January 22, 2024 • 24 mins
After a recent game night in part inspired by our episode on women and tabletop gaming, Anney and Samantha review the games Wingspan and Dutch Blitz.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:05):
Hey, this is Annie and Samantha and.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Welcome to Stephan Never told you production.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
iHeart radio, and welcome to another Monday Mini. And you
know what, we and you recently did an episode a
Monday Mini about the board game industry and more specifically
(00:30):
with women and how a sex industry that often discredits
and excludes women from being a part of this industry
and criticizes women in this industry. Or as you had said,
he says that women don't do anything interesting and they
don't include robots.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
It's for shame.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
It's because there's so many games that I have play
that have robots in them.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
Yeah, exclusively.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
I never played a game with robots in it, so
I don't understand.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
No interesting critique. Yeah sure, sure, sure, sure sure.
Speaker 1 (01:07):
And in it you mentioned the game Wingspan and the
creator Elizabeth Hargrave.
Speaker 3 (01:14):
Uh, and.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
We decided that we needed it obviously, so we actually
did buy it. Just as a reminder about this game.
It was again created by designer Elizabeth Hargrave and the
art is done by Natalia Rojas and Anna Marie Martinez. Heramio.
I'm sorry if I said that wrong. And is a beautiful,
beautiful game. So here's a descriptor. Wingspan is a competitive
(01:41):
medium weight cards driven engine building board game from designer
Elizabeth Hargrave and stone Meyer Games. It is the twenty
nineteen winner of the prestigious Skinnerspield de Jars Award, and
I hope I said it right. That is not the
only award that they have won. They won Game of
the Year in twenty nineteen for Diamond Climber Award, the
(02:03):
Dice Tower Award. It looks like a German named award
and I'm not gonna say it, maybe Dutch. It also
won for a Golden Geek Award for several things. The
expansion also won Expansion of the Year for Golden Geek Award,
American Tabletop Awards for a Strategy Game of the Year,
(02:24):
and again in twenty twenty the Expansion for Golden Geek
Award and then for Wingspan Oceania Expansion as well. So
they've won tons of awards. When I was looking at
their site, it looks like they're redoing some things because
they're different bird groups. Sorry, y'all are taking out like
(02:45):
Native American names for birds as well as people names
for birds because it could be offensive, and so they're
renaming some birds, and as that happens, I believe Wingspan
is correcting their cards as well. So I don't know
what that will look like like, or if that's already happened,
but I believe it's been in the process for the
last year, so I find that very commendable as well
(03:08):
for them to keep up with it. But it is
a gorgeous game and it continues. It says about the
game you are bird enthusiasts, researchers, birdwatchers, ornithologists, and collectors
seeking to discover and attract the best bursts to your
network of wildlife preserves. Each bird extends a chain of
powerful combinations in one of your habitats.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
Actions.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
These habitats focus on several key aspects of growth. Gain
food tokens via custom dice in a birdfeed or dice
tower lake eggs using egg miniatures in a variety of colors,
draw from hundreds of unique birds bird cards, and play them.
The winner is the player with the most points after
four rounds. And we actually did play this game. So
(03:55):
when I bought this, I had like faltered about giving
it as a gift Indian, I decided to keep it.
I was like, I like this I'm gonna keep it,
thank you very much. But so it was a merry
Christmas present to me. But we did take it down
to Florida and my partner's family. Big game people, especially
the siblings, love games. We played Katan often. We play
(04:16):
at least ten rounds of Uno, different types of Unu,
including the really mean one wild all wild, y'all, if
y'all get a chance. It's a brilliant, shorter game, but
it's mean. So if you don't have a great relationship,
you may not want to play this game. Or if
you need to get it out, you know, yelling out,
(04:37):
that could be it. But we took this game and
it took us. I don't know if it were just tired.
I don't know if it was just one of those moments.
It took us forever to figure this game out. And
to me, kind of like Katan, which is Annie's favorite game,
was a sponsor at one point in time, and I
guess we should put in here. None of these are
current sponsors, perhaps one day because I would love, actually
(05:00):
we would love to have us sit down with Elizabeth Hargraves.
Speaker 3 (05:03):
That would be really fun.
Speaker 1 (05:04):
But like it's one of those that you have to
play through to realize what you're doing, and they do
have startup cards, which any you didn't play because by
this time my partner and I have figured it out
when we played with you, so we did like go through.
It had some moments. It's described as being one of
the most relaxing card builder games, and I will say
(05:28):
the times that I've played it were not relaxing, but
it is fun. I think there were moments where we
just scream at each other about how relaxing we were
or how relaxed we were. But it was a really
fun game. It is beautifully created, like the art is fantastic,
very educational. Learned a lot about different birds. As per usual,
(05:51):
I created my own names and my own ways of
describing things on the board, so instead of calling it
what it was, I would just like yell out descriptors.
And once again Annie was the only one to really
interpret what I was saying. My partner couldn't even understand
when only Annie could. We had moments as fine.
Speaker 3 (06:12):
It's fine as fine, but.
