Episodes

Nov 28

Website Copy: On this free-flowing episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Tom and Matt are chatting about competitive marble-pilfering simulator 12 Rivers, as well as a double-bill of absurd racing games in Hot Streak and Magical Athlete! You may be expecting that this podcast thumbnail would show the promised board of 12 Rivers (which you can find here ) and instead shows a picture of Hurley - the not-a-hotdog from Hot Streak. This is intentional, and important. Have a great weekend, everybody! Timestamps: 01:14 - 12 Rivers 12:43 - Hot Streak 26:41 - Magical Athlete

Nov 9

On this subsequent episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Matt and Tom are returning to a couple of the games they were excited about in the Essen Special, as well as covering one that was missed from the billing! Excuse the occasional odd buzzing on this one - we tried to scrub it as much as possible but there's only so much you can do to heal a dodgy microphone before you start making Matt sound like a blender. Have a great weekend, everybody! Timestamps: 02:33 - Winning Ticket 15:41 - Feya’s Swamp 37:04 - Sanctuary

Nov 7

On this FULL CAPS CHUNKY episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Tom and Matt are talking about all of the games they played at Essen 2025! This is an audio-only reupload of the video we just put out on the main channel - so if you’d like to enjoy a physical tier list alongside these wobbly words? Then that’s where it is, and will be, forever and ever. Excuse the mildly iffy audio on this one! Have a great weekend, everybody! <strong>Timestamps:</strong> 01:00 - Chemical Overload 07:50 - Collect! 12:45 - Tolleno 19:05 - A Carnivore Did It! 21:40 - Echoes of Time 23:55 - Pyradice 29:07 - Tax The Rich 32:09 - 3 Witches 37:53 - Agent Avenue 43:33 - Recall 46:59 - Feya’s Swamp 54:43 - Wie Die Karnikel 58:20 - Milch Mit Abführmittel 1:03:34 - Big Shot 1:08:07 - Night Soil 1:11:24 - The White Castle: Duel 1:16:58 - National Economy 1:21:05 - Railway Boom 1:23:38 - Pulitzer 1:30:28 - Sanctuary 1:34:29 - River Rats 1:39:32 - Ghost Lift

Nov 1

On this flexibly numerical episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Tom and Matt are, you guessed it, talking once again about games with CARDS, BOARDS, and DICE! In exactly that order - each game picking up a new component like a hungry Katamari. First up is Duel for Cardia - a perplexing little two-player dueller that lets you hop back in time to un-win your opponent - swiftly followed by 20 Strong, a solo-only game of clobbering a wolf. Or escaping a dream! Or becoming an alien. It’s a modular game system , you see. Finally, we’re chatting about Vantage - an open-world board game that’s one of 2025’s biggest! And Tom’s feeling all confused about it… Have a great weekend, everyone! Timestamps: 02:12 - Duel for Cardia 11:23 - 20 Strong 25:37 - Vantage

Oct 10

Usually the moniker of ‘Cosy Game’ is a snug portent of mild-mannered fun - a thoroughly whelming box that’s pleasant enough, but doesn’t tickle us for more than a couple plays. But this week on the podcast? Matt and Tom are chatting about a whole bunch of cosy games that surprised them, with a bit more pep than might have been expected… We’re talking Frogs and Rabbits and Crows in ‘A Wild Venture’, Trains and Cars and Passengers in ‘Railroad Tiles’, and Lakes and Lakes and Lakes and LAKES in Cascadia…. Alpine Lakes! Have a great weekend, everyone! Timestamps: 02:54 - A Wild Venture 16:20 - Railroad Tiles 27:43 - Cascadia: Alpine Lakes

Sep 11

This week on the Shut Up & Sit Down podcast, we’re talking two players! Tag Team is a head-to-head brawler, and Suna Valo is exactly the same, but for farms! Finally, Matt waxes lyrical about General Orders’ Samurai Sequel: ‘Sengoku Jidai’ - and, within it, has perhaps found a game that’s too small for even our perma-shrunk noggins. Have a great weekend, everyone! Timestamps: 02:44 - Tag Team 15:09 - Suna Valo 23:54 - General Orders: Sengoku Jidai

Aug 29

It’s just little old Tom this week on the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, and he’s taking you through a bunch of odds and ends that might otherwise slip through the metaphorical cracks of the metaphorical floorboards. They wouldn’t fit through the real floorboards. That’d be silly. And we don’t do silly, here. Let us know what you think of these episodes! They’re a little unusual, but quite fun to make in a pinch! Timestamps: 02:21 - Joraku 07:33 - Calimala 12:35 - Tofu Shifu 16:52 - March of the Ants 23:34 - Beaver House 26:24 - Naishi

Aug 1

Three kinds of wood, all alike in dignity. Except one of them is on fire, and one of them has a lot of toothy rodents in it. I’m really straining to find some way of making a kind of beaver ratatouille joke, but it’s not coming naturally. ‘Beavertouille, he only does Dams this time?’. I don’t know. Get out of my restaurant. Timestamps: 01:52 - Hutan: Life in the Rainforest 12:50 - Flash Point: Legacy of Flame 32:27 - Timber Town

Jul 18

PAX East! Truly the highlight of everyone’s July! For whatever reason, it’s taken us absolutely ages to get round to covering the board games that we played at PAX East - but better late than never! This is especially true in this pod right here, where we’ve got three hot servings of board game to ladle directly into the laps of our ravenous listenership. We’ve got a starter and dessert made of space - with Galileo Galilei and Moon Colony Bloodbath protecting a gooey fantasy center all made of Lord of the Rings: Fate of the Fellowship! Have a great weekend, everybody! Timestamps: 03:18 - Galileo Galilei 18:16 - Lord of the Rings: Fate of the Fellowship 31:18 - Moon Colony Bloodbath

Jun 20

Come come, hungry diners - take a seat at the big table and have a little gander at this spread of delectable games! Oops, all good games on this one! This podcast features chat about a space tourism simulator (Galactic Cruise), a light-and-breezy turtle-based engine builder (Australis), and TWO entire TWO PLAYER games about being Greek and In Trouble (Iliad and Ichor). Have a great weekend, everybody! Timestamps: 01:46 Galactic Cruise 22:12 Australis 31:04 Illiad 40:41 Ichor

Jun 6

On this scenic detour, Tom and Matt are chatting about RULES! What are they? Who made them?! And what do they want with my PIN number?!? This is a companion podcast to the most recent video on the YouTube channel - ‘The Board Game With No Rules’ - and is a more loose and daft excursion into the wild world of rulesless games. Timestamps: None, it’s just RULES!

May 30

On this advanced episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Tom and Matt are once again settling into the pod-thrones to yap about “some games wot they have played”. Nova Era challenges players to develop a healthy civilisation, 3 Chapters is a set collection AND trick taking AND drafting game all squished into one box, and Creature Caravan is a gentle ride through a terrifyingly large deck of cards. There’s lots to like! Three whole games to like, in fact. Board games! Who knew?! Thanks for listening, everyone! Timestamps: 01:38 - Nova Era 15:39 - 3 Chapters 26:52 - Creature Caravan

May 21

On this floriferous episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Tom and Matt are yappin’ about Barcelona, Bluebells, and Board Games! Cities is first up on the docket - a city-building game that’s real dinky and designed by two of our favourite small-and-simple designers. Following that, Matt continues his recommendation of Floristry from our video review into the podcast world, and Tom talks about his mixed feelings towards ‘The Morrison Game Factory’... Thanks for listening, everyone! Timestamps: 02:32 - Cities 13:12 - Floristry 24:43 - The Morrison Game Factory

May 2

On this microscopic episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Tom and Matt are yammering on about a few of the rather interesting games they’ve played over the past few weeks! Expeditions: Around the World is like if Ticket to Ride had only one train going spare, and Penguin Party has got Matt all excited. Diatoms is an algae-based puzzler with nifty pattern-based-scoring, and Crafting the Cosmos has you making LIFE ITSELF?! Have a lovely weekend, everyone! Timestamps: 02:34 - Expeditions: Around The World 09:19 - Penguin Party 19:09 - Diatoms 31:41 - Crafting the Cosmos

Apr 18

On this long overdue episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Tom and Matt are hosting an intervention for one particular publisher… and also talking about some board games! First up is a chat about Daitoshi, the latest ambitious and busy design from site favourites Devir, followed by some nattering about the “area-control-deck-builder-mutation” Altay and “tic-tac-toe-em-up” Architects of Amytis! Have a lovely weekend, everyone! Timestamps: 01:59 - Daitoshi 17:40 - Altay 33:17 - Architects of Amytis

Apr 4

On this refreshing burst of Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Tom and Matt have a bouquet of nifty games to natter about! First up is a chunky chat about Pagan: Fate of Roanoke - a two player head-to-head witch hunt with flecks of Netrunnner. Is it any good? Yes! Should you buy it? Maybe… Then, a double-bill of yapping about Shuffle & Swing; a mice-based eurogame of making human instruments - followed by a sneak peek of our upcoming video review for Shackleton Base: A Journey to the Moon. Have a lovely weekend, everyone! Timestamps: 01:46 - Pagan: Fate of Roanoke 17:32 - Shuffle and Swing 26:29 - Shackleton Base: A Journey to the Moon

Mar 25

Sorry! Tom forgot to upload this episode of the podcast because he was on a plane. A plane! In the sky! How do you expect us to podcast under these conditions?! On this dromedary episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Tom and Matt natter about a collection of - YOU GUESSED IT - boardgames. Resafa! It’s a game about camels and irrigation and cards and POINTS! PlayProp! It’s a game of trying to get corks into a cup and screaming ! Elfenroads! It’s a game about gently meandering down winding fantasy paths until an errant ‘cart orc’ ruins your day, or week, or possibly year. Finally, the dynamic duo chat about another characterful couplet; Dracula vs Van Helsing - a two-player duelling game we'll review in a few DAYS time! Thanks for listening everyone! Have a great week! Timestamps: 01:41 - Resafa 12:41 - Elfenroads 20:30 - PlayProp 25:56 - Dracula vs Van Helsing

Mar 7

On this far-flung episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Tom and Matt are getting eaten by minotaurs in Corps of Discovery: A Game Set In The World of Manifest Destiny, as well as bending metals in Mistborn: A Game Set In The World of ‘Mistborn’. They also talk about Fromage: A Game Set In The World of Brie, and Triqueta: A Game Set In The World of ‘Three Goats and a Wolf or Two’. Thanks for listening everyone! Have a great weekend! Timestamps: 02:00 - Corps of Discovery: A Game Set In The World of Manifest Destiny 15:10 - Mistborn: The Deckbuilding Game 26:46 - Fromage 33:14 - Triqueta

Feb 21

On this powerfully allied episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Tom and Matt are negotiating poorly in Tonga Bonga, getting all sandy (again!) in Dune Imperium: Bloodlines, and meandering through a bucolic farm or two in Black Forest. Thanks for listening everyone! Have a great weekend! Timestamps: 01:36 - Tonga Bonga 12:17 - Dune Imperium: Bloodlines 24:24 - Black Forest

Jan 31

On this galloping episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Tom and Matt are chatting about the wonders of nature in Spectacular, engaging in frivolous spending with Winner’s Circle, and taking Bilbo for a spin in The Fellowship of the Ring: The Tricktaking Game. There’s even time to get Stuck In A Lift for just a little while… Thanks for listening everyone! Have a great weekend! Timestamps: 01:41 - The Fellowship of the Ring: The Tricktaking Game 12:40 - Spectacular 24:30 - I’m Stuck In The Lift 28:30 - Winner’s Circle

Jan 17

On this uphill episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Tom is rambling to Matt about a couple bits and bobs he’s played recently! First up is Flamme Rouge’s ‘Grand Tour’ expansion, that turns a simple session of Flamme Rouge into a month long tour! Is it as good as it was when Matt played it just seven short years ago? Find out here! That’s then followed by a little recommendation for a recent Oink title - Moving Wild - before capping the podcast off with a bit of retrospective chat regarding SETI: Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence after our recent(ish) middling review… Thanks for listening everyone! Have a great weekend! Timestamps: 02:15 - Flamme Rouge: Grand Tour 17:55 - Moving Wild 28:07 - SETI: Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence

Dec 13, 2024

On this machiavellian episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Tom and Matt have a chatter about even more curiosities picked up from Essen! First up is Power Vacuum - a diplomatic trick-taker where you play as fascist toasters - followed by Beyond The Horizon, a reimagining of 2020’s Beyond The Sun. Finally, a little beachfront chat about Seaside - a game that’s got Matt’s favourite component of all: “A Bag” Have a great weekend, everybody! Timestamps: 2:18 - Power Vacuum 18:49 - Beyond the Horizon 31:37 - Seaside

Dec 5, 2024

It's a chunky extra special feature from Matt and Tom, sat FACE TO FACE on the very same table! Let us drag you through a rolling discussion about the games we've enjoyed most in 2024. This is also available as a VIDEO - so just choose your poison and dive in! Timestamps: 2:59 - Earthborne Rangers 10:35 - Daybreak 18:25 - Arcs 24:22 - COMPILE 28:47 - Tichu 33:51 - Spectral 36:59 - Leviathan Wilds 43:36 - Eternal Decks 49:46 - SPECIAL MENTIONS 50:14 - Dune Imperium: Uprising 52:03 - Slay The Spire 56:41 - Vale of Eternity 59:18 - How To Make Friends at Conventions

Nov 22, 2024

On this slowly sinking episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Tom and Matt are chatting about a cluster of small games they’ve played recently! Tom’s got the cosy, tile-laying pairing of Middle Ages and Flower Fields, whilst Matt brings novel Oink releases Deep Sea Adventures: Boost and Souvenirs From Venice to the table. Have a great weekend! Timestamps: 03:33 - Middle Ages 10:59 - Souvenirs from Venice 20:21 - Flower Fields 26:49 - Deep Sea Adventures: Boost 36:23 - Lord of the Rings: Duel

Nov 8, 2024

On this eclectic episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Tom and Matt are talking LOGISTICS in Minecart Town, CURRENCY in Pax Penning, and CONCEPTS THAT ARE AS LARGE AS DEATH in Compile! Have a great weekend! Timestamps: 02:22 - Minecart Town 15:31 - Pax Penning 32:13 - Compile

Oct 25, 2024

On this rock-and-rolling episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Tom and Matt are chatting about three very different games. First up is Rock Hard 1977, a euro-ish game of being a ROCK STAR that had one of the funniest arcs of any game we’ve played this year. We also chat about Tom’s most recent BGA obsession, Newton. It’s a game of cards and efficiency! What more could you want? Finally, the gang chat about The Gang - a game that asks ‘what if poker was co-operative?’ Makes u think, don’t it. Have a great weekend! Timestamps: 01:57 - Rock Hard 1977 21:40 - Newton 31:13 - The Gang

Oct 12, 2024

This week on the inimitable Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Tom and Matt showcase their survival skills by going to Germany and then RETURNING from Germany, having played such a very large quantity of games. Our Essen 2024 special is a quickfire spectacular, running through a bunch of the notable games we got our hands on during the show. Many pints of sweet sweat have been pumped into the world in order to bring you this episode of the podcast, so you're morally obliged to at least TRY and enjoy it. Timestamps: 1:26 - Fischen 4:43 - Power Vacuum 9:19 - Gibberers The Word Game of Language Invention and Civilization Development 11:47 - Da Da Da 13:43 - Bomb Busters 17:06 - Saltfjord 20:11 - Duck & Cover 24:51 - Altay: Dawn of Civilization 28:28 - Packen Wir's! 31:58 - Bauernschlau 34:52 - Draft & Write Records 39:31 - Lords of the Rings: Duel for Middle-Earth 44:36 - Captain Flip 49:03 - Oinky Bits

Sep 27, 2024

On this out-of-this-world episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Tom and Matt have played two incredibly spicy space games that have got them all excited. First up is SETI: Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence; a game of discovering aliens and working out ‘what their deal is’ that’s absolutely fascinating and packed with CGE’s specific, odd tendencies. Following that tall act is Sol: Last Days of a Star, a game that sits on the complete OTHER end of the spectrum. Pilot your ‘sundivers’ away from a dying star, as you desperately eke out turns before everything is gone forever? The perfect way to spend a Thursday evening. Have a great weekend, everybody! Timestamps: 01:44 - SETI: Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence 20:37 - Sol: Last Days of a Star

Sep 13, 2024

On this… seedy… episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Tom and Emily are talking about two bucolic farm-em-ups in Windmill Valley and Harvest, as well as the utterly innocent Courtisans. Emily decided the theme on this one after the fact and I’m still reeling. Seedy? It’s a family show, come on now We also end up spending a weird amount of time getting into the particulars of how the two very pleasant and agricultural games listed are not entirely to each other's aesthetic tastes. Strange! Have a great weekend, everybody! Timestamps: 02:16 - Courtisans 13:40 - Windmill Valley 27:09 - Harvest 39:33 - Recent Reviews: Defenders of the Wild

Aug 30, 2024

On this gritty episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Tom and Emily are chatting about a whole dune’s worth of sandy, sandy games! Well, two of them are sandy. The other two are just games. In fact one of the two sandy games is mostly water. Listen, it’s Friday afternoon and I’m ready to stop working and start playing Deadlock, which I am hopelessly addicted to. Truth be told, the new fortnightly podcast schedule only exists to fuel my addiction to losing roughly four games in a row every evening until the end of time. I will die ignorant, and I will die angry. You can’t stop me! YOU CAN’T STOP ME!! This episode, we’re talking about Sand, Surf’s Up, Sumo, and Tokkuri Taking! Enjoy! Have a great weekend, everybody! Timestamps: 01:41 - Sand 15:26 - Surf’s Up 27:46 - Sumo 33:24 - Tokkuri Taking Thanks to our amazing community podcast transcripts are available here https://bit.ly/SUSDPodTranscripts and are usually completed within a few weeks of the podcast's release.

