>> PAYTON: For the expansion pack that costs $90.

>> You can get some additional fishers.

>> PAYTON: More dads.

>> It's collectible collect your dad cards.

>> PAYTON: Dad-loadable content.

♪ >> PAYTON: Hello and welcome to "Flyover Culture," your guided tour to pop culture in the Midwest.

I'm Payton Whaley.

We're getting to that point in the year where we get ready to go visit family and spend time together, and lieu of real personal conversation, we play board games.

But designing a game is a whole different beast.

What does it take?

Well, we'll find out in a bit when we have two teams go head-to-head in a competition critics have hailed as misguided.

But first, I knew I wanted to talk to an expert in his craft.

Somebody who has spent a career designing games that smart people love for their complexity and uniqueness and people like me love for the little raccoon guy on the box.

>> My name is Cole Wehrle.

I am the creative director at Leder Games, which is a little game studio based in St. Paul, Minnesota.

And I'm the cofounder of Wehrlegig Games, which is an historic game studio that is based both in St. Paul and in Bloomington.

I'm really interested in interactive games that let the players decide the shape of the story.

So I like to think about games as grammars, as -- basically, what I'm trying to do when I sit players down to a game I've worked on is provide them with some really good nouns and some really good verbs.

And then they get to assemble the stories out of those things.

The games I've worked on have all been kind of political or historical in nature, but they are unified by a sense of storytelling that is primarily player driven.

Now that's all to talk about the narrative side.

In terms of the game play, the games that I work on tend to have a lot of risk.

They are about risk management, and understanding how risk changes your -- the way players make decisions.

They also spend a lot of time thinking about emergent partnerships and alliances.

I love the moments when you find yourself with an uncomfortable bedfellow and you have to figure out how you and this person you don't really like are going to accomplish some kind of shared goal.

So these aren't games that you really get to play alone or puzzles that you can kind of solve by yourself.

I like games that are fundamentally social experiences, and that is certainly something that connects all of my own work.

>> PAYTON: Your games are also very mechanically deep, very complex.

How do you go about balancing that with keeping it approachable, or is that even something that you are, like, concerned with?

Like, I don't know, how do you -- how do you strike that balance?

>> I have a reputation, potentially, I guess, for games that tend to be a little rulesy, but I -- I try to be very conscious of the amount of rules that I'm presenting players with.

Every game has a weight that it has -- it has an ask that it's telling, hey, players, it's gonna take an hour to learn how to play this game, or it's gonna take five minutes to learn how to play this game.

So as we go through games pretty early on in the process of development, we sort of figure out, like, what is this game's weight class?

And then, as we're evaluating every rule, we always ask ourselves a question, like, is this rule worth the trouble?

Every single part of the design, even the part that people -- the parts that people are really gonna love, it's all liability.

It's all making the game harder to teach, harder to set up, harder to play.

And for that reason, I'm constantly, constantly trying to simplify so that the players can just kind of exist within the world.

>> PAYTON: Is there a mechanic in one of your games that you are exceptionally proud of, that you are just kind of like, you know, does it get lost with all the other stuff that you are kind of hoping that people will take notice of more, or that you want to maybe bring back in a future project?

>> Well, I will use Root as an example.

So Root has been kind of an unlikely success story, because it's quite a mean game.

And currently, in the tabletop space, mean games are not terribly fashionable.

Okay.

If we want players to be comfortable in a high-conflict environment, how can we dress it up?

And our staff artist, Kyle Ferrin, had the brilliant insight to say, like, well, if we give it the appearance of a YA novel or a Saturday morning cartoon, in this kind of animal aesthetic, it will ground the game and it will let players feel comfortable in a high-conflict environment.

Now, I tried to reflect that cleverness mechanically too.

Someone is going to be mean at the start of the game of Root, and I want them to not feel bad about the mean decision they're making, because what they are doing is they are establishing the feeling of the game.

So to get around this, the principal aggressor in the -- in Root is -- is a programming game.

And what that means, is it's a game where you sort of set a particular plan, and then every turn you have to execute that plan and then add to it.

