About this podcast
A podcast about all manner of hobby games by Mike Walker and Mark Bigney. Bad games don't go easy on you, so we don't go easy on them. Thorough analysis via reviews, news, and discussion of topics in gaming. We take context seriously, we value your time, and we're not into hype. Just because games are fun doesn't mean we can't take them seriously, and just because we take them seriously doesn't mean we can't have fun.
Episodes
The newest 50 of 435 episodes
- Like Mage Knight · 1 h 12 min · Episode 434Walker's old man impulses are manifesting in a growing anti-Pokémon ideology. As a frontline retail employee, he deserves out sympathy, but surely Bulbasaur and Onyx do not…
- Gunsen: The Battle for Toshi Ranbo · 1 h 23 min · Episode 433Invented proper names are fine and all, but come on, give me a context. Is Gunsen a person, place or thing? Is it an event, a state of mind, a code, a vibe? I am meant to believe…
- Arkhipov Day · 53 min · Episode 432Nothing captures the fundamental duality for which SVWAG strives than our two patron saints, Vasily Arkhipov and Honky Chonk Beardonkadonk. We aspire to be both enlightening and…
- The LOOP · 56 min · Episode 431Walker claims that his grandfather invented Crokinole, just because no one else is given credit. Next he'll be saying someone in his family invented poutine, or calculus even…
- Regionalisms · 59 min · Episode 430In addition to using The Seven Years War quasi-exclusively to refer to that conflict, Canadians have a bevy of unique regionalisms to delight and confound our American…
- Toy Battle · 1 h 8 min · Episode 427"Oh, boardgaming's very popular, Ed. The sportos, the motorheads, geeks, sluts, bloods, wastoids, dweebies, dickheads — they all adore it. They think it’s a righteous hobby."…
- Moving Day · 54 min · Episode 428We cover the gamut of historical figures this week, from shy spiders, Thor, the Italian Masters, Iggy Pop, Terry Bogard, and one underexamined and grossly underappreciated figure…
- How to Save a World · 1 h 11 min · Episode 427To paraphrase Sir Mix-a-Lot (O.B.E.), I like big bears and I cannot lie! Fat Bear Week is upon us. Let these corpulent kings of ursine excellence strut their stuff, and let us…
- Games Catch-Up · 1 h 9 min · Episode 426With Walker imminently about to move (to Kingston from Kingston) and Mark still storing his games from the previous move, the overwhelming preponderance of the SVWAG…
- Canon Update · 1 h 18 min · Episode 425The SVWAG Canon (https://www.sowronggames.com/svwag-canon) is an elite list of games that Walker and Mark both very much enjoy. Walker is nervous around recommendations, per se…
- Robo Rally Dice · 1 h 15 min · Episode 419It's hard to go wrong with cats. Even most people who don't like cats are wise enough to keep relatively quiet about it, lest they suffer the consequences. What consequences? Oh…
- Games that Build Cred · 1 h 22 min · Episode 423[EDIT] In this episode, Mark falsely attributes the co-authorship of Ayar to Nestore Mangone, when in fact it was designed by Mandela Fernandez-Grandon and Fabio Lopiano. We…
- Notebook Nations · 1 h 18 min · Episode 422The world is changing, what with everything being cozy and (some) crowdfunding projects fulfilling in weeks rather than years. This dizzying pace of evolution can be…
- Mid-Year Tag Questions · 1 h 17 min · Episode 421We have recovered from SVWAG Con II: Electric Boogaloo, and to the best of our knowledge there was no "con crud" or equivalent contagion. We make no claims that the con possesses…
- SVWAGCon Beckons · 1 h 5 min · Episode 420Just in time for SVWAGCon, Mark's car has fallen prey to Princeton's unforgiving roads and local practitioners of the mechanical arts. Which ones are trustworthy? Which are inept…