Speaker 1 (06:24):
It is a really fun game, and we kind of
wanted to take a time to review it since it
is one of the most highly regarded games out there,
especially created by mostly only women, so we love to
see it. So, Annie, I do want to ask, because
you came in blind. You're like, what is happening? And
my partner and I were kind of prepared. How did
(06:46):
you fell from the start of the game to the
end of the game.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
Well, it was very nice to play with people who
knew it, because that is one of the most stressful
parts I think of playing a game, is that first
time or two where you're still I don't know how
this works, and I feel like I didn't understand it
in the beginning. By the end I understood it. I
feel like and I do want to play again because
(07:10):
I was like, okay, and this makes sense. It's simple
enough once you play it. And it was good because
I had you two to correct me if I make
a mistake. I actually think I could have won if
i'd put the eggs in the right place because I
wasn't looking at the bonus thing.
Speaker 1 (07:25):
In this card really help.
Speaker 3 (07:27):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (07:28):
Yeah, So that was nice because it was good that
I could play it and feel by the end like
I got a pretty good grasp on it instead of
still like annoid or confused. Okay, I got this round.
This the last of us was on the background. There
was alcohol for me, so the fact that I could still.
Speaker 1 (07:48):
Of course it was only three of us, but you
beat out my partner because yes us all, yes, I
want you.
Speaker 3 (07:53):
I had so many eggs.
Speaker 1 (07:55):
I had played out my card perfectly where I would
just have eggs everywhere and every action, which, by the way,
in the roles it says, would you in the unlikely
event you were to run out eggs? And we have
done that two out of three times that we played
this game, and the last time was with only three players,
(08:16):
So I'm starting to think I might have done something wrong.
But like I had built up the deck where I
would get free eggs every time certain things and actions
would play, So I gathered up all of my eggs.
Speaker 3 (08:28):
I had all.
Speaker 1 (08:31):
But yeah, like it is when we first tried to
play this game. When I first tried to play this game,
nothing made sense to me. I had to try to
play a video and it still didn't feel like very
familiar to anything. And then thank god for my partner's
sister who went through it all and sat down with
it and opened through it and she really like worked
through the game, and we finally at the end of it,
(08:53):
got it, and I had a strategy. I'm still mad
about this with the bonus cards and I like backed
out thinking that I needed other things I would have won,
but I didn't. I I was so upset. But yeah,
there is strategy to the game. If you look at
the bonus cars, if you look at the extra actions,
like there's goals that you have per and you get first, second, third,
(09:15):
it is really well thought out. Like it is so
well put together that as you move through it, you're like, oh, okay,
this is better than I thought. This is easier than
I thought. It's just knowing where to go and how
to start. Because honestly, long time ago, I want to
say over a year ago, my partner knew about this game,
had been reading about this game, and I was like, hey,
(09:36):
we should play this, and he got it for steam
Deck and so we did play it. I had no
idea what was going on the playthrough went through, because
it kind of does it for you and tells you
what you should do, and I'm like, okay, I'm gonna
do that. Okay, I'm gonna do that like that. That's
kind of all that way, and I'm what was happening
and he won, and I got mad, so I was like,
(09:57):
I don't want to play this anymore. I'm not necessarily
a sore loser, but between being confused and still not
knowing how to play by the second round and him winning,
and it was like, yeah, I'm done.
Speaker 3 (10:09):
I'm done with this.
Speaker 1 (10:10):
But now that I've played through it, now we've gotten
all of the items. They have the cutest little birdhouse
that you create to do the dice and you're like, oh,
this is how you do this, and trying to play
out and then if you're trying to go after people,
because you're like even though you're playing your own board,
and that's kind of how it is you build, you
just don't mind your own you can't make it still competitive,
(10:31):
and like watching what they're doing, and then like if
they need certain types of food or whatever, you're like, yeah,
you can't have that type of thing.
Speaker 3 (10:41):
But it is.
Speaker 1 (10:41):
It is very fun put together game. It is amazing.
Like the art, the strategy, the thought process. I cannot imagine.
I would love to have a sit down with hard
Graves and ask like how long did this take the process,
because creating a game with that much pieces, with that
many pieces to it and then building it up with
(11:03):
all of those cars and researching all of those birds.
I could only imagine the level it takes to get
to there.
Speaker 2 (11:11):
Yeah, and it's for anyone in listening who is you
have no idea what we're talking about. When I first
saw what this game was, I was like, what, So
it's one of those games where you kind of have
to play it, but yeah, essentially you're just you got
some birds and you're trying to, you know, get make
your best bird flock that you can. But it was
interesting because yesterday I hung out with a friend of
(11:32):
ours and he brought up this game. I didn't even
bring it up. He was like, you know what, we
should play Wingspan And he was saying like he and
his wife love it, and he lives near a friend
of the show, Joe McCormick, who's also in a D
and D campaign, and he will go over there with
Joe and his wife and they all play it together.
(11:54):
But he was like, I learned so much about birds.
It was really cute.
Speaker 3 (11:58):
You do you.
Speaker 1 (12:00):
Learn so much about birds? Again, I don't know any
names for the birds, but I've learned a lot about birds.
And yeah, by the way, so it looks like according
to the Wikipedia that was set up for them. Some
Wingspan was positively received commercially and sold forty four thousand
copies worldwide over three printings in the first month of
(12:20):
its release, with the publisher issuing a public apology for
not having more copies available. The game had sold around
two hundred thousand copies worldwide by the end of twenty nineteen.
