Garrett's Games And Geekiness

Shelley and I get in a few plays of Chronicler, where we spent time quickly building civilizations, then tried our hands at amusement park building with Alan's Adventureland, before breaking out a 4-player game of Karuba. Chronicler by GB Kim and Kim sung hun from Deinko Alan's Adventureland by Alan Ernstein from Rio Grande and Karuba by Rudiger Dorn from HABA

Shelley and I continue to enjoy summer by getting together with some friends and trying out the new version of Sushi Go, as well as a rip off of Cards Against Humanity, and also try out some TV programming. Sushi Go Party by Phil Walker-Harding from Gamewright Prime Time by Elad Goldstein from Golden Egg Games and Dick: A Card Game Based on the Novel by Herman Melville from Why so Ever

Shelley and I aborted our first playing of Blood Rage (and talk about it a bit), then delve more deeply into Alienation by Chris and Coryn Lombardi and The Foreign King by Javier Garcia from Giochix Enjoy!

Shelley and I spent some time in Tahoe hiking, then playing some games once we got home.  These two were not well liked by Shelley, though I liked one of them. Bohemian Villages by Reiner Stockhausen and from dlp Games and World's Fair 1893 by J. Alex Kevern and from Foxtrot and Renegade Enjoy!

Shelley and I had a GREAT time finally getting a chance to play the 2014 Kinderspiel des Jahres winner that's due in the US within a month, and one of the three SdJ nominees for this year! Ghost Fightin' Treasure Hunters by Brian Yu from Mattel and Karuba by Rudiger Dorn from HABA

Shelley and I have a BUSY week, so it's time for a short, one-game episode this time. This week we get in a couple of plays for a discussion of  Dice City by Vangelis Bagiartakis from AEG and Artipia Games Enjoy!

Shelley joined the weekly gaming group with the guys for a playing of the new Hans im Glück release from Matthias Cramer, then I snag yet another 'not-yet-reviewed-from Essen' release off the pile for some 4-player auctioning of chickens! Dynasties: Heirate & Herrsche by Matthias Cramer from Hans im Glück and Blindes Huhn (or Blind Hen) by Heike Risthaus from Ostia Spiele FUHN Stuhff!

Shelley and I get Quadropolis to the table this week for discussion (2 'Classic' game plays, 1 'Expert' game play), finding it quite enjoyable, then spend some time talking about some of the games on the Opinionated Gamers' lists for Spiel des Jahres and Kennerspiel des Jahres (Nominations & Recommendations out tomorrow/Monday, May 23). Game Discussed: Quadropolis by Francois Gandon from Days of Wonder Awards Picks: SdJ Winner: Codenames Other Nominees: Animals On Board, then Lanterns/Medieval Academy/Karuba KdJ Winner: Pandemic Legacy Other Nominees: Quadropolis, then Isle of Skye/Porta Nigra/Steam Time/Grand Austria Hotel (or maybe Castles of Burgundy Card Game which we didn't talk about on the podcast???)  

Shelley and I get a chance to try two fun new games this week while appreciating a nice bottle of dry Muscat from Zind Humbrecht and some Kouign Amann from Manresa. Animals On Board by Ralf zur Linde and Wolfgang Sentker from Stronghold Games and Legends by Knut Happel and Christian Fiore from Ravensburger Great stuff!!!

Shelley and I take some time and delve into Medieval Academy, a game some have been talking up as a possible SdJ nominee, then we check out the card game version of Stefan Feld's Castles of Burgundy. Medieval Academy by Nicolas Poncin from Blue Cocker and Iello and Castles of Burgundy the Card Game by Stefan Feld from alea and Ravensburger

Shelley and I check out new games from Hisashi Hayashi (of Trains, String Railways, Sail to India, fame), as well as Kenichi Tanabe (of Kaigan and Lisbon/Lisboa fame) after we talk about Jesse Li's Guns & Steel. Guns & Steel by Jesse Li from Grail Games and Moaideas Minerva by Hisashi Hayashi from Japon/Okazu and Balloon Challenge by Kenichi Tanabe from Colon Arc

Shelley and I try out the second expansion to Mac Gerdts' great game Concordia, Concordia Salsa, then have some fun with Time travel in a steampunk-based Steam Time! Concordia Salsa by Mac Gerdts from PD-Verlag and Rio Grande and Steam Time by Rudiger Dorn from KOSMOS Enjoy!

Tony Boydell of Snowdonia and the forthcoming Guilds of London joins me this week for a discussion of his forthcoming title, as well as a look back, now that we're 6 months removed, on the games of Essen 2015.

Shelley and I get a couple of limited-run Essen 2015 releases to the table that I obtained post-show. Haspelknecht by Thomas Spitzer and produced by Quined Games has players digging for coal in the Ruhr area of Germany, using limited resources to obtain points over a 3-year period. Bomarzo by Stefano Castelli and produced by Giochix.it has players tapping the powers of mythological gods to gain prestige and influence in various areas.

Shelley and I get Stephen Buonocore of Stronghold Games back to the microphones for a discussion of recent releases like 504, Porta Nigra, La Granja, and The Golden Ages, as well as forthcoming titles like Bear Valley, Animals On Board, City of Spies, JORVIK and Terraforming Mars.  We even delve into Stronghold's classic titles that remain solid sellers like Survive and Code 777. Enjoy!

Shelley and I check out two small-box card games this week, one that's excellent, and the other that's about dogs... The Grizzled by Fabien Riffaud and Juan Rodriguez from Cool Mini or Not and Barking Up The Wrong Tree by Gary Dicken, Steve Kendall and Phil Kendall from The Ragnar Brothers Enjoy!

Shelley and I discuss a Japanese game that takes place in Portugal and a German/Italian/American game that takes place in Austria! Lisbon, The Gate To The World by Kenichi Tanabe from Colon Arc and Grand Austria Hotel by Virginio Gigli and Simone Luciani from Mayfair/Lookout Enjoy!

Ted Alspach of Bezier Games joins us on the microphones for a discussion of the just-announced Colony (due this fall) as well as discussions of other titles, including America and One Night Ultimate Vampire. Then Ray, co-owner of Game Kastle joins me for a discussion of the brand new Mountain View Game Kastle store.

Shelley and I talk up a recent re-issue, as well as an Essen-released card game, and quickly talk up the latest micro games from Chris Handy and Perplext. Circus Flohcati by Reiner Knizia from Grail Games Pi Mal Pflaumen by Matthias Cramer from Pegasus Spiele and  RUM, SOW, ORC, and GYM by Chris Handy and Perplext's PackO Games series that's now on Kickstarter.

Shelley and I delve into the game that corresponds with this episode's number 504 by Friedemann Friese from Stronghold Games but first discuss our completion of the first scenario of TIME Stories by Manuel Rozoy from Space Cowboys and a quick discussion of the card game Linko by Wolfgang Kramer and Michael Kiesling from Ravensburger Enjoy!