Fire Tower and Toasted Head Chardonnay

Fire Tower

In this episode, we review Fire Tower and taste Toasted Head 2022 Chardonnay, along with the Last Call Kickstarter “Wild Imaginary West”.

00:00 Welcome to Meeples and Wine
00:24 Meet Your Hosts: Michael and Susie
00:47 Contacting Meeples and Wine
01:02 The Voicemail Debate
02:13 Today’s Game: Fire Tower
02:39 Wine Tasting: Toasted Head Chardonnay
08:41 Fire Tower: Game Overview
12:04 Fire Tower: Game Mechanics
16:42 Fire Tower: Strategy and Gameplay
21:04 Fire Tower: Special Cards and Roles
22:25 Winning Strategies for Shadow of the Wood
22:47 Champion of the Wood: Special Abilities
23:34 Fire Tower: Rising Flames Expansion
25:23 Playing Fire Tower with Two Players
26:11 Balancing Offense and Defense
27:51 Fun Score and Relationship Impact
29:17 Final Thoughts on Fire Tower
32:35 Wild Imaginary West RPG
41:06 Meeples and Wine: Where to Find Us

Apollo and Blueberry Spaceship Box Cider

Apollo

Greetings! This week Michael and Suzy play Apollo: A Game Inspired by NASA Moon Missions, by Buffalo Games, and also holds our record for the longest game title to date! Choose your role as either the team of Astronauts or Mission Control as you attempt to successfully either orbit the Earth in the Gemini II mission pack or make it to the moon and back in the Apollo! This won’t be easy, as every turn you must handle systems breaking down, succeeding in your mission level goals and managing to get some experiments done while floating through the black! You can pick up Apollo at our Amazon Associates link HERE!

We also sample Blueberry Spaceship Box, from Superstition Meadery in Arizona. This dark, sparkling cider is a mix of fresh blueberries and granny smith apples, a dark and tart beverage that goes great with the hot summer sun!

If you’ve got a game that you’d like us to demo get in touch at meeplesandwine@gmail.com, at our Twitter (@Meeplesandwine) or Facebook or if you’d like to leave us a voicemail you can go to 

https://www.speakpipe.com/MeeplesandWine!

You can also check out our quicklinks page! https://podcast.show/meeplesandwine/

3000 Scoundrels and 3 Rein Never Tame Red

3000 Scoundrels

This week we review Unexpected Games’ 3000 Scoundrels, a futuristic wild-west shootout of bluffing and misdirection! In this game you and up to three more of your friends play rival leaders vying to gather as much of the technology left behind by the mysterious “Traveler” who has just disappeared. Gather your posse together by joining the trait and transparent job cards to create new Scoundrels to hire, will you have a Corrupt Printer, Filthy Dog, or Helpful Banker? Play your poker hand to gain cash, scout the tech loaded safes, and then steal them, but be careful, if you get caught bluffing you’ll lose reputation in town!

If you’d like to pick this one up you can follow our Amazon Associates link to 3000 Scoundrels HERE!

(We do get a little cash on this, and you get a great game!)

Img 20240716 204048

We also sample Aldi’s 3 Rein Red Blend from Colombia Valley, Washington!

If you’ve got a game that you’d like us to demo get in touch at meeplesandwine@gmail.com, at our Twitter (@Meeplesandwine) or Facebook or if you’d like to leave us a voicemail you can go to 

https://www.speakpipe.com/MeeplesandWine!

You can also check out our quicklinks page! https://podcast.show/meeplesandwine/

Flock Together and La Vieille Ferme Rosé

Flock Together

Welcome to Meeples and Wine! This week Michael and Suzy play Flock Together from Sea Cow Games, taste La Vieille Ferme Rosé, and test out two new microphones! (Let us know how you think it sounds!) Yes, in this week’s game we take on the role of two chickens trying to survive three seasons against the elements and the predators that surround our coop, as Madame Chickovski and Cluckerberry Finn we go claw to toe against such villians as Professor Moleiarty, Chicksune and Cleopoultra!

Flock Together 1

We also taste La Vieille Ferme Rosé, a fruity light wine for hot days, and attempt a cocktail with it also, with mixed results.

Our Final Call is the Scented Realms Kickstarter, a scent based system to get just a little more depth and immersement to your tabletop games!

If you’ve got a game that you’d like us to demo get in touch at meeplesandwine@gmail.com, at our Twitter (@Meeplesandwine) or Facebook or if you’d like to leave us a voicemail you can go to 

https://www.speakpipe.com/MeeplesandWine!

You can also check out our quicklinks page! https://podcast.show/meeplesandwine/

Shadows Amsterdam and The Phillip Marlowe Gimlet

Shadows Amsterdam

This week Michael and Suzy play Shadows Amsterdam, from Libellud games, an abstract clue giving game where players guide their teams across the map to discover clues, avoid the police, and find their client before their opponents do (or the timer completes!) That’s our Amazon Associates link up there, if you use it we will get some cash from it!

Instead of a wine, we taste a mixed drink this week, the Phillip Marlowe Gimlet. This sweet tart drink made of Bombay Gin and Rose’s Lime Juice, with roots going back to the 1800s!

If you’ve got a game that you’d like us to demo get in touch at meeplesandwine@gmail.com, at our Twitter (@Meeplesandwine) or Facebook or if you’d like to leave us a voicemail you can go to 

https://www.speakpipe.com/MeeplesandWine!