By March twenty twenty one, Cells of Wingspan had reached
six hundred thousand and one point three million by September
twenty twenty one, which is the highest number of copies
(12:41):
sold for stone Meyer games. So it jumped from six
hundred thousand to one point three million in about six months.
That's amazing. So I can't imagine where it's at today.
I'm sure it's even giant, more giant numbers because we
are growing fans of this game obviously. And yeah, the
expansions include the European so wing Span European expansion, and
(13:04):
then the other expansion Ada had. How do you say
it again, because I cannot say this.
Speaker 2 (13:07):
Word Oceannia, although I think that is specific pronunciation and
it's not the American English pronunciation.
Speaker 1 (13:13):
This is where I know I don't do like science
and conservation science very well because I'm like, I don't
know any of these words.
Speaker 3 (13:19):
I've never said these out loud.
Speaker 2 (13:22):
Yep, that's what a podcast will teach you.
Speaker 1 (13:24):
But yeah, and then the digital versions were sold in
twenty twenty to Steam and Switch apparently also has it
on Android. Maybe you go find it and play it
on my own. And according to Slay, as of August
twenty twenty one, Wingspan had sold one hundred and twenty
five thousand combined copies of digital editions on the platforms combined,
so I'm sure there's a lot more now. And they
(13:44):
also have expansions on the different platforms. So if you
are interested, as you should be, you should definitely go
and try this game. If you like it building expansion.
It does have four rounds, so you do build up
points systems, but it's really fun. It is a gorgeous
it is gorgeous artwork. But yes, so with all of that,
you should go and definitely definitely purchased this game because
(14:08):
it is well worth the money, the time, and the
learning curve. Because I've seen, like I'm not the only
person who was really confused, so feel better about that,
I just quickly wanted to mention a second game that
(14:29):
we played over the Christmas because it had pretty higher
reviews and I feel like I did not know this.
There is a huge community of people who loved this game.
Any I figured out that there's like Instagram followings for
this which the game is called Dutch Blitz, which I
made anti play one round. We didn't make too much
because it was getting late night and everybody was getting tired,
(14:50):
and I was the only one really excited by it.
So yes, the game was Dutch Blitz, which essentially is
like speed or Solitaire with a group people. Here's something
from an article written for The Strategist titled this card
game threatens to tear my family apart, but we can't
stop playing it, so they say. Dutch Bliss is essentially
(15:13):
a simultaneous play version of what the manufacturer describes as
quote very energetic Solitaire. It was invented by a German
optometrist to teach his children numbers and colors, so it's
incredibly simple. Each player selects one of four decks denoted
by a pump, carriage, pel or plow. They then lay
out three groups of cards refer to the post blitz
(15:35):
or woodpiles. The main objective is to use your blitz
pile to build as many cards in the sending order
one through ten in the same respective colors as the
center Dutch pile that everyone plays into. You can help
clear blitz pile by moving cards blah blah blah, but
they have alternate between the Pennsylvania Dutch boy and girl
(15:56):
drawings on each card. The game ends when a player
has gotten rid of their blitz pile and shouts blitz
and they go on to say I've since introduced the
game to at least ten people. I've brought it to
bars and on hikes. I've ordered packs to get to
friends going through tough times that involve waiting. I'll persuade
my husband to play a few hands between meetings as
we both work from home and are slugging through the day.
(16:17):
The dopamine hit from a two minute game gives me
a U four separation from the stress of my outlook
box and it is. This game is intense and.
Speaker 3 (16:26):
Really goes through.
Speaker 1 (16:28):
My partner has a hard time. I think it's because
I'm pretty sure he has add ADHD, so trying to
watch everybody makes him anxious because he's feeling like he's
trying so far behind, but he's watching everything. As for me,
I love him. I grew up with speed and it
was very competitive with my brothers to the point like
he would throw packs of cars at me when I
(16:51):
would win.
Speaker 3 (16:52):
M and I love to win, you know this, I
love to win.
Speaker 1 (16:56):
But this is also from a blog called Drunken the
Minnow blog. That's the name of it, and they were
explain it is not Dutch. It helps from the Mennonites
of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and the title refers to Pennsylvania Dutch,
the dialect spoken there, which also isn't Dutch, but is
properly known as Pennsylvania Deutsch or Pennsylvania German, though the
(17:21):
providence of the term is under some dispute. That, however,
would make you think that these Mennonites originally came from Germany.
Some of them did come from the South Germany, but
in Mennonite circles, all of these ethnic Mennonites are considered
the Swiss Mennonites. There are other Mennonites who came from
the north and actually do have Dutch lineage, but the
Dutch Ones didn't make the Dutch Blitz game, and so
(17:44):
they wouldn't into it all completely. And they go on
to explain Blitz, of course is German for lightning. The
title of the game is not reference to not see
bombing tactics. You could be forgetten for the confusion, but
it would be a very different game and Mennonites wouldn't
play it. I suppose it could be a reference to
the Rotterdam Blitz, but like I said, it's not really
(18:05):
a war game and it's not Dutch.
Speaker 3 (18:08):
Keep saying this.
Speaker 1 (18:09):
According to the game's website, Dutch Blitz was created as
an educational game to help teach children numbers and colors. Yes,
we aim high in our educational aspirations, mind you, given
that color blindness isn't all that uncommon around Amish and
Swiss Mennonites, it was perhaps a very high aspiration after all.
