Meeple Nation Board Game Podcast
With guest host Dennis Holliday, we discuss the world of Kickstarter, focusing mostly on board games, of course. Dennis has backed over 60 projects and Brent even more. Both seasoned Kickstarter veterans discuss their experiences and joys of this crowdfunding experience. Both are positive and express that the good out way any negative experience that occur.
 
Ryan, on the other hand, expresses his paranoia and criticism of Kickstarter, speculating that it allows creatures the opportunity to skip steps in the creative process and produce inferior products to what might have been. Ryan might be overthinking it.
 
Nathan jumps on board, backing his first project!
Direct download: MN_0069_Kickstarter.mp3
Category:BoardGame -- posted at: 3:31am MDT

Designer: Mike Fitzgerald
Publisher: Eagle/Gryphon Games
Players: 1-4
Ages: 10+
Play Time: 45-60 min
 
In this episode, we discuss how Baseball Highlights: 2045 is not a baseball simulation, but instead a tight, mechanics oriented deckbuilder, which focuses on the 'highlights' of a game of a baseball game. You don't need to like baseball to enjoy this game, and if you absolutely hate baseball, you could still really like this game.
 
Ryan gushes about the cyberpunky art where the robots are trash cans with a bat for a single arm and steam coming out the top. We talk about how the game has a specific flow to the game play that takes some time to get in to, but when you do, the game plays really well. The flow is different with 3 players and is slightly more challenging to slip into. Baseball Highlights also works great for tournament play.
 
We also talk about the various expansions including the Coach, Rally Cap, Magna Glove, Robot Hitters, and Cyborg Pitcher expansions.
Direct download: MN_0068_Baseball_Highlights_2045.mp3
Category:BoardGame -- posted at: 2:00am MDT

This week we revisit the Pathfinder Adventure Card Game. We are joined by our friend, Dennis Holliday, and we talk about the second and third base games, Skull and Shackles & Wrath of the Righteous.

Pathfinder Adventure Card Game is a cooperative game

Ages: 13 and up

Players: 1-4 (up to 6 with expansion)

Time: 60-90 minutes

Publisher: Paizo Publishing

Designers: Chad Brown, Mike Selinker, Tanis O'Connor, Paul Peterson, Liz Spain, Gabby Weidling

We previously reviewed the base set in 2014 on our fourth podcast, http://meeplenation.com/podcast/mn-podcast-0004-pathfinder-adventure-card-game-rise-of-the-runelords/

Direct download: MN_0067_Pathfinder_Adventure_Card_Game_-_Revisited.mp3
Category:BoardGame -- posted at: 2:00am MDT

This episode we review:

Betrayal at House on the Hill

Publisher: Avalon Hill

Year Published: 2004

Edition: 2nd

Designer: Bruce Glassco

Ages: 12+

Time: 60 minutes

Player Count: 3-6

Direct download: MN_0066_Betrayal_at_House_on_the_Hill.mp3
Category:BoardGame -- posted at: 2:00am MDT

In this episode we talk about games we have already reviewed and the expansions we hope to see soon. We also talk about new games we anticipate. We cover

  • Star Wars: Imperial Assault and the Twin Shadows expansion
  • Pathfinder Adventure Card Game
  • Dark Moon
  • Firefly and the new ships and new expansion, Kalidasa
  • Ghostbusters
  • Seafall
  • Dark Moon
Direct download: MN_0065_Looking_Back_and_Looking_Forward.mp3
Category:BoardGame -- posted at: 2:00am MDT

This week we review Castles of Mad King Luwdig.

Designer: Ted Alspach

Publisher: Bezier Games

Time: 30-90 minutes

Ages: 13+

Direct download: MN_0064_Castles_of_Mad_King_Ludwig.mp3
Category:BoardGame -- posted at: 2:00am MDT

Colt Express is a program movement game for 2-6 players that plays in 40 minutes, ages 10 and up. It is played on a three dimensional train, as players take the roles of competing bandits, trying to get the best haul without encountering the sheriff.

Direct download: MN_0063_Colt_Express.mp3
Category:BoardGame -- posted at: 2:00am MDT

This week we talk about the game Werewolf, originally designed as Mafia as part of a psychology experiment. We focus our talks on Ultimate Werewolf, a set of cards from Bezier Games.

Direct download: MN_0062_Werewolf.mp3
Category:BoardGame -- posted at: 2:00am MDT

This episode we review Star Wars: Imperial Assault, a game based on Fantasy Flight's Descent series of games.

Released in 2014

Players: 2-5

Time: 60-150 minutes

Ages: 14 and up

This game can be played as a two player head to head skirmish or with one player controlling the imperial side while 1-4 players control 2-4 heroes as they try to complete objectives and level up their characters.

Direct download: MN_0061_Star_Wars_Imperial_Assault.mp3
Category:BoardGame -- posted at: 2:00am MDT

What is theme? What is narration? Do they compete with each other? We discuss Theme and Narration and a few games as we explore this topic.

Games include:

Dominion

Dixit

Mysterium

Duel of Ages

Direct download: MN0060_Theme_vs_Narration.mp3
Category:BoardGame -- posted at: 2:00am MDT