Garrett's Games And Geekiness

Shelley and I tackle two games with HUGE stacks of beautifully-illustrated cards as we get environmental in Wingspan Asia by Elizabeth Hargrove from Stonemaier Games and  Earth by Maxime Tardiff from Inside Up Games Sponsor the podcast at www.patreon.com/garrettsgames or buy some games from us: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/16ovRDNBqur0RiAzgFAfI0tYYnjlJ68hoHyHffU7ZDWk/edit?usp=sharing  

Quick episode this week as Shel and I have a LOT of work to do as we wrap up our school year (and deal with Shel's announcement in the podcast!). This week we discuss games I've been using with my students as they finish their project earlier than their peers. This week's titles are NMBER9 by Peter Wichmann from ABACUSSPIELE The Game by Steffen Benndorf from NSV and Pandasaurus Games Lander Toppen by Matthias Jünemann from Drei Hasen in der Abendsonne 6 Nimmt by Wolfgang Kramer from Amigo Finito! by Hartmut Kommerell from Schmidt Spiele You can help keep this podcast rolling along to Episode 900 and beyond by sponsoring us at www.patreon.com/garrettsgames or check out the list of games on the Google Sheet, pick a few, and we can work out a deal for me to send them to you (or we can arrange a pick up if you're local). https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/16ovRDNBqur0RiAzgFAfI0tYYnjlJ68hoHyHffU7ZDWk/edit?usp=sharing  

This week Shelley and I get our pens out and check out Joan of Arc - Orleans Draw & Write by Reiner Stockhausen and Ryan Hendrickson from Capstone Games then wrap our heads around re-populating and revitalizing a future Earth in Revive by Kristian Ostby, Helge Meissner, Anna Wermlund, and Eilif Svensson from Aporta Games Remember that you can sponsor the podcast at www.patreon.com/garrettsgames or get some fantastic games headed your way by purchasing off our extensive list: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/16ovRDNBqur0RiAzgFAfI0tYYnjlJ68hoHyHffU7ZDWk/edit?usp=sharing  

Shelley and I return to the savannah in preparation for a trip to a different park this week, first getting  Savannah Park by Wolfgang Kramer and Michael Kiesling from Deep Print Games and Capstone Games to the table. We talked about it first on Episode 811, then again on our Top Tens of 2021 in Episode 816. Then we get the new park to the table as well: Caldera Park by Wolfgang Kramer and Michael Kiesling from Deep Print Games and Pegasus Spiele

Shelley and I discuss our last LeiriaCon game  Wandering Towers by Wolfgang Kramer and Michael Kiesling from Capstone Games and Abacusspiele then we talk about a gorgeous game we discussed in Episode 807 as we get it and its expansion back to the table: Meadow plus its brand new Downstream Expansion by Klemens Kalicki from Rebel and Asmodee Remember that you can help keep this podcast running by becoming a Patron at www.patreon.com/garrettsgames or you can buy some games at reasonable prices from our extensive list: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/16ovRDNBqur0RiAzgFAfI0tYYnjlJ68hoHyHffU7ZDWk/edit?usp=sharing  

This week, we grab Rôla, co-designer with Costa (whom we spoke to last week) and talk more about LeiriaCon, game design, and the games we play. Some of his designs include Dom Pierre Café Moesteiro Yinzi Lata Stephens If you have a chance to sponsor the podcast, please do so at www.patreon.com/garrettsgames or you can check out our list of games for sale here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/16ovRDNBqur0RiAzgFAfI0tYYnjlJ68hoHyHffU7ZDWk/edit?usp=sharing  

Costa (1/2 of the design team of Rola and Costa) and Nuno Bizarro Sentieiro (1/2 of the Paulo Soledade and Nuno Bizarro Sentieiro design team) join Shelley and me on the mics for a discussion of conventions, game design and philosophy, and this hobby and industry we love. The Rola & Costa team have designed such games as Dom Pierre Moesteiro Café Yinzi as well as the forthcoming Lata and Stephens Paulo and Nuno are responsible for Madeira Nippon Arraial Panamax La Stanza Reis de Portugal To hear more from these designers' partners in design, check out episode 875 in which we talk with Paulo, or next week's Episode 878 when we get Rola on the mics. Remember you can sponsor the podcast at www.patreon.com/garrettsgames or purchase some games from us for your own shelves which we can ship to you: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/16ovRDNBqur0RiAzgFAfI0tYYnjlJ68hoHyHffU7ZDWk/edit?usp=sharing  

