Dan Apsey: 0:32

Welcome to the Whos turn is it anyway, a podcast all about our gaming group and of course board games. I'm Dan you current first player and I'm joined by our other players Rob. Hi, Chrisy P Hello there and Tambo to talk about sci fi vs. Fantasy The deathmatch Hello. How's it going, guys? Yeah,

Rob: 0:52

Really well,

Dan Apsey: 0:53

This is my first first rodeo as first player

Rob: 0:59

Oh you're gonna smash it

Dan Apsey: 1:00

I am gonna smash it? Yeah, well, we'll see the viewing, the ratings tail off after this episode.

Rob: 1:05

We haven't set the bar very high. Excellent. Excellent.

Dan Apsey: 1:11

So have we all been really well?

Rob: 1:13

Yeah, really good weekend. Lots of fun. Lots of games. Nice. Nice. Rarity for me, lots of games. Yeah, no, no. Yeah, I've play more games this weekend. I've done in like three or four weeks with the kids. So yeah, kids. Clearly you guys got loads in it was great. No, yeah. Really good.

Dan Apsey: 1:30

I enjoy a weekend like that. Should we? Should we get to it? First segment. So let's, let's talk about hex. What have we been up to folks? Tambo? Yes.

Tambo: 1:49

So last week, I played a game called Betrayal, the house on the hill, Third Edition. It was, I find it fantastic. Fun. Great fun. So what's the game? It's probably I would actually class it as a smaller version of Mansions. It's exactly the same kind of thing. You have characters or traits. And it's an exploit you explore the house on the hill. So it's like be like Clank, you were doing an exploration tale changing. And you about five of you probably best play is three to six, probably the game. But I think it needs more players and the more fun it is. So the concept of the game is you either you choose a scenario, you got different classes, so the scenario could be you could like be a bunch of investigators or you can be a bunch of retailers trying to buy the house. You pick between six different kinds of scenarios. So you pick one. And then so what we did the investigator one. And then yeah, off you go, you're exploring. So it's the same sort of thing. You have traits, which is speed, sanity, and might, which is all about fighting, and then you have knowledge, which is kind of very much like Mansions. Oh, exactly. Yeah, it's honestly it's a smaller version. Yeah. Yeah. And then when you explore tiles, you turn tiles over and when it turns over, you're right it has a symbols on them like it so your event symbol or you have an omen symbol, which are the big ones, or you have an item symbol. So if you have an item you draw an item if you have an event or an event card and it does like test it's like it like mansions on might or knowledge then and stuff happens. So you keep exploring for half the game is exploring the mansions open up all the rooms, and then when you draw an Omen card, you have to do a haunting roll. So if you do a five plus on roll, then the haunting begins. But it's quite fun because the dice are slightly different. You've got you've got two blanks and two twos and one so there's no five fours and sixes so the dice are slightly different. So when everyone draws an omen tile, if anyone else got any omens you have to roll that many dice spin how many omens between the group you've got and then so three omens three dice and if you roll five plus then the whole team begins. And then that's when the fun stuff happens. Nice. Yeah, that's pretty good.

Rob: 4:08

I just find it quite ironic that given your history of stabbing people in the back

Tambo: 4:12

Yeah well so the betrayal part is it's not like there's a hidden trick there's always there's there's different versions of it. You can either have one traitor, which is the general one I think we don't know who it is because it's the person who actually activates the haunting is could be the traitor. Oh,

Rob: 4:30

So it's not like you know from the beginning when there's all hidden Oh, that's quite cool. Yeah. Or you have something else called hidden tricks, which

Tambo: 4:36

I haven't played yet. I haven't actually had that scenario come up so I'm not sure how that entails but it stays hidden somehow the traitor or you have which is fun a free for all. Oh, god. Yeah. So everyone just like just everyone's for themselves basically. Or you have no traitor so it's completely

Rob: 4:51

Cooperative. See, I love a co op game. But I love it when there's a hidden deal there's a chance of somebody dead of winter play dead of winter the co op game and that it's nowhere near as much we found it nowhere near as much fun because we're not accusing each other of Yeah. Being Awesome.

Tambo: 5:10

No it's good fun. I mean replayability is good. You got massive booklet on the hero side which is all the non traitors we got the traitor booklet it's quite awkward though because you have normally if you have one tray to the trays got these rooms you need to make a plan the other guy so you can just see the room well yeah we got to talk otherwise it's just given this away

Rob: 5:28

that's quite cool yeah like that

Tambo: 5:30

yeah and the traitor has its own objective as well so

Rob: 5:32

The traitor makes a cup of tea

Tambo: 5:35

There is one big thing we know we don't like in a group is player eliminations in it Yeah, but um to be fair, I got my nephew actually killed me and but it was near the end I think by the time he gets the point of you die it's probably nearly over anyway see

Rob: 5:48

Some games I quite liked to sit back and watch it I think Nemesis I get to a point where I'm like I'm out. But I want to see how this ends Yeah,

Dan Apsey: 5:57

That's what it is. I suppose yeah, we played something like One Night Ultimate Werewolf or something? Yeah, no, the games are quick and it takes 5/10 minutes and the game is finished if you're eliminated then then I suppose you can play around again it's not

Rob: 6:09

Why if you've played a game for four hours and then you eliminated Yeah, like I'm not gonna sit here for like another two hours

Dan Apsey: 6:15

Like Twilight Imperium while I'm halfway through more than you do lose all your fleet which it can happen but it's you know in that would just be a nightmare. And I cannot you know, the more the more that games come out and more that this the player elimination topic comes up more that I hear that people just don't like and it seems to be a complete turnoff for a lot of people

Rob: 6:33

Depends on the length of game

Dan Apsey: 6:35

It's like seven Nemesis I quite like it when Nemesis kind of you know if you're out but then you want to see what the conclusion

Rob: 6:43

Yeah, and you see and what? I know it Yeah. I quite like that. That's why normally I'll get about halfway through but you know what, I'm just getting in a pod

Tambo: 6:55

I can't take this anymore.

Rob: 6:56

I want a cup of tea. I want to see what he's doing. So yeah, I that's when I check out so yeah, that didn't quite nice, but that sounds awesome. Yeah, it's Mansions. I love Dead of Winter. It's like,

Dan Apsey: 7:07

It's good. Because it's not it's not too complex. They say that it's quite I'd say it's probably one step up from a gateway game. Yeah. And it does attract quite a few people that are maybe not so into the hobby as we are

Tambo: 7:19

Yeah, it's probably a starter game for people to come in. But we definitely Yeah, so it's really really similar sounds awesome. Yeah, it's great fun really nice. Chris up.

Chris P: 7:28

Oh, the other day we managed to get back into Descent again. About a year I was gonna say six months but has been about a year hiatus of not playing it. It's

Rob: 7:38

More to do with my severe lack of coordination when it comes to arranging events. There was a reason a family reason why we had to stop

Tambo: 7:49

We must play Descent and then six months later, yeah, we must be number three will play this

Dan Apsey: 7:55

Things that gets in the way. That's really really frustrating. Sometimes it's something that I like Yeah. Yeah.

Chris P: 8:03

Not to have one. But no, so we end up playing that started off absolutely amazingly strong. Almost got absolutely annihilated in the first room. There's me being the tank, once again, attacking the wrong enemy, and then taking 9 Out of my 10 health in one rounds, which is great. But managed to slowly recover back from you

Rob: 8:27

Did tank very well, because yeah, I mean, we all would have died if you hadn't done it. But yeah,

Chris P: 8:33

And then you got to literally I think was like the final room. Yeah, we try and then I took one too many and that and then it has ended that means it normally you can fight to the death.

Rob: 8:42

So you lost we lost. Yeah. So that's the

Chris P: 8:46

Highlight that one yeah, we lost.

Rob: 8:51

We lost Yeah. Sounds about right. But we all kind of said like how much we forgot how we forget how much you enjoy that game. Like yeah, because they use the 3d terrains in such a way that when you're, you know, when you fall down a secret room, your character actually falls down a secret room and you can't get out of it until you figure out the room. way then you find the ladder or rope or so the way that they use the terrain like we

Chris P: 9:16

We had the map going underneath itself. Yeah. So

Rob: 9:20

The secret room, and things like that. And on one of the platforms when they put dynamite at that base. So we caught basically these guys, robbing loads of stuff. And they put dynamite at the base. So we had one turn. Yeah, one time.

Chris P: 9:33

Yeah. And I was like I said, we've seen them put bombs down and you're like, it'll be fine. One time they are blown up, or threat two of us actually

Rob: 9:44

Removed that piece before.

Dan Apsey: 9:46

One more turn down. Yeah.

