Top Four

◼   ► okay dogs in silent mode dog is silenced

◼   ► well I should say stealth mode okay

◼   ► let's uh let's do this thing

◼   ► you know today's topic I picked board

◼   ► games no we love playing board games yet

◼   ► we are both big fans and we have played

◼   ► many of the geeky board games that have

◼   ► mostly originated from Germany at least

◼   ► at least a while ago and we always try

◼   ► to get people to play board games with

◼   ► us but sometimes you never know what

◼   ► kind of crowd you're with if they want

◼   ► to play board games or not so we know

◼   ► not to ask Merlin yes there's certain

◼   ► people you know not to ask not like

◼   ► Merlin's been over our house at all ever

◼   ► Oh million times you know how much you

◼   ► love to travel unnecessarily yeah anyway

◼   ► so yeah I have a short list I bet you

◼   ► have nothing prepared because there's

◼   ► nothing in your lap right now I'm

◼   ► looking at you and you are devoid of any

◼   ► kind of information I have a list oh you

◼   ► picked up your iPhone my god I do have a

◼   ► list it is not though strictly ordered

◼   ► and it is only six things long oh that's

◼   ► pretty short I have a lot yeah cuz I

◼   ► went into the game closet and just wrote

◼   ► down all the games oh that's a good move

◼   ► I should have done that do you want my

◼   ► shortlist first so maybe you can add

◼   ► some things yeah let's try that okay TIF

◼   ► shortlist

◼   ► we have Settlers of Catan we have Puerto

◼   ► Rico Scrabble Agricola power grid power

◼   ► grid factory manager Mille Bornes corkle

◼   ► blackest Ticket to Ride balderdash the

◼   ► construction game pictionary monopoly

◼   ► clue and Bananagrams okay those are the

◼   ► games I have on okay my short list in no

◼   ► particular order my order was meant to

◼   ► deceive I believe everything on my list

◼   ► is on your list that's no surprise we

◼   ► play games together so yeah so I want so

◼   ► first of all let me disclaim upfront

◼   ► there are certain games like Settlers of

◼   ► Catan or Agricola Agricola there are

◼   ► certain games like this where we are

◼   ► probably not pronouncing the names

◼   ► correctly

◼   ► Agricola that sounds pretty good I

◼   ► thought it was Agricole of it I don't

◼   ► know Agricola I don't know it's like

◼   ► well it's agriculture agriculture I

◼   ► don't know right

◼   ► so it sounds like Agricola yeah kula

◼   ► however you pronounce that there's

◼   ► somebody screaming while listening to

◼   ► this right now that they know the

◼   ► correct the right answer and we are

◼   ► butchering it and they were just

◼   ► screaming do you think we should never

◼   ► had a chatroom show maybe maybe if the

◼   ► listeners demanded enough there because

◼   ► they're demanding all ten yeah they were

◼   ► really ten people in there it would be

◼   ► it would be not a lot of people

◼   ► so especially because we record so

◼   ► erratically whenever we can yeah we

◼   ► would give people like thirty seconds

◼   ► notice oh we're recording right now

◼   ► alright so do you want to talk about

◼   ► maybe some of the games in your list

◼   ► that didn't make your top four before we

◼   ► go into the top four um well I have a

◼   ► really big list so a lot of the games

◼   ► didn't make it and I'm pretty sure

◼   ► probably some of them didn't make it for

◼   ► the same reason that yours didn't make

◼   ► it because I know you don't like games

◼   ► with a lot of chance correct and that

◼   ► drives you crazy when there's too much

◼   ► chance and you feel like that nothing

◼   ► you do will help you win or lose so you

◼   ► want to feel in control of your gameplay

◼   ► and the possibility of winning if every

◼   ► game has a small amount of chance but

◼   ► you're more happy with games with the

◼   ► least amount of chance right in fact so

◼   ► I mean I could I because I haven't even

◼   ► picked my number my number one yet I'll

◼   ► talk about the first one I put on my

◼   ► list which is Puerto Rico it's the very

◼   ► first one I thought of we haven't played

◼   ► that one in so long I have it I don't

◼   ► have it on my top 4 list because we

◼   ► haven't played it in so long I don't

◼   ► know and I feel like now that I know

◼   ► spoiler if you buy your own boat you win

◼   ► every time well not not every time I

◼   ► approach win every time when I when you

◼   ► get to buy your own boat I think well so

◼   ► I've played a lot more than you except

◼   ► played on the iPad and I've played it

◼   ► more recently just because of that I pad

◼   ► ones boring oh I like it anyway so and

◼   ► one thing that very few of these like

◼   ► awesome board games actually have good

◼   ► iPad or computer versions and so it's a

◼   ► pretty rare luxury when you find one and

◼   ► Puerto Rico and Agricola Agricola

◼   ► however it is they both have good iPad

◼   ► versions neither of them are great but

◼   ► both are good enough that if you enjoy

◼   ► the game you will enjoy the iPad

◼   ► versions anyway so I like Puerto Rico

◼   ► because is what you just said that that

◼   ► it doesn't have almost any luck like the

◼   ► only random element in the game

◼   ► is you know who you choose to go first

◼   ► and and then the order in which the the

◼   ► tiles come up for the the plantation

◼   ► choice like when you get those tiles are

◼   ► random that as far as I can't remember

◼   ► that's the only random element in the

◼   ► game and so almost everything you do is

◼   ► a choice

◼   ► you know you have made this decision it

◼   ► will affect you like it is yours to win

◼   ► or lose and besides that it is it you're

◼   ► about to buy or not exactly it is you're

◼   ► about to buy or not or you can buy all

◼   ► the boats and blocked if out of them but

◼   ► everyone knows I'm going to be buying

◼   ► the boat get out of my way what is it

◼   ► the wharf is the item that's it's one of

◼   ► like the nine or the eight yeah

◼   ► something like that but I always just go

◼   ► for the boat and then there's one other

◼   ► one too that if you get with the boat

◼   ► the harbor I believe is so there's like

◼   ► it's the one where you get one bonus

◼   ► victory point for everything you ship

◼   ► yes if you have those two together

◼   ► because you're shipping on your own boat

◼   ► yet is a clincher you are always gonna

◼   ► win yeah it would you'd have to be very

◼   ► bad at the game to have both of those

◼   ► things and not win and I think see I

◼   ► can't put it on my top four because now

◼   ► that I figured that out as a player I

◼   ► can't I know that that's the strategy to

◼   ► win and I know if it doesn't happen for

◼   ► me in the game I'm not going to win so I

◼   ► kind of like it the magic is lost on me

◼   ► well see to me that see what what makes

◼   ► this game great is that everything you

◼   ► do affects everyone else as well like

◼   ► like you know in a game you take turns

◼   ► and and like there's a certain number of

◼   ► things you can pick from and you when it

◼   ► comes to your turn you pick the thing

◼   ► you want to do that round and you as the

◼   ► person who picked it gets a small

◼   ► advantage of that but every but whatever

◼   ► you picked everyone else gets gets most

◼   ► of that same benefit so if you pick for

◼   ► instance the the mayor rate which which

◼   ► lets you add more people to your

◼   ► plantation then you know everyone else

◼   ► gets to add people of their plantations

◼   ► also you just get one more than they do

◼   ► so it's a game where you have to very

◼   ► much consider not only what is best for

◼   ► you when it's your turn trying to pick

◼   ► what to do but you got to make sure that

◼   ► you're not going to really super

◼   ► strongly benefit someone else you know

◼   ► it to actually agree that it might hurt

◼   ► you but at the same time if you don't

◼   ► pick that thing then they probably will

◼   ► when it come to comes around to them

◼   ► so it's it's as weird tragedy that you

◼   ► have to think about but I disagree with

◼   ► you about about your hardware plus Wharf

◼   ► thing in that that isn't just the one

◼   ► strategy to win that is that is a

◼   ► strategy that can win if if other people

◼   ► are doing certain other things are not

◼   ► doing them but the great thing about

◼   ► this game is that you can't do the same

◼   ► thing every game because whether that

◼   ► can win will depend on what everyone

◼   ► else is doing and if if so if the game

◼   ► conditions are such like for example the

◼   ► harbour and Wharf combo takes a long

◼   ► time to get because those are two very

◼   ► expensive items and money is pretty

◼   ► scarce in this game so at least early on

◼   ► so those are very hard to get for that

◼   ► to work you have to you have to be in a

◼   ► game where it's gonna it's gonna go on

◼   ► for a while it's gonna take a lot of

◼   ► turns and if if someone else is racing

◼   ► towards one of the other conditions that

◼   ► can end the game like filling up their

◼   ► space with cheap buildings or filling up

◼   ► their plantation you know with or

◼   ► running out of people I forget some of

◼   ► the other ones running out of victory

