Upturned Table

“If you build it, they will come.”- Field of Dreams “If you build it and provide snacks, they will come.” – Gaming Table of Dreams In this episode, we talk to Jools Thomas* and Ryan Thomas* about the Japan International … Continue reading →

In the premiere of our new series “Straight to Netflix”, we discuss the Duncan Jones science fiction movie starring Alexander Skarsgard, Paul Rudd, Justin Theroux, and with a Sam Rockwell Moon easter egg. What could possibly go wrong? Should the critics be muted (Hey yo!)? Find out if you should list or miss Mute.

Just in time for Mer-May, our latest Creature Feature! Mermaids, or Merfolk, are found in myth and legend from almost every culture in the world. We look at their appearances from A Thousand and One Nights to Hans Christian Andersen to H.P. Lovecraft. In the tradition of our Creature Features, we watched (and drank to) a related film, The Mermaid (2016), by Hong Kong director Stephen Chow. We also include ideas and inspiration about how to play them as antagonists and protagonists in your favorite RPGs. This episode was in no way endorsed by the many fine Japanese whisky products that it took to make.

“Akeyo offers moi a kazi. Tres facile, she says. Cho lucrative, she says. Faces always lie. Tatemae, hombre. Allez, my brain says. OK, my boca says. Weil she with Sergei. His gun is ookii. His ‘tude is zverskiy. Samurai always punish. Sergei no hablo Angelo. He hablo Gewalt.

The paise is gooood. The crew is prooo. The kazi is faciiile. In and out, bra. You win, bra.

But the street don’t lie: THE SYSTEM ALWAYS WINS!”

– Neff Jacks, hardboi runner

In this episode, we present a list of questions that define cyberpunk. If a game, book, or movie checks these boxes, it’s cyberpunk. If not, sorry, bra. Is Shadowrun cyberpunk? Is The Matrix? Listen for the definitive answers.

Two Star Trek fans guys who have seen some Star Trek episodes review the latest 2d20 game, Star Trek Adventures. We answer all of the important questions. Do you need to be a Star Trek fan to enjoy the game? Can the game make you a Star Trek fan? Is this an improvement on the 2d20 system? Does the system match the universe? Does it have starships? Can you play a Borg hottie? Listen and find out!

Audio for this episode is also available on YouTube

Episode CCIV

                                The Last Last Jedi Review You Need

Having decimated the Star Wars fan base with a never-ending barrage of twists, Rian Johnson has now been given the keys to a whole new trilogy.

Only the Idle Red Hands stand against the rising tyranny, certain that people will return to an era that fans will judge a movie by its quality, not its nostalgic callbacks.

But in a Johnsonian twist,  the Idle Red Hands don’t think Johnson is a childhood-raping SJW nor do they think he’s the icon-torching genius the Star Wars franchise needed. Instead, they engage in a thoughtful discussion (i.e., we don’t accuse each other of not being “real fans”) of what did and didn’t work in this latest installment of the Star Wars cinematic universe (cinematic galaxy?). As the episode ends, you will be closer to knowing whether or not you need more Star Wars movies…

We f**king welcome back Chris, one of the original f**king hosts, to discuss Star Trek: Discovery, five f**king episodes in. We look at how f**king Trek it is, whether making it a f***king prequel was the right idea, the f**king story, and the f**king characters. We also talk about a big f**king theory and which f**king series we would most like to play in. And to paraphrase Sylvia Tilly, we think this episode turned out pretty f**king awesome.

“What are you going to do with those pies, boys?”

– second last words of Farmer Gene Green

“Aaaarrrrgh!”

– last words of Farmer Gene Green

Killer Klowns from Outer Space

Happy Halloween! You laugh at them at the circus. You welcome them into your homes to entertain your children. You let them sell you hamburgers. But in this Creature Feature, we look at the horror that is the clown. We discuss clowning through history and clowns in fiction. And while we can’t imagine why anyone would want to play them as protagonists, we share ideas on how you could.

Also check out our video on clowns here.

Here we are

Hanging onto strains of new wave cues

Ape the tropes that we break down

It’s not real if you didn’t live it

Unearned expectations

Hit shows you used to hear ’bout

They’ve finally made a show for you.

Eighties enough for you

Eighties enough for me

Fauxtalgia

Fauxtalgia for me

Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah

-“Millennials ‘r’ Good Enough”

We review the new(ish) tabletop RPG Tales from the Loop that has many people excited. Tales from the Loop seems to have hit a sweet spot with its combination of ’80s nostalgia, interesting game mechanics, and a setting both fantastic and familiar (well, if you’re from Sweden or Neveda). Do we think it should find its way to your gaming table? Does our love affair with Modiphius continue? Find out as we discuss “roleplaying in the ’80s that never was” and .

Also, as we prepare for the second season of Stranger Things, we look back on the first season. Will the show prove it is about more than nostalgia and homage? Find out in our review.

For our video review please go to:

https://youtu.be/kbep2KKmJ8Q

“Know, oh prince, that between the years when the oceans drank Atlantis and the gleaming cities, and the years of the rise of the Sons of Aryas,there was an Age undreamed of, an age where there was a good Conan movie. Sadly, that age has passed.”

– The Wizard of Reviews

We review the PDF release of Modiphius’ 2d20 RPG Conan: Adventures in an Age Undreamed Of as well as the 2011 movie Conan the Barbarian. Are you ready to adventure in the Hyborian Age? Was Jason Momoa?

If you haven’t seen the video version of this podcast click here.