You can also check out our quicklinks page! https://podcast.show/meeplesandwine/

Dark Tomb: Bloodthorn Island and The Supernatural Sauvignon Blanc

68 Dark Tomb 2 Crypts Of Aurelian

This week Michael and Suzy play the second game from their Kozz games Kickstarter, Dark Tomb: Bloodthorn Island! It’s the follow up to the first game, Crypts of Aurelian. This time around, though, it’s got a BOAT! We also taste The Supernatural Sauvignon Blanc, a 100% Sauv Blanc from New Zealand!

68 Dark Tomb 2

Be sure to check out our Kickstarter Last Call, Imperial Borders, HERE!

If you’ve got a game that you’d like us to demo get in touch at meeplesandwine@gmail.com, at our Twitter (@Meeplesandwine) or Facebook or if you’d like to leave us a voicemail you can go to 

https://www.speakpipe.com/MeeplesandWine!

You can also check out our quicklinks page! https://podcast.show/meeplesandwine/

Dark Tomb & Chronic Cellars Suite Petite

67 Dark Tomb Crypts Of Aurelian

This week we take a look at the first game from our recent Kickstarter purchase from Kozz games, Dark Tomb: Crypts of Aurelian, a “super portable” tabletop game (think Altoid’s tin-ish) where 1 to 5 players descend into the tombs to reclaim the Amulet of Fire to save Gorriah! It’s got all the cubes you want, and a multiple play-through setup so no two games are the same!

Dark Tomb Tiki

Along with this we’re tasting Chronic Cellars Suite Petite, another suggestion from our wine department friends at our local Binny’s. It’s a Petite Sirah, one of Michael’s favorite varietals!

Don’t forget to check out this week’s final call, Misty Valley from Grumlin Games!

If you’ve got a game that you’d like us to demo get in touch at meeplesandwine@gmail.com, at our Twitter (@Meeplesandwine) or Facebook or if you’d like to leave us a voicemail you can go to 

https://www.speakpipe.com/MeeplesandWine!

You can also check out our quicklinks page! https://podcast.show/meeplesandwine/

Shinobi WAT-AAH! and a Yuzu Saki Cocktail

66 Shinobi Wat Aah!

Hello and welcome back to everyone! This week Michael and Suzy are tasting a yuzu fruit sake cocktail mixing Zipang Sparkling Sake and Joto Yuzu Sake, a suggestion that we got from Susie and Tim, wine consultant and manager respectively, from our local Binny’s Beverage Depot out in Geneva, IL. Spoilers, there was nothing left by the end of the show…also, we are in no way sponsored by Binny’s (yet.)

We also play Shinobi Wat-ahh! A hand management/worker placement game from Iello Games out in France! Play an aspiring lord who is vying to take the throne from the aging Emperor of the Moon! Gather allies from the nine clans of the Dragon, Monkey, Crow and more, reinforce the clans with ronin and use the magic of the yokai to ensure victory, but be careful not to become too corrupt as that may spell defeat in the end!

This may be hard to find, since it came out in 2014, but if you may find it in the wild!

If you’ve got a game that you’d like us to demo get in touch at meeplesandwine@gmail.com, at our Twitter (@Meeplesandwine) or Facebook or if you’d like to leave us a voicemail you can go to 

https://www.speakpipe.com/MeeplesandWine!

You can also check out our quicklinks page! https://podcast.show/meeplesandwine/

Potion Panic and Three Lakes Winery Blueberry Wine

65 Potion Panic

We’re back and this week we’re reviewing Rocket House GamesPotion Panic a frantic race to become the Alchemist a la Mode by completing potion recipe’s components, smashing vials to get more cards in your hand or to deny your opponents those super valuable crystals! Ten crystals gets you the Philosopher’s Stone, which wins you the game and grants you powers beyond explanation in the next game (well, there is a card that explains them…). How does Potion Panic rate on our Fun scale? How does is rate on our Couch Score (how likely it is for Michael to wind up sleeping on the couch due to the game?)

Get Potion Panic Here!

We also taste a 100% blueberry wine from Three Lakes Winery in Wisconsin. Made from whole ripe blueberries, this isn’t a “blueberry flavored wine beverage” but the real thing!

If you’ve got a game that you’d like us to demo get in touch at meeplesandwine@gmail.com, at our Twitter (@Meeplesandwine) or Facebook or if you’d like to leave us a voicemail you can go to https://www.speakpipe.com/MeeplesandWine!

Fallout: The Board Game and Do Epic Shit Red Blend

64 Fallout

Welcome to another episode of Meeples and Wine! This time we’ll be discussing Fallout: The Board Game while drinking Do Epic Shit – 2021 Red Wine Blend from Browne Family Vineyards.

The wine is a full-bodied Paso Robles Red Blend with notes of raspberry, cherry, black pepper, and dark chocolate. It pairs well with bold foods.

Fallout: The Board Game is a post-nuclear adventure board game for one to four players. Players take on the role of survivors in a wasteland and explore, fight enemies, complete quests, and build their skills. The game is won by whoever comes out ahead by venturing through the game and gaining influence. However, if a single faction is empowered too quickly, everyone loses.

The game includes action points, area movement, dice rolling, hand management, modular board, and narrative choice/paragraph mechanics.

The podcast episode also talks about Don’t Starve: The Board Game on Kickstarter and ends with the hosts’ contact information and new trivia night.

If you’ve got a game that you’d like us to demo get in touch at meeplesandwine@gmail.com, at our Twitter (@Meeplesandwine) or Facebook or if you’d like to leave us a voicemail you can go to 

https://www.speakpipe.com/MeeplesandWine!

You can also check out our quicklinks page! https://podcast.show/meeplesandwine/