◼   ► points in other ways like that strategy

◼   ► only works if you have a long time with

◼   ► those things to ship tons of goods with

◼   ► them see now I think that this is where

◼   ► you're getting all bogged down your

◼   ► stupid iPad game because we play when we

◼   ► play with people it's often someone who

◼   ► hasn't played it as much as us and it is

◼   ► or the or they are people who just

◼   ► aren't as from like or they're just

◼   ► totally new to the game right so they

◼   ► either are less skilled than us or

◼   ► totally new I don't think we've ever

◼   ► played with someone who is at our skill

◼   ► level of the game because we just don't

◼   ► run into gaming nerds that cook that

◼   ► often when we feel like hey let's play

◼   ► so important go so whenever we're

◼   ► playing live and in person no one else

◼   ► has aggressive strategies so I get bored

◼   ► playing it because I feel like I can

◼   ► just slaughter everybody you should play

◼   ► the iPad game it doesn't sound fun I

◼   ► like anyway so Puerto Rico is it might

◼   ► be my number one they thought it's close

◼   ► and and I'm not alone in this decision

◼   ► BoardGameGeek calm which is I think one

◼   ► of the biggest if not the biggest

◼   ► authorities in the geeky board game

◼   ► world I already have to put a link in

◼   ► our show notes you

◼   ► BoardGameGeek maintains this like top

◼   ► ranking list of like the top ranked

◼   ► board games you know every you know

◼   ► whatever all time every year whatever it

◼   ► is and Puerto Rico was number one on

◼   ► that list for a very long time four

◼   ► years I think and I think it's still I

◼   ► don't think it's number one anymore but

◼   ► but I think it is still within the top

◼   ► of you you know I I think all of my top

◼   ► games are gonna be games that I haven't

◼   ► really played much so I'm not very good

◼   ► at yet because I find it enjoyable when

◼   ► I can actually play the game and write

◼   ► and enjoy the strategy of it without

◼   ► knowing exactly how to win and play it

◼   ► so yeah I'm totally bored of Puerto Rico

◼   ► it's over for me

◼   ► so what do want to talk about next I

◼   ► think we should talk well I don't know

◼   ► what what's yon you're shorty short list

◼   ► so the next one I have on my list is

◼   ► Agricola yeah that's my number one

◼   ► really that's so it right now I have it

◼   ► as number two below Puerto Rico but that

◼   ► that's soft I could change that of

◼   ► course Agricola's don't leave my number

◼   ► one so why do you like it so much

◼   ► I like it because you can stack all of

◼   ► the animals so you like it because I

◼   ► know as you're waiting for other people

◼   ► to take their turns too slowly you can

◼   ► have something to fidget with that's

◼   ► pretty cool yeah they have very good

◼   ► stackable pieces I love like making a

◼   ► little cow towers good so yeah I like a

◼   ► good fidget piece and I like when

◼   ► they're stackable so that's a major plus

◼   ► on why it moved up to number one slot

◼   ► also it's fairly complicated I think

◼   ► there's a lot of elements to the game

◼   ► that even if you play it a lot you don't

◼   ► get a chance to play every part of the

◼   ► game in one round in one sitting of the

◼   ► game so there was like a whole bunch of

◼   ► things that you didn't get a chance to

◼   ► do whether it's like some of the

◼   ► occupation cards or building certain

◼   ► types of cooking apparatus --is well

◼   ► yeah you know you can that helped the

◼   ► improvements yeah because I'm like once

◼   ► the game starts going it starts off slow

◼   ► but then it it just it rolls so quickly

◼   ► into the end and everyone's like whoa I

◼   ► just got a hang of this game and now

◼   ► it's over and so you want to play again

◼   ► and we've often played two rounds in

◼   ► one night of that of that game because

◼   ► once you get the hang of it and you

◼   ► remember and you know because it goes a

◼   ► long time between playing them when you

◼   ► play it with people that you you just

◼   ► want to play it again to see where how

◼   ► far you can go and how far you can take

◼   ► it and I still don't feel like I've

◼   ► maxed out this game there still parts of

◼   ► it that I find really intriguing and I

◼   ► find yeah I don't always win and you

◼   ► don't always win and you know that it's

◼   ► it's still very random on who wins but

◼   ► yet the luck factor is not that like the

◼   ► chance the chance luck factor isn't very

◼   ► great in this game either it's I think

◼   ► it's a lot more skill yeah I'm trying to

◼   ► think so B so I guess the most random

◼   ► element in this game is the cards that

◼   ► you're dealt the occupation and minor

◼   ► improvement cards right but then you

◼   ► kind of have a chance to get more and

◼   ► you can kind of like use them or not use

◼   ► them you don't have to focus on like the

◼   ► randomness that you get it's more of

◼   ► your deciding how you're filling up your

◼   ► board and where you're focusing your

◼   ► attention and if you're improving your

◼   ► house if you're making a lot of grain if

◼   ► you're making a lot of cooking a lot of

◼   ► meat like you know so it's basically in

◼   ► the game you have to the goal of the

◼   ► game is to feed your family right yeah

◼   ► and then to build like a big farm and

◼   ► build a big farm and then make your

◼   ► family larger and then so therefore you

◼   ► can do more things if your family is

◼   ► larger because you have more people in

◼   ► order to accomplish more tasks and then

◼   ► at the end of the game you have rounds

◼   ► so the rounds go pretty regularly

◼   ► there's nothing you can do to stop or

◼   ► halt around from approaching you just

◼   ► have to make sure you can feed your

◼   ► family at the end of each round and

◼   ► unless you then you get a penalty if you

◼   ► can't then at the end of the game you

◼   ► kind of tally up what you have and you

◼   ► gain points from that and then the

◼   ► winner it's the person with the most

◼   ► points and there's also elements in the

◼   ► game that will subtract points from your

◼   ► total score so if you it it's also that

◼   ► so it's all contingent on your own

◼   ► gameplay you know there are other people

◼   ► playing but you're kind of only playing

◼   ► against them in the end right and and

◼   ► it'll start competing for certain

◼   ► resources but it's not as aggressive as

◼   ► I'm gonna take this resource from you

◼   ► it's more of this might be running out

◼   ► or there's only one

◼   ► so if you buy that first then you have

◼   ► to buy the more expensive oven-like but

◼   ► you know no one's gonna get locked out

◼   ► of things completely well that's a big

◼   ► game I don't know because there's only

◼   ► two ovens if you play with more than two

◼   ► but there's more there's more ways to

◼   ► cook this you can't like you won't get

◼   ► locked out of being able to you know

◼   ► cook your own you know or or you can you

◼   ► can just avoid cooking your animals and

◼   ► get food in other ways right but at the

◼   ► same time if you were you know gaining

◼   ► money to buy your oven then that and

◼   ► then the other person who wasn't with

◼   ► gaining something else you know what I

◼   ► mean so there's always a give-and-take

◼   ► of what someone is working on I mean

◼   ► plus they should have spotted you

◼   ► stacking up all your clay exactly yeah

◼   ► no I mean and that that game like you

◼   ► mentioned the scoring like such certain

◼   ► things will subtract once what I like

◼   ► about it is you know it's your building

◼   ► this farm and it's like you know you

◼   ► have a house with a certain number of

◼   ► people in it that you have to feed and

◼   ► then you have you have cattle and you

◼   ► have sheep you have all the animals you

◼   ► have the pastures and they really get

◼   ► this deck yeah and and you have like

◼   ► these you have different crops you can

◼   ► plant vegetables and and and grain to to

◼   ► grow that and any of these things that

◼   ► you don't do let's say you get to the

◼   ► end of the game and you have no cows you

◼   ► actually lose points for things that you

◼   ► don't do so you really have to diversify

◼   ► yeah like it it kind of forces you like

◼   ► you you basically can't win if you like

◼   ► hunker down and only do one strategy

◼   ► because it's also there's a maximum

◼   ► number of points you can earn from any

◼   ► one category so it kind of forces you to

◼   ► to really like try to do everything and

◼   ► I think it is a little more competitive

◼   ► than than what you just how you just a

◼   ► curette described because every round

◼   ► there's like certain spots on the board

◼   ► that you that you can choose what to

◼   ► take and whatever you take you only you

◼   ► get that no one else gets that's true

◼   ► that's where it's different from Puerto

◼   ► Rico we're not like a round where it's

◼   ► like okay you do you plate you decide to

◼   ► play this way and then everyone else

◼   ► gets to do it too and you get a bonus no

◼   ► this is like you take the spot and

◼   ► you're the only one that can so a field