Rob: 9:49

We had a great time didn't realise it was really good

Dan Apsey: 9:52

I've not played that Descent, I've played second edition beforehand, played a lot of different games. Very different. Yeah. I like the idea of the 3d terrain, but it always was always worried that it might have just been like getting in the way if you're sat across from the table and you couldn't see someone that works really well

Rob: 10:07

We had one scenario where we got to an old haunted castle, and it went up three ticks. Like you know, so when you had to get to the top you weren't well above buy everything at the bottom and they do it very, very well. Nice. So because I was worried it was just a bit gimmicky. Yeah. But actually it makes planning more exciting. So as soon as we start playing, I forgot how much I loved the little 3d tiles. That much difference it made, the three barricades and the tables and the and the bookcases and yeah, that sounds really silly, but it does mean.

Dan Apsey: 10:38

I got it. Yeah, it was better than just a flat surface. Yeah.

Rob: 10:41

The point when my kids came in, and they were like, well, can we can we play this again? Because we did. I've done the first scenario with each of them. And then that was it. So they now want to go through it all again, which is quite cool. So

Chris P: 10:55

Nice. Wanna play again in six months.

Rob: 11:01

Yeah, you guys. But that's the thing with this, like the original Descent. You have a character? Yeah. With this, you change characters.

Tambo: 11:08

Every scenario? Well, you can pick any character.

Rob: 11:11

On some story missions, you have to take certain Yeah, so yeah. So this week, we play it 4 players, but a couple of times only three people have been able to make it. And because the it's all controlled by that scale, it scales and like, you know, Davies not very well at the moment. So if he doesn't come on Wednesday, Chris can't make it. Me and T can just play a couple. Yeah. So it's easier to get to let's continue any character

Chris P: 11:38

Bring the one character that. Yeah. There's always one, I think it's always what's usually to bring one specific character. It's good to mix around. I did play one character to death. And I got all the skills and then as a different character.

Dan Apsey: 11:58

Rob what have you been playing?

Rob: 11:59

I had a massive game board gaming weekend, which was awesome. So I played a couple games I'll talk about later. But for me, the big one was War of the Ring, the card game. I love Lord of the Rings. Kerley is a master of War of the Ring. But I don't want to play him at that because my I don't I've never played it. I haven't played it. I watched you guys play at once for a while for a bit. And you guys were playing it. And there was just stuff everywhere. Your brain hurt looking.

Tambo: 12:27

I got spike. Yeah.

Rob: 12:30

So so the card... we played Kerley had the card game. We never played it. My wife was out the weekend. So he came over and we and we busted it out. And it was brilliant. Really, really enjoyed it. It's nothing like War of the Ring. Nice. So that is more of the breaking your eyesight at that? No, no, it was a learning game. And he has been taking it easier on learning games, which is quite nice. But we were it was equal going into the last round. Nice. So it was really close. And you actually pay for play at the main games 4 player. So each of you control two factions. Yeah, so the the inverted commas good guys would be the elves, the dwarves. So one person will control elves, the dwarves, the other person will control the Dundaine and the Hobbit. And on the other side, one person will control the beasts and the orcs and the other person will control it several months forces and and then that's cool. So and each level is different. It's really thematic. And it's really quick. So yeah, it's so quick and so much fun that we think we did the learning game in like an hour and a half. Yes, pretty good. So like, you know, it was it was really quick. So um, yeah, how to fab time playing it. And like say, Oh, my last time they clearly did win all four points.

Dan Apsey: 13:47

Nice.

Rob: 13:48

So yeah,

Chris P: 13:49

I was holding back. It's what he was

Rob: 13:51

doing that know what it was a lot of it's card draw, especially when you play in a two player when you play in it for player, everyone will have the right, you'll be able to play the right cards. Yeah. I draw. I drew three cards. One was Merry. One was thing that you can use on Frodo. And one was a dwarf that can only use on Gimli. And it was like, Well, I played my one card. Yeah. And Kerley had like, Saruman in reserve, witch King and reserve. He had like a couple of Balrogs yeah, there's literally nothing I can do. So he wanted it that way. But um, it was really fun. Yeah, really, really good. Fun. Nice. So yeah, looking forward to playing that again. Nice. Nice.

Tambo: 14:31

Well, you know, I,

Dan Apsey: 14:33

I taught my eldest Patchwork, which she loved, I guess, to two kids seven year old and five year old but the five year olds at that age where he wants to get involved into everything. But teaching him a board game is not quite there yet. It's like he wants to move all the pieces. And he doesn't want to wait for his turn. Yes, he's getting there. But not not yet. Well, my eldest bless her she she wants to learn more board games, but also she can't do it while he's around. So he was shipped off to a party. You're gonna have fun on the soft play. Thanks and bye. And then we sat down together and play Patchwork which is really nice. Uwe Rosenberg game to players only about making a patchwork quilt. And it's super, super simple. It's either on your turn You either advance around like a spiral quilt in the middle of the game board. And the more spaces you advance, the more buttons that you receive. And these buttons are basically the currency. With the currency, you use that currency to buy tiles that go around the outside, round the outside, round the outside of the board. If I ever say around the outside, I can't say one times, otherwise it will implode. I'm playing. I'm playing tapestry the other night and I'm saying the school boards round the outside, round the outside. And that's it. Everyone's looking at me as if I'm like what? You have to say I can't carry on so yeah, it's

Chris P: 15:57

Ears are bleeding.

Dan Apsey: 15:58

Yeah, I'm sat there I'm sweat dripping down. Not normal sweat. It's blacktar sweat when you say so yeah. So you you by the tiles and the makeup a patchwork quilt. And we play free play twice. And I didn't make deliberately go easy on it. But she won. So obviously that must have been a bad day. I was grateful for her. She loved it. But you know, I suppose I suppose if they win at that age, it makes it makes them feel warm and fuzzy inside and

Rob: 16:28

I find if you want your kids to enjoy a game, let them win the first one. Yeah.

Chris P: 16:34

So I keep telling myself that everyone had to play Wingspan. I'm letting you win. I want them to win. Not that I'm just terrible. And they will not Oh, no, no, no, no. Nice.

Dan Apsey: 16:46

But also a bit of Voidfall as well. Which I still love why're you pulling a face?

Rob: 16:52

Because it's just the hotness

Dan Apsey: 16:53

You haven't played it yet.

Rob: 16:55

I don't care. Everyone talks about it, and it does my head in. Play and I was dead against it. Then when we were in so they were like there's a cop mode. And I was like, oh, there is there is no only say it because whenever our group gets into the latest hotness, yes. If you say anything bad against that latest hotness, yeah, they will get really wound up. I don't even know avoid the fact that if I say something bad about it, JP and Davey. They get really angry. So funny. It's like winding them up and then just watch them go.

Dan Apsey: 17:29

That's brilliant. It is I try not to get too too emotionally invested in the hotness in fear that I'm gonna go it's like my number one game forever. And then all of a sudden, like, you know, the the honeymoon period ends. And then you're left with the game when you think twice as much as I did. And then I've done a couple of games in the past. And I'll try not to do that anymore. So sometimes it's easily done. But now you're all in the invested. Yes. I love it. Should we get on to the main event? Let's do it. Let's roll the thing So the main event, I feel like I should put on one of my voiceover voices for this. Blue colour sci fi versus fantasy the deathmatch? That's it folks, we have to decide between sci fi or fantasy one is going in the bin and one will live forever but which let's discuss shall we gentlemen? I am a massive lover of sci fi. I like fantasy stuff. But I'm more of a sci fi fan. I don't know about you guys.

Tambo: 18:39

Um, as soon as you make same sci fi Yeah, yeah.

Dan Apsey: 18:42

I don't mind fantasy.

Rob: 18:45

I'm trying to figure out how I genuinely feel because movies, things like video games. Yeah. All about sci fi. Yeah, but board games I think are more about fantasy fantasy.

Dan Apsey: 18:57

That's interesting. How you how one can be one one different to the others. I would imagine. Well for me it would be sci fi all the way. I do like fantasy. But if I had someone you know put the two in front of it. You have to pick one or the other. The sci fi over time. But in this boardgame industry that there is spoilt for choice. There's a lot there's a lot there. And what you Chris up?

Chris P: 19:20

I am a fantasy man. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, as I played those different games, it always leads down to one we're going to play next. It'll be a fantasy game probably. Yeah. No. Yeah, obviously back to some massive campaign that I'm doing or Yeah, d&d related stuff. So I've always looped back to that anyway, so yeah, it's I'm I love sci fi obviously. Obviously, Star Wars one recently Yeah. So yeah, I love loving the Sci Fi stuff but I am a fantasy man dungeon crawler

Rob: 19:50

In space just doesn't quite feel right. Yeah.