And because this player is the aggressor, and because they're not deciding who to attack, they are simply executing a plan that's been previously set, it gives them a bit of plausible deniability.

And that deniability allows the players to start play acting very early in the process and sort of kicks off the entire story of the game.

>> PAYTON: Tip to tail making a game, when you are staring at, you know, a blank page, a blank whiteboard, what is the first consideration that comes to you when it's time to start on a new project?

>> So the first thing that I like to think about is what's -- what's the feeling that I want this game to create?

Or another way of stating that is what do I want players to talk about when they're not playing the game.

I first ask, who are the players?

Like, this is -- it's such a simple question really, but who are the players?

And if it's an historic game, I look at the historic record, and I say who exercised agency?

Those are people who are playing something.

And then the second question is: What do they care about?

And that informs the victory condition.

So in my game about the East India company, I was like, oh, there are these power broking families in England, those are the players.

And they care a lot about respectable and, like, marrying up and buying fancy houses, and, like, kind of the appearance of wealth and prestige.

So that gave me my players and my victory conditions.

And once you have that, everything else sort of spins from it.

I don't think, like, oh, this is a cute mechanism, like I want to make a game with a D6.

I would never start with the specific component.

What is the core idea of the game?

And that could be a feeling, it could be a mechanism, it could be a little story, right?

You want a game about the Salem Witch Trials, or maybe you want a game about exploring a cave or whatever.

You need some kind of idea.

When someone is walking by you on a busy convention hall, and you are pitching your game to them, you need to be able to explain your game in 30 seconds, 10 seconds, 5 seconds.

You need to be able to just get that idea.

Now, once you've got that, the next step is you have to build a proof of concept.

What is the smallest version of your game that could possibly exist?

And -- and usually, I don't want to see any art on those things.

I want to see it scrappy and loose.

I mean, all you need is a felt tipped pen and some index cards, and you are on your way, and whatever, you know, hard components you might need.

And then the question is: Can you scale this up?

So, like, okay, you have a cave exploring game.

Make the simplest version of that.

And then tell me that -- well, you know, do you want players to be able to explore the mammoth cave in this game?

All right.

Well, start building the mammoth cave.

Does your game fall apart halfway through because it's just too big of a cave?

And then once we, like, know that the game can be done, that's when we actually start giving it art and components, and, you know, finding factories to produce it and all of those things.

>> PAYTON: Before I let you go, I know you've got a couple of projects coming out.

So would you mind just saying a bit about Molly House and Arcs, and what you've got coming down the pipeline?

>> At Leder Games, our massive science fiction space opera comes out to retail this year.

Hopefully it will be at Gen Con.

People who preordered it through the crowd funding campaign will be getting it in the spring.

I'm tremendously excited about it.

It is a brilliant, beautiful science fiction story generator, and I think for people who like Root and want to -- to play more games like that, you are going to find tons of stuff to explore.

And then my brother and I are releasing our new game hopefully towards the end of this year.

It's called Molly House.

It is a game done in collaboration with a brilliant designer from Bristol, named Jo Kelly.

It is about queer subcultures in early 18th century London, and about really the rise of modern policing and morality policing.

So this is a game about drag balls and throwing parties, while trying to hide from the society for the reformation of manners.

It's an absolute blast to play, and it's always fun to do the historical games because Drew and I get to do really lavish, lavish productions on them.

>> PAYTON: Hey, all, editor Payton here.

Cole had a ton of smart stuff to say about design and his research process.

So if you're a big nerd for that, I will be posting our full interview on to the channel as a bonus video very soon.

I hope you enjoyed that smart, thoughtful insight because we are done with that now.

Now is the time to be overly competitive with coworkers for very low stakes.

I present to you The Great Board Game Bash of 2023.

We have two teams going head to head to see who can build a better board game in just one hour.

Some ground rules.

Rule number one, teams will have just one hour to create a functioning board game using the materials in their bag.

It can be as simple or as complex as they want, but it must work.

Rule number two, each team will start off by rolling a D4 to determine which main mechanic you will use for your game.

D6s, playing cards, a D20 or a drawing pad.

>> I would never start with a specific component.

>> PAYTON: At the end of the hour, the team captain will present their team's game to try and sell the judge on it.