◼   ► or something for that entire round then

◼   ► and and so and you know if you have a

◼   ► bigger family which is a risk because

◼   ► you have to feed them every round but if

◼   ► you have a bigger family then you can

◼   ► take more spots and so like there's the

◼   ► there it's this game of really

◼   ► calculated risk of like how long can I

◼   ► wait before feeding time comes I don't

◼   ► have enough food but if I pee it you

◼   ► know if

◼   ► by if I instead of getting food right

◼   ► now if I take the risk that I'll be able

◼   ► to find some later and right now I go

◼   ► for that other cool thing on the board

◼   ► cause no one's taken it yet you know

◼   ► there's all these calculated risks you

◼   ► have to you have to figure during that

◼   ► game and and the bolder and riskier you

◼   ► are generally the better you will do

◼   ► like you know spanning your family

◼   ► earlier so you can you can do more

◼   ► things per turn but then you have to

◼   ► feed those people so it is actually I

◼   ► think pretty competitive I like it a lot

◼   ► it is it if I would have played it more

◼   ► than I have it might have become my

◼   ► number one but because I played Puerto

◼   ► Rico so much both in person and on the

◼   ► iPad right now Puerto Rico is my number

◼   ► one but I think Agricola is a solid

◼   ► number two for me and it might

◼   ► eventually become number one that's so

◼   ► funny that your criteria for number one

◼   ► is playing more and mine is playing

◼   ► exactly

◼   ► no it's Agricole is a great game you

◼   ► know and and we haven't I mean as you

◼   ► mentioned earlier we've barely scratched

◼   ► the surface because there's this whole

◼   ► this whole like different deck of cards

◼   ► that you can that you can blend in and

◼   ► we have used none of those we've only

◼   ► there's like a super simple family mode

◼   ► we don't play that we play that the

◼   ► standard mode so it's like it's not the

◼   ► super simplified one but it's the

◼   ► regular set of cards with no extra cards

◼   ► and that's all we've played so far and

◼   ► even that like one one thing that that

◼   ► Agricola has which I think Puerto Rico

◼   ► does too but I think I recall is the

◼   ► most aggressive on this front that the

◼   ► game all of a sudden just ends like it's

◼   ► over it's like I was planning I was

◼   ► building this thing up and I was gonna

◼   ► do it and then yeah like it's like these

◼   ► awesome German games like a style of

◼   ► this is like is it right as everything

◼   ► starts to get going the game's over so

◼   ► your biggest challenge really is is just

◼   ► number of turns time it's like it's how

◼   ► much you can get done before the game

◼   ► ends and the game always ends before you

◼   ► want it to like there's never enough

◼   ► time and that I think that that alone

◼   ► just doing it that way I think is a cool

◼   ► way to do it because it's not like and

◼   ► I'll get to things like monopoly in a

◼   ► bit it's not like traditional style

◼   ► board games where they just go on

◼   ► seemingly forever

◼   ► please monopoly people don't worry I got

◼   ► your covered there but you know it it's

◼   ► not like that these games they end

◼   ► before you even want them to so it's

◼   ► really hard to get boy

◼   ► while playing these games yeah exactly

◼   ► you don't get bored on these board games

◼   ► nice thanks all right you want to take

◼   ► our sponsor break oh yeah we have a

◼   ► sponsor isn't that crazy

◼   ► so we're we're gonna only gonna do one

◼   ► sponsor show if we continue doing

◼   ► sponsors but we have one this week we're

◼   ► really excited about it this episode of

◼   ► top four is brought to you by Casper

◼   ► Casper is an online retailer of premium

◼   ► mattresses that you get for a fraction

◼   ► of the price that you'll find in

◼   ► mattress stores Casper mattresses are

◼   ► resilient and long-lasting supportive

◼   ► comfort with an amazing combination of

◼   ► latex foam and memory foam these two

◼   ► technologies coming together to bring

◼   ► you just the right sink just the right

◼   ► bounds for better nights and brighter

◼   ► days now usually mattresses that are

◼   ► really good quality it can cost well

◼   ► over $1,500 if you ever bought a

◼   ► mattress in a mattress store that you

◼   ► know it's anything anything decent

◼   ► really you probably paid well over

◼   ► $1,000 for it probably upwards of $2,000

◼   ► if you got a big one Casper mattress has

◼   ► cost only $500 for twin 750 for full 850

◼   ► for queen and 950 for King now that is

◼   ► incredible if I cannot find a good

◼   ► quality king mattress for 950 dollars

◼   ► that's incredible really

◼   ► and all these mattresses are made in

◼   ► America now Casper understands that

◼   ► buying a mattress online can leave you

◼   ► wondering it how is this really possible

◼   ► how's this gonna work it's gonna be a

◼   ► big pain to get you know shipping and

◼   ► what if I don't like it it's a big risk

◼   ► they have you covered it's completely

◼   ► risk-free so first of all free delivery

◼   ► and it comes and there's really cool

◼   ► like compress the box about the size of

◼   ► a dorm fridge and then it expands as you

◼   ► open it and then you can try it out

◼   ► risk-free for a hundred nights so or

◼   ► days your choice so you can retry this

◼   ► with risk free for a hundred nights if

◼   ► you don't like it after you know within

◼   ► a hundred nights you just call them back

◼   ► and they will arrange for a painless

◼   ► return for you it's that simple

◼   ► it really is risk free just you know

◼   ► trying a bed in the showroom for like

◼   ► three seconds at a mattress store that

◼   ► doesn't really tell you anything

◼   ► actually being able to sleep on it for

◼   ► more than three months that's how you

◼   ► really know whether it's a good mattress

◼   ► or not and some of our friends have

◼   ► Casper's we hear only a

◼   ► and things about them everyone seems to

◼   ► love them I want to get a Casper

◼   ► mattress oh that can probably be

◼   ► arranged we can because I hate our

◼   ► guestroom mattress that we spent two

◼   ► seconds testing in a showroom and it was

◼   ► awful that was that was that alone was

◼   ► the biggest reason to get a Casper

◼   ► because that way now I was right because

◼   ► we didn't know about Casper then oh we

◼   ► totally would have done it because that

◼   ► mattress is total crap no Kay and

◼   ► because because that one like we went

◼   ► cheap because it wasn't it was at our

◼   ► guestroom

◼   ► so we went with like the cheapest

◼   ► reasonable thing we could get and it was

◼   ► about the same price as a Casper would

◼   ► have been Casper would have been way

◼   ► better well we ended up having to get

◼   ► that stupid phone memory topper to make

◼   ► it even comfortable at all right which

◼   ► it was even more money yeah it's yeah

◼   ► Casper would have been a way better idea

◼   ► you had steak

◼   ► had we known about the Casper when we

◼   ► bought this mattress like three years

◼   ► ago or four years ago by now jeez have

◼   ► we known about it we would have chosen

◼   ► differently so if anyone wants our

◼   ► crappy mattress you can have it so we

◼   ► could buy a Casper and we can buy Casper

◼   ► we are going to Casper calm slash top

◼   ► four that is Casper calm slash t.o.p fo

◼   ► you are or use promo code top four and

◼   ► that will give you fifty dollars off any

◼   ► mattress that you buy terms and

◼   ► conditions do apply thank you so much to

◼   ► Casper for supporting top four and all

◼   ► of real AFM

◼   ► so we have Puerto Rico we have Agricola

◼   ► and also I want I do want to mention

◼   ► again Agricola has a great iPad version

◼   ► the only thing is that it it try it

◼   ► mimics too closely the board like Puerto

◼   ► Rico you just in order to fit everything

◼   ► on screen it has to like real rings away

◼   ► certain things look and kind of compress

◼   ► it down to its essence Agricola doesn't

◼   ► do that it just like pans around this

◼   ► giant so it's a little clumsy yeah if

◼   ► you play Agricola you really need like a

◼   ► pretty big table yeah because there

◼   ► everyone has an individual board and

◼   ► then there's like all these Center

◼   ► boards and all these cards and yeah it's

◼   ► it's pretty spread out you almost need

◼   ► to play it on the floor yeah so anyway

◼   ► moving on I wanted to next talk about

◼   ► power grid the power grid didn't make my

◼   ► list because I played it too much I'm

◼   ► thinking good so one really good game

◼   ► think of it one of the problems with

◼   ► power grid is that our most common board

◼   ► game player friends

◼   ► our tips parents and it is among all the

◼   ► games that we seem to play like this

◼   ► they they've they've played almost all

◼   ► of them and they are like they're not

◼   ► geeks and so what's interesting is like

◼   ► teaching them these games because some

◼   ► of these games I think like oh this is

◼   ► gonna be way too geeky for them they're

◼   ► not gonna want to sit through all these

◼   ► rules and everything and I'm wrong about

