Transcript
Speaker: Mate, let's play a podcast where we get it together once a week, and by once a week, I mean maybe once a month. How are we doing, Shane? ah ah Yeah, it's ah I think even months pretty too long, too short. It's getting that way. No, good, mate, really good, really good. And, ah you know, thankfully, I've got a fair few ball games to talk about today. So, amazingly, that I've actually got some tech games at the table.
Speaker: But it's been really well, mate. It's been excellent. It's been excellent, Sam. It's a just a lovely time at the moment for me and my life. It's just great. ah mean That's awesome to hear that everything's, you're finding more time to do things for yourself.
Speaker: That's great. Yeah, finding more time to do things myself. I've got more time in the mornings to get up and do some healthy stuff and or sleep a little bit longer, which is nice instead of getting up at 5am in the morning every morning.
Speaker: It's that's been really good. this This new job change has has really changed my life and Lauren's life as well, so it's been brilliant. Yeah, lovely. Great to hear. how um just while we're on the topic of things that aren't necessarily playing board games, how's the board game design coming along?
Speaker: It's kind of halted and stopped at the moment. um It was interesting because i was at a board game day yesterday, which I'll touch on, and...
Speaker: There were fair few people that saying, oh, did you bring your prototype? No, no, I didn't. So, missed opportunity, where I probably could have play tested it with a whole heap of board gamers.
Speaker: But hey, I'll tee them all up, and we'll get them around my house, and we'll play it. and But no, it's coming on really well. I played it with the family, and we've made some minor adjustments to it, and I've even...
Speaker: thought about making another minor adjustment as well to the game itself, but at the moment it's flowing really well. And we played it, played it as a family a couple of weeks ago and it was Max's first play. The little bugger killed us, he was doing so well with it.
Speaker: But ah yeah, no, it's going along well, mate. It's going along well. Yeah, that's awesome. ah So for this episode, we're going to talk about a couple of games and then we're going to get into the awards. There's a couple of big ones that have just been announced as far as nominees are concerned, which is obviously the Board Game Geek, ah Golden Geek Awards, and then the Dice Tower Awards. So if you listen to the podcast, I would say, oh, last year, but it was probably like three episodes ago, and I went through what our predictions were. And it was actually it was good fun. um I'm going to do it a bit differently this year. Last year, I think I chose what I think would win.
Speaker: This year I'm choosing what I would vote for. Oh, yeah. Because I actually have voted for the BGG ones and I would vote for the Dice Tower ones. And ah I think I've got to vote for most of the categories. There's some that I don't. And in which case I'll just choose the one with the coolest name.
Speaker: But, um yeah, that that's that's my theory. like You can do what you want, um but i'm going I'm not going strategic this year. I'm going... and Play with the heart, not the head. yeah I'll do exactly the same. i haven't seen the list.
Speaker: Okay. I'm going to be totally off the cuff. So you know it's definitely coming from the heart. side ah But it's ah I have seen the Dice Tower list though, which was very and underwhelming, let me say.
Speaker: Okay. Yeah, it was it's interesting. I played a lot of the games that got mentioned this year, which is unusual. Usually when they do their list, i'm like, I'm getting ideas for games I might like. But this year it was kind of like, oh, I've actually played a lot of these. So, um yeah.
Speaker: Do you think it's been a bit of an underwhelming year for board games? ah it's It's a really hard question because I'm not really... Like a few years ago, I was playing everything, like really on the wanting to try off everything. And and of my gaming style has changed now where I'm ah more interested in repeat plays of games or getting more people to the table, playing a lot more party games than I've ever played before, that sort of thing. So I'm not looking for what...
Speaker: I guess the the hobby board gamer is looking for in most scenarios. But at the same time, like I said, I look at those lists and I'm like, wow, I've played a lot of these games. And not only have I played them, i like I've really liked them, um which we'll get to when we get to the lists. But yeah, some of those games, like as you know, I went on the Dice Tower at the dicet tower Cruise, sorry, had the BGG Cruise recently and played a few of the games that are on this list and they were all outstanding. And one in particular stood out. It's probably my, well, it will be my pick for game of the year when we get to the what wins game of the year list. um
Speaker: So it's, yeah, it's, I don't think it's underwhelming, but at the same time, I'm not playing as many games. so I'm being a bit more selective. So obviously the ones I'm being more selective with stand out, I guess. Yeah, got that, got that.
Speaker: You know, I just, i think for me, when I say underwhelming, I'm kind of like, okay, so what have jumped on Kickstarter game found and just said I have to back that? but And or what games have I bought that are brand new this year?
Speaker: It's been very little. i think I've only bought one game so far this year, which was and new. and that's Kingfire Council.
Speaker: right ah And then I realized when I took a photo of it and showed my gaming group, like you feel goes, oh, yeah, bought that. I went, oh, bloody hell now. I've got a copy I don't need.
Speaker: I'm still in shrink. So if anyone wants it, reach out to me. You can look at selling it. um But no, and even so when I see a new releases on GameFound, there was nothing there that I really wanted to back.
Speaker: Like I did survive the Pittsburgh campaign. In other words, I didn't back it. um And because I figured, well, I own brass, Birmingham, so I don't need Pittsburgh. and And by the way, 12.9 million US dollars, I think it went for in the end.
Speaker: So, it's ridiculous. We weren't close with our things. I was right on the money. Like literally when the campaign was over, i was like, I've nailed it. And then it went on for another week. Yes, yes.
Speaker: ah thought i'd I thought I was right on the money. Anyway. Yeah, that's why I said I survived it because, you know, it was still can like I'm sitting there. What did it go for? It's still going. I could still back it if I want to really back it.
