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Simple, Yet Intriguing

Simple, Yet Intriguing

Simple, Yet Intriguing is a weekly podcast for board game lovers. Join hosts Luke, Chris and Sophie as they set out to play and review every single game designed by the legendary Reiner Knizia (with occasional detours into other designers). Whether you're a board game aficionado or just getting started, everyone is welcome to join in for the ride!

New episodes every Monday.

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  • 22 episodes
  • weekly
  • Avg 43 min
  • English

Episodes 22

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  • Monday · 33 min

    #74: Foodie Forest (aka Too Many Cooks) (Card Games 7)

    We're piling ingredients into a soup as we playanother trick-taking game but this time it's a Knizia game! What twists in the genre do we have in store? Will we make delicious soups? Games Mentioned: Foodie Forest, Masters of Maple Syrup, Puerto Rico, Race for the Galaxy, Tichu, Haggis, Ruins, Relationship Tightrope, Tarot, Poison, No Thanks!, Take 5 Episode Chapters: 00:00 - Intro 00:57 - What We Played This Week: Masters of Maple Syrup 04:15 - Foodie Forest Release History & How Does It Work? 11:45 - Foodie Forest: Our Thoughts 14:59 - Foodie Forest: Is it a Trick Taking Game? 21:30 - The Suits and the Special Cards 23:57 - Aha Moments 28:53 - Version History 31:33 - Next Week Teaser // Hosted & Edited by Chris Lemieux & Luke O'Grady Produced by Sophie Shin Socials by Matt Winquist Art by Samm Ruppersberger

  • September 17 · 36 min

    #73: LUZ (Taiki Shinzawa 7)

    This week we take a look at your opponents cards but NOT our own in a newly uncovered Shinzawa trick taking feat: LUZ. Games Mentioned: LUZ, Hygge, Photograph, Coffee Roaster, Get On Board, Hanabi, Ghosts of Christmas, 9 Lives, No Loose Ends, Bomb Busters, Xylotar, Wizard, Skull King, Spades, Lost Cities, Beowulf: The Movie Board Game Episode Chapters 00:00 - Intro 00:54 - What We Played This Week: Hygge 07:00 - LUZ release history 08:24 - LUZ: How Does It Work? 13:30 - LUZ: Our Thoughts and Comparisons 17:10 - Luke’s Aha Moments 20:55 - Mechanism Discussion: Escalating Scoring 30:25 - Chris’ Aha Moment 32:58 - Final Thoughts 34:39 - Next Week Teaser // Hosted & Edited by Chris Lemieux & Luke O'Grady Produced by Sophie Shin Socials by Matt Winquist Art by Samm Ruppersberger

  • September 7 · 39 min

    #72: No Loose Ends (Taiki Shinzawa 6)

    We've uncovered another Taiki Shinzawa gem! This time we're planning and pulling off a heist and then hiding the evidence through trick taking! Surprise! Games Mentioned: No Loose Ends, Shut the Books, Spades, Wizard, Skull King, Sluff Off!, Skat, Bridge, The Crew, Euchre, Hearts, dnup, Scout, 9 Lives, Ghosts of Christmas, Fives, Cat in the Box, Jekyll vs. Hyde, The Fox in the Forest, Sail Episode Chapters 00:00 - Intro 02:21 - No Loose Ends: How Does it Work? 09:29 - General Discussion and Trick Taking Game Comparisons 13:35 - Variants 15:57 - Theme 20:22 - Aha Moments 24:50 - Shinzawa Trick Takers 32:52 - The Two Player Game 36:53 - Next Week Teaser // Hosted & Edited by Chris Lemieux & Luke O'Grady Produced by Sophie Shin Socials by Matt Winquist Art by Samm Ruppersberger

  • August 31 · 41 min

    #71: Risk Express (aka Age of War, Camarades) (Dice Games 7)

