Rolling Dice & Taking Names Gaming Podcast

00:01:00 Intro
00:06:45 Mare Nostrum
00:13:30 Forest Shuffle – Smoky Mountains
00:18:15 The Game Makers
00:26:45 TCG News
00:28:15 Arkham Horror News
00:32:15 Taste Buds
00:35:30 Miniature Market
00:36:30 Railway Boom
00:58:00 Evenglow
01:02:30 Game Toppers LLC
01:03:30 Outro

If you love tight, economic engine builders where every resources used wisely feels like a victory during the round, Railway Boom delivers again and again. Players are railway tycoons competing to build expansive networks, connect bustling cities, while strategically bidding during each phase of the round. Tension in the Bidding: The game's open auction mechanism forces players to constantly read the room. Overpaying might cripple your position as you expand your railway, so it is important to not get suckered in by the other players. Tight Economic Engine: Managing your revenue versus your investment capital is a constant balancing act. Strategic Depth: Over four tightly contested rounds, Railway Boom provides a solid, brain-burning puzzle for players.

Following the success of the original Forest Shuffle (and its journey through Central Europe and Dartmoor), Forest Shuffle: Smoky Mountains transports players across the Atlantic to North America’s iconic mountain range. By adding the River mechanic to the game, players will have an additional slot in the forest but with that addition comes added restrictions that players should be aware of.

If you're looking for a relaxing, visually stunning puzzle game, Evenglow provides a gentle, satisfying experience centered on balance and symmetry. Players act as alchemists cultivating dual gardens split between Sunlight and Moonlight. But the theme doesn't carry through to the game. Simultaneous Drafting with a Twist: On each turn, the active player selects two plant tiles for themselves and two for everyone else. This simple choice mechanic keeps play moving quickly with zero downtime while keeping player interaction subtle and clever. Symmetrical Garden Puzzling: When you place a tile on your Sunlight board, you must place its mirror counterpart on your Moonlight board. Balancing your sunlit and moonlit flora requires spatial foresight and careful planning to maximize potion-brewing bonuses.

Thanks for listening

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The first game in Fantasy Flight Games vault series is Arkham Horror Remastered. This is a full update on a classic 20 year old game.

We talk with designer, Richard Launius about this history of this game including the concept, design, release and re-release of the game.

The game can be found over at Gamefound.

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00:01:00 Intro
00:08:15 Trajan Bridge
00:10:30 New Intro Song
00:13:45 Puerto Rico Special Edition
00:20:00 Fantasy Basketball using Topps Cards
00:22:00 Machi Koro Life
00:24:00 Taste Buds
00:29:30 Game Toppers
00:31:00 Ostia: Mariner Edition
00:48:00 Miniature Market
00:49:30 Robo Run
00:55:30 Outro

For fans of deep, euro-style economic strategy, both Puerto Rico Special Edition and Ostia: Mariner Edition deliver rich, engaging experiences centered around trade and development. Puerto Rico Special Edition revitalizes the legendary role-selection classic with upgraded components, striking art, and refined themes, keeping its crisp, non-luck engine-building core as rewarding as ever. Meanwhile, Ostia: Mariner Edition takes players back to ancient Rome, blending mancala-style action selection with naval expansion, resource management, and tile placement. Both titles shine in their ability to turn clever planning and player interaction into tight, competitive engine building, making them standout additions to any strategist’s shelf.

If you prefer lighter setup times, high interaction, and quick table turns, Machi Koro Life and Robo Run offer vibrant, fast-moving fun. Machi Koro Life breathes new life into the beloved city-building series by tweaking the dice-rolling mechanics and introducing fresh landmark goals, making each roll of the dice feel impactful and exciting But Robo Run is all about cooperation with your partner as you try and get the robots out of the maze before being found. Both games are fast playing and easy to set up for a quick filler during game name.

Thanks for listening and please join our Discord for more discussions on these games.

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It's fall and all the big summer movies are moving to streaming. So it's time to get back with Dan and Chris for our 2026 Summer Movie recap.

We discuss films we watched. What we liked, what we didn't like and who took home first place in our draft.

It's fun, it's loud, we hope you enjoy it.