Speaker: No, no, Shane, not backing it. There's no point. Yeah. So, but no. Well, then let's, let's, let's talk about some games that we either have backed and played or just have played. You you mentioned you went to a game day, so maybe I'll start with you. have you been playing?
Speaker: Well, yesterday was BrizCon and today's BrizCon. Of course it is. And by the way, happy Star Wars Day. Oh no, it's not Star Wars Day yet, it's tomorrow. ah But BrizzCon was on yesterday from 9 to 9 o'clock at night.
Speaker: And for those listeners, BrizzCon is a two-day event every year here in Brisbane. And the lovely guys at the North Brisbane Board Gamers Guild and the South Brisbane Board Gamers, they host a room and have a board gaming room.
Speaker: So that yesterday was full, full of people playing board games. We had Eris from a Delta Phase Games and showing all his new games that he's producing and playtesting a couple of prototypes.
Speaker: And they had their bring-in-by, which I lined up for the first time because got there really early. And Shane and Ingrid, they were coming at about 11. So I thought, I've got a couple of hours to kill. Why don't I go line up for the bring-in-by? And so anyway, so stood there.
Speaker: It didn't take two hours lining up. was only probably about a half an hour to an hour. And I went in the room. Saw nothing that I wanted to buy. There was nothing at all in there. But a massive amount of board games.
Speaker: Huge amount board games being sold in there. I don't know. Opening up old wounds, but did you see anyone selling copies of your games from last year?
Speaker: No. No. And yes, I did. Yes. Remember that I did even mention in the podcast last year that I had two games stolen. um But...
Speaker: then I went back and Shane and Ingrid arrived. Actually, no, played a prototype with Aeris and Tristan. And I won't talk too much about it. it was It was okay. There was a lot of ah lot of issues with it, I thought. But I need to get back to Aeris and talk to him about that because as soon as we started playing, Shane and Ingrid arrived.
Speaker: say So took of took us about a half an hour to play this prototype. We played Unc Morpock. ah which, you know, it's a great game and so much fun. Tristan had never played it before.
Speaker: And so he was, can you do a teach with me? Yeah, no worries. Five minutes, teach is done. Not even that. Yeah. And he went, oh, I thought this was going to be more complicated. I said, that's absolutely not complicated at all.
Speaker: He ended up winning. So his end game condition was to run the deck um the deck out Yeah. And my Wing Game condition was to spread nine minions out over the board.
Speaker: And at one point, I had nine minions out there. But stupid me, when I placed one of my minions, I placed it in the same spot another minion was. Now, the actual Wing Game condition for, I think it's Lord Vetillari, is you have to have nine minions in nine different zones on board. Right.
Speaker: so as soon as I did that was like oh fuck I'm just anyway um but then then we were getting near the end of the game Tristan plays this card that kills two of my minions and I was just like you bastard I've got chance of winning now because there was like three cards left in the deck and uh anyway I ended up winning it was really well played it was good fun such a good fun game um Then we went and played Clans of Caledonia, which is, again, excellent, very enjoyable. I'm glad I played the live version because I've played it on BGA, and i'm just I'm just clicking buttons.
Speaker: That's was doing. And so that I was about halfway through the game. like i I started to understand it more. And very enjoyable. Again, was myself, Ingrid, Shane, and Tristan.
Speaker: So, you know, four really good for people to play games with. I mean, you just having a ball and having fun. and And quick pace, like, you know, we were humming through these games.
Speaker: yeah There was no, you know, there was no no one taking their time on their moves. And it was just a really excellent game of clans. um And then we took a break.
Speaker: And I went back down to the bring-by.
Speaker: And um there was not many ball games left, but I just found this game and it was quite a large box. And it was called Blood Feud in New York.
Speaker: Horrible looking cover, right? But it was, just picked it up. I went Blood Feud in York. You know me, I love my mafia. Yeah. Take that,
Speaker: And it's got three over 300 pieces in the game. It's got all these minis for all ye all your bosses and your mobsters and your hitmen and everything. It's got boats, limousines, helicopters,
Speaker: um And it is a massive take that game where you are just battling out to be the the top boss in New York. Really big board. and I have no idea if it's going to be good.
Speaker: But for 20 bucks, I was sitting there, Shane and were looking at it together and just went, mate, for 20 bucks, this is this even if it's shit, I've got all these minis that I can use for other games, right? Yeah, that's right, yeah.
Speaker: And he went, yeah, you're right. Anyway, if we tried to quickly skim the rules, and he went, this is probably not going to be that bad. And anyway, so tucked that under the arm for $20. And then Tristan comes up to and he goes, you know you love your take that. I said, yeah.
Speaker: he said, I'll look, and it's a deluxe edition of Lifeboats. Oh, thank you. Oh, Tristan, you shouldn't have done that. So that they got purchased as well.
Speaker: So two... One, you know, dicey game, but that's even still, like, the amount of stuff in it, in this Blood Feud in New York. So I came home and I actually watched him how to play this game on on YouTube.
Speaker: And went, eh, it's kind of like Godfather-esque before, you know, Coleon's Godfather came out. it's It's done by Eagle Griffin Games. All right, so that's no slouch. And, um... Yeah, I did buy a couple of couple of games yesterday that were, you know, not new, but looking forward to, I'm actually looking forward to playing this Blood Tooth New York with my Thursday night gaming group, because we love to take that, so.
Speaker: And then we ended with Concordia. So I've been playing a bit of Concordia as of late with the on the Thursday nights, and I'm
Speaker: I enjoyed that game. I mentioned it last episode. It's it's ah it's up there now. and essential We played it Thursday night, the three of us, myself, Pastor Nick and and Andy.
Speaker: And I ended up ending the game. and But I came dead last. Yeah, right. I don't know how that happens.
