#315: Games that Make You Uncomfortable

There are certain portentous events that presage massive upheaval and transformative revolution, both good and ill--Mark regards travel as one of these cataclysmic convulsions (ill), but the same is true of the arrival of the man known as Doctor Stallone (good). Both have coincided in the world of SVWAG this week, a confluence more consequential than the great passage of Halley's comet that prompted the original quote of "Après moi, le déluge." There's just a lot, people.01:33 AYURIS: Flamecraft (Manny Vega, Cardboard Alchemy, 2022)Games Played Last Week:03:12 -Dune: Imperium--Uprising (Paul Dennen, Dire Wolf, 2023)06:17 -Anunnaki: Dawn of the Gods (Simone Luciani and Danilo Sabia, Cranio Creations, 2023)10:08 -Ra (Reiner Knizia, alea, 1999)13:19 -Skyrise (Gavan Brown, Sébastien Pauchon, and Adam Wyse, Roxley, 2024)16:37 -Medici (Reiner Knizia, AMIGO, 1995)22:13 -Stroganov (Andreas Steding, Game Brewer, 2021)26:53 -Blitzkrieg!: World War Two in 20 Minutes (Paolo Mori, PSC Games, 2019)29:05 -Radlands (Daniel Piechnick, Roxley, 2021)31:05 -Root (Cole Wehrle, Leder Games, 2018)33:40 -Paku Paku (Antoine Bauza, Ravensburger, 2017)34:26 -Project: ELITE (Konstantinos Kokkinis, Marco Portugal, & Sotirios Tsantilas, CMON, 2020)36:47 -Orléans (Reiner Stockhausen, dlp Games, 2014)38:14 -Tower of Babel (Reiner Knizia, Hans im Gluck, 2005)39:27 -Telestrations (Uncredited, USAopoly, 2009)41:11 -Beyond Balderdash (Laura Robinson and Paul Toyne, Canada Games Company, 1993)43:30 -Quest (Don Eskridge, Indie Boards & Cards, 2021)46:23 -Calico (Kevin Russ, Flatout Games, 2020)47:55 -Legacy of Yu (Shem Phillips, Garphill Games, 2023) 49:51 -BattleCON: Unleashed (D. Brad Talton, Level 99 Games, 2020) 53:07 -TEAM3 GREEN (Alex Cutler & Matt Fantastic, Brain Games, 2019)News (and why it doesn't matter):55:32 Tapple After Dark...? Uh, no thanks56:28 Race for the Galaxy Roll & Write from Tom Lehman57:04 Walker tells lies that evoke a greater truth57:50 Check out Mark's video game podcast, All My Best Friends Are DigitalOur Sponsors:* Check out Express VPN: expressvpn.com/SOWRONGGAMES* Check out Incogni: https://incogni.com/aboutgamesAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

All I need to know about animal reproduction I learned from Uwe Rosenberg. I suspect many people have The Talk, which in my case was my father teaching me how to play Agricola. Navigating my twenties in utter ignorance wasn't easy, but now that Uwe has told me about the birds and the bees (and the sheep and the pigs and the cows) via Agricola I'm practically a biologist.01:25 AYURIS: Dead Reckoning (John D. Clair, Alderac Entertainment Group, 2022)Games Played Last Week:05:10 -Tigris & Euphrates (Reiner Knizia, Hans im Gluck, 1997)09:12 -Antike II (Mac Gerdts, PD-Verlag, 2015)11:32 -That's Not a Hat (Kasper Lapp, Ravensburger, 2023)16:26 -Galactic Renaissance (Christian Martinez, Matagot, 2024)21:56 -The Vale of Eternity (Eric Hong, Mandoo Games, 2023)23:58 -Meeple Circus (Cedric Millet, Matagot, 2017)27:31 -Mythwind (Nathan Lige and Brendan McCaskell, Open Owl Studios, 2023)30:48 -Titans Tactics (G. Kelly Toyama, Imbalanced Games, 2013)News (and why it doesn't matter):33:59 Please support us on Patreon, if inclined! www.patreon.com/svwag35:06 Dávid Turczi and Nigel Buckle's pseudo-sequel to Imperium, Star Trek: Captain's Chair  36:47 Dungeon Fighter will get a Star Trek reimplementation37:05 Mark's new podcast with Caitlin Bailey, All My Best Friends Are Digital: video games and the stories they tell37:37 Defenders of the Realm gets a reprint and a facelift38:10 Topic: Games that Make You UncomfortableOur Sponsors:* Check out Express VPN: expressvpn.com/SOWRONGGAMES* Check out Incogni: https://incogni.com/aboutgamesAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

After a prolonged period where we have not discussed Kramer & Kiesling (the Kramer & Ulrich duo yielded El Grande, which we mention rather frequently), here we see a bumper krop of K&K kollaborations. The gibbons are fickle, and even the mighty Wolfgang and Michael must yield to their whims. But fortune (and apes) have at last smiled on them, and we revel in the classic Euro goodness as well as their more recent offering.Games Played Last Week:01:05 -Monikers (Alex Hague and Justin Vickers, CMYK, 2015)05:34 -Java (Michael Kiesling and Wolfgang Kramer, Ravensburger, 2000)11:31 -Tikal (Michael Kiesling and Wolfgang Kramer, Ravensburger, 1999)13:31 -Wandering Towers (Michael Kiesling and Wolfgang Kramer, ABACUSSPIELE, 2022)18:30 -Morgan's Magic Map (Gian Andrea Cappuzzo, Rio Grande Games, 2023)20:17 -Tiny Towns (Peter McPherson, Alderac Entertainment Group, 2019)22:08 -Sniper Elite: The Board Game (Roger Tankersly & David Thompson, Rebellion Unplugged, 2022)25:43 -Earthborne Rangers (Andrew Fischer, Brooks Flugaur-Leavitt, Andrew Navaro, Adam Sadler, and Brady Sadler, Earthborne Games, 2023)35:57 -Through the Desert (Reiner Knizia, Allplay, 2024)38:34 -Mythwind (Nathan Lige and Brendan McCaskell, Open Owl Studios, 2023)44:41 -Tapple (Uncredited, The Op Games, 2021)46:04 -G.I. JOE: Battle for the Arctic Circle (Matt Hyra, Renegade Game Studios, 2024)News (and why it doesn't matter):48:56 CYSMIC update on Gamefound and board game bundling economics51:03 Ada's Dream from Alley Cat51:20 So much drama around Wonders of the First CCG! AI art, NFTs, ratings, oh my!53:10 Feature Game: Leviathan Wilds (Justin Kemppainen, Moon Crab Games, 2024)Our Sponsors:* Check out Express VPN: expressvpn.com/SOWRONGGAMES* Check out Incogni: https://incogni.com/aboutgamesAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In the vast panoply of human misfortunes, it is often fruitless to try to rank misery. Was historical tragedy X worse or better than atrocity Y? It seems callous to ask. That said, thanks to the applied research of a retired ethicist with the aid of Reiner Knizia's Zoo Vadis, we have conclusively discovered that it is better to be extorted by a marmoset than assaulted by an armadillo. Thus is human knowledge expanded.01:01 AYURIS: Heroscape (Stephen Baker, Rob Daviau, & Craig Van Ness, Hasbro, 2004)Games Played Last Week:05:30 -Uprising: Curse of the Last Emperor (Cornelius Cremin, Pawel Mazur, & Dirk Sommer, Nemesis.Games, 2021)10:23 -Zoo Vadis (Reiner Knizia, Bitewing Games, 2023)15:53 -Marabunta (Reiner Knizia, Space Cowboys, 2023)22:35 -Feed the Kraken (Maikel Cheney, Dr. Hans Joachim Höh, and Tobias Immich, Funtails, 2022)26:19 -La Granja: Deluxe Master Set (Michael Keller and Andreas "ode." Odendahl, Board&Dice, 2023)31:30 -Sand (Ariel Di Costanzo and Javier Pelizzari, Devir, 2024)News (and why it doesn't matter):38:45 Calico spinoff: Knitting Circle39:29 Founders of Reyvick: Richard Garfield and GMT40:54 Boardgaming has jumped the shark: Winston: Nineteen Eighty-Four 42:56 Expeditions: Gears of Corruption43:14 Radlands gets 1.2 rules and a new deck44:20 Topic: The One that Broke the Kallax's BackOur Sponsors:* Check out Express VPN: expressvpn.com/SOWRONGGAMES* Check out Incogni: https://incogni.com/aboutgamesAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Before the people of Quebec celebrated the Journée nationale des Patriotes (National Patriots' Day), they instead on the same day had the Fête de Dollard. A cynic might speculate that the timing of these holidays was chosen so as to pre-empt the English Canadian Victoria Day, and that cynic would be right.Games Played Last Week:01:21 -Dice Flick (Rami Gaber, Pegasus Spiele, 2021) 04:49 -A Message from the Stars (Clarence Simpson, Allplay, 2024)11:21 -Switchbacks (Susumu Kawasaki, Allplay, 2022)14:23 -Mage Knight: The Board Game (Vlaada Chvatil, WizKids, 2011)18:29 -Leviathan Wilds (Justin Kemppainen, Moon Crab Games, 2024)19:32 -Priorities (Uncredited, Clarendon Games, 2020)22:11 -Word Traveler (Thomas Dagenais-Lespérance, Office Dog, 2024)25:59 -Cascadito (Reiner Knizia, Bitewing Games, 2024)News (and why it doesn't matter):28:27 Grail Games will be reprinting Marc André's Barony with its Sorcery expansion28:53 Indonesia reprint from Splotter with a new board29:51 Black Forest from Tido Lorenze, Uwe Rosenberg, and Feuerland Spiele30:04 Another Frostpunk game, this time from Board&Dice30:28 Walking Dead game from Button Shy30:39 New expansion for Aquatica, Coral Reefs30:50 Followup to Oathsworn from Shadowborne and Jamie Jolly: Avalon: The Riven Veil31:02 Darktide the miniatures game from Games Workshop31:33 Dungeon Twister 20th Anniversary Edition by Christophe Boelinger and Ludically32:57 Congratulations to the Golden Geek winners! 34:02 Feature Game: Cascadero (Reiner Knizia, Bitewing Games, 2024)Our Sponsors:* Check out Express VPN: expressvpn.com/SOWRONGGAMES* Check out Incogni: https://incogni.com/aboutgamesAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