Teams will be judged on creativity, functionality, and presentation.

Here to represent "The Critshow," we have Tass, Megan and eagle-eyed spotters know him from "Journey Indiana," Brandon Wentz.

Brandon, tell us about "The Critshow."

>> So it is an actual play podcast where we play monster of the week, which is a TTRPG that is powered by the apocalypse.

That's a whole lot of letters, but essentially it's a story along the lines of Buffy or Supernatural or Ash vs.

The Evil Dead.

>> PAYTON: And now you are here to put your expertise to the biggest possible waste you can, and I am grateful for it.

Serving as our illustrious judge is managing editor at the Fandomentals, Dan Arndt.

Dan, thank you for being here.

>> Happy to be here.

I'm excited to see what happens.

>> PAYTON: And here to help me round out Team WTIU, host and producer of the podcast "Earth Eats," Kayte Young, and our social media and email coordinator, Sam Schemenauer.

Thanks for helping me out here.

>> Any time.

>> No problem.

>> PAYTON: Now is everybody ready to see what we are playing for today?

This is something you will give to your children and your children's children.

I present to you... Our illustrious trophy.

[ Music ] [ Squeak ] >> I need it!

>> I really want it now!

[ Laughter ] >> All right.

Let's get to it.

Don't touch it too hard.

The paint will come off.

[ Laughter ] >> All right.

So let's do our first roll to see what Team WTIU gets.

>> All right.

Three.

That's a D20.

>> All right.

>> That's all you.

>> Three.

>> Roll it again.

[ Laughter ] >> No doubles.

>> We only have one D20.

>> We takin' it.

>> You keep that thing.

>> Four.

>> Excellent.

So you have the drawing pad.

>> Team WTIU, are you ready?

>> Yes.

>> Yes, we're ready.

>> Team Critshow, are you ready?

>> Yes.

>> Ready.

>> Ready, set, design.

>> All right.

Dump it out.

>> Oh, okay.

Markers is a good start.

>> So the drawing pad is like our -- we have to use this -- >> That's the mechanic, the backbone of our game.

>> It has to be an element.

>> Miniature trees for a train set, and we have this bucket of gems.

>> Aquarium rocks.

>> Aquarium rocks.

All right.

>> Some modeling dough.

>> Oh, it looks like -- >> Colored index cards.

>> Floral foam.

>> Foam.

>> And we have some poster board over there if we want it.

>> Yes.

>> Okay.

>> If we take the drawing pad and we make it into, like, one of those finger things, does that count?

Or does it have to be drawing?

>> I feel like if you can justify a way that, like, every game you would have to make a new one because -- >> Oh, yeah.

Yeah.

That's true.

>> My other thought was to make it a float book, and that seems like a terrible waste of things.

>> Let's start with, like, a theme.

What is like -- just start throwing some ideas.

>> I don't know.

I mean, these trees are evocative.

>> Okay.

Do like a forest?

>> Just spitballing right out the gate.

>> Yeah, yeah.

>> Is, I mean, we have a lot of landscape stuff.

I feel like there has to be some element of build it, then draw it.

>> Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

>> Potentially.

I don't know.

>> Yeah.

>> This is impossible to open.

So I have to stab it.

No, I'm stabbing it.

>> Stab it.

>> I think forest or mountain.

>> What about fishing?

>> Fishing?

Okay.

Fishing could be good.

We've got fishing rods.

>> Camping?

>> Survivor.

>> Yeah, we can do like surviving a weekend camping trip.

>> And it's reliant on catching fish?

>> It doesn't have to be.

>> Okay, but it could be because we could make fish with these.

>> We could incorporate the D20 that way.

If like somehow we need to have fish as like a food or resource.

>> Okay.

>> Because we could do, like, smaller fish and then like salmon -- >> Oh.

>> -- which is, like, a big boy fish.

>> I like that.

>> You go around the board, and you land on properties.

[ Laughter ] You can buy those properties.

>> No, no.

This is something.

>> I feel like we are monopolizing this is entire situation.

>> This is gonna be big.

>> What's the win condition here?

Is it, like, whoever catches the best stuff at the end?

