#366: 7 Empires

#366: 7 Empires

Author: Pickaxe July 1, 2025 Duration: 1:13:23
Apparently the American custom of the "push present" can trace its roots to the Anglo-Indian tradition of the "baby bauble", although in the latter case jewellery is the more standard gift (instead of, say, boardgames). Can we acknowledge that baby bauble is a much less crude term? Let's try to be classy here, people. There is already enough about childbirth that is fraught. Games Played Last Week: 2:07 -Galactic Cruise (T.K. King, Dennis Northcott, and Koltin Thompson, Kinson Key Games, 2025) 6:31 -Cerebria: The Inside World (Richard Amann, Viktor Peter, István Pócsi, Frigyes Schőberl, Nick Shaw, & Dávid Turczi, Mindclash Games, 2018) 12:53 -Phantom Division (Pete Ruth & Mark Thomas, Phantom Horizon, 2026) 23:19 -Space Gits (Mike Hutchinson, Planet Smasher Games, 2025) 28:03 -Earthborne Rangers (Andrew Fischer, Brooks Flugaur-Leavitt, Andrew Navaro, Adam Sadler, and Brady Sadler, Earthborne Games, 2023) 30:00 -Dro Polter (Paul Schulz, Oink Games, 2023) 33:14 -Shackleton Base: A Journey to the Moon (Fabio Lopiano & Nestore Mangone, Sorry We Are French, 2024) 40:56 -TONKS (Apocrypha_Now, Web-published, 2023) News (and why it doesn't matter): 43:41 Flurry of Friedemann Friese: Formidable Farm, Fearless, Five Families 44:45 Open registration for SVWAG Con (July 25th-July 27th) on Eventbrite! https://tinyurl.com/25s6p5jd 45:14 Feature Game: 7 Empires (Mac Gerdts, PD-Verlag, 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
#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…
#337: Fellowship of the Ring: Trick-Taking Game [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:44
When you are obliged to cite your sources is a fraught question, full of nuance. Even in academia there is some disagreement as to when yo quote, when to paraphrase, and when simply to assume common knowledge. Like the p…