    This week we are entering an Age of War and talking Risk Express and its various incarnations as well as its link to the Cthulhu co-op dice game Elder Sign. Games Mentioned: Risk Express, Camarades: La Bombe ext., Elder Sign, Hasbro Express Games, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Pick-omino, Farkle, Gang of Dice, Official Risk Games Episode Chapters 00:00 - Intro 05:36 - Risk Express: Versions and History 07:00 - Risk Express: How Does it Work? 12:24 - Risk Express: Our Thoughts 18:14 - Risk Express: Comparisons and Aha Moments 24:47 - Risk Express: Variants & Expansion 27:53 - Elder Sign Discussion and Comparison 34:21 - Official Risk Games & Camarades Release Discussion 40:18 - Next Week Teaser // Hosted & Edited by Chris Lemieux & Luke O'Grady Produced by Sophie Shin Socials by Matt Winquist Art by Samm Ruppersberger

  • August 27 · 48 min

    #70: The Hobbit: There and Back Again (The Hobbit 3)

    It's the last episode in our The Hobbit series (for now...) as we discuss the new-ish roll & write-ish path building-ish game: The Hobbit: There and Back Again! We also wrap-up the series and discuss the games with our beloved Win, Lose, or Banana segment. Games Mentioned: The Hobbit: There and Back Again, Monopoly, Clue, The Lord of the Rings: The Confrontation, LOTR: The Card Game, LOTR: Trick Takers, Duel for Middle-earth, LOTR: Fate of the Fellowship, The Hobbit: The Defeat of Smaug, The Hobbit Card Game, Beast, The Hobbit Adventure Boardgame, The Hobbit Deck-Building Game, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey – Das Kartenspiel, Railroad Ink, Welcome To, My City, Hanami, Rebirth, Welcome to the Moon, My City: Roll & Build Episode Chapters 00:00 - Intro 00:34 - The Hobbit & IP Games Discussion 07:00 - The Hobbit: There and Back Again - How Does it Work? 17:35 - Solo Mode 19:57 - The Different Maps and the Draft 24:01 - Aha Moments 28:28 - Reception 31:41 - Comparisons 33:57 - The Hobbit Series Wrap-up & Our Win Lose Bananas 45:53 - Next Week Teaser // Hosted & Edited by Chris Lemieux & Luke O'Grady Produced by Sophie Shin Socials by Matt Winquist Art by Samm Ruppersberger

  • August 17 · 50 min

    #69: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey & The Desolation of Smaug (The Hobbit 2)

    It's a two game doozy this week as we discuss the board game adaptations of the film adaptations of The Hobbit. How does it compare to Knizia's other co-operative Tolkien adaptation? And why is there no third game? Listen and find out! Games Mentioned: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, Beyond the Sun, The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, Gang of Dice, Excape, Risk Express, Elder Sign Episode Chapters 00:00 - Intro 01:00 - Box Damage Discussion 06:42 - The Hobbit: AUJ&TDoS: How Does it Work? 13:14 - Victory Points, Quarterbacking and Dice Mechanisms 24:07 - Production, Art and Iconography 27:41 - Stand-alone Sequels and the Cancelled Third Game 33:51 - Comparisons 37:58 - Aha Moments 47:47 - Next Week Teaser // Hosted & Edited by Chris Lemieux & Luke O'Grady Produced by Sophie Shin Socials by Matt Winquist Art by Samm Ruppersberger

  • August 13 · 40 min

    #68: The Hobbit (The Hobbit 1)

    We're returning to Middle-Earth! This time we're playing Knizia's 2010 competitive-ish game: The Hobbit! Games Mentioned: The Hobbit, Take 5, Candy Land, Relationship Tightrope, Dark Moon, Quacks, Pandemic, The Lord of the Rings Episode Chapters 00:00 - Intro 01:29 - The Hobbit: How Does it Work? 07:00 - The Hobbit Discussion: Variants, Our Play and Game Comparisons 17:05 - Aha Moments 22:47 - The Hobbit Discussion: Mechanisms and Further Comparisons 31:01 - Guess the Games: John Howe Art 38:24 - Next Week Teaser // Hosted & Edited by Chris Lemieux & Luke O'Grady Produced by Sophie Shin Socials by Matt Winquist Art by Samm Ruppersberger

