Episode Twenty One - Sleeping Gods

Today we discuss one game and one game only - Sleeping Gods. But wait a minute, hasn’t NPI already done an excellent review of Sleeping Gods on their YouTube channel? Why yes, hypothetical questioner - we have. However, we had so much to say about this wonderful game that we thought it was worth tackling from a second angle.

Review copy of Sleeping Gods has been provided by the publisher - Red Raven Games.

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Episode Twenty - My Cheese City

Hello everyone and welcome to the podcast description. In your average peas and potatoes board game podcast description, you’d normally have a list of games we’ll be talking about and maybe some words about them. For example, I could say: in this episode we’ll discuss Overboss, a tile laying city builder masquerading as a pixelated fantasy game, Cubitos, a psychedelic game about racing cubes on an alien cube planet, and My City - a Reiner Knizia polyamino tile-laying legacy game. Then there would be a sprinkle of a witticism, perhaps a meta joke. Sadly, at NPI we have run out of all creativity and instead of a good description of what things are all you’re getting is this brief sad note on what it isn’t. Hope you didn’t enjoy this. On to the timestamps.

• Overboss ( 02:48 )

• Cubitos ( 20:50 )

• My City ( 35:30 )

Review copies for Overboss and My City have been provided by their respective publishers.

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Episode Nineteen - Seize the Freeze

What’s cold, old and trainy all over? It’s the No Pun Included podcast covering not one, not two but three board games - one about cold, one about old and one about the industrialization of the Iberian peninsula. Today we’ll be taking a look at Carpe Diem, the new-ish tile laying spiky point salad from Stephan Feld, the resource optimization via dying on an inhospitable planet conundrum called Cryo and the newest entry in the Iron Rails series - Iberian Gauge. Are they good? Are they fun? Are they maybe a bit of a let-down? The NPI podcast has all the answers.

Review copies for Cryo and Carpe Diem have been provided by their respective publishers.

• Carpe Diem ( 06:45 )

• Cryo ( 23:18 )

• Iberian Gauge ( 37:14 )

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Episode Eighteen - Smellovision

Look at that! Or should I say, smell at that? The podcast, for the first time in a long time is precisely on time. And with not one, not two but three very fragrant board gamers plucked from the musky shelves of No Pun Included. Today we plunge our olfactory senses into the sweaty world of fighting games, the scent ambivalent kaleidoscopic paterns of coloured sand and dip our schnozzes into the tangy gloop of selling honey.

• Mandala ( 01:27 )

• Honey Buzz ( 18:29 )

• BattleCon: Remastered ( 35:16 )

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Episode Seventeen - Beyond the Hallertau

The podcast is back from its deep 2020 slumber, ready to embrace the 2021 rays of sunlight. What better way to start the year than a discussion about three board games that are definitely good enough to be talked about on a board game podcast.

A note to long time listeners. This latest episode sees a reversion to our original form of the podcast. Whilst we enjoyed how we expanded the podcast and how it grew, in conjuction with our video review work it became unsustainable. We hope you enjoy this shorter, albeit hopefully more frequent form once again.

• NPI News ( 02:44 )

• Hallertau ( 04:51 )

• Nidavellir ( 27:46 )

• Beyond the Sun ( 42:58 )

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Episode Sixteen - The Search for Planet X

Hello and welcome - today it’s time to rejoice for this is but the grumpiest episode of the No Pun Included podcast yet. Not only does Efka grump, but also Elaine grumps. Much like squirrels, we have been gathering grumpy nuts for the winter to now unleash all of them onto you, our unsuspecting listeners.

Today we’ll be grumping about:

• Games We’ve Been Playing

  • Horizon Zero Dawn: The Board Game ( 7:44 )

  • Marvel Champions - A Brief Mention ( 11:15 )

  • Oceans ( 11:50 )

  • Curious Cargo ( 25:09 )

  • Under Falling Skies ( 36:20 )

  • Bonfire ( 43:01 )

  • Point Salad ( 53:21)

• Games We’re Looking Forward To ( 58:00 )

• Efka Grumps A Game - Cartographers ( 59:22 )

• Elaine Ungrumps A Game - Special Grump Edition ( 1:05:34 )

• Puzzle Deduction One and Done Escape Room Segment

  • IDVentures - The Unsolved Case of Holmes ( 1:13:53 )

• Feature Review - The Search for Planet X ( 1:23:41 )

If you enjoyed this episode, leave a comment below. Unlike our YouTube videos, there’s no other sensible way for you to have a nice chat with us, or maybe even some other listeners. Who knows? You might even find a friend.

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Episode Fifteen - Iwari

Is The King is Dead so good that we’re really looking at it again? Who knows? Well, you will after listening to our latest podcast. We’re also delving into the ping-tastic world of pinball, learning how to quilt for cats, seeing why the Too Many Bones storage box comes with a strange tap-like artefact, escaping Star Wars, and last but not least teaching you about British 90s pseudo-quiz shows via Iwari. Oh and Efka gets finger-waggingly annoyed as he grumps about yet another thing that pops his balloons..

• NPI News ( 1:08 )

• Games We’ve Been Playing ( 02:48 )

  • The King is Dead ( 03:32 )

  • Super Skill Pinball 4-Cade ( 08:26 )

  • Calico ( 22:57 )

  • Too Many Bones: Undertow ( 33:23 )

• Games We’re Looking Forward To ( 43:51 )

• Efka Grumps a Board Game ( 46:58 ) HeroQuest

• Elaine Ungrumps a Board Game ( 54:21 )

• Puzzle Deduction One and Done Escape Room Segment ( 58:55 ) Star Wars Unlock

• Feature Review - Iwari ( 1:12:10 )

You can find the BGG Distance Gaming Guide at: https://boardgamegeek.com/wiki/page/Distance_Gaming_Guide

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Episode Fourteen - The King Is Dead

Wow, have we got an episode for you. Not only are we travelling in time (thematically, not literally)… not only are we discussing the Lithuanian word for ‘yuk’…not only are we escaping a rabbit hole…but we’re also having an argument. Actually, more than one. And Efka says the word ‘fart’ at some point too. What more could you want?

• NPI News ( 03:02 )

• Games We’ve Been Playing ( 06:15 )

  • Tellstones: King’s Gambit ( 06:35 )

  • Root Digital ( 19:03 )

  • The Loop: Dr. Foo Strikes Back… Back… Back… ( 24:41 )

  • Glasgow ( 39:34 )

  • Mariposas ( 49:21 )

• Efka Grumps About a Game ( 1:05:51 ) Meta Narratives

• Elaine Ungrumps a Board Game ( 1:12:39 )

• Puzzle Deduction one and done Escape Room segment ( 1:17:30 ) In Pursuit of the White Rabbit

• Feature Review - The King is Dead - Second Edition ( 1:30:51 )

You can find Elizabeth Hargrave’s website at: https://www.elizhargrave.com/

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Episode Thirteen - Live at Virtually Expo

Today’s episode is a little different. We recorded this one live as part of Virtually Expo, the online only version of UK Games Expo. Since we had a very strict one hour time slot, we had to truncate our longer format and revert to our previous “here’s three games we played, let’s talk about them” version of the podcast.

But in a No Pun Included podcast first, this episode is accompanied by a video version which you can watch right here. You won’t lose much by listening in audio only, especially if you don’t mind missing out on a trivial amount of silliness.

Ah, but what games were discussed in this episode you might ask? Here’s a list with some time-stamps that will work perfectly with the video version and will be a little early for the audio one:

• Project Elite ( 4:27 )

• Escape Room in a Box: Flashback ( 16:43 )

• Oath ( 28:26 )

If you enjoyed this episode, leave a comment below. Unlike our YouTube videos, there’s no other sensible way for you to have a nice chat with us, or maybe even some other listeners. Who knows? You might even find a friend.

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Episode Twelve - Targi and Targi: The Expansion

If someone had said to me I’d be able to visit a Tokyo fish market, a quaint English village green, New York, and Sherlock Holmes all in one day I’d have thought they were doing a silly. But you can - and from the comfort of your own living room - by listening to our latest podcast episode. And who knows, maybe in the future we’ll really be able to visit all these places in a day - or at least go to the pub again.

• NPI News ( 03:03 )

• Games We’ve Been Playing ( 08:11 )

  • Tussie Mussie ( 08:20 )

  • Vilage Green ( 14:02 )

  • Tokyo Tsukiji Market ( 22:37 )

  • Fort ( 36:09 )

  • Gaslands ( 40:17 )

  • Highrise ( 53:44 )

  • Terramara ( 59:11 )

  • Edge of Darkness ( 01:07:51 )

• Games We’re Looking Forward To ( 01:15:26 )

• Efka Grumps About a Game ( 01:17:53 ) Ride the Rails

• Elaine Ungrumps about a Game ( 01:26:14 )

• Puzzle Deduction one and done Escape Room segment ( 01:31:07 ) Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective - The Baker Street Irregulars

• Feature Review - Targi & Targi: The Expansion ( 01:42:06 )

Dave Luza: https://www.twitch.tv/luzapalooza
Girls Game Shelf: https://www.twitch.tv/girlsgameshelf
Bez: https://www.twitch.tv/stuffbybez

If you enjoyed this episode, leave a comment below. Unlike our YouTube videos, there’s no other sensible way for you to have a nice chat with us, or maybe even some other listeners. Who knows? You might even find a friend.

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Episode Eleven - Undaunted: North Africa and Plastic Inserts

Today’s episode is a treat because Undaunted: North Africa is just about the cleverest game NPI has put their mits on in a very long time. North Africa is a sequel to last year’s hit Undaunted: Normandy that seemingly changes very little, but much like a classic car that had all its inards taken out and replaced with modern gubbins, it blasts away with alarming speed and precision.

• NPI News ( 04:40 )

• Games We’ve Been Playing ( 06:43 ) - including Forgotten Waters, Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion, High Rise, Empyreal: Spells & Steam and Sprawlopolis.

• Games We’re Looking Forward To ( 36:41 )

• Efka Grumps About a Game ( 41:33 ) Plastic inserts

• Elaine Says Something Nice About a Game ( 47:25 ) Aquire retooled

• Escape Game of the Episode ( 51:46 ) including Unlock: Sherlock Holmes and the Scarlet Thread Murder from Heroic Adventures

• Feature Review - Undaunted: North Africa ( 1:02:33)

If you enjoyed this episode, leave a comment below. Unlike our YouTube videos, there’s no other sensible way for you to have a nice chat with us, or maybe even some other listeners. Who knows? You might even find a friend.

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Episode Ten - Teotihuacan and Changes

Welcome back! If you’ve been enjoying the No Pun Included podcast - get ready for something bigger, faster, better. Actually, it’s not faster, it’s comparatively much longer. But much like a Toblerone, it’s better if there’s more of it.

We decided a few months ago that we wanted to change the podcast around and make it more structured and more in line with what we want to get out of it. One of the main changes is that from now on we will feature only one game per episode. I could go on a lot about why and how, but I think it’s best if you just give it a listen and see for yourselves.

• NPI News ( 11:16 ) What is the No Pun Included podcast without No Pun Included? This is the segment that brings all things NPI right to the doorstep of your ears.

• Games We’ve Been Playing ( 19:53 ) - Lament not the absence of multiple reviews per episode as there’s plenty of discussion on what we’ve been playing, and what we’re looking forwatd to, including 18 Chesapeake, Barrage, Undaunted: North Africa and Concordia.

• Efka Grumps about a Game ( 42:10 ) - What a segment. Finally, an outlet for a grumpy man to grump some more. This episode Efka grumps about Paladins of the West Kingdom and Euro Games that prioritise action selection over more variable outcomes.

• Escape Game of the Episode ( 50:39 ) - Did this segment get born out of our desire to have an excuse to play more escape room games? 100% yes, and we’re not ashamed of it. Join us for a discussion on Exit: The Game – Theft on the Mississippi.

• Feature Review - Teotihuacan: The City of Gods ( 59:00)

If you enjoyed this episode, leave a comment below. Unlike our YouTube videos, there’s no other sensible way for you to have a nice chat with us, or maybe even some other listeners. Who knows? You might even find a friend.

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Episode Nine - Space, Cats, No Turtles

Boy what an episode. It features smells, mold, nightmare hotels but it also features some board games! Today we’re discussing such cardboard delights as:

• The Crew ( 02:53 ) - You might have heard about trick-taking (and if you haven’t - we got you covered) but what if we told you: trick taking BUT CO-OPERATIVE?! Up is down, left is right and the world of cards is forever changed and nothing will ever be the same.

• Isle of Cats ( 21:23 ) - Talking of spins, we take a brief dive into the world of cats as envisioned by our friend Frank West, designer of Isle of Cats. If you had the chance to play the lovely drafting game called Bunny Kingdom, you might find a lot that’s familiar here, except this time cats. And we all know that cats are polyominoes.

• On Mars ( 39:20 ) - What’s bigger than big? Mars big. And finally we have the biggest most complicated Mars game ever. Is this something you wanted? Well, Vital Lacerda’s On Mars is here and it’s gravitational pull will demand your attention whether you like it or not.

• Mailbag ( 1:00:35 ) - Listener Jake asks us what we think about games like Gloomhaven and Cloudspire that focus on emulating video game experiences in board games and whether they go too far.

Want to send us a question? Fire it to efka@nopunincluded.com

If you enjoyed this episode, drop a comment below. Unlike our YouTube videos, there’s no other sensible way for you to have a nice chat with us, or maybe even some other listeners. Who knows? You might even find a friend.

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Episode Eight - Twentieth Anniversary Edition

Come one, come all - today is truly a celebration of cardboard as we anniversarize not one but two board games that are twenty years old. Except we also have a board game that’s a brand-spanking new baby and also one of the twenty year old board games is a nine year old board game. What happened? Has it faked its drivers licesne? Has it dilated time? You’ll have to listen to the podcast to find out.

• Castles of Burgundy: ( 02:32 ) - How more burgundy could the Castles of Burgundy get? There’s hardly any more room for anything burgundier. But should the new edition of this classic pry itself into your collection?

• Wavelength: ( 18:47 ) - Close your eyes. Listen to my voice. Raisins are a horrible horrible fruit. You are of course allowed to disagree, but if you want to win a round of Wavelength with me, you better get on board.

• Bus: ( 30:16 ) - What if we told you that there is a game that has ‘Vrrooomm!’ (with exactly those letters) action spot and if you want to win Bus you better Vrrooomm! well. And what if we told you that in Bus you build transportation links and dilate time?

• Mailbag: ( 44:26 ) - Listener Jeff asks how to downsize their collection. We asked friend of the show Matt Damon but sadly he downsized himself and is no longer available so Efka’s advice will have to do.

Want to send us a question? Fire it to efka@nopunincluded.com

If you enjoyed this episode, drop a comment below. Unlike our YouTube videos, there’s no other sensible way for you to have a nice chat with us, or maybe even some other listeners. Who knows? You might even find a friend.

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Episode Seven - Hot Steamy Clouds

There are days when I am convinced of the magical nature of our podcast. Today is one of those days. Somehow we have managed to squeeze three very big games into what amounts just the same length of podcast. From a physics standpoint this is clearly impossible - and let’s face it - telling you how we do it would be giving away a very big industry secret. But by Jove, I think we’ve got it.

• Age of Steam: ( 04:35 ) - In theory, reprints of classic games are incredibly exciting because here’s a chance for people to rediscover something that was clearly good enough to be propelled by the industry for that long. In practice, imagine the dread of the reviewer when they realise that maybe this much beloved classic is… well. Let’s just leave it at that for now. You’ll have to listen to the podcast itself for more.

• Tainted Grail: ( 22:23 ) - Oh no! It’s 7th Continent all over again. But grimdark! Long time viewers will know that that much beloved game did not sit well with these much beloved reviewers. Inspite of its popularity. Is there more to this different spin on the genre of a giant map full of choose your own adventure hotspots and survival mechanisms? That’s what we’re here to talk about.

• Cloudspire: ( 44:30 ) - Remember when you used to say things like “light as a cloud?” Well, forget about it because Cloudspire comes in at a hefty ten kilograms of neoprene matts, poker chips and custom dice in this voluptuous board game take on the MOBA genre of video games. With a ruleset that prompted this genuine response from your favourite podcast host.

• Mailbag: ( 1:00:48 ) - Listener Lambert sent in a swarm of questions about our time with Gloomhaven. We were perhaps a touch too brief in answering them, but everything has good reasons.

Want to send us a question? Fire it to efka@nopunincluded.com

If you enjoyed this episode, drop a comment below. Unlike our YouTube videos, there’s no other sensible way for you to have a nice chat with us, or maybe even some other listeners. Who knows? You might even find a friend.

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Episode Six - A Vast Schnitzel Sandwich

Hello, we have been to Germany, visited the biggest board game convention not just in North Rhine-Westphalia, but also the world. Every year Essen Spiel releases, on average, seven million new board games and we brought every single one of them home with us. We now basically live in board games and we have to walk through other board games to get to board games. Worry not, we have now played board games and we are ready to tell you all about them. Board games!

• Era: The Medieval Age: ( 02:30 ) - Ah, medieval times. The times of castles, fields, walls, diseases and people who are dice. In this Matt Leacock game get ready to subvert a popular genre, as we step away from the era… of roll and write games and enter an era of roll and build games.

• Vast: The Mysterious Manor: ( 13:19 ) - Team NPI finally treads the dangerous waters of reading a Vast rulebook and emerges miraculously unscathed. Vast is certainly an ambitous design following an entirely different ruleset for each player and a theme that pits fantasy archetypes in a potentially unescapable haunted house.

• Expedition to Newdale: ( 27:50 ) - Oh my goods it’s Oh My Goods the board game. That might mean nothing or everything to you but none of that is necessary to enjoy this little engine that could and did grow into a slightly bigger board game.

• Maracaibo: ( 43:05 ) - If you heard of cow and train super-hit Great Western Trail you might be interested to hear that it now has a spiritual follow-up set in the Carribean and featuring a fully-fledged campaign mode. Scared of the commitment required for campaign modes? You might want to give this one a listen.

• Mailbag: ( 1:05:06 ) - Listener Matthew sent in a question about playstyles that prompted a whole discussion on how, who, where and what we play and how that informs us as reviewers. Do give this a listen, it’s a good one.

Want to send us a question? Fire it to efka@nopunincluded.com

If you enjoyed this episode, drop a comment below. Unlike our YouTube videos, there’s no other sensible way for you to have a nice chat with us, or maybe even some other listeners. Who knows? You might even find a friend.

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Episode Five - Snails, Rails and Chocolate Trails

There’s no way to preface this without saying: WE HAVE BIG NEWS ( 03:23 ). Well… Okay, I don’t want to oversell it. It’s big news for us. But if you at all care and are invested in what we do, then we definitely have BIG NEWS. Otherwise, we also have plenty of board game discussion, including such delights as:

• Chocolate Factory: ( 07:11 ) - Can chocolate power a factory? Turns out yes! What’s even more surprising is how complicated conveyor belts are. I know what you’re thinking, “I’ve been on a travelator, it’s not that hard, I only fell down twice.” Nip that talk in the bud, conveyor belts are HARD and Chocolate Factory will teach you all about it.

• Sabotage: ( 19:31 ) - What if Tim Fowers, the designer known for sleek elegant compact boxes with simple rule-sets went ALL OUT and exploded with cardboard, plastic and colour? Sabotage is the answer and you’ll want to hear about it.

• Irish Gauge: ( 34:59 ) - Only a few episodes ago we talked about our very first 18xx experience, a genre of games that are all about trains and shares and they take upwards to ten hours (or sometimes more) to play. What if we told you that Irish Gauge is a game that takes only a svelte 45 minutes and its rulebook fits on an A4 sheet of paper?

• Tapestry: ( 50:13 ) - The new Stonemaier Games game is the big talk of the town and it’s time for us to take it down town. If you live in the suburbs, better get a cab because downtown is where it’s at.

Want to send us a question? Fire it to efka@nopunincluded.com

If you enjoyed this episode, drop a comment below. Unlike our YouTube videos, there’s no other sensible way for you to have a nice chat with us, or maybe even some other listeners. Who knows? You might even find a friend.

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Episode Four - Black Angel of Perth

What’s this? A podcast caught of it’s guard? Indeed. Our podcast got so scared it accidentally produced five discussions instead of the regular three. Five board games? FIVE BOARD GAMES? In one episode of the No Pun Included podcast? Is that even legal? The answer is we don’t know but whilst we’re waiting on the decision from the Supreme Cardboard Court, we’ll slip this episode in anyway and just see what happens.