I found that interesting. And yeah, the game in itself
(18:31):
is it literally describes it on the box a very
gooped game.
Speaker 3 (18:35):
And yeah, I'm not.
Speaker 1 (18:37):
Trying to make conven by make fun of anything, but
it literally goot game is how they put it. And
it's really interesting because I didn't want to bring it up.
I really enjoyed the game. But my partner's brother, who
was very like self aware and talks a lot about, like,
you know, intersectional feminism themselves, where kempt calling at one
(19:00):
point where you do the boy girl, Boy Girl, He's like,
this is really gendered. This is really gendered, and it is.
It is very gendered, interestingly, and it was not created
like way back when it was like two thousand and six,
I believe is when it came out, so you would think, like,
that's an interesting tactic, I guess, but it was a
simple way of doing because in solitary you do suits
(19:22):
so different color suits, the black and the red, so
you can't really do that with this game.
Speaker 3 (19:28):
I guess.
Speaker 1 (19:28):
His only thought was like, okay, we'll do boy girl,
boy Girl, and yeah, it is exactly like has that
Dutch outfit? Is it Dutch outfits or is it mind
Night outfits as well.
Speaker 2 (19:40):
Sounds like we are forgiven for being confused.
Speaker 1 (19:44):
But so it's a very interesting game that is really
fun to play. And the other Eider the Strategist and
Strategist said they that they recently scrolled and saw on
Instagram hashtag Dutch Blitz with enthusiasts who play and showed
this off, and apparently there are groups that play together.
They are like people that come together to play this
(20:07):
game together. So I found that interesting because I know
we talked about with Werewolf that has occurred, but they
there's groups for Dutch Bliss, and I wonder how you
play that like that or if they just show off
what they're playing. I don't know, but it is an
interesting game. I did find it interesting with the gender things.
I was like, Huh, is there specifics to this or
is it just literally like, let's just do this. I
(20:29):
guess in uh, what has he called it Mennonite culture.
Perhaps it's not mainly it's not obviously a big deal.
It just is because I don't know about the queer
culture in the Mennonite community looking too. But I did
find this game interesting and also wanted to kind of
talk about it as well. There is a possible drinking
(20:50):
game with this anny that the Mennonite blogger wrote, and
I thought it was interesting and I wanted to kind
of talk about it because he creates a drink called
the Dutch Blitz and it's Dutch geneva gin rhubarb but
soda pop which I've seen it, I've never had it.
And then you put those together in a shot glass
(21:13):
and one ounce of each and then quick quickly put
your hand over the shot, lift up and slam hard
on the table.
Speaker 3 (21:21):
Drink while still fizzing.
Speaker 1 (21:23):
The UH as a directions and it says this drink
encapsulates the sense of triumph upon finishing your deck and
yelling blitz. It has bite, but also good humor. It's
not a game of bitterness. The next round will begin
again soon enough. And he says, I do not suggest
that you drink this while playing Dutch Blitz.
Speaker 3 (21:42):
I fel like you just told us too, though.
Speaker 2 (21:44):
Yeah, I mean, I guess it's like once a round
then you do it.
Speaker 1 (21:49):
I guess so, but not just say when he said
yelling blitz, and that's when the end of the game.
But okay, I guess maybe not throughout, but yeah, he
added a whole drinking game. So there you go. If
we need options, I just need to find reubarb soda.
Speaker 2 (22:06):
Yeah yeah, I mean, make it interesting because it's already
moving pretty fast. I feel like I was like I
would look at a car.
Speaker 3 (22:14):
Well, you were also just learning.
Speaker 1 (22:15):
We didn't get a second round back because we wanted
to show you what it was. And I did have
to say, hey, Annie, you have this, this, and this
in your hand because we couldn't move until you moved,
and I was ready for you to.
Speaker 3 (22:25):
Move, chilling your.
Speaker 1 (22:31):
Ing it and seeing that you had like three cards
placed down, and he looks, stop it, stop it because
he couldn't.
Speaker 3 (22:37):
Figureut what was happening.
Speaker 2 (22:40):
It's a lot going on.
Speaker 3 (22:41):
There's a lot going on. But there you go.
Speaker 1 (22:43):
There's two game reviews that I thought would be fun.
Stick around because then the next one we're going retro.
Speaker 3 (22:51):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (22:53):
Oh yes, I was explaining this game that will be
talking about to my friend and he was like, this
is a real game. Yes, I was burned even though I.
Speaker 3 (23:05):
Won, I was burned. You won twice.
Speaker 2 (23:08):
Yes, well, you'll have to stick around and listen for
learning more about what happened, what went down that night.
But in the meantime, we always love getting game recommendations
from all of you. Yes, oh, we got some really
good ones I've been meaning to share with you. Okay,
Oh it's coming up. I think we'll do a listener
mail and put them in there. But yes, so keep
(23:29):
those coming. You can email us at Stephanie and mom
Stuff at iheartmeea dot com. You can find us on
Twitter at mom Stuff podcast, or Instagram and TikTok at
Stuff I've Never Told You. We have a tea public store,
and we have a book. Thanks as always to our
super producer Christina, executive producer Maya, and our contributor Joey.
Thank you and thanks to you for listening Stuff I
Never Told You his prediction of My Heart Radio more
podcast from my Heart Radio, you can check out the
heart Radio app, a podcast wherever you listen to your
(23:51):
favorite show.
