Well, Hot Dog! Do we have an episode for you! We peruse the lofty promises of Vantage, try to keep ourselves on track in Railroad Tiles, discuss whether selling doughnuts at night is really worth your time in Taiwan Night Market, and Efka tells us about angry dice you can chuck about in the bath, in Wroth.
But wait! That's not all! The main game on our podium is Hot Streak - which not only has a hot dog, but also a fish, a bear, and HM the Queen herself in a game of racing, falling down, getting back up again, and trying all over again. Phew.
Appreciate Efka mentioning the weird phrasing of “degenerate gamblers” in the rulebook. It’s not a huge thing but feels a little weird and made me think a bit about some of the gambling mechanics in games I have. I really like gambling games, and I feel pretty comfortable with the lack of overlap with betting in the real world, compared to something like a gacha game that allows for micro transactions.
I’ve been reading “Addiction by Design” recently, which covers the history of gambling machines in Vegas. It focuses on both the casino management and the customers’ experience. Some really interesting insights into patterns of behaviour that feel very familiar in today’s engagement-driven social media.
EDIT: in the last couple minutes they clarify the language for the gamblers has actually been changed in the latest printing, which is cool