It's the cold war and you are a 20 year-old mastermind spy, controlling your network of the three spies you have across Europe. Gather your spy camera, tracking device, lock picks, and other gear, position your spies correctly, use your dice wisely, and complete missions. Covert is a game for 2-4 that will take a few hours as you compete to be the coldest war spy in the world.
Mystic Vale uses an innovative card crafting system designed by John D. Clair. Druid clans attempt to cleanse the curse upon the land...and competing to do it better than the other clans by gaining the most VP? Meeple Nation takes the system for a spin with mixed results. Does the theme matter? Does Ryan need to put a dollar in the swear jar for invoking the term Multiplayer Solitaire? Listen to find out.
Fantasy Flight and Games Workshop broke up. What will happen with their kids? We discuss this, get stuck talking about theme again, cover three different awards, introduce our favorite Kickstarters, and tell you what we liked most about issue 73 of Counter Magazine.
Friedemann Friese delivers not just 1 new game, but 504 new games in a single, but heavy, box. 504 is a bundle of mechanisms and bits that you combine together using a flip book to discover the ruleset of the selected world. Each world uses three of nine possibilities, configured in a specific order to designate how to gain money, gain points and win the game. Different worlds use different components from the box. It is a brilliant design that will appeal to a specific type of player. Brent mig...
We sit down with game designer Tim Fowers to talk about four different social games. We first talk about Cockroach Poker, then Grifters, followed by Don't Mess With Cthulhu, and finally Coup: Rebellion G54. Tim also leads us in contrasting Cockroach Poker and Coup and we talked about this design space and why we like these types of games. We now have shirts available through Amazon! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01L2WOF2I
Your hosts talk about the use of rating systems to evaluate board games including the flawed rating system on the popular Board Game Geek website. We discuss 1-10, thumbs up, stars, among others. Nathan prefers the 3-7 rating system within a 1-10 shell. Brent and Ryan are still trying to figure it out. Give us a listen, and maybe you can help us find a review system for our humble podcast.
We've all had that experience. Yes, that one, where a perfectly fine game was ruined by other players. Perhaps last time it was their attitude, or Kingmaking, or someone who refuses to put down their phone. What to do, what to do. We talk about these isssues as we remind ourselves not to be "that guy."
Barbigra Time to celebrate! Barbara is back from GenCon 2016 just in time for our news episode, brand new games in hand. We discuss our plays of Unusual Suspects, Codenames: Pictures, and Ta-Da!. We also talk about all the spanky new games released or announced at GenCon. Our Highlights include Mansions of Madness 2ed., Arkham Horror: The Card Game, Star Wars: Destiny, and Cry Havoc. We also discuss Thunderstone having a 3rd edition and the potential frustration of loyal Thunderstone players at ...
The old Jarl has died. Fearsome trolls, draugrs and a smattering of monsters are attacking from all sides. The Vikings need a champion to repel the surmounting threats and lead the people to glorious victory. Are you that champion? Champions of Midgard is a Viking era worker placement game with dice combat. Your workers collect viking dice, gold, wood, and food, prepare boats for launch, and prepare the way to fight the monsters. You roll your Viking dice to fight the monsters, and the Viking le...
Ragnarök has arrived. We're all going to die, but we're going to die in a blaze of glory and celebrate our victories in Valhalla. Oh, and my clan is going to die better than your clan. Blood Rage is a strategic area control game with card drafting designed by Eric Lang. Blood Rage comes with some truly fantastic minis (viking and monsters) and slick, easy to teach rules. Friend of the podcast, Sam Aho, joins Ryan and Nathan to discuss the carnage, monsters, and strategy, including the Kickstarte...
It is a dark time after the last Great War in 1920's Europa where large mech war machines are all that remain from the the capitalistic city-state known simply as “The Factory". When the Factory goes dark and shuts it's doors, the leaders of the surrounding countries set out to make their claim upon the region, hoping to control the secrets and win over the people. In this amazing "4x" game, players will gather resources, claim territory, and battle with massive mechs. The paths to victory are v...
We speak with Craig Nybo, author, musician, and designer of various board games. Quirky Engine Entertainment publishes under a few different games including 3 Headed Giant, Gangrene Games, and GameARama. Games include Eyeball Boxing, Trash War, and Hoagie. We also speak with Mike from Epic Puzzles and Games, a nice store that supports the board game community in the greater Salt Lake City area.
Ryan, Nathan, and Brent sit down to discuss the News and current Kickstarters including: Bluffing in Sheriff of Nottingham Mystic Vale Guildhall: Fantasy AEG does Deckbuilding a little wrong Clout will again be released from Crash Games A new Buffy the Vampire Game Magic's Next Release, not called Eldritch Horror Counter Magazine, issue 72 with 120 Pages of Articles and Reviews
We continue our coverage of the fantastic two player games available right now. Star Realms: Colony War was a sure hit with us, but Brent and Ryan discover even more difference in their play styles even in a game they both enjoy. Does Colony Wars stack up to vanilla Star Realms? Find out as we discus the game from drastically different angles. We also cover Onitama, Hive, Tides of Time, and Pinata (formerly Balloon Cup).
We have four interviews from Game Industry professionals! 1:00-7:30 Joshua Githens of CGE Games 7:31-19:22 John Binkley of Bink Inc, Makers of Trekking the National Parks 19:23-36:29 Michael Coe of Gamelyn Games 36:30-46:55 Luke of Sea Pig Games
Two player games are the perfect pastime to spend with your significant other, your soulmate or a random guy at the park. We love our two player games so much, we devoted several new podcasts to the topic, gushing about some of our new favorite games. We discuss 7 Wonders: Duel, Patchwork, Star Wars Risk, ...and then we held hands, and Horrible Hexes in this episode. Hold hands with someone close by awkwardly and with no regrets as you listen.