Dan Apsey: 19:54

When you say it like that, it just it doesn't roll off the tongue as it was well at some point as a fantasy setting, but then I never played d&d ever. And people in my kind of extended group it's 'come on, you should play d&d, or you should do it do a d&d new you'd be be the DM you'd be great at it. I'm like, I probably would do alright at it, Yeah, but I only have an interest because the setting doesn't interest me enough. That being said, I've recently got hold of a copy of the Fallout RPG. Yeah. And I'm trying to get that going. So but because that's more of a sci fi setting, I prefer that over but I guess if

Rob: 20:34

you're trying to envisage a world, everybody who's pretty much a geek has played a Fallout or knows what Fallout is.

Dan Apsey: 20:42

I hope so.

Rob: 20:43

So if you're, if you're if you haven't, what have you been doing? Yes. So when when you're creating a D&D world, if you've got that backdrop to play off of you don't have to explain what a what a fat man is. Yeah, that man.

Chris P: 21:03

Hand heald nucular launcher? Yes. Yeah.

Dan Apsey: 21:03

Is the launcher.

Rob: 21:07

So you don't have to go into great detail about that. No. Whereas if you're describing a magical sword, yeah, you have to go into massive detail about that magical sort of it. So yeah, I'm guessing from that point, it will make it slightly easier. Yeah. But yeah, yeah, it's more about the fantasy.

Dan Apsey: 21:26

Yeah. Yeah. I imagine it's down to that as well as down to the experience you kind of have over the table. I mean, I would me personally, I connect better with a sci fi setting or atmosphere than I do over a fantasy one. Doesn't mean a light fence. But I just prefer to be on a spaceship looking at this. Oh, look, there's an alien race. Let's go and discover it. And but rather than on the floor, where I'm in a forest and there's a magical enchanted elf not that I don't want that's just me. That's just me. So what would make you purchase a sci fi game? Over a fantasy what is the the niche the USP over grabbing a sci fi over a fantasy and all the other way round?

Tambo: 22:12

Around? That's a nice for for me IJust going back to loving sci fi. And I love space stuff. So if I find a board game space space, that's it. Yes. Very safe. I love things in space. I want it to it's difficult for me to try and I do like a sci fi, a fantasy game. But if anything, I'm more attracted to play in space game. So if I probably definitely own way more space games. No, I don't. But contradiction. In the group I play more space games have ever like Eclipse comes up or something like that. Yeah, but I can't say what actually makes me want to buy one. I mean, it's gonna love sci fi. And that's it. I think for me, yeah, I just love the concept of sci fi space aliens. It's just difficult curation. And

Dan Apsey: 22:57

When you're presented with one or the other, and then it's trying to look at the back of the box.

Rob: 23:01

I've never thought about this before. And just kind of thought about it then is if it's an exploration game, yes. A space if it's a combat game. Fantacy. Why? That's interesting. Because whenever I do a whenever I do a combat in a sci fi setting, I turn into a storm trooper.

Dan Apsey: 23:24

I mean, you miss every single thing

Rob: 23:28

Yeah, it's kind of hard to miss when you're swinging a giant axe. I like that. Yeah. Do you know, in the games that I've played, where it's more sci fi based? I don't seem to do as well. Yeah. So when I mean, like, technically, we're probably rolling dice. And I'm not landing one. Yeah, I do. So there's no actual physical reason for that. It's pure chance. Yeah.

Chris P: 23:49

Yeah, I find most sci fi stuff rolls down to long range combat you're doing it's always lasers, PvP and faraway. Whereas fantasy is more I'm in your face. Yeah,

Tambo: 24:00

I think sci fi it's like you're setting up your ship so that we're gonna put these cool torpedoes on? You put his laser blast. And I'm gonna, you know, some people get new lasers Jump Pack jetpack. Yeah. When you're doing this fantasies about me sort of magical sort of fire with it, you know, fire Homing torpedoes, or magic wands

Dan Apsey: 24:25

But it's incredible what you said about exploration that you thought you would prefer in a sci fi setting than nothing. I'd be the other way round.

Rob: 24:31

Tip would Twilight Imperium work in a fantasy genre?

Dan Apsey: 24:36

It's funny, you mentioned that because I've always I've tried to think of it that way and try to think would it work in in that way? And it probably wouldn't. We would be on a ground setting because we couldn't be up in the air. So it just wouldn't be the same. I'm not sure. Have you played Twilight Imperium? So yeah, so I've played a lot of it. Imagine you've

Chris P: 25:04

Yeah, after spending many, many hours of my life playing it. Yeah. And then never getting them back. Yeah. I came last and I had an eight hour day. This was lovely. Thank you very much. Yeah,

Rob: 25:15

I figured out what I'm gonna do. Next time the group is playing Twilight Imperium Yeah, I'm just gonna come around with my Xbox I'm gonna tell my wife I'm playing video games I'm playing a board game I'm gonna be out for eight hours yeah come around and just bring my Xbox I can sit there for eight hours and play yeah, that's that works

Dan Apsey: 25:30

You should play a game that you haven't played before knowing that it lasts around about eight to 10 hours to see if you can complete it faster than the game and see where it gets you

Rob: 25:39

That's a challenge Challenge Accepted Challenge accepted. Starfield for

Chris P: 25:46

GIve it a go. Yeah, I mean to me 90 hours,

Dan Apsey: 25:50

Some time and I stopped for a bit I've been been playing Tetris of all things. Yes. I'd rather play blocks and go rather than search galaxies, you have no idea where I'm going back because sci fi

Chris P: 26:01

Tetris is more interested in this idea that he's going

Dan Apsey: 26:04

Back to topic. Ti on the floor on the floor fantasy setting? I'm not sure it will work.

Tambo: 26:11

I think the TI got all your research and all your technical stuff you got to do. Yeah, you can't do that in a site in that fantasy. I mean, you'll you'll do magic. I suppose. That's how you twist it

Dan Apsey: 26:19

Or you go to the shop.

Tambo: 26:22

Or something. Yeah, this book will get like the research symbols and

Rob: 26:25

Upgrading the broader games work better in space, the games that take you on a journey? Probably better and fantasy for me. Yeah, that's a good shot. And I love the story. I love the journey I love you know, starting off really weak and like an RPG

Dan Apsey: 26:43

Like Lord of the Rings isn't the Lord of the Rings is a movie but going on. Yeah, exactly. But it's about the journey, not the destination. Yeah. And

Rob: 26:50

Especially I prefer coop games. And when you're on

Dan Apsey: 26:50

There's two Eclipse what you said, you have a something like that, like when you're out when you're like Eclipse, for example, like you're in your own section of space, and you don't really interact with anyone until you bump into them or, or go and attack them. Whereas, like the you're on a journey together. Yeah, yes. disconnect. Yes, you have a disconnect you're on you're in your own little down space until someone comes and bump bumps in you. And then then you have to then engage. But it's Yeah, with with fantasies. Yeah, absolutely. With fantasies. And

Rob: 27:23

I think that's why I prefer it is because I'm not left to my own devices. Yeah.

Tambo: 27:29

I like your story, but I'm not that perfect. But I think that's why I did the first space like simple kind of space game. But I do like a good journey here. But again, the story is good, but doesn't really fit my space. So it's not a sci fi thing. Yeah,

Dan Apsey: 27:42

I'm the same. I mean, I I've done Descent. I've done I've done games similar than Gloomhaven. And it's that kind of feeling that you're gonna go all are going to be in this for, you know, 10/12 15/20 sessions on the same journey. But really, I could probably be playing something else. Yeah,

Rob: 28:01

Yeah, no, not nowadays. Now like the choice of game is just massive. Yeah, my view is that any kind of convention or shop, you'd see just how many games are available, which is a staggering number. But I'm just controversial. The artwork is better in fantasy. To Oh,

Dan Apsey: 28:20

I'm not sure. I'm not sure. Depends on the artist is. It depends on the artist is but when I see, yeah, that's, I can admire a lot of decent fantasy artwork. But then like, you know, take take for example everdale Everdell is beautiful. Fantastic, but it's a fantasy based setting. And it's absolutely gorgeous. But if you put you know, Descent to point out can't judge on 3.0 I would pick Everdell graphically over Descent different two games of course, but graphically Everdell was would be better than to set a fancy bow fantasy going to sci fi and crossing the two over if I had to pick another gorgeous sci fi game to go up against them the Everdell then Voidfall I think the beam is gorgeous but that's er it's all it's all the fantastic artwork done is fantastic. There are many there aren't an acronym for example and but going back to there was a Mindclash and their games are beautiful. I'm not sure I would agree. But for me the I love fantasy artwork as well. But I don't know

