#176: Dinogenics, Merlin and a Short Topic Extravaganza

Timecodes

• Dinogenics Overview 01:04:52

• Dinogenics Review 01:09:46

• Merlin Look Back 01:32:50

• News with Steve S 01:39:15

• Short Topic Extravaganza 02:23:05

Opening Banter and Reviews

• Thunderstone Quest

• New Frontier

• Villainous

• Tiny Towns

• Vindication

• Western Legends

• Warhammer Total War 2

• Subnautica 2

Feature Review: Dinogenics

DinoGenics is a competitive game for two to five players, in which each player attempts to build and run their own successful dinosaur park. Each player is the head of their own corporation with access to their own private island resort. Each season, players assign agents to the mainland to compete over DNA and other limited resources. Once collected, players can build fences, various park facilities and populate their parks with dinosaurs. Parks with the most prestigious dinosaurs will attract the most visitors. But beware; if dinosaurs are neglected or improperly penned, they will attempt to escape and spread havoc through the entire park. Use all the tools at your disposal; DNA splice mutant dinosaurs, exploit the Black Market or just try to run an honest park, the choices are yours. Do you have what it takes to lead your corporation to victory?

Designed by Richard Keene

Published by Ninth Haven Games

BoardGameGeek.com Entry

Lookback Review: Merlin

King Arthur is searching for a worthy heir. Together with Merlin, he tries to find the best candidate among the Knights of the Round Table. In Merlin, players move their knights or Merlin with the help of dice around the action ring to get the most desired actions. While the knights are only moved by the corresponding player, Merlin can be moved by all players, which makes integrating Merlin in one's plan a tricky endeavor. There are multiple ways to score victory points such as defeating barbarians, building manors in the surrounding area and increasing one's influence in the six counties. Additionally, players can fulfill task cards during their turn to get more victory points. The player who plans his actions most efficiently will ultimately have the most points and thus will be the royal successor of King Arthur.

Designed by Stefan Feld and Michael Rieneck

Published by Queen Games

BoardGameGeek.com Entry

Gaming News by Steve S

Community Info

• Kevin Hart to star in movie adaptation of Monopoly

• Murder Bury Win - A feature film about board game designers

• Doctor Who alums David Tennant and Billie Piper will be the readers of two new Warhammer audiobook series

• World Chess Federation (FIDE) President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov suspended for alleged violation of the organization’s code of ethics. New President elected.

• Kirsan Ilyumzhinov's The Alien Story

Crowd Funded Projects

• Too Many Poops

• The City

• Gardens of Babylon: The Cascading Tile Laying Game

• Champions of Nexum

• Vindication Boardgame

• Dark Rituals: Malleus Maleficarum

• Ore: The Mining Game

• Valor & Villainy: Minions of Mordak

• Suburbia Collector's Edition

Upcoming Product

• Legends of Andor to get a digital port

• Classic board game “Conspiracy” coming back from Restoration Games. Available at Origins 2019

• Stephen Buonocore announces on Board Game Gumbo that Terraforming Mars Legacy in the works

• Days of Wonder announces new roll and write game ‘Corinth’

• FFG announces Lord of the Rings: Journeys in Middle Earth app-driven adventure board game

Our Sponsor Stronghold Games!

The Secret Cabal Gaming Podcast couldn't be happier to be sponsored by a great publisher and close personal friend Stephen Buonocore of Stronghold Games. We have been partnered with Stronghold games for over 4 years and we continue because we respect their the quality and integrity and feel good about promoting their products. Please take some time to check out their website at StrongholdGames.com.

Our Sponsor May Day Games!

The Secret Cabal Gaming Podcast's newest sponsor has been workign with the Cabal for years helping to fulfill kickstarter rewards and providing support for contests. We're so happy to have May Day Games join the Cabal family. Please take some time to check out their website at MayDayGames.com.