The Quackalope Podcast - Board Games

Devon invites Justin Gary—designer of the popular Ascension deckbuilding game and CEO of Stone Blade Entertainment to sit down and have a conversation!In this session, we talked about Justin's journey from student of law to master of games. His path toward design was unique given his professional success as a Magic: The Gathering player that pivoted toward a career in design and entrepreneurship. While he still is pumping out content for Ascension (including an upcoming miniatures game to celebrate the original game's ten-year anniversary), some of Justin's most intriguing work actually involves his masterclass course of Think Like A Game Designer. He's guiding designers-to-be through all of the obstacles he encountered along the way and provides accessibility, accountability, and reality to the design dreams of those who take the class.Sit down with us on the banks of the board game pond and let's have a conversation.Learn more about the masterclass here.Learn more about Justin Gary here.Who should we bring to the table next? Let us know in the comments!-Time Stamps- 2:17 - A Magical Start 5:36 - Facing Failure and Uncertainty 10:24 - A Shared Design Process 13:36 - Collaboration in Design 16:47 - Think Like A Game Designer 24:01 - There is No “Creative” Person 28:19 - Looking Back on Ascension 35:07 - Ten Years 37:38 - A Committed Community of Creators 42:27 - SolForge Fusion  Support the show (http://patreon.com/quackalope)

Everybody roleplays as Jesse but some ducks are inimitable and some coins should be left untossed! Today, in Shelf or Sell, Alex raids again (arguably) with Raiders of Scythia, Jan really likes rondels with Praga Caput Regni, and Will dusts off the board game years with Lords of Waterdeep. Afterward, for the Medley Minute, Jan celebrates Alex's feature on the BGG creator spotlight, Alex can't help but bring up more Zombicide, and Will talks shop with the first con coming back this year. Later, in On the Radar, Will's wallet gets really thick with the Tussie Mussie expansion, Jan finally reads a book with Paperback Adventures, and Alex moonlights as a bard with The Witcher: Old World.We hope you enjoyed this week's episode! If you disagree with our Shelf or Sell decisions or have other quacky thoughts, be sure to leave a comment!Follow our newest Spanish channel here!Join our Facebook Group here.Join our BoardGameGeek Guild here.Consider supporting us by joining our Patreon here.Time Stamps- Shelf or Sell- 03:00 - Raiders of Scythia ft. Alex 17:29 - Praga Caput Regni ft. Jan 30:35 - Lords of Waterdeep ft. Will Medley Minute- 42:30 - BGG Creator Spotlight ft. Jan 44:34 - Zombicide: Army of the Dead ft. Alex 46:10 - Gen Con 2021 ft. Will On the Radar- 52:14 - Tussie Mussie: Expansion Collection ft. Will 55:51 - Paperback Adventures ft. Jan 1:00:02 - The Witcher: Old World ft. Alex Support the show (http://patreon.com/quackalope)

Today we discuss Funfair, designed by Joel Finch and published by Good Games Publishing. It's a lightweight tableau-builder that takes the mechanics of its predecessor Unfair and distills it into a more accessible, short game. Players act as managers or architects of budding theme parks and must construct the most epic attractions in the hopes of drawing guests. With a tight coin economy and quick rounds, it's hard to ignore how easily you can get this to the table. Have you played Unfair? Well, it doesn't matter either way because this game stands on its own. Learn more about Funfair here. Check out our First Impressions of Funfair and Unfair. See if Funfair or Unfair are something you'd play with our Right for You, Wrong for You reviews. Or read about the differences between them with this side-by-side comparison. Should we play it again? Bring it to the channel? Never touch it again? Let us know in the comments! -Time Stamps- 4:03 - Finally, The Intro 6:56 - Overview 10:06 - Context of Playthrough 14:32 - Opinions on Restrooms 17:29 - A Fast-Paced Tableau Builder 22:57 - Player Actions and Mechanics 25:21 - Paths to Go Through                                                                                                         27:29 - Enough Games to Get It                                                                                                              29:01 - To Fair or Not to Fair Support the show (http://patreon.com/quackalope)

Devon invites Dave Beck—designer of upcoming Kickstarter Distilled—and Brandt Brinkerhoff—designer of another upcoming Kickstarter Oros—to sit down and have a conversation!In this session, we talked about board game design, from conception to production, with all of the steps that must be climbed that the typical gamer might not think of when seeing a finished product on the table or a campaign on Kickstarter. They share an inside look at the process behind both Distilled and Oros, as well as unique perspectives on what it's like to design a game.Sit down with us on the banks of the board game pond and let's have a conversation.Watch a trailer for Distilled here.Watch a trailer for Oros here.Learn more about Distilled here.Learn more about Oros here.Who should we bring to the table next? Let us know in the comments!-Time Stamps- 4:39 - Oros Origins 8:36 - Diary of Distilled 12:17 - The Pizza Box Prototype 15:05 - Kill Your Darlings 17:17 - Machinations of the Mind 20:31 - Getting Those Playtests In 22:27 - The First One Should Be You 26:02 - User Experience 29:43 - Nine to Five 32:50 - Under the Influence 35:46 - Teaming Up 38:41 - One Man Job 44:36 - Pandemic Play 53:48 - WTUnpub? 1:04:12 - Learning Kickstarter 1:12:33 - Oros Sales Pitch 1:18:09 - Distilled Tour 1:25:48 - Design Advice  Support the show (http://patreon.com/quackalope)

Today we discuss Red Rising, designed by Jamey Stegmaier and Alexander Schmidt. Published by Stonemaier Games, it's a hand-management game based on the popular books series by author Pierce Brown. In a dystopian society bound by strict Color-associated castes, there is endless conflict and it will be up to the players to determine which Colors they ally with to create the most effective and highest-scoring hand. Does this slick card game measure up to the books and what's it play like for people unfamiliar with the Red Rising trilogy?Learn more about Red Rising here.Should we play it again? Bring it to the channel? Never touch it again? Let us know by leaving a comment in playeditonce.com!-Time Stamps-   2:25 - Jan Retires 3:33 - Intro to Red Rising 5:06 - Overview 9:32 - Context of Playthrough 11:58 - Actually Played It Once 20:22 - To Book or Not to Book22:15 - Player Count 30:18 - Going Red or Going HomeSupport the show (http://patreon.com/quackalope)

Jesse has retired to a duck sanctuary but the pond sizzles with the arrival of special guest hosts: Board Game BBQ! Today, in Shelf or Sell, Alex talks about (you guessed it) powers with Adventure Tactics: Domianne's Tower, Adrian brings out a horror classic with Arkham Horror: 3rd Edition, Jan romances Rosenberg with Hallertau, and Jules forms a tower with copies of Castell. Afterward, for the Medley Minute, Jules and Jan team up to take on Voidfall, Alex gets sly talking about The Witcher: Old World, and Adrian can't wait for more reveals with Weather Machine. Later, in On the Radar, Jan can't stop laughing about Fast and Furious: Highway Heist, Alex goes gladiatorial with Hoplomachus: Victorum, and Adrian digs through the layers of ICE.Listen to Board Game BBQ here.We hope you enjoyed this week's episode! If you disagree with our Shelf or Sell decisions or have other quacky thoughts, be sure to leave a comment!Follow our newest Spanish channel here!Join our Facebook Group here.Join our BoardGameGeek Guild here.Consider supporting us by joining our Patreon here.Time Stamps- Shelf or Sell- 03:55 - Adventure Tactics: Domianne's Tower ft. Alex 14:37 - Arkham Horror: 3rd Edition ft. Adrian 24:38 - Hallertau ft. Jan 33:39 - Castell ft. Jules Medley Minute- 43:00 - Voidfall ft. Jan and Jules 44:43 - The Witcher: Old World ft. Alex 46:39 - Weather Machine ft. Adrian On the Radar- 50:01 - Fast & Furious: Highway Heist ft. Jan 55:42 - Hoplomachus: Victorum ft. Alex and Jules 1:01:10 - ICE ft. Adrian Support the show (http://patreon.com/quackalope)

Devon invites Mike Gnade from Rock Manor Games to sit down and have a conversation!  In this session, we talked about the small indie beginnings of Rock Manor Games, what Mike searches for in a game as a publisher, the various titles he's been involved over the last several years, and the upcoming Kickstarter launch for Maximum Apocalypse: Wasted Wilds (as well as some juicy info on the next Rock Manor Games title).Sit down with us on the banks of the board game pond and let's have a conversation.Learn more about Set a Watch here.Learn more about Merchants of Magick here.Learn more about Maximum Apocalypse here.Watch the trailer for Maximum Apocalypse: Wasted Wilds here.Sign up for Maximum Apocalypse: Wasted Wilds here.Who should we bring to the table next? Let us know in the comments!-Time Stamps- 4:09 - Humble Beginnings8:42 - Rock Manor Games DNA13:49 - Big Picture15:31 - Set a Watch Universe22:35 - Unpub in Lockdown23:40 - Ye Olde Magick Shoppe26:27 - Kickstarter Fulfillment28:21 - Those Good Feels32:33 - Maximum Apocalypse42:19 - Star-Driven SagaSupport the show (http://patreon.com/quackalope)

