Hey guys, welcome to episode 105.
We're back again. Priceless pieces.
Games we would never call. As always, I remain PJ.
And I am Gareth, you are Gareth. This, this is a thing where
games will never call. We need to watch this back in a
year or two, three years and check on ourselves.
Absolutely no. This is good.
So I I think it'd be good. So we're getting towards the end
of the year, right? And we've had some casual
conversations around selling games, culling games, giving
them away, donating the charity, however, whatever form.
And we're not here to talk about the form of culling, but just
some games that you would call. And I thought it would be nice
if we just kind of coasting towards the end of the year with
how about some games you won't ever get rid of in your
collection. It's tough, You know, I, I sat
there today, yesterday, yesterday, starting this, this
little decision making and I have been culling.
I think I've called 100 games in the last time we love.
Yeah, well, I've called of which half of those are sold.
OK. The rest are just stacked up in
piles. But so I thought this would be
quite easy because anything that's clearly I clearly I'm
cold. But I was like.
Well. I've kind of got the itch.
Currently I have another cold plant.
I find it quite. I find it quite refreshing.
Cathartic. Yeah, just it's just that really
old. And then five games arrived
about right. I haven't really helped myself.
That's how it always goes. And it's Christmas coming, so
yeah. So you don't go make a bit of
space. Our last call was about two
months ago. OK.
We sold 20 games and only. But the beauty is the money made
allowed us to bring in one, right?
You know, there's those games that are just, yeah, the, the
price is a little, the price point's a little high.
And you're like, yeah, do I really need it?
I don't know, maybe. And so it's like, so like we've
been eyeing returning to the Dark Tower for months.
Yeah, it's not a cheap one either.
No, it's not. And so we sold games, right.
We had a little money leftover, though, So so it got me thinking
about calling games and then you and I were just talking a few
minutes ago before we started recording.
It sounded like I know I did. It sounded like you also had AI
don't want to say intimate, but a really connecting conversation
with your spouse over what games to I wrote.
About 20 games out, yeah, I probably wouldn't get rid of
these. And then I said to Carrie, OK,
which of these would you not get rid of?
Right? And she was like bam, bam, bam.
And I was like, OK, that's right.
There they are. But all of them I was her reason
was the same reason is fine and she's either it's something from
when we first got into gaming, just something we just always
enjoy. So.
Well, there's a sentimental value to it.
Yeah, Yeah. This is kind of similar
conversation that we had as well because the list was longer than
what we're going to present today.
Gareth and I have. We've agreed on three games
each. 3. Three games from our collections
that we will not get rid of for any reason, and we'll talk in
detail about why that is and what about the game we enjoy.
Also, I did a poll on Instagram, so I've gotten about 12 people's
responses on games they wouldn't call, so we'll try to share that
through the the course of the game as well.
Any any games the same? Any of those 20 people the same
game or were they all unique? They were all unique, OK, And
only one, only one person broke the rules.
Rules are there to be broken. I mean, I mean, I could easily
break the rules. Oh yeah, a lot more.
But. You could and I'm going to.
I'm going to try to keep you, so I'm going to try to keep you in
line. You only get 3.
Got 3. You're going to save the good
one for last though, right? OK, yeah, I've got one.
I've got one with a very personal letter.
Yes. And I think I'm going to read
the letter. Letters.
I read the letter out. Yeah, it's linked back to a
Secret Santa from Ball Game Geek.
Yeah, so. Four or five years ago, so we'll
read that in a minute. Yeah.
So do you want to begin with your first one?
Yeah, so this is had two iterations.
I have both copies still. So in terms of examples of I've
got the big, big deluxe deluxeified masks set and I
still have the original. The game is the same except to
the original had these really cool surveyors who might commit
these games. I haven't managed to part my
ways with that. And I thought the fact that I
own both games and they are the same game says that this
probably has not left my collection because it was one of
the very early worker placement games.
Now getting my stats the very first 2012.
So I think this is very early on.
That was Snowdonia really. Which which have you played
there? You know, I haven't.
It's one I just haven't gotten to.
So Tony Budell 2012 one to five players, wait 3 and you just
build the railway and I'm not You didn't get an attempt to
pronounce the Welsh names. OK.
But through the valleys up until Snowdonia, that's not called
Snowdonia anymore. Now called it's official
parking, which I should have done more research on because I
can't pronounce either. Because I don't know what you're
talking about, but it's. A really nice worker placement
where you start in the pub or near the pub in OK the town I've
now forgotten and you have to lay track or dig out to lay
track so you clear that. Works.
Put the track down, then you build stations.
You've got nice set of worker placements at scale.
So like you put cards out for two player or three player or
four player. One of my favorite mechanics is
that he has his weather system. So as this contract deck comes
out, there's the blue disk for for rain or yellow disk for sun,
or grey for fog. And depending on the weather,
workspaces either get covered because you can't dig, because
it's dangerous to dig in in the fog, right?
Or if it's raining you, the ground becomes too squelchy and
you can't lay as much track. So you kind of got this dynamic
of uncontrollable weather, just like the British weather we all
know how. Bad or.
