In this episode, I briefly talk through the new Gryphon Games lineup and then focus on Roll Through the Ages.

You can download Board Games with Scott 056 – Roll Through the Ages from the Internet Archive. (other formats available).

Or, you can watch it here through Vimeo:
BGWS 056: Board Games with Scott 056 – Roll Through the Ages from Scott Nicholson on Vimeo.
You can purchase Roll Through the Ages through Funagain Games!

To discuss this episode, visit Board Game Geek. Disclaimer: I did get a review copy of this game from the publisher.

Welcome back!

Over the last few months, I’ve been going through a lot of thinking about Board Games with Scott.  I have been burning out on the old format, and I’ve decided to make some changes.  I posted a few questions over at Scott’s Stuff (http://www.youtube.com/snicholson), and have done some soul-searching.

Welcome to the new Board Games with Scott!  The biggest change I’ll be making is shortening the shows.  I’m not going to be doing all of the rules, but rather, presenting a broader overview of the game.  I’m removing many of the cut-aways, section breaks, and other time-consuming edits.

I’m also going to be doing some experimentation with technology and format.  It’s akin to starting over, as I’ll be learning again more about creating videos.  I’ve also decided to discontinue the BGWS audio-only feed.

Without further ado, I bring you Formula D!

You can download Board Games with Scott 055 – Formula D from the Internet Archive. (other formats available).

Or, you can watch it here through Vimeo:

Board Games with Scott 055 – Formula D from Scott Nicholson on Vimeo.

You can purchase Formula D through Funagain Games!

To discuss this episode, visit Board Game Geek. Disclaimer: I did get a review copy of this game from the publisher.

Between an early-January trip, a late-January trip, and the start of a new semester, I had about one free week. However, I ended up getting a nasty cold for that week. So, there won’t be a new episode this month.

I have continued to do my short videos on Scott’s Stuff. Some of them are short boardgame reviews. I am enclosing my “10 top game experiences of 2008″ episode in this post. You can download it directly or watch it here:

You can find these videos at
http://www.youtube.com/user/snicholson

Bernhard “3b” von Gunten at BoardGameGeek found a way for you to get these videos through iTunes!
If you’d like to see my Scott’s Stuff videos through iTunes, subscribe to:

http://urlof.com/4s
or
http://www.rsshandler.com/flvrss.rss?feedurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Frss%2Fuser%2Fsnicholson%2Fvideos.rss&format=18

in your feed reader or iTunes

See you in February!

Cosmic Encounter originally came out in the late 1970’s and has been released several times since then. This is the newest release, and Fantasy Flight has done a great job. This is a light space conquest game where the basic rules are simple, but each player has the ability to break the rules. This, on top of “take that” card play, leads to a chaotic game where players are trying to establish bases all over the galaxy.

In this episode of Board Games with Scott, Scott Nicholson explains how to play this game.

Watch it through Vimeo:

BGWS 054 – Board Games with Scott 054 – Cosmic Encounter from Scott Nicholson on Vimeo.
Or

Download it from the
Internet Archive
in one of many formats,
or
Right-Click and save:

MPEG4 (169 MB)

Audio only (MP3)

You can order this game through Funagain games.

If you do decide to order the game because of this episode, let the folks at Fantasy Flight know at skarkula@fantasyflightgames.com . Disclaimer: I did get a review copy of this game from the publisher.

Want more Scott? Here’s Scott’s Stuff on YouTube or an RSS Feed for Scott’s Stuff

Comments on this episode? Discuss this episode over at BoardGameGeek.

Because I’m only putting these on YouTube, then the videos themselves won’t download into iTunes, so you can’t easily watch them on your portable device. For all of you that are reading this blog through an RSS feed reader, it should work fine, and will let you know when there’s a board game-related episode on Scott’s Stuff.

If you like this format, you can see more of them at http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=snicholson&view=videos

Say Anything is a party game designed by the same folks who did Wits and Wagers. It’s a light game for 3-8 people, and plays well either with people you know or with people you don’t know.

In this episode of Board Games with Scott, Scott Nicholson explains how to play this game.

Watch it through Vimeo:

Board Games with Scott 053 – Say Anything from Scott Nicholson on Vimeo.
Or

Download it from the
Internet Archive
in one of many formats,
or
Right-Click and save:

MPEG4 (57 MB)

Audio only (MP3)

You can order this game through Funagain games.

If you do decide to order the game because of this episode, let the folks at North Star Games know at customersupport@northstargames.com . Disclaimer: I did get a review copy of this game from the publisher.

Here’s Scott’s Stuff on YouTube or an RSS Feed for Scott’s Stuff

Comments on this episode? Discuss this episode over at BoardGameGeek.

Ice Flow is a mutliplayer family strategy game where players are trying to effectively use fish and ropes to scamper across the Bering Strait, avoiding being stranding and being attacked by polar bears. Players must work with a team of explorers, helping them work together to be the first ones across

In this episode of Board Games with Scott, Scott Nicholson explains how to play this game.

Watch it through Vimeo:

Or

Download it from the
Internet Archive
in one of many formats,
or
Right-Click and save:

MPEG4 (177 MB)

Audio only (MP3)

You can order this game through Funagain games.

If you do decide to order the game because of this episode, let the folks at Ludorum games know at info@ludorum.co.uk . Disclaimer: I did get a review copy of this game from the publisher.

By the way – here’s Scott’s Stuff on YouTube

Comments on this episode? Discuss this episode over at BoardGameGeek.

Agricola is a new strategy game where players get to play farmers! It also has captured the interest of many modern boardgamers, quickly shooting up to the top of the rankings in BoardGameGeek. In this game, players have to attempt to keep a small farm running, balancing food and animal production with building and learning new occupations. The scoring system forces you to do everything to some extent, yet turns are short. Each player starts with a hand of cards that allow them to break the rules in different ways, which forces a different strategy each time.

In this episode of Board Games with Scott, Scott Nicholson explains how to play this game.

Watch it through Vimeo:

Or

Download it from the
Internet Archive
in one of many formats,
or
Right-Click and save:

High-quality MPEG4 (255 MB)

Lower-quality MPEG4 (84 MB)

Audio only (MP3)

You can order this game through Funagain games.

If you do decide to order the game because of this episode, let the folks at Z-Man know at zman@zmangames.com .

Comments on this episode? Discuss this episode over at BoardGameGeek.

Prophecy, designed by Through the Ages designer Vladimír Chvátil, was originally put out by Czech Board Games, and has since been published by Z-Man games and Altar games. It is a fantasy board game in the ilk of Talisman, where players build up characters to achieve greater things in life. Games like this and Descent have their roots in Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying games.

In this episode of Board Games with Scott, Scott Nicholson explains how to play this game.

Watch it through Vimeo:

BGWS 050 – Board Games with Scott 050 – Prophecy from Scott Nicholson on Vimeo.

Or

Download it from the
Internet Archive
in one of many formats,
or
Right-Click and save:

High-quality MPEG4 (243 MB)

Audio only (14 MB MP3)

You can order this game through Funagain games.

If you do decide to order the game because of this episode, let the folks at Z-Man know at zman@zmangames.com or Altar games know at obchod@altar.cz .

