A very lively discussion. The reading habits of Toddlers. Some music that may be genius or insanity. And we play a board game, twice. 

13:51 -- Not For Todd: Black Midi, "Hellfire"
46:15 -- Charioteer (session report)

Welcome to the first episode of the Punching Cardboard offshoot, reboot, retread, much dreaded new series PC/DC: Beyond the Cardboard. More of an indroductory session to let you know what we plan to offer in the coming months. We hope your onboard for this next phase. I think the ride might get wild.

Meet the new boss. Same as the old boss? 

A radio show. A new podcast (ish). A boardgame finally finished? More Whisky for the End of the World. 

Contained within this missive is information addressing all of the above. Tune in, turn on, find out. Hopefully you like it.

This was supposed to be episode 209, with some game analysis, an idiot box recommendation and some isights into music and community. I didn't like the results. It didn't really feel of any value to do things as I would have when Punching Cardboard was in it's prime. After re-recording several times I realized there was no getting around the fact that the show as it existed was finished. 

Hence, here we are, in the Whiskey for the end of  . . .  format that I adopted at the beginning of the dark times. This feels more genuine, and after 208 episodes, it seems like the best way to end the original show.

Adieu.

Did you ever watch "We Bought a Zoo" with Matt Damon? Didn't think so. Well, would you like to builde you very own zoo? Could it be fun? Let's find out together as we discuss Ark Nova. Guest appearances from Terraforming Mars and Wingspan.

You were warned. We threatened it numerous times over the past eight-plus years. Well, it's finally happened. This episode is board game free. Not game free, mind you, but no cardboard was used in the making of this episode.

Is Elden Ring the be all, end all? Listen in and find out. A little music to close things out as well.

Punching Carboard Lineup, MK IV. Better known as the solo acoustic tour. Just Jim here; the only one left after the smoke cleared.

In this episode is an in-depth look at Atlantic Chase, games that earned "10s" and some music recs, including an overlooked list from 2021. A few asides along the way, but that's the meat of the program.

As that's the case, no timestamps deemed necessary. You're an intelligent bunch.

Find enclosed our music and games lists for the year that was 2021. Check the episode tags for individual games and artists. This is Joe's last show, and to road ahead is quite uncertain. 

Thanks for hanging in there with us.

LISTS:

00:15:17 -- Intro to the lists
00:18:44 -- Music
01:40:20 -- Games

Merry Christmas from the End of the World! From the land of a thousand delays, we wish you a little cheer and romance and excitement. 

Part 7: A virus on the rise and a podcast under perpetual scheduling maintenance. Just a short communique for the season and a list of also-rans. We shall resume regularly scheduled content shortly.

In this episode we get our 4x gaming on. Session reports on games set on land and in space.

Also, if a game falls in the forest and there's no one there to play it, is it a game? Our first and last segment in the ongoing series we call Non-existent Games.

INDULGENCES

00:04:41 -- Eclipse: Second Dawn for the Galaxy (session)
00:26:46 -- Rococo
00:29:07 -- Joe's Off the Fence on Feudum
00:34:51 -- Clash of Cultures: Monumental Edition (session, in-depth)
01:19:24 -- Non-Existent Games: Call to Post (session, in-depth)
02:09:53 -- The Final Word?

It's October. The rains have returned. The World is still in flux. And we played some games. Discussions contained herein.

FRONTS:

00:13:35 -- State of the Podcast (and life)
00:48:15 -- Blitzkrieg! (session, short take)
01:02:43 -- Rift Force (session, short take)
01:18:34 -- Anno 1800 (session, in-depth)
02:17:34 -- Music (bang for your buck)

If you want some takes on what's new in the board gaming hobby, this is not the episode you're looking for.

However, if you want to hear some tales of adventure in the gloaming of the pandemic, and a discussion about the state of the hobby as we see it (Told through Arkwright eyes), then come on in.

YARNS:

00:11:50 -- A Brave New Musical Journey (Live at the Pat Metheny Show)
00:37:22 -- 40 Minutes of Joy: The Horses and the Hounds, by James McMurtry
00:45:25 -- The Last Great TV Show: Mr. In-Between
00:52:07 -- School's In? And Rocking?
01:12:37 -- Arkwright Revisited and a Hobby Gone Wrong
01:47:40 -- Peak Gaming with a Controller
02:19:36 -- A Door Cracked and Unlocked?

The rock came rolling back down and crushed us for a good part of the Summer. We got some levers and some rails and we've managed to push it back up the hill far enough to breathe a little. So, here we be, talking about life and games again. 

LIBATIONS:

00:00:23 -- Last Call
00:34:14 -- Coffee Traders (quick take)
00:45:37 -- Great Conversations and Good Buzzes
01:03:34 -- Oath (in-depth session)
01:35:19 -- The King's Dilemma (in-depth session)

We call this one "The Epic." Press play and enjoy the ride.

HEROIC TALES:

00:04:22 -- Cloudspire (in depth session)
01:03:27 -- BenRiach 21yo Single Malt
01:07:11 -- SpaceCorp: Ventures (sessions)
01:31:10 -- Tawantinsuyu: The Incan Empire (preview)
01:34:52 -- Revisiting, and purchasing, Le Havre
01:40:19 -- When Things Went Well: Lorenzo Il Magnifico
01:49:06 -- 2021 in Music so far.

Maladies, Mortgages and other assorted obstacles successfully conquered, we finally present to you episode 199 of the 'cast. Chock-full of stories about games and games about travel and travelling stories.

It's all in there.

And the book club returns.

Enjoy.

TALES OF WOE:

00:21:02 -- Apex Legends
00:34:06 -- Another Trip, Another Story, or Three
00:59:56 -- Da Games
01:01:25 -- Are You Dexterous? (Cubiko, Carreau, Bamboleo, Hamsterrolle)
01:20:55 -- Knife Tank: Why???
01:28:15 -- Praga Capvt Regni (revisited)
01:41:16 -- Two-Player Showdown (BH: 2045, Wir Sind Das Volk, Space Corp)
01:53:30 -- Die Handler, a Year Later
01:56:34 -- Kaivai
02:03:36 -- Wizard
02:08:00 --The Dwellings of Everdale
02:23:08 -- The Power and the Glory, by Graham Greene

Chirping birds. Barking Dogs. Screaming Children.

Yes, we're back outside to record this episode. The pops and clicks of the previous effort replaced by the flora and fauna of mid-Spring. We weave in and out of various topics, creating some loose connections and trying to show that nothing occurs in a vacuum. 

MELODIES:

00:10:20 -- Libation Time
00:13:40 -- Technical Issues and Memory Loss, and Some Stuff In-between
00:33:25 -- Kicking and Screaming: Getting People to Play Games, Food Chain Magnate Edition
00:46:58 -- A Few Words on Board Game Aesthetics
00:49:53 -- The Journey of 1822
00:57:10 -- Stickering Games
00:59:12 -- Detour: Music on Our Minds
01:27:30 -- Commands & Colors: Samurai Battles
01:35:30 -- Brotherhood & Untiy
01:47:09 -- Better than Board Games: Trials of Fire, Monster Train, Nowhere Prophet
02:19:13 -- 18XX Online and Other Infractions.