It is striking that no one submitted a question regarding the hues of our auras, so allow us to address the issue here and declare that amber is the colour of our energy.I regret nothing.01:39 AYURIS: Capital Lux 2: Generations (Eilif Svensson & Kristian Amundsen Østby, Aporta Games, 2020)Games Played Last Week:03:46 -G.I. JOE Deck-Building Game: Raise the Flagg Campaign Expansion (T.C. Petty III, Renegade Game Studios, 2023)07:10 -Through the Desert (Reiner Knizia, Allplay, 2024) 11:27 -Leviathan Wilds (Justin Kemppainen, Moon Crab Games, 2024)14:14 -Dungeons & Dragons: Dungeon Scrawlers--Heroes of Waterdeep (Vangelis Bagiartakis and Konstantinos Karagiannis, WizKids, 2023)16:44 -Set a Watch (Mike Gnade and Todd Walsh, Rock Manor Games, 2019)20:52 -Mysterium Park (Oleksandr Nevskiy and Oleg Sidorenko, Libellud, 2020)24:08 -Biohack (Yofiandhy D Indrayana, uchibacoya, 2024)30:05 -Mage Knight: The Board Game (Vlaada Chvatil, WizKids, 2011)32:31 -Word Traveler (Thomas Dagenais-Lespérance, Office Dog, 2024)News (and why it doesn't matter):36:23 Regicide Legacy on Kickstarter! Can Badgers from Mars triumph again?38:30 Dune: War for Arrakis expansion/reprint on Gamefound40:03 Topic: Omnibus Questions Delta BetOur Sponsors:* Check out Express VPN: expressvpn.com/SOWRONGGAMES* Check out Incogni: https://incogni.com/aboutgamesAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

There is only one novel and commendable Kant pun, delivered in the novel and commendable film Hedwig and the Angry Inch:"I got kicked out of university after delivering a brilliant lecture on the aggressive influence of German philosophy on rock and roll, entitled, 'You, Kant, Always Get What You Want.'"01:41 AYURIS: Mosaic: A Story of Civilization (Glenn Drover, Forbidden Games, 2022)Games Played Last Week:04:11 -Gloomhaven: Buttons & Bugs (Joe Klipfel and Nikki Valens, Cephalofair Games, 2024)07:59 -Scrap (Kenny Michael-Otton, Jolly Swagman Games, 2023)14:52 -Biohack (Yofiandhy D Indrayana, uchibacoya, 2024)18:42 -Leviathan Wilds (Justin Kemppainen, Moon Crab Games, 2024)23:44 -Wolves (Connor Alexander, Coyote & Crow LLC, 2024)33:57 -Dungeon Fighter: Second Edition (Aureliano Buonfino, Lorenzo Silva, and Lorenzo Tucci Sorrentino, Horrible Guild, 2021)News (and why it doesn't matter):38:42 Mythic Battles goes to Egypt40:07 Vote for the Golden Geek and for the Deutsche Spiele Preis (DSP) awards!40:44 Please support us on Patreon! www.patreon.com/svwag Coming soon: 3-part series on philosophy 42:07 Topic: Omnibus Questions Delta AlephOur Sponsors:* Check out Express VPN: expressvpn.com/SOWRONGGAMES* Check out Incogni: https://incogni.com/aboutgamesAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

