¶ TURN 1 - Player Count
Welcome to Whose turn is it anyway, podcast all about our gaming group and an ever increasing goal on establishing the most VPS I'm JP, your current first player, and I'm joined by other players Tambo. Hello, Becky. Hi. And of course, Adrian Hello. And whether you love them or hate them, we're chatting all about expansion theory, not the deep and meaningful debate about the expanding universe but the other one, boardgames expansions, extra bits, more bits and even
more cardboard. But anyway, Tambo it's been a while since I've seen you on an episode and as Yeah, we've kind of like ships that across the night or whatever.
Have I actually been on when you've been player one.
No, no, no, because I was the first four episodes and you didn't turn up till whenever it was.
I think it was wingspan wingspan.
So my 6/7/8 Episode Eight or something like that. Yeah.
Are you honered? Oh, yeah. Yeah, all right. Thanks.
¶ TURN 2 - Let's Talk About Hex
Yeah, yeah.
Oh, good. Good. How are you guys?
Yeah, good. Thanks. Yeah, that was getting a bit cold. Did a COVID test. I've not got COVID though. So that's good.
¶ JP - Endless Winter
Yeah, there you go. And Adrian, you've been on the last one. So I guess I saw yesterday. Sunday before maybe?
Maybe not. So well. I certainly didn't see you.
But anyway, shall we get on with the show? Let's do it. It's turn 2 and it's time to talk about hex all the games we've played. So I'm gonna go first. Because why not? It's my last episode as first player I'm taking control. To talk about game we played on Friday. With Kerley, Davey and Ian, Ian played a game, he played a game. Just a monumental feat in itself. So yeah, that was Endless Winter, or really likes
to call it Ice Age. But there's no little squirrel thing that's running after nuts isn't missed opportunities it is although, although they have a promo card with it in. Fair enough. Anyway,
what is Endless Winter? Endless Winter is kind of set in the Ice Age, Paleo American kind of era, where you kind of play as these tribes will develop in your, your kind of tribes throughout various different eras off the game, getting as many victory points as you can, if you ever look at Endless Winter, or look at any videos of it, you'd look at it and go Jesus Christ, it's
like there's bits everywhere. So it's not like you know, normal games, you get one board, and everything's just collated on one board in this game, you've got like a little mini board where you do your actions, you've got a hex map Catan esque. Like off to the side, you've got this thing called a megalith board where you put in tiles on it's completely separate, you've got another board, it does look like a spanking paddle, I'm not gonna lie. That's where the animals
go. And there's another there's another track where you kind of raise up the honour. And so there's like five or six different kind of bits. And so when you sit in the game, and you're like, where do I put all this stuff, you know, it's normally it's all kind of three defined, it's a board and just plunk it down. That bits a bit kind of weird. So like, when you come to the game, you kind of don't know where to look, you like to look here, here and
here. But obviously, as you play or kind of connects, it makes sense. So essentially, what you're doing in the game, it's like a light... I'd call it a deck... But it's not not a deck builder, such it's kind of a deck curation game, a bit like the Dune Imperium, Lost Ruins of Arnak style deck building, if you want to call it that. And essentially, we're just trying to kind of do a variety of different actions in the game. So the main boards kind of split
into four main columns. And the idea is that you'll put your little chief and all your little kind of workers on there. And you can either try to recruit
more chiefy, not chiefy. But try people into your clan, which are the different cards that do different things, you can kind of develop your culture and your tribes there, like special cards that are in this row, which will help you just give you these little kind of strong bonuses that you can play at the start of your turn every round, loved those culture cards, they're
awesome. And you can migrate. So this is where you kind of interact with the map part of the board and you can kind of move your huts around and develop villages on the kind of map and the last piece is hunting so you can kind of go after the animals and where the spanking board Yeah, and then bash them on the head and then eat them if you want to. So yeah, you kind of get to do the action as many times as you can you spend labour off your cards.
So every card that you have has a certain amount of labour that you can kind of pay. So you can kind of go heavy on one action, which will leave you quite light in your second and third action around where you can kind of spread it around and do whatever you kind of do there. But it's just a nice game really had a good fun. Proper, I'll say a proper first multiplayer version of the game. And I think most of the people enjoyed it, which was quite nice
Kerley ertainly did, he said he was up for another game. Yeah, absolutely.
And I think like with most games, I mean, Kerley just stonked it, Davey just stonked it, starting to get a bit boring. Now, let's be honest. Yeah, I fundamentally didn't have enough tool. So in the game tools is a resource that you need for everything. So you need tools to kill animals, you need tools to build huts, need tools to initiate, try people. And if you don't get enough of them, you just, it's quite
restrictive. Yeah. And, as always, I should have got more tools or tool generation kind of culture cards and stuff like that. But yeah, it's good fun. I really enjoy it. And because I got a Kickstarter, one of those little modules in there, that's also different things is a little mammoth that you can kind of play around with why not so so and yeah, rivers and rafts cave paintings where you can literally draw, like a, I'd say kind of a roll and write there, that kind of dry erase marker.
So I'm trying to say you can draw the lines and then you'll kind of circle around certain bonuses and benefits as if you're on the cave drawing cave pictures. But yeah, interesting game,
Kerley said I'd really like it. I think you would actually even this is definitely one that I'm interested in.
Yeah, it's kind of in that that middle weight. Yeah, it's not too bad. It's just like, like I said at the start when you look at it, you go Jesus, what the hell is this?
But that's why I felt about Dinosaur Island. Too many. That's worse. Too many things. Too many clashing colours. Especially heavier. Yeah. Okay. I don't think... it's an easy game. It's just a lot to look at
It's just sprawling, there's so many boards and your focus is light on phase one, then phase two, and then you kind of, I don't know, it's like watching the tennis match isn't your net
¶ Becky - Clank Catacombs
going? Off the game, whereas this one's not so bad. And you can kind of see the connections very quickly off the action, so you know where you're looking? You know what to do. So, Endless Winter. I recommend it. Yeah, I'm gonna play it like some more. Definitely. So
Maybe, no offence to Kerley or Davey. Maybe we should get game without them? And
I'm up for that.
Give someone else a chane to win
No, just without them. Yeah. Only joking, guys. But let's make it Let's go next.
I played Clank Catacombs for the first time, first time playing any kind of Clank game. Really loved it really, really loved it really easy to understand. fun, cool little tokens. You're basically exploring a dungeon, aren't you? Really? And yeah, deck builders, typical deck builders. This one is trash your rubbish cards, get the good ones. Loot get loot. Walk around. Try not to die in the deep cavens and get out and win. Yeah, I was really good fun.
You had a big smile.
Yeah, I actually won a game and yeah, yeah, it's unbelievable.
How do you die? Do you use traps?
Well it starts off of you think well, I'm never gonna get any damage on here. I've got loads of health then... oh, it kind of ramps up quickly. Basically, whenever you create noise, clanking around, you put little tokens on the board. Every time a particular icon on a card is drawn. So you're drawing these like as you pick up your other cards, more cards are revealed. Sometimes they've got picture of dragons on they've got a picture of a dragon on all those kind of generated clanks go in a bag,
right? And then you draw an amount out of the bag. So some of them are going to be just black cubes, which are just dragon cubes, nothing happens. And then increasingly, they're going to be your cubes as well. So if they then come out then they go on your health they kind
of reduce your health. So the more you're clanking around, the more and the kind of further on the game goes the more cubes you draw out each time that when someone does die in the game, every time it would have been their turn you draw more cubes out so you go from having no damage, no damage, a couple of damage, six damage eight damage 10
Then you're gonna get now this dungeon.
It's really fun. And it ramps up very quickly. Yeah, I really enjoyed it.