Comments on this episode? Discuss this episode over at BoardGameGeek.

Metropolys is a game by Ystari Games, published in the U.S. by Rio Grande Games. It is a light strategy game where players bid for control of regions. In this episode of Board Games with Scott, Scott Nicholson explains how to play this game, focusing on the Expert version of the rules

Watch it through Vimeo:

Or

Download it from the
Internet Archive
in one of many formats, or
Right-Click and save:
MPEG4 (146 MB)
Audio only (12 MB MP3)

If you liked the introduction and want to see more of Yahtzee and Zero Punctuation, visit http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/zero-punctuation (Note that his reviews use mature language and visuals).

You can order this game through Funagain games.

If you do decide to order the game because of this episode, let the folks at Ystari know at info@ystari.com or Rio Grande games know at http://www.riograndegames.com/contact.html Disclaimer: I did get a review copy of this game from the publisher.

Comments on this episode? Discuss this episode over at BoardGameGeek.

Saikoro is a small-press 2-player abstract game, published by Solbenk . In this episode of Board Games with Scott, Scott Nicholson discusses this easy-to-learn game and plays a demonstration game.
Watch it through Vimeo:

Or

Download it from the
Internet Archive
in one of many formats, or
Right-Click and save:
MPEG4 (98 MB)
Audio only (7 MB MP3)

If you do decide to order the game because of this episode, let the folks at Solbenk Games know at http://www.solbenk.com/about_us.htm, as this does make a difference! Disclaimer: I did get a review copy of this game from the publisher.

Comments on this episode? Discuss this episode over at BoardGameGeek.

TransEuropa (and the similar game, TransAmerica), is a great introduction to modern board games. It’s a light game where players connect cities across Europe by playing track that everyone shares. In this episode of Board Games with Scott, Scott Nicholson discusses this game and the expansion, Vexation. The expansion adds a little bit of complexity and makes the game more confrontational.

Watch it through Vimeo:

Or

Download it from the
Internet Archive
in one of many formats, or
Right-Click and save:
MPEG4 (82 MB)
Audio only (7 MB MP3)

You can order TransEuropa or order Vexation through Funagain Games . If you do decide to order the game because of this episode, let the folks at Rio Grande Games know at http://www.riograndegames.com/contact.html, as this does make a difference! Disclaimer: I did get a review copy of this game from the publisher.

Comments on this episode? Discuss this episode over at BoardGameGeek.

The 18xx series of games are a long-standing series of economic train games. Players invest in one or more train corporations and manage their routes on a board. In this episode of Board Games with Scott, Scott Nicholson discusses the series of the 18xx games. This episode is not traditional in that Scott doesn’t teach you a specific game. Since each game in the 18xx series is different, Scott focuses on the topics that most have in common. These games are long but can provide a rewarding and deep game experience.

Watch it through Vimeo:

Board Games with Scott 046 – 18xx from Scott Nicholson on Vimeo.
Or

Download it from the
Internet Archive
in one of many formats, or
Right-Click and save:
High-Quality MPEG4 (420 MB)
Lower-Quality MPEG4 (130 MB)
Audio only (13 MB MP3)

You can order 1870 through Funagain Games (although it’s temporarily out of stock). If you do decide to order the game because of this episode, let the folks at Mayfair Games know at mayfair@mayfairgames.com, as this does make a difference!

All of funagain.com’s 18xx games can be found at http://www.funagain.com/control/category/~category_id=SERIES_0428

You can order 18FL through Deep Thought Games.

There are some sample 18XX games in a “Learning to Play” series at BoardGameGeek at http://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/207393 and
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/207400

There is a Yahoo group to discuss 18XX at http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/18xx/

Also, a plethora of 18xx information is available at Keith Thomasson’s site – http://www.fwtwr.com/18xx/index.htm

Comments on this episode? Discuss this episode over at BoardGameGeek.

I’ve designed my first board game, called Tulipmania 1637. It’s a stock market game that replicates the bubble market that was in 1637 regarding the price of tulip bulbs that almost destroyed the dutch economy. I made the game after visiting the Tulip museum in Amsterdam and learning all about Tulipmania, and wanted to pass along the lesson of how bubble markets occur and the role of unethical people in these markets. You are one of these less-than-ethical investors trying to take advantage of the innocent Tulip Buyers.. and each other.

It’s planned to be published in October (and as soon as I get a copy, I’ll make a Blatant Plug Video about it.)

But, if you want to explore it, the publishers have created a version that you can try online for free until the game comes out.

You can read the rules and download the software to try the game at
http://www.jklminteractive.co.uk/jklm/tulipmania.php

and you can preorder the game with a discount at
http://www.jklmgames.co.uk/gamessin.php?game=420

(end Blatant Plug)

Puerto Rico is one of the top-ranked games at BoardGameGeek and is one of my favorite games. That said, it is a medium-complexity game that offers a new player a large number of choices. Puerto Rico broke ground in the way that turns were handled and many games have taken inspiration from it over the years. This is also one of my most-requested games, and I surprised several of those requesters by asking them to look at an early version of the video (thanks for responding, Keith and Louis!)

To enjoy this video, you can watch it below:

Or

Download it from the
Internet Archive
in one of many formats, or
Right-Click and save:
Very-High-Quality Quicktime (672 MB)
High-Quality Quicktime (from Vimeo) (323 MB)
Not-So-High-Quality MP4 (88 MB)
Audio only (13 MB MP3)

New!
I’m also playing around with Vimeo. You can try watching the video below:

Untitled from Scott Nicholson on Vimeo.

If you have feedback about Vimeo as compared to the Internet Archive versions, please let me know! (scott@scottnicholson.com)

You can order Puerto Rico through Funagain Games. If you do decide to order the game because of this episode, let the folks at Rio Grande Games know, as this does make a difference!

Comments on this episode? Discuss this episode over at BoardGameGeek.

I demonstrated:
– Felix, the Cat in the Sack
– Portrayal, and
– Rattlesnake .

By the way, when you play Felix, before you start bidding, you get to see the first cat in the sack; I didn’t show that correctly. Also, the table was a little slanted, so Rattlesnake was harder than it should have been. But, when it’s time-pressed recorded-live TV, things happen!

Since this one is short, I put it up on YouTube:

You can also grab it over at the Internet Archive at http://www.archive.org/download/bgws_jan08_foodforthought/bgws_special_0108.mp4 (32 MB)

Discuss this segment over at Board Game Geek at http://boardgamegeek.com/thread/279641.

Time for something lighter! This is a party game from a small publisher, Braincog, and I really enjoyed it. While you draw in the game, it’s not like a traditional drawing game. Make sure and have pencil and paper ready so you can Play Along with Scott.

Note – I’m still calibrating my new studio, and there are some times when the audio goes a little funny.

To enjoy this video, you can watch it below:

Or

Download it from the
Internet Archive
in one of many formats, or
Right-Click and save:
High-Quality Quicktime (85 MB mov)
Audio only (13 MB MP3)

You can order Portrayal through Braincog. If you do decide to order the game because of this episode, let the folks at Braincog know, as this does make a difference! Disclaimer: I did get a review copy of this game from the publisher.

Comments on this episode? Discuss this episode over at BoardGameGeek.

