It's nice that you've got this far quick could turn around. And it also means that you do kind of take from that quicker. So if you see something you like, you know, you have to snap it quickly. Because because there's a chance that the next card comes over, if it's got a wave symbol on it, it's all gone anyway. You can build over the edge of the map in certain circumstances, you can build over rocks, bases and water spaces sometimes. Yeah, really good. You've got a different change of some of your base action cards. So you do a draft version of those. So that really changes up the game. And it's Yeah, absolutely brilliant. I'm really glad that that it hasn't lived up to the hype, and it doesn't take much more room in the box.

Adrian: 1:01:00

But to confirm your favourite mechanic is when all the useless animals get washed away.

Becky: 1:01:07

No, well, yes.

Adrian: 1:01:11

I don't particularly like a lot. Well, I don't particularly follow hype as much I think as other people do. I quite often look at games that have got like pedigree or prestige or something like that a lot of my favourite games are pre 2018, pre 2019, when I really started focusing on the board game community, not just enjoying board games and kind of not knowing anything about them, I really sort of started to dive into a lot of content and BoardGameGeek and all that lot and started looking through stuff at that point. So a lot of my favourite games are pre 2018, pre 2019, or they're normally been out a year, 18 months before I started playing them. But the one that I did get caught up with a little bit was furnace. So it's a sort of Age of industrialization is kind of the theme. But really, it's an auction game, where you're putting down certain chips onto cards to either get a bonus from them, or to add them to engine building. And you're just sort of building up points there. And it was one of those games where it didn't get masses of hype, but it got hype in the circles, I look at a lot like a lot of the content creators, I looked at and thought, okay, don't know about this, and really sort of wasn't sure about it. And then Davey mentioned he was picking it up. And mine and Davies tastes don't always overlap. So I was suddenly not very sure about it. But we played at grid con. And yeah, fantastic. And I've played it quite a lot since now. But the expansion, it was one of those were probably for the first time I felt like I wish I had got caught up in the hype a little bit more than just gone for it. But normally not if like the hype comes and goes and haven't played or not fast, or happy to revisit it 18 months after the hype is over. So yes, that was one of the few that I got. And it is probably, at least in my top 15 games. Cracking going really enjoy it. So yeah, it was good. See, ya

Becky: 1:03:02

couldn't, couldn't be more different. I just get caught up in all the hype. I love the idea, oh, this thing's coming out. I've got a got a Yeah, I gotta get involved. And I wish I could be less easily swayed. But

Adrian: 1:03:12

I think that's the natural sort of way most people view the hobby is they're all about the latest hotness, and kind of what's new in our group especially can be quite prone to it. And

JP: 1:03:22

I don't know what you mean.

Becky: 1:03:25

Other things like I love the Harry Potter franchise, but was absolutely against it completely. When it was all the big, you know, the latest thing I'm not reading that I do as soon as I got involved in it and read. And I only read the first book so that I could slate it from a, you know, a knowledgeable area side. But I loved it. I bought the rest of them within the next you know, while the rest of the four out at the time. So yeah, with with other things in my life, I don't like getting involved in the hype. And so I can make an exception.

Adrian: 1:04:00

I mean, it's understandable, because with Kickstarter, the way it is at the moment, that's one thing and then also quite a lot of games come out and people don't get necessarily the chance to try it before they buy it. Some some places they will do so they'll just go out and buy it and then try it. And that's kind of where the hype builds because they you see a lot of people buying it and talking about it. And sometimes they're not even that great. The ones that get caught up in the hype or they're not for a lot of people. Okay,

JP: 1:04:25

yeah, so talking about getting caught up and hype. My favourite game that I think was definitely worth it, it was Voidfall. So there was one that I was very excited for the beginning got through the kind of campaign law. And then I was thinking actually, this is gonna be for me. I mean, I like 4X. Not like I love 4X games. But there's something about it that I didn't know whether it would work or not. And then obviously it right, played it around, what 678 times and love it. And it's just yeah, definitely worth it. Happy. Great.

Becky: 1:04:59

It was all that you guys were talking about for a little while. Yeah, just to lose weight.