◼   ► that every single time yeah like they

◼   ► always get into it they always like it

◼   ► even games like Agricola or Puerto Rico

◼   ► that have a lot of rules and it's very

◼   ► complex and takes a long time to set up

◼   ► they first look at it and they're like

◼   ► oh God

◼   ► but then as soon as like as soon as we

◼   ► explain it all and we start playing then

◼   ► everyone's into it and there has never

◼   ► once been a game where where anyone that

◼   ► we've introduced it to whether it's them

◼   ► are like you know my sister or brother

◼   ► in law or anybody else like or you know

◼   ► tips brother like we've introduced games

◼   ► to lots of family members who are not

◼   ► normally geeks you and Ryan my brother's

◼   ► name is Ryan when you guys played power

◼   ► grid like after everyone else did like

◼   ► everyone else is kind of done like we

◼   ► all probably around and you wanted to

◼   ► play another round together and you play

◼   ► like this lightning-fast round and that

◼   ► was fantastic yeah guys yeah so anyways

◼   ► a fun game these games are are if you

◼   ► have been withholding these games from

◼   ► like non geek members of your family or

◼   ► friends because you don't think they'll

◼   ► get it give them give them credit give

◼   ► them a try because we have had only

◼   ► fantastic luck introducing non geeks to

◼   ► all these geeky games but we also kind

◼   ► of hostage situation put them into

◼   ► playing these games because we refuse to

◼   ► watch movies with them because our taste

◼   ► in movies are so different so it's

◼   ► either like well if you want to spend

◼   ► time with us at night we're gonna have

◼   ► to play a board game that's there it in

◼   ► our defense board games are way better

◼   ► than watching movies with your parents

◼   ► oh well because at least you get to talk

◼   ► during board games and see each other

◼   ► and during movies everyone just falls

◼   ► asleep

◼   ► exactly it's so late and everyone's

◼   ► tired yeah so power grid so yeah as you

◼   ► mentioned this this was this is the most

◼   ► commonly picked game by your parents it

◼   ► is their favorite it seems

◼   ► and so you are sick of it I am not yet

◼   ► your brother-in-law's 11th plains game

◼   ► that's true yeah I have not yet sick of

◼   ► power grid and part of that is because I

◼   ► generally don't get sick of things I can

◼   ► have the same thing and do the same

◼   ► thing every day and be very happy really

◼   ► you yeah surprising and but but part of

◼   ► that also is is

◼   ► I really do like it I don't think it is

◼   ► I don't think it's number one I would

◼   ► never put it as number one but it is a

◼   ► really good game all around and I think

◼   ► it is it might be among all the games

◼   ► that we have introduced people to I

◼   ► think it is one of the more accessible

◼   ► ones and I think it's definitely we can

◼   ► definitely say that it is like the

◼   ► committee favorite it the crowd favorite

◼   ► of like if you survey everyone like what

◼   ► do you want to play tonight we have all

◼   ► the different choices you know I'll want

◼   ► to play something like power grid or

◼   ► like Puerto Rico Riker Cola that's Mike

◼   ► more complex or more crazy everyone

◼   ► always agrees on power grid it's like

◼   ► the cheese yes we can all agree on power

◼   ► great pretty much that's how it happens

◼   ► I mean the power grid also has like that

◼   ► element of monopoly to it where you are

◼   ► making money you know see you have

◼   ► there's money in the game you have like

◼   ► the paper money just like monopoly you

◼   ► have little houses that represent towns

◼   ► that you you know very similar to

◼   ► monopoly where you have hotels that

◼   ► you're you're taking land I guess in the

◼   ► game and you have to kind of go through

◼   ► a round in order to gather your

◼   ► resources to power your town to then

◼   ► make more money so and then the next

◼   ► round starts and then you spend that

◼   ► money getting what what's the word

◼   ► energy

◼   ► yeah well game resources to buy power

◼   ► plants to to power your power plants and

◼   ► then therefore power your cities and

◼   ► then build more cities and so it's it's

◼   ► very it's logical when you think about

◼   ► how it's played it's not deep nothing's

◼   ► buried in like secret cards or anything

◼   ► it's all kind of laid out on the table

◼   ► really simply but at the same time

◼   ► there's a lot of strategy involved

◼   ► there's very little luck and there's

◼   ► very little chance right and and in

◼   ► power grid it really is first and

◼   ► foremost it is an economics game and it

◼   ► is and you have to kind of judge like

◼   ► you know what is the value of this power

◼   ► plant to me and they're like the power

◼   ► plants are sold by auction so you can

◼   ► have to fight against everyone else but

◼   ► that kind of gets fun because you get to

◼   ► bid out loud you know and it's more

◼   ► interactive it's not so stuck on the

◼   ► board that's yeah that's a good point

◼   ► that becomes more of like talking to

◼   ► each other and making

◼   ► jokes and bidding people up and you know

◼   ► watching their eyes you have someone

◼   ► that needs to play auctioneer because

◼   ► otherwise someone would sit and think

◼   ► about purchasing a power grid for like

◼   ► 80 years so it gets really fun yeah and

◼   ► and it is also competitive like and

◼   ► we've been lucky in areas like like you

◼   ► know you it is kind of like a true

◼   ► market on the resource side in that like

◼   ► every round there's like only a certain

◼   ► number of you know things of coal things

◼   ► of oil etc and then your power plant

◼   ► needs like one of those things and the

◼   ► more people are buying something that

◼   ► more expensive it gets automatically and

◼   ► you can also run out of something

◼   ► entirely so like if you buy resources

◼   ► before someone else which is a strategic

◼   ► element like if you kind of hang behind

◼   ► in the game the way it's scored you get

◼   ► all the advantages kind of like Mario

◼   ► Cart so anyway there's all these

◼   ► different facets of this game and you

◼   ► can you can like screw somebody out of

◼   ► like the last of the coal or something

◼   ► and you also want to diversify from your

◼   ► other players because if everyone's

◼   ► going for coal powered power plants then

◼   ► there's not going to be enough coal

◼   ► resource in order to power these power

◼   ► plants so if you see that everyone else

◼   ► is bidding on coal power plants then you

◼   ► might want to bid on the one that like

◼   ► converts garbage into power so because

◼   ► then you eventually will be paying less

◼   ► than everyone else on your resource yeah

◼   ► and in our games because our family is

◼   ► either liberals or liberals in denial we

◼   ► no one ever wants to buy garbage or

◼   ► nuclear and so the and and whenever

◼   ► someone's not buying something it

◼   ► automatically gets cheaper and so

◼   ► usually the eventually like I'm like I'm

◼   ► like art fine I'll take the nuclear

◼   ► because it's so cheap at this point it

◼   ► makes no sense to buy anything else and

◼   ► no one else wants it like yeah it helps

◼   ► to kind of know who you're playing with

◼   ► and and the clean-burning power plants

◼   ► always the bidding the prices they go

◼   ► for absolutely insane and that's the

◼   ► thing there's no cap on how much you can

◼   ► spend on a power plant right you just

◼   ► how much money you have yeah it says

◼   ► kind of what it's worth on the card but

◼   ► as the bidding goes on you can just you

◼   ► can spend as much as you want I mean

◼   ► Ryan was went crazy and even over a

◼   ► hundred dollars right yeah and kind of

◼   ► paid off right or did it no it didn't he

◼   ► lost by a dollar at the end of the game

◼   ► yeah and so at the end of this game so

◼   ► so you

◼   ► can win by other means but we've had

◼   ► many games where it's like you know you

◼   ► win by a number of cities you power in

◼   ► the last turn but if you tie with

◼   ► somebody on that which often happens

◼   ► then whoever has the most money between

◼   ► those two players wins and so then like

◼   ► all of your decision-making for the

◼   ► entire game with like who do I spend the

◼   ► extra two dollars for this expensive

◼   ► coal here all that catches up to you at

◼   ► the very end if you tie with somebody

◼   ► which happens all the time

◼   ► and we have we have really had many

◼   ► games to be decided by one dollar or

◼   ► three dollars yeah it's it's crazy like

◼   ► how how tight it gets cuz it really is a

◼   ► it's it's all about economics and and

◼   ► cost efficiency and managing cost

◼   ► efficiency and it does this in a way

◼   ► that isn't boring because it sounds

◼   ► really boring if we say the head but it

◼   ► doesn't know what it isn't boring and

◼   ► that people really get into now I want

◼   ► to talk about power grid factory manager

◼   ► which is a game we just recently started

◼   ► playing I think we even played it just

◼   ► once I think we did only played it last

◼   ► Christmas because that's when we bought

