What Should I Teach Next?! (Patreon)

Hey folks! There were a LOT of great suggestions this time around, so I'm throwing in an extra one for you all to choose from. As always, the poll will run for two weeks, you can vote for as many games as you like, and the 2nd place game will reserve a spot on the next poll.

Food Chain Magnate - Of course we have to start with the 2nd place game from the last poll. It's a cutthroat economic game about managing your fast food empire. This is the kind of game where if you make a mistake early, it might ruin you for the rest of the game, so understanding the rules is paramount. The visuals may not be to everyone's taste, but there's no denying the popularity of this capitalism simulator. There's also an expansion that I would gladly cover along with the main game.

John Company 2nd Edition - This game was a close third in the last poll, but the suggestion team rallied to make it the most requested game, so we're giving it another shot. While I haven't had a chance to play it yet, it comes highly recommended by some people I trust on the topic. This is a game about managing the East India Trading Company and trying to build generational wealth for your family. I like that, same as Pax Pamir, Wehrlegig Games is not shying away from the heaviness of it's theme, but instead using it to help you understand just how much impact these horrible people could have.

High Frontier 4 All - Speaking of people with less than stellar records... Ok here's the thing. This game about expanding out into the solar system and developing it for science and profit looks very cool. It certainly has a fanbase, as it was the 2nd most requested game in the suggestions post. And it's promise of using "real rocket science" in its gameplay is intriguing to be sure. It was also made by Phil Eklund, a designer who I personally don't want to support. Now I accept that I might not know the whole story with him, which is why I've included his game in the poll, but from what I've seen of his writing, his opinions are not ones that I would personally choose to amplify. From what I understand though, this game has nothing to do with his more...controversial views, so there's that at least. If you like High Frontier, I'm not trying to dissuade you from that. I just want to make sure people know what they're voting for.

Hegemony - When I first saw this game that's basically about class warfare, I was a little hesitant at first. However the more I've seen the more it seems to not only be a useful educational tool but a pretty fun looking game. There's tons of asymmetry going on with each player taking on a different social class with wildly different goals and methods, and much like Root, I think this could really benefit from a solid tutorial video. Copies are starting to arrive for backers, so I should be able to get my hands on one, and possibly the expansion as well.

Ark Nova - And my second editor's choice this month is just a game that I happen to really like and want an excuse to play more of. In case you don't know, Ark Nova is an enormous zoo-themed engine builder that borrows heavily from Terraforming Mars (one of my favorites), as well an action system from Civilization: A New Dawn (which I've also covered) and a scoring system from Rajas of the Ganges (or at least, that's what the Brothers Murph tell me). All these elements come together to make a very appealing package, and seeing how high it's jumped up the BGG rankings in such a short time, having some coverage on it is not a bad idea. There's an expansion coming later this year, though it's still a ways out, so I don't know if I'll be able to get a copy.