JP: 1:05:03

Yeah, the height is still strong for it right now. Yeah. But I you know, having played it a lot of times, is yeah, I'll still play it another 8-10 times. You know, it's got a lot of variety and variables. At different houses, different factions, different technologies, it's always going to be a different kind of scale game. And yeah, it won't be for everyone. But it's yeah, for me, I think it's probably the top mine clutch game. Taking an acronym off the, the slot. That's because I'm better at it than

Becky: 1:05:36

that does help doesn't it does help something worth the hype? Can I?

JP: 1:05:41

Can I win it? Or at least get a good solid performance? Yeah, then I'm happy. Anyway, that's me tea.

Tambo: 1:05:48

Well, this is the worst question for me to answer because I don't follow hype at all. I'm probably the worst leader and I don't follow any hype. I just play the play game, the group and if I like it, I'll get it. Yeah. If I think I'll get table time with it. Or, or look for it. Yeah, I just don't follow the hype at all. So, you know, I could say Nemesis and that was like a typo at the time. So I wouldn't know. Yeah,

Adrian: 1:06:12

it was definitely yeah.

Tambo: 1:06:13

So there we go. So that was that was. I also got Marvel champions as well, because obviously that got good. But yeah, I didn't know that from when you played it when you first got it. Yeah. And you? You were hoping?

JP: 1:06:25

Well, yeah, I was following it following a long time before he got released. And actually, they were playing it at golf. Or was it tabletop gaming live in ally pally before COVID. And that was like a, like a preview of the game. I really want to go and play and I couldn't get on the tables. But yeah, I managed to just bought a copy and loved it. There we go. We have finished the nice number ones for. Now, we've talked about nice number ones, I wanted to pick one of them to kind of feel out would you rather so I would do other would be would you rather play a game a hype game only during its hype? Or to never play a game that was hyped at all? D thinking,

Becky: 1:07:21

Well, my FOMO gets so bad. I think I'm gonna just have to play the game. And it's hype. And just like, absolutely cram it. You know, play it constantly. So I'll play maybe five or six games of it, and then not play anyone

Adrian: 1:07:35

that it can sit on your shelf?

Becky: 1:07:38

Well, I mean, that's just like the rest of my games. Yeah, I'm gonna have to do that. Because otherwise, I'm going to feel like I'm missing out or like, and from now. I think most of the really big games get hyped. Don't know. So if you can't play anything big from now, that's just too sad.

JP: 1:07:57

Sad times. But you know, this is also considering that, you know, a lot of the hype games aren't great as well. So a to you like not to everyone, but you just, it just depends, doesn't it? So, you're kind of saying, I will play the game during its height period. And then just and then hope hopefully, it's good. Yeah. Because if it's not, then you've gone. But then you can't play anyway, who cares? What you're supposed to do? Yeah, cuz then you'd be sad that you can ever play it. Yeah, cuz if it is good, then you're gonna have to get your plays in before you can never play it again. Nice.

Becky: 1:08:32

No, I've got the FOMO. If I see it, and I like it, I'll be sad. I'll go. Adrian,

Adrian: 1:08:38

I'm gonna go the opposite way on it. Because I've just said that I don't follow a lot of hype. There are some great games out there that have been hyped, but I tend to wait to see how they mature as a game if you'd like to play survive the hype. And so I won't get to play those ones. And there are quite a few out there. You know, a lot of my gaming collection is top couple 100. And if then top a couple 100 It's normally because they've had the original boost of hype and all games get a little

JP: 1:09:03

bit of hype. Yeah, we're talking about like the big one, the big ones

Adrian: 1:09:07

that's sit at the top of the hotness for six months at a time those kinds of one's ya know, I'd probably go the other way, because there are so many fantastic games that slipped through the net. under the radar, don't they just kind of and there are some wildlife say, Well, I do tend to play a lot of the ones that end up in the top sort of two to 500 VGG. A lot of those didn't get a lot of hype originally, they kind of came around with an expansion or a second Kickstarter release. And then they got a bit of hype. And well, by that point, they've already been out a lot and didn't have the first hype the first time around. So yeah, that's probably the way I'll go and I'll get to play a lot of these sort of smaller games.

Tambo: 1:09:45

I'm with you, Adrian. I don't follow the hype. So yeah, I think it's what we got to do if I didn't get to play it at the height.