Aug 23, 2024

On this solitary episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Tom ALONE is checking out a whole cluster of games he played in one big week of boards! Enter… if you dare… Have a great weekend, everybody! Timestamps: 02:28 - Life in Reterra 06:44 - Belratti 11:49 - 23 Knives 16:35 - Festival 20:56 - Joyride: Survival of the Fastest 30:16 - Arcs 33:52 - Pampero

Jun 21, 2024

On this terrifyingly tall episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Matt and Tom are checking out some games with BIG THINGS in ‘em! Skyrise is the latest from Brass: Brum publishers Roxley Games and has you making great stinkin’ scrapers, and Leviathan Wilds from new publisher Moon Crab Games gets us climbing the backs of crusty creatures. It’s a good pair of games! Have a great weekend, everybody! Timestamps: 02:30 - Skyrise 19:47 - Leviathan Wilds

Jun 14, 2024

On this VGA-Compliant episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Tom and Matt are chatting about two excellent asymmetric games they’ve been dabbling with recently! First up is Ironwood - a game where wood and metal collide in a Root-Lite frenzy of asymmetric squabbling - followed by Undaunted 2200: Callisto - the newest, most lunar entry into the Undaunted series! Have a great weekend! Timestamps: 02:37 - Ironwood 23:31 - Undaunted 2200: Callisto

May 24, 2024

On this rambling, tangient-rich episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Tom and Pip chat Wings and Wyrms in a creature feature on Wyrmspan! Then, we take a break from the hotness to discuss an old classic that Tom was bored to tears by; Roborally. Have a great weekend! Timestamps: 03:23 - Wingspan & Wyrmspan 26:27 - RoboRally

May 17, 2024

On this freshly sloganed episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Tom and Emily huddle around the boardgame campfire to tell tales about games of old. Or new. They’re all new games and I’ve wasted this pastoral image in an unfitting manner. Too late now! Nobody reads these descriptions and I’ve got stuff to do! We’ve gotta get going! On this podcast we talk about Kinfire Chronicles: Nights Fall, Hollywood 1947, and Vampire Village - a fine crop of funky boards. Have a great weekend! Timestamps: 04:12 - Kinfire Chronicles: Night’s Fall 20:04 - Hollywood 1947 31:17 - Vampire Village

May 3, 2024

On this battered episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Tom and Matt are making batteries in Salton Sea, eating batteries in After Us, and getting battered in Dobro! It’s the battery special, officially sponsored by Duracell and the horrible bunny that we all hate. Have a great weekend, everybody! Timestamps: 03:27 - Salton Sea 22:13 - After Us 38:53 - Dobro

Apr 27, 2024

On this mildly unhinged episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Tom and Emily are taking on a double-bill of two player games followed by a BIG CHUNKY BOX. First up is Quacks of Quedlinburg: The Duel - a two-player only version of the bag-busting (sorry) classic! We then chat about the ying to Quacks’ yang in the highly-tactical time-bending fish-em-up Fisheries of Gloucester! Finally, we chat about Bloodstones - a divisive strategy game that Tom bravely defends and recklessly batters. It’s a good pod! We had a lot of fun! I hope you can tell! Have a great weekend, everybody! Timestamps: 05:20 - The Quacks of Quedlinburg: The Duel 14:58 - Fisheries of Gloucester 25:28 - Bloodstones

Apr 19, 2024

On this almost chiaroscuro episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Tom and Pip are chatting about games that could not be more different. First up, Rats of Wistar - a crunchy engine-building game with rats and cards and being as efficient as possible within a strict turn limit. That’s followed up with Dro Polter and Rafter Five - two Oink games that are some of their silliest yet. Have a great weekend, everybody! Timestamps: 02:10 - Rats of Wistar 25:11 - Dro Polter 36:33 - Rafter Five

Apr 6, 2024

On this chronologically consistent episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down podcast, Tom and Emily are rambling their way through three whole games! We’re talking about Ito - a relaxed party game about untangling your pals’ opinions! We’re talking about CATAN: Starfarers Duel - a two-player-only version of Catan: Starfarers that’s weird and wonky! AND we’re talking about Faraway - a game about doing everything in reverse. Have a great weekend, everybody! Timestamps: 1:26 - Ito 8:17 - CATAN: Starfarers Duel 22:43 - Faraway

Mar 30, 2024

On this addictive episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down podcast, Tom and Pip are talking about a board game and… a VIDEO GAME? First up, a sensible and grounded conversation about the slightly perplexing world of Ancient Knowledge - a tableau builder set on top of an ancient conveyor belt. This is then followed by a ramble about Balatro - a poker-themed deck builder that’s quite clearly NOT A BOARD GAME. It’s made of ones and zeroes! It’s on a screen! The horror, the horror, the horror. Have a great weekend, everybody! Timestamps: 04:51 - Ancient Knowledge 22:14 - Balatro

Mar 22, 2024

On this extra-terrestrial episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down podcast, Tom and Emily are venturing into SPACE in MLEM: Space Agency, and digging deep down into the mines in Kutna Hora: The City of Silver. Two very different games, on this one, but both absolutely worth checking out. Have a great weekend, everybody! Timestamps: 02:30 - MLEM: Space Agency 19:00 - Kutna Hora: The City of Silver

Mar 8, 2024

On this adventurous episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Tom and Matt wander into great beyond to ramble about their favourite things in Earthborne Rangers! There’s some very light spoilers in this one - with emphasis on the very - but it’s mostly just a podcast where we wax lyrical about one of our favourite games in recent memory. Have a great weekend, everybody!

Mar 1, 2024

On this climate-friendly episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Tom and Matt take half an hour to amble through their first play of Daybreak - the latest co-op save-the-world-like from Pandemic designer Matt Leacock, new designer Matteo Menapace, and publisher CMYK games of Monikers, Wavelength, and Lacuna fame. A stacked lineup, for sure; but what do we think of the game? Find out more by having a little listen... Have a great weekend, everybody!

Feb 23, 2024

On this Knizian episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down podcast, Tom and Matt delve into Bitewing Games’ double-feature of new Reiner games - Cascadero and Cascadito. How do they compare to other classic Knizzes, and which of the two boxes should you add to your collection? The boys then have a little natter about Fit To Print - a mildly more relaxing alternative to the Galaxy Truckers of the board game world. Have a great weekend, everybody! Timestamps: Cascadero - 02:10 Cascadito -22:14 Fit To Print - 31:51

Feb 16, 2024

Just a very little update for our plans this year. We're swapping to three episodes per month rather than four, with a bonus episode each month for folks supporting us on Patreon. Cheers!

Feb 9, 2024

On this mystical episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Tom and Quinns are delving into the future… and being embarrassed by the past. It’s the SU&SD 2024 Predictions Special, where our two intrepid hosts guess at what treasures await for the hobby in this glittering, shiny, brand new year. Want to vote? If you listen to this podcast on Spotify, there should be a polls section where you can cast your opinion as to which of our hosts deserves a game from the others’ collection. A video of the resulting pilfering will be shared in part on our Twitter once the poll closes, and in full in our monthly ‘Bonus Bits’ Newsletter for donors to the site. Have a great weekend, everybody! Timestamps: 03:57 - 2023 Predictions Revisited 21:01 - 2024 Predictions Created

Feb 2, 2024

On this AMAZING episode of the Shut Up AND Sit Down Podcast, Tom AND Pip chat ABOUT A trilogy of excellent games that start with A! Yes, really, that’s the theme. It was kind of an ACCIDENT! In-between retrospective chats about Tom’s favourite ‘gentle tile build-em-up game’ Akropolis and Portugese tile-smashing simulator Azul, there’s ample time to chat about the latest in the soothing nature-themed game subgenre; Aqua. Have a great weekend, everybody! Timestamps: 03:21 - Akropolis 10:22 - Aqua 26:18 - Azul

Jan 26, 2024

On this triptychal (NOT A WORD!?) episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Tom and Matt are summing up the final selection of games that they played at PAX Unplugged - ready to wipe the slate clean and begin a whole new year of boardgames! We’re chatting about the trick-taking-twist of Inside Job, taking on a double whammy of family in CDSK and Fun Facts, and finishing up with two very different dexterity (?) games; Nekojima and Turbo Kidz. Have a great weekend, everybody! Timestamps: 00:57 - Inside Job 06:39 - Fun Facts 13:58 - CDSK 19:36 - Nekojima 25:22 - Turbo Kidz

Jan 19, 2024

On this untimely episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Emily and Tom are chatting about two cracking games with a little twist of nature in them - Forest Shuffle and Apiary! The former has you playing cards and building a forest, whereas the latter is 99% about moving a big plastic bee, I think? Awkwardly tucked away at the end of this podcast is, fittingly, Misfits - a stacking game with A GHOST! Have a great weekend, everybody! Timestamps: 02:30 - Forest Shuffle 12:25 - Apiary 28:04 - Misfits

Dec 22, 2023

On this moderately larger episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Tom and Matt chat about a few more games that they played at PAX Unplugged! We’re dealing with the chunkier games of the bunch here - the games that got us to calculate, manoeuvre, and… drive a big truck into a wall. Enjoy! Have a great weekend, everybody! Timestamps: 01:28 - Dune: Imperium 07:27 - Nucleum 21:28 - Evacuation 35:05 - Thunder Road: Vendetta

Dec 15, 2023

On this hot meat sandwich of a Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Tom and Matt are running through a selection of the games they played at PAX Unplugged! First up are some excitable impressions of the latest from Leder Games: Arcs! That’s followed up with a double bill of Grandpa Beck games - the raucously silly Cover Your Assets and Skull King - which in turn is followed by ANOTHER double bill of mushroom-themed boxes with Mycelia and Mycelium: A Mushling Game. Finally, we get to the real good stuff, where Tom and Matt wax lyrical about Strike; a ridiculously simple dice-chucking game that we simply couldn’t get enough of. This is the first in a double, potentially TRIPLE feature of PAX Unplugged games! Next time, we’re tackling the big crunchy boxes that melted our brains… Have a great weekend, everybody! Timestamps: 03:43 - Arcs 13:44 - Cover Your Assets 19:31 - Skull King 24:45 - Mycelia 32:21 - Mycelium: A Mushling Game 39:38 - Strike

Dec 1, 2023

On this international episode of the Shut Up &amp; Sit Down podcast, Tom welcomes the absolutely fabulous Emily to the airwaves! Wahoo! Together, they chat about Bonsai, Infiltraitors, and Crash Octopus - a trio of much-hyped games that are all pretty damn good! Please do show your appreciation for Emily in the comments on the site! She was SO nervous about appearing on the pod, and I think she absolutely bossed it. Have a great weekend, everybody!

Nov 25, 2023

On this bedominoed episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Tom and Pip chat about a couple of pleasing games they’ve been playing over the past couple days! Djinn is a fabulously satisfying game of stuffing spirits into bottles, and Moon River is a divisive entry into the Kingdomino series of games! That’s games! Two of ‘em! Read ‘em and WEEP! Have a great weekend, everybody! Timestamps: 01:54 - Moon River 21:48 - Djinn

Nov 10, 2023

On this historic episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Matt and Tom are smacking chess pieces together in Match of the Century, cramming their brains with tetrominoes in Mind Space, cramming their drawers (NOT RUDE) with junk (NOT RUDE) in Junk Drawer, and stealing eachothers words in Shenanigrams! It’s a smorgasBOARD of BOARD games! See what I did there? WAHOOEY! Have a great weekend, everybody! Timestamps: Match of the Century - 01:47 Mind Space - 13:40 Junk Drawer - 21:10 Shenanigrams - 25:17

Nov 3, 2023

On this DUALITY of a Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Tom and Quinns are EXCLUSIVELY talking about games for just two players! After an afternoon of cards and “Brotherly Bonding” they’re ready to let it rip - where IT is opinions and RIP means AMIABLY DISCUSS! We’re nattering about Dogfight, Nawalli, and Sail on this one - with a little snippet of Mind Bug thrown in for good measure. Have a great weekend, everybody! Timestamps: Dogfight - 03:33 Nawalli - 13:46 Mind Bug - 24:38 Sail - 26:53

Oct 27, 2023

On this briny and newsworthy (?? episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Pip and Tom are chatting about a couple of games they found right at the very depths of the sea. First up, we run through the twists and turns of dragon-packing simulator Sea Dragons before settling down to the familiar comforts of archipelago-based 4X-ing in Orichalcum. Have a great weekend, everybody! Timestamps: 02:28 - Sea Dragons 15:56 - Orichalcum

Oct 20, 2023

On this jam-packed episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Tom and Quinns are going through all the games that Tom brought back from Essen! This doesn’t include the whole host of eurogames he played whilst there, which might even be a separate podcast all by itself! Goodness! We also have time for a very sneaky mention of Crystallo’s latest expansions, and a fair portion of semi-irrelevant chat. Just what the doctor ordered! Thanks for bearing with us during that brief podcast pause - we’ll be back to the regular schedule from now on! Have a great weekend, everybody! Timestamps: 03:47 - Crystallo 06:47 - Sky Team 12:22 - Viking See-Saw 14:37 - 3 Second Try 16:44 - Ninja Master 18:06 - Nuts A Go-Go 21:32 - Tiger and Dragon 26:01 - RoboTrick 31:13 - The Same Game 36:36 - Prey Another Day 41:21 - Triqueta 44:51 - Match of the Century

Oct 20, 2023

On this greasy episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, we’re talking about a whole BINDLE of games. First up we chat about YET ANOTHER Devir small-box Eurogame (The White Castle) before then talking about Soulaween - an abstract game that’s had Quinns making sweeping, terrifying statements. Finally, some chat about a bundle of little card games sent to Tom - including recent review Five Three Five alongside Harvest and Bridge City Poker. Have a great weekend, everybody! Timestamps: 02:44 - The White Castle 14:58 - Soulaween 28:30 - Five Three Five, Bridge City Poker, Harvest

Sep 1, 2023

On this verdant episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Tom and Pip have a chat about the nature-based-games they’ve been digging into recently - Evergreen and Planted! Enjoy! Have a great weekend, everybody! Timestamps: 04:11 - Evergreen 18:10 - Planted

Aug 18, 2023

On this 3-digit episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Tom and Pip are chatting about 003 different games, and scoring NO POINTS for it! First up is the light deduction puzzler The Number, followed by a retrospective and sleepy chat about Broom Service. We tie things up by talking about the much-hyped Sea Salt & Paper, trying to get BIG BLUE POINTS in the BIG BLUE SEA. Have a great weekend, everybody! Timestamps: 02:04 - The Number 14:57 - Broom Service 30:45 - Sea Salt & Paper

Aug 11, 2023

On this hastily-themed episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Tom and Quinns are nipping through a triathlon of games that have some amount of animals in them. First up, Tom digs out the practically ancient Zooloretto for an enticing retrospective, before having a chunky chat about another recent Devir small-box wonder; 3 Ring Circus. Closing out the pod; Feed the Kraken - a be-dumbification of hidden role games featuring a large watery friend. Have a great weekend, everybody! Timestamps: 02:09 - Zooloretto 08:50 - 3 Ring Circus 23:48 - Feed the Kraken

Aug 4, 2023

On this confrontational episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Tom and “NEW POD PERSONALITY PIP” chat about a whole cluster of games! First, the pair divine the precise co-ordinates of a sweet potato in Tiwanaku, before bearing witness to the unholy power of fire in Iki. To close out the pod, Tom recommends Pip try out Block Party, a game of making a detailed carrot from cubes. Have a great weekend, everybody! Timestamps: 01:57 - Tiwanaku 22:40 - Iki 38:25 - Block Party

Jul 21, 2023

In this inconveniently titled episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Tom and Quinns talk about Three* Great* Games! We’re talking about two* cracking* games from Reiner Knizia - Zoo Vadis and My Island, as well as the latest tiny-box game from Devir; Bamboo! Rarely does my cold and mechanical editors heart chuckle whilst chopping pods, but I made myself laugh with this one. I think it’s good fun*. Enjoy! *(with caveats) Note: Quinns refers to the wrong artist during our Bamboo section - the painting is a Hokusai! Have a great weekend, everybody! Timestamps: 01:30 - My Island 12:47 - Bamboo 22:37 - Zoo Vadis

Jul 14, 2023

On this eco-mechanical episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Tom and Matt chat about two very different - but very thematic - games! First up are Matt’s early impressions of Earthborne Rangers - a massive game about protecting and engaging with the environment from one of the folks who made Twilight Imperium happen. Then, our dynamic duo shift gears to talk about their time about causing and preventing riots in the one-v-all game of prediction; City of the Great Machine. Have a great weekend, everybody! Timestamps: 01:53 - Earthborne Rangers (Production Chat) 10:01 - Earthborne Rangers (Game Chat) 24:18 - City of the Great Machine

Jul 7, 2023

Note: Sorry about the audio on this one! Some very jacked up mics produced a lot of room noise that was hard to scrub. We’ll have this fixed in a couple episodes! In this clay-based episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Tom and Matt are talking about a cluster of games they’ve played together recently. First up is a lengthy chat about Golem - the crunchy, Italian-designed eurogame based on the folkloric Jewish automata (it’s quite good!). Then, a couple of very speedy chats about Resist! (a fantastic solo game where you play as the SPANISH revolution) and Stomp The Plank (a great push your luck game we recently reviewed). Have a great weekend, everybody! Timestamps: 01:47 - Golem 23:56 - Resist 32:13 - Stomp The Plank

Jun 30, 2023

Note: We misquote Will Smith's line in Independence Day a couple times in this podcast - not realising the ⁠pretty charged history⁠ of misquoting it in such a manner! Apologies for this, it was not our intention to offend! In this loamy episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Tom and Matt are taking a little wander through the hills and valleys of… a rather complicated engine builder. We’re talking about recent BGG darling Earth and its soil-based engines, alongside a few brief chats about seance-based deduce-em-up Phantom Ink and mud-based clean-em-up Dirty Pig. Matt also has a few words to say about the student games we got to briefly drop in on at the recent UK Games Expo! Have a great weekend, everybody! Timestamps: 02:17 - Earth 26:19 - Phantom Ink 38:31 - Dirty Pig 44:52 - Student Games

