Is Civilization from Avalon Hill and Gibsons Games still able to command 10 hours of your attention more than 40 years after its initial release? Can The Roottrees are Dead outdo Hypnospace Outlaw at Internet nostalgia and Return of the Obra Dinn at amateur sleuthing? Blending poker and heists, do we have a good enough hand to win The Gang? Are Ritz crisps? You have questions, and boy, do we have answers.

All that, and a bag of cola, on Ep217.

00:00 - Putting on the Ritz

05:54 - Civilization

30:28 - The Roottrees are Dead

40:57 - The Gang

On this episode were Dan (@ThisDanFrost), Kris (@DigitalStrider), Peter (@XeroXeroXero), and Sam (@MrSamTurner).

Our Spotify Playlist brings together lots of great thematic music inspired by the stuff we talk about.

Links to where you can find us - StayingInPodcast.com

Note: sometimes we'll have been sent a review copy of the thing we're talking about on the podcast. It doesn't skew how we think about that thing, and we don't receive compensation for anything we discuss, but we thought you might like to know this is the case.

We find out why Fireside Games’ co-op boardgame Castle Panic remains a masterpiece and how its wonderfully welcoming all-ages version My First Castle Panic brings in younger players while remaining entertaining for adults. Then a look at why the sheer amount of planning for a weekend playing Avalon Hill’s Civilization has been an early part of the overall joy of running this epic length event game. And the reasons why 100 years of Nosferatu has done nothing to take the sting out of the vampire’s bite.

All that, and Nora going door-to-door, on Ep216.

00:00 - Two Tuna Buses in a row, plus our favourite bedtime readers

08:48 - Nosferatu

26:01 - Preparing for Civilization

44:29 - Castle Panic and My First Castle Panic

On this episode were Kris (@DigitalStrider) and Peter (@XeroXeroXero).

Our Spotify Playlist brings together lots of great thematic music inspired by the stuff we talk about.

Links to where you can find us - StayingInPodcast.com

Note: sometimes we'll have been sent a review copy of the thing we're talking about on the podcast. It doesn't skew how we think about that thing, and we don't receive compensation for anything we discuss, but we thought you might like to know this is the case.

Logging on to our (impressive!) virtual reality future with Meta Quest 3S, why we’ve head back to Stardew Valley after the embarrassment of riches included in the Stardew Valley v1.6 update from ConcernedApe, and returning to a classic with Amanita Design’s Samorost.

All that, and a sheep (or a pariah?), on Ep215.

00:00 - Santa Trauma

05:07 - Meta Quest 3S

30:12 - Stardew Valley v1.6

41:02 - Samorost

45:16 - “Beating” games

On this episode were Peter (@XeroXeroXero) and Sam (@MrSamTurner).

Our Spotify Playlist brings together lots of great thematic music inspired by the stuff we talk about.

Links to where you can find us - StayingInPodcast.com

Note: sometimes we'll have been sent a review copy of the thing we're talking about on the podcast. It doesn't skew how we think about that thing, and we don't receive compensation for anything we discuss, but we thought you might like to know this is the case.

A mega massive wrap up of all our favourite things we discovered in 2024, including: Codenames, Duolingo, The Rise of the Golden Idol, Thank Goodness You're Here!, Thunder Road Vendetta, Hundreds of Beavers, Essen, Balatro, Midnight Mass, One Shot RPGs, Dungeon Crawler Carl, Deadloch, The Lord of the Rings Adventure Book Game, Wilmot's Warehouse, Godzilla Minus One, Cyberpunk 2077, Tomb Raider I-III Remastered, Death's End, and the works of Simon Stålenhag.

All that, yes ALL THAT, and the pants option always available, on Ep214.

00:00 - Approaching a Sweep

03:18 - Codenames and Duolingo

07:23 - The Rise of the Golden Idol and Thank Goodness You're Here!