And join us in Discordto let us know what summer movies you like.

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00:00:30 Intro
00:21:00 6 nimmt! Baron Oxx
00:24:00 One Round?
00:30:15 Family Dice Games
00:37:00 Magical Athlete
00:43:00 Taste Buds
00:51:30 Game Toppers
00:54:45 Kano
01:00:30 Hell of a Deal
01:15:00 Miniature Market
01:16:00 Outro

Tony is out on vacation, so once again, Chaz Marler from Game Night Picks joins Marty for some Quick Hits and a Halloween themed Taste Buds.

This episode’s reviews were recorded before Tony went out of town and both are really good games.

Hell of a Deal is a coop game where the players play Texas Hold ‘Em against demons.

Kano is drafting and tile placement game that looks great on the table.
Tony will be back next episode. Thanks for listening!

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One of the biggest grail games of all time is Star Wars: Queen's Gambit.

One of the biggest franchises of all time is the Lord of the Rings.

What happens when Restoration Games gets a hold of both of these things? They merge them together for the new game, Lord of the Rings: The King's Gambit.

Justin Jacobson & Rob Daviau join us to discuss how the project came to fruition, design, gameplay and product information.

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Starcraft The Board Game and Forbidden Stars are still two of our favorite games. But both are long out of print and have no more support.

We are excited to hear the systems the we loved in those games are back with Old Ones: Origins.

We talk about length with the designer, Samuel Bailey, about the process of bringing a version of Forbidden Stars back to the market, the process to do so, the changes to theme and the gameplay.

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00:00:30 Intro
00:05:15 Arkham Horror: Children of the Blood
00:09:00 Xenology
00:12:15 Jump Masters
00:15:00 Flamecraft – Digital Version
00:17:45 Pretzels
00:18:45 Beer, Mug, Dice
00:21:45 Triangulation
00:24:00 Taste Buds
00:29:00 Game Toppers LLC
00:31:30 LOTR: Circle of Conflict
00:59:15 Cat Trick
01:04:30 Miniature Market
01:07:00 Cyberpunk 2077 – TCG
01:39:00 Outro

Some weeks, the game table feels like a tour through entirely different mechanics and level of challenges. We kicked things off in Middle‑earth with The Lord of the Rings: Circle of Conflict, a game that thrives on tight choices with every roll of the die. It is not the normal Roll and Write, but one with clear objectives in order to win the game and not just get the most victory points. Every turn feels like a small story—heroes clashing, shadows pressing in, and players trying to outmaneuver one another while waging war on two fronts. It’s the kind of game that leaves you wanting one more round just to see if you can pull off the perfect combo.

From there, the mood shifted dramatically with Cat Trick, a clever little card game that proves you don’t need a big box to create big laughs. It’s quick, mischievous, and full of those delightful “gotcha” reveals that make everyone team up against one another. Then came Jump Masters, which brought out a game reminiscent of Checkers. This one thrives on setting up the best combo and tactical maneuvering to gain victory over your opponent. It is quick and easy to teach and the art and components are amazing.

Cyberpunk 2077 TCG, a game that channels the neon‑soaked grit of the franchise into a sharp, tactical card duel. More to come on this as we continue to explore the game and the meta that surrounds it. But for now, we will continue to put that one the table as we wait for others to show up for game night.

Once again, thanks for dropping by and giving us a listen.

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00:00:30 Intro
00:04:45 Recent RDTN Poll
00:14:00 LOTR: Fellowship of the Ring Trick Taking Game
00:17:00 Quick Hits
00:17:30 Sandcastles
00:19:45 Gruntz
00:22:11 Computer Junkyard
00:27:45 Enemies of Gotham City
00:32:15 Six Sided Seas
00:36:15 Miniature Market
00:39:00 Abroad
00:53:30 Bunny Kingdom Town
00:59:30 Game Toppers LLC
01:01:00 All Mine
01:10:00 Outro

Some game nights feel like a whirlwind tour through every corner of the hobby, and this week’s lineup delivered exactly that. Sand Castles and Grunts are two wildly different flavors of competition—one a charming, tactical puzzle of building and defending fragile seaside creations, the other a scrappy, tongue‑in‑cheek skirmish game where your squad of blocky little soldiers bumbles bravely toward victory. Both games share that delightful “easy to teach, surprisingly clever” vibe that keep things fresh in the hobby at times.

