Pulp Gamer Hard Core

PGOC 077: Origins 2009

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 13:51:00 -0400

The bulk of today's show is about the games released and the events around Origins, and there were plenty. We were therefore only able to cover handful of highlights.

Games today include Triviathon, Penny for My Thoughts, Steam, Say Anything, Pandemic, Mouseguard, Dominion, Arcane Legions, and Are you the Traitor?

We also mentioned the awesome gaming tables by Geek Chic, and the d-total.

Cody and John released the board game panel. Dan and Sara released the Origins Awards.

We also mentioned Eddy Webb's White Wolf podcast and welcome him to the mix of podcasters.

We add Sierra Madre Games to the list of Tucson game companies we started last month.

In other news, Don was elected to the GAMA board of directors.

And, we make one last plug as you hope you will join us for the Southern Arizona Game Master's Conference.

We have also heard from Liz Danforth about games in libraries who shares some great gems for us in her blog.

Look for a surprise contest in today's show.

Origins Awards 2009

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 13:08:24 -0400

This is a special presentation of the 35th annual Origins Awards brought to you by the Origins Game Fair and the Pulp Gamer Media Network.

Congratulations to all the nominees and winners!

PGGK 040: Candamir: The First Settlers

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 11:35:00 -0400

Ron takes us to Candamir: The First Settlers. Adventure through the wilds of Catan and be the hero of your town. This board game is a streamlined, low-conflict adventure game as compared to other adventure games and plays in less time. Provide what the town needs and more than anyone else to be the one to claim victory.

Candamir: The First Settlers
Publisher: Mayfair Games
Style: Board Game
Designed by: Klaus Teuber
Players: 2-4
Play Time: 60-120 minutes
Ages: 12+
MSRP: $49.00

PGGK 039: Barbarossa

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Barbarossa is a sculpture, riddle, and guessing game. Build sculptures that are abstract enough to challenge your guessing opponents, but don't make them too hard or you will get nowhere. This one also appealed to a wide range of players and employed a very unique skill.

Barbarossa
Publisher: Mayfair Games
Style: Board Game
Designed by: Klaus Teuber
Players: 3-4
Play Time: 60 minutes
Ages: 8+
MSRP: $20.00

PGOC 076: Gaming in the Old Pueblo

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 17:19:20 -0400

We couldn't help but notice the mini-mecca of gaming that Tucson has become and decided to spend a few minutes on the topic. Aside from the grand Pulp Gamer Media Network and all of its glory, we have several stores, publishers, and other outlets. The Games the Thing is an independent podcast that includes Ron Blessing, with several credits now to his name. Other media outlets include Uncle Bear and Cerise. Publishers in town include Good Company Games, Tasty Minstrel, Shifting Skies, Ship of Fools, and Master Pieces. Dice manufacturer, Crystal Caste calls Tucson home. Some game stores include Nemesis Games, Hat's Games, and 3 Game Daze stores. The Southern Arizona Gamers Association keeps a calendar on meetup.com, and holds the highlight event of the year, RinCon.

A handful of other topics in today's show includes Hasbro teaming up with Discovery for some new television. The Dead Matter winds up post-production. Dialect training presentations, Accent Your Character is increasing its reach. Evil Hat has a pdf guarantee. Uncle Bear makes Wired Magazine's top 100 geeks to follow on twitter. White Glove Movies by Mayfair Games is soon to launch.

Origins Game Fair is just around the corner - several of us will be there.

Games covered in today's show include Alpha Omega (also covered by Uncle Bear at examiner.com), Armory Reloaded, PS238, Cornerstone, Candamir, Elasund, The Day After Ragnarok, and Age of Conan.

Be sure to join in on the discussion by emailing us, commenting, or joining our facebook group.

We talked about a number of other podcasts including a special episode of Yog Sothoth, a special episode of The Game's the Thing, Grammar Girl, Fear the Boot, 2d6 Feet in a Random Direction, Have Games Will Travel, and Game On!

PGGK 038: Detroit-Cleveland Grand Prix

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Detroit-Cleveland Grand Prix is a racing board game like no other. Your moving not just your cars, but others around the track. Your decisions were about timing and maximizing your move, but you usually can't get around the track yourself. This was a real hit for everyone.

Detroit-Cleveland Grand Prix
Publisher: Mayfair Games
Style: Board Game
Designed by: Wolfgang Kramer
Players: 2-6
Play Time: 45-60 minutes
Ages: 8+
MSRP: $25.00

PGOC 075: D-Day

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Mon, 25 May 2009 16:59:37 -0400

We are still reminiscing about the trip to Las Vegas and shout out to one of our friends we seem to only be seeing on that trip, Alan Sugarbaker of Ogre Cave and now doing a lot of work for RPG.net. Uncle Bear has released a couple of interviews with Don Dehm and Ron Blessing that you may enjoy. We also call back to the passing of Dave Arneson and pointed out an interview we did with him last year.

A lot of things are coming up to include Origins and Gen Con. At Gen Con, we have put together an entire list of events to include our Saturday Night Meet & Greet at The House.

We have now taken audio production in a new direction with our first audio fiction release, Smoky Mountain Horrors with Weston Ochse. These are available from your favorite audiobook provider, along with our dialect training series, Accent Your Character.

Games in today's show includes Exalted, Barbarossa, Swashbucklers of the 7 Skies, Stone Age, Detroit-Cleveland Grand Prix, Traveler, the Scion Companion.

Our main topic is with World War II and started from a discussion on our facebook group. Additional games brought up on this include Weird Wars, Flames of War, Dark Heresy, Gurps WWII, Hollow Earth Expedition, Cold City, and Grey Ranks.

PGGK 037: Pack & Stack

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Thu, 21 May 2009 11:23:36 -0400

Load the trucks and move 'em out with Pack & Stack. You'll need to grab the right trucks and pack as efficiently as you can to stay ahead of the curve on this one. This short game is getting a lot of play and has lots of little blocks to play with.

Go West
Publisher: Mayfair Games
Style: Board Game
Designed by: Bernd Eisenstein
Players: 3-6
Play Time: 30-45 minutes
Ages: 10+
MSRP: $49.00

PGGK 036: Go West!

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Wed, 13 May 2009 02:08:15 -0400

Derek gives us the board game, Go West! Your a businessman exploiting the westward migration of covered wagons across North America. This heads-down strategy game of action and reaction will require some focus. You decide when to score, but your opponent scores every time you do.

Go West
Publisher: Mayfair Games
Style: Board Game
Designed by: Renaud Verlaque
Players: 2-4
Play Time: 30 minutes
Ages: 8+
MSRP: $30.00

PGOC 074: Haunted Encounters

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Wed, 06 May 2009 13:52:40 -0400

Our main topic today is ghosts – where to find them and how to use them in your game.

We returned home from the GAMA trade show with a whole list of games to explore. Others are more related to our main topic. Some of these include Arcane Legions, Are you the Traitor, Battle Spirits, Pack & Stack, Amazonas, Spirit Slayers, 10 Commandments, Bill of Rights, Savage Worlds, Inspectres, Green's Guides to Ghosts. and Houses of the Blooded, Lost Souls, and Ghostwalk.

We also mention several sources in and out of the Pulp Gamer Network. We welcome Game On! to the network. We also mentioned the fundraiser by Fear the Boot. Be sure to take the survey that Podgecast has put together. The Games the Thing has entered into the Ennies. The D6 Generation had an awesome interview with Curt Covert. Don appeared on an episode of Myriad Games. We also referenced the Small World parody.

We also gave mention to our facebook group. Be sure to hop on over there for additional discussions. We'll see you at Random Con!

PGIT 066: Aaron Witten and Game Science

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Mon, 04 May 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Don sits down with Aaron Witten at the GAMA Trade Show. We talk about the trade show, his retail experience, the financial advise he is loaded with and lends to other retailers, and precision dice.

Aaron is founder and currently the CEO/CFO of the Gamestation, Inc. in Leitchfield, Kentucky and recently acquired Game Science. He’s also an independent licensed broker, securities principal, and insurance agent with The Legend Group. His education includes a Bachelors of Science degree in Chemistry from Western Kentucky University (1998), with a minor in music. In 1996, he co-founded the first internet service in Grayson County, and was honored with a Kentucky Colonel award that same year. He’s actively involved in the Lions Club and the First Baptist Church. He has served as Treasurer of GAMA since January of 2007, and on the Board of Directors as a Director at Large since June of 2005. He lives in Leitchfield, Kentucky, with his wife, Laura, and son, Luke.

During today's show we also mentioned a number of Pulp Gamer products that are available at gamestation.net. These include the mouse pad, the coffee cup, the d20 shot glass, and the d20 shot glass (rolled a 1).

Weston Ochse and the Smoky Mountain Horrors

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Fri, 01 May 2009 00:00:00 -0400

We just announce the release of Pulp Studio's new brand, Kanigit Media and our first audio book, Smoky Mountain Horrors by Weston Ochse. This collection of short stories takes place in Appalachian country and is filled with frighteningly familiar characters. Today, we visit with Weston and play a short story for you. To download another free short story, visit Kanigit Media. More are available from your favorite digital audio book provider.

