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In today’s episode Bruce unveils something new for the show that has been in progress for some time…that’s right….a co-host has been added to the show. His name is Josh Isringhausen and he is an avid gamer. By adding Josh to the show Board Game Impact is going to be able to better provide you with information to make informed decisions to make a positive impact for your gaming group. In today’s episode in particular Bruce and Josh talk about Josh’s history in the hobby, the games they have been playing lately, and more. This was truly a great episode to record, and is the start of Bruce and Josh experimenting with new content to continue to enhance the show for your benefit.
Specific games covered in this episode are: War Chest by Alderac Entertainment Group (AEG), Raccoon Tycoon by Forbidden Games, Terraforming Mars (With all the Expansions: Hellas & Elysium Boards, Venus Next, Prelude, and Colonies) all by Stronghold Games, Chaterstone by Stonemaier Games, and Wingspan by Stonemaier Games
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Transcript
00:00:08 - 00:05:00 In today's episode of board game. Impact, I've got a very special spry for you. That will fundamentally change parts of the show. And I think it really going to enjoy it says, stay tuned. Welcome to board game impact my name is Bruce Brown. If this is your first time visiting the show. First of all, welcome, what we seek to do. Here is to let you know about what experiences were having in the gaming hobby. So that way you can make informed decisions for you and your gaming group if that's like something of interest for you make sure to do hit subscribe, I you still have that iphone or Android in your hand, and then wake in tune in for all the latest and greatest episodes for those who are returning this episode is going to be different for you. This episode is something that I've been talking about, for a while behind the scenes that you haven't known about, and that is behind the scenes with another individual somebody who have actually alluded to some of the stories I've told about the different gaming experiences. And so I thought in talking with this individual why not bring him on the show, and let's start having regular reoccurring content for you because it's about gaming experiences with other people. And so what better way to do that than to bring in other people surprise? So with all that being said. Is my absolute pleasure to introduce one of my best friends, and that is Josh, Josh can you let listeners know you're here and a little bit about yourself, Schorr? So Hello listeners. My name is Josh Isringhausen. I have like BRUCE'S alluded to been kind of, behind the scenes talking to Bruce about this show really kind of sense it's inception, and it's been something I've taken a great interest in, I met, Bruce, actually weirdly enough, I think we met through board games. Yeah. We did. We did even though we worked at the same place. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. At board games. We came to find out that, that we actually worked together and just hadn't encountered. One another. So, yeah, we came together because of a meet up, right? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. The, the board game up there in. We've had a lot of really great gaming experiences BRUCE'S one of the people who I convince me to go to my first convention. And so now even though we no longer live or work in the same place, still have the shared connection for our love aboard games and the experiences that we've had and continue to have when we do have a chance to get together and game. Yes. So sadly, Josh moved away. But in that it's actually still great. Because board games have been able to keep us connected. So we've been able to keep reaching out and saying, hey, what games even able to try, what games have you been able to play, how's that going? But then also reconnect convention. It's just a really great love the fact that this hobby is able to do this for us. It's just not something I expected on the front end. No, not at all. I, I agree entirely. It's really interesting because I had gained a little bit before I, I moved to Texas and. It was really that was how I made all of my connections there. And that was how I made all of my friend groups and met people like Bruce in our the rest of our gaming group really became a core part, my friend group, and I was able to do the same thing moving to New Orleans where I now live and. Being able to just immediately have a community and then also to be able to return to the communities that you've left and still be able to jump right back in, like nothing has changed. Even though eight nine ten months have passed since you may be less spoke or saw a lot of those people is a phenomenal, I think experience and something I really love about this hobby. Yeah, so Josh and I mentioned the segment we met because of board game meet up and so for not familiar with meet up. That's meet up dot com. And so if you're moving to any kind of new area or looking to engage in the hot, the board, gaming hobby, or, honestly, any other interest to meet up dot com. It's absolutely free. And you just essentially create like an e harmony profile of your interests. And one of the things I put on there like, I'm it shouldn't gaming into this group popped up. I went to this Irish pub in the middle of Texas. Yes. That's the thing. 00:05:02 - 00:10:02 Irish pub that also shares wall with the German like a brew house. It's interesting. Same owners. It's texas. We got some media other and come together over these games. But then it's wonderful. The hear that this has also extended into your move to New Orleans. And now did you meet the group there through meet up or was there, some otherwise? Yeah, it was interesting enough. Yeah, it was throwing meet up. There were a couple things that popped up when I first moved here that, you know, just a cursory Google search like gaming cafes or game shops. But it was meet up that ultimately, led me to the group that I mostly spend time with, because I found it was a mile down the road from where I was living this really nice little coffee. Shop the group seemed to be completely inactive and I went in one day and. Was actually the store manager, who had set up the meet up and kept it open for just to attract people who are new to the city are new to that part of the city who may not have, or maybe looking for a new group or a new way to spend a Friday or Saturday afternoon or evening. So first of all, I think that's phenomenal for not just like users. But, like, hey shopowners, if you're listening to this, like, start a meet up if you're trying to get more people to come through because people are on there and they're actively looking for community. So you said it wasn't really that active. But have you been able to see that grow since you've been there? Yeah. It comes and goes there's the core group. That's their weekly. But interesting enough like there's probably been five or six people in the last year, since I moved here, that have shown up, either, just once or twice or have now, become regulars themselves, who have also said. You know, a saw this place on the meet up thought I'd drop in see what this whole board gaming thing was about. So it's, it's a more collective group than I think I was used to, you know, there's a lot more party gamers, or people who are completely new to the board game. Subculture and maybe of only played guitar on or or ticket to ride like once or twice with a friend and now they're trying something new even somebody who came in. There's a couple of folks who come in now regularly who just play sequence in the corner, and that's all they do. But they come the hang out. They have coffee. Talk to people. Watch other people play games. So it's been kind of interesting to watch that little community grow within this really dominating culture of, of New Orleans, this small little pocket of people who spend their Fridays Saturdays at a cafe rather than out, drinking or anything. It's really on bourbon street. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I think that's cool that people can come to these kinda vents and kind of choose your own adventure. But also, as you said they keep looking over and watching your games. And so, like, hey, they're, they're, they're present eventually, they might ask to join in on these things, so it's okay if they're playing Catan because we've all been there. It's okay if they're playing sequence because sometimes you know what? Like that's what my grandma wants to play. And if that their grandparents at heart like good for them, but they're there and they're going to engage. At least they're coming in hanging out, which is wonderful. And so I'm curious just so our listeners know what kind of games do you typically play if you can like pick games off your shelf. Oh man. It's a really, I think this is a difficult question for a lot of people to answer. I think that's changed a lot over my time playing board games, and I definitely go through waves. I would definitely say tend more towards euro games at this point. I would say that the dominant theme on my shelf. But right. Like that term has morphed so much in the past couple years, even that it's hard to identify what a euro game is. You know, if you look at my shelf, you're going to see a lot of stone Meyer. You're going to see a lot of so for stone Meyer games, that's games. Like Saif games like viticulture and just real quick for the listeners. 00:10:02 - 00:15:11 If you're not familiar with that term euro game. So euro game, there's two kinds of schools of thought there's the euro game or the Ameritrade, and so the mirror trash focuses on theme first and then finds the mechanics in principle, and then a euro game will focus on the mechanics and then like theme secondary. So it could have a theme, but it might not mean anything accepted that there. So you've got stone Meyer games on there. What else what other kinda games? Oh man. I'm creating my neck around right now to look at my Dame shelf. You know there's a lot of I've gotten really into worker placement as a mechanic. Pretty recently on so quite a few worker placement type games. I have a. I enjoy some territory control. I and I think we'll talk a little bit more about this later on in the episode, but I've kind of grown away from that in a little risk in some respects in really tend to enjoy it win. The focus is less on. Is more on your tactics versus the tactics of your opponent? So while I really enjoy player interaction, I think that can be done in either a positive way or a negative way in I have grown disinterested in games that focus on negative player in actions. I mean that makes sense to an extent in some listeners out there might really love that kind of thing. But if you think about it, if you're trying to foster community, it's easier to do that, when people are coming together over positive things. Yeah. And I don't discount those types of games at all. I think I like you said any type of game that you're coming out, and you're playing and you're interacting with people in your ultimately at the end of the day. The goal is to have fun. If you're having fun, I'm not going to knock the game that you're playing. So. I think it I will generally give any game shot. I may not come back to a certain game or, or I may even play it just because that's what's on the table. And that's what everybody else is interested in playing there. I I've really experienced very few games that I will actively take a seat in not play rather than like sit out entirely rather than engage. With people who I'm around at that moment, sir. I've actually found that sounds like you've kind of experiences, too, but I don't wanna put words in your mouth, and that is that you know what? I don't know if I'm going to enjoy this game. I'm gonna try it. But then I have like this whole like awakening of a head. No idea enjoy these parts of this thing never been exposed to that. And I it was just my own insecurity. If that makes sense and does not lean in, and try it, and I learned a lot more about myself, and what I do enjoy, which I've been able to maximize into other gaming situations. Absolutely. Yeah. No, I think that's, that's something that I think, comes up more commonly for me at cons because you're so inundated with games, and it's just nonstop. You have the ability to, like, try things you may not necessarily be wholeheartedly interested in just because you have so much time. And so, I know that that has happened for me a couple of times where I sit down at a game that I'm not really interested in. But everybody else wants to play and I end up loving it and going home and buying it because it was such a good time in such good experience. So I think you and I have a game that, that sort of happened for you, and I had a game in which we both neither of us had played it coming into the convention. Honestly, not even heard of it coming into the convention, and then it was the number one game. And there's a recent episode about this one, it was the number one game for the first half of the convention and. We couldn't check it out. And then finally on the last night. And of course, you're leaving in like a couple of hours the last night, we were able to get a copy, and then we played it three times in freakin row. What was it worst? I, I cannot speak highly enough about this game. Honestly, it it was my game of the convention. I actually. I was. Driving home that night and within the three hours between the time that we sat down and played it and meet getting in my car to drive home. I ended up purchasing it because it had blown me away with just how incredibly clever, it is. 00:15:12 - 00:20:02 It's nothing. Earth shattering new. It's just. Really, really smart. Well done game play mechanics. And so for those of you who haven't listened to one of the pass upset. So we just had a review of war chest into go back and look at that, but a real quick synopsis is that it's actually you have these poker chips on a board. And what you're trying to do is you draft those each one of the sets of chips is a different type of army character. So let's say it's an Archer. Let's say it's a Calvary unit. Let's say it is a night, a little bit stronger or bar, Burien, actually rips units apart and runs across the board because it's a bar Burian and what you're trying to do is you're trying to strategically move your pieces around think of it like light chess with a lot more opportunities while at the same time streamlined play that makes it really easy to understand. And all you're trying to do is to knock out your opponents and capture these objectives really fun game you can play it in his short as like twenty thirty. Minutes or as long as you want. Like for us we actually had a game that like a second or third game. We kind of just let it marinate and took our time. We're enjoying a glass of whisky while we were playing just had a phenomenal time. Have you been able to get it to the table more? Yeah. Actually last night, I got it to the table with a good friend of mine down. Here. We are what I love about this game. Is that it? It