Sometimes you just can't get things right. You find a ghost in the signal chain and try to fix it only to find you've made things worse. Apologies in advance for all the pops and clicks.

Among the noisy abberations you will find a fair amount of game discussion and enough salt and vinegar to properly dress your chips.

POPS & CLICKS:

00:09:49 -- Drinkin' and Vaxxin'
00:20:06 -- The Long and Winding Railroad
00:35:05 -- Kickstarting, Streaming, and Video Gaming
00:52:13 -- Freedom: The Underground Railroad
01:00:07 -- Last Will
01:04:03 -- The Sands of Time (Joe's visit)
01:22:15 -- Apocalypse Road
01:42:55 -- The Red Cathedral
01:57:36 -- Nidavellir
02:27:53 -- Of Golden Eagles and T-Shirts

This is us, as you might find us should you wander into a watering hole where we might be holding court at the bar.

This could very well be a prime example of the conversation you might stumble upon.

The nature of this conversation spirals around, over and through the games and topics, so timestamps have been kept to a minimum.

ROUNDS:

00:00:25 -- Baseball, Disease Maintenance and a Word About Home Improvement
00:31:29 -- Rampant Game Talk and Misdemeanors 
01:35:29 -- Random Game Talk (Q&A)
02:25:09 -- That Old Country Music, by Kevin Barry

Winter is gone. The Sky is clearing. Birds are singing. Bees are buzzing. Temperatures are warming. Discussions are getting heated.

Welcome to the latest installment of As the Cardboard Turns.

JABS:

00:29:36 -- Lots: A Game of Weights and Measures (friendly game announcement)
00:33:45 -- Little Bits: Dominant Species Marine (initial take)
00:42:58 -- Merv (Joe's take)
00:50:40 -- Blackout: Hong Kong (Joe again)
00:58:15 -- The Magnificent (forgotten short take)
01:11:30 -- Maharaja: The Game of Palace Building in India (no take)
01:16:38 -- It's a Wonderful World : Corruption and Ascension (in-depth)
01:20:38 -- Stellar Horizons (in-depth session)
01:59:15 -- Rusty Brown, by Chris Ware
02:08:22 -- Pagan Virtues, by Stephen Dunn

Another show emerges from the stasis. We cover several games, new and old. We discuss some vital music and a page-turner of a book. We carry on as that's really all there is to do.

CARNAGE:

00:14:28 -- Newton (finally)
00:34:33 -- Lorenzo Il Magnifico (revisited)
00:52:59 -- Merv: The Heart of the Silk Road (in-depth)
01:42:28 -- Tunes (Nick Cave, The The)
02:03:35 -- Blacktop Wasteland, by S.A. Cosby

Hey kids, it's No-fun February, 2021 edition. And this February has been the most No-fun in years.

We've got your ice storms and power outages and never-ending pandemics and Criminal Orange-men still on the loose. All that and so much more.

However, rebels that we are, we try and make something out of this mess and talk some games, both video and board. We discuss some music and get back on track with the books. And yeah, yeah, we also gripe about and question everything else under the pandemic soaked sun. We are who we are after all.

Welcome to the fun-house! Enjoy all the mirrors.

ATTRACTIONS:

00:31:15 -- A Destiny 2 Session to Die for (over and over and over again)
00:52:23 -- Antike II
01:00:20 -- Race for the Chinese Zodiac
01:22:05 -- Slay the Spire
01:26:37 -- Some Renewed Energy, Baseball Draft Style
01:40:33 -- Not Too Long for Whatever it is
01:53:59 -- Tunes: Shame, The Besnard Lakes and Transatlantic Revisited
02:17:12 -- Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead, by Olga Tokarczuk

Three games and four albums discussed.

This should be easier.

SELECTIONS:

00:14:05 -- The Online Boardgaming Space and Acquiescence
00:19:01 -- Res Arcana (revisited -- Joe's thoughts)
00:39:34 -- Praga Capvt Regni (in-depth)
01:23:28 -- Carnegie (first take, session)
02:20:02 -- Tunes: Goat Girl, Arlo Parks, Transatlantic, The Notwist

As 2021 seems an awful lot like 2020 we are still finding the time and energy to get some games to tables, both virtual and physical. And these games are surprising, entertaining and frustrating us in the ways they always do. Here are some stories about those games.

Some things change (someday) and the rest stays the same.

CHAPTERS:

00:29:07 -- Wir Sind das Volk: 2+2 (in-depth session)
01:01:41 -- Res Arcana and Res Arcana: Lux et Tenebrae (in-depth)
01:31:32 -- Dos Rios (in-depth)
01:47:10 -- Those Golden Moments
01:49:39 -- Tunes: Old School and New
02:10:16 -- Still-life Talking
02:37:24 -- Book Selections for January and February

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

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

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.

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

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)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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)

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!

Have you really played all the games? Probably not.

And we've all probably got a couple on our list that folks might consider classics, or required games. We talk about those glaring oversights here in the latest episode of As the Lockdown Turns.

Many other items covered as well. You know, a typical show. Enjoy.

SCRUTINIES:

00:02:47 -- Because We're Livin' It!
00:18:47 -- Libations
00:23:55 -- The Board Gaming Glaring Oversight Committee
01:10:20 -- Gugong (in depth), and a side of Ginkgopolis
01:15:51 -- New Music (Willie Nile, Jason Isebell)
02:09:07 -- Apeirogon, by Colum McCann
02:32:55 -- The top Albums of 1976

Wasting no time, we dive into the main game we played the past few weeks. A handful of games follow.

Still, all the content you expect, just in a different order.

Enjoy.

THE SCRIPT:

00:01:24 -- Hansa Teutonica (in-depth, session)
00:45:29 -- The Albums of 1975
00:57:54 -- Memory Failure: Did We Already Discuss the family Hellas Session?
00:59:18 -- Triumph & Tragedy (session)
01:15:25 -- Santa Maria (first take)
01:35:50 -- Captains of Industry (session)
01:56:00 -- Books, the Surreal Life and Other Miseries

Here we are in the new world order, or rather, the chaotic world order.

We're just trying to survive and maybe discuss a few games and other things of cultural import. Just trying to raise our spirits.

It's a journey. Thanks for your company on the ride.

TICKETS:

00:20:11 -- Surprising Lack of Games on the Table during Lockdown
00:26:57 -- Netplay, Strat-O-Matic Style
00:39:55 -- Tabletop Simulator (yes, it works!)
00:52:49 -- Pax Transhumanity (update)
01:00:41 -- Architects of the West Kingdom: Age of Artisans (in-depth sessions)
01:12:23 -- The Appreciation Level of Others
01:24:44 -- 1974
01:32:52 -- New Music (Bill Frisell, Melt Yourself Down)
01:42:54 -- Illicit Maneuvers
01:46:05 -- The Cactus League, by Emily Nemens

Struggling for sanity, we put together another installment of our virus lockdown series.