The best cards in the game tend to have clank generation so the powerful ones like yeah, you can do all this cool stuff and get rich. You're gonna make a lot of noise. There's new ways of kind of reducing Clank before it goes in that bag. Because obviously usually what happens is you go Yeah, can take three Clank off. Oh, it's already in the bag shit.
Yeah, that's exactly what happened. So I was like two away from death. And then all of a sudden, I managed to get rid of like four, four of my damage tokens all at once. Wow, I'm now the least damaged. This is amazing. And fortunately just to happen at the right time, and everyone else got absolutely mashed. And I managed to run out of the dungeon. So I was sort of the winner by proxy, really,
That's Clank, that was,
I loved it, it was great.
Yeah, like greed is a thing in this game, like you think, just get another 20 victory points, if I just keep looping and keep going deeper and deeper. And then you get to the point where you can't get out. And there's a big role. And it's in all Clank versions, usually there's a line on the board. But in this version, it's all like modular tiles. And if you get above the line or two out the depths, basically. And if you get killed, you can still keep your loot and keep your victory
points. So essentially, you get rescued, you get more victory points. If you make it out alive. You get the mastery token I believe it's called. But yeah, and just trying to get above the line is just like cover. Because movement is all denoted by your cards that you're playing. So as the game I had, I had no movement cards are stuck in this room just going to do and just couldn't move anywhere. So I was one of the fatalities. Yeah.
You the first fatality, I think well, yeah. So then every time then every time it comes to you, you're then helping murder everybody else. So it is quite fun. Still, it isn't a case of I want him out now. That's it pointless. You're then you know, adding to people's damage, which is quite funny.
Yeah. So it kind of escalates the game, doesn't it? Yeah. And and I think you're right, you, you can get kind of killed. There is an elimination aspect to the game, but you're just laughing at everyone's else's expense to be fair, and you know, the game is wrapping up in 10 minutes.
No, after one person is gone, then it's all very much quick run out, get moved. Go. Really good. Really enjoyed it really easy to understand and follow, which is good for me. We taught a new player at the time. So that was really, well, two new players at once. And the game didn't probably take much longer than it probably would have done had we not had two new players. That was really good.
Joel from Devon dice that was.
Yeah, so thanks for that. Joel,
If you listen to his podcast. He likes that game just a little bit.
He loves a bit of Clank or versions of Clank. He's got them Something like that. You can't get through an episode... So all. And he's got base Clank, I think he had Clank in space, but sold that, Clank legacy. He's actually played through two copies of it, he said he's like you with Too Many Bones. Every episode.
He sold it to me, I would definitely be looking for a We're contracted, version of that. I think I'd go for Catacombs because I liked the kind of modular aspect of the kind of map building. I liked that
That was my first play of Catacombs. And yeah, just to kind of explain that. So the maps are based on tiles rather than a fixed board so that you literally exploring as you go and actually, it's it's not a massive change. So the game the games is exactly the same, although they twist some of the kind of rules along with it. But I think it makes such an
¶ Tambo - Batman Talisman
improvement because that that map and Dungeon is just going to be so different. And certain cards when they get revealed in So you had a great a great way out and now all of a sudden, oh a dungeon row will say if you're on your own on a tile, it spins around. Then suddenly you're like, Oh, The labarynth is like Oh my god, I'm gonna get out now and then but teleportation zones you can get around. But yeah, because everything
Yep really liked it will be on my list
Oh, no, you're gonna get it. Okay, who's next.
I'll go next. So, um, I've managed to play a game of Batman Talisman on the weekend. Yeah.
So they had a family day Yeah, big family day.
I played it two player with my nephewand was it was good then and quite enjoyed it. But I thought it would be better to have more players so I thought as I've got five people there. Yeah, give it go five people. So yeah, put on the table. The board's impressive. The figurines are really, really detailed and really good, actually. And it was a little bit long winded, in my opinion. Yeah. So it's an old school roll and move. Like everyone who
plays Talisman knows. And then yeah, yeah, it was...The Batman aspect's brilliant. And the whole idea of it is good. So you start off the one with the Arkham Asylum in the first level and you've got to work your way up to the control room to defeat Batman and then you play as the Villains. Yeah. And if you roll a one, you move Batman on the board and the person who was one decides where he goes, Okay, yeah. And then you just obviously stitch other people
up. Yeah, it was, how can I say it, it was hard work, I think. Yeah, you just got to you got to level up your strength so you get as strong as Batman. So Baman gets harder every level you go up. So you got to get make sure you can roll better than him to defeat him. Yeah. And it just seems like we none of us were really getting our strengths or cunning up and it was took ages seems to take ages. I mean, I was getting that and then I went up into the third level and I realised if I
go up, I lose a health. I only have one health left and I died. Yeah, we made a bad mistake, can really do a rewind, because it'd be cheating. So I'd start again. And then after that, I don't know it just seems to really, really drag along.
How long did it go on for/
Probably about four hours. And we still think completely Oh god, how we sort of do it because I've dinner and stuff. I just, you just my niece had to go at defeating Batman in the middle and she just couldn't do it. Bless her. She had to roll a two or three and
How old's your neice?
Good question. 14. Okay. Yeah, so yeah, so I think I'd like to try it with us, like, more mature people. Because I think a lot of the time when my brother in law didn't know what he was doing bless his cotton socks, but he's just going around trying to heal all the time. Yeah, that's not the aim of the game here is to get your boost your stats up to get in the middle. And it was all a bit nice sometimes, because you didn't want to get Batman on this person, or yeah, oh, nice.
When you're in the same spot, I'm not gonna punch you and take your stuff. I'm just going to do to the room instead. But when it's us, we'll be like that, and there'll be even more tactical, maybe, but yeah, no, no, but um, I will give it a go. Yeah. But um, yeah, so that's what I played that weekend.
Yeah, I think it's just an old system. Isn't it Talisman? It's been around. I don't know how many years but a long time.
Yeah, I remember the original one with the really chunky looking board. Because I think I got given it secondhand when I was about 11 or 12. And that was my lasting memory was just going round and round and round this board and go, right, I've got find this item or whatever it was, or get these bits and pieces together. So I can go unlock the next bit or whatever. And yeah, it just seemed to go on forever. And then since then, obviously, they've had sort of new,
¶ Adrian - Earth
slightly newer, updated rules. And I think they've had a Harry Potter version, and they've had the Batman version. And I want to say something else as well, but so that it sells like it seems to sell people. People seem to like it. But yeah, as I say, I haven't played it in yonks. And the last time I played it, I'd still been at school, and just my lasting memory of that game will be going around in circles for hours.
Yeah, no, no.
On the sale pile, then potentially, potentially, yeah,
I'm gonna try with a gaming group. Hopefully put up a session up and try and get on and see how it goes
Thanks T. Adrian?
Yeah. So as sort of Becky alluded to, we went down to the Cranbrook gaming day. So which is actually in Rockbeare, I think but near Cranbrook. So, but yeah, they do game, they do a Sunday. It seems to be like they're going to do it every couple every couple of months. Now, they've already just announced the next one. They meet up every Thursday anyway, but they seem to get a few more
people in on the Sunday. And yeah, I went there last time, and really enjoyed it but sort of hung up with the same group sort of nervously not knowing many people kind of or sort of introduced myself met Joel and that there. And then we stuck around for that group for the whole day. And this time I was I'm just gonna go and see what games are out there that I like to look of. And go and play that
and the first one was Earth. So we'll be delivered to kickstarter backers soonish probably about now as the episodes going out. Yeah. And Paul Grogan, having sort of got it and done an unboxing video brought it to the Games Day. And it's great is the long and short of it. What is it essentially you've got an island that you're going to grow these plants on is like, it's a bit abstract in that sense of you're not, you're not a person going around growing, you're an ecosystem
that's growing these plants. And you've also got different terrain types, and they all give you bonuses, sort of it's partway between Terraforming Mars, Aries expedition and Wingspan if you push them together, that is kind of what it's like. So you start off, and you'll have to like a card. It's
got two sides on it. And it's two different like, unique player powers to start with, on both sides of each so once your island and one's your environment and they kind of start in dictate where you're going to go a little bit like Prelude. Terraforming Mars, something, it'd be like our draw 12 cars, and you've got to discard four of them. And discarding is actually really useful as it's called composting.