Great, that is. And when the sun comes out, the
ground dries, bam bam. You can put two or three tracks
out at a time. So it is a fantastic worker
placement. It will always be in my
collection. I have two copies for that
reason. The master set is a big old box
that has got, I'm going to say I just have like 50 cards in it.
So Tony, I think this one does it now, but he releases like
this little train cards. Interesting.
And it's it's about to get an expansion of more content.
Yeah, which I have had a chance to play to one of them.
It's a bit, it's a bit more global set of maps, but yeah,
check it out. Snowdonia if you can find a
copy. I need to this sounds great you.
Need if you like worker placement.
I love worker placement. It's great entry.
So the amount of people who've come over is not really games,
but it's just easy. Do this place of this, gather
some resources, convert it to track, build track, buy a train.
Speak Welsh. Speak Welsh.
Yeah, no, I haven't got. I'm not going to try.
Even though my name is Wow, which is a Welsh name.
It is. So that is my, that is my
starter. That's your. 1st I would not get
rid of and the the full game geek tag is brave the elements
as you build your railway up the peak.
Beautiful. That's good.
That's really good. And.
It's it's rated 1010 on my phone so I'm giving that a 10.
Wow. Snowdonia guys.
Donia. Find a copy if you can.
Wow, OK, I'm. Sure that yeah, I can't remember
the master said available but. That sounds really good.
I'm sure expansions could make extra, which means check it.
Out. I like it.
I'm gonna have to do that. What did you go for?
So so I've got 3 here and I'm just going to do them in
chronological order, but I think I'm going to do them in a in
reverse chronological order for for reasons.
I want to start with the Scarlet Pimpernel.
This is by Brian Kelly and the artwork is done by Ian O'Toole.
So, you know, the game looks beautiful.
I've not. Heard this game?
Yeah, this is amazing game right here.
This is gorgeous. It is by Eagle Griffin Games.
So it's what it's designed really well.
So it is right, Right. So the Scarlet Pimpernel was one
of your countrymen who was going into France to rescue the
aristocrats from being murdered or executed by the rebellious
people. What is this, 17, late 1700s,
right? So it's really, really
interesting and my wife is really huge fan of all the
literature, the history of the time period.
There's so many cinematic and TV renditions of the Scarlet
Pimpernel. She has it all.
So when I met her Scarlet Pimpernel.
So when I saw that this game came out, I bought it, but I
bought it through Game Steward. It was the first purchase I ever
purchased through Game Steward. I did not understand what Game
Steward was when I made the purchase.
So I bought it for her as a Christmas gift.
And then I realized, oh, they're going to send me a they're
selling me a copy of a Kickstarter they backed.
I didn't understand how their industry.
Works, Yeah. Basically they are buying the
games that you forgot you forgot to back right?
And this was money. This was early on where Katie
and I were just kind of getting aware of crowdfunding and all
that. And so I bought it thinking,
cool, give it to her for Christmas, but it didn't arrive
at Christmas. So I got like a red envelope
with a scarlet and I and so I I put the receipt saying that I
purchased the copy in it and I put that I.
Have got. You, I put that in her stocking
and she said she would never sell this game because of, as a
gift that I gave to her. I think it was our, I want to
say it was our first Christmas in our home and that was
memorable, you know, So the first board game, first
Christmas gift I got for her in our house, you know, plus it's a
scarlet Pimpinel, which she loves.
That's it, yeah. So it's a cooperative, semi
cooperative game. You're basically moving between
England and France and Belgium and you're trying to
collectively meet all of these goals as a scholar criminal is
rescuing French nobles, right? And then eventually.
What's what's the mechanics is? It so it is a little bit of work
replacement. There's set collection.
Yeah. And there's there's the tiniest
hint of asymmetry. If you collect the right amount
of sets of of resources, you get like an ally who joins you and
gives you an asymmetrical power to help you in your rescuing of
French nobles. But we're all have to contribute
collectively. But at the end of the game there
will only be 1 winner. So it's that, right?
So one of us helped out more than the than the rest, right?
So we're all Englishmen trying to help the Scarlet Pampanel
rescue the French. It's a beautiful game, beautiful
wooden pieces. Of course I do have the
signature collection, so I can't You went.
You went yeah, right game. I didn't, yeah.
Again, I didn't know, but yeah, so it's.
It is pretty. Yeah, it's pretty.
Yeah, it is a beautiful game. I highly recommend.
If you can find a copy you should get it.
It's worth it. It's a fun cooperative game is.
Is it really got a guillotine? What it does a little wooden 1
little wooden one. It doesn't do anything but.
I think, I think obsession is a guillotine.
Little peoples look like obsession a little bit, a
little. Bit, but they're taller than the
obsession. OK, Yeah.
They're taller, but it's beautiful and so check it out.
That's the Scarlet Pimpernel by Eagle Griffin games.
I mean, you know, tools aren't work.
You can't go wrong. You can't go wrong.
Yeah. Can I, Skull?
It's if you're listening. There's a guillotine slap.
It's like the shadow, the shadow of the Pimpernel.
Punishment. Yes.