* Please follow the link to fill out our poll. *Alex gets betrayed, Jan lays down some tile, and Alex talks about a wolf! Today, in Shelf or Sell, Jesse considers a classic with Betrayal at House on the Hill, Jan gets all gooey about Ginkgopolis, and Alex smashes past the Stonemaier scores in Red Rising. Afterward, for the Medley Minute, Jan regales us with the many achievements of Julio Nazario, Jesse squeaks with delight about a Quackalope in Valor & Villainy: Lludwik's Labyrinth, and Alex reflects on years with superheroes thanks to Marvel Phase 4. Later, in On the Radar, Alex tries to stop thinking about Jesse's body with My Father's Work, Jesse drools over bee-utiful dice from Wyrmwood and Dispel, and Jan discusses the deluxe return of Dominations.We hope you enjoyed this week's episode! Have a question you'd like featured next week? Leave it on our website at theweeklyquack.com! We'll pick our favorites and talk about them on the show!Follow our newest Spanish channel here!Join our Facebook Group here.Join our BoardGameGeek Guild here.Consider supporting us by joining our Patreon here.Time Stamps- Shelf or Sell-  02:47 - Betrayal at House on the Hill ft. Jesse 14:56 - Ginkgopolis ft. Jan 28:05 - Red Rising ft. Alex Medley Minute-  38:42 - Julio Nazario ft. Jan 42:00 - Valor & Villainy: Lludwik's Labyrinth ft. Jesse 44:19 - Marvel Phase 4 ft. Alex On the Radar-  45:53 - My Father's Work ft. Alex 51:44 - Wyrmwood x Dispel ft. Jesse 58:01 - Dominations Deluxe ft. Jan Support the show (http://patreon.com/quackalope)

Today we discuss Wild Assent, designed by Robert McConnell and published by Lazy Squire Games. It's been more than two years since this game was revealed to the Kickstarter community but it's in the fulfillment process now, so it's time to return to the days of old and hunt packs of monsters in this tactical skirmish game replete with gorgeous miniatures. It's a different board gaming world from when Wild Assent first launched. So… how does it measure up to the hype and years of expectation?!Learn more about Wild Assent here.Should we play it again? Bring it to the channel? Never touch it again? Let us know by leaving a comment in playeditonce.com!-Time Stamps- 2:07 - Overview6:07 - First Impressions9:11 - But Does It Skirmish?13:11 - Dissent With Wild Assent14:13 - Not So Fast15:33 - Now The Big Questions16:41 - Jan's RebuttalSupport the show (http://patreon.com/quackalope)

* Please follow the link to fill out our poll. *Odin's oath has been fulfilled, Mars gets messy, and all the merchants are asymmetrical! Today, in Shelf or Sell, Jan has finally tabled A Feast for Odin, Jesse gets red dirt on his hands with On Mars, and Alex swims in the economic waters of Merchant's Cove. Afterward, for the Medley Minute, Jesse and Alex share a milestone together with 25K subscribers on YouTube while Jan gets dextrous with the Hurlyburly relaunch. Later, in On the Radar, Alex travels back in time to see the world of It's a Wonderful Kingdom, Jesse gets cheesy with Hidden Leaders, and Jan gives us the deets on the monkey in Stationfall.We hope you enjoyed this week's episode! Have a question you'd like featured next week? Leave it on our website at theweeklyquack.com! We'll pick our favorites and talk about them on the show!Follow our newest Spanish channel here!Join our Facebook Group here.Join our BoardGameGeek Guild here.Consider supporting us by joining our Patreon here.Time Stamps- Shelf or Sell-  03:08 - A Feast for Odin ft. Jan 15:03 - On Mars ft. Jesse 24:36 - Merchant's Cove ft. Alex Medley Minute-  38:45 - 25K Subscribers ft. Jesse and Alex 40:53 - Hurlyburly Relaunch ft. Jan On the Radar-  43:29 - It's a Wonderful Kingdom ft. Alex 48:29 - Hidden Leaders ft. Jesse 54:57 - Stationfall ft. Jan Support the show (http://patreon.com/quackalope)

* Please follow the link to fill out our poll. *Death in the kingdom, monsters in the world, and a whole lotta X-men! Today, in Shelf or Sell, Alex remains mysterious about Canvas, a whimsical game of art, Devon returns to the dream in Bloodborne: The Board Game, and Jan goes off script with Kingdom Death: Monster. Afterward, for the Medley Minute, Devon debates the fear of missing out (FOMO) in board games, Jan quivers with anticipation for The Initiative, and Alex peers into a Steamforged future with the blue ball of speed from SEGA. Later, in On the Radar, Jan doubles down on SFG with Monster Hunter World: The Board Game, Alex also falls down the rabbit hole of big Kickstarters with Marvel United: X-Men, and Devon wraps it up with a look at the engrossing design of Shadow Planet: The Board Game.We hope you enjoyed this week's episode! Have a question you'd like featured next week? Leave it on our website at theweeklyquack.com! We'll pick our favorites and talk about them on the show!Follow our newest Spanish channel here!Join our Facebook Group here.Join our BoardGameGeek Guild here.Consider supporting us by joining our Patreon here.Time Stamps- Shelf or Sell- 02:14 - Canvas ft. Alex  09:52 - Bloodborne: The Board Game ft. Devon 22:38 - Kingdom Death: Monster ft. Jan Medley Minute- 32:55 - Board Game FOMO ft. Devon 39:11 - The Initiative ft. Jan 43:26 - Sonic: The Card Game ft. Alex On the Radar- 44:42 - Monster Hunter World: The Board Game ft. Jan 52:46 - Marvel United: X-Men ft. Alex 1:00:54 - Shadow Planet: The Board Game ft. Devon Support the show (http://patreon.com/quackalope)

Today we discuss Dive, designed by Romain Caterdjian and Anthony Perone, rendered in drool-worthy detail from Alexandre Bonvalot, and published by Sit Down! In Dive, players act as ocean divers who will push their luck in order to explore the depths and observe the creatures who roam the waters. In this gorgeous game of perception, players must monitor their air while also diving deeper (and more carefully) than their opponents. Manta rays, turtles, and sharks lurk down in the murky water. What will you find?Learn more about Dive here.Should we play it again? Bring it to the channel? Never touch it again? Let us know by leaving a comment in playeditonce.com!-Time Stamps- 1:41 - A Terrible Intro 3:15 - Overview 7:09 - Context of Playthrough 8:12 - First Impressions 10:53 - High Score 12:16 - Toy Factor 14:38 - The Experience  16:41 - Will Dives In 17:54 - Like to Move It, Move It 20:38 - What Stood Out                                                                         24:38 - Where Does Dive Fit In? 26:29 - Did You Enjoy It? Would You Play It Again? Support the show (http://patreon.com/quackalope)

* Please follow the link to fill out our poll. *Mountain mayhem, hard-bargaining barters, and a bigger village! Today, in Shelf or Sell, Alex discusses Whistle Mountain, one of Luke Laurie's hits from the past year, Jan brings up old negotiations with Chinatown, and Jesse reminds us of Villagers before we got more villagers. Afterward, for the Medley Minute, Jan goes full Freud with a look at Unconscious Mind, Jesse's eyes lose focus on the upcoming expansion Azul Summer Pavilion: Glazed Pavilion, and Alex tries to decipher the 7 Wonders Mystery. Later, in On the Radar, Jesse gets out a receiver for some Transmissions, Alex goes reverse-reverse with Canvas: Reflections, and Jan gets the D6 ready with Long Shot: The Dice Game.We hope you enjoyed this week's episode! Have a question you'd like featured next week? Leave it on our website at theweeklyquack.com! We'll pick our favorites and talk about them on the show!Follow our newest Spanish channel here!Join our Facebook Group here.Join our BoardGameGeek Guild here.Consider supporting us by joining our Patreon here.Time Stamps- Shelf or Sell- 04:38 - Whistle Mountain ft. Alex 14:45 - Chinatown ft. Jan25:06 - Villagers ft. JesseMedley Minute- 30:58 - Unconscious Mind ft. Jan 32:29 - Azul Summer Pavilion: Glazed Pavilion ft. Jesse33:56 - 7 Wonders Mystery ft. AlexOn the Radar- 35:13 - Transmissions ft. Jesse40:58 - Canvas: Reflections ft. Alex47:20 - Long Shot: The Dice Game ft. Jan Support the show (http://patreon.com/quackalope)

