To paraphrase Sir Mix-a-Lot (O.B.E.), I like big bears and I cannot lie! Fat Bear Week is upon us. Let these corpulent kings of ursine excellence strut their stuff, and let us admire in awe at their tangible gains. These bears do not skip leg day. Some people have mukbang--we have out fat bears.

Games Played Last Week:

01:05 -Panda Spin (Carl Chudyk, Moon Gate Design 2024)

05:04 -Brightcast (Nicholas Forker & Hugh Kramer, self-published, 2025)

09:10 -Landfall: A Cozy Volcano Island-Building Game (Evan Katz, Zachary Lee, and Josh Roberts, Evan and Josh's Very Special Game Company, 2026)

14:08 -Leaps and Ledges (Uncredited, MindWare, 2014)

16:44 -Spaggetin (Franco Spardo, Alley Cat Games, 2026)

20:24 -Othello (John W. Mollett, Lewis Waterman, and Goro Hasegawa, Tsukuda Original, 1973)

27:26 -Cyberpunk Trading Card Game (Chris Solis, WeirdCo, 2026)

33:50 -Floral (James Newman, Edition Spielwiese, 2024)

36:00 -Drillers (Roman Bednář & Adam Španěl, CGE, 2026)

41:31 -Jibber Jabble (Cassie Sikes, Allplay, 2026)

News (and why it doesn't matter):

48:33 Got Five: Ghost!

49:26 Opera Magna: Throwback theme, novel distribution?

50:43 It's Fat Bear Week! https://explore.org/fat-bear-week

51:11 Feature Game: How to Save a World (Yuval Grinspun, Burnt Island Games, 2025)

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00:00:30 Intro
00:05:15 Arkham Horror: Children of the Blood
00:09:00 Xenology
00:12:15 Jump Masters
00:15:00 Flamecraft – Digital Version
00:17:45 Pretzels
00:18:45 Beer, Mug, Dice
00:21:45 Triangulation
00:24:00 Taste Buds
00:29:00 Game Toppers LLC
00:31:30 LOTR: Circle of Conflict
00:59:15 Cat Trick
01:04:30 Miniature Market
01:07:00 Cyberpunk 2077 – TCG
01:39:00 Outro

Some weeks, the game table feels like a tour through entirely different mechanics and level of challenges. We kicked things off in Middle‑earth with The Lord of the Rings: Circle of Conflict, a game that thrives on tight choices with every roll of the die. It is not the normal Roll and Write, but one with clear objectives in order to win the game and not just get the most victory points. Every turn feels like a small story—heroes clashing, shadows pressing in, and players trying to outmaneuver one another while waging war on two fronts. It’s the kind of game that leaves you wanting one more round just to see if you can pull off the perfect combo.

From there, the mood shifted dramatically with Cat Trick, a clever little card game that proves you don’t need a big box to create big laughs. It’s quick, mischievous, and full of those delightful “gotcha” reveals that make everyone team up against one another. Then came Jump Masters, which brought out a game reminiscent of Checkers. This one thrives on setting up the best combo and tactical maneuvering to gain victory over your opponent. It is quick and easy to teach and the art and components are amazing.

Cyberpunk 2077 TCG, a game that channels the neon‑soaked grit of the franchise into a sharp, tactical card duel. More to come on this as we continue to explore the game and the meta that surrounds it. But for now, we will continue to put that one the table as we wait for others to show up for game night.

Once again, thanks for dropping by and giving us a listen.

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With Walker imminently about to move (to Kingston from Kingston) and Mark still storing his games from the previous move, the overwhelming preponderance of the SVWAG collection(s) is currently shackled by packing tape. So much good design and fun toys yearning to get out! Alas, physical instantiation is a curse, the material world is a prison, and entropy always wins. Find me one realtor sympathetic to the specific needs of a boardgame collector, and that'd be something, at least.