is a two or four player game. And I have not played it with four players, though. I think that makes it interesting, but I really appreciate that. It is a two player game because to me, it is a perfect thing to sit down me and my buddy showed up a little bit early to our game night. And we're like, well you know, we've got fifteen twenty minutes before folks get here. Let's bust out were chest play a little bit of it. He gave a really good synopsis of it that I thought was sounded really made a really good like summary to it in called it chess with card mechanic if it was like cards. That does make a lot of sense it. So but I think what really draws me to the game are one of the things that really draws to the game. It's just it's such a good tactile experience, those nice heavy poker chips, and then you drop them in your bag, and you're shaking up your bag and you get the clinks. Draw mount and setting them down on the board feel so nice because nice heavy thud. But I think it's it, you can teach it in five minutes it plays in fifteen minutes. And every time I've played a game of this with someone new. They've had the exact same reaction that we had of refinished a game. Let's play again. Let's randomize the characters that we have. Let's I wanna try this unit that, that we haven't seen before, and I wanna try this combination of units, and how these things interact in interplay to create an entirely new. Feel to the game an entirely new. Tactical experience in terms of how your managing your units maneuvering around the board. I think that ability that replay ability of finding the new. Combinations is what gives this game long jetty that to me like chess, I can't play more than once. It's a great game has lasted for ever because of how good a game it is. But once I played it once I don't feel the need to reset the table in, in started over again, this gives me about same type of mechanic feeling of, of moving your units around the board and taking different actions in attacking your opponent, and trying to outwit out thinking out maneuver, but in a way that is fresh and new and feels like it changes, every time you reset the board. That's just brings like all the emotions of when we were able to play it, and I've had the same exact experiences. I think you just really hit the nail on the head. So listeners, like, if you want to learn more, go check out the other episode. 00:20:03 - 00:25:01 But like seriously go, check out war chest like we can't, obviously speak highly of it. Enough. And so actually going to jump in talk about another game that we technically checked out at the convention. We never played it but I've now bought it other people in the game group of bought it. And it's now come to the table like every time I play, and that is raccoon tycoon. Have you seen this thing? So not since the con-. We I remember sitting down on the table and honestly, I had zero interest win it got sat down on the table not anything against the game itself. I think we just had we had other games checked out that I, I had less time at the common everyone else did. And so there were certain games that I really wanted to play. And I think we just had one of those games that I really, really wanted to play out already. And so I didn't take a lot of interest in this game. But hearing. You and everyone else. Talk about it. I it's definitely one has shot up to my must try must play games. I'll bring it don't worry. It's one that's now just like permanently kind of living in my game bag right now. So what it is the listeners Recco tycoon, had a successful Kickstarter that they fulfiled back in November. And then they delivered to backers in November. But then they delivered it to the rest of the market in January. And so if you get the first printing, it's going to be exactly the same as the Kickstarter version, and so they're just essentially really needed the capital to get going because it's a smaller company, but what raccoons ICU is actually, like really doesn't emphasize, the whole raccoon thing, there's like four cards in the game that are raccoons what this game is believe it or not. You're railroad tycoon Barron's. And you're actually it's a combination of like having souther B's auction house combined with also doing commodity trading, but then doing set collection by building your railroads. And so what happens is on your turn. You can either play a card to increase different prices in the market, or, and then also draw production, which you can then sell off at a later price when those prices keep going up, and then that's how you get your income, and then you can build buildings which can give you a little bonuses. It's really just fun. Because you have this tight balance of the whole market is constantly changing, and what the players do. It does that positive interaction, sometimes that negative interaction where you feel negative when they dropped the price on something even stockpiling, and you're like. It's not gang get as much money. But the funny thing is like the money doesn't matter because there's no points of order for money at the end of the game. It all that matters, the railroads that you've collected and these things called towns that you've collected who's a railroad needs to go to town, if you build a railroad to know where no one's really going to care what it is, is. There's really just we're honestly weird Victorian, art on these cards of railroads bears foxes. Honey badgers? Skunks look more like Honey badgers? And then what's the other one? Oh, dogs and cats. But they're all dressed in, like suits with, like umbrellas for like the lady raccoons and things like once playing a little violin. There's a skunk, that's putting on perfume to like make herself pretty. There's a fat cat. That's like flipping coins in the air like this is art. Josh, I'm gonna tell you. I didn't need it. I didn't know I needed it in my life. What's interesting is. I guess that I really didn't pay attention. I saw the artwork on the cover. It looked cute. It looked fun and whimsical. Everything you're describing is everything that I want in a game, and I need to play this, the more you describe it. The more I needed in my life that artwork. Sounds fantastic. End just the mechanics that you're describing are exactly the type of game that I want to play and they type of interactions, I wanna have with people at my table. And so the thing is though, and I'm just gonna say this, I was worried when I, I thought I was like, it's got an economy and like sometimes when a game has like an economy board. What happens is like it's essentially an excel sheet right of having an experience. But like this is nothing of the sort it is super easy to get into. And I teach it to people in like all of five minutes, and then we're, we're rolling because the turns are real easy, and as soon as they start doing it, it ramps up with the players, and so it's really easy to approach. And so I've been very thankful for it. But what have you been playing besides war-chest? So the the game that we just finished. 