Nice. Yeah.
And that each composted card gives you a victory point at the end of the game. So actually discarding stuff isn't a bad thing. And you'll get abilities or you can get abilities that will then allow you to take cards out of compost, and it will give you to soil which is like the primary resource in the game to buy stuff with. And so it's kind of, you know, I'm giving up a victory point, but then I get to
do something, whatever. So you get those powers to start with and you have what is essentially a four by four grid. It's not on a board or anything like that. You just have to know that you're allowed a four by four grid. So the first plant or terrain you play just kind of goes in the middle of this blank area you've got on the table and then over the game, you can decide is that card going to end up in the bottom right hand corner or the top left, because you build the cards up around
it. And you're just never allowed to go bigger than a four by four grid, which is really exciting, interesting, takes that Wingspan, sort of, yeah, three rows, five columns, sort of thing. And it allows you to much more, play much more intricate sort of puzzle game. And I've got other things just like if things are orthogonally adjacent, you get bonuses. And if things are diagonally adjacent, you get bonuses or if things are in a row, you get to do stuff. And so you can kind of
build it up. And it's got essentially what a tags from Terraforming Mars. So it's got, it's got frost symbol, or a mountain symbol or like a water symbol to suggest humid climate and stuff like that. And so it'll say all of your... I had one that was all of your frost cards cost one less. And so then I started building up lots of frost cards, and I had if you've got trees, diagonally, you get five points per that. And so you start to build up this 16 by 16
grid. And the way you do that is you've got four actions there's planting is the first one, which is where you put down cards onto your 16. By 16. Grid, there's gain soil and resources, there is grow sprouts. So little sort of cubes essentially think of them like eggs on Wingspan if you like they're just a little spot, you're allowed so many of them, you can pop one on and then that's a victory point at the end for every sprout. And then they've got another mechanic similar to that called
growth. And essentially each plants not the terrains, but each plant has a space and it'll say this can go four high. So you can grow up your plant by like stacking these little tokens on top of each other when you get to the top one is then worth more victory points that each little stack is worth a victory point that if you get four higher multiplied, so when you get to your fourth high, that's all you're allowed on this one or too high on that one, or whatever it is, you'll
get seven victory points. So it's almost like you know, with eggs on Wingspan to kind of put it into things, if you fill up your, you know your bird with eggs, you would get more victory points for having done that. And so it also sort of encourages you to fill up one card. But again, you've got things that will say are anything in this row can have the growth on it, if you activate,
Yeah, so there's a nice verticality with it as well as like
It comes off the table because you're stacking things on top of each other. So it looks you've got these little green cubes and then you've got these little stacks of growths and you're building this little grid it looks really impressive as you're playing. And yeah, I think people who've backed it, I'ma bit gutted I haven't backed it now, but I think I think people have backed it gonna be if they like that kind of, as I say like Aries expedition in engine building and sort of
¶ TURN 3 - Main Event: The "other" expansion theory
selecting an action next with that Wingspan, build up a grid with bonuses for having similar types of thing. The whole putting eggs and tucking food and all that kind of stuff. If you like all of those things from those two games, I think you're gonna love because it's just got all of that in one puzzle. I'll probably be picking that up when it comed to retail
It does sound good. Have a go? Yes. The games we played. Sorry. Tambo. Yeah. More fun than I did. Yeah. Good. Let's go with it Okay, it's time for the main event. And we're going to talk about expansions I have a reputation. Absolutely. And it's well founded is well founded and I can't hide from it, to be honest. And having looked at my Board Game Geek collection, and seeing actually how many expansions I have I think I said up another episode. Most of the
collection is expansions. But then I'll do have like Marvel champions and Too Many Bones. And there's just lots of, you know, packs and things that are classed as expansions. So it's probably looks worse than it actually is. No one's believed I was gonna say I couldn't tell them. So I thought I want to do an episode on it. Okay, well, what should we talk about expansions? But yeah, just just the general kind of topic of expansions what they do to the game, what types of expansions
you can get? And, you know, examples of some good ones examples, and maybe it's not so good ones. Like there is any bad expansions. Come on. And yeah, just have a bit of a chat, because I think it's quite an interesting conversation piece anyway, and why they exist, and kind of how they come about and actually what they do for people
¶ What is an expansion?
like me likes to collect everything.
The trouble is with you, you're a completist aren't you? Yeah, so if there is a thing, a version, like I'm many different? but if there is a Oh, he's got this one. And you've got some of the others you have to have. Why don't I have this? Yeah,
So suprised you've stopped as early as you have with Marvel champions.
Yeah, I'm holding off on that. Now you've got everything. Yeah, I would miss one. Yeah. So I had to stop. But we'll we'll get into that we'll get into that. So let's talk about what is an expansion. If anyone doesn't know, I'm sure most of the people listening know what an expansion is. But I mean, essentially, it's the name suggest is kind of an add on to
¶ The various types of expansions out there
an existing base game, which can change the game up, we can add more stuff, we can do all sorts
of different things. So essentially, what publishers like to do when they want to, you know, cynically earn more money out of an existing IP, or maybe that they, certain designers or even fans of certain games have come up with some really unique and great ideas to put certain twists on existing games, just to kind of keep them refreshed, keep them, people playing them, keep people buying them and, and all sorts
of different things. So kind of what I've done is categorise what I think are the different types. And I'll just quickly run through them. And maybe we can kind of circle back and give some examples on those different types. So once I've got here and feel free to chip in, if I've missed any, you've got the more players expansion, that is typically ones that just add more players to the game, because usually they might have
a four player game. And then people, like I said, not five, not six, and they add a fifth or sixth player with extra components to sort that out. So you've got that one, you've got like a modular expansions, where add lots of different modules that you can kind of turn on and off in a game, you can kind of throw them in mix and match doesn't really change the base game, per se, just kind of add
some bolts on. Well, I'll probably call a bolt on you got ones that are like integration so expansions, which fully integrate into the base game and actually changes some of the base game mechanics so that you not that you don't recognise it, but they will twist certain things and and yeah, definitely change it for the better.
Those tend to be like a completely you know, compared to the modules which you can add a little bit so you want to the full individuation ones tend to be like this is a whole unit, you add it all together
All or nothing you can't pick and choose. I like that bit. And I don't like that bit because the whole thing wouldn't work. Yeah, tends to yeah, definitely be an all or nothing. You've got like a more stuff. More content expansion. So it's literally it's not changing the mechanics per se, more variability, more variety, more cards, all those kinds of things, usually a lot of cards. And then you've got like errata.
So you've either being what are called like fixes, balance, tweaks, changes, all those kinds of things. Those are the types I can think of, then if you guys can kind of think of any
What about expansions that give you scenarios, basically. More story story. Yeah, that content, story content story content expansions. Yeah,
Kind of makes sense.