Then we have world of Computer Junkyard and the comic‑book chaos of Enemies of Gotham City. Computer Junkyard scratches that nostalgic itch, letting players sift through piles of retro tech to assemble the best contraptions—half strategy, half puzzler. Enemies of Gotham City flips the script into full superhero mayhem, where iconic villains clash, plot, and posture in a fast‑moving battle of wits and wickedness.

Then there is a trio of games that each bring their own distinct charm. Six Sided Seas turns dice‑driven piracy into a pirate battle across unpredictable waters, while Abroad offers a gentle, globe‑trotting experience built around exploration and cultural discovery. Bunny Kingdom Town offers a bright, two player, family‑friendly strategy—one about expanding adorable rabbit realms, with enough take‑that spice to keep it from being a solitaire style game. All Mine is a gamer’s trick taking game where the play is fast, but the planning is what wants you coming back for more. This is one of those games that stays in the game bag to be pulled out to end the evening or get things started.

And speaking of big swings, this is the perfect moment to remind listeners to sign up for notifications on Game Toppers’ upcoming Kickstarter. We rave about their mats for a reason—the quality is top‑tier, the artwork is stunning, and this next series looks like one people will be proud to show off on game night. We’ve already got our eyes on the Lord of the Rings designs, and that purple plain mat is calling our name. Honestly, who doesn’t need another game mat.

Thanks for listening

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00:00:30 Intro
00:01:15 Sleeved and Confused
00:07:15 AI in TCG Deck Creation
00:13:30 Backflow failed inspection
00:16:30 Quick Hits
00:17:30 Tag Team: Arthur’s Legacy
00:20:45 Warp 99
00:25:30 Tug of Roar
00:31:50 Miniature Market
00:33:30 Greylune
00:44:15 Mythologies
00:50:15 Gunsen: The Battle for Toshi Ranbo
01:07:00 Comic Books Resurgence
01:15:00 Outro

Man, listening back at the episode, didn’t realize just how much we covered. And what we cover —Tag Team: Arthur’s Legacy, Warp 99, Tug of Roar, Greylune, Mythologies, and Gunsen: The Battle for Toshi Ranbo — is a very broad spectrum of board game mechanics. But what is interesting with these games, there are cross over mechanics that exist that making learning the next one simpler because we already understand what is expected.

Tag Team: Arthur’s Legacy is a follow up to the initial Tag Team game. However, this time we have Arthurian heroes teaming up, chaining abilities, and pulling off last minute heroics to pull out a win. It’s the kind of game tension builds each round. Warp 99 is a fast‑paced card game where players race to shed their hands, aiming for massive point bursts driven by the tableau they build. The twist is in the scoring, every card you manage to keep in your tableau gets squared, turning even a modest spread of cards into a surprisingly explosive payoff.

Then comes Tug of Roar, a clever lane battler that thrives on tension and brinkmanship. It’s quick, tight, and surprisingly dramatic for such a streamlined design. And the card drafting mechanic really adds to the strategy of this game. Greylune offers a fresh twist on the classic Spyrium formula. Games in this genre can sometimes slip into feeling like pure resource spreadsheets—convert this into that, chase efficiency, tally points. Greylune pushes back against that monotony by layering in a quest system that lets players build small narrative arcs as they play. Those stories aren’t just flavor; they can provide meaningful advantages that shape your path to victory, giving the game a welcome sense of accomplishment alongside its familiar economic core. Mythologies is a card drafting game that offers a twist on the style of drafting that is refreshing in a very crowded field of these types of games. We really appreciated this change and welcome the twist that this game provided.

Finally, Gunsen: The Battle for Toshi Ranbo delivers a crisp, tactical showdown rooted in samurai warfare. It’s all about positioning, timing, and reading your opponent. For an area control style game, is not about a big push but more about reading the board’s subtle signals. Victory can be quick for someone if the others are caught napping, so you always should be on your toes. However, this may also create an unsatisfying finish for some.

