This week the word is Jeopardy and the subject of favoritism is game shows. They have a lot to say about game shows, including fictional game shows and the issue of various game-show-adjacent forms of competition. Then Keith recounts a few tales from his recent D&D in a castle travels.
This week the word is snacks, so the nerds discuss their favorite snacks. In quite a bit of detail. Eventually, after dropping the spoiler curtain, they discuss various versions of the story, Button, Button, as well as Season 1 of Paradise.
This week's word is surplus, and the nerds talk about surplus stores, their favorite leftovers, unfinished business from the Twilight Zone, air fryers, Kzinti chow, They Might Be Giants, Hundreds of Beavers, Flow, Wander to Wonder, Disneyland rides that are being phased out, upcoming travel plans, Homeworlds, Paradise, and (after dropping the Spoiler Curtain) Severance season 2.
This week the word is Twilight, as in the Twilight Zone, which is the subject that dominates most of the episode. They compare notes on their favorite episodes from each incarnation of the series. Other topics include twilight in general, the Twilight Zone pinball machine, TZ books, movies with a zoney feel, the Over the Edge RPG, and the first half of season 2 of Severance. Spoiler warning: contains some very old spoilers
This week the word is Trekkie and the nerds spend the entire episode discussing their favorite episodes from each of the 11 different Star Trek series.
This week the word is Biscuit so the nerds talk about biscuits (and cookies and scones). Then Keith reports on his recent travels, including to London (where he did a cool Taskmaster thing and visited the Bodleian library) and then Toronto (where he filmed another season of Legacy of Worlds). Then Andy talks about reorganization work he's been doing in the Looney Labs office, and future plans for the space. Next, they discuss their favorite cookies. Lastly, they talk about the season finale of Lower Decks.
This week the word is Santa, since Keith and Jenn got Santa to work in their booth with them at Pax Unplugged. Then they get into a very lengthy discussion about their favorite holiday shows and movies, including favorite adaptations of A Christmas Carol and holiday episodes of regular shows. Later Andy talks about inventing Kickback, a new game for the pyramids, based on ideas that came to him in a dream. Lastly they talk about Star Trek Lower Decks and a vintage series called Dusty's Trail, among other things.
This week the word is tragedy, since Andy lost two close friends recently (Amber Cook and Kory Heath). After discussing the concept of tragedy for a bit, the nerds lighten the mood by pivoting to comedy, and spent awhile discussing their favorite comedy movies and TV shows. After this, Keith talks about some of the games he's been playing, including at AmberCon, then Andy talks about work he's been doing, first on pyramid game stuff, then on Fluxx game stuff. After those things, they discuss Star Trek Lower Decks and related Star Trek stuff, Bluesky, and Keith's daily Eberron report.
This week the word is horror. The nerds discuss different aspects of the horror genre and why it's appealing (or not). They also discuss their favorite horror stories in various categories. Moving on from these horrors, Keith talks about playing The Devil's Dandy Dogs and other games at GameHoleCon, and chocolate Jenn brought back from Japan. Then Andy talks about Word Fluxx, which just went to the printer, and Keith talks about playing an auto-gnome called The Observer.
This week the word is canal, because Andy just had a root canal. The nerds tell stories about both teeth and canals. Then they discuss their favorite dogs! These topics take a lot of time. Toward the end they each report on work stuff and talk a little about TV they're watching, specifically Rings of Power, Time Bandits, and Agatha All Along.
This week the word is Western. The nerds discuss the elements of a classic western, and Keith talks about his new western-themed Eberron book, Frontiers of Eberron. They also discuss their favorite westerns, in various categories, and Andy muses about the idea of making a Wild West Fluxx. Then Keith reports on his dog's health and the release of WayFinder. Moving on to media, the nerds discuss topics including Star Trek Center Seat, and the new Time Bandits series, Rings of Power, and others.
This week the word is hoard. The nerds discuss the differences between a collector and a hoarder, and various hoards they each have. Then the guys talk about travel, first Andy's trip to Burning Man, then Keith's trip to DragonCon. Next, since a fan at GenCon requested that they discuss their favorite dragons, Andy & Keith talk about their favorite dragons! Lastly, Keith talks about the latest Alien and Deadpool movies.
