This show is both a session review and some comments on the recent GenCon SoCal, which I attended the week before Thanksgiving and represented my first real convention experience in many a year. I had a chance to demo a lot of terrific games, play some excellent new ones and enjoy the company of some very fine folks. That is always the cliche' about these shows, but it is completely true - it is the experience with the people that will make or break the convention for you. Luckily for me, I had some fun people to spend time with during GenCon SoCal and it raised the enjoyment level on what was otherwise a lackluster convention for board gamers.

I will apologize right here for hyping a game that is not out yet (Gheos) and one that is only available in Germany at the moment (Der Elefant im Porzellanladen). Normally, I try not to do that too much. But these are really great items for your holiday shopping so just watch for Gheos to hit the stores and online retailers very soon and, well, place that overseas order for the Elephant right away. ;)

Finally, I have another contest here - for a free Boardgame Babylon T-shirt. I've gotten some in from the nice people at Meeple People (shop at the link on the side to feed my MP habit) and I want to give one away. Details are included on the show.

Next up: We'll see if my next planned Demise and Rise show can come together shortly, but I also have a "Stocking Stuffer" show coming up for some smaller games you should get for all the designer game players on your shopping list in a last minute run to the game store (hey, you're going there this next week to pick up BattleLore anyway, right?) 

Thanks for downloading and listening to Boardgame Babylon.

Show Notes

Games Mentioned: Gheos   Pieces of Eight   Der Elefant im Porzellanladen   Carcassonne   Coloretto   Pirate King

Other Links: Z-Man Games   Atlas Games   Rene Wiersma   Jeff Tidball   Michael Schacht  

Another quick show done before I leave for GenCon SoCal tomorrow morning. I would call this show a good Gift Guide - two party games that would make nice gifts for friends that aren't quite ready to join you for a designer game but that you would still like to get in the habit of playing games. Forget Scene It or some DVD board game - buy these cool games from small publishers that are a whole lot of fun.

Also, listen in for the names of the winners in the Thrillville contest!

Show Notes:

GiftTRAP

Quelf

The contest is now closed and all winners have been selected. You can listen for your name (hopefully) on BGB Volume 27, which will be a show with some ideas for games you might want to buy your non-gamer friends - party games and kids' games that might just inspire them to take the plunge into designer games shortly thereafter.

Also, Lucas Arts was unable to acquire an Xbox console (they're all cleared out for Xbox 360) so the Grand Prize winner will win a Sony PSP and PSP copy of Thrillville, with the runner-ups still getting an Xbox copy of the game. Sorry for the confusion but, hey, it's still a free and very cool PSP!

Don't forget to get your contest entries in today to win an Xbox console or copies of the exciting new Lucas Arts game, Thrillville. The contest ends tomorrow (11/14) at midnight PST.

You can get the trivia questions about the show from episodes 25 or 26. Don't forget that you need not answer all questions correctly to win - each correct answer is just another entry.

Thanks for downloading and listening to Boardgame Babylon.

Flying solo here again for a session review show featuring a few games I have had the chance to play in recent days. I said I was taking November off but I ran out of older shows to release because my backup hard drive crashed. Yes, 'backup' is supposed to mean you have another copy. Hey - I know that now!

There is also a wonderful piece of news for Southern California gamers (and those seeking an additional reason to visit us) mentioned here. Those of you that are out of the area will have to forgive my giddy gushing. I am just really happy about this new development.

This show is also a bit 'quick and dirty' in an attempt to do a podcast with less prep time and a lot less editing. My apologies ahead of time for the umms and uhhs and off-the-cuff commentary. I am responding to some feedback on this but, also, I had 2,000 words for NaNoWriMo to write after recording this...

Don't forget you have only three more days to enter the Thrillville contest. The questions are listed in this show, too, in case you did not download Volume 25 because it was more about the show than the games themselves.

Thanks for downloading and listening to Boardgame Babylon.