So that's. My. 1st.
Of three, I saved that. That's a good choice I like.
That's a good story behind it. Yep.
My number 2 is again, interestingly, it's the same
year as release of Snowdonia. It's also 2012.
OK. I did not know that until I
checked. This isn't again well
replacement. This is zulking the Mayan
calendar. Yeah.
Which, yeah. I wonder whether that is just,
is it just, it's why are they here?
Because they were the first few games we got into.
We've also played this game every year.
So all those games have been played every year since we've
well, we've since we've been playing modern ball games.
So I think most people will probably have heard of Zolkin.
But if you haven't and you're new, it's the hobby again.
It's medium, medium, heavy, 3.6, kind of middle of the road,
plays two to four players. And if you've seen any
photographs of Zulkin, it has five cogs on the board that when
you put your worker on, you end up rotating.
So your workers go off and hang around on the cogs and either
you take them off or you put them on.
And that's half the half. The challenge is do I leave them
for another round? But you have to pick up or put
on if they're all on the cogs, they've got to come home.
So, OK, some of the some of the have you played it?
No, I haven't. You need to come back over here,
we've got games to play. Why don't you bring them over
here and teach us? This is a this is a this is
unbelievable. Yeah.
So you put your workers on and you're either gathering food or
fish or woods like the resource one where you're gathering gold.
But ultimately you're trying to build go round the dolkin, the
might Chitznitsa big cog worship at the temples.
It's yeah, it's just so lovely. Again, I guess these are all
medium weight games. I'm not so much into the light
games right. So but Zulking is there.
We have now painted my copy. So I dabbled with my speed
paints and. So did you do a wash on the
cogs? Or did a wash.
Yeah, I did a wash. And then I also went on to Etsy
and bought some 3D printed temples because each clock has a
different temple. OK.
Which look, look really smart. So yeah, I don't think I've
upgraded everything. There's a few things you can get
that makes it a little bit more beautiful, but it's just nice on
the table and very, very good design.
Cool. So again, I think it might be a
print. I think it.
I think so. I think so.
I've heard you talk about it. Phone though.
I've definitely turned to talk about it a lot, so I'd.
Definitely recommend. No, it's not crazy price on
that. But yeah, if you're interested
in again, work placements look right on the table and I've got
great calendar behind it. Check out Zulking the Mayan
Calendar. So easy one.
I did a poll on Instagram and should we read a few of them?
Yeah, when you break that up, these games, would we agree with
these games? Right, So what I did for those
of you who follow us on Instagram, I posted a poll and
then I reposted it today because I was trying to get more.
I was getting a little aggressive today sending it out
to people specifically going, hey, what game?
And I had some, I had some interesting, I had some
interesting conversations with people going, this is a hard
question. I'm like, I know.
So here's some people who did respond, and I guess we'll start
with at Wingspan Girl, our beautiful friend Goja.
Yep, she said. Believe it or not, obsession,
Wingspan obsession. So.
Obsession I think was on your list.
Out of mine Potential. Yep.
But. I.
Think she's got a nice story behind that I guess.
She does. She does have a good story and
it's connected to us so. Yeah.
So that's that's good choice and.
I would. Give her the thumbs up that it
would also stay in my collection.
Thumbs up stays in my. Collection I hope, because did
you have you had your coins and? Not yet.
Characters. Because mine arrived.
You saw that on Friday. I saw that, yeah.
The Queen the coins are lovely. Are they?
They get thumbs up and I've opened the box and went they're
pretty cool, but I hope Gozier gets her her pack because I
think it was due anytime soon. She was so.
Back a year ago when Dan was on the show and talking about it
the character's expansion, he said he would rather you
purchase it from the local retail shop then backing it on
Kickstarter. I'm like, OK, so I'm just
waiting for it to arrive at Titan.
Game to your local shop. I'm waiting for my local shop.
That's what the boss said so. Yeah, you might be.
Yeah, it, it will be with you soon.
So it will be with you. Soon.
OK, that's a good choice. So our friend Shelley, who lives
just north of me in the state of Michigan at at Michiana Board
Gamery, she said Anachrony, which is just behind you.
Yep. Would you keep Anachrony in your
collection? Yeah.
Yeah, when, when the games are in here, she's like, this is my
office, I forget. So I'm looking for games to
play. I've actually taken a photograph
of this and it's stuck to the side of the calyx downstairs so
that I, I can't remember, but I still forget.
It's a great game. Yeah.
So much content, loads of content.
I've not played half of it. I don't own it.
Have you played? I have played it.
I have played it and I was not. Katie and I were not impressed.
Two player, three players. What have you played it We.
Played it three players OK. Let's pick that twos a bit.
It was fine, but it just felt like it, I don't know, it felt
like there was a little too much going on.
I don't know what it was. And again, it's been a few
years, but yeah, yeah. So I don't know.
It's good choice. Sound.
Sound choice, though. Yeah, good choice.
And the third one from at bored all the time, said 5 tribes.
Oh, that's gone on my call list a while ago.
It went on my call. It's the wrong to go to.
What what see, see that? When's that go?