Yeah, I guess you've kind of got adjacent to that sort of spin offs of things. So let's think something like Ticket to Ride. So it's not really an expansion, but it's like a little a little variance. Yeah. So a lot more maps. Yeah. So you can't... they are new, completely different games, really. But you probably wouldn't just buy one of the others, you've probably buy that. Oh, I like the original, so I'm going to buy Ticket To Ride Europe or
Ticket To Ride's an interesting one, because you've got Ticket to Ride and Ticket to Ride Europe. And then Ticket to Ride Europe and Ticket to Ride tend to then have a load of add on maps. But yeah, just as map pack, so you've got the spin off game, and then all the expansions that go with each spin off game. So yes, I can see what you're saying. But you do also have that's not to be confused with just buying more map packs. With all I was going to add is that a lot of these
games don't come. It just adds more players, it just adds especially with the errata ones quite often they are here's some content. And part of that content fixes our balance issue. Yes. And therefore it's, I mean, from a again, cynical point of view, it's at least it's a kind of way of hiding them putting their hands up and going. Yeah, we got this last time out the door. But also Yeah, they tend to be like especially the ones
that come to mind. Especially are the player expansions, adding more players and the errata expansion. Yes, they tend to come with a host of more stuff too. So that's not, here spend 10 pound fixing the thing we didn't get right in the first place. Tends to be the spend 35 pound and we fix the thing and you get more.
You're not wrong. Yeah. Obviously you're not wrong, because you will all have seen that this is 'Here's five cards' just been the ones they replace, you know, they tweaked and you could argue well, they've changed because the expansions tweak. Sometimes they do sometimes sometimes because they add a new resource that this expansion is introducing for
¶ When you want more players...
example,
Or a new key word or something like that. And it's like well, yeah, in which case you need.
I guess it doesn't have to be cynical though does it? It's it could be just this has been played tested by the general public now so much more. Oh, yeah. And we have discovered that this is a little crazy secret combo that Kerley has discovered that's wrecked it for everyone now so we have to
That's all games
He's worked out the, you know, death combo. So now we have to make that not a thing.
I mean kind of going just quickly through them I mean, the kind of go back to the more players expansions, the ones that kind of examples, we bring some examples to the table for people like Clank that you just played. Clank has an expansion called the Adventuring party, which literally adds the five or six players into the game, and also adds asymmetrical powers, asymmetrical decks. So
It could just probably do it with five players or six
Because it comes with the base decks as well, like so you players, can optionally play with either or but as Adrian's point you can't just buy the fifth and sixth standard decks, you have to buy a lot. So you've got to kind of want to buy these things. And as you say, you can't always pick and choose, you just get what you get. And you either buy or you don't. Right. So that's kind of my examples. I think Blood Rage is another one that kind of popped
into my head. I think they had a fifth player expansion.
I don't have it no, but
Yeah, Rising Sun certainly did. Which added a load of extra stuff. And then just sort of saying you have a fifth player.
Yeah, Barrage is another one, they did a fifth player expansion
I mean, the ones that I can think of off the top of my head. So again, I tend not to buy these expansion so much, because I often find that they're best at the base player. And the exceptions for that are if you're if you are taking simultaneous turns. So my favourite two player expansions are Quacks of Quedlinburg. Yeah, as a fifth player with the first expansion box or the second, I think either way, but you're doing everything at the same
time. So it doesn't slow down, the game doesn't really change, or anything like that. And It's A Wonderful World. And again, you are drafting and building all at the same time. And I think that's the right way to do it. There are a couple of others. But for the most part, anything else that adds players I tend to think to myself, it's distorted the game longer than it needs to be perhaps like it's added 45 minutes to put on. So I tend to not really go after
those. But I even like Harry Potter Hogwarts Battle, I'd never play that full player, but they've added a fifth. Right, okay. But there are games out there like that. And some of them like the first ever expansion I ever really sort of saw was the Pillars of the Earth. And the fifth player at the time, we have regularly had five players. And so yeah, in hindsight, maybe it's not the best expansion to add a fifth
player in this game. But at the time, our gaming group was five players, and we loved that game. So the fact that it took an extra half hour 45 minutes and there's a load of extra rules to explain didn't bother us. Yeah. And I think that's kind of down to personal preference. Right? Is do you love that game? And is your gaming group continuously one player more?
Yeah, a lot of times some game groups can just be five players. And then it gets awkward and you can play up to four I wish it had a fifth player but you're right. Some games just don't work as well. And the downtime, just stuff you know, you're waiting 20 minutes and you're like, kill me now. Just want to sort of take their go. The good
The good one is Lords of Waterdeer, Scoundrels of Skullport. Like it was an extra player. Yes. But you have to play the expansion to play all five players. Yeah, that's like a nice integration. I wouldn't play without it now. It always has to go in. I've never played it without it. Yeah, man. I wouldn't play the base game anymore because of that expansion.
You guys now put both in at the same time, don't ya?
You got to put all in, a lot more contention with corruption, thats the best part about it
Becky's obligatory Zuuli mention, that obviously adds it adds up to six players. The little expansion. Yeah, but it's now base now. And yeah, so part of the base. Yeah. And that doesn't really affect time. I don't think necessarily. It does have a few more animals. But yeah, I don't think that really affects stuff.
No, because again, playing might add a little bit to your draft round. Isn't it?
There's the new Wingspan one as well, isn't there? Aisa, with Flock Mode? Yeah, I just I haven't played it
Adrian says Flock Off.
I struggle I love wingspan. But five players is quite long between another player or two players, isn't it
It is kind of an interesting way of doing it. I just can't see myself being like, we've got seven players, let's play Wingspan. So essentially, they separate you into two groups of four and a group of three. And you turn a dial every turn and it tells you which players get to go because obviously the group of three goes quicker than the group of four. So like I think one of the groups ends up with downtime. I can't quite remember what it was. But I looked at it. I remember thinking that's when I
looked at that game. That's not what I thought it would need more of was more players. Yeah,
¶ Adding more stuff or integrating content into the game...
the two player version. I might buy that expansion because of the two player version. It looks really good. But yeah, I couldn't. It blew my mind that they like now you can play with seven. Was there many people asked for that?
I can't imagine. I can't imagine that, when I was putting it in the nesting box. I was kind of that's exactly what I did. I was looking at the, yeah, the duet Mode isn't Oh, that might be interesting. But I just yeah, I'll potentially give it a go at some point but definitely not the flock.
I think Wingspan is a great example. Actually our it kind of covers some of these categories because it has the more stuff content one with the European expansion I wish you look at you want more birds, you've got more birds, even more birds and eggs. Basically, you just chuck in more and more birds. And then the Oceania which actually then twists with the Nectar
But it doesn't change it too much. That's what I like about it. It doesn't really. I think they realised Oh, the food thing is a real bind with this. Yes, maybe some people love that
¶ The switching in and out of modules...
that brain break. I do not, it annoys me. And the fact that you've got this nectar as this kind of sort of wildcard thing, really like that. So it doesn't change the game massively. It just adequately makes it easier. It just makes the kind of the decision making process a little bit smoother,
Scores up a bit at the end as well as
And who doesn't like higher scores?
No one. Wish I could get them. That's the trouble. Yeah. So kind of going on to the modules bit then. Got any good examples of that? Off top your head? I've got a couple
Everdell? That is? Yeah, it's kind of a mixture. So you've got the kind of bits that you can add what chunky modules.
It's almost like four separate integrations, I think.
The Belfaire expansion, I will always play it with that now when that's just a tiny little. Swap this for this
Replace the tree a bit cant remember
Kerley doesn't like the tree but I still like the tree, the tree still there. If I get
It's shameful, I'm useless.
But yeah, the Belfaire kind of module just bolted on the side doesn't... it doesn't affect gameplay, it just gives you a little bit more, a few more spaces and swap to berries for whatever, you know. Yeah, kind of just a little bit of a shopping kind of thing. Yeah. And you can happily play that with all the same original stuff in. You wouldn't need any of the other expansions. You could just play it extra with that little module bolted on the side. Nice.
I can't pronounce Tavens of Tiefenthal. Yeah, those modules are so you don't buy him separate one of the one boxes and get the entertainers and you grabbed the shots on the bar. But they were already really good modules.