JP: 1:09:51

Yeah, so you can't play the missing out on you can't play Nemesis anymore, too. It's gone. It was a hyped game massive. No, because it was height, mass height.

Becky: 1:10:02

Maybe we need to otherwise because every game that comes out from now on that's made by a big publisher, you're not going to get to play. So maybe we should say you for 18 months or something.

Tambo: 1:10:13

We'll go with hyper So are you

JP: 1:10:15

telling me already thanks. They've asked me to measure hype and give you a distinction of what is mass hype, not because it's not above it, there are

Adrian: 1:10:21

games that are produced by mass publishers. So like Red Cathedral is probably one that got a bit of hype. But it didn't get a tonne of hype. It was from someone like Lacrimosa was another one that didn't get hype when it first came out. And then sort of people started playing it and it built up and built up. So it's still got recognition. Yes, differences. But it didn't have that initial hype, where as you look at White Castle, also from Devir, that a lot of people are comparing to Red Cathedral that got loads of light that you couldn't get to that place, in essence, because of how much hype it had. And yet, they're all from the same publisher, but they've been treated quite differently as games and yet, I think, from what I've seen, at least what I've played, they're all good games. And yeah, so if I didn't ever get to play White Castle again, but I got to play Red Cathedral.

JP: 1:11:04

Maybe okay. Yeah, yes. A great game. No, I'm

Becky: 1:11:08

sick. I don't care.

Tambo: 1:11:11

I'm with you. I'm not trying to play Nemesis ever again. If I can do it. Champions, I know.

JP: 1:11:20

That's the thing is the gamble of you don't know, do you don't know who's gonna have the longevity? Or whether it's gonna be good. Yeah. But hey, that isn't that's what it is. Okay, we're about to wind things up. But before we do this diploma term. What's everyone excited for? What's coming up? Well, there's one thing that's coming up. Yeah, for everybody. We're all excited about this. Let's cover this one first, as a shared penultimate term. Of course, it's GRIDCON. GRIDCON GRIDCON is great. Probably my favourite gaming, kind of open gaming convention. I love it. Because it's five minutes down the road. It's literally down the road. So when you compare it to Essen, which is a bit of a track, and about 10 hours down the road, 10 hours away, maybe 11. Maybe 12 stops. Yeah, to 10 minutes in the car. Boom. Different conventions, though. It is, yeah, it's a different purpose. It's literally just open gaming. And for those that don't know what GRIDCON is, it's gaming rules. Paul Grogan's, and I run by him and his wife, Vicky. And their convention that they put on as a kind of, it's been converted from their post Paul's post Essen games, parties that he used to do at his house and realise that having 50 people around the house is quite a lot of people. That's yeah. So I decided to create a convention and it works really well. I've been to two of them. And this will be my 30 minutes. Great. Come for I missed the first one. And yeah, I can't wait. Yeah, I love it in four to three days. games, games, games, games, games. And yeah, we mean, you, Adrian, we've got some official duties this year. We do.

Adrian: 1:13:14

I was so half nervous, half excited. Likewise. So we're both showing off one of the sponsored games. So we're doing Teach and being on hand to support. And yeah. Thank you very much to Paul. Yeah, putting our name forward and saying would you be interested in doing this? This sort of says he's got a bit of faith in us to do it on us make him proud something on that kind of stuff.

JP: 1:13:38

game isn't or you don't have to say, Oh, I've got Perseverance Episode 3 a light game, need to figure out what the rulebook that is the PDF and hasn't been printed. So that's my challenge. I have played a demo of it at Essen, I have a little understanding. But yeah, I've got to, I've got to absorb them. There'll be some games in the group to help with that. So I've got literally prototyp in my gaming room.

Adrian: 1:14:05

How many times you just set it up on a table with everyone?

JP: 1:14:07

Yeah, no, no,

Becky: 1:14:09

I'm scared to a really thick person. I do you know one? Volunteering myself was the thick person. So if you can teach it, and I can understand, that's not me saying I want to play Perseverance. But that might be quite a good. A good way of seeing if your teach is up to scratch.

JP: 1:14:30

Yeah, no, I you know, I like teaching games anyway, so I'm not that worried about it. But it's it's like Adrian says, it's there's probably no better board game teacher than Mr. Grogan. My he has a way of doing it that just his logic makes sense. So then to be handed the keys to the car

Becky: 1:14:47

big shoes to fill. Yeah, like like she used to. Don't crash

JP: 1:14:50

it mate. So yeah, that's my game. What are you guys doing?

