Episode 18: Niche Number 1's - Round 3

Hello, and welcome to another episode of Whose Turn Is It Anyway, where you guys get to look through the window of our cult that is our gaming group. And today I'm joined by Andy Kerley.

Hello mate

Adrian.

Hello,

And Becky.

Hi again.

How are you guys?

Oh, good. Good.

Thank you, everybody. Good night. Thanks. So so this weekend, we spent our weekend together at Grid Con. Did everybody have a good time? Yes thanks. Amazing. I know this is coming out after the other podcasts. But, but I gotta say I really really enjoyed it. I thought the atmosphere was fantastic. All the games we played with great, everybody was nice and chilled and relaxed. And I had a wonderful time. I know that you guys have done the

Well, I finally got to get my sticky mitts on a copy of Astra finally. So my own copy is still in... Well, I dunno where it is. Yeah, in terms it's not in my Not in my house anyway. So I borrowed Astra from the games library, Gridcon, and well in fact, I think I did that three times. So I got to enjoy it. And I absolutely loved it. And reading the rulebook beforehand was really good. So this for me was kind of a, like a next step

Saw quite a few guys playing. I think I got to the event as you're wrapping up kind of playing it, so I didn't get to see it at the table. But for you to play it three times is quite impressive. It will be

There will be an event. As soon as that box comes through the door. I will be getting an event on on the group. So Happy Days, Adrian for you.

I've already... if you listen to the last episode, you've heard me like go on.

Shamelessly plug for the last time. The listeners in suspense about your answer.

Where are they they say they've listened to me go on about an hour about all the games I played over the weekend just gone. So I'm just going to talk about some 3d printing. So I put a shout out on one of the Facebook forums saying that I was after like a big stretch goal box for Marvel United empty nothing in it just so that I could, instead of taking three or four boxes around, I could just take the one slightly

I'd love to have the technical knowledge, but mainly the patience to be able to do that stuff, right? It's just something I don't possess the

It's the best puzzle there is.

Especially, I don't do a lot of sort of, like interlocking parts like lids that click into place and stuff like that. But especially if you want to do that. Yeah, there's definitely a few print runs that go through where it's like not quite right. You get in right, but for the most part, yeah, no, I do enjoy. I enjoyed doing the 3d design. It just takes so long to do. So yeah, I sort of quite often do an evening of CAD'ing of design work. And then over the next couple of days, the

So you're excited to get home and

Yeah, I should have hopefully it should have produced what I've told it to print, so if not, I will I'll have a big blob of plastic what we stuck to the end of

Like birds nests? I reckon we could use them and wingspan even if even if it doesn't turn out like you think it's anything you've created

Becky I think you've created enough components for wingspan.

Never Rob, never sounds awesome though. Yeah,

No, that's yeah, so that's been my last couple of days just creating some 3d printing stuff and 3d printing. It always makes me happy.

Nice. Kerley, I know you're on the podcast as well if you want to shamelessly plug, anything that you've said on the other podcast, but

I mean, I've said a lot on the other podcast on the Gridcon to do with mastery as well on a few other games. But the main one that is not very commonly it was ISS Vanguard, me, Davey Tambo and JP started up a ISS Vanguard campaign. And absolutely loving it. Just like so for those of you may have played a computer game, there's computer game called XCOM, which plays very differently to the

When JP said it's kind of like Mass Effect kind of piqued my interest quite

Visual style is definitely Mass Effect. Yeah,

That sounds awesome. Man. I have to see if I can squeeze in on when one of you.

I've asked for guestspot on it because I nearly backed it and I was like oh, part of the campaign can have a guest spot when one of them can't make it or what yeah,

It's really good. Really good fun, really good fun, very a massive massive. ISS Vanguard definitely recommended

Here first people. Well, I wasn't on last week's podcast. So for me, I eventually will finally broke my TM cherry. So I'll play Terraforming Mars with youself, and your brother and loved it. Absolutely loved it. Not typically my sort of game. No, but really, really enjoyed it. But also, we played Hopolomachus which I'm sure JP's talked about

Only a little bit.

I don't believe that.

It was brilliant. He may have said I wish I could have taken all of Rob's turns for him.

Mainly because I didn't have a clue what I was doing. But very was great fun. But for me, we played a game that JP bought for his family last Christmas called Fort. And it's a game where you basically play as a gang of children creating your own street forts. And for

Adrian stealing children,

Becky's children not random ones. But it was a lot of fun for me that for quite silly little game almost I It's a small box game, but it's got quite a lot of I really enjoyed it. I thought it was brilliant

It wouldn't it wouldn't be one I would normally no sort of reach for or play or anything like that. But we're in sort of the chilled suddenly, it was kind of the that sort of afternoon just sort of chill out for a bit and it just work perfectly. Because it's a bit mean, isn't it as a game, but if you take it in the right spirit, then it's quite fun. I think

I think it's mean because you can't... youve got a handful it's been

So thats when someone's building up a nice engine and a nice head of steam. It's just funny just to be like, I don't need this card, but it wrecks your plan,

Which is kind of childish behaviour, which is kind of in keeping with a game which I thought was fantastic. So for me that was a couple of the highlights. So this week, we're going to be doing another round of niche number ones because we enjoy doing them to be honest, and I've never done. So welcome to the crew where we talk. We kind

So usually if I like a game, I know the reasons why I like it. So I'm kind of going to purposefully misinterpret the question a little bit and say that games that kind of break my usual kind of remit for games

You're jumping for a loophole. Like it's like, yeah,

Yeah, well, exactly. So but generally, I don't like coop games, because I like to be the one in control of whether I win or lose games. Basically. There's a few

Fine line between truth.