Yeah, they're schnaps. I'll just remember the schnapps, entertainers. Oh, no idea. No
I didn't put notes in that one I can remember. Yeah, cuz that's just bringing that springs to my mind the modules in that one? Yeah,
Technically that is your base game. But they have done an expansion, which I think is more modules. So the thing I always liked about that, if you put the two boxes together, the expansion is the roof of the bar. So they thought about how to make it look, a shelf like that.
On its side, and then it's rubbish
Who puts their boxes on their side. Looking at Adrian,
Are you a vertical storer? Yeah.
You gotta remember as well, I 3d print loads of inserts. So it doesn't fall out when you turn it on the side which I know is irritating for people. But yeah, Queen games tends to do a lot of expansions that add modular stuff in. And I always, they've been doing it for quite a long time as well. And I've always thought that is quite a smart way of doing it like, not Queen games but Panjun for Gugong. Yes, that was on my list is isn't is another similar
one. And I think I don't think it's Queen games if I remember correctly. But Splendour has a modular expansion as well as the base one of that. And is, you know, because it if you've got four modules, five modules in a box, the replayability, especially if it's like pick two replayability on that does get quite high, ultimately for for a smaller output, but doesn't
radically change the game. So if you invite someone who's only played the base game along, you can say, Oh, here's a minute, two minutes extra explanation of this module and a minute, two minutes extra explanation of this module. And that's what I quite like about those module ones, but I can't say that I've never really played them properly myself, but I do like the idea of them. They're normally the ones that I take a good second look at
Good shout, Queen games. Because yeah, the Queen'sI've got is Franchise, which get the just tiny little modules that they they just vary the game on massively. You know, for those that don't know Franchise, it's kind of like a 1960s Basically, a mad map of the US with lots of routes and things going all over the place and you're literally just doing area control and blocking and all that kind of
stuff. But yeah, just as a little modules of one of them's just literally a boom, stand the token thing that moves around doubles your income, that's all it does, but it makes a difference.
Just 10 seconds to explain what it does really.
It's only move it doubles your income, Got it
Kingdom Builder, Alhambra. I've looked at their modules and what they add on and they sound really good. I just never bought them because I don't own the base game itself. Even if I bought the base game, I'd probably buy the modules.
But the other one that kind of springs to mind is Teotihuacan. Hopefully I said that right. Again, Teotihuacan,
¶ Fixing up the base games with errata...
something like that. But that has the expansions, the Preclassic expansion and the Expansion Period expansion, weirdly names or modules. So you can kind of just say, I'll have a bit of that, and a bit of this and a bit of that, and we'll throw it in. Because it's my, I throw them all in.
Chaos JP, yes.
See what happens. Although I've not played the Expansion Period, modules yet. But I do love that game. That's always good, fun. Cool. And then the errata really the only ones that I can think of specifically, other than what we mentioned is like Twilight Imperium where they do Codex. So they do a print, it's like a print and play expansion, air quotes. But they do replace or in tweak existing cards, and they call it
like, the Omega cards. So essentially go, You know what, we're going to tweak this power a little bit between that power a little bit, because again, through more and more plays that the games had online, if you're spending eight hours playing the game, you want it to be balanced, ideally. And but also they give you some new things in those codexes as well. Sometimes you get a new fraction, kind of new abilities, some more action
cars, different things. Again, not not massive, but and readily available for print in place. That's quite nice.
You did get a couple of cards that they told you to remove in Wingspan Asia expansion. Oh, really? Yeah. For I believe, maybe one was removed altogether. I think it was the kind of starting bonus cards that you get when you kind of aim your game. Yeah. But it's sort of I think, as they added more that, you know, maybe wasn't a viable thing to go. Yeah. And that's it. And I think, obviously, they've
¶ The big box to store your expansions
obviously been very, very clever with how they have added things in because you know, how you've got the percentage of those cards. They've tried to stick them? Yeah, so there's only yeah, there's only four cards that they said basically, we've printed a different version. Take the original ones out. Yeah.
I mean, that's quite good. Considering how many extra birds in the game
I had to get 550 sleeves after Wingspan Watergate? Yeah. Yeah. Cool.
There you go, a lot of birds.
There's an expansion we haven't talked about got a big box expansion, the big box. So yeah, the storage. And so quite often, they'll be like, Oh, here's another module or something like that. And a big box to put it all in. And that's can be just as good as actually extra content. Big empty box. I'm always a bit like, Okay, fair enough. Some of them I bought and some of them I've
skipped for sure. But normally if it's like his the expansion, and now we've given you insert that fits the expansion and the base box, and the secret kicks, like expansions coming out next or whatever, I'll give you a bit
¶ Why do we get expansions?
of a slot. Oh, wonder what that slot's for? Perfectly sized put another expansion in those kinds of boxes are actually quite, quite good as well as an expansion is
Quite good for... it's quite clever of the publishers as well, because it's like, you've got the big box. And now you've got an empty space. So you've got to fill it right. The big box and not fill in a little gap. No, no, no, it's quite clever, isn't it? Yeah, that's a good one, Adrian, because that's an important one, just thinking I've got off here. So that kind of moves us on? Why do we get them? Why do we get excited? Why do I get them cannot resist it? Why do I get expansions? Why is
I think it's really good that you've got a game that you it like, so there's such a saturated market of games out there, it's really hard to kind of pick which one you want to go for. And they're really expensive. And I think if you really love a game, it's really nice if you've got a little expansion that you can add on to you know, maybe increase the replayability or the variation or whatever, instead of having
to research a whole new game. I like that it just kind of you know, enhance yeah enhances the game you know, that you already love and hopefully doesn't change it too much. But usually less than the price of a new whole game sometimes sometimes. Depends on the game. Too Many Bones what?
Yeah, yeah. But yeah, I think you mentioned at the beginning though, the reasons I think I get them is definitely that completionist. Yeah, and it's hard. I have to wrestle with this a lot. And I think I've got better on some of the games. Try not to just automatically get expansions. As soon as I've bought the bloody base game, which I've done like the expansion I think you played it. Yeah, I don't know if you like it. And it just needs to not do that and just literally
play the bloody base game. See if you like it. If If so you play it enough times, then then look at it.
That's the important part is that and I feel like I'm building a theme here, right? Because I've talked about the same, like expansion feels about right? When I get to six games, if I've played six games of something, I don't normally feel like I've got my value out of that base game, and I'm probably going to play it more. Yeah. And at that point, I normally go, right now I'll buy more content, or change how the game plays slightly or something like that
with an expansion. And that's when I feel like I then will get that because I've proved to myself, that it's worth it's worth it. And sometimes I don't, and sometimes I'm like, Oh, I love this too much. It's gonna go straight in or whatever, and I'll buy it. But for the most part, I wait for those six. Yeah, it's almost in and then I'll go right now I'll get an expansion or now it's time to sell it on. And then I don't have to buy an expansion.
I think you're more rational than me, I think. Because I, in especially in the earlier days of the gaming career, as it were, I would just want to rush to get good the game had the expansion and always be like, Oh, my God, I've got to play the base game, because I've got a new player. And I really want to play this module, I really want to play this expansion, and just kind of get everybody to that position as quickly as possible.
But obviously, when you're coming in new, the last thing you want to be doing is got I've got to learn the base game. And then I've got to learn the expansion, or two expansions that we've thrown in just to catch up because you just you're already behind on you. And I know I'm guilty of that. I am guilty of that. Yeah, I've done that, too. You always remember saying to take you'll be fine. You'll get used to it. It's fine.
It's just 45 minutes. Yeah. And then these 15 minute videos as well and you'll be fine.
It's the wrong thing to do. And I know that I know that but sometimes I'm a selfish git
Can't think of the game, was it the wine one? Viticulture. Hadn't played it before and you'd put the expansion in. It was fine. He'll be fine. Watch this video. Like you just sit there watch it. Yeah. Okay.