Adrian: 1:14:55

I've got Barcelona. So it's a I'm gonna say board and dice. Yes, it is. It's a board and dice game by Danni Garcia played it at the 24 hour event. Hall showing off their interesting little Euro quite nice package of sort of different Euro pieces together. And say, I'm going to be teaching that we had a I had a drive run of teaching it to people a couple of weeks back to make sure I kind of had it. And then some lessons from that teachers, hopefully it'll be a bit smoother.

JP: 1:15:23

Yeah, as in don't teach it to us because we're silly and yeah,

Adrian: 1:15:27

people don't, you're gonna, you're gonna get that it was useful to 3d it's around the table,

JP: 1:15:34

your teacher, we were purposely playing the role of decks. So

Adrian: 1:15:38

say yes. But yeah, beyond that it's a great chance to, I don't know, sort of a few of us are on the game and we'll Slack channel. And you sort of again, you meet people through that, that you build up a bit of a relationship, but you don't get to see them very often. UK games Expo is kind of one of those grid cons and other opportunity to meet a lot of people that you kind of get to you don't might not interact with them individually, but you get to see them and say hello to them and play some games with them. And I just love that part of it as well. Yeah,

JP: 1:16:07

big time. Looking forward to that as literally, as this episode comes down. It's this week, this weekend. I think

Becky: 1:16:14

I've got the day off on the Friday, but I really should work the afternoon. But I think I might just go now on I'm sorry, I've got the day off. And that's just

JP: 1:16:20

how it is. Yeah, so I think we can all safely say QuakeCon is good, the thing the thing, but very quickly, selfishly, what have you got coming up? That's good for you.

Adrian: 1:16:27

I've got a couple of things coming up. So a few friends coming around. We try and get together just before Christmas to sort of play some board games. So I've kind of pre planned roughly what we do a bit of sort of hobby, sort of like Warhammer and stuff as well. So Ben do a bit of that and then probably going to do a few games, some thinking smartphone ink and earth is probably the right level for them and sort of teaching. So I'm hoping to bust those out with them. And then at grid con i am I've got slot in which thing we've got Mark and Sally i'm goign to ruin their surname Gilbertson Yeah. Along with someone else who I don't think I've met before playing Satori on the Sunday night, which is my s&p cup that I've wanted to get to the table. So looking forward to those games in particular.

JP: 1:17:14

Yeah, brilliant T

Tambo: 1:17:16

I'm thirsty. I've got my system found we're gonna we're gonna play Betrayal third edition. Please read the rulebook looks really good. Fun was like a mini Mansions of Madness. The traitor and there was player elimination in it, which you know, there's going to well, but it's gonna be fun. Try that. And then obviously, we got Beast on Sunday.

Becky: 1:17:34

We do. Oh, you've been hyping this up? Aren't you? This is this is your hype, isn't it? Yeah, I've played it. Get it from didn't get the hype from somewhere else. You just

JP: 1:17:43

a hidden movement game to me. Yeah, so

Tambo: 1:17:46

yeah, it's good. It's very good. I played it was on I'm gonna have to play it was Devon. So yeah, really good.

Adrian: 1:17:50

That's good. Because I'm just wondering, it's been on my list to try. It's good fun.

Tambo: 1:17:54

It's quick. I mean, we if we do it quickly, pretty good cup of games. Really?

JP: 1:17:58

I thought it would kind of be a three hour. No,

Adrian: 1:18:00

no, I was assuming to be furious.

Tambo: 1:18:01

There's a big board on one side, there's a smaller one on the other side. So we probably bought in the big size, but it's only for three nights. So it's actually quite quick. Quick, go. We'll find out

JP: 1:18:10

on Sunday. Go back.

Becky: 1:18:12

I've got some acorn tokens tidied up.

JP: 1:18:16

You got the man. Yeah.