We are storytellers here at SVWAG. This week, we tell the stories of mismatched plagues with dead llamas posing as European dudes, of quixotic strivings for yet more skirmish games, of famous philosophers who hustled cards. Of course, if you wish to hear different stories, the power is yours! You have but to submit your questions for the upcoming Omnibus Questions episode, and all your idle demands shall be satisfied!Games Played Last Week:02:33 -Scrap (Kenny Michael-Otton, Jolly Swagman Games, 2023)09:12 -Root: The Marauder Expansion (Nick Brachmann, Patrick Leder, Cole Wehrle, and Joshua Yearsley, Leder Games, 2022)14:29 -Cartographers: A Roll Player Game (Jordy Adan, Thunderworks Games, 2019)16:52 -Lacuna (Mark Gerrits, CMYK, 2023)19:21 -The Edge: Dawnfall (Michał Oracz, Krzysztof Piskorski, and Marcin Świerkot, Awaken Realms, 2018)News (and why it doesn't matter):27:26 dlp's Orléans 10th Anniversary Edition, Walker has grievances30:47 Star Control II sequel, Free Stars: Children of Infinity, on Kickstarter31:56 Feature Game: An Age Contrived (Chris Matthew, Bellows Intent, 2024)Our Sponsors:* Check out Express VPN: expressvpn.com/SOWRONGGAMES* Check out Incogni: https://incogni.com/aboutgamesAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

No topic is off-limits for the upcoming return of our Omnibus Questions, as we demonstrate in this episode by tackling such issues as pre-Reformation papal indulgences. And if you were to guess which host brought up that little historical nugget, you'd be wrong!Possible questions: who would win in a street fight, J.G. Fichte or Nietzsche? Do sheep poop? Who is the best member of Team Avatar? (Fichte, yes, and Appa, respectively) 02:17 AYURIS: It's a Wonderful World (Frédéric Guérard, La Boîte de Jeu, 2019) and It's a Wonderful Kingdom (Frédéric Guérard, La Boîte de Jeu, 2021)Games Played Last Week:06:23 -Orléans: The Plague (Reiner Stockhausen, dlp games, 2023)13:59 -Antiquity (Joroen Doumen & Joris Wiersinga, Splotter, 2004)20:30 -Just One (Ludovic Roudy & Bruno Sautter, Repos Production, 2018)22:51 -Green Team Wins (Nathan Thornton, 25th Century Games, 2022)23:47 -Quest (Don Eskridge, Indie Boards & Cards, 2021)28:38 -Sidereal Confluence (TauCeti Deichmann, Wizkids, 2017)32:53 -Fast Sloths (Friedemann Friese, 2F-SPiele, 2019)35:59 -Set a Watch (Mike Gnade and Todd Walsh, Rock Manor Games, 2019)37:38 -The Big Push: Trench Warfare on the Western Front in World War One (Renaud Verlaque, Hollandspiele, 2017)42:14 -Robinson Crusoe: Collector's Edition (Joanna Kijanka and Ignacy Trzewiczek, Portal Games, 2024)45:43 -Wabash Cannonball (John Bohrer, Rio Grande Games, 2023)News (and why it doesn't matter):48:28 Adventure Time RPG on crowdfunding49:27 Business Time! Embracer group spins off Asmodee (with debt), Goliath acquires Lucky Duck Games 51:06 Munchkin Big Box solves our problems51:43 Topic: Favourite MechanismsOur Sponsors:* Check out Express VPN: expressvpn.com/SOWRONGGAMES* Check out Incogni: https://incogni.com/aboutgamesAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

While we have little experience with Ed Sullivan's TV offerings, his legacy is a fascinating one. While he capitulated to pressure during the Red Scare, he did show remarkable courage in platforming African American performers despite opposition from his sponsors. Quite surprising is that the illness that eventually killed him was kept a secret from him by his family, a practise that was already frowned on in the United States by the seventies but is still widespread in many parts of the world. Games Played Last Week:01:36 -The Vale of Eternity (Eric Hong, Mandoo Games, 2023)04:28 -Voidfall (Nigel Buckle & Dávid Turczi, Mindclash Games, 2023)08:42 -Radlands (Daniel Piechnick, Roxley, 2021)10:11 -Mindbug Battlefruits (Christian Kudahl, Marvin Hegen, Skaff Elias, and Richard Garfield, Nerdlab Games, 2024)14:36 -ICECOOL Wizards (Brian Gomez, Brain Games, 2024)19:32 -Ratyl (Andy Gallagher, Busy Dad Games, 2023)25:46 -Agricola (Revised Edition) (Uwe Rosenberg, Lookout Games, 2016)29:42 -Almost Innocent (Philippe Attali, Kolossal Games, 2023)31:18 -E.T. The Extra-Terestrial: Light Years from Home Game (Propsero Hall and Brian Kirk, Funko Games, 2022)33:55 -Dune: Imperium--Uprising (Paul Dennen, Dire Wolf, 2023)38:16 -Word Traveler (Thomas Dagenais-Lespérance, Office Dog, 2024)News (and why it doesn't matter):41:11 Earth Reborn by Christophe Boelinger possibly to be expanded44:31 Vladimír Suchý and Delicious Games go to Resafa45:12 Feature Game: Galactic Renaissance (Christian Martinez, Matagot, 2024)Our Sponsors:* Check out Express VPN: expressvpn.com/SOWRONGGAMES* Check out Incogni: https://incogni.com/aboutgamesAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy