Episode 92 – First Martians
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In our ninety-second episode, we talk about the games we have been playing lately. Then we review the cooperative survival game First Martians. Then we get back to talking about role playing games as we discuss tips on running Narrative RPGs.
This episode is sponsored by Game Trayz & Board Game Bliss
Geeks Alive – Geek Culture Reviews – 1:18
Cthulhu Wars – 4:00
Escape from the Aliens in Outer Space – 17:24
Capital City – 27:39
The Gallerist – 36:27
Game Trayz Sponsorship – 49:05
First Martians Overview – 50:39
First Martians Thematic Review – 58:20
Board Game Bliss Sponsorship – 1:27:09
Tips for Running Narrative RPGs – 1:28:22
Boards Alive 
It certainly was a pity to hear you rip FM apart the way you did. I have played six times, multiple scenarios, multiple levels of difficulty, and taught the game to others three times. The board and components are gorgeous. The English in the rules, almanac, and app are nowhere near as bad as you made it out to be. And this game is loaded with content – six scenarios in the box, two scenarios online, and the separate scenarios from the two campaigns. From your podcast, I got the distinct impression you certainly could have done some better game preparation to make your experience more enjoyable. It also sounds like you only played the introductory scenario (which is an assumption on my part).
For my part, this game gets two thumbs up and if any of your listeners would like a differing opinion, send them my way.
Also, this is actually the first time I have ever listened to your podcast. I wonder if I should assess it like you have FM? I will at least listen to three or four more episodes before I decide to maintain the subscription or not.
Hey Tommy! Thanks for listening to the podcast. Sorry you didn’t agree with our assessment of the game. Everyone is going to have a different perspective on a game and often when we present a negative view of a game, we get listeners who disagree, so thanks so much for sending us your thoughts.
But just to clarify a couple of your points, we definitely played more than the introductory mission. We actually talked about how we played the campaign mode for a few of the missions.
As for the English part, we are teachers, and specifically I am a librarian and former English teacher, so my judgement of grammar and sentence structure is quite tough. The grammar issues pulled me out of the immersion in the game, which went along with some of the thematic issues I had with the game.
But we’re very glad you enjoy the game and that you are willing to take the time to share your thoughts on it. We love engaging with our listeners and hope that you continue to check out other episodes we have produced and see if our style of podcasting fits with what you enjoy.
Gentleman, Thank you for the reply. I will also add the Osprey Games secret movement game about Aliens eating Humans before they can escape had been on the periphery of my radar screen. Your discussion moved it to center screen and will definitely be looking for an opportunity to play. So I did enjoy the show. I do understand differences of opinion in games. Hope I wasn’t too snippy. Tommy
Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone
Oh no, you weren’t too snippy. You’re passionate about a game you love. That’s fantastic! And we love getting a chance to talk games with our listeners. Thanks again for listening and hope you get a chance to try Escape from the Aliens in Outer Space at some point soon.