01:12 AYURIS: The Fellowship of the Ring: Trick-Taking Game (Bryan Bormueller, Office Dog, 2025)

Games Played Last Week:

04:04 -The Crew: Journey to the Ends of the Earth (Thomas Sing, KOSMOS, 2026)

06:32 -Avalon: The Riven Veil (Jamie Jolly, Shadowborne Games, 2026)

18:14 -Got Five! (Yoann Levet, Blue Orange, 2026)

22:06 -Tiefe Taschen (Fabian Zimmermann, Fobs Games, 2016)

28:14 -Keltis: Dad Orakel (Reiner Knizia, KOSMOS, 2010)

32:16 -Regicide (Paul Abrahams, Luke Badger, & Andy Richdale, Badgers from Mars, 2020)

34:04 -Starts With / Ends With (Jason Tagmire, Championland, 2008)

36:58 -Pacts (Ben Brin, DVC Games, 2025)

39:39 -Cyclades: Legendary Edition (Bruno Cathala & Ludovic Maublanc, Open Sesame Games, 2024)

47:24 -Race for the Galaxy: Xeno Counterstrike (Thomas Lehmann, Rio Grande Games, 2026)

53:53 -Railway Boom (Hisashi Hayashi & Simone Luciani, Arclight Games, 2025)

57:08 -Reef Gardens (Jeffrey D. Allers, dlp games, 2025) firgon, nalka

News (and why it doesn't matter):

1:00:44 Too Many Bones -> Too Little Time from Chip Theory

1:01:27 Cola Wars pulled from crowdfunding over AI generated art, will retool and relaunch

1:03:19 Antlanteum from Bad Comet

1:03:52 New expansion for Dwellings of Eldervale

1:04:39 New Deception in Hong Kong! No Murder, Heist

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Nick hosts a three way battle of the brains. Which frankly doesn't bode well considering the nature of the podcast.

This Game is Broken is a comedy board game panel show with Matthew Jude, Dave Luza, Paula Deming, Nick Murphy and Mike Murphy. We play a lot of nonsense games full of role playing and trivia as well as other fun stuff which can be found at the links below.

Support us here!

PATREON - https://www.patreon.com/thisgameisbroken

This Game is Broken is eternally thankful to our sponsors

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00:00:30 Intro
00:04:45 Recent RDTN Poll
00:14:00 LOTR: Fellowship of the Ring Trick Taking Game
00:17:00 Quick Hits
00:17:30 Sandcastles
00:19:45 Gruntz
00:22:11 Computer Junkyard
00:27:45 Enemies of Gotham City
00:32:15 Six Sided Seas
00:36:15 Miniature Market
00:39:00 Abroad
00:53:30 Bunny Kingdom Town
00:59:30 Game Toppers LLC
01:01:00 All Mine
01:10:00 Outro

Some game nights feel like a whirlwind tour through every corner of the hobby, and this week’s lineup delivered exactly that. Sand Castles and Grunts are two wildly different flavors of competition—one a charming, tactical puzzle of building and defending fragile seaside creations, the other a scrappy, tongue‑in‑cheek skirmish game where your squad of blocky little soldiers bumbles bravely toward victory. Both games share that delightful “easy to teach, surprisingly clever” vibe that keep things fresh in the hobby at times.

Then we have world of Computer Junkyard and the comic‑book chaos of Enemies of Gotham City. Computer Junkyard scratches that nostalgic itch, letting players sift through piles of retro tech to assemble the best contraptions—half strategy, half puzzler. Enemies of Gotham City flips the script into full superhero mayhem, where iconic villains clash, plot, and posture in a fast‑moving battle of wits and wickedness.

Then there is a trio of games that each bring their own distinct charm. Six Sided Seas turns dice‑driven piracy into a pirate battle across unpredictable waters, while Abroad offers a gentle, globe‑trotting experience built around exploration and cultural discovery. Bunny Kingdom Town offers a bright, two player, family‑friendly strategy—one about expanding adorable rabbit realms, with enough take‑that spice to keep it from being a solitaire style game. All Mine is a gamer’s trick taking game where the play is fast, but the planning is what wants you coming back for more. This is one of those games that stays in the game bag to be pulled out to end the evening or get things started.