  • July 27 · 48 min

    #67: Fuji (Wolfgang Warsch 6)

    On the final episode of our Wolfgang Warsch in 2018 series we discuss the oft-forgotten dice comparison cooperative game about escaping lava: Fuji! Games Mentioned: Fuji, Tatsu, Forbidden Island, Gang of Dice, Sky Team, The Gang, Pandemic, The Crew, Family - Country: Japan, Win, Lose, or Banana, That’s Pretty Clever, Illusion, The Mind, Brikks, Quacks Episode Chapters 00:00 - Intro 00:49 - What We Played This Week: Tatsu 05:40 - Fuji: How Does it Work? 08:26 - Fuji: Discussion, Variants and Our Play 26:07 - Aha Moments, Variants and Difficulty Scaling 33:15 - Guess the Games Game: Japan Games 39:34 - Fuji Final Thoughts and Wolfgang Warsch 2018 Series Debrief 45:53 - Next Week Teaser // Hosted & Edited by Chris Lemieux & Luke O'Grady Produced by Sophie Shin Socials by Matt Winquist Art by Samm Ruppersberger

  • July 13 · 43 min

    #66: That's Pretty Clever! (Wolfgang Warsch 5)

    Luke and Chris are feeling pretty clever this week as they discuss another dice drafting roll & write masterpiece(??) in the penultimate Wolfgang-Warsch-2018-designed-game episode. Games mentioned: That’s Pretty Clever!, Tash-Kalar: Arena of Legends, Codenames, Galaxy Trucker, Mage Knight Board Game, Star Trek: Frontiers, That’s a Question!, Through the Ages, Roll Through the Ages, Brikks, The Castles of Burgundy, Wingspan Episode Chapters 00:00 - Intro 00:53 - What We Played This Week - Tash-Kalar: Arena of Legends 12:24 - That’s Pretty Clever: How Does it Work? 18:20 - That’s Pretty Clever Discussion and Comparisons 31:35 - Aha Moments 36:56 - Expansions and Sequels 42:10 - Next Week Teaser // Hosted & Edited by Chris Lemieux & Luke O'Grady Produced by Sophie Shin Socials by Matt Winquist Art by Samm Ruppersberger

  • July 2 · 35 min

    #65: Illusion (Wolfgang Warsch 4)

    Test your eyes with us this week as we play another 2018 Warsch game: Illusion! What will we see and will we like it? Games Mentioned: Illusion, Take Five, El Grande, Tikal, Mexica, Java, The Princes of Florence, Timeline, SET, MicroMacro: Crime City, Cockroach Poker, Liar’s Dice, Figment, The Fox in the Forest, The Fox in the Forest Duet, Jekyll vs. Hyde, Jekyll & Hyde vs Scotland Yard, Pandemic, Pandemic: On the Brink, Coloretto, Red7, Qwirkle, Quacks, Ganz Schön Clever, The Taverns of Tiefenthal, A Feast for Odin, Oathsworn: Into the Deepwood Episode Chapters 00:00 - Intro 01:03 - What We Played This Week: The Princes of Florence 08:32 - Illusion: How It Works 12:36 - Illusion: Discussion 20:44 - Illusion Reimplementation: Figment 26:01 - Aha Moments 28:25 - BGG Top 100 Percentages Game 34:08 - Next Week Teaser // Hosted & Edited by Chris Lemieux & Luke O'Grady Produced by Sophie Shin Socials by Matt Winquist Art by Samm Ruppersberger

  • June 23 · 12 min

    #64: Deck, Bag, and Pool Avoidance Game (Bonus)