Today we discuss Empyreal: Spells & Steam, designed by Trey Chambers and published by Level 99 Games! In Empyreal: Spells & Steam, players act as necromancers in an industrial age, using their skill and savvy to construct rails and connect a network of towns together in a competitive route-building experience. In this steampunk fantasy world, players must consider the efforts of their opponents while adapting their strategy as the game progresses. Connect cities. Bridge continents. And become the best baron of spells and steam.Learn more about Empyreal: Spells & Steam here.Should we play it again? Bring it to the channel? Never touch it again? Let us know by leaving a comment in playeditonce.com!-Time Stamps- 3:12 - Overview 7:35 - Context of Playthrough 8:54 - First Impressions  12:20 - True Finicky 14:07 - Different Depths 15:01 - Mid-Weight Tickets 16:16 - Adaptation in Empyreal 17:29 - You Shall Not Pass 18:23 - The Size of the Box 20:20 - Right or Wrong 24:46 - Did You Enjoy It? Would You Play It Again? Support the show (http://patreon.com/quackalope)

* Please follow the link to fill out our poll. *Sour wine, sneaky rats, and publishers making great games (who knew?)! Today in Shelf or Sell, Alex finally breaks out Valor & Villainy, Jesse gets a taste of the Tuscany expansion for Viticulture, and Jan takes a big step up from Mouse Trap with Ratcatcher. Afterward, on the Medley Minute, Jan gets his own Siege of Runedar gamesplained to him, Alex shares some Kickstarter goodness, and Jesse talks about what he's playing. Later in On the Radar Alex tries to remember the Greek physician Hippocrates, Jan has his wand at the ready for Empyreal: Spells & Steam, and Jesse gushes over the artwork and promise of 1815, Scum of the Earth.We hope you enjoyed this week's episode! Have a question you'd like featured next week? Leave it on our website at theweeklyquack.com! We'll pick our favorites and talk about them on the show!Follow our newest Spanish channel here!Join our Facebook Group here.Join our BoardGameGeek Guild here.Consider supporting us by joining our Patreon here.Time Stamps- Shelf or Sell- 02:10 - Valor & Villainy: Minions of Mordak ft. Alex10:10 - Viticulture ft. Jesse25:06 - Ratcatcher ft. JanMedley Minute- 38:12 - The Siege of Runedar ft. Jan 39:40 - Kickstarter Updates ft. Alex41:48 - Gaming Updates ft. JesseOn the Radar- 47:36 - Hippocrates ft. Alex54:28 - Empyreal: Spells & Steam ft. Jan1:00:58 - 1815, Scum of the Earth ft. JesseSupport the show (http://patreon.com/quackalope)

Jan invites Thibaud de la Touanne and Fabrice Lamidey from Triton Noir to sit down and have a conversation!  In this session we talked about Triton Noir's origin, their progress so far, and the influence the video game industry has had on the studio. We then discuss Assassins Creed: Brotherhood of Venice and V-Commandos Deluxe.Sit down with us on the banks of the board game pond and lets have a conversation.Back the V Commandos Kickstarter here.Learn more about V Commandos here.Learn more about Assassins Creed: Brotherhood of Venice here.Learn more about Nephilim here.Learn more about Triton Noir here.Who should we bring to the table next? Let us know in the comments!-Time Stamps- 1:27 - Podcast Praise 2:09 - Who Is Triton Noir? 6:18 - Video Games To Board Games10:19 - Starting with V-Commandos  13:18 - The Big Leagues 16:58 - Small Team, Big Games 19:21 - Assassins Creed: Brotherhood of Venice40:07 - Leaping Into Kickstarter 43:19 - V-Commandos Series 54:04 - What Innovations In the Stealth Genre Would You Like To See? 59:26 - What's Next for Triton Noir? 1:06:22 - Kickstarter Advice Support the show (http://patreon.com/quackalope)

* Please follow the link to fill out our poll. *Miniatures, migrations, and beers (bears?), oh my! Today in Shelf or Sell, Alex teases Jan with After the Empire, Jan bustles through mayhem with Factory Funner, and Jesse loves not having to learn games with Marvel Champions. Afterward, on the Medley Minute, Jan gets hyped about the IELLO Expert Line, Jesse gets his bird on, and Alex starts some Dark Rituals. Later in On the Radar Jesse dives back into history with John Company, Jan gushes about V Commandos, and Alex gets plastic-happy when talking about Lasting Tales.We hope you enjoyed this week's episode! Have a question you'd like featured next week? Leave it on our website at theweeklyquack.com! We'll pick our favorites and talk about them on the show!Follow our newest Spanish channel here! Join our Facebook Group here.  Join our BoardGameGeek Guild here.  Consider supporting us by joining our Patreon here. Time Stamps- Shelf or Sell- 02:56 - After the Empire ft. Alex 10:48 - Factory Funner ft. Jan 21:02 - Marvel Champions ft. Jesse Medley Minute- 32:20 - IELLO Expert Line ft. Jan  33:36 - Mass Migration ft. Jesse  35:39 - Dark Rituals ft. Alex On the Radar- 36:45 - John Company ft. Jesse 42:13 - V Commandos ft. Jan 47:32 - Lasting Tales ft. Alex Support the show (http://patreon.com/quackalope)

Today we discuss Air, Land, & Sea by Arcane Wonders designed by Jon Perry! In Air, Land, & Sea, two players participate in a series of Battles, with the objective to control two of the three Theaters of war. At the start of each battle, you will be dealt a hand of six cards. All cards can either be played face-up or face-down. Playing a card face-up triggers an ability, while face-down cards don't. Players take turns playing Battle cards one at a time, until all cards have been played, or one player decides to withdraw. Victory points are awarded at the end of each Battle based on the results, and the first player to 12 victory points wins the war! (Description provided by the publisher.)Learn more about Air, Land & Sea here.Should we play it again? Bring it to the channel? Never touch it again? Let us know by leaving a comment in playeditonce.com!-Time Stamps- 2:52 - Overview 5:03 - Context of Playthrough 7:37 - First Impressions  10:39 - Comparing to Other Similar Games 12:24 - Mind Games  13:15 - Value and Availability 15:07 - What Stood Out To You? 20:33 - Final Thoughts 21:09 - Did You Enjoy It? Would You Play It Again?Support the show (http://patreon.com/quackalope)

* Please follow the link to fill out our poll. *Quidditch, time travel , and canals! Today in Shelf or Sell Jesse sends his opinion to the past with Anachrony, Alex builds temples with Cuzco, and Jan travels to Brass: Birmingham! Afterwards on the Medley Minute, Jan discovers the latest from Res Arcana, Alex announces something new from Burnt Island Games, and Jesse talks a bit about Spires End: Hildegard. Later in On The Radar Jesse gets morbid with Gloomier, Jan gushes about BoardGameTables.Com's Kickstarter, and Alex touches on the new Robinson Crusoe: Collectors Edition. All that and more in this week's episode of The Weekly Quack!We hope you enjoyed this week's episode! Have a question you'd like featured next week? Leave it on our website at theweeklyquack.com! We'll pick our favorites and talk about them on the show!Follow our newest Spanish channel here!Join our Facebook Group here.Join our BoardGameGeek Guild here.Consider supporting us by joining our Patreon here.Time Stamps- Shelf or Sell- 01:35 - Anachrony ft. Jesse 12:46 - Cuzco ft. Alex 22:46 - Brass: Birmingham ft. Jan Medley Minute- 33:59 - Res Arcana: Perlae Imperii ft. Jan 35:42 - Fall of the Mountain King Announcement ft. Alex 37:06 - Spires End: Hildegard ft. Jesse On the Radar- 40:27 - Gloomier: A Night at Hemlock Hall ft. Jesse 46:19 - Factory Funner, Ghosts of Christmas and Bear Raid ft. Jan 54:52 - Robinson Crusoe: Collectors Edition ft. AlexSupport the show (http://patreon.com/quackalope)

Today we discuss Cosmic Frog by Devious Weasel Games designed by Jim Felli! Cosmic Frog is a game of collection, combat, and theft on a planetary scale. Each player controls a two-mile-tall, immortal, invulnerable frog-like creature that exists solely to gather terrain from the Shards of Aeth, the fragments of a long-ago shattered world. Throughout the game, you're free to keep to yourself and focus on harvesting at your own pace...or you may attack other frogs and try to take lands directly from their gullets. The game ends when the Shard is stripped of all harvestable land or when a Splinter shatters it. When the game ends, the player with the highest valued vault wins.(Description provided by the publisher.)Learn more about Cosmic Frogs here.Should we play it again? Bring it to the channel? Never touch it again? Let us know by leaving a comment in playeditonce.com!-Time Stamps- 3:25 - Overview 4:53 - Mechanics Runthrough 7:42 - Example of a Turn 9:12 - Context of Playthrough 14:38 - What Did You Think About It? ft. Tablenauts 17:01 - What's Your Favorite Thing About It? ft. Tablenauts 19:13 - What Did You Think About It? ft. Jan 20:13 - Critiques ft. Jan 28:58 - What Stood Out To You? ft. Jan 33:37 - Positives and Negatives ft. Tablenauts 37:29 - Why You Should Try It? ft. Tablenauts 39:37 - Did You Enjoy It? Would You Play It Again?Support the show (http://patreon.com/quackalope)