And speaking of big swings, this is the perfect moment to remind listeners to sign up for notifications on Game Toppers’ upcoming Kickstarter. We rave about their mats for a reason—the quality is top‑tier, the artwork is stunning, and this next series looks like one people will be proud to show off on game night. We’ve already got our eyes on the Lord of the Rings designs, and that purple plain mat is calling our name. Honestly, who doesn’t need another game mat.

Thanks for listening

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The SVWAG Canon (https://www.sowronggames.com/svwag-canon) is an elite list of games that Walker and Mark both very much enjoy. Walker is nervous around recommendations, per se, and the imitations on an ideal game library or somesuch is subject to many practical constraints--so instead SVWAG has an unruly list of games that are greatly enjoyed by both the hosts. And it is time for that list to be updated!

02:08 AYURIS: EGO (Reiner Knizia, Bitewing Games, 2025)

Games Played Last Week:

04:52 -Dwellings of Eldervale (Luke Laurie, Breaking Games, 2020)

09:10 -Brumble Quest (J. Arthur Ellis, Plaid Hat Games, 2026)

13:53 -Endless Winter: Paleoamericans (Stan Kordonskiy, Fantasia Games, 2022)

16:31 -Banana Governance (Mukai, Mukai, 2025)

23:06 -Avalon: The Riven Veil (Jamie Jolly, Shadowborne Games, 2026)

30:26 -Cats Knocking Things Off Ledges (David Killing & Sen Foong-Lim, The Op games, 2026)

35:37 -The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers--Trick-Taking Game (Bryan Bornmueller, Office Dog, 2026)

38:06 -World Championship Russian Roulette (Anthony Burch, Tuesday Knight Games, 2017)

News (and why it doesn't matter):

43:57 Please support us on Patreon! www.patreon.com/svwag

49:17 Glorious Listener Survey over

46:07 Concept Kids to Concept: Stories

47:00 Mass market, big box store versions of Scout and now Dro Polter

47:54 Wizards of the Grimoire (aka Bookie Bookie, Pew Pew) 3

48:24 Topic: Canon Update

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It's hard to go wrong with cats. Even most people who don't like cats are wise enough to keep relatively quiet about it, lest they suffer the consequences. What consequences? Oh, I don't know, maybe the fury of needle-armed psychopaths who watch things die for fun! And that's just the cat owners. ZING

I kid, I kid. We here at SVWAG have considerable enthusiasm for Official SVWAG cat, Chandler, aka Chan-Chan aka Chan Man aka Potato.

Games Played Last Week:

00:54 -Movie Tricks (Vegard Eliassen Stillerud, Eilif Svensson, and Åsmund Svensson, Chilifox Games, 2025)

06:49 -Avalon: The Riven Veil (Jamie Jolly, Shadowborne Games, 2026)

15:04 -D.E.I.: Divide et Impera (Tommaso Battista, Ludus Magnus Studio, 2022)

17:27 -Barrage: The Colorado Connection (Tommaso Battista & Simone Luciani, Cranio Creations, 2024)

25:06 -Alibis (Yusuke Sato, Allplay, 2025)

27:36 -Landmarks (Rodrigo Rego & Danilo Valente, Floodgate Games, 2024)

28:22 -dnup (Kei Kajino, asmodee, 2025)

31:11 -Bookshelf (Caezar Al-Jassar, Alley Cat Games, 2026)

33:19 -Realm of Reckoning (Max Anderson, Zac Dixon, and Austin Harrison, IV Studio, 2026)

39:37 -Totally Human (Kasper Lapp, Bitewing Games, 2026)

45:52 -Cats Knocking Things Off Ledges (David Killing & Sen Foong-Lim, The Op games, 2026)

News (and why it doesn't matter):

