Someone recently commented that our podcasts are almost as long as Wagner's operas. Well, seeing as we take that as a challenge, this one's epic! Sweeping! Cinematic! In 70 mm Technicolor!

After some short reviews and music talk, and  spin-offs of Eric's "When Things Went Bad" segments, we launch into our annual Essen preview. These are the games we're hoping will take some money out of our pockets. Do we play it safe? Can we find something unique, something off the radar? And how many of these games will even be available to us?

Gotta say, this is a long one, but I sure enjoyed the listen while editing.

LISTS:

03:05 -- Starfighter (review)
23:49 -- Secret Question #8
24:17 -- Tides of Time (review)
30:20 -- Bountytown
52:05 -- Music: Destroyer, Matt Pond PA, Joe Henry
64:50 -- Essen Preview, How We Do
67:10 -- A Wife's Wisdom and When Things are Forgotten
69:40 -- Shout Out Louisville
71:40 -- More Wisdom?
75:45 -- List Making & Expansion Desires
78:57 -- Essen & Beyond, 5th Choices
86:10 -- 4th Choices
95:17 -- 3rd Choices
105:00 -- 2nd Choices
112:40 -- 1st Choices
121:26 -- Honorable Mentions

Guess what kids? We've been playing games. Lots of games. New games, old games, good games, bad games, even unpublished games (like Gil Hova's upcoming charmer, The Networks). Yea games!

And now, through the miracle of the Interent, you can follow along and listen to what we think of all these games we've played. It's kinda like a sing-a-long, with that bouncy ball hopping around above the words, except we don't have video, so it's really not like that at all.

FOLLOW THE BALL:

01:50 -- Six Degrees of Aggravation
07:16 -- The Networks (Review)
53:35 -- Yellow Spot Irish Whiskey
60:54 -- We played Gen Con games at Sasquatch
63:05 -- Starfighter
69:00 -- Codenames
72:11 -- Spyfall
75:58 -- Discoveries
77:00 -- Secret Question #7
79:15 -- Viceroy
80:50 -- Isle of Skye
82:14 -- New York, 1901
86:15 -- Rattle, Battle, Grab the Loot
94:33 -- Ty Con 2015 (the Seconding)
97:37 -- Kohle & Kolonie (mini-review)

Here at Punching Cardboard headquarters there is always the difference between what plans are made and what plans are realized. Here it is, our 75th show. The plan was to record something a little out of the ordinary for episode 75; the realization is our typical fare with some humor, conversation and opinions on games, whisky and music.

Still, we think that’s pretty good. After all, we wouldn’t have made it to episode 75 if we didn’t feel we were doing good things, and we wouldn’t have kept going if you all weren’t listening (Yep, we’re throwing you guys under the bus).

So if you’ve been around for a good while, thanks for putting our ‘cast into your rotation. And if you’re just coming to the party, welcome. We hope you’ll all stay on board for this ride. We may not record too many special episodes over the next 75, but we’ll probably realize 75 more episodes. Just imagine, Episode 150 — Caverna 2: the Agricola Field Recordings! (remastered edition). You know you want it. So do we. Let’s have fun together.

TRACK LISTING:

01:50 — Tame Impala / Jason Isbell
07:16 – – (Upcoming Games)
07:47 — We Give Phil Eklund All Our Money
12:14 — “Kingdom Builder? This About Kingdom Builder?”
14:00 — Thanks for the games
17:38 — (What We’ve Been Playing / Buying)
17:45 — Trambahn
22:20 — Mage Knight Expansion Troubles?
25:14 — King of New York / Sheriff of Nottingham / Citadels
29:16 — The BenRiach Septendecim, 17 year old Peated
34:13 — Barony
66:13 — Secret Question #6

Welcome to episode 74. Inside you will find a lengthy discussion about games that we have played more than any others, a tasting report on a new single malt, and a few new music recommendations.

But to top it off Jim spends about a half hour talking to Richard "Doc" Diosi of Mercury games about their upcoming reprint of Princes of the Renaissance.

So sit back and pour a wee dram and enjoy.

HEADLINES

03:45 -- Madeira Revisited
16:32 -- Interview with Richard "Doc" Diosi (Mercury Games)
27:23 -- Princes of the Renaissance
50:36 -- anCnoc 12 year old single malt
58:45 -- Tame Impala, Jason Isbell, Little Steven
68;33 -- Defend Your Ten (Our top ten most played games)
117:20 -- True Confessions
119:00 -- The Secret Q (we almost forgot)

You want a discussion about a lot of board games? You've come to the right place. We make good on our promise to catch up on what we've been playing, which results in some "near" reviews of several games.

Plenty of cardboard related talk in this one. And a Green Spot toast to some deserving new champions who have a very large cup to carry around all Summer.

BOXSCORE:

00:30 -- Captain Serious and the Showtime Kid (Duncan Keith too.)
04:19 -- Business
09:55 -- Bring on the Cavalcade of Games
10:15 -- Oh No, It's the Watch Patrol!
18:00 -- Rune Age
22:03 -- Chimera
37:24 -- Lewis & Clark
50:56 -- Depth to Length, a Litany
62:25 -- The Secret Question (#3)
64:54 -- Dungeon Lords (You Will Play This Game)

Well, this one certainly got away from us, didn't it? Our docket looked thin with a new idea, a few apologies, a clarification of mission, and a few game summaries, but somehow we reached the two hour mark.

I guess we didn't expect our summaries to become full blown reviews, and we also forgot to factor in the fun we were having. I imagine not recording in three weeks played a role as well. Just more of us to love, I guess.

THE DOCKET:

02:05 -- Sylvion (review)
33:30 -- All Apologies
40:00 -- Ardbeg Corryvreckkan
52:11 -- Secret Question #1
59:55 -- The Hitchhikers Guide to Punching Cardboard (Mission Statement)
72:55 -- Future Scheduling
74:57 -- Asgard (unexpected review)

The interesting thing about our show is that the vast majority of the time we are in agreeance about most everything we cover. Yet, we are sometimes defined by the very few feisty arguments that have graced this program (and you can't see the smiles on our faces when we record these).

Will this be a defining episode? Quite possibly, as we do come down on very opposite sides of one of our 3x3 entrants. Rest assured, no podcasters we're injured in the making of this episode (We quite enjoyed ourselves), and we put Mayweather and Pacquiao to shame.

ROUNDS:

01:09 -- Green Spot
09:39 -- No Business
11:25 -- Future Spins
18:05 -- Trains: Rising Sun and Other Deck Builders
22:43 -- First Things Went Bad, Then Good (Lords of Scotland, Onirim)
29:50 -- Love Letter Batman Bar Etiquette
31:41 -- Whiskey and Pancakes
32:40 -- How is That 3x3 Coming Along?
40:15 -- 1714: The Case of the Catalans (Impressions, Main Event)
95:20 -- MTG and Little League

Today we head back in time, and without the help of a TARDIS.

We drink some finely aged Scotch and discuss a finely aged band, and then we dart back to the beginning of the 20th Century and explore the great age of yellow journalism. But it all still seems so modern, so we head for the way way back machine and go play with a couple of ancient civilizations in the Mediterranean.

It's just all so historical. Maybe more than we can fathom, but we go anyway, because it's what we do. Come along for the ride.

HISTORIES:

05:20 -- Ardbeg Uigeadail
12:03 -- The Waterboys, Modern Blues
19:36 -- Baseball Highlights Expansion News
22:37 -- Penny Press (impressions)
45:20 -- Polis: Fight for the Hegemony (in-depth)
107:10 -- Fight the Power!!

Oh man, did we pack this show. We threw everything at this one. I even think I saw a kitchen sink fly by.

We give you a little something to drink, a little something to listen to, something to watch, a couple things to play, stuff that went bad, annoying stuff, some oil, water, vinegar: Everything you like or hate about us is in this one.

Forgive us for we know not what we do.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN:

01:37 -- 3x3 Challenge Update (play along)
05:38 -- We Don't Just Go Along With the Crowd
07:48 -- Aberlour A'Bunadh
15:10 -- Courtney Barnett: Sometimes I Sit and Think . . . 
25:18 -- Everybody Plays!!!
29:45 -- The Proper Use of Facebook
30:33 -- Daredevil
34:45 -- Arboretum (review)
55:55 -- When Things Went Bad (music edition)
58:10 -- ZhanGuo (review)

While we considered continuing the remote podcasting with a trip on Route 66, we decided to return to the studio instead and get back to some normalcy. A little Whisky, a little music, a lot of games, and a new challenge await you in this magical land. We hope you enjoy your visit.

ROADMAP:

02:58 -- Some Thank Yous
08:01 -- Balvenie Doublewood
11:27 -- The Baseball Project
16:08 -- Kick (starting) the Spring Lull
18:35 -- Lord of the Rings LCG
27:07 -- Lords Of Xidit
40:36 -- The 3x3 Challenge
77:07 -- ZhanGuo Will Have to Wait