Rob Zacny

Three Moves Ahead 636: Civil War Midlife Crisis Aftermath's Riley MacLeod has developed a sudden interest in the American Civil War, and we've assembled a 3MA all-star team featuring Rob Zacny, Rowan Kaiser, Len Hafer, and Luke Plunkett to walk him through this difficult and confusing time. We use Ultimate General: Civil War as a launching pad to discuss the conflict itself, the games based on it, as well as the tricky elements of adapting it for an entertainment product through the wonder-filled eyes of a strategy newbie. Inspired by the article, "Bad News, I’m A 43-Year-Old Man And I’ve Recently Taken An Interest In The Civil War," https://aftermath.site/civil-war-middle-age Ultimate General: Civil War, Hearts of Iron IV, Panzer Corps, Panzer General, Panzer General 2, Grand Tactician: The Civil War, Total War: Napoleon Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Three Moves Ahead 635: Three Moves Ahead 635 - The Strategy Games of Steam Next Fest 2025 Len, Mike Williams, and Dominic Tarason run down the most exciting and interesting strategy and tactics games (and a couple from outside our usual wheelhouse) of Steam Next Fest 2025. From squat mechs to Italian vampires, there's a little something for everyone. Dice Gambit, Jail Dice: Roll to Break, Absalum, FBC: Firebreak, Nightmare Frontier, Grit and Valor - 1949, Blue Prince, Mecharashi, Mars Attracts Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Three Moves Ahead 634: 9 Kings Len, Mike Williams, Luke, and Jon roll out the red carpet for 9 Kings, a tile placement base defense game with roguelite elements. It's hard to describe, honestly. But trust us: it's worth a look. 9 Kings, Balatro Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Three Moves Ahead 633: Even More EU5 It's Three Moves Ahead Original Flavor as Len, Fraser, and Jon gather for a second panel discussion on the press hands-on for Europa Universalis 5. We discuss how this game made us feel like absolute fools, argue about whether or not Greenland is a good starter nation, and discuss who has the most Troy Energy. Europa Universalis 5 Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Three Moves Ahead 632: We Played Europa Universalis 5! (No CB Megacast 11 Preview) This is a free preview of this month's Patreon episode. Check out the extended version at Patreon.com/3ma! Len, Lambert, and Lorris have gotten some hands-on time with the Actually Really Announced game Europa Universalis 5! We discuss our impressions, our praises, our gripes, and even some of our most precious wishes. Europa Universalis 5 Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Three Moves Ahead 631: Cataclismo Len is joined by special guest Casey Explosion to talk about Cataclismo, a horde defense RTS with a unique, LEGO-like base building mechanic. We touch on the aesthetics, the tactics, and the story, as well as Casey's latest indie recommendations for 3MA listeners. Casey's Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/caseyexplosion Casey's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CaseyExplosion Casey's Steam Curator Page: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/28340174-Casey-Explosion/ Cataclismo Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Three Moves Ahead 630: Two Point Museum Len, Mike, and Luke dust off their Indy hats and take a close look at Two Point Museum. We discuss how it's such a great fit for the formula Two Point Studios built over their previous two games, how you make a museum game without presenting a tacit endorsement of grave robbing, and why crime never pays. Two Point Museum, Two Point Hospital, Two Point Campus, Planet Coaster 2 Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Three Moves Ahead 629: RTS Shoutcasting and Stormgate 0.3.0 with BeoMulf This week, Len sits down with Philip "BeoMulf" Mulford, a professional RTS esports caster. We discuss how you get that gig, how you develop the skills for it, and how it compares to traditional sportscasting. We also dig in a bit to the recent 0.3.0 patch for Stormgate and how the first big graphical refresh, automated control groups, and fully rebindable hotkeys change the experience. NOTE: We found out after the show was recorded that Philip will be on the main stream for the CHOC tournament on Sunday. You can find out more at https://playstormgate.com/news/stormgate-for-choc-charity-tournament Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Three Moves Ahead 628: Sid Meier's Civilization 7 Len, Fraser, and Sin gather to try and figure out what the heck happened with Civilization 7. We discuss why it's such a let-down for the legendary series, and whether or not it's just time for civilization to end. Civilization 7, Civ 7 Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Three Moves Ahead 627: Look Ahead to 2025 Len, Mike, and Nerium gaze down the road ahead at the most interesting and promising strategy games coming out (we hope) in 2025, from the heavy-hitters to some indie oddities. Civilization 7, Kaiserpunk, Two Point Museum, Tempest Rising, Alliance of the Sacred Suns, Europa Universalis 5, Beyond These Stars, City Tales - Medieval Era, Demonschool, Falling Frontier, Dino Lords, Kingmakers, Menace, Slay the Spire 2 Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Three Moves Ahead 626: 2024 Wrap-Up Len, Mike, and Sin gather 'round to sing the praises of our favorite strategy and tactics games of the year, as well as trying to identify the ever-elusive narrative throughline. Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Three Moves Ahead 625: Caves of Qud Len, Jon, and Mike are joined by Freehold Games' Brian Bucklew and Jason Grinblat to discuss Caves of Qud. In a world where rogue"lites" and rogue-adjacents have blown up, what is the niche of a true, traditional roguelike? We also dig into the procedural generation of its post-multiple-apocalypses world and dreamlike writing style. Caves of Qud Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Three Moves Ahead 624: What Else Are We Playing: November 2024 Len is joined by Nerium Strom, Mike Williams, and Sin Vega for a round-table of What Else Are We Playing? From weird surreal horror to Factorio and Cities: Skylines 2, it's a chill chat for a chilly month on our production calendar. Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Three Moves Ahead 623: Frostpunk 2 Len is joined by Father Lorris and Sin Vega to discuss Frostpunk 2, the long-awaited sequel to the quintessential survival city-builder. We discuss where it hits and where it misses, with a particular focus on the strengths of the original that it fails to recapture by zooming out further. Frostpunk, Frostpunk 2, Against the Storm Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Three Moves Ahead 622: Tactical Breach Wizards Len and Rowan are joined by games writer Kris Lorischild to discuss Tactical Breach Wizards. We discuss how rare it is for a game to be this funny on purposes, as opposed to from the chaotic intersection of procedural systems, how it creates rewarding tactical puzzles with simple ingredients, and... Metal Gear?! Tactical Breach Wizards, XCOM: Chimera Squad, Disco Elysium Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes