Episode 439: Nekojima

Release Date: Apr. 30, 2024

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Running Time:   80 min

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Japan is home to at least fifteen different cat islands called Nekojima. On each island, there are hundreds of frisky felines for each handful of people.

In this game, our Nekojima is very small and the people there need power. Can you install power lines across four districts? One by one poles with colorful power lines go up and up, over and through.

The crowds of curious cats, though, can’t resist strolling along the wires, threatening to short circuit your plans. It will take excellent balance and teamwork to light up the island. Try your best to not bring the whole network crashing down.

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ALSO FEATURED IN THIS EPISODE...

Lucio Rodriguez joins us to explore fun facts related to Japan's many cat islands and several other cat islands around the world.

My Favorite Game features a visit from Gubbins. He tells us about My Farm Shop from noted designer Rudiger Dorn.

Episode 438 - Tiger & Dragon

Release Date: March 29, 2024

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Running Time:   120 min

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A crowd of onlookers packs into the kwoon. Today, Kung-fu masters are sparring to hone their skills in a grand melee. Each is trained in two schools: Tiger & Dragon. They trade blows with lightning quickness and precision. Raw strength is almost never the winner in battles like this. Knowing when to strike is key.

Tiger & Dragon is a climbing game based on the Japanese classic Goita, using two suited Mah Jongg style tiles. Attacks are offered and countered with matching tiles. Then a new attack begins. The first player to go out wins the round but HOW you win will ultimately determine your score.

ALSO FEATURED IN THIS EPISODE...

Bruce Voge drops by with the latest installment of Flickin' Around. We learn about Hamster Roll, a game where you stack crazy wooden pieces inside a giant wooden hoop.

We step into the Wayback Machine for a My Favorite Game segment with Mike McMann. Mike waxes nostalgic about Succession Wars, a game of grand strategy from the 1980s set in the Battletech universe.

To round out the show, I take a deep dive into the history of Mah Jongg - its origins, how it became a worldwide phenomenon, and all the different materials tiles are made from.

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Episode 437: The Finest Fish

Release Date: Feb. 28, 2024

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Running Time:   77 min

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There are dog shows and cat shows, but have you ever heard of a fish show? Goldfish fans from across the land compete each year to display the most sensational swimmer. It takes talent and planning to create the most pleasing arrangement of colorful scales. Can you win Best in Show with your finest fish?

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ALSO FEATURED IN THIS EPISODE...

Lucio Rodriguez, The Spiel's resident biologist, stops by to deliver fun facts and debunk several myths related to goldfish (and sing us a fishy-funeral song).

Erwin Susara helps us launch a brand new segment: My Favorite Game! He tells us about one of his favorite games. We hope you'll join us this season and tell us about a game you love.. and why!

Episode 436: Coronation

Release Date: December 19, 2023

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Running Time:   199 min

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In our season finale, two award winning games earn our Meeple Crown for 2023. These games embody the essence of Major Fun and our Spiel of Approval. Congratulations to Votes for Women and Thunder Road: Vendetta!

ALSO FEATURED IN THIS EPISODE...

Game Night Grab Bag with noted designer (now publisher) Antoine Bauza!

A Meal segment with Paco Garcia from GMS Magazine with holiday treats and games to go with each one.
 

Episode 435 - Distilled

Release Date: Dec. 9, 2023

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Running Time:   45 min

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The will of a distant relative has left you the sole owner of a distillery that has fallen on hard times. Instead of selling, you decide to take on the task of restoring it to its former glory. It will take dedication, planning, the right mix of quality ingredients and equipment, and a talented staff to turn things around.

Around the globe, several other small distilleries are rising from the ashes. Which one will revive its secret family recipe and gain the most renown as purveyor and producer of the world’s finest spirits? The title Master Distiller is not given. It must be earned.

Distilled is a game of strategic spirit crafting. Follow recipes to gather ingredients hoping they will meld into something sublime as they go through the precarious process of distillation. Bottle and sell what you can or age your creations hoping for a greater payout down the line. Seven rounds stand between you and success.

 

Episode 434 - Romi Rami

Release Date: Dec. 8, 2023

Download: PDF

Designer: Anotine Lefebvre

Publisher: Randolph, Hachette

2-4 players  | 30 min  |  ages 8+  | 3-4 min to learn | MSRP $15

 

Romi Rami is a new game with an old soul. It has some famous card game cousins. You may have met them, Rummy and Contract Bridge, or its crazy board game uncle, Ticket to Ride. You’ll collect set of cards from one market in hopes of filling contracts from another. Keep your eyes peeled for the bonus suits and trophies, too. They can really boost your score.

Written review continues after the break.

Episode 433 - Not That Movie!

Release Date: Dec. 7, 2023

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Running Time:   35 min

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Movie Night! You and your friends have gathered to enjoy a flick at the cineplex. But which one? Can you find one you will all agree to watch? 

You scan the listings and realize you don’t know any of these films. Rebel Panda? Kung Fu Soup? Duck Without a Cause??  What are these movies?

Fortunately, you can always rely on the two critics: Polly Positive, and The Grumpy Guy. And look, they reviewed the same movie! 

But which movie is it? Somehow, the title of the movie is missing from their reviews. It’s not clear which picture they are both talking about. 

Is it Interview In the Hat? The Cat Alone?? Maybe Home with the Vampire?

Guided by the reviews, each of you tries to sort it out by process of elimination. Only one movie at the cineplex can be THE ONE. The rest, clearly, are Not That Movie!

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Not That Movie is a cooperative Party game. Each round, players work together to determine which mixed up movie title the critics have described through process of elimination. At the end of 5 rounds, are you an epic flop or worthy of an Academy Award?

 

Episode 432 - Obsession

Release Date: Dec. 6, 2023

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Running Time:   59 min

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Obsession is a richly thematic strategy game depicting the struggles of four once proud family estates in 19th century Britain. Central to the story and the game is the courtship of two eligible Fairchild heirs.  Over the course of four seasons, you must manage, expand, and improve your estate and household staff, host increasingly elaborate activities for guests, and gather an increasingly influential crowd of friends and allies to increase your reputation and standing. The game culminates with a successful courtship and marriage. The family with the best overall standing in Derbyshire will cement its legacy well into the next century.

 

Episode 431 - Steam Up

Release Date: Dec. 5, 2023

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Running Time:   24 min

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Steam Up is a restaurant known for its sumptuous servings of Dim Sum. Magical creatures come to sample the best bite-size gourmet dishes from bamboo baskets stacked high. Luckily, each animal arrives with an appetite and an agenda for their ideal meal. May the fullest stomach win!

The goal of Steam Up is to collect Hearty Points. You do this by eating dim sum from steamer baskets you rotate to your part of the table. Track the dishes on your board and score according to the rules for your animal. But watch out! Fate and Fortune will play a part in each meal as well.

Listen in to explore the game and discover why Steam Up is a feast for anyone with a hankering for Major Fun!

 

Episode 430 - District Noir

Release Date: Dec. 4, 2023

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Running Time:   29 min

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There’s a quiet fight simmering... in back alleys and bars, on the docks and warehouses, in a smoke filled back room at the police station and even behind closed doors at city hall.

Rival gangs vie for control for every inch of territory and influence in the city. Real power is measured by your people. Which network of criminals will allow you to seize control? It’ll take all your cunning to hold onto the fickle, fractious town known as District Noir.

District Noir is a two player card game. Collect sets of cards, hoping to amass support of certain criminals or collect three key locations in the city in order to win.

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