Episode 98: Lighter Fare
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98: Lighter Fare Release Date: Mar. 15, 2010 Running Time: 128 min. Listen Now: Download: Enhanced Version - MP3 Version Subscribe via iTunes: Enhanced - MP3 See sidebar for other subscription options |
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Bite size. Nine full reviews of games you can play in 5-40 minutes.
News & Notes: Right Ascension, Penguin Angel, Nuns on the Run
The List: Bezzerwizzer, Gracias, Triviathon, Sushi Roll, Word of the Street, Nanuk, 7 Ate 9, Super Circles
Back Shelf Spotlight: Chaos Marauders
Game Sommelier: 5 games for St Patrick's Day
Mail Bag: Game Journals, Errata, Indy Boardgamers gathering, Amazon.de
Complete Show Notes continue after the break.
News & Notes
War of The Ring Collector's Edition Official Site | BGG
We recently got a chance to ogle the giant sized over-the-top version of Fantasy Flight's great Middle Earth wargame. Really amazing quality!
Right Ascension BGG
An upcoming release from Valley Games by listener and friend of the show, Phil Sauer.
En Garde Official Site |BGG
New version of the Knizia classic from Fred Distribution.
Penguin Angel Official Site
Protect dapperly dressed penguins from random objects falling from the sky!
Nuns on the Run Official Site | BGG
Move silently exploring the abbey without attracting the attention of Abbess or the Prioress. Watch the video below for full instructions!
The List
Bezzerwizzer Official Site | BGG
Trivia game with a fun confidence based mechanic. You get to decide which categories will help you move ahead on the board the fastest. Of course, you still have to get the question right!
Gracias BGG
Take 3 colored cards from the middle. Keep two and give one away. Don't be too quick to say "Gracias" when someone hands you a card, though. The more cards you have of a color, the more likely you won't score any points!
Triviathon Official Site | BGG
Trivia game where you know all the answers before you start the game! The trick is to find the question that matches the best answer on your turn. Very clever and accesible to players of all ages and experience levels. Designed by the Herbert Brothers (Doritos Super Bowl commercial winners 2009), located in Batesville, Indiana.
Sushi Roll Official Site | BGG
Roll dice with sushi symbols. Players then race to match cards from their hands and complete the order.
Word on the Street Official Site | BGG
Teams come up with a word that matches a category. For each letter in the word (consonants only), you move tiles on the street closer to your side. 17 tug of wars going on at the same time. First team to pull 8 tiles to their side wins!
Nanuk Official Site | BGG
Liars dice taken to the next level! Your Inuit tribe is on the hunt. As a hunter, you must boast about how successful the hunt will be (4 deer in 5 days). The next player must increase the claim or DOOM the hunt! If you can avoid Nanuk the bear and track down the correct number of animals, the hunt will return successful. If not, the Doomsayers will say I told you so! Score points for sets or pairs of animals.
7 Ate 9 Official Site | BGG
Speed game that develops basic math skills
Super Circles Official Site | BGG
Speed game that develops basic color and number skills.
Back Shelf Spotlight
Chaos Marauders Official Site | BGG
The Games Workshop classic is back and better than ever! Rally three battle lines of arcs complete with a standard bearer and musician to route your opponent and score the most points. That is, IF you can avoid bad luck with the Cube of Devastation!
The Game Sommelier
The challenge: 5 games for St. Patrick's Day.
Awful Green Things from Outer Space
Next Challenge: 5 essential trick-taking games to teach a player new to the genre
Mail Bag
Thanks to David Koch and the Indy Boardgamers group for hosting a great weekend game event. Dave and I had a fun time on Saturday.
Thanks also to Jeffrey Myers for two nice history books: An Army at Dawn, The Day of Battle
Carlos Hernandez recommends using Amazon.de for import games (one flat rate for shipping!)
Miscellany
Music credits (courtesy of Ioda Promonet) include:
"Bite Before You Bark" by Orlando Voorn - buy the track
"Lighten Up" by New Stories - buy the track
"Thanks, Bastards" by MIschief Brew - buy the track
"The Stupids" by Monk Fly - buy the track
"Mashed Potato Light" by Marshmallow Coast - buy the track
"Mister Lightbulb Mounts the Unicorn" by Jared Micah and Hats - buy the track
"Way of the Light" by The Gift of Gab - buy the track
"Thanks 4 The Funk" by Khayree - buy the track
non-Ioda music:
"Potato" by Cheryl Wheeler - buy the track on iTunes
Errata
I'm sure there are some goofs in there somewhere. Let us know if (when?) you find one!
Comments
Sushi Roll
I'm saddened to hear that others have bit on this one. I was thinking that it might possibly serve as something like a dice-based Wasabi (Wasabi Express?). I mean, how awesome would a dice-based version of Wasabi be? I suspect that if it was done properly, it would be pretty freaking awesome! Sadly, this game is not anything like what I envision such a game being. As you noted, the dice are seriously sub-par. Still, I've hung onto the game. First, I'm not sure that I could be able to pass it off to someone else in good conscience. Second, I have hopes of repurposing the good components (the cards) to something more interesting. Of course, I will have to create new and better dice.
no wasabi, no kick
Like you, we were hoping for something that would combine a light dice game with a great theme but in the end, it feels more like a marketing gimmick. Get people to fork over a reasonable amount of money because "Oh look, honey, it has pictures of sushi on it!" We certainly suckered Dave into buying with that pitch. (That and the fact they were pictures of sushi ON DICE!).
I think Dave is physically incapable of removing a game from his collection, so it will quietly gather a layer of dust on the back shelf.
alternative Sushi taste
If you like Sushi and you want dice then can I humbly submit that the game for you is Sushizock im Gockelwok
I covered it on my blog awhile ago:
http://beyondswelterskitchen.blogspot.com/2009/01/sushi-express.html
not sure how easy it is to get in the US but might be available via Starlit Citadels?
diced sushi
Sushizock is a much better choice for those who like cubes with their unagi. Thanks for the reminder! Wish I had thought to mention it on the show, since fellow Spieler Brad Keen taught it to me last year at Origins.
Like many Kniza games, it's mathy and the theme is mostly irrelevant, but the mechanics are engaging enough to make it an enjoyable time.
I couldn't find it at Starlit Citadel, but it looks like it is available at few places here in the US.
Boards & Bits
Time Well Spent
Funagain
Great Episode!
This one was definitely right up my alley. If I'm honest with you guys I generally fast-forward through all the long rules explanations and just listen to your impressions of the games on the list. But with these nice lighter games the rules explanation was nice and short.
I was already planning on getting a copy of Triviathon, and you guys just helped cement my opinion of that game. I heard about Bezzerwizzer on the Dice Tower and it's nice to hear a little more details about it here. That one probably should be on my wishlist as well.
Thanks again for the great episode, and I'm really looking forward to the next one too, because I love trick-taking games.
long and short of it
Thanks, Ben!
We cover such a wide variety of games, we readily acknowledge some reviews will really click with some listeners and others not so much. Glad to hear we connected on this one.
I was a bit wary of Triviathon at first. To look at it, it gives the imporession of a very standard run of the mill trivia game you've seen a hundred times before. But it was a really pleasant surprise to find a realy game with a simepl but clever mechanic driving it.