Thanks for listening

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00:01:00 Intro
00:02:00 SWU Vegas
00:15:00 SFGE
00:20:00 1775: Rebellion
00:25:00 Las Vegas
00:27:30 Ashes Ascendency: Natural Magic Expansion
00:29:30 New Twin Suns Decks
00:32:00 Miniature Market
00:33:00 Hunt for Blackbeard
00:49:30 Gen Con Thoughts
00:56:00 Outro

We kicked things off at the Star Wars Unlimited Galactic Championship in Las Vegas, not as competitors in the main event but as fans soaking in the convention atmosphere and jumping into SWU games with some of the best players in the world during their breaks. The vibe at every table was incredible—full of camaraderie, excitement, and a shared love for a truly outstanding trading card game. No matter your skill level, players were patient, welcoming, and happy to walk you through plays in the side events. Now, the main event, that was all business. One more thing worth noting: the crowd spanned all ages, including families, which was great to see. Next year’s event is heading to Disneyland, so if you’re thinking about going, start planning now!

While we were in Vegas, we also tried a new game from Fort Circle Games: Hunt for Blackbeard. It’s a two‑player hidden‑movement game that really picks up speed once you understand the action flow, and the tension spikes beautifully in the final two rounds. The rules take a bit to settle in, but by the second playthrough we had it down. And if Blackbeard’s history isn’t familiar to you, keep reading below.

Blackbeard, born Edward Teach around 1680 in Bristol, England, became one of the most feared and legendary pirates of the Golden Age of Piracy, terrorizing the Caribbean and the Atlantic coast between 1716 and 1718. Known for his dramatic appearance—most famously his long black beard and the smoldering fuses he tied into it to intimidate enemies—he commanded the formidable Queen Anne’s Revenge, a 40‑gun warship crewed by hundreds of men. Blackbeard’s exploits included blockading Charleston, capturing merchant vessels, and cultivating a fearsome reputation that often allowed him to win without violence. He also operated with a small fleet that included the Adventure, a sloop commanded by his lieutenant Israel Hands, as well as smaller vessels such as the Margaret and the Sea Captain. His pirating career was short-lived, ending in November 1718 when he was killed in a fierce battle at Ocracoke Island, NC by Lieutenant Robert Maynard’s forces, cementing his place as one of history’s most iconic pirates.

Thanks for listening

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We are excited to kick off our designer series with one of our favorite designers, David Thompson. Undaunted is one of our all time favorite series along with War Chest.

He has a catalog of great historical games and is adding a new one designed along beside Trevor Benjamin called Rebels Against Rebellion. In this episode we talk about the historical significances of this Civil War era game. But look at the design and development process.

For more information, check out the Kickstarter and the publisher, Flying Pig Games.

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00:01:00 Intro
00:06:45 Southeast Game Exchange
00:14:45 Quick Hits
00:16:00 Guerre Eclair
00:19:00 Tap 4
00:25:00 Crits & Tricks
00:32:00 Traveluencer
00:36:00 Taste Buds
00:41:30 Portal Games
00:43:15 Dogfight: 1917
00:43:30 Container
01:09:30 Miniature Market
01:11:00 Moonrollers
01:17:00 Outro

Welcome back to the podcast blog, tabletop fans! Today, we’re diving into a lineup that spans high-flying dogfights, historical blitzkriegs, and economic struggles. If you love razor-thin margins and tactical positioning, you’ll want to look at Dogfight 1917 and Guerre Éclair. Dogfight 1917 drops you straight into the skies over the Western Front, where every maneuver card forces you to anticipate your rival’s path to line up that perfect shot. Meanwhile, Yasushi Nakaguro’s Guerre Éclair condenses the 1940 Fall of France into a tense, card-driven duel of deception and momentum. The German player pushes armored breakthroughs with hidden operational plans while the Allies scramble to hold fragile defenses, delivering deep strategic tension in a crisp 45 minutes.