Jun 16, 2023

In this unknown episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Tom and Matt are talking about a couple of the games they played at the UK Games Expo! First up we’re taking off to visit Planet Unknown - a chunky tile-laying game with a spritz of Susan. We’re also going to be chatting about Big Boss - a new ‘n improved version of the Kramer Klassic from 1994! Finally, a quick chat about War of the Ring: The Card Game after the recent video review! Have a great weekend, everybody! Timestamps: 02:00 - Planet Unknown 17:18 - Big Boss 36:01 - War of the Ring: The Card Game

Jun 2, 2023

In this bright green episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Tom and Ava are ambling through a selection of good new games! We’re talking about the latest Friese title ‘Findorff’, the much-anticipated expansion to Beyond The Sun - ‘Leaders of the New Dawn’, and our upcoming video review for the hidden movement game ‘Beast’! Have a great weekend, everybody! Timestamps: 03:04 - Findorff 16:54 - Beyond The Sun: Leaders of the New Dawn 32:10 - Beast

May 26, 2023

In this squishy jelly baby episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Tom and Ava are chatting about a cluster of funstuff they’ve been hanging out with recently! First off, Ava apologises for her callous disregard of engine-building classic Gizmos, and Tom slightly loses his mind during a game of Rolling Heights. Finally, our two intrepid boardsplorers (?!?) chat about Ava’s latest, smallest video review for Hamlet. Have a great weekend, everybody! Timestamps: 06:09 - Gizmos 19:43 - Rolling Heights 33:38 - Hamlet

May 12, 2023

In this pitch-black episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Quinns tells Tom and Matt all about his time at Cabin Con in the United Situation of America! On this podcast, we’re talking about a cluster of small RPGS (Bluebeard’s Bride, Cowboys With Big Hearts, Brindlewood Bay) and a couple of games that require an entire house (This House Is Haunted and Werewolf in the Dark). It’s a fun time! Have a great weekend, everybody! Timestamps: 05:47 - Brindlewood Bay 12:12 - Bluebeard’s Bride 16:27 - Cowboys with Big Hearts 23:51 - This House Is Haunted 30:49 - Werewolf In The Dark

May 5, 2023

In this 7.341/10 episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Tom and Quinns are talking about three games - one great, one ‘just fine’, and one that’s completely deranged. We’re chatting about Mobile Markets, Amun-Re, and Mogul - and bizarrely it’s the 2015 Train Game that’s the deranged one. IT’S GOT A BOWL! Have a great weekend, everybody! Timestamps: 03:30 - Mobile Markets 15:30 - Amun-Re: 20th Anniversary Edition 29:06 - Mogul

Apr 28, 2023

In this refreshing episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Tom and Quinns are chatting about a smattering of great old games that they played ‘Just For Fun’! We’re starting with two classic Knizias in Taj Mahal and Samurai, before alighting to the pub for some small box gems - Mundus Novus and Parade. Have a great weekend, everybody! Timestamps: 05:53 - Taj Mahal 15:58 - Samurai 26:30 - Mundus Novus 36:22 - Parade

Apr 21, 2023

In this algorithm-friendly episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Tom and Quinns are FINISHING WHAT THEY STARTED. This episode of the podcast is something of a companion piece to our Top 10 Small Games video, and we’re chatting just a little bit more about some of the best games on that list. Have a great weekend, everybody! Timestamps: 04:54 - Spots 10:09 - For Sale 15:16 - Worldbreakers 22:15 - Hungry Monkey 26:05 - Aquamarine & Voyages 29:19 - Trailblazers, Curious Cargo, Pipeline

Apr 14, 2023

In this ‘north of average’ episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down podcast, Tom and Ava are talking about three interesting, if a little boring, games. First up we have Panchayat and Kingsbridge - two games that don’t dazzle, but do ask interesting questions about what we recommend and why. We then have a chat about Skymines - a Pfister reimplementation that impresses! Timestamps: 02:21 - Panchayat 15:56 - Kingsbridge 33:10 - Skymines

Mar 31, 2023

In this communal episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Matt and Ava are chatting about their speculative board game commune? I don’t know either, dear listener. Have a great weekend, everybody!

Mar 24, 2023

In this wordly (???) episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Ava and Tom natter about some of the word games they’ve been playing recently! Tom waxes lyrical about Paperback Adventures and LOK, two games featured in the just-published word game special, whilst Ava brings Letter Jam and Fiction to the table! Enjoy! Have a great weekend, everybody! Timestamps: 03:03 - Paperback Adventures 11:47 - Letter Jam 18:36 - Fiction 29:15 - LOK

Mar 17, 2023

In this 52-card episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Ava and Tom are chatting about a whole bindle of different card games - some of which Tom took with him on holiday, some of which are new adventures in the world of trick taking, and some of which are juuuust for Ava. It’s a rambly wander through a whole bunch of different boxes… right here. Have a great weekend, everybody! Timestamps: 03:21 - Yokai Septet 08:56 - Bridge 20:55 - Ghosts of Christmas 24:00 - Nine Lives 30:02 - Bug Council of Backyardia 33:07 - Skull King 38:21 - Innovation

Mar 10, 2023

In this lightly depressed episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Tom and Quinns are having a chat about the games they've played recently on a rainy Thursday afternoon. First up is the team-based Mafia crunch-em-up La Famiglia: The Great Mafia War - a game we have mixed feelings about. We then take a trip through a roleplaying game about Superheroes (Masks) and a deckbuilding game about Star Wars (Star Wars: The Deckbuilding Game). Have a great weekend, everybody! Timestamps: 03:37 - La Famiglia: The Great Mafia War 17:59 - Masks 32:27 - Star Wars: The Deckbuilding Game

Mar 3, 2023

In this complete failure of a Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Quintin Smith and Tom Brewster are coming to you, hats in hand, to apologise profusely for not making a robust and fully-featured video review of the ancient game of Mahjong. In this episode, we talk about Mahjong, our experiences playing it for review, and why it didn’t quite make its way onto your screens! Have a great weekend, everybody!

Feb 24, 2023

In this completely solitary episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Ava is taking you through a triplet of solo games in this meandering river of a podcast! She’s talking through Oranienburger Canal , Maquis, and Mage Knight - a smattering of solo for your Friday evening. Have a great weekend, everybody! Timestamps: 03:37 - Oranienburger Canal 12:04 - Mage Knight1 18:26 - Maquis

Feb 14, 2023

Hey gang! No podcast this week, as we've got LIFE STUFF to take care of! We'll be back as normal next Friday, as always. Ta!

Feb 10, 2023

In this mildly nostalgic episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Matt and Ava are casting their eyes back to PAX Unplugged… to re-explain some of the games we goofed up the first time. ‘Scharfing’ Sauces in Sauscharf, ‘Deliverering’ Pizzas in Psychic Pizza Deliverers Go To The Ghost Town, and acting like a total ‘Shark’ in… Shark! Enjoy! Have a great weekend, everybody! Timestamps: 01:59 - Psychic Pizza Deliverers Go To The Ghost Town 12:11 - Sauscharf 21:07 - Shark

Feb 3, 2023

[apologies for some slightly wonky audio on this one - it's another one-mic-two-boys special!] In this close quarters episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Tom and Quinns are having a natter about two very interesting Collectible Card Games they’ve played recently - Flesh & Blood and SolForge Fusion! Enjoy nearly an hour of rambling chat where we don’t entirely know what we’re talking about - but are having fun regardless. Have a great weekend, everybody! Timestamps: 01:49 - Flesh and Blood 26:55 - SolForge Fusion

Jan 27, 2023

In this rapidly plummeting episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Tom and Matt are talking about Stationfall and Deal with the Devil - two games that we didn’t quite love, but really enjoyed thinking about! Have a great weekend, everybody! Timestamps: 03:38 - Stationfall 25:17 - Deal with the Devil

Jan 20, 2023

In this peppy and positive episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Tom and Quinns are talking about the first set of games they’ve played this year; a triple-bill of Ginkgopolis, The Wolves, and The Search For Lost Species! Our intrepid hosts struggle to pronounce the name of the first game, struggle to comprehend the strategy of the second, and just plain struggle with the third. Enjoy! Have a great weekend, everybody! Tap below for full timestamps and more info! Timestamps: 04:12 - Ginkgopolis 19:24 - The Wolves 28:41 - The Search for Lost Species

Jan 13, 2023

In this new paradigm in Shut Up & Sit Down Podcasting history, Tom and Quinns are chatting about what they think the board game industry holds for us all… in 2023! Expect a series of 5 completely uninformed opinions laced with ‘reckons’ and ‘guesses’ - all with a competitive twist. We're hoping to circle back on this episode in 2024 and be overjoyed by quite how wrong we are. Have a great weekend, everybody!

Dec 23, 2022

Note: This podcast was meant to come out a little earlier, who could have guessed? If you're looking for more Frosthaven thoughts, as the intro might suggest, then we've got our FrostCast just one pod away in the feed. Cheers! On this surprisingly colonic episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Tom and Quinns tackle two fantastic games... that one of us wishes were just a smidge better. That's right, it's the Undaunted: Stalingrad Spoilercast, and the HEAT: Pedal to the Metal... praisecast? These are two games we've reviewed recently and both think are just peachy. Enjoy! Have a great weekend, everybody! Timestamps: 02:48 - HEAT: Pedal to the Metal 18:48 - Undaunted: Stalingrad 26:51 - Undaunted: SpoilerGrad

Dec 15, 2022

In this slightly early episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Tom and Matt have sat themselves down for a lengthy, lively chat about the game everyone is eagerly awaiting; FROSTHAVEN. This is a mostly spoiler-free episode, focusing on what you’re going to see upon opening the box and little more than that. We start by chatting about some of our first impressions, before talking characters, story, and future coverage. Have a great weekend, everybody!

Dec 8, 2022

Trying something new today! This is our first ever video podcast, so if you're getting this in audio format, enjoy?! Or pop over to our website or YouTube for the video version and to see our obviously hilarious faces. Full game list with links to all these reviews on our website as well: https://bit.ly/3FtNROK

Dec 2, 2022

In this voyage of a Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Ava and Matt are sailing the high... skies... with Libertalia: Winds of Galecrest, and saving a small French town from disaster in Oltree. We've got pirates, we've got knights, and we've got more disagreements than you might expect on this dandy little pod. Enjoy! Have a great weekend, everybody! Tap below for timestamps and more info! Timestamps: 01:50 - Libertalia: Winds of Galecrest 25:19 - Oltree

Nov 25, 2022

In this winter sweater of a Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, we’ve got a very special episode for you. It’s just Ava on this one, in Ava’s Cosy Corner - a solo podcast all about the cosiest games she's played this year. Enjoy! Have a great weekend, everybody! Timestamps: 01:09 - Floriferous 05:52 - Kim Joy’s Magic Bakery 12:12 - Meadow

Nov 18, 2022

In this 200th episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, the team sit down for a frankly unwieldy chat about the top 10 games we collectively reckon you should play. I'll let the episode speak for itself here - nearly two hours of absolute nonsense from all four of us. Thank you so much for listening to 200 episodes, here's to 200 more! x Have a great weekend, everybody! SPOILERS: . . . 1. Pandemic Legacy: Season 1 Mentions: Pandemic 2. The Mind Mentions: The Crew - War of the Ring Mentions: Twilight Struggle, Cuba Libra, Labyrinth: The War on Terror, Combat Commander, 1989: Dawn of Freedom, Maria 3. Twilight Imperium 4th ed. Mentions: Eclipse, Oath, The King's Dilemma, Inis - Werewolf & The Resistance Mentions: Blood on the Clocktower, Secret Hitler, Mafia, The Resistance: Avalon - Mottainai Mentions: Mage Knight, Innovation 4. Crokinole Mentions: Jenga, Snooker/Pool, Toc Toc Woodman, Loopin' Louie, Flick 'em Up 5. Bohnanza Mentions: Modern Art, Sidereal Confluence 6. Tigris & Euphrates Mentions: Modern Art, Through the Desert, Samurai, Taj Mahal, Amun-Re, My City, Ra - Cosmic Encounter Mentions: Cosmic Encounter: Cosmic Odyssey 7. The King's Dilemma Mentions: The Queen's Dilemma, Oath 8. A Feast for Odin Mentions: Le Havre, Nusfjord, Glass Road, Caverna, Bärenpark - Undaunted series Mentions: Dominion, The Quest for El Dorado, Combat Commander 9. Skull Mentions: Cockroach Poker, Go 10. Roads & Boats Mentions: Brass Birmingham, The Estates, Container, Food Chain Magnate, 'Hey, That's My Fish', Magic Maze on Mars, Magic Maze, Gardeners, Monikers/Celebrities, Carcassonne, Codenames, Decrypto, Fantasy Realms, Star Realms, City of the Big Shoulders, Patchwork, Here I Stand, The Quest for El Dorado, Terra Mystica Heart Picks (games we wished made the list): Tom: Undaunted: Normandy Quinns: Monikers Ava: The Crew Matt: Brass: Birmingham

Nov 11, 2022

In this acrimonious episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, it’s a Tom-And-Quinns-Knee-To-Knee Special! We’re talking about two games whilst incredibly close to each other in a quasi-live podcast experience! On this episode, we’re focusing our wrath on two cities in Rebuilding Seattle and Fire & Stone: Siege of Vienna 1683. They’re both games, and we’ve played them! Have a great weekend, everybody! Timestamps: 03:44 - Rebuilding Seattle 13:36 - Fire & Stone: Siege of Vienna 1683

Nov 4, 2022

In this rock and rolling episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Ava and Tom take on a whole bunch of dice games with Gang of Dice, Sequoia, and Roll in One! After we’re done with our potluck of probability, we delve into a dessert with the deceased! That doesn’t quite work, does it. We’re talking about Lacrimosa! Mozart is dead. Have a great weekend, everybody! 01:42 - Roll in One 09:02 - Gang of Dice 17:43 - Sequoia 21:12 - Lacrimosa

Oct 28, 2022

In this jam-packed episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, we’ve got a SMORGASBORD of hosts who are ready to tell you all about the games they played at SHUX. Ava! Tom! Pip! Quinns! ‘Sick Matt’! They’re all here! Not satisfied with just having ‘a whole bunch of hosts’, we’re also talking about a ‘whole bunch of games’ - notably the boxes we enjoyed whilst at SHUX in sunny Vancouver. Not all of these are out yet, and some of them aren’t really real , but we figured that you would enjoy the chat nonetheless. Have a great weekend, everybody! Timestamps: 04:23 - Hair of the Dog 08:11 - Dutch Blitz 13:09 - Bagged & Boarded 20:11 - Harrow County: The Game of Gothic Conflict 25:07 - Starry Night Sky 28:52 - Space Bound 36:01 - Flick Fleck 39:04 - Highlights! (RPGs, Hot Potatoz, and more!)

Oct 21, 2022

In this buoyant episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Tom and Quinns are sailing the seas with Ahoy, stealin’ safes in 3000 Scoundrels, and doing another alliterative activity in Dead Reckoning! It’s the Clear Card Pirate Special, where each game is thematically linked to the others in a conga line of cardboard. Timestamps: 01:48 - Ahoy 09:46 - 3000 Scoundrels 24:25 - Dead Reckoning 37:17 - Stefan Feld’s ‘The City Collection’

Oct 15, 2022

In this extra special episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Tom, Ava, and Quinns are getting to the bottom of a complicated question; ‘Who Can Pitch Their Previews The Best In a 50 Minute Podcast Segment?’. We’re talking about a whole host of interesting upcoming or recently released games in this bumper podzone. Folks, this one was great fun to record, with a lovely lovely audience at SHUX 2022. Enjoy! Timestamps 04:55 - Cheese Thief 08:15 - Hamlet 13:10 - Deal with the Devil 17:15 - Phantom Ink 22:25 - Fit To Print 25:38 - Lands of Galzyr 30:18 - Return to Dark Tower 34:38 - Mountains Out of Molehills 39:30 - Turing Machine 43:50 - Leaf

Sep 16, 2022

In this roleplaying special of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Ava and Quinns have a big rambly chat about getting into RPGs and what systems they’ve been dabbling with recently! Have a great weekend, everybody!

Sep 2, 2022

In this highly addictive episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Tom and Matt are talking about Guards of Atlantis 2 and Llama Land! The former is a MOBA in a box and the latter involves llamas in flocks! It’s been a long week. Have a great weekend, everybody! Timestamps: 02:24 - Guards of Atlantis 2 20:17 - Llama Land 31:23 - SCOUT

Aug 26, 2022

In this cosmically historical episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Tom and Ava are talking about two very different games. First up is 1941: Race to Moscow, where you get to roleplay as your very favourite war criminals - and then we’ll talk about Cosmic Frog, where you get to roleplay as your very favourite cosmic war criminals. Have a great weekend, everybody! Timestamps: 02:05 - 1941: Race to Moscow 19:12 - Cosmic Frog

Aug 19, 2022

In this aristocratic episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Tom and Quinns are talking about just one game - Obsession! We’re chatting about the second edition of this cult hit alongside its Upstairs, Downstairs and Wessex expansions. Enjoy! Have a great weekend, everybody!

Aug 5, 2022

In this hodgepodge episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast Tom, Quinns, and Ava are rambling through a trilogy of games! First up, we’re chatting about the kid-friendly draft-’em-up Draftosaurus before moving onto more deceitful, meatier fare in The Court of Miracles. Lastly, The Transcontinental pulls up to the station and we load it full of chat and opinions. Have a great weekend, everybody! Timestamps: 02:38 - Draftosaurus 15:55 - The Court of Miracles 26:54 - The Transcontinental

Jul 29, 2022

In this spooooooky episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Tom and Quinns are talking about just one game! It's the successor-sequel to Hostage Negotiator; FINAL GIRL! Will they get away from the killer? Will they be ‘stabbed a bit’? Find out NOW . Have a great weekend, everybody!

