Four Corners Of The Board Podcast

We have a look at a box full of minis called Zombicide! As usual we look at aspects of the game, including the minis - and why is one of the survivor minis almost the same colour as a zombie? We also have a look at other aspects of the game. Is it balanced? Does it need to be? With a game with potential player elimination, is the game too long? Does the theme work? Since this is a co-op game, does it help with the alpha gamers in our group? How strategic is this game - and do the strategy lovers of the group even like the game? Surprise, surprise - we only agree on some parts of the game, but it might not be the parts nor people you think. Join us for a discussion on Zombicide! Ah, and we have a website! Check it out at www.fourcornersoftheboard.com

This week we have a look at Canterbury. Who knew such bland looking game could be so contentious! The four corners do not agree on anything about the game! We can't even agree on the weight of the game! As usual, we look at the different aspects of the game, including components, game length, weight of game, strategies, likes and dislikes. Since this is a perfect information game, do we like knowing everything? Or do games need a little bit of randomness in them? Is this a game worth getting and playing? Well, that depends on which one of the corners you are side with. By the way, we have a website as well now! Check out www.fourcornersoftheboard.com! We will be announcing it on the next podcast!

This episode we are looking at one of Gray's new favourite game - Dungeon Petz (well, it's new to us). What do the other corners think of the game? Do they all agree it is a fantastic game? No? Are you surprised? We have a look at the game length, and the main mechanisms of the game. Also we discuss the weight of the theme versus the weight of the game. What parts of the game do we like the most, are there parts that we do not like? Do we all agree that the game is thematic? Is there any piece of the game that breaks that theme? What makes this game stand out against over worker placement games? And have we finally found a really good rulebook?  

After just arriving back from Dice Tower Con 2015 in Orlando, Florida, the 4 Corners get together to talk about the Con. What is a Con? Does size matter? What to do at a Con? We then get into doing a very quick review of the games we played while at the Con. They include: Firefly         10:16Terra Mystica        11:16Scoville        13:39Fluxx            17:23Lost Cities        19:05Zombie Dice        21:45Alchemists        23:00Agents of Smersh    26:57Chez Geek        28:53Red 7            32:43Flick em Up!        36:06Colosseum        40:08Dungeon Petz        42:12Stock Car Race        44:13 (Richard Launius Prototype)Pericles        49:25Batman Loveletter    51:30Erruption        52:51Pitchcar        54:45Werewolf        56:38Concept            1:00:56Diamonds        1:05:20Dominion        1:06:41 We then end the show with our favourite experiences from the Con.

This week the Four Corners of the Board look at 2 games - Machi Koro with the Harbor Expansion and Betrayal at House on the hill. For Machi Koro we look at the base game and the expansion. Do expansions always make the game better? Is this game worth its Spiel des Jahres nomination? Is there anything we'd change in the game? I guess the bigger question is, do we all like it? For Betrayal at House on the Hill, most of us agree the game has some problems, but why do we keep coming back to the game? It is a game of two halves, does this work? Is the begining of the game really a co-op style or something more? Something more interesting? What about the unknown traitor mechanism, do we like that mechanism?

In this episode we talk about Pandemic - which is appropriate as one corner is just getting over a sickness, and another is in the throws of a sickness. We have a look at this game, and see if it really lives up to the hype of being one of the best games out there. Is it really a great game to introduce new gamers to the hobby? Do you stack the deck to make sure you win? Does it even matter if you win in a co-op game? The discussion turns, as expected, into a discussion on the alpha gamer syndrome - and the gray corner admits that in this game, he is one. Do the other corners have sympathy for him? Of course not...and unfortunately the other alpha gamer is not in the discussion so can not provide back up! Can he convince the others that the game needs an alpha gamer?

This episode we talk about Thunderstone Advance, one of the early deckbuilders. How does this game compare to the grandaddy of deckbuilders, Dominion? What about the Epic variant? Are there now too many cards to Thunderstone Advance? This game really has the corners switching changing strategies - the normal, card counting, strategic gray corner just plays this game for fun? The green and red corners developing strong complicated combos? While the group is usually very friendly about playing games, there is one strategy that was deployed by one of the corners that really irked the other players. Was he right or wrong? The corners themselves couldn't come up with an answer and are asking for you to help us settle the argument!  

In this podcast we have a look at Thunder Alley - a racing game put out by GMT games. How does this game compare to Formula D? How much of a racing game does this actually feel like? Does it get your heart pumping and blood racing? In our previous discussion on Formula D the group was pretty much split, does that hold the same this time? Which corner emerges as the champion for this game? It might surprise you!

