#320: Slay the Spire

#320: Slay the Spire

Author: Pickaxe July 16, 2024 Duration: 1:37:59
Our next guest host during Michael Walker's recovery is Efka Bladukas, half of No Pun Included! Efka is an internationally-renowned board game critic and dog enthusiast, known for his detestation of whimsy and tireless tolerance of Mark's yammerings. He once split a mountain in twain with his bare hands while simultaneously inventing cold fusion, but he's so humble he'll probably deny it--which is proof positive that it's all true. Games Played Last Week: 01:37 -Captain Flip (Remo Conzadori and Paolo Mori, PlayPunk, 2024) 08:30 -In the Footsteps of Darwin (Grégory Grard and Matthieu Verdier, Sorry We Are French, 2023) 13:31 -It’s a Wonderful World: Corruption & Ascension (Frédéric Guérard, La Boîte de Jeu, 2020) 17:34 -Cascadero (Reiner Knizia, Bitewing Games, 2024) 22:03 -Dungeons & Dragons: Dungeon Scrawlers--Heroes of Waterdeep (Vangelis Bagiartakis and Konstantinos Karagiannis, WizKids, 2023) 27:27 -Power Vacuum (Kaleb Wentzel-Fisher, Keen Bean Studio, 2024) 39:03 -Leviathan Wilds (Justin Kemppainen, Moon Crab Games, 2024) 43:32 -Primal: The Awakening (Tommaso Mondadori and Alberto Parisi, Reggie Games, 2024) 53:38 -Dune: Imperium (Paul Dennen, Dire Wolf, 2020) News (and why it doesn't matter): 57:55 Walker continues to recover and is doing well 58:32 Leviathan Wilds expansion and reprint soon on Gamefound; uncertainty as to possible fixes 59:22 Flickering Stars by Matt Leacock and Josh Cappel; another sci-fi flicking boardgame 1:00:34 Feature Game: Slay the Spire: The Board Game (Gary Dworetsky, Anthony Giovannetti, and Casey Yano, Contention Games, 2024) Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy 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
#347: How Expansions Can Fail [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:09:26
Our upcoming convention, July 25th-27th 2025, is in its planning stages! We have a venue but nothing much else yet. Not even a name! Suggestions welcome. Mark quite likes So Very Wrong About Games Fun Times Good Vibes On…
#346: 2024 Year in Review [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:37:44
If you can choose to be the regular version or the spicy version, you obviously choose the spicy version. I mean, sure, the capsaicin may sting, but one assumes that the canonical version is caliente. Put another way, wo…
#345: Thunder Road: Vendetta [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:09:15
"Robert! This here is velvet--not velveteen. A gentleman must learn the difference." -Gilbert Fontaine de la Tour D'Haute Rive Games Played Last Week: 01:53 -Fishing (Friedemann Friese, 2F-Spiele, 2024) 08:04 -Revive (He…
#344: Only at Certain Player Counts [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:07:31
The editorial department of So Very Wrong About Games has several sub-divisions, and admittedly the orgchart gets a bit baroque at this point. The rules errors office is technically a sub-branch of the fact checking desk…
#343: Fromage [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:10:07
It has come to our attention that there has been a great deficiency in SVWAG through the years, namely our shameful neglect of the French language. The sheer Gaul! Games Played Last Week: 01:34 -The Isle of Cats Duel (Fr…
#342: Sheep in Wolves' Clothing [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:15
Trust the launcher. 01:28 AYURIS: Darwin’s Journey (Simone Luciani and Nestore Mangone, ThunderGryph Games, 2023) Games Played Last Week: 03:49 -Iron Forest (Brian Gomez, Brain Games, 2024) 10:22 -Slide Quest (Nicolas Bo…
#341: Holiday Catch-Up [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:18
Walker's glorious return portends a bumper crop of games to discuss, so we will forego a feature game or topic this week in favour of a deluge. 02:11 AYURIS: Stationfall (Matt Eklund, Ion Game Design, 2023) Games Played…
#340: Frustration with Randomness [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:14:40
In addition to having to struggle with new hardware on account of gravity murdering his tablet of 10+ years, we now must try to adjust to capturing the sweet, sonorous tones of the elusive Jimbo. It's hard to get audio l…
#339: D.E.I.: Divide et Impera [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:47
We're trying this YouTube thing in earnest, now, doing the video podcasting thing. This is our inaugural attempt at plastering our mugs on the internet in a podcast form. You have to be where your audience is, and also,…
#338: Managing Tempo [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:53
All of our musical references are at least a decade out of date, even when we attempt to reference contemporary artists--I must assume, because Mark knows her name, that no one listens to Billie Eilish anymore. We think…