Shelley and I took a break from playing games at LeiriaCon to discuss our impressions of three of the titles we had a chance to peruse for at least 1 play. Take these with a grain of salt, but these were our impressions of Beer and Bread by Scott Almes from Deep Print Games, Capstone Games, and Pegasus Spiele Shinkansen: Zero Kei by Isra C. and Shei S. from Ludonova and Tesla Games Garden Nation by Remi Saunier and Nathalie Saunier from Bombyx, Board Game Circus, and Maldito Games You can sponsor the podcast at www.patreon.com/garrettsgames or buy some titles from our extensive list which we can send to you: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/16ovRDNBqur0RiAzgFAfI0tYYnjlJ68hoHyHffU7ZDWk/edit?usp=sharing  

Paulo Soledade joins us at LeiriaCon on the mics and over a decent bottle of wine as we talk about the convention, Portugal's annual board game award, game design - including Madeira and Nippon, two of his co-designs - and some of his favorite games, including Imperial. We had a great time talking and hope you enjoy the conversation. 

This week Shelley and I report for the first of a number of episodes from LieriaCon in Portugal - a fantastic gaming convention that we attended in March. We will have some interviews with organizers and designers in the coming weeks, but this week it's two of the games we had a chance to play: My Shelfie by Phil Walker-Harding and Matthew Dunstan from Cranio Creations and Mille Fiori by Dr. Reiner Knizia from Schmidt Spiele and Devir Remember that you can support the podcast by going to www.patreon.com/garrettsgames or check out our list of games that deserve to be on your shelf (for excellent prices!): https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/16ovRDNBqur0RiAzgFAfI0tYYnjlJ68hoHyHffU7ZDWk/edit?usp=sharing  

Shelley and I head to Medici-run central Italy and attempt to gain favor with those in power in  Florence by Dean Morris from Braincrack Games, as well as Giant Roc and Maldito Games then we head into deep space where our competing ships attempt to settle a new planet and make use of Alien Tech in Alien Frontiers Edition X by Tory Niemann from Starling Games Remember you can sponsor the podcast at www.patreon.com/garrettsgames or you can help us find new shelves for some games that no longer fit on our own by purchasing a few from our extensive list: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/16ovRDNBqur0RiAzgFAfI0tYYnjlJ68hoHyHffU7ZDWk/edit?usp=sharing  

I had a week off in February, so while Shelley was at work one day, I spent part of my day on a Google Meet call with the wonderful Tony Boydell - designer of such games as Snowdonia, Lux Aeterna, Alubari: A Nice Cup of Tea, Race the Rails, and - of course - Scandaroon! We discuss his past designs, creating a brand new Museum of Board Games, and some of the games he's playing currently. It's a wide-ranging discussion - we had a great time, and hope you enjoy it!  And if you're able to sponsor the podcast, you can do that in two ways: either on Patreon: www.patreon.com/garrettsgames OR by purchasing games from our list of games that need to find new homes: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/16ovRDNBqur0RiAzgFAfI0tYYnjlJ68hoHyHffU7ZDWk/edit?usp=sharing

Shelley and I decorate our home with plants, working our green thumbs in Verdant by Molly Johnson, Robert Melvin, Aaron Mesburne, Kevin Russ, and Shawn Stankewich from AEG and Flatout Games then we head to Ghana to learn about the forest ecosystem and fruit bats' important contribution in Atiwa by Uwe Rosenberg from Lookout Games Remember that you can sponsor the podcast by becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/garrettsgames or help us clear out our shelves and get some games headed your way by purchasing some from this Google Sheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/16ovRDNBqur0RiAzgFAfI0tYYnjlJ68hoHyHffU7ZDWk/edit?usp=sharing  

Shelley and  I get historical in two different games this week, checking out the EXCELLENT middle-weight dice placement game Moesteiro by Rola and Costa from PYTHAGORAS then draft cards and create our journeys through time in Trekking through History by Charlie Bink from Underdog Games Remember that you can help out the podcast by supporting us at www.patreon.com/garrettsgames OR you can head over to our Google Sheet and find some games to buy that deserve a good home: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/16ovRDNBqur0RiAzgFAfI0tYYnjlJ68hoHyHffU7ZDWk/edit?usp=sharing  

This week Shelley and I head to The Desert Planet Arrakis to get in some plays of  Dune: Imperium by Paul Dennen from Direwolf and Legendary with its expansion Rise of Ix and Immortality then we check out another design from two designers we talked about last week The Guild of Merchant Explorers by Matthew Dunstan and Brett J. Gilbert from AEG Support the podcast at www.patreon.com/garrettsgames and check out the games we have available for purchase at https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/16ovRDNBqur0RiAzgFAfI0tYYnjlJ68hoHyHffU7ZDWk/edit?usp=sharing  