I didn't add the cheese's? No. I didn't have it at the time.
I think I played it once. That's fine.
Sometimes it can be okay, so my first introduction to Lords of Waterdeep, as we've mentioned on the podcast before was at 11 o'clock one night, day two of the convention knackered, but yeah, it still had all the other bits in and I think I can't imagine what the game would be like, it would be a definitely pale in comparison experience without this goal. Oh. I've never ever looked at the extra box. Because they just it's all just mixed in. You know, it is the base game. Yeah.
But it's what complexity does it set that game at? So JP likes complex games? Yeah, adding complexity on top of it. And so therefore the entry point of those games is very high, really high. And then you're adding in more complexity, which is where I think that sort of comment you've made of our shouldn't do this? Well, I know Lords of Waterdeep is very much lightweight. Yeah. And then when you add the expansion, it takes it to light to midweight.
Yeah, I can't... having only ever played it with, I can't imagine that it would be more complex or any, any less complex really, without
Definitely builds that game up. Again, if you're if your entry point into the hobby was Lords of Watereep, then you'd probably get a few games of it before you decide to put the expansion in. But because it is very, it's not very lightweight, but it is on that lightweight scale just above entry level almost weight, then adding that expansion in brings it up to where we as a group generally are used to as a competitor
You've surpassed the kind of the weight and you've played heavier games. So coming back to the Lords of Waterdeep, the plus expansion is like it's easy, like you know, you're not gonna struggle, but yeah, some players
absolutely will. But I think one of the reasons why I do it and I've done this in Twilight Imperium as well with the Prophecy of Kings expansion, which I know I really love I like I can't play without it might but sometimes we get new players to the table and there's a part of me thinking probably should leave that out. And that kind of thing. I don't want to because this is a game I played twice a year. Yeah, if we leave it out, got wait six months before try out again.
Does it make that much of a difference? Having never played either?
Yeah, it's more like well, it adds this 4x game right and one of the x's being exploration. So it just it helps add a bit more oomph to the exploration gives you a bit more things to go after in terms of, you know, cards that you're drawing and artefacts and relics that you're getting, but also that I think my favourite bit about that whole expansion is the fact that every faction now has like heroes and leaders and different unique symmetric.
Okay, okay, so it just gives you more to lean into But Christ almighty if this is your first game, it must be overwhelming.
I played it on my third game and even I was like, I don't want to be like, I don't want to add this stuff. So
But yeah, There's a bit that's the example I kind of go to it's, I suppose it depends on how regularly you're going to get this game to the table. Yeah. So if it's, you know, you're not going to get the game out for another two or three months, you kind of like, Oh, I
really want to try it. Equally, you want new players to have a good time, otherwise, I'll never play with you again, get to play Whereas you might there might bounce hard off this game, because you know, you've put the complexity rating up too high for them to get in to even understand it. So the other example, which I have taken my time over, and I've been very
good, is Trickerion. Because Trickerion, I've got the big box, right, and one of the main expansions in there as Dahlgaard Academy, which I know ramps the damn game complexity levels up is already heavy, and medium games heavy game, but I purposely taking my time, it's like I'm on a date with it, take my time. Really slow, with Trickerion, only holding hands, not got any heavy petting. But now just literally just just
taking his game as it goes. And we've thrown a little module in here and that there but nothing too major. But yeah, we kind of kept it because I just know that... it's mindclash isn't it? Yeah, you know
Yeah.
So that's, that's, yeah, why do I get them? I just love them. But I've got better. I think.
I think I'm probably I don't know, it might be T. I'm probably the more selective Yes, Becky will buy everything. Especially if you recommend it to. Yes, yes. JP is The Completionist yeah, I've maybe it's just that I've been in the hobby longer. And I'm the old gamer at this point.
Though I think that's it, you're further around the curve than we are It's shiny. So let's talk about some of our favourites then. So
And so possibly, but the one that I remember distinctly thinking and I don't even want I've played it a tonne, but I don't want the expansion was Barenpark. Oh, that's interesting, because I played it. And the more bear the grizzly bears or whatever it's called bad news. Bears. Monorail is this monorail? And all that lot. And I was looking at it. And I was like, I actually really like where this game is. Right now. I don't want my expansion. Everyone's told me how good the expansion is. But I
like the weight. I like what it takes. I like how easy it is to teach all of that lot right now. I don't see myself, I'd probably enjoy the expansion, but I'm happy with it is where it is. And so I don't need to spend the £20 quid extra on the expansion. That was the first time that was a few years ago. Where I genuinely was like, actually, there's a real reason I've played it a tonne. Because normally if I've played it a tonne, I'm like, well, I might as well buy the expansions.
Yeah. And that's kind of my qualifiers if I get six games in and it's still there, and I'm still enjoying it, and it's probably worth investing a bit more money. And that was one of the first ones where I got to I'm gonna look at you T because you've got your sheet in front six games and I was like, Nope, no, I'm happy with it as it is
¶ A quick round on our favourites
the game to me is good enough. Holds up stands up on the base game. I don't need to, not bored of it. No, because still happy to play. I don't play it every week or anything like that. But play it a few times a year and I'm happy with where it is. And this is where I'm like I see you guys like rushing out and it's like you've not even played a game of it yet. Or you think of you. Oh yeah. What what expansions? Do we like recommend you've had one game? Yeah, I wanna play with expansion now.
But did you go through all your routes? Did you try different ways of winning? No. I just fancied with expansions. I think that will you think wow, that changes the base game would I remember those never ever play without them?
I will go with the Outer Rim one the Unfinished business Yeah,
I thought that might be that'd be the first that's my top one. No because I just read it
yeah
Yeah talked about it highly before
Yeah, definitely. It's one of the definitely one of the expansions that I wouldn't play the base game without again without it it's like Waterdeep now just would not do it. Mansions of Madness,the additional those expansions are awesome
Yeah, the Mansions ones are really good.
I think it's one of those things. I won't buy an expansion unless I enjoy the game, that's been a game and I love it. I'll get expansions. This doesn't matter how much it costs. I wasn't gonna be Yeah, I'll just keep going. And I'll keep going. So yeah, yeah, I mean, some of them aren't as good as others. But ya know, Mansions is really really good. Horrific journey is one of my favourites. I think. Yeah, me too. Yeah, but I've got all the all of them. I mean, that's what the game should be
called. Horrific Journeys. Because that is literally what you're going through.
You're on a horrific journey every time. It's all going wrong. save the day.
Yeah, to be honest, and it's like Marvel Champions again. Yeah. It's one of those things. I love that game. So now anything comes out. It's mine.
So right Becky? What are the classics or good expansions?
I think Terraforming Mars now I only ever played Terraforming Mars with the expansions, which ones? There's quite a lot. Okay, so I didn't have them in the box. And because I've only played them from, you know, from already mixed together and the one that adds the Colonies, Prelude , really like those
Auto include Prelude Yeah, yeah.
I don't know what the other ones add, like I say because I only ever I've only ever played those in you Elysium, with new maps. Okay. Yeah, yeah, we
We don't tend to play Venus. I don't mind it personally, but it's one that adds all the kind of it's another politician politics. Okay, so we don't play with that one either. Yeah. And I do like Turmoil but not every time so I like Turmoil when I think you know what, I want to get punished and play Terraforming Mars. Because that's essentially what you're up against Turmoil while you're just getting docked victory points every round but you have to kind of manipulate the
political seats and stuff. I quite like it. But it's not something I want to auto include. It's just no fancier flavour to us.
Yeah, we'll add it in all the time. Not all the time. It's is really good. Yeah,
Just refreshes it up and changes the strategy of the game.