For players who prefer fighting over profit margins, Container delivers incredible table presence. Container remains the undisputed king of closed-economy board games, where players produce goods, set dockside prices, and operate shipping vessels. Because every price, purchase, and subsidy is entirely player-driven, a single miscalculated shipment can trigger a hilarious, full-blown economic recession at your table. On the lighter side when just need to roll dice, Moonrollers brings the sleek sci-fi universe of Moonrakers into a fast-paced push-your-luck dice chucker. Captains roll dice to fulfill crew contracts, juggling hazardous bonus points against the very real danger of busting and walking away with nothing. This game provides the necessary dice manipulation that we expect in our push-your-luck games.

Thanks for listening, we really do appreciate the support.

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00:01:00 Intro
00:04:00 SWU in Vegas
00:06:00 New Game Store
00:08:15 Which is better?
00:11:15 The Vale of Eternity
00:14:00 Pagan
00:15:00 July 4th Gaming
00:23:30 Portal Games
00:24:30 Realm of Reckoning
00:24:00IV Studio – Tend
00:45:30 Devious
00:51:45 Miniature Market
00:52:30 Summer Movie Thoughts

Realm of Reckoning sharpens its identity as an area‑control showdown built on tight timing and escalating tension. The simultaneous card play is the engine that keeps everyone leaning forward—every reveal forces you to decide whether you’re shoring up your economy or muscling into position before a Reckoning reshapes the board. That push‑and‑pull between long‑term planning and immediate tactical pressure gives the game its pulse. Factions rise, collide, and retreat in a rhythm that feels both dramatic and cleanly mechanical, creating turns where a single decision can swing the entire map. You wrap a session already replaying key moments in your head, plotting what you’ll try on your next run through its volatile world.

Devious looks disarmingly simple at first, but that’s part of the trick. As players draw, flip, and react, the hidden layers of bluffing and timing begin to reveal themselves. Set collection becomes a delicious gamble—you want just enough cards to score well, but every additional draw risks a bust, especially since the pile you’re pulling from was set by your opponents. That tension turns every flip into a moment of doubt and second‑guessing: is this really the best card available, or did someone bury something better to lure me into overreaching? The result is a fast, mischievous game where the table’s collective psychology matters just as much as the cards in your hand.

Thanks for listening and be sure to join our Discordserver to keep the conversation going

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00:01:00 Intro
00:04:00 Moving the Kids
00:10:15 AI in Board Games
00:16:30 Obsession
00:20:15 Bomb Busters
00:23:30 El Grande
00:25:00 Neuroshima Hex
00:28:30 Miniature Market
00:30:00 Our Top 3 LOTR Games
00:30:00 Lincoln
00:53:30 Portal Games
00:55:00 Guild Wars 3
01:03:30 Outro

Even though our regular game night has been on pause for a few weeks, we still managed to squeeze in some great plays with family and friends. Marty kicked things off with Bomb Busters, a title getting a lot of well‑deserved praise. The way he described it reminded me a bit of Hanabi—that same feeling of relying on your teammates to guide you toward the right moves. There’s something deeply satisfying about working together toward a shared victory, especially when the puzzle finally clicks.

He also finally got Obsession to the table, a game that’s been floating around one his radar for a while. I’ll admit it’s one I wasn’t familiar with, but that’s hardly surprising given how many games slip past me. Marty had some thoughtful pros and cons, but even with those caveats, it still sounds like something I’d love to try on a future game night, there’s a charm to that Victorian engine‑building vibe that’s hard to resist.

And of course, El Grande continues to shine as a perfect introduction to area control, teaching new players the tension and timing that make the genre sing. Every cube, every power card—it all matters. Lincoln, on the other hand, offers a lean, card‑driven take on the American Civil War, capturing momentum, attrition, and asymmetry in a way that feels brisk yet thoughtful. If it weren’t for a few rulebook hiccups, this would’ve been one of those plays that makes you wonder why it took so long to get it to the table in the first place.

Thanks for listening and until next time, keep rolling dice and taking names.

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00:01:15 Intro

00:06:30 Chaz is back!