Brent and Ryan finally get around to editing more interviews from SaltCON 2016. Here are five great interviews recorded back in March. Enjoy! 0:00-1:11 - Introduction 1:12-14:38 Kris McClanahan from Deeply Dapper talks about his geeky products for sale at his Etsy store or at www.deeplydapper.com 14:38-24:57 Chris Urinko of Daft Concepts talks about his current projects on sale at Etsy and www.daftconcepts.com 24:58-32:42 Dale Tolley, designer of Cheesonomics, from Eagle-Gryphon, talks to us abo...
Bang! Loses its lawsuit against a copycat game, We talk many Kickstarters, Cthulhu Realms Eats My Batteries is not an expansion, Brent Rants about CMoN, Kickstarter Exclusives, and the Boardgame Bubble
At SaltCON 2016 we sat down with Greg Spence and talked about inserts, how he started the company, and many of his offerings, including his impressive convention schedule. You can find them at their website http://thebrokentoken.com or at Origins, GenCon, BGG.con, or many of the other conventions they have scheduled.
Kennerspiel des Jahres T.I.M.E Stories 0-7:03 Pandemic Legacy: Season One 7:03-9:56 Isle of Skye: From Chieftain to King 9:57-11:45 We announce our winner of the Kennerspiel des Jahres 11:46-15:02 Kinderspiel des Jahres Leo 15:03-21:41 Mmm! 21:42-25:18 My First Stone Age 25:19-27:50 Brent's opinion of which should win 27:51-29:29 Spiel des Jahres Karuba 29:30-36:27 Imhotep 36:28-42:52 Codenames 42:53-47:56 Ryan tells us which game will win 47:57-48:59...
The fantastic Dan Wells, author and avid gamer, joins the Nation! Dan Wells is a fantasy, YA, post-apocalyptic author known for the Partials series and his new book, Bluescreen a futuristic science-fiction cyber-thriller. He also writes the John Cleaver series. The first one, I am not a Serial Killer, has been made into a movie starring Christopher Lloyd, Laura Fraser, and Max Records. He is a co-host of the Writing Excuses podcast. Dan is also a long-time boardgamer. We discuss his favorite boa...
This bonus episode was recorded by Brent while he attended BGG.Spring in Dallas on May 29, 2016. He sits down with three of the Spiel des Jahres judges and discusses game eligibility, judging criteria, the selection process, and the differences between the three awards. We then review the nine nominated SdJ games for 2016.
Matt and Barbara join us for another News episode. We talk of Hero Realms, Pathfinder App, Cthulhu Realms App, Descent: Road to Legend App, Campaign Manager, Game Bags, SpielSoap, two versions of Caravan. We also report the newly announced Spiel des Jahres nominees including Codenames, Imhotep, and Karuba.
You're in the trenches in the first World War, trying to stay alive long enough to return home with your grizzled old friends. The threat are bullets, combat, toxic gas, night, winter, and rain. The only way to survive is a little planning, teamwork, and a whole lot of luck. The Grizzled is a cooperative game for two to five players from Fabien Riffaud and Juan Rodriguez. We've had mixed experience with the difficulty of this game, but most of the buzz is that it is hard to win, especially with ...
In March, at SaltCON 2016, we sat down and talked with Seth Hiatt of Mayday Games. We talk about a number of their products including Twist of Fate, a microgame that is finishing up on Kickstarter at the time this podcast is released. Seth talks about manufacturing, shipping, and the benefit of being Euro Friendly.
This week's podcast come to you from Skye, the largest and most northerly major island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland, with soft sand beaches, gently sloping hills and impressive mountain. We're not there, unfortunately. Isle of Skye: From Chieftain to King is an economic, territory building game from Mayfair Games. For 2-5 players and for 60 minutes, Isle of Skye will task you to create the best kingdom in your effort to lead y our clan well enough to become King. This is a tile laying game,...
We interview the awesome dudes, Seth Jaffee, Michael Mindes, and Andy Van Zandt, from Tasty Minstrel Games ( www.playmtg.com ) at SaltCON 2016. We've got the insights from a game designer, an owner and a developer. Seth caught us up on his game designs, his work on the Eminent Domain series, and his future releases. Michael talks about the latest releases of TMG and what we can expect in the near future. Andy talks about what it means to be a game developer, his latest projects, and how he likes...
We’ve hit another 5th episode so it is time for Industry News! Don’t forget to enter our contest on Meeple Nation Off Air on Facebook. 0:00 - 0:47 Introduction 0:48 - 3:07 Mombasa, World 192 of 504 and Ryan hates Stocks 3:08 - 4:59 Contest for Gold West from Tasty Minstrel Games - Ends May 1, 2016 5:00 - 5:53 The Grizzled: At Your Orders 5:54 - 7:51 Star Trek Frontiers 7:52 - 10:12 Descent: Journeys in the Dark 2nd Edition - Road to Legends Companion App 10:13 - 13:30 Charterstone 13:31 - 16:50 ...
One thing we know for sure: Saucermen are jerks. Except that Brent, for some reason, likes the Saucermen. Something is wrong with Brent. Might be that alien tech sticking out the back of his neck. Rocket Patrol unite. We have to rescue Brent! Space Cadet: Away Mission is a 1-6 player cooperative adventure game with Retro spacemen fighting aliens, slugs, and space bugs on a modular board. The aliens, including Saucermen, Leaders and a Brain-in-a-jar, act in specific, rule-driven patterns. The gam...
Months worth of work goes into running a board game convention. We sit with the Organizers of SaltCON and discuss the past, present and future. Join us in our newly formed Facebook Group, Meeple Nation Off Air, at https://www.facebook.com/groups/MeepleNationOffAir
