Punching Cardboard

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 -- Domin

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)