Hey, this is Annie and Samantha and.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Welcome to Stephan Never told you production.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
iHeart radio, and welcome to another Monday Mini. And you
know what, we and you recently did an episode a
Monday Mini about the board game industry and more specifically
(00:30):
with women and how a sex industry that often discredits
and excludes women from being a part of this industry
and criticizes women in this industry. Or as you had said,
he says that women don't do anything interesting and they
don't include robots.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
It's for shame.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
It's because there's so many games that I have play
that have robots in them.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
Yeah, exclusively.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
I never played a game with robots in it, so
I don't understand.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
No interesting critique. Yeah sure, sure, sure, sure sure.
Speaker 1 (01:07):
And in it you mentioned the game Wingspan and the
creator Elizabeth Hargrave.
Speaker 3 (01:14):
Uh, and.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
We decided that we needed it obviously, so we actually
did buy it. Just as a reminder about this game.
It was again created by designer Elizabeth Hargrave and the
art is done by Natalia Rojas and Anna Marie Martinez. Heramio.
I'm sorry if I said that wrong. And is a beautiful,
beautiful game. So here's a descriptor. Wingspan is a competitive
(01:41):
medium weight cards driven engine building board game from designer
Elizabeth Hargrave and stone Meyer Games. It is the twenty
nineteen winner of the prestigious Skinnerspield de Jars Award, and
I hope I said it right. That is not the
only award that they have won. They won Game of
the Year in twenty nineteen for Diamond Climber Award, the
(02:03):
Dice Tower Award. It looks like a German named award
and I'm not gonna say it, maybe Dutch. It also
won for a Golden Geek Award for several things. The
expansion also won Expansion of the Year for Golden Geek Award,
American Tabletop Awards for a Strategy Game of the Year,
(02:24):
and again in twenty twenty the Expansion for Golden Geek
Award and then for Wingspan Oceania Expansion as well. So
they've won tons of awards. When I was looking at
their site, it looks like they're redoing some things because
they're different bird groups. Sorry, y'all are taking out like
(02:45):
Native American names for birds as well as people names
for birds because it could be offensive, and so they're
renaming some birds, and as that happens, I believe Wingspan
is correcting their cards as well. So I don't know
what that will look like like, or if that's already happened,
but I believe it's been in the process for the
last year, so I find that very commendable as well
(03:08):
for them to keep up with it. But it is
a gorgeous game and it continues. It says about the
game you are bird enthusiasts, researchers, birdwatchers, ornithologists, and collectors
seeking to discover and attract the best bursts to your
network of wildlife preserves. Each bird extends a chain of
powerful combinations in one of your habitats.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
Actions.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
These habitats focus on several key aspects of growth. Gain
food tokens via custom dice in a birdfeed or dice
tower lake eggs using egg miniatures in a variety of colors,
draw from hundreds of unique birds bird cards, and play them.
The winner is the player with the most points after
four rounds. And we actually did play this game. So
(03:55):
when I bought this, I had like faltered about giving
it as a gift Indian, I decided to keep it.
I was like, I like this I'm gonna keep it,
thank you very much. But so it was a merry
Christmas present to me. But we did take it down
to Florida and my partner's family. Big game people, especially
the siblings, love games. We played Katan often. We play
(04:16):
at least ten rounds of Uno, different types of Unu,
including the really mean one wild all wild, y'all, if
y'all get a chance. It's a brilliant, shorter game, but
it's mean. So if you don't have a great relationship,
you may not want to play this game. Or if
you need to get it out, you know, yelling out,
(04:37):
that could be it. But we took this game and
it took us. I don't know if it were just tired.
I don't know if it was just one of those moments.
It took us forever to figure this game out. And
to me, kind of like Katan, which is Annie's favorite game,
was a sponsor at one point in time, and I
guess we should put in here. None of these are
current sponsors, perhaps one day because I would love, actually
(05:00):
we would love to have us sit down with Elizabeth Hargraves.
Speaker 3 (05:03):
That would be really fun.
Speaker 1 (05:04):
But like it's one of those that you have to
play through to realize what you're doing, and they do
have startup cards, which any you didn't play because by
this time my partner and I have figured it out
when we played with you, so we did like go through.
It had some moments. It's described as being one of
the most relaxing card builder games, and I will say
(05:28):
the times that I've played it were not relaxing, but
it is fun. I think there were moments where we
just scream at each other about how relaxing we were
or how relaxed we were. But it was a really
fun game. It is beautifully created, like the art is fantastic,
very educational. Learned a lot about different birds. As per usual,
(05:51):
I created my own names and my own ways of
describing things on the board, so instead of calling it
what it was, I would just like yell out descriptors.
And once again Annie was the only one to really
interpret what I was saying. My partner couldn't even understand
when only Annie could. We had moments as fine.
Speaker 3 (06:12):
It's fine as fine, but.