    In an attempt at redemption, we play a game this week! This cut-for-time segment features us attempting to name games in the BGG Top 100 without the Deck, Bag, and Pool Building mechanism. SPOILERS AHEAD Games Mentioned: Anachrony, El Grande, Welcome To..., Puerto Rico, Isle of Skye, Cascadia, Clans of Caledonia, Harmonies, Trickerion // Hosted & Edited by Chris Lemieux & Luke O'Grady Produced by Sophie Shin Socials by Matt Winquist Art by Samm Ruppersberger

  • June 16 · 40 min

    #63: The Mind (Wolfgang Warsch 3)

    It's time to telepathically communicate in Wolfgang Warsch's award winning card game. We break down how we feel about this game emotionally and philosophically. Games Mentioned: The Mind, Azul, Quacks, That’s Pretty Clever!, The Gang, Hanabi, Bridge, The Game, Take Time, Bomb Busters, The Mind Extreme, The Mind Soulmates Episode Chapters 00:00 - Intro 01:56 - The Mind: How It Works 04:16 - 2018 Spiel des Jahres awards 05:35 - The Mind Discussion: Is it a Game? 24:29 - Aha Moments 33:20 - The Mind Spin-offs 38:22 - Next Week Teaser // // Hosted & Edited by Chris Lemieux & Luke O'Grady Produced by Sophie Shin Socials by Matt Winquist Art by Samm Ruppersberger

  • June 10 · 42 min

    #62: Brikks (Wolfgang Warsch 2)

    This week we are using paper, pencil and dice to drop non-branded tetrominoes in the digital space of Wolfgang Warsch's Brikks! (I'll be honest, it's basically a Tetris roll-and-write game). Episode Chapters 00:00 - Intro 01:00 - Wolfgang Warsch Biography 06:06 - Brikks: Overview and How it Works 12:13 - Roll and Write Discussion 24:53 - Aha Moments 37:26 - Brikks: Duel Mode 39:30 - Brikks: Final Thoughts 42:21 - Next Week Teaser // Hosted & Edited by Chris Lemieux & Luke O'Grady Produced by Sophie Shin Socials by Matt Winquist Art by Samm Ruppersberger

  • June 1 · 37 min

    #61: [The] Quacks [of Quedlinburg] (Wolfgang Warsch 1)

    It's a bag-building-push-your-luck-try-not-to-explode fiasco this week in our new series! We discuss the games that Wolfgang Warsch made in the year 2018 starting with The Quacks of Quedlinburg. It's a real place! Games Mentioned: Orleans, Automobiles, Coffee Roaster, Clank!, Mystic Vale, Dominion, Ascension, Star Realms, Cubitos, The Quest for El Dorado, Legendary Encounters: Alien, Wingspan Episode Chapters 00:00 - Intro 00:40 - A New Quest! Intro to Wolfgang Warsch 01:40 - Corrections, Clarifications and Apologies 03:43 - Quacks: Overview and How it Works 05:08 - Bag Building and Push Your Luck Game Comparisons 18:23 - Version and Expansion Discussion 31:31 - “Fun” Facts: Quedlinburg 32:41 - Aha Moments 36:55 - Next Week Teaser // Hosted & Edited by Chris Lemieux & Luke O'Grady Produced by Sophie Shin Socials by Matt Winquist Art by Samm Ruppersberger

  • May 26 · 56 min

    #60: High Society (Modern Classic 12)

    We're elevating the podcast to a higher echelon with special guest Graeme Goldthorpe! We ask him about his favourite Knizia games and we dig deep on the pure auction game High Society. Episode Chapters 00:00 - Intro 00:51 - Guest Introduction 08:25 - High Society: How Does it Work? 13:05 - High Society Discussion: Extra Cards 16:35 - Aha Moments 23:04 - High Society: Release and Art Comparison 35:23 - Art Nouveau Board Game Auction Game 48:02 - High Society: Final Thoughts and Comparison to For Sale 53:52 - Next Week Teaser // Hosted & Edited by Chris Lemieux & Luke O'Grady Produced by Sophie Shin Socials by Matt Winquist Art by Samm Ruppersberger

  • May 21 · 49 min

    #59: Schotten Totten / Battle Line (Modern Classics 11)