Weston Ochse is the author of science fiction and horror novels, as well as a slew of short stories and non-fiction articles that have appeared in comic books, professional writing guides, literary journals, magazines and anthologies. He won the Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in First Novel in 2005 for Scarecrow Gods and was nominated for the Pushcart Prize for Fiction in 2003 for his collection Appalachian Galapagos. He has appeared internationally at conventions and conferences as author, teacher and toastmaster. Weston currently lives in Southern Arizona with his wife, Yvonne Navarro, and Great Danes, Pester Ghost Palm Eater and Goblin Monster Dog. For entertainment he races tarantula wasps, wrestles rattlesnakes, and bakes in the noonday sun.

PGGK 035: Amazonas

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 19:10:02 -0400

Ron takes us to the Amazon of the 19th century with the board game, Amazonas. Cut your path across the amazon, set up your outposts, and collect specimens to win the game. Suffer the dangers of the amazon and stay ahead of your opponents to keep your costs down and weigh your options carefully.

Amazonas
Publisher: Mayfair Games
Style: Board Game
Designed by: Stephan Dorra
Players: 3-4
Play Time: 50 minutes
Ages: 10+
MSRP: $49.00

PGGK 034: Shear Panic

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Derek gives us Shear Panic. On each turn, your manipulating a flock of sheep to appear in the arrangement that will score you the most points. The sheep are cuddly cute. The rules are clever and funny. This will certainly be a win for many game tables.

Shear Panic
Publisher: Mayfair Games
Style: Board Game
Designed by: The Lamont Brothers
Players: 2-4
Play Time: 45+ minutes
Ages: 10+
MSRP: $30.00

PGIT 065: Larry Roznai of Mayfair Games

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 16:50:02 -0400

While on the Caribbean cruise with Gamer Adventures, Don had the opportunity to sit and visit with Larry Roznai, president of Mayfair Games. Games brought up during today's show include Empire Builder, Sutter's Mill, Silverton, Settlers of Catan, and Family Business.

Larry Roznai is a German-speaking native of Chicago, and a U.S. Navy veteran. An avid gamer, he hosted weekly game nights for many years before discovering the new generation of fine parlor games. When he brought home Darwin Bromley's Empire Builder game in 1989, his whole family became great fans of Mayfair Games. Larry became informally associated with Mayfair Games when his younger brother Joe--Mayfair's accountant since 1988--brought him to Mayfair's offices in 1989. There, they played or play-tested a host of Mayfair's games. Their first development work was on Eurorails in 1989-90. Both Joe and Larry became fans of the game system and began working on projects in the early 1990s. They later co-designed Nippon Rails. Larry has since designed Australian Rails and developed Lunar Rails and Russian Rails.

Larry became a part of Mayfair Games' extended family when he attended Gencon as a company guest in 1990. He began working game shows in his off-hours. Meanwhile, he worked for Honeywell. An electronics specialist, he worked on or oversaw major HVAC projects. His strong operations and management skills impressed the new Mayfair Games ownership team, and in 1999 he left the forced air industry and joined Mayfair Games as a board member, President, and COO. Larry moonlights as the bass player for the highly semi-legendary rock band "Byte," which he co-founded uncounted decades ago. He likes rock-n-roll. It is almost as dear to him as his great family. His wife Bridget and daughter Loren both work for Mayfair Games, while his son Karl attends school and helps play-test Mayfair products. (Of course, having worked for Mayfair Games since 1997, Bridget has longer tenure than her Johnny-come-lately spouse.)

PGOC 073: Controversial Games

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 12:44:46 -0400

We just returned from the Caribbean and are headed out to the GAMA Trade show in Las Vegas. Our main topic is controversial games. We touch on a number of heated titles such as War on Terror, Fishing for Terrorists, Suicide Bomber, Killing Puppies for Satan, Stoner Flux, Playing Gods, Ghettopoly, Blasphemy, Kablamo, the Ouija Board, Hot Chicks, Choice and Blood, and Juden Raus. During the discussion, reference was also made to the move, Paradise Now. Of course we can't help but to bring up the ignorance of Jack Chick.

We cover a number of great games and supplements in today's show. These include Paranoia, Night Stalkers of Hunter the Vigil, Pillars of the Earth, Dominion, 10 days in Europe, Mortal Coil, Gemstones, Dino Dice, Silverton, Ptolus, Arcana Evolved, Savage Worlds, and Hey! That's My Fish!

We welcome a number of shows to the network. These include Myriad Games, Fear the Boot, and The D6 Generation. We also shout out to our friends at Brilliant Gameologists and All Games Considered. In other news, we talk about Monte Cook and dungeonaday.com.

PGGK 033.5: Poisson d'Avril

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 01:00:00 -0400

Jeremiah explaines Poisson d'Avril. Its the easiest complex game to get into. Poisson d'Avril is a card and board miniatures game of abstract themes. The object is to win by beating the other players. We are certain you will enjoy at least part of the journey.

Poisson d'Avril
Style: Board, Card, and Minature Abstract Combat Euro-Style Game
Players: 2-20
Play Time: 20-220 minutes
Ages: 10+

PGOC 072: Jamaican Rum

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 19:06:00 -0400

We are sailing the open seas with Gamer Adventures, Mayfair Games, Fear the Boot, and 4500 of our closest friends. Forty-one of us signed up with Gamer Adventures to cruise the Caribbean, play some board games to include a qualifying Settlers of Catan tournament, drink rum, explore Jamaica, the Cayman Islands, Key West, and of course our originating port, Fort Lauderdale. Listen in on our experience and be sure to join us next time. Our discussion continues on this episode of Fear the Boot.

We are joined by Larry Roznai of Mayfair Games, Kim Maita of Gamer Adventures, Dan Repperger of Fear the Boot, and the winner of the latest Settler's of Catan qualifying tournament, Darren Lacoste.

PGGK 033: Empire Builder

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Jeremiah gives us the crayon rail game that started it all. Empire Builder is a classic board game about building a railroad empire over North America. The game has been beautifully redesigned and is gaining wide distribution. We always enjoy the rail games and the new challenges each one presents.

Empire Builder
Publisher: Mayfair Games
Style: Board Game
Designed by: Bill Fawcett, Darwin Bromley
Players: 2-6
Play Time: 90+ minutes
Ages: 12+
MSRP: $42.00

PGOC 071: Bon Voyage!

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 17:16:35 -0400

We are now headed of to the Caribbean with Gamer Adventures and Mayfair Games! We'll do some recording on the boat so you can share it at least some of the fun.

We touched on a handful of board games, to include Catan Geographies Germany, Hey! That's my fish!, Monuments, The Dutch Golden Age, and Formula D.

Asmodee has a new customer service email, contact_us@asmodee.com.

On the topic of RPGs, we discuss White Wolf's, Seers of the Throne for Mage the Awakening. That ended up launching an entire discussion about designing good antagonists for your roleplaying game.

Berin gives us a good look at Dungeons & Dragons Player's Handbook II and gave us links to all sorts of blogs on the topic.

Atomic Array: Episode 018: Player's Handbook 2
Game Cryer: Player's Handbook 2 Review
Gnome Stew: A Veteran GM's Take on GMing and the PHB2
Critical Hits: The Avenger
Campaign Mastery: The Barbarian
Uncle Bear: The Bard
Critical Ankle Bites: The Druid
Kobold Quarterly: Review: Player's Handbook 2
The Core Mechanic: The Invoker
Flames Rising: The Shaman
Stupid Ranger: The Sorcerer
Musings of the Chatty DM: The Warden

PGGK 032: Silverton

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 12:19:01 -0400

Jeremiah takes us back to the southwest railroading days with Silverton. This board game reflects a realistic and challenging economy for you to thrive in with a supply and demand curve that changes during the game. Make your living and excel in the game by building the right rails, picking up the right goods, and making good on your delivery.

Silverton
Publisher: Mayfair Games
Style: Board Game
Designed by: Dori Smith, Phillip John Smith
Players: 1-6
Play Time: 45-60 minutes
Ages: 12+
MSRP: $45.00

PGGK 031: Catan Geographies Germany

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 11:08:32 -0400

Ron gives us Catan Geographies: Germany. Relive Germany's history by building infrastructure and various landmarks. We had a great time with this one and see an amazing amount of potential for more Catan Games in our schedule. It is much like the original Catan, minus the setup and the tiles.

Catan Geographies: Germany
Publisher: Mayfair Games
Style: Board Game
Designed by: Klaus Teuber
Players: 3-4
Play Time: 90-120 minutes
Ages: 10+
MSRP: $55.00

PGGK 030: Hey! That's My Fish!

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 11:49:18 -0500

Derek gives us a look at Hey! That's My Fish! Jump from ice floe to ice floe to collect fish and block the other penguins from their quarry. This is a fast and simple strategy game that will keep you scratching your head.

Hey! That's My Fish!
Publisher: Mayfair Games
Style: Board Game
Designed by: Alvydas Jakeliunas
Players: 2-4
Play Time: 20+ minutes
Ages: 8+
MSRP: $25.00

PGOC 070: More On Mechanics

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 14:09:00 -0500

We add Berin Kinsman, AKA Uncle Bear, to our group today and continue our discussion on Game Mechanics. Berin helped us trace the discussion even farther back to an article by Ron Edwards. Berin also references the RPG Blogger's Network, Musings of the Chatty DM, and The Core Mechanic. He also talks about his Get Your Dice Off My Lawn contest.

Jeremiah had a list of news notes to share around a board game resurgence, Hasbro's cash flow, Nerds at Heart, and Con of the North.