* Please follow the link to fill out last week's poll. *Misinformation, roll and write games, and stellar drama! Today in Shelf or Sell Alex takes us on the Trails of Tucana, Jan fights his way to glory in Starcadia Quest, and Jesse surprises us by bringing L.L.A.M.A! Afterwards on the Medley Minute, Jan brings up the recent Asmodee news, and Jesse gives us an update on all the upcoming Kickstarter games he's played. Later in On The Radar Jan launches into Stellaris, Jesse sows some excitement with Three Sisters, and Alex tries to paint the Eternal Palace. All that and more in this week's episode of The Weekly Quack!We hope you enjoyed this week's episode! Have a question you'd like featured next week? Leave it on our website at theweeklyquack.com! We'll pick our favorites and talk about them on the show!Follow our newest Spanish channel here!Join our Facebook Group here.Join our BoardGameGeek Guild here.Consider supporting us by joining our Patreon here.Time Stamps- Shelf or Sell- 02:19 - Trails of Tucana ft. Alex 12:05 - Starcadia Quest ft. Jan 21:51 - L.L.A.M.A ft. Jesse Medley Minute- 29:43 - Asmodee USA to Distribute Big Games! ft. Jan 31:35 - Kickstarters Played: Wutaki, Oros, and Dreamweavers ft. Jesse  On the Radar- 37:00 - Stellaris: Infinite Legacy ft. Jan 48:14 - Three Sisters ft. Jesse 52:58 - Eternal Palace ft. Alex Support the show (http://patreon.com/quackalope)

Today we discuss Sleeping Gods by Red Raven Games, a game that combines campaign, rich narrative, worker placement, tableau building and action efficiency! In Sleeping Gods, you and up to 3 players become Captain Sofi Odessa and her crew, lost in a strange world in 1929 on your steamship, the Manticore. You must work together to survive, exploring exotic islands, meeting new characters, and seeking out the totems of the gods so that you can return home.  The goal is to find at least fourteen totems hidden throughout the world. Like reading a book, you'll complete this journey one or two hours at a time, discovering new lands, stories, and challenges along the way. Each new location holds wild adventure, hidden treasures, and vivid characters. Your choices affect the characters and the plot of the game, and may help or hinder your chances of getting home! (Description provided by the publisher.)Learn more about Sleeping Gods here.Should we play it again? Bring it to the channel? Never touch it again? Let us know by leaving a comment in playeditonce.com!-Time Stamps- 1:22 - Overview 8:26 - Context of Playthrough 11:35 - What's Unique About It? 14:55 - How are the Mechanics? 17:33 - How Does It Compare to Other Narrative Games? 22:24 - Fighting Mechanics 28:58 - How was Jumping In Mid Campaign? 32:01 - Difficulty 33:21 - Do You Have Any Critiques? 40:47 - Where Does Sleeping Gods Rank Among the Red Raven Catalog? 44:04 - Are You Finishing the Campaign? Where Does It Rank In Your Library? ft. William  47:34 - Did You Enjoy It? Would You Play It Again? ft. JanSupport the show (http://patreon.com/quackalope)

* Please follow the link to fill out the poll. *Restructuring, animal folk, and big changes! Today in Shelf or Sell Alex talks about Court of Miracles, Jesse brings in a party game of royal stature and Jan discusses Bunny Kingdom! Afterwards on the Medley Minute, Jan shouts about Crafting Arzium, Jesse is excited about his project with IV Studios, and Alex highlights Oros, a new game coming to KS soon. Later in On The Radar Jan starts off by going on a Caper, Jesse talks about the new Super Fantasy Brawl release and Alex holds on to the very end to arrive at Everdell. All that and more in this week's episode of The Weekly Quack!We hope you enjoyed this week's episode! Have a question you'd like featured next week? Leave it on our website at theweeklyquack.com! We'll pick our favorites and talk about them on the show!Follow our newest Spanish channel here!Join our Facebook Group here.Join our BoardGameGeek Guild here.Consider supporting us by joining our Patreon here.Time Stamps- Shelf or Sell- 04:09 - Court Of Miracles ft. Alex 19:45 - Cockroach Poker Royal ft. Jesse 28:02 - Bunny Kingdom ft. Jan Medley Minute- 34:33 - Crafting Arzium ft. Jan 37:49 - IV Studios + Quackalope ft. Jesse 41:37 - Oros ft. Alex On the Radar- 43:39 - Caper: Europe ft. Jan 47:49 - Super Fantasy Brawl: Round 2! ft. Jesse 52:22 - Everdell's Latest Kickstarter! ft. Alex 1:03:58 - Audience Feedback Support the show (http://patreon.com/quackalope)

Jesse had the opportunity to sit down and talk with Cole Wehrle from Leder Games and founder of Wehrlegig Games! In this new interview format we will be touching base with leaders and designers within our industry and finding out what makes them Quack. In this session we talked about Coles approach to combining history with mechanical systems and the nuances of that merging; all of which started since childhood and continued growing throughout his professional career. We highlight some of his most ambitious designs like: Root, Oath, Pax Pamir, John Company and more, and discuss what might be coming next.Sit down with us on the banks of the board game pond and lets have a conversation.Learn more about Oath here.Learn more about Root here.Learn more about John Company here.Learn more about Leder Games here.Learn more about Wehrlegig Games here.Who should we bring to the table next? Let us know in the comments!-Time Stamps- 3:01 - Coles Professional Highlights 12:26 - What Are You Proud About? 17:38 - Whose On Your Radar?21:21 - Feelings When A Game Is Releasing? 26:15 - What Is Oath? 32:13 - What Game Is It Now? 38:33 - Is Flavor Text a Mechanic? 45:00 - What Has Root Grown Into? What Should We Expect from the New Expansion? 49:33 - What Were You Aiming for with the New Factions? 58:57 - Root 2 Player System 1:02:46 - Audience QuestionsSupport the show (http://patreon.com/quackalope)

Roommates, picnic baskets, and an endless bag of baggies! Today in Shelf or Sell Jesse brings in Monster Lands, Alex got an early copy of Wild Assent and Jan is being overrun by ants! Afterwards on the Medley Minute, Jan gushes in Spanish, Jesse features Hexbound the latest from Hit Point Press, and Alex talks about the Rainbow Six and Elder Scrolls announcements. Later in On The Radar Alex introduces us to the spiritual sibling of Santorini, Jesse brings in Wutaki and Jan uncovers Block and Key. All that and more in this week's episode of The Weekly Quack!We hope you enjoyed this week's episode! Have a question you'd like featured next week? Leave it on our website at theweeklyquack.com! We'll pick our favorites and talk about them on the show!Follow our newest Spanish channel here!Join our Facebook Group here.Join our BoardGameGeek Guild here.Consider supporting us by joining our Patreon here.Time Stamps- Shelf or Sell- 03:47 - Monster Lands ft. Jesse 12:20 - Wild Assent ft. Alex 26:14 - Bites ft. Jan Medley Minute- 33:51 - Qüackalope ft. Jan 35:53 - Hexbound ft. Jesse 39:57 - Rainbow Six Siege and Elder Scrolls become Board Games! ft. Alex On the Radar- 42:48 - Ragnarock ft. Alex 51:53 - Wutaki ft. Jesse 56:44 - Block and Key ft. Jan 1:07:19 - Audience Feedback Support the show (http://patreon.com/quackalope)

 Today we discuss Santorini by Roxley Games and designed by Gord! Santorini is a re-imagining of the pure abstract conceived over 30 years ago. It's is an accessible strategy game, that's simple enough for all age levels while aiming to provide gameplay depth and content for hardcore gamers to explore. The rules are simple. Each turn consists of 2 steps: Move, and Build. A player will win the game if any of there builders reaches the third level. Santorini features variable player powers layered over an otherwise abstract game, with 40 thematic god and hero powers that fundamentally change the way the game is played. (Description provided by the publisher.)Learn more about Santorini here.Should we play it again? Bring it to the channel? Never touch it again? Let us know by leaving a comment in playeditonce.com!-Time Stamps- 2:56 - Overview 6:40 - Example of a Turn 7:59 - Context of Playthrough 11:10 - Is It Truly a Modern Classic? 12:49 - How Does It Compare to Other Abstracts? 14:50 - What Is It Lacking? 16:03 - How Does It Play? 19:24 - What Makes It Unique? 24:34 - Did You Enjoy It? Would You Play It Again?Support the show (http://patreon.com/quackalope)