Jul 22, 2022

In this dextrous episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Tom and Ava are talking about a quadrilogy of games that they have been playing recently! We’ve got the daft-n-pacy King of 12, the even dafter Flickfleet, the not-quite-great Museum: Suspects… and to round it all off, a little chat about Caper: Europe. Have a great weekend, everybody! Timestamps: 02:54 - King of 12 15:22 - FlickFleet 26:23 - Museum: Suspects 35:32 - Caper: Europe

Jul 15, 2022

In this militaristic episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Tom and Matt have been playing a whole bunch of Undaunted: Stalingrad! A larger, legacy-lite version of the Undaunted system! Is it good? Is it… Not? Does it accurately depict the horrors of war? All this salient information and more awaits… Have a great weekend, everybody!

Jul 8, 2022

Ava: Well look at that! It’s an interview. Well something like that. I spent the evenings of the ‘United’ Kingdom’s Game Exposition chatting with my favourite podcaster-poet-editor-writer Tim Clare, then convinced him to get together to have a chat about a thing. We’re offering tips and thoughts on how to ‘pitch a game’, both at a convention, and in your very own home. Do we stay on topic? Occasionally! But hopefully it’s a fun listen. Go find Tim on twitter or his very own website timclarepoet.co.uk . I genuinely think Death of a Thousand Cuts , and particularly the couch to 80k bootcamp/100 day writing challenge are the absolute best ways to get stuck into creative writing, and his first page critiques (the reason I thought he’d be a great person to speak to about this) are the absolute best writing advice you can get! Check him out, he’s lovely. I’m hoping to put together a few more interviews and other ‘special’ podcasts over the coming months, so do let us know what you think. Opinions and suggestions welcome to ava@shutupandsitdown.com or on our website. If it doesn’t sound up your street, do feel free to skip it! It’ll probably be a normal pod with more familiar voices next time you visit!

Jul 1, 2022

In this deeply sponsored episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Tom and Matt are talking about two ferociously dry games. First up is the pastoral human-collector Villagers, and second up is the vertical build-em-up Akropolis. We also take some time to defibrillate the podcast back to life by talking a little bit about Rush Out, our favourite Shut Up & Sit Down video review that came out this week. Enjoy! Timestamps: 02:40 - Villagers 17:18 - Akropolis 29:26 - Rush Out

Jun 24, 2022

Apologies for all the drilling noises in this episode - We couldn’t scrub them from the recording without Quinns sounding like a strange squeaky robot! In this medical episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Tom and Quinns are donning their scrubs for a lengthy chat about Rush M.D, punting down the Nile in Sobek: 2 Players, and slipping through space in Wormholes! Have a great weekend, everybody! Timestamps: 03:23 - Rush M.D 22:57 - Sobek: 2 Players 34:20 - Wormholes 48:11 - burncycle

Jun 17, 2022

In this agnostic episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, our three intrepid explorers at the UKGE blast through multiple odd games in a chaotic pod-special! We Rob Art in Art Robbery, Get On Board in Get On Board and Island Small...ly... in Small Islands, before dreaming of factories in Nicodemus. This podcast also posits a very, very important question… did we play Cosmic Frog? Have a great weekend, everybody! Timestamps: 00:35 - Cosmic Frog 01:08 - Get On Board! 15:47 - Small Islands 21:08 - Art Robbery 25:57 - Nicodemus

Jun 10, 2022

Live and happening, it's a podcast! When I edit podcasts, I usually slice out the bits where I sound silly, or ask if it's 'time to talk about Rats' too many times; but in the live format, they have to stay. On this very special episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Matt and his two adult children are talking about a bunch of games! We've got the absolute excess of Wonderlands War, the snakes-and-ladders-worker-placement of First Rat and the secret sneaky bidding of Dreadful Circus alongside plenty of healthy chat about a Wibbly Wobbly Egg. Enjoy! Timestamps: 01:52 - Wonderland's War 16:19 - Dodo 23:00 - First Rat 32:53 - Dreadful Circus

Jun 3, 2022

In this X-Ray-Slow-Motion episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Tom and Matt are talking about two games that couldn’t be more different. First up, we’ve got the alien hospitality of Space Station Phoenix - a eurogame where you destroy your own worker placement spaces! And secondly, we’re talking Sniper Elite: The Board Game - a thematic hidden movement game where you destroy a submarine and also maybe some Nazis. Have a great weekend, everybody! Timestamps: 03:59 - Space Station Phoenix 22:52 - Sniper Elite: The Board Game

May 20, 2022

In this apparently aquatic episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Tom, Ava, and Matt are talking about some suspiciously dry games! And spinners. And Twister. First up is Khora: Rise of an Empire - the ultimate spreadsheet experience! Tom then rambles about Boonlake for a moment, before Ava takes us home with Founders of Teotihuacan; the game which we essentially forgot to have a discussion about. Have a great weekend, everybody! Timestamps: 01:54 - Khora: Rise of an Empire 20:23 - Boonlake 28:47 - Founders of Teotihuacan

May 13, 2022

In this themeless episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Quinns and Tom are talking about two of the driest games that they’ve ever been smitten with. First up is the Austrian Rail Simulation of Imperial Steam, followed by a dessert of semi-colonial discover-em-up The Guild of Merchant Explorers. Enjoy! Have a great weekend, everybody! Timestamps: 01:32 - Imperial Steam 22:22 - The Guild of Merchant Explorers

May 6, 2022

In this marauding episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Tom and Ava have been let loose on games once again. Someone stop them. First up, we’ve got some disclaimer-laden chats about Root’s latest Marauder expansion, followed by some hot-off-the-(im)press(ions) of Little Factory - the latest edition to the Little™Expanded Universe. We also have a brief chat about Tom’s obsession over Knotwords and other Word(le) games at the end! Have a great weekend, everybody! Timestamps: 02:44 - Root: The Marauder Expansion 22:06 - Little Factory 32:55 - Knotwords

Apr 29, 2022

In this meagre episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down podcast, Tom and Matt are talking about three whole boxes with games inside of them!! First up is MAGIC BINGO, also known as Via Magica - a game of wizards and crystals that your (imaginary) family might enjoy. We then talk about the disastrous urban planning of Next Station: London, before getting thoroughly confused by Cryptid: Urban Legends. Finally, we take a trip to the forbidden zone to chat about Square Valley - a delightful little mobile game that is… ‘Quite Boardgames’. Have a great weekend, everybody! Timestamps: 02:46 - Via Magica 11:52 - Next Station: London 22:34 - Cryptid: Urban Legends 33:39 - Square Valley

Apr 15, 2022

In this semi-cooperative episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down podcast, Tom and Matt are talking about two very unusual games! First up is Voices In My Head's handsome-man-sentencing, followed by a small course of Decorum; a passive-aggressive living simulator. We also chat a few nice words about SHUX (and the carpets within) as well as Matt’s review of the Quacks expansion. Have a great weekend, everybody! Timestamps: 03:21 - Voices in my Head 17:10 - Decorum 30:25 - Quacks: The Alchemists

Apr 8, 2022

In this electric episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down podcast Tom and Quinns are going toe-to-toe in a battle for the ages, fighting the corner of the game that they like, and the other person… likes too… but less… On this podcast we’re chatting about our lengthy first impressions of Crescent Moon and our much snappier first impressions of Bear Raid, as well as literally about 20 seconds of talking about the Mind MGMT app - so little, in fact, that I haven’t even timestamped it! Have a great weekend, everybody! Timestamps: 02:39 - Crescent Moon 34:11 - Bear Raid

Apr 1, 2022

In this furious episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down podcast, Quinns, Ava, and Tom are talking about three games that couldn’t be more different. First up we’ve got a chat about Illumination - a game all about scrawling doodles in the margins of MonkBooks, before pivoting hard into playing (?) with (?) dogs in Good Puppers - a set collection game with a sinister backstory. Finally, we’re talking about our not-too-positive experience with Memoir ‘44 Flight Plan, and Quinns asks everyone a difficult question . PS: I’m really sorry about the stings. Have a great weekend, everybody! Timestamps: 02:15 - Illumination 14:59 - Good Puppers 25:58 - Memoir ‘44: New Flight Plan 35:52 - Quinns’ Special Debate

Mar 25, 2022

In this painterly episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down podcast, Tom and Ava are playing to the gallery in an ART SPECIAL! We’re talking all things Museum: Pictura and Art Decko - two games that aren’t necessarily our new favourites, but are certainly doing some interesting things with art. Have a great weekend, everybody! Timestamps: 02:32 - Museum: Pictura 11:56 - Art Decko 23:00 - An Art Ramble

Mar 19, 2022

In this sluggish episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Tom and Quinns are fresh off the back of two games - one a box of unison and joy; the other a lump of conflict and discontent. We’re talking about Gugong and it’s expansion - Panjun - as well as Lizard Wizard! But which is the belle of the ball, and which is the slob of the swamp? Find out… right here! Have a lovely weekend, folks! Gùgōng , Gùgōng: Pànjūn , Lizard Wizard

Mar 4, 2022

In this spiritual episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Matt and Tom are talking about just one game - a game that has sat alone on Tom’s ‘To-Play’ shelf like a bottle of brown sauce in a wetherspoons sauce caddy. That’s right, it’s Bitoku, a game about splodging sauce all over a beautiful forest until various bears, otters and raccoons come to lick of all the liquid from the branches and leaves: yum yum yum.

Feb 25, 2022

In this UNMATCHED episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down podcast, Tom and Quinns have decided to pursue the strange little feature that Quinns has been dwelling on for a while - seeking to ask and answer the question: ‘how good is all this Unmatched… really?’. Through three ferocious bouts of slippery copyright law, our heroes put their heroes to the test in a battle of wits, strategy, and pointing out how ridiculous it is that Bloody Mary just dropkicked Bigfoot. Have a lovely weekend, folks!

Feb 18, 2022

In this vaguely threatening episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Tom and Matt are chatting about a ‘whole buncha guys’! Some of them are on, in, and around a big ‘ol wall in Awaken Realms’ The Great Wall; and others are skulking around the streets of Chicago in Gale Force 9’s Wise Guys! We’re also having a brief chat about all the spoilers that Matt unearthed in The Initiative - so plug up your ears at the end if you want to make sure you remain unspoiled. Have a lovely weekend, folks! Timestamps: 03:11 - The Great Wall 25:00 - Wise Guys 36:05 - THE INITIATIVE SPOILERCAST

Feb 11, 2022

In this arid 170th episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down podcast Tom, Ava, and Quinns are chatting about a bunch of games featuring HOSTILE ENVIRONMENTS . It’s like the Shut Up & Sit Down Annual Company Retreat after Quinns threw a War Sun at Ava. We’ll never be the same again. In this podcast, the gang are saving tigers in Endangered and planting gardens in Ishtar; before settling down to a nice bit of post-apocalyptic bickering in Radlands. Enjoy! Have a lovely weekend, folks! Timestamps 02:21 - Endangered 14:27 - Ishtar 24:34 - Radlands

Feb 4, 2022

In this picturesque episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast Matt, Ava, and Tom are absolutely chomping at the bit to tell you all about three games that are all PRETTY GOOD! We've got the scintillating urban planning of Townbuilder: Coevorden - the scintillatingy-er LUNAR planning of Welcome To The Moon and... what was the last game? I don't know if I can quite... remember... Have a lovely weekend, folks! Timestamps: 02:35 - Townbuilder: Coevorden 11:56 - Welcome To The Moon 26:52 - Equinox

Jan 29, 2022

In this 3,000 pound episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Matt and Ava are wading into the quagmire of crunchy decisions, cold calculation and brain-burnin’. First, they’re rambling about the plains and pains of The Great Zimbabwe before letting their artistic side loose on The Gallerist. If by ‘artistic side’ you mean ability to manipulate the market value of a wonky sculpture. Have a lovely weekend, folks! Timestamps 01:26 – The Great Zimbabwe 18:14 – The Gallerist

Jan 21, 2022

In this panoramic episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down podcast, Matt and Tom are back in action, ready to talk about a little heap of cardboard that’s been growing in the corner over the festive break; it grows a little every time you look away, and we’re hiring someone to take care of it. On this podcast you can hear about the ever-rolling Dice Realms, the ever-sinking Atlantis Rising (2nd Edition) and the ever-expensive Q.E. A bunch of games that we’re keen on, but not… that keen on. Wahoo! Have a lovely weekend, folks! Timestamps: 01:51 - Dice Realms 17:01 - Atlantis Rising (2nd Edition) 30:20 - Q.E

Jan 14, 2022

For this special episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down podcast, join Rodney and Quinns for a celebration of 10 years in board games! This is an audio-only version of their chat from AwSHUX 2021 - and you can find a video version of it right here . Thanks once again to Rodney for coming on to chat! Normal podcasts will begin again next week, with Matt and Tom talking about Dice Realms , Atlantis Rising (2nd Edition) and Q.E ; and a video review will be out around the middle of next week too!

Jan 7, 2022

In this admirably 166th episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down podcast, we’re BACK at PAX Unplugged! Even though it was multiple weeks ago, we’ve brought the past into the present through the media of recording - which we, of course, invented. From the heady heights of Himmelsstürmer to the sandy shores of Strand Unter - the twisty time travelling of That Time You Killed Me to the dastardlly Doodle Dash… we’re talking about a lot of games! Ducks In Tow, Biblios: Quill and Parchement and Scape Goat all get to stick their respective oars in, before tying everything up in a trio of trick takers. What a treat! We’ll be back to the normal podcast schedule very soon! Have a lovely weekend, folks! Timestamps: 02:19 - Himmelsstürmer 07:45 - That Time You Killed Me 12:55 - Ducks In Tow 19:41 - Strand Unter 25:01 - Scape Goat 30:45 - Doodle Dash 37:58 - Biblios: Quill & Parchment 43:35 - Cat In A Box 45:34 - R-ECO 47:26 - Wind The Film

Dec 17, 2021

In this wobbly 165th episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down podcast, the whole gang beams their thoughts about games to an audience of hungry gamers at PAXU 2021! Enjoy a quippy Quinns, a meticulous Matt, an articulate Ava and a terrified Tom as they collectively ramble through no less than 5 excellent games - from the undead discos of Castle Party to the hellacious horse racing of Long Shot: The Dice Game; ‘this one really do got it all.’ This will be the last podcast of 2021, but stay tuned for early next year where we’ll be uploading the second PAXU special. Have a lovely weekend, folks! Timestamps: 1:50 - Castle Party 11:51 - The Great Zimbabwe 17:33 - Reef Encounters 25:31 - Big Shot 32:31 - Long Shot: The Dice Game 44:56 - 2021 Spatchtower Backer Update

Dec 3, 2021

In this industrious 164th episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Matt and Quinns are mostly talking about two games where I (Tom, hello) rinsed them; two crusty brains pummelled into the dust by three cups of coffee and an unending desire to ‘prove myself’ in the cardboard battlegrounds of ‘board games’. Huzzah. On this podcast you can hear words about the hellacious retail disasterpiece of Brick & Mortar, the dice-chucking mayhem of Rush Out! and the nonsensical auctions of Furnace. Three games wallowing in a lot of minutes - minutes stuffed with observations, rammed with remarks and runneth(ing) over with criticismé. Have a lovely weekend, folks!

Nov 26, 2021

In this FESTIVE 163rd episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down podcast, the whole gang's here to talk you through all kinds of games, big and small, that they reckon you should buy for your loved ones this holiday season! A bumper list of 13 entire boardgames; there’s got to be something for everyone, even if one of them is - of course - Quacks of Quedlinburg. Fancy something we mention in this episode? Tap here for shopping links, videos, and brief written details of every game we've recommended in this episode. Have a lovely weekend, folks!

Nov 19, 2021

In this week’s episode, Ava is joined by Matt for a natter about two recent games - both of which feature DICE and HEADS. You can see the whole creative process unfolding! Matt has checked out the Cuphead game, and Ava is bang-on-time for Halloween with the gorgeous Die of the Dead.

Nov 12, 2021

In this mind-bendingly 161st episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down podcast, Tom and Quinns are talking about Ireland and brains! In this podcast, you can hear our thoughts about Brian Boru, and telepathically download our feelings about Mind MGMT. You might also be able to intuit our opinions on Detective: City of Angels and Kabuto Sumo … but that’s what the video reviews are for, really. Have a lovely weekend, folks!

Nov 5, 2021

In this “Truly Cyberpunk” 160th episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down podcast Tom, Ava and Matt are talking about a number of weird games played semidigital-style with the wonders of the internet and Matt’s hands! In this episode we have a sequence of little rambles about Dinosaur World , Floating Floors and echoes: The Cocktail ! Have a lovely weekend, folks!

Oct 23, 2021

In this juicy 159th episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down podcast, Ava, Tom and Quinns are living it up at AwSHUX 2021! Enjoy an appetiser of the Exit Advent Calendar , followed by a mouth-watering main of Unfathomable , before finally settling down to the biggest pile of desserts your relenting stomach can muster. That’s right, we’re going to be rambling about the six previews that we’re most excited for at this year’s AwSHUX: Winter Edition. Stick around to hear brief snippets of Picture Perfect , Steam Up: A Feast of Dim Sum , Brick & Mortar , Beast , Mythic Mischief and Super Team . Have a lovely weekend, folks!

Oct 8, 2021

In this chaotic 158th episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down podcast, Ava, Tom and Quinns are slamming bugs into walls! We’re talking about the expansive box-ticker Hadrian’s Wall alongside the entomologically-inclined wrasslin’ of Kabuto Sumo ! We also have some brief chats about our recent video reviews of Descent: Legends of the Dark and Burgle Bros 2: The Casino Capers - two be-coloned sequels of varying quality! Apologies for some slight background noise at times in this one - all three of us had various drilling going on nearby that was hard to weasel out properly! And, as Quinns mentions at the end of this one, there won’t be a podcast for the next couple of weeks while we focus on getting prepped for AwSHUX. See you toward the end of October for a live special! Have a lovely weekend, folks!