I love him really? So I'm gonna say probably Spirit Island. Yeah, yeah, because I absolutely love that straightaway. And it's not the type of game that I usually like, co op. If I like Co Op, I like a fully Co Op kind of Mansions of Madness, something like that, where, you know, it's a little bit more thematic, and all that kind of stuff. But this is just a straight up Co Op, you know, you win or you lose, and it was a it's just amazing.

I've never played it. And I must admit, I am really looking forward to playing that game. At some point. I'm really looking forward to sitting down and it'll be right up your alley, I think yeah, I'm really looking forward to playing that. So I'm hopefully seeing you buying a game. But Becky, what is your answer to this question?

Well, I really like this game. And maybe I don't know why I like it, because it's simple, but it's not really similar to any of the other games that we generally play. And that is Rummikub. Sorry, to bring it into a completely you know, banal area. I really liked that game. Kerley hates it. It's funny, because I think probably kind of hates it, because I've beaten him. Every time is it now? Well, maybe just some of them. But he like, doesn't it? That's why he doesn't play

No, I think you'll find that don't play Rummikub, because it's crap.

I disagree. I really like it. Because it's just simple. Anybody who doesn't even game can play it. I've taken it to work on a night shift. You can drop it quickly run off if you have to. And it's just simple. Simple, but it's not like any of the games we traditionally play. I would put it in that bracket of maybe not Monopoly, but similar sort of old school family.

Yeah, that's fair enough. Adrian?

Yeah, I'm gonna agree with Kerley, this is a tough question. You've put some really tough questions in this lot.

I'm pretty sure you came up with this question

Possibly. I've definitely picked a few on this list. I'm not sure about this one. But yeah, it's tough one. So again, I feel like I know why I like again, when No, I don't like it. So I kind of went for, again, a slight sort of tweak on it, because this is a game that I understand parts of what I like, but the whole, you know, like a short whole is much more than even, I think it should be.

Now me too because everybody's different right. So your best move potentially isn't somebody else's Exactly.

So I can kind of go okay, well, I think you should be trying to fill up these or whatever but ultimately, it's just a suggestion and it even you know away from as safe if you're not confident in it it no longer becomes the best move it doesn't matter whether it you know, whether mathematically you think it is or not like a lot of co ops you can mathematically work out what's the best move.

And you're rooting for it you. Everyone's like, come on. It's a really good game.

I've never played this game. I've never heard of this game.

I'm surprised you like it because it's not really like any of the games that you tend to like and you're the ones that lent us the copy and I really liked it too. Yeah.

There's something about it is I don't mind dexterity games but they're not my favourite and I don't always like you know certain puzzle ones I like certain ones I don't but I kind of like all the bits but yeah, it's definitely that two plus two equals five where it shouldn't be as fun as it is for most mechanics So yeah, that's what I'm going with

Sounds awesome. It's good for me. It's it is pretty much bang on the nose I do I really enjoy it. And I have no idea why because everything to do with this game should offend me. And that's Avalon.

God, I'm supprised to hear you say that.

It's against your remit.

Every time we play it. Every time we play, it stresses me out. I don't it makes me feel uncomfortable. I don't like lying. And Davey's pressure in this game was something I've never experienced before. But I really enjoy it when we play. Like whenever everybody says, Shall we play Avalon a part of me it's just like, please say no, please say no. Then when we start playing it, we get so into it. That again, it's the it's the interaction game brings out.

You have to do what he says. Yeah. To believe what he believes No, I think yeah, I think he has gone off it a little bit, because I think Apparently, he's overplayed it. Yes. But I think that is a really good choice. I can see why everything about it is against your very core. But you still like it

I enjoy playing it because it just brings out so much fun. So for me Avalon, cool. So we're moving on to the next question. favourite game, you never get to the table? And Adrian, I'm gonna start with you on this one.

Well, I'm not one of the harder questions you ask but Dice Hospital for me. So those haven't played Dice Hospital. It's kind of an engine builder dice management game, where you bring in an ambulance full of dice to your to little hospital. And then you pick either rooms or extra doctors, which gives you extra workers and then you move the workers around your own your own little hospital. And it will say things like, you know, if you're carrying a four, you also get to cure another four.

It's in my collection as well. Thanks to you, and the Bring and Buy sale at the UKGE. So when you do want to get to the table, I would like to play please, so I can learn how to play it.

Yeah, there's the basics of it are quite simple, but it's that working the puzzle of moving the force together or the greens together and then trying to kind of link up these combos. And there's also a bit where you have to not like hospital, you get more points for discharging the most healed patients in a

I don't think we do that. But we're not I mean, I've got nothing to do with the discharge area,

You got a slight cough still, you can stay there. So I want to make sure you're

completely healed. Someone's recovering from a broken leg. Pretty much how it works. Kerley, I ask you the same question.

