Episodes

  • Episode 356: Ofrenda, Ace of Spaces, Horrified: Dungeons & Dragons, Celestia

    Episode 356: Ofrenda, Ace of Spaces, Horrified: Dungeons & Dragons, Celestia
    Jul 29 2025
    00:02:00 Introduction00:04:30 Superman Thoughts00:11:30 Summer Movie Results00:15:00 Horrified D&D00:18:30 Middle Ages00:21:30 AgricolaHerd Mentality/ MonsDRAWsity00:29:00 Portal Games00:30:30 Celestia00:36:00 Ofrenda00:45:30 Miniature Market00:46:25 Ace of Spades00:51:30 Game Toppers LLC00:53:30 Outro Ofrenda, Ace of Spades, and Celestia are on the table for this episode. Each game offers distinct thematic journeys, yet all challenge players to make clever decisions under pressure. Ofrenda is a vibrant card-placement game inspired by Día de los Muertos, where players build altars to honor deceased relatives. The goal is to fulfill each spirit’s wishes by arranging portraits, offerings, candles, and marigolds in just the right configuration—while avoiding family drama from beyond the grave. Ace of Spades, on the other hand, plunges players into a supernatural Old West showdown. Using poker-style mechanics, you duel demonic minions and descend into the inferno to confront Lord Overkill. It’s a solo or co-op experience that blends hand management with thematic grit, offering escalating tension and strategic depth. Celestia shifts gears into a whimsical airborne adventure. Players board a fantastical aircraft and journey through sky cities, collecting treasures while facing hazards like pirates and lightning storms. Each round, a new captain rolls dice to determine challenges, and passengers must decide whether to trust the captain or jump ship to claim their loot. It’s a push-your-luck game with bluffing and risk assessment at its core, wrapped in dreamy artwork and accessible rules. Thanks for listening and hope to see you at Gen Con. And a big thanks to everyone coming to the strike tournament. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 1 min
  • Episode 355: Barony, Emberleaf, Citizens of the Spark, Positano

    Episode 355: Barony, Emberleaf, Citizens of the Spark, Positano
    Jul 15 2025
    00:02:00 Introduction00:08:30 Vanessa Returns00:13:30 Blackmail Tapes00:15:00 Return of the 80s00:16:30 Emberleaf00:31:00 Portal Games00:33:00 Barony: Royal Addition00:50:30 Game Toppers00:51:30 Positano00:59:00 Miniature Market01:00:00 Citizens of the Spark01:11:30 Star Wars Unlimited Welcome back, fellow board gaming aficionados. Today, we’re diving into titles that embody wildly different flavors of adventure: the dudes on the map chaos of Barony, the whimsical card drafting of Citizens of the Spark and Emberleaf, and the sun-soaked “look what I built” serenity of Positano. All three of these games involve a good bit of strategy, with a good helping of inter-activeness against your fellow players. Well, almost all of them. But most of all, you can tell that we never really get out of second gear in the episode, so you are blessed to have Vanessa back on the mic to help us get moving. Enjoy as always, leave comments on the discord server, and thanks for listening Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 20 mins
  • Episode 354 - Fliptoon, DC Forever, Wizards & Co., Mythical Dice, Tacta

    Episode 354 - Fliptoon, DC Forever, Wizards & Co., Mythical Dice, Tacta
    Jul 1 2025
    00:02:00 Introduction00:16:30 Taste Buds00:24:00 Portal Games00:26:00 FlipToons00:32:00 DC Forever00:43:00 Game Toppers00:45:00 Wizards & Co.00:49:30 Mythical Dice00:54:00 Miniature Market00:55:00 Tacta00:59:30 Movie Reviews with Vanessa Tony is on vacation, so Vanessa joins more for the classic RDTN intro banter. Plus in the outro, they talk about their favorite movies from the first half of 2025. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 21 mins
  • Episode 353: Rumble Nation, Huang, Butterfly Garden, Timber Town, Slide

    Episode 353: Rumble Nation, Huang, Butterfly Garden, Timber Town, Slide
    Jun 17 2025
    00:02:00 Introduction00:06:00 Banana Ball00:16:00 CMON New00:19:00 Taste Buds00:23:00 Portal Games00:25:00 Slide00:30:00 Rumble Nation00:43:00 Game Toppers00:45:30 Butterfly Garden00:51:00 Huang01:06:00 Miniature Market01:07:00 Timber Town01:13:00 Switch 2 Release In this episode we cover two fun but very different area control games. Plus Marty goes to a Banana Ball game and gets a Switch 2 DiscordSupport the Show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 21 mins
  • Episode 352: Cretaceous Rails, Line of Fire: Burnt Moon, Santorini, Looot

