417Gamer Podcast Episode 57: The One with Apps

·44 min·2 clips

Mysterium uses seven rounds of dream cards, but the ghost cannot talk.

1. Hobby Gaming Network episode 57, “The One with Apps,” mixes four recent board games with a long segment on board-gaming apps. 2. Rick and Andrea Bagwell host the show, and their board-game group in the 417 area code matters because the apps support both play and event coordination. 3. The episode asks which apps actually help a tabletop group play, schedule, score, and track games. 4. Rick describes Mysterium as a cooperative game with a ghost, Psychic Detectives, and dream cards that resemble Dixit art. 5. He says the group used the easiest setting, with three players and two extra characters added for family game night. 6. Andrea explains that players had to identify the character before moving on to the room and then the weapon. 7. They note that the ghost cannot talk, and that all players can share their dreams in the version they used. 8. Rick says the group reached the seventh hour of trying to identify the killer and still did not solve it. 9. He still calls Mysterium enjoyable and says players from family game night up through Blood on the Clock Tower fans could like it. 10. Rick then describes Diatoshi, designed by Danny Garcia and published by Devere, after playing it at Ben’s house. 11. He explains that the game uses a rondelle, steam as an economy, and actions such as exploiting water, forests, and mountains. 12. He says players can build the city, add inventions to machines, or contribute to the mega-machine for points. 13. Rick notes the art is busy and the iconography takes time to digest, but he could still follow the system after asking Ben questions. 14. He compares Diatoshi’s complexity to Windmill Valley and calls it “a step and a half harder.” 15. Rhino Hero comes next as a HABA dexterity game played with Rick’s niece, sister, and brother-in-law. 16. The hosts describe the gray Rhino Hero meeple, the folded wall and roof cards, and the rule that the next player must move the meeple. 17. Rick says his niece liked it enough that they left the game with her family, and they later received pictures of her playing it. 18. The tone stays conversational and lightly humorous, with side comments about pets, family, and the way the hosts explain rules to each other. 19. Listeners who track board games and use scoring apps will find this useful. 20. Listeners seeking deep strategy analysis without app talk may skip this one.

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from Hobby Gaming Network