Speaker 1 (06:24):
It is a really fun game, and we kind of
wanted to take a time to review it since it
is one of the most highly regarded games out there,
especially created by mostly only women, so we love to
see it. So, Annie, I do want to ask, because
you came in blind. You're like, what is happening? And
my partner and I were kind of prepared. How did
(06:46):
you fell from the start of the game to the
end of the game.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
Well, it was very nice to play with people who
knew it, because that is one of the most stressful
parts I think of playing a game, is that first
time or two where you're still I don't know how
this works, and I feel like I didn't understand it
in the beginning. By the end I understood it. I
feel like and I do want to play again because
(07:10):
I was like, okay, and this makes sense. It's simple
enough once you play it. And it was good because
I had you two to correct me if I make
a mistake. I actually think I could have won if
i'd put the eggs in the right place because I
wasn't looking at the bonus thing.
Speaker 1 (07:25):
In this card really help.
Speaker 3 (07:27):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (07:28):
Yeah, So that was nice because it was good that
I could play it and feel by the end like
I got a pretty good grasp on it instead of
still like annoid or confused. Okay, I got this round.
This the last of us was on the background. There
was alcohol for me, so the fact that I could still.
Speaker 1 (07:48):
Of course it was only three of us, but you
beat out my partner because yes us all, yes, I
want you.
Speaker 3 (07:53):
I had so many eggs.
Speaker 1 (07:55):
I had played out my card perfectly where I would
just have eggs everywhere and every action, which, by the way,
in the roles it says, would you in the unlikely
event you were to run out eggs? And we have
done that two out of three times that we played
this game, and the last time was with only three players,
(08:16):
So I'm starting to think I might have done something wrong.
But like I had built up the deck where I
would get free eggs every time certain things and actions
would play, So I gathered up all of my eggs.
Speaker 3 (08:28):
I had all.
Speaker 1 (08:31):
But yeah, like it is when we first tried to
play this game. When I first tried to play this game,
nothing made sense to me. I had to try to
play a video and it still didn't feel like very
familiar to anything. And then thank god for my partner's
sister who went through it all and sat down with
it and opened through it and she really like worked
through the game, and we finally at the end of it,
(08:53):
got it, and I had a strategy. I'm still mad
about this with the bonus cards and I like backed
out thinking that I needed other things I would have won,
but I didn't. I I was so upset. But yeah,
there is strategy to the game. If you look at
the bonus cars, if you look at the extra actions,
like there's goals that you have per and you get first, second, third,
(09:15):
it is really well thought out. Like it is so
well put together that as you move through it, you're like, oh, okay,
this is better than I thought. This is easier than
I thought. It's just knowing where to go and how
to start. Because honestly, long time ago, I want to
say over a year ago, my partner knew about this game,
had been reading about this game, and I was like, hey,
(09:36):
we should play this, and he got it for steam
Deck and so we did play it. I had no
idea what was going on the playthrough went through, because
it kind of does it for you and tells you
what you should do, and I'm like, okay, I'm gonna
do that. Okay, I'm gonna do that like that. That's
kind of all that way, and I'm what was happening
and he won, and I got mad, so I was like,
(09:57):
I don't want to play this anymore. I'm not necessarily
a sore loser, but between being confused and still not
knowing how to play by the second round and him winning,
and it was like, yeah, I'm done.
Speaker 3 (10:09):
I'm done with this.
Speaker 1 (10:10):
But now that I've played through it, now we've gotten
all of the items. They have the cutest little birdhouse
that you create to do the dice and you're like, oh,
this is how you do this, and trying to play
out and then if you're trying to go after people,
because you're like even though you're playing your own board,
and that's kind of how it is you build, you
just don't mind your own you can't make it still competitive,
(10:31):
and like watching what they're doing, and then like if
they need certain types of food or whatever, you're like, yeah,
you can't have that type of thing.
Speaker 3 (10:41):
But it is.
Speaker 1 (10:41):
It is very fun put together game. It is amazing.
Like the art, the strategy, the thought process. I cannot imagine.
I would love to have a sit down with hard
Graves and ask like how long did this take the process,
because creating a game with that much pieces, with that
many pieces to it and then building it up with
(11:03):
all of those cars and researching all of those birds.
I could only imagine the level it takes to get
to there.
Speaker 2 (11:11):
Yeah, and it's for anyone in listening who is you
have no idea what we're talking about. When I first
saw what this game was, I was like, what, So
it's one of those games where you kind of have
to play it, but yeah, essentially you're just you got
some birds and you're trying to, you know, get make
your best bird flock that you can. But it was
interesting because yesterday I hung out with a friend of
(11:32):
ours and he brought up this game. I didn't even
bring it up. He was like, you know what, we
should play Wingspan And he was saying like he and
his wife love it, and he lives near a friend
of the show, Joe McCormick, who's also in a D
and D campaign, and he will go over there with
Joe and his wife and they all play it together.
(11:54):
But he was like, I learned so much about birds.
It was really cute.
Speaker 3 (11:58):
You do you.
Speaker 1 (12:00):
Learn so much about birds? Again, I don't know any
names for the birds, but I've learned a lot about birds.
And yeah, by the way, so it looks like according
to the Wikipedia that was set up for them. Some
Wingspan was positively received commercially and sold forty four thousand
copies worldwide over three printings in the first month of
(12:20):
its release, with the publisher issuing a public apology for
not having more copies available. The game had sold around
two hundred thousand copies worldwide by the end of twenty nineteen.
By March twenty twenty one, Cells of Wingspan had reached
six hundred thousand and one point three million by September
twenty twenty one, which is the highest number of copies
(12:41):
sold for stone Meyer games. So it jumped from six
hundred thousand to one point three million in about six months.