This week the word is delay because Keith recently had some serious travel delays, which he tells us all about. Andy also talks about a few things delayed, including the Looney Oracle and Hundred Acre Wood Fluxx. then Keith reports on GenCon and D&D stuff. Moving on to one of their favorite things, the nerds discuss their favorite dream-related stories. Lastly, they discuss recent media, including the Star Trek: Prodigy.
This week the word is horse because Andy has decided to learn to ride a horse, since his friend Firefly just happens to teach horseback riding. Keith & Andy then spend a lot of time talking about their favorite horses in various categories. Other topics include Islandia (the old “multi-user dungeon” they both played in long ago), Medusa in cake form, Ithaca, and Keith's D&D campaign. After dropping the spoiler curtain they talk mostly about Dark Matter, with minor discussions of the Acolyte and Manhunt.
The word is Car and the nerds discuss their favorite cars, in various categories, including real-life cars, sentient cars, and versions of the Batmobile. Then Keith talks about his experiences at Origins this year, and discusses the idea that D&D is actually one of the earliest cooperative games. Then Andy discusses lessons learned from playtest #8 of Starbase Armstrong, which was the most successful yet. Lastly, they dive into several media topics: The season finale of Star Trek: Discovery and the first few episodes of Apple TV's Dark Matter and Star Wars: Acolyte.
The word is Eleven and the nerds start by discussing things they like about the number 11. Andy also mentions 11 Fluxx ideas he's been working on. Then they get into a discussion of their favorite time travel shows which takes up most of the show. After that, Keith talks about his new campaign on Patreon and gives an update on Wayfinder. Lastly, they talk slightly about recent media include Star Trek: Discovery, Star Wars: Acolyte, and Dark Matter.
The word is Chrononaut and the nerds are here to discuss their favorite time travel movies. But first, they have to discuss terms and edge cases like time loop tales and alternate reality stories. Then they discuss a long list of time travel movies as they each struggle to decide which to call their favorites. Next Keith talks about being a Guest of Honor at BatesCon #1 and other work stuff, then Andy talks about the new Chrononauts expansion, changing the name of the Winnie the Pooh version of Fluxx, and playtest #7 of Starbase Armstrong. Lastly they discuss media including the new Doctor Who, a couple of time travel books, and after the Spoiler Curtain, the Whistespeak episode of Star Trek Discovery.
The word is castle because Keith just got back from running 9-days of D&D games in an actual castle. Next the nerds talk about their favorite castles. Then Andy talks about his recent travels, to Washington Indiana to see the total eclipse of the sun. Moving on to media, they talk a little about a bunch of new shows they haven't watched much of yet. Keith talks about Hot Chocolate Cafes in Edinburgh, and Andy gives a report on Playtest #6 of Starbase Armstrong. Looking ahead, Keith talks about the upcoming Kickstarter for Glim, Andy talks about ideas for a Patreon, and they make plans to discuss Time Travel movies on the next episode.
The word is breakfast and the nerds talk at length about their favorite breakfast foods, with particular focus on their favorite breakfast cereals. Then Keith talks about his most recent adventures, including running games at back-to-back conventions and the upcoming kickstarter for his new game, Glim. Then Andy reports on his recent trip to MidSouthCon. Other topics include Baron Munchausen, Tennessee Tuxedo, and Six Sides of Gaming.
The word is movies and the nerds talk at length about the movie-going experience, categories of movies, and in particular, their favorite science fiction movies. First they deal with the heavy-hitters, discussing their favorites from within the most well-known franchises, then they discuss their personal all-around faves. They also talk awhile about what favorite thing to discuss next time. Then they discuss some old business (Waking Life, The Killing Joke, and Hot Ones) before dropping the spoiler curtain to discuss Oppenheimer and the Dune movies.
The word is bars, in particular candy bars. The nerds spend a lot of time talking about their favorites, including limits on what counts as a candy bar, discontinued favorites, and recent trends. They also touch on bars, coffeeshops, and cafes. Then they discuss what topic of favorite stuff to discuss next, and debated the issues involved in naming a favorite movie. Next Keith talks about work stuff, including his patreon RPG that featured a special guest star, and his upcoming appearance on D&D in a castle. Andy mentions that the Looney Oracle just went to the printer, and talks a little about what the Oracle is. Lastly, Keith talks about the You Tube interview show Hot Ones.
The word is videogames, and the nerds spend a lot of time talking about their favorite videogames, breaking the subject down by type, era, and platform. Then Keith talks about his recent travels to Toronto to film more Six Sides of Gaming adventures, and Andy talks about the disappointing misprint in his new release, Camping Fluxx. They discuss media slightly, including Barbie and the new season of Rick & Morty, but then go back to talking about videogames. After dropping the spoiler curtain, Andy talks about the ending of the videogame, Stray.
The word is favorite and the nerds give their own answers to five “What's your favorite…?” questions which it's essential for every pediatrician to have ready answers for: Dinosaur, Insect, Superhero, Animal, and Princess. (Unsurprisingly, they spend quite a bit of time on a couple of those.) Moving on to other topics, they discuss Keith's next video appearances as well as scrambled eggs. Media topics include Fargo, The Peripheral, Scott Pilgrim, For All Mankind, and Silo. After dropping the spoiler curtain, they discuss a couple of videogames, namely Wayfinder (which Keith worked on) and Stray (in which you are a cat).
The word is character so the nerds talk about their favorite characters, what makes for a fun character to role-play, who's really the main character, and what's important in being a person with good character. Keith talks about appearing on the next season of Legacy of Worlds. Andy talks about being Frank, the person everyone knows (and his friend, Anthony's sister) in a game of Over The Edge. They also talk about the importance of good sportsmanship in leadership. They talk about the holidays and gifts they each got, and Andy talks about how the biggest Christmas stories are actually time travel stories. They discuss their favorite versions of a Christmas Carol. After the spoiler curtain, they discuss the Peripheral a little and season 2 of Loki at great length.
The word is calendar and the nerds talk about calendars, in particular Advent Calendars and Andy's Y2K Calendar T-shirt. Other holiday related topics include Keith's lil RPG, Snow Globe, his favorite Christmas tree ornament, and a disappointing pop-up Santa bar in Portland. Keith talks about the next D&D game he'll be running and gets a couple of suggestions about it from Andy. He also talks about playing Wayfinder on his new PS5. Andy talks about his awesome shoulder-riding cat and updating the rules to old pyramid games. Media topics include Bodies, Loki, The Flash, and Fargo.
The word is paradox and the nerds have many thoughts about paradoxes and time travel and alternate realities. Topics include Zeno's paradox, the grandfather loop, and of course, Andy's game Chrononauts. Media they discuss includes Bodies, Loki, The Sarah Connor Chronicles, the Terminator 1 & 2, Back to the Future, Star Trek, Marvels, and Alien 1 & 2. Andy has a lot to say about the JFK assassination, and Keith has some opinions to share about the new Scott Pilgrim series.
The word is charcuterie, so the nerds start by sharing their thoughts on charcuterie boards. Andy announces that Leila is taking over the job of doing the sound editing on this show, then they talk about Hearts and Whist and Icehouse and Magic. Keith reports on GameHoleCon and shares his spoiler-free thoughts about Bodies and Loki Season 2. After dropping the spoiler curtain, they discuss the finale of Season 4 of Lower Decks, with a few added thoughts about the Fall of the House of Usher and The Last of Us.
The word is camping. The nerds discuss their love of camping trips and Andy mentions that Camping Fluxx just went to the printer. Then they talk about Keith's latest appearance on the Six Sides of Gaming livestream, and Keith talks about games he plans to run at GameHoleCon. Andy then talks a bit more about his big Across America road trip and the living souvenir he returned with: a new kitten, named Neko. Then the nerds start talking about Star Trek and Star Wars, again. Keith gives his high-level thoughts on Ahsoka season 1, then after they drop the spoiler curtain, they talk at length about Season 4 of Lower Decks. Keith also talks about Loki, Bluestar, and Byzantine History.