Speaker: of But it was good fun. And then last night, ah yeah, last night we were playing Concordia. And I think i came second. Tristan Trounced us on all three games we played. He killed us in Clans.
Speaker: Killed us in Concordia as well in the end. um But it's that's ah I'm enjoying that game. um'm I've got no interest at all at backing it when it goes to this blinged out version on Gamefowl.
Speaker: Because i think just the standard Concordia is, it looks fine. Yeah. thought I feel, yes, it's got an ugly looking box, but the actual components of the game board itself are quite good.
Speaker: So, why spend $300 of what would be on a GameFound ridiculous blinged out version when you can, yeah for about 80, 90 bucks, you'd probably pick it up cheaper than that second hand, so. For sure. And especially because the the the deluxe version it will be coming out, a lot of people will be getting rid of their non-deluxe versions.
Speaker: Correct. Correct. I think i'll just wait for one of those, but it's a it's a horrible box size. It's going to look funny in my cabinet, but similar to that Blood Feud New York, that's a horrible box size as well.
Speaker: but That's it. That's it for me. It's been a good few weeks playing some board games and, um, Big shout out to Asmodee as well, in based in South Australia. They're the team there once again sponsored Briscoe and gave us a heap of games to give away on the day. So I think the main prize was Fate of the Fellowship that we were giving away. Yeah, cool. Which was really good.
Speaker: And I must say thank you to Asmodee as well because they help us build a... that We're building every month. So every month they send some sponsorship games that I give out to local communities and local game groups.
Speaker: And we're quite filling up the Mates for Mates board game library in Stafford there. And um every week, every month when I get some games down, I donate them to that board game group. and And they're really enjoying it.
Speaker: And their board game library is building and building. So thanks again to Asimba. Yeah, that's awesome. Thanks.
Speaker: Well, um up in the top end, we'll still be getting plenty of games played. A couple of games that have really kind of ah taken over, but have been played multiple times and probably the one that stands out. And this is going to be a huge call.
Speaker: But I think I have, I wouldn't say a new favourite because I've had the game for a few years, but I think my favourite train game is Maglev Metro. I'm yet to play it.
Speaker: Yeah, so it's i've I've had it for a while. I played it a few times when I first got it. I really liked it. And then it just sat on the shelf for ages. And I was like, there's something about that game that really stands out. And what I guess what it does different to pretty much every other train game is because it's a metro setup. So the idea is it's in the near future. We've switched all of our subways out to magnetic levitation, but we haven't been able to upgrade, like rip out the subways, of course. So you're building...
Speaker: within like the the the cities that currently have subways, so like Manhattan, Berlin, and and then there's other some crazy maps that you can get to if you buy the expansions, like the Moon and Mars and places like that. So I'll get to that. I haven't gotten to them yet. But ah essentially, because it's a subway,
Speaker: every Everyone can build on a line. So you have these little clear hex tiles that you place. And my I might be using a yellow color. You might be using a blue color. So you place both tiles on both of our colors on the one space. And you can see all the colors that are on that line.
Speaker: So it kind of looks like a subway map by the time you finish through there with all the different colours going everywhere, which just it's just so satisfying. at Really, it is. um so But the because it's magnetic levitation, you can't just build trains wherever you want.
Speaker: Your train will run from its end to its other end and then it will turn around. You can't just... you know, turn left off a station if you're, if you you can also go straight ahead. So you've got to build your line basically from start to finish. And then it takes a whole action.
Speaker: Firstly, you've got to, you've got to commit a robot to an action to be able to turn around your, view your rail, but then that also costs an action to do and you only get two actions a turn. So it's like,
Speaker: It's expensive if you don't want to go all the way to the end of your route. So you're trying to build these routes that allow you to pick up the different, there's robots and commuters. So the robots will help you make all your actions stronger on your board and your commuters are the people who just want to be dropped off where they need to go. So and The professionals want to go to the office and the artisans want to go to the studio, et cetera, et cetera. So you're picking up these people. You can only drop them off at the color that matches the color of themselves.
Speaker: And then they go on your board and they'll help you do things like score more victory points or whatever else. So you really want to get the robots because they increase all your actions level. So for example, at the start of the game, you can do one of everything. You can build one track. You can move one station. You can pick up one worker, drop off one worker. But as you add robots, suddenly you can build three track or you can drop off. You can pick up three people instead of one person. So your actions become stronger and stronger as the game progresses.
Speaker: But at some point, you've got to run out of robots. And then you're like, well, that it's hard for me to focus on getting my action stronger now because there's less chance of getting a ah robot to deliver and fill out on my board. So then you' got to sort of pivot and go, all right, well, now how am I going to score victory points with this engine that I've built for myself? and um It's just a really neat puzzle where,
Speaker: The game is every time someone builds a new station that introduces a new passenger into the game, those passengers go into a bag. You take an action called refill, which you draw out a certain number of workers from a bag. They'll go on the station you're at, and that's how the workers get out on the board or the passengers and robots get out on the board. So the start of the game, there's like probably four or five robots in the bag, and then you'll add a colour, which puts another 12.
Speaker: passengers in the bag. So getting the robots has now just become extremely unlikely. Yeah. So it's this really cool balance of doing what you can with what you've got, but then also a bit of luck digging for a particular color.
Speaker: But then that's also the game in trigger when all of the robots, when all of the, um, whether it's passengers or robots, emptied so that when the bag is emptied, that triggers the end of the game. And you're sitting there and you're building this engine where you're doing all this stuff and you're like, no one has taken the refill action because we're all just trying to make what we can get. We've already got work.