◼   ► it yeah it has very little to do with

◼   ► power grid it really it's like the same

◼   ► really different but it has very good

◼   ► stackable pieces because it has a little

◼   ► working men yes they stack in very great

◼   ► little triangles and they look like

◼   ► little cheerleader yeah like the

◼   ► stackable

◼   ► but I have that impossibly entering into

◼   ► my top 4 list because I don't feel like

◼   ► it's overplayed and I'm very interested

◼   ► in playing it again I'm very excited

◼   ► about it I had a lot of fun when we did

◼   ► play it I can't remember the gameplay

◼   ► for the life of me I can picture the

◼   ► board but I can't remember how to play

◼   ► it but it actually might make mine odd

◼   ► because it doesn't bore me that's

◼   ► amazing so and we should also point out

◼   ► like power grid also has a pretty good

◼   ► number of add-ons that you can buy to

◼   ► either add more cards to the game which

◼   ► we haven't done yet or what we have done

◼   ► they actually sell alternate boards so

◼   ► it comes with tool I can come to the

◼   ► board is too sorry I did a lot like

◼   ► Ticket to Ride from what I'm hearing is

◼   ► that ticket to like which is what I have

◼   ► on my short list but it didn't make the

◼   ► top four I don't think it made the top 4

◼   ► for you there's no a lot of chance in

◼   ► that game but power grid and Ticket to

◼   ► Ride also have varying maps that you can

◼   ► play on that that bring more diversity

◼   ► to each round yeah if you get bored

◼   ► alright so I do feel like I have before

◼   ► we get too far into anything else we

◼   ► have to mention Carcassonne

◼   ► because this is a game that is extremely

◼   ► popular that we've never played so I'm

◼   ► not judging it because I've just never

◼   ► played it okay so many and check yeah so

◼   ► just know that tell us about it we know

◼   ► it exists it is on our list of things to

◼   ► try but I like your feedback I do I like

◼   ► it

◼   ► oh yeah no feedback about everything

◼   ► else is fine just know that we are aware

◼   ► of Carcassonne existence and we have use

◼   ► never played it okay I want to talk

◼   ► about the construction game it's still

◼   ► closed in our closet because we've only

◼   ► played it at my parents house but it's

◼   ► another game that I feel like is very

◼   ► interesting the dynamic is really great

◼   ► it's really fun to play in a group it's

◼   ► competitive it is also kind of a it's

◼   ► it's like a finance monopoly game again

◼   ► yeah I would say it really bears a very

◼   ► strong resemblance to Monopoly but it's

◼   ► not just like monopoly the lost edition

◼   ► you know it's not like that it's not

◼   ► like construction monopoly it's not like

◼   ► that it's actually called the

◼   ► construction game it looks kind of just

◼   ► like monopoly and you have to buy

◼   ► equipment and you have to perform you

◼   ► have to do jobs and you have to get win

◼   ► bids to do the jobs with your equipment

◼   ► and if you don't have the right

◼   ► equipment to do the job

◼   ► you know like anything you spend your

◼   ► money to do all the stuff and then you

◼   ► eventually win the game with the most

◼   ► money is that right

◼   ► they made it a long time we've played

◼   ► Italy twice I know but it sounds like

◼   ► five years ago I know and it lasts a

◼   ► really really long time it is a

◼   ► ridiculously long game but it's a lot of

◼   ► fun it's it's very competitive it's very

◼   ► energetic when you're playing with a

◼   ► whole bunch of people who care very much

◼   ► about playing the game yeah and I'm not

◼   ► bored of it so it's like hovering I have

◼   ► three I have three games that are

◼   ► starred that I never get to play much

◼   ► while you're on the subject let's

◼   ► briefly talk about monopoly okay because

◼   ► I need to talk I need to I need to talk

◼   ► about it if you don't yeah I don't need

◼   ► to talk about monopoly all right I'll

◼   ► make it quick

◼   ► okay so I have I have a history of when

◼   ► I was growing up I was a massive

◼   ► monopoly geek during the summer as I had

◼   ► this group of friends that I see every

◼   ► summer and we would play almost every

◼   ► day at least once almost every day for a

◼   ► good three or four summers that's a lot

◼   ► of Monopoly we were really bored I mean

◼   ► we were nerds we were too young to do

◼   ► anything interesting and there weren't

◼   ► any good German board games yet

◼   ► we I mean we were like you know 13 or

◼   ► something mean we were you know it

◼   ► wasn't it wasn't a good time so so we

◼   ► could do that so we did anyway so so

◼   ► I've played a lot of Monopoly I've read

◼   ► a couple of Monopoly books when I was a

◼   ► teenager like the various strategy books

◼   ► yeah I got my library anyway so monopoly

◼   ► gets it gets a worse rap it is a better

◼   ► game than those people think and there

◼   ► have been a couple of other podcasts

◼   ► about this I there I believe there was

◼   ► an episode of unjust Amon lying about it

◼   ► anyway I'll find it link to it but any

◼   ► more links sorry more show notes anyway

◼   ► you're the one dropping all these show

◼   ► know that all over the place anyway so

◼   ► monopoly gets it gets a worse rap than

◼   ► it deserves because most people don't

◼   ► actually do the rules most people have

◼   ► House Rules

◼   ► that quote make it more fun that usually

◼   ► and involve injecting more money into

◼   ► the game and when and then then they all

◼   ► complain that takes forever and they

◼   ► don't never connect the two dots to

◼   ► realize monopoly ends when people go

◼   ► bankrupt so if you inject money into the

◼   ► game it will take longer for people to

◼   ► go bankrupt that never crosses people's

◼   ► mind and and so they and or they've just

◼   ► they think they know how to play the

◼   ► game and they never actually read the

◼   ► rules like because they were just taught

◼   ► when they were a kid and they just keep

◼   ► playing the way they always have and

◼   ► they ever actually read the rules which

◼   ► are surprisingly short and so yeah rule

◼   ► Monopoly rules are pretty much word of

◼   ► mouth at this point yeah one's gonna

◼   ► pick up that book like have you ever

◼   ► read the rules to Scrabble I haven't no

◼   ► I don't even know I have no idea what

◼   ► the rules are I just know how to play I

◼   ► think you know yeah it's one of those

◼   ► things that you just learn how to play

◼   ► right you're like as you're

◼   ► indoctrinated into being a human you

◼   ► just kind of play right so but you know

◼   ► in in short if you think that you get

◼   ► extra money for letting on free parking

◼   ► or if you think that you don't get to

◼   ► collect rent or anything in jail or if

◼   ► you think that there's no auctions you

◼   ► need to go read the rules no it's like

◼   ► the big ones that most people don't know

◼   ► turns out jail is awesome in late game

◼   ► and free parking does nothing and

◼   ► auctions are a critical part of the game

◼   ► and yeah also buy the oranges anyway

◼   ► everyone knows that by now I think

◼   ► anyway monopoly is a very good game now

◼   ► there there was a thing that was put out

◼   ► some article I will not be able to find

◼   ► this for the show notes but some article

◼   ► that was put out about like what makes

◼   ► games seem more fun and fair versus

◼   ► others and monopoly does very poorly on

◼   ► this kind of test so like one thing that

◼   ► makes you gain like more fun for most

◼   ► people to play is like do people get

◼   ► eliminated midway through and they just

◼   ► can't play and have to wait for everyone

◼   ► else to finish the game because like

◼   ► that's no fun for those people you

◼   ► talked about that in our first show I

◼   ► did youdid I know I talked about it was

◼   ► on ATP anyway no sorry it was our very

◼   ► first show of anyway games all right so

◼   ► so there's there's that kind of thing

◼   ► where like you know they're there or

◼   ► certain factors like you know does one

◼   ► person like really tear away at the

◼   ► beginning and just have a huge lead that

◼   ► just is insurmountable and you can tell

◼   ► early on and then it's not fun to

◼   ► continue that game right so there's

◼   ► there's things like that that makes

◼   ► certain games more or less fun a

◼   ► monopoly does very badly on all those

◼   ► things it is really a very old-school

◼   ► kind of game there is a lot of luck

◼   ► involved although not as much as most

◼   ► people think if you if you kind of you

◼   ► know know the numbers and you know the

◼   ► stats of what could land it on but

◼   ► anyway I'm gonna start cutting you off

◼   ► about your monopoly time let's know but

◼   ► so so I do think overall though I'll

◼   ► close it out here I do think overall

◼   ► monopoly is a better game than most

◼   ► people give it credit for and it is

◼   ► overall a pretty good game it does not

◼   ► make my top 4 but it would probably make

◼   ► my top 10 okay I have another old-school

◼   ► game I want to bring up okay it's clue

◼   ► really I really really like clue I do

◼   ► [Laughter]