In this one we answer the question, which five non-GMT titles should’ve been developed and published by GMT? There might be something about someone getting drunk as well.

Hopefully this will distract you for a little while.

Live from Portland, the 173rd stop on our world tour, presented in it's entirety without cuts or overdubs, our latest show in all its glory.

Will there be technical difficulties? Yes.

Will we stumble trying to answer tough questions? Possibly.

Will it be good? Sure?

SETLIST:

00:11:31 -- Freedom of Thought or Just an Illusion
00:28:40 -- Unhelpful Billionaires
00:31:12 -- Bruxelles 1897
00:41:13 -- Ora et Labora for Two?
00:44:59 -- Table Top Simulator
00:47:20 -- Barrage: The Leeghwater Expansion
00:58:59 -- A Daily Dose of Metheny, Shakaba and the Ancestors
01:09:13 -- Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban
01:12:39 -- Top 5 Mechanisms, sort of.
01:24:20 -- Top 5 GMT Games
01:33:02 -- Watch Outnumbered. 

Part 4 of this series and we've settled in a little to the new reality.

Having solved his technological difficulties, Joe returns to add his wisdom to the question of getting games to the table with your significant other. Also, we discuss table games played via computer vs. computer games.

All in All, 25 % less dread, 50 % more games.

Join us as we enter week two of the lockdown. We desperately want to keep in touch with our listeners. Hopefully we can keep each other sane as we navigate this brave new world. Included are some tips on gaming with your partner while on lockdown.

In part 2 of our limited series we get Joe setup with a recording rig at home. We talk a little more about the current predicament and then migrate our book discussion over and take a look at Lydia Fitzpatrick's Lights All Night Long.

Hey all.

The Punching Cardboard team is in Isolation. Isolation sucks. It's lonely. It's unnerving. It's stopping us from playing games and talking about them.

But we still have voices, and we think just maybe you'd like our voices to visit the wilderness of your own isolation. You know, to counteract the ones in your brain urging you to scream and never stop.

So, for now, while this disruption lasts, we're gonna send you this series. Our way of talking through the absurdity that is life, especially now that it's truly absurd. These episodes will be shorter and much more frequent (because what the hell else do we have to do) and probably much more free of form and topical, not like we do the PCP any other way.

We hope you dig it.

There are times when you need to make something out of nothing. Entering the studio for episode 172 was one of those times. I mean, we had next to nothing. A game session, a new dram, a couple albums.

But we pulled it together, rambled into other territories, consolidated some stray ideas, and in the end lasted for the marathon. Yea us!?

PATHS:

00:04:17 -- The 2020 PCBA Baseball Season: Last Call
00:08:00 -- Couch, Whiskey, & Digression
00:35:09 -- Bingo Time
00:43:11 -- Back in Good Graces: Time of Crisis
00:47:50 -- I've Never Played Automobile
00:56:45 -- Divinity 2: Orifginial Sin (Group Dynamics A)
01:16:11 -- Bull Run American Whiskey Aged in Pinot Noir Casks
01:25:23 -- Music: Drive By Truckers
01:30:40 -- Memory: Pat Metheny and the best album of 2020
01:51:14 -- Kohle & Kolonie (Group Dynamics B)

If you're only here for our in-depth, main game discussion, then skip the first two hours of the show. If you want to know a little about a lot of game related things, then tuck in at the beginning and enjoy the ride.

ANSWERS:

00:07:01 -- Book List
00:14:10 -- Bingo Begins
00:19:52 -- The Q&A Session Starts Here
00:26:01 -- Fatigued?
00:33:57 -- Will We Attend Any Conventions?
00:41:55 -- To Deluxify or Not to Deluxify?
00:44:26 -- Taking Tricks
00:48:32 -- Of Trains and Wars
00:52:29 -- Feedback in Games
01:04:28 -- Pax Alluring.
01:33:29 -- The Greatness
01:39:09 -- Terra Mystica: Merchants of the Seas (first take)
01:49:47 -- Port Charlotte 10-yo Heavily Peated
01:57:20 -- Music (The Flower Kings, Tame Impala, Spanish Love Songs, The Jayhawks)
02:07:41 -- Flotilla (in-depth)
02:42:44 -- The Night Tiger, by Yangsze Choo

The water flows. The oil moves. The beat goes on. A new era begins, same as the old era. We continue on. Enjoy.

RATES:

00:05:00 -- The State of the Podcast
00:19:19 -- An Adjacent Thought or Two
00:28:45 -- Teasing Terra Mystica's New Expansion
00:34:00 -- Bingo Rules
00:39:27 -- Strat-O-Matic Baseball (of dice and the 2019 PCBA World Series)
00:53:44 -- The Christradamus Predictions
00:55:20 -- Wildcatters (session)
01:09:31 -- Barrage (in-depth)

Route building. Colony building. Future building. Restaurant building.

We turned a lot of resources into a lot of structures these past few weeks. We also bought and sold shares of stock and grilled some burgers. A little of everything, really, resulting in a lot of game talk.

STATIONS:

00:17:52 -- On Joe's Table: Xenon Profiteer & The Arrival
00:22:42 -- On Jim's Table: Food Chain Magnate: Ketchup and Other Mechanisms Expansion
00:41:35 -- Stephenson's Rocket (first take)
00:57:10 -- Pax Transhumanity (first take)
01:15:26 -- High West Campfire
01:27:22 -- On Mars (first take, in-depth)
02:11:14 -- Night Boat to Tangier, by Kevin Barry

Missiles are raining down in Iraq, but ain't we got smiles.

Yeah, I guess. With 2020 already looking doomed already, we steady ourselves and take a look at some of the good things we encountered over the Winter break.

We have hope. We will forge ahead. There are games to be played.

Another Year gone by and it's time for the lists to come out. These are the things that moved us in 2019. How do your experiences compare?

Grab a holiday cocktail, relax, and enjoy.

LISTS:

00:09:41 -- TV & Visual Entertainment (Spoilers and Rants)
00:25:36 -- Video / Computer Games
00:30:56 -- Board Games
01:32:23 -- Music
02:52:50 -- Whiskey & Whisky
02:57:50 -- Books

We go heavy on the games in this year's penultimate episode. Almost two hours taken to cover three games. We expect you'll have a good Idea on whether these are for you.

Enjoy.

PROCEEDINGS:

00:00:00 --  Straight Into Some Music (Delines, Clutch, Joe Henry, Perpetual Grace, Ltd.)
00:32:18 -- Symphony (first take)
00:57:44 -- Bios: Origins 2 (in-depth)
01:38:30 -- Circadians: First Light (in-depth)

This episode marks six years on the air. We take some time, at Joe's behest, to consider this and where the show might go from here. Also, we revisit a a game that was featured on the second episode, and preview a new release.

Have fun.

THE YEARS:

00:05:15 -- Tournamentville
00:09:35 -- Apologies and Better Angels
00:16:33 -- What I Appreciates
00:22:32 -- Making Bad Better and Good Worse
00:30:19 -- 6 Years Down the Road
01:00:10 -- Tank Duel (first take)
01:25:23 -- Yedo (revisited in-depth)

Fighting a cold and the off-season blues, we power though this episode to bring you some pretty heavy game discussion on entries old and new.