49:17 Glorious Listener Survey! https://forms.gle/ghqMH9cuiRWCVyZn9

49:46 Valuable creator, JonGetsGames, on hiatus

51:38 Dinosaurs, everybody! Dino Racer from Underdog and Marceline Leiman

53:08 Rebels Against Rebellion by Trevor Benjamin, David Thompson, and art by Kwanchai Moriya

54:32 Feature Game: Robo Rally Dice (Kane Klenko, Renegade Game Studios, 2026)

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00:00:30 Intro
00:01:15 Sleeved and Confused
00:07:15 AI in TCG Deck Creation
00:13:30 Backflow failed inspection
00:16:30 Quick Hits
00:17:30 Tag Team: Arthur’s Legacy
00:20:45 Warp 99
00:25:30 Tug of Roar
00:31:50 Miniature Market
00:33:30 Greylune
00:44:15 Mythologies
00:50:15 Gunsen: The Battle for Toshi Ranbo
01:07:00 Comic Books Resurgence
01:15:00 Outro

Man, listening back at the episode, didn’t realize just how much we covered. And what we cover —Tag Team: Arthur’s Legacy, Warp 99, Tug of Roar, Greylune, Mythologies, and Gunsen: The Battle for Toshi Ranbo — is a very broad spectrum of board game mechanics. But what is interesting with these games, there are cross over mechanics that exist that making learning the next one simpler because we already understand what is expected.

Tag Team: Arthur’s Legacy is a follow up to the initial Tag Team game. However, this time we have Arthurian heroes teaming up, chaining abilities, and pulling off last minute heroics to pull out a win. It’s the kind of game tension builds each round. Warp 99 is a fast‑paced card game where players race to shed their hands, aiming for massive point bursts driven by the tableau they build. The twist is in the scoring, every card you manage to keep in your tableau gets squared, turning even a modest spread of cards into a surprisingly explosive payoff.

Then comes Tug of Roar, a clever lane battler that thrives on tension and brinkmanship. It’s quick, tight, and surprisingly dramatic for such a streamlined design. And the card drafting mechanic really adds to the strategy of this game. Greylune offers a fresh twist on the classic Spyrium formula. Games in this genre can sometimes slip into feeling like pure resource spreadsheets—convert this into that, chase efficiency, tally points. Greylune pushes back against that monotony by layering in a quest system that lets players build small narrative arcs as they play. Those stories aren’t just flavor; they can provide meaningful advantages that shape your path to victory, giving the game a welcome sense of accomplishment alongside its familiar economic core. Mythologies is a card drafting game that offers a twist on the style of drafting that is refreshing in a very crowded field of these types of games. We really appreciated this change and welcome the twist that this game provided.

Finally, Gunsen: The Battle for Toshi Ranbo delivers a crisp, tactical showdown rooted in samurai warfare. It’s all about positioning, timing, and reading your opponent. For an area control style game, is not about a big push but more about reading the board’s subtle signals. Victory can be quick for someone if the others are caught napping, so you always should be on your toes. However, this may also create an unsatisfying finish for some.

Thanks for listening

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Dave hosts this weeks show. What happens you ask? No idea. Matthew wasn't in this one and he writes these.

This Game is Broken is a comedy board game panel show with Matthew Jude, Dave Luza, Paula Deming, Nick Murphy and Mike Murphy. We play a lot of nonsense games full of role playing and trivia as well as other fun stuff which can be found at the links below.

Support us here!

PATREON - https://www.patreon.com/thisgameisbroken

This Game is Broken is eternally thankful to our sponsors

Restoration Games - Find them at https://restorationgames.com/

Twitter - https://twitter.com/TGiBpodcast

iTunes - https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/this-game-is-broken/id1282526804?mt=2

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/this_game_is_broken_podcast/

Facebook -

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Email - Thisgameisbrokenpodcast@gmail.com

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[EDIT] In this episode, Mark falsely attributes the co-authorship of Ayar to Nestore Mangone, when in fact it was designed by Mandela Fernandez-Grandon and Fabio Lopiano. We regret the error.