Of course a number of games came up today. Those of note include Mouse Guard, Tigris & Euphrates, and Pandemic. Jason has been editing Verge Recharged. Its still in playtest mode and all feedback is welcome.

Feedback included a link to Brilliant Gameologists about gaming environments from a previous episode.

We also want to welcome The Game's the Thing to the Pulp Gamer Media Network!

PGGK 029: The Dutch Golden Age

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 18:47:17 -0500

Derek gives us a look at The Dutch Golden Age. This one has a lot of elements that we enjoy in a game such as a tight economy, a beautiful map, and lots of options on your turn. Handle your choices and your money well and you may just come out on top.

The Dutch Golden Age
Publisher: Mayfair Games
Style: Board Game
Designed by: Leo Colovini & Guiseppe Bau
Players: 3-5
Play Time: 25+ minutes
Ages: 8+
MSRP: $45.00

PGOC 069: Mechanics Matter

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 19:53:54 -0500

We have a studio full and a great time. We talked about the gaming environment and finally closed the show with our discussion of mechanics and how much of an impact they have on the roleplaying game. We were also very excited to find from CNN a singles venue around games called Play Date.

We touched on a few games today, but some of those most notable include Empire Builder, EABAnywhere, and what is now called The Sales Activator shown to me by my sales friend from New View Group.

We almost got Uncle Bear to join us today and expect him soon. He was the inspiration for our main topic. Be sure to visit his blog and perhaps you will find your muse as well.

Peter contacted us about coldwars by hmgs. I look forward to hearing more about it!

PGGK 028: Lunar Rails

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 12:00:00 -0500

Jeremiah takes us to the moon with the board game, Lunar Rails. This is a crayon rail game that as Jeremiah found out, changes everything. Both the economy and the geography present new challenges that rail gamers will love.

Lunar Rails
Publisher: Mayfair Games
Style: Board Game
Designed by: M. Robert Stribula
Players: 2-6
Play Time: 45-60 minutes
Ages: 12+
MSRP: $38.00

PGOC 068: Coordinated Campaigns

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 20:59:29 -0500

We have a new guest we hope will continue to join us. Jason has been accused of being the best GM in Tucson and certainly had a lot to contribute to our discussion on coordinated campaigns. We talked about how to get 20+ people together to play in the same cohesive story and have a good time doing it.

We started with a good story from NPR, Interactive Games Make Museums a Place to Play. Making education fun is always something we have stood by and it makes us happy every time we hear of it.

We touched on several games in todays show. Those that received the most attention included Shear Panic, Shogun, and Silverton. Don also spent an evening playing CashFlow by Robert Kiyosaki. The game night was run by a really great group of people from Nouveau Riche.

We are pleased to be included on War Pig Radio with Atomic Array and Fear the Boot. This is a great streaming project that will be of interest to a lot of folks.

Derek took at look at Lovecraftian Tales from the Table. This DVD is chalked full of goodies that Derek went on about for quite some time. Its an exciting packet of Yog Radio and other Cthuloid goodies.

PGIT 064: John Ward of GAMA

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 10:13:36 -0500

GAMA welcomes John Ward as its new Executive Director. Don welcomes John to the Inside Track.

John holds a Master¹s degree in public administration with an emphasis in fiscal and policy management. His bachelor¹s degree is in criminology, with both degrees from Ohio University.

Professionally, Ward has extensive experience in the military and in state government. Ward is a retired Army officer with over 23 years of combined service in the military police and engineer corps. His military experience has provided him opportunities to deploy to Europe, Central America, Korea, and the Persian Gulf for the first Gulf War.

Ward also has over 20 years of government service in the criminal justice field, most recently in the juvenile system as the state of Ohio's Bureau Chief of Parole and then Bureau Chief of Community Facilities. In this last role, he supervised 12 small correctional facilities and managed revenue generation for Ohio¹s juvenile corrections agency, as well as working with 12 governing boards in a variety of endeavors. He enhanced volunteer programs, developed data and outcome measures, and was able to assist them in operationalizing both economic and procedural efficiencies. He still serves on a national level working and consulting in the criminal justice arena.

Ward is also a small business owner, running his own martial arts studio for more than 16 years. His part-time business/hobby gives him first-hand knowledge of the challenges facing small businesses.

In his personal life, Ward is blessed with a loving and supportive wife Angela, their young son Johnathon, and his teenage daughter Nikki, who is with them part-time. They live in the Columbus, Ohio metro area.

PGGK 027: Sutter's Mill

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 18:19:19 -0500

Derek takes us back to the gold rush with the board game, Sutter's Mill. Digging for gold is a part of the rush, but the real winners are those that take advantage of the town while it alive, and get out of town before it dries up. We have a great time with the tight economy and all the tough decisions that must be made.

Sutter's Mill
Publisher: Mayfair Games
Style: Board Game
Designed by: Marco Teubner
Players: 2-4
Play Time: 60+ minutes
Ages: 10+
MSRP: $45.00

PGGK 026: Monuments

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 16:02:28 -0500

Derek takes us around the world with Monuments. Build the prized structures of western civilization and record the rest for historic record. Each turn is full of choices that will help you and your opponents. This, and the historic theme drew us in to play the game again and again.

Monuments
Publisher: Mayfair Games
Style: Card and Board Game
Designed by: Stefan Risthaus
Players: 2-4
Play Time: 45-60 minutes
Ages: 8+
MSRP: $35.00

PGCO 067: Tear Down the Lights

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 17:52:28 -0500

The year begins anew and we start off having a great time with a bunch of games. Today's discussion included Bella Sara, Sutter's Mill, Monuments, Express, Lunar Rails, Galaxy Trucker, Silverton, Tabogans of Doom, Say Anything, Battleship, The Extraordinary Adventures of Baron Munchausen, Prime Time Adventures, Call of Cthulhu's Mountains of Madness, Titan, To Court the King, Hive, Big Big Battles, and the new credit card version of Monopoly.

We also talked some about the new Dungeons & Dragons character generator that is available online for beta testing.

The online sources we touched on was Gleemax, Game Table Online, Yog Sothoth, and The Master Plan.

PGGK 025: Express

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Derek shows us Express: The Railroad Card Game. This one is perfect for any card game lover. A lot off the mechanics will be familiar and it is themed beautifully. There are team play rules, individual play rules, and some options that vary play. Build a solid collection of trains and finish before your opponents beat you to the punch.

Express: The Railroad Card Game
Publisher: Mayfair Games
Style: Card Game
Designed by: Darwin P. Bromley
Players: 2-6
Play Time: 45-60 minutes
Ages: 8+
MSRP: $15.00

PGOC 066: Mad Science Games

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 00:06:44 -0500

This just might be our last Out of Character for the year. We have many more games to talk about and can only squeeze in a few before the gift giving season concludes.

We start by talking about some of the news surrounding Gen Con. The responded to an anonymous request to buy them before Anthony Gallela revealed his acquisition group on icv2. References in this discussion were also made to Matt Forbeck's blog post and the money paid by Gen Con to the Make a Wish foundation.

At least some of the games discussed on today's show took on a Mad Scientist theme. These include Mad Scientist University, MWAHAHAHA!, and Theophrastus. We also talked about Monopoly, Rorschach, Express, and Sutter's Mill. For roleplaying games, we talked about Prime Time Adventures, Pathfinder, Promethean, Vampire, and Changeling. We also learned some about D&D Insider and the Character Generator as we recorded.

Several roleplay reference materials were brought up by the listening audience. These include PC Pearls, GM Gems, Play Unsafe, Play Dirty (by Lord Strange/John Wick), and Things We Think about Games. We were also given a link to Invisible City's print and play games. And finally, we were directed to a board game designers forum.

It's the season to be generous. We learned and shared Wapcaplets' charity to buy livestock for 3rd world countries. Fear the Boot has also been doing the same thing.

Don't forget our most recommended gift for the season, Accent Your Character. This dialect training CD for young actors, roleplayers, cosplayers, and other casual pretenders is available at Paizo, Lovecraftianna, and RPGNow.

We played a promo during today's show for DiceCast from the guys at Polymancer.

We'll see you next year! Don't forget to book your trip for the Caribbean Cruise!

PGOC 065: Blog Bug

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 13:29:18 -0500

We continue going forth into the electronic frontier and bring the games with us. Some discussion in our Facebook group has been brought to the show. Don has also contributed his first blog to Fear the Boot. We were also directed to a BBC story on Dungeons & Dragons we thought you would enjoy.

Our discussion on essays for gamers started with See Page XX and Robin's Laws. RPG.net has an old list with a variety of gems on it. A list of articles geared more toward development can be found a indie-rpgs.com. A more scholarly approach can be found at rpgstudies.net.

We touched on a handful of games in today's show. These include Say Anything, Senji, Portobello Market, Rorschach, Hive, and Battleground Fantasy Warfare.

PGOC 064: Facebook Fury

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 09:29:33 -0500

We have jumped on board with Facebook. Join our group there and lets talk about the topics that interest us on the show.

Settlers of Catan makes MSN's Top Ten Games list.

WizKids Games is closing their doors.

Polymancer is calling for bloggers.

We received word of the coming Pulp Fest. We wish we could go!

We thank Myriad Games for their ongoing support!

The podcasting friends we mentioned on today's show include Yog Radio, Game On, and Fear the Boot.

Game Kennel 2008 Review

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 13:52:57 -0500

We are just getting started in the holiday season and wanted to give you an overview of the games covered thus far on The Game Kennel. Be sure to listen to the individual episodes for a more in depth discussion about each game.

