It's almost over. This . . . year. Nothing much to do other than gather up some lists of the things that got us through. We hope you dig it. COUNTDOWN: 00:05:14 -- Best Games we played for the first time. 01:48:20 -- Whiskies of the Year 01:58:32 -- Best of the Book Club 02:06:37 -- Cat Intermission 02:08:15 -- The Music That Got Us Through the Year  

It took us two tries to get this one right. Well, right might be too strong of a word. Lets swap that for recorded. Yeah, we finally got the episode recorded. I mean, right, ha, probably more like wrong, but you know how it is. Anyway, on with the show. ATTEMPTS: 00:15:35 -- The Listening Rooom (The Jesse Green Test) 01:12:10 -- Joe's Magical Gaming Experience (Abandon Ship!) 01:59:56 -- Destiny 2, The Ghost of Tsushima and many violent ends.

This episode marks the beginning of our 8th year ranting and raving about games (and books (and music (and life))). We kick it into gear with some heavy discussions of almost all of the above. Pretty much, if it ain't broke. . . . or, if it is broke, lean into it. TOAST: 00:19:09 -- Whiskies 00:22:48 -- Giving Thanks 00:26:36 -- Our Once and Future Books 00:33:13 -- On Listening 00:44:24 -- The Crack of Destiny 00:58:03 -- Hallertau Almost Got Me 01:02:10 -- Viscounts of the West...

Favorite mechanics? Nah. How about a discussion of a bunch of games and the one thing each of them offers to stand out from the crowd? One thing in one game! Yeah, we can get into that. Follow along, if you please. THINGS (Not just One and Two): 00:04:22 -- The Election of the Century 00:26:45 -- A Brief Musical Interlude (technical difficulties) 00:28:39 -- Argent: The Consortium (a session) 00:32:20 -- Game news?? Terra Mystica Adjacent 00:38:09 -- One Thing in One Game (a list)  

We're keeping it simple as we're back to remote recording. One Game. One book. One in-depth discussion. Still over two hours of quality goodness. Enjoy. CHAPTERS: 00:05:39 -- Tekhenu (in-depth) 01:21:39 -- Short takes: Smartphone Inc. expansion and Pax Porfiriana 01:32:51 -- Deacon King Kong by James McBride

One. Two Three. Four. We front load this episode with four games discussed in detail, included are forays into adjacent concepts in gaming. After two hours of that nonsense we delve into some music and television that's enlightening our minds and enriching our lives. Please enjoy. VIEWING SCHEDULE: 00:04:25 -- Alma Mater 00:48:57 -- Worker Placement: Offensive??? 00:55:55 -- Babylonia 01:14:45 -- Marvel Champions with a Side of Legendary 01:42:11 -- Let's Pour Another Round:...

To hell with the experts, if just for one day. Travel happened. Games were played. Most importantly, human contact was regained, if just for 9 days. ITINERARY: 00:17:00 -- I Did a Bad Thing 00:54:30 -- The Games 01:03:21 -- The Capitals 01:15:20 -- Die Handler 01:23:33 -- Joe's Confession 01:25:05 -- Founding Fathers (2007 ed.) and Gandhi 01:40:22 -- Overcooked (video game) 01:42:53 -- Call to Post

It was a lovely evening away from the maddening crowd so we decided to do a show. Just like the 181 times before, we gathered with some microphones and chatted about board games and other things. Even our special guest, Chip, the cricket, seemed to approve. CHIRPS: 00:09:49 -- Celebrity Boardgame Deathmatch 00:12:47 -- The view from 30,000 feet 00:25:46 -- Cooper Island (in-depth first impression) 00:59:23 -- High Rise (in-depth first impression) 02:07:12 -- Clonakilty Bordeaux Cask...

Shambolic: adjective -- chaotic, disorganize, confused. Could we use that definition to describe this episode? Sure. Will we? Sure. Will You? Possibly. Does that make it bad? Possibly. Is it here anyway? Yup. Is it a misfire or just some catchy jazz? You tell us. CATCHY SOLOS: 00:02:12 -- Navigating This Covid Life 00:26:21 -- The Lackluster Side of Gaming 00:35:40 -- Should it Stay or Should it Go: Russian Railroads 00:46:51 -- Kogge 00:50:31 -- The Q&A (Gloomhaven,...

Once in a century Pandemic. Once in a generation civil upheaval. Once in a decade game? We take a 90 minute journey through the 18th Century world of Imperial Struggle, throwing a little pandemic, protest and pot-luck life discussion in at the end of the show. We hope you enjoy the ride. CONFLICT POINTS: 00:18:33 -- A Prelude to Digression 00:31:08 -- Imperial Struggle (in-depth) 02:01:50 -- The Wind-down

Well, you caught us on a nice summer evening, sitting outside, sippin' whisky, and talkin' board games. It's the best we can do in this paranoid pandemic times. Maybe the closest we've come to the old days in a while. The most human the interaction has been. Whatever the case, we think we did alright with this one. FIELD RECORDINGS: 00:07:19 -- The Taverns of Tiefenthal (in-depth) with a side of Nusfjord 00:51:50 -- It's a Wonderful World (short take) 00:56:13 -- In the Hall of the...

And on and on and on. Joe returns from his long, strange trip and we slowly get back into the socially distanced swing of things. PRATTLES: 00:03:07 -- Life During Wartime 00:38:57 -- That's a T-Shirt! 00:45:00 -- Clonakilty Irish Whiskey & Loch Lomond 18yo Scotch 00:55:15 -- The Ramshackle Game Parade 00:56:04 -- The Gaia Project 01:12:10 -- 18XX Family Time 01:29:12 -- Memoir '44 01:36:10 -- Madeira 01:39:00 -- Antiquity 01:44:08 -- Baseball Highlights 2045 01:45:29...