In this episode we discuss a game we feel flew under the radar called Firenze. What do we think of the game and why has it fallen under the radar? Should it stay under the radar? We also have a quick look at two new games, XCOM and Roll for the Galaxy. Do all four corners enjoy these games? Of course not, that would be too easy. Do any of us agree on any of the games? XCOM - 00:54 Roll for the Galaxy - 08:05 Firenze - 18:34

The Four Corners of the Board take a look at the 3 current Discworld games : Ankh-Morpork, Guards! Guards! and The Witches. Do any of them live up to their source material created by the late Terry Pratchett? How do the four corners rank the 3 games? Do you need to know the source material to enjoy the games? Could there be a disagreement about one of the games? Timestamps : Ankh-Morpork - 01:55 Guards! Guards - 20:21 The Witches -  41:49

We finally have all four corners back to the table for a discussion...but since he have not seen each other in many weeks we have not had a chance to play a game to discuss. Instead we look at Theme in games - what does it mean to us? What are our favourite themes and what games uses those themes best? Least favourite? Disappointing games due to the theme? Graeme then recounts his adventures going to a Games Workshop store and brining the family along to learn minis - did it work?

The Four Corners has been reduce to 2 for this week's podcast, so we've recruited the Orange Meeple! We are doing something a little different again while the other Corners recover. We'll be looking at games we like to play as a family (3 of us). We'll cover a fair number of games (14!) fairly quickly to hopefully help you pick the next game to try with your kid(s). These are not full reviews, just a quick overview of the game, and any comments we have - also try and identify what types of games work best for us. It is a surprise what we come up with! We look at : Stuff the Trunk Volcano Island Countdown Lego Creationary Lego Heroica Lego Magikus Bouncing Eggs Survive! Escape from Atlantis Labrynith Munchkin Smash Up! Tales of the Arabian Nights Betrayal at House on the Hill Rattus King of Toyko

In this episode of Four Corners of the Board we try something a little different as we are down to just 2 corners for this recording. We first start the podcast talking about Print and Play games and then review 3 PnP games. Jasper and Zot (04:35) Infection Express (7:05) Maquis (10:57) We then have a discussion on Minis games (16:32). We discuss how we got into Minis, a brief overview of what we think minis games are,  and offer up some suggestions as to how to get into minis gaming.

In this episode we discuss Formula D. This game turned out to be very divisive between the corners - as it seems to divide gamers on the internet. Both side try to convince the other that it is either a simple roll and move game akin to Sorry, or a much deeper game with strategy and resource management. Who wins? Does anybody win?

In our first podcast of 2015, we are trying something a little different. We start our podcast with quicklooks - short reviews of games we have played recently. In this episode we have a quicklook at the following games : Kingsport Festival Ca$h 'n Guns Pandemic and On the Brink Dead of Winter The Duke Ticket to Ride Marklin Betrayal at the House on the Hill We then have our indepth discussion on Race for the Galaxy. One of the corners doesn't like this game, and another of them vehemently dislikes it. We discuss why we are so split on the game, and try to get all the corners on the same board.  

In something a little different, we review all the games that we played that were published in 2014. These include the following : Five TribesIstanbulLegendary Encounters : AlienOne Night Ultimate WerewolfThunder AlleyProgress : Evolution of TechnologySubdivisionAmong the StarsTortugaSultaniyaMedinaCash'n Guns 2nd editionLords of XiditBattle SheepMachi KoroSplendor Each corner selects their favourite game and our biggest disappointments of 2014!

We have a look at Shadows over Camelot - but there is a traitor in our midst who does not like the game? Will the forces for good detect him and stop him before he poisons the minds of the group against Shadows over Camelot? The four corners have a look at the following : - Components - The traitor mechanism (and does it just evolve into a Werewolf situation) - Different ways to play the traitor - Does pre-picking your characters constitute cheating? Or just playing the way you want to play And other topics as well, we then round off the discussion with our ratings and our suggestions of other games like Shadows over Camelot.

In this episode the four corners have a look at Nuns on the Run - a hidden movement game with a unique theme. As usual there is one corner of the board that is not particularly fond of the game and by examining different aspects (theme, components, and game play) the other corners try to find out why. Can we change the last corners mind and convince her the game is a good game? Or will the other corners crumble and join her in the dislike of the game? We end the show with our ratings and offer alternative games in the same style or theme.

In this episode the 4 corners have a look at 7 Wonders.   3 of the 4 corners gang up on Graeme and try to find out why he does not like the game. Can they win him over and get him to change his mind? Or will his flawless counter arguments convert them to his side?

In the inaugural podcast of the Four Corners of the Board we have a discussion on Kingsburg and it's expansion, To Forge a Realm. We try to cover all aspects of the game, good and bad. We go in depth on the game play, what we like and don't like about the game. We talk about the expansion and if it is a must buy. We also offer up some discussion on how we will play it (variants) next time to overcome some of the short comings we have found with the game.