Yeah, Mansions of Madness. Like Tambo said, yeah, that's just it just has more stories, doesn't it? You could still play the base with the base thing and I don't think it would change the game but replayability is just out of this world. Yeah. Haha. Dog Park. Maybe just more dogs so it doesn't really change. It just adds famous.
No, I didn't see Lassie.
I did look through them because I sleeved them to that as well. After the Wingspan. hideousness, Christmas water spill. I thought, right. This is it. I'm going on a sleeving mission. I never thought I'd be a sleever
What was Tintin's dog, Snowy, snowy.
I just shuffled them in. I didn't even bother reading them. Don't remember seeing any famous. The Dog Park is loads of them. So coming there's only like a stack of... might not even come up.
I've mentioned one of them, then it's the game I always mentioned. It's A Wonderful World. Taking it from five seven players is the big part of it. So for me, it really rivals Seven Wonders. In order to do that. You have to get to seven players really? Yeah. So I think that was one of those extra player ones where you have to add the extra deck, the Extra Deck is a little bit more of added complexity. But to get to those extra players, it's worth
it for me. So yeah, so that was a big one that I really enjoyed. And then Hogwarts again, because Hogwarts is kind of legacy. You don't destroy anything so it's always replayable but is that kind of you open a box at a time Yeah, adding those extra boxes I just got the Monster Book of Monsters and now we just sometimes mix that into play a random game but really enjoyed adding those in haven't bought potions with the fifth player that you will never use
I bought Potions before I actually bought the base game, so I knew I was gonna buy them all together. I saw that one on eBay really cheap or somewhere really, really good.
Yes. Whereas Monster Book of Monsters really just adds more of the same potions thing adds a whole crafting potion. Yeah,
Same thing we haven't played on either of the expansions. We decided to be good this time and eeke out the gameplay so we're going through all the years and then add in,
Because you do it year by year. Yeah, it's worth doing it that way. And then yeah, most of the other expansions have just been sort of more of the same and so I don't know that I'd really recommend them as such they were just yeah I'm glad I've got them sort of thing. How about yourself?
Me? Dune Imperium Rise of Ix. I didn't think it would add much but oh my god it does like for what it does, it twists it around a little bit. You've got the little technology tiles that you kind of acquire gives you little engines and we say to power you in different directions. But actually I think that my favourite thing of it is this shipping track I know
sounds awful. But the shipping track you push up this track and then you take the action to kind of take everything that you've got to the level and below so you suddenly are getting these like massive yes I'm getting all these things troops and everything just that is just brilliant. doesn't sink
To the bottom again.
Yeah, so yeah, when do you pull that token back? Do you get to right to the top or do you do it earlier any
Little bit now? Yeah, we'll do a lot late just that little little decisions
And obviously you get more cards you get more options you Yeah, that's a good, good metric. get this that and the other. I really like what it does and I can't ever see never playing without it to be honest Immortality haven't played can't comment that's coming. So that's that one. Star Wars Rebellion. So the rise of the empire for me so you have not played with that. Yeah, so for me again would never not play without
that expansion. It revamped the combat it turns it into what they called cinematic combat, dunno why it's cinematic but it basically does more rolling dice but he's just the the combat mechanics just better in every way. The other one Anachrony Fractures of Time for me. Just
¶ Wrapping up the expansion chat
love Anachrony anyway. But the Fractures of Time just makes it adds this blinking mechanic where you can essentially put your your Exosuit the worker in out on the board and you can kind of teleport it around the board as well the same not the same time but you kind of get more use out of your workers and exosuits they have really really enjoyed that one. But you know,
I like them all to be fair. I could probably talk about expansions all episodes but I mean if we're gonna wrap this up, it's like Are expansions vital? No. They're not vital at all. Should you get them? I think what Adrian, you said, I think that six game rule. I think I like that. I like playing a game, play the base game six times. And then see how you feel. And if you get in the game out that much. And
that could be over two weeks. It could be over six months, it could be over three years, depending on your rate of play. But yeah, if you get to that point and go you know what? I'm done with this now or I feel like it needs a refresh or I feel like it needs something then give it a go. I'll try and listen to that
It's it's one of those again, I'll you know, I don't stick to it. Yeah, I do like it. It's just a general rule.
¶ TURN 4 - Badly Hexplained Games
And you know, kickstarters can buck that as well quite a bit. And I've got wiser with that as well. Because I used to be the our goal in two plays later. It's all in on the sales page now
In pledges on sale,
Whereas like a few of the ones I've got coming up, I haven't gone all in on I thought I'll buy it. And although it says it's only via Kickstarter, they're gonna launch another Kickstarter with a reprint at some point you're sure. And I'll pick them up then if I really like it.
Again, expansions done. So we're hitting turn four, where normally, normally we'd be doing question time, right, normally, but we've actually decided to switch this segment up a little bit. And we're going to change it so But firstly, I just want to say a massive thank you to everyone who's sent questions in. And you know, if you want to keep sending questions in please do because we still like to get them and we can still maybe
Bank them up a little bit down the line or something. I mean, every now and again,
We can do something with it. But we thought we'd change this segment up and we're actually going to call this badly explained games. So just a little bit of fun, something that kind of breaks the episode where we literally will basically explain a board game very, very badly. See if you can guess what it is.
Are we doing... like, a bell or
A bell sound where you can just talk. What you want to do. So I've got one if you want to give it a go. Are you ready? Hopefully you might get it. Maybe you won't. So I've got five families send their members into tall thin structures to meet important people ransack local forests whipping servants whilst evading the churches watchful eye
I might know it
Do you?
Yeah, I think so.
What about you Adrian?
The tall thin structures lighthouses, wizard towers. That's kind of where my mind was going. But I don't I can't think of it off the top of my head.
What about you T?
No
I don't think you've played it. So that might I played it. Maybe maybe not. Go on then.
I might have the title wrong, but is it Lorenzo El Magnifico?
Yeah
And you've got your stupid cousin who's an idiot? That you have to take around, isn't it? Yeah, he has to be you know, chaperoned everywhere
Because he's useless. Yeah, zero. And he's like, I can't go anywhere without a servant. Yeah, yeah. But be can kind of sneak into the towers when other family members are in those towers. So it's basically towers. If I'd said towers might give it away even more, think Becky was on there. Yeah.
I don't think any of us played it.
I thought you might know of it enough to know what it was. So I thought I'd throw it in and maybe your listeners,
Hopefully, there's a few of them going Yeah, course it's that.
It's bloody Lorenzo mate, what are you talking about. I thought I'd start it off, saying Adrian, you've got one
I'll throw a few to get the ball, put the one out. So in this game, I am going to produce different goods of varying porousness. Okay, and in the first half of the game, I am going to try and sell them by putting them in water. And when that doesn't work in the second half of the game, I'm going to try and sell them by putting them in a large outdoor kettle
It's obvious that
Oh, I might know it.
Silence silence. God I've no idea, can we give like clues? Can we ask clues? Becky might know it she might give the answer and we're gonna be like,
My mind immediately said Quacks of Quedlinburg No,
No,
Darn it. Darn it. It's the porous thing. So say you have holes in like a sponge.
Sometimes when I'm selling these goods it's better just to you know, pour some alcohol in the water or in the kettle to sell it better
Really helped. Yeah, I haven't got a pissing clue. No idea,
Might as well give it away. It's it's Brass Birmingham. Oh, so I can sell ceramics which aren't porous. I can sell box goods which kind of porous or Wool, which is very porous, very very pourous. And in the first half, I'll sell them via canal, so I'm just gonna put me in some water and see if I can sell them. Yeah, now call me in the beer. And in the second half. I'll put them in large outdoor kettle also known as a steam train. And try and sell them that way,
Very good.