Have you heard of the Walker Quint? This patent-pending, uncopyrightable system is more than just a game organizational schema--it is a multipurpose framework that will REVOLUTIONIZE YOUR LIFE in every way! It's more like a cult, really. Join us in following the Eternal Path of the Walker Quint.

01:43 AYURIS: Undaunted 2200: Callisto (Trevor Benjamin and David Thompson, Osprey, 2024)

Games Played Last Week:

05:53 -Gold Country (Reiner Knizia, Bitewing Games, 2026)

09:45 -Bottle Imp (Günter Cornett, Grail Games, 2024)

15:27 -Las Vegas (Rüdiger Dorn, alea, 2012)

18:44 -Avalon: The Riven Veil (Jamie Jolly, Shadowborne Games, 2026)

28:06 -Tiletum (Simone Luciani and Daniele Tascini, Board&Dice, 2022)

32:53 -Baghdad: The City of Peace (Fabio Lopiano & Nestore Mangone, Alley Cat Games, 2025)

40:03 -Into the Machine (Kasper Lapp, AEG, 2026)

46:22 -Sentinels of the Multiverse: Definitive Edition (Christopher Badell & Adam Rebottaro, Greater Than Games, 2022)

News (and why it doesn't matter):

54:19 Calactic Cruise rakes in the Dice Tower ards at Gen Con

54:36 Glorious Listener Survey! https://forms.gle/ghqMH9cuiRWCVyZn9

55:05 Nidavellir re-developed into Dwarves of Aquilon

56:20 One Page Rules is crowdfunding starter boxes

57:39 Blind buy for Games Workshop minis

1:00:35 Topic: Games that Build Cred

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The world is changing, what with everything being cozy and (some) crowdfunding projects fulfilling in weeks rather than years. This dizzying pace of evolution can be disorienting, which is why Notebook Nations seeks to comfort and console you by having throwbacks to the design decisions of years past.

Games Played Last Week:

01:55 -Wonderland's War (Tim Eisner, Ben Eisner, and Ian Moss, Druid City Games, 2022)

06:48 -The Quest for El Dorado: Expansion Collection (Reiner Knizia, Lautapelit.fi, 2025)

13:54 -Star Wars: Rebellion (Corey Konieczka, Fantasy Flight, 2016)

23:34 -Container (Franz-Benno Delonge, Thomas Ewert, and Kevin Nesbitt, Allplay, 2026)

30:06 -Tag Team (Gricha German & Corentin Lebrat, Scorpion Masqué, 2025)

35:38 -Chang'an (Carlo Camarotto & Nestore Mangone, Arcane Wonders, 2026)

37:57 -Nokosu Dice (Yusuke Matsumoto, Engames, 2016)

44:12 -Kabuto Sumo: Sakura Slam (John Brieger, Michael Dunsmore, & Tony Miller, Allplay, 2024)

News (and why it doesn't matter):

47:26 Glorious Listener Survey! https://forms.gle/ghqMH9cuiRWCVyZn9

48:26 The Lord of the Rings: King's Gambit price speculation and lamentation

52:21 Feature Game: Notebook Nations (Amy Droz & Dusty Droz, Dux Somnium Games, 2026)

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00:01:00 Intro
00:02:00 SWU Vegas
00:15:00 SFGE
00:20:00 1775: Rebellion
00:25:00 Las Vegas
00:27:30 Ashes Ascendency: Natural Magic Expansion
00:29:30 New Twin Suns Decks
00:32:00 Miniature Market
00:33:00 Hunt for Blackbeard
00:49:30 Gen Con Thoughts
00:56:00 Outro

We kicked things off at the Star Wars Unlimited Galactic Championship in Las Vegas, not as competitors in the main event but as fans soaking in the convention atmosphere and jumping into SWU games with some of the best players in the world during their breaks. The vibe at every table was incredible—full of camaraderie, excitement, and a shared love for a truly outstanding trading card game. No matter your skill level, players were patient, welcoming, and happy to walk you through plays in the side events. Now, the main event, that was all business. One more thing worth noting: the crowd spanned all ages, including families, which was great to see. Next year’s event is heading to Disneyland, so if you’re thinking about going, start planning now!