    This week we are discussing the 1999 two-player bona fide classic Schotten Totten and its sibling Battle Line. How does it compare to other two-player Knizia titles? What does the title mean?? Episode Chapters 00:00 - Intro 02:00 - Schotten Totten: How Does it Work? 04:51 - Battle Line & Schotten Totten: Release Difference 10:18 - Game Discussion 18:40 - Schotten Totten Predecessors and Reimplementations 29:40 - Aha Moments 41:59 - BGG Family Games Game 48:23 - Next Week Teaser // Hosted & Edited by Chris Lemieux & Luke O'Grady Produced by Sophie Shin Socials by Matt Winquist Art by Samm Ruppersberger

  • May 11 · 46 min

    #58: The Lord of the Rings (Modern Classics 10)

    We're back in Middle-Earth for the early cooperative game The Lord of the Rings! No confrontation this time. Does it stand the test of time? Can the Doctor make thematic games?? Episode Chapters 00:00 - Intro 01:16 - What We Played This Week: Trajan 09:37 - The Lord of the Rings: How Does it Work? 13:27 - The Lord of the Rings: Discussion 14:31 - Luke’s Aha Moment 34:28 - Chris’ Aha Moment 37:42 - Dice Tower Hall of Fame Guessing Game 41:28 - The Lord of the Rings: Release and Art Discussion 45:13 - Next Week Teaser // Hosted & Edited by Chris Lemieux & Luke O'Grady Produced by Sophie Shin Socials by Matt Winquist Art by Samm Ruppersberger

  • April 28 · 38 min

    #57: The Lord of the Rings: The Confrontation (Modern Classics 9)

    We're journeying to Middle-Earth to talk about Chess, Stratego, tables and The Confrontation between Good and Evil! Who will prevail?? Episode Chapters 00:00 - Intro 02:20 - Lord of the Rings: The Confrontation: How Does it Work? 05:31 - Lord of the Rings: The Confrontation Discussion 15:54 - Aha Moments 24:52 - The Lord of the Rings: The Confrontation Ultimate Edition Preview 29:39 - Guess the LOTR Games Game 37:23 - Next Week Teaser // Hosted & Edited by Chris Lemieux & Luke O'Grady Produced by Sophie Shin Socials by Matt Winquist Art by Samm Ruppersberger

  • April 23 · 1 hr

    #56: The Quest for El Dorado (Modern Classics 8)

    This week we're returning to our Modern Classics series to deck build AND race to find a lost city in The Quest for El Dorado. Does our newest game in the series live up to the hype? Episode Chapters 0:00 - Intro 00:45 - What We Played This Week: Ghosts Galore 08:31 - Intro to Modern Classics Part 2 10:33 - The Quest for El Dorado: How Does it Work? 15:04 - The Quest for El Dorado Game Discussion 24:55 - Aha Moments 35:46 - “Fun” Facts 42:01 - Deck-building deck-building games game 57:44 - Next Week Teaser // Hosted & Edited by Chris Lemieux & Luke O'Grady Produced by Sophie Shin Socials by Matt Winquist Art by Samm Ruppersberger

  • April 7 · 49 min

    #55: 2026 Challenges - Q1 Check-in

    Luke, Chris and Mechanic Mechanic Matt report their progress on their 2026 challenges. Plus they play a fun game! Games discussed: Flip 7, Charioteer, Set Dice, Inis, Spellbound (1981), Here Lies, Regicide, Ribbit. Episode Chapters 00:00 - Intro 01:30 - Sophie’s Challenge Check-in 04:32 - Mechanic Mechanic Matt’s Challenge Check-in 21:43 - Luke & Chris’ Challenge Check-in 31:57 - Race Mechanism Discussion 38:56 - Luke Cuts, You Choose Game 46:16 - Next Week Teaser // Hosted & Edited by Chris Lemieux & Luke O'Grady Produced by Sophie Shin Socials by Matt Winquist Art by Samm Ruppersberger

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