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TDT # 608 - Vegetarians and Ventriloquists

Mandi and Suzanne discuss Doppelt So Clever, Imperial Settlers The Roll and Write, Ohanami, Between Two Castles of Mad King Ludwig, Dice Throne, and Kodama 3D. They also revisit two older games in Shelf Staple, and get your input on conventions you want to attend in Victory Points.

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TDT #607 - D is for Dragons

In this show, we review My First Castle Panic, Duelosaur Island, Transformers TCG,Dice of Pirates, and Mice and Mystics: Downwood Tales.  Eric talks about going to Pip’s Island, and we answer a slew of questions, including our favorite foldable boards, optional Kickstarter buys, and more!  Finally, we end the show talking about our favorite games that start with the letter "D"!

2018
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From the imagination of legendary game designer Richard Garfield comes a game unlike anything the world has ever seen—a game where every deck is as unique as the person who wields it and no two battles will ever be the same. This is KeyForge, where deckbuilding and boosters are a thing of the past, where you can carve a path of discovery with every deck, where you can throw yourself into the game with the force of a wild wormhole and embrace the thrill of a tactical battle where wits will win the day!

Along with this new breed of game comes a new world: the Crucible, an artificial world built from the pieces of countless planets across the stars. Here, anything is possible. This world was built for the Archons, god-like beings who, for all their power, know little about their own origins. The Archons clash in constant struggles, leading motley companies of various factions as they seek to find and unlock the planet’s hidden Vaults to gain ultimate knowledge and power.

This starter set contains two starter decks, two unique Archon Decks, and all the keys and tokens two players need to play!

KeyForge: Call of the Archons is the world's first Unique Deck Game. Every single Archon Deck that you'll use to play is truly unique and one-of-a kind, with its own Archon and its own mixture of cards in the deck. If you pick up an Archon Deck, you know that you're the only person in existence with access to this exact deck and its distinct combination of cards. In fact, in just the first set of KeyForge: Call of the Archons, there are more than 104 quadrillion possible decks!

Every Archon Deck contains a full play experience with a deck that cannot be altered, meaning it's ready to play right out of the box. Not only does this remove the need for deckbuilding or boosters, it also creates a new form of gameplay with innovative mechanics that challenges you to use every card in your deck to find the strongest and most cunning combinations. It is not the cards themselves that are powerful, but rather the interactions between them—interactions that can only be found in your deck. Your ability to make tough tactical decisions will determine your success as you and your opponent trade blows in clashes that can shift in an instant!

KeyForge: Call of the Archons is played over a series of turns in which you, as the Archon leading your company, use the creatures, technology, artifacts, and skills of a chosen House to reap precious Æmber, hold off your enemy's forces, and forge enough keys to unlock the Crucible's Vaults. You begin your turn by declaring one of the three Houses within your deck, and for the remainder of the turn you may play and use cards only from that House. For example, if you take on the role of the Archon Radiant Argus the Supreme, you will find cards from Logos, Sanctum, and Untamed in your deck, but if you declare "Sanctum" at the start of your turn, you may use actions, artifacts, creatures, and upgrades only from Sanctum. Your allies from Logos and Untamed must wait.

Next, you must strive to gain the advantage with a series of tactical decisions, leveraging both the cards in your hand and those in play to race ahead of your opponent. If you wish to weaken your rival’s forces, you may send out your allies to fight enemies on the opposing side, matching strength against strength. Otherwise, you may choose to use your followers to reap, adding more Æmber to your pool.

Notably, no card in KeyForge has a cost — choosing a House at the start of a turn allows you to play and use any number of cards from that House for free, leading turns to fly by with a wave of activity! Yet balance is key. If you simply reap more Æmber at every opportunity, your rival may quickly grow their team of minions and destroy yours, outpacing your collection and leaving your field barren. But if you focus on the thrill of the fight alone and neglect the collection of Æmber, you won't move any closer to your goal! If you succeed in finding a harmony within your team and have six Æmber at the start of your turn, you'll forge a key and move one step closer to victory. The first to forge three keys wins!

—description from the publisher

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Year Published: 2018
Designers: Richard Garfield
Publishers: Fantasy Flight Games
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Year Published: 2017
Designers: Benoit Vogt
Publishers: Monolith
Year Published: 2018
Designers: Ian Moss
Publishers: Asmodee
Year Published: 2018
Designers: Alf Seegert
Publishers: Red Raven Games
Year Published: 2018
Designers: Trevor Benjamin
Publishers: Alderac Entertainment Group
2018
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Root is a game of adventure and war in which 2 to 4 (1 to 6 with the 'Riverfolk' expansion) players battle for control of a vast wilderness.

