This is a pretty rough and raw episode. We're fighting off the depths of despair, the height of a Pandemic, and an attack on our way of life from the people who are sworn to protect it. Can a two-mile high frog be the hero we need to get us through this episode. Tune in and find out. DESPERATE MEASURES: 00:03:02 -- Polis, Fight for the Hegemony, 2nd edition 00:10:26 -- Siena 00:25:05 -- Angola (session report) 01:00:15 -- Cosmic Frog (in-depth) 02:07:25 -- Resolutions 02:09:05 -- Call to Post is a Dead Parrot 02:27:48 -- No More Windmills

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Episode 190 -- All Our Windmills are Tilted

It's almost over. This . . . year. Nothing much to do other than gather up some lists of the things that got us through. We hope you dig it. COUNTDOWN: 00:05:14 -- Best Games we played for the first time. 01:48:20 -- Whiskies of the Year 01:58:32 -- Best of the Book Club 02:06:37 -- Cat Intermission 02:08:15 -- The Music That Got Us Through the Year  

Episode 189 -- Good Things in a Very Bad Year

It took us two tries to get this one right. Well, right might be too strong of a word. Lets swap that for recorded. Yeah, we finally got the episode recorded. I mean, right, ha, probably more like wrong, but you know how it is. Anyway, on with the show. ATTEMPTS: 00:15:35 -- The Listening Rooom (The Jesse Green Test) 01:12:10 -- Joe's Magical Gaming Experience (Abandon Ship!) 01:59:56 -- Destiny 2, The Ghost of Tsushima and many violent ends.

Episode 188 -- Oops! We Did it Again!

This episode marks the beginning of our 8th year ranting and raving about games (and books (and music (and life))). We kick it into gear with some heavy discussions of almost all of the above. Pretty much, if it ain't broke. . . . or, if it is broke, lean into it. TOAST: 00:19:09 -- Whiskies 00:22:48 -- Giving Thanks 00:26:36 -- Our Once and Future Books 00:33:13 -- On Listening 00:44:24 -- The Crack of Destiny 00:58:03 -- Hallertau Almost Got Me 01:02:10 -- Viscounts of the West Kingdom (in-depth) 01:46:33 -- The Cost (in-depth) 02:24:23 -- Anxious People, by Fredrik Backman

Episode 187 -- You Gotta Butter Up That Bread

Favorite mechanics? Nah. How about a discussion of a bunch of games and the one thing each of them offers to stand out from the crowd? One thing in one game! Yeah, we can get into that. Follow along, if you please. THINGS (Not just One and Two): 00:04:22 -- The Election of the Century 00:26:45 -- A Brief Musical Interlude (technical difficulties) 00:28:39 -- Argent: The Consortium (a session) 00:32:20 -- Game news?? Terra Mystica Adjacent 00:38:09 -- One Thing in One Game (a list)  

Episode 186 -- Saffron on Your Eggs

We're keeping it simple as we're back to remote recording. One Game. One book. One in-depth discussion. Still over two hours of quality goodness. Enjoy. CHAPTERS: 00:05:39 -- Tekhenu (in-depth) 01:21:39 -- Short takes: Smartphone Inc. expansion and Pax Porfiriana 01:32:51 -- Deacon King Kong by James McBride

Episode 185 -- Drinkin' the Dram You Think I'm Drinkin'

One. Two Three. Four. We front load this episode with four games discussed in detail, included are forays into adjacent concepts in gaming. After two hours of that nonsense we delve into some music and television that's enlightening our minds and enriching our lives. Please enjoy. VIEWING SCHEDULE: 00:04:25 -- Alma Mater 00:48:57 -- Worker Placement: Offensive??? 00:55:55 -- Babylonia 01:14:45 -- Marvel Champions with a Side of Legendary 01:42:11 -- Let's Pour Another Round: Midsummer's Night Dram and Festbier 01:47:50 -- Spirit Island 02:11:57 -- Big Music Discussion (Pineapple Thief, Pattern Seeking Animals, Airbag, Drive-by Truckers) 02:43:43 -- Don't Forget the Driver: TV Off the Beaten Path  

Episode 184 -- I Think You Gotta Be Bigger

To hell with the experts, if just for one day. Travel happened. Games were played. Most importantly, human contact was regained, if just for 9 days. ITINERARY: 00:17:00 -- I Did a Bad Thing 00:54:30 -- The Games 01:03:21 -- The Capitals 01:15:20 -- Die Handler 01:23:33 -- Joe's Confession 01:25:05 -- Founding Fathers (2007 ed.) and Gandhi 01:40:22 -- Overcooked (video game) 01:42:53 -- Call to Post