Whisky, music and a book round out the proceedings.

CARGO:

00:14:26 -- Panamax (revisited, in-depth)
00:58:36 -- Paladins of the West Kingdom (in depth)
01:45:27 -- Tearraforming Mars: No Need to Draft
01:58:04 -- Kavalan ex-Bourbon Cask Whisky
02:04:15 -- Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds: Ghosteen
02:10:58 -- Lanny, by Max Porter

Often postponed, but never defeated, this new episode transforms from a pile of scraps into a glorious quilt of gaming discourse.

Other stuff as well.

Enjoy

PATTERNS:

00:10:24 -- High Frontier
00:19:44 -- Living Rules, Collections, Rules Again, and So Forth . . . .
00:41:57 -- To Play or Not to Play?
00:54:24 -- Hannibal and Hamilcar (1st Take)
01:03:28 -- Polis
01:05:37 -- More Hannibal
01:08:18 -- Back to Polis
01:15:06 -- New Games??
01:18:42 -- Ardbeg AN OA Single Malt
01:33:10 -- Music (Sturgill Simpson, Mikal Cronin, Mark Lanegan, Anna Meridith, Guided by Voices)
02:03:32 -- War Room (1st Take)

Consider a concert set list. The band comes out and opens with a couple of deep cuts, a bit slow-tempo, really a nod to the fans. But then they kick it in, building tension, generating release, mixing cuts from all their albums, back and forth across the years. For the encore, a few more deep cuts for the die-hards who haven't rushed out to beat the traffic.

We'll just say that this episode is like that show.

CUTS:

00:16:08 -- Player Usage and the Art of Making Out
00:21:46 -- Guild Usage and the Art of Restaurant Patronage
00:23:59 -- T-Shirt usage and the Art of Support
00:27:52 -- City of the Big Shoulders and the Art of Declaration
00:31:18 -- Creating Music and the Art of Distribution
00:35:21 -- High Frontier 4 All and the Art of Paying What's Due
00:39:10 -- The Long and Winding Road (A Games Journey)
01:36:25 -- Right Here, Right Now: Top 5 Euro Games
01:53:04 -- Undaunted: Normandy (in-depth)
02:27:21 -- Snap, by Belinda Bauer

We start slow, as cool ambient music on a rainy Autumn evening, but by the halfway point we warm to the task and heat the discussion up to a boil.

Some games just get you that way.

TEMPS:

00:06:01 -- Tournament Losses (Wir Sind das Volk)
00:17:11 -- Innovation & Shogun (sessions)
00:28:25 -- Five-Player Games, now!
00:40:57 -- Spiderman on PS4
00:52:35 -- Endless Legend
01:00:45 -- City of the Big Shoulders (in-depth)
01:43:50 -- Vindication (preview)
01:54:57 -- Oban Little Bay
01:58:32 -- Washington Black, by Esi Edugyan

Games, Games, Game. Now that Summer is ended, or at least Summer vacation has, we're getting back into a routine that promises to result in the playing of more games.

As a result, despite a brief interlude where we express a bit of weariness with the state of the world, we're diving deep into a few games currently hitting our table. Get your wet suit on and join us.

ROUTINES:

00:09:18 -- Wir Sind das Volk (tournament sessions)
00:33:49 -- Sekigahara (Session)
00:45:20 -- Weary and Filled with Despair
00:55:45 -- The City of the Big Shoulders (preview session)
01:19:27 -- Lords of Hellas (in-depth)

It's been a pretty lazy Summer here in the Pacific Northwest; hence, we are pretty lazy at the moment.

We find ourselves without a deep take on a game here, so we wander lazily around a number of game sessions and offer up some first impressions. This one's really pretty much about playing games.

Cheers.

LAZY AFTERNOONS:

00:16:35 -- Joe's Light Game Roundup
00:25:41 -- Play it Now! Games with 2 Players
00:36:49 -- Food Chain Magnate (session)
00:45:22 -- Too Light & Too Long: SpaceCorp?
00:50:17 -- Pipeline (first take)
00:56:43 -- Lords of Hellas (first take)
01:11:10 -- Agra & Lowenherz (on the table again)
01:13:41 -- Crusader Kings (first take)
01:23:16 -- Outpost (first take)
01:28:48 -- Star Wars: Outer Rim (first take)
01:41:20 -- Call to Post (session)
01:49:10 -- Not 2:18 (was something cut?)

There is no particular order to the order in which we talk about games in this episode.

We have a free-wheelin' conversation covering several games to kick things off and then go off on tangents for awhile before a couple deeper dives, including all the mistakes we made.

I mean, come on, who presents their mistakes as a feature of a game conversation? That's just how we do I guess. Enjoy.

CRITICAL ERRORS:

00:04:26 -- Freewheelin' Game Chatter
00:24:08 -- A Wir Sind Das Volk Tournament update
00:29:43 -- The Gen Con Non-Preview Segment featuring Pusher Joe. We're Sorry.
00:58:24 -- Birthday Gaming: Escape Plan (a five-player revelation)
01:17:48 -- Aberlour 16 year old
01:25:38 -- Downfall: Mistakes Were Made (in-depth, kinda)
02:12:00 -- Retro Spins #1: Beth Orton's Central Reservation
02:16:31 -- Dark & Money Heist (sexy)

Here we present a nice little boardgame stew peppered with a bit of digression and topped off with morally ambiguous book. A hearty Summer meal, kinda like a pasty in Phoenix in the middle of July, except it's games.

Made sense to me when I wrote it. Enjoy.

COMMODITIES:

00:13:24 -- Homestretch with Middle-Schoolers
00:22:02 -- Customer Service: The 7th Continent Replacement Cards
00:26:04 -- Less Stranger Things, More Patriot Please
00:31:17 -- PCBA and other Computer Games
00:38:31 -- The Teeth of Dominant Species and the Paperwork of 18XX
00:57:23 -- A Session of Pax Pamir, 2nd Edition
01:20:00 -- Yinzi: The Shining Ming Dynasty (in-depth)
01:59:57 -- The Painter, by Peter Heller

Everything old is new again.

We spend a couple hours discussing games that are maybe a bit long in the tooth. Do they hold up? Are their technologies still viable in this modern world?

We also talk about some new old music and old new whiskey.

MECHANICS:

00:09:47 -- Caylus or Doing Taxes (Joe's choice)
00:14:37 -- Two Versions of Pax Pamir
00:23:25 -- A Little Glen More off the Shelf
00:26:30 -- Yinzi (first take)
00:40:36 -- Q&A and Whiskey
01:11:05 -- The Quiet of Night and High Lonesome Recollections: Western Stars
01:33:07 -- Agricola (in-depth)
01:52:20 -- Agricola: Farmers of the Moor (in-depth)

Not you people. Not you, the listeners. But when you put 9 people in a house for a week things can get lively. I wonder why they've never made a TV show about this.