The nefarious Marquise de Cat has seized the great woodland, intent on harvesting its riches. Under her rule, the many creatures of the forest have banded together. This Alliance will seek to strengthen its resources and subvert the rule of Cats. In this effort, the Alliance may enlist the help of the wandering Vagabonds who are able to move through the more dangerous woodland paths. Though some may sympathize with the Alliance’s hopes and dreams, these wanderers are old enough to remember the great birds of prey who once controlled the woods.

Meanwhile, at the edge of the region, the proud, squabbling Eyrie have found a new commander who they hope will lead their faction to resume their ancient birthright. The stage is set for a contest that will decide the fate of the great woodland. It is up to the players to decide which group will ultimately take root.

Root represents the next step in our development of asymmetric design. Like Vast: The Crystal Caverns, each player in Root has unique capabilities and a different victory condition. Now, with the aid of gorgeous, multi-use cards, a truly asymmetric design has never been more accessible.

The Cats play a game of engine building and logistics while attempting to police the vast wilderness. By collecting Wood they are able to produce workshops, lumber mills, and barracks. They win by building new buildings and crafts.

The Eyrie musters their hawks to take back the Woods. They must capture as much territory as possible and build roosts before they collapse back into squabbling.

The Alliance hides in the shadows, recruiting forces and hatching conspiracies. They begin slowly and build towards a dramatic late-game presence--but only if they can manage to keep the other players in check.

Meanwhile, the Vagabond plays all sides of the conflict for their own gain, while hiding a mysterious quest. Explore the board, fight other factions, and work towards achieving your hidden goal.

In Root, players drive the narrative, and the differences between each role create an unparalleled level of interaction and replayability. Leder Games invites you and your family to explore the fantastic world of Root!

—description from the publisher

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Year Published: 2018
Designers: Cole Wehrle
Publishers: Leder Games
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Year Published: 2018
Designers: Eric M. Lang
Publishers: CMON Global Limited
Year Published: 2018
Designers: Gavan Brown
Publishers: Roxley
Year Published: 2018
Designers: Hervé Lemaître
Publishers: Kolossal Games
Year Published: 2018
Designers: James A. Wilson
Publishers: Starling Games (II)
Year Published: 2018
Designers: David Cicurel
Publishers: Lucky Duck Games
Year Published: 2018
Designers: Shem Phillips
Publishers: Garphill Games
Year Published: 2018
Designers: Wolfgang Warsch
Publishers: Nürnberger-Spielkarten-Verlag
Year Published: 2018
Designers: Daniele Tascini
Publishers: NSKN Games
Year Published: 2018
Designers: Vladimír Suchý
Publishers: Delicious Games
2018
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In Detective: A Modern Crime Board Game you are going to solve FIVE different cases and find out what connects them, you are going to BREAK THE 4th WALL by using every resource you can, you are going to browse the game's DEDICATED DATABASE simulating your agency's resources, you will enter a city maze of old mysteries and fresh CRIME, and you will be able to COOPERATE with other agents or solve the mystery on your own.

Take the job of a real detective in a modern setting! In Detective: A Modern Crime Board Game, 1-5 players take on the role of investigators, solving mysterious crimes while working as an Antares National Investigation Agency team members. This board game tell rich stories - stories you will participate in. Let's hope that you will be able to deduce the end, before there is another crime... The game will challenge you with five different cases, that have to be played in order. Seemingly unconnected at first, they will unveil an immersive meta-plot based on facts and fiction alike.

Detective: A Modern Crime Board Game brings classic, card-based, puzzle-solving gameplay into the 21st century with the introduction of online elements. You will gain access to the online Antares database that contains data about suspects, witnesses, and documentation from arrests and trials related to your case. Use every tool at your disposal to solve these crimes - consult the Internet, check the facts and constantly discover new clues. You are not playing a detective; you ARE a detective!

In 2020 Game of the Year special edition of Detective: A Modern Crime Board Game was published. Thanks to the overwhelmingly great response for the game and a worldwide success Portal Games was able to improve the basic game and add an additional component to the box. The new edition includes a set of 30 photos of character portraits, which the players can use during their investigation to make a mind map. The pictures show the suspects met throughout the game, and bring an amazing immersion to the gameplay. The set was previously available for purchase only as an additional promo item at the Portal Games store and during conventions. With the Game of the Year edition of Detective, now all players will be able to enjoy this great tool.