◼   ► well come on monopoly is monopoly but

◼   ► clue is not clue clue clue it's clear

◼   ► there was a movement it was really good

◼   ► I love clue the movie okay so I really

◼   ► like the game clue no one ever wants to

◼   ► play clue I had it as a kid and no one

◼   ► ever wants to play this is the story of

◼   ► your life but no one ever wants to play

◼   ► or you know whatever wants to play my

◼   ► favorite games I don't know I just like

◼   ► the little rooms and I like the little

◼   ► pieces and I'll you know having them all

◼   ► in the different rooms and making

◼   ► guesses and accusing people I was like

◼   ► games

◼   ► where you get to talk to people a little

◼   ► bit yeah so I clue as a contender I

◼   ► don't know if I'm gonna put it on my

◼   ► list there's there's one slot open on my

◼   ► list for a power grid factory manager

◼   ► construction game or clue is what I have

◼   ► hovering in the lot but I don't know

◼   ► thank you so Peregrine factory manager

◼   ► and concession game are both games that

◼   ► you've played almost never and clearly

◼   ► there's a game that what was the last

◼   ► time you played games that I haven't

◼   ► played a lot because I'm not bored with

◼   ► them it's not like you just hate games I

◼   ► love I don't like tired games I don't

◼   ► like things that I'm tired of yeah well

◼   ► you're the kind of person you get sick

◼   ► of things pretty easily and I'm I'm the

◼   ► guy to never get sick of things on from

◼   ► everything you've been like jobs you're

◼   ► the only thing that's stuck around

◼   ► everything except me yeah I like you

◼   ► maybe our dog and kid yeah our dog and

◼   ► kid are good too games and stuff and

◼   ► yeah hobbies I just move on I'm a

◼   ► renaissance woman I know a little bit of

◼   ► a little a whole bunch of things okay

◼   ► well I think that's a fair analogy we're

◼   ► gonna move on in case it isn't so I've

◼   ► only played clue maybe twice and it was

◼   ► a play clue I I can't judge it I like I

◼   ► don't think I've ever played it as an

◼   ► adult and so I don't really know like

◼   ► objectively I might like it also because

◼   ► I do really like the movie so maybe them

◼   ► together that's most like movie and the

◼   ► game I really like together is that what

◼   ► if you watch the movie while playing the

◼   ► game sounds of me it's like my dream of

◼   ► eating Chinese food while people in

◼   ► movies are eating Chinese food well I

◼   ► really I just want to be eating Chinese

◼   ► food out of a box with chopsticks while

◼   ► I happen to accidentally be watching a

◼   ► movie that the characters do that to and

◼   ► I will feel so satisfied if that happens

◼   ► because I always want Chinese food when

◼   ► I see people eating Chinese food that

◼   ► makes sense okay anyway please somewhere

◼   ► on your list maybe a number four yeah

◼   ► about another game that nobody ever

◼   ► plays with me let's do it it's

◼   ► balderdash

◼   ► I love the game folder - I think it's

◼   ► balderdash close enough and I played it

◼   ► for the first time when I was a kid at

◼   ► my friend's house and ever since then I

◼   ► have asked for it for Christmas and I

◼   ► never got it my entire childhood my

◼   ► entire young adult life my entire

◼   ► teenage life like I just I would always

◼   ► be like what you offer Chris Ivy I love

◼   ► that game folder - and no one would ever

◼   ► ever get it and then one day one amazing

◼   ► amazing Christmas my dear loving husband

◼   ► finally finally after like six years he

◼   ► finally bought me the game of balderdash

◼   ► and now nobody plays it with me yeah and

◼   ► no one ever ever plays it with me

◼   ► everyone wants to play something else

◼   ► every time and I and I feel so bad now

◼   ► because I like beg people I'm like it's

◼   ► gonna be really fun and then I get

◼   ► nervous it's not gonna be fun because I

◼   ► really like it because you've hyped it

◼   ► up so much how many so I was high wait

◼   ► wait wait and in addition to that so the

◼   ► incomparable they play balderdash

◼   ► and every time I have not been able to

◼   ► join them yeah I've had something really

◼   ► like I really could not change the times

◼   ► that I could play like I could not play

◼   ► any time they've invited me to play it's

◼   ► the game that just is just right at the

◼   ► reach of my fingertips and I cannot grab

◼   ► on to it I love balderdash

◼   ► and so after all that how many times

◼   ► have you actually played the game

◼   ► probably like six times but it's so good

◼   ► I love making up stuff and I love when

◼   ► people make up stuff it's funny it's

◼   ► like pictionary but words and it's great

◼   ► maybe we're doing you a favor by not

◼   ► playing it with you because I would've

◼   ► liked it otherwise it wouldn't make my

◼   ► list yeah because you just hate

◼   ► everything you play too much we don't

◼   ► want to keeping me interested maybe like

◼   ► I like the mystery will agree to play it

◼   ► like every 10 years I love the mystery

◼   ► that is bolder - and this one of this

◼   ► game is to where you need more than two

◼   ► people right

◼   ► you do it yeah it's not as fun you need

◼   ► like a group and you need to be in a

◼   ► certain mindset to like you have to be

◼   ► like an active group that's willing to

◼   ► start like making up stuff and being a

◼   ► little funny and you know you can't just

◼   ► be a sleepy well let's play a board game

◼   ► kind of group you have to be ready for

◼   ► it right and it's and like that's one

◼   ► thing to mention like a lot of these

◼   ► games unfortunately like a lot of the

◼   ► best ones can't be played with just two

◼   ► people you know lots of people can get

◼   ► one other person who agree to agree to

◼   ► play a game with them you know whether

◼   ► it's your partner or your sibling or

◼   ► whatever like lots of people can get

◼   ► like you know one person to agree but

◼   ► but many of these games require at least

◼   ► three people

◼   ► yeah and that's where we get all tripped

◼   ► up yeah that we never get to play those

◼   ► games cuz we're just two people yeah and

◼   ► then by the time Adams old enough he's

◼   ► not gonna want to hang out with us no no

◼   ► no or or he will hate all these games

◼   ► cuz they'll be they'll be you know when

◼   ► he's younger

◼   ► they'll frustrate him you know and when

◼   ► he gets older then he won't wanna hang

◼   ► out with us yeah yeah we'll find out

◼   ► eventually anyway maybe when he's 30

◼   ► he'll be willing to play with us why do

◼   ► you have one game on my list that we

◼   ► have a two-person version that we've

◼   ► never played well PowerGrid has a tube

◼   ► that's how ryan and i played but what's

◼   ► your what you--what is your other one

◼   ► block Asst yeah block is totally made

◼   ► like my list i love block and it made my

◼   ► list as well really yeah that's so

◼   ► surprising because it's a really really

◼   ► it's a really really simple game it's

◼   ► pretty much like it's almost like a

◼   ► board game version of Tetris with other

◼   ► players yeah you you're the goal is you

◼   ► have a gridded a gridded did you have a

◼   ► grid board yes it has like ridges and

◼   ► you have little clear kind of colored

◼   ► tie like um and they look like Tetris

◼   ► pieces but it isn't just things with

◼   ► five blocks in them and you eat each

◼   ► person has a color and you have to fit

◼   ► them on to this grid in a certain way

◼   ► touching the other players pieces in one

◼   ► certain way and the goal is to get rid

◼   ► of all of your pieces and fill up this

◼   ► board so it's kind of like a land grab

◼   ► kind of game and it's really very fun

◼   ► because you can play it very quickly

◼   ► there's an almost notes that there's no

◼   ► setup really besides giving out the

◼   ► pieces but we have them all in neat

◼   ► little bags because we are totally nerds

◼   ► so the setups really easy the teaching

◼   ► people how to play is really easy so

◼   ► there's almost no

◼   ► um what's that word when there's no

◼   ► learning curve learning curve to play

◼   ► this game and it's it's just really

◼   ► simple and fun and it's difficult to be

◼   ► bored of it because it's every game is

◼   ► different

◼   ► yeah Blancas has often been our dessert

◼   ► game like we will play one of the big

◼   ► complicated or an appetizer game yeah

◼   ► right yeah like so we'll play like one

◼   ► of the big complicated games like I

◼   ► could Cola or Puerto Rico that takes it

◼   ► the whole table and lots of setup time

◼   ► we'll play one of those and at the end

◼   ► of that it'll be like you know 10:30 I'm

◼   ► like well we don't really want to start

◼   ► a whole other one of those but how about

◼   ► a quick round of blacas or while

◼   ► someone's cleaning up the kitchen which

◼   ► is usually unfortunately my mom and the

◼   ► rest of us are like let's play a game

◼   ► real quick but while we wait for

◼   ► everyone to be done you know to go down

◼   ► and actually play the big game then we

◼   ► play a quick round to block us because

◼   ► it's so quick yeah but they have a - you

◼   ► have to buy a separate board to play two

◼   ► people yeah there's also a three player

◼   ► like a triangular version right there's

◼   ► that one yeah I saw it online there

◼   ► there is a three player version but the

◼   ► so that's so the only limitation with

◼   ► placas is that you have to play four

◼   ► players yeah you can't play like three

◼   ► to five people on the same board it's

◼   ► like no this board this board requires

◼   ► exactly four flame so you really have to

◼   ► think about strategy and how you're

◼   ► gonna play these gonna place your pieces

◼   ► and how you're gonna block somebody and

◼   ► how you're going to because if you play

◼   ► a certain piece at the very end you get

◼   ► super bonus points and you're super cool

◼   ► but it is actually it's very very

◼   ► difficult to to play all of your pieces

◼   ► yeah it is it is a surprising like it

◼   ► looks really simple but it is not easy

◼   ► you it yeah you can learn it very

◼   ► quickly but it is very hard to master

◼   ► yeah and it's it that's another game

◼   ► where like everybody we have introduced

◼   ► it to not only gets it immediately but

◼   ► also likes it pretty much you know

◼   ► pretty well yeah and every time you play

◼   ► it you're like okay let's play again

◼   ► yeah another one yeah dump it out play

◼   ► again or like if you if you have a

◼   ► situation like a bigger gathering where

◼   ► you have like multiple people cycling in

◼   ► and out of playing the game then it's a

◼   ► good it's a good game for that because

◼   ► like a round of lock it only takes like

◼   ► a half-hour maybe and then you can you

◼   ► can like bring in a new a new person in

◼   ► case oh yeah okay I'm done whoo let's