Is it whoever survives through, like, the weekend?

>> I like the idea of -- yeah, survives the weekend.

It's about utilizing.

It's not just the catching.

It's the cooking.

>> Is there any way to sabotage other players, or is it purely surviving the game elements?

>> Like rival campsites?

>> What if we did like a compound word thing?

Like -- like it's like a -- okay.

So you build a -- build a cow out of clay.

So it's, like, okay, well, then you have to draw a picture of a boy and it's a cowboy.

>> Oh, and it's like two-part charades?

>> Yeah.

>> Okay.

>> If we need to use the D20, do we want to -- because I know it's usually for like skill checks in like D&D.

Do we want it to be like that, as far as, oh, you draw a salmon, you need to get like a 15 or higher to catch the salmon?

>> Oh, okay.

>> Okay.

>> And we could implement some D&D stuff with, like, maybe other things you gather, it could, like, give you bonuses to that.

>> Okay.

So what are the things we are going to gather?

I like that.

>> I don't know if I remember how to make these.

It's been a minute since middle school.

>> Well, this had better pay off is all I'm saying.

>> This is all my hours.

>> Origami skills coming in the clutch right now.

>> Is that what this has to do with is, like, you have to, like -- we quote/unquote include the blueprints to make one.

You have to make one every time.

And you put -- it's like you put random words through.

No.

>> Or is it the compound words are on here?

>> Yeah.

>> Or half of the compound words on one, half is on another.

>> Oh, okay.

>> You play like wingspan or, like, different birds are worth more.

>> Yeah, yeah.

>> It's like trying to catch those and you don't know what they are.

>> I don't know enough about different varieties of fish.

This is a perch.

>> Yeah, I don't think we can get as complicated as something like wingspan but -- >> I mean, it could be like -- we can make up names.

>> Sure.

Sure.

I mean, I was gonna say bluegill and salmon, but I don't know.

>> So say I do a thing.

I have to convey it to you.

You think you know what it is, and then you -- almost like a telephone, but it switches creative mediums, the charades, drawing, and then sculpt it from the items.

In the hopes that it doesn't get lost in the telephone of, like -- >> Okay.

>> Oh, interesting.

>> That's something.

>> What does success look like?

>> You poison the pond.

[ Laughter ] >> And the fish all die.

>> You commit war crimes for the campground.

>> What if it's, like, turn off the electricity style.

Maybe you are trying to take out the camp -- like, the people.

And then instead of -- because it's boring if they are totally out of the game, but they can come back as, like -- now they are a wolf that can just come in whenever -- >> Whoa!

>> So then they would become another antagonist but to everyone.

>> Okay.

>> And so you are trying to have, like, only -- >> So what do you mean by taking them out?

>>> We can get it in only one thing as opposed to we're going to use the clay, this, and the notepad or the -- whatever iteration.

>> Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

Keep talking.

>> No.

>> There we go.

Okay.

I perfected the strat.

This doesn't really help us, but I feel like we've gone too far down this path to bend.

[ Laughter ] >> Oh, yeah.

Can we get a time check?

>> It's been 13 minutes.

>> Ah.

Okay.

>> Yeah.

>> Do we need fish cut out?

>> We have to make decisions.

>> Yeah.

>> Getting festive for -- >> Tis the season.

>> Okay.

How do we use the drawing pad?

>> What do we use this for?

>> Do we want to use these materials to somehow pawn it off that we came up with more -- >> What is there besides Pictionary?

Because Pictionary is the obvious thing.

>> Cranium.

>> Like that's the step to use.

>> What is there besides that?

>> I mean, like, that's -- like, that's -- I feel like it's obvious mechanic.

That's what a drawing pad -- >> I might be getting too complicated.

This is for fishing, but there's other things for the families.

>> No, no, no.

That's got to be central.

You are right.

>> Because I think the campground thing is fun.

Do we want to say this is the campgrounds, like, yearly, like, fishing expedition?

>> Yes.

Okay.

So we've story.

The story is -- >> I think we were on something with shifting our mediums because the judge was like, oh, that's interesting.

>> Yeah.

The GM's, like, really?

You are going to do that?