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Year Published: 2018
Designers: Przemysław Rymer
Publishers: Portal Games
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Year Published: 2018
Designers: Jerry Hawthorne
Publishers: Plaid Hat Games
Year Published: 2018
Designers: Cole Wehrle
Publishers: Leder Games
Year Published: 2018
Designers: Hervé Lemaître
Publishers: Kolossal Games
Year Published: 2018
Designers: David Cicurel
Publishers: Lucky Duck Games
2018
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Just One is a cooperative party game in which you play together to discover as many mystery words as possible. Find the best clue to help your teammate. Be unique, as all identical clues will be cancelled!

A complete game is played over 13 cards. The goal is to get a score as close to 13 as possible. In case of a right answer, the players score 1 point. In case of wrong answer, they lose the current card as well as the top card of the deck. Thus losing 2 points. In case of lack of answer, the players only lose the current card, and therefore only 1 point.

You have the choice – make the difference!

Small Historical Point:

Originally, Just One was called We Are The Word and was published by Fun Consortium.

Repos Production bought the rights in early 2018 and adapted the game. The Sombrero-wearing Belgians decided to improve the quality of the components, add 50 new words, and change the name of the game. Following this new edition, the game went from having only a French edition to having a world-wide edition.

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Year Published: 2018
Designers: Ludovic Roudy
Publishers: Repos Production
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Year Published: 2018
Designers: Thomas Dagenais-Lespérance
Publishers: Le Scorpion Masqué
Year Published: 2018
Designers: Bernhard Lach
Publishers: KOSMOS
Year Published: 2018
Designers: Wolfgang Warsch
Publishers: Nürnberger-Spielkarten-Verlag
Year Published: 2018
Designers: Jan Březina
Publishers: Czech Games Edition
2018
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In The Quacks of Quedlinburg, players are charlatans — or quack doctors — each making their own secret brew by adding ingredients one at a time. Take care with what you add, though, for a pinch too much of this or that will spoil the whole mixture!

Each player has their own bag of ingredient chips. During each round, they simultaneously draw chips from their bags and add them to their pots. The higher the face value of the drawn chip, the further it is placed in the pot's swirling pattern, increasing how much the potion will be worth. Push your luck as far as you can, but if you add too many cherry bombs, your pot will explode!

At the end of each round, players gain victory points and coins to spend on new ingredients, depending on how well they managed to fill up their pots. But players whose pots have exploded must choose points or coins — not both! The player with the most victory points at the end of nine rounds wins the game.

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Year Published: 2018
Designers: Wolfgang Warsch
Publishers: Schmidt Spiele
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Year Published: 2018
Designers: Tim Eisner
Publishers: Druid City Games
Year Published: 2018
Designers: David Cicurel
Publishers: Lucky Duck Games
Year Published: 2018
Designers: Catherine Stippell
Publishers: Pandasaurus Games
Year Published: 2018
Designers: Ivan Lashin
Publishers: Cosmodrome Games
2018
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Chronicles of Crime is a cooperative game of crime investigation, mixing an app, a board game and a touch of Virtual Reality.

With the same physical components (board, locations, characters and items), players will be able to play plenty of different scenarios and solve as many different crime stories.

Players start the app, choose the scenario they want to play, and follow the story. The goal being to catch the killer of the current case in the shortest time possible.

Using the Scan&Play technology, each component (locations, characters, items, etc.) has a unique QR code, which, depending on the scenario selected, will activate and trigger different clues and stories. That means players will be able to get new stories way after the game is released simply by downloading the app's updates, without any shipping of new physical components involved.

The VR experience only requires a mobile phone. Players simply put the VR glasses (optional buy) onto their mobile device, and put the VR glasses on their nose, holding their mobile device in front of their eyes, to immerse themselves in the game's universe and search for clues in a virtual world.

The game comes with 1 tutorial and 5 scenarios, but more can be downloaded directly inside the app!
Each session last around 1h to 1h30 minutes and many scenarios are connected to each others in order to tell a much bigger story.

—description from the publisher

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Year Published: 2018
Designers: David Cicurel
Publishers: Lucky Duck Games
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Year Published: 2018
Designers: Jerry Hawthorne
Publishers: Plaid Hat Games
Year Published: 2018
Designers: Przemysław Rymer
Publishers: Portal Games
Year Published: 2018
Designers: Wolfgang Warsch
Publishers: Nürnberger-Spielkarten-Verlag
Year Published: 2018
Designers: Ludovic Roudy
Publishers: Repos Production
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