Welcome! It’s been a while, but I’m getting settled in after my move, and am ready to start up again. This episode is about Reef Encounter and features clips from an interview that I did with the designer, Richard Breese, at Essen 2006.

To enjoy this video, you can watch it below:

Or

Download it from the
Internet Archive
as
- Lower-quality MP4 or
- Higher-quality M4V

Audio only (31 MB MP3)

You can order Reef Encounter through Funagain Games. You can also play it online at SpielbyWeb.

Comments on this episode? Discuss this episode over at BoardGameGeek.

If you are visiting here because you heard me on WORD-FM, welcome! Here are videos about the games I discussed on the show:

Wits and Wagers – http://www.boardgameswithscott.com/?p=53

GiftTRAP – http://www.boardgameswithscott.com/?p=43

Blokus
I talked about Blokus on a local PBS segment, which you can get at
http://www.archive.org/download/ScottNicholsonOnHourCny1/hourcnygames.mov

Ticket to Ride – http://www.boardgameswithscott.com/?p=19

The community site is Board Game Geek – http://boardgamegeek.com.

If you are looking to purchase some of these games, you can get them at Funagain Games.

Finally, if you want to learn more, I’ve got a Board Games 101 video where I present an overview of these types of games.

I’ve been on hiatus for a while in making new videos, but I’ve started production up again. To be notified about new videos, there are some options over on the right-hand column near the top, like “E-mail notification”.

What could be going on?

You will need a BGG account to join, and then you can sign up at

http://www.boardgamegeek.com/guild/395

(p.s. I still can’t find my camera! It was one of the last things to be packed, so now I’m suspecting it is in a box labeled for a different room, like (shudder) “Storage”. The unpacking continues…)

We own the house, but are still waiting on some big repairs before we can start moving in. My studio is still in a box, and I’m spending all that free time that would usually go to making a video on packing, painting, assembling, and trying to get most of the house ready before school starts. Consider BGWS in hiatus until I get my life back in order. If you just can’t live without your dose of Scott, I’m still contributing to the On Board Games podcast.

(We actually own two houses – if you know of anyone in Syracuse looking for a house, please send them my way!!)

We’re closing on our new house tomorrow (after weeks of delays) so I won’t be putting up an episode for another few weeks as we repair the new house and then move in. (note – our current house remains unsold, so if you are looking or know someone who is looking in the Syracuse area, please point them to MLS# 173519).

I was the organizer and moderator of a panel called “Meet the Boardgame Broadcasters” at Origins, and Jim Van Verth of The Vintage Gamer recorded the panel and put it up on his site. It features me, representing both Board Games with Scott and the On Board Games podcast, Tom and Sam from the Dice Tower, Dave and Stephen from The Spiel, and Jim from The Vintage Gamer, and Mark and Jay from The Metagamers. We talk about our shows and have a lot of fun.

You can listen to this panel over at
http://essentialmath.com/vintagegamer/?p=60
where it says “Standard Podcast”.

If you want to discuss it, there is a thread at Board Game Geek
.

Special Note! I’ll be at Origins. There is a Meet the Boardgame Broadcasters panel Saturday morning at 10AM that I’ll be on, and will be happy to go out to lunch with BGWS viewers afterwards. I’ll also be spending a lot of time in the Board Room.

In this special episode of Board Games with Scott, BGWS coorespondent Matt Carlson takes a look at World of Warcraft and the Shadows of War expanasion. This two-team fantasy game takes several hours to play and is full of many familiar references for those playing the computer game.

To enjoy this video, you can click on the picture below:

Or

Right-click and Save one of the these files (Internet Archive):
Low quality, Quicktime (60 MB)
High quality, Quicktime (175 MB)
(Other video formats available at the Internet Archive)

Audio only (35 MB MP3)

You can order World of Warcraft through Funagain Games. Disclaimer: I did get a review copy of this game from the publisher.

Comments on this episode? Discuss this episode over at BoardGameGeek.

In this episode, I interview Michail Antonow, the designer of ConHex, about his game, teach the game and play a sample game. ConHex is a clever two-player abstract game where players are attempting to connect two sides of a square board. Games move very quickly, but the game has considerable depth in just a few rules.

To enjoy this video, you can click on the picture below:

Or

Right-click and Save one of the these files (Internet Archive):
Low quality, Quicktime (48 MB)
High quality, Quicktime (180 MB)

64KB MP4 (17 MB)
256KB MP4 (42 MB)

Audio only (17 MB MP3) (Other formats available)

You can order ConHex through Funagain Games or through Clemens Gerhards Disclaimer: I did get a review copy of this game from the publisher.

Comments on this episode? Discuss this episode over at BoardGameGeek.

The Pillars of the Earth was an Essen 2006 release based on Ken Follett’s book of the same name. It’s a family strategy game which is similar to Caylus in many ways, but is a less intense experience. It’s a six-round game where in each round, players collect resources, acquire craftsmen, and then use the craftsmen to turn the resources into parts of a cathedral. Victory points are awarded for cathedral components.

By the way, I’m trying to replace some of my failing equipment. If you’d like to help out, you can send Paypal donations to scott@scottnicholson.com.

To enjoy this video, you can watch it at the Internet Archive

or

Watch it here:

or

Right-click and Save one of the these files (Internet Archive):
BGWS 040, Low quality (51 MB)
BGWS 040, High quality, (198 MB)
BGWS 040, Audio only (25 MB MP3) (Other formats available)

You can order The Pillars of the Earth through Funagain Games.

If you decide to purchase a copy of this game because of this video, let the publisher know! In the US, it is Mayfair games at mayfair@mayfairgames.com, and elsewhere, Kosmos or 999 Games . This does make a difference! Disclaimer: I did get a review copy of this game from the publisher.

Comments on this episode? Discuss this episode over at BoardGameGeek.

This is a regular series where we talk about larger issues in gaming, focusing on the behind-the-scenes angles when possible. I participate in the discussions and review games (and some of them are games I didn’t like)!

So far, we have an introduction and three episodes.

You can find the series (with RSS feeds) at onboardgames.net.

Here are direct links to:
Episode 0: Meet the Makers
Episode 1: Don’t Quit Now
Episode 2: Expanding Game Play
Episode 3: Critical Reviews and the Modern Board Game

Enjoy!

Yspahan is a clever and short strategy game. Where there is a theme, it doesn’t really match up with the gameplay, but is still fun. Players place cubes in shops in the city of Yspahan, and if they can occupy all the shops of a color in a district at the end of a week, score points. You can also score points by sending your cubes to a caravan and by building new buildings that give you special abilities. There are many strategies and ways to get points in this interesting little game.

To enjoy this video, you can click on the picture below:

Or

Right-click and Save one of the these files (Internet Archive):
BGWS 039, Low quality (50 MB)
BGWS 03, High quality, (173 MB)
BGWS 039, Audio only (19 MB MP3) (Other formats available)

Watch the episode with Spanish subtitles at http://video.google.es/videoplay?docid=-8648913020595685624&hl=es

You can order Yspahan through Funagain Games.

If you decide to purchase a copy of Yspahan because of this video, let the publisher know! In the US, it is Rio Grande games at riogames@aol.com, and elsewhere, Ystari games at info@ystari.com. This does make a difference! Disclaimer: I did get a review copy of this game from the publisher.