Grimoires, windows, and teensy tiny dungeons! Today in Shelf or Sell Jan brings a hidden gem from 2019, Alex focuses on Moonrakers and Jesse answers the question: which is his favorite worker placement + deck building. Afterwards on the Medley Minute, Jesse reminisces about his favorite show, Jan addresses the allegations against Roxley Games and Alex brings in Red Rising by Stonemaier Games. Later in On The Radar Jesse enters the Tiny Epic Dungeons, Jan celebrates international titles by highlighting the Oink Games Kickstarter and Alex discusses the latest Zombicide! All that and more in this week's episode of The Weekly Quack!We hope you enjoyed this week's episode! Have a question you'd like featured next week? Leave it on our website at theweeklyquack.com! We'll pick our favorites and talk about them on the show!Join our Facebook Group here.Join our BoardGameGeek Guild here.Consider supporting us by joining our Patreon here.Time Stamps- Shelf or Sell- 03:04 - Obscurio ft. Jan 12:58 - Moonrakers ft. Alex 22:43 - Lost Ruins of Arnak vs. Dune Imperium ft. Jesse Medley Minute- 37:52 - Birds and Deers ft. Jesse 40:55 - Radlands - Intellectual Property Dispute ft. Jan 48:01 - Red Rising ft. Alex On the Radar- 50:46 - Tiny Epic Dungeons ft. Jesse 1:03:47 - Oink Games 2021 Series ft. Jan 1:13:01 - Zombicide: Undead or Alive ft. Alex 1:26:28 - Audience Feedback Support the show (http://patreon.com/quackalope)

Today we discuss Russian Railroads in celebration of it's recent reprint announcement. We sit down with acclaimed designer Jonny Pac (e.g. Coloma, Lions of Lydia, Fistful of Meeples, Merchants Cove) to figure out what exactly fuels this powerful locomotive. Russian Railroads is a worker placement euro where players are competing in an exciting race to build the largest and most advanced railway network. In the game each player has a personal board, with space for factories, and 3 rail tracks (to 3 different cities).  The central board has (almost) all the locations for placing workers. Each location requires 1-3 workers (of one player; played all together). Each round ends when all players have passed on placing/using workers. Then, score VP for each track and factory line. After 7 rounds the game ends; most VP wins! (Description provided by the publisher.)Learn more about Jonny Pac and his games here.Learn more about Russian Railroads here.Should we play it again? Bring it to the channel? Never touch it again? Let us know by leaving a comment in playeditonce.com!-Time Stamps- 1:38 - Introduction to Jonny Pac  7:02 - What is Russian Railroads? 10:16 - Context of Playthrough  11:07 - Game Overview 15:32 - What's Unique About It? 19:10 - A Sandbox Euro 21:20 - Paths to Victory and Theme 28:32 - How Does It All Come Together? 32:26 - Did You Enjoy It? Would You Play It Again? ft. Jonny Pac 35:32 - Did You Enjoy It? Would You Play It Again? ft. Jesse 36:40 - Did You Enjoy It? Would You Play It Again? ft. Jan 39:13 - Learning from Other DesignersSupport the show (http://patreon.com/quackalope)

Siberia, necromantic stones, and the wild west! Today in Shelf or Sell Jan brings in Air, Land & Sea, Jesse discusses the Forbidden series of games and Alex asks a question as old as time: does God Love Dinosaurs? Afterwards on the Medley Minute, Alex talks about Bantam West, Jan is conflicted about Great Western Trail Second Edition and Jesse highlights a content creator close to our hearts. Later in On The Radar the arena calls in Bloodstone, the trail is long and eventful in Stroganov and fair is foul and foul is fair in Badland Wolves. All that and more in this week's episode of The Weekly Quack!We hope you enjoyed this week's episode! Have a question you'd like featured next week? Leave it on our website at theweeklyquack.com! We'll pick our favorites and talk about them on the show! Join our Facebook Group here.Join our BoardGameGeek Guild here.Consider supporting us by joining our Patreon here.Time Stamps- Shelf or Sell- 02:41 - Air, Land & Sea ft. Jan 10:32 - The Forbidden Series of Games ft. Jesse 19:43 - Gods Love Dinosaurs ft. Alex Medley Minute- 28:34 - Bantam West ft. Alex 30:09 - Great Western Trail - Second Edition ft. Jan 35:25 - BoardGameCo - New Camera Gear ft. Alex On the Radar- 39:45 - Bloodstone ft. Alex 48:53 - Stroganov ft. Jan 56:14 - Badland Wolves ft. Jesse1:05:11 - Audience Feedback Support the show (http://patreon.com/quackalope)

Jesse had the opportunity to sit down and talk with James Hudson from Skybound / Druid City Games! In this new interview format we will be touching base with leaders and designers within our industry and finding out what makes them Quack. In this session we talked about James life and growth in our hobby space, the first few titles he published, and finally we dove into a deep conversation about Bloodstone - his newest title hitting Kickstarter. In many ways Bloodstone is his love letter to our industry - the first game he ever worked on and one of the last official titles to be published from his personal design catalog. Sit down with us on the banks of the board game pond and lets have a conversation.Learn more about Bloodstone here.Connect with James Hudson in the Board Game Spotlight here.Learn more about Skybound Insider here.Who should we bring to the table next? Let us know in the comments! By visiting our website.-Time Stamps- 1:03 - Introduction to the Format 1:41 - Jesse and James History 9:32 - Bloodstone Overview 11:53 - The Story of James Hudson  17:35 - Board Game Spotlight 21:47 - What Are You Professional Highs and Lows? 24:34 - What Do Your Titles Mean To You? 29:28 - Tidal Blades 38:24 - Bloodstone 53:21 - Design Process of Bloodstone 57:13 - What Are Your Proudest of in Bloodstone? 1:04:34 - Kickstarter ExclusivitySupport the show (http://patreon.com/quackalope)

Dulcet tones, questions, and more questions! Today in Shelf or Sell Jan discusses Kohaku, Jesse got to try out Tak and Alex revisits 51st States Master Set. Afterwards, we dedicate the rest of the episode…to you! We're creating a brand new segment: The Quackalope Forum: where we answer all the questions that we weren't able to get to in previous episodes! All that and more in this week's episode of The Weekly Quack!We hope you enjoyed this week's episode! Have a question you'd like featured next week? Leave it on our website at theweeklyquack.com! We'll pick our favorites and talk about them on the show!  Did you know we have t-shirts? Well, you do now! Get yours here: (Mens) (Womens).Time Stamps- Shelf or Sell- 03:26 - Kōhaku ft. Jan 15:41 - Tak ft. Jesse  26:31 - 51st State: Master Set ft. Alex The Quackalope Forum-  43:53 - Question from Karl R. 47:36 - Question from Yeah 52:47 - Challenge Issued by Eric W. 54:34 - Question from Mark P. 1:00:51 - Question from Qax 1:06:21 - Question from Lara Carrasquillo  1:09:23 - Question from Cole Miller 1:16:14 - Question from Raven Support the show (http://patreon.com/quackalope)

Today we discuss our favorite tabletop MOBA with Steven Wooley from Team Covenant. Skytear is a competitive card-driven miniatures skirmish game published and designed by PVP Geeks. In the game players uses a draft system that supplements regular deckbuilding, where players pick heroes from four factions. Then, using these heroes, players compete to take control of the lanes and lead the minions there to assault the enemies towers. In doing so, they will win one of the three victory conditions selected at the start of the game, or by overwhelming your opponents. (Description provided by the publisher.)Learn more about Team Covenant and their store here. Follow their channel here. Learn more about Skytear here.Should we play it again? Bring it to the channel? Never touch it again? Let us know by leaving a comment in playeditonce.com!-Time Stamps- 1:24 - Intro to Team Covenant 12:32 - Intro To The Game 17:28 - Context of Playthrough ft. Steven 20:17 - Magic the Gathering with Minis? 22:25 - Context of Playthrough ft. Jesse & Jan 23:19 - How Did They Translate MOBA to the Table? 29:36 - Who Might This Be Wrong For? 33:41 - First Impressions ft. Jan 38:11  - First Impressions ft. Steven 42:31 - First Impressions ft. Jesse 46:54 - Did You Enjoy It? Would You Play It Again? ft. StevenSupport the show (http://patreon.com/quackalope)

Take-that, heated debates and neighborly burglary.  Today in Shelf or Sell we bring Mutants, Cubitos (again and for the last time…maybe) and Cosmic Frog. Afterwards on the Medley Minute, Jesse talks about the latest Maquis, Alex gives us some more info on Monster Hunter World by Steamforged and Jan talks about the new Root expansion. Later in On The Radar the camera is rolling on Reload, kids are getting introduced to dungeon crawlers in Cora Quest and Jesse is celebrating the Zine Quest event on Kickstarter. All that and more in this week's episode of The Weekly Quack!We hope you enjoyed this week's episode! Have a question you'd like featured next week? Leave it on our website at theweeklyquack.com! We'll pick our favorites and talk about them on the show!  Did you know we have t-shirts? Well, you do now! Get yours here: (Mens) (Womens).Time Stamps- Shelf or Sell- 02:12 - Mutants ft. Alex  15:34 - Cubitos ft. Jan 24:10 - Cosmic Frog ft. Jesse Medley Minute-  32:55 - Maquis Second Edition ft. Jesse 35:29 - MHW New Info! ft. Jesse 39:23 - Root: Marauder Expansion ft. Alex  On the Radar- 43:14 - Reload ft. Jan 50:07 - CoraQuest ft. Alex 57:08 - Zine Quest ft. Jesse 1:07:27 - Audience Feedback Support the show (http://patreon.com/quackalope)