Episode 183 -- A Dull Throb of Dissatisfaction

It was a lovely evening away from the maddening crowd so we decided to do a show. Just like the 181 times before, we gathered with some microphones and chatted about board games and other things. Even our special guest, Chip, the cricket, seemed to approve. CHIRPS: 00:09:49 -- Celebrity Boardgame Deathmatch 00:12:47 -- The view from 30,000 feet 00:25:46 -- Cooper Island (in-depth first impression) 00:59:23 -- High Rise (in-depth first impression) 02:07:12 -- Clonakilty Bordeaux Cask Edition 02:13:21 -- Jim Goes to the Record Shop  

Episode 182 -- Tuna Jerky for Everybody

Shambolic: adjective -- chaotic, disorganize, confused. Could we use that definition to describe this episode? Sure. Will we? Sure. Will You? Possibly. Does that make it bad? Possibly. Is it here anyway? Yup. Is it a misfire or just some catchy jazz? You tell us. CATCHY SOLOS: 00:02:12 -- Navigating This Covid Life 00:26:21 -- The Lackluster Side of Gaming 00:35:40 -- Should it Stay or Should it Go: Russian Railroads 00:46:51 -- Kogge 00:50:31 -- The Q&A (Gloomhaven, Fae) 01:22:55 -- Sleepers??????? 01:49:20 -- Tomatin 14 yo Port Cask. 01:52:42 -- The Music We're Hearing 02:06:50 -- The Given Day, Dennis Lehane

Episode 181 -- Catchy Jazz Misfire

Once in a century Pandemic. Once in a generation civil upheaval. Once in a decade game? We take a 90 minute journey through the 18th Century world of Imperial Struggle, throwing a little pandemic, protest and pot-luck life discussion in at the end of the show. We hope you enjoy the ride. CONFLICT POINTS: 00:18:33 -- A Prelude to Digression 00:31:08 -- Imperial Struggle (in-depth) 02:01:50 -- The Wind-down

Episode 180 -- The 18th Century Shuffle

Well, you caught us on a nice summer evening, sitting outside, sippin' whisky, and talkin' board games. It's the best we can do in this paranoid pandemic times. Maybe the closest we've come to the old days in a while. The most human the interaction has been. Whatever the case, we think we did alright with this one. FIELD RECORDINGS: 00:07:19 -- The Taverns of Tiefenthal (in-depth) with a side of Nusfjord 00:51:50 -- It's a Wonderful World (short take) 00:56:13 -- In the Hall of the Mountain King (in-depth) 01:18:42 -- Is this the Real Life? 01:22:03 -- Coal Country (short take) 01:28:48 -- Gaming Refresh 01:45:30 -- Literature vs. the World 02:00:45 -- Glen Scotia Single Malt 02:09:25 -- The Gloaming 02:12:00 -- Stillwater: encores

Episode 179 -- Cuttin' All The Frills

And on and on and on. Joe returns from his long, strange trip and we slowly get back into the socially distanced swing of things. PRATTLES: 00:03:07 -- Life During Wartime 00:38:57 -- That's a T-Shirt! 00:45:00 -- Clonakilty Irish Whiskey & Loch Lomond 18yo Scotch 00:55:15 -- The Ramshackle Game Parade 00:56:04 -- The Gaia Project 01:12:10 -- 18XX Family Time 01:29:12 -- Memoir '44 01:36:10 -- Madeira 01:39:00 -- Antiquity 01:44:08 -- Baseball Highlights 2045 01:45:29 -- Guildhall 02:00:35 -- Upcoming Games 02:09:53 -- Gabriel Bump's Everywhere You Don't Belong

Episode 178 -- Keep Prattling and Drag On

With Joe still on the road two of the masterminds behind the upcoming Spielworxx game The Cost, Armando Canales and Lyndon Martin,  join Jim in a wide-ranging discussion of games, game-states and playing manners. In addition, Jim finds out just how wrong he's been all these episodes. INCORRECTIONS: 00:06:00 -- A differing opinion on Tank Duel 00:17:50 -- Group Losing 00:26:54 -- Trick Taking Responsibilities 00:42:43 -- Player Manipulation 00:49:08 -- Hate Drafting 00:53:48 -- Takin' it Back 01:01:03 -- Pulling Levers: Math vs. Art 01:15:46 -- The Cost (designer insight)  

Episode 177 -- Vape Spasms

It's been a hard couple of weeks here, so for those of you tuning in, we thank you. It really does mean something to us. This is a solo effort as Joe is off burying his mother and attending to all that accompanies a person's passing. Our broken hearts are with him. And we are all devastated by the murder of George Floyd as well as the continued beatdown we're all taking from the Coronavirus pandemic. Hard times come again no more indeed. So I muse on all of the above and close with discussion of 3 Playstation titles that are keeping me out of my own head late at night. No wisdom, just ramblings. Take care. Be kind. Love. Peace. Understanding. Black Lives Matter!

Two Passings for the End of the World, Part 6

A lively discussion of modern board games. Strategies and reviews included free of charge.

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