So I'm gonna take this I think how the questions mean games that we rarely get to the table. And mine is going to be War of the Ring. Yeah, yeah. So me and Adrian, were trying to get the game to try and get the game to the table now. It's just it's a 4 hour minimum game, it's an hour to set up, especially if you haven't done it in a while. It's I don't want to say high strategy, but it really is kind of like not, you got to be in the mood for that you can be in

A split both roles down the middle.

So it's just it's difficult persuading people to play. And I'm, I'm quite good at it. And that I think that's switched off a couple of people who play this game. The thing is, the thing is, and this is something that I genuinely contend with like is do you take it easy when you're trying to teach someone when you when

That's the thing. If you're if you've waited four or five months to get this to the table,

It's a four or five hour game, you don't pull your punches in the first five minutes to realise actually, they've got their head screwed on the floor with you.

Yeah, so it's just one of them. Like, you know, I've delivered a couple of drubbings that was probably, put people off. But I think the last game I played was with Adrian and that was his learning game. And it's really close fights. Yeah,

Yeah, I thought I nearly had your last few times. I was like I haven't.

Really close. Well, no one minds a really close game. But yeah, so yeah. So it's one that I haven't really pushed get to the table. And it's nice that Adrian liked it enough that he's, he's pushing for that. So we're going to sort out in the next month or two,

I guess, hopefully more awesome.

Becky?

So mine's pretty quick and easy, really, um, Quacks of Quedlinburg really liked that game. And I almost sort of forgotten about it until I saw someone playing it a Gridcon was like, Oh, gotcha, that game was really good. And it's, it's got more to it than I think you remember it having because each little little spell book has got the other side. So you can play with different varying roles each time. It's not exactly the same each time. I think we tend

I think you'd like it

Just push your luck, silly nonsense, which is really fun.

Which is right up my street? Absolutely. So

If you like the Terraforming Mars sort of engine building that there is, it's a bag builder. So you're kind of putting in you're trying to better the odds of if I put these two ingredients in together a lot of them quite often there's two ingredients, or three ingredients that kind of bounce off each other by wise, but it's completely random out of the bag, which you quite like some of that sort of Yeah, like that.

Yeah, so it's just a fun game. Yeah, it's just a fun.

I was just joking. No, I'd be definitely be.

Yeah, it's just it's just good. I mean, it doesn't take very long to play. We have the expansion, which I don't think really adds maybe that much just another kind of layer, but it's

So we've got the Herb Witches, is the one I've got. just really good. Yeah, I think there's another one I bought that yet. So

It's just good fun. Really. I really like it.

When you do give it give me a shout. Yeah. I thought about this, and I made a lot of my games, I don't have a lot of games. So, but for me, it's a game that we played four years ago, and kind of Dead of Winter. Mainly because I kind of forgot I had it. You know, it's like when new games come out, you're more excited to play new games, different games and things like that. And we played it a couple of times and had a blast. And for me, yeah, it's it's kind of the one game that I haven't

I really want to play. I'd be interested. I enjoyed it. Last time we played.

I think it was good fun. So yeah, again, it's not the same, the most serious game in the world. And I could in theory, play it with the family because you can take out all the violence cards or the violence or the cards contain the violence and marks so you can quite easily go through and take them out so it's a little bit more kid friendly. So So potentially try that one night if nobody else is interested. But know that for me it's Dead

Here we go

Cloudspire.

I hate that game.

Yeah , He says it's awesome. And I don't care what Adrian and Kerley say, so suck it.

I would say no, it's not awesome.

I've heard a lot about this game, and it's seems very Marmite.

It's, it's not that it's terrible. It's just that I think deliberately hold certain decisions back from you almost. And there's just something about it that just doesn't quite add up. Like the complexity of the overhead of rules mixed with that just doesn't quite sit right with me. But there's plenty of people who love it. And as always, it's one of those things if not everyone loves everything.

And at the end the fact that it's not you strikes me as like a strategy game, but you don't make all the decisions. Yeah, that was just like that. So I think there was one point where you can pull out a range of like three or four, and their tower had a range of two and I was like, brilliant. I'll just

Davey has also got involved and given us quite a list right. Barrage, Gaia Project, Monumental. He says it's hard having space to play your own game.

We'll just stick with Quedlinburg

Great answers guy's cool. So next question. I think I know the answer to some of these questions for other people but favourite game you got rid of but wish you hadn't. Becky I'm going to start with you

I don't get rid of games. I am a hoarder. I like the collect, and the idea that I might then want to play it and do not have access to it. No, absolutely under no circumstances. No. Not going to happen

Buy a new house just

I'd stashed it anywhere in the attic. I know I'm not going to get rid of something once I bought it if there is even a 1% chance that I might want or someone else might want to play again.