00:25:01 - 00:30:08 So the core group of people that I would say most commonly game with down here. Got together, we originally tried Saif Risa Finneran on there were few people who weren't as interested, I'm they started the campaign yet, so they, we got halfway through the campaign, and they kind of were done with it. No, so I still haven't finished. I I'm trying to find a new group to restart the campaign. Sure thing, no spoilers knows Wailers. Well this next game that I'm going to mention we all I also have to be careful about to avoid spoilers. It's been out much longer. But that is charter stone. So the same group we started talking, and we all agreed. We really like having a regular weekly campaign style game going. We just wanted something with a fresh start actually a little less of that native player. Interaction there was someone who kinda got beat up for like two or three games in a row inside and just kind of, really ruin the experience forum, so we tried charter stone Midas by the same game designer Jamie Steg Meyer of Staller's stone Meyer games. And this is actually my second time playing through charter stone. So we just finished this a couple of weeks ago. And the first time I played through, we had played together just we did with before he moved to New Orleans yet. I n we powered through that campaign. And what I think I found really interesting is how while I knew and expected, generally, what happened in the campaign. The experience was so totally different. Based off of the, the people who are playing in the number of people really significantly changed the play of the game. So when we played we played with a three three or three person game and this time around we played with a full six which is the maximum number of players. Jeff the full board and so everything become much, tighter, your, your action selection becomes much more competitive, the scores increase dramatically because your everyone is trying to create the best possible city. And so the actions that are available to you are just better than what they are. When you have. Fewer people playing and you're able to find a lot more Hugh. 'nique. Strategies in unique combinations of ways to gain points. So. For listeners who aren't aware of what charter stone is. It's a it is essentially a. City building game. That, well, it is a worker placement game where you're placing workers in different locations around the board to build your city and that takes place over actually twelve games on the as you play through each game. Your city expands as you put these little stickers onto the board without giving too much away. You. New stickers, give you new powers, which just creates this whole engine that rolls upon itself in while you start out with a pretty small insignificant town, you grow, this really big bustling city that has any Konami of its own in and takes on a whole different shape in game one looks dramatically different from game, twelve one thing, we haven't tried that I'm hoping to get back to the table soon is to. One of the interesting things about the way they designed the game is the board is actually double sided. So you could buy a recharge pack and play again, on the same board. So I'm hoping to get it back to the table and actually play the Ord, which Rusen I created a back a year ago with this new game group. And then I would like to eventually trying get. Bruce, you and everyone back in Texas to play with the board that we created here in New Orleans the awesome. 00:30:09 - 00:35:03 So that's one of the nice things about it is unlike a lot of legacy gains, which win the game is over there over with charter stone. You can you once the game is over. You just have a worker placement. Euro style point salad game that you're can play with over and over and over again, if you really want to how different do your two boards look dramatically different the. The six player board is far more thematic because of the way in which the city gets built. It's more intentional because each player is intentionally building their own space whereas their some of their some trying to think of how to save this without giving give spoilers. But in a game that is smaller than full six people there, some communal building that occurs in the places that you're not controlling yourself. And so, because of that it's more random and less. I think it makes for a less. Competitive game. Than the or that we created with a full six. All right. Well, yeah. And so that recharge pack costs fraction, like so much less than the actual flow game. So it's actually nice that stone Meyer did that. Yeah. I think the full game is sixty. And I think the recharge pack was twenty. It's a really, really nice way to especially if you wanna like I did play with a new group and try it with NC, how different that experience can really be based on the people who are at the table in the people, you're having that experience with really changes the entire gaming experience. So I've done sorry, I'm still just like pondering, all that because I know the experience that we had, and like that was just captivating. I couldn't even imagine the you're describing something to me, so different. But then so much off, so awesome at the same time that I'm just having a hard time comprehending both of them existing in the same freaking double sides of aboard. I definitely would love to allow you the opportunity experience that again, in and I would highly recommend folks who have given it a try to if you think that the recharge track is silly or something that you're not interested in. I could definitely see that for it may not be the thing for everyone. But especially if you are going to a new group where you have two different groups of people that you game with this feeling that experience in with a different group is a really interesting way to to play that game into have that experience. So speaking of a different gaming experience. I had the opportunity over the last couple of weeks to play terrifying March which, I know you have played right of a lot. Yeah. Sara forming Mars at this point. Yeah, of course. Surprise, not surprised. So with that being said, I got to play terrifying Mars with literally all of the expansion, so I'm talking, the Helena, Liam board, Venus, next Paret, lewd, and colonies, and we got to table like three weeks in a row, which was awesome. And I played a lot. Have you been able to play with any of these? Yes. So actually back in December. So a little while ago now was the first time I was able to play with all of the expansions. I really, really want to get this to the table with all of the expansions again or at least the prelude in colonies expansions again and colonies only just came out right before December. So it's not like it's been out for that long. Yeah. Yeah. And interesting enough. This was actually a game. I got with my original OG game group back in Illinois. So the people who I got me into board gaming, and I explored this space with me. And so those of you, those you listen from Illinois. Thank you for getting this man into gaming. So. Yeah. That, that, that was a really fun experience to kind of be able to go back around the holidays and see all those people again. 