Podcast 6: New Knizia & Splotter

Mike has been playing lots of "new" Knizia games. Barry broke down and bought two new games.
This is possible thanks to our wonderful supporters on Patreon! www.patreon.com/ReadySteadyPlay
Boardgames with Barry: / @bgwbarry
00:00 Introduction
02:04 News: Europa Universalis Price of Power Defying Destiny
05:42 News: Founders of Reyvick
10:59 News: HEXplore It Mountains of Godai
19:51 News: Tree Society
20:45 Played: Horrified Series
23:47 Bought: Brazil Imperial
27:16 Bought: Inventions Evolution of Ideas
31:22 Played: Furnace Interbellum
41:50 Played: Grumblestone
47:58 Played: Fateforge Chronicles of Kaan
01:03:52 Played: Vale of Eternity
01:11:33 Played: Huang
01:18:50 Played: Side Quest 7th Sea
01:25:01 Played: Cascadero
01:36:29 Played: Turing Machine
01:38:32 Played: War of the Ring The Card Game
01:53:09 Played: Horseless Carriage

[@browe]

I'm so very torn on Lacerda games; The Gallerist and Lisboa felt fresh, compelling, and worth the calories when I first encountered them. I've played everything up to Weather Machine, which I skipped--ditto Inventions. Escape Plan and On Mars should have been keepers due my fondness for their themes alone, but I unloaded them quickly. Lisboa is now the only Lacerda I still own. I cannot shake the feeling that his rulesets are increasingly comparable to fancy complications in a mechanical watch: fun, intricate, yet needless features that still don't help one tell time any better.
I'm also torn on HexPlore It. I only have Domain of Mirza Noctis, which is the one theme in the series that really grabbed me. It's addition of Dungeons is clever and adds a tasty, optional, push your luck element of exploration. It's very math-y in an old school RPG way, which feels dry. It does unfold in some evocative, generative storytelling that's more "theatre of the mind" than what one gets from spoon-fed pages & pages of flavor text or choose-your-own adventure narratives--which I very much appreciate. I've only played DoMN solo, with two characters in the mix. I wouldn't personally enjoy pure solo with only one player character.

[@lmedved5000]

Yeeaaahh, I definitely think the 1st Volume of Hexplore It is the "worst". The following volumes add a lot more complexity and make the world feel waaaay more dynamic. Also the campaign books are very very good!