00:09:45 ⁠Fun collaboration⁠

00:12:00 How has gaming changed over the years

00:40:00 ⁠Miniature Market⁠

00:41:00 New Review System

00:47:00 ⁠Chang’an

⁠00:58:00 ⁠Zombie Princess⁠

01:05:00 ⁠Portal Games⁠

01:06:00 ⁠Comic Book Boom⁠

01:17:30 Outro with Chaz

In this episode, Marty is joined by Chaz Marler from ⁠Game Night Picks⁠. They talk about all the different ways the table top industry has changed over the past 10 years from content creation, to games, to the community.

Marty and Tony review some new games using their new format. Shorter, more concise and with a numerical rating. Let us know your thoughts on the new format over on our ⁠Discord ⁠Channel

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00:01:15 Intro
00:06:30 Gencon 2026 Update
00:10:30 Quartermaster General: WWII
00:15:00 Moon Colony: Bloodbath
00:20:15 Star Wars Unlimited Update
00:21:45 Portal Games
00:23:30 Rebuilding Chicago
00:41:30 Castelnuovo 1539
00:55:30 Miniature Market
00:56:30 Toy Battle
01:01:30 Pragmata
01:04:30 R-Type Dimensions III
01:09:00 Sektori
01:10:00 Outro

For history fans who enjoy thoughtful, asymmetric challenges, Castelnuovo 1539 offers a compelling take on the “last stand” style of wargame. Blending classic conflict simulation with Euro‑style area control, this two‑player design places you with the Spanish defenders doing everything they can to slow an advancing Ottoman siege. The Spanish side isn’t trying to win outright so much as hold firm and make every step costly, creating a tense, measured experience where each decision carries real weight. With custom card decks and hidden wooden blocks shaping the flow of play, the game builds a steady, immersive pressure without ever feeling overwhelming.

Shifting to a much lighter tone, Rebuilding Chicago and Toy Battle trade battlefield grit for creativity and quick, satisfying play. As the standalone follow‑up to Rebuilding Seattle, Rebuilding Chicago invites up to five players to reshape neighborhoods and guide a growing population after the Great Fire of 1871. It’s a warm, engaging tile‑laying puzzle with plenty of room for clever planning. And if you’re looking for something breezy to wrap up a game night, Paolo Mori’s Toy Battle delivers a delightful 15‑minute burst of abstract strategy. With charming toy‑themed troops and whimsical double‑sided maps like the Volcanic Jungle or City of Clouds, it pairs simple rules with just enough tactical bite to leave everyone smiling.

We’re truly disappointed that we won’t be able to host the Strike tournament at Gen Con this year. It’s always a highlight for us, and we’ll miss the energy, laughter, and chaos that only Gladiators in an Arena, I mean, a bowl of dice can create.

Thanks for listening and a special guest joins us for our next episode, assuming he is on his best behavior.

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00:01:15 Intro
00:05:45 Mother’s Day Games
00:11:30 Skyjo, Skyjo, Skyjo
00:12:30 Wits & Wagers Challenges
00:16:30 Summer Movie Update
00:20:15 Portal Games
00:21:00 Diplomacy: The Golden Blade
00:35:00 Fruit Island
00:38:15 Brave & Bold
00:51:30 Miniature Market
00:52:35 Altay: Seafarers
01:06:45 Luz
01:12:15 Ewin Desk
01:17:15 The Floor

If your gaming group thrives on trick-taking but wants something that completely flips the genre on its head, Luz maybe it. This clever card game from IELLO forces you to play with a reverse hand—meaning everyone else at the table can see your cards, but you are left entirely in the dark about your own exact values. And even with a blind hind, you must predict exactly how many tricks you will win or take a safe bet to limit your points won.

For those who believe true friendship is only forged in the fires of mutual betrayal, Renegade Game Studios’ Diplomacy: The Golden Blade delivers the ultimate test. This iteration strips away the classic board and map, transforming the legendary grand strategy experience into a fast-paced card game. What it gains in speed, it may not bring home the tension that you feel when playing the original. But be honest, if you love Diplomacy, but don’t have five hours, then this might be one to consider.

Fruit Island is a casual strategy game by the legendary designer Reiner Knizia that balances accessible mechanics for all ages. Set on a quiet jungle island, players step into the fast-moving shoes of monkeys racing to harvest as much exotic fruit while avoiding a gorilla that wants what you have worked so hard for.