PGIT 063: Kim Maita of Gamer Adventures

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 16:02:03 -0500

We are extremely excited to be joining Gamer Adventures for a gamer cruise to the Caribbean this spring. To learn more about this and other cruises, we called Kim Maita. Kim just got back from a LARP cruise and was eager to tell us all about it. We then taked about the coming Magic cruise, and our Caribbean Cruise.

I hope you will be able to join us in March of 2008 for this cruise for gamers and significant others. Kim was kind enough to share links to some of the activities we can partake in when we hit port. Once the new year rolls around, be sure to check with Kim to get the best rates on these events. We will be hitting Key West, the Cayman Islands, and Jamaica.

Mayfair Games will be on board and hosting a Settlers of Catan Tournament. The winner will get a full ride to Gen Con 2009 to compete in the North American finals.

PGGK 024: Intrigue

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 17:46:04 -0500

Derek takes a close look at Intrigue. You will laugh and cry as your scholars are hired and fired in this game of backstabbing, betrayal, and negotiation. Talk it up right and you just might receive enough in bribe money to win the game.

Intrige
Publisher: Mayfair Games
Style: Negotiation
Designed by: Stefan Dorra
Players: 3-5
Play Time: 45 minutes
Ages: 12+
MSRP: $20.00

PGIT 062: John Wick

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:54:08 -0500

Don spent some time with John Wick at RinCon in Tucson Arizona. The new Houses of the Blooded was a large part of the conversation, but significant talk was also given to Seventh Sea and Legend of the Five Rings. John is currently a co-owner of the Wicked Dead Brewing Company.

PGOC 063: Stocking Stuffer Games

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 16:06:50 -0500

We were inspired with a gift basket question to start addressing small and affordable games for stocking stuffers, secret Santa gifts, or other office celebrations over the holiday season. This turned out to be quite a list. Enjoy looking more closely at these titles:

Catan Dice, Family Business, Megastar, Bison, Gloom, Once Upon a Time, Mad Scientist University, Fluxx, Are you a Werewolf, Chrononauts, Treehouse, Dungeoneer, Treasure Fleet, Liar's Dice (play online here), Coloretto, Set, Take 6, Iliad, Jungle Speed, Citadels, Management Material, Marriage Material, and playing cards from Gemaco.

Other games include Ron's review of Last Night on Earth. Mayfair has also announced a new train series by Martin Wallace, based on Age of Steam. We have also been playing Intrigue and To Court the King.

Our gateway RPG discussion continues with RECON, Microlite20, Tunnels and Trolls, and Tactics. The discussion on roleplaying tips also continues. Tim offers one of his blog posts for more.

RinCon is done for the year. Jess shows us some of her pictures. We have more excitement coming up. We will be starting to think about Phoenix Comicon very soon. Join us in Tucson to game by visiting SAGAgamers.com. The most recent game days added to Tucson's schedule will be taking place on Wednesday nights at Safehouse. You will definitely want to join us in the Caribbean, though. There is still time to register for this cruise.

We are in a winning mode. Jeremiah was sent a prize from the Wandering Geek podcast. Derek won a drawing sponsored by Game Daze at RinCon.

We also took a look at American Nerd by Benjamin Nugent. Jeremiah reads a small excerpt and have a good time with it, including shamelessly plugging the Ramsey County Public Library. Jeremiah also mentioned some Cthulhu Cycle books.

PGGK 023: Megastar

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 14:47:20 -0500

Derek gives us Megastar, a music band themed card game of market manipulation. There are a few things to work out such as how much to invest in certain bands and how much to just ride the market. Looking into the future is a tricky business with so many uncertainties, but if you watch closely you can at least get an idea of your competition's motives.

Megastar
Publisher: Mayfair Games
Style: Card Game
Designed by: Friedemann Friese
Players: 2-5
Play Time: 45 minutes
Ages: 10+
MSRP: $10.00

PGOC 062: Gateway Roleplay

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 20:04:54 -0400

We had a great time with a number of things in today's show then we are off to RinCon for the weekend. The GAMA Trade Show Seminars are complete. The Gen Con panels are up and running at full speed. We touched on Twitter. Continuing on our Games as Art discussion, The Philosopher's Zone talked about what qualifies as art. You must also check out the Citizens of Virtue.

We kick the day off by taking a look at the book, The Elfish Gene written by Mark Barrowcliffe and published by SOHO Press. It is easy to relate to this account of growing up geek. It's humorous and a lot of fun. We took turns reading our favorite passages to each other. On the same topic, we also talked about a youtube video we found linked on the author's blog that was a lot of fun as well.

Our main topic was Gateway Roleplaying games. What is the best game to introduce someone new to? Perhaps even your mother can play. Those mentioned include Dungeons & Dragons, Star Wars, Prime Time Adventures, Risus, Call of Cthulhu, Savage Worlds, The Fantasy Trip (Wikipedia),Long Live the King, and Once Upon a Time.

Some podcasters that came up in today's show or otherwise deserve credit in today's discussions include Antti, Tim, Ryan, Ross, Ron, and Paul.

PGIT 061: Richard Borg

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 17:16:40 -0400

While at Gen Con, Jeremiah was able to get some time with Richard Borg. He is in more places in the game industry than his name appears and his design ranges from Yatzee Free for All and Liars Dice to BattleLore and Memoir 44. We also mentioned Wyatt Earp, and Stonehenge in today's show. Richard was a blast to visit with and is full of good information.

Richard’s professional game credits cover a broad spectrum, which includes over 50 titles. Milton Bradley published his first game, ‘Liars Dice’ a family dice game, in 1988. Following up this initial success were AD&D games (TSR), X-Men games (Pressman Toy) and another hit for Milton Bradley ‘Times to Remember’.

In 1993 ‘Liars Dice’ went to Europe as ‘Bluff’ and won the German Prize ‘Spiel des Jahres’. Richard was part of the ‘Star Wars’ customizable card game design team and involved with a number of other collectible card games. Some of his recent designs, that are currently available, include: Hera & Zeus (Rio Grande Games), Memoir ’44 (Days of Wonder), Commands & Colors: Ancients (GMT Games), BattleLore (Fantasy Flight) and Stonehenge Anthology (Paizo Publishing). Richard's newest family game design, Yahtzee Free For All (Parker Brothers) is already receiving acclaim from the game community.

Because his body of work does encompass so many age groups and genres, you just may have one or more of Richard’s designs in your personal game collection.

PGIT 060: Jean Vanaise

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 15:39:47 -0400

Jeremiah has the opportunity to visit with Jean Vanaise at Gen Con to talk about music, the economy, and of course, games. Jean has been producing games with his own company Flying Turtle for years but has also produced for such companies as West End Games, Iron Crown Enterprises, Ravensburger, and Mayfiar Games. Some of his titles you may be familiar with, to include Shark, Dicemaster, the Hobbit Adventure Boardgame, and the most recent Egyptian themed tile game, Horus.

PGGK 022: Theophrastus

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 16:13:30 -0400

Derek picks up the mortar and pestle and takes direction from Theophrastus. His alchemy skills will grant him the ability to become his next apprentice. He may have the best brew, or just mess with the others bad enough to beat the curve.

Theophrastus
Publisher: Mayfair Games
Style: Card Game
Designed by: P. R. Chase
Players: 2-5
Play Time: 30-45 minutes
Ages: 9+
MSRP: $25.00

PGOC 061: Spooky!

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 18:37:13 -0400

Most of us agree that Halloween is our favorite holiday. This Halloween, we will be at RinCon. The preregistration is coming down upon us, so get signed while you can. Also upon us is an important date for securing your spot on the Caribbean Gamer Cruise. There is limited space available, so you will want to secure your spot now. Oh, and here is that list of things to do in Jamaica we promised you.

During feedback, the topic of Accent Your Character comes up. We were also sent some pictures from our friends from the Wrecking Crew.

Games to play this Halloween...

PGIT 059: Ethan Skemp of White Wolf

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 12:24:50 -0400

Jeremiah catches Ethan Skemp at Gen Con. Ethan has a long list of credits with White Wolf. There is a lot of talk given to the contrast between the new and the old versions of the many White Wolf roleplaying games, such as Vampire, Werewolf, and Changeling.

PGIT 058: Erik Yaple of Privateer Press

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Jeremiah had the pleasure of visiting one of the biggest and baddest men in gaming, Erik Yaple. Erik has taken over the Monsterpocalypse project with Privateer Press. This is a very appealing game of monstrous combat. He caught him between games at Gen Con where he spent a lot of his weekend showing the game with a horde of fans.

PGOC 060: Clubbing Up

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 17:56:18 -0400

Our headline topic is about meeting other gamers and finding space to build your group or a full fledged club. This is such a huge topic that we can barely scratch the surface, but some great ideas came to light, like game stores, conventions, meetup.com, or even just google.

In our need to continue reminiscing about Gen Con, we talked about the Q-Workshop Dice, Midnight Syndicate's trailer to The Dead Matter, and The Dead Gentleman's movie, Dorkness Rising. Our discussion of media continues to talk about Journey to the Center of the Earth and Igor. And in our own kind of media, Polymancer releases their podcast, DiceCast. We welcome Polymancer to the world of podcasting.

Coming conventions of note include RinCon over Halloween weekend and the Caribbean Gamer Cruise. We also had correspondence regarding FlatCon and Gamer's Reunion.

