So Very Wrong About Games

Pickaxe

A podcast about all manner of hobby games by Mike Walker and Mark Bigney. Bad games don't go easy on you, so we don't go easy on them. Thorough analysis via reviews, news, and discussion of topics in gaming. We take context seriously, we value your time, and we're not into hype. Just because games are fun doesn't mean we can't take them seriously, and just because we take them seriously doesn't mean we can't have fun.

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421 episodes
Updated July 21

Episodes421

Newest first

Apr 17, 2018 · 1 hr 11 min
#21: Quartermaster General and Gaming Conventions
Mark and Walker delve into matters of criminal justice this week, pondering the balance and tradeoffs between deterrence, retribution, and rehabilitation. Walker seems to think that Bunny Kingdom a form of cruel and unusual punishment, whereas Mark...
Apr 10, 2018 · 1 hr 12 min
#20: GKR: Heavy Hitters and Blinging Games
Times are bad--children no longer respect their elders and everyone is running a Kickstarter. Nostalgia fuels our news segment today, with varying levels of scorn for cherished memories. For those of you playing along at home with their So Very Wrong...
Apr 3, 2018 · 1 hr 8 min
#19: Space Alert and Multiplayer Conflict Games
We adopt a policy of firm opposition to irresolvable paradoxes here at So Very Wrong About Games. Then again, everything we say is wrong, so take that for what it is worth. Don't even ask us about sets not containing themselves. We turn our attention...
Mar 27, 2018 · 1 hr 12 min
#18: Champions of Midgard and Victory Point Systems
Mark references several films while trying, and failing, to keep his composure. Walker tells stories that may or may not resemble reality. Both hosts rant about design decisions they find inexplicable. It's a very cathartic experience for all...
Mar 20, 2018 · 1 hr
#17: Battlelore 2nd Edition and Board Game Life Hacks
Mark and Walker explore how sophisticated the rejoinder "git gud" can be, perhaps indicating that they are getting good at unhelpful trash talking. Perhaps anything can be an art. Perhaps being a better degerenate is truly the life lesson they have...
Mar 13, 2018 · 1 hr 9 min
#16: SMOG Rise of Moloch and Games that Shouldn't Work
Walker pretends to tolerate Mark's digression into pronunciation, and in exchange Mark pretends to be surprised to hear that TI4 has problems. Both fail to be even remotely surprised that CMON is in the plastic pushing business, novelty or creativity...
Mar 6, 2018 · 1 hr 10 min
#15: Shadespire and House Rules
Why can't we all just get along? This week Mark and Walker agree that anyone causing pain should be tortured to death. Wait, that doesn't work. Okay, can we agree that people who cause pain wrongly are wrong? Hm. That seems problematic. What about we...
Feb 27, 2018 · 1 hr 15 min
#14: Rising Sun and Inappropriate Themes
Walker acts on his firm conviction that sympathy is for the weak, and the internet seems to endorse this position. Fueled by Mark's misery, the pair utter a great deal of words on the topic of Rising Sun, which has had a firm grip on their gaming time...
Feb 20, 2018 · 1 hr 9 min
#13: 51st State Master Set and Kickstarter Exclusives
Mark and Walker dare the siege perilous in this, their thirteenth installment. Walker shares a rare moment of sincerity, and Mark restrains himself from taunting him for the lapse. Rising Sun is revisited and compared to Twilight Imperium, and...
Feb 13, 2018 · 1 hr 13 min
#12: Deception: Murder in Hong Kong and Hidden Game States
Mark has a bit of an identity crisis, but his devotion to his listeners will see him through. Walker, as is his wont, merely patiently rolls his eyes-especially when Mark almost tries to get him to review a game they've only played once. The...
Feb 6, 2018 · 1 hr 9 min
#11: Gaia Project and Reskins & Second Editions
Mark and Walker switch roles this week in a stunning reversal. Walker avoids telling Mark to "get good," but it's a close thing only narrowly avoided. In Walker's defense, Mark really should git gud--as has been noted by many a scholar and physician....
Jan 30, 2018 · 1 hr 7 min
#10: A Feast for Odin and Apps
Mark and Walker address so many questions this week. How many ways can Walker pronounce "coyote?" Why is all of Oceania laughing at CMON? What is the best social and economic system? How condescending can Mark get? Listen up, as all will be explained...
Jan 23, 2018 · 1 hr 8 min
#9: Sidereal Confluence and HATE
Mark and Walker engage the ALL CAPS in a very HARDCORE WAY. Or something. All in all, they're very civil, even while disagreeing about Sidereal Confluence and being mystified by people's strong reactions to HATE. Rage gets all the love, but HATE gets...
Jan 16, 2018 · 1 hr 14 min
#8: Alien Artifacts and Kickstarter
Mark and Walker engage in rampant hearsay, or at least that's what someone told me. They perform a dissection of Alien Artifacts, only to discover that it was a shoddy rubber suit all along. They then discuss their thoughts on Kickstarter's influence...
Jan 9, 2018 · 1 hr 11 min
#7: Scythe: The Wind Gambit and Campaigns
Mark and Walker discuss many things Stonemaier games, and ask the rhetorical question: why does everything gotta have a campaign? They then try to answer that question, because they don't know what rhetorical means. Games Played Last Week: 1:35...
Jan 2, 2018 · 1 hr 4 min
#6: Space Hulk and New Year's Resolutions
Mark and Walker spend zero moments wondering what a lang syne is, but instead praise the classic Space Hulk and look forward to 2018 with some gaming resolutions. As is the way with such things, they've probably already been broken--especially the one...
Dec 19, 2017 · 1 hr 13 min
#5: Year in Review 2017
Mark and Walker engage in furious duel, where Mantis Style triumphs over Crane Style. Music is impugned. Characters disparaged. Time itself is on trial! This is getting metaphysical, people. Games are also discussed. The highs and lows of 2017 are...
Dec 12, 2017 · 1 hr 20 min
#4: Spirit Island and Rulebooks
Mark (alias Flavor Flav) and Walker (alias Chuck D) disagree about many things, among them Twilight Imperium 4th ed., Spirit Island, GMT Games, and rulebooks. Fight the power, by which we mean listen to this podcast of a couple of white dudes talking...
Dec 5, 2017 · 1 hr 9 min
#3: Hansa Teutonica and Theme
Mark and Walker praise the themeless Hansa Teutonica and proceed to break down what makes for successful themes in games, leading to unexpected agreement on many things Star Wars. Games played last week: 1:18 -Castles of Burgundy (Stefan Feld,...
Nov 28, 2017 · 1 hr 9 min
#2: Terraforming Mars and Dexterity Games
Mark and Walker have some civil disagreements concerning Terraforming Mars (Jacob Fryxelius, Stronghold, 2016) and cannibalism before enthusing about playing with toys. As a note, whips are not considered toys in this context. Games Played Last...