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We’re Michael and Suzy, your hosts dishing out honest board game reviews for couples, blending wine (or in this case, beer) tastings with gameplay breakdowns. Got feedback? Hit us up at meeplesandwine@gmail.com, or connect on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or LinkedIn. And hey, leave a voicemail at (707) 572-5282 – we love hearing from you!

This time around, we’re tasting the Clad & Cordon Cab Sauv from Clad & Cordon Winery (check them out at https://www.cladandcordon.com/). It’s a bold Cabernet Sauvignon hailing from Creal Springs, IL, near Marion and the Shawnee area. Expect flavors like blackcurrant, black cherry, plum, and cassis, with maybe some green bell pepper or mint vibes, plus oak notes of vanilla, cedar, or tobacco. Illinois’ cooler climate gives it brighter acidity and less ripe fruit than your typical California Cab. Fun fact: We tried their Blueberry wine back in the Hive episode—peep that at https://www.meeplesandwine.fun/hive.

Now, onto the game: Noxford (2016), a sneaky little title you can scope out on BoardGameGeek at https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/206448/noxford. It’s all about leading a crime syndicate in a steampunk city that’s always building itself up. You place cards to control rich districts using area majority, hand management, and tile placement mechanics. Designed by Henri Kermarrec (known for stuff like Ekö and Penny Papers Adventures—his BGG page is https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamedesigner/10777/henri-kermarrec), with art by Maud Chalmel (she did Take Time too, check https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgameartist/83279/maud-chalmel). Published by Capsicum Games and Quick Simple Fun Games, it plays 2-4 people, rates a 6.1/10 on BGG with low complexity (1.77/5).

Setup’s straightforward: Each player gets 10 Syndicate cards (Master at rank 4, Lieutenants at 3, etc.), lay your Master face-up, shuffle and draw 3. Neutral deck has Rich Districts and Barracks. Start with two cards in the center, L-shaped. On your turn, either place a card adjacent to at least two others (corners aligned, no overhangs) or cover a lower-rank Syndicate with a higher one. Masters count double for control, and gear icons let you relocate cards. Game ends when the last Syndicate’s played—Barracks flip touching Syndicates, then score districts based on majority (1 VP per symbol +2 bonus for your fave). Ties? Nobody wins that district. Most VPs takes it, or most districts in a tie. It’s simple, spatial, and a bit cutthroat—perfect for a quick session!

No expansions for this one. Playing with two? We both gave it a fun score of 6/10—solid but not mind-blowing. On the relationship wrecker scale (couch score 1-5), Michael says 1 (chill), Suzy says 2 (a tad sneaky). Learning curve? Time sink 1—easy, just one or two games to get it, no need for endless YouTube tutorials.

Wrapping up with our Last Call, we spotlight cool Kickstarter games! This episode, it’s Botany: Floral Dragons at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/duxsomnium/botany-floral-dragons. Learn how to play via https://youtu.be/N0uncjp38Dc. Shoutout to artist Kin Wald for those awesome illustrations and linocuts—visit https://www.kintheartist.com/ and https://www.kintheartist.com/character-design.

Tiers include:

• Botany Floral Dragons at $49: Standard Edition + Bountiful Blossoms Mini Expansion
• Botany Floral Dragons & Expansions at $85: Standard + Fantastic Festival Exp + Furious Fungus Exp + Bountiful Blossoms Mini
• Botany Floral Dragons Jewelry Box at $199: Jewelry Box Edition + Bountiful Blossoms Gilded Mini
• Botany Floral Dragons Devotee at $329: Jewelry Box + Gilded Exps/Mini + Little Botany + Puzzles
• Botany Floral Dragons Grand Expedition at $599: All the above + full original Botany ecosystem

If you dig the show, share it with a friend! Next up: Print & Play games. Catch you next time on Meeples and Wine—buh-bye!