If you are enjoying those games where you are going against some in a straight up slugfest, then DC: Brave & Bold by Resurrection Games may be something to check out. Instead of a dice pool with random likes like games before, this is a bag builder with chits and the only thing stopping you from pulling them out is your determination. This one is coming out later this year, but if going to Gen Con, be sure to schedule some time for a demo.

Altay: Seafarers expands the horizon of civilization-building, taking the core deck-building and area-control mechanics of Ares Games’ Altay: Dawn of Civilization and casting them out into deep, uncharted waters. This expansion introduces a brand-new “Forgotten Sea” board, rules for shipbuilding, and naval combat that injects mobility to the map. It introduces the Waterfolk faction, a magical, ocean-dwelling faction that can manipulate actions and navigate the waves without needing ships at all. If you enjoyed Altay and find it on the table often, be sure to check out this expansion.

Thanks for listening

LuzDiplomacy: The Golden BladeFruit IslandBrave & BoldAltay: Seafarers

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00:01:00 Intro
00:05:00 Let’s Get to the Picks
01:03:00 Draft Time
01:13:00 Outro

Summer 2026 is shaping up to be one of the most exciting movie seasons in years, with big‑name directors, long‑awaited sequels, and the triumphant return of theatrical event‑going. And to celebrate that return, we’ve brought in some familiar voices to help us break down the upcoming releases.

For those new to the show, here’s how we do things. Every movie gets one of three calls. First, if it’s worth your hard‑earned dollars and absolutely demands the full theatrical experience, we’ll tell you to go SCREEN it. If it’s a solid watch but doesn’t need the booming speakers and giant screen, then it’s better to STREAM it at home. And finally, there are those unfortunate titles that miss the mark so badly they’re nothing more than a big, old pile of STEAM — and those should be avoided altogether.

Either way, it’s clear the studios are making a serious push to get us back into theaters, and this summer’s lineup shows they’re not holding anything back.

We’d love to hear from you. So, tell us which movies we missed and what should be on our radar. Jump into the conversation over in our Discord and let us know what you’re planning to SCREEN, STREAM, or is a pile of STEAMing stuff.

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00:01:15 Intro
00:05:15 Ascension: LOTR
00:07:45 Straight to LOTR Stuff
00:11:30 Intro to Harder Games
00:17:15 Round Up Error
00:20:30 New Contest
00:21:30 Taste Buds
00:37:30 Portal Games
00:38:45 Frenzy Falls
00:44:30 Rising Cultures
01:04:00 Miniature Market
01:05:15 Got Five
00:11:15 E-Win Desk
01:15:45 SWU Report Out

Whether you’re in the mood for the high-stakes chaos of a spilling pool, the grand strategy of rising civilizations, or the quiet tension of a deduction puzzle, we got it covered in this lineup of games for this episode. First up is Frenzy Falls where players play cards face-down into “Pools,” trying to raise the water level. Once a pool hits a value of 10, it “spills over.” The player with the most influence in that pool at that exact moment snags the points.

Rising Cultures is next on the table and this asymmetric “Civ-in-a-box” experience is designed specifically for two players. You pick from four civilizations either Rome, Egypt, Persia, or the Abbasid Caliphate. The thing we love in this game is the multi-use cards: every card in your hand can be used for resources, military power, building structures, or deploying leaders. You have to decide which path is worth sacrificing the others in order to gain victory over your opponent. Since each civilization has its own unique deck, the game feels completely different every time you swap roles. It’s a tight, 45-minute battle of wits.

Finally, we got a game that shows the strengths and weaknesses of the RDTN crew. You have five tiles on a rack facing away from you. You can see everyone else’s tiles, but not your own. By asking questions like “Where would this tile fit in my sequence?” or “Do I have a tile with this many dots?”, you narrow down the possibilities. The tension is high because you can guess at any time, but if you’re wrong once, you’re out. It’s incredibly satisfying when the logic finally clicks and you can confidently shout, “Got Five!”, which I never got to experience

Thanks for listening and don’t forget about the contest over in the Discordserver.

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