◼   ► play next and it's it you can rotate in

◼   ► and out it's really great that way

◼   ► that's cool we should have one of those

◼   ► out next time we have a party yeah it's

◼   ► a good idea the block is station yeah I

◼   ► would rent I rank block is right now I

◼   ► have

◼   ► Blagh into my number-4 spot i have

◼   ► blockage I might move it up we'll see I

◼   ► think I might move it up to number two

◼   ► because my number two spots empty now

◼   ► that we're talking about it I thought

◼   ► that once we started discussing these I

◼   ► would start loving them more or less

◼   ► depending on how we talked about them

◼   ► out loud so I think Bacchus will be my

◼   ► number two nice because it's exciting

◼   ► you know it's fun and it's quick it's

◼   ► great and the only other other game on

◼   ► my list is that we talked about which

◼   ► kind it was also on your list and then

◼   ► we'll talk about any extras that you

◼   ► have is Bananagrams I have Bananagrams I

◼   ► love that that's another quick fun it's

◼   ► another game because it has you know

◼   ► it's basically like speed Scrabble

◼   ► almost like it's it's very you I mean

◼   ► because real Scrabble is just too long

◼   ► it is it takes too long everyone thinks

◼   ► about their words too long yeah and like

◼   ► everyone gets bored waiting for the

◼   ► person like waiting for each person to

◼   ► think about their word oh yeah you know

◼   ► words with friends is actually better

◼   ► than playing Scrabble better it is

◼   ► because you don't have to actually like

◼   ► you could go on with your life while

◼   ► you're waiting for someone to play yeah

◼   ► what it feels like when you're really

◼   ► sitting there playing Scrabble you're

◼   ► like I could just be doing anything else

◼   ► right now yeah yeah I don't really do

◼   ► not like playing Scrabble in person and

◼   ► and most games I would prefer to play

◼   ► like the hardcopy Scrabble is one of the

◼   ► few where that's not the case

◼   ► me too but anyway so but Bananagrams is

◼   ► really great because so you know so it

◼   ► literally is a bag shaped like a banana

◼   ► full of little Scrabble tiles and

◼   ► there's no points to them it's just the

◼   ► letters and the game is you dump them

◼   ► all out in the pile in the middle and

◼   ► then like you like speed try to assemble

◼   ► what is basically a valid Scrabble board

◼   ► in your own little place at the table

◼   ► that's like low Scrabble board yeah like

◼   ► so you aren't competing with anyone else

◼   ► on anything except so on yeah all your

◼   ► words have to connect and they have to

◼   ► all be real words yeah but and there's

◼   ► no scoring so it's like whoever whoever

◼   ► wins first basically right once all the

◼   ► tiles are gone whoever has like a legit

◼   ► finished board first wins right like no

◼   ► no word no tiles that you haven't placed

◼   ► in 2,000 words yet yeah yeah and I so it

◼   ► it's a very quick very low effort

◼   ► in a very low barrier game so again

◼   ► perfect game for the end of a night or a

◼   ► time when you don't have a lot of you

◼   ► know a much time to play it also is is

◼   ► very tolerant of different numbers of

◼   ► players and you could probably play with

◼   ► anything to an upright probably yeah

◼   ► yeah so you're on a piece is basically

◼   ► another game like this so that we should

◼   ► mention is corkle that a lot of people

◼   ► have really liked and we've showed them

◼   ► that game and that is matching colors

◼   ► and shapes so it's not good for your

◼   ► colorblind friends but other than that

◼   ► all sergeant

◼   ► yes that it that's also a really good

◼   ► fun kind of making grids of colors and

◼   ► shapes in different patterns and

◼   ► configurations yeah it's almost like

◼   ► dominoes in a way but it's like it's

◼   ► different rules you know yeah if you

◼   ► haven't played corkle and you like

◼   ► little fast kind of appetizer dessert

◼   ► games then you should check out corkle

◼   ► it so it's a good one to buy for

◼   ► Christmas actually because yeah it's fun

◼   ► family game yeah if you if you have a

◼   ► family gathering and and you want to

◼   ► like bring something for the family to

◼   ► do quark roll Bananagrams and block it

◼   ► yep those three things are our solid

◼   ► picks and I also really like the sets

◼   ► the card game set set set that's right

◼   ► yeah I like that one a lot

◼   ► that one hurts my brain I like that

◼   ► one's really fun I love that game the

◼   ► best thing either the colorblind not

◼   ► compatible no game the the best thing

◼   ► about set is how ridiculous you look

◼   ► while you're playing it because

◼   ► everyone's just staring at yes like have

◼   ► a grid of cards that you placed out and

◼   ► everyone is silently very intently

◼   ► almost never blinking staring at this

◼   ► game it looks so weird if you walk fast

◼   ► a group of people playing with that they

◼   ► look like they're possessed it's it's

◼   ► amazing that that to me is the best part

◼   ► it isn't a bad game it just I don't I

◼   ► don't like it as much I love that game

◼   ► too

◼   ► so that's that's my whole list what do

◼   ► you what else do you have on yours that

◼   ► we haven't talked about on the big list

◼   ► um

◼   ► pictionary I guess would be one of the

◼   ► big ones that we haven't really talked

◼   ► about I've had a number of pictionary

◼   ► birthdays yes it turns out a pictionary

◼   ► Ballack we just play it kind of like the

◼   ► old TV shows

◼   ► where we just have groups of people on

◼   ► teams and we go back and forth and we

◼   ► just try and draw like an entire card in

◼   ► what five minutes or less yeah well you

◼   ► knew it like when when you first wanted

◼   ► a pictionary party like six years ago I

◼   ► went and bought like the cheapest like

◼   ► office easel stand I could get in Haven

◼   ► and the giant flipchart paper pads it

◼   ► ended up being so much fun everyone got

◼   ► really really into it yeah you spend

◼   ► like 40 bucks and you have like this

◼   ► awesome pictionary set and we played it

◼   ► multiple times with at the end of

◼   ► parties and it's gone over really well

◼   ► and again we don't really adhere to the

◼   ► rules very much it's more like here's a

◼   ► card let's draw the whole card as fast

◼   ► as you can and have your team guess yeah

◼   ► or you know you have two minutes draw as

◼   ► much of the card as you can and then you

◼   ► know it's like tally points and yes we

◼   ► do it really very um yeah I don't

◼   ► laissez I'm not sure I've ever used the

◼   ► board in pictionary no the board's

◼   ► pretty boring yeah like when you do it

◼   ► actually it's like yeah it's too boring

◼   ► drawing on a giant flip chart is is much

◼   ► better like speed speed drawing and you

◼   ► like every one and it it's a fun game

◼   ► whether you can draw or you can't

◼   ► because people who can it's amazing how

◼   ► much they can get out but yet people

◼   ► still can't guess it and the people who

◼   ► can't draw that's what's also extremely

◼   ► funny seeing horrible stick figures and

◼   ► like just completely deformed animals

◼   ► that they're trying to convey pictures

◼   ► of and it's great but what I like about

◼   ► about that though is that artistic skill

◼   ► does not seem to correlate to how good

◼   ► you are pictionary exactly like it

◼   ► because it isn't about draw a version of

◼   ► this that looks good it's it's closer to

◼   ► like icon or sign design in that it's

◼   ► more like you have to communicate this

◼   ► idea with imagery how how quickly and

◼   ► effectively can you communicate this

◼   ► idea which is it's it's a similar but

◼   ► not the same skill and so like like I

◼   ► can't draw for crap but I'm a little bit

◼   ► better at that at that other skill than

◼   ► I am at drawing so I can I can do okay

◼   ► in fiction airy and I'm okay in picture

◼   ► you do very long pictionary

◼   ► yeah well it's icon design basically but

◼   ► you also need a good to a team that can

◼   ► guess - I mean we yes I'm the worst

◼   ► guesser someone the true like this

◼   ► amazing pagoda right or

◼   ► something like that they drew it it

◼   ► looked exactly like it but nobody on the

◼   ► team knew what a pagoda was so they

◼   ► couldn't get yeah it's like that was

◼   ► such a good drawing but it's still fail

◼   ► yeah yeah I'm much better at the drawing

◼   ► part that I'm the guessing part yeah I

◼   ► think you are a very good guesser aren't

◼   ► you I don't know I just really like

◼   ► playing the game it's it's one of those

◼   ► things like the same kind of group that

◼   ► would get into playing balderdash would

◼   ► get into playing pictionary the way we

◼   ► play it you just want us to play

◼   ► balderdash so much only cuz we know

◼   ► whatever plays balderdash with me

◼   ► alrighty more no just being sad about

◼   ► balderdash alright so but we have Mille

◼   ► Bornes that was the other one I forgot

◼   ► my Mille Bornes man you played that I

◼   ► played that a lot in my childhood my

◼   ► parents with my mom yeah my mom was

◼   ► really into it as well and so I

◼   ► discovered that like as a teenager she

◼   ► really brought it back out there's old

◼   ► ones in the 70 yeah I've played the one

◼   ► from the 70s too and then we went on

◼   ► eBay when we became our own little

◼   ► family and also bought a set from the

◼   ► 70s because that's what we were used to

◼   ► playing the new ones look really weird

◼   ► yes it was like because the arts the

◼   ► arts all different now and yeah and this

◼   ► is this is a French driving game it's

◼   ► played with cards and you have to get up

◼   ► to speed and drive and so you get like

◼   ► these speed cards it's show you how fast

◼   ► your car is going but then same time you

◼   ► get sabotages where like your tire gets

◼   ► flat you run out of gas or and you have

◼   ► to accomplish a thousand miles that's

◼   ► yeah it's a meal mi yeah yeah Mille

◼   ► Bornes 2000 1000 miles yeah and it's all

◼   ► the games also call a thousand miles in

◼   ► some places but yeah like France maybe

◼   ► but yeah so and that too else yeah that

◼   ► yeah I haven't played in a long time but

◼   ► I did play it a lot recently together

◼   ► you know and when we lived above Pizza

◼   ► Grill so five years ago yeah so yeah ok

◼   ► so so we played it recently five years

◼   ► ago and before that like I I had that

◼   ► game on my Palm Pilot and so I played I

◼   ► played it a lot I remember like when I

◼   ► worked at Staples in college I played it

◼   ► a lot in the staples break room nothing

◼   ► else to do well meal war is a really

◼   ► good game so if anyone hasn't played it

◼   ► and hasn't heard of it I highly suggest

◼   ► it it's a really fun it's again you can

◼   ► play with two players so that's really

◼   ► good yeah it's one of the few it's a

◼   ► really good rainy afternoon