11:49 - Thunder Road Vendetta and Hundreds of Beavers

15:52 - Essen, Balatro, and Midnight Mass

20:45 - One Shot RPGs, Dungeon Crawler Carl, and Deadloch

29:39 - The Lord of the Rings Adventure Book Game

33:34 - Wilmot's Warehouse

40:50 - Godzilla Minus One and Cyberpunk 2077

44:37 - Tomb Raider I-III Remastered and Death's End

53:30 - The works of Simon Stålenhag

On this episode were Dan (@ThisDanFrost), Kris (@DigitalStrider), Peter (@XeroXeroXero), and Sam (@MrSamTurner).

Our Spotify Playlist brings together lots of great thematic music inspired by the stuff we talk about.

Links to everywhere you can find us - StayingInPodcast.com

Note: sometimes we'll have been sent a review copy of the thing we're talking about on the podcast. It doesn't skew how we think about that thing, and we don't receive compensation for anything we discuss, but we thought you might like to know this is the case.

We’re getting ready for a gaming Christmas! From the board game stack we’re setting our timers and taking in the fireworks show spectacle of Skyrockets: Festivals of Fire from Floodgate Games, figuring out if we prefer apples, oranges, or Gandalf in supersmart trick taker My Favourite Things from Play For Keeps, and forging fine art and trying to get away with it in Belratti from Kosmos. Away from the table and onto the track (via the couch), we frankly can’t believe how good the racing is in completely free PlayStation 4 and 5 game My First Gran Turismo from Polyphony Digital happens to be.

All that, and a Hot Frosty, on Ep213.

00:00 - Hallmark movies and Secret Santas

11:30 - My Favourite Things

22:43 - Skyrockets: Festivals of Fire

28:55 - Belratti

37:52 - My First Gran Turismo

On this episode were Dan (@ThisDanFrost), Kris (@DigitalStrider), Peter (@XeroXeroXero), and Sam (@MrSamTurner).

Our Spotify Playlist brings together lots of great thematic music inspired by the stuff we talk about.

Links to where you can find us - StayingInPodcast.com

Note: sometimes we'll have been sent a review copy of the thing we're talking about on the podcast. It doesn't skew how we think about that thing, and we don't receive compensation for anything we discuss, but we thought you might like to know this is the case.

We’ve smashed through the single page RPGs Pride and Extreme Prejudice and Crash Pandas from Rowan, Rook and Decard, and also gotten to the tabletop the kid-friendly The Colour Monster from Devir and Kosmos and Stomp the Plank from The Flying Games and Hachette. Plus a closer look at Color Gray Games and Playstack’s stupendous sequel The Rise of The Golden Idol.

All that, and, yes, it’s one of His, on Ep212.

00:00 - A Cold Snap

05:51 - The Rise of The Golden Idol

29:39 - Pride and Extreme Prejudice

38:45 - Crash Pandas

43:28 - The Colour Monster

46:40 - Stomp the Plank

53:12 - Secret Santa

On this episode were Dan (@ThisDanFrost), Kris (@DigitalStrider), and Sam (@MrSamTurner).

Our Spotify Playlist brings together lots of great thematic music inspired by the stuff we talk about.

Links to where you can find us - StayingInPodcast.com

Note: sometimes we'll have been sent a review copy of the thing we're talking about on the podcast. It doesn't skew how we think about that thing, and we don't receive compensation for anything we discuss, but we thought you might like to know this is the case.

Spookily funny party game Ghosts Can't Draw (Big Potato Games), strategic sci-fi in Undaunted 2200: Callisto (Osprey Games), the frighteningly good Agatha All Along, and a David Mitchell mystery series called Ludwig; there’s loads of great geek stuff stuffed into just under an hour of audio.

All that, and tooth chat, on Ep211.

00:00 - Dental Battleships

05:52 - Ghosts Can't Draw

16:22 - Undaunted 2200: Callisto

31:17 - Agatha All Along

43:40 - Ludwig

On this episode were Dan (@ThisDanFrost), Kris (@DigitalStrider), and Sam (@MrSamTurner).

Our Spotify Playlist brings together lots of great thematic music inspired by the stuff we talk about.