Today we discuss two unique party games: Yura Yura Penguin designed and published by Ryoko Yabuchi  and Ghost Blitz designed by Jacques Zeimet and published by Zoch Verlag! Yura Yura Penguin is what you'd expect if you'd put Uno, Jenga and adorable penguin artwork in a blender. The game is simple: on your turn you'll take whatever action was played by the previous player and then play a card with a matching color. You'll need to be careful though, each card action will require you to place pieces on a constantly growing tower of fowl, ice and makeshift platforms. The player that topples the iceberg, loses! Ghost Blitz on the other hand is all about pattern recognition and speed. Every round a player will reveal a card that shows multiple caricatures which correspond to objects on the table. The goal is to identify either what color and or object is missing, or what object is represented exactly. The player to guess first and grab the object gets to keep the card. Whoever has the most cards when the deck runs out wins! Learn more about Yura Yura Penguin here. If you're interested in getting a copy for yourself, visit Ryoko's webstore here.Learn more about Ghost Blitz here.Should we play it again? Bring it to the channel? Never touch it again? Let us know by leaving a comment in playeditonce.com!-Time Stamps- 3:52 - Yura Yura Penguin 4:57 - Intro To The Game 6:08 - How Did You Learn About It? 6:57 - Context of Playthrough 7:42 - What Makes It Special? 13:24 - Did You Enjoy It? Would You Play It Again? 14:39 - Ghost Blitz 15:07 - Intro To The Game 17:11 - Context of Playthrough 18:31 - How Does It Play? 20:29 - What Makes It Unique? 23:45 - Did You Enjoy It? Would You Play It Again?Support the show (http://patreon.com/quackalope)

River rocks, “deluxification” and a sitcom spin-off.  Today in Shelf or Sell we talk about a modern abstract that feels as old as chess…in a good way, the new Rococo Deluxe Edition and Unicorn Fever. Afterwards on the Medley Minute, Jan announces Rose Gauntlet Entertainment, Jesse gawks over the train minis in the new Ticket To Ride Collectors Edition and Alex discusses the latest Caverna Expansion. Later in On The Radar we talk a bleak future in Human Punishment: The Beginning, Carnegie and the Castles of Mad King Ludwig: Collectors Edition. All that and more in this week's episode of The Weekly Quack!P.S - Someone send help to stop Jan from buying things spontaneously.We hope you enjoyed this week's episode! Have a question you'd like featured next week? Leave it on our website at theweeklyquack.com! We'll pick our favorites and talk about them on the show!  Did you know we have t-shirts? Well, you do now! Get yours here: (Mens) (Womens).Time Stamps- Shelf or Sell- 02:40 - SHŌBU ft. Jesse  15:07 - Rococo Deluxe Edition ft. Jan 31:00 - Unicorn Fever ft. Alex Medley Minute-  41:22 - Isaac Vega and Lindsey Rode Launch Rose Gauntlet Entertainment ft. Jan 44:30 - Ticket to Ride: Europe Collectors Edition ft. Jesse 47:33 - Caverna: Frantic Fiends ft. Alex  On the Radar- 51:22 - Human Punishment: The Beginning ft. Jesse 1:01:52 - Carnegie ft. Alex 1:11:44 - Castles Of Mad King Ludwig Collector's Edition ft. Jan 1:11:29 - Audience Feedback Support the show (http://patreon.com/quackalope)

Today we discuss Dwellings of Eldervale designed by Luke Laurie and published by Breaking Games featuring The Quackalope Writing Team! Dwellings of Eldervale Dwellings of Eldervale is hybrid worker placement game set in a once lost magical world. Giant elemental monsters roam while dragons, wizards and warriors battle for dominance over 8 elemental realms. Players control unique factions seeking to adventure, battle, grow in power and ultimately dwell Eldervale, shaping it to their vision. The game blends worker placement, area control, engine building and unique worker units. Players take turns placing a worker in Eldervale or regrouping and activating their tableau of adventure cards. In the end, the players with the most elemental dominance among the multiple paths to victory will reign over Eldervale. (Description provided by the publisher.) Read articles by Will and Devon by checking our our blog here.Learn more about Dwellings of Eldervale here.Should we play it again? Bring it to the channel? Never touch it again? Let us know by leaving a comment in playeditonce.com!-Time Stamps- 7:05 - Overview 8:56 - Example of a Turn 12:37 - Context of Playthrough 18:15 - Hype Personified 22:33 - How Did It Play?  39:39 - How Did The Mechanics Work Together? 43:02 - Is This An Intro Level Game?  52:56 - What Stood Out To You? 1:01:01 - Did You Enjoy It? Would You Play It Again?Support the show (http://patreon.com/quackalope)

Area control, monster hunting and desserts.  Today in Shelf or Sell we discuss Battle for Rokugan, Edge Dawnfall and Gloomhaven?! Oh my…Afterwards on the Medley Minute, Jan reads us the latest from Red Raven Games, Alex talks about Monster Hunter World the Board Game and Jesse talks about a new box he just received from Mythic Games! Later in On The Radar we discuss Pingyao: The First Banks, Primal and Alba. All that and more in this week's episode of The Weekly Quack!We hope you enjoyed this week's episode! Have a question you'd like featured next week? Leave it on our website at theweeklyquack.com! We'll pick our favorites and talk about them on the show!  Did you know we have t-shirts? Well, you do now! Get yours here: (Mens) (Womens).Time Stamps- Shelf or Sell- 03:03 - Battle for Rokugan ft. Alex 14:12 - The Edge: Dawnfall ft. Jan 24:02 - Gloomhaven ft. Jesse Medley Minute- 36:56 - Now or Never ft. Jan  40:59 - Monster Hunter: World Board Game ft. Alex 41:44 - Solomon Kane ft. Jesse On the Radar- 44:37 - Pingyao: First Chinese Banks ft. Jan 53:14 - Primal: The Awakening ft. Alex 1:06:05 - Alba - Open World Adventure Bank ft. Jesse 1:11:29 - Audience Feedback Support the show (http://patreon.com/quackalope)

Today we discuss bevy of Roll & Writes with Jay Cormier founder of Off The Page Games and designer of games like Akrotiri, In the Hall of the Mountain King, Junk Art and many more! Roll/Flip & Write as a genre are (usually) small and portable games that involve players interacting with some sort of randomizer (e.g. cards, dice, ect.) and marking the results on sheets of paper or erasable boards. Another common factor is that marking choices made in previous plays limit a player's marking choices in future plays. In the episode we talk about all things surrounding Roll & Writes, but we focus specifically on That's So Clever, Patchwork Doodle, Cartographers, Welcome To and Rajas of the Ganges:  The Dice Charmers. We cap the episode off by breaking down the history of the genre and what innovations influenced its modern day implementation.Learn more about Jay Cormier and Off the Page Games here.Learn more about The Pitch Project here.Learn more about the games here: That's So Clever, Patchwork Doodle, Cartographers, Welcome To, and Rajas of the Ganges: The Dice Charmers.Should we play it again? Bring it to the channel? Never touch it again? Let us know by leaving a comment in playeditonce.com!-Time Stamps- 8:26 - What is a Roll/Flip & Write? 12:11 - Overviews 25:36 - That's So Clever 28:04 - Jay's First Impressions 28:53 - Jesse's First Impressions 30:09 - Jan's First Impressions 33:50 - Patchwork Doodle 34:09 - Jay's First Impressions 35:33 - Jesse's First Impressions 38:25 - Jan's First Impressions 39:52 - Cartographers 40:52 - Jesse's Thoughts 41:12 - Can Cartographers be an introductory game into the hobby? 42:51 - Jay's First Impressions 45:33 - Jan's First Impressions 47:31 - Welcome To 47:50 - Jay's First Impressions 50:39 - Jesse's First Impressions 52:29 - Rajas of the Ganges: The Dice Charmers 55:05 - Jay's Thoughts Around Design in the Dice Charmers 59:16 - Jesse's First Impressions 1:00:06 - Jay's First Impressions 1:00:38 - Jan's First Impressions 1:01:51 - Should Roll/Flip & Write based around existing games be reinterpretations or completely new titles? 1:05:38 - Is there space for heavy (weight complexity) Roll/Flip & Write? 1:12:17 - Brief History of Roll/Flip & Writes 1:20:16 - Off the Page Games Support the show (http://patreon.com/quackalope)

Hops, magic and bad microphones.  Today in Shelf or Sell we discuss Kitara, Calimala and The Magnificent! Afterwards on the Medley Minute, Jesse talks about a new reprint for Spires End,  Alex talks about the new Terraforming card game, and Jan brings some exclusive news for V Commandos! Later in On The Radar we discuss Tinners Trail, Hallertau and the CMON Animation Collection. All that and more in this week's episode of The Weekly Quack!We hope you enjoyed this week's episode! Have a question you'd like featured next week? Leave it on our website at theweeklyquack.com! We'll pick our favorites and talk about them on the show!  Did you know we have t-shirts? Well, you do now! Get yours here: (Mens) (Womens).Time Stamps- Shelf or Sell- 05:09 - Kitara ft. Alex 15:36 - Calimala ft. Jesse 30:05 - The Magnificent ft. Jan Medley Minute-  39:55 - Spires End Reprint! ft. Jesse 42:13 - V-Commandos Reprint + Minis! ft. Jan 46:03 - Terraforming Mars: Ares Expedition ft. Alex  On the Radar- 49:19 - Tinners Trail ft. Alex 55:15 -  Hallertau ft. Jan 1:02:53 - CMON Animation Collection ft. Jesse 1:12:50 - Audience FeedbackSupport the show (http://patreon.com/quackalope)

