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