Speaker: And so this game is going to take forever because that bag is like full. And then the whole game shifts and suddenly everyone is drawing out of the bag and it just ramps up. And just it's really enjoyable, really simple game to teach, like...
Speaker: um I had ah some friends come over the other day and we played it and they'd never played it before. And um yeah, explain the rules to them. They're away. And then they were asking like strategy questions. And I just kept saying, look, I can tell you what I think is a good strategy, but I just got my ass handed to me by my 12 year old last play. So, you know, maybe I'm not the best person to ask.
Speaker: And then I quite comically, I got stuck in a situation where I'd stuffed myself up and I could only move one sort of mid game, which is really poor at mid game. and So I took a whole, I took two full turns, so four actions, just to get to one location. And by this stage, the other the two people that I taught, they're doing all this cool stuff. And um Suzanne, after I had my turn, she's like, is that all doing? I'm like, yeah, yeah.
Speaker: Referencing the just got beaten by a 12-year-old again. Just because I can teach you how to play doesn't mean I'm good at the game. Yeah, just but just thoroughly enjoyable. Both of the maps are ah slightly different but give you a similar feel. what where like Like I mentioned before with the trains, obviously the main thing is that everyone can build a track on the same space.
Speaker: But where it differs is that idea that you can't sprawl out from one station really messes with your head because you're sitting there going, oh, I just need to get back to like a silver station so I can draw off this robot.
Speaker: But then you're like, oh, so I could build a track there. But if you build a track there, you can only ever have one in and one out from every station. So if you build a track to the Silver Station, you can know now you've got to work from the Silver Station, which puts you further away from like maybe the Purple Station that you need to get to. So every every decision is like, oh, this could be really convenient. Although in the long run, it's going to ruin me.
Speaker: um And you can even get into a situation where you create a loop, but then you can't get out of your loop because everything's got an in and an out. But as an action, when you build, you can also remove. So you can break yourself out later if you have to. but Yeah, just just a really enjoyable game that has just grown on me to the point now where I'm playing it.
Speaker: Like, it's the first option when we play, like, a game night. we're like, well, it doesn't take long. Like, at three players, it's probably... maybe an hour. um Maybe, i mean, if you're really thinking about your turns, maybe 75 minutes, but no longer than that.
Speaker: And you're always doing stuff because ah you only get two actions a turn and your actions are move, pick up or drop off, build track. It's not like an action takes very long.
Speaker: What you can do though, is if you get ah enough of a particular type of work is you can actually get yourself more actions and there is nothing cooler when everyone's doing two actions and you're like, I'm just going to take my third action. Let's go to do this.
Speaker: Or if you're even good enough, you end up getting a fourth action. It's just a game that really rewards some good planning, but also even if you're having a bad game, it's still just fun to throw the throw the tracks out. And my only downside, it's not downside, the only negative, that's an even worse of a word, disappointment. The only disappointment I have had so far is that I haven't played it at four players.
Speaker: which is the maximum play count. So I've not seen it where all four colors are on the board at once. I just think that would look amazing because the tiles are all designed so that if you have all four in the one, you can see all four colors clearly.
Speaker: So it'd be really cool to actually play it like that, but have not had the chance yet, so. there time There's an app for it. It's a not very good, but it it also fills that need if you just yeah if you want to play the game and no one else does.
Speaker: um It's really hilarious, actually. Every single turn, including the first turn, a little warning comes up and says, this is the last turn of the game. Every time.
Speaker: <unk> sorry Once you get past that, the game plays fine. but the The robots are a little bit easy to beat. The robots. yeah The AI players are a little bit easy to beat, so it's not quite as fun. But yeah, now definitely Maglev Metro, really grown in its stature for me as in amongst those Trains games. I have really...
Speaker: sort of in the last 18 months, you know, started playing a lot more train games. I really like Age of Steam, obviously. It's a classic. and Yes. um Played Railways of the World, which is almost the same game. Steam is almost the same game and um a few other ones that are a little bit different.
Speaker: But um this one, because it's so different but still has that pick up and deliver train-style game feel about it, um it's just, yeah, it's really shining with me at the moment. So...
Speaker: Yeah, Maglev Metro, great game. I think they're bringing out a second lot of maps as well, but the the first box just gives you Manhattan and Berlin, and that's enough. you think That's all you need for for a long time, I think.
Speaker: so Yeah, nice, mate. Well, when you come down to Brisbane next, bring it down with you. yeah ah Yeah, it's not too heavy, so that shouldn't be a problem. It's no it's no Return to Dark Tower, so yeah.
Speaker: So the other game that's getting a lot of play here, and yesterday I actually played it solo, two-handed solo, which is it's Slay the Spire. So everyone knows Slay the Spire, the classic video game that was basically a board game in a video game, but then they made it into a board game.
Speaker: ah And I usually, when I play it solo, I would just play the app. But I thought, no, I'm going to get the game out and actually physically play the game just two-handed. And far out, it was fun. It took me all day to get through, but I won. I got to beat the Era 3 boss.
Speaker: I haven't reached the Era 4 bosses yet. That comes later if you unlock them. But yeah, beat the Era 3 boss yesterday. Played all the way through. Just again, if you like deck building, if you like ah like a battler, like a roguelite kind of game where the more you play it, the stronger your people will get.
Speaker: if Whether you, whether it's you playing again or not, because you unlock more things, you, and obviously you get a bit more use to the game. So it is a game and it's it's a weird one because if you play it all the way through, like I did yesterday, which you don't have to do there's three years, you could stop after each era and then pick it up later. But if you play it all the way through, it's a good four or five hours.
Speaker: but it's it's enjoyable the whole way through. But the good thing about it is if you play it and then you die in like the second era somewhere, you sort of go, yeah that's that's enough.