00:35:03 - 00:40:02 And, and have this, because when I last played with them, we were just started into dip our toes into some of these heavier games and tear forming Moore's hadn't been out, yet and within our own separate fears. We had all fallen in love with this territory, Mars, and all came back in put it all together with all the expansions in it. It, it really. I think shine. I mean it. If you've been around this hobby for a while. I don't know how you can avoid hearing everyone talk about terrifying Mars. It's it's just a phenomenal game yet. And so, like, we've all got our favorite parts of it to, which I think, is interesting for me like there's a card. I just love. And I think everyone loves it. And so, but I'm gonna claim it and that is a pets card. Little fluffy, like you. If I get fluffy, I'm taking it. I don't care if somebody else takes and discards it like not going to happen. So we had the opportunity to play with everything couple times. And so we played four players for each time. And I thought it was really interesting seeing players who've like really have like dive deep into tear forming Mars. Like play it all the time for them to add in the colonies. I've noticed them having to rethink everything they know about it. Did you feel that when you played it, it's interesting, I do think colonies more than any of the other expansions because I think a lot of the other expansions all like hell's Elise Eum boards didn't really change the game at all Venus, next added this little side thing you may or may not worry about, but you can ignore it if you want. And it doesn't matter that much. Colonies, you can't ignore it. I think is, is the thing that is sets it apart from the other expansions that have come before it is, if you ignore colonies. It is at your own detriment. And what's funny is the person who won that game back in December is someone who. Allegedly never wins tariff warring Mars. And they won because they went wholehearted onto the colonies and everyone else, just kind of I kind of dip my show in the other two people just kind of ignored it, but he went full-on colonies is the focus for me this game and just wipe the board with us. It just it. It's it adds just a whole new way of thinking about the game. I think in terms of. The way in which it those county boards kind of force you to think beyond the scope of just Mars yet. So for those who haven't played colonies yet. So colonies ads in this. It's a modular setup. So there's a whole bunch of these different colonies, they might be like, Pluto. The might be like titan so different planets and things in what happens is every turn these colonies colony are going to keep generating resources of one type or another, so they're each theme. So one might be all about your for say, like floaters or all about pets or all about titanium or all about steel or XYZ other type of resource in this game. And you start the game with number of players. Plus, two of those, and so what happens is, you can send your ship by spending energy or money or titanium, too. So. That's the space resource to these different colonies, one per turn, and you can take essentially the colonies action and get all these resources. And so if you let them build up, someone is going to wreck shop against you, because no one managed that throughout and they got a ton of resources. So I know I had a I had a call so you can also place colonies down on colonies. And what happens is, then you when every time you trade there anytime anyone else trades there, then you also get a bonus. And so what happens is, if you don't watch that closely and I'm not saying you have to interact with it every single turn. But like you can't let it get out of control. I was in a situation where I had a colony and then I would spend resources to go there, and let's spent nine dollars to go there. Well, then I would make fifteen dollars because had because the car draw I was able to put some extra colonies down on places. 00:40:02 - 00:45:19 I already had colonies so. Crazy. And then every time that little meter went up, and I went there, I was raking in the money. So I had one that actually gave me a money increase, which is crazy. But yeah, like the people who focused just on Mars were noticing like, what the heck is going on out in these colonies, which to be fair. Like if we're tear forming a planet, and all of a sudden you see this uprising, I think of the American revolution, like we're going to go just like they're just going over to this new land, what the heck is going on in this new land, and, like trying to come in and humble it, but it's too late. American revolution started in. So that's kind of how I felt with it, it was just kind of fun. And then it created these nice little engines, or you could create your engine on Mars. But then, like influence it with the colonies to then, like bolster your engine while other people aren't paying attention. So it's kinda cool experience and honestly changed the game for me where I felt that because I played terrified Marceau much is kind of getting a little samey, but. This really helped it bring a lot of new life into it, and they'll give me wrong turf. Mars by itself. Sammy is still a good thing because the games phenomenal. But this added that whole another layer. So the one thing I will kind of say towards my one experience with it. And granted, I have only had the one experience playing with everything is it, it does start to feel a little bloated like that deck is so huge, and there's so many cards that, that it definitely feels like there's a can be a little bit too much and. I, I would struggle to introduce one of the reasons I struggled to introduce this game to my gaming group here is that I don't know that I really want to play the bass game anymore, but almost no one in my game group has played tear forming Mars more than one or two times and. So it can be a little daunting to include all of these other things going on with it. So I definitely think my personal opinion. I think Venus next is the weakest of the expansions is probably the one, which I will most readily cut. I, I think prelude while it doesn't change the game allot, the giving different resources to different starting players, which is essentially all prelude does prelude gives you two cards at the beginning of the game for you to make yourself unique to add some variability in who the players are. And so I think that doesn't change the game allot and. It kind of rushes the game forward a little bit. It doesn't quite take quite as long to build your engine because you have some of those new resources. But I just I struggle to think about playing this game without colonies now. And so, I think it can definitely feel like a lot, but and as they continue to pump out these expansions. I understand the argument of like a bloated game can be daunting, but manner those. It's I find it really hard to cut even being next. It's hard to say I don't wanna play with this anymore because I do I just don't know that, that's one extra thing that I want to explain to someone who's new to the game or new earth to the game. Right. And so I think it's done a really good job. And I think you hit the nail Ned explain this done a really good job of adding content that's really value. But with that content also comes double-edged sword of increasing the hurdle, if that makes sense for new gamers, but. In all honesty. I think the depth that his his added to the game is kind of outweighs that just in my opinion. The deck of cards though. They is huge like when we're talking it is huge like it is frigging huge, we talked about getting a card Shuffler just because of how large these decks, even that wouldn't hold it all. And the struggle is that now that all those cards are in so I don't own this game. It's actually another buddy of ours who owns it. And he's got everything. He's got the broken Dokan insert everything. And how he's structures. He's like, I'm not going to go through all these cards and takeout these other ones, but at the same time I'm kind of okay with it because all of us have grown with the game, I hadn't considered that other hurdle aspects. So thank you for bringing that up. So it's interesting, I also have the broken token and I own everything for this game, actually, if anything else comes I'm going to have to unsleeping my cards, already there are cards that I can't sleeve because they don't fit in the broken token. 00:45:20 - 00:50:01 Sleeve. So actually colonies, all of the colonies cards have to stay in their own box right now because the doesn't fit in the broken token, if everything is sleeved. So it's interesting that you say that because. Yeah it, definitely it is a game that I, I always want to get to the table, and I'm really hoping to, to get it back to the table. Release soon. And so what I think would be great. It's free to talk about maybe like, one more thing that you have going on. And then for listeners, we're going to be able to continue this conversation with a kind of introducing this banter at the start of an episode and kind of just talking through kind of what's going on in our lives, when it relates to gaming. So that way, you can know and also see where we're at, but also kind of engage with us a little bit more. And so I hope this has been helpful, but at the same time will then start adding in an area of focus moving forward as well. So game where we're going to do this deeper dive because I've noticed that you and I, we start talking about something then talk about it for a while. And that's awesome. And that's what we wanna do. We wanna go deep dia for listeners, so that way, they can know but we're going to switch it over to in the future. We're gonna try this out so listeners bear with us as we experiments and things going through some banter world go into some depth. But then we'll have an area focus, but what's like one more game experience that you've been having that maybe your listeners can know about so not to be the beater of the stag Meyer slash stone Meyer drum too much. I think this is game number three that you've mentioned from them. So I it's game game number three on my list game number two that we're going to talk about here. Oh, no. It's game. Number three, that I mentioned I did mention Cy. And then I mentioned viticulture and. And. I don't even remember this. But yeah. I mentioned things. Yeah. I my gaming group cannot get enough of wingspan Jonas wingspan is the newest game by a stone. Meyer games, actually not designed by Jamie Steg Meyer is designed by a woman, I believe her name is Elizabeth Hargrave. She is a first time game designer and was really interesting about this game is that she has designed. The female of this game is you are managing a bird sanctuary, and you are trying to attract different bird types to your bird sanctuary on. You do that through a variety of things you need food, the correct type of food, and you need eggs on your birds to be able to hatch new birds and you have to get your birds from the draw deck, and, and it sounds like the most boring. Not fun experience. But the game play and the mechanics of this game make it so pleasant in so enjoyable twice. Now, people I've sat down, this is the game. We're gonna play tonight. And people said, I don't want to play that game show have because attracting birds does not sound. Fun or in enjoyable, one of the two beyond in group. Yeah. To be honest. It's not a theme that I would think would really resonate. But it's taken off. Yeah. One of the guys in my group theme is really important to him. And it's it's the Ludo narrative of the game that you are playing is the most important thing about the game to him. And he was very adamant that this was not a game that interested him in the least bit. Everybody else said we want to play this game. He finally agreed turn three. He was on board all in in love with this game. As soon as we got to our next game night. The first thing that was said is, let's play wings fan by everyone at the table. It's it is it feels very pleasant. It's light hearted. 00:50:01 - 00:55:01 It's the player interaction is pretty minimal bordering on non-existent. There are couple thing actions that other people take that will give you a bonus. But beyond that is not really there. But the discussions about this, that, that come up at the table as you're playing these different birds onto your Tableau and building your engine. It just feels so good and rewarding to do that. I mean I got lucky I pre-ordered at this point, I just throw money at, at stone, Meyer games, anytime they announce something I'm pre ordering it really no questions asked. They have yet to swing mrfloor me. So, so Josh have you, did you see what I'm Jamie stack Meyer posted about this game and the preorder and things like that? For for wingspan for wingspan. I actually didn't pay that close of attention. I just saw new game. I actually have started following Jamie segway or a little bit more closely because of the way in which he's been rolling out some of his new games and expansions where he's just kind of posted things on Facebook or in his YouTube. And so I started following more closely but I didn't really see much in the lead up to this game. Particularly, I guess, I have a story for you. And first of all, I cannot wait the try this game. And honestly, listeners I'm looking at the pictures of this thing. And I've been looking at the pictures this thing for a while. It's got like actual little pastel eggs. It's got a birdhouse that I think doubles as a diced how're. Yes. Okay. So I mean it's gorgeous the argument is gorgeous, you just wouldn't expect this kind of theme for a game nowadays just to be honest. But Jamie segment is a phenomenal job ever since he first started doing Kickstarter. He actually has this blog that he's been keeping up with and writes articles every now and then and then he goes on Facebook live about every other workday, which is crazy. He just wants to connect with his audience in one of the articles that he posted a couple of weeks ago. It was actually about how the analytics of the board game industry. And so he was talking with publishers like he'd go to all of like distributors and saying, how many, how many copies of this thing should I order, no one could give him an answer. At all. And so they're like, why don't you just make ten thousand copies? And what he said he's like I'll make ten thousand copies of this game. The game literally sold out in like a day and a half and people were common calling in and saying, like I can I get this game? They're calling their game stores. Game stores complained to the distributors distributors are saying Wednesday next copy coming out, and essentially, no one is wrong in this scenario is just that a the theme probably didn't help like paint an accurate picture because it's new right? I think anything entering into the space as new like if it's a zombie game. We kind of know how that might act right now. There's a lot of reference points when something new, we have to learn like, okay, what can we really do here? So distributor doesn't really know. But then also Jamie Steg Mayer has this, like seriously cult following, and it's okay because all the games are phenomenal. And several other designers that are like that. Publishers are like that. It's just like, hey, they've just going to be consistent. And so with all those factors together. There wasn't a way to accurately represent how many copies of this freaking thing he should've made, and so it sold out instantly, and then literally before it even hit the shelves. He was having to hit go on the next print order, which for listeners, just so, you know, that's like a three month lead out. So when you hit go, it's going to be getting produced. They've got to put all those components together. They've gotta then box that up. They have to ship it from wherever it's getting made it to get sent to the different distributors, and the distributors have to get it to the stores and the stores at the present the shelves or send it to you directly. So it's crazy process and he talked about this pretty at length in that blog post and it's just phenomenal to here. Essentially the struggle of being in his position of trying to appease the backers and just do a good thing while also trying do that good thing, but it wasn't enough and but did not having any reference point for it. And I think. Jamie is really, really good about communication, like you said, like just his, I, I watched YouTube videos in just his the way he interacts with his audiences. Really, really good. And he don't think right. 