Tambo: 29:28

The tricky one that is very tricky because everything sci fi games live play which is basically Eclipse while it through Nemesis and all that. And the fantasy game so we just play Beast and I think the artwork can be as awesome as beautifies pretty Yeah. And then we find scheme that they put all the arts and the cards and everything we've sci fi, I don't think it makes so much effort. Some of them I can't say that horse looks like you know,

Chris P: 29:50

Straight edges do you think anyway? Oh, yeah,

Dan Apsey: 29:55

You're right. Yeah, yeah, I agree with that. Let me know what you look like beyond the sun. But that is a blocky kind of sci fi you kind of game that doesn't the way you look at it was was was with fantasies. The artwork has to be pretty because it helps with the setting and helps with the engagement. Yeah, yeah. So yeah, but sci fi, I suppose like yeah, like you said, if it's blocking you then it looks like the Sci Fi As a sci fi age, doesn't it? Yeah,

Rob: 30:18

But I do love the artwork of Warhammer 40k I love that artwork. It's just amazing. It is pretty. So yeah, there are caveats. Yeah,

Dan Apsey: 30:27

I look, I look at 40k. And I think yeah, you're pretty. And I look at the price tag and it's expensive is expensive every. So what games do you think would work well crossing over both genres. And so we talked about ti ti that, but what game would you think would work better across both genres? So, so you can put something in the same setting and it would work in parallel. So yeah, well, Imperial assault is Descent

Rob: 30:52

Dungeon crawler. Yeah. In space. That works very well.

Dan Apsey: 30:56

Yeah. Yeah.

Rob: 30:57

But that's more to do with the IP. Yes. Yeah. I think

Dan Apsey: 31:01

If you took away the IP and said, This is a sci fi game, but it's plays like a fantasy game. Well, it is sold as better, much better, probably not. sites, the Star Wars brand mainly

Rob: 31:10

Works very well. I think it would do if you had the app with it. You need some sort of sort of story narrative in a fantasy game from the ones that I've played. And if you can get that in a space genre, then for me, that would cross over quite well. Yeah. So wouldn't necessarily have to be Star Wars, but there would have to be Now there is one that I've got that haven't played yet. You've played it ISS Vanguard. Oh, yes. Yeah. Now, JP has lent it to me. We haven't played it yet. But I don't know whether that's,

Tambo: 31:42

that's because you can cross because it crossed over to a fantasy. It's very slight. So you just think it's story driven? So but all in space? Yeah, that's what I mean. Yeah. Yeah. So if you could change it to science fantasy, you just change the story. Right. And it would work.

Rob: 31:59

Yeah. So maybe something along those lines, it's more of a campaign, rather than a one event? Yeah, maybe?

Dan Apsey: 32:06

Well, I think I think an Anachrony would work well, in a fantasy based setting where it's a sci fi setting where, or it's gonna get hit by an asteroid, and then you've got so many rounds, and then there's gonna get hit again. And you've got four sci fi ideologies that are all kind of fighting over Earth, but you could easily be put in a fantasy setting where you've got elves and you've got orcs or whatever. But then it's not this massive asteroid it's just you know, perhaps some some other evil being it's overtaking the universe or the forest or whatever. And we still work in the same kind of setting and it's and then you know, you can incorporate it that way but I have always said many times with massive fan of Mindclash and and I think that even though they love a bit of sci fi, I think even even when they touch with a touch fantasy, it still works like a little bit trickier in some ways is a bit of a bit of a fantasy ish kind of topic. Perseverance. Perseverance, would perseverance work as a fantasy game if

Rob: 33:07

It was put on a kind of a stick of dinosaurs in it?

Dan Apsey: 33:09

Yeah. Is it is it what does that? Is that both is it crossover? As it is?

Rob: 33:15

Yeah, I think it does. We were we were in Essen, and I saw the little saddles on the dinosaurs. I was like, You know what, I think I might be back in here.

Dan Apsey: 33:22

What about you Chrisy P any games that you think would cross over both genres pretty well? Or do already?

Chris P: 33:29

I don't really know. If you went back into it if you changed. What I say you Fallout the board game is softbox ifI S Yeah. Change that to non put pocket post apocalyptic world into other environmental change guns to other things. Plastic or change the guns and stuff to you know, those arrows. Yeah. stuff. Yeah. Would it be the same game? Pretty much if you played it with the club expansion? Yeah. Yeah, it's a good it's a good Yeah, It makes so much better. So much more fun. Yeah. Yeah. Even though it's slight rule changes, different cards, different events, obviously. And it's just generally a bit of a nice time on the table. Yeah, because otherwise you got warrants when you did no one where we do semi Co Op or you do it fall into a non Co Op it's very much I find ourselves steering away from each other not getting too close. Yeah, playing your own separate game. Whereas now you all have you go to this objective do this thing big fight go. Yeah. Which is I find more enjoyable. But again, I'm a coop person with a Rob Yeah, I do prefer my coop games , but yes in that environment that you could change a couple of bits and pieces, and it would still essentially be the same game. Yeah, really underneath do the same sort of thing. Yeah. Go ahead. Do quest.

Tambo: 34:45

I'll just have two that potentially work Zombicide Right. Yeah, yeah, well, they've done it

Rob: 34:52

Black hole? That was fun. This one knows No interest in that until we flashed up Thundercats and I was like, I'm in Thundercats expansion for the Damacy ones. And I was like that as with the short Ghostbusters from a normal one. I was like, This is amazing. Yeah. And the other one Clank

Dan Apsey: 35:12

Clank Yeah. Yeah.

Rob: 35:15

Clank in space. Yeah. I don't know if it's the same game or not. I haven't played it, but I'm assuming it's very simple.

Dan Apsey: 35:21

I only played the one I played it when we were

Chris P: 35:25

like that. And there's a game. There's a game

Dan Apsey: 35:33

it's Neon, you can't miss it. It says inspires trust me, honestly. I've only played the module one, which was the one and kind of which one it was. Yeah, I wasn't a big lover of it. I really, I didn't mind it. I probably won't be something I would play over and over again. I don't know why it just wasn't

Rob: 35:54

They're very different games when you play over and over again, which is really weird. Yeah, I

Dan Apsey: 35:57

I can imagine but then I suppose I like that. Because if every game is if every game is different than That's right, it doesn't. It is never more play. There's

Rob: 36:04

There's nothing worse than there's nothing better sorry than realising you're not going to make it back. So you just intentionally messing up people's games. Yeah, yeah, sorry.

Chris P: 36:15

I am being tiles away. I have no hope of getting back. But I can get into like,

Dan Apsey: 36:20

nice, nice.

Tambo: 36:21

I love Clank if he has given me anything. The thing that annoyes me with Clank is the AP is I can think about my so what's a fun way to draw my next cards? I've looked like I know my next one already. And I've gotta wait four times to translate something and it doesn't really change. Because the shop will change the draw the cards and deck. But that's it. Yeah, I think second one time just gets me and I'm like, bam, done. And then because it's quite long, but it is a fun game. It's a great start again, for people who want to get the hobby. Yeah,

Dan Apsey: 36:44

Let's play it again, maybe and see how much I get on with the players. They only played the one with the modular board. But

Tambo: 36:50

so I was thinking of a game. You could do Eclipse with changing them to see boats or boats, and they go across the sea and explore sea tiles, and change the aliens to like the sea monsters. Yeah. Yeah. sort of thing. Maybe. And you can upgrade your cannon. Yeah, so that's probably one game you could probably turn to fantasy or sci fi. That's probably quite a fantasy kind of sci fi in it.

Dan Apsey: 37:14

Yeah, both doesn't it because it'll Max.

Tambo: 37:16

Yeah. And it's kind of an as in fantasy land isn't?

Dan Apsey: 37:19

Yeah. Eastern Europa. Yeah, it's like yeah, it's it's it crosses definitely crosses over both Or the new one Expiditions, which I haven't played yet. Which looks interesting.

Rob: 37:31

And if anybody's playing the podcast drinking game, Battlestar Galactica, and Unfathomable.

Dan Apsey: 37:38

Yes. Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. I played Battlestar Galactica and didn't like it. I know, most people that have played it, and they and I say that they go. What did you get out? I know, I just didn't like it wasn't my thing. But I do love Lovecraft. And I think if I played Unfathomable, I think I probably would enjoy

Rob: 38:03

Different games, but obviously they are similar. You play both? Yes. Yeah. Yeah. But they work on both levels. Obviously, if you play if they kept it as it is, and just put it in the Lovecraftian world wouldn't work. So we get there are different games. Yeah, as we've talked about many times on this podcast.

Dan Apsey: 38:20

Nice. Nice. So are there mechanics out there that were that would make you pick one over the other. So what mechanics work best on trying to say in a fantasy setting, other than a sci fi setting or vice versa? Like for example, like going back to Anachrony, obviously, Anachrony is time travel. And there's a time travel mechanic in the middle of the track where you're moving from one space to the other by borrowing resources from your from your future self, which works it would work work fantastically in the Sci Fi setting, but to try and incorporate that in a fancy one, it probably wouldn't work very well as a mechanic. Would you know of any mechanics that would work that work well in its setting probably wouldn't work well, and the other

Tambo: 39:08

thing is thinking

Rob: 39:11

would work though the time travel?

Dan Apsey: 39:13

I think how would you do time travel in a fantasy setting? Wizard? Was just wizard wizard. Yeah. Yeah.

Rob: 39:21

Sling rings. Like it's kind of style thing. So

Dan Apsey: 39:24

this is where I this is where my knowledge is just gone.

Rob: 39:29

I get that you could time travel in a fantasy setting. Yeah, so I'm guessing Anachrony is a you're playing your game against somebody else?

Dan Apsey: 39:37

Yeah, pretty much.

Rob: 39:38

I just think more like I said, like fantasy I think you do together whereas sci fi kind of do alone. Yeah. So if you had that, for me, the you know, sort of the coop sci fi journey. Where you're not a ship where your character Yeah, I think that works because we haven't played Nemesis the coop version. I haven't at least Yeah, I have how that would go in comparison to fleeted about

Dan Apsey: 40:08

that Dead of winter. I don't think the Nemesis coop fully Coop version works as well. Unless you put a defector in there. Yeah, and He put the veteran then it works really, really well. But also, I think, going on to that defective mechanic, I think that works better in a sci fi setting than it does in a fantasy setting. Yeah. But then who would? What kind of character would you have in a fantasy setting that would work that would fit the defector mechanic? Thief? Yeah, that

Rob: 40:32

That would work. Assassin.

Dan Apsey: 40:35

Yeah. So again, it could be done. It could be done

Rob: 40:37

Because there are a lot of like Battle games on there. Like, you know, defend the castle mechanics. Yes. Could potentially work. Defend the planet.

Dan Apsey: 40:46

Defend the planet defend the starship?

Rob: 40:49

Yeah, then maybe they sort of panics. I know you. Adrian's talked about the Great Wall? He's talked about a lot. Yeah, probably defend America. Yes. Yeah. Maybe something like that tower

Dan Apsey: 40:59

defence kind of. Yeah.

Rob: 41:03

Maybe something along those lines or something along the lines of rebellion. Star Wars rebellion? Yeah. Well, you know, hidden base. Yes. Hidden for hidden. Every

Dan Apsey: 41:12

fantasy games. Replicated like rebellion? I mean, I can't think of any of

Rob: 41:16

them. No, for many years have replicated rebellion. No, no, no, I'm gonna say what

Dan Apsey: 41:20

TI that's about it. That's, that's something loosely. It's rebellion is unique in its own right.

Rob: 41:28

Or something like Terraforming Mars. Yeah. When you appear on the shores when they land or whatever, and kind of do it that way. But

Dan Apsey: 41:35

TerraForm a new world. Yeah, yeah. TerraForm country? Yeah.

Chris P: 41:39

I was thinking more if you get right down into the nitty gritty of what you do in a game. I think in sci fi versus fantasy, I think when you do certain things in sci fi games, they're on a much grander scale. So in sort of games, where there's like an interact mechanic, where in a sci fi game, if you're doing that, like you're interacting with a massive thing, you're interacting with a planet or something and the details, consult Yes, or get lost. Whereas in the fantasy, I'm interacting with a bookcase or with a person, you can get much more into the actual domain details of, of obviously what you're doing, rather than I'm just doing a thing with a planet and I got some

Dan Apsey: 42:16

reason next time I go to my bookshelf in my own house. I'm gonna go I'm interacting with my bookshelf. I ever interact with someone give me a dose talking to a skill check.

Rob: 42:26

It will change your life. Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. Just waiting to

Chris P: 42:29

hear on the one end of the headline the bookcase.

Dan Apsey: 42:32

Books fall upon you. So let's go around the table. What is your favourite sci fi game and fantasy game? And out of those two? Which one? Do you like? More? T

Tambo: 42:49

Straight on mee? Yeah, yeah. The best sci fi game. I gotta say Nemesis for me. Yeah, I'm really close to saying Outer Rim as well. So I love that one as well.

Dan Apsey: 42:59

Not played Outer Rim yet.

Rob: 43:01

You need to

Tambo: 43:04

If I'm going with what I've played the most, it'd be Outer Rim, so actually, sci fi favourite game I got is going to be Outer Rim. Yeah, I love though. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, um, fantasy game, cause the most the most fantasy game I played was Gloomhaven. I think for me. Yeah.

Dan Apsey: 43:24

You play a lot of it.

Tambo: 43:25

I did. Well, I played quite a bit of it when I had it. Yeah. group as well. I couldn't do Frosthaven. Because to me, I think I just played Gloomhaven too much, and Frosthaven was too similar

Rob: 43:35

Dude. Mansions.

Tambo: 43:37

Oh Mansions, only the biggest game I've got. Brain just melted. Yeah, no, definitely. No, you are right. Rob, you will say well, that'd be mansions. Yes. Second Edition. Yeah, yeah, definitely. Yeah. So

Dan Apsey: 43:56

if you had to pick between the two, Outer Rim? Oh, you've been tied to a chair.

Rob: 44:02

It's like trying to pick your favourite kid. And

Tambo: 44:07

I'll still say Outer Rim. Because I love my sci fi because you live

Rob: 44:12

Can I have your mansions then?

Tambo: 44:16

The amount of money I've pumped into it, you're having none of it

Rob: 44:19

I'll buy you a pizza?

Tambo: 44:24

No. Yeah, it sounds to me. It's still the Sci fi path.

Dan Apsey: 44:29

Yeah, definitely. So but why would you know, if you had if you had to choose between those two and they said to you the melt your honour that you have to pick one? You're gonna throw the other one away?

Tambo: 44:41

I think Rob's right because the second edition of mansions is all about your whole story. And you do work together and you do it and you do a whole story investigation and the thing is sometimes just just get that's just get a game on and then like no go against other people. And by the way, it's done. But um, fantasy games because you've got a bit more of a setup, sometimes revenue. I mean, it could be argument of a lot of different games. General fantasy games,

Rob: 45:08

generally worst part about setting up the game setting the setup

Dan Apsey: 45:12

is

Tambo: 45:13

that's what that's all for. You out I think definitely answer of course this is just simplistic. Brilliant. I love mansions please see me wrong and I

Rob: 45:24

just don't justify to ask me just about too much this box

Chris P: 45:26

Chrisy P? when Sci fi first I was gonna say Outer Rim as well, game but to say something different rather than to keep saying the same thing over and over again. I'll probably say Nemesis. Okay, I really like playing Nemesis especially with you guys because it's brilliant because we're not the type of people that gets really backstabbing about everything, Tambo. Yeah, that was fine. We don't get really asked to each other when something bad happens or when you when you betray someone or whatever. It's just up again that once it's done, it doesn't. It's normally over. Quite quickly after the bad things happened within that

Dan Apsey: 46:11

I'm fairly new to the group who is the most backstabby person when playing amateurs? Well.

Chris P: 46:21

I think I've only ever played it with

Dan Apsey: 46:26

me like you bring his parents in and his parents looking because it's just a phase.

Chris P: 46:30

When he was younger, he was a different

Rob: 46:33

Tambo had phase of the games that he was playing. He was always the betrayer. Or he was always the person was like, Yeah, let's team up. And then all of a sudden, like Game of Thrones, but it's like it's games that you're meant to do it. Yeah, but we all just obviously have a team for doing it. Yeah.

Tambo: 46:49

No one ever trust me ever again.

Rob: 46:52

Quite trustworthy. He's very trustworthy. Yes. And to the point where nickname was backstambo.

Tambo: 46:58

still lives on.

Rob: 46:59

So he's like, it was he went hard at the beginning. Yeah, he was no holding.

Tambo: 47:08

Backstambo would come back out again. That's the kitchen the

Chris P: 47:14

situation calls for Yeah. All right. So yeah, Nemesis for that for that. But yeah, my favourite fantasy game full time is still Gloomhaven Just because of the sheer amount of hundreds of hours that I've spent on it. I paid him and my friends for money as so many. So many evenings of, you know, couple of beers, junk food and just playing with your mates. It's brilliant, fantastic game. And Frosthaven is becoming a close. So far seven at the moment a little bit because of the not the setup time is that I can take time.

Dan Apsey: 47:49

So if you have if you're strapped to a chair, tortured, you have picked one or the other had to go in the bin. It will be Gloomhaven and be winning. Oh, yeah.

Chris P: 47:57

It is going to win hands hands down. Yeah. Yeah. So

Dan Apsey: 48:00

that's one for sci fi. Yeah. One, one for fantasy, Rob.

Rob: 48:06

I don't own many sci fi games. I've tried. I've been sad trying to think of all the Sci Fi games that I own. And all I can think of is Imperial Asssault. So why do you think that that's the only one which is basically science is basically a fantasy of a sci fi instals Yeah,

Dan Apsey: 48:26

that's right. It still counts as sci fi so

Rob: 48:30

for me, that's the only game I pretty sure that's the only sci fi game I have.

Chris P: 48:36

like card games which are resistant

Rob: 48:40

to Star Wars. Yeah. Yeah, but it's not. It's

Chris P: 48:44

not it's not like a sci fi board game.

Rob: 48:50

Okay, okay, so I'll go that then. I'll go to Star Wars the deck builder.

Dan Apsey: 48:54

Yeah. You do look really

Rob: 48:56

good. And it's brilliant. It's quick and it's complex. It's

Chris P: 49:00

brilliant. Yeah, no, I love that game. 24 hours it was brilliant. So

Rob: 49:05

yeah, I'll go that. At the minute, my favourite fantasy games The Witcher, The Witcher

Chris P: 49:14

one day you will invite me

Rob: 49:21

if you want to play a game you requested requested

Tambo: 49:22

I like to play the Witcher Rob I've got tomorrow off, no Wednesday. Have you eaten in the evening? I don't mind.

Dan Apsey: 49:40

Playing Witcher The Witcher I'd like to the there was this event called the 24 hour boadgame I just mentioned I don't know. But I did not see it. I didn't see it at the app there it was it was just your copy.

Rob: 49:57

Carried it through this giant box through somebody else had it as well. Yeah. They carried it down put it down and then went Yes. And then you

Chris P: 50:08

brought in. Holy angelic

Dan Apsey: 50:12

make way people make way

Rob: 50:18

Joel from the Devon boardgame podcast, yes, came in. He was like, Yeah, I've got this. I'm probably gonna sell it now. The Base box and then he saw all the expansions and stuff and what a difference he made. He was like, yeah, probably gonna say like, massive and he was afraid. So I need to say The Witcher, or if anybody else is playing the podcast, drinking game, Too Many Bones.

Dan Apsey: 50:43

Too many bones. I get another one. I'm not played yet. That I need to play. That's probably

Rob: 50:48

my favourite fantasy. To be honest. It would be the Elder Scrolls. Because we got to play at Essen. Yeah, yeah.

Dan Apsey: 50:54

I saw the pictures because I didn't go to so and then everyone knows.

Chris P: 50:58

Neither did I

Dan Apsey: 50:59

know. And that's

Rob: 51:04

so good. Yeah. As a fantasy. It was a was it. It was a journey. It was too many bones. But it was

Dan Apsey: 51:10

Yeah, forgive my ignorance is was it just a reskin? No, no, no, no, no, no,

Rob: 51:14

no. Because that was the biggest question we had when we were playing. Yeah, quite. Yeah. And we, when we were speaking to the Chip Theory guys, they were saying it is Descent it sorry, it's really cooperative. not descent. It's Too Many Bones too. But then they got the IP for it. So they said this was always going to be Too Many Bones to Yeah, but the battle maps are bigger. And the the enemies are much more varied. And like I love the Elder Scrolls. So for me that's like the perfect because I love Too Many Bones and I love Elder Scrolls Yes. Yeah. Yeah. And it's a three scenario quest. Right? So So three gaming sessions, that character, then it's done. Is it? Yeah. So a lot of replayability because then you start a new character. Okay. And it's three certain scenarios and everything else. So the replayability of that game is going to be huge. Yeah. So So yeah, for me that that's perfect fantasy game for me.

Chris P: 52:12

You know, just

Rob: 52:16

reordered me. I didn't even look I just went Yep. All in done all in. Yeah. Nice. And then they sent me to bed when I was a free agent.

Dan Apsey: 52:28

Nice. But hey, you know if you'd love Elder Scrolls, and you're gonna you're gonna do it

Rob: 52:32

Because I recently got Skyrim as well. And yeah, very good.

Dan Apsey: 52:35

Sci Fi game. Imperial assault. Fantasy game, The Witcher. Yeah, you're tied to a chair. One's going in the bin, immortal flame. And the other one is staying.

Rob: 52:48

I love Star Wars but the which I spent way more on the Witcher study Star Wars was bought for me as a birthday. By JP Yeah. And the Witcher cost a lot. So I'm gonna stay with stay with the Witcher. Yeah, no, I, I've played. I've played a two player. I've played a three player. And I've played on my own

Dan Apsey: 53:10

The Witcher?

Rob: 53:11

Yeah, yeah. And it's bloody brilliant. And I could get so much replayability out that, unfortunately. Do you need somebody else to play? Star Wars? Sorry. Yeah. Sorry about that. I know. That the card game? Yes. Yeah. So you need somebody else to play that? Yeah. Sometimes I just don't know.

Dan Apsey: 53:32

Why not? So it's two for fantasy one for sci fi. Kind of. I have the deciding vote. This is

Rob: 53:40

going to just go 5050 Isn't it?

Chris P: 53:45

Cool in JP and duel for the deciding vote? We're going to be no clearer than where we started.

Dan Apsey: 53:50

Thanks for listening, folks. My choice is yours. My fantasy games. This is this is a tricky one with a fantasy setting. Because when I associate the word fantasy and board gaming, I always think of a Gloomhaven esque game. Although there are other games with a fantasy style setting that worked very, very well. Everdell, for example, is a good fantasy is by animals. Yes, but it has a good strong fantasy thing. Is ever done my favourite fantasy game? No. Everdale Does it have an unnecessary 3d tree? Yes. completely unnecessary.

Rob: 54:29

For the 3d trade. Yeah, absolutely.

Dan Apsey: 54:31

It's completely unnecessary, but people had it anyway. But yeah, it's still pretty. But yeah, fantasy wise. It's a very, very tricky, hard decision because I keep going through different things. But if I had to say fantasy, and forgive me if people think it's a loose base fantasy, but I'd probably say I'm going to over the Uwe. I'm going to Uwe Rosenberg and I'm saying Havana, because no, it is a fantasy esque setting because it's Yeah. So I mean, some people have said over the years they're going back to its older brother Agricola that the theme of Agricola is pasted on. It's just you're moving discs and cubes beause you are and caverna is not really really different. But the artwork and the art style does look fantasy esque and it has that vibe. So any moving discs around it. Yeah, but but your way that you're you're having to go on an adventure you're going on adventures question here. Yeah, within a within a worker placement competitive environment. So I've scratched the fantasy itch because I like fantasy, but not probably not as much as, as some of you round this table, but I like it. But sometimes we want that it's scratched, but I don't want to go down a 40/50 hour campaign to do it. While I've played Caverna would say, you know, four or five people, I've scratched the itch. And I've played a good worker placement game other competitive game as well, because I'm not overly massively a co op fan, have to Co Op, I have to have a strong thing for it to grip me otherwise, I'm not really then it's why like Frostpunk Frostpunk is a really want, I will gladly teach you really, It's amazing. It's amazing. I love I love it. I had a game up on there. I had to cancel because unfortunately, I'm working. But I think it's a long game. It's a it's a good sort of five or six hours it tends to play but it is worth it. And it is really is really good. But I like it because of the strong narrative. It's I like that form. I like going toward generally, how board games can be a form of escapism. And if you go to the universal Frostpunk you're you are escaping completely into this world that almost feels kind of real because of the way that the pieces look and the story is unfolds and it feels it feels like you're there. And I like I liked that about about frosty. But also like that about I'd love to start by Frostpunk. And I like that about a co op setting. So, but I I don't have many games that I like that cooperative. So if I was to say fantasy, Caverna because of worker placement, and it's just got that thing, loosely. Sci Fi wise, it's this is again, a tricky one.

Tambo: 57:24

I thought he was gonna go for Voidfall

Dan Apsey: 57:26

No Voidfall I love, you know, tools, artwork. He's just, it's just amazing. But for sci fi for me, it has to be an Anachrony. I just love it. I love the setting I love it's basically the same as cabverna, the same for Agricola. I just love the way it looks. I love the way it plays love the way it feels. And I feel that I'm part of this sci fi made up universe for three or four hours playing this game. And it's truly beautiful. There are other games that have that kind of thing that I like, but not as much. I think maybe the mechanics sort of Anachrony went over for me, I think there's just the whole time travel element is just so unique. And you don't get that in any other games. If if I had to choose between the two, then, you know, sorry, thanks. It would be an Anachrony. Yes, hands down. So that does mean that we are apt to fully solve this. What would what would others what would others in the group say? What would their What Would not I think games but over the genre specifically. Thanks so far?