So here's what we recall of our annual trip to Colorado, at least the games portion of it. Lots of games

CHAPTERS:

00:03:46 -- A Festivus of Thank Yous
00:17:25 -- Safe Travels
00:24:56 -- Condottiere (session strategies)
00:34:47 -- Carolvs Magnvs (first take)
00:43:20 -- El Grande (in-depth)
01:03:23 -- Roll For the Galaxay: Rivalry (first take)
01:16:07 -- Macallan Edition 3
01:24:20 -- The Dream Syndicate, These Times
01:31:54 -- Sidereal Confluence (in-depth)
02:02:36 -- Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland, Patrick Radden Keefe

A pretty full show.

We cover three Euro games of various weights, several albums that have found their way into rotation and a dram of fine Scotch. Also, a heated discussion about the penultimate episode of Game of Thrones.

Now, who needs more rocks?

PLOT POINTS:

00:11:12 -- Game of Thrones, Penultimate edition (SPOILERS!!!!), Now With More Mandalorian
00:44:55 -- Concordia Venus (session)
01:00:30 -- Agra Again (another session report)
01:15:06 -- The Macallan Edition #2
01:24:24 -- King Gizzard, Trapper Schoep, Fontaines D.C., Little Steven, Craig Finn (new albums)
01:32:33 -- Glen Hansard, The Wild Willing and the idea of album sequencing
01:47:44 -- Architects of the West Kingdom (in-depth)
02:22:13 -- The Marx Brothers Meet Salvador Dali (next book selection??)

I will never fly again. I will never fly again. I will never fly again. I will never fly again.  We played Escape Plan. I will never fly again. I will never fly again. I will never fly again. I will never fly again. I will never fly again. Enjoyed a dram of the BenRiach Horizons. I will never fly again.  I will never fly again. Not Leet. I will never fly again. I will never fly again.

DELAYS:

00:07:42 -- Are You Watching Game of Thrones (Spoilers)
00:20:25 -- Last Ditch Effort (Games on the Stack)
00:24:41 -- The Journey of a Lifetime (Jim vs. the Airlines Round 2)
01:21:03 -- Escape Plan (in-depth)
02:08:20 -- Episode X: A False Hope (Call to Post Edition)
02:15:52 -- The BenRiach Horizons 12yo Single Malt (Nutty Lemons)
02:22:50 -- Tigerman

Sometimes, after recording, I'm uncertain as to whether the episode is worth releasing.

Sometimes we go into the recording session thinking we have very little to say.

Episode 151 met both of those conditions. Yet, in the editing, all seemed well, and in fact, it felt as though much good was accomplished. Whether you agree or not is another matter completely.

MEDITATIONS:

00:15:45 -- 10 Days of Silence
00:32:02 -- Culling the Social Media Some More
00:35:43 -- The Games People Play (Part 1)
00:38:15 -- World's Fair 1893 (in-depth revisited)
00:59:49 -- Snow Tails (in-depth)
01:16:16 -- It's Okay to Lighten Up
01:24:30 -- Nikka Whisky From The Barrel
01:36:49 -- The Games People Play (Part 2: Electronic Ramble Edition)
02:22:26 -- Not Suffering
02:27:07 -- No Rants

Welcome to our 150th episode extravaganza! And by extravaganza we mean the same ol' same ol'. A few games, an album, a book, some banter, a disagreement or two.

Parades and fireworks not included.

MILESTONES:

00:12:44 -- Great Western Trail: Rails to the North (in-depth)
00:40:46 -- Lowenherz (session)
00:59:43 -- Mercury Rev, Bobbie Gentry's The Delta Sweete Revisited
01:14:20 -- Quartermaster General: The Cold War (in-depth session)
01:48:00 -- Spoonbenders, Daryl Gregory 
02:20:25 -- The State of the Podcast
02:39:22 -- Loss

We execute all the plans we never had. Rather, we have no plan and decide to abandon the plan we don't have. In other words, this one is just a loose conversation touching on a slew of games, a couple artful albums, and a damn fine dram of whisky.

Enjoy.

GAME PLAN:

00:15:08 -- Sessions (Game of Thrones, Aquasphere, Calimala, Thunder Alley, Agra)
00:35:05 -- Destiny 2 00:36:50 --Civ Games
00:53:51 -- Kilchoman 2008 Single Malt
01:02:16 -- Music (Dan Mangan, Charles Lloyd, Lucinda Williams)
01:20:18 -- Q&A

Some Games. A Dram. A good book.

Need More? Thought not.

INDULGENCES:

00:16:11 -- Feudum Revisited
00:30:11 -- The Return of the Video Game (Civ 6, Endless Space 2, Destiny 2)
00:53:34 -- The Glendronach 15 yo Single Malt
01:02:17 -- New Frontiers (First Take)
01:13:26 -- Smartphone Inc. (In-Depth)
01:56:40 -- The Relic Hunter

It was the best of games. It was the worst of games. Yeah, we got wisdom, and foolishness, and whatever else this old fat world throws at us.

Welcome to the 147.

The people of the 147 are in a bit of a mood and and the discussion is a bit gritty, but there is much to explore in this one. The folk here aren't interested in the black and white of things, but instead revel in the shades of gray embedded throughout.

Don't be outraged, be engaged.

TONAL VARIATIONS:

00:18:27 -- 18Ireland
00:40:57 -- SpaceCorp (in-depth)
01:08:57 -- Glendalough 13 yo Irish Single Malt
01:21:20 -- Captains of the Gulf (in-depth)
01:39:33 -- Love & Hip-Hop???
01:53:17 -- Dodgers (Bill Beverly)
02:32:40 -- No-Fun February

Here it be.

Our annual look back. Our listaganza. The episode where we talk all about the best games, whiskies, and albums we encountered the previous year. You ask for it and we provide it. Or, maybe you don't ask for it, but here it is anyway.

So take a listen and see if we are remotely close to where last year took you.

REMEMBRANCES:

00:02:30 -- January's Book
00:12:43 -- The Music Lists
01:07:47 -- The Games Lists
01:58:40 -- The Games Honorable Mentions
02:05:45 -- The Whisk(e)y Lists
02:23:25 -- Outro: Odds, Ends and Deliberations

Welcome to the final episode of 2018.

In contrast to the happenings of the real world, we close out the year on a high note, talking about some recent plays and recent releases that have us excited to sit down at the table again.

Enjoy.

LAGRANGE POINTS:

00:10:40 -- Thank Yous
00:13:27 -- Resolutions and our Giveaway
00:26:07 -- Managers Wanted
00:29:21 -- Martian Rails (Session)
00:52:52 -- KeyForge Throwdown (Session)
01:06:07 -- The Dalmore 15 yo Single Malt
01:10:00 -- The Flow of History (First Take)
01:24:39 -- SpaceCorp (In-depth First Take)

With the December chill in full swing we need to get down with something hot, so we're talking a couple new releases that were highly anticipated here in the dungeon. Could they live up to our expectations? Do they play? Do they have legs? Will our travels be rewarded?

The answers to those questions and much more can be heard in our latest episode. Have fun.