Speaker: I don't need to, I don't feel like I need to start again, like just pack it away and go, cool, that was a good couple of hours. If you're losing the first era, which, you know, firstly, you look, you take a good, I'd look at yourself in the mirror and wonder what you did wrong. what Once you've done that, you just go, well, that was only half an hour. I could rack it up and go again. So it's kind of this weird thing where the whole thing takes a long of time, but you either play it for a long time, play it for enough, or it's too short. So you play it again.
Speaker: So it's just staying on your table for a good couple of hours, no matter what you're doing. So, but yeah, just a really good deck builder where at the end of each end of each battle, you get rewards, usually a card and some money. At some point, you can spend that money on getting more cards. Sometimes you can get rid of cards out of your deck. So, you I love a good deck builder, but what I love in deck builders is a good ah exile engine, a good way to get rid of cards. Yep. And it does does that pretty well. So, yeah, that's ah it's just – it's number 17 on BGG.
Speaker: Oh, really? like That only fell off my chair when I read that. i How old is it? It's only three years old. Last year, I think. yeah Okay. Wow. Wow. Yeah, maybe the year before. I don't know. It's not old, but i just i did I thought it was a bit niche. I thought the people who played it were the people who used to play the video game.
Speaker: So I didn't think it would be that high. but i did I mean, it is an excellent game. It's very well designed, but it just surprised me that it would be number 17. So,
Speaker: you go. I've seen it in places. I've never played it. I've never even played the app. Yeah, oh it's it's good. Both are good. Both are really good. And, you know, if you commute, i know you don't commute anymore or you might have an hour and again, but um it's going to be a great commuting app because you could play it from North Lakes to Brisbane on the train and you might finish one game of it before you get there.
Speaker: Or maybe you wouldn't. So it's not like a five-minute thing. It's actually you invest a decent amount of time into it. I'll look into the app and, because yeah, I still do commute, just not as much commuting not during the week anyway, but maybe it's good playing game too.
Speaker: Yeah, for sure. Yeah.
Speaker: Do we want to get started in our count our countdown? our um h g and Yeah, let's do it. Let's do it. right Let me bring up let me just minimize this screen a little bit to bring up my spreadsheet.
Speaker: Trusty spreadsheets. Where would we be without spreadsheets? Okay, so. Let's start with the BGG list, which I have not got in front of me anymore. That's good stuff. Here we go. Okay. so BGG have about 15 categories, I believe. um Wow. So this will...
Speaker: We'll just we'll fire through them. Let me just double check. Yeah, 15 on the nose. How good is that? So we'll just go through what the nominees are. There's 10 per category with VGG, so there's a lot. So we won't discuss much. We'll just basically read them through and then say, yep, that one for sure.
Speaker: All right. So we have, I think I know which one you'll pick here. So this is the first category is best two-player game. We've got Toy Battle, Star Trek Captain's Chair, Flamecraft Duels, Everdool Duo, Azul Duel, Iliad, Tag Team, Star Wars Battle of Hoth, Zenith or Duel Ficardia.
Speaker: What would be your pick? Okay, so I'm just going straight through the heart. I'll go Battle of Hoth. Yeah, nice one. I went Duel Ficardia.
Speaker: What I think will probably win would tag team. What's that? I think tag team win it though. Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised. In fact, my i voted for five of them because I played five of them.
Speaker: And I had Jewel Ficardia, Zenith, Star Wars Battle of the Hoth, tag team, Iliad. the five And they' were all they're all great. So putting Iliad fifth out of five feels a bit wrong. But not to worry. Next one is artwork and presentation.
Speaker: So we have Vantage, Magical Athlete, Fate of the Fellowship, Hotstreak, Eternal Dex, Heredia of the Paths We Dare Tread, Speakeasy, Luthier, The Old King's Crown or Galactic Cruise.
Speaker: Geez.
Speaker: For artwork, you'd have to say Vantage. Fair enough. I went with Galactic Cruise.
Speaker: I'll tell you what, it's very clear that Ian O'Toole knows what he's doing when you look at lists like that. Although say, I i ah don't know who likes Eternal Dex artwork, but I would never consider their artwork the selling point of that game, far out.
Speaker: I saw that being played yesterday, the artwork. There's no artwork there. It's just... It's interesting, but I wouldn't say it's amazing. But then again, I'm an unimaginative, colourblind person, so I might not be the best person to judge.
Speaker: All right. Jumping across to cooperative game. So we have Eternal Dex again. Unmatched Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Aridia again. Caller of Discovery.
Speaker: The Elder Scrolls Betrayal of the Second Era. Fate of the Fellowship. Nemesis Retaliation. Regicide Legacy. Take Time. And Vantage.
Speaker: Vantage is definitely not cooperative. So I'm going to go Eternal Dex.
Speaker: I also went eternaldex. That's our first crossover.
Speaker: Rightio. Next up we have after cooperative expansion. So we have, i'm just going to read the names of the games.
Speaker: If you know the expansion, you know it. Castle Combo, Dune Imperium, Earth, Jewel for Middle-earth, Lost Ruins of Arnak, Sea Salt and Paper, Seti, Wormspan, Clank and Heat.
Speaker: Sorry, Clank Catacombs and Heat. Heat. Okay. Seti. I'm going, oops, I'm deleting my previous entry. I'm going Clank.
Speaker: And you're going SETI. I haven't played the SETI expansion yet. um And Heat was fine, but not necessary. So I would prefer the other one. Okay, Innovative.
Speaker: So we've got Vantage, Tag Team, The Old King's Crown, Moon Colony, Bloodbath, Molly House, Hot Streak, Core of Discovery, Aridia, Lightspeed Arena, and Eternal Dex.
Speaker: okay Oof.