- Falling in Love with Your Collection · 1 h 13 min · Episode 419"If you're down and confused And you don't remember who you're talking to Concentration slips away Because your baby is so far away Well there's a rose in a fisted glove And…
- Recall · 1 h 20 minI was three actions deep into my tenth turn of Recall when I achieved total mastery. I was beyond the Schwarzenegger and the Farrell, deep with Koato and triple-mammaried…
- Teaching vs. Discovery · 1 h 28 min · Episode 417It is Inadvertent Surprise Railway Week (ISRW, pronounced "is raw") here at SVWAG, and we take a look at some train games without directly addressing the raging controversy of…
- Goa · 1 h 7 min · Episode 416Acronyms and initialisms are a tricky thing. In SVWAG circles, one must be careful to use proper punctuation, lest GOA imply 2022's Game of the Year (GotY, not Gotye) Guards of…
- The Successful Campaign Experience · 1 h 20 minSVWAG CON II Electric Boogaloo https://www.eventbrite.com/e/svwag-con-ii-electric-boogaloo-tickets-1986634285627 www.sowronggames.com www.twitch.tv/soverywrongaboutgames…
- Nippon: Zaibatsu · 1 h 12 minRest assured, Mark was subjected to the appropriate onboarding procedures and workplace safety trainings incumbent with his new (old?) role. The HR gibbons are ever-vigilant, and…
- Feya's Swamp · 1 h 3 min · Episode 413SVWAG CON II Electric Boogaloo https://www.eventbrite.com/e/svwag-con-ii-electric-boogaloo-tickets-1986634285627 www.sowronggames.com www.twitch.tv/soverywrongaboutgames…
- Baghdad: The City of Peace · 53 min · Episode 412https://www.youtube.com/@BoardGamingRamblings SVWAG CON II Electric Boogaloo https://www.eventbrite.com/e/svwag-con-ii-electric-boogaloo-tickets-1986634285627…
- Quest for the Roleplay Experience · 1 h 3 min · Episode 411https://www.youtube.com/@everydayboardgames https://www.eventbrite.com/e/svwag-con-ii-electric-boogaloo-tickets-1986634285627 www.sowronggames.com…
- Compania · 53 min · Episode 410One Stop Co-op Shop www.youtube.com/c/OneStopCoopShop SVWAG CON II Electric Boogaloo https://www.eventbrite.com/e/svwag-con-ii-electric-boogaloo-tickets-1986634285627…
- Moon Colony Bloodbath · 1 h 3 min · Episode 409Get your SVWAG CON tickets HERE: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/svwag-con-ii-electric-boogaloo-tickets-1986634285627 This weeks guest Tim Dolloff from Board Game Hottakes…
- That's my JAM · 1 h 0 min · Episode 408This weeks guest: Jake Frydman https://www.decisionspacepodcast.com/ Blueberry jam not jelly........ don't be gross 00:00 INTRO 01:33 Cysmic (Jason Blake Star Reach Games…
- The Looming Shadow of the Golden Age of Board Games · 1 h 7 min · Episode 407This weeks guest: 5 Games 4 Doomsday Ben Maddox https://5g4d.com/ 00:00 INTRO 02:06 Moon Colony Bloodbath (Donald X. Vaccarino, Rio Grande Games 2025) 06:01 Ghost Blitz…
- Fishing · 1 h 5 min · Episode 406This weeks Guest Charlie Theel https://playerelimination.com/ Something smells tricky 00:00 INTRO 01:01 Dark Pact (Thomas Lehmann Trick or Treat Studios 2026) 05:21…
- Night Soil · 1 h 3 min · Episode 405What's that smell? https://spacebiff.com/ This weeks guest Dan Thurot from Space-Biff 00:00 Intro 00:45 WENDYBUXXX (Jo Kelly Miasma Corp Games 2026) 02:58 Compania (Yog…
- WROTH · 59 min · Episode 404Telling ME Calimala is good the nerve 00:00 Intro 00:58 Calimala (Fabio Lopiano Alley Cat Games2017) 04:59 Railroad Tiles (Hjalmar Hach, Lorenzo Silva Horrible Guild 2025)…
- It could have been a contender. · 1 h 0 min · Episode 40300:00 Intro 01:25 Star Trek: Captain's Chair – To Boldly Go (Nigel Buckle, Dávid Turczi, Adam Turczi WizKids 2026) 02:53 Feya's Swamp (Helge Ostertag, Anselm Ostertag Fractal…
- Burned · 51 min · Episode 402Going to have to post a guard to the studio.... Can't keep letting riff raff stroll in. (unless its the rapper) 00:00 Intro 04:03 Innovation Deluxe (Carl Chudyk Asmadi Games…
