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Bush's Board Game Thing has officially launched! Andy Bush celebrates 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. Zatu power this podcast, 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! At long last, Bush's Board Game Thing Episode 1 is here!
In the very first episode, Andy, Brian and Jess are starting with the classics. Is Jess a board game hipster? Why is Brian dressed like a smurf? Should we let our children win at games?
If you haven't already, be sure to listen to Bush's Board Game Thing Episode 1 here and get involved over on the official Instagram @boardgamething.
Childhood Gaming
Holidaying in the UK is always a bit of a risk with the weather. Growing up, most of us can probably remember a time when the family was crammed together in a caravan hiding from the rain. This always resulted in a classic bit of family fun - board games! The trio are quickly hit with memories from their youth; trying to explain those memories is somewhat harder.
For example, Jess reminisces over Hūsker Dū? Very similar to Go Fish, Hūsker Dū? is a Danish children's memory game. Plastic tokens cover a variety of animals in windows. You must take turns uncovering these windows to match as many images as possible. Hūsker Dū? is a classic game from the 1950s - Jess could only find a copy in the depths of eBay. If you are looking for something similar, why not try out Dobble?
Brian then brings the ultimate gateway game to the table: Ludo. An undeniable classic, Ludo is one of those games that everyone has played at some point in their lives. Brian however is haunted by the memory of Ludo. This game of primary colours flashes Brian back to one particularly rainy day spent in a static caravan in a holiday park near Hastings. The family all crowded around a version of Ludo from a 50-in-1 board game set. As the youngest child, Brian would always fail to get his tokens back to base before his siblings. The wheel keeps on turning though, as it is now HIS turn to beat HIS kids at this game of chance.
Missing Meeples? No Problem
These vivid flashbacks of Ludo did also offer a lovely segue into missing meeples. Brian recounts having to play Ludo with a spare die as some of their tokens were lost to the Great British outdoors. This only resulted in the constant guarding of the die as player after player would attempt to pick it up and roll it!
Similarly, Jess shares a story her own experience with a missing piece. On a camping holiday with her family, Jess was playing a classic, competitive game of Payday. Whilst setting up they realised that had lost one of the pieces during their travels. Remember that they were camping and didn't have many options! The replacement meeple? Half a cherry tomato with a Blu Tack base. Jess recounts the massacre of the board, sticky, red and covered in seeds. This clip alone will have you in stitches; make sure to check it out!
If you have any stories of improvised board game pieces, be sure to let Andy know over on the Bush's Board Game Thing Instagram.
Follower Features
We want to hear from you! Every week, the @boardgamething Instagram will be full of chances to get involved with the next episode.
This week we asked for your suggestions of games that hold a special place in your heart, your childhood go-to. Some of the team's favourites included Frustration, Risk Legacy and Mousetrap, the latter causing quite the stir in the recording room!
This long-time family favourite is a recipe for zany action and bundles of laughs. Mousetrap sees you scurrying around the board collecting cheese and avoiding the many traps (the same traps that you spent what seemed like hours setting up each time). The trio are even contemplating playing this one very soon - providing that someone else can set it all up for them!
Follower Amanda mentioned Monopoly, a game she loved as child and that she loves to play with her own children. She asked the team if there should be some more up to date Monopoly pieces? Should the Dog, thimble and Iron go directly to jail (do not collect $200)?
A good few minutes ensue as the team brainstorm brand new tokens. Andy suggests that they should reflect the Covid age: a track and trace QR code? Face covering? Anti-bac? Meanwhile, Jess takes a more hipster approach with the inclusion of a sourdough loaf meeple. Carole Baskin was the overwhelming favourite, however. Who wouldn't want to become the Tiger King of Monopoly?!
Luckily, Zatu provided Andy with the new age of Monopoly, the Cheater's Edition. This game leans into those iconic (yet unspoken) Monopoly moments in which the rules are bent, money is borrowed, and funny business is welcomed. Unlock your inner cheater with Monopoly Cheater's Edition, just don't end up in handcuffs.
Brian's Fact of the Week
This week's fact from the depths of Brian's brain is about word game, Boggle. The designers knew that there would be a few words that everyone would try and spell (words that we cannot write here as we have an audience of all ages). The makers actually ensured that you couldn't do this by carefully selecting what letters were on opposite faces on the dice. The F and K, for example, are opposite each other on one of the die, meaning you can never use them both in one go.
Roll with It!
This blog only touches on a few of the hilarious moments and topics discussed by Andy, Jess and Brian. Don't miss out - listen to Bush's Board Game Thing Episode 1 for more childhood stories, the team chatting about Risk Legacy and discussion of bizarre board game art from the 80s. Be sure to tune in and witness Jess' life choices being decided by a roll of a dice in Roll With It!
Remember, if you want to have your say on what new pieces should be included in Monopoly or if you have used replacement pieces in a board game, get in touch with us over on Instagram.
You can shop all of the games mentioned in this week's episode over on our swanky new Podcast Approved collection!
On behalf of the team here at Zatu, we are all so excited for this brand new venture into the world of audio.
Tune in for episode 2 of Bush's Board Game Thing next Wednesday!
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