◼   ► if you want to teach your kids to it's a

◼   ► kid-friendly game

◼   ► yeah and it's and there's a little bit

◼   ► of a little bit of aggression because

◼   ► you can't like throw hazards at people

◼   ► like cuz like you you don't just come

◼   ► upon a flat tire you're you know wife or

◼   ► mom gives you the flat tire and yes

◼   ► anyway it's it's a good game it is not

◼   ► like - the level of quality oh you know

◼   ► what we should really talk about

◼   ► settlers oops

◼   ► no I don't want to talk about Sadler's

◼   ► but we if you don't talk about settlers

◼   ► we're gonna hear from what time is it

◼   ► well this is the last thing we're

◼   ► talking about so and then well then

◼   ► we'll say our list and we'll be done

◼   ► yeah so settlers settlers we have so

◼   ► many expansion packs that we've never

◼   ► ever opened because we play this game

◼   ► there's and for us and especially I

◼   ► think for you how we open the show I

◼   ► guess it's a good way to close the show

◼   ► is this is a game with tons of chance

◼   ► yes and so the chance aspect of this

◼   ► game kind of keeps us from really

◼   ► enjoying it I like playing it a lot more

◼   ► than you do because I find that the

◼   ► chance element actually keeps a little

◼   ► bit more fun for me but yeah it's not I

◼   ► I want to play other things more than I

◼   ► always want to play settlers yeah

◼   ► settlers to me it's a I say this with

◼   ► all the good and bad that comes with

◼   ► this it is the Starbucks of modern geeky

◼   ► games in the sense that Starbucks kind

◼   ► of rescued the world in a way and that

◼   ► they weren't the only ones to do but

◼   ► they're like the biggest like the

◼   ► headliners and the most popular who

◼   ► rescued the world from like the old like

◼   ► 50s way of just like the cheapest

◼   ► possible cheap crap Coffee gas station

◼   ► coffee Folgers etc and they introduced

◼   ► the world to the concept of you know

◼   ► what coffee can be better than that and

◼   ► I don't like Starbucks really I think

◼   ► you can do way better than Starbucks if

◼   ► you put some care and effort into it

◼   ► yourself but I can't deny that Starbucks

◼   ► has had the effect on the world of

◼   ► reintroducing the world to good coffee

◼   ► and I feel like settlers has kind of

◼   ► done that to boardgames like it geeks

◼   ► have known about settlers since the late

◼   ► 90s early 2000s it has come like

◼   ► our mainstream and I'd say the last you

◼   ► know five years or so but it's not new

◼   ► and and it was the game that geeks who

◼   ► knew about it could use in like 2002 to

◼   ► introduce the rest of their friends to

◼   ► the concept of better board games than

◼   ► monopoly in Candyland you know it's very

◼   ► accessible board game yeah and so it is

◼   ► often the first or only modern and geeky

◼   ► board game that people have played and

◼   ► so I give a credit for that it does

◼   ► deserve that credit we loved it in the

◼   ► beginning you played it a lot and we

◼   ► really really liked it but then we just

◼   ► started finding new things yeah I used

◼   ► to go to Starbucks every day for like a

◼   ► year I'm gonna Starbucks every day we

◼   ► still go to Starbucks over on road trips

◼   ► we have no choice don't tell anybody

◼   ► sorry I took that picture of you once my

◼   ► miserable face yeah no I mean Starbucks

◼   ► you know Starbucks is fine it's not

◼   ► great it's fine that's what I think

◼   ► about settlers it's fine

◼   ► you know it is better than a lot of

◼   ► games that came before it and it really

◼   ► does deserve credit for assuring in the

◼   ► mainstream to the idea of better newer

◼   ► geekier games than what we all played

◼   ► growing up but you can do a lot better I

◼   ► think yeah that makes sense

◼   ► that's how I feel all right so what you

◼   ► talk for oh okay so number one I have

◼   ► Agricola number two I have block as'

◼   ► number three uh I kind of want to like

◼   ► dump all the quick board the quick games

◼   ► all like together like oh so you have

◼   ► three number three's is that what you're

◼   ► saying this is going horribly I want to

◼   ► put balderdash on there but I feel like

◼   ► I love it so much and no one ever ever

◼   ► plays it with me it's like it's so hyped

◼   ► up in my mind I did I'm so nervous about

◼   ► playing it with other people at this

◼   ► point because I think it's just gonna go

◼   ► horribly I'm melting I'm melting okay

◼   ► Agricola block is balderdash and

◼   ► Bananagrams that doesn't feel good clue

◼   ► Bananagrams that doesn't feel good clue

◼   ► also doesn't feel good power grid

◼   ► factory manager that you played once did

◼   ► I played once here we go this this is

◼   ► how bad I was video games this is how

◼   ► bad you are at the board game ranking I

◼   ► feel so bad good like wow okay Agricola

◼   ► I'm blackest and balderdash and a whole

◼   ► bunch of others Wow

◼   ► I love you alright my top four number

◼   ► one Puerto Rico number 2

◼   ► Agricola number 3 block s number 4 power

◼   ► grid Wow see for me it's all about what

◼   ► didn't make the list

◼   ► alright now we have some important

◼   ► follow-up yeah it's now follow-up what

◼   ► is it oh I don't know news new it is

◼   ► news I guess yeah good isn't something

◼   ► we missed you know or got wrong mmm-hmm

◼   ► so in our last episode so now that's one

◼   ► to ago right we did an episode on the

◼   ► the top four worst Weezer singles not

◼   ► worst Weezer songs the worst songs that

◼   ► Weezer has that we chose to release as

◼   ► singles yes for their albums and let me

◼   ► just say right now we have heard el

◼   ► Scorcho so many times since that I I'm I

◼   ► hey I ended the show saying I liked el

◼   ► Scorcho so I I stopped well I like it

◼   ► even more now I don't hate it as a song

◼   ► but it was a terrible choice of a single

◼   ► for that time like that was yeah anyway

◼   ► and you keep playing the greatest man

◼   ► that ever did something or other

◼   ► yeah in the bathroom anyway it goes

◼   ► great there so I got stuck in my head

◼   ► too it's like you know how it's the the

◼   ► most frustrating thing to have a bad

◼   ► song stuck in your head it's a bad

◼   ► single and and to be fair and Weezer

◼   ► actually is pretty good at releasing bad

◼   ► songs as singles that gets stuck anyway

◼   ► so what we're getting around to is that

◼   ► apparently Weezer released another

◼   ► single yeah they released a single today

◼   ► yeah and a whole bunch of people were

◼   ► tweeting it at us and I started

◼   ► listening to women on the couch and

◼   ► Marko runs in he's like no no no stop

◼   ► because we're gonna listen to it on the

◼   ► show yeah I don't and I I just could

◼   ► tell that's what it was

◼   ► I haven't heard it yet at all except for

◼   ► like the little bit that you played in

◼   ► the couch and like that

◼   ► first about like five seconds yeah so

◼   ► this is gonna be the first time we are

◼   ► hearing it at all we're doing it live on

◼   ► the show okay you're gonna have to put

◼   ► clips in right yeah

◼   ► not the whole thing all right let's go

◼   ► okay I'm ready I'm scared I'm scared of

◼   ► Amy here we go she's trying to be Eminem

◼   ► I like it

◼   ► what's he saying thank God for girls

◼   ► they just say getting sweaty over rolls

◼   ► I think so this is terrible

◼   ► I like it

◼   ► it's catchy come on is it I like all the

◼   ► crazy lyrics I think that's the first

◼   ► time a Ganesha was ever in a song yeah

◼   ► Wow

◼   ► that's it I really liked when they were

◼   ► like rap talking I like that part

◼   ► I like when all of a sudden they throw

◼   ► in a lyric that doesn't rhyme or just

◼   ► like stops everything kind of dead in

◼   ► its musical tracks I think that's really

◼   ► finally that's a very Weezer of them

◼   ► they do that a lot that see to me I kind

◼   ► of like it

◼   ► I don't think that was bad enough to

◼   ► make my top four worst singles no I it's

◼   ► too it's too catchy mmm yes you to me

◼   ► maybe it's only cuz I only heard it once

◼   ► I don't care for the subject matter the

◼   ► whole thank God for girls things what

◼   ► about the cannolis in echinacea I don't

◼   ► know I like a hope I like words so I had

◼   ► a lot of words I like a lot of words yes

◼   ► they can guarantee you that there were a

◼   ► lot of words in that song besides I hear

◼   ► this again that's not gonna happen right

◼   ► now

◼   ► oh yeah not right now but I think I

◼   ► would listen to it again so I don't

◼   ► think I would put it on my top four

◼   ► I wouldn't even play it in the bathroom

◼   ► whoa be it be it not because it's worse

◼   ► than the greatest man who ever lived but

◼   ► because it has nothing going for it like

◼   ► it is it the greatest man that ever

◼   ► lived is at least somewhat catchy at

◼   ► least get stuck in your head I like this

◼   ► because I like Macklemore and like that

◼   ► kind of stuff and you don't like that so

◼   ► right right you're not gonna like this

◼   ► right like they are doing what is more

◼   ► likely to be popular today and I give

◼   ► them credit for that because they are

◼   ► keeping themselves relatively Road

◼   ► relevant I feel like they're keeping

◼   ► themselves modern but they're kind of

◼   ► sticking to who they are with their

◼   ► quirkiness and thence a lot like

◼   ► barenaked ladies kind of thing where

◼   ► it's

◼   ► lot of lyrics sometimes it sounds like

◼   ► it doesn't make sense together it's kind

◼   ► of nerdy it's I really like it but

◼   ► they're a little bit more rock than make

◼   ► it then barely a few ladies but like our

◼   ► is I don't know what is that

◼   ► I think if you're if you're if you're

◼   ► English then like companies and bands if

◼   ► are plural right but if you're American

◼   ► and they're singular

◼   ► I don't know when a band's name is

◼   ► barenaked ladies that's yeah but they're

◼   ► one band it's pretty second hands know

◼   ► ladies right sometimes they're naked

◼   ► though yeah anyway so I like it I think

◼   ► it lacks what usually makes Weezer songs

◼   ► catchy and memorable

◼   ► it is neither I would say it's neither

◼   ► of those things really I think it fits

◼   ► into the whole modern music stuff this

◼   ► stuff that's coming out now that people

◼   ► really like that's fair so I don't think

◼   ► it's a bad choice I mean and we haven't

◼   ► we haven't heard much the album yet but

◼   ► it's like one sweater song came out

◼   ► sweater song was super weird but it fit

◼   ► into the grunge culture that it came out

◼   ► of so that's why I never made our list

◼   ► it's a weird single but it fit when it

◼   ► came out but sweater song I would say

◼   ► sweater song was a much better song than

◼   ► this

◼   ► yes sweater song wasn't much better song

◼   ► but you also don't like modern music you

◼   ► old man that's true