Oct 1, 2021

In this numerically 157th episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down podcast, Ava and Tom are visiting Egypt, Ganymede and *checks notes* some parks. That’s right, we’re chatting about the sandy box of miniatures and angst that is Ankh: Gods of Egypt , the love letter to parks that is Parks , and the last shuttle to Ganymede in Ganymede . Have a lovely weekend, folks!

Sep 24, 2021

In this deliberately 156th episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down podcast, Tom and Matt are poring through the back-catalogue after a lovely afternoon of playing nice games together. We’re chugging along in Empyreal: Spells & Steam before literally obliterating hundreds of invaders in Spirit Island . It’s a tonal soufflé! I will not elaborate further. Have a lovely weekend, folks!

Sep 17, 2021

In this constructively 155th episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down podcast, Quinns and Tom are absolutely going to build you two cities and then bury you in witches. Today we’re talking about Magnate: The First City and North Berkeley , two very different takes on the property market with at least some political undercurrents, and we’ve got Witchstone , which switches to witches. Plus a little bonus micro-chat about Tom’s recent review of The Adventures of Robin Hood . Have a lovely weekend, folks!

Sep 10, 2021

In this resplendent 154th episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down podcast, Ava and Tom are going to be talking about a whole bouquet of different games! Tune in for some thoughts on the gently charming LUNA Capital , and Ava’s segment on ‘games what were one thing but are now a different thing’ - where we’ll be talking about Terraforming Mars: Ares Expedition and Lost Cities: Roll and Write , as well as their respective parents. Have a lovely weekend, folks!

Sep 3, 2021

In this considerably 153rd episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down podcast, Ava, Tom and Quinns are talking all about stories. First Ava and Tom dive deep into the watery archipelago of Sleeping God s, and then Tom and Quinns trade water-cooler gossip about their ridiculous times with Hostage Negotiator: Career . There’s bells and swamps and influencers and ghosts. It’s truly the podcast that has everything! Have a lovely weekend, folks!

Aug 20, 2021

In this nastily 152nd episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down podcast, Tom and Quinns get shonky while talking about two games against the clock! We ramble for far too long about Egizia , a game of rivers and building monuments - before then chatting about Regicide , the hot new card game that’s got everyone a-bubblin’. We also talk a tiny bit about The Crew , and Tom does a bad joke twice! Have a great weekend, everybody!

Aug 13, 2021

In this rapidly 151st episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down podcast, Ava and Quinns are climbing mountains and swinging from trees to tell you about some board games about climbing mountains and swinging from trees. Quinns introduces us to Trek 12 , a game of mapping out mountains, roping numbers together and some clever envelopes. Then Ava wants to be a bit over-familiar with Fast Sloths , a game of hitch-hiking sloth racing.

Aug 6, 2021

In this wobbly 150th episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down podcast, a freshly-jabbed Tom and perfectly off-kilter Matt are ready to tell YOU about SOME GAMES! Matt regales us with the story of him crushing my space station in Star Scrappers:Orbital ! We pretend to know all about wargames with Freedom! Tom rambles about his UKGE adventures in a smushed up-special! And before you listen to this most excellent podcast, dear listener; a fun tidbit. We were going to do a big chunky roundup of all the exciting things Tom saw at UKGE, but so much of it was sufficiently interesting or strange that we’re going to save it for future, more in-depth coverage. Stay tuned for some opinions, and some hot, hot games!

Jul 30, 2021

It's a very special episode of the SU&SD podcast! Are you gonna learn about drugs? NO. Instead, Matt done a big ol' interview with tabletop veteran and fabulous man Andrew Navaro. Andrew used to be the head of the legendary design studio Fantasy Flight Games, then became the director of Chip Theory Games, and now he represents Earthborne Games , a brand new publisher with a focus on sustainability. Enjoy, everybody!

Jul 23, 2021

In this industrious 148th episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down podcast, Quinns and Tom are jumping into two varyingly bleak economic games. The Cost is an asbestos-mining infrastruct-em-up with a beige board and some bleak commentary, while Arkwright: The Card Game takes Arkwright’s cutlery manufacturing to a more compact place.

Jul 16, 2021

In this exceedingly 147th episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down podcast, Ava and Tom are talking about two games that couldn’t be more different! We’re getting trapped in a ‘bullet hell’ in Level 99 Games’ Bullet♥ , and Ava trapped a bunch of her friends in a kind of ‘Pork Hell’ in TEETH: Night of the Hogmen !

Jul 11, 2021

Apologies for the lateness of this week's podcast! This site's own Tom Brewster has fallen ill with Covid-19. Tom's okay, but in his own words, "It sucks." In this emergency episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down podcast, we're presenting one of our favourite panels from the most recent AWSHUX, our "Away SHUX" online convention. In it, Quinns has a terrific talk with his favourite Go YouTuber, In Sente , a.k.a. Michaela Galluci. The pair shared their favourite tips for teaching complex games to people, but eventually succumbed to the temptation of just talking about Go. Did you know that it's a good game? It's a good, good game. If you missed Quinns' review of Go last year, definitely check it out . We hope you're having a great weekend, everybody. Your regular podcast will be back next week.

Jul 2, 2021

In this mischievously 146th episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down podcast, Quinns, Ava, and Tom are going back to Oxford one last time for a night of card games, libraries, gardens and gratitude. We’re looking at Atheneum , Ohanami , Similo and No Thanks! Four games with a lot of cards and not a lot in common! It’s almost entirely games we’re a bit ambivalent about! Is that exciting? I do hope so.

Jun 25, 2021

In this chilly 145th episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down podcast, Matt, Ava, and Tom are popping off into space! Do you want anything? We’ll be back in 5 minutes - but I’ve not got my keys so you’ll need to let me in thanks x First we’re getting cold with Cryo - a game left us just a little nippy. We’ll then be negotiating ourselves into oblivion with Moonrakers - a game that has less connective tissue to the bond film of the same name than you might think! Have a great weekend, everybody!

Jun 18, 2021

In this hungrily 144th episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down podcast, Quinns, Tom and Ava are locked in a room together! A week long gathering of your verifiably rowdy hosts kicked off with three cracking reprints of lovely older games, and then we all did a podcast about them! We start with Big Daddy Kniz’s Royal Visit , move to Cornwall for Martin Wallace’s Tinner’s Trail before jumping across the pond for a steamboat race in Mississippi Queen ! Due to a live record, some of the trips and erms have been impossible to excise, so expect a slightly more chaotic pod than usual. We were very excited to be playing games together. Have a great weekend, everybody!

Jun 11, 2021

In this willingly 143rd episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down podcast, Quinns and Tom are going on an adventure(s)! Keep your hands and feet inside the box at all times - especially as we lower the lid over the top of your head and slide you into a Kallax. It’s where we keep all the adventures. We’re going on ADVENTURE through ARNAK in the Lost Ruins of Arnak ! We’re going on an ADVENTURE through TIME in The Loop! And last but not least, we’re going on a CARD GAME through FANTASY in Fantasy Realms ! Have a great weekend, everybody!

May 28, 2021

In this frankly 142nd episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down podcast, Ava and Tom have been left alone again, and proceed to gush for almost an entire hour about the hottest hotgame right now: Oath! They shouldn’t let us get away with this stuff. I can only promise that we do get to ‘how to play’ in this podcast, but it made sense for us to get whimsical about the victory conditions first to frame the rest of the rules, because they’re quite special. Have a great weekend, everybody!

May 21, 2021

In this cuddly 141st episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down podcast, we’re taking a breather with a brew, and a couple of gentle games with cosy, cosy themes! We’re (k)notting our whats with The Whatnot Cabinet, trailing fairies in Fairy Trails, and… doing something else unusual in Herbaceous!

May 14, 2021

In this decadently 140th episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Boardgame: The Podcast, we’re talking about a couple of hot-button-games that we’ve come over all tepid about. We’ll first guide you into the asymmetrical port of Merchants Cove, before serving up a delicious mug of mathematical coffee in… Coffee Traders! Have a lovely weekend, everybody!

May 7, 2021

In this butt-clenchingly 139th episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down podcast, we’re talking all about manuals! Do not try to escape, you have been warned! Thrills abound as Matt and Ava jungle-gym their way through a forest of Adobe products, kerning, and intriguing observations - all centered around RATS: High Tea at Sea - the roll and write that we think is quite good! No need to ask for any other opinions, we are the professionals, after all. Have a lovely weekend, everybody!

Apr 24, 2021

Live and scary from AwSHUX 2021, it’s Quinns, Tom and Ava! Apologies for the incredibly unhinged energy on this one, it was powered by nerves and I’m also editing it at 1 in the morning! What a combination! We’ve got an absolutely brutal lineup of games on this one, folks. We’re talking plants, gardens and sheds in Three Sisters, we’re slapping down a bunch of little wooden towers in Medina, and we’re serving up hot hot murder on our pals in Night of the Ninja. BUT WAIT! There’s more! At the tail-end of this pod, embark on an odyssey of AwSHUX previews! Tom and Quinns will battle it out in an arena of hyperbole - armed with 26 separate previews that they’ve ruthlessly whittled into the silliest segment around!

Apr 2, 2021

In this indubitably 137th episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down podcast, Tom and Quinns are producing decibels about two games that they are both a bit excited about! First off we’ll ramble about Nidavellir’s moody dwarves and chunky coins before taking a break in the wilderness of Cascadia ; a land of solitary bears and salmon on the slalom. We then finish this pod off with some very brief thoughts on recent video reviews for Cubitos and Stardew Valley: The Board Game - so if you need thoughts on rolling, growing, moving, and crowing… then you’ve come to the right place on your Friday evening! What luck! Have a lovely weekend, everybody!

Mar 26, 2021

In this imperceptibly 136th episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down podcast, Ava, Tom and Quinns chat about two chunky pieces of cardboard chicanery about people in history going places and taking what they find. Anno 1800 and Stroganov are up for discussion and traveling in opposite directions in more ways than one. Have a lovely weekend!

Mar 19, 2021

In this whimsically 135th episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down podcast, Tom and Quinns chat about a number of single-player pen-and-paper map-drawing/journal-making role-playing games - or ‘Solo RPGs’, for short. We’ll be digging deep into Delve , thinking back to Field Guide To Memory , and shooting upwards to be Alone Among The Stars , each game a new designer and a new direction. Have a lovely weekend, everybody!

Mar 12, 2021

In this floaty 134th episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down podcast, Matt and Quinns peek through a collection of cumulonimbi to deliver their verdict on just one game: CloudAge ! Expect a dash of opinion, some twists of chatter, and just one unexpected visitor. We’ve got it all! Have a lovely weekend, everybody!

Mar 5, 2021

In this old-fashioned 133rd episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down podcast Tom and Ava have been left on their own, and are abusing the privilege with a personal campaign to get some wonderful, fusty old European games reprinted. Come join us on a journey across a continent! We’ll be making friends with weird faces in Saint Petersburg, stealing some surprisingly colourful bricks from The Palaces of Carrara and getting grandiose in Spain with El Grande. It’s weird for us to cover so many out of print games, but don’t worry, these are all currently available to play online through BoardGameArena or Yucata - so put your feet up for the no longer a very mystery tour, because I just told you all where we’re going, oops! Have a lovely weekend, everybody!

Feb 26, 2021

In this mysterious 132nd episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down podcast, Tom, Quinns and Ava clamber aboard a raft of games that’s gently sailing down a river made of...dreams… Do not get into the water, the dreams are also full of plague. We’re going to be rambling about an absolute bunch of games that, when combined, would make up our perfect post-covid boardgame night. If you want to be surprised by each addition to our lists then click play! Or if there’s anything in particular you’d like to hear about, we’ve got all the games timestamped below. Have a lovely weekend, everybody!

Feb 19, 2021

In what is clearly the 131st episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down podcast, Matt, Tom and Ava are going to continue recent pod-tradition and natter about just the one game, thanks. That’s right, it’s Faiyum ! A game about being both (a) in Egypt and (b) confused! Happens to the best of us. We’re going to be chatting about how it really works, how it sort of works and how it doesn’t work in a hodgepodge chat about one of the stranger board game offerings of 2020. We had some technical difficulties with this one, so apologies if things feel a bit bumpy. It suits the game in question!

Feb 12, 2021

In this freshly-pressed 130th episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down podcast, we’re making amends. "The Beefcast" left the team torn in two, sundered, ruined... borked beyond repair. Now? It’s time to rekindle the fire, and what better way to do so than talk about the man that broke us? That's right, it's time to talk 'Kniz. Take a seat as Quinns and Tom natter about recent video review stars My City and Modern Art , with a little wiggly chat about The Quest For El Dorado smashed in the middle. We also take the time to make plenty of great behind-the-scenes podcasting errors, for your pleasure!

Feb 5, 2021

In this juicy 129th episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down podcast, it’s time for business, baby! Join Matt and Tom for a conversation about Carnegie , where our thoughts doth runneth over. Literally. We aimed to keep this one short and sweet but then Matt got ever so excited about history - something that we like to call ‘a nerd move’, in the biz. Think of this one as the ‘one-two-punch’ of board game podcasts, if you will. A first half that basks in the utter joy of the thing, and a second where reality rears its ugly head at our barred doors. We just wanted to enjoy a game about a hard day’s work, reality! Why do you always spoil our fun?! I JUST WANTED TO CRUSH A WHOLE UNION IN PEACE!!! Have a lovely weekend!

Jan 29, 2021

In the unbelievably 128th podcast we spend a surprisingly long time chatting about Vampire: The Masquerade - Vendetta , a game with as much blood as it’s got colons! This pink-hued game doesn’t take a rose-tinted view of the source material, which Quinns and Matt get deep into a big nostalgia blanket for. How sweet! Eventually we might even talk about the game. We wrap up with some racist beans , and a surprising experiment with Tom’s pockets ! Have a lovely weekend!

Jan 22, 2021

In this garishly 127th episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Matt, Tom and Ava have a meandering little chat-a-thon about Dune Imperium - a spicy hot game that at least two of the folks on the podcast... aren’t all that hot for . I bet you can’t guess who. We’re trying a bunch of new formats to see what fits in our new world of weekly pods - so, as always, your thoughts and feelings are appreciated. Have a lovely weekend!

Jan 15, 2021

In this frighteningly 126th episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Ava and Quinns try their very own best to convince our very own Tom to play their favourite Uwe’s. What’s an Uwe? I thought it was a big sheep, but I’ve been wrong before. But before the great Uwe Showdown - where we discuss games as great and diverse as Nusfjord , Glass Road , A Feast for Odin and Le Havre - we first have a neat little discussion about Hallertau ; the biggest and bumpiest box of bricks, bits and bobs that Germany has EVER seen. Does it live up to the hype? What’s the bottom line? And most importantly… How many beans ? We tried to keep this one shorter, as per the new podcast-a-week project, and we failed miserably ! Please enjoy our nonsense rambling for close to an hour, until we start to get knackered. Have a lovely weekend!

Jan 8, 2021

WELCOME to the 125th SU&SD GAME OF THE YEAR PODCAST! Because technically, every game is a game of the year! Why? Because it came out that year, dummy! That’s just maths!!! On this timely episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, the four musketeers gather once again to chat about just one game that they each think deserves Game Of The Year status in 2020. Who will win? Will their game be from this year? Will they even chose a game at ALL! Answers to these questions and more can be found… right here! Thanks to our amazing community, podcast transcripts are available here , and are usually completed within a week or so of the podcast's release. Have a lovely weekend!

Dec 18, 2020

It's a podcast! And you know what that means… it’s Friday time! Wait... On this rambling 124th episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast Ava, Tom, and Quinns chat about a couple light and silly games to brighten the mood before plunging headfirst into a big greasy barrel of eurogames. Master Word and Sticky Chameleons don’t stand a chance, guzzled up before your very ears like boardgame hors d’oeuvres. The main course? Alhambra , Merv: The Heart of the Silk Road and Beyond The Sun - each course more chunky and crunchy than the last. Get cosy and settle in for a banquet of the most enticing mechanics that boardgames have to offer... Have a lovely weekend!

Dec 4, 2020

Oh no. It happened again. Tom pitched a segment to management, and look at what happened. An entire half of a podcast, absolutely ruined. On this delectably 123rd episode of the Shut Up and Sit Down Podcast, join an incredibly tired Tom, Matt and Ava to discuss a smattering of games, most of which are juuuust fine. Sandwiching this podcast are twin discussions about Thurn Und Taxis and Under Falling Skies - and in between? It’s Tom’s Family GameZone, where we’ll (?) discuss (?) such riveting (?) titles as Cupcake Academy , What’s Missing? , Mr. Face , MonsDRAWsity , and Herd Mentality . Help! Have a lovely weekend, everybody!

Nov 20, 2020

On this week’s BUMPER BOX podcast we’ve got SIX entire GameBoards for you to picture in your head as we loosely describe them with words and, quite frankly, a lot of noises? This podcast is really great if you’re a young child and want to hear a bunch of cool new ways you can make sounds with your mouth. What games are we going to create frequencies about this time, I hear you ask? We’ll be chatting about the unusual themes of Zestrea , the beautiful butterflies of Mariposas , the wonders of the internet in Sumatra , and sheer, unadulterated organisation in Maglev Metro . Then, to round it all out, we have a ramble about Fleet: The Dice Game and Troyes Dice - two games with the same core that couldn’t be more different. That makes it sound like a mid 90s comedy that stars Danny DeVito and Dwayne Johnson. Does that exist? It might already exist. Have a lovely weekend, everybody

Nov 6, 2020

It’s podcast time, and you’re all invited! Does our generosity know no bounds? In this ghoulishly 121st episode of the Shut Up and Sit Down podcast, Quinns, Ava and Tom once again settle into the lavishly upholstered podchairs to scream words about boardgames into a wall. NEW YORK ZOO (04:02)! MARIA (19:38)! LITTLE TOWN (40:06)! THE KING IS DEAD (55:41)! These are all words bellowed in an order that one would assume makes them titles for games - and we will run with that assumption to save everyone the embarrassment. We promise they are real and we didn’t just madlibs this podcast’s games into existence. We’re not on that level just yet. Have a lovely weekend, everybody.

