The Garnet Wager

I have never bought any stock. Partially because I’ve never had the money to spare, but also I just am not that sort of risk-taking person. I don’t enjoy gambling, and that’s what stocks are, even if you think you’re informed enough that it’s educated gambling. You wanna know how bad it can go? Watch some people tank this week on The Genius as they play Stormy Stock M...

What’s your favorite mining game? I know folks like Steamworld Dig 2, but it really just didn’t click for me. I adore Spelunky, but that feels like it’s only sort of a mining game. Motherlode! Motherlode is great. Good game, good times. I like the Main Match of this week’s episode fairly well, but I don’t think this Miner Game beats Motherlode in my book. Or Spelunky,...

Draw steel this week with a lying game main match! Did we mention that it’s a lying game? Pssst, don’t tell Yeonjoo, she seems a little overcome this week. Plus, our first ever Black Mission, as those Black Garnets finally come into play! Then a death match, with another new variant of poker! This one seems alright! But gosh, two player poker just isn’t killer, huh. If you want t...

You see the name, you’re expecting something like Scamming Horse Race, yeah? Boy. This is a lot more confusing, believe you me. It’s good? Mostly? But jeeeeez. Even the DEALERS can’t keep up with the rules! Then, guess what… we get to play Black and White 2 again. Will there EVER be a season of The Genius where they don’t repeat games? I’m not holding my breath....

Well now, THIS is more like it. The Genius is back with a vengeance as our players compete in a rousing game of Resista- err, I mean, “Jury Game.” Who can be trusted, and who’s a criminal? And can you, perhaps, even trust a criminal? Dongmin’s in charge, Hyunmin’s making plays, and Yongsuk and Kyunghoon have some rock paper scissors to pl- rock paper scissors?! Again?...

New season, new players, new layout to the ol’ Genius house! But… something’s wrong. Do… do these people suck? =\ =/ =| Well, for now, let’s just talk about the games, I suppose. A fairly straightforward trust game serves as our main match as we’re introduced to our new crew… and learn that some of them DEFINITELY cannot be trusted. Then it’s off to...

The Garnet Wager is about to start its third season of The Genius! Are you prepared? Well, you’ll be better ready once you’ve heard our three part feature on the rules for Fantasy Genius 2.0! This is part 3: Fantasy Garnets. Six will tell you all about Fantasy Genius 2.0’s unique mechanic: Fantasy Garnets. We hope you enjoy playing the game with us this season! Part 1 released on...

The Garnet Wager is about to start its third season of The Genius! Are you prepared? Well, you’ll be better ready once you’ve heard our three part feature on the rules for Fantasy Genius 2.0! This is part 2: Fantasy Points. Allen will walk you through the various ways contestants can gain and lose you points this season. We hope you enjoy playing the game with us this season! Part 1 re...

The Garnet Wager is about to start its third season of The Genius! Are you prepared? Well, you’ll be better ready once you’ve heard our three part feature on the rules for Fantasy Genius 2.0! This is part 1: drafting! Six will guide you through the process and rules of drafting your very own Fantasy Genius team. We hope you enjoy playing the game with us this season! Part 2 will releas...

Season 3 starts… next week! So let’s pick our players, do a little more homework, and then let you in on what’s next! It might be a short episode, but we told you we’d not even put an episode out this week, so just think of this as a bonus =P Enjoy! If you want to find Allen on Twitter, they’re at @allenibrahim . Six is @sixdettmar . We’ll happily take any quest...

Season 2 is over. From around the corner, Season 3 peeks, gauging our readiness. We aren’t! Not yet! So let’s take an episode here to prepare ourselves, to talk about what was, what is, and what will be in the world of The Genius. Well, I suppose all of this is what “was” because the show has ended and we’re just playing catch-up with the world =( Man, now I’m b...

It all comes down to this. Sangmin vs. Yohwan. Six vs. Allen. Both of them versus Rhys, who’s here to relentlessly dunk on their bad opinions. Death matches, trivia, guest banter, and so much more. Season 2 is coming to a close. But even in endings, there can be a new beginning. If you want to play Fantasy Genius with us, we’ve got everything you need! Here is a link to the rules we wr...