00:55:01 - 01:00:02 There was no harm in this intended. Right. Part of it is he's trying to move away from Kickstarter because he has developed his company has the overhead or he has the money to pay his overhead costs without having to ask for money on Kickstarter. And so I, I admire him for trying to make that move away, but heart of what Kickstarter can be good for is gauging the interest in. He really had no way of doing that with this game because right like if you come to me as if I may distributor, or if I own a game store, and you come to. With this game idea. I've never played it or seen played or heard any reviews. You know, maybe I'm gonna put one or two in stock and see how it goes in that can be a really difficult chip disqualify. When your really trying not to break the Bank and not to put too much money into a product that you can only kind of guess it, how well it's going to do. And then Bom BA fold is. In January, the breakout game of the year and being bandied around as it's January twenty first. And this is going to make my top ten for a lot of people who are pretty influential in the media around board games that. Yeah, I kind of feel form a little bit because there are people who are upset it is going to be April before this game is available. Maybe later for some people. And that's a rough spot to be in, like a lot of my friends are dying to get their hands on this game right now. And you know. I'm thrilled that I was able to snag, a copy before it got sold out. And I feel for anyone who is just taught hearing people talk about it and are just like wind. Is it available like likely self feeding like myself? I really don't envy, you, his it really is just a beautifully designed. And so elegant game I. I know I say this have said this about pretty much every game talked about, like I can't speak highly enough about this. Like it is it is just another absolute home run from this company that I have just grown to really appreciate. You know, I, I would Frong Lee recommend that if you like the games that this company is producing follow Jamie on Facebook. Follow him on YouTube redes- blog posts, that seems to be how he's communicating with people and you talk about the production quality, man. It Jamie actually posted a video on YouTube recently talking about the term, quote unquote, over-produced games, and how that term can be can negatively impact game designers game developers game publishers because. We want really, really nice quality products. I actually commented in Jamie, actually replied to my comment, which I mean I love that, that's someone who listens to his audience. This is a game used the term overproduced not as a knock to it. This game is so ridiculous. This game is has far better components that than it has any right to it. Really does it the, the eggs feel so nice? They look like little. It's actually kinda scary. They look like little almond. Don't know. Gotta be careful candies. You eat all playing this game. But this time of year they feel nice. They look nice. And, you know, those could have easily been wouldn't cubes for, for the purpose that they serve, but they're not. And the fact that there are these little nice textured. Nice feeling eggs, enhances my experience play. Saying it because it adds that little edge that little nudge about just the feel and the experience that you have playing the game. But it does. So in a way that it did not increase the cost of the game beyond what I think it's worth, or beyond what I think, is reasonable, I believe, MS RPM. This is fifty five or sixty something like that fifty five. 01:00:03 - 01:05:00 Yeah, fifty five this game is in my honest, opinion of steel like it is that is well worth the cost. And the fact that you get a rule book that is linen line till my gosh. I had no idea about that. Who does that? No one does that it is in. I don't know if you know this, but it also the same day it released Rodney spiff put out the watch it played for it as well. So even if you don't want to read this linen book, you can just go and watch Rodney talk about it. They really really knocked it out of the park with production on this. I mean I could say the same about every game that they've put out. Really? Since I've, I mean, I guess. Viticulture was okay, but euphoria was okay. But I mean every other game they put out just knocked it out of the park with the production quality. And that's one of the things that really has meet all in on this company because they are willing to put in the extra thought as to how the components of the game interact with the mechanics, which really just reinforces things for the learner because if they're able to gamer because if you're able to interact with the things, and it makes sense well then it's easier to learn the game and just real quick about the communication from Jamie segma-. What's really nice and I don't know if you know this, but in his newsletters that he sends out he's got this really nice grid that he has of every single game that's coming out, including like, three of them that are codenames for games he's working on. And it tells you the status along the way of whether it's in production, whether it's at the factory, whether it's on a boat, whether it's getting shipped off to distributors or is like out there in the market. It's beautiful little grid. So it's every single person. Reads it knows exactly. Okay. When can I expect this? It's like the newest one for that is just announced last week and expansion for the older game of his called euphoria ends, and now like that got revealed. And what's nice it's showing it's progress and how soon you're going to be able to get it. And so it's really nice that he's tying up those loose ends, and helping the listeners know exactly what they can expect an honestly, like all we're trying to do with all this is just come together as a hobby. And so, I think just being open and honest, like it shows like you're in the business of people, regardless of what product you're trying to sell, and the people are going to be there to support you. If you're there and transparent with them, and I think Jamie stack Myers, a perfect example of that. I think the thing. I think it really shows how much he took in, in learning from his Kickstarter experience. He runs his company as though he is. He runs the communication within his company as though he is running a Kickstarter, and he wants everyone to know at every step along the way where am I what am I doing what am I spending my time in my energy in my money on at this exact moment and wind? Can you expect? A product that is going to be what I'm comfortable putting out and that you want to play. And I think that, that is those who run the most successful kick starters are those who communicate with their audience exactly that. And he's just taken that to the next level of ongoing with everything that he does. And I think that it's, it's just a really really nice way to run a company. He doesn't need to spend that much time or energy on those little things. But it makes me as a consumer want to come back in to take get more from you. And so speaking of people being consumers, and f all those out there like encourage you to go look at that, if that is of interest to you and sign up for the signature, the stone Meyer newsletter so you can get access to all that. But speaking of. Focusing on the little things and doing things for the listeners in the consumers. That is exactly part of the reason why Josh has been able to join us today is because we've been wanting to do something to really enhance this for you. And like we're yes, we're able to. Now connect together a little bit more from a remote distance because of getting to come on this podcast together and do this for your benefit, but really, it's about you in the end. And let's just increase the positive things that are going on the hobby by getting to talk together. 