A big thanks to Scott Tepper for teaching me the game and giving me the inspiration to name the quadrants!

Comments on this episode? Discuss this episode over at BoardGameGeek.

In Lifeboats, players have escaped a sinking ship onto a series of lifeboats. These lifeboats have not been well-maintained, so have sprung leaks. Players are maneuvering for the best boats and try to avoid being tossed overboard when the boat springs a new leak. This is done through negotiation and voting, but players have precious little to offer in negotiations.

To enjoy this video, you can click on the picture below:

Or

Right-click and Save one of the these files (Internet Archive):
BGWS 038, Low quality (38 MB)
BGWS 038, High quality, (117 MB)
BGWS 037, Audio only (14 MB MP3) (Other formats available)

With Spanish Subtitles – http://video.google.es/videoplay?docid=2628948059002180083&hl=es

You can order Lifeboats through Funagain Games.

Disclaimer: I did get a review copy of this game from the publisher.

If you decide to purchase a copy of Lifeboats because of this video, let the publisher know at zman@zmangames.com . This does make a difference!

Comments on this episode? Discuss this episode over at BoardGameGeek.

In Rum & Pirates, players control a group a pirates. On your turn, you control the movement of your pirate leader, following along with members of your group. Based upon where the leader goes, you can get a few victory points easily or have to engage in some type of challenge or adventure to gain more points. You can spend resources to take extra turns, but when you are out of pirates, you are done for the round. Any pirates left over head back to the ship to fight over bunks (and therefore, more points). It’s a lighter game than others in this series (like Puerto Rico), but has good theme and flavor. Mmm – tastes like Pirate!

To enjoy this video, you can click on the picture below:

Or

Right-click and Save one of the these files (Internet Archive):
BGWS 037, Low quality (33 MB)
BGWS 037, High quality, (126 MB)
BGWS 037, Audio only (15 MB MP3) (Other formats available)

You can order Rum & Pirates through Funagain Games.

Note – the picture of the ship’s hold came from lesjc@lineone.net via Flickr through the Creative Commons license.

If you decide to purchase a copy of Rum & Pirates because of this video, let the publisher know at riogames@aol.com in the U.S. or info@aleaspiele.de in Germany. This does make a difference! Disclaimer: I did get a review copy of this game from the publisher.

Comments on this episode? Discuss this episode over at BoardGameGeek.

I have good news, more good news, bad news, good news, and a request.

The good news:
This semester, I’ve been promoted at work to Program Director of the Masters of Science in Library and Information Science program, which is an administrative position where I plan courses, marketing, find adjuncts, and basically run that academic program.

The more good news:
I’m also starting on a new research agenda looking at “Gaming in Libraries.” Many libraries are offering gaming programs, but the focus seems to be on video games. I want to systematically explore the whole spectrum of games as to what formats and types of games would be best for different age groups and demographics based upon the goals of the library.

The bad news:
This means I am swamped. I’m traveling more, I’m in more meetings, and I’m much busier than before. This will ebb and flow as the semester goes, but right now, it is flowing.

Given my new responsibilities, I will not be keeping to a two-week schedule for new episodes. I will continue to do the show, but the shows will come out when I have the time. When I have more free time, you’ll see more episodes, and when I’m very busy, you’ll see fewer. I don’t want to burn out by forcing them out, as that will show in their passion and quality. I also am not going to take shortcuts to “just get them out the door;” I’m making permanent resources at BGWS, and as such, I’m focusing on quality and not quantity.

If you want more videos, I’d encourage you to grab your friends and a camera and make some! Making these has been fun and a great boon to my gaming career, so I would encourage anyone who has the passion to give it a shot!

Finally, the good news again:
I’m working with a few others to do an audio podcast. I will be doing a segment where I explore games that don’t quite drive my passion enough for me to make a video, but I still find have something worth talking about. I’ll post information about this as it becomes available. So, you’ll soon still get your regular dose of Scott, just in easy-to-swallow audio format.

So, here’s my plea:
Please don’t write asking when the next one is coming out. When I have the time, I’ll make one. If I decide to quit making them, I’ll tell everyone.

Thanks for your consideration!

Scott

So, which one of you will start a new videocast to win next year?

This week on Board Games with Scott, host Scott Nicholson discusses Shear Panic – The Best Game Ewe Ever Heard and interviews the designers, Gordon and Fraser Lamont. In this 2-4 player light strategy game (with really nice components), players are manipulating a flock of sheep to achieve different goals. Each player has two sheep in the flock and is trying to either get them close to each other, move them toward a black sheep, or move them to the front or back of the flock.

This video on Shear Panic covers the Mayfair version of the game, which is very similar to the version published by 999 games (Panic in de Wei). The game has also been released by Zoch Verlag as Haste Bock?, which has some significant differences.

To enjoy this video, you can click on the picture below:

Or

Right-click and Save one of the these files (Internet Archive):
BGWS 036, Low quality (50 MB)
BGWS 036, High quality, (147 MB)
BGWS 036, Audio only (23 MB MP3) (Other formats available)

You can order Shear Panic through Funagain Games.

If you decide to purchase a copy of Shear Panic because of this video, let the publisher know at mayfair@mayfairgames.com. This does make a difference! Disclaimer: I did get a review copy of this game from the publisher.

Comments on this episode? Discuss this episode over at BoardGameGeek.

These folks poked some serious fun at BGWS and the hobby…

http://www.current.tv/google/GC02295

but I still found it funny.

(all except for the first entry in the “Here’s some games Scott likes to play” part…that just hurt.)

It’s all about raising awareness, and if a lampooning is what it takes, well, I’ll take it.

If you want to discuss this, head over to
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/article/1258296

(By the way, I’m filming the next BGWS episode now, so it will be coming sometime next week.)

I was on our local live PBS talk show, HourCNY, last week. This time, my focus was games that could be purchased locally. The sad news I got was that the show is going off the air; HourCNY was the reason I started BGWS, as I saw how useful video-based explorations could be.

You can see this 13-minute segment at the Internet Archive.

Right-Click and Save:
HourCNY visit, Low Quality (20 MB)
HourCNY visit, High Quality (62 MB)

You can discuss this segment over at BoardGameGeek.

Each episode I do is about a different board game. Some of my shows are about party games, others about family games, and some about strategy games.

Here are a few good starting points:

– Are party games your style? Then check out Wits & Wagers or Gift Trap

– Want a good game for the family? Take a look at Carcassone: The Discovery or Ticket to Ride

– How about something a little more strategic? Visit Blue Moon City or Masons

– Or, for a brief overview of many different games, there is the Board Games 101 show.

No matter what you explore, you can use the RSS feed, Itunes subscription, or E-mail notifcation (all on the right-hand side) to learn when there are new shows.

Enjoy, and may your Monopoly board be covered with dust!

Scott

BattleLore is a two-player light tactical war game that can be played in a historical or fantasy setting. (28:06)

This week on Board Games with Scott, host Scott Nicholson discusses BattleLore. This game is in the lineage of Battle Cry, Memoir ‘44, and Command and Colors: Ancients. It is a card-driven war game where two players fight it out for dominance of the battlefield. It’s elegant design makes it simple to get into and understand, but allows for more complexity than one might expect.