    Episode 352: Cretaceous Rails, Line of Fire: Burnt Moon, Santorini, Looot
    Jun 3 2025
    00:02:30 Introduction00:06:00 Strike Tournament Update00:09:15 Health Update00:13:30 Game night Discussion00:15:30 Game Toppers Kickstarter 5.000:17:30 Line of Fire: Burnt Moon00:24:30 Cretaceous Rails00:41:30 Portal Games00:43:30 Looot00:49:30 Miniature Market00:51:00 Santorini: Riddle of the Sphinx01:00:00 Switch 201:05:00 Clare Obscure: Expedition 33 LoooT, the Spieli des Jahres nominee, made it to the table recently. Now, this is a Viking-themed strategy game where players lead their clan to victory by gathering resources, capturing buildings, and expanding their empire. Just picking and placing a tile will not get you a victory, you have some decisions to make that will have you balancing risk and reward. Cretaceous Rails is not a doomed theme park like so many built with dinosaurs as the main attractions. This medium-weight euro game combines economic strategy with thematic elements, allowing players to take tourists on safari and construct a thriving dino resort where every piece in the game is a resource to be used. With careful planning and resource management, you should out-maneuver the other park operators and come away with a victory and not be eaten by the T-rex. Santorini is a beautifully designed abstract strategy game that brings Greek mythology to life and Roxley has taken the new Pantheon Edition up to new hieghts with the components. Gameplay hasn’t changed, players take on the role of gods and heroes, competing to build a majestic island of Santorini without getting trapped by the competition. And now with the coop version added to the mix, Riddle of the Sphinx, this should dust of those old copies and get the game back to the table. Thanks for listening and appreciate all the support Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 17 mins
  • Episode 351: Calimala, Skyjo, Pathfinder Dice Conquest

    Episode 351: Calimala, Skyjo, Pathfinder Dice Conquest
    May 20 2025
    00:00:00 Intro00:02:30 Discord Debate00:08:30 50 Years Ago00:13:30 Gen Con Strike Tournament00:18:30 They listen??00:21:30 Arkham Horror Adventures RPG00:23:30 D&D Dungeon Software – it is gone00:25:30 Portal Games00:27:30 Pathfinder Dice Conquest00:31:30 Calimala00:46:00 Miniature Market00:48:00 Skyjo00:53:30 The Floor01:00:00 Outro We revisited a game from back in the early days of RDTN called Calimala thanks to the reprint by Alley Cat Games. Using a unique action-selection system, players produce and deliver cloth while contributing to the construction and decoration of the city’s buildings. The game features dynamic scoring phases and strategic planning as you carefully plan out every turn. We enjoyed it then, but how about now? Sometimes we will find those games that are just so basic and fun that we wonder how we missed them back in the day. That is the case for Skyjo, where players aim to have the lowest score by the end of the game. Each player starts with a grid of face-down cards and must carefully swap, reveal, and discard cards to minimize their total points. This is the game wish I had as my daughter aged to replace Rat-a-tat Cat. Thanks for listening and be sure to grab your Strike Gen Con Tickets if you are headed to Gen Con this year. Head over to Buy Me a Moon Pie to purchase Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 11 mins
  • Episode 350: Cyclades, Rajas of the Ganges: Cards & Karma, Strawberry Shortcake

    Episode 350: Cyclades, Rajas of the Ganges: Cards & Karma, Strawberry Shortcake
    May 6 2025
    00:00:00 Intro00:04:30 Music Talk00:06:30 Appliance Malfunctions00:10:00 Discord Conversations00:12:00 Miniature Market Discussion00:16:15 Taste Buds00:22:30 Portal Games00:24:00 Strawberry Shortcake: Berry Besties Bakeoff Card Game00:30:30 Cyclades: Legendary Edition00:46:00 Gametoppers LLC00:48:15 Rajas of the Ganges: Cards & Karma00:54:15 SWU Update00:57:00 Switch 2 Attempts01:03:15 Hubworld: Aidalon We’ve been on an absolute whirlwind of recording episodes, and I can practically hear y’all shouting, “What the heck, make it stop!” Trust me, I get it—it feels like we’re popping up in your podcast queue nonstop. But here’s the deal: we’ve had some special releases in between our regular shows, so while it may seem like we’re flooding your feed, it’s all in the name of keeping things exciting. Or so we tell ourselves. This time, we dove into a true classic that recently got a well-deserved facelift—Cyclades. Originally released in 2009, it was one of those gems we missed before board games became a staple in our lives. And wow, the production quality is nothing short of stunning. For those who picked up the deluxe components, I bet you weren’t disappointed. Now, let me be honest—this game exposed my weaknesses in a way I didn’t see coming. It wasn’t the game’s fault; it was mine. But hey, maybe that’s a sign of a solid strategy game—one that lays bare where you struggle and pushes you to improve. If you were a fan of the classic and have a well-loved, slightly worn-out copy sitting on your shelf, it might be time to snag this refreshed edition and bring Cyclades back to the table in all its glory. Thanks for listening and appreciate all the support. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 8 mins
  • Special Episode: Screening, Streaming or Steaming 2025

    Special Episode: Screening, Streaming or Steaming 2025
    Apr 29 2025
    One of our favorite traditions—and guilty pleasures—is diving into upcoming movie reviews with our good friends Dan and Chris. Let’s be honest, Marty needs some insightful voices on the show, or else it’d just be me listening to him ramble about movies (and trust me, that’s a whole experience on its own). After all the fun banter, we move on to the real competition—drafting our predictions for which films will dominate the box office. If you’ve got the time, we’d love to hear your thoughts over on our Discord channel! Thanks for tuning in, and we’ll be back to gaming in the next episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 32 mins