Devon invites Justin Gary—designer of the popular Ascension deckbuilding game and CEO of Stone Blade Entertainment to sit down and have a conversation!In this session, we talked about Justin’s journey from student of law to master of games. His path toward design was unique given his professional success as a Magic: The Gathering player that pivoted toward a career in design and entrepreneurship. While he still is pumping out content for Ascension (including an upcoming miniatures game to celebrate the original game’s ten-year anniversary), some of Justin’s most intriguing work actually involves his masterclass course of Think Like A Game Designer. He’s guiding designers-to-be through all of the obstacles he encountered along the way and provides accessibility, accountability, and reality to the design dreams of those who take the class.Sit down with us on the banks of the board game pond and let’s have a conversation.Learn more about the masterclass here.Learn more about Justin Gary here.Who should we bring to the table next? Let us know in the comments!-Time Stamps- 2:17 - A Magical Start 5:36 - Facing Failure and Uncertainty 10:24 - A Shared Design Process 13:36 - Collaboration in Design 16:47 - Think Like A Game Designer 24:01 - There is No “Creative” Person 28:19 - Looking Back on Ascension 35:07 - Ten Years 37:38 - A Committed Community of Creators 42:27 - SolForge Fusion  Support the show

Everybody roleplays as Jesse but some ducks are inimitable and some coins should be left untossed! Today, in Shelf or Sell, Alex raids again (arguably) with Raiders of Scythia, Jan really likes rondels with Praga Caput Regni, and Will dusts off the board game years with Lords of Waterdeep. Afterward, for the Medley Minute, Jan celebrates Alex’s feature on the BGG creator spotlight, Alex can’t help but bring up more Zombicide, and Will talks shop with the first con coming back this year. Later, in On the Radar, Will’s wallet gets really thick with the Tussie Mussie expansion, Jan finally reads a book with Paperback Adventures, and Alex moonlights as a bard with The Witcher: Old World.We hope you enjoyed this week's episode! If you disagree with our Shelf or Sell decisions or have other quacky thoughts, be sure to leave a comment!Follow our newest Spanish channel here!Join our Facebook Group here.Join our BoardGameGeek Guild here.Consider supporting us by joining our Patreon here.Time Stamps- Shelf or Sell- 03:00 - Raiders of Scythia ft. Alex 17:29 - Praga Caput Regni ft. Jan 30:35 - Lords of Waterdeep ft. Will Medley Minute- 42:30 - BGG Creator Spotlight ft. Jan 44:34 - Zombicide: Army of the Dead ft. Alex 46:10 - Gen Con 2021 ft. Will On the Radar- 52:14 - Tussie Mussie: Expansion Collection ft. Will 55:51 - Paperback Adventures ft. Jan 1:00:02 - The Witcher: Old World ft. Alex Support the show

Today we discuss Funfair, designed by Joel Finch and published by Good Games Publishing. It’s a lightweight tableau-builder that takes the mechanics of its predecessor Unfair and distills it into a more accessible, short game. Players act as managers or architects of budding theme parks and must construct the most epic attractions in the hopes of drawing guests. With a tight coin economy and quick rounds, it’s hard to ignore how easily you can get this to the table. Have you played Unfair? Well, it doesn’t matter either way because this game stands on its own. Learn more about Funfair here. Check out our First Impressions of Funfair and Unfair. See if Funfair or Unfair are something you’d play with our Right for You, Wrong for You reviews. Or read about the differences between them with this side-by-side comparison. Should we play it again? Bring it to the channel? Never touch it again? Let us know in the comments! -Time Stamps- 4:03 - Finally, The Intro 6:56 - Overview 10:06 - Context of Playthrough 14:32 - Opinions on Restrooms 17:29 - A Fast-Paced Tableau Builder 22:57 - Player Actions and Mechanics 25:21 - Paths to Go Through                                                                                                         27:29 - Enough Games to Get It                                                                                                              29:01 - To Fair or Not to Fair Support the show