Oct 23, 2020

In this politely 120th episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast Tom, Quinns and Ava grab themselves three microphones, one twitch chat, and a whole month of preparation to best beam podrays into your brain… LIVE! Broadcast live and silly from AwSHUX 2020, this episode sees Ava and Tom delve into Mottainai and A Game of Thrones: The Board Game - the two very different boxes chosen for their respective application videos. Betwixt these two discussions we ramble about the infinite flowcharts of Combat Commander and Dominant Species , before settling on lighter fare with Legendary: A James Bond Deck Building Game - a box that asks the question: ‘what if bond(s)’? We then wrap up with brief, punchy chats about putting your friends into a bind in Oriflamme , and putting your kangaroos into buns in New York Zoo Have a lovely weekend, everybody.

Sep 25, 2020

In this venomously 119th episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast Ava, Quinns and Tom gather around the podfire to burn every game they own in a ritual that can be traced hundreds of years into the past. It’s to keep it at bay. This week we politely disagree about Village Green (01:51), tut about Glasgow (10:43), and aggressively grumble about Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Crypt Hunters (23:05). Then, the gloves come fully off for an all out argie-bargie over a load of Kniz’ - Through the Desert and Blue Lagoon (31:20)! Tigris & Euphrates and Yellow and Yangtze (48:42)! They’re all here, and they’re all loudly shouting each other and I want to go home now please, Quinns did a swear.

Sep 11, 2020

Hark! Tom, Matt and Quinns have eaten the sacred pod-beans and soon opinions will grow from their open mouths. Please remain calm, the procedure is perfectly natural. Specifically, these potent, home-grown opinions will relate to the board games of Renature (01:41), Pictures (17:33), The Search for Planet X (34:12) and Eclipse: Second Dawn for the Galaxy (49:50). There's also some organic chat about Ride the Rails, Paranormal Detectives and Decrypto .

Aug 28, 2020

In this preposterously 117th episode of the Shut Up and Sit Down podcast Quinns, Ava and Tom are going absolutely LIVE to the UK Games Expo, threatening to snarf endless pizza in Fort , crunch the numbers in 18Chesapeake , and do ‘Good Japanese Business’ in Yokohama . Then, in a secret less-than-live twist, they’ll yoko-yammer-on-about 5D Chess With Multiverse Time Travel for far too long. Apologies for some occasionally crunchy audio at times on this one, and have a great weekend, everybody!

Aug 14, 2020

Three sentient puddles have gathered to sit in rooms made of hot to talk about board games made of card. That’s right, it’s become quite warm all of a sudden and the company has been liquidated to cope, but not in that way, in the other way. Look at what you made us do. In this hideously 116th episode of the Shut Up and Sit Down podcast, Matt, Ava and Tom return to Undaunted: North Africa , Struggle Imperially with Imperial Struggle , and wait patiently for the moon to hit their collective eyes like the big pizza pie that is Sonora (?!?), before finally having a rambly chat about Far Away . Have a great weekend, everybody!

Jul 31, 2020

Picture it now; you’re sitting in a lovely english garden in the midst of summertime. You’ve got a delicious cup of iced Bovril in your hand, and the sun is warming the grass under your feet. Life is bliss. Suddenly, a tall sweaty man and a short sweaty boy leap the fence - cracking open warm cans in mid-air - fistfuls of board game bits clutched in their four greasy hands. It’s time to podcast, baby. In this undeniably very 115th episode of the Shut Up and Sit Down podcast, Tom and Quinns resume the age-old tradition of shirtless podcasting - kicking off with a chat about The Deadlies , before pinging over to Super Skill Pinball: 4Cade . Then, Quinns gets wistful about his foray into Fields of Arle , and we end on a highly controversial chat about Undaunted: North Africa . Strap in. Have a great weekend, everybody!

Jul 17, 2020

It's a full house, baby! In this episode of the podcast Ava and Quinns discuss FIVE games, each and every one of which they are IMPRESSED BY. Has that ever happened on the podcast before? We're not going back to check. That could take *minutes*. Quinns can offer some early impressions of Pandemic Legacy: Season 0 (04:15), Ava's been dueling a stranger in Innovation (19:36) (and you can read Ava's splendid roundup of Chudyk's games here ), there's a lovely drawing game called Geometric Art (34:12), a revisit of Spirit Island (41:12) and we close the show with some impressions of the hot new card game Spicy (57:35).

Jul 3, 2020

In this positively 113th episode of the Shut Up and Sit Down podcast, Tom and Quinns have a totally normal conversation between two dudes in their houses with NEARLY all of their clothes on their respective bodies. Contained therein are discussions of everything from Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion to Team3 , as well as a double-bill of SPOOKY MONSTER GAMES in Hako Onna and Anomal y. We also take a little amble through solo-RPG land, returning to the wonderful (horrible) world of Thousand Year Old Vampire , and a discussion about Artefact - a game where you can finally be what you’ve always dreamed; a clarinet. This one was a pleasure to record - forgive the rather long running time on this one, we were just having too much fun. Have a great weekend, everybody!

Jun 19, 2020

On this week’s episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down podcast, Matt, Tom & Ava sit around in a board game soup, rambling about a series of games that we’ve been playing in the darkest reaches of lockdown - and even go so far as to talk about some digital card games! The horror. Join us for a bumbling episode where we talk about everything from the raucous Forgotten Waters to the pensive and tense The Crew , as well as a quick chat about Gloomhaven and its upcoming mini-adventure Jaws of The Lion . We’ll also be talking about all the recent games we’ve been streaming - such as the delectable 1s and 0s of Slay The Spire, and the existential dread of Mothership . Last, but not least, we'll be giving some positively DANGEROUS thoughts about Wingspan , a game that everyone can agree is QUITE NICE. Have a great weekend, everybody!

Jun 5, 2020

Are current events getting you down? Ha ha. That's our little joke. Of course they are. But in this episode of the podcast, Ava and Quinns are here to remind you through the magic of tabletop, things can always be worse! There's the threat of adorable animals drowning in Isle of Cats (02:43), a world-devouring demon invasion in Planet Apocalypse (12:53), the startling cruelty of medieval Italy in Antiquity (24:17), as well as the bum-punishingly long Western Empires (46:01).

May 22, 2020

Quinns, Tom and Ava voyage boldly into the great boardgame unknown, this time without Matt’s assistance on the technology side of things! The result? A podcast that’s deeply flawed. Am I going to triple-check the edit to make sure the audio isn’t slipping and sliding around, crashing into itself like an ouroboros of waveforms? I’m sure you’ll be able to guess the answer to that question by just listening to it. This week, we get covered in eldritch goop while talking about Cthulhu: Death May Die, barraged by dice AND pirates in Madeira, turned into candles with a Thousand Year-Old Vampire, and utterly BAFFLED by the interlocking systems in The Defence of Procyon III! We’ll also be talking a little about the games we’ve looked at recently, and discussing that stream. Have a great weekend, everybody!

May 8, 2020

You, at the back! Was it you that ordered a chat sandwich? Was it with ramble bread and discussion filling - extra… stream schedule? Look. I spent ages trying to make a joke about this podcast being ‘like a sandwich’ - with the strong base of classic Eurogames ( Terra Mystica and Hansa Teutonica ) wedged between the spicy hot filling of Root Underworld and Frosthaven. But there you see my problem; the filling is on the outside and the bread on the inside and that just ‘AINT a sandwich, chief. And then where does Mr Cabbagehead’s Garden fit in? The pieces are all there, but my brain won’t make them fit - the sandwich metaphor falls apart like a… like a… wet… sandwich. Dang it, just listen to the podcast. This week’s episode is extra chunky and was a lot of fun to edit! I Hope YOU (yes, you!) enjoy, and have a great weekend!

Apr 24, 2020

Look, I’m really sorry that I sat on the podcast intro music but what am I supposed to do, check every seat for audio files before I sit down? I know it’s a bit crushed and quiet, but if we give it enough love and care then it’ll spring back soon enough, I’m sure - and I can always do my own version of the music for the time being… Oh the podcast is meant to be out… today? I’ll see what I can do… This podcast may contain traces of trains - perhaps more than a trace, even, as Matt and Quinns discuss both Russian Railroads and 1889: History of Shikoku Railways in the space of just one hour. I know, it’s all getting a bit exciting. Squashed between those discussions like a fun filling in a games sandwich, Tom yammers on about Calico, Pax Pamir 2e and Watergate; games that somehow all contain the same levels of tension and despair in spite of their wildly differing themes. Have a great weekend, everybody!

Apr 10, 2020

‘Ello ‘ello ‘ello, wot’s going on ‘ere then? Looks and sounds like there are three english men crammed inside one english cupboard talking about a series of “board games” from who knows where. That’s a recipe for disease-based disaster right there. City of the Big Shoulders ? You’re certainly crammed shoulder-to-shoulder in here, though one of you is a bit smaller than the others. I’ve heard it’s as good an economic euro as any, though I, for one, prefer my commodity speculation games a little less beige. Last Bastion ? I’ve heard that one’s a pretty dandy co-operative game, but personally I felt the fantasy redesign was a little lacking. Wait, I swear on me nan’s ghost that I saw more games in here when I first burst in. Are you hiding ‘em? What’s that on there? Is that a game on your mobile device, Mr Lees? Is it Vlaada Chvatil’s classic tableau-builder, Through The Ages ? You of all people should know those is contraband, as they remind people of ‘the time before’, when they could play games with their friends around their tables spreading all their germs. Not any more. You’re going to prison, but seen as we can’t go outside, I’m locking you in your own dishwasher. It’s for the best.

Mar 27, 2020

Welcome to the loosiest, goosiest episode of the Shut Up and Sit Down podcast yet, where three adults try to have a conversation via the internet without talking over each other all of the time. Experience the mixed results contained therein! Marvel at how 5 games are spread thinly over an hour of your life, like existential marmalade made of cardboard and opinions. What games, specifically - I hear you roar? I was getting there, no need to get impatient. This week we’re bobbing around on an ocean of average in Flotilla, drinking some questionably garnered tea in Alubari: A Nice Cup Of Tea , and pelting druids with rocks in Cairn . Sandwiched amidst these activities one can find a brief segue through the eccentric Tokyo Game Show, and a brief visit to the ancient tabletop colossus that is The Castles of Burgundy . Also in this podcast: meandering chats about how the team is faring under quarantine, and a few brief teases of potential bread-based content.

Mar 13, 2020

DISCLAIMER : The thumbnail for this podcast contains more business than is actually contained in this podcast. Instead, on this short, sleepy episode, a tired old Matt and a sickly young Tom have a meandering chat about just four games. ‘That’s not enough games for my Friday night podcast-listening session!’ I hear you cry, panicked and approaching a point of crisis. Fear not, listener, as this winding little journey will take you through the staggering quite goods of Stockpile , the crushing it's fines of Big City and Orleans Stories, before a twist ending where they were all Nemesis all along. Not only that, but there are tiny little trails along the way - a tease of City of the Big Shoulders, for sir? Maybe a trickle of Little Town? It’s all here and it’s all in audio form in this very 105th Shut Up and Sit Down Podcast.

Feb 28, 2020

Welcome, diners! Take your seats for the very 104th Shut Up & Sit Down podcast. Enjoy a salty fish supper alongside Oceans , a haggis and a whisky with Glen More II: Chronicles , or a rubbery old hot-dog with Rallyman GT. All options are served with opinions from our cardboard sommelier Matt Lees, and a side of steaming hot takes from our acrylic potwash, Tom Brewster. Speaking of sides, this week’s podcast features a smorgasbord of canapes, vol au vents and other esoteric snacklets in our detour through Tom’s exclusive, invite-only Party Game Zone™. You can find us in the cordoned off area, chatting about a series of games that you could bring to a party, and smattering of games that you should bring to a party. No +1s are permitted, and BYOB(oardgames). We also have a post-dinner keynote speech about recent videos on the site - including the palpably divisive review of Bunny Kingdom . Quinns and Tom aren’t on speaking terms after that one, on account of the attempted murder. Have a lovely weekend all!

Feb 16, 2020

Look out! Podcast #103 is charging towards your fragile human body like the untameable beast of content that it is. Be shocked, as we wrangle with Clinic! Gasp in horror as we consume Irish Gauge… whole! Listen as we swirl the sequel to Welcome To... around in our mouths, and last but not least: be kind of bummed out as we talk about why Maracaibo is... a bit bad? Oh! And of course we'd also got some chat about Era, which is not bad at all but VERY PLASTIC. Since recording they've announced an expansion , but we're not sure that affects our feelings much at this stage. Time will tell! This episode also features fleeting special guest appearances from Clipcut Parks, Food Chain Magnate ’s latest expansion; The Ketchup Mechanism, and two games with ‘letter’s in their name. Technically all the games have letters in their name, but these ones literally have letters in their name. You’ll see what we mean. We also talk a little about recent video reviews! Well, one video review, because Quinns got so excited about the prospect of playing Azul: Summer Pavilion , that he forgot to talk about his review. It tends to have that effect on people.

Jan 31, 2020

Back once again like a renegade podcast, the Shut Up & Sit Down podcast is back in action and ready to wrestle with your ears and your brain . Let’s not bury the lede - we’ve got a formal introduction to make this week, with the official addition of Mr Tom Brewster to the team. He’s lovely, and you’ll be hearing and seeing a bunch more of him in the months to come. In this episode of the podcast we dive back into Suburbia, explore The King’s Dilemma, and dabble with Abomination and Finger Guns at High Noon as well as plenty of others. We also have a rather lovely reading of Tactics and Tactility by Ava Foxfort as a break from all of this ghastly pod-wrestling. Due to exciting new technological discoveries, you can now expect a new episode to drop on Friday every other week! Thanks to the patience of those who love the podcast and have missed it over the last few months, you’re the best.

Jan 17, 2020

Ringing in the new year with a podcast recorded *checks notes* ... last year, Matt and Quinns are coming right at you from PAX Unplugged, with a plethora of exciting games to chat about. If you'd rather watch this episode and pretend you were there, we've got you covered with a lovely " YouTube Video ". It'll never catch on. If you've been missing the podcast over the last few months, don't be alarmed - we'll be back in regular action very soon. Thanks all!

Oct 16, 2019

Congratulations all, you’ve made it! It’s the very 100th Shut Up and Sit Down podcast! Gosh, the podcast hill is so high up here that I’m pretty sure I can see episode 43, fumbling around in that bush with a sandwich. Matt and Quinns are briefly joined by Pip for an sleep-deprived natter about some interesting games. Obscurio (16:14) sounds like Wizard- Dixit with traitors, and incredibly summoned a cheer from the crowd simply for use of the word “acetate”. Tumblin’ Dice (21:05) got a little love, but probably deserves more than anyone can give it, before Matt then went on to talk about playing the award-winning RPG Mothership (24:50) - a sci-fi horror system that conveys the relatable experience of waking up after a very long time and immediately being attacked by stress. We were thrilled to find that many of those who’d managed to check it out at SHUX finally understood the hype from our review of Blood on the Clocktower (35:13) - a beautiful beast that is more than the sum of its frankly dastardly parts. Delving into Vast: the Mysterious Manor (39:58) - an asymmetrical game in which you can literally play as the mysterious manor - left us with mixed feelings about pacing but strong feelings towards skeletons, before we finally talked about food and/or animals with Yum Yum Island (45:36) and Nickelodeon Splat Attack! (50:06). Apologies for the quality of the audio in this episode - we had some issues with the room that we weren’t able to resolve. If you’d like to listen to this episode with “moving pictures”, you can also watch it here, on Youtube! 100 episodes is truly "big potatoes" - thank you so much for listening!

Sep 25, 2019

In what is still definitely *not* our 100th episode, Quinns and intern Ben are grappling with some truly epic boxes. As is the SU&SD motto, "We grap so you don't have to." For starters, these two summon the energy to discuss their 12 hour(!) game of Western Empires (02:32). Then there's chat about the byzantine challenges of hit Kickstarter games Cloudspire (18:05) and Skulk Hollow (29:38). Quinns reveals he can't pronounce cacao in a segment on sprawling eurogame Teotihuacan: City of Gods (37:05), before the two round things off with some lighter games, namely Yokai (43:06), Detective Club (46:57), and Combo Fighter (53:06).

Sep 4, 2019

In this episode, Matt, Quinns and Ben report live from a secret hideout. Matt's been breaking the rules of Gloomhaven (discussed at 26:54) while Quinns has been ignoring the laws of new, superb expansion Bunny Kingdom: In the Sky (50:12), and the cops could bust them at any moment. The group also discuss the bizarre Undo games (02:56), the video game-inspired Super Motherload (10:05), the delightfully three-dimensional ShipShape (20:42), the wild grasping of Lords of Hellas (36:20) and the disappointment of Cerberus (48:02).

Aug 15, 2019

Matt, Quinns and Ben are circling podcast #100 like talkative nerds circling a numerical drain. Quickly! Before they slip away, why not listen to them talk about the games? On this podcast there's chat about party game We're Doomed! (02:23), classic card game For Sale (10:00), 2010 smash hit Alien Frontiers (15:40), the enigmatic Wooly Wars (23:26), hot new box Air, Land & Sea (30:03) and Kickstarter behemoth Cerebria: The Inside World (40:11). There's also a lovely reader mail this week asking which games have the best Endgame Energy Also, if you're a geologist who would like to contribute to our discussion of sand, please do leave a comment. We're clearly idiots, and we need all the facts that we can get.