>> Can it be like overly competitive dads?

Like all -- >> Can there be each dad has their own special ability?

>> Yes.

Could it be like the Father's Day Fishing Invitational Classic or something like that?

[ Laughter ] >> Yes.

>> We were on such a roll and then we just derailed.

How did we derail so hard?

>>> We've had five years of practice.

>> Have you not listened to our show?

>> Can we do, like, random bonus cards?

>> What would they be?

>> Your dumb son crashed the car again, remove like three points to pay for it.

>> Yeah.

>> Each of these things, you know, written down and in here, and you have that, okay, I think I can do whatever it is in two or three or one, and you pick.

>> Oh.

Do you have to say that beforehand?

>> Yes.

>> Love that.

>> And then it's like, oh, I thought I could do this in two, but what I got was two different colors of playdough.

>> For the expansion pack that costs $90, you can get more -- >> You can get some additional fishers.

>> More dads.

>> It's collectible, collect your dad cards.

>> Dad-loadable content.

>> You get one draw.

>> It's a wild campground.

>> And you know the word beforehand.

So you're like, oh, I think I need like three things for this.

>> Yeah!

Oh!

>> So there's an action or points.

>> Do we want to make literal buckets to put your fish in?

>> Oh, my gosh.

Yes.

Let's get these out of here.

>> So what do we want on this, like, fish name and then, like, what it takes to catch, and then like a point value?

>> Oh, yeah.

>> And then maybe like a bait value?

>> If you have minnows, but you don't have -- you don't have nightcrawlers but you do have minnows.

>> I need another bucket.

>> Oh.

>> Why?

>> There's only one bucket in this idea.

>> Because it's Dollar Store, the little things don't come off.

>> Not very good?

Who would have guessed?

>> How does my contribution work?

This is all you're getting from me.

>> This could be the way we implement what thing.

You know, because there will always be the same static -- you know, it will be these playdough, drawing it, whatever.

You know, so like they have to -- they have to use that to -- >> I just realize we have gotten away from -- the notepad doesn't have a use.

>> Do we want to do the thing of, like, you put three on the table to see what's available.

And, like -- because if it's just random, and you're, like, oh, I drew a big one and I couldn't make it, then that's just a whole round you didn't get to do anything.

But if you, like, chose it and you mess up, that's on you.

>> How do we randomize what thing they have to use?

>> I think it's what you were going to do originally for the words.

Just we write them down into strips, put them in the bucket.

>> That's the bucket.

We are back to the bucket.

>> You always get one, and then you wager extra for and you get less points if you use multiple mediums.

>> Hmm.

>> Do you want to design our dads?

>> Okay.

Sure.

That will give me something to do.

Somebody needs -- that's one thing that's decided.

>> In addition to using the paper for this, the drawing pad was one of the options.

>> I see.

Can you -- when you write on the drawing pad, are you allowed to destroy it with the fork?

[ Laughter ] >> I like the idea of one dad being, like, fly fisher, of, like, a bonus to the river fish.

>> Yeah.

>> Deadbeat dad, you can't affect him.

>> All right.

Walk me through where you guys are at right now.

>> Oh, gosh.

>> Okay.

So we've got it.

We're just putting it together now.

>> All right.

>> So basically do you want to know -- I should save that until -- >> You can save the full pitch.

Has it been going okay?

You've got your concept, and now you're putting the physical items together.

>> The pieces together, yeah.

>> Okay.

>> Fantastic.

How are you guys doing?

>> We're doing so well.

I'm excited about our game.

>> We are a bunch of dreamers.

We need to get some stuff made.

>> Yeah, we have done the ideations phase.

Now we are trying to get down to brass tacks.

But, yeah, you are right, it's a very dad-heavy game.

>> It's very clever.

They're gonna love it.

Better win.

>> There's tape.

>> Oh, gosh.

>> Grill dad has a bait bonus of like bait is worth like twice as much.

By like grilling up the fish to use for bait.

All right?

>> Grilling up the fish to use for bait?

>> Yeah, because it makes it more delicious.

>> That doesn't make any sense.

You have never been fishing, have you?