This is a mini-ep! The description will also be suitably mini! We’re just here to tell you we figured out how the season 2 finale of The Garnet Wager will work, and it’s something… like this. If you want to find Allen on Twitter, they’re at @allenibrahim . Six is @sixdettmar . We’ll happily take any questions or feedback, if you’re so inclined.

It’s about to get real lonely at the top. Our final three of Junghyun, Yohwan, and Sangmin are faced with three returning players ready for revenge… or perhaps to make a deal. Then we duck into homework for a little more fighting game talk (we’ll stop after this, promise!) before we head into our Death Match. Wait… it’s Black and White again? FFFFFFFFF If you want to...

Let me tell you something about this game… it’s kind of a big deal. Boy band Super Junior is here (in part), the Token of Immortality is gonna get played, Water-Melon-Ritas will be consumed, and an incredible game of poker is gonna go down. Junghyun came to play. Did you? If you want to play Fantasy Genius with us, we’ve got everything you need! Here is a link to the rules we wro...

This week, the Genius is bringing back some old friends! Season 1 and Season 2 clash as Sunggyu tricks Jiwon, Kyungran intimates Yohwan, and Junghyun complains about being old. Then we tackle a sci-fi short story for our homework (available here ), and talk about transhumanism, horror, and just sorta sci-fi stuff. Finally, we head to our DM, and play the classic 2001 god sim from Lionhead Studios,...

Hey, there won’t be much of a description here: we just recorded a bit of housecleaning between episodes 22 and 23. This is being posted at the same time as episode 23, so don’t worry, this isn’t replacing a proper ep. Enjoy! If you want to play Fantasy Genius with us, we’ve got everything you need! Here is a link to the rules we wrote up, and here is the current point tota...

You ever played Elevator Action? It’s not bad, for such an old game. Kinda janky, as you might expect. Not as janky as the half-assed plan to take down Sangmin that the other players attempt this episode, however! There’s nothing viewtiful about the majority’s fumbles in our Main Match, and then when it comes to the DM, it is similarly something of a race to the bottom. Hmmm. Not...

Who will the dice favor… or perhaps the better question is, who knows how to EARN the favor of the dice? On this episode of the Genius, our competitors in this high stakes game are forced to roll the bones… but don’t be deceived, this game isn’t about luck. Only with planning, skill, and cunning will one player rise above. Then, we’ll witness a tense death match even...

We’re halfway through Season 2 here on the Garnet Wager, and it’s time for us to take an episode to gather our thoughts. For as much fun as it is to do an episode a week, it does mean that we sometimes skate past the bigger issues, and don’t end up discussing the larger picture of the season and its cast. Where do Six and Allen stand on players eliminated and remaining, the match...

Don’t be mislead: though the main match of Season 2, Episode 6 is indeed Monopoly Game, that’s not what the contestants spent most of the episode playing. No, they were engaged in something else: Token of Immortality-centered scheming. Finally, Sangmin reveals the big schemes he made a name for himself on in season 1. Finally, the token’s in play. And… things get unexpected...

This week, the laws are what we make them. The players of The Genius Season 2 are forming their 7 Commandments, passing and shooting down laws in a game inspired by the legal process. Obviously former politician Junghyun will dominate such a game, right? Yeah, about thaaaaaaat….  If you want to play Fantasy Genius with us, we’ve got everything you need! Here is a link to the rules...

It’s lights out this week on The Genius, as we go dark with the Blackout Game. Betrayal and hijinks abound, and Junghyun remains quietly immune to both. Then Allen tries to make hollandaise sauce with… mixed results, and then it’s on to the DM for another game of Sun, Moon, Star. You know, I really hoped they wouldn’t repeat DMs this season. If you want to play Fantasy Geni...

Who is king in The Genius?! All of our players get a chance at the throne in Season 2, Episode 3, as two alliances clash in an attempt to dominate the game. A quick stop with our homework to check out 1995’s hottest film, then it’s on to our Death Match: the glorious return of Gyul! Hap! How will our death match contestants handle one of our favorite games from Season 1? If you want to...

New microphone! It’s a lot fancier! I have to make some adjustments! This week on the Garnet Wager, we’re tackling Season 2 Episode 2 of The Genius, plus an episode of Lucha Underground on our homework… and a little bit of questionable audio! Sorry, folks. It’s a Blue Yeti, it’s a damn good mic, and I just need to mess with the settings. It’ll sound better next...