Shelley and I have a great time with Snowdonia's brand new cousin

Alubari by Tony Boydell from Studio H

then I sit down for a chat with BGG's own Scott Alden (Aldie) for a discussion of Essen, BGG and the games we love.

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Shelley and I have a great time racing around Barcelona taking photos in

Zoom in Barcelona by Núria Casellas, Eloi Pujadas, and Joaquim Vilalta from Cucafera Games

Then Beth Heile, the Geek Up Bits Goddess and fantastic on-camera interviewer joins me on the microphones from Essen for a discussion of coach houses, games, and bits.

Other games mentioned:

Glen More II

Mystery House

Kraftwagen

Thebes

Targi

Quacks of Quedlinberg

Krass Kariert

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Shelley and I get MEBO Games' family-style new release

Porto by Orlando Sá

then I sit down at Essen for a quick chat with Ted Alspach of Bezier Games to discuss their current and upcoming releases, as well as something that piqued his interest at the fair.

Games Mentioned:

Silver

Silver Bullet

Suburbia Collector's Edition

Minecraft: Builders and Biomes

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Lincoln Damerst of Game Night, the Boardgamegeek Show and other BGG projects joins me on the microphones while we had a break at Essen last week. Lincoln reflects on our 11 years of working the largest board game convention together for BGG, as well as the shows he produces and games he's looking forward to getting to the table that were released at the fair.

Some of the games mentioned:

Yellow and Yangtze

Babylonia

Set & Match

Greenville 1989

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Shelley and I have fun building our respective record collections in our games of

Vinyl by Eric Alvarado from Talon Strikes Studios

then compete to dam rivers and generate power for our respective countries in

Barrage by Tommaso Battista and Simone Luciani from Cranio Creations

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Shelley and I spend a few minutes discussing and reviewing

Bloom Town by Asger Harding Granerud and Daniel Skjold Pedersen from Sidekick Games which is releasing at Essen and (I just found out) will be a WalMart exclusive title here in the US (here's the pre-order link if you're interested in getting it that way: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Sidekick-Games-Bloomtown-Board-Game/929325378

Then we delve into the Essen Preview from L-Z (you'll find A-K in last week's episode). Here's a list of the games mentioned:

Category 1: Pre-Ordered

Post Scriptum:

Florenza The Dice Game

Ostia Spiele:

Vilnius

Te oder Cafe

Quined Games:

Terramara

Taiwan Board Games:

Electropolis

Formosa Tea

UBike Tours Taiwan

Category 2: Check out & Possibly Buy

Laurapelit.fl 3-J115

Amul: Another one by the Manitoba designer

Lookout Games 1-F135

Newdale: Pfister

Foothills: Boydell

Mandala: 2-player

Looping Games 5-J114

1942 USS Yorktown: 1-4 players

1987 Channel Tunnel: 2-player only

Ludonova 5-D112

Babylonia: Knizia

Yukon Airways: Interesting theme

Lumberjack's Studio 4-D119

-The Isle of Pan: Only available in English at Spiel/looks beautiful

Matagot 3-E102

Paris New Eden: Could be interesting/Dice Drafting/Beautiful

MEBO Games 5-E120

Carrossel: Cool mechanism that was used in a different way in Arraial

Porto: City center building and tile laying

Next Move Games

Azul Summer Pavilion

NSV

The Mind Extreme

Pandasaurus Games 4-J114

Wayfinders: Cool tile movement and planes

PD-Verlag 2-F110

Concordia Expansion (2 different versions)

Quined Games 3-M117

La Stanza: Paulo & Nuno (Kickstarted)

City of Big Shoulders: Kickstarted

Schmidt Spiele 3-H102

Die Inseln in Nebel: Islands, landscapes, and hot air balloons

Sidekick Games 5-F106

Bloom Town: Tile Laying and City Building

Spielefaible 1-B126

Vejen: Looks like a classic German game

Spielworxx 2-B112

Throne of Allegoria: Spielworxx's Essen releases tend to be exactly what we like.

Stronghold Games 3-O107

Aftershock San Francisco & Venice: Alan Moon & earthquakes

Fast Sloths: 2F

Terraforming Mars Turmoil Expansion

Sunrise Tornado Games Studio 5-C122C123

Promenade (suggestion to get)

Surprised Stare Games 4-F121

Alubari – Reworking & developing of many of the Snowdonia mechanisms

Lux Aeterna: 1-player game with amazing graphics

Tasty Minstrel Games 4-F106

Dawn of Mankind: Designer of Manitoba & Historia

Thunderworks Games 5-G108

Cartographers: A Role Player Game: Looks like another cool addition to the draw & write genre.

XVgames 5-F105

Chartae: Yet another Knizia game about cartographers

Zoch 3-J108

Menara expansion

Voll verasselt

Category 3: Curiosities to Peruse

La Boite de Jeu 3-O106

It's A Wonderful World (Could be a big game from Blackrock

Neta Tanka

Lost Games Entertainment 5-H116

Medieval Realms: Big & beautiful

LudiCreations 1-D129

On The Underground + Expansion

Massif Games 5-D130

Mountaineers: 3-D Mountain to climb in the game

Medieval Lords 5-L126

Volleyball High: Sports game of a different sort/players are a high school team

PYTHAGORAS 4-108

6 Castles: Tile-laying by Rola (Jose)

Garum: Players make fish sauce with spices!

Queen

Rune Stones: Rudiger Dorn

Ravensburger

Big Money: Quick Dice Game

Renegade Game Studios

First Light: Looks like a cool Sci-Fi game

Paladins of the West Kingdom: Follow up of Architects…

RUDY3 Publishing 5-M116

Envyra: Looks beautiful

Sit Down! 3-O121

Space Bowl: Simultaneous Play

Strawberry Studio 2-C112

Bon Appetit!

Rescue Animals

ThunderGryph Games 2-F116

Hats

Rolling Ranch

TWOPLUS Games 5-C122

Kingdom of Middag: looks gorgeous

Wizkids 6-I110

Flotilla: Looks gorgeous & big

Wood Games 5-E112

Board Game Café Frenzy: love the theme!

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Shelley and I spend a few minutes previewing a game that will be readily available at Spiel 2019, then dive head first into the Essen Preview with a look at publishers A-L.

Sierra West by Jonny Pac Cantin from Board&Dice

Preview Titles in order of discussion:

Category 1: Pre-Ordered

The Magnificent

Santa Maria: Exploration Deck

Trails of Tucana

Era of Tribes

Montmartre

Save The Meeples

Cooper Island

Masters of the Renaissance: Lorenzo Il Magnifico The Card Game

Trimau: Grand Tour

Orchard Ocean

On The Origin of Species

Maracaibo

Orléans Stories

Category 2: Check out & Possibly Buy

A-Games 4-F101

Grund: Kids on playground try to gain happiness points/cat messes with plans

Portolano: Random tiles to make up sea around which players sail/goods collection & simultanesous planning/run out of rum and the player's sailors rebel

Abacusspiele 3-E114

Tajuto: Knizia with beautiful plastic bits making up pagodas which are drawn from a bag.

Amigo

#MyLife: Card Game about Birth to Death

6 Nimmt! Brettspiel: Is it more than Tanz der Hornochsen?

Grizzly: Maybe too young, but cute bears trying to catch salmon without slipping

Tatort Tonne: Players are raccoons trying to get the best garbage

Board&Dice 2-C112

Dust in the Wings: Butterflies & Mancala actions to collect or distribute

Cucafera Games 4-H100

Zoom Barcelona: Take the best pictures around Barcelona by taking bikes/taxis/etc.

Czech Board Games 1-B137

Spring on a String: Cloth game with stringing together flowers on a felt board.

Devir 2-D118

Karekare: Tile laying and cool bits for island discovery

Paris La Cité de la Lumiere: 2-player only about lighting the buildings during the Universal Exposition

La Viña: Card game about grape growing and wine making!

Drei Magier Spiele

Kakerlaken Sushi

Rauber Raupe

Druid City Games 4-H106

Sorcerer City: Scott Caputo (review in time for podcast PRE-Essen)

Edition Spielwiese 2-D114

Evidence: Journalists trying to prove world mysteries

Nova Luna: Uwe Rosenberg & Corne van Moorsel

Eggertspiele

Heaven & Ale Expansion (Kegs & More)

EmperorS4 4-C102

Jiguan: The Eastern Mechanist: Not sure – it's about building 'mechanical beasts' but the pub is good

Trial of the Temples: Same designer as Burano, etc.

Walking in Provence: We loved Walking in Burano, so this is a must.

Feuerland 4-C116

Crystal Palace: Heavy, good buzz, and should be solid.

Geek Attitude Games 2-C138

Bruxelles 1897: Card game based on the Bruxelles 1893 board game from Pearl

HABA

Miyabi: Game from HABA at 8+ and by Michael Kiesling – and you're designing a Japanese garden.

Hans im Gluck 2-B110

2 Hadara Expansions

Marco Polo II

Hobby Japan 4-G113

Queen of Hansa: Looks like an interesting card game

HUCH! 3-D120

Coralia: Coral reef preservation/ Michael Rieneck (Pillars of the Earth)

Humboldt's Great Voyage: Designer of Manitoba, cool graphics

Rajas of the Ganges expansion

Irongames 2-A128

Pandoria Expansions (two of them)

Category 3: Curiosities to Peruse

Adam's Apple Games 1-C108

Truck Off: Roll & Write

Agie Games 1-G157

Botantists: Buy flowers in the market, then plant in various different land types.

Alderac Entertainment Group 3-K107

Ecos First Continent: John D. Clair/shaping landscapes so species thrive

Alley Cat Games 5-H119

Chocolate Factory: Dunstan /Glibert (Elysium & Great City of Rome)

Dino World: Roll & Write/plays up to 75!

Ankama 2-A113

Welkin: Craft and sell floating islands – pretty!

Baloise Group 2-F111

Sarah's Vision: Story-driven co-op

Bedsit Games 6-G122

Pauper's Ladder: Maybe too young, but beautiful and could be interesting.

Blue Orange Games 3-M107

Tan-Tan Caravan: Set collection/€20/8+/30 min.

Uxmal: Another filler-esque game with a 20-40 minute playing time

Catch Up Games 3-O106

Pharaon: Interesting wheel mechanism that determines which resources are needed for an action

Cosmodrome Games 2-D113

Aquatica: mentions a "3-layered player board" and a "card-rising" mechanism – I'm intrigued.

Squire: The Collector of the Glorious Rarities: Animal player characters are collecting art/adjusting the market for quality items.

Dachshund Games 5-K117

Mint Condition: Card game about trying to prevent wear & tear on your games!

Days of Wonder 3-B107

Deep Blue: Gather the right crew and dive to wrecks to gain treasure

Djeco 5-A101

Space Builder: It's 8+, so we need to see what it's all about (in our hall)

dV Giochi 3-E108

Penguinramids: Won 'Best Unpublished Game' in Italy

Gam'inBIZ 6-L100

Rollecate: Cute quick rail game

Gen-X Games 4-F111

Richard Wagner's Ring of the Nibelung: Need to check out a game based on an opera (based on Norse legends)

Genius Games 5-D110

Periodic: A Game of Elements: Uses the periodic table in the game

Giochix.it 1-C123

De Vulgari Eloquentia Deluxe (getting the upgrade through Kickstarter)

Gotha Games

Aqua Mirabilis: Always looking for games with interesting themes – creation of perfumes & working on one's standing in court.

Happy Baobab 5-A111

Edamame: Love the food, so need to check out the game.

IELLO 3-M109

Ishtar: Bruno Cathala & Looks gorgeous with plastic pagodas

Jolly Dutch Productions 4-D108

Chartered: The Golden Age – very cool 3-D plastic buildings

Jolly Thinkers 4-A110

Cellar des Triplettes (the re-pub of Weinhandler)

Keep Exploring Games 5-A121/5-B125

Old Masters/Colors of Paris: Compete to get paint/blend, etc.

Keymaster Games 3-E102

Parks: more people should check out this game!

KOSMOS 3-B112

Cities Skylines: Rustan design/Co-op. Need to check out.

29

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The Meeplefest 2019 episodes finish up with conversations about inclusion of non-gamers, the use of VR and AR in games, as well a technology's role and possible problems going forward. Then we finish with some words about games we enjoyed and can see playing going forward.

Joining Shelley and me at the table are

Joe Huber (Caravan, Ice Cream, Cream Machine)

Ric Bretschneider of the Fanboy Planet Podcast

as well as Amanda, Anne, Denis, Jessica, John, and Shoana

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The youngest Meeplefesters join the conversation as we delve into why they enjoy gaming, and then continue long-standing conversations about teaching games, reading game rules, and using tech in board games.

On the mics are

Susan McKinley Ross (Qwirkle, Qwirkle Cubes, Color Stix, Hoot Owl Hoot)

and

Joe Huber (Caravan, Ice Cream, Scream Machine)

along with Ric Bretschneider of the Fanboy Planet Podcast,

Amanda, Shoana, Anne, Denis, John, Jessica

and, of course, Shelley and me

💾

The roundtable for Night 2 continues with discussions of publishing and the tsunami of games AND gamers that have been building over the past few years. Joining Shelley and me on mics are

Matt Leacock (Pandemic, Pandemic Legacy, Era: Medieval Age, Forbidden Sky, Thunderbirds)

Susan McKinley Ross (Qwirkle, Color Stix, Qwirkle Cards, Cirplexed!, Skippity)

Joe Huber (Caravan, Ice Cream, Scream Machine)

Ric Bretschnieder of Fanboy Planet Podcast

Denis Begin

John Morrow

Anne Brosnahan

Shoana Hunt

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Designers, podcasters and gamers get on the mics once again for Night 2 of the 2019 Meeplefest Roundtable.

Matt Leacock (Pandemic, Pandemic Legacy, Era: Medieval Age, Forbidden Island, Mole Rats in Space, Roll Through the Ages)

Susan McKinley Ross (Qwirkle, Color Stix, Qwirkle Cards)

Joe Huber (Caravan, Ice Cream, Scream Machine)

join Ric Bretschnieder of Fanboy Planet Podcast

as well as Shelley, Denis, Anne and me for a free-wheeling discussion of design and the board game marketplace.

Other games mentioned:

The Taverns of Tiefenthal

Heartland and Gunkimono

Mondrian The Dice Game

King's Breakfast

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Night 1 of Meeplefest winds up with a great discussion about the Spiel des Jahres nominees, as well as the effect of both Kickstarter and the tsunami of games released has on the hobby. Joining Shelley and me once again are designers

Tom Lehmann (Race for the Galaxy, Res Arcana, Fast Food Franchise, The City and many others)

Scott Caputo (The One Hundred Torii, Whistle Stop, Volupsa, etc.)

and Joe Huber (Caravan, Scream Machine, Ice Cream)

as well as podcasters and gamers

Ric Bretschneider - The Fanboy Planet Podcast

Doug Richardson - The Spiel Podcast

Denis Begin

💾

Meeplefest Night 1 continues with Part 2 as the designers and gamers sit around talking more about games we have enjoyed or had some problems with, then turn specifically to the Kennerspiel des Jahres.

Joining us on the microphones are

Tom Lehmann (Race for the Galaxy, Res Arcana, 1846, Fast Food Franchise, New Frontiers, To Court the King)

Joe Huber (Caravan, Ice Cream, Scream Machine, Starship Merchants)

Scott Caputo (Kachina, The One Hundred Torii, Voluspa, Whistle Stop)

Simon Hunt (Pick & Pack, Take Stock)

Ric Bretschneider - Fanboy Planet Podcast

Doug Richardson - The Spiel Podcast

Denis Begin

💾

Night 1 of Meeplefest's podcasting roundtable extravaganza begins with awesome designers and podcasters hanging out around the table discussing design and development. On the mics for this part:

Tom Lehmann: (Race for the Galaxy, 1846, The City, Pandemic, and Res Arcana)

Joe Huber: (Caravan, Burger Joint, Ice Cream, Scream Machine)

Scott Caputo: (Kachina, Whistle Stop, The One Hundred Torii)

Ric Bretschneider: The Fanboy Planet Podcast

Doug Richardson: The Spiel

Denis Begin

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Shelley and I get a bunch of players together to challenge everyone's karate skills (or at least ability to collect and play cards) in

Karate Tomate by Reiner Knizia from Amigo

then enlist numerous anthropomorphic animals to gain status in

Shobai All Right by Hisashi Hayashi from Okazu Brand

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Shelley and I work as rival shipping conglomerates in South Asia in

East Indiaman by David Wang from David Wang Studio

then get more contemplative with the beautiful garden-building game

Horticulture Master by Lin Yen-Kuang from MOZI Game

💾

Shelley and I bid and build provinces in ancient Egypt in

Amun-Re: The Card Game by Reiner Knizia from SuperMeeple

and then play native Canadian tribes, gathering resources and journeying on spiritual paths in

Manitoba by Remo Conzadori and Marco Pranzo from dlp Games

💾

Shelley and I send our ships out into the void to find new planets to settle before they are wiped out by meteors in

Cosmic Run: Regeneration by Steve Finn from Dr. Finn's Games

and then work to collect resources, capture other players' people, and build structures or the cathedral in

Architects of the West Kingdom by Shem Philips and SJ Macdonald from Renegade Game Studios

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Shelley and I play in our respective sandboxes, using tetris-style pieces to create tile patterns in

Realm of Sand by Ji Hua Wei from EmperorS4

and then grow crops, sell them at the market, create products, then ship them abroad in

Yinzi by Rôla and Costa from Spielworxx

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Shelley and I delve more deeply into

Orleans by Reiner Stockhausen and dlp games

as we try out a number of Trade and Intrigue expansion options,

then we tackle another small-box title from Emperor S4

Discovery: The Era of Voyage

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