TIMETABLES:

00:09:20 -- Blood on the Ohio contest
00:13:03 -- The Good, The Disappointing and the Frustrating
00:31:42 -- The Republic of Rome
00:41:08 -- 18Lilliput
01:08:39 -- KeyForge
01:43:44 -- Book Club #2: Beartown, by Frederik Backman

The boys are back in town and doing well, and all is right with the world. In this episode, the BGG CON experience and a smattering of games, both old and new.

Enjoy.

SCHEDULE:

00:09:20 -- Another Year?
00:12:06 -- December's Book Selection
00:22:26 -- The BGG CON Experience
00:31:25 -- Crayon Rails (Martian Rails, Iron Dragon)
00:43:15 -- Lowenherz
00:48:02 -- Web of Power
01:05:01 -- Random Shout-outs
01:08:47 -- The Mayor of Eurotown
01:14:13 -- Hockey Game Hijinks
01:29:19 -- Underwater Cities
01:47:02 -- Blackout: Hong Kong

Welcome to a lively episode. In this one we dip our toes back into the Eurogame-o-sphere, and we are fairly excited about the waters.

Also, the first installment of the Punching Cardboard Book Club, which results in a heady and exhilarating discussion. As they say in sportsball, we left it all on the field in this one.

CHAPTERS:

00:18:52 -- Wilderness War
00:30:55 -- Francis Drake
01:04:12 -- The Estates
01:19:45 -- Westward American Single Malt
01:30:07 -- TV Diversions: Daredevil Season 3, Patriot
01:36:10 -- Coimbra
01:59:39 -- Book Club #1: Transatlantic, by Colum McCann

It's that time, and we roll the dice and lay out the games that have caught our attention in this year's Essen preview show.

First we cover 10 games nominated by our guild using a complex and patented formula. Then we each take a shot at adding five games of our own discovery. Throw in some expansion discussion, and you have a show of partially educated guessing that is sure to wow even the most cynical gamer.

SPOILERS:

*****
****
***
**
*

00:14:49 -- The Guild 10 plus
00:16:03 -- Tramways Workbook
00:17:58 -- Barrage
00:2303 -- 18Lilliput
0026:37 -- SpaceCorp
00:30:45 -- City of the Big Shoulders
00:34:20 -- Reykholt
00:37:43 -- Pipeline
00:44:06 -- Teotihuacan
00:49:05 -- Captains of the Gulf
00:56:20 -- Pax Emancipation
01:03:42 -- Blackout: Hong Kong
01:12:30 -- Our Fives
01:15:05 -- Architects of the West Kingdom (Jim #5)
01:18:56 -- Ancient Civilizations of the Inner Sea (Jim #4)
01:20:20 -- Underwater Cities (Jim #3)
01:22:04 -- Europa Universalis (Joe #5)
01:24:09 -- Pandoria (Joe#4)
01:25:22 -- Dominant Species: Marine (Joe #3)
01:28:06 -- Imaginarium (Joe #2)
01:30:37 -- Expedition Zetta (Jim #2)
01:34:02 -- War Room (Jim #1)
01:37:20 -- Newton (Joe #1)
01:44:11 -- Expansions and Other Riff Raff

Ramshackle. I like the word ramshackle. Ramshackle Day Parade is a great Joe Strummer song. Streetcore. Track five.

And it's a bit the way we're feeling here in episode 140. Run down. Beat up. We wander through this episode and take on a series of topics pertaining to the state of the hobby, or pertaining to where we exist in it. We go a bit low key, somewhat reflective, and we let the conversation lead us. Hopefully you can dig it.

It's all a little ramshackle.

VERSES:

00:07:38 -- Shirts, Essen Lists, & Other Monkey Biz
00:18:04 -- First Plays With Friends
00:33:35 -- Looking toward 2019
00:49:38 -- Advice to Our Younger Gaming Selves
00:52:49 -- The Social Media Inter-connectedness Blues
01:13:25 -- Book Club!?
00:19:45 -- No Collaboration
01:22:43 -- Wolfburn Single Malt
01:35:39 -- Beak music
01:42:33 -- Failure to Connect (Caylus, Yellow & Yangtze, Sands of Time)

Sometimes you can't fit all the information that's fit to say about a game in one episode. Such was the case with our discussion of Pendragon in Episode 138. In response, we've created a new segment, The Follow-Up. And it debuts here as we attempt to add to our in-depth coverage of heavy games and game systems.

Also, how concerts are and how they should be, a beer and a dram, and a short look at a new abstract. Cheers.

SETLIST:

00:10:03 -- Pendragon (follow-up)
00:44:05 -- A Beer and a Dram (Blanton's Single Barrel & Crux Play Wave Pale)
00:51:09 -- Rockin' All Over Town
01:13:16 -- 43 Minutes (Trapper Schoepp - Run Engine Run)
01:16:28 -- All You Need is 43 Minutes (Paul McCartney - Egypt Station)
01:19:29 -- War Chest (First Take)

Whosoever pulleth this sword from this rock shall, um, I don't know, do some stuff, vanquish some folks, and then become king of someplace. Right? 4th Century A.D., 5th?

We're talking Pendargon: The Fall of Roman Britain here in episode 138. That, and a bit of list nonsense, and little dram of something nice as well.

No pillaging allowed!

RAIDS:

00:02:55 -- Scooters From Hell
00:16:36 -- Pendragon: The Fall of Roman Britain (in-depth)
01:23:29 -- Oban 18 yo Ltd. Ed.
01:32:17 -- The Best Games at Each Player Count (from 1-6)

Here ya go kids, all the way from the lands of Antiquity, episdoe 137, take 2. We sewed all the parts together and shocked it into being. Because we care.

Sincerely,
Dr. Frankenstein

PARTS:

00:15:03 -- What We Did on Our Summer Vacation
00:35:11 -- Condottiere
00:41:04 -- Legend of the Five Rings -- Casual Decks Need Not Apply??
00:44:38 -- Sessions: Lisboa, Shogun, Age of Steam
00:51:17 -- Lost Valley
00:55:22 -- Root
01:06:16 -- The Music of Our Lives
01:32:15 -- A Dram and a Beer (Sexton Irish Single Malt / Saint Archer Mandarina Pale)
01:38:59 -- Emily Post and Gaming
01:54:53 -- Antiquity (in-depth)

P.S. -- We still forgot the scooters!!!

It's Summertime! Here's something for a long drive in a rented car or a lazy afternoon at the beach.

MILEAGE:

00:09:57 -- Dusting Off The Shelves: Argent: The Consortium (Session)
00:27:47 -- Quartermaster General: 1914
00:33:54 -- Tigres & Euphrates
00:39:47 -- A Midsummer Night's Questions
01:06:27 -- Music: Rolling Blackouts CF, Gaz Coombes, Kamasi Washington
01:39:58 -- GLOW
01:42:21 -- A Little Light Non-fiction: Apollo8, Seabiscuit, Ben Franklin
01:43:57 -- Bios Megafauna, 2nd Edition (in-depth)

As Summer settles in we look to take it a little easy. Some shelves are dusted off, and a couple titles come back to the table after resting a few years. Also, a rare abstract finds it's way into our rotation. 