Speaker: That's a good list. It is. That is a good list.
Speaker: It'd have to be Vantage.
Speaker: Thank you, Duke. I went with Eternal Dex again. i nearly went for Lightspeed Arena because that's a cool game. it's um The only reason I didn't is because when I played it, someone said, oh, this is just like some other game. So like, oh, well, I don't know if that's the case. don't know how it fits in innovative, but I'd never seen it before.
Speaker: All right, Light Game of the Year. We're getting a fair bit of overflow here. So I'll go Hot Streak, Magical Athlete, Star Wars Battle of Hoth, Jewel for Cardia, Flamecraft Jewels, Flip Toons, The Hobbit There and Back Again, railroadd Railroad Tiles, Take Time, and Toy Battle.
Speaker: Hot Streak. I also went Hot Streak.
Speaker: It's just bizarre to think that you've got a category that has both Hot Streak, Magical Athlete and Dual Fecardia and Star Wars Battle Hoth in the same category. So um but I think their light game of the year is anything weighted 1 to 2.5 or something. So that's a pretty big range.
Speaker: um Okay, medium game of the year. We've got Eternal Dex, Zenith, The Druids of Adora, Finspan, Formaggio, Fate of the Fellowship, Mooncolly, Link Blubbath, Sanctuary, Scarabray, and Vantage.
Speaker: It's another good list. You go first, is Tom? I went Eternal Dex. Okay.
Speaker: Oh, look, I'm going Yeah, go Vantage again. I still haven't played Vantage, so I feel like i'm missing out.
Speaker: Heavy game of the year. So ah we have Ada's Dream, Aridia, The Elder Scrolls Betrayal the Second Era, Galactic Cruise, Luthier, Molly House, The Old King's Crown, Speakeasy, Star Trek Captain's Chair, and Sweetlands.
Speaker: It's a really easy choice for me because I've only played one of those games and that's Galactic Cruise. So it's number one. And I and i really like it. so For me, it'll be Speakeasy or Star Trek Captain's Chair.
Speaker: Which one's it going to be? Go
Speaker: Speakeasy. I have that on my shelf, and I've got it out twice to play it and never actually played it. maybe that's a Maybe that's a Star Wars Day game tomorrow, though has nothing to do with Star Wars. But it's a day that I don't have to go to work where I should.
Speaker: Okay, moving on the next topic, which is party games. So we have Alibis, Brick Like This, Barbecubes, Hot Streak, Magical Athlete, Lightspeed Arena, La Quinta, Hitstar Rock, Take Time, and Wine Cellar.
Speaker: That Hot Streak. Yeah, me too. It's just so good. Oh, hot. Although I did play a Magical Athlete on the cruise, and I've got to say, they both give you a very similar feel. It would be hard to say which ones which is better than the other, but good than idria I own Hot Streak and I've played it more, so it wins.
Speaker: All right, print and play. Now, I have zero knowledge of this, so I'm just going off cool names. So we've got 52 Jewels, Chronicles of Civilization, Crosswords with a H, so Crosswords,
Speaker: uh dungeons of the oak dell elevation which is a fan expansion for android netrunner the promise risk at rise of the oak dell and terror mystica fan factions i'm just going to go the promise because it's the shortest one the type
Speaker: ah stuff
Speaker: I have no, what was the one that was Android Netrunner fan? Elevation. Let's go with that.
Speaker: There were years in the past where I got into print and plays, but last year clearly was not one of them. Solo game. right. Vantage, Unstoppable, Star Trek Captain's Chair, Scarabray, Fate of the Fellowship, Elder Scrolls, Deckers, Core of Discovery, Aridia, and the Anarchy.
Speaker: Yeah, look, between Vantage and Star Trek Captain's Chair. Let's go Vantage. So this is an interesting one because I've only played one of these and I didn't like it, so I'm not going to vote for it.
Speaker: um But because I'll just vote for Scarabray because I usually like Garfield games, so I'd probably like that even though I haven't played it yet. um So next up, we've got thematic games.
Speaker: So we have Aridia, just team keeps coming up that one. Aridia, Galactic Cruise, ah Luthier, Lord of the Rings, Molly House, Moon Colony Blood Blast, Nemesis Retaliation, Speakeasy, Star Trek, Captain's Chair and Vantage.
Speaker: Oh, it'd have to be Star Trek, Captain's Chair. That's very thematic. You are literally in the Star Trek universe. Well, even though I haven't played it yet, but I've set it up and a number of times and I can clearly see that Speakeasy is very thematic. So I'm going to throw Speakeasy there as my thematic game, which is a bit weird to vote for a game I've not played. Really easy choice for me on this next one, war Game. So your options are...
Speaker: battlefields Battlefields of the Napoleonic Wars, China's War 37 to 41, Congress of Vienna, Cross Bronx Expressway, Fields of Fire Deluxe Edition, General Orders Sengoku Jidai, Seljuk Byzantium Besieged, Toy Battle,
Speaker: A Very Civil Whist, and Star Wars Battle of Hoth.
Speaker: I'm going for Star Wars Battle of Hoth again because it's the only one I've played and also it's a really good game. I actually think Fields of Fire Deluxe Edition. Okay. I'd have a massive call following that one.
Speaker: Rightio. Then next up after Wargame, we have Best Podcast. so we have Board Games. No, dude we didn't make the list. Can you believe it?
Speaker: um We've got Board Games Insider, Blue Peg, Pink Peg, Board Game Hot Takes, Decision Space, five games Five Games for Doomsday, Sporadically Bored, Game Brain, Shelf Stable, Space Biff, Space Cast, and Talk Cardboard.
