All posts filed under “Tabletop Games”

August 18, 2026

Episode 364: I AM YELLING, KEITH!

The word is bunnies because baby bunnies have been spotted again in Keith’s yard and he tells us all about them. Tangents include the differences between rabbits (and bunnies) vs hares and also rock vs. stone. Then they get into a big discussion of fictional rabbits and their favorite bunnies, first discussing serious bunnies (most notably those in Watership Down) and then, the many funny bunnies. Keith wonders why, as a society, we seem to like bunnies more than squirrels. Next the nerds discuss their plans for GenCon, and Andy mentions a couple of conventions he and Kristin will be Guests of Honor at this fall. Keith talks about his new card game, The Banjo King, and talks about changing the name of the Night Market to the Ghost Market. Lastly, they discuss the Dungeon Crawler Carl series, which they are both in the middle of reading (or rather, listening to) and how it’s similar to the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. They will be continuing to discuss DCC in future episodes.

Episode 364: I AM YELLING, KEITH!

July 22, 2026

Episode 363: Hello, My Name is Phil

The word is franchise and the nerds start by discussing various franchise operations, both real and fictional. Specific topics include a boardgame called Fast Food Franchise, those paper food service hats, the current Bricks & Minifigs scandal, the details of mundane healthcare in a fantasy RPG world, and this week’s “favorite thing” discussion, which is about restaurant franchises. Then they each report on recent events they’ve returned from, with Andy going to Origins where he was debuting his new game, Seven Islands, and Keith going to a bluegrass festival, where he was previewing his newest game, The Banjo King. Other topics include the game designer’s problem of what to do with old prototypes, a world where everyone is named Phil, and a classic Top Ten List from David Letterman. Lastly, they extend last week’s “Dream Crew” discussion to add an Ensign and a Starship.

Episode 363: Hello, My Name is Phil

June 9, 2026

Episode 361: Green Green Yellow Yellow Green

The word is Danger! The nerds discuss various dangers, including a new game Andy is working on called Danger Star. Then they spend a lot of time talking about their favorite robots, with Andy first providing a detailed recap of episode 160, in which they discussed the topic informally. Then they break it down into sub-categories including favorite Star Wars robot, favorite real-life robot, and the differences between androids, cyborgs, robots, and smart vehicles. After discussing some old business, Keith talks about playtesting his new Daggerheart campaign, and how the system is fundamentally different from D&D. Meanwhile, Andy reports on playtest #13 of Starbase Armstrong, for which he dusted off his programmer hat to write some much needed score-calculating software. Moving on to media, they talk about a book they’re both reading, called 253, and after dropping the Spoiler Curtain, they discuss the first few episodes of Taskmaster season 21 and a few other things including the UK Celebrity version of The Traitors.

Episode 361: Green Green Yellow Yellow Green

March 24, 2026

Episode 358: The Tarot Show

The word is tarot, and the nerds spend a lot of time talking about tarot decks: what they like about them, which tarot decks are their favorites, etc. Other topics they discuss along the way include other divination systems, the Chronicles of Amber, the Looney Oracle, Rekon-3, the Deck of Many Things, Persona, Last Call, and Oblique Strategies. Then they get into a very long discussion about Zarcana, the pyramid game you play on a gameboard made out of tarot cards. Lastly, Keith talks about an unpublished game called The Nightwood Society.

Episode 358: The Tarot Show

February 27, 2026

Episode 357: I Like Ice Cream

The word is Haggis, since Keith just said goodbye to his beloved cat of that name. Keith talks about what a great cat he’d been, and how empty the house is now, without both Haggis and Ping. To cheer themselves up from this somber topic, the nerds talk at great length about ice cream — their favorite flavors, manufacturers, parlors, etc. Moving on to work stuff, Keith talks about his new project, The Night Market, and Andy talks about his newest game, Seven Islands. Lastly, they talk about media, mostly focusing on Star Trek’s Starfleet Academy.

Episode 357: I Like Ice Cream

February 17, 2026

Episode 356: Riverdale, Sunnydale, and Greendale

The word is Academy, since the new Star Trek series about Starfleet Academy just debuted. They discuss the show at a high level, saving the spoilery details for the final part of the show. Then they discuss their favorite schools in various categories. Moving on to life stuff, they each report on current work stuff they’ve been working on: Keith talks about a zany Daggerheart scenario he ran, and some details about the system, and Andy talks about how well the first use of the Looney Labs GameTracker worked out at CodeMash. Lastly, they drop the spoiler curtain to fully discuss the first few episodes of Starfleet Academy.

Spoiler Warning: Contains spoilers!

Episode 356: Riverdale, Sunnydale, and Greendale

December 23, 2025

Episode 354: Tentacle Monsters

The word is Dejarik, since this year’s holiday gift from Looney Labs is Looney Dejarik, which Andy explains at length. Then the nerds talk about their favorite calendars, with Keith talking at length about advent calendars in particular. Next, Keith talks about the launch of Jerry Garcia’s Cosmic Journey, and plans for the third season of Legacy of Worlds. Moving on to media, they discuss Pluribus, Welcome to Derry, Stranger Things, and Wicked For Good.
Spoiler Warning: Contains Spoilers!

Episode 354: Tentacle Monsters

November 18, 2025

Episode 353: The Ultimate Wizard Hat

The word is Costume, since it was just halloween. The nerds discuss their favorite costumes, from childhood to LARPing to what to wear when answering the door for Trick or Treaters. Moving on to work stuff, they discuss their plans for PAX Unplugged, and Andy drops a few hints about his newest game. Lastly, they discuss media stuff, including Pluribus, Taskmaster season 20, Predator: Badlands, and Death by Lightning.

Episode 353: The Ultimate Wizard Hat

July 22, 2025

Episode 346: The Cake Cone is a Flared Frustum

The Cake Cone is a Flared Frustum

The word is Cones, and after some discussion about the different types of ice cream comes, the subject of the Cones of Dunshire leads to very long conversation about fictional tabletop games and their favorites in that category. After dropping the spoiler curtain, they review the end of season two of Andor and the start of season 19 of Taskmaster.

January 7, 2025

Episode 337: The 3rd Thing Always Works

The 3rd Thing Always Works

This week the word is tragedy, since Andy lost two close friends recently (Amber Cook and Kory Heath). After discussing the concept of tragedy for a bit, the nerds lighten the mood by pivoting to comedy, and spent awhile discussing their favorite comedy movies and TV shows. After this, Keith talks about some of the games he’s been playing, including at AmberCon, then Andy talks about work he’s been doing, first on pyramid game stuff, then on Fluxx game stuff. After those things, they discuss Star Trek Lower Decks and related Star Trek stuff, Bluesky, and Keith’s daily Eberron report.