I am very much under the same thought process. I collect stuff that I should have thrown we've still got Wii games in the house. We don't have a wii

I'm just a Womble at heart there's no way that I can get rid of something if there's if there's any possible use and no chance

You know I'm not controlling a husband however, you may need to intercede at some point because the volume of games that you're currently buying versus the lack of getting rid of any effort means that we are literally not going to be able to move

Judgement. I'm just I'm just hearing judgement from over teher

Very controlling

When we haven't got room for more Kallax then then come to me again. We'll chat about

Shove then in the toilet, like games to play under the kitchen sink they've sshoved another Kallax in there

When we're physically out of room then then I will reappraise the situation

Ask for an extension

I've just be knocking on your door can you keep this game for me because Kerley wants to chuck them out.

You're welcome to an extension if you're gonna pay for it

You know you've got an issue when you're stashing them at other people's when it gets to that point I

Go to her car it's like she can't give anyone a lift

What about yourself?

I'm a bit like Becky I don't really get rid of games. They've redone Space Hulk twice now have them yeah isn't even Mainly because my collection is not that big. I was gonna say mainly because you don't buy them right? Yeah, well, why would I JP buys and Becky buys them secondhand at Games Expo so you know why do I need to purchase that? But I thought though they just do it in limited runs to the last one was about this question because I don't get rid of games. I went

Well, unfortunately, I'm gonna join with Becky a little bit. Actually, I've just accused her and I don't get rid of many games. Although I have to say I'm more open to it than she is. I think I'll got rid of two at the bring and buy recently, but I genuinely I think long and hard before we get rid of any games. So I don't tend to regret them.

If you do get rid of games that you don't enjoy. Like, you know, whereas I kind of keep that thing. Well, maybe I'll give it another go. Whereas you're you're you're quite surgical and thinking, Well, I don't like that. So I'm just gonna get rid. Yeah,

Exactly. You know, on Mars, I got rid of that to JP because it's just not my sort of game and Terra Mystica I got rid SSomething Yeah, off because Gaia Project's the same but better. And it's like, yeah, so I got rid of those, but I don't regret it. So I'm going to be a little bit odd and say, Netrunner. Yeah, I only got rid of it at the time is right decision at the time. I got good

Adrian yourself, is that getting you? You kind of, you know,

Yeah, I actually do sell games. I feel like I feel like you've asked a question when no one sells games. I actually do sell some games occasionally. I don't know that I've ever really regretted any. Because normally I sell again, because inhabits the same space as another game. And I prefer the other game, or I just didn't like it and therefore got rid of it. The one that I quite liked that didn't land with my gaming group at the time, after several tries, was Flamme Rouge. So Flamme Rouge is

You want to you want to get out in front of the right time. Yes, you've got like cycling, So I see quite a few people playing it and from the box art

You've got you've got two riders each. And they'll there'll be like three or four teams, obviously, depending upon player count. And there is a bit of okay, well, I need to save maybe over the entire game about five or six single digit numbers over everyone else. It's really fine. It's very subtle. And I understand why the group didn't like it as much. So I sold it, didn't think anything of it. And then a game called Heat has just been released, I saw a lot of people are playing that Gridcon.

Yeah, it was appealing, wasn't it?

I felt that Stewart also was got in touch. And Kerley I think you're gonna like this one. But the game that he regrets getting rid of Civilization 2010 No, it's only because Kerley bangs on about and how much is better than New Dawn which he now hasn't seen

I saw that when he put that in there and he's not quite right bless him lovey Stewart right. But I've never played New Dawn. So I can't say whether it's better or worse. But what I would say is is Civilization, I've been told plays a lot more like the computer game which I'm obsessed with. So the 2010 version is much more true to the game whereas New Dawn is a little bit more friendly to board gamers. I picked up New

And Davey, very much like the rest of us now. And as he ends up keeping so many, until he does it like a job, lot of getting rid of games. So say I guess, again, games that are hard to get to the table, if they are taking up space, then they're kind of the ones that come up whether you like them or not, I suppose. But

I think Adrian's idea of like, the one in one out kind of system is probably good. And I do try and I do try that in other areas of my life sometimes, like, you know,

Smell of bullshit.

Like shoes, I decided I'm not gonna buy any more shoes. And so that was a one in one out policy. So I think that idea of is this better than, hey, is this better than the thing that

There was nothing incorrect about it dear, you do what you like, based just

On your own space, on yourown Kallax! Every view, it's a good idea. I don't do it. But it's a good idea. I think being on a diet and running five times a week could be a good idea. I don't do that either.

When you kind of like that, you have a very valid point. So the next question, favourite game to lure non gamers in so when I mean, we've all had that. Look, when we tell people we play board games...

Oh, well, that monopoly? Yeah. Okay, that to

You know, it makes you instantly want to strangle someone. I'm gonna go first with this one if that's okay, because it kind of comes with a story. So New Year's Eve. I've got a very good friend who couldn't believe I play board games kept banging on about it all night. And we were playing. I think there were games like Cards Against Humanity. Were party games, but they're not really a board game game, if you see what

Yeah, I had so many answers for this. But I don't often play with non gamers play board games with them. So I'm gonna go through just a two or three if that's okay. So chess, like if you've got kids or whatever, who are intrigued in board games, and quite often they've heard of chess, and they know about chess, and you can kind of show them and it gets them gets them thinking. And it's quite early. You know, chess is quite a heavy tactical

My daughter absolutely loves chess. I think she forgets that we have a chess set the majority of the time, but every time she's she remembered she's like, Can we play chess? Yeah, so

Trying to set people's brain up almost for doing that thinking and then quite often I'll find down the line that oh, yeah, they've tried a bit of a board game or or war game or or just a nerd of some description. It's the gateway drug. Awesome. So that was one and then the other one, which is probably more for for sort of grown ups or whatever that again, a sceptical. I played Centurya few

Becky, I know, you play a lot of board games at work. So a few.

