All posts filed under “Tabletop Games”

May 10, 2022

Episode 291: I’m a Doctor, Not a Mechanic

This week the word is cliffhanger. The nerds discuss various cliffhangers they’ve enjoyed, or not, and the problems of cliffhangers that end up never being resolved, or worse, having disappointing eventual resolutions, including Star Wars, Star Trek, Twin Peaks, and many others. Then Keith has another word to discuss, which is decoct, after which he talks his next D&D game, and Andy talks about his newest pyramid game, which he’s calling Green Queen. Andy also mentions a Star Trek fan film he enjoyed, called Doomsday. Then they drop the spoiler curtain to talk at length about Star Trek Picard and Severance.

SPOILER WARNING: contains spoilers.

April 26, 2022

Episode 289: Thanks to these Puppies

This week the word is Consequences. After a quick shoutout to the concept album, the nerds discuss the importance of consequences in games and other forms of story-telling, with particular emphasis Star Trek and Phoenix: Dawn Command. Next Keith yammers about the expression, “Beyond the Pale,” and Andy talks a little about Galactic StarCruiser. Then they continue their discussion of House of Leaves, in particular, Expedition 5. Moving on to other media, they talk about Free Guy and The Adam Project, and Andy talks about playing games on BoardGameArena, in particular, Lost Cities. Lastly, they lower the spoiler curtain to discuss the newest episodes of Star Trek Discovery and Picard.

SPOILER WARNING: contains spoilers.

April 12, 2022

Episode 288: Is the Top Still Spinning?

This week the word is Dream. The nerds talk at great length about dreams and dreaming, games Keith has worked on that focus on dreams, various recurring dreams they’ve had, lucid dreams, and so on. They also discuss dream-themed movies, with particular attention given to the Lathe of Heaven. Next, Keith talks about a recent trip to Utah, then Andy brings up some lingering Galactus topics. Lastly, after dropping the Spoiler Curtain, they talk about the most recent Star Treks.

SPOILER WARNING: contains spoilers.

March 29, 2022

Episode 287: Yay! It’s a Waffle Party!

This week the word is Memories. The nerds talk about stories and games they’ve enjoyed in which memories are tampered with: implanted, erased, jumbled, and so on. These topics merge into dreams, which they also talk about a lot, which Andy going off on a tangent about bi-phasic sleep. Keith gives a report on his aging mother, prompting Andy to recommend a relevant book by Roz Chast. Andy also talks about starting to plan for Burning Man, and then they discuss some Star Trek rumors. Lastly, after dropping the spoiler curtain, they discuss the first two episodes of Severance.

SPOILER WARNING: contains spoilers.

March 2, 2022

Episode 285: Four Interesting Chickens

Blurb: This week the word is choices. The nerds start by discussing various difficult choices and how creating those is a goal of game designers. Keith talks about recent events in his role playing game that involved 4 chickens. Moving on to media, Keith talks about watching Yellow Jackets, and Andy talks about Station Eleven and Miracle Workers. Next they talk a bit about unusual tarot decks. After dropping the spoiler curtain, they discuss The Book of Boba Fett and Star Trek Prodigy. Andy also describes a scene from My Little Pony.

SPOILER WARNING: contains spoilers.

November 23, 2021

Episode 279: Vampires vs Zombies

This week the word is Exposition. First, Keith has things to say about Dune. Then the nerds discuss a bunch of their favorite (and least favorite) examples of well-done exposition scenes. Next Keith raises the important question of how vampires would deal with a zombie apocalypse. Speaking of the undead also brings up the subject of Ghosts. Andy also mentions enjoying a film called The History of Time Travel. Next they finally make a decision about what book to read next. They discuss Taskmaster for a bit, then finally, after dropping the Spoiler Curtain, they discuss the ending of Only Murders In The Building.

SPOILER WARNING: contains spoilers.

November 16, 2021

Episode 278: Cetaceans in Spaaaaace!

This week the word is Dolphins. The nerds reminisce about Bluestar, the almost-a-videogame about dolphins in space they worked on back in the nineties. They also discuss cetacean ops on the starship Enterprise. Andy talks about the most recent episode of Survivor and how much the game has changed since it started. Keith reports in vague terms on work stuff he’s been working on, and talks about his recent discovery of the Silent Disco. Next they continue their discussions about what book to read next, and Keith reports on his D&D campaign. After lowering the spoiler curtain they discuss the last few episodes of season 2 of Lower Decks, and the near-final few episodes of season one of Only Murders in the Building. Lastly, Andy shares a few reactions to the first episode of Ordinary Joe.

SPOILER WARNING: contains spoilers.

October 12, 2021

Episode 275: Humpty-Dumpty Tasks

This week the word is Clue, since Keith has been watching Only Murders in the Building. This leads to a discussion of mystery stories in general and the board game Clue in particular. Next they again discuss Taskmaster, and Andy talks about buying the Golden Ticket game at Target. They begin a Survivor-style debate what book to read next, and Keith reports on his D&D campaign. After dropping the spoiler curtain, they discuss Lower Decks and What If?

SPOILER WARNING: contains spoilers.

October 5, 2021

Episode 274: Strange Rays from Outer Space

This week the word is Zombies. The nerds have a lot to say about zombies, and how they differ from other undead beings including vampires, ghosts, and reanimated corpses. After all that, Keith recaps the start of his Fugue State: Threshold campaign running via Twitch, and Andy again has things to say about Taskmaster. Next they talk about what book they should read next. Behind the spoiler curtain they talk about What If and Lower Decks.

SPOILER WARNING: contains spoilers.

September 21, 2021

Episode 273: The Cheesy American Version

This week the word is American, specifically the cheesy American version of things created elsewhere, including the American versions of The Office, Taskmaster, Iron Chef, and Ultraviolet. Digressions include the differences between American and English senses of humor, language differences, Doctor Who, and yet more discussions of Taskmaster. Next they discuss the last few stories in Donald Barthelme’s Forty Stories, and then discuss what to read next. After the spoiler curtain, they talk about the third episode of the season of both Lower Decks and What If?.

SPOILER WARNING: contains spoilers.