Today we discuss Merv: The Heart of the Silk Road designed by Fabio Lopiano and published by Osprey Games featuring Sarah Shaw from Board Games In a Minute! Merv: The Heart of the Silk Road is a tense economic game charting the rise and fall of the greatest city in the world. In Merv, players are vying to amass power and wealth in the prosperous heart of the Silk Road. Through careful court intrigue, timely donations to the grand mosque, and favorable trade deals, players attempt to redirect as much of that prosperity as possible into their own pockets. Meanwhile, beyond the city walls Mongol hordes approach. If you help construct the city walls, you give up on precious opportunities to build up your own stature, but leave it unprotected and you will burn with the city. The player with the most victory points by the third year wins! (Description provided by the publisher.)Learn more about Board Games In A Minute here.Learn more about Merv here.Should we play it again? Bring it to the channel? Never touch it again? Let us know by leaving a comment in playeditonce.com!-Time Stamps- 2:44 - Overview 6:47 - Context of Playthrough 9:33 - What Stood Out To You? 11:52 - First Impressions ft. Sarah 13:22 - Choosing a Path and Sticking To It 16:42 - First Impressions ft. Jan 20:24 - First Impressions ft. Jesse 25:39 - Was There Anything Unexpected? 29:02 - Did You Enjoy It? Would You Play It Again? ft. Sarah 32:00 - Did You Enjoy It? Would You Play It Again? ft. Jan 34:03 - Did You Enjoy It? Would You Play It Again? ft. Jesse Support the show (http://patreon.com/quackalope)

Cockroach Poker, Slay the Spire and elephants.  Today in Shelf or Sell Alex we discuss Root, Spirit Island and Spicy! Afterwards on the Medley Minute, Jesse and Alex both discuss Slay the Spire and Jan gets excited with railroads; not just any railroads, but Ultimate Railroads! Later in On The Radar we discuss Darwin's Journey, Kohaku and Wonderlands War. All that and more in this week's episode of The Weekly Quack!We hope you enjoyed this week's episode! Have a question you'd like featured next week? Leave it on our website at theweeklyquack.com! We'll pick our favorites and talk about them on the show!  Did you know we have t-shirts? Well, you do now! Get yours here: (Mens) (Womens).Time Stamps- Shelf or Sell- 04:25 - Spicy ft. Jan 12:14  -  Spirit Island ft. Jesse 24:12 - Root ft. Alex Medley Minute-  35:07 - Slay the Spire - Board Game Announcement ft. Jesse & Alex 40:55 - Ultimate Railroads ft. Jan On the Radar- 45:07 - Darwin's Journey ft. Jesse? 52:13 -  Kōhaku ft. Jan 58:50 - Wonderland's War (Late Pledge) ft. Alex  1:08:52 - Audience FeedbackSupport the show (http://patreon.com/quackalope)

Today we discuss Dune Imperium designed by Paul Dennen and published by Dire Wolf featuring Jeremy Howard from Man Vs Meeple! Dune: Imperium is a game that finds inspiration from the Dune legacy, both the new film from Legendary Pictures and the seminal literary series from Frank Herbert, Brian Herbert, and Kevin J. Anderson. It uses deck-building to add a hidden-information angle to traditional worker placement. You start with a unique leader card and ability, and you'll acquire cards and build your deck, your choices will define your strengths and weaknesses. Cards allow you to send your Agents to certain spaces on the game board, so how your deck evolves affects your strategy. Unlike many deck-building games, you don't play your entire hand in one turn. The cards you play and keep in your hand will determine where you can go on the board, what you can purchase from the market and your strength in the conflict phase. Whoever reaches 10 points, and is able to keep them when the game ends, wins! (Description provided by the publisher.)Learn more about Man Vs. Meeple here.Learn more about Dune Imperium here.Should we play it again? Bring it to the channel? Never touch it again? Let us know by leaving a comment in playeditonce.com!-Time Stamps- 1:59 - Overview 7:21 - Context of Playthrough 10:53 - First Impressions 16:12 - How Does It Approach Deckbuilding? 24:50 - How Does The Conflict Phase Change the Game?28:29 - Where Can It Be Expanded On? 32:25 - Which Deckbuilder/Worker Placement Is Right For me?  37:17 - Did You Enjoy It? Would You Play It Again? - Jeremy 38:08 - Did You Enjoy It? Would You Play It Again? - Jan Support the show (http://patreon.com/quackalope)

Champagne, yearly lists and a whole lot of sobbing.   Today in Shelf or Sell Jan and Jesse have an issue communicating and Alex discusses Kingdom Rush. Afterwards on the Medley Minute, Alex stumbles on to the newest game in the Daniele Tascini's “T” Series, Jan discusses the latest in Unmatched and Jesse falls in love with some new minis. Later in On The Radar we share our TWQ Yearly Countdown, our take on our most anticipated games in 2021. All that and more in this week's episode of The Weekly Quack!We hope you enjoyed this week's episode! Have a question you'd like featured next week? Leave it on our website at theweeklyquack.com! We'll pick our favorites and talk about them on the show!  Did you know we have t-shirts? Well, you do now! Get yours here: (Mens) (Womens).Time Stamps- Shelf or Sell- 04:59 - The Crew ft. Jan 12:12  -  Kingdom Rush ft. Alex 27:04 - The Crew? ft. Jesse Medley Minute- 33:54 - Tabannusi: Builders of Ur ft. Alex 35:53 - Unmatched - Marvel Edition ft. Jan 37:14 - Cat Knights ft. Jesse On the Radar- The Weekly Quack Countdown 40:37 - Oath: Chronicles of Empire and Exile 43:27 - Massive Darkness 2 45:18 - Dead Reckoning 48:02 - Clash of Cultures: Monumental Edition 49:44 - Rallyman: Dirt 51:37 - Townsfolk Tussle 54:11 - Maglev Metro 56:51 - Golem 58:49 - Merchants of the Dark Road 1:01:09 - Into the Outside Questions for the Audience- 1:07:26 - What's the Best Game You've Played in 2020? What Game Are You Most Excited About in 2021? (Host Question: What Games Did You Regret Getting Rid Off in 2020?) 1:11:28 - If You Could Pick Any Designer or Publishing House to Release a New Game in 2021, Who Would It Be? 1:16:06 - In 2020, What Game Had the Prettiest Art?Support the show (http://patreon.com/quackalope)

Today we discuss Era: Medieval Age designed by Matt Leacock and published by eggertspiele featuring The Hexy Beast! Era: Medieval Age serves as the spiritual successor to Roll Through The Ages. In Era, your dice represent different classes of medieval society as players attempt to build the most prosperous city. The "build" comes into play as players actually build their cities on their boards. By the end of the game, each player will have a unique city of their very own. (Description provided by the publisher.)Learn more about The Hexy Beast here.Learn more about Era: Medieval Age here.Should we play it again? Bring it to the channel? Never touch it again? Let us know by leaving a comment in playeditonce.com!-Time Stamps- 3:54 - Overview 6:46 - Context of Playthrough 8:22 - Components 11:39 - Jan's First Impressions 13:20 - Hexy's First Impressions 14:24 - Jesse's First Impressions 18:25 - Take-That and Mitigation in Era 20:29 - Replayability 23:03 - Price Point 24:54 - What Made It Unique? 27:18 - Did You Enjoy It? Would You Play It Again? 31:43 - Era Vs. Tiny Towns Support the show (http://patreon.com/quackalope)

Tinsel, crustaceans and the spirit of giving. Today on the Weekly Quack we set aside our regular show for something truly special. Join us on our very first Quackalope Christmas Party and find out what the night holds. Featuring guests from our Discord, Tablenauts, Board Games In A Minute and Space Cats and Peace Turtles, this is a holiday special you wont want to miss. Thank you to everyone that has listened this year, consider this our gift to you. Until next time!Learn more about Tablenauts here.Learn more about Board Games In A Minute here.Listen to the Space Cats Peace Turtles podcast here. To join their Discord click here.We hope you enjoyed this week's episode! Have a question you'd like featured next week? Leave it on our website at theweeklyquack.com! We'll pick our favorites and talk about them on the show!  Time Stamps- Our Top Solo and Family Games for the Year- 03:17 - Las Vegas ft. Alex 05:10  -  Sonora ft. Jesse  07:14 - Quacks of Quedlinburg ft. Jan 08:57 - Maquis ft. Jesse 09:58  -  Persona 5 ft. Jan 12:41 - Under Falling Skies ft. Alex 14:35 - Jesse Plays His Backlog! 23:07 - Board Game Jeopardy ft. Tablenauts (Questions Written by Kadeus) 46:33 - Everyone Plays: One Night Ultimate Werewolf! ft. Space Cats & Peace Turtles 1:22:38 - A Year End Reflection ft. Board Games In A Minute 1:33:47 - Our Holiday Traditions ft. Board Games In A Minute 1:50:24 - The Quackalope Song by William Lippincott Support the show (http://patreon.com/quackalope)