Yeah, well, this is not one that you could play at work. Things like like cockroach poker, and Just One has been really good hit at work. This makes it sound like I don't do any work at work. So if I work a night shift, and we need to, you know, we haven't got anything happening

Justify it all you want your boss is probably....

You have to be able to... so if we need to run to maternity or wherever you have to go to literally drop it and run. So it needs to be games that aren't particularly complex, or setup or whatever. But the game that I would use to lure gamers in to what I would call a proper game would be Mansions of Madness. Because of that Co Op element. It's it's friendly. It's like a you know, it's a thing you do together as a group. And it removes that kind of competitive element a

I love the story of yeah, it's just the interactive story of it.

It's up to you when you become this little character.

See Adrian's face but you're very affected by it.

Especially Wibbels.

It doesn't have to be though, does it? It's not always you know, that you see monsters sometimes it's

A failure isn't actually very little.

But yeah, and I think it's a really good interactive game. Okay, you do have to have the app. So you do have to have the game which I appreciate. It's not the cheapest game so it's not going to be something I think non gamers might buy. But as a lure to get them interested in the hobby. I think it's a really good

I think it's fantastic was one of my I mean, one of my early experiences in gaming, I absolutely loved it. So,

So a friend of mine, who was just kind of getting into board games as the first proper board game he bought so it's a great shout

The only downside to Mansions of Madness is is really really really really really difficult. If something some people are introduced to the game era, yeah, we've lost.

Oh, it might pull you back in. Oh, well, I know why we lost we need to be a little bit more next time

Not saying it's a dealbreaker. It's quite a steep learning curve. Definitely.

Kerley, yourself? What games do you use to bring people into the cult.

Yeah, I'll check. I'll cheat a little bit like Adrian. So you know, I'm glad you did it first. It depends who the audiences if it's I'm not saying kids cuz cuz it's not really a kids game, but Quacks is what I'm gonna go back to. Quacks of Quedlinburg because it's easy to pick up. If you've got anyone who's like a little bit younger than you know, it's quite easy access and easy mechanics and good fun. With emphasis on the fun element of it, you know, you're drawing at the same time

Resource Management, placement, isn't it? so yeah it's a good choice

Stewart has said What are who are these non gamers that you speak? That was his answer. JP has said, Clank

Yeah, I still haven't played I haven't played through.

Push your luck tie for game

The Hunger really, as far as I can tell. I didn't play Hunger but from what I was looking at

It's similar, like the same publishers and stuff like that. So yeah, it's got a lot and I really,

I've only played it once, but it's a game that we played with our wives and they really enjoyed it. It was a really fun

Sushi Rolls' pretty good for getting that kind of, again that sort of mentality of what you're trying to do and building a sort of set collection or whatever it is. So I imagined Sushi Rolls going to be quite similar

So they are out there the games to get

Catch them in you can you can reel them in if you know what to throw out there. Come

Come and join our cult cool awesome. So the next question favourite game you were reluctant to play because of the box are or presentation now. I know that you guys are massive into your box. Becky especially been put off by games in the past by box up. Whereas Adrian likes everything beige.

I don't know. I just, I'm happy to play a beige game. Well, I know a lot of people wouldn't be. And so quite often I find that, like, I've answered this question as in what do I struggle to show other people because it's just beige? Because I like if it's got a bit of production, brilliant, but if it hasn't, it doesn't bother me. Right? S

Se because of that, I'm gonna start off with Kerley because I know box arts kind of put you off in the past when I got the new Descent, people were complaining left right and centre about the art. I didn't even pay any attention. So so for me it doesn't really matter. But, but I'll start with you.

I've got a few for this one actually, but I won't go into it too much. I will say theming puts me off I would say more than the box art. Yeah, that's probably true with me. Yeah. But for this one quite an easy one because I actually liked the theme of this one Gaia Project. So for me Gaia Project, sci fi planets galactic kind of you know exploration 100% up my street, the art is awful it's

I've heard you guys talk about a lot and I've seen the art and it's got like a big tree on it isn't it?

Erm, no

I'm thinking of something else maybe Terra Mystica was kind of maybe

Grey lots of spacey rubbish

It almost looks like a 70's game I mean

It does you right actually right. It looks kind of early 80s kind of

Maybe that's intentional, but it didn't run with me at all put it that way. But I mean in contrast, like the planets and stuff look pretty cool or you know the way they've done them so it's not for everything but yeah the racism selves just Yeah, they look pretty awful so that put me off and start playing it absolutely loved it so

JP said exactly the same thing I did say I really should try this game out I think it's awesome. Adrian yourself what game was put you off from just from looking at it but you actually really enjoyed it.