That's amazing. So I can't imagine where it's at today.
I'm sure it's even giant, more giant numbers because we
are growing fans of this game obviously. And yeah, the
expansions include the European so wing Span European expansion, and
(13:04):
then the other expansion Ada had. How do you say
it again, because I cannot say this.
Speaker 2 (13:07):
Word Oceannia, although I think that is specific pronunciation and
it's not the American English pronunciation.
Speaker 1 (13:13):
This is where I know I don't do like science
and conservation science very well because I'm like, I don't
know any of these words.
Speaker 3 (13:19):
I've never said these out loud.
Speaker 2 (13:22):
Yep, that's what a podcast will teach you.
Speaker 1 (13:24):
But yeah, and then the digital versions were sold in
twenty twenty to Steam and Switch apparently also has it
on Android. Maybe you go find it and play it
on my own. And according to Slay, as of August
twenty twenty one, Wingspan had sold one hundred and twenty
five thousand combined copies of digital editions on the platforms combined,
so I'm sure there's a lot more now. And they
(13:44):
also have expansions on the different platforms. So if you
are interested, as you should be, you should definitely go
and try this game. If you like it building expansion.
It does have four rounds, so you do build up
points systems, but it's really fun. It is a gorgeous
it is gorgeous artwork. But yes, so with all of that,
you should go and definitely definitely purchased this game because
(14:08):
it is well worth the money, the time, and the
learning curve. Because I've seen, like I'm not the only
person who was really confused, so feel better about that,
I just quickly wanted to mention a second game that
(14:29):
we played over the Christmas because it had pretty higher
reviews and I feel like I did not know this.
There is a huge community of people who loved this game.
Any I figured out that there's like Instagram followings for
this which the game is called Dutch Blitz, which I
made anti play one round. We didn't make too much
because it was getting late night and everybody was getting tired,
(14:50):
and I was the only one really excited by it.
So yes, the game was Dutch Blitz, which essentially is
like speed or Solitaire with a group people. Here's something
from an article written for The Strategist titled this card
game threatens to tear my family apart, but we can't
stop playing it, so they say. Dutch Bliss is essentially
(15:13):
a simultaneous play version of what the manufacturer describes as
quote very energetic Solitaire. It was invented by a German
optometrist to teach his children numbers and colors, so it's
incredibly simple. Each player selects one of four decks denoted
by a pump, carriage, pel or plow. They then lay
out three groups of cards refer to the post blitz
(15:35):
or woodpiles. The main objective is to use your blitz
pile to build as many cards in the sending order
one through ten in the same respective colors as the
center Dutch pile that everyone plays into. You can help
clear blitz pile by moving cards blah blah blah, but
they have alternate between the Pennsylvania Dutch boy and girl
(15:56):
drawings on each card. The game ends when a player
has gotten rid of their blitz pile and shouts blitz
and they go on to say I've since introduced the
game to at least ten people. I've brought it to
bars and on hikes. I've ordered packs to get to
friends going through tough times that involve waiting. I'll persuade
my husband to play a few hands between meetings as
we both work from home and are slugging through the day.
(16:17):
The dopamine hit from a two minute game gives me
a U four separation from the stress of my outlook
box and it is. This game is intense and.
Speaker 3 (16:26):
Really goes through.
Speaker 1 (16:28):
My partner has a hard time. I think it's because
I'm pretty sure he has add ADHD, so trying to
watch everybody makes him anxious because he's feeling like he's
trying so far behind, but he's watching everything. As for me,
I love him. I grew up with speed and it
was very competitive with my brothers to the point like
he would throw packs of cars at me when I
(16:51):
would win.
Speaker 3 (16:52):
M and I love to win, you know this, I
love to win.
Speaker 1 (16:56):
But this is also from a blog called Drunken the
Minnow blog. That's the name of it, and they were
explain it is not Dutch. It helps from the Mennonites
of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and the title refers to Pennsylvania Dutch,
the dialect spoken there, which also isn't Dutch, but is
properly known as Pennsylvania Deutsch or Pennsylvania German, though the
(17:21):
providence of the term is under some dispute. That, however,
would make you think that these Mennonites originally came from Germany.
Some of them did come from the South Germany, but
in Mennonite circles, all of these ethnic Mennonites are considered
the Swiss Mennonites. There are other Mennonites who came from
the north and actually do have Dutch lineage, but the
Dutch Ones didn't make the Dutch Blitz game, and so
(17:44):
they wouldn't into it all completely. And they go on
to explain Blitz, of course is German for lightning. The
title of the game is not reference to not see
bombing tactics. You could be forgetten for the confusion, but
it would be a very different game and Mennonites wouldn't
play it. I suppose it could be a reference to
the Rotterdam Blitz, but like I said, it's not really
(18:05):
a war game and it's not Dutch.
Speaker 3 (18:08):
Keep saying this.
Speaker 1 (18:09):
According to the game's website, Dutch Blitz was created as
an educational game to help teach children numbers and colors. Yes,
we aim high in our educational aspirations, mind you, given
that color blindness isn't all that uncommon around Amish and
Swiss Mennonites, it was perhaps a very high aspiration after all.
I found that interesting. And yeah, the game in itself
(18:31):
is it literally describes it on the box a very
gooped game.