Be sure to check out our dialect training CDs for roleplayer's, storytellers, and other casual pretenders. Accents include the Queen's English, Cockney, Irish, and Scottish. Accent Your Character can be found at Paizo, Lovecraftiana, and RPG Now.

PGIT 057: Nicolas Logue

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 12:25:36 -0400

Jeremiah was able to catch Nicolas Logue at Gen Con and uncovered a wealth of interesting thoughts. Nick talks about the crossover between improv acting and roleplaying and about several projects he has been working on. We most recently know have been seeing his work on Paizo's Pathfinder, several great articles in Kobold Quarterly, the Open Design Project, and of course, Sinister Adventures. We wish him well on his adventures to come and hope to see him again very soon.

Nicolas Logue works for Paizo Publishing and Wizards of the Coast as a freelance game designer. He has also recently launched his own design studio: Sinister Adventures (www.sinisteradventures.com). Nick has done extensive work on Paizo’s new Pathfinder Chronicles campaign setting and the Eberron Campaign Setting for Wizards of the Coast. His recent credits include numerous adventures and articles in Dungeon and Dragon magazines, Crown of the Kobold King, Voyage of the Golden Dragon, Eyes of the Lich Queen, Monster Manual V, Dragons of Eberron, Carnival of Tears, Hook Mountain Massacre, Edge of Anarchy, Hangman’s Noose and City of Stormreach.

Nicolas is also a Fulbright Fellow, an award winning stage actor, produced playwright, budding screenwriter, fight director and a Full Instructor with Dueling Arts International who has performed and taught theatre and stage combat in New York, Honolulu and throughout China. He is a member of the avant garde theatre troupe Cruel Theatre, based in Hawai’i and Manhattan.

His next horizon of adventure: Nick was recently hired to head up the World Theatre Program at the University of Essex’s East 15 Acting School. England beware.

PGGK 021: Journey to the Center of the Earth

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 12:40:19 -0400

Derek gives us a look at Journey to the Center of the Earth. Its an adventure game based on the Jules Verne novel by the same name. You work together with your opponents to move the party through treacherous terrain, over the underground sea, and then get shot out a volcano. The one that emerges with the best collection of treasure will be the victor.

Journey to the Center of the Earth
Publisher: Mayfair Games
Style: Board Game
Designed by: Rüdiger Dorn
Players: 2-4
Play Time: 60-75+ minutes
Ages: 10+
MSRP: $49.00

PGIT 056: Justin Achilli of White Wolf and CCP

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 20:16:01 -0400

While at Gen Con, Jeremiah was able to to spend some time at the White Wolf/CCP booth and visit with Justin Achilli. We all had a great time with the whole crew and are always eager to get caught up with the newest releases. With Justin's long list of credits at White Wolf, we were able to learn about the evolution of the game over time and catch a glimpse at what may be coming in the future.

Justin Achilli is a game designer for CCP Games. He comes from a pen-and-paper roleplaying games background, in which he developed the award-winning Vampire: The Masquerade and Vampire: the Requiem properties. He's now working on CCP's World of Darkness property. When he's not playing video games, he enjoys nightclub DJing, cooking, writing, and making rude gestures toward whoever's playing against the Dallas Cowboys this week.

PGOC 059: Ahoy Maties!

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 17:48:51 -0400

Talk like a pirate day is upon us, and we are adding some flavor with a variety of pirate themed games, but we can't stop there. We talk about a bunch of titles to include Seventh Sea (and Swashbucker), Plunder, Treasure Fleet, Jamaica, Pirate's Cove, Pieces of Eight, Anno 1503, Journey to the Center of the Earth, Tomb, Hunter, and Delta Green.

We are participating in a contest at podcastawards.com and are asking for your nominations. Please take a moment to fill out this form with your favorite shows. We are encouraging the GAMA Trade Show seminars for Best Business Podcast, Family Night for Best Educational Podacst, and this one, Out of Character, for best Gaming Podcast.

Our travel itinerary is filling up. We are delighted to be sponsoring the open gaming for Tucson's premier gaming convention, RinCon, and will be hosting the Chaos Challenge there. We will also be setting sail for a Caribbean Gamer Cruise in March. We invite you to join us on both of these occasions. As an added benefit to joining us on the cruise, you will have a chance to win a trip to Gen Con for the North American Settlers of Catan Championship.

We talk about a host of friends on today's show, to include Ron from The Game's the Thing, and Yog-Sothoth. Paul (of Cthulhu) is putting together a massive collection of Yoggie stuff for a DVD and invites you to participate in the production and to be privie to some added benefits. We also mention Fear the Boot and World-Wide Wing Night on November 8th.

Jeremiah also sings praises to another favorite game store of his. Games by James has shown him excellent support in demonstrating games in their store and helping him make a selection for a gift. Jeremiah usually frequents The Source and is always pleased to shop there as well.

PGIT 055: Pete Fenlon of Mayfair Games

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 13:39:53 -0400

Jeremiah was able to visit with Pete Fenlon at Gen Con about his roots in the gaming industry and the workings of his current position at Mayfair Games. Pete started with a love for Middle Earth's a cartographer and an avid roleplayer. His professional career in games began with with Rolemaster at Iron Crown Enterprises. Now, he is the CEO and studio director for Mayfair Games.

PGGK 020: Catan Traders and Barbarians Expansion

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 23:03:25 -0400

Chaz shows us how to expand our Settlers of Catan game with Catan Traders and Barbarians. This expansion has several variations and scenarios that provide even more variety and depth to what was already one of our favorite titles. Add some economic complexity or beat back the barbarians while you struggle to settle the island of Catan.

Catan Traders and Barbarians
Publisher: Mayfair Games
Style: Expansion, Tile Game
Required: The Settlers of Catan
Designed by: Klaus Teuber
Players: 2-4
Play Time: 90-120+ minutes
Ages: 10+
MSRP: $42.00

We would also like to the fine folks at the Parsec Awards for giving The Game Kennel a trophy and the title for Best Gaming Podcast. We are grateful to them and everyone else that make it posible for us to spread two of our most favorite pasttimes, gaming and podcasting.

PGOC 058: Geeks and Freaks

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 15:35:06 -0400

Today's focus is on Dragon*Con and the good time Don had at the show. One of the highlights this year was the Mad Scientists Ball, where ArcAttack entertained the crowd of evil geniuses with their singing Tesla coils. We also got caught up to most of the feedback leading up to the convention continuing on topics such as the role-playing table tips and opening a new topic on gaming with friends you don't like to game with.

Some of the board games discussed on the show include Pandemic, the Kingsport Horror expansion to Arkham Horror, Amuse Amaze, Ilium, Nautilus, Agricola, Jungle Speed, Theophrastus, and Settlers of Catan.

PGIT 054: Corey Konieczka of Fantasy Flight Games

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 16:38:16 -0400

While at Gen Con, Jeremiah was able to spend some time with Corey Konieczka of Fantasy Flight Games.

Corey Konieczka has designed numerous strategy and adventure games for Fantasy Flight Games. He has worked on numerous other strategy games and expansions including Warrior Knights (2006), Tide of Iron (2007), Battlestar Galactica (2008), and the Origins Award Winning StarCraft: The Boardgame (2007). Corey works as a senior game designer, developer and producer for Fantasy Flight Games. Originally from New Hampshire, Corey and his wife Shannon now live in the frosty depths of Minnesota.

PGOC 057: Friends and Fans

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 00:41:42 -0400

We settle back in after a convention spree. We got back from Gen Con and took off for Dragon*Con, where Don accepted a Parsec Award for The Game Kennel as The Best Gaming Podcast. We held off some on our Dragon*Con report to talk mostly about Gen Con, especially the excitement we had visiting with you. Your support is quite literally keeping us going.

We touched on a number of games today. Board games included Theophrastus, Horus, Wings of War, La Strada, and Red November. We also talked quite a bit about Beyond the Mountains of Madness for Call of Cthulhu.

We mentioned a lot of friends in todays show. They include Meg from The Brilliant Gameologists, Dave from Purple Pawn, and Paul from Yog-Sothoth.

We had some fun with Goldfarb's recent comments slighting Dungeons & Dragons players. Wired had some fun with it. We found a great response on YouTube. ICV2 also had some good follow-up on it. We were most pleased with Hasbro's response.

We close with a follow-up interview with Chief Kobold, Wolfgang Baur, who shared a victory for the Diana Jones award with Grey Ranks by Jason Morningstar this year for Open Design. We also shared news that Polymancer Studios has announced a new magazine to come out called Paladin.

PGIT 053: Sterling Hershey and the Star Wars games

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 16:25:45 -0400

Don was able to talk Star Wars with freelancer, Sterling Hershey at Gen Con. We visit on a number of aspects of the roleplaying game, how it has grown, and how it compares to other games. We also touch on his work in the miniatures game.

Sterling Hershey is a freelance game designer for Wizards of the Coast and its Star Wars Roleplaying Game Saga Edition and Star Wars Miniatures games. His recent work includes the newly-released Knights of the Old Republic Campaign Guide, the upcoming Force Unleashed Campaign Guide, and the Legacy Era Campaign Guide. He is a regular contributor to the Wizards of the Coast Star Wars webpage, producing scenarios and previews for the Star Wars Miniatures game, as well as adventures and other articles for the RPG. Previously, Sterling was a regular freelancer for West End Games' Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game. You can read more about gaming in a galaxy far, far away in his starwars.com blog, Delusions of Grandeur. Sterling somehow finds the time to practice architecture when he isn't gaming or writing. He lives in the Midwest with his wife, Mary.