Becky: 1:18:18

So we're playing Septima yesterday. And the tokens are beautiful. Because it's the deluxe edition. I mean, all this stuff is beautiful. But these I wouldn't screenprinted only the tokens that are the good luck tokens, which are like a little acorn with a little dice in the middle meaning you get to roll the dice again. They can't board and everything else. The only one that is Yeah, well, you've got your potions, but they're different. They're not like a resource. So I feel like I didn't like the fact that they weren't wooden. So I've sourced some wooden ones. They might not look any good. They're worth like three pounds 50 For me up. So I you know,

JP: 1:18:55

we have a theory on this. I'm good. My theory is, is I played sets in prototype form. And those never existed. That wasn't everything that you could do. They really I reckon that was introduced after all, during the production manufacturing process. They said actually, we could if we had this and then wanting to

Adrian: 1:19:14

punch, our board is much easier than printing.

JP: 1:19:18

Because I think they would have done it,

Becky: 1:19:19

I think yeah, it felt Yeah, it felt wrong, but they weren't similar to the others. They're not the ones I've bought are not as deep as thick as the other tokens. Chonky or chacha, they're not as chunky as good words. But they do look quite nice. So hopefully they'll be good and I actually this is gonna be quite sad, but I'm actually really looking forward to sitting down and reading the September rulebook. I know I know. It's always tough Are you what's happened to me Kenny recognise myself from a few years ago? Because I want to know that game inside and out. I'm really everything about it's intrigued me in the back of the rulebook. They've got like a cultural advisors. And I think the person that was really lovely that I emailed about my broken token is that person and I've just made that connection. Maybe it was the person that that showed you guys how to play perseverance. Oh, really? Yeah. Okay, because I think she was the person that was the the customer liaison or however you say, yeah, everything about that game just really intrigues me. And yeah, I just want to know more about it, which is what's on her mind or something to me, this flash game, and I'm excited by it and really want to know more.

JP: 1:20:40

They did say didn't know, we spoke to the Mindclash team from Essen, spoke to Dorka and she was saying like the whole theming. Everything around Septermber has been encouraged to try and you know, appeal to the female market as well like to bring that kind of dynamic in. Yeah, not like any other themes don't

Becky: 1:21:00

know, but it was purposely Yeah, they're their whole sort of kind of creation team. All the girls that work in the, in my clash have had like an input in it. Yes. Which I think has been really great. Yeah. And I think it just seems very considered. I'm not saying that guys games aren't considered to don't take on games aren't considered. Maybe you can definitely say this. This just feels really considered. And I absolutely bet that some of the names of the witches and stuff if you did some research, you would find that their special abilities are linked towards a famous witch or something of that nature. I just bet there is like layers on layers of this. I don't know I just get that feeling. I haven't researched that. But I just get the feeling that people just get the feeling that when the more I delve into it, the more it's going to it's going to be revealed to me. I'm really interested in that.

JP: 1:21:51

Mine was very quick to mentioned earlier in the episode Skymines. I'm actually really looking forward to getting the game out this week. Playing on Thursday. So another Alexander Pfister design based on an old game Mombassa but reskin refund probably for good reason has now been considered yeah and now is yeah called Moon-basa but it's not really called Moon-basa but it is because it's literally the same game but I'm looking forward to I really enjoy it. So good puzzle is a good kind of tug of war element to it and jumping on kind of company tracks and getting shares I'm intrigued. It's yeah, I really like it should play more. That's why I put it in. That's me. And there we go. That wraps up another episode of as we'll see Amanda table so just want to say a big thank you as this is my last episode as the first play on this run. And can't believe it's just already over you feels like you just get going. And that's the way it is. It's all good. And I'm handing over to our newest player Dan Apsley. Well, he's so damn is going to kind of inject his pzazz his theatrics is special flavour, this special flavour

Adrian: 1:23:01

What is special?

JP: 1:23:04

Well, Dan, we look forward to your special flavour. And I'm sure our listeners do too. So if you've enjoyed the show, and please, please please share it with with your friends share it with the gaming group, we'd love to get the podcast out there. And as we were mentioned last episode, you can support the show using Ko-Fi as Ko-Fi, and as a way of open the show, helping us grow, helping us get better equipment, helping us just generally keep this thing going, which has been a lot of fun and continues to be awesome fun. And if you want to get in contact with us, you can find all the information in our show notes, of which there are many, many ways of doing so. So yeah, I think that leaves us for another episode. So until next time, whose turn is it