Here are the show notes for the episode Bosworth and Freakshow Chardonnay from Meeples & Wine—your podcast of board game reviews for couples, with a drink in hand!

Hosts: Michael & Suzy

Wine We’re Tasting Today:
Freakshow Chardonnay 2024 by Michael David Winery

• Location: Lodi Appellation
• Profile: Golden straw color with aromas of apricot, citrus, and herbaceous notes. Flavors of Asian pear, honeydew, and juicy peach pie, finished with a lasting oak-inspired touch.
• Details: 50% aged in new French oak for 4 months, 50% stainless steel (no oak), 99% malolactic fermentation (softens that tart malic acid into smoother lactic acid).
• Pairings ideas: Buttery dishes, rich cream pastas, broiled fish with butter, steak with garlic butter, buttered rolls.
• Winery site: https://michaeldavidwinery.com/

Game We’re Playing:
Bosworth (1998)
A chaotic 2-4 player chess variant where pieces are cards drawn randomly from your personal pile. Same classic chess pieces (pawns, knights, rooks, bishops, queen, king), but with twists: pawns move/capture sideways too, kings can capture their own pieces to escape check, and it’s all about multiplayer mayhem on a 6×6 board with blocked corners and face-down covers. Goal? Checkmate everyone else’s kings—last king standing wins!

• BGG page: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/645/bosworth
• Designer: Mark Alan Osterhaus (also Apples to Apples, Shipwrecked)
• Artist: John Kovalic (Munchkin, Cash ‘n Guns, etc.)
• Publisher: Out of the Box Publishing (defunct since 2015)
• Rating: 5.8/10 | Weight: 2.1/5 | Players: 2-4

Historical nod: Named after the Battle of Bosworth Field — https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-Bosworth-Field

How It Plays with Two Players & Our Takes

• Super fun with two—keeps the random draws and tension without too much ganging up.
• Fun Score (1-10): Michael: 8 | Suzy: 7
• Couch Score (will it wreck the relationship? 1-5): Michael: 3 | Suzy: 2 (mild trash talk potential, but mostly laughs)
• Time Sink to Learn Rules (1-5): 1 — Pick it up in one or two games, no heavy YouTube needed.

Expansions? None.

Final Sip
How’s the Freakshow Chardonnay evolved since opening? (We chat about it in the episode!)

Last Call – Kickstarter/Gamefound Spotlight
Boktor: A Cooperative Dungeon Quest by Fox Troll Games
Fast-paced dungeon crawler for 1-6 players—explore modular dungeons, evolve your heroes, battle Tyrants, and stop the Vortex. Quick setup, intuitive rules, real strategy, all in ~60 minutes.
Check it out: https://gamefound.com/en/projects/fox-troll-games/boktor-a-cooperative-dungeon-quest

Contact Us!

• Email: meeplesandwine@gmail.com
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See you next time on Meeples & Wine! Buh-bye! 🍷🎲