While we were in Vegas, we also tried a new game from Fort Circle Games: Hunt for Blackbeard. It’s a two‑player hidden‑movement game that really picks up speed once you understand the action flow, and the tension spikes beautifully in the final two rounds. The rules take a bit to settle in, but by the second playthrough we had it down. And if Blackbeard’s history isn’t familiar to you, keep reading below.

Blackbeard, born Edward Teach around 1680 in Bristol, England, became one of the most feared and legendary pirates of the Golden Age of Piracy, terrorizing the Caribbean and the Atlantic coast between 1716 and 1718. Known for his dramatic appearance—most famously his long black beard and the smoldering fuses he tied into it to intimidate enemies—he commanded the formidable Queen Anne’s Revenge, a 40‑gun warship crewed by hundreds of men. Blackbeard’s exploits included blockading Charleston, capturing merchant vessels, and cultivating a fearsome reputation that often allowed him to win without violence. He also operated with a small fleet that included the Adventure, a sloop commanded by his lieutenant Israel Hands, as well as smaller vessels such as the Margaret and the Sea Captain. His pirating career was short-lived, ending in November 1718 when he was killed in a fierce battle at Ocracoke Island, NC by Lieutenant Robert Maynard’s forces, cementing his place as one of history’s most iconic pirates.

Thanks for listening

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We have recovered from SVWAG Con II: Electric Boogaloo, and to the best of our knowledge there was no "con crud" or equivalent contagion. We make no claims that the con possesses curative powers, though we haven't had anyone say that it *didn't* cure a chronic illness.

01:27 AYURIS: Andromeda's Edge (Luke Laurie and Maximus Laurie, Cardboard Alchemy, 2024)

Games Played Last Week:

03:48 -Eternal Decks (Hiroken, tricktakers Games, 2025)

09:46 -D.E.I.: Divide et Impera (Tommaso Battista, Ludus Magnus Studio, 2022)

14:58 -Coalitions (Andrew Rourke, PHALANX, 2026)

21:37 -Smartphone Inc. (Ivan Lashin, Cosmodrome Games, 2018

24:42 -Wroth (Manny Trembley, Chip Theory Games, 2025)

32:19 -Alibis (Yusuke Sato, Allplay, 2025)

35:35 -Hot Streak (Jon Perry, CMYK, 2025)

36:16 -Green Team Wins (Nathan Thornton, 25th Century Games, 2022)

36:39 -The Resistance (Don Eskridge, Indie Boards & Cards, 2009)

38:49 -The Defence of Procyon III (Dávid Turczi, PSC Games, 2021)

News (and why it doesn't matter):

44:06 Aristeia 2.0: Hexadome Tactics

45:55 XCom miniatures game for preorder

46:46 Malediction expands with new factions and starter sets

48:12 Allplay gives Dominant Species an Ian O'Toole facelift

48:54 Through the Desert gets a sequel: Through the Mountains

49:57 Spirit Island's future, according to R. Eric Reuss: https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/3728767/eric-s-2026-update

51:00 Topic: The Mid-Year Tag Questions

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We are excited to kick off our designer series with one of our favorite designers, David Thompson. Undaunted is one of our all time favorite series along with War Chest.

He has a catalog of great historical games and is adding a new one designed along beside Trevor Benjamin called Rebels Against Rebellion. In this episode we talk about the historical significances of this Civil War era game. But look at the design and development process.

For more information, check out the Kickstarter and the publisher, Flying Pig Games.

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This week Paula has a tricky episode of components, competitors and communal outrage.

This Game is Broken is a comedy board game panel show with Matthew Jude, Dave Luza, Paula Deming, Nick Murphy and Mike Murphy. We play a lot of nonsense games full of role playing and trivia as well as other fun stuff which can be found at the links below.

Support us here!

