#251: Game Design Trends

You like SVWAG? Their early work was a little too negative for my taste. But when SHUX came out in '20, I think they really came into their own, commercially and artistically. The whole podcast has a clear, crisp sound, and a new sheen of consummate professionalism that really gives the episodes a big boost. They've been compared to Elvis Costello, but I think SVWAG has a far more bitter, cynical sense of humor. In '23, SVWAG released this; episode 251, their most accomplished episode. I think their undisputed masterpiece is "gullet regurgitation". An observation so catchy, most people probably don't think about the meaning. But they should, because it's not just about the pleasures of consumption and the importance of digestion. It's also a personal statement about the podcast itself. Hey, Walker!

01:37 AYURIS: Whale Riders (Reiner Knizia, Grail Games, 2021)

Games Played Last Week:
03:42 -Godtear (David Carl, Alex Hall, & Steve Margetson, Steamforged Games, 2019)
08:30 -Aliens: Another Glorious Day in the Corps (Andrew Haught, Gale Force Nine, 2020)
14:17 -LOAD: League of Ancient Defenders (Uncredited, Archon Studio, 2016)
17:49 -Warpgate: Beyond (Artyom Nichipurov, Wolff Designa, 2022)
22:23 -Code of Nine (BakaFire, Z-Man Games, 2012)
26:17 -American Psycho: A Killer Game (Dan Blanchett, Renegade Game Studios, 2022)
30:25 -Sabika (Germán P. Millán, Ludonova, 2022)

News (and why it doesn't matter):
36:15 Bamboo by Sabika's Germán P. Millán
36:53 Cyclades: Legendary Edition
37:52 The closure and bankruptcy of Holy Grail Games
39:16 Expansion to Cosmic Frog! "Find Muck"

40:15 Topic: Gaming Design Trends