PGGK 019: Horus

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 15:37:01 -0400

Jeremiah takes us to Egypt by sharing a tile game called Horus. While placing tiles on the board to build regions around the Nile, you are also spreading your influence across those regions. This is a beautiful game of endless variation that will keep you struggling for control.

Horus
Publisher: Mayfair Games
Style: Tile Game
Designed by: H. Jean Vanaise
Players: 2-4
Play Time: 60+ minutes
Ages: 10+
MSRP: $35.00

PGOC 056: Gen Con 08

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 16:39:44 -0400

Don and Jeremiah record in front of a live audience at Gen Con 2008. We are joined by Mike Selinker, Derek Guder, and Alex Yeager. We talk about a variety of events going on at Gen Con to include Gygax memorials, the results of the Catan World Championships, the ENnies, and Johan, the Settler of Catan. Some games mentioned in today's show include Unspeakable Words, Changeling: The Lost, Yetisburg, and Settlers of Catan.

Thanks again to everyone who has made Gen Con special to us. We look forward to seeing you again next year!

PGIT 052: Dave Wallace

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 11:21:47 -0400

While at Origins, Don was able to sit down with Dave Wallace. You may have heard Dave on many of the GAMA Trade Show Seminars. He and his wife, Kelli, run a small chain of stores and do a considerable amount of work for GAMA helping other retailers get started. He has also just recently taken a position for the online store, Troll and Toad.

PGIT 051: Kenneth Hite

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 11:44:33 -0400

Don brings us another great conversation from Origins. This time he visits with Kenneth Hite. Kenneth has written a number of our favorite games, but today we talk mostly about Trail of Cthulhu.

Kenneth Hite has designed, written, or co-authored more than 70 books, roleplaying games, and supplements, including the Origins Award-winning Star Trek: The Next Generation RPG, GURPS Infinite Worlds, and Call Of Cthulhu d20. He has been Line Developer for Chaosium's Nephilim and Last Unicorn Games' original-series Star Trek RPG, and has written for White Wolf, Pinnacle, Atlas, and many other companies. His most recent works include the Mythos miscellany Dubious Shards (available in print and PDF), the Trail Of Cthulhu RPG from Pelgrane Press, chapters in Wild Talents and Grim War from ArcDream, and Adventures Into Darkness, a Lovecraftian Golden Age superhero sourcebook available in PDF. He explores the Higher Weirdness roughly biweekly in his "Suppressed Transmission" column in Pyramid Magazine (http://www.sjgames.com/pyramid); it has been collected in two volumes. Since 1997, he has written "Out of the Box," an RPG industry news and review column most recently at www.gamingreport.com.

PGGK 018: Settlers of the Stone Age

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 16:20:31 -0400

Jeremiah takes us back in time to Settlers of the Stone Age. Journey out of Africa as human-kind settles the globe. Improve your ability to survive harsh climates and collect what resources you can before Africa turns to desert.

Settlers of the Stone Age
Publisher: Mayfair Games
Style: Board Game
Designed by: Klaus Teuber
Players: 3-4
Play Time: 45-60 minutes
Ages: 12+
MSRP: $49.00

PGIT 050: Fred Hicks of Evil Hat Productions and IPR

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 18:10:30 -0400

Don was able to sit down with Fred Hicks at Origins to spend some time talking about our game. We have all come to the conclusion that he would be one of our first picks to have at our table.

Fred Hicks is one of the minds behind Evil Hat Productions, a small-press publisher of roleplaying games, is the author of Don't Rest Your Head, and is a co-author of Spirit of the Century. He also works part-time as the customer service desk for Indie Press Revolution and as a freelance layout consultant. Fred is not at all certain how it is he lucked into doing all this as his job, but he's certain he has his lovely wife to thank for it.

PGOC 055: Table Tips

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 01:25:36 -0400

We are all back together in the studio again and dive into something we have wanted to talk about for a long time. This is a collection of tips you can implement to run a smoother roleplaying game. We also respond to some feedback that continues with the Are Games Art discussion, started by Johnathan. In other news, Wizards will be closing down Gleemax.

We touch on the Southern Arizona Gamer's Association's new projects, the coordinated campaigns. One is for World of Darkness, the other is going to either be using Dungeons & Dragons 4.0 rules, or Pathfinder. One of the project participants, Berin, wrote a good introduction on his blog after we finished recording where you can learn more.

Other games discussed in todays show include Horus, Settlers of the Stone Age, Race for the Galaxy, Loot, and War of the Ring.

Next up, Gen Con. If you are going to be there, be sure to take note of our scheduled events. We also want to wish Curt and the Wandering Geek podcast luck at this year's ENnie awards.

PGIT 049: Jeff Bellinger of Killer Bunnies

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 16:08:49 -0400

Don had a great opportunity at Origins to visit with Jeff Bellinger, the designer of Playroom Entertainment's Killer Bunnies. Jeff was full of stories making it an easy and entertaining conversation.

Jeff Bellinger began his life in Jersey and spent many hours developing games as he grew up. He took those games with him to the United States Navy to see the world until he was finally dropped off in San Diego where he created Saren's Stuff to take his games to market. Killer Bunnies caught the attention of Playroom Entertainment in 2002 and has become nothing less than a phenomenon. Jeff teaches math during the school year and continues to travel extensively. He still does most of his work with a paper and pencil and takes advantage of quiet rainy days to work.

PGOC 054: Gamer Adventures

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 14:03:52 -0400

Derek is missing from today's show, but we have several clips from some friends we talked to at Origins. Each with good stories to tell. Ron from The Games the Thing launched a topic of game store ethics that we are eager to hear your opinions on.

We also talked to Kim from Gamer Adventures. There are several gaming cruises coming up. We have got to get ourselves on one of these trips. Perhaps we will participate sometime soon.

Some of our news was around the changes with West End Games. It sounds like the final punches have been thrown.

We are looking forward to Gen Con. Mike Selinker is going to join us for our live Out of Character episode. There are several other events also on the schedule to check out.

PGIT 048: P. R. Chase

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 15:13:06 -0400

Don had a great time talking to Phil Chase at Origins. Phil was joined by his son Auden, who was equally as entertaining. We spoke on a variety of educational topics, emphasizing linguistics in a way we had not yet explored. We also talked about a lot of games, even outside of Phil’s designs. Some of them include Set, Lord of the Rings, Settlers of Catan, Shear Panic, Hey! Where’s My Fish!, and Down with the King.

Phil Chase has been an educator for 14 years, working now for the State of Michigan's Department of Education. His board game design career, under the pen name P. R. Chase, started in 2002 with the release of Theophrastus with Mayfair Games. In 2006, Grand Tribunal was published by Atlas Games, and Gemstones followed in 2007 by Kadon Enterprises. He's a proud father of two boys, ages 7 and 8, who play board games at home as avidly as he does.

PGGK 017: Anno 1503

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 16:03:22 -0400

Jeremiah takes us on a journey in Anno 1503 to explore uncharted islands and find valuable resources for our people. Of course to be of any value, we also focus on the growth of our settlements and culture.

Anno 1503
Publisher: Mayfair Games
Style: Board Game
Designed by: Klaus Teuber
Players: 2-4
Play Time: 60-120 minutes
Ages: 10+
MSRP: $49.00

PGOC 053: The Art of Gaming

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 18:27:14 -0400

Today's main topic fascinated us. Are games considered art? We even get into the topic of how gaming itself may or may not be art. Join in the discussion.

We talk some about our friends at Polymancer. They had a little car wreck, but things seem to be going well. Their magazine is certainly looking good. They also have other projects coming.

We talk about D&D some, mostly to bring up the Chaos Challenge at RinCon. Many will enter; all but one will die. The last one standing wins.

We want to thank Jeff Greiner from The Tome for his help at Origins. Find out how to get free copies of Accent Your Character by listening to his show. You can now order the CDs or the digital downloads from Paizo, Lovecraftiana, and RPGNow.

Gen Con is the next coming convention that we are biting our nails in excitement for. There is an entire track of events to participate in. We can't wait to see you there!

PGIT 047: Michelle Nephew of Atlas Games

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 10:57:40 -0400

Don was able to spend some time with Michelle Nephew at Origins this year. The visit was phenomenal. We learned at least a little about a bunch of Atlas Games titles, talked some about women in gaming, but mostly just learned more about Michelle and her gaming life.

After years of playing Shadowrun and Vampire in college, Michelle Nephew's RPG editing career began in 2000 with Atlas Games' Three Days to Kill, the very first adventure available for sale under the Open Game License. She followed this up by authoring her own d20 adventure, The Tide of Years, in 2001. While continuing to write and edit gaming material, she finished her Ph.D. at UW-Milwaukee, writing her dissertation on the topic of authorship and roleplaying games. A chapter from her dissertation has since been published in Gaming As Culture, a collection of academic essays on RPGs. With the title "Tenured Editor," Michelle wears many hats at Atlas Games today, including production coordinator, card and board game developer/editor, layout monkey, advertising/marketing coordinator, convention support organizer, and Special Ops demo team coordinator.

PGGK 016: Alibi

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Derek give us Alibi. Through clever questioning, elimination, and deduction, you figure out whodunit. It is a little more involved than most whodunit games, and coming close will even give you a few points.