There's not many like this is what I mean is I'm quite happy to play a beige game or a game that looks really dull with basic components as long as it's got the gameplay there to back I think that's...

That's the key component isn't it with any game is that element of it? But I think the box art sells the game?

Yeah, definitely. Does to me,

It can, again I get a lot I consume a lot of YouTube and podcast sort of shows so quite often I

Wait, there's other there's more than one more than us. There's not, don't listen to him people.

Some very good ones out there do you buy just make sure you listen to us first. So I sort of thought that this is the one that I struggled to put in front of other people where they immediately kind of go you can just literally see their eyes wide open you put it on the table and it's Concordia. And it's quite famously known for having bad box up, which is I've got the Venus version which has got nice box on it. But the the base game without the expansions in is got notoriously bad box art

We play that didn't we? No, I remember it being quite a good looking game. So but I didn't realise there were other versions.

So the board is the same as everyone else's, which is just beige, with a few colours sort of splattered on it Not particularly. Like there's no particular finesse to the design, really, I don't think it's just, it's quite basic and kind of does what it does. But

There's a lot on it. There is a lot of which I think kind of

It's a it's a kind of famously known for being a dull looking game, it's kind of got a bit of a thing about it. And quite often when I put it in front of people who don't know, or don't know, that, you know, if I don't sell it to them a bit before, bring out the box and put the board on the table. You can literally see eyes rolling,

I just love that Roman sort of element who I know is really cool. I didn't even pay attention to the colours. Yeah, I really didn't mind you. I was struggling trying to figure out that I was doing. But But yeah, Stuart has said Carcassonne Yeah, that's quite famously

I quite like that really

The boxes have definitely improved not by a lot but they've definitely improved over the years. I remember when I first got into gaming looking at and kind of going okay, looks a bit dry and then of course discovered dry Euros

That's fair enough, Davey has said Terraforming Mars.

Aghhhhhh! Blasphemer

Oh, but glad that he did play it as it was

I got no problem with the production level is awful the production level the base game card. I read I've only ever but it took a decent game

Becky what game put you off from well

I spoken about before Lords of Waterdeep, which I'm really sad about because it's one of my favourite games but that box art Oh god. It's just so unrepresentative of the game. I mean, I agree. Adrian is gonna say it a minute I can guarantee Oh, absolutely. It makes the game I mean, I know the game is about warriors and wizards. Yeah, I know that but it's not really is it? It's black cubes, purple cubes, orange ones and white ones. The illusion just doesn't need to be combative.

It affected my wife as well. Yeah, it's just

I'm not playing that rubbish. Absolutely. And this is what I think it really under sells the game because the game is fabulous. In my humble opinion. But the box art just puts people off. What about you have what was yours?

For me, it was a game that we played at Gridcon, you've talked about the art of this game before and you put it on the table and I went, nah, I do not want to play this game. I got bullied into it. Yeah, sounds like Becky. And absolutely loved it. And it was Zuuli. Looks like a CBBC. Animal. Friendly as its childlike. It's very childlike. But to be honest, it's pretty cute. It is cute. And I loved it. I thought it was brilliant to the point where luckily, we managed to find a couple of

It really does very, very well. It's done, why it would put people off.

But it was absolutely brilliant. And I loved it to the point where like I said, I went and bought a copy got home and told my girls the next morning, we have to play this game because they will love it as well. So for me it was really so the final question, favourite game puts you in a state of Zen. Basically, that game that you either bring to the table to kind of de stress switch off, or go fully into a, you know, an escapism sort of world to get

Well, I don't think any games ever put me in a state of Zen until this point. And that's because I'm not very good at them, have to really think hard. So that's not very zen like for me. But when we were at Gridcon, I decided to bring Framework, which was a game that we'd won at the 24 hour board game website. Well Kerley won it and gloriously gave it, happily gave it to me, which was lovely. So it's a Uwe Rosenberg game. And it's just about kind of collecting frames of different

You had two games of it.

So pleased with it. Maybe because if there's only one player, you have to win, right? So it's quite nice. But yeah, it's just a very simple, your little tiles have either got just a little number with a colour around it, which means you have to collect two of those or three of those blue ones or whatever. And then you've got some tiles with little frames

I think it was that was the last game that you played. Yeah, it was quite nice. And yeah, really weakened mental, mentally trying to figure out every game

This was just a lovely, just kind of that was nice. Awesome. So recommend it.

Kerley, what do you bring to the table to cheer you up?

Well, I don't really have too much because I don't play games single player at all. And as Adrian is probably going to discuss in a minute, but it's like can you be Zen when there's any form of like other...

Contention? Yeah, exactly. game rooms that kind of

Yeah, so there's not too many games that I played like that I would say probably the closest to is just gonna I'm gonna go with the classic Terraforming Mars where the last game I played on Gridcon that day was I wouldn't say zen like, but I would say it like it seems to be like whatever I did just fit perfectly in.

We were very aware, best game ever.

Just like every decision I made happened to be the right decision. You know, I started collecting Jovian tags. And then you get a whole bunch of Jovian tags, you know, you get like an earth tag. And then it's like, oh, like extra money for that. It was just like, it just seemed to be like really flowing and nice. Obviously. That's about as close to get to it. And yeah, equate it to a ridiculously good score. Welcome to the Terraforming Mars.

