Perfect Information

Patreon | @Ben | @Georgios Today we open another door in the Brettspiel-Adventskalender 2017 from Frosted Games. What fancy promo awaits us inside? Website | BGG | Stitcher | iTunes

Patreon | @Ben | @Georgios Today we open another door in the Brettspiel-Adventskalender 2017 from Frosted Games. What fancy promo awaits us inside? Website | BGG | Stitcher | iTunes

Patreon | @Ben | @Georgios The end of the year is approaching, and what better time to think about the things that are left once we're gone... our legacy so to speak. What is up with those Legacy games, anyway? Let's get to the bottom of that. What are they, why do they work and how do they do it well? With the slightest of delays, we return to our Patreon shoutouts and give our trusting backers a knickname of their own. (42:40) Last episode we talked about community, this episode we will talk about your thoughts on the topic as we plant our feet in the guild. (47:58) The Boardgame Professor returns to also speak about community from his usual place of learned wisdom and in a sudden, yet inevitable twist.... acquired con-crud. (1:07:46) And to round out the episode, we review sand-timed release and pirate-themed evening entertainment: A Tale of Pirates. Website | BGG | Stitcher | iTunes

Patreon | @Ben | @Georgios This is a fairly unusual slice from the Contrarian. In that there isn't one specific event, comment or outburst that prompted this response. Instead it is more of a general observation on one particular movement within the hobby. Namely the ever-present belief that smartiness or cleverity drives the majority of this hobby. Why is that? And if it's true. who do we really hurt by that? The answer is, of course, everyone. Website | BGG | Stitcher | iTunes    

Website | BGG | @Ben | @Georgios Thanks to the ample generosity of our Patreon backers we proudly bring you the first of hopefully many installments of our very own RPG-show. But instead of accosting your ears with fake accents, ludicrous plots or pointless tangents, we talk about roleplaying games in a more general sense. An introduction to the topic itself, our own history with the genre... and a few pieces of knowledge (half or false) on it.  Patreon | Stitcher | iTunes  

Website | BGG | @Ben | @Georgios The slow and much dreaded return to normalcy has left its marks on your hosts this week, and we ponder the question of community. Namely the what, and partly the how. (34:45) We drop by the guild to talk about what it is that kills a game for you. (1:01:51) We also review the little wargame that could: The Cousin's War. Patreon | Stitcher | iTunes

Website | BGG | @Ben | @Georgios Spiel 17 came and went. But like an ex you don't quite want to let go of, we reminisce and opine on what it has brought. Patreon | Stitcher | iTunes

Website | BGG | @Ben | @Georgios A few words with Gloomhaven's supreme deity Isaac Childres. A behind-the-scene peak from the press room of Spiel 17 (11:20). Ben stumbles into Michael Fox at Creativity Hub (15:50). Gamdow Games speaks of their experience with and during Spiel (45:34). An unexpected, yet still welcome return to the guild (48:52). Speaking to Cranio Creations about A Tale of Pirates (1:12:58). Isaac Shalev has flown in to tell Ben what's what regarding fortresses, kind or otherwise (1:16:27). Robert & Ilka from Chemnitz give us their take on Spiel (1:23:11). The Irish are coming (Patrick & Emmet), but are kind enough to spare a few words for us (1:26:29). Splotter Spellen serendipitously say something suggestively spoilery in speaking Spiel (1:32:35). An interesting chat with Dice Tower's Suzanne Sheldon (1:45:00). Asmodee's live show in hall 1 leads to some unhappiness at the show (2:03:11). What's Your Game's Mariano Iannelli reminisces about his Spiel experience (2:04:

Website | BGG | @Ben | @Georgios Ooh.. it's the spooky time of the year. Which means we will talk about death. Namely, the death of board games or rather the causes that may kill a board game. We pick the winners of our Patreon raffle. (40:45) A quick stop at the guild helps us warm up, as we ponder the reasons that make you fall in love with a board game. (45:12) The show-stealing boardgame professor Nick Mariner tackles the folly of arguing for meritocracy. (01:08:40) And finally, we review the modern classic Concordia. Patreon | Stitcher | iTunes

Bringing the authentic Perfect Information experience to your home, the Contrarian returns to offer disagreements to you, dear listener. This time on the most innocuous of observations: board games aren't political. Support us here: Patreon | Donation Talk to us: Twitter (Ben) | Twitter (Georgios) Tell us what you think: E-Mail | Website | BGGLike us here: Boardgamelinks | Facebook | Instagram Find us here: Stitcher | iTunes

Ben Maddox trapped Patrick Hillier & Eric Buscemi into a virtual elevator and got them talking about Punchboard Media. What it is, who it punches and why you want to pay attention to what they do. And if that got you chomping at the bits: you want to go here. Support us here: Patreon | Donation Talk to us: Twitter (Ben) | Twitter (Georgios) Tell us what you think: E-Mail | Website | BGG Like us here: Boardgamelinks | Facebook | Instagram Find us here: Stitcher | iTunes

Thanks to the generosity, might and virility of our Patreon backers, we are now able to offer you the first installment of a new series: Perfect Information News! Hear our hot takes - both good and bad - on some news item that's been making the rounds in our hobby. Notice our fancy ability to almost - but not quite - stay on topic. Find out what's in store in the weeks and/or months to come. Support us here: Patreon | Donation Talk to us: Twitter (Ben) | Twitter (Georgios) Tell us what you think: E-Mail | Website | BGG Like us here: Boardgamelinks | Facebook | Instagram Find us here: Stitcher | iTunes

As Spiel approaches surely and inevitably, so does the anticipation of diving into the halls in Essen again. What better time to ask ourselves: what makes us fall in love with a game exactly? We spend some time in the guild to talk about your answers to last week's question: what can the growth of the hobby be attributed to? And finally, we review Fields of Green by Vangelis Bagiartakis, and published by Artipia Games. Is it merely a re-skin of Among The Stars? Does it improve on it? And then there are some links to things that may or may not have been alluded to on the show. Georgios' AMA on Reddit can be found here. Ben's stint as Geek-of-the-Week on BGG. And to tide you over Nick's absence this month, here is a document to his time as Geek-of-the-Week. Support us here: Patreon | Donation Talk to us: Twitter (Ben) | Twitter (Georgios) Tell us what you think: E-Mail | Website | BGGLike us here: Boardgamelinks | Facebook | Instagr

Today Ben interviews Sarah Erikson of Renegade Game Studios about her gamer history, the changes the hobby is facing, being at Spiel in Essen and of course Renegade Game Studios' new games. Support us here: Patreon | Donation Talk to us: Twitter (Ben) | Twitter (Georgios) Tell us what you think: E-Mail | Website | BGGLike us here: Boardgamelinks | Facebook | Instagram Find us here: Stitcher | iTunes

The 51st episode of this podcast finds your amicable hosts taking in their surroundings and wondering: why is the hobby where it is right now?  The guild opens with an all-too-necessary recap of past events and sheds light on pressing questions. Namely us asking for your favourite moments of episodes past. (40:03) Everybody's favourite podcast personality Nick Mariner dazzles and vajazzles us all with his thoughts on ethics. Not in games journalism luckily, but Among the Stars. (52:00) And finally, we go way out into the bayou to talk about Sweet Lemon's little cardgame that could: Terrible Monster. (1:06:39) Support us here: Patreon | Donation Talk to us: Twitter (Ben) | Twitter (Georgios) Tell us what you think: E-Mail | Website | BGGLike us here: Boardgamelinks | Facebook | Instagram Find us here: Stitcher | iTunes

Just as the warm lull of consensus threatens to turn the internet into a sea of sharing agreeable opinions with one another, and acknowledging individual experience... the Contrarian valiantly climbs upon the highest horse he can find to loudly declare his edicts of the school of Nuh-uh! Namely, reviews & reviewers. Quite possibly the talkiest of all D&D-supplements. Support us here: Patreon | Donation Talk to us: Twitter (Ben) | Twitter (Georgios) Tell us what you think: E-Mail | Website | BGGLike us here: Boardgamelinks | Facebook | Instagram Find us here: Stitcher | iTunes

Put on some Kool & The Gang, turn your stereo up to 11... we have reached episode number 50. And put out all the stops. Literally. This is the longest episodes we've ever released. Naturally, we use this achievement to rest on our laurels and instead of coming up with questions, we spend an extraordinate amount of time answering yours. Find out everything you want to know about the two hosts you've uncritically listened to for the last two years. The great T.C. Petty III. returns at 1:13:50 to let you all in on what he has been up to, when he has not been in it. And by it I mean the recent episodes. Sober and with new-found purpose we return to the guild at 1:21:31, and talk about the things that matter most to you: is the one-hour-euro a gift or a curse to this hobby? The board game professor Nick Mariner returns at 1:37:35 to spread the word(s) about his 50 favourite board games of all time. You will not believe what's on number 6! Or maybe you will. It's hard to read minds over the internet. Our review

As this podcast stands at the dawn of its middle-age, Ben Maddox grabs the mic to speak of his vision of the future, and the purpose that drives him to keep talking.   Support us here: Patreon | Donation Talk to us: Twitter (Ben) | Twitter (Georgios) Tell us what you think: E-Mail | Website | BGGLike us here: Boardgamelinks | Facebook | Instagram Find us here: Stitcher | iTunes

Hurry up, we don't have much time.. this is the schedule for this week's show... don't get left behind! This week's topic is game length: what happens when games last as long as they do? Our shout-outs to Patreon backers start at 35:30. A visit to the Guild at 41:15 to hear us speak about your take on punishing games. The Boardgame Professor speaks at 1:00:24 about Twilight Struggle and Les Lieux de Mémoire (Pierre Nora). Our review of Flatline starts at 1:15:51 with thanks to Brettspielgeschäft for their support. Support us here: Patreon | Donation Talk to us: Twitter (Ben) | Twitter (Georgios) Tell us what you think: E-Mail | Website | BGGLike us here: Boardgamelinks | Facebook | Instagram Find us here: Stitcher | iTunes

Whenever there is a gamer voicing his opinion, whenever a hapless player argues a point, he is there to voice his rebuttal. He is... THE CONTRARIAN! Today's overflowing cup of "nuh-uh" comes in response to Meeple Like Us. and the nature of game criticism.  Support us here: Patreon | Donation Talk to us: Twitter (Ben) | Twitter (Georgios) Tell us what you think: E-Mail | Website | BGGLike us here: Boardgamelinks | Facebook | Instagram Find us here: Stitcher | iTunes