Jul 17, 2019

Having just arrived back from Belgium's fantastic Zomerspel tabletop convention, Matt and Quinns were inspired by Belgian chips to create this episode of our award-winning podcast. It's long, crunchy, filling and if you eat nothing except this podcast then you will probably die? Games discussed in this episode include the fascinating Taverns of Tiefan Thal (01:51), the taut little Feld game Carpe Diem (13:48), the simple-yet-delightful Luxor (26:47), the gross-yet-charming Silk (33:13) and the simply superb Rail Pass (49:37). Matt and Quinns also discuss some of the video reviews they've been working on, including Pipeline (1:00:58) and Too Many Bones (1:06:54). Enjoy, everybody!

Jun 19, 2019

Fans of our award-winning board game podcast should know that the pod-apult is armed and ready. Contained in today's payload are impressions of the party game Stay Cool (02:45), the excellent Power Rangers: Heroes of the Grid (09:01), the frighteningly intense Letter Jam (21:42), the adorable Welcome to Dino World (29:22), the heavy roll'n'write Rome and Roll (38:19) and the world's first "boxed megagame", Vampire: The Masquerade – Blood Feud (43:28). Finally, following on from team SU&SD having recently discovered the joy of using pencils to write on paper, we've just now learned about BOOKS! Specifically, the book Top 10 Games You Can Play In Your Head, By Yourself (49:35). Enjoy, everybody.

May 29, 2019

Just who are druids? What are they doing? And is it safe to "dip" with them? We can't be sure, but we can tell you that the following games are discussed in this podcast: tableau-builder Res Arcana (02:38), cuboid contest Dice Throne (11:50), hidden role game Insider (20:10), cult hit Three Kingdoms Redux (26:56), new expansion Isle of Skye: Druids (37:21) and the staggering in scale Batman: Gotham City Chronicles (42:47). At last, we close out the podcast with a tempting question from our mailbag (55:54). If we could force board game fans the world over play one thing, what would we choose?

May 15, 2019

In this special episode of our award-winning podcast, Matt and Quinns talk about their trip to Danish board game convention Fastaval . Games discussed include the superb Hansa Teutonica (02:56), the as-yet unannounced Deep Blue (12:02), the also-unannounced Auto (15:50), Flamme Rouge’s unnamed campaign expansion (24:05), That’s Not Lemonade (35:43) and Mid-Life Crisis (45:23). Finally, we close with a discussion of Fastaval itself, and what makes it so magical (59:18). Is it the terrifying, viking-like cleaning crew? Is it the black tie award ceremony? Is it the unparalleled gender equality, or the world-class roleplaying games? It's all of these things, and more. Huge thanks to the organisers for choosing us as this year's guests of honour.

Apr 24, 2019

Recently, Quinns was tasked with hosting a 7 player game night, and rose to the challenge with Herculean vigour. In this episode, Matt, Quinns and intern Kylie discuss his breathtaking efforts. That means talking about Watson & Holmes (03:00), Escape from the Aliens in Outer Space (12:14), and a little card game called Bourré (19:55). Incidentally, Bourré is probably the only time that SU&SD will ever crossover with the NBA. Afterwards, the group slims down for a chat about some 3 player games, namely Gùgōng (27:34) and Chinatown (38:30). Finally, the team answers a quick reader mail asking what table is best for board gaming. Big or small? Square or circle? That's right! We are beyond parody.

Apr 10, 2019

The 93rd ever episode of the SU&SD podcast begins with Matt and Quinns discussing Klaus Wunderlich , before then talking about people talking about us talking about Blood on the Clocktower (02:05). With a bit of luck, this should clear up some misgivings surrounding our glowing review . There's then chat about the hot new roll'n'write Corinth (10:08), the superlative expansion A Feast for Odin: The Norwegians (18:36), an additional superb expansion, Space Base: The Emergence of Shy Pluto (27:32), the oh-so-nearly-a-SU&SD-video-review Monolith Arena (32:42) and the fantastically inventive game Alone (43:52). Finally, the mailbag returns! We chat about which games offer the best emotional rollercoaster of feeling very clever, and then very dumb (01:05:27).

Mar 20, 2019

All aboard! In this very special tram-isode, your favourite board game podcast is going on a journey. This chat makes stops at the enormous new Race for the Galaxy spinoff New Frontiers , both expansions for Kemet , namely Ta-Seti and Seth , and The Quest for El Dorado , before terminating at the bizarre game of Tramways . After that, Matt had to dash off to hospital for an "adrenaline test". We're not sure what that is, but we're pretty sure it involves him putting on electrodes and then doing a kickflip. Good luck, Matt!

Mar 6, 2019

It's a podcast! You know the drill, everybody. Recover your audio tubing from the protective sheaths and retreat to your listening hutch. In this episode Matt and Quinns share their experiences with Wingspan (you'll find the NPI review here ), Chronicles of Crime (our SHUX Preview here ), Franchise and Woodlouse Chaos , before strapping on their tuxedos for the annual Pearple's Choice Awards, which we last celebrated back on podcast #73 . Who will win Best Game? Best Production? Best Designer? And will SU&SD's audience finally decide that mum and dad... are bad and wrong? Enjoy the show, everybody, and thanks again to clg6000 for putting these awards together.

Jan 23, 2019

Oof! Matt and Quinns have thundered unsteadily into 2019 with a podcast overloaded with games. There's Blackout: Hong Kong (again), Just One (a party game), Sumer (which isn't a board game), Quacks of Quedlinburg (which is a board game), Schummel Hummel (or "Cheating Bee"), The Thing: Infection at Outpost 31 (a game of the film), Pipeline (which doesn't have that many pipes actually) and Gen 7: A Crossroads Game (our first disappointment of the year). After that, we're sad to report that the structural integrity of the podcast collapsed, killing everyone inside. Extra special thanks to musician and super cool guy Mr. Steve Davit for hooking us up with those sexy new musical stings, and helping us to make our 2019 that much brassier.

Dec 5, 2018

Matt and Quinns are joined in this episode by Microsoft Powerpoint(!) to discuss their experiences with a selection of hot new board games. They're talking about the trashed monks of Heaven & Ale , the unattainable carrots of Reykholt , the questionable fishing practices of Captains of the Gulf , the bad nouns of Trapwords and the passive-aggressive parapets of Between Two Castles of Mad King Ludwig . In a rare mailbag double-bagger, the pair then field two questions, one about the phrase "The Teach", the other about theoretical business ventures for SU&SD. Quinns wants to open a new telephone hotline and Matt wants funding for... erm... well, it's not exactly clear. This podcast is also available as a video , which includes the 20 minute Q&A with the audience at the end.

Nov 7, 2018

My goodness. We always say this, but... have we ever had so many luminary board games on one podcast? In this episode, Matt and Quinns discuss the twin games of Cockroach Salad and Cockroach Soup , a discovery so exciting that Quinns has since hunted down all of Drei Magier's " Ugly Animals " games. The pair then move on to chatting about the wicked worldbuilding of Neon Gods , the dexterity magic of Men at Work , the small-form joy of Targi , the BEHEMOTH box that is Lisboa , and finally their game of the podcast, Blackout: Hong Kong . We also answer a particularly tricksy question from our mailbag. If Chess had never been invented, how do we think it would be received today? Enjoy, everybody!

Oct 18, 2018

Matt, Quinns, Paul and Pip gather beneath a stormy sky to discuss games of WIT and CHANCE. Dare you ENTER their CEREBRAL LABYRINTH? The challenges ahead include Shadows: Amsterdam , The Shipwreck Arcana , Cryptid (a bit), Kung Fu Zoo , Illusion , Wavelength (coming to Kickstarter soon), High Tea Assassin from The Edible Games Cookbook , and finally, their game of the show, Blood on the Clocktower . What awaits you at the centre of their fortress of the mind? That would be telling... but suffice to say, Matt is in possession of a package that he's wanted to give away for quite some time. This podcast is also available as a video!

Sep 26, 2018

You dice are bleeding, you say? Not to worry! It's nothing a podcast won't fix. Matt and Quinns kick this one off with a big, hairy discussion of Ultimate Werewolf Legacy , which segues into a discussion of legacy games in general. The expected "era of legacy games" is failing to materialise, and they offer some theories as to why. Next up they chat about the smooth operations of V-Commandos , which is about to be re-implemented as an official Assassin's Creed board game . After that they discuss their time spent nursing cubes back to health in the disturbing (and entertaining!) facilities of Dice Hospital , which was a fun surprise for them both. Finally, they consider the carefully orchestrated fish feasts of Uwe Rosenberg's Nusfjord . Oh, your dice are still bleeding? Oh dear. Well, try to not get it on the carpet. That's our advice.

Sep 5, 2018

Come on up! Make yourself at home in our twiggy podcast nest, where Paul and Quinns are ready to regurgitate some warmed-up board game knowledge into your waiting beak. This episode features the quietly fabulous tile-laying of Gunkimono . There's Taj Mahal , the fourth in a fantastic series of beautiful Reiner Knizia remakes. We've had a first play of Trade on the Tigris , a new negotiation game from the designer of Space Cadets . Quinns talks about how GKR: Heavy Hitters is almost his favourite game of all time, if it could just be combined somehow with Critical Mass (see podcast #84 ). Also, like the rest of the internet, we've begun playing Root and can't seem to stop. Finally, the pair chat about a reader mail asking when, and where, we'd consider playing board games for money.

Aug 17, 2018

Can you hear a distant rumble of people applauding, firing party poppers and doing synchronised donuts in their cars? Don't panic! Nothing could be more natural when our post-Gen Con podcast rolls around. It's possible that there's never been such a diverse and exciting array of games tucked into a single SU&SD podcast. Today, Paul and Quinns exchange first impressions of Keyforge: Call of the Archons , Fantasy Flight's new collaboration with Richard Garfield where every deck ever printed will be unique to you. Up next is Gen 7 , the dramatic and curious sequel to Dead of Winter that takes place aboard a generation ship. Then there's Nyctophobia , a game where all but one player is blindfolded and being hunted by a murderer. Critical Mass , which might be the best game of mecha-on-mecha violence ever made? Railroad Ink , which is the first roll-and-write game we've found that could steal the throne from Welcome To . And the pair close by talking about The Estates , which is both the meanest and most devious game of auctions that Quinns has ever experienced. Among those six games are no less than four contenders for the prestigious SU&SD Recommends badge. You heard it here first- the rest of 2018 is going to be absolutely fabulous.

Aug 9, 2018

Pop on your monocle and climb into your biggest chair, because this is a podcast where we are most definitely the bad guys. First off, Matt and Quinns discuss the be-hyped box of Detective: A Modern Crime Board Game with the help of some royalty-free music. Next, the pair shatter a few dreams with their description of Disney's Villainous board game. There's then a quick discussion of Cryptozoic's Wallet , in which a mob boss has the wallet of a... 9-year-old boy? Finally, the group plumb the depths of Google in a few rounds of Weird Things Humans Search For . Enjoy, everybody! And look forward to podcast #84, because it's gonna be a stormer.

Jul 25, 2018

Everybody, pick up your pencils! No, you're not having another stress dream about being back at school. We've just finally found a roll-n-write game that we absolutely love. It's called Welcome To , and podcast #82 starts with an explanation of what it is, and why you should get excited for the release date in September. And that's just the beginning of this... peculiarly positive cast. Paul and Quinns soon move on to the happy kitchens of Wok Star (3rd edition) , there's talk of the fun they had in Fungi , and of the surprisingly strong Champions of Midgard . There's also some disappointment about Village Attacks , but it wouldn't be a SU&SD podcast without some vigorous complaining, would it? Finally, the pair end with a particularly sticky reader mail. Has their taste in games changed with time? And if so, how?

Jul 6, 2018

Hot damn! We've got some smokin' exclusives for you today. In this podcast we chat about our playtest of Reef , the next game in the series that brought us Azul . We gossip about Newspeak , a great-looking code-cracking game that will be arriving on Kickstarter imminently. We offer our thoughts on the fabulous labour of love Museum , which has yet to make its way to Kickstarter backers. Matt lays out his controversial verdict on Fantasy Flight's Fallout board game! As temperatures continue to rise, the boys discuss their secret pastry playtest from Jenn Sandercock's Edible Games Cookbook , and talk about what to do when busy board game conventions become too hot to handle. Finally, we approach a fiery finale where... oh dear. It seems the temperature of this podcast is reaching dangerous levels. Please, whatever you do, don't click play! Podcast burns are NO JOKE

Jun 20, 2018

Oho, this episode of the award-winning Shut Up & Sit Down podcast has more scoops than sweet shop, and is just as sweet. We found out that learning geography CAN be fun in the tense game of Destination X . We learned that Lowlands is the best Uwe Rosenberg game since A Feast for Odin, and it isn't even designed by Uwe Rosenberg. We learned that the amazing-looking Starship Samurai is, perhaps, not as good as we were hoping. And we learned that Quantified - an upcoming game you've definitely never heard of - is a thought-provoking co-op game about surveillance and big data. We also found out that the vikings that hang around outside the UK Games Expo are not to be trifled with, as Matt narrowly escapes being skewered by an actual spear. Finally, we implemented the OMEGA PROTOCOL: A quick-fire round of questions that were tweeted to us by the audience, right then and there. Huge thanks to everybody who came down and contributed to the veritable cyclone of questions that followed.

Jun 8, 2018

Excuse me, are you ready to report for jury duty? In this episode of our award-winning podcast, Matt, Quinns and Paul discuss the hellish lumber management of Lignum , the lumbering hell-management of Huns , they have a troubling conversation about Holding on: The Troubled Life of Billy Kerr and have a good laugh about Band Manager: The Boardgame . After that? This show throws open the doors of the SU&SD law courts. Matt claims that Quinns threw away his copy of Pandemic Legacy Season 2, and is requesting that he pays £65 in damages. Quinns would prefer not to pay the fee and has invited a real-life lawyer, his friend Clark Burscough, onto the podcast. Will he be proven guilty, innocent, or somewhere in between? This podcast is also available as a video .

May 30, 2018

Rain falling on cracked windowpanes. Once-boisterous assembly rooms, now silent. Mr. Paul stalks the halls of his once-proud lamp factory, his mind a warren of regret. How did my business venture go so wrong? Excitingly, this week on the Shut Up & Sit Down podcast Paul and Quinns discuss their experience of running 19th century factories in the ENORMOUS game of Arkwright . Also, there's chat about why Quinns didn't get along with the beautiful new edition of card game High Society , the pair once again discuss the superb NMBR 9 , and Quinns talks about being a brave weather fairy in the game of Broom Service . Finally, the pair take their shoes off and paddle around the mailbag to answer not one, not two, but three little questions! Don't come in, the water's cold and full of jigsaw puzzles and binding agreements.

May 4, 2018

HONK! After a long journey, the latest Shut Up & Sit Down podcast is now docking with your ears. The pinnacle of opinion-container technology, it's 400 metres long bow to stern (but you shouldn't feel a thing since it's largely metaphorical). The thing is, the boys have finally played Container , a ridiculous economic game that'll be enjoying a similarly ridiculous new "Jumbo" edition in July. This podcast also contains chat about Decrypto (see Paul's recent review ) and Medici , each of which deliver big experiences in small containers. Finally, we spend a whopping 25 minutes discussing two games: Brass: Lancashire , which is the new edition of classic game Brass, and Brass: Birmingham , the hot new "sequel". We've now played both of these much-anticipated games, and you know what? Going against Quinns' Brass video review , Shut Up & Sit Down can finally recommend Brass. But you'll have to listen to find out why... Enjoy, everybody!

Apr 25, 2018

It's been a while since the last podcast, but we've not been idle! Like a board game version of Nintendo's Kirby, over the last month the team has been sucking in experiences and now we're going to expel them at you in a 90 minute special episode. Boomf! In order of appearance, Matt, Quinns and Paul discuss The Mind , Cardline: Animals , Bye-Bye Black Sheep , Kemet: Set (which is so new it doesn't even have a Board Game Geek page!), Treasure Island , Fireball Island (which has just 8 days left on that Kickstarter) and Bunny Kingdom . That might be more games than we've ever had on a podcast before, and you know what else? They're ALL GOOD. Finally, we soothe our aching jaws with a gentle chat about what makes kingmaking (one player causing another player to win) enjoyable in a game, and what makes it frustrating. Lovely stuff.

Mar 28, 2018

This week, Matt, Paul and Quinns reunited in a hotel! We didn't record them all crying with joy for five minutes straight, but we did record them sitting down afterwards to discuss some board games. First off, the team discuss stress-testing some of their favourite games from the last year at the 2018 Game Developer's Convention in San Francisco. Did Ethnos , Fog of Love , Azul or Barenpark buckle under pressure? But wait, there's are new games too! Matt has thoughts on the as-yet unpublished Puzzlegami , Leigh joins the team to describe the as-yet unfinished Four Empires, and Paul provides some thoughts on Star Wars: Legion and Age of Steam . Enjoy, everybody!

Mar 9, 2018

Everybody, please remain in your seats with your seatbelts securely fastened. We're expecting some turbulence. Some turbulent discussions of board games, that is! In this one and only 74th episode of the SU&SD podcast, Matt and Quinns discuss their weird wooden mates in the Journeyman expansion for Isle of Skye . They chat about stabbing nightmares with pencils in Stuffed Fables , which might be best described as "Toy Story directed by Tim Burton". There's a discussion of the grand game of War of the Ring (second edition) , and the real-life backache it gave Quinns. Finally, the two offer their smokin' hot first impressions of Rising Sun , a beautiful game about Japan (but not) where you fight wars (but you don't) and negotiate alliances (but not really). Enjoy, everybody!

Feb 23, 2018

Who's this, arriving fashionably late in a limousine? Why, it's only a new podcast discussing the winners of the 2017 Pearple's Choice Awards ! Quickly, cinch up your black tie or crawl into the nearest dress before joining us on a discussion of the best games of last year. There's reflection on Gloomhaven , Sagrada , Inis , Captain Sonar , Fog of Love , Azul , Consulting Detective , Twilight Imperium 4th edition and so, so much more. You also get to hear the team collapse in on themselves like a dying star when exposed to the madness of the Best Expansion category. Just what is an expansion for?! Huge thanks to forum user clg9000 for organising such a fun event.

