Episode 6 - Living With A Gamer and Tokaido

In this episode, we talk about what it's like to live with someone who has fallen headfirst into the hobby. We also talk about how you should go about introducing games to those closest to you. How much prodding is too much? Then, we review the beautiful game, Tokaido!

ARTWORK!!! This game is really graphically stunning.

The game, set-up for a three-player game. Again, you can see how clean the whole thing looks.

A close-up of the board. Players will move along the road by stopping at the various spaces along the way.

Examples of the character cards. Notice that in the top-left of the card, you can slot in a disk which reminds everyone what color you are playing. 

The stacks of panorama cards. They are unassuming, until...

BAM!! When flipped over and placed correctly, in sequence, you can see more of the amazing artwork that this game has to offer.

Episode 5 - "Board Games vs Video Games" and Summoner Wars




Video Games! In this episode of the Start Space Podcast, we compare video games to board games. How do we get video gamers to sit down at a table with us and give analog games a shot? We also review the two-player card battle game, Summoner Wars!

This box contains all you need to play the game for a long time. Six very different armies will allow you to try out a bunch of interesting combinations. But, if you do find yourself getting bored...

There are plenty of expansions available for the game, and the box allows you to store many decks comfortably. (Some of the slots have two decks stacked.)

This is what a match between the Mountain Vargath and Deep Dwarves looks like at setup. Each army begins with units and walls on the board ready to go.

Each army deck comes with a setup card that shows you where your units begin. Compare this card with the setup above. Go ahead. Do it.

A close up of some cards. The large number in the top left indicates the attack strength of the unit. Below that is the summoning cost, the symbol which indicates melee or ranged attack, bubbles which show hit points and a unit's special abilities. 

DIIICCCCEEEE!!!!!!!! (and wound markers)

Episode 4 - Kickstarter and Memoir '44



Hello and welcome to episode #4! In this episode, we have a discussion about Kickstarter's role in the board-gaming industry. We then review the classic gateway wargame, Memoir '44!

Memoir '44 is a game based on the historical battles of WWII.

The board, set up and ready to go.

Look at all those itty-bitty things to set up. Placing terrain tiles and soldiers will take you a while.

Close-ups of the board. The miniatures are really awesome and evoke that "playing with army men" feel.

An example of setup instructions in the rulebook. This is the page for the scenario I have set up above.

The cards that you will use to order your troops. You will find that you often do not have the card you need.

The opposite side of the board, which features terrain for a beach landing scenario.

Episode 3 - Halloween Gaming and 
Sentinels of the Multiverse


Here we go, Episode #3! In this episode we give you some more Gamer Lingo. Then, we talk about turning Halloween into a gaming holiday. Finally, we review the superhero card game, Sentinels of the Multiverse!

SENTINELLLLLS...OOOFFFFFFFFF....THE MULTIIIIIIIVERSSSSSSE!!!!!!

                                             

This game can be a bit of a table hog with higher player counts. Note that this setup shot is before any cards have really been played...

Legacy's hero card. The comic book style works at every level in this game, right down to the issue number that doubles as hit points.

A sample of Legacy's hero deck. The cards at a hero's disposal are generally pretty varied, although there are multiple copies of most cards.

Baron Blade's villain cards. The card on the right shows the Baron's special rules and setup instructions. As you might be able to tell, there is quite a bit to keep track of even before the game proper begins.

Hit point tokens. A hero's most valuable resource.

Status tiles. I am assured that they are useful.

Episode 2 - Rules and Lords of Waterdeep

In this second episode of the Start Space Podcast, we introduce some new segments! In Gamer Lingo, we define "Eurogame" and "Ameritrash". In our main topic, we discuss rules. Rules may be the biggest barrier to entry in modern boardgames. We tackle this large topic from a number of directions. How do we learn rules? How do we teach rules? What is it like to learn rules as a new player? We discuss each of those questions. Then, we introduce Tony Talk, where Tony gives a quick monologue on any board game related topic he desires. In this episode, Tony describes the strong bonding and social aspects of gaming. And finally, we review Lords of Waterdeep, the mega-popular worker placement game from Wizards of the Coast. 

Look at that cover. You know you wanna play this.

The setup. On the right, you can see the very blocky adventurers that you will be sending on quests.

The board and player setup. The map of Waterdeep is really quite nice to look at in person. 

 A Lord card. If you had this card, you would be looking to complete Arcana and Piety quests during the game.

The Builder's Hall and Questing portion of the board. Enlarged for reference because, well, they are important.

 The Scoundrels of Skullport expansion adds this Corruption track and a bunch of awesome blue skulls.

The expansion also adds these boards to the game, giving players additional choices from the get-go.

Very First Episode Posted!



In this episode, we tell you a little bit about who we are and why we started this podcast. For our main topic, we discuss how best to get into the hobby and what to do once you find yourself obsessed with board games. Finally, we review the route-buildin', card-collectin', gateway classic Ticket to Ride!

The base game of Ticket to Ride comes with a great map of the United States that could make this game ideal for teaching children geography or revealing your friends' ignorance!

Your trains, with which you will build your transnational empire.

The game, post-play. Ticket to Ride definitely looks interesting when you finish a game. After-game discussions usually revolve around tracing your route out for the other players and opining on how it all went wrong...

Comparison of the cards from the 1910 expansion and the base set. The larger cards from the expansion definitely feel better in the hand and shuffle verrrry smoothly.

It Begins!!!

Welcome to the home of the Start Space Podcast! This podcast aims to help those new gamers who have just found the hobby while giving a new perspective to those that have been in the tabletop gaming for years.
Join co-hosts Eddie, the obsessive gamer who has immersed himself in the hobby, and Tony, the casual gamer who likes what he likes, as they discuss a wide variety of topics related to hobby board gaming from a fresh point-of-view.