Links to where you can find us - StayingInPodcast.com

Note: sometimes we'll have been sent a review copy of the thing we're talking about on the podcast. It doesn't skew how we think about that thing, and we don't receive compensation for anything we discuss, but we thought you might like to know this is the case.

A full report on our trip to the biggest board game show in the world - Spiel Essen - plus our favourite games from the show; Gibberers by Hobby Japan, The Chronicles of Berg by Rybysel Games, and Final Girl by Van Ryder Games. Then back at home we catch up with The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2.

All that, and lightning striking twice, on Ep210.

00:00 - Spiel Essen

16:15 - Gibberers

26:04 - The Chronicles of Berg

33:33 - Final Girl

48:30 - The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2

On this episode were Dan (@ThisDanFrost), Kris (@DigitalStrider), Peter (@XeroXeroXero), and Sam (@MrSamTurner).

Our Spotify Playlist brings together lots of great thematic music inspired by the stuff we talk about.

Links to where you can find us - StayingInPodcast.com

Note: sometimes we'll have been sent a review copy of the thing we're talking about on the podcast. It doesn't skew how we think about that thing, and we don't receive compensation for anything we discuss, but we thought you might like to know this is the case.

Why the digital edition of Codenames from CGE Digital just might be 2024’s best digital adaptation of a board game, Castle Combo from Catch Up Games and Hachette is a winning combination of tableau-building and card drafting, and the joys of a local Oktoberfest.

All that, and how it’s all kicking off in here, on Ep209.

00:00 - Watching the golf, the legendary John Daly, and “rough pubs” of Britain and beyond

10:51 - Codenames

32:29 - Castle Combo

48:46 - Oktoberfest

On this episode were Dan (@ThisDanFrost), Kris (@DigitalStrider), Peter (@XeroXeroXero), and Sam (@MrSamTurner).

Our Spotify Playlist brings together lots of great thematic music inspired by the stuff we talk about.

Links to where you can find us - StayingInPodcast.com

Note: sometimes we'll have been sent a review copy of the thing we're talking about on the podcast. It doesn't skew how we think about that thing, and we don't receive compensation for anything we discuss, but we thought you might like to know this is the case.

Doing it live with Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse Live In Concert, stacking shelves in CMYK’s Wilmot's Warehouse, travelling with Catch Up Games’ Faraway, and being lied to with Odd-Meter’s Indika.

All that, and teasing a child, on Ep208.

00:00 - How do you define “relax”?

05:24 - Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse Live In Concert

11:16 - Wilmot's Warehouse

27:59 - Indika

45:42 - Faraway

On this episode were Dan (@ThisDanFrost), Kris (@DigitalStrider), Peter (@XeroXeroXero), and Sam (@MrSamTurner).

Our Spotify Playlist brings together lots of great thematic music inspired by the stuff we talk about.

Links to where you can find us - StayingInPodcast.com

Note: sometimes we'll have been sent a review copy of the thing we're talking about on the podcast. It doesn't skew how we think about that thing, and we don't receive compensation for anything we discuss, but we thought you might like to know this is the case.

Our board game review this episode is Wolfgang Kramer and Hachette’s Expeditions: Around the World, then we go hands-on with Coal Supper’s cheeky British slapformer Thank Goodness You're Here!, plus we’ve been watching the awesome whodunnit Deadloch.

All that, and a well-worn bleep button, on Ep207.

00:00 - Brits abroad

07:37 - Thank Goodness You're Here!

26:37 - Expeditions: Around the World

43:45 - Deadloch

On this episode were Dan (@ThisDanFrost), Kris (@DigitalStrider), and Sam (@MrSamTurner).

Our Spotify Playlist brings together lots of great thematic music inspired by the stuff we talk about.

Links to where you can find us - StayingInPodcast.com

Note: sometimes we'll have been sent a review copy of the thing we're talking about on the podcast. It doesn't skew how we think about that thing, and we don't receive compensation for anything we discuss, but we thought you might like to know this is the case.