RDTN Episode 157 Reviews Calimala, Architects of the West Kingdom and Ascension: Delirium

Episode 157 gets straight to board games, with the hosts discussing three titles whose appeal rests on very different ideas: a design finding a US publisher, worker placement with a surprising bit of player interaction, and an Ascension expansion built around Insight, dice and auctions. There’s no guest this time, but plenty for players weighing up what makes each game worth a closer look.

Calimala brings Fabio Lopiano’s first design to the US

Calimala, picked up for US publication by Stronghold, was released in 2017 and had made a strong impression at Essen, according to the hosts. It was Fabio Lopiano’s first game. He also designed Ragusa, which the episode expected to arrive the following year. Anyone curious about how the design took shape can read Lopiano’s designer diary on BoardGameGeek.

The hosts also clear up a recurring table-side mishearing: Calimala’s name isn’t the Italian word for squid. It’s a small anecdote, but a useful reminder that a game’s title can be a conversation starter before the first turn even begins. The more substantial point is the arrival of a debut design from a designer whose next title was already attracting attention.

Architects makes worker capture part of the fun

Architects of the West Kingdom, published by Renegade, shifts the discussion from raiding Vikings to kingdoms building civilizations in the 800s. The setting is associated with the Carolingian Empire and Charlemagne, whose name many players may recognize from history lessons. The hosts don’t spend much time on the theme: the central goal is to develop a civilization and earn Victory Points, with the player who has the most taking the win.

For them, the mechanic that gives the game its personality is the option to capture other players’ workers. That idea initially sounded suspicious to the reviewer, who expected it might turn the game into a struggle of backstabbing and diplomacy. In play, though, the capture rules worked well and helped hold attention. The result, in the host’s view, is a straightforwardly enjoyable worker-placement game.

Worker capture gives players a direct way to interfere with one another’s plans, which can change the feel of a familiar placement structure. Here, the reviewer’s experience suggests that this interaction adds engagement without taking over the game. Players who are wary of aggressive mechanics may find that distinction useful: the episode’s recommendation comes from how the system played at the table, rather than from the historical setting alone.

Delirium adds Insight, dice and a Fate auction

Ascension: Delirium caught the host’s attention because it brings back Insight, an extra resource also found in Dreamscapes. Players acquire Insight and spend it to strengthen their deck, giving them another way to shape their turns. The return of that resource was already appealing; hearing from Justin Gary at Gen Con that Delirium would also include a die made the expansion more intriguing.

The die adds chance to play. That element won’t suit everyone, but the host was comfortable with it: a roll might produce what a player needs, creating an uncertain opportunity during the turn. The feature that stood out most, however, was Fate, a new keyword that introduces an auction mechanic. It gives players another kind of decision to manage alongside the dice and deck-building.

The host is especially interested in combining Delirium with Dreamscapes. Since both expansions involve Insight, playing them together could put more weight on how players acquire and spend that resource, while Fate adds auction decisions to the mix. That combination is a prospect rather than a reported result, but it’s a concrete reason for fans of the series to keep Delirium in view.

More from the episode

The games segment is part of a broader discussion that ranges from music and game lists to events, products and other titles. The episode’s segment guide includes Marty’s Music Video Experience at 6:48, a discussion of top ten selling games at 10:29, and the 2nd Annual BooBQ Event at 12:50. The hosts also mention Pandemic Cthulhu at 15:19 and the Arkham Horror LCG at 16:35.

Later stops include Kickstarter discussion at 22:40, Processing: A Game of Serving Humanity at 23:35 and XCase 2.0 at 26:19. The game-focused rundown continues with Miniature Market at 30:00, Calimala at 31:25, an FFG Unique Game System discussion at 36:45, Architects at 49:07, The Broken Token at 54:18 and Delirium at 55:40. After the outro at 1:00:32, the guide lists Monolith Arena at 1:03:35, cake at 1:05:15 and Portal at 1:07:45.

The next episode is set to cover the Third Edition of Arkham Horror. For this one, Calimala offers a look at a first design, Architects shows how worker capture can make placement more engaging, and Delirium gives Ascension players fresh choices to consider through Insight, dice and Fate.