The word is remix. The nerds recorded this episode live when Andy visited Keith during his big Across America road trip, and they start by continuing discussions they were having over breakfast about alternate-timeline-20-years-later remixes for Battlestar Galactica, Brooklyn 99, Rick & Morty and Firefly, all inspired by this Breaking Bad 2 video: https://www.cbr.com/breaking-bad-2-fan-video/. The word being remix, Andy plugs Fluxx Remixx, and provides updates on his Across America Fluxx Roadtrip. Keith describes his livestream GaryCon character, how he found real giant silver wings, and reviews the Switch game Disco Elysium. Haggis the cat sits on Andy's lap. They chat about Ashoka, how much we love our phones, and how disappointed they still feel about the Star Trek musical episode. Lastly, they duck behind the spoiler curtain briefly to discuss the cliffhanger of SNW season 2.
The word is musical. The nerds talk about special musical episodes, musicals in general, and the new musical episode of Star Trek. Then Keith mentions the sad news that his mother passed away, and spends some time eulogizing her and celebrating the many ways she encouraged his creativity. One example they both get nostalgic about are the giant Icehouse pieces she made out of cloth & stuffing back in the 80s. This also leads to an extended story from an early LARP game called Recon-5. Then Keith reports on his experiences at GenCon. After dropping the spoiler curtain, they discuss Star Trek SNW S2 Ep 8-9 and also Guardians of the Galaxy 3. Spoiler Warning: Contains Spoilers
The word is well. The nerds have a surprising amount to say about wells. Then they talk a bit in non-spoilery terms about the stuff they'll be talking about after they drop the spoiler curtain, which they do pretty early in the episode because they have so much media they want to discuss, namely the Star Trek Strange New Worlds/Lower Decks crossover episode, Spiderman: Across the Spiderverse, and the final episodes of The Leftovers. Other topics include Keith's grandmother's involvement with the Manhattan Project, Ketih's mini-reviews of games he's been playing lately on his new Switch, vintage videogames (including the terrible classic Night Trap), and of course, wells.Spoiler Warning: Contains Spoilers
The word is Leila since this is episode 313 and Leila's birthday is 3/13. (They forgot to mention it on the show, but Leila provided all the vocalizations for this podcast's opening.) Andy tells a few Leila stories, including the reason why her Burning Man nickname is Panama. Then Keith has stories from his recent trip to Origins, and talks a little about the newest Spiderman movie. They also talk about Secret Invasion (and its AI-generated title sequence) and other new Marvel shows, pinball machines, Thunder Road, Set, and Keith's current D&D campaign. Lastly, after dropping the Spoiler Curtain, they discuss the Leftovers and Star Trek Strange New Worlds.Spoiler Warning: Contains Spoilers
The word is leftovers so the nerds talk about leftovers of various sorts, including pizza, mac&cheese, french fries, and a TV series from a few years ago called The Leftovers. Andy talks a little about binging Breaking Bad, and Keith gives his impressions of the endings of Succession and Ted Lasso. This ends up leading to yet another conversation about Star Wars, followed by yet another conversation about tarot decks. Other topics include robot baristas, automated emissions testing, and the pending take-over of society by AIs. Lastly, they drop the Spoiler Curtain to get into a more in-depth discussion of The Leftovers.Spoiler Warning: Contains Spoilers
The word is bingo and Keith has a lot to say about homemade bingo cards. Andy mentions receiving his copy of Cool Cool Cool and Keith tells more stories about his recent trip to Toronto for more appearances on Six Sides of Gaming. He also reports on visiting Stormcrow Manor. Then they lament the loss of the Galactic Starcruisier. Moving on to media, Andy talks about finally watching Breaking Bad after watching most of Better Call Saul. Then Keith gives a few thoughts about the first few episodes of The Leftovers, and Andy mentions starting to watch Silo. Lastly, after dropping the Spoiler Curtain, they discuss the new Dungeons and Dragons movie.Spoiler Warning: Contains Spoilers
The word is masks and it turns out the nerds have very different views on these. Andy detests wearing a mask, while Keith actually enjoys it. They discuss their own views and also discuss the Mandalorian and its always-masked characters. Keith provides a little recap of the stuff he talked about last week that was lost in transmission. This leads to a discussion of some memorable magic tricks. Then they drop the Spoiler Curtain to discuss at length the season finales of Mandalorian Season 3 and Picard Season 3.Spoiler Warning: Contains Spoilers
This is a strange episode because Keith's side of the conversation was lost in transmission. We hear Andy's side of the conversation as they talk about their usual topics. The episode is only 18 minutes long.