Rob: 58:34

I think sci fi would win

Tambo: 58:37

I'd say that because there's a couple of who just love Terraforming Mars. Kerley and

Dan Apsey: 58:41

Becky? Yes. Yes. As do I

Tambo: 58:44

just thought of it. And that could have been tricky

Dan Apsey: 58:46

as well. So I do love it. And I'm new to it.

Rob: 58:48

But Kerley also loves Lord of the Rings. And he's got the card game. So I don't know I think yeah, I'm Becky loves Everdell and all those agmes. Yeah, sorry. True. I don't know. I think the answer is we're very lucky that we don't have to choose one.

Dan Apsey: 59:07

Yeah.

Rob: 59:10

But for me, yeah. Fantasy, fantasy. Yeah.

Dan Apsey: 59:13

Yeah. Yeah. I mean, what would what would Davey choose? You know, what? I can pick with Adrian choose? I dont know about Adrian at all, Adrian's a tricky one.

Rob: 59:23

I think you probably a fantasy. Yeah, I

Tambo: 59:24

think he would Marvel sign of maybe. But yeah. JP, he'd probably be sci fi.

Rob: 59:33

No, JP I will say he's fantasy. He's got too many bones in it. True. It's

Chris P: 59:40

very true. Very then he's also got Voidfall, he does love his Voidfall

Rob: 59:44

He gets confused, thinking Games are Pokemon

Dan Apsey: 59:50

Yeah, that used to be me

Rob: 59:55

You don't need to buy all the games anymore because JP does it? Yeah.

Dan Apsey: 59:58

Thank you so much. Lovely. Every

Chris P: 1:00:00

Every week. He just posted a list of games. Oh, I want to play that one. Yeah, that's my week. Done.

Dan Apsey: 1:00:05

Nice. So we could choose a winner because we're split. But hey, let us know what you think. Absolutely. Can we go on to our next segment? So would you rather, here is the ultimate question? Would you rather have unlimited access to all sci fi board games past, present and future? But only one fantasy game? Or would you rather have unlimited access to all fantasy games past, present and future? But only ever have one sci fi game? I know my answer.

Rob: 1:00:53

I know.

Tambo: 1:00:55

Yeah, I think I know why. Yeah. Chris you think? Do you know?

Chris P: 1:01:01

I'll take all the Sci Fi games. And just leave me with Frosthaven

Dan Apsey: 1:01:06

Oh I'm quite suprised by that

Rob: 1:01:08

To be fair. If you're playing Frosthaven, you haven't really got time to play any sci fi.

Dan Apsey: 1:01:12

Very true.

Chris P: 1:01:13

But over the course of this episode, I have been sat here thinking in my mind, what games. No, no, I still prefer fantasy. But I think that the games that I say I played, obviously, every week, singular I play Frosthaven every week, almost a guarantee. So that's my, that's my fantasy edge. Every every game I seem to play with everyone else really is is a sci fi game. So you know, that's not right. That's wrong way around. Star Wars, although, Nemesis. Yeah, and everything like that. I have a lot more of those on sort of switching around every so often we just play this one play this one play this, but I always seem to go back to that. So I only need that game. Play because it can take me 20 years to finish it.

Tambo: 1:02:13

But I did not see that coming. Also Frosthaven, last you 20 yers anyway

Chris P: 1:02:19

I've got I've got to finish it. That's all I need. I'm happy with that game. But then I've got the wide expanse of the universe to play all the Sci Fi games. I'm not angry. That's fine. He's just like that. He doesn't put he just does. I can see it literally. I feel like I've let my father down. Honestly,

Dan Apsey: 1:02:37

honestly, God, I'll explain why I come. Why.

Rob: 1:02:42

Why is all the games that we played together on fantasy? Oh, sorry. For me, it would be fantasy if the one sci fi game I could have would be Outer Rim. Yeah. I love again. Yeah. So yeah, for me fantasy. Yeah. Sure. Nice and easy.

Dan Apsey: 1:03:02

Nice and easy. T

Tambo: 1:03:06

I don't know, I just think there's probably a lot more fantasy games out there than real space games, right? It might be done over the

Chris P: 1:03:15

racking my brain and I keep leading back to the Sci Fi there's a... I find this fantasy game and then I go then I find two sci fi games and then find a Fantasy game and I find another three sci fi games. So I just want to keep going. There's more

Dan Apsey: 1:03:26

There's a fantasy one that I've just remembered that of that. I've got in my collection. That's literally like right in front of my shelf that I can't miss every time I wake up in the morning is there in front of me and that's Roleplayer and is it the keeper to make that game? The publishers lead No. But that's a really, really good fantasy game. It doesn't take 40 hours to play. It's just one night and it's really really good. It's character creation before d&d, so you're creating a character dice on a certain door trying to manipulate the dice to get certain points and it's really, really fun. And then I look at that shelf and I go, how many are sci fi? And most of the tail? So then that makes me think is there more sci fi games than there are fantasy ones?

Rob: 1:04:12

Or is there just more that you're into? Yeah.

Dan Apsey: 1:04:16

This is very true,

Tambo: 1:04:17

I think okay, space, space, space space. So sci fi and I have one fantasy game which will be mentioned thanks

Dan Apsey: 1:04:27

thanks to financially invested

Tambo: 1:04:31

200% Yeah, yeah. Yeah, definitely.

Dan Apsey: 1:04:35

Have to be fair if they made a Mansions of madness third edition would you be excited on space

Rob: 1:04:41

in space? Right now I think about it you could do it on like an event event horizon. Yeah, scenario. Yeah. Where you will go on ship and you got to figure out what happens if they ship that's it like like a warhammer 40k ship that's like the size of a planet

Dan Apsey: 1:05:04

that's no moon.

Rob: 1:05:05

If you're listening Fantasy Flight as the way forward we're mansions you're

Tambo: 1:05:09

gonna wait team. Yeah. Be Amazing. Cool. Yeah, pretty cool.

Dan Apsey: 1:05:14

Myself. Yeah, yes. would definitely be some sci fi. Yeah,

Rob: 1:05:20

I'm shocked I didn't see

Dan Apsey: 1:05:22

you can like even go back to like my childhood and go like I'm just growing up over watching you know the things like you can look at the film and you think in the 80s Slash 90s And you think fantasy This is before the Lord of the Rings days, you kind of go towards what the Dark Crystal or labyrinth and Willow that kind of thing I read I enjoyed those movies or Okay, Star Wars, but in particular, I'd say that I was a late bloomer for Star Wars. I didn't really appreciate Star Wars until I was about 18 And I didn't watch it because my family weren't into it. We were like playing Star Wars I know I know. I know. It's like your family asking to have your morning rice warmed up.

Chris P: 1:06:07

Is that not the way you do?

Rob: 1:06:10

It I've ever seen you

Dan Apsey: 1:06:17

I'm sorry. You haven't called?

Rob: 1:06:20

I thought we're staying off political.

Chris P: 1:06:25

Next Next scones.

Dan Apsey: 1:06:29

You gonna go into that argument you have what it how you call it? Is it a scone or a scone? It's a scoe, it's a scone. No, it's a scone until you've eaten it and then it's gone. That's it. That's why I what was? Yeah, so films labyrinth, okay. But then some of them are dad went yeah, so I'm watch this Terminator two. Yes, I'm done. And that was it. I was in. You know, you can't you can't be a bit of irony. Terminator Two is the best film. That's

Rob: 1:07:09

for saying like, sci fi films, like but you said now that the fantasy genre Game of Thrones stuff like that, obviously huge. Okay. But like you said before, Lord of the Rings, the only time you'd ever see an elf would be in a really geeky show that yeah, like wasn't very, not very popular, but had like a, like an underground or like a cold following, right? Yeah. And they Yeah, follow. But like for me, for me as a genre sci fi in films and series is what I always go to ball games.

Dan Apsey: 1:07:43

It's an interesting switch to go from from that to only go on an adventure and the assault can go and your preference I think will be with me or my childhood is that the Sci Fi in me is kind of just spill over to other things, other hobbies that I've enjoyed doing, and I think that's why I like sci fi more interesting to switch from one to the other books

Rob: 1:08:03

as well. It's all fancy books in my collection. Very, very few sci fi books did

Dan Apsey: 1:08:08

a lot of the whole Ian Livingston stuff and the you know, the the firearm was a firearm, warlock mountain and the Choose Your Own Adventure books. Oh, yeah. Yeah, growing up as a teenager, and a lot of those really liked those. And but then I specifically read hardly any sci fi books, just just a lot of fantasy, choose your own books who are called like those.

Rob: 1:08:27

So one doesn't necessarily correlate three. No,

Dan Apsey: 1:08:30

no. But you know, stick your film in front of me and someone says why you want to watch a fantasy film? That's three hours long sci fi film, it's an hour and 20 I'll probably go for the Sci Fi. Because I find that fantasy, sometimes you have to be in it for the long haul. And that's not to say just film. It's also for games as well, how I how I see it anyway. But then, you know, Descent 3.0 with 3d terrain.

Tambo: 1:08:54

So a four way forward.

Dan Apsey: 1:08:56

I'm all over it. I'm all over it and now it's time for our penultimate. What are we all looking forward to folks? T what's happening?

Tambo: 1:09:13

I've got Descent coming up on Wednesday, I think and we have could be discussed for another long game as well if wanted, but yeah, that and Anachrony? Yes. Yeah,

Dan Apsey: 1:09:24

I'm looking forward to that. I

Tambo: 1:09:25

really look forward to it. I've not played Anachroney for ages. If you played it before half, but it's more than one minute quick

Dan Apsey: 1:09:30

refresh as defaults each anyway. So that's perfect. I've you know, I've never played it.

Tambo: 1:09:34

Would you guess heavy? Yeah. Are we doing expansions

Dan Apsey: 1:09:39

or not? With the not with the fractal? Time? Teach? Yeah, so I probably put in sort of with the time and I'll probably do the the advanced timeline where you flip the top the fundamentals round. So I've got to then when you put in the warp tiles in you have to choose wisely, because where you put them down might influence what penalty or incentive to get, you know, and I might add another module in I don't know, but the the the new player who's around the table is pretty good, right? She's she's only just come into the hobby, and I taught her Wingspan and it was like deer in headlights. And that was about six, seven or eight months ago. So Now she I've taught her Hegemony and she's, she loves it, one more. You know, we're looking at religion. You run out you get as many as you can. No, bless her. She said she's done very, very well. And so yeah, she'd be around the table, but she will. She'll enjoy. She ought to be she played Voidfall. She loved it. So she started for Anachrony has been

Tambo: 1:10:40

Liked the Voidfall thing?

Dan Apsey: 1:10:40

Yeah, just a little bit. Yeah. Nice. Nice. Yeah.

Rob: 1:10:45

Well, as I said earlier, I bet we bought gaming weekend, this weekend, mainly with my children as well. Nice. So we played Marvel dice throne, which my daughter loved my oldest one. But then we were going to play descent, they wanted to do a family descent. And as I call, we'll do that. And then they got reminded that they had to carve their pumpkins. And so they they went of and did that. And I remembered that for my birthday, I got two new characters for Ashes Reborn. And then I remembered that I had the co op slash single player module. And I thought, why haven't I played this? And I forgot I've got a couple of hours. I'll get it out now. And I'll just have a look at it. Yeah, so I look at it and then for awhile, I've just set it up. See, see see what it is.

Dan Apsey: 1:11:32

You've done a Mickey Flanagan you've just gone. Oh, I'll just go out. Yeah. You've been out. And then

Rob: 1:11:38

Before I know what I've picked out, I've got I've picked the character. I've got a deck and I'm just playing I played it. Like I'm not very good at learning games on my own. Like typically I'll get JP or somebody around to help me learn a game so I've done very few on my own. And yeah, it's the game is the same obviously with the sort of enemy mechanic. So then there was a couple of things that obviously I struggled to figure out but I got there in the end, and I had an absolute blast playing it and it it was quick. It wasn't too long or two games in about an hour and a half. Do some so so yeah, looking forward to kind of getting that out again with different characters and and trying it out. So yeah, ashes ashes reborn for me. And Descent obviously with T on Wednesday. And we've just realised that we're both off on the same day so I get a sneaky little wedge here and there

Tambo: 1:12:36

We'll see how it goes. Nice. Chrissy P.

Chris P: 1:12:39

Well, Friday will be the weekly session Frosthaven, which is always lovely. But this Saturday for the first time I'll be playing Burncycle which I've never played before. I have no Scooby Doo what it's about apart from some sort of hacking. And that's all information. I have no thought about bicycles on fire.

Rob: 1:12:56

No, it's not. It's basically Metal Gear Solid. Yeah

Dan Apsey: 1:13:00

I've been told this

Rob: 1:13:01

But you know when you whistle and then you get somebody and you run around at the same time. Yeah, it's that part of Metal Gear Solid not not the shooting and

Chris P: 1:13:11

cardboard box.

Rob: 1:13:15

Snake down. Sure we did a scenario where one of us did hide there are hiding boxes

Dan Apsey: 1:13:25

I'm sold

Rob: 1:13:27

So it's really weird because it's not very combative. So you have to kind of plan right that enemy is going to move this way that's gonna move that way I can nip through and kind of get away that way. So yeah, it's really good. I think you're gonna love it. Yeah, I think you'll kind of know what the how we're going to do this. But I think you'll really enjoy it. So with doing this, I think it's first time player three player. I think

Chris P: 1:13:52

There's me you and JP JP. Although,

Rob: 1:13:56

I completely forgot about that, but yeah,

Dan Apsey: 1:13:58

I love Metal Gear. I've really should give it a go. I love Metal Gear.

Rob: 1:14:03

It's of those games that if you think you're gonna go in and smash your way through a room, you're going to be sorely disappointed. I don't I don't mind that. But if you've really got to think about if I go into this room, can I get to the safe box to hide? Can I or can I knit round and you really got to plan out your route seven

Dan Apsey: 1:14:20

proper prior planning prevents piss poor performance. Exactly.

Rob: 1:14:23

Well, we've we've always performed poorly so so yeah, it's kind of figured out but I think you're gonna love it. I think not.

Chris P: 1:14:33

So good. Yeah, I think doopy robot a few times

Rob: 1:14:36

The last time we played it they were decimated in about 45 minutes. That's pretty right. All right. Pretty good. Yeah. And because JP's the collector there is yeah, the magnetic standees and, Magnetic standees? Yes, So because it's a chip there again. Yes. There's loads of chips on the net. Yeah. So you've got magnetic minis Yeah, that stick to the top of the chip pile. So when you move them all around, and then when you when you do knock one of them out. You've laid them down and yeah, it's really Yeah, so pretty. It's very pretty.

Dan Apsey: 1:15:06

Yeah. How much did it cost 1 million?

Rob: 1:15:10

I think Yeah. I don't know. I don't want to get in trouble with his wife. I think they were free.

Dan Apsey: 1:15:19

Don't think just a nice nice.

Rob: 1:15:22

Looking forward to that

Chris P: 1:15:23

Can be a fun no be cool. Yeah, so never played before so there'll be a nice introduction.

Dan Apsey: 1:15:27

Nice.

Rob: 1:15:27

What about yourself? Damn, I forgot coming up.

Dan Apsey: 1:15:31

Learning and Teaching Septima by Mind Clash games I've not played it yet. Mine turned up my kickstarter turned up last week, so I'm super, super excited to give that a go. Again, it's super pretty and super fun. It's you played it.

Rob: 1:15:49

We played a trial game because Becky bought it as Essen Yes, yeah, yes. And I typically don't get on very well with Mind Clash games. Yeah, they hurt my brain. Yeah. This was a lot of fun. Yeah, I mean, Becky, we're like looking at each other. Like we're like fully grown up gamers. And

Dan Apsey: 1:16:05

It was brilliant. Yeah, you played the basic game.

Rob: 1:16:08

We played the base game. Yeah. Just did. That's what they recommend you play? Yeah. Yeah. There are a couple more elements to check into it. Yeah, but I think you'll have a lot of fun. Yeah,

Dan Apsey: 1:16:17

I'm gonna try and do it without the basic game. And just to see how I get on since if I can do it as one complete collection. But other people I've got around the table should be okay. But we'll give it a go and see what happens. We'll have a lot of fun. Yeah, the pieces are gorgeous as well of the themes.

Rob: 1:16:33

It's a pretty board

Dan Apsey: 1:16:34

Yeah, yeah. Villo Farkas who does the artwork for it did Trickarion as well, and Trickarion is just, mwah, so very much looking forward to that. And also we've got Anachrony for the weekend, which will be very, very good. And probably more Voidfall. And if I didn't if I told you about it, no, I'm not. I've never heard of it. No, no, please see other podcasts. I love it. Love it. And with that our final turn is wrapping up and victory points are about to be scored. Thanks, everyone for listening. If you've enjoyed the show, please like subscribe and review on your podcast player of choice and we ask you to share the podcast with at least one other person who you think would enjoy this. Also, if you want to support the show and become a subscriber to help shape our future content. You can visit our page on Ko-Fi or if you want to get in contact with us all the details are in the show notes or on our website. We'll be back again next time with another episode. But for now, Whose turn is it?