Show Notes

Games Mentioned:

Figaro   Emira   Die Weinhandler   King Me!   Poison   The Scepter of Zavandor   Princes of Florence   Money!

Other links:

Strategicon   Lucas Arts' Thrillville (out now on Xbox/PS2)   Fiddly  

Burgess Forensics (my cousin's company, who will hopefully save those lost shows)

In case you haven't sent in your entries for the Thrillville contest yet, please remember that you only have until November 14th at midnight PST to do so!

Also, I have started a couple of games on Spiel By Web to distract me from work and NaNoWriMo (10,000 words and counting), so please join me for a game of Hacienda or Hoity Toity (which I haven't played on SBW yet). The games all have the podcast title in them and the password is 'babylon'.

BGB Volume 26 with session reviews of Figaro, Emira and Die Weinhandler should be posted later this week.

Thanks for downloading and listening to Boardgame Babylon.

The contest for the Xbox and copies of Thrillville continues. I must say - chances are very good for those of you that have entered so far. Considering Boardgame Babylon is up to over 1,000 listeners per podcast and the fact that the Thrillville trailer has been downloaded hundreds of times, I'm stunned to say that only a fraction of that group have already submitted an entry. I mean, I'm sure a bunch of you already have Xboxes but you don't have this cool game! Don't forget to send in your entry soon.

Thanks also to the many folks who have also included a kind note or feedback in with your entry. It is always great to hear people are enjoying the show and constructive criticism on how I can make it better and better.

One note, though - due to an excess of comment spam, I've had to set the site to only take comments confirmed with a secret code displayed when you post. Some folks have said they cannot post with this utility in place but Libsyn claims they have fixed that. If you try to post and it doesn't go up in a day or so (I still have moderation on) or it keeps telling you that you have entered the wrong thing, please drop me a note at: sheylon@gmail.com.

Thanks for downloading and listening to Boardgame Babylon.

Here is Part 2 of the History and Secrets series, the sequel to Volume 2 - which was recently posted despite the numbering scheme here. In this episode, you will find out all kinds of reasonably exciting details like who are Cucoloris and why is the show called Boardgame Babylon.

But that's not all - this show will also give you details on how you can enter our exciting contest to win an Xbox and copies of the new Lucas Arts video game, Thrillville. Just listen to the show for details on how to enter to win.

Thrillville is an exciting new video game from Lucas Arts that has even this dyed-in-wool boardgamer excited. Here are some additional details about the game: 

Visit Thrillville and step into a non-stop party in a theme park that you create.  Customize your park, interact with guests like never before, and build and hop into your own roller coasters and other rides. For the first time ever, race on go-kart tracks you constructed, play mini-golf on courses you designed, and more. Join friends for dozens of four-player party games, from bumper cars to arcade shoot-'em-ups. You can also tour the park on foot chatting and joking with all the guests to help them out and make sure they're enjoying themselves.

Thrillville fuses elements of simulation, party games and social interaction like nothing before it. Its charming story centers around you coming to the aid of your eccentric Uncle Mortimer and his "Thrillville" chain of theme-parks. Only by keeping your guests happy and completing missions geared toward keeping your park afloat can you stave off the threat posed by the nefarious Globo-Joy corporation.

Build, play, manage, ride, customize and socialize your way through the five theme parks you've created - Thrillville is a fusion of individually strong gameplay elements into a new experience that's even greater than the sum of its parts - it allows you to play with your friends in the theme-park of your dreams.

Come back over the next week to see more artwork and information on the game, leading up to its release in stores on November 7^th for both PS2 and Xbox.

Show Notes

Links:

Thrillville   Cucoloris on MySpace   My Bloody Valentine   The Sundays

Cocteau Twins   Siskel and Ebert

Meeple People.com (buy through this link to support giveaways of Boardgame Babylon t-shirts)

No, I'm not linking to a lot of the other things mentioned on the podcast...