Keith talks about a secret computer game project he’s working on, and reflects at length on similarities between MMO game design and the world building of shows like Battlestar Galactica, The 100, Enterprise, Lost, and in particular, Westworld. Then they talk at great length about Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, and also The Magicians and The Eagle Huntress. Lastly they talk more about Westworld, this time with spoilers aplenty.
SPOILER ALERT: Spoilers inside.
This week Keith’s in town, so they guys record the episode in Andy’s Game Room, where they spend some time discussing random vintage games in Andy’s collection. Andy gives Keith a box of cold-fusion Chubble which leads to yet another discussion about time travel. Keith talks about The Magicians and notes some of the differences between the book and the series. Keith talks about watching the series Space Race, causing Andy to talk about spaceflight history, in particular project Vanguard and race to launch the first satellite. Moving on to movies, they talk a little about Fantastic Beasts, Zootopia, the Secret Life of Pets, and Doctor Strange. Then they each answer the question, what’s your favorite Marvel movie?
Andy talks about the reviews Pyramid Arcade is starting to get, and laments minor errors that have emerged on one of the gameboards inside. But mostly the guys just discuss media, in particular, a couple of long discussions about Westworld. Other topics include a couple of series from the BBC (Space Race and Black Mirror) and a new Beatles album from an alternate dimension, called Everyday Chemistry.
First, Andy & Keith check in on each other’s games, Illimat and Pyramid Arcade, then they talk about conventions they each just got back from, GameHoleCon for Andy and Ambercon for Keith. Then they get into lengthy, spoiler-laced discussions of The Good Place, Timeless, and Westworld.
Spoiler Alert: Spoilers inside.
Illimat is the first subject of note, since Keith’s Kickstarter is just about to close. Andy talks about his recent West Coast trip, in particular discussing visits to local institutions including Portland’s numerous McMenamins locations, and LA’s Time Travel Mart, where Andy bought a mysterious product imported from the future called Chubble. Media subjects include Timeless, Westworld, and The Good Place.
This week Andy stops in Portland (during his big West Coast Trip) to visit Keith. Andy tells Keith how the trip has been so far, and Keith tells Andy about the Illimat Kickstarter he’s right in the middle of. Other topics include dog parks, Pyramid Arcade, the musical Hamilton, and dueling with paintball guns. Lastly they discuss several new shows: Timeless, Westworld, and Luke Cage.
John Cooper joins Andy & Keith to talk about the early days of the Looney Pyramids game system. Of course the story begins with Icehouse, and the tournaments we used to run for that game, including the infamous 4th IIT, made famous by Keith and the Bates Discordians. Then they discuss John’s games for pyramids + tarot cards (Zarcana & Gnostica) and John’s finest creation, Homeworlds.
The episode begins with Keith talking about his about-to-launch Kickstarter for his new game Illimat, and Andy points out that it’s an example of something he calls a Gobstopper: something that started out as a fictional thing, then became a real-life version of that thing. But then they spent most of the episode talking about the season 2 finale of Mr. Robot.
First the guys talk about recent bummers, both national and local, then they discuss various work issues. They discuss several conceptual games including the board game called The Emperor’s New Clothes and some vintage, very tricky video games, including Humpback and Desert Bus. Then they spend the rest of the episode talking about the penultimate episode of seasons 2 of Mr. Robot.
The show begins with some yammering about naps, the difficulty of falling asleep, and the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy original radio series. Then Keith talks more about Illimat, what it’s like to work with the Decemberists, the XOXO festival, and the coins from Fall of Magic. Andy mentions his worries about how the Haijin shipping crisis might impact the arrival date of Pyramid Arcade. Keith mentions a book he’s reading about Yellow Kid Weil, which leads to a discussion the word outlaw and of con man films including The Sting and The Flim-Flam Man. Andy talks about lots of media he’s seen recently, including Steven Universe, the new Spockumentary, and four different time travel movies. Lastly as usual, they bring down the spoiler curtain to discuss the most recent episode of Mr. Robot.
SPOILER ALERT: Spoilers Inside