Are current events getting you down? Ha ha. That's our little joke. Of course they are.
But in this episode of the podcast, Ava and Quinns are here to remind you through the magic of tabletop, things can always be worse! There's the threat of adorable animals drowning in Isle of Cats (02:43), a world-devouring demon invasion in Planet Apocalypse (12:53), the startling cruelty of medieval Italy in Antiquity (24:17), as well as the bum-punishingly long Western Empires (46:01).
Quinns, Tom and Ava voyage boldly into the great boardgame unknown, this time without Matt’s assistance on the technology side of things! The result? A podcast that’s deeply flawed. Am I going to triple-check the edit to make sure the audio isn’t slipping and sliding around, crashing into itself like an ouroboros of waveforms? I’m sure you’ll be able to guess the answer to that question by just listening to it.
This week, we get covered in eldritch goop while talking about Cthulhu: Death May Die, barraged by dice AND pirates in Madeira, turned into candles with a Thousand Year-Old Vampire, and utterly BAFFLED by the interlocking systems in The Defence of Procyon III! We’ll also be talking a little about the games we’ve looked at recently, and discussing that stream.
You, at the back! Was it you that ordered a chat sandwich? Was it with ramble bread and discussion filling - extra… stream schedule?
Look. I spent ages trying to make a joke about this podcast being ‘like a sandwich’ - with the strong base of classic Eurogames (Terra Mystica and Hansa Teutonica) wedged between the spicy hot filling of Root Underworld and Frosthaven. But there you see my problem; the filling is on the outside and the bread on the inside and that just ‘AINT a sandwich, chief. And then where does Mr Cabbagehead’s Garden fit in? The pieces are all there, but my brain won’t make them fit - the sandwich metaphor falls apart like a… like a… wet… sandwich. Dang it, just listen to the podcast.
This week’s episode is extra chunky and was a lot of fun to edit! I Hope YOU (yes, you!) enjoy, and have a great weekend!
Look, I’m really sorry that I sat on the podcast intro music but what am I supposed to do, check every seat for audio files before I sit down? I know it’s a bit crushed and quiet, but if we give it enough love and care then it’ll spring back soon enough, I’m sure - and I can always do my own version of the music for the time being… Oh the podcast is meant to be out… today? I’ll see what I can do…
This podcast may contain traces of trains - perhaps more than a trace, even, as Matt and Quinns discuss both Russian Railroadsand 1889: History of Shikoku Railways in the space of just one hour. I know, it’s all getting a bit exciting. Squashed between those discussions like a fun filling in a games sandwich, Tom yammers on about Calico, Pax Pamir 2e and Watergate; games that somehow all contain the same levels of tension and despair in spite of their wildly differing themes.
‘Ello ‘ello ‘ello, wot’s going on ‘ere then? Looks and sounds like there are three english men crammed inside one english cupboard talking about a series of “board games” from who knows where. That’s a recipe for disease-based disaster right there. City of the Big Shoulders? You’re certainly crammed shoulder-to-shoulder in here, though one of you is a bit smaller than the others. I’ve heard it’s as good an economic euro as any, though I, for one, prefer my commodity speculation games a little less beige. Last Bastion? I’ve heard that one’s a pretty dandy co-operative game, but personally I felt the fantasy redesign was a little lacking.
Wait, I swear on me nan’s ghost that I saw more games in here when I first burst in. Are you hiding ‘em? What’s that on there? Is that a game on your mobile device, Mr Lees? Is it Vlaada Chvatil’s classic tableau-builder, Through The Ages? You of all people should know those is contraband, as they remind people of ‘the time before’, when they could play games with their friends around their tables spreading all their germs. Not any more. You’re going to prison, but seen as we can’t go outside, I’m locking you in your own dishwasher. It’s for the best.
Welcome to the loosiest, goosiest episode of the Shut Up and Sit Down podcast yet, where three adults try to have a conversation via the internet without talking over each other all of the time. Experience the mixed results contained therein! Marvel at how 5 games are spread thinly over an hour of your life, like existential marmalade made of cardboard and opinions. What games, specifically - I hear you roar? I was getting there, no need to get impatient.
This week we’re bobbing around on an ocean of average in Flotilla, drinking some questionably garnered tea in Alubari: A Nice Cup Of Tea, and pelting druids with rocks in Cairn. Sandwiched amidst these activities one can find a brief segue through the eccentric Tokyo Game Show, and a brief visit to the ancient tabletop colossus that is The Castles of Burgundy. Also in this podcast: meandering chats about how the team is faring under quarantine, and a few brief teases of potential bread-based content.
