We discuss some of the mounting uncertainties across the gaming community and discoveries from the Steam Next Fest. Daniel looks at how card game The Gang goes against the odds and explores whether poker can be fun without betting. Mark examines the virtual novel/strategy game 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim and how it synthesizes its multitudinous genres and narratives.

Games Discussed

• Appetizer: Better Offline podcast, Tariff uncertainty, Steam Next Fest demos (As We Descend, Drop Duchy, Wanderstop), Monolith/Respawn layoffs
• Main Course: The Gang, 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim
• Desert: David Lynch, Severance Season 2

Timestamps

• Start: 00:00
• Appetizer: 01:10
• Game 1: 21:01
• Game 2: 36:43
• Desert: 1:04:47

Links

Board Game Wire Tariff news:

https://boardgamewire.com/index.php/2025/03/06/fewer-releases-spending-freezes-and-rising-prices-board-game-publishers-face-volatile-financial-future-as-us-hikes-china-tariff-to-20-brings-in-25-canada-mexico-tariffs/

Rascal Tariff news

https://www.rascal.news/tabletop-companies-are-waiting-for-the-ship-to-come-in-on-tariffs/

Better Offline - How Growth Is Killing Video Games

https://www.iheart.com/podcast/139-better-offline-150284547/episode/how-growth-is-killing-video-games-269512804/

A Pivot to Indie Won’t Save Us

https://auratriolo.com/blog/2025/01/15/a-pivot-to-indie-wont-save-us/

Check out the video version of the podcast

https://youtu.be/VSEORMBX3JQ

Follow Daniel

https://bsky.app/profile/boardgamefeast.bsky.social

Follow Mark

https://bsky.app/profile/markyuasa.bsky.social

Send your questions, feedback and comments to

omnigamersclub@gmail.com.

Daniel contemplates the terror of empty fields and monotony of invisible mutants in survival shooter Stalker 2; Mark reminisces on another remaster and the art of the mystery in adventure puzzle collection Another Code Recollection

Games Discussed

• Appetizer: Tumulus, Ludology - Thinking Beyond Mechanisms
• Main Course: S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl, Another Code Recollection
• Desert: Poker Face, Pluto

Timestamps

Start: 00:0

Appetizer: 01:55

Game 1: 11:04

Game 2: 25:31

Desert: 45:02

Links

Tumulus

https://www.skeletoncodemachine.com/p/tumulus

Ludology -

https://pca.st/p36uha4h

Check out the video version of the podcast

https://youtu.be/LbFr-vKl6tM

Follow Daniel

https://bsky.app/profile/boardgamefeast.bsky.social

Follow Mark

https://bsky.app/profile/markyuasa.bsky.social

Send your questions, feedback and comments to

omnigamersclub@gmail.com.

This week we’re serving up a new format for the show with a unified structure that should allow some more flexibility and balance in our coverage. Daniel explores the virtue of restraint in conquering the galaxy in Eclipse: Second Dawn for the Galaxy; Mark has a jelly goo time with nostalgia in Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake

Games Discussed

• Appetizer: Ayaneo Classic and Retroid Pocket Flip 2, A Mending
• Main Course: Eclipse: 2nd Dawn for the Galaxy, Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake
• Desert: Shangri-La Frontier, Ghostbusters: Answer the Call

Timestamps

• Appetizer: 3:15
• Game 1: 8:39
• Game 2: 31:30
• Desert: 55:19

Links

Check out the video version of the podcast

https://youtu.be/1_umF0o5Mc0

Follow Daniel at

https://linktr.ee/boardgamefeast

Follow Mark at

https://instagram.com/omnigamermark

Send your questions, feedback and comments to

omnigamersclub@gmail.com.

This episode we’re surfing the time continuum to bring you a selection of new crowdfunding projects that all seem to be reminiscing on the inevitable temporal totality looming over us all, for no particular reason. We’re also both continuing to explore retro gaming options and new solo TTRPG experience.

Games Discussed

• News: Keep the Faith, Zine Month, Fukuzatsu+, Legacy of Kain, Heavy Weighs the Crown, Prequel, Against Time and Death, PSN downtime,
• Video Games: Rift of the Necrodancer, Metaphor Refantazio, Anbernic RG406H
• Board Games: Critter Kitchen, Dead Cells
• Roleplaying Games: I Crave the Loop, Transformation

Timestamps

• News: 1:09
• Video Games: 18:33
• Board Games: 34:14
• TTRPGs: 42:18

Further Reading:

Anbernic RG406H Reviewhttps://retrohandhelds.gg/anbernic-rg406h-review/

Keep the Faith

https://www.backerkit.com/c/projects/central-michigan-university-press/keep-the-faith?ref=bk-social-project

Fukuzatsu+ 複雑 (or Taured Poker)

http://kck.st/3Q2e0sA

Legacy of Kain Encyclopedia and TTRPG

https://www.backerkit.com/c/projects/lost-in-cult/legacy-of-kain-ttrpg-and-official-encyclopaedia?ref=bk-social-project

Noclip Legacy of Cain Documentary

https://youtu.be/ZN16KVrEP8Q?si=2OzWJ0R4vossGpav

Heavy Weighs the Crown

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/alwayscheckers/heavy-weighs-the-crown

Prequel

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ethanyen/prequel-rpg

Against Time and Death

http://kck.st/3WVnB8g

The Words We Leave Behind

http://kck.st/4hm6qVv

Check out the video version of the podcast

https://youtu.be/s-lItCt2-fs

Follow Daniel at

https://linktr.ee/boardgamefeast

Follow Mark at

https://instagram.com/omnigamermark

Send your questions, feedback and comments to

omnigamersclub@gmail.com.