PATREON - https://www.patreon.com/thisgameisbroken

This Game is Broken is eternally thankful to our sponsors

Restoration Games - Find them at https://restorationgames.com/

Twitter - https://twitter.com/TGiBpodcast

iTunes - https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/this-game-is-broken/id1282526804?mt=2

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/this_game_is_broken_podcast/

Facebook -

https://www.facebook.com/Thisgameisbrokenpodcast/

Email - Thisgameisbrokenpodcast@gmail.com

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00:01:00 Intro
00:06:45 Southeast Game Exchange
00:14:45 Quick Hits
00:16:00 Guerre Eclair
00:19:00 Tap 4
00:25:00 Crits & Tricks
00:32:00 Traveluencer
00:36:00 Taste Buds
00:41:30 Portal Games
00:43:15 Dogfight: 1917
00:43:30 Container
01:09:30 Miniature Market
01:11:00 Moonrollers
01:17:00 Outro

Welcome back to the podcast blog, tabletop fans! Today, we’re diving into a lineup that spans high-flying dogfights, historical blitzkriegs, and economic struggles. If you love razor-thin margins and tactical positioning, you’ll want to look at Dogfight 1917 and Guerre Éclair. Dogfight 1917 drops you straight into the skies over the Western Front, where every maneuver card forces you to anticipate your rival’s path to line up that perfect shot. Meanwhile, Yasushi Nakaguro’s Guerre Éclair condenses the 1940 Fall of France into a tense, card-driven duel of deception and momentum. The German player pushes armored breakthroughs with hidden operational plans while the Allies scramble to hold fragile defenses, delivering deep strategic tension in a crisp 45 minutes.

For players who prefer fighting over profit margins, Container delivers incredible table presence. Container remains the undisputed king of closed-economy board games, where players produce goods, set dockside prices, and operate shipping vessels. Because every price, purchase, and subsidy is entirely player-driven, a single miscalculated shipment can trigger a hilarious, full-blown economic recession at your table. On the lighter side when just need to roll dice, Moonrollers brings the sleek sci-fi universe of Moonrakers into a fast-paced push-your-luck dice chucker. Captains roll dice to fulfill crew contracts, juggling hazardous bonus points against the very real danger of busting and walking away with nothing. This game provides the necessary dice manipulation that we expect in our push-your-luck games.

Thanks for listening, we really do appreciate the support.

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Just in time for SVWAGCon, Mark's car has fallen prey to Princeton's unforgiving roads and local practitioners of the mechanical arts. Which ones are trustworthy? Which are inept mountebanks? As far as mountebanks are concerned, would one prefer an inept one or a skilled one? These pressing questions will have to wait, as in the interim the barrier between Mark and his SVWAGCon obligations is ALL THE MONEYS.

01:55 AYURIS: The Vale of Eternity (Eric Hong, Mandoo Games, 2023)

Games Played Last Week:

06:12 -Tidal Blades: Heroes of the Reef (Tim Eisner & Ben Eisner, Druid City Games, 2020)

09:24 -Autobahn (Fabio Lopiano & Nestore Mangone, Alley Cat Games, 2022)

14:18 -Shackleton Base: A Journey to the Moon (Fabio Lopiano & Nestore Mangone, Sorry We Are French, 2024)

18:29 -Daybreak (Matt Leacock & Matteo Menapace, CMYK, 2023)

24:10 -Super Auto Pets Card Battle (Nick Conley, Plaid Hat Games, 2026)

29:38 -Gal4xeon (Jackson Pope, Eurydice Games, 2026)

36:03 -dnup (Kei Kajino, asmodee, 2025)

37:53 -Mystic Curling Club (Chris Cieslik, Asmadi Games, 2026)

44:31 -Shadowrift (Jeremy Anderson, Game Salute, 2012)

52:25 -HEROish (TechDweeb, Web-published, 2026)

https://techdweeb.itch.io/heroish

News (and why it doesn't matter):

56:44 Come join us in Kingston, Ontario July 24th-26th for SVWAG Con!