It's only gone recently. I was going to say in the last
18 months probably, but it wasn't.
It was on and off since. But I think we've got other
games similar which I can't, we said at the time, but.
It was it's it's a good game. It is No, it is a fantastic
game. So Katie and I really enjoyed
it. Then we introduced to some
friends who were like, we don't like this.
So it's like, well, we're never going to it's never going to get
played. And we didn't love it.
We just liked it. So it yeah, that was a few years
ago, but thank you for the. For participating and saying
that 5 Tribes will stay in your collection, I respect that.
It's a good game. It's a really good game.
Lot of wooden maples. Lot of wooden maples in that
game. Camels.
Yep. Palm trees.
Yep. So should I talk about my number
two? My second game.
Yes. OK.
What have you. Got so it is.
It was the first game that I introduced Katie to, the no
longer live television program on YouTube called Tabletop that
was originally hosted by Will Wheaton.
I was consuming that show like crazy when we first moved here
to Illinois. And I was like, OK, you've got
to watch this. And at first she was reticent.
She was like, I'm not going to watch a show about people
playing board games like that. Just seems silly.
So we watched the episode about this game and they were playing
and she was like this is amazing and we need the game.
And that game was Alhambra. No, no, no, it was Alhambra by
Dirk Hen. Which I also have behind.
You do you have the big box. I have it right here.
Yep, just the original. But you know, I do want to show
you one thing about this game. So it was the first game that
Katie and I ever upgraded. Now my big box is not upgraded.
So what? OK.
Now mind. You, I mean treats, what have
you upgraded? So we upgraded two things and we
didn't know anything about that was deluxe editions and all that
stuff. So the first thing is, is the
this is the bag that my wife made for the tiles.
That's nice and personal. She then made a second bag.
It's a much smaller bag, and what's inside is the real
kicker. Now, for those of you who have
played and you can't see what I'm holding up, if you played
Alhambra, you know that there's a little center tile with a
fountain. Well, we decided that that was
not good enough, so it's. Just a square.
It's like a carpeting size style.
So we went to a craft store, a local craft store, and we
decided to make our own. Nice were.
They 3 printed or they what they?
Made No, this is wood. These are wood pieces and we
just painted them with with base coats of each color.
So yeah, now you. That was our first upgrade, so
you could see why we're not going to call this game.
The bags alone, particularly Katie's, made them.
She made them and. Solid game.
It is a solid game, the only problem is that Ghost's third
player really annoys us when you.
When you is it Dirk? It is Dirk, Dirk.
Dirk. Nowhere that came.
Dirk Yeah, yeah. We don't like third.
We don't like the third. Yeah.
It's a bit, it's a bit of a pain.
It's definitely better with more players.
Just so you haven't got Dirk, Yes, She's not massive.
It's not a massive admin, it's a little bit.
It's a little bit, it's a little bit so.
But yeah, so that's all. Hum rub.
So. Yeah, great choice, I think.
Stay in our collection. We've talked similarly.
It's been here and it's a big box.
You thinking there's a lot of content.
I think you open up, we open the, we play the basic game
because we can't remember like how to play.
I've been staring at it over your shoulder for the past 10
minutes as we've been recording because I'm like, I want to play
that. I think there's more, isn't
there? Because I think there's like
Glasgow Live Modules 16, I'm going to say.
And then I think there's 789. I think there's a big, big box,
the revised version, I'm sure because there.
Is there's a revised Yes, you're absolutely right.
And then the version I've got is old.
Also, Durkan got the 2003 Spiel Liara, yeah, for Alhambra.
So yeah, it's got a it won a lot of awards.
These days I'd say it's it's tile placement and you're
looking to the longest wall, I guess the longest.
Track Yeah, the longest wall of the scene.
Some of the. Mechanics from other games,
yeah. But it's it's, it's beautiful
and I love tile placement, you know, that's my favorite, so.
Yeah, definitely check it out. I mean, that's a good Christmas
family game. It is.
It's. Something.
Yeah, if you listen to us at Christmas.
If you are. Alhambra.
Alhambra.
By Queen Games, a beautiful company that makes amazing,
amazing games. So so how about you?
What's next do? You.
Want to do it? If you've got any more I do you
want to You want to go? I've got some more.
So our next Instagram follower who contributed to the poll
failed to follow directions. The question was what one game
will you never call? Now I understand this is a
difficult question and we have a lot of emotions attached.
You and I are talking about all these emotions, but this
individual gave us 3. OK, that's OK.
Yeah, it is OK they. They they heard the show brief.
They just got the show brief, not the.
Instagram. That's right.
There you go. This is from at Bearwin Plays
Games. OK.
And he said, Tapestry by Stone Meyer that you're wearing right
now on your hoodie. Oh.
Yeah, that's some brands. Tapestry's a good one.
I think I'm gonna. I'll keep Tapestry in my
collection. No, that's.
AI have I have did. You call it.
Recently to get into games. Craig's got my copy now, it just
wasn't in the table. And I love sieve games.
I know you do. Just it just isn't enough of a
sieve game to stay. So.
Always enjoyed playing it so again it's it's it was sure I
had all of the content and a folded space and the expansions.