Please note – Scott is taking a break over the holidays, and this will be the only episode released in December. Look for the next episode in the first half of January!

To enjoy this video, you can click on the picture below:

Or

Right-click and Save one of the these files (Internet Archive):
BGWS 035, Low quality (49 MB)
BGWS 035, High quality, (158 MB)
BGWS 035, Audio only (25 MB MP3) (Other formats available)

You can order BattleLore through Funagain Games.

If you decide to purchase a copy of BattleLore because of this video, let the publisher know at marketing@daysofwonder.com. This does make a difference! Disclaimer: I did get a review copy of this game from the publisher.

Comments on this episode? Discuss this episode over at BoardGameGeek.

This week on Board Games with Scott, host Scott Nicholson discusses Wits & Wagers. This is a party game with a game show feel. Players attempt to guess the answer to numerical questions without going over, and then place wagers on whose answer was correct.

Please Note – This episode is different in that it is designed for people new to the hobby of board gaming. I created this episode with the idea that you could burn a copy of the episode onto a CD and give it to someone along with a copy of the game as a holiday gift. I give you permission to distribute this episode along with the game when used as a gift.

I do have a request – if you do give this video along with the game, let me know that you did that; as this is a new format idea, I’m curious to see if people actually use it in the intended manner.

To enjoy this video, you can click on the picture below:

Or

Right-click and Save one of the these files (Internet Archive):
BGWS 034, Low quality (23 MB)
BGWS 034, High quality, (77 MB)
BGWS 034, Audio only (10 MB MP3) (Other formats available)

You can order Wits & Wagers through Funagain Games.

If you decide to purchase a copy of Wits & Wagers because of this video, let the publisher know at http://www.northstargames.com/contact/index.page. This does make a difference! Disclaimer: I did get a review copy of this game from the publisher.

Comments on this episode? Discuss this episode over at BoardGameGeek.

This week on Board Games with Scott, host Scott Nicholson explores Blue Moon City. This game is set in the the world of Blue Moon, which is a popular 2-player card game. In this board game, players are rebuilding the wartorn city through bringing together the races of the area. It is a racing game where players are trying to be the most effective using their resources in clever ways to rebuild more of the city.

To enjoy this video, you can click on the picture below:

Or

Right-click and Save one of the these files (Internet Archive):
BGWS 033, Low quality (38 MB)
BGWS 033, High quality, (140 MB)
BGWS 033, Audio only (19 MB MP3) (Other formats available)

You can order Blue Moon City through Funagain Games.

If you decide to purchase a copy of Blue Moon City because of this video, let the publisher, Fantasy Flight Games, at http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/contact.html . This does make a difference!

Comments on this episode? Discuss this episode over at BoardGameGeek.

This week on Board Games with Scott, host Scott Nicholson explores Carcassonne: The Discovery. Carcassonne is a series of games; the original one was about building cities and fields, and the resulting board looked like Carcassonne in France. There have been many other Carcassonne games in the line; this one was designed for new players to the series. The result is a good introduction to not only tile-laying games but these types of eurogames as well. (Also, seasoned players of the series should take a look – this version of Carcassonne has some key differences that give it some interesting decisions.)

To enjoy this video, you can click on the picture below:

Or

Right-click and Save one of the these files (Internet Archive):
BGWS 031, Low quality (20 MB)
BGWS 031, High quality, (76 MB)
BGWS 032, Audio only (13 MB MP3) (Other formats available)

You can order Carcassonne: The Discovery (and support BGWS) through Funagain Games.

If you decide to purchase a copy of Carcassonne: The Discovery because of this video, let the publisher, Rio Grande Games, know through an e-mail to riogames@aol.com . This does make a difference! Disclaimer: I did get a review copy of this game from the publisher.

Discuss this episode over at BoardGameGeek.

You can listen to this at

http://www.archive.org/download/bgws_essentalk/bgws_essentalk.mp3

P.S. I’d like to thank all of you who said “Hi” at Essen. That was really meaningful to me. Thanks!

Note – I’m posting this a week early, as I’m heading to Essen soon. The next episode of BGWS will be posted Nov. 3rd, so if you need to, ration this episode appropriately.

This week on Board Games with Scott, Scott Nicholson takes a look at the French game, Du Balai. (It has since come out in English as Wicked Witches Way.) In this game, players are witches and warlocks flying in a broom race. To advance, players must figure out one of two spells by looking for unique single-color symbols rolled on a large quantity of dice. This type of game is known as a simultaneous puzzle game, as players are all working on the same puzzle at the same time.

To enjoy this video, you can click on the picture below:

Or

Right-click and Save one of the these files (Internet Archive):
BGWS 031, Low quality (30 MB)
BGWS 031, High quality, (100 MB)
BGWS 031, Audio only (15 MB MP3) (Other formats available)

If you decide to purchase a copy of Du Balai because of this video, let the publisher, Asmodee Games, know through an e-mail to asmodee@asmodee.com. This does make a difference! Disclaimer: I did get a review copy of this game from the publisher.

Discuss this episode over at BoardGameGeek.

This week on Board Games with Scott, designer Andrea Meyer joins Scott Nicholson to talk about her game, Ad Acta. This game takes a tongue-in-cheek approach to civil servitude as players attempt to get their work done at the right time while delaying the work of others. Andrea also talks about two of her other games, Wordwild and Hossa, and discusses some of the issues in being a game designer and a game publisher.

The site for Andrea’s company, Bewitched Spiele, is at http://www.bewitched-spiele.de/.

To enjoy this video, you can click on the picture below:

Or

Right-click and Save one of the these files (Internet Archive):
BGWS 030, Low quality (49 MB)
BGWS 030, High quality, (166 MB)
BGWS 030, Audio only (23 MB MP3) (Other formats available)

I make one small mistake in the video – during a rules review, I say that the messenger takes files from the inbox. They actually take files from the outbox.

You can order Ad Acta (and support BGWS) through Funagain Games.

If you decide to purchase a copy of Ad Acta because of this video, let the publisher, Bewitched Spiele, know through an e-mail to info@bewitched-spiele.de

Discuss this episode over at BoardGameGeek.

Easter Island is a a two-player strategy game about bouncing light beams around the board in an attempt to destroy your opponent’s pieces. (10:38)

This week on Board Games with Scott, Scott Nicholson explores Easter Island. In this two-player abstract(ish) strategy game, players move pieces that can reflect beams of light. Players can also shoot beams of light from off the board, reflecting these beams around in an attempt to destroy their opponent’s pieces.

To enjoy this video, you can click on the picture below:

Or

Right-click and Save one of the these files (Internet Archive):
BGWS 029, Low quality (20 MB)
BGWS 029, High quality, (64 MB)
BGWS 029, Audio only (10 MB MP3) (Other formats available)

You can order Easter Island (and support BGWS) through Funagain Games.

If you decide to purchase a copy of Easter Island because of this video, let the publisher, Twilight Creations, know! Disclaimer: I did get a review copy of this game from the publisher.

Discuss this episode over at BoardGameGeek.

