Jamie and John return from the fuge state of Gencon, and talk games, tornados, games, good food, games, and of course, a little Dungeon Crawler Carl.

John almost fubars the episode, but him and Jamie still manage to discuss Spinmaster's new Hellbreak TCG, Gamestop's eyes being bigger than their budget, and Anne Rice's new RPG causing some confusion.

Chapters

• 00:00 Tabletop Gaming News and Releases
• 11:53 Cultural Significance of Games
• 30:02 Recognition of Role-Playing in Finland
• 32:12 Influence of Harsh Winters on Gaming Culture
• 33:45 Cultural Heritage of the United States
• 39:27 Potential Acquisition of eBay by GameStop
• 01:13:25 Launch of the Hellbreak TCG
• 01:14:34 RPG Partnerships and Decision-Making
• 01:38:28 Chess Tournaments and Documentary Recommendations
• 01:46:22 Live Music Experiences

Juli Bierwirth, co-creater of Mantis Falls and co-owner of Distant Rabbit Games, talks with John and Jamie about how her past, present, and future hopes in the game industry. Together, they discuss Japan's move to invest in the "geeky" market, and how Nintendo reports Pokemon's new initiative to stop scalping.

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction and Game Development
• 06:02 The Creation of Mantis Falls
• 08:38 Challenges and Triumphs of Game Publishing
• 11:30 Kickstarter and the Board Game Industry
• 20:04 Impact of COVID-19 on Board Gaming
• 28:19 The Unique Gameplay of Mantis Falls
• 36:49 The Evolution of Below the Falls
• 39:02 Game Expansion and Sequel Plans
• 44:08 Sustainability in the Board Game Industry
• 01:00:30 Japanese Government's Support for Entertainment Industry
• 01:11:08 Pokemon Card Scalping Issues
• 01:11:51 Collectible Card Game Market
• 01:31:27 Impact of Tariffs on Board Game Industry
• 01:45:41 Transformers and Scooby-Doo Crossover
• 01:48:47 Gaming Reviews and Critiques
• 01:51:28 New Releases and RPGs
• 02:05:12 Fantasy Books and Graphic Novels
• 02:06:51 Movies and TV Shows

Jamie returns in body (he was always here in spirit) to talk about Paizo being affected by the Diamond Bankruptcy, Pokemon banning card sales at certain events, and Gundam Assemble attempting to get ahead of the 3d printing army.

Chris Hanrahan and Tom Lommel of Evil hat have an amazing conversation with John and Dylan about Evil Hat as a company, as a force in the industry, and as just some people having fun in the gaming space. Together they discuss WOTC's move to live service gaming, some exciting items coming to Gencon, and Evil Hat's RPG system FATE is already foretold.

The creator of Raccoon Sky Pirates and Defy the Gods is back with Jamie and John! Together they discuss the new Kickstarter of the updated Raccoon Sky Pirates, the crowdfunding ins and outs for both creator and retailer, and how the creative process continues to evolve for Chrys. She sadly has to leave, but that gives Jamie and John a chance to discuss this year's Spiel Des Jahres nominees and John's Journey to Geekway to the West!

Jamie and John discuss how the store is doing with the new POS, how Wizard of the Coast is getting back into the hot water, and how Jamie doesn't know how many national parks there are.

Jamie and John supports Pluto Nash, no matter what Jamie says.

Takeaways

• Media people decide awards in various industries
• Games that are kid-friendly and enjoyable for adults are highly sought after
• Shorter, casual games are gaining popularity in the tabletop gaming industry Board Game Industry Trends
• Dungeons & Dragons Expansion
• Kickstarter Success D&D Ravenloft expansion
• Louis Zocchi's legacy

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction to Tabletop Gaming Awards
• 29:54 Discussion of Award-Winning Games
• 53:07 Dungeons & Dragons Expansion
• 59:22 New Dungeons & Dragons Expansion
• 01:05:26 New Games and Events
• 01:14:22 Upcoming Events and Fundraiser
• 01:24:46 Dungeon Crawler Carl and Seth McFarland

Jamie and John get into the latest acquisitions from Asmodee, so debate on if CMON is really righting the ship, and the new hotness is booming!

Jamie and John discuss the new round of tarriffs, GAMA roundup, and the importance of shoulders.