>> Put in foam blocks because there could be tons of these.

>> Well, I mean, we could cut those down right now.

>> That's true.

>> It's going to be messy.

But you know what -- >> But we'll pretend.

>> -- we don't live here.

>> One dad.

>> Ah!

>> I feel like that's what all the dads are gonna look like.

>> What does our board -- movement board gonna look like?

>> Great question.

>> I can make a weird little meandering path.

>> Oh, that is big.

We don't need that.

>> Is there anything about that D20 that's been challenging?

>> Ah, more remembering that it's there.

>> Incorporating.

>> They said we could use whatever was here and whatever was in the bag.

>> Can I see the dice for a second?

I'll put the dice in the bag for a second.

I mean, this wasn't in the bag so -- >> I think you said about $90 was your goal?

>> Yeah, yeah, yeah.

This will be a full, like, $120 like Warhammer starter kit.

>> Oh, you gotta unlock it.

Gotta have the FOMO.

I see how it is.

>> You want to paint your dads.

>> I hear some people buy these games just for the dads.

They don't even play the game.

[ Laughter ] ♪ >> What's his power?

>> You got 30 seconds to figure it out.

>> Really?

>> Yes, I'm looking at the clock.

>> Six, five, four, three, two, one.

Pens down.

Peoples down.

Put 'em down.

Put 'em down.

No more.

Dads down.

>> Dads down.

>> Tell me what Team Critshow has put together for me.

>> All right.

So we have put together the board game The Craft Show.

>> Oh.

>> It's a spinoff from our podcast.

Tass, if you want to display the board.

Two teams.

You will try to make your way around the board first.

Now, how do you move around the board?

Well, you will see there's a little chart on there that tells you that you get to do some pulls, and for each pull you do, you actually move shorter distances.

Well, what are those pulls?

Our notepad, which was our main item, comes with a little diagram on how to make one of these fortune tellers.

So we made six of these, since there are six of us here.

You would open up your fortune teller, and you would write words on them.

Kind of like Pictionary or charades.

You are going to draw these at random.

So you want to make it difficult, but you also don't want to make it impossible in case you draw your own.

So we put all of these inside of this bag.

And we'll say it was my turn.

So I'm gonna open this up.

I will reach in here, and I will pull one out, and we've got this lovely D4.

We will roll this three times.

So that's a three, a two and a two.

So I would -- would you demonstrate this?

I don't know how to use that.

>> One, two, three.

>> Yep.

And then you've got the two.

>> One, two.

>> And then you've got the two again.

>> One, two.

And we picked two is the last one.

So under two, there will be a word written here.

>> It might be cow.

It might be cheeseburger.

It might be -- >> Grief.

>> It depends how difficult they've made it.

Looking at that word, I then have to decide using the mediums provided in the game -- and these mediums are these gems, the notepads, the foam blocks, pipe cleaners, and the molding clay, as well as the notepad and markers are one item.

How many of those do I think I need to get my team to guess that thing?

So it's like oh, cow.

You know what, I think I could do that in one.

So I will reach into the bucket, and I will draw out one thing and that's the medium I get to do it in.

If I get that correct in that one thing, we get to move five spaces.

If I need -- if I'm, like, oh, gosh, depression.

I think I need four of these, I'm gonna reach in, draw four items and use those to try to represent -- to create something to show my team that, and with that, I'm only going to get to move two spaces if we succeed.

If we don't succeed, we move no spaces.

>> Hmm.

>> And the first team to win -- the first team to reach the finish line wins.

>> So you make the fortune tellers every game?

>> Yes.

>> Everybody gets to pick words.

>> Everyone gets to pick words.

So it's completely random that way, and clearly every game, therefore, it's completely unique.

>> Yeah.

And ideally the notepad would have this on every page so the top part is for entering in your -- your items, and then the bottom part is for making your fortune tellers.

>> There are little stars on each of the parts where your words would go.

>> Okay.

>> So you just put in eight of your words, and then this would be perforated and have little guides on how to fold it, and then that's your fortune teller.

>> And what's your -- what age group do you think this would be aimed at?

>> That's customizable because -- >> Okay.