Timbuktu is a lighter-weight deduction game where players lead herds of camels through the dangerous desert, avoiding traps and delivering goods. (17:15)

This week on Board Games with Scott, Scott Nicholson explores Timbuktu. This is a deduction game from Germany where players attempt to carry goods via camels safely to Timbuktu. As the game goes on, dastardly theives await at the oases to steal goods from camels that happen to be in the wrong place. Players deduce the safe places to travel through cards and observation.

To enjoy this video, you can click on the picture below:

Or

Right-click and Save one of the these files (Internet Archive):
BGWS 028, Low quality (33 MB)
BGWS 028, High quality, (160 MB)
BGWS 028, Audio only (15 MB MP3) (Other formats available)

If you would prefer, this episode has also been subtitled in Spanish, which you can see at
http://video.google.es/videoplay?docid=2806843126275083523&hl=es

You can order Timbuktu (and support BGWS) through Funagain Games.

If you decide to purchase a copy of Timbuktu because of this video:
– If you are in the US, let Rio Grande know.
– If you are overseas, let Queen Games know.
This does make a difference! Disclaimer: I did get a review copy of this game from the publisher.

Discuss this episode over at BoardGameGeek.

You can watch the video through the Internet Archive.
Right-Click and Save:
HourCNY Visit 003, Low quality (21 MB)
HourCNY Visit 003, High quality (99 MB)

If you are visiting BGWS from that show, welcome!

Here’s more information on the games I demonstrated:

• Mäuse-Rallye (Mice Rally): Learn more at http://boardgamegeek.com/game/4256. It’s gone out of print, so get it quickly – I found it at Lane’s Best.
• Walk the Dogs: Learn more at http://boardgamegeek.com/game/15410. Order it from Simply Fun.
• 10 Days in Europe: Learn more at http://boardgamegeek.com/game/5867. Buy it locally at Play the Game, Read the Story or order it from Funagain Games.
• GiftTRAP: Watch the full BGWS episode about this for more information. Buy it from GiftTRAP enterprises.

You can see my previous HourCNY segments at http://scottnicholson.com/games/hourcny.html

Want to play games? The Syracuse Boardgamers is a public group for playing board games. We meet at Play the Game, Read the Story on Tuesday nights from 5-10 pm.

This week on Board Games with Scott, game designer and publisher Alan Ernstein joins me to talk about his game, Tahuantinsuyu. This game is set in the Inca empire and many of the elements about the game are based on history. In the game, players are building roads, cities, and temples as they expand the glorious empire. Clever card play and changing turn length force players to adjust strategies to changing game situations.

To enjoy this video, you can click on the picture below:

Or

Right-click and Save one of the these files (Internet Archive):
BGWS 027, Low quality (45 MB)
BGWS 027, High quality, (146 MB)
BGWS 027, Audio only (25 MB MP3) (Other formats available)

You can see many other games by Alan over at http://www.hangmangames.com/.

You can order Tahuantinsuyu (and support BGWS) through Funagain Games.

If you decide to purchase a copy of Tahuantinsuyu because of this video, let Hangman Games know at uriuchu@hangmangames.com . This does make a difference!

Coming Soon! The First Board Games with Scott DVD is in the final publication stages. This will have episodes 1-9 and a special DVD-only episode remastered for DVD-quality watching on your television!

Discuss this episode over at BoardGameGeek.

This week on Board Games with Scott, I’m taking a look at GiftTRAP. This is a new party game by a new publisher. It’s lavishly produced, as you will see, and is focused on the acts of getting and giving gifts. The winner of the game is the person whom is the best getter and the best giver.

To enjoy this video, you can click on the picture below:

Or

Right-click and Save one of the these files (Internet Archive):
BGWS 026, Low quality (37 MB)
BGWS 026, High quality, (137 MB)
BGWS 026, Audio only (15 MB MP3) (Other formats available)

f you decide to get a copy of GiftTRAP after this episode of BGWS, please let the GiftTRAP people know about the impact BGWS had. This does make a difference! Disclaimer: I did get a review copy of this game from the publisher.

Discuss this episode over at BoardGameGeek.

This week on Board Games with Scott, I’m taking a look at Aqua Romana. This game is in the tile-laying family, so has a similar feel to Caracassonne, Tsuro, or Streetcar/Linie 1. The big difference is that the type of tile you can play is dictated by large pawns that move around the outside of the field, so there’s a combination of strategy and luck in determining what you get next. It was nominated (but did not win) for the Spiel des Jahres award in Germany for 2006.

To enjoy this video, you can click on the picture below:

Or

Right-click and Save one of the these files (Internet Archive):
BGWS 025, Low quality (20 MB)
BGWS 025, High quality, (74 MB)
BGWS 025, Audio only (11 MB MP3) (Other formats available)

You can purchase Aqua Romana (and help support BGWS) through Funagain Games. You can also talk about the game at BoardGameGeek.

If you decide to buy Aqua Romana, please let Rio Grande Games (in the US/Canada) or Queen Games (Europe) know about the impact BGWS had. This does make a difference!

Discuss this episode over at BoardGameGeek.

If you would like to learn a lot more about me and learn about the thinking behind Board Games with Scott, head on over to
http://boardgamegeek.com/thread/117804/
to learn and participate! You have until Saturday, at which point, my Week is over.

Also, I have made a 10-minute audio recording about my thoughts regarding boardgame broadcasting, pocasting, and videocasts. You can listen to that at

http://boardgameswithscott.com/bgws/audio/nicholsongotw1.mp3

This week on Board Games with Scott, I’m looking at the granddaddy eurogame, Die Macher. Die Macher is a heavy procedural strategy game that takes about 5 hours to play. It is complex with several interlocking systems, and becuase of the complexity, has been the most-requested game so far here at BGWS.

That said, this is also a long video – it’s almost an hour. (Yes, I realize the files are large, but it’s an hour of video!) I’ve tried to the essentials and have a sample turn in there at the end to help you put everything together.

To enjoy this video, you can click on the picture below:

Or

Right-click and Save one of the these files (Internet Archive):
BGWS 024, Low quality (100 MB)
BGWS 024, High quality, (373 MB)
Other video formats
BGWS 024, Audio only (68 MB MP3) (Other audio formats )

Valley Games is republishing the game, and you can order it from their Website. (If you do so because of Board Games with Scott, let them know! It makes a difference.)

You can download many fine player aids over at BoardGamegeek. Some of my favorites are this player aid (back) (front) and the English scoring sheet.

Discuss this episode over at BoardGameGeek.

This week on Board Games with Scott, I’m looking at the strategy game, Masons (a.k.a. Mauer Bauer). Masons is a fairly abstract strategy game with a good balance of luck and skill.

In Masons, you have a hand full of scoring opportunity cards. The board is changing each turn with new walls, cities, houses, palaces, and towers, and you have to decide when to play your scoring card to maximize your points. Each turn doesn’t take long, so the game moves along quite nicely.

To enjoy this video, you can click on the picture below:

Or

Right-click and Save one of the these files (Internet Archive):
BGWS 023, Low quality (30 MB)
BGWS 023, High quality, (167 MB)
BGWS 023, Audio only (17.8 MB MP3) (Other formats available)

Order Masons (and support BGWS) through Funagain Games.