We also recount a few sessions and some trips to some gigs. Easy Breezy, as Joe might say.

PARTICLES:

00:11:13 -- Bruges & The City on the Zwin
00:17:23 -- Innovation & Echoes
00:28:52 -- Automobile
00:35:03 -- Portland 18XX Con
00:40:57 -- What is it With 18XX?
00:46:55 -- Going to the Shows (Starebaby, Robert Plant)
01:15:28 -- Bob Dylan Makes Whiskey
01:29:19 -- Azul (in-depth)

Hey there.

We discuss a sprawling, big Euro game, a compact, tense Euro game and five albums that should be filling your ears. All that and a debate on the state of the hobby in episode 134 of the 'cast.

Please enjoy.

MOMENTS:

00:10:49 -- The John and Company Not Monopoly Contest Results
00:18:40 -- A Trade to Make? (Tash Kalar & Terra Mystica for 18CZ)
00:21:10 -- Joe plays Feudum (multiple sessions)
00:49:42 -- The Burning Question: Sturgeon's Law and Board Games
01:21:35 -- This Week in Spins (Neko Case, The Magic Numbers, The Pineapple Thief and more)
01:42:18 -- Carthago (in-depth)
02:16:33 -- It is all just a Tire Fire, Lusty or Not.

We serve up something a little different in this episode. On tap is a play by play, blow by blow, and drink by drink recap of our trip to Denver for Heavy Con and its impromptu satellite cons. Did we have fun? Did we play enough games? You be the judge.

Welcome aboard the Punching Cardboard World Tour 2018.

ARRIVALS AND DEPARTURES:

00:09:12 -- A John Company Pre-Post-Production Contest
00:20:05 -- Day 1: On the Road; Old Men Tempting Altitude; Bison; Comfort Sleep
00:34:10 -- Day 2: 1000 to 1 odds in Dynasty League; Imposters; The Tower of Ginkgopolis
00:54:56 -- Day 3: Ridin' the Rails in 1830; Kings Forged in Steel; John Company negotiations
01:21:29 -- Day 4: Uber Heat; Pax Renaissance Tournament; Wings & Beer; K is for Killed
01:31:42 -- The Whisky Break
01:51:06 -- Day 5: 1714 Works No Matter the Rules; A Pax Ren Finale
02:02:22 -- Day 6: BBQs and Hail Storms
02:04:10 -- Day 7: Denver International Airport Wins Again

When you most expect it, and pretty much the way you like it. Episode 132. A handful of games, a little whiskey and a few good tunes. All of it, wrapped up into a semi-coherent conversation. Enjoy.

COLORS:

00:07:36 -- Heaven & Ale (quick take)
00:14:38 -- The Trouble With Mombasa?(quick take)
00:26:58 -- Isle of Skye: Journeyman Expansion (quick take)
00:38:17 -- Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style Bourbon
00:41:28 -- Music (Dr. Dog, Al Stewart)
00:48:57 -- The Year of the Cat
00:54:16 -- Lost in Vegas, Free Thinker Shoutout
00:56:46 -- Legend of the Five Rings (in-depth)

Bruce may be dropping the needle and saying a prayer over at ol' Mary's place, and Frank's ghost sure as hell is still jammin' over at Joe's garage, but there's a cool breeze on a warm evening over here on Jackie's porch.

We've got a little bourbon neat, a few slices of pie and some fancy cards; it's a juxtaposition of thinkiness and relaxation. Come on over and join the band.

SOUNDS:

00:02:07 -- No Con For You!
00:08:16 -- A Burning Question #1: Why Portland?
00:25:38 -- Joe's first Magic experience
00:42:18 -- The Fail Us of Caylus
00:46:17 -- Knob Creek 9 yo Small Batch
00:52:05 --Thinky Music: Dan Weiss' Starebaby, Jonathan Finlayson & Sicilian Defense, Giraffes? Giraffes!
01:08:31 -- The Notness: Conquest of Paradise (in-Depth & Session)

Using our trusty mobile recording device, we gather at a secret location (Joe's) and leave our comfort zone to lay down the riffs that comprise episode 130. Some games covered, some stout imbibed and some stories related. This is a loose episode. The information is fractured. Our thought train, a bit derailed. Still, it all comes out fine in the end. And no gorillas were harmed in the making. Enjoy.

WOODLAND FACTIONS:

00:09:28 -- How to Avoid Gaming
00:22:53 -- A Con Job?
00:30:07 -- Terra Mystica After a while (Special Appearance by The Gaia Project)
00:37:09 -- Root (Initial Impressions & a $400 clutch)
00:49:52 -- The Stumbler Bourbon Barrel Aged Stout.
00:57:20 -- A Sloan Experience
01:08:30 -- The 7th Continent (Special Appearance by Gloomhaven)

Episode 129 is here. We discuss a few chunky, meaty games. We examine a new musical release from a well respected indie duo. And we imbibe a couple of weighty bourbons.

Won't you join us on this magical journey of hope and glory?

SCHEDULE:

00:12:55 -- Will There Ever be a Punching Con?
00:21:15 -- Broken Spirits & Resurrections (Through the Ages & Shogun)
00:48:13 -- Wye Oak, The Louder I Call, the Faster it Runs
01:01:22 -- A Tale of Two Bourbons (Bad Guy vs. Elijah Craig Barrel Proof)
01:14:57 -- Crisis (In-Depth)

Chaos. Uncertainty. Disloyalty. Keywords of the day. But we can handle it. We can fling Loyalty challenges across the table with the best of them. We can arrange a Renaissance marriages and take over religions and funnel coins from one bank to the next like it's water flowing through pipes. Oh, yes we can. And then we can turn it all up to 11 and list the Euros that should remain on our shelves.

Yep, that's all happening here in episode 128.

DECREES:

00:14:18 -- It Was a Time (some recent plays)
00:21:36 -- Pax Renaissance (the Eklund Experience)
00:46:57 -- Sekigahara (Session Report)
01:07:55 -- Yellow Stone Ltd. Ed. 2015
01:16:55 -- A Little Light Music (Superchunk & Will Johnson Redux)
01:27:08 -- 11 Euros that cans stay on each of our shelves.

No one's going to accuse us of following the cult of the new in this one. We talk about a couple older games that have hit the tables around here while shaming ourselves about a good number of titles collecting dust on our shelves. Our whiskey's been nicely aged as well (Unfortunately, the fine salted caramel stout decided to collide with some rusted trains).

So, tip your servers and enjoy the session, and please, please, please, don't spill your beer.

RELICS:

00:04:38 -- The Best Damn Guild on BGG.
00:08:45 -- The Punching Cardboard Baseball Association
00:15:04 -- Our Shelves of Shame
00:37:48 -- On Gaming Clubs for Middle/High Schoolers
00:56:24 -- And the Winner Is . . . (Gamesurplus.com Agra Giveaway)
01:04:56 -- Willett Pot Still Reserve
01:10:20 -- Bruxelles 1893 (Revisited)
01:29:27 -- Story vs. Form in Film
01:46:05 -- 1862: Railway Mania in the Eastern Counties (In-depth)

As the supernova known as February fades we are able to conquer the light years and arrive on a fairly sane planet. It is here where we attempt to answer your questions and guide you through the Gaia Project.