Speaker: there's a couple of good ones on here. Yeah, for me, though, it's been Five Games for Doomsday. And for me, it's Corey and Steve. So I'll go with Board Games Insider.
Speaker: And I feel bad not voting for sporadically bored because I really like that podcast too, but they're definitely, they're the top three for me. Like you can vote one to two. Yeah, but sporadically bored is one my favourites too. I'd love to get board game snobs in there because they make me just laugh and giggle.
Speaker: But, you know, Ben does so much out there for the board game community. i think he deserves the win. Hmm. All right, apps. Apps is the last category. So board game apps, I haven't played any of these.
Speaker: Obviously played the games, but not the apps. So we've got Ark Nova, Carnegie, Cascadia, Caverna, Isle of Cats, King Domino, Micro Macro, My City, Space Corp, or Watergate. It'd have to be Ark Nova, wouldn't it? Because everyone would want to play the app, not the actual game.
Speaker: Ark Nova's um BGA adaptation is so good that I don't think i'd ever buy the app. So that's a really, I'm going to go random here. going to go micro macro. I feel like that's an app that I'd actually like.
Speaker: um So I'm going to actually might even download that and have a play. So that is it. That is our votes locked in for the BGG Awards. The next ones up are the Dice Tower Awards.
Speaker: So I've got them opening open here. So we'll just keep just plugging along. Best Welcoming Game. Place for All My Books. Flamecraft Jewels, Fliptoons, Star Wars Battle of Hoth or Twinkle Twinkle.
Speaker: I'm going to just change it up here. I'll go Fliptoons for this one. I will go Battle of Hoth. Fliptoons. I've heard good things about Fliptoons.
Speaker: Best artwork, Core of Discovery, Critic Kitchen, Emberleaf, Lord of the Rings, Faith and Fellowship, and The Old King's Crown. Oh, God. See, underwhelming.
Speaker: What, my day again? Sorry. Core of Discovery, Critic Kitchen, Emberleaf, Fate of the Fellowship, and the Old King's Crown. Let's go Core of Discovery.
Speaker: I'm going to go Emberleaf.
Speaker: Okay, next up we have Most Innovative Game, 12 Rivers, Eternal Dex, Lightspeed Arena, Moon Colony, Bloodbath, and Vantage. We should point out that there's going to be a feathered crossover here.
Speaker: Yeah, it'll be Eternal Dex, but I cannot wait. I want to play this Moon Colony Bloodbath. I saw it being played yesterday and I had a bit of FOMO.
Speaker: Yeah, I haven't played it yet either. and It was interesting. It seems people either love it or hate it. So generally they're good games if you're on the love it side. um cooperative game core of discovery keeps coming up fate of the fellowship oh no sorry that's not true yes it is core discovery fate of the fellowship lord of the rings the fellowship of the ring trick-taking game take time or vantage
Speaker: um i'm gonna go the trick-taking lord of the rings trick-taking game because i quite like that yeah i'll go um
Speaker: Uh, Core Discovery.
Speaker: Okay. Best reprint, Cyclades, Legendary edition Edition, Ego, Magical Athlete, Memoir 44, Refreshed, or Santorini? Uh, Magical Athlete.
Speaker: Yeah, that's what I'm going.
Speaker: Magical...
Speaker: All right. Next up, we have Best Strategy Game. Oh, hang on. That's not in the right spot there.
Speaker: Uh, reprint. Uh, best strategy game. We have, is that right? Yeah. Brink, Galactic Cruise, Luthier, Speakeasy, and Sweet Lance.
Speaker: I'm going Galactic Cruise. Yep. Okay. So we're both doing that. and best board game production.
Speaker: The Elder Scrolls, Betrayal of the Second Era, Galactic Cruise, Luthier, Puerto Rico 1897 edition or Speakeasy? I'd have to be Puerto Rico. Production, Puerto Rico. I'm actually going to go a bit different and going to go with the Elder Scrolls.
Speaker: Yeah, that was my second choice. Okay. Best game from a small publisher? So we've got Eternal Dex, Galactic Cruise, Lightspeed Arena, Luthier, and Regicide Legacy.
Speaker: Eternal Dex. Me too. yeah but If you're wondering what my game of the year is, I'm pretty sure I've answered that question we've been doing this. Best two-player game, Flamecraft Duels, Star Wars Battle of Hoth, Tag Team, Toy Battle, and Zenith.
Speaker: So I'm going go Battle of Hoth, but knowing the Dice Tower crews, they're all going to go dot Tag Team.
Speaker: I'm going for Zenith out of those choices.
Speaker: All right, best game from a new designer. and New designer. We have Galactic Cruise, Luthier, Orloge, Regicide Legacy, or Tenby.
Speaker: Galactic Cruise. Yep, me too. So again, if you're wondering re what my second favourite game of the year was last year, that's probably pretty obvious. All right, best party game, alibis.
Speaker: yeah Okay, fair call. For those playing at home, alibis, brick like this, hot streak, lightspeed arena or magical athlete. mean So that's party. Hot streak.
Speaker: Hot streak.
Speaker: OK, best theme in game. so we did, don't know. We haven't done this. So theming, Core of Discovery, Galactic Cruise, Lord of the Rings, Luthier, and Speakeasy. Speakeasy.
Speaker: OK, and i think we've only got one left, which is solo.
Speaker: We have 20 Strong, Tanglewoods Red, Elder Scrolls Betrayal the Second Era, Small Time Heroes, Storyfold, Wildwoods, or Unstoppable.