If you decide to purchase Masons, please write the publisher, Rio Grande Games
and let them know you made your decision based on the show! (this really does make a difference). Disclaimer: I did get a review copy of this game from the publisher.

Discuss this episode over at BoardGameGeek.

This week on Board Games with Scott, I’m looking at two lighter party games – Apples to Apples and Attribute.

Apples to Apples is a very popular game in the U.S. and has spawned many addons and variants. Attribute came out of Germany and, while being less well-known here, is a slightly more in-depth game. Both involve playing descriptive word cards from your hand that match (or do not match) the topic of the round.

To enjoy this video, you can click on the picture below:

Or

Right-click and Save one of the these files (Internet Archive):
BGWS 021, Low quality (31 MB)
BGWS 021, High quality, (138 MB)
BGWS 021, Audio only (15 MB)

Order Apples to Apples or Attribute through Funagain Games.

If you decide to purchase

- Apples to Apples, please write Out of the Box games at matt@otb-games.com
- Attribute, please write Lookout Games at vertrieb@lookout-games.de

and let them know you made your decision based on the show!

Discuss this episode over at BoardGameGeek.

On this week’s episode, Scott Nicholson talks about the Days of Wonder game, Cleopatra and the Society of Architects. This game has some of the best components in a board game and is about building structures to please Cleopatra. Players visit the market to collect resources, and then visit the quarry to build the plastic buildings. Corruption lurks around every corner to lure players to play more powerful cards, but the player with the most corruption is tossed to Cleopatra’s crocidiles!

To enjoy this video, you can click on the picture below:

Or

Right-click and Save one of the these files (Internet Archive):
BGWS 021, Low quality (43 MB)
BGWS 021, High quality, (198 MB)
BGWS 021, Audio only (29.2 MB)

Order Cleopatra and the Society of Architects (and support BGWS) through Funagain Games.

Talk about the game over at BoardGameGeek.

If you decide to purchase this game after watching BGWS, please write Days of Wonder and let them know you made your decision based on the show! Disclaimer: I did get a review copy of this game from the publisher.

Discuss this episode over at BoardGameGeek.

Itunes user? If you just got audio, delete the file and then get it again, and it should be video.

On this week’s episode, Scott Nicholson is joined by designer Friedemann Friese to talk about Power Grid. Power Grid is a top-rated medium-weight strategy game where players purchase power plants at an auction, buy raw materials from a market, connect new cities into their power grid, and then fire off their power plants to supply power and make money.

(note – I’m currently updating the files due to a minor rules mistake. If your download doesn’t complete, try again later.)

To enjoy this video, you can click on the picture below:

New! Below the typical Internet Archive files, I’ve posted some links to a “Faster Server” for the larger video files. These links will only be up until the next episode of BGWS, then the Internet Archive links will continue as the permanent home.

Right-click and Save one of the these files (Internet Archive):
BGWS 020, Low quality (57 MB)
BGWS 020, High quality, (205 MB)
BGWS 020, Audio only (32.6 MB)

Right-Click and Save from the Alternate Faster Server (temporary; do not bookmark):
BGWS 020, Low quality (57 MB)
BGWS 020, High quality, (205 MB)
BGWS 020, Audio only (32.6 MB)

Purchase Power Grid or the expansion (and support BGWS) through Funagain Games.

Talk about the game over at BoardGameGeek.

If you decide to purchase this game after watching BGWS, please write Rio Grande Games or and let them know you made your decision based on the show!

In two weeks, I’ll be taking a look at Cleopatra and the Society of Architects!

Discuss this episode over at BoardGameGeek.

This week on Board Games with Scott, I’m taking a look at Thurn and Taxis, which is the newest game by Andreas and Karen Seyfarth. This is a light strategy game that is about delivering the mail! It’s a game about collecting cards that represent cities in Germany to make mail routes. Throughout the game, if you are one of the first players to visit specified sets of cities, you’ll get bonus points.

To enjoy this video, you can click on the picture below:

Or Right-click and Save one of the these files:
BGWS 019, Low quality (41 MB)
BGWS 018, High quality, (337 MB)
BGWS 019, Audio only (20.5 MB)

Purchase this game (and support BGWS) through Funagain Games.

Talk about the game over at BoardGameGeek.

If you decide to purchase this game after watching BGWS, please write Rio Grande Games or (U.S) or Hans im Glueck (Germany) and let them know you made your decision based on the show! Disclaimer: I did get a review copy of this game from the publisher.

Discuss this episode over at BoardGameGeek.

Now, I have a request. I was listening to the Have Games will Travel blog, and Paul Tevis has a suggestion for his readers that I would like to present here.

One of the things I’ve started doing is contacting publishers with requests to get some upcoming games in order to create a BGWS episode by the time the game is released. It would certainly help me with these requests if the publishers knew that my show made a difference.

So, my request:

If you bought a game becuase of a BGWS episode, please write the publisher of the game and let them know. It doesn’t need to be much – just a short e-mail will help the publishers see the value of what I’m doing and make it easier for me to continue the show.

To make this task easier for you, I’ve added a link to each blog entry to the publisher’s Contact Us page (when I could find it).

Thanks!

Announcement: Board Games with Scott is going Biweekly. When I started it, I had hopes that I would be able to significantly reduce the time to edit an episode. While I’ve gotten better, I’ve chosen to make a higher-quality production rather than cut corners, so I’m producing a better show in the same time. Rather than burn out and stop completely or make lower-quality shows, I’m going to produce one every other week. As time and content allows, I’ll create appropriate special episodes in selected off-weeks, but my regular game explorations will now be every other week.

This week I’m talking about poker chips. Earlier this year, I went on a quest where I started with my cheap chips that I’ve had for a while and started looking for some nicer replacements. I’ve been getting into the 18xx games where it’s really handy to have chips and thus my exploration began.

A note about poker chip breakdowns – I don’t talk about what amounts of what denominations to get. That depends upon what you plan to do with the chips. Look at the games you are replacing and consider those ratios in your chips. This site –
http://www.homepokertourney.com/chips_needed.htm - tells you what to use for a home poker tourney, but the needs for a poker game are very different than the needs for boardgames For my nice set, I got 100 each of the lower denominations and 50 each of the higher denominations, for a 650-piece set; I figured that was generic enough to handle most games.

You can watch the episode here:

Or Right-click and Save one of the these files:
BGWS 018, Low quality (47 MB)
BGWS 018, High quality, (273 MB)
BGWS 018, Audio only (32 MB)

Here are some links to buy chips:
Turf Club Clay chips (and other high-quality chips) – http://www.spinettis.com/shop/?affillink=BOARD43061025
Cheaper chips (Nexgen, diamond, etc.) – http://www.5stardeal.com/cats.asp?apb=310&mcat=989

(I’ve personally used both of these companies in the past. If you use the links above to make a purchase, you’ll be supporting BGWS.)

21Ace.com is a good side for poker chip reviews and discussion.

In 2 weeks, I’ll be covering one of the big hits from the Gathering of Friends – Thurn und Taxis.

Discuss this episode over at BoardGameGeek.

You can view my report at

http://bubbleshare.com/myalbum/25280.586e5117ac0

and pressing the View Slideshow button on the left-hand side.