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/svwag-con-ii-electric-boogaloo-tickets-1986634285627

Icebreaker events to meet new people at SVWAG Con!

https://boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/379864/svwagcon-2-icebreaker-signup

58:23 Alexander Pfister and Peter Prinz go Sixty Below in -60°

58:55 Upcoming Snap Ships Tactics "Massive Expansion"

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1:00:27 More details on Tigris & Euphrates reprint's deluxe tile options

1:01:46 Please support us on Patreon! Last week before price increase. www.patreon.com/svwag

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"If you're down and confused

And you don't remember who you're talking to

Concentration slips away

Because your baby is so far away

Well there's a rose in a fisted glove

And the eagle flies with the dove

And if you can't be with the one you love honey

Love the one you're with"

-Confucius (probably, maybe Socrates, I don't know)

02:13 AYURIS: Deep Rock Galactic (Ole Steiness, MOOD Publishing, 2022)

Games Played Last Week:

05:28 -Firefighters on Duty (Konstantinos Kokkinis & Sotirios Tsantilas, Artipia Games, 2025)

08:48 -The Witches of Willospur (Jenna Felli, Devious Weasel Games, 2026)

18:53 -Gingham (Robert Hovakimyan, Bitewing Games, 2025)

22:53 -Revenant (Allan Kirkeby, Mindclash Games, 2026)

30:51 -Pencil Book Quest (David David, Grumpy Spider Games, 2025)

34:30 -3 Witches (Corey Young, Allplay, 2025)

38:18 -The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers--Trick-Taking Game (Bryan Bornmueller, Office Dog, 2026)

40:46 -Harmonies (Johan Benvenuto, Libellud, 2024)

News (and why it doesn't matter):

44:03 Come join us in Kingston, Ontario July 24th-26th for SVWAG Con!

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/svwag-con-ii-electric-boogaloo-tickets-1986634285627

Icebreaker events to meet new people at SVWAG Con!

https://boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/379864/svwagcon-2-icebreaker-signup

45:10 Shelfy by Brotherwise lets you blind buy your collection in miniature

48:08 Why associate with Kingdom Come: Deliverance's creator, Daniel Vávra, and his GamerGate support? Make better choices, Vlaada Chvátil! Rated "U" for "UGH"

49:51 Topic: Falling in Love with Your Collection (Again)

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00:01:00 Intro
00:04:00 SWU in Vegas
00:06:00 New Game Store
00:08:15 Which is better?
00:11:15 The Vale of Eternity
00:14:00 Pagan
00:15:00 July 4th Gaming
00:23:30 Portal Games
00:24:30 Realm of Reckoning
00:24:00 IV Studio – Tend
00:45:30 Devious
00:51:45 Miniature Market
00:52:30 Summer Movie Thoughts

Realm of Reckoning sharpens its identity as an area‑control showdown built on tight timing and escalating tension. The simultaneous card play is the engine that keeps everyone leaning forward—every reveal forces you to decide whether you’re shoring up your economy or muscling into position before a Reckoning reshapes the board. That push‑and‑pull between long‑term planning and immediate tactical pressure gives the game its pulse. Factions rise, collide, and retreat in a rhythm that feels both dramatic and cleanly mechanical, creating turns where a single decision can swing the entire map. You wrap a session already replaying key moments in your head, plotting what you’ll try on your next run through its volatile world.

Devious looks disarmingly simple at first, but that’s part of the trick. As players draw, flip, and react, the hidden layers of bluffing and timing begin to reveal themselves. Set collection becomes a delicious gamble—you want just enough cards to score well, but every additional draw risks a bust, especially since the pile you’re pulling from was set by your opponents. That tension turns every flip into a moment of doubt and second‑guessing: is this really the best card available, or did someone bury something better to lure me into overreaching? The result is a fast, mischievous game where the table’s collective psychology matters just as much as the cards in your hand.

Thanks for listening and be sure to join our Discord server to keep the conversation going

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