DISCLAIMER: The thumbnail for this podcast contains more business than is actually contained in this podcast. Instead, on this short, sleepy episode, a tired old Matt and a sickly young Tom have a meandering chat about just four games.
‘That’s not enough games for my Friday night podcast-listening session!’ I hear you cry, panicked and approaching a point of crisis. Fear not, listener, as this winding little journey will take you through the staggering quite goods of Stockpile, the crushing it's fines of Big City and Orleans Stories, before a twist ending where they were all Nemesis all along. Not only that, but there are tiny little trails along the way - a tease of City of the Big Shoulders, for sir? Maybe a trickle of Little Town? It’s all here and it’s all in audio form in this very 105th Shut Up and Sit Down Podcast.
Welcome, diners! Take your seats for the very 104th Shut Up & Sit Down podcast. Enjoy a salty fish supper alongside Oceans, a haggis and a whisky with Glen More II: Chronicles, or a rubbery old hot-dog with Rallyman GT. All options are served with opinions from our cardboard sommelier Matt Lees, and a side of steaming hot takes from our acrylic potwash, Tom Brewster.
Speaking of sides, this week’s podcast features a smorgasbord of canapes, vol au vents and other esoteric snacklets in our detour through Tom’s exclusive, invite-only Party Game Zone™. You can find us in the cordoned off area, chatting about a series of games that you could bring to a party, and smattering of games that you should bring to a party. No +1s are permitted, and BYOB(oardgames).
We also have a post-dinner keynote speech about recent videos on the site - including the palpably divisive review of Bunny Kingdom. Quinns and Tom aren’t on speaking terms after that one, on account of the attempted murder.
Look out! Podcast #103 is charging towards your fragile human body like the untameable beast of content that it is. Be shocked, as we wrangle with Clinic! Gasp in horror as we consume Irish Gauge… whole! Listen as we swirl the sequel to Welcome To... around in our mouths, and last but not least: be kind of bummed out as we talk about why Maracaibo is... a bit bad? Oh! And of course we'd also got some chat about Era, which is not bad at all but VERY PLASTIC. Since recording they've announced an expansion, but we're not sure that affects our feelings much at this stage. Time will tell!
This episode also features fleeting special guest appearances from Clipcut Parks, Food Chain Magnate’s latest expansion; The Ketchup Mechanism, and two games with ‘letter’s in their name. Technically all the games have letters in their name, but these ones literally have letters in their name. You’ll see what we mean.
We also talk a little about recent video reviews! Well, one video review, because Quinns got so excited about the prospect of playing Azul: Summer Pavilion, that he forgot to talk about his review. It tends to have that effect on people.
Back once again like a renegade podcast, the Shut Up & Sit Down podcast is back in action and ready to wrestle with your ears and your brain. Let’s not bury the lede - we’ve got a formal introduction to make this week, with the official addition of Mr Tom Brewster to the team. He’s lovely, and you’ll be hearing and seeing a bunch more of him in the months to come.
In this episode of the podcast we dive back into Suburbia, explore The King’s Dilemma, and dabble with Abomination and Finger Guns at High Noon as well as plenty of others. We also have a rather lovely reading of Tactics and Tactility by Ava Foxfort as a break from all of this ghastly pod-wrestling.
Due to exciting new technological discoveries, you can now expect a new episode to drop on Friday every other week! Thanks to the patience of those who love the podcast and have missed it over the last few months, you’re the best.
Ringing in the new year with a podcast recorded *checks notes* ... last year, Matt and Quinns are coming right at you from PAX Unplugged, with a plethora of exciting games to chat about. If you'd rather watch this episode and pretend you were there, we've got you covered with a lovely "YouTube Video". It'll never catch on.
If you've been missing the podcast over the last few months, don't be alarmed - we'll be back in regular action very soon. Thanks all!
Congratulations all, you’ve made it! It’s the very 100th Shut Up and Sit Down podcast! Gosh, the podcast hill is so high up here that I’m pretty sure I can see episode 43, fumbling around in that bush with a sandwich.
Matt and Quinns are briefly joined by Pip for an sleep-deprived natter about some interesting games. Obscurio (16:14) sounds like Wizard-Dixit with traitors, and incredibly summoned a cheer from the crowd simply for use of the word “acetate”. Tumblin’ Dice (21:05) got a little love, but probably deserves more than anyone can give it, before Matt then went on to talk about playing the award-winning RPG Mothership (24:50) - a sci-fi horror system that conveys the relatable experience of waking up after a very long time and immediately being attacked by stress.
We were thrilled to find that many of those who’d managed to check it out at SHUX finally understood the hype from our review of Blood on the Clocktower (35:13) - a beautiful beast that is more than the sum of its frankly dastardly parts.
Delving into Vast: the Mysterious Manor (39:58) - an asymmetrical game in which you can literally play as the mysterious manor - left us with mixed feelings about pacing but strong feelings towards skeletons, before we finally talked about food and/or animals with Yum Yum Island (45:36) and Nickelodeon Splat Attack! (50:06).
Apologies for the quality of the audio in this episode - we had some issues with the room that we weren’t able to resolve. If you’d like to listen to this episode with “moving pictures”, you can also watch it here, on Youtube!
100 episodes is truly "big potatoes" - thank you so much for listening!
In what is still definitely *not* our 100th episode, Quinns and intern Ben are grappling with some truly epic boxes. As is the SU&SD motto, "We grap so you don't have to."
For starters, these two summon the energy to discuss their 12 hour(!) game of Western Empires (02:32). Then there's chat about the byzantine challenges of hit Kickstarter games Cloudspire (18:05) and Skulk Hollow (29:38). Quinns reveals he can't pronounce cacao in a segment on sprawling eurogame Teotihuacan: City of Gods (37:05), before the two round things off with some lighter games, namely Yokai (43:06), Detective Club (46:57), and Combo Fighter (53:06).
In this episode, Matt, Quinns and Ben report live from a secret hideout. Matt's been breaking the rules of Gloomhaven (discussed at 26:54) while Quinns has been ignoring the laws of new, superb expansion Bunny Kingdom: In the Sky (50:12), and the cops could bust them at any moment.
Matt, Quinns and Ben are circling podcast #100 like talkative nerds circling a numerical drain. Quickly! Before they slip away, why not listen to them talk about the games?
On this podcast there's chat about party game We're Doomed! (02:23), classic card game For Sale (10:00), 2010 smash hit Alien Frontiers (15:40), the enigmatic Wooly Wars (23:26), hot new box Air, Land & Sea (30:03) and Kickstarter behemoth Cerebria: The Inside World (40:11). There's also a lovely reader mail this week asking which games have the best Endgame Energy
Also, if you're a geologist who would like to contribute to our discussion of sand, please do leave a comment. We're clearly idiots, and we need all the facts that we can get.
Having just arrived back from Belgium's fantastic Zomerspel tabletop convention, Matt and Quinns were inspired by Belgian chips to create this episode of our award-winning podcast. It's long, crunchy, filling and if you eat nothing except this podcast then you will probably die?
Games discussed in this episode include the fascinating Taverns of Tiefan Thal (01:51), the taut little Feld game Carpe Diem (13:48), the simple-yet-delightful Luxor (26:47), the gross-yet-charming Silk (33:13) and the simply superb Rail Pass (49:37). Matt and Quinns also discuss some of the video reviews they've been working on, including Pipeline (1:00:58) and Too Many Bones (1:06:54).
Finally, following on from team SU&SD having recently discovered the joy of using pencils to write on paper, we've just now learned about BOOKS! Specifically, the book Top 10 Games You Can Play In Your Head, By Yourself (49:35).
At last, we close out the podcast with a tempting question from our mailbag (55:54). If we could force board game fans the world over play one thing, what would we choose?
In this special episode of our award-winning podcast, Matt and Quinns talk about their trip to Danish board game convention Fastaval.
Games discussed include the superb Hansa Teutonica (02:56), the as-yet unannounced Deep Blue (12:02), the also-unannounced Auto (15:50), Flamme Rouge’s unnamed campaign expansion (24:05), That’s Not Lemonade (35:43) and Mid-Life Crisis (45:23).
Finally, we close with a discussion of Fastaval itself, and what makes it so magical (59:18). Is it the terrifying, viking-like cleaning crew? Is it the black tie award ceremony? Is it the unparalleled gender equality, or the world-class roleplaying games?
It's all of these things, and more. Huge thanks to the organisers for choosing us as this year's guests of honour.
Recently, Quinns was tasked with hosting a 7 player game night, and rose to the challenge with Herculean vigour.
In this episode, Matt, Quinns and intern Kylie discuss his breathtaking efforts. That means talking about Watson & Holmes (03:00), Escape from the Aliens in Outer Space (12:14), and a little card game called Bourré (19:55). Incidentally, Bourré is probably the only time that SU&SD will ever crossover with the NBA. Afterwards, the group slims down for a chat about some 3 player games, namely Gùgōng (27:34) and Chinatown (38:30).
Finally, the team answers a quick reader mail asking what table is best for board gaming. Big or small? Square or circle? That's right! We are beyond parody.
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