- Crowdfunding Bubble · 55 min · Episode 401This weeks guest Chris from Liege of Games https://www.youtube.com/c/Li%C3%A8geofGames 00:00 Intro 00:48 Torchlit (David Spalinski Allplay 2024) 03:51 The Hobbit: There and…
- Galactic Cruise · 1 h 16 min · Episode 400This weeks special guest Efka from No Pun Included https://www.youtube.com/c/NoPunIncluded/videos 00:00 Intro Games we played last week 01:11 Cena (A.I. Lab 2025) 04:40 Wine…
- Sweet Lands · 1 h 4 min · Episode 399This week's guest Don from The Secret Cabal Gaming Podcast 00:00 INTRO Games We Played Last Week 01:52 Soothsayers (Jeff Grisenthwaite, Play to Z 2026) 05:45 Orléans (Reiner…
- Not Lunar Rush · 44 min · Episode 398This week I welcome the Hungry Gamer 00:00 INTRO Games We Played Last Week 01:08 Conquest Princess: Fashion Is Power (Seppy Yoon, Peter Yang Fight in a Box 2024) 03:44 War…
- Rating the T games from Board & Dice · 1 h 15 min · Episode 397Today's episode is brought to you by the letter T T stands for tracks, tedium, Tiny mini games and sometimes Torturous 00:00 Intro AYURIS 01:08 Captain Flip (Remo Conzadori…
- Valheim: The Board Game · 53 min · Episode 396A viking fighting for Olav the Holy at Stiklestad gets an arrow in the eye. The man pulls the arrow out, his eyeball still on out it, and says: "Det jaggu nærme nasen! (That was…
- Nokosu Dice · 59 min · Episode 395On today's episode we have Sam from Board Game Dual Podcast https://boardgameduel.podbean.com/ 00:00 INTRO Games we played this week. 01:09 Yokohama Duel (Hisashi Hayashi…
- Zenith · 1 h 8 min · Episode 394https://boardgamebarrage.com/ Well here it is Walker's all alone now..... Today I am joined by Mark from Board Game Barrage 00:00 Intro 01:08 Games we played last week…
- Plastic Love · 50 min · Episode 393This guy just won't leave... Mark and I in our last, last episode together for a bit. Not to worry I will be rambling ever forward. In this shorter episode we talk about just…
- 2025 Year in Review · 1 h 32 min · Episode 392In some ways, the origin story of the podcast can be traced back to Sentinels of the Multiverse. Upon arriving in Kingston, Mark was at a games event at someone's home, and he…
- Gazebo · 1 h 8 min · Episode 391"One day I was sitting in a gazebo, and there was a plaque on the gazebo and it said, 'This gazebo was built by the town in 1863.' That is in the middle of the Civil War. And the…
- Racing Games · 1 h 10 min"I thought the Rococo was the name of the ship in Aliens." "No, that's Sulaco. Rococo is the statute targeting organized crime." "No, that's RICO. Rococo is the hot beverage…
- Covenant · 1 h 7 min · Episode 389You gotta read the fine print, always. Anyone dealing with a supernatural entity--whether a djinn or deity, gremlin or god--has to be conscious of the exceptions. It's simple…
- Omnibus Questions Epsilon Bet · 1 h 5 min · Episode 388Yes, it’s Tapple! The toy sensation that’s sweeping the nation! Only $14.95 at participating stores! Get one today! Warning: Pregnant women, the elderly, and children under 10…
- The Hobbit: There and Back Again · 1 h 6 min · Episode 387Before Dr. Reiner Knizia invented areas, everyone and everything was simultaneously co-located and yet distant all at the same time. It was primordial chaos. Movement was…
- Omnibus Questions Epsilon Aleph · 1 h 18 min · Episode 386While Mark is perhaps disappointed at the typical tragic dearth of questions related to Macross and Terry Bogard, and Walker secretly yearns to be granted naming rights to a…
- Wonderland's War · 1 h 29 min · Episode 385In our effort to answer all of your Omnibus Questions, sadly we cannot enlist the assistance of notable Canadian Keanu Reeves. In an interview with Stephen Colbert--as a joke…