• Rurik: Dawn of Kiev (07:43)- Safe to say that his is the first and so far only game that takes you all the way back to the ancient Kievan Rus. But, does it stand up to the chops of it’s genre predecessors Kemet, Inis and Scythe? Let’s find out.

• QE (20:14) - Say it together with me: QUANTATIVE EASING! Wasn’t that fun? It was. What does it mean? If you turn your podcast app’s slider to the indicate timestamp - you’ll find out!

• Adventure Games: The Dungeon (29:03) - If you’re a fan of Kosmos published escape room in a box series EXIT, you might have been eagerly anticipating their follow up called Adventure Games. Anticipate no further because…. Well, you’ll have to listen for yourself.

• Black Angel (42:15) - On to the highlights! Black Angel is popping up on many reviewer lists as the go to darling Euro Game of the year. But so far we’ve not been getting on with it. We haven’t finished our time with it yet and our opinions might change for the inevitable review video, but if you want to hear our early thoughts - this is it.

• Watergate (1:03:07) - Watergate is a two player only game that (gasp) has completely won us over. Don’t miss your chance to find out what makes this head to head between WaPo and Tricky Dick so special.

Want to send us a question? Fire it to efka@nopunincluded.com

If you enjoyed this episode, drop a comment below. Unlike our YouTube videos, there’s no other sensible way for you to have a nice chat with us, or maybe even some other listeners. Who knows? You might even find a friend.

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Episode Three - Eighteen Sofa Wars

Alert! Alert! The sofas have run amok and it is up to our heroes, Efka and Elaine, to put all the sofa pieces back together. What treasures will we find in the crevices? What hidden board game gems are gathering dust under those pillows?

• Star Wars: Outer Rim ( 03:55 )- How did an ENTIRE galaxy get lost in the folds of our sofa? We will never find out, but at least we can tell you if this Star Wars themed bimble bimbled our fancy.

• Undaunted: Normandy ( 17:44 ) - The definitive accent pillow of today's podcast is this WW2 themed deck builder. And here’s us telling you why we think it's great and… why Efka just doesn't get on with it.

• 1846 ( 34:16 ) - Rounding out our game discussion is the one game that is definitely bigger than any sofa - 1846, which is just one flavour of the multifaceted genre of 18xx games. Find out how we felt about our first sit down onto board gaming's hardest cushions.

Want to send us a question? Fire it to efka@nopunincluded.com

If you enjoyed this episode, drop a comment below. Unlike our YouTube videos, there’s no other sensible way for you to have a nice chat with us, or maybe even some other listeners. Who knows? You might even find a friend.

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Episode Two - Blood on the UK Games Expo

Cripes. Elaine and Efka are back and they have hash browns - the scariest potato based substance. But you’re not here for hash browns (unless of course you are, in which case we direct you to your nearest cafe that serves a full English), oh no, you are here for board games. Hold on to your pants - we’ve got board games.

In our second episode we discuss a slew of games we played at UK Games Expo 2019 and there’s quite a few goodies we can’t wait to tell you about:

• Pandemic: Rapid Response (2:22) - finally the answer to the question: what if Pandemic, but MORE stress? Does it need more stress? I don’t think I can answer that question before I chew on some valerian root.

• Copenhagen (17:40) - Choo choo, a new train has come to town and its name is Copenhagen. And also the town’s name is Copenhagen. Everything is Copenhagen and here at NPI we are OK with that.

• Letter Jam (30:00) - Letters are so yesterday so how about some letters that you would hate? Yes please, because let us tell you right now, Letter Jam is GREAT and you’re going to want to hear about it.

• Blood on the Clocktower (38:57)- Closing out the episode is our discussion on our first game of perhaps the most ambitious social deduction game ever made.

And on a final note we’ve received quite a question in our mail bag but we’ll leave that for you to discover.

If you enjoyed this episode, drop a comment below. Unlike our YouTube videos, there’s no other sensible way for you to have a nice chat with us, or maybe even some other listeners. Who knows? You might even find a friend.

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