So we definitely vested it, but just before I get in the place
we. It hits the table every year at
least three times. You've you've got a story behind
yours. Whatever.
I do, I do, I do as well. I guess I probably should have
included in my 3, but yeah, we're not going to talk about
that story because it's it's. It's a yeah, but so yeah.
You'll have to go back and listen.
I tell the story about Tapestry, but let's see also Windmill
Valley. You.
Recently you recently played that.
Yeah, I love it. Great game.
Yeah. Great game and then Concordia.
Still in my section. Very good.
Still in my collection it wasn't.
Sold. It wouldn't get sold instead.
We we love that game so much and we played a lot of two players
that we bought. We bought a map.
Yeah, just just a. There's a small amount.
It's like the island of Crete I. Think it's, isn't it?
It's Crete and it's perfect for two player and so that's what we
do because Concordia is a good game.
That's a yeah, it's a good game. That's a solid game.
It's a lot of hatred for the for the boxer.
It does. There's.
A lot of anger for the boxer. You know what the?
The quality of the games, really.
I tell you, what I don't like is the size of the box, the art.
Box. Well, I've got that box and then
we because we've got all the I think we've got most the maps.
Yep, we have both boxes, one box like the salsa boxes, got all
the maps. We've got the.
Salsa. Yeah, we got the folded space
insert to keep everything organized.
So no, you got to get. That's a good choice.
Yeah, you. Should you should reach out to
Richard and Liz with folded space and see if they'll send it
to you? Yeah, it definitely helps
because there's a lot of stuff in that box.
There's a lot of stuff, a lot of resources, and then at Fritz
Paul, he said Above and below, above and below, which I have
never played, I've never played. I that went in the last round as
well. Oh, it did.
And it also somebody got very lucky because it had the spiral
bound forest. They did a Kickstarter for
another set of stories. Oh, they did.
Which they did so that. They did, and that went.
To an. Instagrammer.
Who have now? But somebody who we know go back
to the minute. Good.
So that went to a good home. Yeah.
Good job.
And then, and then at Dana Hayward, she said.
Cancel's a burgundy. That's on my list.
It would have appeared, Carrie, both, both eyes said.
We play that so much, particularly since we've had the
deluxe version. But again, it's been with us
forever and you are like a double.
Yeah, yeah. We got rid of it.
Yeah, I. Made you've made a mistake.
It is a game. It is a game that I love to hate
and I love talking health. I love to share it with you
because it's like it's one that where we don't agree at all.
I don't understand that. Game, you're just wrong.
You're just wrong. You know, Nope.
And who was it? Dana.
Dana.
Dana, Dana Hayward. Dana Hayward.
She's she's right. Well, there you go.
That's correct, Dana, you are correct.
You are. OK.
So I do my thirds. You should do your third.
So. This is a good one I was going
through. Yeah.
So this is this is. We are about to We are about to
enter the two player game phase of this episode.
Oh OK, this is 2 player. This is target.
It's two player reason. Anyone who can see the screen
will see that the box is in German and there's a story
behind that. Now if you do go on Board game
Geek and you are aware that they do a Secret Santa every year.
It's currently in flight and I'm currently chatting to my Santa
and my Target and it turns out my current my Santa who's
sending me a gift follows me on Instagram and I follow them.
I haven't. I don't know who it is, but that
was exciting in its own right. Cool.
So those Santa's arranged stuff anyway, I don't know when Targy
was given to me by Secret Santa, but it it's got to be five years
plus certainly since I've been living here just 10 years.
But this Secret Santa went. So sometimes you got you got to
send a gift for 5050 dollars and that's, that's what you've got
to do. But Santa's like to go above and
I think I've only had so it's my 10th or 12th year.
One year I didn't, I didn't get Santa didn't send me a gift.
But then, but then their standing Santa's usually deliver
above and beyond. But OK.
But this answer wrote me a letter which I thought I'd read
because it's quite it's quite good for this time of the year.
I have been wanting to, I've been wanting you to read this
for a while, yeah. It's 3 pages, it's big text.
I can't remember who my Santa was.
They did tell me at one point about a year afterwards, but it
was just in conversation. I'm never going to find that
message again, but it's better be in secret.
So they sent me quite a few things, so Targy is one of them.
But when I get to reading out the bit about why they chose
Targy, you'll see why it's in my collection.
But anyway, Merry Christmas, Gareth, it starts with hope
you're having a wonderful holiday with the family.
It's been a lot of fun being your Secret Santa.
I really had to think before I decided which games to get you.
That is because I believed or I believe a hobby to our hobby to
be more than just fun and play. I believe that it learns that
this person's Bowie is not is not native English.
I think it's Scandinavia. I believe that it learns
something more valuable. I thought I would share my
readings with you. So the first game they sent me,
these were separate packages, was the Great Western Trail.
Wow. Right, that's where we started,
right, A game to play with friends.
So this so that was given so I could play that with my friends.
I got this game that Essen immediately fell in love with
it. So it was an easy pick for a
good game for gamers with interaction but not that mean
conflict type of interaction. I feel like it is more a race to
get things one needs. Getting the good spots with your
building, hire your workers at a good price.