I do know I played it loved it didn't even know my score. I didn't even didn't even pay any attention to how much I scored.

In that first game. You don't really matter, does it? No, not at all.

Can you see that puzzle? Can you can you get that engine,

Which is the point where I enjoyed it that much. I didn't even care. Like what the end result was because I just really enjoyed the game. So for me, like, you know, I, uh, you were very good winner on that game.

Well, I thank you very much, why don't you tell my brother that?

Cuz like, the only the only way I knew that you did really well. was when Becky checked your score. Kind of her eyes went wide. And you were like, I know. The only way I knew it was a good score. So so no, I really fun. Good.

Is it the familiarity that gives you that Zen state though? Is it the fact that you because you've played that game a lot? Right? And you pretty much like we've talked about it, you know, a lot of those decks what's in that deck? And you know what, what's available? Is that what puts you in that Zen?

Yeah, I would say so familiarity with anything always creates that autonomy in decision making that can feel quite zen like I guess. So it's like there is you know, good decisions, bad decisions and an automatic decisions that can feel kind of obvious and therefore sound like so yeah, yeah, probably partly.

Yeah. I was just trying to think of games that are not my answer. But games them do have contention in them that kind of put me at ease and quite often they're the games I'm familiar with. So

Even then a TM is Why so little contention, like a little bit on the board maybe but you know, for the most part is quite a game like on your own kind of thing. So

I enjoyed it anyway, that was good. Davey has said Pipeline, there's something about laying pipes that calms the soul.

It's because he's a plumber. For him, it's like his day job.

Adrian, what about you mate? what do you get to chill you out?

I've mentioned a few times before so I won't I won't go on too much. But Railroad Ink is my it's, again, you play it solo, whether you play solo, you play with other people, there's no contention in it, there's a they've now released a mode where there is a bit of I wouldn't be the first one to get that. But you just make a cool little grid with roads and railways on it. And however badly or well you do, I always find there's a little bit you're particularly proud of in your

I think that's part of it, isn't it not caring if it goes as well not be it just being in the moment, I think you know that well, that's what Zen is right, just being in the moment and being, you know, sort of free mentally. It makes perfect sense. Just just kind of doing your thing and not really worrying about the end result.

It's my holiday game because it is that it puts me in that nice relaxed mood, I quite often only bring it out when I've got a few days off.

So for me, it was in lockdown. Obviously, we had a lot of people had, you know, quite a bit of spare time on their hands. I worked through the whole thing. But, you know, it got to a Saturday afternoon, you know, the girls are off doing their own thing or wife's doing something in the other room, I think I've got a solid four hours, I got out Descent

Dice drafting kind of beautiful colours, building a window. And

It's a little it's a little puzzle, you either

And he said it was the only one that interestingly came to looking for the colour of the dice or the number of the dice mind. and you're trying to make a pattern and if you get the best pattern, you win. It's really Yeah, it's a nice little puzzle. It's a It's that kind of we talked about it before, right? It's that crossword sort of thing of I'm just giving myself a little puzzle So that's awesome so we've got a question from a listener.

I've got a weird one with this one because it's not slipped through the net because someone else bought it in the group. But it's Eclipse and Nemesis, so it's it's always always JP it's like I think with Eclipse, we got our wires crossed or I got my wires crossed so I thought what Eclipse was a different type of game. Oh, well you get that then mate I'm not gonna bother. Oh, Always that game. Yeah, I wish I would have ordered that, but he

This is why I got the app. It's wonderful.

It's an amazing game, and they've got the Kickstarter, but I mean, it's a whole separate topic, really. But the price point for the like, the upgraded version is £140 quid for what is like a bit bits of cardboard and the cards and I'm like, I can't justify it

How much is the game?

About 140 pounds, how much is like 20 quid tops. I think there's like, it's just so much money for what I see as being part of it. That I just can't justify it and I've just ordered one that is probably going to be bad value anyway, so I couldn't afford to make two bad decisions.

At least you know, Becky's not going to chuck them out.

I've got a few regrets coming soon in the post, so she can chuck those out. But yeah, so I think, yeah, I would say Nemesis and Eclipse are the games that have been on Kickstarter, they um'd and ah'd about and I've turned into my top three, I would say the top three so Yeah, a bit of regret, but they're still in the group. So that's okay.

So you've still got access to them exactly. Fair enough. Becky I know that your your foray into Kickstarter is fairly new. Yeah.

Well, the only thing I've actually backed is Zuuli. And that was great, great experience with that and just received my expansion in the post today. So very nice. But the thing that I almost almost backed and then really perhaps I didn't was Dog Park. And then when we played with Tambo Yeah, I was 'oh this games really good'

Tambo said do you want to play a game about a dog park, I was like no

It's like Wingspan, but then you guys said how good it was really? It's really good. But then I have got a very darling wonderful husband who there you go, look at him there.