Devon invites Dave Beck—designer of upcoming Kickstarter Distilled—and Brandt Brinkerhoff—designer of another upcoming Kickstarter Oros—to sit down and have a conversation!In this session, we talked about board game design, from conception to production, with all of the steps that must be climbed that the typical gamer might not think of when seeing a finished product on the table or a campaign on Kickstarter. They share an inside look at the process behind both Distilled and Oros, as well as unique perspectives on what it’s like to design a game.Sit down with us on the banks of the board game pond and let’s have a conversation.Watch a trailer for Distilled here.Watch a trailer for Oros here.Learn more about Distilled here.Learn more about Oros here.Who should we bring to the table next? Let us know in the comments!-Time Stamps- 4:39 - Oros Origins 8:36 - Diary of Distilled 12:17 - The Pizza Box Prototype 15:05 - Kill Your Darlings 17:17 - Machinations of the Mind 20:31 - Getting Those Playtests In 22:27 - The First One Should Be You 26:02 - User Experience 29:43 - Nine to Five 32:50 - Under the Influence 35:46 - Teaming Up 38:41 - One Man Job 44:36 - Pandemic Play 53:48 - WTUnpub? 1:04:12 - Learning Kickstarter 1:12:33 - Oros Sales Pitch 1:18:09 - Distilled Tour 1:25:48 - Design Advice  Support the show

Today we discuss Red Rising, designed by Jamey Stegmaier and Alexander Schmidt. Published by Stonemaier Games, it’s a hand-management game based on the popular books series by author Pierce Brown. In a dystopian society bound by strict Color-associated castes, there is endless conflict and it will be up to the players to determine which Colors they ally with to create the most effective and highest-scoring hand. Does this slick card game measure up to the books and what’s it play like for people unfamiliar with the Red Rising trilogy?Learn more about Red Rising here.Should we play it again? Bring it to the channel? Never touch it again? Let us know by leaving a comment in playeditonce.com!-Time Stamps-   2:25 - Jan Retires 3:33 - Intro to Red Rising 5:06 - Overview 9:32 - Context of Playthrough 11:58 - Actually Played It Once 20:22 - To Book or Not to Book22:15 - Player Count 30:18 - Going Red or Going HomeSupport the show

Jesse has retired to a duck sanctuary but the pond sizzles with the arrival of special guest hosts: Board Game BBQ! Today, in Shelf or Sell, Alex talks about (you guessed it) powers with Adventure Tactics: Domianne’s Tower, Adrian brings out a horror classic with Arkham Horror: 3rd Edition, Jan romances Rosenberg with Hallertau, and Jules forms a tower with copies of Castell. Afterward, for the Medley Minute, Jules and Jan team up to take on Voidfall, Alex gets sly talking about The Witcher: Old World, and Adrian can’t wait for more reveals with Weather Machine. Later, in On the Radar, Jan can’t stop laughing about Fast and Furious: Highway Heist, Alex goes gladiatorial with Hoplomachus: Victorum, and Adrian digs through the layers of ICE.Listen to Board Game BBQ here.We hope you enjoyed this week's episode! If you disagree with our Shelf or Sell decisions or have other quacky thoughts, be sure to leave a comment!Follow our newest Spanish channel here!Join our Facebook Group here.Join our BoardGameGeek Guild here.Consider supporting us by joining our Patreon here.Time Stamps- Shelf or Sell- 03:55 - Adventure Tactics: Domianne's Tower ft. Alex 14:37 - Arkham Horror: 3rd Edition ft. Adrian 24:38 - Hallertau ft. Jan 33:39 - Castell ft. Jules Medley Minute- 43:00 - Voidfall ft. Jan and Jules 44:43 - The Witcher: Old World ft. Alex 46:39 - Weather Machine ft. Adrian On the Radar- 50:01 - Fast & Furious: Highway Heist ft. Jan 55:42 - Hoplomachus: Victorum ft. Alex and Jules 1:01:10 - ICE ft. Adrian Support the show

Devon invites Mike Gnade from Rock Manor Games to sit down and have a conversation!  In this session, we talked about the small indie beginnings of Rock Manor Games, what Mike searches for in a game as a publisher, the various titles he’s been involved over the last several years, and the upcoming Kickstarter launch for Maximum Apocalypse: Wasted Wilds (as well as some juicy info on the next Rock Manor Games title).Sit down with us on the banks of the board game pond and let’s have a conversation.Learn more about Set a Watch here.Learn more about Merchants of Magick here.Learn more about Maximum Apocalypse here.Watch the trailer for Maximum Apocalypse: Wasted Wilds here.Sign up for Maximum Apocalypse: Wasted Wilds here.Who should we bring to the table next? Let us know in the comments!-Time Stamps- 4:09 - Humble Beginnings8:42 - Rock Manor Games DNA13:49 - Big Picture15:31 - Set a Watch Universe22:35 - Unpub in Lockdown23:40 - Ye Olde Magick Shoppe26:27 - Kickstarter Fulfillment28:21 - Those Good Feels32:33 - Maximum Apocalypse42:19 - Star-Driven SagaSupport the show