Then, after our usual efforts, we wade into uncharted territory with a serious discussion on a very serious topic. Passengers will be warned and given a chance to depart beforehand, but we do recommend taking the entire journey.

Will we succeed, or will a horde of alien races destroy our babbling civilization? 

MISSIONS:

00:12:27 -- Joe visits Board Game Blitz Con
00:23:09 -- The Q&A Begins
00:26:14 -- Maintaining Interest in Medium Weight Euros (Steampunk Rally embed part I)
00:44:42 -- If We Only Had a Normal Deck of Cards
00:56:33 -- If We Were Olympians
01:03:10 -- Top 5 Older Games
01:12:37 -- Some Game Mechanics That We Don't Dig (Steampunk Rally embed part II)
01:25:12 -- Getting Jim in Trouble (USA Womens' Hockey vs. USA Mens' Hockey)
01:35:05 -- The Agra Giveaway
01:38:40 -- The Q&A Ends
01:38:53 -- The Ardmore Legacy
01:43:53 -- Gaia Project (in-depth)
02:25:50 -- #NeverAgain (This Needs to be Said)

Here be episode a buck and a quarter. We're doin' the usual. You're doin' the usual. It's like we all get along or something. Enjoy.

ITEMS:

00:21:50 -- Iberian Rails (in-depth)
00:51:53 -- Westland American Oak Single Malt
01:02:49 -- Albums by Jeff Rosenstock and Will Johnson
01:28:11 -- Wildcatters (in-depth)

On Episode 124 of As the Cardboard Turns: Joe continues to show off his quick thinking with his ability to jab and dance and commentate. In addition, we a treated to a stellar performance of the word turmeric. Meanwhile, right in front of your ears, Jim loses his battle to a nasty cold.

Will the headhunters come calling to offer Joe a better gig on a more prestigious show? Will Jim’s battle against the evil Mucus be for naught? Will the dog notice that Timmy has fallen into the well? Well, we’ll just have to wait for the next episode for those answers. Until then, enjoy this week’s descent into board game madness.

PROGRAMS:

00:05:55 — Helping a Brother Out
00:16:05 — Rajas of the Ganges and other Tomfoolery (Short Take)
00:34:29 — A Mini Rails flaw?
00:38:01 — 18CZ: The Railway Comes to Czech Lands (Session Report)
01:28:15 — 57 Channels and Something On (Featuring The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel)
01:43:50 — Agra (In-Depth)

Welcome to the first show of 2018. It's a good show. It's a fun show. It's a show containing discussions of games new and old. And it's it's chock full of the stuff that makes Punching Cardboard great.

(Wait, Punching Cardboard is great??? (Sure is, just roll with it before someone notices.))

So kick back, pour a wee dram, and enjoy the lively banter and thoughtful analysis.

RESOLUTIONS:

00:07:14 -- The Christmas Joy and Space Truckin'
00:15:13 -- Joe's First Airport Rant
00:25:13 -- Brackets! This about Brackets?
00:27:04 -- Help a Brother Out, aka Another Dinger's Thingers Giveaway
00:30:32 -- Warriors of Jogu: Feint (Quick Take)
00:48:33 -- 1960: The Making of the President (In-depth)
01:19:03 -- Transatlantic (First Take)
01:30:34 -- Laphroaig Triple Wood
01:34:49 -- Keyper (In-depth)

We made it. 2017 is heading out the door. We're battered and beaten and bruised and bewitched and bespoke and bee-stung and help me off this ride. Phew!

But before we go, here's a bunch of stuff we dug in 2017. We're talkin' games and whiskey and whisky and tunes and food and beer and a whole lot of other things in this episode. We take a swipe at a few things, but we mostly go for the good stuff as we sneak off to 2018, hoping that if it doesn't hear us we can find a little more peace and joy in that neck of the woods. Anyway, please enjoy our year-end extravaganza. We'll see you on the other side.

IN THE BOOTH:

00:08:28 -- Card Tray Giveaway
00:16:09 -- Games (10 down to 6)
00:51:41 -- Top 5 Train Games (Joe)
00:54:03 -- Top 5 Reasons to Hate Sports (Jim, an audible)
01:00:05 -- Best Music of 2017
01:23:22 -- Top 5 IPAs (Joe)
01:27:47 -- Top 5 Foods (Jim)
01:35:44 -- Whisky Tasting Results
01:41:32 -- Games (5 down to 1)
02:17:45 -- Disappointments and Other Odds & Ends

Here we are in the heart of the holiday season, starting to work off all that late November food while trying to navigate the December gifting maze. So, of course, let's talk about some games.

We kick things off with an inconclusive discussion of An Infamous Traffic before moving forward to counteract the hustle of the season with session reports that further explore some of the games that have already graced this show. Add in a little bourbon and music and this cocktail might just be the cocktail you were looking for. 

INGREDIENTS:

00:02:03 -- Here Be Dragons
00:11:35 -- The Baseball Association?
00:15:43 -- Who Wants Card Holders?
00:26:40 -- An Infamous Traffic (Incongruous Thoughts)
00:53:45 -- Weller's Special Reserve Bourbon
01:00:30 -- (Gaming Sessions)
01:02:48 -- Calimala
01:09:43 -- Mini Rails
01:15:10 -- Lignum
01:23:52 -- Game of Thrones (1st Edition (9 Players))
01:34:57 -- Arkwright
01:37:42 -- The Lego Robotics Tournament
01:43:12 -- Music (The Euge Organ Trio, John Murry, Joe Henry, Do Make Say Think, Broken Social Scene)

It's a long way from Portland to Dallas, but Jim makes the journey and Punching Cardboard represents at 2017's edition of BGG CON. The people, the games, the whisky, the food, the triumphs, the mishaps: It's all here for your listening pleasure. 

SCHEDULE:

00:13:08 -- In 'n' Out Burger, huh, What is it Good For?
00:15:29 -- BGG CON Overview Begins
00:34:10 -- It's Not Rocket Science, Jim.
00:53:45 -- Meetup Oblivion
01:03:44 -- Ratchet Soul
01:15:30 -- Joe's Non-Con Begins
01:15:50 -- Clans of Caledonia (Joe's Take)
01:29:20 -- Calimala (In-Depth)

If you like to convert resources into goods and then use those goods to build structures and make technological advances while saving your money for conversion to other currencies (phew!), then you have come to the right place.

Here in Episode 119 we look at shipping coal, goods conversions, and making money through buying money from other countries. Econ 101? Probably not, but at least as much fun.

EXCHANGE RATES: 

00:01:52 -- Shirts, Finally
00:15:33 -- For Ex (Session Report)
00:45:27 -- Oh My Goods! (Quick Take)
01:00:40 -- Clynelish 14yo
01:08:44 -- Music (Ben Allison, Louis Sclavis, King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, And So I Watch You From Afar)
01:28:58 -- The Ruhr: A Story of Coal Trade (In-Depth)