Alibi
Publisher: Mayfair Games
Style: Card Game
Designed by: Darwin Bromley & Jim Musser
Players: 3-10
Play Time: 45-60 minutes
Ages: 8+
MSRP: $15.00

PGIT 046: Eddy Webb and John Chambers of White Wolf

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 12:22:54 -0400

Don visits with Eddy Webb and John Chambers of White Wolf. Topics touched on range from the White Wolf culture to the range of roleplaying games we often find ourselves immersed in.

Eddy officially started in the RPG industry in 2002 by working with Cynthia Celeste Miller on "Cartoon Action Hour" (which was later nominated for an Origins Award for Best RPG of 2003). He worked on projects for his own company (Spectrum Games) as well as freelance for other companies such as Deep7 and Comic Images. He was asked to develop and write White Wolf’s first joint electronic and print-on-demand product, "Mind’s Eye Theatre: Awakening," in 2006. After the book's release in 2007, he was hired to work full-time as the Alternative Product Developer. He currently lives in Stone Mountain, Georgia, with his wife, his roommate, his pug dog and his very grumpy cat.

John Chambers has been a fixture at White Wolf Game Studio for a decade. From his humble beginnings as an intern, John rose through the ranks to develop two of the role-playing game industry's most popular properties, Exalted (revamping the game for its acclaimed second edition) and Scion (a game conceptualized and designed by John from the ground up). Riding high on his win of Best New Game for Scion at last year's Gen Con Ennie Awards, John looks forward developing role-playing games for a long time to come.

PGGK 015: Nautilus

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 03:00:00 -0400

Derek takes us on a journey with Nautilus. Explore the depth of the ocean. Only a combination of discovery and research will lead to victory. You will split your time between building the under-water station and diving your submarines to the depths in search of Atlantis.

Nautilus
Publisher: Mayfair Games
Style: Board Game
Designed by: Brigette & Wolfgang Ditt
Players: 2-4
Play Time: 60-120 minutes
Ages: 12+
MSRP: $49.00

PGGK 014: The Pillars of the Earth Expansion Set

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 10:16:32 -0400

We have been long-time fans of The Pillars of the Earth. Your master builders have a number of ways to participate in the building of the cathedral. If you can be more efficient and make wise choices, you will do well against your opponents. The Expansion Set gives you even more choices during the game and allows a couple more players to join in.

The Pillars of the Earth Expansion Set
Publisher: Mayfair Games
Style: Board Game
Required: The Pillars of the Earth
Designed by: Michael Rieneck & Stefan Stadler
Players: 2-6
Play Time: 90-120 minutes
Ages: 12+
MSRP: $29.00

PGGK 013: The Settlers of Catan

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 11:34:32 -0400

Jeremiah talks about one of our favorites, The Settlers of Catan. Explore and settle the island of Catan. Smart trades, planning, and a little bit of luck will work toward your victory. Some of the discussion is around a wealth of resources online. Educators can find some good information on Using The Settlers of Catan in the Classroom. Try it yourself from Professor Easy and learn more about The Origins of Catan.

The Settlers of Catan
Publisher: Mayfair Games
Style: Board Game
Designed by: Klaus Teuber
Players: 2-4
Play Time: 60-90 minutes
Ages: 10+
MSRP: $38.00

Join us online to play in the Catan Oline World. You can sign up and play for free. With a premium membership you can explore even more games and expansions and participate in community events. Visit the Catan Online Wold Forums to find out more.

PGIT 045: Phil Lacefield Jr.

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Fri, 30 May 2008 12:16:54 -0400

While at the GAMA Trade Show, Don had a chance to sit down with Phil Lacefield Jr. about several aspects of the industry. Apart from trying to make a couple of predictions, we mostly talked about the Origins Awards. You will be able to vote on the Origins Awards at Origins in Columbus, Ohio.

Phil Lacefield Jr. has been an active sales manager, marketing guru, writer, line editor, designer and layout guy for game companies such as Agents of Gaming, US Playing Card Co., Journeyman Press, Score Entertainment, Reaper Miniatures and many more. In 2001 (against the advice of his therapist) he founded Sacred Cheese Productions in order to consult on issues of sales and marketing to game companies big and small. SCP also runs the legendary Origins-To-GenCon caravan every year.

In February of 2006, Phil took the plunge and moved to Seattle to take up the mantle of Sales Manager for Paizo Publishing. Now safely ensconced in his mountain hideaway, Phil continues to obsess over his precious Saab collection, dote on his precious tropical fish tanks and insists on wearing a full kilt on random occasions.

PGGK 012: Toledo

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Sat, 24 May 2008 11:28:49 -0400

Derek introduces a board game of Spanish sword making called Toledo. Everyone is racing through town to collect resources, find craftsmen, and present the best swords to the emperor. It is a competitive business. You will find yourself in a few duals on the way with other families seeking the same glory.

Toledo
Publisher: Mayfair Games
Style: Board Game
Designed by: Martin Wallace
Players: 2-4
Play Time: 90-120 minutes
Ages: 10+
MSRP: $49.00

PGGK 011: Catan Dice Game

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Thu, 15 May 2008 14:10:06 -0400

Derek has been rolling for resources lately with the Catan Dice Game. Its a fun probability game of planning and building infrastructure. It is an easy one to find a home for. It is so versatile and portable. Once every day, you can play it online.

Catan Dice Game
Publisher: Mayfair Games
Style: Dice Game
Designed by: Klaus Teuber
Players: 1-4
Play Time: 15-30 minutes
Ages: 7+
MSRP: $12.00

PGIT 044: Aaron Williams

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Tue, 13 May 2008 17:03:16 -0400

Derek had the long awaited opportunity to talk to Aaron Williams at the GAMA Trade show. We have all been fans of Aaron’s work for a long time. You have probably seen it on a variety of products but most directly from Nodwick, Full Frontal Nerdity, and Ps238. As always, it was a great visit. Aaron is someone we will always look forward to seeing again. Find more about Aaron at nodwick.com

Aaron Williams' first cartoon was published in Dragon magazine in 1989. He was 19 years old, and it was drawn on typing paper with a flair-tipped pen. He's come a long way since then. His work has been published in Dragon Magazine, Dungeon Magazine, and Amazing Stories. While starting his career in cartooning, he worked as an artist for Southwestern Bell Yellow Pages. In 2000 he took a leap and decided to take the Nodwick cartoon strip he'd created and turn it into a comic book. It's the story of a henchman used and abused by his companions on their many quests to save the world, find treasure, and right the wrongs done by evil.

His latest efforts are to be found both in print and all over the internet. Ps238 is a comic book that also publishes pages on the web at ps238.com. It's an all-ages look at the first public school for the children of superheroes.

Full Frontal Nerdity is a webcomic about four guys (one represented by a webcam) who delve into all things geeky, including role-playing games, movies, TV, and whatever else the elite classes of fandom are into these days.

Crispygamer.com hosts his strip, Backward Compatible. Primarily centering on video games, the cast includes the CrispyGamer staff, their writers, and anyone who has an impact on what happens when you press a “start” button.

When not cartooning or surfing the web blog-fodder, Aaron is often dragged out into the sunlight by his loving wife to both broaden his horizons and prevent his transformation into a Morlock.

PGGK 010: La Strada

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Fri, 09 May 2008 15:26:23 -0400

Jeremiah presents La Strada. We recently talked to Martin Wallace about La Strada, making it that much more fun to check out for ourselves. Everyone is making money from the economy of the game, but how much depends on what markets you share and how many times you have to split the pie.

La Strada
Publisher: Mayfair Games
Style: Board Game
Designed by: Martin Wallace
Players: 2-4
Play Time: 30-45 minutes
Ages: 10+
MSRP: $36.00

Finding Good Homes for Great Games

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Mon, 05 May 2008 16:45:40 -0400

What started out as a training interview turned into a discussion made public on fitting games into the right hands. The intent is to provide insight to anyone that sells or promotes games on what to present and who to present them to. This is the premise of The Game Kennel and we want you to get the most out of it. By providing additional support to the customers that walk in your door, you can apply your expertise in a way nobody else can. We aim to help arm you with that information on every episode of The Game Kennel in less time than it takes to drive to work.

The discussion today is with Bob Carty and Alex Yeager of Mayfair Games. We have been extremely pleased to work with Mayfair. They have a commitment to the community at the grass roots level, a commitment to educational outreach, and a commitment to quality entertainment. All this has helped us to shape our values and our programing to the betterment of everyone that participates.

PGIT 043: Anthony Gallela, Game Manufacturer’s Association

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 17:07:56 -0400

We welcome Anthony Gallela to todays show and get involved in a lot of conversation about the benefits of the Game Manufacturer’s Association (GAMA). We had a great time at the GAMA Trade show. You can expect to see the seminars posted very soon.

Anthony has been involved in games and gaming in one way or another for some 30 years. He started as a consumer, playing D&D and Avalon Hill and SPI games in elementary school. In high school, Anthony played just about every game he could find. He also began running gaming events at Sci-Fi conventions.

In his late teens, Anthony moved on to running whole game programs at Sci-Fi conventions, and was play-testing games as well. He began learning the ins and outs of event management through this work and also through running teen events and mall fashion shows. In 1993, Anthony published the Theatrix dice-less role-playing game with some friends under the banner of Backstage Press, and in 1994, he started running the ManaFest game convention in the San Francisco Bay Area with Japji Khalsa. He also helped to open an manage a retail game store in the Bay Area in the mid-90s. Between all of these projects, Anthony worked in most other areas of entertainment–film, T.V., stage, music, newspapers, and magazines. He also did a great deal of marketing and business consulting–somewhere in there earning a degree in Journalism and several management training and teaching certificates.