This week on Board Games with Scott, I’m going to talk about Um Krone und Kragen, which is a 2006 dice game where your goal is to impress royalty by rolling dice well. In the game, you roll and attempt to make good combinations of dice. Many different combinations will bring royalty cards to your side, which you can then use to become more powerful for your next attempt.

While the game is for 2-5 players, I suggest you play it with no more than 4. In fact, at a recent event, I pulled out two copies in order to have 2 3-player games rather than one large game. The game doesn’t change much with more players and only gets longer.

You can watch it right here:

Or right-click and save one of the following:

Board Games with Scott 017 – Um Krone und Kragen (Low Quality – 38 MB)
Board Games with Scott 017 – Um Krone und Kragen (High Quality – 240 MB)
Board Games with Scott 017 – Um Krone und Kragen (Audio Only – 10 MB) (Other audio forms available).

You can also watch it with Spanish subtitles at http://video.google.es/videoplay?docid=-9119851469950930675

Purchase this game soon through Funagain Games or talk about this game at BoardGameGeek.

If you plan to buy this game becuase of this show, let the publisher, Amigo, know!

Discuss this episode over at BoardGameGeek.

This week, Board Games with Scott is an exploration of The Fury of Dracula, a 2006 remake of an 1987 Games Workshop board game (back when they made a line of great boardgames).

One player plays Dracula and moves around the board in secret. The other players work together to discover him, tightening their trap until they pummel Dracula into goo..err…dust. Dracula is trying to hide during the day (and usually run during the night), leaving behind his Sires and traps for the players. The game has a built-in timer, and if Dracula can stay alive long enough, he will win the game.

You can watch the video right here:

or you can Right-Click and Save one of these:
Lower Quality Quicktime (57 MB)
Higher Quality Quicktime (299 MB)
Audio Only (30 MB)

Bit Torrent? – I would be happy to have these files on Bit Torrent, but don’t have experience with it. If there’s someone out there who would be willing to seed & track BT files for the HQ Board Games with Scott, get in touch with me. (You’d get to see the show before everyone else!)

Purchase this game (and help BGWS get new games to review) through Funagain Games.

If you bought this game becuase of Board Games with Scott, let the publisher, Fantasy Flight, know! Disclaimer: I did get a review copy of this game from the publisher.

Discuss this episode over at BoardGameGeek.

This week, I’m going to talk about The Big Idea. This is a game by Cheapass Games that starts like a party game with everyone coming up with a Big Idea, then moves into an investing round where you attempt to make money (which is the point of the game).

Watch it right here:

or, right-click and save:
BGWS 015 Low Quality (29 mb)
BGWS 015 High Quality (114 mb)
BGWS 015 Audio Only (14 mb)

Talk about this game at BoardGameGeek.com

Purchase this game through Funagain Games.

Come back next week and I’ll be talking about The Fury of Dracula!

Discuss this episode over at BoardGameGeek.

Here are some of the core concepts of Board Games with Scott:

Basic Concept
Each show is about a single game or family of games. The duration of shows range from 10-30ish minutes, based on the complexity of the game. The primary goal of the show is to explain the game in enough detail to allow the viewer to decide if they are interested in the game. I am a teacher in the real world and am going to use those skills to provide a useful resource.

Intended Audience
The intended audience for BGWS are those who have not played the game. These people may be new to the hobby or may be new just to that game. Those whom have played the game will not learn much from the episodes, although they may be entertained or may learn how to teach a game more effectively.

Depth of Review
It is not the goal of BGWS to present a critical review of a game. In order to present a thorough, critical review of a game, there must be a baseline of understanding the basics of the game. BGWS will provide a background for others to critically review the game as these other reviewers then don’t have to focus on the basics of the game. Personally, I prefer playing many games instead of focusing on a few, so I am not a good resource for critical reviews of a game.

Negative Reviews
Given that a primary goal of BGWS is to draw new people into the hobby, I have decided to avoid negative reviews. I am going to focus my shows on the games I’m enthusiastic about. If a game isn’t something I enjoy, then I won’t talk about it on BGWS.

Models
BGWS is modeled after a cooking or a travel show (as compared to a movie review show). Games are a process and an experience that you are involved with. Unlike a passive medium (like a movie, play, or book), the gaming experience comes from an interaction of the people and the game. It’s similar to cooking or travel in that the experience comes from both the people and the item. Cooking and travel shows also focus on positive experience and spend more time explaining and describing the experience, and then briefly comment on how good the food is or how nice the trip was. This is becuase these experiences will vary based upon the people involved, so an appropriate “review” is enough information to allow the individual to decide if that is something they want to engage in.

Two of my favorite hosts of these shows are Alton Brown, with his cooking/science show, Good Eats, and Samanatha Brown with her travel shows, Great Hotels and Passport to Europe with Samantha Brown. Both hosts bring humor and outright silliness (sometimes bordering on the absurd) and mix it up with facts. I enjoy this approach and attempt to do the same.

Selecting Games for Review
I pick games from my collection. So, if I don’t have something, I can’t pick it. If you have a game you’d like me to consider, send me an e-mail at scott@scottnicholson.com and I’ll let you know if I see a match.

Each week, I’ll extract the audio and create an MP3 for those of you who might want to enjoy the show without having to sit in front of the computer watching it.

You can get the audio episodes from the regular blog postings at http://boardgameswithscott.com or I’ve created two feeds.

There’s an RSS feed at http://feeds.feedburner.com/boardgameswithscott/audio

and an ITunes station as well.

Welcome to Board Games with Scott! This is a weekly show where I take a different board game each week, review it, and lightly review it. This week, I’m looking at three games – all of them variants on Ticket to Ride.

Europe, Switzerland (in the computer game), and Märklin are all different board with different rulesets to make the Ticket to Ride game interesting to different types of players. If you haven’t played Ticket to Ride yet, watch Board Games with Scott 011 – Ticket to Ride first, then come back and watch this.

Note – YouTube has just changed their policy and I can’t put up any videos longer than 10 minutes, so I won’t be using YouTube any more.

Watch it right here with this embedded flash file:

Or right-click and save these to watch it in Quicktime:
Board Games with Scott 014 – Ticket to Ride Europe, Switzerland and Märklin (57 MB, lower-quality quicktime)

Board Games with Scott 014 – Ticket to Ride Europe, Switzerland and Märklin> (260 MB, high-quality quicktime)

BGWS 014 Audio Only

You can help support BGWS by purchasing any games from Funagain through the following links:
TTR Marklin

TTR Europe

TTR Original

Here are the BoardGameGeek pages for the Ticket to Ride Series.

If you bought this game becuase of Board Games with Scott, let the publisher, Days of Wonder, know! Disclaimer: I did get a review copy of this game from the publisher.

Discuss this episode over at BoardGameGeek.

This week on Board Games with Scott, I’m taking a look at Pizza Box Football and its expansion. This game can be played at various levels, based upon the rules that you decide to play with. I’ve never been a sports fan, but I get a kick out of this game.

New! Click on the picture below to watch the episode right here. (send me a note at scott@scottnicholson.com if this works much better or this doesn’t work at all.)

Board Games with Scott 013 – Pizza Box Football (Streaming Flash at YouTube)