Today we discuss Tidal Blades designed by the Eisner Brothers and published by Druid City and Skybound Games featuring Jamey Stegmaier from Stonemaier Games! In Tidal Blades 15 years have passed since the Great Battle, a cataclysmic confrontation that spawned a rift into where creatures dwell. Now a tournament is being held to find heroes that can stop the onslaught of monsters that are once again spewing forth! You and up to 2-5 players will compete to become a Tidal Blade, the elite guards of the island realm. To win, you'll need to succeed at challenges being held throughout multiple arenas and rise above the competition. Each day you'll send your hero to take actions on the different Locations and to undertake Challenges. Challenges can only be completed in matching locations and will require a push your luck dice system to accomplish. Completing Challenges and fighting monsters will advance your character in four traits further improving your chances on future turns. Each Tidal Blade will be judged at the end of the 5 rounds based on the Challenges they have completed, the level of each of their Traits, their standing on the Champions Board, and the monsters they have fought. The winner will be named “Tidal Blade: Hero of the Reef!”Learn more about Jamey Stegmaier and Stomaier Games here. See Jayme's Youtube here.Learn more about Tidal Blades: Heroes of the Reef here.Should we play it again? Bring it to the channel? Never touch it again? Let us know by leaving a comment in playeditonce.com!-Time Stamps- 4:25 - Overview 9:36 - Context of Playthrough 11:52 - How We Learned the Game20:25 - Good Production vs. Over-Production  25:34 - Jamey's First Impressions 30:28 - Jan's First Impressions 33:16 - Jesse's First Impressions 37:00 - Does It Need One Extra Round? 39:38 - Who is This Right Or Wrong For? 40:52 - How is It at Two Players? 44:55 - Can You Shut Off “Designer Brain?” 45:42 - Did You Enjoy It? Would You Play It Again? ft. Jan 47:32 - Did You Enjoy It? Would You Play It Again? ft. Jamey 49:36 - Did You Enjoy It? Would You Play It Again? ft. Jesse Support the show (http://patreon.com/quackalope)

Dwellings of Eldervale, legal documents and protractors.  Today in Shelf or Sell Alex we discuss some heavy hitters like Dwellings of Eldervale and Mage Knight Ultimate Edition.  Afterwards on the Medley Minute, Jan brings a tad of legal drama, Alex learns a bit about Monopolies and Jesse cant stop staring at a set of Particular Peaks. Later in On The Radar we discuss Ugly Gryphon Inn, ISS Vanguard and the latest from Friedemann Friese. All that and more in this week's episode of The Weekly Quack!We hope you enjoyed this week's episode! Have a question you'd like featured next week? Leave it on our website at theweeklyquack.com! We'll pick our favorites and talk about them on the show!  Did you know we have t-shirts? Well, you do now! Get yours here: (Mens) (Womens).Time Stamps- Shelf or Sell- 03:08 - Dwellings of Eldervale ft. Alex 18:14  -  Treasure Island ft. Jan  31:30 - Mage Knight: Ultimate Edition ft. Jesse Medley Minute-  47:32 - Starling Games Cease and Desist Order ft. Jan 52:00 - The HUSTLE Article on Monopoly ft. Alex 53:34 - A Packet of Particular Peaks ft. Jesse On the Radar- 57:31 - Ugly Gryphon Inn ft. Jesse 1:04:03 - ISS Vanguard ft. Alex 1:19:01 - Faiyum ft. Jan  1:26:27 - Audience FeedbackSupport the show (http://patreon.com/quackalope)

Today we discuss Great Western Trail designed by Alexander Pfister and published by eggertspiele featuring Monique and Naveen from Before You Play. In GWT you are rival cattlemen in 19th century America, herding cattle from Texas to Kansas city in a circular trail. Through a combination of rondel movement, hand management and tableau building you'll move your cattleman down the trail. Along the way you will hire new staff, construct buildings and purchase new cattle before reaching your destination, all while avoiding hazards and taxes. Once in Kansas your cattle are then shipped by train, earning you money, opportunities to evolve your player board and victory points. The winner is the player who manages their herd best and exhibits the best timing within the trail.Learn more about Before You Play here.Learn more about Great Western Trail here.Should we play it again? Bring it to the channel? Never touch it again? Let us know by leaving a comment in playeditonce.com!-Time Stamps- 3:32 - Overview 8:09 - Context of Playthrough 16:37 - First Impressions and Subsequent Plays 23:23 - What's Your Favorite Mechanic? 30:04 - What's Your Least Favorite Mechanic? 38:58 - Did You Enjoy It? Would You Play It Again? 46:03 - Bonus: Gods Love Dinosaurs Support the show (http://patreon.com/quackalope)

Stefan Feld's latest, Ginkgopolis and lost credibility.  Today in Shelf or Sell Alex compares Feld's Castles series, Jan opens his minds eye and Jesse takes to the seas with Fleet: The Dice Game.  Afterwards on the Medley Minute, a challenge is issued. Later in On The Radar we discuss Eclipse, the latest from Vindication and Divide Et Impera. All that and more in this week's episode of The Weekly Quack!We hope you enjoyed this week's episode! Have a question you'd like featured next week? Leave it on our website at theweeklyquack.com! We'll pick our favorites and talk about them on the show!  Did you know we have t-shirts? Well, you do now! Get yours here: (Mens) (Womens).Time Stamps- Shelf or Sell- 02:16 - The Castles of Tuscany ft. Alex 12:19  -  Apocrypha ft. Jan  23:31 - Fleet: The Dice Game ft. Jesse Medley Minute-  34:28 - A Very Solo Christmas ft. Jesse 37:35 - Ginkgopolis Reprint ft. Jan 39:48 - A Medley Challenge - Top Ten Voted Games ft. Alex On the Radar- 44:47 - Eclipse: Second Dawn for the Galaxy ft. Jan 51:37 - Vindication: Chronicles Expansion ft. Jesse 1:00:47 - Divide Et Impera ft. Alex  1:10:20 - Audience FeedbackSupport the show (http://patreon.com/quackalope)

Today we discuss Bargain Quest designed by Jonathan Ying and published by Renegade Games with Jeremy Howard from Man Vs. Meeple. In the game players will take the role of shopkeepers in an adventuring town plagued by monsters. Players must draft items and then secretly choose which items to place in their windows to attract wealthy heroes to their shops. Once all heroes have been equipped, they venture out to battle against monstrous threats, earning money and prestige for the shop they represent. Throughout the game players will encounter new heroes and monsters while upgrading their shops and hiring employees. Once the third monster is defeated the player who has earned the most gold and prestige is the winner. (Description provided by the publisher.)Learn more about Man Vs. Meeple here.Learn more about Bargain Quest here.Should we play it again? Bring it to the channel? Never touch it again? Let us know by leaving a comment in playeditonce.com!-Time Stamps- 2:21 - Overview 6:46 - Context of Playthrough 9:47 - Jeremy's First Impressions 12:37 - Jesse's First Impressions 13:47 - Jan's First Impressions 16:33 - Atypical First Game for Jesse 17:50 - Blame It On the Teach 19:54 - Did You Enjoy It? Would You Play It Again? Support the show (http://patreon.com/quackalope)

Polish Awards, extended conversations and goose down pillows.  Today in Shelf or Sell Jan builds up the cathedral in Architects of the West Kingdom, Alex brings in Nova Luna and Jesse finally plays Dungeon Petz.  Afterwards on the Medley Minute, we're curious about Anno 1800, celebrate the Gra Roku Award Winner and Jesse's Panel. Later in On The Radar we take the time to go over your latest suggestions and questions. All that and more in this week's episode of The Weekly Quack!We hope you enjoyed this week's episode! Have a question you'd like featured next week? Leave it on our website at theweeklyquack.com! We'll pick our favorites and talk about them on the show!  Did you know we have t-shirts? Well, you do now! Get yours here: (Mens) (Womens).Time Stamps- Shelf or Sell- 04:08 - Architects of the West Kingdom ft. Jan 13:23 -  Nova Luna ft. Alex 23:31 - Dungeon Petz ft. Jesse Medley Minute-  34:23 - Anno 1800 ft. Alex 36:23 - Gra Roku Award -  Game of the Year ft. Jan 38:36 - Backerkit Panel ft. JesseOn the Radar- 43:03 - How Big Should Your Rotation Be? 55:07 - What Makes an Expert? 1:01:55 - Board Gaming for the Soul1:09:01 - Which Games Have Translated Well to the Digital Table?Support the show (http://patreon.com/quackalope)