Next Featured Game:

Wildlands

On this week’s playlist we update our journals with some highlights from Zine Quest, Mark gives a tech review of his latest retro handheld, and Daniel continues to sample the SodaPop collection of board games.

Games Discussed

• News: Zine Quest, A Perfect Rock, Bonds Between, Sqwurmish, Realis, Yet Another, Killing Game, Anbernic RG35XXSP handheld
• Video Games: Visions of Mana, Mouthwashing, Legend of Heroes: Trails to the Sky
• Board Games: Revive, Top Cap
• Roleplaying Games: Cloud Empress

Timestamps

• News: 1:18
• RG35XXSP Retro handheld: 18:18
• Video Games: 34:45
• Board Games: 56:61
• TTRPGs: 1:05:04

Further Reading:

Anbernic RG35XXSP

https://retrohandhelds.gg/anbernic-rg35xx-sp-review/

A Perfect Rock

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/deepdarkgames/a-perfect-rock

Bonds Between

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/residentbard/bonds-between

Sqwurmish

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/creaturecuration/sqwurmish-a-vast-grimm-sci-fi-skirmish-game-and-miniatures

Realis

https://thecalcutec.itch.io/realis

Yet Another Killing Game

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3217970/Yet_Another_Killing_Game

The Weekly Scroll Podcast Interview Watt (Cloud Empress)

https://youtu.be/hXSGco7BsU4?si=tkYiT31hxorM6HTT

Check out the video version of the podcast

https://youtu.be/s-lItCt2-fs

Follow Daniel at

https://linktr.ee/boardgamefeast

Follow Mark at

https://instagram.com/omnigamermark

Send your questions, feedback and comments to

omnigamersclub@gmail.com.

Next Featured Game:

Wildlands

We investigate the mysteries of history in this episode’s feature, the video game Pentiment. We interrogate this narrative murder mystery to explore the taxonomy of roleplaying, the representation of history with individual/communal memory and player agency in attempting to solve the unsolvable

Further Reading:

NoClip: The Making of Pentiment⁠

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffIdgOBYwbc⁠

Beyond Solitaire interview with Josh Sawyer

⁠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ntuJH9-efk⁠

Terminal City Tabletop Convention

⁠https://terminalcitycon.ca/⁠

Check out the video version of the podcast at⁠ https://youtu.be/FVbtqeHAVtg⁠

Follow Daniel at

https://linktr.ee/boardgamefeast

Follow Mark at

https://instagram.com/omnigamermark

Send your questions, feedback and comments to

omnigamersclub@gmail.com.

Next Featured Game:

Wildlands

We’re back with the first playlist of the year and all the games we can pack into our holiday bag. We also cover the history of portable video gaming as Mark explores the history of retro consoles and Daniel muses on the Nintendo Switch 2 announcement.

Games Discussed

• News: Nintendo Switch 2, retro gaming consoles and preservation
• Video Games: Flock, Phantasy Star, 1000xResist, Final Fantasy Tactics Advance
• Board Games: Dune Imperium: Bloodlines, Get Salty!, Cat-A-Comb
• Roleplaying Games: Starscape, Decuma, Exclusion Zone Botanist, Cyperpunk Red, Dungeon Crawl Classics

Timestamps

• News: 1:02
• Video Games: 15:09
• Board Games: 39:04
• TTRPGs: 47:41

Further Reading:

Starscape TTRPG

Starscape – Golden Lasso Games

Decuma

Decuma – Golden Lasso Games

Exclusion Zone Botanist: Epsilon

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/exeuntpress/exclusion-zone-botanist-epsilon

Check out the video version of the podcast at https://youtu.be/qPf1jsLNxew

Follow Daniel at

https://linktr.ee/boardgamefeast

Follow Mark at

https://instagram.com/omnigamermark

Send your questions, feedback and comments to

omnigamersclub@gmail.com.

Next Featured Game:

Pentiment

We’re joined by Sean Weeks to tackle Slay the Spire, the towering pinnacle of games design that went there and back again, transcending the analog/digital divide. We sail the card river of randomization and discuss the art of board game adaptations, the taxonomy of genre and whether co-op play can change player behaviour.

Other games discussed:

Dominion, Ascension, Aeon’s End, Frostpunk, Gwent

Further Reading

Role of Play podcast coming soon

https://substack.com/@roleofplay

Check out Sean’s writing (unless your name rhymes with Dam Doltman)

https://weeksauthor.com/

Follow Sean at Bluesky

https://bsky.app/profile/weekswriter.bsky.social

Check out the video version of the podcast at https://youtu.be/amHNL6BJbl4

Follow Daniel at

https://linktr.ee/boardgamefeast

Follow Mark at

https://bsky.app/profile/markyuasa.bsky.social

Send your questions, feedback and comments to

omnigamersclub@gmail.com.

Next Featured Game

Pentiment