Speaker 3 (18:35):
And yeah, I'm not.
Speaker 1 (18:37):
Trying to make conven by make fun of anything, but
it literally goot game is how they put it. And
it's really interesting because I didn't want to bring it up.
I really enjoyed the game. But my partner's brother, who
was very like self aware and talks a lot about, like,
you know, intersectional feminism themselves, where kempt calling at one
(19:00):
point where you do the boy girl, Boy Girl, He's like,
this is really gendered. This is really gendered, and it is.
It is very gendered, interestingly, and it was not created
like way back when it was like two thousand and six,
I believe is when it came out, so you would think, like,
that's an interesting tactic, I guess, but it was a
simple way of doing because in solitary you do suits
(19:22):
so different color suits, the black and the red, so
you can't really do that with this game.
Speaker 3 (19:28):
I guess.
Speaker 1 (19:28):
His only thought was like, okay, we'll do boy girl,
boy Girl, and yeah, it is exactly like has that
Dutch outfit? Is it Dutch outfits or is it mind
Night outfits as well.
Speaker 2 (19:40):
Sounds like we are forgiven for being confused.
Speaker 1 (19:44):
But so it's a very interesting game that is really
fun to play. And the other Eider the Strategist and
Strategist said they that they recently scrolled and saw on
Instagram hashtag Dutch Blitz with enthusiasts who play and showed
this off, and apparently there are groups that play together.
They are like people that come together to play this
(20:07):
game together. So I found that interesting because I know
we talked about with Werewolf that has occurred, but they
there's groups for Dutch Bliss, and I wonder how you
play that like that or if they just show off
what they're playing. I don't know, but it is an
interesting game. I did find it interesting with the gender things.
I was like, Huh, is there specifics to this or
is it just literally like, let's just do this. I
(20:29):
guess in uh, what has he called it Mennonite culture.
Perhaps it's not mainly it's not obviously a big deal.
It just is because I don't know about the queer
culture in the Mennonite community looking too. But I did
find this game interesting and also wanted to kind of
talk about it as well. There is a possible drinking
(20:50):
game with this anny that the Mennonite blogger wrote, and
I thought it was interesting and I wanted to kind
of talk about it because he creates a drink called
the Dutch Blitz and it's Dutch geneva gin rhubarb but
soda pop which I've seen it, I've never had it.
And then you put those together in a shot glass
(21:13):
and one ounce of each and then quick quickly put
your hand over the shot, lift up and slam hard
on the table.
Speaker 3 (21:21):
Drink while still fizzing.
Speaker 1 (21:23):
The UH as a directions and it says this drink
encapsulates the sense of triumph upon finishing your deck and
yelling blitz. It has bite, but also good humor. It's
not a game of bitterness. The next round will begin
again soon enough. And he says, I do not suggest
that you drink this while playing Dutch Blitz.
Speaker 3 (21:42):
I fel like you just told us too, though.
Speaker 2 (21:44):
Yeah, I mean, I guess it's like once a round
then you do it.
Speaker 1 (21:49):
I guess so, but not just say when he said
yelling blitz, and that's when the end of the game.
But okay, I guess maybe not throughout, but yeah, he
added a whole drinking game. So there you go. If
we need options, I just need to find reubarb soda.
Speaker 2 (22:06):
Yeah yeah, I mean, make it interesting because it's already
moving pretty fast. I feel like I was like I
would look at a car.
Speaker 3 (22:14):
Well, you were also just learning.
Speaker 1 (22:15):
We didn't get a second round back because we wanted
to show you what it was. And I did have
to say, hey, Annie, you have this, this, and this
in your hand because we couldn't move until you moved,
and I was ready for you to.
Speaker 3 (22:25):
Move, chilling your.
Speaker 1 (22:31):
Ing it and seeing that you had like three cards
placed down, and he looks, stop it, stop it because
he couldn't.
Speaker 3 (22:37):
Figureut what was happening.
Speaker 2 (22:40):
It's a lot going on.
Speaker 3 (22:41):
There's a lot going on. But there you go.
Speaker 1 (22:43):
There's two game reviews that I thought would be fun.
Stick around because then the next one we're going retro.
Speaker 3 (22:51):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (22:53):
Oh yes, I was explaining this game that will be
talking about to my friend and he was like, this
is a real game. Yes, I was burned even though I.
Speaker 3 (23:05):
Won, I was burned. You won twice.
Speaker 2 (23:08):
Yes, well, you'll have to stick around and listen for
learning more about what happened, what went down that night.
But in the meantime, we always love getting game recommendations
from all of you. Yes, oh, we got some really
good ones I've been meaning to share with you. Okay,
Oh it's coming up. I think we'll do a listener
mail and put them in there. But yes, so keep
(23:29):
those coming. You can email us at Stephanie and mom
Stuff at iheartmeea dot com. You can find us on
Twitter at mom Stuff podcast, or Instagram and TikTok at
Stuff I've Never Told You. We have a tea public store,
and we have a book. Thanks as always to our
super producer Christina, executive producer Maya, and our contributor Joey.
Thank you and thanks to you for listening Stuff I
Never Told You his prediction of My Heart Radio more
podcast from my Heart Radio, you can check out the
heart Radio app, a podcast wherever you listen to your
(23:51):
favorite show.
Stuff Mom Never Told You News
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