When Jorge and I found out that someone is making a Gears of War board game, we were a bit puzzled. We're both fans of the series, but Marcus and company never really seemed like the tabletop types. This week, we use this odd development as a chance to discuss the relationship between video games and board games. Topics include the cultural overlap between the board game and video game communities, the strengths of tabletop gaming, and whether the forthcoming Gears of War board game will be "SWEET!" We look forward to hearing about some of your favorite cardboard campaigns in the comments!

Some discussion starters:

• A Gears of War board game: terrible idea, or terribly-awesome idea?

• For primarily video game folks: what keeps you away from board games and what could draw you in?

• For board gaming folks: what sorts of lessons can video games learn from board games?

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Show notes:

• Run time: 32 min 28 sec
• "Gears of War Board Game Still In The Works," by Stephen Totilo, via Kotaku
• "A Guide to Board and Card Games Based on Video Games (1971 to 2007)," by Yehuda Berlinger, via Jergames
• Board Game Geek
• Music provided by Brad Sucks