Talk Cardboard

Two Player Special: Run, Haggis, Harrow County

I don’t know about you, but I think there’s something special about the momentum of two player games. The tension, the back and forth. The sensation of making a clever move is so much more palpable than in any other player count. Today we’ll take a look at three two player games, each interesting in its own way, and also two more on our bonus episode.
Our friend Jon from JonGetsGames has designed a game called Spring Cleaning, which we mention in the episode, you can pre-order it here: https://www.newmillindustries.com/store/p/spring-cleaning-preorder or you can play it online on boardgamearena.
If you’d like to check out our bonus episodes - become a patreon supporter on https://patreon.com/nopunincluded
On to the timestamps:
0:00 Cold Open
2:04 Intro
4:08 Run
24:31 Haggis
37:07 Harrow County

Agemonia, Terra Nova

Dear listeners, it’s never been clearer to us that board games have entered into a new era - the era of the size race. Each month publishers are competing to release a bigger campaign game than the one before and in terms of scope, Agemonia is definitely in the running for the lead. In terms of box size it’s no slouch either, looking eerily similar to that 32 pound Frosthaven box. To provide some contrast and levity, the second game on this episode is Terra Nova, a sleeker, slimmer, smaller and shorter version of its big sibling - Terra Mystica.
If you’d like to check out our bonus episodes - become a patreon supporter on https://patreon.com/nopunincluded
On to the timestamps:
0:00 Cold Open
1:46 Agemonia
41:34 Agemonia content warning start
45:49 Agemonia content warning end
48:22 Audience Correspondence - Salton Sea
55:52 Terra Nova

Salton Sea, Arcs

There is a duality in first time plays, at least when you’re playing with a mind to reviewing. One path leads to potential, the other to the bin. A first time play can reveal quirks and kinks that promise an interesting second or third or fourth and beyond plays; exploration and indulgence. It can equally reveal a design you never wish to revisit. On today’s episode - two board games. Arcs and Salton Sea. A remix of space board games and a trudge through the bleak world of mining lithium. Each a representative of both polar opposites of first impressions.
Articles and websites discussed in the episode can be found here:
Vote for your favourite podcast in the BGG Awards: https://boardgamegeek.com/geekawards/boardgame
From Wingspan to Wyrmspan: An Accesibility Journey - https://boardgamegeek.com/blogpost/157687/from-wingspan-to-wyrmspan-an-accessibility-journey
Rolling with Two: Wyrmspan - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifMREbPv1Zk
Colorbling Games - https://colorblindgames.com/
If you’d like to check out our bonus episodes - become a patreon supporter on https://patreon.com/nopunincluded
On to the timestamps:
0:00 Cold Open
1:46 Intro
2:49 Flavor Text
9:13 Salton Sea
41:46 Weight vs Subject
45:02 Arcs
1:15:03 Outro

7th Citadel, Wyrmspan

This episode we only cover two games, but we had so much to say it ended up being a full length episode anyway. Which isn’t a surprise really when you end up with two follow ups for two massively succesful games. It’s the follow-up episode! And if you strain your thinking really hard, you could even argue that this very episode is a follow up to previous episodes, and thus thematically represents the games themselves. It’s nice when things like that line up perfectly. Please enjoy our chatter on 7th Citadel (sequel to 7th Continent) and Wyrmspan (sequel to Wingspan).
If you’d like to check out our bonus episodes - become a patreon supporter on https://patreon.com/nopunincluded
0:00 Cold Open
0:38 Intro
2:44 7th Citadel
34:15 Wyrmspan

Unmatched Adventures: Tales to Amaze, Witchcraft!, Revive

“What’s good?” you might ask me. Oh, nothing. Nothing at all. Just board games. Three specific board games that are, in fact, good and COINCIDENTALLY are all featured on this episode of Talk Cardboard. What a treat! A threefer. A co-op boss battler that’s good, a solo deck-builder that’s good and, wait for it, a EUROGAME that is very good! It’s good games vibes only. Enjoy!
If you’d like to check out our bonus episodes - become a patreon supporter on https://patreon.com/nopunincluded
0:00 Cold Open
2:00 Intro
3:17 Unmatched Adventures: Tales to Amaze
22:08 Witchcraft!
38:41 Revive

Age of Innovation, Raising Robots, Sidereal Confluence: Bifurcation

A remake, a new take and an expansion walk into a bar. The barman says, “what’ll it be?” They all reply “something fresh.”
Was that too mean? I think that was too mean, especially since at least (and also at most) two of the games discussed in this episode are pretty great. And one of them is okay. We revisit the classic Terra Mystica in it’s new more thematically demure incarnation, we explore how Raising Robots riffs on Wingspan and Efka finally gets to play the expansion to his favourite game of all time - Sidereal Confluence. Let me tell you folks - it’s been bifurcated.
If you’d like to check out our bonus episodes - become a patreon supporter on https://patreon.com/nopunincluded
0:00 Cold Open
2:48 Intro
3:43 Age of Innovation: A Terra Mystica Game
33:22 Raising Robots
53:23 Sidereal Confluence: Bifurcation

Dune: War for Arrakis, Daybreak, Ticket to Ride Legacy: Legends of the West

More and more board games are adopting eco themes! Whether it’s Daybreak and it’s simulation of climate change or Dune: War for Arrakis and Dune’s enviromental themes and… uh… one or two plastic miniatures or Ticket to Ride Legacy and… um… all the railroad constru…. You know what nevermind, welcome to board games! It’s board games everyone, aren’t they good? So good those board games. Are they good? It depends on which one it is. And thus enters the board game reviews. They’re here. Enjoy it.
If you’d like to check out our bonus episodes - become a patreon supporter on https://patreon.com/nopunincluded
On to the timestamps:
00:00 Cold Open
1:27 Intro
2:30 Audience Correspondence: Green Appreciation
6:08 Dune: War for Arrakis
38:26 Daybreak
59:07 Ticket to Ride Legacy: Legends of the West

Dune: Imperium - Uprising, Most Anticipated 2024

Can you believe it’s been a whole year of Talk Cardboard? Incredible! What’s a better way to celebrate the end of the year than by revisiting where we began? On the very first episode Efka talked about his most anticipated games for 2023, so today we’ll take a look at how those panned out and also take a peek at his most anticipated games for 2024.
Plus we’ll talk about Dune: Imperium - Uprising, Efka’s game of the year and share some of Elaine’s impressions of it. Finally, we saved something a little special for the end of the episode, but you’ll have to listen to find out what that is.
Thanks for sticking with us for a whole year! Here’s to another one.
If you’d like to check out our bonus episodes - become a patreon supporter on https://patreon.com/nopunincluded
On to the timestamps:
3:35 The Ones that Got Away
20:47 Dune: Imperium - Uprising
44:09 Most Anticipated 2023 Revisited
54:15 Most Anticipated 2024