Speaker: I'll go 20 Strong. Okay, I'm going Unstoppable purely because it's a jd John DeClaire game. I haven't played any of them. So I usually like John DeClaire games. And actually, um they've just announced that dungeon crawler Carl version of Unstoppable that you can pre-order and I'm tempted because the whole Dungeon Crawler Carl series is a pretty funny kind of series of books about, ah like, don't know if you're familiar with the books by Matt Dinneman, but they're they're pretty funny. So I'm half tempted just because of the theme. But then when you watch reviews of Unstoppable, they just say the theme's painted on. So I'm like, oh, maybe not.
Speaker: So, actually, we've got one more category left, of course, which is Game of the Year. Probably should probably put something in there. So the options are Eternal Decks, Galactic Cruise, Hot Streak, Fate of the Fellowship, Luthier, Speakeasy, Sweetlands, Elder Scrolls, Vantage, and Zenith.
Speaker: Game of the Year. You're going to probably have to go Galactic Cruise. I think that's going win it. I've gone for Eternal Dex. um But it'd be interesting to see how well Hot Street does here because it's been so well loved by everyone. it' like it'd be it's a sneaky It's a smoky for game of the year.
Speaker: Actually, can you just change my advantage? Because i mean the amount of work that's gone into that game. Yeah.
Speaker: All righty. Well, that is that. We have our lists. um We'll see. I think the Board Game Geek ones are going to be announced very soon. The Dice Tower ones won't be released till Gen Con, so i got a bit of time before then.
Speaker: ah But, yeah, we'll see how in touch with the people we are. Like, probably not very. It definitely was a year where I went, wow, I've i've played a handful of these games, um but not a lot of them. But at the same time, the handful of games I've played, a lot of they they seem to appear in a lot of lists, like the Galactic Cruises and Eternal Decks. and so The only game I've played out of all of those is Vantage.
Speaker: Yeah. Fair enough. Well, I haven't. That's one of the ones i haven't. So you go It's probably why it's on your list a lot more than it is on mine. I'm surprised to see it wasn't on the solo list for, because it's, it's a solo game. It's not cooperative.
Speaker: Yeah. Okay. I did last, there was, don't know it was the BGG or the, i think it was the BGG list. There was a couple of games that were both on the solo and the co-op and the two player lists. And you're like, I understand. Like it's good at all of those numbers, but it's,
Speaker: Yeah. Best solo game. Best game to play with two people. It's the same. yeah It's like that year that Wingspan won everything. yeah That's good, mate. that's good That's good.
Speaker: ah So we're going to have a bit of a game day tomorrow on um Labor Day. So we're probably kind of probably going to slay the Spire again, potentially. i wouldn't mind getting Eternal Dex back out on the table because it's such such a great game and and should win the cooperative game of the year because I've never played a game that you are required so much to pay attention to what everyone on the table is doing in order to Yeah.
Speaker: So I really think as far as cooperative games go, it's it's a massive standout. But, yeah, we'll play some play just play some games tomorrow. Today we're not doing a great deal. We're thinking about going for a drive to somewhere fancy, like somewhere on the water.
Speaker: But realistically, we're just enjoying a three-day weekend. And I'll get up early tomorrow watch the F1, and that's about it. Lovely, mate. Well, I've got no plans for tomorrow for Star Wars Day. Yeah.
Speaker: I normally watch a Star Wars movie, but i noticed last night though i they had the original on Channel 9. and So I'm not going to do that. But today, we're doing some landscaping out the front. And I went out and bought all these to do a border for our new Zen garden that we're doing.
Speaker: And I've li laid the border out. I've just got to actually complete it. So as soon as I hang up from here, I'm... getting the old work clobber on and going out and probably spending the day out the front doing, finishing this landscaping off, um, to earn, earn my day off tomorrow. And, um, but I might, I might actually get a game to the table tomorrow and see if the family would like to play a game together.
Speaker: I've got, I've just bought, actually, I bought, uh, the 15th anniversary edition of, uh, Ticket to Ride. So, you know, that'd be an a nice family game, game to play. And, um,
Speaker: And might even pull out the game I've designed and see if have a bit of a play test for some of my rule changes. It's funny. During the school holidays, Helen and I played every variant of Ticket to Ride we own.
Speaker: oh great all alright that's a great. It was just a great time. That game, just it's just a gift that keeps giving. it's yeah it When people talk about, oh, it's a silly game because you just take cards although all you want. I'm like, not in a two-player game you can't.
Speaker: Because if you don't take a track, you're screwed. That's basically how that works. it's But it's good at all. I love it at two. It's really tight at three. Four is the most relaxing way to play it because everything's open.
Speaker: yeah Five is super stressful. Love it. Such a great game. um I play it a lot on BGA at two. and you're done And you're done in 10 minutes.
Speaker: It's like speed ticking. It's really, really good to play on a BGA at two. Yeah. yeah And if people think it can't be mean early, just take, what is it? Houston to New Orleans, I think. yeah Put track down there early in the game and see what people think of you afterwards.
Speaker: If you don't think. And then Nashville to Atlanta, I think, is the other one. Those two choke points. you put Even if you don't have tickets, just put them down. Just lay them down in the first two turns and just see what people think of you afterwards.
Speaker: Yeah. Well, have a great weekend. Hopefully you do get back out. Obviously, you're not going back to Briscon today based on what you're saying. so No, no. It is in the garden today. so and I don't want to be in the garden, and trust me.
Speaker: These things have to happen. I've got a pile of white crystal rock that's sitting on my lawn that's been there for over a week, and I thought, I've got to start shifting all that.
Speaker: Well, at least you get to do all that today and still get a day off tomorrow, so happy days. Get to do that, earn myself a beer at the end of the day, which would be nice. Sounds like a plan. Well, until next time, whoever knows how long that will be.
Speaker: Always great to chat you with you, Shane, and we'll catch you in the one. All right, mate. Take care, all All right. Ciao, everyone.