01:05:00 - 01:10:03 And so really, we really want to invite you into this conversation and been anything in this episode that resonated with you or stood out to you feel free to put that in the comments like, let us know she was an Email board game impacted gmaiLcom, and we'll both be able to look through that and respond to you. But really, I'm just thankful Josh that you and I are finally able to make this happen. And listeners, I hope you're excited for what's to come with this. And as we. Experiment with some different formats. But also really, just get to connect all four. You in mind. And the experience at you're getting to have with your game or group. So Josh as we're signing off. Do you have any closing remarks? No, I just really wanna say thank you, Bruce, a for ver- letting me and do this. This is something that I've considered and thought about in wanted to do for oil, long time on my own, and I've just never taken the plunge, and so your willingness to kinda share this platform with me, I'm, I'm absolutely thrilled by it. Listeners. I really hope that I didn't annoy you with my, my banter, and my raving about a about different things. I do want to say thank you for letting me into the space and giving me an opportunity to just talk about something that I really, really love and I'm passionate about, you know, it can sound kind of weird hearing myself say these things, but it is just really nice outlet to, to talk about something that has had a huge impact on my life. And on the relationships that I have in the people I interact with. And so being able to share that with with new listeners in new new people. I, I really hope that this becomes the thing that the listeners enjoy in more of because I am really looking forward to to being back on. Being able to try in different formats and try some different things out moving forward. So thank you so much. I can't say it enough. Awesome. Thanks, Josh listeners, we'd love to get your input on this that Email again is board game impacted gmaiLcom. But I'm also gonna encourage you to go onto Facebook and just type in board game impact and just like and comment on there and shoot us a message to their Josh, and I both get that as well as we also have the Instagram so feel free to hop over to there. But also, if you like to just connect with us more you can also find us on board game geek, so please do search us there and to search the name of the show board game impact under podcast and it's all listed right there, but we just want to say thank you so much, and we're going to wrap it up here with just some closing notes. Stay tuned for again, all of that contact information as well as some other things about the show for you. Engage and support the show. And just thanks for listening and just go out and have a positive impact on the world. Again, my name is Bruce Brown and you can find me on board Gangi as Bruce Brown. I hope that you enjoyed this new aspect of the show, Josh, and I are going to be working on some different formats, bring maybe bring in some deep dive sections, like we talked about, in this episode talking about upcoming Kickstarter kicks orders that were currently watching and talking about and just other things in the gaming hobby. This has been something that own ously in reflecting on recording this episode Josh and I had this conversation. I told him, honestly, this is the most fulfilling and rewarding episode that I've recorded like so the process of recording it, and I hope it was Justice fulfilling to you to listen to it, and that you were able to feel like you were here with us because that's what we want you to feel because these are really things to hopefully, you can take and learn from to influence positive direction, the impact that you're able to have for your gaming, and your gaming group, Josh and I just. Both wanna come at this from the lens of let's help unless share what's going on. Because we're better as a community because of it. So if you'd like to have anything in particular disgust, please shoot us, an Email at board game impacted. Jemele dot com. Do you go onto the Facebook so board game impacts Facebook dot com slash board game impact, Josh, and I can both respond to messages there. Please click like follow us on Instagram at board game impact. Also, we just wanna quickly shout out and say, thank you to our phenomenal patriot backers for supporting the show, your support means more than you could possibly know if you'd like to support the show and enjoyed today's episode, please consider going onto the patriots. That's patriot dot com slash board game impact, but you can also support the show by simply sharing the show with your friends. Let them know that you're listening to it, and send them over Email or text, just let them know. You're listening to this. I would mean a great deal. Also, while you still have your phone or device in your hand please go on and rate. 01:10:03 - 01:11:51 The show in the podcast after. You're listening to it so that way. More people can discover the content the Josh and I are working hard behind the scenes to put out for you. One other thing another way that you can support the show. And I talked about this in the last episode, I entered into the road microphone competition in my road cast now that competition is still on going on if you listened to this episode at the time of air date, but just you have to really hop on there and click vote, while you still can because it's going to be closing in the coming days, and what that's going to do, that's going to really increase the amount of audio quality that we're going to be able to put out for you. It's going to be to get us some microphones and other things that are really just going to really enhance a show that we just cannot wait. And we're so hopeful for because we're doing this out of passion. We're doing this as a passion project, and we'd love to be able to do even even greater service for you and the rest of the gaming hobby. So please go to my road, cast dot com. That's M. Y. R. O. D. E. C. A. S. T. Dot com. Click on listen and then click and type in board game impact, and vote for the show without would mean so very much for us as it would unlock opportunities that otherwise would not have the potential to do, but really just hope that this new segment, and adding in Josh is something that you really enjoyed we're going to be experimenting over the coming episode so please be on the lookout for that and be open to that and be giving us feedback so that we can know. And just also understand that we're going to be enter entering into this process, and they're just going at it to really bring better and more meaningful content to you. And so just go with us on this journey, and we're just thankful to have you. And we hope that this was helpful for you. So until next time go have a positive impact on the world.