You can't see listeners but he's basking in his own Glory

Yeah, he he unbeknownst to me bought it at the from someone at Gridcon as and early Christmas present for me. And it is the Kickstarter collector's edition, so I know, look at him. So he got serious husband points for that one so

What Kickstarter projects have you backed that you haven't told Becky about?

What he chooses to do with his Kickstarter projects, he can help himself

Coming soon

I just know that it means he can't moan about the amount of games I'm getting so

Adrian yourself, what do you what keeps you up at night that you didn't back it on Kickstarter and pay a ridiculous amount of money for it even though it'd be worth it?

It I find this an odd one because I think I've kind of chilled on Kickstarter quite a bit now compared to where I was now what I tend to find some backing the Kickstarters there were the stretch goals and the Kickstarter exclusives are higher than than sort of what you can buy in retail because what you can normally you can pick stuff up in retail and even if you pay a good chunk more for it, you can get most of everything. I think there's a couple that come to mind.

I think if every Kickstarter pledge came with a crystal ball that allowed you to see in the future, I think that sales will absolutely skyrocket because it is that that how much do you want it versus how much are you prepared to kind of pay for this, like I went all in on the Witcher and spent a ridiculous amount of money on it, and it's still not here. Now I'm still very excited to play that game because I love the world. I love the games. I love the books and everything

And one of them was Castles of Burgundy.

Yeah, so there's two games in my sort of to buy pile and they're both about the same amount of money. One is The Gallerist by Vital Lacerda, talked about that on the last one.

Is that the one you constantly talked about on Saturday. Y

Yeah pretty much so. But that's, that's about £110 pound. The game found has the deluxe castles of Burgundy with acrylic hexes. And all that it's got some 3d printed stuff on like 3d models that, to me probably don't really suit the game almost. But the idea of the acrylic hexes and the extra beautiful artwork as opposed to the kind of chunky artwork that I think is in the current Castles of Burgundy. Just kind of it's a tough choice at the

It's worth a shot. I've been terrible. Yeah, it's not the end of the world. Exactly. Thank you very much for your question. Alwaysplayblue on Instagram. Thank you very much for getting in contact and if anybody else has a question, or

Maybe less of the ridicule.

But I will obviously go through all the methods on how to contact us at the end of the podcast. So thank you very much for your question. And now it's time for our penultimate turn where we kind of go through what we're looking forward to doesn't, should be game related but doesn't have to be. So I'm so this is what we've got coming up. So Becky, what do you have coming up in the near future?

We've got a game of Everdell tomorrow, which is going to be quite exciting. So we're just going to play the basic game probably with Belfaire expansion, I think, yes, Stewart's first game. But then we're going to play with the additional extras maybe like a week later just me and Kerley, the Mistwood, New Leaf I think the expansions that came with the really, really lovely sexy storage box thing. So yeah,

Yeah, that's recently turned up in the Kerley household. It was an exciting day for Becky

I was with you guys when you bought it at Alexandra Palace. Well, you're free tomorrow. But the box I looked

Beautiful, beautiful, and it's a really good game as well. It's got solid mechanics. It's really good.

And it's got a 3d tree in it

It was pointless. But

Rob me and you can appreciate the tree

Functional.

It's a lovely game that was sold by the tree and a lot of people got introduced to it by this big 3d tree. So it kind of did its job in that respect, but it is pointless.

But it does look very, very impressive

To be fair, I don't care about the tree.

It's a very nice game.

Yeah, it does the job. Adrian what have you got coming up

I've got a lot of Lacerda coming up in the near future because JP has got into it and obviously I enjoyed my game the other day of it. So lots of different Lacerda games coming up. Yeah,

Kerley does not look impressed by this.

I think also On Mars is probably not the first Lacerda to probably get into I'm sure other people might disagree, but

Okay, but to be fair, I can see it's a good game, but it's just not for me doing it for me

So I've got I have I've got a lot of that coming up. And as I started picked up Spirit Island, cheap in the bring and by and cannot wait. I've only played the one game, which was our four player game at the 24 hour board game marathon. I can't wait to play some more of that. I'm really excited to get that. Let me know when you play that because I really want to be here as well. It's, it's definitely gonna hit the table a few times, I think before the end of the year. So looking forward to it.

Awesome. Kerley, have you got anything else other than the two games that were mentioned?

Well, I was gonna say Everdell. So yeah, I'm really got much more to add to that. We got a few of the old classics, but you know, we're gonna go over those ones again. But we got continuation of ISS Vanguard coming up. Yeah, so that's basically it for us. Really looking forward. Yeah, yeah, definitely. Yeah, really good fun, really good fun, but recommend it to anyone so especially people who like you know the RPG style games. When so yeah,

Well, for me, my nights at the moment aren't really sort of free to game much. We're very, very busy at the moment. So for me, it's putting together my Lego Ecto one. Nice, nice. I got

That is kind of gameish

I haven't undertaken many big Lego projects before. And I got it out of the box yesterday, and I started it yesterday and the instruction booklet is a good two inches that is massive. So if I complete putting this thing together, I will be amazed. But for me, yeah, so for me, it's going to be putting together a massive Lego set, which I can't wait to do. I don't even care. I can't wait. It's gonna be so great. So yeah, for me, that's what we've got coming up potentially watching