With Joe still on the road two of the masterminds behind the upcoming Spielworxx game The Cost, Armando Canales and Lyndon Martin,  join Jim in a wide-ranging discussion of games, game-states and playing manners. In addition, Jim finds out just how wrong he's been all these episodes. INCORRECTIONS: 00:06:00 -- A differing opinion on Tank Duel 00:17:50 -- Group Losing 00:26:54 -- Trick Taking Responsibilities 00:42:43 -- Player Manipulation 00:49:08 -- Hate Drafting 00:53:48 -- Takin'...

It's been a hard couple of weeks here, so for those of you tuning in, we thank you. It really does mean something to us. This is a solo effort as Joe is off burying his mother and attending to all that accompanies a person's passing. Our broken hearts are with him. And we are all devastated by the murder of George Floyd as well as the continued beatdown we're all taking from the Coronavirus pandemic. Hard times come again no more indeed. So I muse on all of the above and close with...

Have you really played all the games? Probably not. And we've all probably got a couple on our list that folks might consider classics, or required games. We talk about those glaring oversights here in the latest episode of As the Lockdown Turns. Many other items covered as well. You know, a typical show. Enjoy. SCRUTINIES: 00:02:47 -- Because We're Livin' It! 00:18:47 -- Libations 00:23:55 -- The Board Gaming Glaring Oversight Committee 01:10:20 -- Gugong (in depth), and a side of...

Wasting no time, we dive into the main game we played the past few weeks. A handful of games follow. Still, all the content you expect, just in a different order. Enjoy. THE SCRIPT: 00:01:24 -- Hansa Teutonica (in-depth, session) 00:45:29 -- The Albums of 1975 00:57:54 -- Memory Failure: Did We Already Discuss the family Hellas Session? 00:59:18 -- Triumph & Tragedy (session) 01:15:25 -- Santa Maria (first take) 01:35:50 -- Captains of Industry (session) 01:56:00 -- Books,...

Here we are in the new world order, or rather, the chaotic world order. We're just trying to survive and maybe discuss a few games and other things of cultural import. Just trying to raise our spirits. It's a journey. Thanks for your company on the ride. TICKETS: 00:20:11 -- Surprising Lack of Games on the Table during Lockdown 00:26:57 -- Netplay, Strat-O-Matic Style 00:39:55 -- Tabletop Simulator (yes, it works!) 00:52:49 -- Pax Transhumanity (update) 01:00:41 -- Architects of the...

Struggling for sanity, we put together another installment of our virus lockdown series. In this one we answer the question, which five non-GMT titles should’ve been developed and published by GMT? There might be something about someone getting drunk as well. Hopefully this will distract you for a little while.

Live from Portland, the 173rd stop on our world tour, presented in it's entirety without cuts or overdubs, our latest show in all its glory. Will there be technical difficulties? Yes. Will we stumble trying to answer tough questions? Possibly. Will it be good? Sure? SETLIST: 00:11:31 -- Freedom of Thought or Just an Illusion 00:28:40 -- Unhelpful Billionaires 00:31:12 -- Bruxelles 1897 00:41:13 -- Ora et Labora for Two? 00:44:59 -- Table Top Simulator 00:47:20 -- Barrage: The...

Part 4 of this series and we've settled in a little to the new reality. Having solved his technological difficulties, Joe returns to add his wisdom to the question of getting games to the table with your significant other. Also, we discuss table games played via computer vs. computer games. All in All, 25 % less dread, 50 % more games.

Join us as we enter week two of the lockdown. We desperately want to keep in touch with our listeners. Hopefully we can keep each other sane as we navigate this brave new world. Included are some tips on gaming with your partner while on lockdown.

In part 2 of our limited series we get Joe setup with a recording rig at home. We talk a little more about the current predicament and then migrate our book discussion over and take a look at Lydia Fitzpatrick's Lights All Night Long.

Hey all. The Punching Cardboard team is in Isolation. Isolation sucks. It's lonely. It's unnerving. It's stopping us from playing games and talking about them. But we still have voices, and we think just maybe you'd like our voices to visit the wilderness of your own isolation. You know, to counteract the ones in your brain urging you to scream and never stop. So, for now, while this disruption lasts, we're gonna send you this series. Our way of talking through the absurdity that is...

There are times when you need to make something out of nothing. Entering the studio for episode 172 was one of those times. I mean, we had next to nothing. A game session, a new dram, a couple albums. But we pulled it together, rambled into other territories, consolidated some stray ideas, and in the end lasted for the marathon. Yea us!? PATHS: 00:04:17 -- The 2020 PCBA Baseball Season: Last Call 00:08:00 -- Couch, Whiskey, & Digression 00:35:09 -- Bingo Time 00:43:11 -- Back in...

If you're only here for our in-depth, main game discussion, then skip the first two hours of the show. If you want to know a little about a lot of game related things, then tuck in at the beginning and enjoy the ride. ANSWERS: 00:07:01 -- Book List 00:14:10 -- Bingo Begins 00:19:52 -- The Q&A Session Starts Here 00:26:01 -- Fatigued? 00:33:57 -- Will We Attend Any Conventions? 00:41:55 -- To Deluxify or Not to Deluxify? 00:44:26 -- Taking Tricks 00:48:32 -- Of Trains and...