Getting the station master tiles and cows before the other
players is crucial and creates a good non destructive
interaction. It can be a bit long if you
don't have a clear plan but with a few plays that should fix
that. Also I have high hopes for the
variability with random start buildings placement and two
sided personal buildings so that's why.
Cool. We were sent Great Western
trail. OK. #2 Cottage garden wow, these
aren't these aren't cheap games this.
Is no. This is a.
Good Santa, a game to play with your children.
So my kids would have been maybe 5-6 years younger.
OK. Most educational games are
really boring to say the least. The cottage garden has a lot of
mechanism mechanisms that taps into a higher cognitive skills
and thus is very educational without putting you to sleep.
I love this. For one, the spatial element is
the heart of the game and on the skills that most kids nowadays
don't learn. Sure they learn it on iPads, but
that is missing the tactile feel and fine motor skills that tile
handling gives. Also the four scoring tracks and
the spots you cover that shouldn't teaches us to pace
ourselves and not rush into options that gives us the most
payout but the best long term reward and balance in our score.
Essential life skills for all of us in my opinion.
Is this a great lab? That is so good and well said.
Here we go. It's pretty good, really good
choice. Like why?
It's not just like, here's my you're just supposed to choose
games off your wish list. Piercing games, ticketing.
It's so, so much caring for, so targy targy game to play with
your wife. Target is a brilliant game.
The balance between getting the right resources and building
your tribe is so fun. Like if you haven't played
Target, you've got two players like get this game.
So I'm saying that it's not the letter.
Right. And the worker placement and the
intersection mechanism is just awesome.
It's not very confrontational, but you are forced to stand in
other person's way. Yes, I think half the game is
always having two options so that you can't be blocked.
Such a fine game. It just begs for an expansion.
So this is before Cosmos printed the English version, but Cosmos
decided that it's not worth it to translate the expansion into
English. I mean, it is now that it
wasn't. There, right?
Despair not, I have done it for you.
In this box you will find a set of sleeves for Targi, a set of
sleeves for the expansion. All the expansion sleeves have
two pieces of paper inside them, one for the German text that is
making it easy to find the right cards and to be taken out once I
found them to insert the English translation.
Ensure it's a pay start. I'm sure you are familiar with
those. So I intend to have the
expansion shipped to me. So I intended to but do the
whole thing for you. But it's just not easy to get
things where he lived. And often retailers don't have
the option for shipping to my country.
So fortunately you're going to have to place the cards in the
sleeves yourselves. So, So in the box was he just
sent that all the sleeves and the German words?
I had to find the German words on the German on the German
printed cards, sleeve it, take out the words and then put in
the English translation. Which is why I can't get rid of
this game because. No, you can't, thought.
And the letter and it is a grade two player game.
Wow. That's why that game will never
be sold. Let me hear the last.
There is some more, no final words.
Final words. So what is this mysterious
message I want to convey? In short, cherish your friends,
family and partner. Christmas is increasingly about
buying and receiving, but it should be about the people we
choose to share it with. That is why I've chosen games
that are non confrontational. So play Great Western Trail and
get lost in it through with your friends.
Play Cottage Garden and marvel at its development.
Yeah, I bet you can't. You can remember when you
couldn't even say point salad and play Targi with Carrie while
you love her with all your heart.
After all, she's the one person you truly have chosen and vowed
to devote yourself to. This is what games are to me.
A way to bring the ones we love close to us.
A way to facilitate interaction between us that is about a
shared experience we create together and a way to spend time
with each other bereft of all the peer pressure, expectations
and thoughts about who all the should haves in life enjoy.
Isn't that beautiful? It's beautiful.
I've got your tears. Look at that.
I don't know how you can read that without you.
You kept straight face. Wow, there's.
There is more. Got one paragraph to go and then
there's a there's a bonus game. So there's a game called
Terrible Monsters, which I think is just down here.
It's a small box, a game to discover with your wife.
I saw this on Kickstarter and made my own print and plate
copy. It was surprisingly quick to do
so, just 16 cards in a few cheers.
But in those cards is always the answer to your opponent's
attack, so you anticipate what will be played against you, and
then you have to have the answer ready.
I backed it on Kickstarter, and by mistake I've got an extra
copy, so I'm gifting it to you to drive home the point of hang.
Brought to one part of this. Hope you don't find me
presumptuous. And there's a picture of the
elephant. Elephantus.
Christmas kite. Kiss kiss.
Oh nice. I mean, I mean, there you go.
And that letter sits inside the box.
Yeah. And will never be sold.
That is. That is what a ball game geek
Secret Santa should be. Should be, yeah.
That's lovely. That's why Targhee is in my
collection. Wow, isn't that beautiful.
It is so beautiful that I think I'm done.
I don't. I hope you're what's your third
game anyway. If you've got not got Targhee
you don't have the expansion to start with.
It is 2 player cards around the board.
You put your worker down and then they put the worker down
and then you intersect and then there's cards in the middle and
it's it's genius. Yeah, it is by.