This week the word is Sonder, so the show starts with a discussion of what that word even means. Then Keith talks about his recent trip back to Maine, visiting the Bates Discordians, which led to discussing the history of this college organization Keith help launch 30 years ago. Next, Andy mentions a few more things about Disney parks, and also talks about the real-life versions of the games from Star Wars, notably Dejarik, the holographic chess game. The nerds talk a little about work and life and stuff, then they dive into media discussions, starting with The Last of Us, The Menu, Midsummer, and then, after dropping the Spoiler Curtain, Everything Everywhere All At Once, and Star Trek: Picard.Spoiler Warning: Contains Spoilers!
This week the word is Disney, since Andy has recently returned from Disney World and has a lot to say about Star Wars Land and other things that have changed since his last visit 15 years ago. He also talks at length about an event he attended in Miami called Love Burn. Then Keith talks about what he's been doing lately, including appearing with several other famous game industry folks in a series of televised D&D sessions called Destiny of Worlds. Moving on to media, they discuss Poker Face, Ghosts, Kaleidoscope, and after dropping the Spoiler Curtain, the first episode of season 3 of Star Trek Picard.Spoiler Warning: Contains Spoilers!
This week the word is Fidget, since the nerds are both fidgeters, and they discuss various ups and downs of fidgeting. Then Keith gives a detailed report on his recent trip to Canada where he was filming a D&D session series with several other game industry luminaries. Keith talks about other D&D projects he's been up to as well, then they talk a little about various media, including Mr. Robot, Velma, That 90s Show, Ashes to Ashes, and Taskmaster. Keith also talks about playing a new game called Scout. Lastly, Andy talks about a new Parsely game he just wrote, called Trapped! and it's so short that he decided to let Keith play through the game on the air (after dropping the Spoiler Curtain, of course).Spoiler Warning: Contains Spoilers!
This week the word is Roof, since it happens that both of the nerds just got new rooves on their houses. Then they discuss the scandal currently roiling the D&D world (a situation that has continued to rapidly develop since this was recorded). After a bit of ranting on that, they move on to other topics. Keith talks about finally playing Gloomhaven, which they discuss at some length. Near the end they lower the spoiler curtain to discuss Taskmaster and Wednesday.Spoiler Alert: Contains Spoilers!
This week the word is (N)evermore, since the nerds discuss the Wednesday Addams series, which is set at the Nevermore Academy, as well as the Evermore theme park which was the subject of a recent Jenny Nicholson video. Next, Andy talks about the real meaning of the “Golden Rings” in the Twelve Days of Christmas, and Keith talks about a fan who named their cat Keith Baker. This leads to some discussions about cats and dogs, and Andy talks about the new solitaire rules for Fluxx. Then they yammer about hopes for the new year and other random stuff.
This week the word is Swamped, since Keith just has too much stuff going on right now. He reports on various projects, including the coin for the new version Illimat, the issue of guns in Eberron, Hero Forge minis wearing his hat, and a new micro RPG called Snow Globe. Moving on to other business, they discuss again the Dream Apart / Dream Askew games, how time used to work in D&D, social media upheaval, and Puddles singing Royals. Movie on to media, topics include Bullet Train, the Weird Al Movie, the board game about Rear Window, and movies that only make sense if you're dreaming. After dropping the Spoiler Curtain, they discuss Andor season 1 at length, along with an episode of Star Trek Prodigy called “All the World's a Stage.”Spoiler Warning: contains spoilers!
This week the word is Groovy, since Andy just turned 59. The nerd discuss a few groovy topics, then Keith talks about AmberCon and a couple of games he played there using the No Dice, No Masters RPG system. Then Andy talks about running a playtest of Dustworld for a bunch of his friends on his birthday. Other topics include Jenny Nicholson's videos, Rocky & Bullwinkle, and vintage LARP games. After lowering the spoiler curtain, they discuss Andor, Lower Decks, and the Peripheral.Spoiler Warning: contains spoilers!
