Episode 129: Spiel des Schpiel 2011
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Release Date: June 6, 2011 Running Time: 142 min. Listen Now: Download: Subscribe via iTunes: See sidebar for other subscription options |
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There can be only one. Winner, that is. We review the nominees for the most prestigious award in gaming, The Spiel des Jahres, and try to predict the winner.
The Nominees: Qwirkle, Forbidden Island, Asara
Recommended List: Geistesblitz, Blockers, Uluru, Mondo, Skull & Roses, Sun Sea & Sand, Freeze, Safranito
Predictions: Our favorite, our pick, who will win
Complete Show Notes continue after the break.
Recommended Games List
Geistesblitz Official Site | BGG
Flip cards and try to grab the right object pictured before the other players. The catch: most of the cards don't match the objects exacty!
Blockers Official Site | BGG
Sudoku-like abstract tile laying game where players try to form the fewest number of groups on the board.
Uluru Official Site | BGG
A simultaneous puzzle solving game where Australian dreambirds want to land at specific locations to fulfill specific conditions.
Mondo Official Site | BGG
Build a world using tiles on your board in 7 minutes or less!
Skull & Roses Official Site | BGG
Biker-themed variant on the classic game Liar's Dice.
Sun, Sea & Sand Official Site | BGG
Manage a family owned resort to gain the most notoriety over the Summer.
Freeze Official Site | BGG
Improv acting game where you must guess the importance of each person in the scene.
Safranito Official Site | BGG
Dexterity/trading/economics game where players toss poker chips to determine the market each turn.
The Nominees
Qwirkle Official Site | BGG | Buy It Starlit | BG Guy
Play blocks to match color or shape, score points based on the lines you add to. Deceptively simple but strategic abstract game.
Forbidden Island Official Site | BGG | Buy It Starlit | BG Guy
Co-op game that pits your team of adventurers against a rapidly sinking island, Try to recover 4 treasures and escape before drowning.
Asara Official Site | BGG | Buy It Starlit | BG Guy
Build the most or the tallest towers in different colors by placing your worker cards in different areas of the city.
Pledge Drive 2011
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Music
Music credits include:
Alright, OK, You Win by The Slush Puppies | Buy the track
You Can't Win by James Hunter | Buy the track
You Win Again by Hank Williams Sr. | Buy the track
How Can You Win by Parrish Hall | Buy the track
Here's to the Losers by James Darren | Buy the track
Win or Lose by Lew Lewis | Buy the track
Winning by Santana | Buy the track
You Got to Lose by George Thorogood & The Destroyers | Buy the track
Loser by Richard Cheese | Buy the track
Errata
I'm sure there are some goofs in there somewhere. Let us know if (when?) you find one!
Sponsored Links: Starlit Citadel
Sobek Buy It
Sponsored Links: Board Game Guy
Dixit 3: Odyssey Buy It
Sponsored Links: Fair Game Link
Comments
Down under Pronunciation
Another great episode guys. While listening to Dave's talk on Uluru, my kids were going to town however on his pronunciation, and asked me to let you know:
It's OOOH - LA - ROO, not OOO - LOO - ROO
No need for a correction! Keep up the great work.
Mark "Powderkeg" Rickards, on behalf of Toby "The Mad Monk" and Will "The Grail Seeker".
Leave it to us
That's pretty funny!
Leave it to us to mispronounce a 3 syllable word. :)
Tell Toby and Will thanks for the correction. Glad we could provide a few laughs even if they were unintentional.
You may want to reconsider Skull & Roses
I know you cover a LOT of material for your shows but I'm not sure where you got the idea that Skull & Roses is a retheme of Liars Dice. The two are about as similar as San Juan and Citadels. Furthermore Skull & Roses is a better game than Liars Dice.
I hope you'll actually take 2 minutes to read the rules and give the game a try. It's EXCELLENT.
I'll play
I do think it sounds like a fun game and would play it gladly.
Having read the rules before we recorded this episode, I'll stick to my earlier statement. It seems very similar to Liar's Dice to me.
There's plenty of room for variants to stand on their own feet as engaging and fun and from what you say it sound like Skull & Roses succeeds very well. Nanuk is another example of a game that is a variant but retains its own identity. Liar's Dice and its variants are always a great choice when we have parties or a group of non-gamers at the table.
Spiel des Jahres Winner 2011: Qwirkle!
Spiel des Jahres Winner 2011: Qwirkle!
Congrats to Susan McKinley Ross, Mindware and Schmidt Spiele!