Target. It's very simple, yet it has a
lot of immersive qualities. Yeah, it's fantastic game.
And great. Yeah, Katie and I play it often.
That's. She's definitely in print
because I saw it today in town when I was.
In that's that's amazing. So I told you, this is the two
player segment of our game. So I I'm a last game from 1999.
This is another German. Yeah.
Wolfgang Ludka. He created this game.
But why is this? Why is this game I'm about to
show you so important? It it it's very much similar to
your Secret Santa's comments. So Katie and I met when we were
in Graduate School in Arizona and we had been dating maybe 4-5
months. We're not together for very
long, so it was really early in our relationship and it was my
birthday, which is in May. So, you know, we're getting
ready to get to the summer break.
And so she bought me this game and it's.
It's set in ancient Rome. So she was, she and I were both
studying, she was studying classical studies, I was
studying Roman history. So we had overlap in our
programs. So it's automatically perfect.
This two player game, it's, it's amazing and I'll never let go of
it because it's the first thing that my wife, when she was just
my girlfriend of five months, bought for me.
It was also the 1st exclusively 2 player game that I had ever
seen up until that time. I knew Catan, I knew Ticket to
Ride, I knew River Dragons. I didn't know two player games
existed and that was Caesar and Cleopatra.
Caesar and Cleopatra. Cosmos game.
That is, or it was. It's not.
Yeah, this is auto print. Is it?
It's got to be out of print. This this is auto print.
You're going to have a hard time finding this game, but it's it's
similar. So what?
Yeah. What is it?
It's similar to if you've played Lost Cities, another two player
game where you have a collection, you have a hand of
influence cards that are Egyptian, and I have a set of
influence cards and they're Roman and they're numbered 1:00
to 5:00. And then you have like AP, which
is a philosopher, and you place the cards either face up or face
down in front of you. And you're trying to influence
the Roman officials, the quasters and the the senators
and the censors and the different offices of politicians
in Rome. And when there's eight, I think
it's 8 cards, 8 cards combined, either on one side or both
sides. Then you call for a vote and you
flip it over and whoever has the most wins the influence card.
And there's usually, there's usually three or five influence
cards and you have a private objective.
You're trying to get the most of one of the groups of
politicians. Is there a border?
Is it? Is it just?
Cards. No, it's just cards.
Is it cards game? It's just cards, strictly cards,
really lightweight. But yeah, I mean, like, you
know, my wife bought this for me, you know?
They're going to get sold. Is it?
He had no idea where our relationship was going to go,
right? We were under tremendous stress
for studying in grad school and just knew we enjoyed each
other's time and we enjoyed playing board games together.
And so she bought that for my birthday.
And yeah, I never looked back. I never looked back, Gareth.
It was a theme. It was the theme, you know, said
he loves his, loves his classic ancient history love and love
games. Love board games and love
spending time with her. And so here we are, married 15
years later and a trip to England. 500 board games.
I know you have, yeah. Right.
So it's kind of crazy. So I totally get your Secret
Santa when he's talking about the, the, the, the playing with
your, your partner. I get that.
That's that's huge. It's why I'm always on the
lookout for the next two player game I loved.
Even if I can collect them and we don't get to play all of
them. Yeah.
So that's. Good choice.
Yeah, those are excellent choices.
I hope people have found that You you too.
I mean, some are out of print, but yeah, you can always find
them. Well, that's The thing is you
and I are a little you know, we've been in this hobby for
quite a while, so we've got some out of print games that have
been with us for. But you can find them second
hands or just come up whenever people sell things on, you know?
Whenever they're making, whenever they're calling their
collection. Count Yeah, always watch out as
a game earlier I was like, you know, wait, what?
Did any other any Before we wrap up?
Have you got any more? We we do.
We have a few more and I'll try not to take up too much time,
but at Alice plays board games, she said she would never, she
would never get rid of underwater cities.
Did you? I've never played it so.
I it's what it is there a game. So I go, I wish I've not got rid
of that one. Yeah, there's not many, but that
is one where I go. I've really enjoyed that game.
Yeah. But I think I'd like the first
print run, which in a newer version was better and I think I
thought to myself I'll get to this and maybe buy it again, but
I haven't. I remember seeing a lot of
people talking about it on Instagram, but I've never played
Underwater Cities so I don't have a vote at Scholars Mate
games. I've never heard of this game.
I don't know if I'm being punked.
I have no idea at Scholars Mate games which which which is best.
Which as in WH and then which as in?
WIT. Which which?
Is best and they did it in all caps so this is not a game I
know. Which which is the bravest?
But that's not the broom service.
Which which is best? No idea.
No idea, so I have no comment. I don't know.
I don't know if that's a game or not a game.
Speaking of comments, I failed at the beginning of the episode.
I'm supposed to do this more often.
I didn't. Please guys, make sure that you
like and subscribe to our channel.
Follow and put comments at the bottom.
What we really like you to do is tell us what game you would
never call from your collection. Put that in the comments.
I know we want to know more at Chucky Milk.
At Chucky Milk, said Planet Unknown.
Good choice. So that's a good choice.