This week the word is Cool, since Keith's company is Kickstarting a game called Cool Cool Cool. They also discuss coolness in other games and coolness (and uncoolness) in general. Other topics include fist bumps, Crater Lake, Keith's current Eberron game, and a new videogame he's working on. Andy talks about the next Looney Labs release: Across America Fluxx. He also talks about buying a lawnmower, and Keith talks about his sword cabinet. Then they discuss the question of doing the Hard Thing or the Easy Thing. Keith talks about re-reading a classic called The Tain. Next they drop the spoiler curtain to discuss season 3 of Lower Decks at length, followed by discussions of Andor, Rings of Power, She-Hulk, and others. Lastly, Keith reports on things he's heard about the Galactic Starcruiser.Spoiler Warning: contains spoilers!
This week the word is Spartacus, for reasons that don't entirely make sense. Keith talks about his recent travels, including visiting Italy, then Andy talks about his recent travels, including Burning Man. Topics of note include cemeteries, how Andy's new game Dustworld played out, the naming of the Colosseum and the history of Venice, and foods on the menus in foreign McDonalds. Next Keith reports on his D&D campaign and the first expedition of the Eberron space program. Lastly, they talk a little about TV they've been watching, including Rings of Power, Andor, What We Do in the Shadows, and Lower Decks.
This week the word is cartoons. The nerds discuss the differences between cartoons and comic books and why (or why not?) they each prefer one over the other. They talk a long time about comics and cartoons, movie adaptions thereof, the gore factor, and more. Then Keith talks about life stuff including chasing down a UPS truck, and reveals his ideas for incorporating the new Spelljammer stuff into Eberron. They each talk about the long trips they're about to depart on, and yammer a little about shows they are watching, the games they are playing, and the books they are reading.
This week the word is Trackanon, which the nerds start by explaining. Then Andy talks about a tree that almost fell on his house and how he bought a chainsaw to cut it up with. He also carries out about the joy of Ryobi power tools and their interchangeable battery packs. Keith reports on various topics including the saga of his ten frozen Giordano's pizzas and what's currently going on in his D&D campaign. Other topics include the start of season 4 of Westworld, different styles of stand-up comedy, Zorak on “Intergalactic Love Connection,” the villainous roles of David Warner, a bar in Ithaca called the Rongovian Embassy, Mythic Quest's “A Dark Quiet Death,” the Marvel Comic and Cinematic Universes, and Andy's plans for the epic game he plans to run at Burning Man, called Dustworld.
This week the word is Covid, since Keith just lost his membership in the never-had-Covid club. Keith talks about what Covid has been like, and also talks abut ordering a bunch of Giordano's pizzas. Then they talk, yet again, about Star Trek vs. Star Wars. Eventually they move on to other shows and movies including Ghostbusters Afterlife and Dr. Strange before going back to the subject of Star Trek.Warning: Contains Spoilers!
This week the word is biweekly. First the nerds talk about their recent decision to slow down this podcast, by only recording it every other week (even though they will continue to talk weekly). Then Keith mentions that he thinks he's caught Covid, after which he gives his live reactions to a new type of candy bar he discovered. Next, Keith recounts the latest action in his current D&D campaigns. Moving on to media, they talk about Taskmaster, the penultimate episode of This Is Us, Star Trek Strange New Worlds, The Orville, and the Obi-wan Kenobi series.Warning: Contains Spoilers!
This week the word is discombobulation. First the nerds talk about post-travel discombobulation, since Andy just got back from his first big event in over 2 years, and Keith is still getting back into the groove after his recent trip to Utah. They talk in a non-spoilery way about the new Kenobi series, the new season of Stranger Things, The Time Traveler's Wife, This Is Us, Shining Girls, For All Mankind, Gaslit, and Godzilla. Then they yammer about about gavels and mallets before dropping the spoiler curtain to talk about Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, and also Severance.Warning: Contains Spoilers!
This week the word is recombobulation, and it's a week of random topics for the nerds, including: Keith's recent trip to Utah, sodas of unusual flavors, Watergate, apple-picking excursions, Andy's neck-watch, John Bowman's catchphrase on Hollywood Squares, Matter-Eater Lad, how to use time travel to steal DB Cooper's suitcase full of cash, Strange New Worlds vs Discovery, Duolingo, The Godfather, history-based movies, and many other things.
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