* Please follow the link to fill out our poll. *Alex gets betrayed, Jan lays down some tile, and Alex talks about a wolf! Today, in Shelf or Sell, Jesse considers a classic with Betrayal at House on the Hill, Jan gets all gooey about Ginkgopolis, and Alex smashes past the Stonemaier scores in Red Rising. Afterward, for the Medley Minute, Jan regales us with the many achievements of Julio Nazario, Jesse squeaks with delight about a Quackalope in Valor & Villainy: Lludwik’s Labyrinth, and Alex reflects on years with superheroes thanks to Marvel Phase 4. Later, in On the Radar, Alex tries to stop thinking about Jesse’s body with My Father’s Work, Jesse drools over bee-utiful dice from Wyrmwood and Dispel, and Jan discusses the deluxe return of Dominations.We hope you enjoyed this week's episode! Have a question you'd like featured next week? Leave it on our website at theweeklyquack.com! We'll pick our favorites and talk about them on the show!Follow our newest Spanish channel here!Join our Facebook Group here.Join our BoardGameGeek Guild here.Consider supporting us by joining our Patreon here.Time Stamps- Shelf or Sell-  02:47 - Betrayal at House on the Hill ft. Jesse 14:56 - Ginkgopolis ft. Jan 28:05 - Red Rising ft. Alex Medley Minute-  38:42 - Julio Nazario ft. Jan 42:00 - Valor & Villainy: Lludwik's Labyrinth ft. Jesse 44:19 - Marvel Phase 4 ft. Alex On the Radar-  45:53 - My Father's Work ft. Alex 51:44 - Wyrmwood x Dispel ft. Jesse 58:01 - Dominations Deluxe ft. Jan Support the show

Today we discuss Wild Assent, designed by Robert McConnell and published by Lazy Squire Games. It’s been more than two years since this game was revealed to the Kickstarter community but it’s in the fulfillment process now, so it’s time to return to the days of old and hunt packs of monsters in this tactical skirmish game replete with gorgeous miniatures. It’s a different board gaming world from when Wild Assent first launched. So… how does it measure up to the hype and years of expectation?!Learn more about Wild Assent here.Should we play it again? Bring it to the channel? Never touch it again? Let us know by leaving a comment in playeditonce.com!-Time Stamps- 2:07 - Overview6:07 - First Impressions9:11 - But Does It Skirmish?13:11 - Dissent With Wild Assent14:13 - Not So Fast15:33 - Now The Big Questions16:41 - Jan’s RebuttalSupport the show

* Please follow the link to fill out our poll. *Odin’s oath has been fulfilled, Mars gets messy, and all the merchants are asymmetrical! Today, in Shelf or Sell, Jan has finally tabled A Feast for Odin, Jesse gets red dirt on his hands with On Mars, and Alex swims in the economic waters of Merchant’s Cove. Afterward, for the Medley Minute, Jesse and Alex share a milestone together with 25K subscribers on YouTube while Jan gets dextrous with the Hurlyburly relaunch. Later, in On the Radar, Alex travels back in time to see the world of It’s a Wonderful Kingdom, Jesse gets cheesy with Hidden Leaders, and Jan gives us the deets on the monkey in Stationfall.We hope you enjoyed this week's episode! Have a question you'd like featured next week? Leave it on our website at theweeklyquack.com! We'll pick our favorites and talk about them on the show!Follow our newest Spanish channel here!Join our Facebook Group here.Join our BoardGameGeek Guild here.Consider supporting us by joining our Patreon here.Time Stamps- Shelf or Sell-  03:08 - A Feast for Odin ft. Jan 15:03 - On Mars ft. Jesse 24:36 - Merchant's Cove ft. Alex Medley Minute-  38:45 - 25K Subscribers ft. Jesse and Alex 40:53 - Hurlyburly Relaunch ft. Jan On the Radar-  43:29 - It's a Wonderful Kingdom ft. Alex 48:29 - Hidden Leaders ft. Jesse 54:57 - Stationfall ft. Jan Support the show