Shelley and I once again get a small box and big box to the table this week, but both of these were pretty hefty brainpower-wise. We start with by laying train track cards into a 3x4 grid to complete lines and score points from trip cards in Village Rails by Matthew Dunstand and Brett J. Gilbert from Osprey Games then we explore Mozart's life and final Requiem, helping to tell his story and finish his final piece in  Lacrimosa by Gerard Ascensi and Ferran Renalias from Devir Remember you can support the podcast by going to www.patreon.com/garrettsgames or purchase a game or two from us from this list: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/16ovRDNBqur0RiAzgFAfI0tYYnjlJ68hoHyHffU7ZDWk/edit?usp=sharing  

This week Shelley and I go through some of our disappointments in gaming from 2022, organizing those comments into categories. Remember you can sponsor the podcast by going to www.patreon.com/garrettsgames or check out our list of games available for purchase at reasonable prices here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/16ovRDNBqur0RiAzgFAfI0tYYnjlJ68hoHyHffU7ZDWk/edit?usp=sharin Games I Kickstarted that were disappointing when we played them. (Doug) Stroganov Petrichor This is beautiful...why isn't it fun? (Shelley) Petrichor Games that were more fiddly or difficult to learn than they should have been... (Doug) Carnegie Corrosion Origins: First Builders This is too fiddly to have any fun (Shelley) Findorff Well...this is OK, but I'd rather play something else by these designers (Doug) Golem Boonlake Brilliant designer...but what was he thinking? (Shelley) Boonlake What am I supposed to do again??? (Shelley) Golem This is a lot more boring than I thought it would be.... (Doug) Three Sisters I loved the o

Shelley and I peruse our list of played games in 2022 and separately choose which ones belong in our personal Top 10 Lists for 2022. We did NOT peek before we sat down to record! Doug's Honorable Mentions: Bitoku Yokohama Roll & Write by Hisashi Hayashi from Okazu Brand Dandelions by Takashi Sakaue from BoardgameTables Exhaust by Hisashi Hayashi from Okazu Brand Maui by Frank Crittin, Gregoire Largey and Sebastien Pauchon from Next Move/Plan B Dog Park by Lottie & Jack Hazell from Birdwood Games Shelley's Honorable Mentions: Maui by Frank Crittin, Gregoire Largey and Sebastien Pauchon from Next Move/Plan B Isle of Cats Explore and Draw by Frank West from City of Games Pastiche: Birth of a Masterpiece by Rikkati from Twins Lion Do Ark Nova by Mathias Wigge from Feuerland Spiele Doug's Top Ten: 10) My Lil' Everdell by James A and Clarissa A Wilson from Starling Games 9) Akropolis by Jules Messaud from Gigamic 8) Pastiche: Birth of a Masterpiece by Rikkati from Twins Lion Do 7) Dinner in Paris by The Tro

Shelley and I get two more fantastic games to the table this week, beginning our discussion with how the Contractors expansion affects the solid small-box game Red Cathedral by Israel Cendrero and Sheila Santos from Devir then the box gets bigger, and the dice manipulation gets even more interesting in Tiletum by Simone Luciani and Daniele Tascini from Board&Dice Thanks again this week to our sponsor LEIRIACON - taking place March 23-26 in Portugal. Shelley and I look forward to seeing any listeners who make the trip! https://www.spielportugal.org/leiriacon/leiriacon-2023 Remember you can also sponsor the podcast at www.patreon.com/garrettsgames or buy a couple of games from us, helping solid games find a new home (new games added all the time): https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/16ovRDNBqur0RiAzgFAfI0tYYnjlJ68hoHyHffU7ZDWk/edit?usp=sharing    

Shelley and I check out a game that's right in our wheelhouse (straightforward, medium-weight, Schachtian) in Catherine: The Cities of the Tsarina by Johannes Schmidauer-König from Capstone Games and dlp Games then find ourselves moving into a "try before buy" phase with 2F Spiele Games as we just did not like the fiddly Findorff by Friedemann Friese from 2F Spiele and Rio Grande Games Remember to check out LeiriaCon's website and sign up to join us in Portugal March 23-26! https://www.spielportugal.org/leiriacon/leiriacon-2023 You can also help out this long-running little podcast by sponsoring us directly at www.patreon.com/garrettsgames or by purchasing some games that need new homes from our personal collection: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/16ovRDNBqur0RiAzgFAfI0tYYnjlJ68hoHyHffU7ZDWk/edit?usp=sharing