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Bush's Board Game Thing sees Andy Bush celebrating board games and the experience of gaming with friends Jess Temby and Brian Murphy. Each week, expect passion, enthusiasm, and multiple trips through gaming wormholes. This podcast is powered by Zatu - we're making sure the board game cogs keep on turning. Each week, I'll be bringing you the best bits here on the blog and letting you shop the podcast! Today, we're recapping Bush's Board Game Thing Episode 3.
Previously on Bush's Board Game Thing, the trio looked at board games based on the world of film and TV. Andy fell head over heels for Jaws: the Board Game whilst Jess and Brain discovered the board game versions of Top Gun and Die Hard. If you missed episode 2, you can catch up here or take a look at the previous podcast blog. This week things are getting heated in Bush's Board Game Episode 3 as the team are looking into games about politics and power.
Not that President Bush
Very topically apt, Jess leads the team through one of the biggest sources of political power, the current US Presidential Election. Whilst discussing their manifestos and agendas, the team discuss which board games give them a taste of this power.
The first recommendation is the King's Dilemma. This infamous game has just had a reprint that came out just over a year ago. Upon its release, the King's Dilemma sold out immediately. Andy goes on to explain how Legacy Games is making its own legacy in the board game world, if you'll pardon the pun.
The King's Dilemma is a fully-fledged narrative game with legacy elements. This age utilises the butterfly effect and branching narratives. Every choice a player makes will change the outcome and what will happen to them. You will be playing as one of the King's most trusted advisers. Working with friends, you will need to make a series of decisions following various moral dilemmas.
Real Talk
What real-world things would work as a board game? Jess goes for Small Talk: The Board Game, one of her favourite things. You will have to go into the coffee shop you often visit and try to maintain small talk for as long as you possibly can, whereas Andy would do the exact opposite, a game in which you try to avoid having this small chit chat.
Andy's suggestion for a real-world board game is for the spectacle wearers among us. Named 'Pandemic Shopping Steam Up', the game takes influence from Andy's struggles to find a face covering that won't obscure his vision and make shopping a bit too steamy. Think Supermarket Sweep but, instead of a timer going off, you only have until your glasses are completely steamed up.
If you have a real-life situation that you think would work as a board game, get in touch. Let Andy and the team know over on Instagram @boardgamething. Keep an eye over on our stories for your chance to have your say in future episodes of Bush's Board Game Thing.
Brian's Board Game Fact of the Week
We've had Boggle and the Game of Life so far, but for Bush's Board Game Thing Episode 3, Brian has a fact about the family classic, Scrabble. A game I think everyone has probably played at some point in their life! We all know and love the arguments between friends over whether something is actually a word or not. Thank you, Google for always being the middle man.
Do you know the highest-scoring word in Scrabble? It's not Zatu, no. Well, up until 10 years ago, this word would not have been allowed, since it's a proper noun. However, with Scrabble's historic rule change, the highest scoring word would be 'Nezahualcoyotl'. The name belonging to an ancient Aztec philosopher would not only fill the board but could also score you a whopping 1,242 points if you line up all of the bonus tiles too.
Political Party
Before the end of Bush's Board Game Thing Episode 3, Andy also gives you a great list of games about power and politics, all available at Zatu. We have Game of Thrones: The Game which is full of betrayal and backstabbing - perfect for the in-laws. Diplomacy, the award-winning board game of political intrigue and military power in Imperial Europe. Then you have The Resistance: Avalon that pits the forces of good and evil to control the future of civilisation. Finally, we have Dune, based upon Frank Herbert's book of the same name. In Dune, you can expect hidden agendas, backstabbing, and control over the Spice Wars.
Case Closed
That just about wraps up Bush's Board Game Thing Episode 3. If you want to get involved, why not let us know over on Instagram? You'll have the chance to be featured in next week's episode.
You can shop all of the games mentioned on the podcast over on our Podcast Approved collection!
Tune in for episode 4 of Bush's Board Game Thing next Wednesday for more hilarity and insights into the mind of Brian!
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