2025 Year in Review

2025 Year in Review

Author: Pickaxe December 30, 2025 Duration: 1:32:26
In some ways, the origin story of the podcast can be traced back to Sentinels of the Multiverse. Upon arriving in Kingston, Mark was at a games event at someone's home, and he saw that someone had brought a then-complete set (this was a few expansions ago) of Sentinels. He knew that this person, namely Walker, was a person worth knowing. It therefore seemed fitting that on one of Mark's last days in Kingston that he, Walker, Huey, Dewey, and Louis play Sentinels. Games Played Last Week: 02:38 -Zenith (Grégory Grard & Mathieu Roussel, PlayPunk, 2025) 08:18 -Race for the Galaxy (Thomas Lehmann, Rio Grande Games, 2007) 11:20 -Don't L.L.A.M.A. Dice (Reiner Knizia, AMIGO, 2021) 12:19 -Word Traveler (Thomas Dagenais-Lespérance, Office Dog, 2024) 16:05 -Sentinels of the Multiverse (Christopher Badell, Paul Bender, & Adam Rebottaro, Greater Than Games, 2011) 19:30 -The Druids of Edora (Stefan Feld, alea, 2025) 24:50 -The Lord of the Rings: Fate of the Fellowship (Matt Leacock, Z-Man Games, 2025) 27:58 -Toy Battle (Paolo Mori & Alessandro Zucchini, Repos Production, 2025) 31:43 -MicroMacro: Kids - Crazy City Park (Johannes Sich, Edition Spielwiese, 2025) 32:50 -Concept Kids: Animals (Gaëtan Beaujannot & Alain Rivollet, Repos Production, 2018) 33:51 -Tumblin' Dice (Carey Grayson, Randy Nash, and Rick Soued, Eagle-Gryphon Games, 2004) 2025 in Review 35:45 Top 10 57:42 Game of the Year 1:00:18 Special Categories Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hosted by Mike Walker and Mark Bigney, So Very Wrong About Games digs into the world of hobby gaming with a blend of sharp critique and genuine enthusiasm. Each episode feels like pulling up a chair at a table where two knowledgeable friends are deep in conversation, dissecting everything from the latest releases to timeless classics. They believe that a bad game deserves a thorough examination just as much as a great one, applying that same level of detailed analysis to reviews, industry news, and broader gaming topics. This isn't about following trends or generating hype; it's about thoughtful discussion that respects both the listener's time and the context in which games are made and played. The dynamic between Walker and Bigney captures a fundamental truth about the hobby-that taking games seriously and having fun with them are not mutually exclusive. You'll find their approach both refreshing and deeply engaging, whether they're championing an overlooked gem or meticulously explaining why a popular title didn't work for them. Tune in to this Pickaxe-produced podcast for honest, substantive talk that treats the medium with the depth it often deserves, but rarely receives in casual conversation.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

So Very Wrong About Games
Podcast Episodes
Nostalgia [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:17:17
"Well, that was your mother And that was your father Before you was born dude When life was great You are the burden of my generation I sure do love you But let’s get that straight" -Paul Simon, "That Was Your Mother" 01…
Light Speed: Arena [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:29
On this day of Labour, we offer our solidarity to you. We also offer our labour, because we don't take many days off. No union for us in the opinion mines! I'd complain to my manager, but since that's me, I guess I'd be…
Trick-Taking Games Redux [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:08:56
I've always chafed at the conventional wisdom that young goats are good at trick-taking games. Or, at least, ones where you are not incentivized to go null. Do they hold their cards in their cloven hooves? Do their dead…
The Lord of the Rings: The Fate of the Fellowship [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:07:25
Losing a component is rough. Knowing that one of your games is incomplete is like having a permanent absence in your soul. It's one thing to eschew that one added expansion--that's a triumph of restraint. But that missin…
Starting Over Your Collection [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:18:57
Inigo: I am waiting for you, Vizzini. You told me to go back to the beginning. So I have. This is where I am, and this is where I’ll stay. I will not be moved. Brute: But the Prince gave orders — Inigo: — So did Vizzini…
Vantage [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:11:40
"We don’t ask that you stop loving your fantasy world. We ask you stop paying money for the privilege to dream of it. If you want to read the [Harry Potter] books or watch the movies, consider buying second-hand or renti…
SVWAG Con Report [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:08:04
A chief misgiving Mark has about the con is that he is a terrible playtester. He was able to play two unpublished games, and while the designers were gracious he is seldom able to offer anything of much substance. "This…
#369: Take That [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:19:08
The purest juxtaposition that reveals the absurdity of "take that" effects can be found in many of your heavier games and some consims with cards. You gather the resources, marshal your forces, laboriously haul those tro…
#368: Shackleton Base [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:20:35
"Dear friend, if you wanna feel better Don't let the devil make you toss this letter If you've been crossed up by hoodoo voodoo A wizard or the lizard You got family trouble, man trouble, woman trouble No light through t…
#367: Set Up and Tear Down [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:24:54
It is remarkable to reflect on how much hobbies can demand of us, and certainly board gaming is no different. Setting aside the administrative, economic, and social burdens; we then have to spend so much time teaching, s…