Brass Birmingham. Really good game. It's a thinky bugger. Thanks. Yeah, you are we've trained you well. Yeah, God I wouldn't have gone there in a million years I was thinking of like, probably stones. Porous like rocks and things.
¶ TURN 5 - The Penultimate Turn: What's Coming Up?
Yeah, I thought I would try. I thought there'd be people going What on earth is
And that's what this segment's about
So, at home if you got that, please email in. Let us
¶ Tambo - Starting the Frosthaven campaign
know.
But if you didn't Well, join the club. We didn't get it. But yeah, before we try something new. We'll keep throwing these probably keep it quite short and sweet. And yeah, we'll see how we go and see. Right onto the Penultimate turn Right it's the Penultimate turn, guys. What are we excited about what's coming up for you? I'm looking at you.
I got Frosthaven coming, the date's been put in. Kerley's put it in.
What's that game? Never heard of it? Frosthaven.
Yeah, so I'm really really looking forward to it. So yeah, that's That's it? I mean, I'm not sure much about it, well, it's like Gloomhaven, but a bit more going on, I think.
There's a lot of pieces, because I've just put together the folded space insert
Is it blue?
Yeah. Very nice, actually. It's a nice insert
As long as they've made it easy to set up. So
You've got little player trays. I can answer this question. You got little player trays, which I think stay static. So you do Yeah. Yeah. A lot of pieces.
When you say stay static what do you mean
Like I think you have your little tray and
Oh, play off it with your decks.
Well, there's room for cards and there's a room to put. I don't know because I've never played it. I just items and
¶ Becky - Disneyland Paris & Crokinole
equipment. Yeah, I helped pop the thing. And glue the thing
Frosthaven Yeah. Who's in the Frosthaven group?
Me Rob James and Kerley.
Rob got in on it? Nice
Got a date quite quickly as well. That's yeah,
He's keen. You can tell when he's keen because he responds to messages. Oh, there we go. Nice.
Little slight dig there. Rob.
You're welcome. Calls me worse things. Yeah. I listened to the bloopers. Nice one, Frosthaven for you. How about you, Becky.
Well, not gaming. I'm going to Disneyland Paris on Friday with my friend which will be really cool. Nice. Yeah.
Have you been before?
I have I have, wasn't the, I didn't have the best experience. But yeah, okay. Yeah, this is a press trip she's been invited to and I am going as her little secret squirrel plus one. So it's all good. But gaming wise, I am introducing the best game on Earth to a couple of friends who sounded really interested in it
Too Many Bones?
Crokinole Obviously, so yeah, I'm taking my board round on Monday. And yeah, they're gonna have a go.
It gets to the point where I think Crokinole is easier to take to people than Too Many Bones. So I was just thinking in my head If I had to take that anywhere, What a pain in the ass that would be
I mean this board is massive
Hello Trove Chest! It is heavy Yeah, it's probably heavier than the Crokinole board to be honest,
But I think it's easier taking a Crokinole board round and sort of getting someone to actually flick a disc and trying to explain how good it is to people that have never seen it
Depends if you've got like a rig made out of ties. or had a go
Don't mock my box dragging system, with my shower curtain on it. Yeah.
Ian tried it, and got shot down? Yeah. And then realised actually your rig was a hell of a lot more comfortable than his Crokinole bag.
Yeah. His special Crokinole bag, and my original box that came in with a shower curtain and lots of ties tied together. And it was more comfortable. So there we go.
Are you taking any games on this? Disneyland Paris trip? going
I'm going to take Kluster? Because it's easy. Going to take Uno, Disney Uno that I have.
Yeah.
Can you think of any other things that maybe I should take? What would you guys suggest?
Just the two of you?
Well, it's the two of us. But there's going to be a group of people.
Zuuli?
Yeah. Might be a little bit too. Like you need a notepad and a pen. I mean, I will take it.
Just trying to think what packs up small really. So. Yeah, well Love Letter,
I made Harry Potter love letter. So maybe I should take my Love Letter.
Disney ajacent. Yeah, same, same ballpark. I just got because I just had like a couple of friends around the other
¶ Adrian - WWE Royal Rumble & After the Empire
night, and I think I really need like a small box game. I'm just kind of not bored with the stuff I've got, but it's the same old stuff. So I just got a Scout. This is an Oink game. Good things. And I've heard good things in the Shutup and Sit down did a little review of it. And video of it was quite good as a quick kind of card game to play.
Just one
Yeah, I might have to just take this as it's just so good. To be honest. I can probably put all the rest of them in that box. You could actually yeah, maybe that's that's the answer. That's the answer. Yeah, there we go.
Nice, Adrian.
So this weekend is Royal Rumble weekend. So it's wrestling WWE.
I thought that's what it was, but I didn't if it's like something that you did on the side.
Yeah. Okay. So yeah, so I'm kind of an on and off again, fan of wrestling. But when I'm sort of into it, and there's a really good storyline, with the bloodline, as they're called. going on. And so we'll be watching the Royal Rumble, but that disrupts my usual weekend gaming. Yeah, so I've managed to agree to bring it forward to Friday. And I've also managed to
¶ JP - City break to Rome & Vinhos
agree that we'll get something off my shelf of shame. So I'm thinking After The Empire where you build up a little castle and defend it from attackers that come in from different directions, there's a few nice bits and pieces on that. So I'm thinking that's probably the one I'm going to try and lure people into playing but nothing confirmed yet. See what happens just see what happens but they have said yet we'll learn something new. So absolutely, it'll be something off the shelf
of shame. And I've got a few on there now because I've bought a few bits over Christmas, but yeah,
Nice.
How about you?
Well, I've got a trip to Rome coming up. I think by the time this episode comes out, I would have been so podcast... Yeah, it was brilliant. Colosseum amazing. So no I'm actually looking forward to getting out there I'm taking the family so the wife and kids and it's kind of part of my wife 'Shells 40th present. So her 40th is still going on.
You got to make it last
So no, I'm really looking forward to that we've got like four nights away just, you know city break, but I love city breaks. Yes, just milling around. You do a lot of walking, seeing things. It's just all exciting, isn't it? A little adventure. So getting to try the food. So I'm looking forward to that but gaming wise. This week. I've got Vinhos which is the Portuguese Lacerda game. I got to the table or we'll get to the
table on Wednesday. So second play I really enjoyed the first play so just see if I actually do better. Probably not but yeah, just see how it works really?
Well you could do, you could do a little tour of Rome by buying the Assassin's Creed game where you can wander arounf Rome
I have played Assassin's Creed Brotherhood, which I think is the same Rome so I feel like I know Rome pretty well
¶ TURN 6 - The Final Turn
Not so much rooftops what it looks like off the edge of the Coliseum.
I love I love that game. Because that's the one we can recruit all the assassins
Just press the button and watch them all jumped out.
No, it's great. Yeah, it's weirdly I've looked at the map and had that instantly nostalgic kind of flashback of play and know where everything is. Can't wait to go. She'll be good for so there we go. We've got their expansioned out are we? We're all finished and done so so this is my last episode is gone really quick.
Like it's gonna really quick
Like I started it and now I gotta hand the baton over
It's true, we are kicking you off the podcast. Oh you don't, you mean your last episode?
Let me back up And so now we're handing over to Davey, James. Davey. He's going to take over got some excellent content coming up some new episodes looking forward to that. So, yeah, time to wrap it up so you can get in contact with us via many different ways. As always, you can get us on the BoardGameGeek. If you want to check out those on there. You can email us at players@whoseturn.co.uk. We've got Facebook, Whose turn is it
anyway podcast. Instagram @whoseturnpodcast and of course Tiktok @whoseturnisitanyway, I won't be back again. Maybe I will. We'll see
Might let you on another episode.
We'll see what happens. Who knows. We haven't worked it out yet. But we'll be back again in two weeks. And until then whose turn is it?