Can't. I can't put a thumbs up boy
because my copy hasn't arrived yet.
Really. We're still waiting.
So you've got thumbs up because you're.
Yeah. At least you're still waiting.
I'm waiting. You haven't.
Because sometimes you. You're still waiting.
You're going. Yeah.
I don't even want to play anymore.
But. But we've played it and we know
we like it, so we can't wait for it to arrive, yeah.
That's what it's on my shelf that I have got horizontal and
every time I tell myself I need to move it because I opened the
box last week because I was moving some things around and
everything has. Come out.
Come on. So I.
Put it back in and then guess what I did I.
Put it back horizontally. Yeah, sorry, horizontally.
Vertically, our good friend Kay at Kay plays games.
Kay Kay is. She said calico.
Now I have recently got rid of that.
Did you a? Friend.
Mine is still right here up on the shelf.
Because what Die Cascadia? Was there something I felt that
I was just some similarity to other games?
I can't remember what I was thinking mean.
Cascade is a little, Cascadia can be flat, but Calico is
amazing. It is cats, it is cats and
quilts. It is tile laying.
It is amazing. I love it.
Pattern recognition good for your kids?
And looks beautiful. It does.
It's gone down so well done UK. I agree with you at box to
board. Box board.
Yep, and these are all Instagram people who follow us at Box to
Board, said Blood Rage. That's a good game.
That's not a game I own. I don't own it either, I have
played it. Really enjoyed the game.
Really enjoyed it. Yeah, it's good fun.
Yeah, I can't remember that one or not.
I think I played it before. EI lost, I lost.
That's a good game though. It's just, it's good, it's good.
And then at the last minute, before the, you know how the
stories, they have like 24 hours and they vanished.
So that's why we probably didn't get more and why I reposted it
at Edgar Ribeiro. I apologize if I'm not saying
that right. At Edgar Ribeiro, he said
scythe. He would never get rid of
scythe, right? Here.
Yeah, up there. Yeah, I would, I would agree.
Thumbs up. Yeah, Scythe.
Yeah, Scythe is. It hasn't.
It has never crossed my mind. No.
Again, that's that's been with us a long time.
Long time. That's a game where we bought.
We've got the insert, the legendary box, the metal coins,
the upgraded resources, everything.
We've painted all the minis and the airships, so it's not going
anywhere. Yeah, it's some investment.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, we've got, we've got everything, but I
haven't painted the minis. You need to.
You need to do that. This, this this here.
This seems highly, highly likely to be on the coal list.
Really. Yeah.
We haven't played it. Haven't We played it once.
It was, you know, we got to play it once last year.
Enjoy it but it has been up here it hasn't been hasn't cost shelf
for a couple of years yeah through but this this is this is
about this is got expansions due so that can't move in a bigger
box. This is a yearly, you know, one
Dance Wall's the first game I ever painted.
Yep. Clan to Caledonia, that's on
Kickstarter right now. If you don't own Clan to
Caledonia, it's been out for it and it's on Kickstarter today.
I think it's got another week or two weeks ago.
That's a great game. OK.
I would say here, this whole shelf right here, Murano.
Oh yeah, there's some. Grand Austria Hotel is.
That Newton. Newton and Polis, I mean, I hope
that you and I can get Simone Luciano on the show because we
found out you and I own a ton of their games and yeah, would love
to get them on is. That Zolkin?
Isn't that just a jewel? Isn't Zolkin a jewel?
I think so. I think so, yeah.
And Lorenzo Illinois Magnifico. Yeah, yeah, that's a yeah.
There's so many games I have I don't realize.
Cool. So good.
So there we are guys. These are the games that we
would never call from our collection.
You're talking to two veterans of who believe in the importance
of culling so that you can make space.
Not every game needs to be kept. I think it's important to say is
that if you've got an emotional attachment, keep it by all
means, but. Yeah, I've been passing on games
that like my friends have got as well, so there's no point having
two or five copies. Oh yeah, We all joked that we'd
all sold the same game and there was no there.
We've got a problem. We all made the same call.
I was like, we didn't really, but that would be a nightmare if
we all chose. It's all right.
Gareth's got a copy then. Oh yeah.
Yeah, yeah, OK. So there you go, we have got.
Two episodes to go. Two episodes to go.
Break. Yeah, we're going to take a
pretty significant break for the holidays.
We'll get to the first week of December and then we're going to
we will, we'll be back in January.
Yeah, with more I'm I'm having a.
Knee operation, which means less mobile for three weeks, but if
you are in the Southampton area and have nothing.
To do I have 3? Weeks of open house gaming.
So just drop me a message, come over and entertain.
I wish I could, yeah. Just hop over.
I've got I've got a week and a half off for the holidays like
so I've got the time. I have 3 weeks which I don't
think I've had in a long time. Yeah, well, it'll be good for
you. It'll be good for you.
Right, thanks everyone for watching, listening and as PJ
said, like to subscribe and. Follow I can subscribe.
That. Comments in the blow, please.
See you next. See you next week.
Here you next week. Whatever else.
We'll be here next. Week See you laters.
Thanks everyone.