>> All you've got to do, really, is be able to count to four and play with modeling dough.

>> Well, I know adults who can't do that.

[ Laughter ] >> Team WTIU, what have you got?

>> I'm so excited you asked.

Throughout history, there has been one consistent battle, and that is man vs. beast.

And here we are bringing that to all the fun of the kitchen table with the Father's Day Fishing Invitational Classic.

Up to five players will compete against each other to see who comes out on top in this fishing extravaganza.

And to do that, they will each pick one of our five lovely dads all designed by Kayte Young, right here.

And each dad will give you a different bonus.

So for instance, this is fly fishing dad, and he gets a plus 3 bonus for fish found in the river.

We have grill master dad.

His ability to take fish out of the water, prep them up real tasty and drop them back in allows him to get double bait bonuses when he does that, and I will explain what that is in just a sec.

So after you have your dad, you will go through, and then each round using our trusty D20, this is the -- this is the mechanic that was given to us.

There is going be a gorgeous picture of a fish on each of these.

You have three to choose from.

So takes out a little bit of that randomness to it.

And on each fish, you have the fish's name, you have where it is found.

These all just happen to be river fish, but there's also saltwater fish, lake fish.

And you know, when we do the expansions and the Kickstart stretch goals, we are really going to build those out.

And each of those, depending on how many points it's worth, will have a catch cost.

That is what you have to roll with your D20 to see if you can get it on the hook.

So, for instance, the swail, which is not a real fish.

>> I don't think so.

>> We don't think so.

To catch the swail, you will have to roll at least a six.

So there's a couple ways of getting around that.

You can either just straight up roll it.

For instance, I got a 13.

So that would give me a swail.

And if I did, I would then have it in my hand for a point value of three.

Or if I go again to try and catch another fish, for instance, this saltwater sand swimmer, I could use its bait value of one to give myself a plus one bonus the next time I roll.

That is one way that you could spend your turn, or you can do one of these pink cards which have actions, objectives and events on them.

For instance, actions are things you can use on yourself or other players.

Like this one, sabotage.

Drill a hole in another dad's boat to give them minus three their next catch.

Or if -- I tried to shuffle these, and that was a mistake.

Event: Mating season.

Next fishing action give yourself two extra fish to choose from.

So stuff like that, that will sort of like give you some replayability of it, and really, you know, let you live your dad truth.

>> How do you win?

>> We are still ironing that out, but we have decided that this Father's Day Fishing Invitational Classic takes place over a weekend.

And the different days will sort of depend on what point values you get, and you will see bigger fish come out as the weekend goes on.

And so the game ends at the end of Sunday, at the end of Father's Day, and whoever has the most points cashed in wins.

It's really just the daddy of all fishing games.

>> Oh.

>> Teams... this was a hard choice.

You both did very well, but you had your limitations.

I don't like picking favorites, but I have to sometimes.

And I think the winner of the Great Board Game Bash 2023 is Team Critshow.

>> Oh!

>> Yay!

>> Thank you.

>> We did it.

>> Well done.

Well done.

>> We did it.

>> You get the chicken.

[ Squeak ] >> It wasn't easy to choose.

>> Oh, it smells like paint so much!

[ Laughter ] >> The choice, honestly for me, is the fact that they, A, had a win condition; and B, the fortune teller, the customizability, the uniqueness, the eco-friendliness, I think really won me over.

So congratulations, but you guys did a great.

I love your dads.

I love to fish.

I'm a big outdoorsman.

It was a hard choice, but there's nothing wrong with second place.

>> I don't believe you, but I respect it.

>> Okay.

♪ >> PAYTON: Well, there you have it.

Congrats to Team Critshow.

That is a huge win for tabletop gamers and for Cole's job security.

I want to thank everybody for helping me out.

From "The Critshow," we have Brandon, Megan and Tass.

Dan, our illustrious judge over at the Fandomentals.

And a big thank you to Kayte Young and Sam Schemenauer for helping me out with Team WTIU, even though we didn't win.

And I want to thank you for watching.

This will do it for another year of "Flyover Culture."

I am so appreciative to everybody who's watched over the past few months, and I hope to see you very soon.

Thanks.