He also spent the 90s writing articles for gaming publications, consulting on game design, brokering games, designing board games(he is the co-designer, with Japji Khalsa, of the Origins Award-nominated Dwarven Dig! from Kenzer and Co.) and running conventions–the most notable being KublaCon, (formally ManaFest), his share of which he eventually sold to his partner.

Anthony has worked for GAMA since 2001, starting as the Event Coordinator and moving up to land in the Executive Director spot in 2004. As the Executive Director for GAMA, Anthony oversees the running Origins Game Expo, GAMA Trade show, and several industry programs. He still does some consulting and designing (look for Tales of the Arabian Nights, 3rd Edition, from Z-Man Games), and he has a few other interests as well.

PGGK 009: Entdecker: Exploring New Horizons

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 10:33:20 -0400

You can never go wrong with the Catan series of games. This time, Ron presents Entdecker. Its a tile exploration game of area control. It is packed with decisions that will make or break your success.

Entdecker: Exploring New Horizons
Publisher: Mayfair Games
Style: Tile Game
Designed by: Klaus Teuber
Players: 2-4
Play Time: 60-90 minutes
Ages: 10+
MSRP: $49.00

You can learn the game by playing through this tutorial by professor easy. The single player online game, Oceania, will give you a great feel for the exploration component of the game. There is so much more too it, though. Learn more about the back ground story and the Origins of Catan. Join us online to meet and experience several other Catan games.

PGIT 042: Skip Williams

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 13:55:27 -0400

We were very excited to have arranged a meeting with Skip Williams. He had an impact on many years of our lives. Skip is a co-owner in Crystal Unicorn Enterprises where you can find his forums. A bunch of his and Penny’s work can be found in the Vicious Venues Archive. He also mentions some fiction in Time Twisters. Apart from today’s show, you can learn more about Skip Williams in an entertaining interview with Monte Cook.

Skip Williams professes a love of old things, such as classic Hollywood movies, musty old books, vintage airplanes, his wife, Penny, and the century-old farmhouse he shares with her-though not necessarily in that order.

Skip has numerous role-playing game credits, and has dabbled in many other things. Skip pens the Ask the Kobold feature in Kobold Quarterly and has recently completed a work for Dungeon Magazine.

When not contriving dire plots to bedevil role-players, Skip putters in his vegetable garden and orchard (which keep many deer and rabbits fed), and works to reclaim the fields around the farmhouse from the obstinate weeds that blanket them. He also paints toy soldiers.

The Williams house is the site of an annual Christmas cookie bake that draws friends from both sides of the Atlantic; it’s also the permanent home to a growing pride of unruly housecats.

The COW: Catan Online World Radio, Meet the Moderators

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 10:14:41 -0400

We are delighted be in discussion today with the Catan Online moderators, KayakPete, Aero, and Sloejack. Each of them are strong community members and add a lot of value to our experience online. They keep the forums in check and spend a lot of time helping new players with the online games. Their guidance has made a positive impact on a lot of players.

There are several ways to participate at PlayCatan.com. There are a handful of web games that only require the free account to play. Just by signing up you can also participate in Settlers of Catan games in the Catan Online World. With a premium account, several more Klaus Teuber titles are available to you as well as the meta game, where you as a play can collect resources and contribute to the Catan world. Join us in the forums to visit with our moderators and schedule a game today!

Please comment on the COW Radio topic in the Catan Online World forums.

PGGK 008: Bacchus’ Banquet

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 12:51:07 -0400

Bacchus' Banquet is a card game with a Roman dinner party theme. Everyone comes to the dinner with their own agenda making variable winning conditions for each player. Its a light hearted fun game of deception, scandal, and intrigue.

Bacchus' Banquet
Publisher: Mayfair Games
Style: Card Game
Designed by: Frederic Moyersoen
Players: 3-5
Play Time: 30 minutes
Ages: 8+
MSRP: $20.00

POINT BLANK Special Presentation: Joseph Carriker

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 14:29:44 -0400

Every episode of POINT BLANK features a recorded interview with the creative team at White Wolf that gives listeners a sneak peak at the new releases coming out in a segment called White Wolf Confidential. For episode 2, I had the pleasure of interviewing the lead developer for Vampire: The Requiem, Joseph Carriker, about the beautiful new clanbook series.

I think Joseph did such a great job detailing this new line, I decided to release the full interview as its own separate show. I am certain that you will find this interview enjoyable and very informative, especially if you’re looking for more information about the Ventrue clanbook, Lords Over the Damned.

The total length of this special director’s cut interview is roughly 15 minutes and includes information not included in POINT BLANK episode 2 due to time constraints. Enjoy!

Please email all questions and comments to boyan [@] pubservinc.com.

PGGK 007: Domaine

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 14:15:48 -0400

Bo is a huge fan of Domaine. We haven't seen him leave the house without it since we have known him. When the opportunity came up to spotlight Domaine, we had to ask him to do the honors. He jumped at the opportunity. It is a great area control board game with elegant mechanics and a tight economy.

Domaine
Publisher: Mayfair Games
Style: Board Game
Designed by: Klaus Teuber
Players: 2-4
Play Time: 60-120 minutes
Ages: 10+
MSRP: $49.00

There is a lot of opportunity to experience Domaine online. Premium account holders will be able to play Domaine online with new friends and old advocates. You can learn the game by playing through this tutorial by professor easy. We also made reference in today's show to the back ground story and the Origins of Catan.

PGGK 006: China Rails

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 11:53:13 -0500

Jeremiah has spent a lot of time lately building railroad empires across China. China Rails is a pick-up and delivery rail game. Efficiency is key to providing for the people of China.

China Rails
Publisher: Mayfair Games
Style: Board Game, Rail Game
Designed by: Michael Dreiling
Players: 2-6
Play Time: 3+ hours
Ages: 10+
MSRP: $40.00

PGGK 005: Lascaux

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 14:45:15 -0500

Derek gives us a look at Lascaux. Collect beautiful cave art by pressing your luck with a cache of stones. This one was an absolute hit with all of our gaming groups. So far it has been played at least twice every time it has been brought out.

Lascaux
Publisher: Mayfair Games, Phalanx Games
Style: Card Game
Designed by: Dominque Ehrhard & Michel Lalet
Players: 3-5
Play Time: 25 minutes
Ages: 8+
MSRP: $30.00

PGGK 004: Chicago Poker

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 16:04:39 -0500

Jeremiah gives us a look at Chicago Poker. We argued before the show how much this game was and wasn't like poker. I am not sure we finished arguing before starting to record, but we were able to at least give you a good idea about the game. A lot of people in our play groups really enjoyed this one. It was quick to learn and fun to play. Gangster themes are always a hit with us.

Chicago Poker
Publisher: Mayfair Games, Phalanx Games
Style: Card Game
Designed by: Bruno Cathala and Bruno Fadutti
Players: 3-6
Play Time: 45 minutes
Ages: 10+
MSRP: $30.00

Wil Wheaton Reading at Phoenix Cactus Comicon 2008

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 20:50:37 -0500

We have a special treat for you from Wil Wheaton (geek, gamer, writer, Wesley Crusher). He preformed a reading from some of his work at Phoenix Cactus Comicon last weekend and invited us to record it for you. You are going to have a great time with this one. It is about an hour long but easy to listen to in two half-hour drives, though by the time you listen to the first story I doubt you’ll want to stop. The first half is a story called Blue Light Special from his book, The Happiest Days of Our Lives. Its a fun bit about buying Star Wars toys as a kid. The second is a humorous look at a Star Trek: The Next Generation episode entitled Justice.

PGGK 003: Weinhandler

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 12:41:21 -0500

Jeremiah presents Weinhandler. Compete to become the ultimate wine handler by building up the most valuable wine cellar. The bidding mechanic will keep both families and avid gamers entertained. This is a popular choose for many occasions but really fits well at wine parties. Jeremiah has a wine stained rule book to prove it.

Weinhandler
Publisher: Mayfair Games, Amigo Spiel
Style: Card Game
Designed by: Claudia Hely and Roman Pelek
Players: 3-5
Play Time: 45 minutes
Ages: 10+
MSRP: $20.00

PGGK 002: The Market of Alturien

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 17:24:13 -0500

Derek gives us a look at The Market of Alturien. Everyone is competing for the attention and the pocketbook of several customers wandering the market. If they are buying from you, your making the money you need to invest in your success. With every roll of the die, you weigh your options, grab the customers you can, and distract them from your neighbors.

The Market of Alturien
Publisher: Mayfair Games
Designed by: Wolfgang Kramer
Players: 2-6
Play Time: 60 minutes
Ages: 10+
MSRP: $50.00

PGGK 001: Gangster

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 14:21:32 -0500

Your a mob boss competing for control of Chicago. You need to have all the right influence in all the right places, and by influence, I mean muscle. Drive your boys where they need to be, and offer rides to your rivals. Of course, your rivals will ride in the trunk.

Ganster
Publisher: Mayfair Games
Designed by: Thorsten Gimmler
Players: 2-5
Play Time: 90 minutes
Ages: 10+
MSRP: $45.00