Feb 9, 2018

IS THIS THE END FOR OUR HEROES?! Matt, Paul and Quinns were last seen launching an expedition to get to the top of the Shut Up & Sit Down review stack. They talked about wanting to scale games like Mountaineers , A Tale of Pirates , The Climbers , the second edition of London and the Munchkin Collectible Card Game (which actually sounded... quite good?). They were also talking about getting to the bottom of a thought-provoking reader mail. It's rumoured that it questioned whether pirating board games became an ethical grey area in some countries. Today we found this recording. It's the only evidence we could find that they're still alive. Come home safe, boys.

Jan 17, 2018

Matt and Paul regroup for a post-festive ramble through the wilderness of sentient cardboard. Paul shares some thoughts on Legacy of Dragonholt and Celestia - which Matt is comedically unable to recall too clearly. Meanwhile, Matt has been toying with the free co-op app for Imperial Assault - and compares his experiences with this to the recently-reviewed Gloomhaven , for your pleasure / horror. We then talk a little about the shocking phenomenon of fake board games, as covered by Paul in this week's news , and finally cap off the first pod of the year by addressing the hard-hitting issue of S.N.A.C.K.S. Basically, Paul is mildly interrogated about cookies. Who - in truth - is the real cookie monster? Only the cold hands of time will decide. Thanks for listening!

Dec 21, 2017

Who's feeling cosy? In this final, festive podcast of 2017 Matt and Quinns tuck themselves beneath the Christmas tree before cutting it down for victory points. That was an oblique reference to the first game the pair discuss, the noble Photosynthesis . The boys then get far too excited about cubes and the possibilities thereof in the absurd game Sidereal Confluence: Trading and Negotiation in the Elysian Quadrant . They then discuss Warhammer Underworlds: Shadespire , the new Games Workshop board game showcasing beefy people hitting one another with hammers. Finally, we read out a heartwarming love letter to the Play By Forum section of the SU&SD forum , and read out our last ever Folk Game of the Month, with a little discussion about depictions of mental health in fiction. Best wishes to everyone who has trouble at this time of year.

Dec 9, 2017

Oh my goodness! Apologies if anyone was looking for a board game, we seem to have them all here. In this 69th installment of the SU&SD podcast Paul chats about Charterstone and explains Ex Libris . Matt is fascinated by Fabled Fruit , Fast Forward: Fortress and Fast Forward: Flee . Quinns catalogues Clans of Caledonia and flaps his lips about the Flamme Rouge: Peloton expansion as well as the free Flamme Rouge app , which contains all-new game mechanics. Importantly, we also have our new podcast feed set up and working. If you're not seeing episodes 68 or 69 in your podcast feed then you're subscribed to the wrong feed . Search for "Shut Up & Sit Down" in your podcast player until you find this new, improved feed that has the latest episodes, and delete the old feed (which you can see here ). Thanks for listening, everybody!

Nov 21, 2017

Matt and Quinns took to the stage at PAX Unplugged for this Very Special Phillysode! The first segment, "Card games that made us feel bad", includes chat about Capital Lux, Hanamikoji and Plums. Then there's "Eurogames that are actually quite good", featuring Pie Town and Altiplano. Finally, the boys move onto their game of the show, and possibly the year: Jacob Jaskov's Fog of Love. Surprising no-one, Matt and Quinns' first simulated relationship had chemistry but was horrible for everyone involved. This podcast was followed by an extensive audience Q&A which can be found here in our video of the event. The boys were asked to recommend an out-of-print game, how they pick games during a game night, which video they most enjoyed putting together, whether Matt's hair is affected by the tides and more! The answers may surprise you .

Nov 10, 2017

Sixty six podcasts. Can you imagine such a thing? Try and picture sixty six podcasts lying jumbled-up in a big pile. You can't, can you? Well, today we've made things even stranger by releasing the 67th SU&SD podcast, a spoooOOOoooky Halloween special in which we forgot to do any Halloween-related content of any kind. Instead we talk about how Matt's been groovin' on Gloomhaven , Paul "actually really quite likes" Azul , Quinns did his Pandemic Legacy: Season 2 review and there's even talk of the blue beast that is Lisboa . Lovely stuff! (It all goes downhill towards the end, though, with Quinns trying to coin the word "handfeel" and begging Paul to review Sidereal Confluence instead of Charterstone . When will that boy get it together?)

Oct 27, 2017

Our 66th ever podcast has been removed, hot & crispy, from the aging oven of our minds! In this instalment Matt, Paul and Quinns try and unpick all of the games they played at SHUX 2017. That means chat about Shifty Eyed Spies , Bargain Quest , Hanamikoji , Edge of Darkness , Space Base , When I Dream and Quinns getting a bit aggressive about Meeple Circus ( again ) . We also preview the upcoming expansions for Inis and Lords of Vegas , which we had literally no idea were going to be playable at our own event. Finally, we can't resist closing the podcast with a tease of the gigantic reviews we're all working on right now. Quinns is playing Pandemic Legacy: Season 2, Matt's enjoying Gloomhaven, and Paul's about to crack open his copy of Charterstone. It's going to be a fun end to the year, everybody!

Sep 13, 2017

Drop everything! Our 65th ever podcast is live, Paul is talking about A Dog's Life and Quinns is on about something called Yummy Yummy Pancake . These are the releases you've been waiting for, right? ...No? Not to worry. We've also got Quinns' exclusive thoughts on the new Netrunner core set and Paul's advance review of Unearth , as well as chatter about Legend of the Five Rings , Donner Dinner Party and Cities of Splendor . Also, Quinns has finally played the game that Paul called Uwe Rosenberg's greatest work ever, A Feast for Odin . Will the pair agree, or will this be Caverna all over again? Enjoy, everybody!

Aug 16, 2017

Buckle up, everybody! The 64th ever Shut Up & Sit Down podcast is here, and it's something of a round the world special. It's Quinns and Paul in the driver's seat once again as they discuss their journey Between Two Cities with the new Capitals expansion . Paul's desperate to discuss the weird creatures he met during Train Heist . The pair examine the fast cars and small components of Pit Crew . Quinns abruptly remembers that he has the first expansion for Captain Sonar , and talks about that a bit. Finally, Paul recalls his time in parts unknown, playing World Championship Russian Roulette . But our automotive notions don't stop there! This week we have a particularly extravagant folk game played by the employees of a car rental business. What's going on behind that plain-looking desk? More than you could imagine. Enjoy, everybody.

Jul 14, 2017

You know what doesn't get enough kudos? Bags. Big ones, small ones, soft ones, leathery ones. Where would we be without bags? Walking home from the shops, clutching cucumbers to our chest with onions in our armpits, that's where. Our 63rd podcast is all about great games with some great bags. Paul's been building (and cursing at) stained glass windows in Sagrada , Quinns has been carelessly eroding his car in the amazing Automobiles (see our review of that one here ), and this time we remember to have the chat about Orleans that was meant to go the previous episode. Inspired by these three titles, Shut Up & Sit Down's campaign for More Bags In Games begins next week. Please send money now. Could you give two figs about bags? Are they "Not your bag"? Not a problem! Paul and Quinns also provide some early impressions of the ludicrously pretty Wasteland Express Delivery Service , and answer a reader mail about why long games lead to a special kind of exhaustion.

Jul 2, 2017

OH MY GOODNESS our 62nd podcast ever is here! This episode is all about older games, so why not join Paul, Matt and Quinns as they creep across the board game scene like a pack of daring botanists through primeval jungle, jealously cataloguing and scrutinising all that they find. Paul's been inspecting the darling buds of Bruges , a Stefan Feld classic that we're expecting a reprint of any day now. After that, Matt and Quinns continue their analysis of the bloomin' brilliant Tigris & Euphrates , chat about their time with the somewhat-toxic Zombicide: Black Plague and run through a field of Railways of the World . Returning home after this educational hike, the boys read an email about ghosts and answer another email asking why we haven't reviewed the excellent Game of Thrones: The Card Game (second edition) . Finally, we discuss a folk game sent in anonymously by an ambulance crew. What could possibly go wrong?

Jun 16, 2017

Who's hungry? The 61st ever SU&SD podcast is here, and it's an uncomplicated buffet of board games. Do you like it when we talk about board games? Then this is the podcast for you! You can start by letting Matt, Pip and Quinns whet your appetite with talk of the questionable New York Slice and the evocative chaos of Kitchen Rush, and afterwards they can spill the beans on the excellent Secrets , the spicy NMBR 9 , and the first expansion for Not Alone . For the cheese course, you can listen to them discuss the beauty of Lazer Ryderz and the silliness of Four Elements . But I hope you left room for dessert, because the gang also played the new game from Vlaada Chvátil. It's called That's a Question , and (dare we say it?) it's his most divisive game yet, and not always in a good way...

Jun 16, 2017

You told us the three games that you were most excited about at the UK Games Expo, and we listened. Now it's time for you to listen as Matt, Pip and Quinns discuss their early impressions of all three: The Godfather: Corleone's Empire , First Martians: Adventures on the Red Planet and Barenpark . But that's not all! Straining the very limits of what can be squeezed into 60 minutes of chat such that this podcast threatens to split open like an overstuffed sausage, you'll also find discussions of Catch the Moon and Costa Rica, as well as the world's first "actual play" of The Champion of the Wild . If you too would like to joust on the back of a kangaroo or nudge an otter up Mt. Everest, that game will be coming to Kickstarter later this year. Sorry about the imperfect audio quality on this one! By way of apology, we're uploading our 61st podcast in just a few hours. It's an audiostravaganza!

Jun 1, 2017

In this shellshocked edition of the SU&SD podcast, Matt, Paul and Quinns crawl out from their writing-trenches to discuss the mammoth feature we published this week: SU&SD Take On The BoardGameGeek Top 100 . As a postscript, they discuss the dozens of phenomenal games that are cruelly, criminally absent from BGG's fabled list. Are you disinterested in crimes against arbitrary inventories? Not to worry. Matt also chats about his tiny dice in Star Wars: Dice-Tiny , Paul discusses the impractical politics of Imperial 2030 , Quinns has finally rolled around in Roll for the Galaxy and, for some reason, there's also there's a discussion of Ghostbusters: The Board Game II and whether ghosts can move through other ghosts. Ugh. Do you have any thoughts on ghosts you'd like to share? Please, leave a comment and feed Paul's growing mania.

May 12, 2017

Here's a question for you. What contains Fields of Arle , Spoils of War , Conflict of Heroes and Lost Valley of the Dinosaurs ? That's right! The answer is "A fistfight over an archaeological dig site in Northern Germany." But another valid answer would be the 58th ever SU&SD podcast, wherein Paul and Quinns discuss all of these games. What's more, Quinns reveals the results of his months-long experiment using the BG Stats app . After all of that excitement the boys relax by dipping into the mailbag for a question on why board games seem to be getting more expensive, and close the podcast by talking about the noble art of marble racing . Enjoy, everybody! (Thanks to BGG User Steph Hodge for this podcast's header image!) Spoils of War , Fields of Arle , Conflict of Heroes , Conflict of Heroes: Guadalcanal , marbles

Apr 28, 2017

Quickly, man the battlements! The podcastle is under attack from deadly waves of silence. Secure the chat parapets, and brace the gates of opinion! In episode 57 of our award-winning podcast Quinns offers thoughts on I'm the Boss! , the first Sid Sackson game that this site has ever covered, while Paul takes a look at the new edition of Citadels , the first game to ever appear on SU&SD. Quinns has also played an advance copy of the much-hyped Century: Spice Road , while Paul rounds off this week's Fresco review by talking about that game's expansions. There's combat juggling in the folk game section and the boys chat about why Virgin Queen was Quinns' lowest point , but perhaps the biggest surprise comes during our mailbag segment. We've received a reader mail that's made us question our entire attitude towards not just box inlays, but board games in general. Listen in horror as one listener's expensive opinion spreads across the very fabric of SU&SD, like a spilled glass of wine. Century: Spice Road , century , I’m the Boss! , fresco , Citadels

Apr 14, 2017

The stakes have never been higher! In this, the one and only 56th episode of the SU&SD podcast, renowned street warriors Matt, Paul and Quinns take a break from their usual areas of discussion (inner-city brawls, knife fights, how to stare down a local tough from sixty yards) to chat about board games, of all things! Quinns has played new Days of Wonder beautypiece Yamatai , the group chat some more about the excellent Flamme Rouge , and inspired by Paul's Mythos Tales review there's a discussion on the future of mystery-solving games. We also answer the question on everyone's lips: Is Lego crap? Finally, we answer a reader mail about how to get the most out of a convention. Basically just make sure you have a friend to drag you out of the fight if you get knocked unconscious. In other words, we're going mad. How many more episodes of this can we possibly do? The answer: AS MANY AS IT TAKES. Yamatai , flamme rouge , Mythos Tales , Lego

Mar 23, 2017

You guys love podcasts! We literally know how to do them! With episode #55 of the SU&SD podcast we're committing to getting these bad babies out twice a month. If you like what you hear please do share it among your friends! So what's in this one? Ooh, only Quinns discussing the electrifying yet accessible escape rooms of Unlock! (which has a free demo available online ), the insanity of Magic Maze (which also has a free print-n-play version) and the challenging slumbers of When I Dream , while Paul outlines his pathetic enjoyment of Kingdomino and his struggling TV station in The Networks . We close with Quinns talking about Snakes & Ladders after discovering an astonishing article on its history, and finish with a Christian folk game that leaves the pair even more speechless than usual. Let's just say that teenagers should never be given power, but especially not iron age judicial power. Enjoy, everybody! Kingdomino , The Networks , Unlock! , Magic Maze , When I Dream

Mar 8, 2017

In this temporarily-educated instalment of the SU&SD podcast, Matt, Pip and Paul gathered at a hotel during the 2017 Game Developer's Conference. Their mission? To discuss the hot questions of the day. Should liches be banned? Are humans secretly terrible at games? Why can't I have my raven back? When is an asteroid frustrating? Should SU&SD be on Pinterest? And most importantly, why do the world's best board game designers think the future is great for players? We also reach into the mailbag to answer a question on trivia games, and discuss some deeply unprofessional games that are played by actors, on stage. Commenters, what do you think? Should trivia games continue their slow death, or should we be huffing and puffing into their lungs like someone who kind of remembers CPR (but not really)? Dungeons & Dragons (5th Edition) , Dungeons & Dragons , Trivial Pursuit , butt tag

Feb 18, 2017

Like the plot of every time-travel movie ever, Matt and Quinns have officially gone too far into the past and may never be the same again. In this unusually raunchy edition of the acclaimed SU&SD podcast the pair discuss/complain about some titans of the 80's and 90's- Space Hulk , Blood Bowl and Magic: The Gathering . Meanwhile, Paul offers much more sedate comments on Scythe and Santorini . Finally, the group discuss some folk games sent in by an anthropologist... which are played by monkeys. Join us for the critical analysis of Magic, but stick around for our description "Hair In Mouth Game". Have you played any games from your childhood recently? And were they rubbish? Scythe , Santorini , Magic: The Gathering , Blood Bowl , Space Hulk

Feb 1, 2017

Get your pod-plates ready! We're serving up another steaming hot pot of chat. Matt, Paul and Quinns discuss deck-building burgle box that is Clank! , they return once again to the irritatingly more-ish Black Stories , Quinns chats a bit about Deception: Murder in Hong Kong and they discuss the standalone expansion for Welcome to the Dungeon . We hope you left room for seconds, because there's also a reader mail that asks what games Matt and Quinns organised at their respective weddings last year, and we unseal the Pandora's Box of folk games played by school teachers. Maybe don't eat that last bit, it's profoundly poisonous. Clank! , Deception: Murder in Hong Kong , Welcome to the Dungeon , Black Stories

Dec 22, 2016

We don't want to tell you how to live your life but you might want to put on a tie or a string of pearls or BOTH before listening to this very classy podcast. The results of the inaugural Pearple's Choice Awards are in and noteworthy hosts Paul Dean and Quintin Smith discuss the games that won Best Expansion of 2016, Best Reprint and (of course) Best Game. They chat about some old classics they've played over the festive season, like City of Remnants and Galaxy Trucker . Finally, they want to tell you about a folk game that's come all the way from Peru. 2016 has been a spectacular year for board games and once again, next year looks even more exciting. This can't be sustainable. Or can it? Galaxy Trucker , Galaxy Trucker: Anniversary Edition , City of Remnants , Ra , Escape from the Aliens in Outer Space , Sekigahara: The Unification of Japan , Evolution , Colt Express , Colt Express: Horses & Stagecoach , Descent: Journeys in the Dark (Second Edition) , Inis , Captain Sonar , Scythe

Dec 15, 2016

Hold onto your listicles, Paul and Quinns are celebrating the 50th ever Shut Up & Sit Down podcast (by recording a podcast (they are unimaginative)) and we want you to join us! In this tawdry tornado of numerology the site's aged founders discuss Spyfall 2 , Tyrants of the Underdark and the Final Fantasy Trading Card Game (which has numbers in it) before dropping their respective top 5 board games of 2016. We'll warn you now, make sure you're sitting down when you hear Quinns' number one. If anyone can't bear the wait until podcast #51, here are the winners of the Pearple's Choice Awards . Enjoy, everybody! Spyfall , Spyfall 2 , tyrants of the underdark , Final Fantasy Trading Card Game , Inis , Mechs Vs. Minions , Arkham Horror: The Card Game , Captain Sonar , Go Cuckoo , Junk Art , Conan , Food Chain Magnate , A Feast for Odin

Nov 16, 2016

In what's surely our most mathematically pleasing podcast ever, today Paul and Quinns discuss 6 games (2 of which they'd recommend) before answering 4 emails and examining 2 folk games. What's next in this sequence? Why, your enjoyment of course! Games discussed in this cast include the bucolic visions of Dream Home and Cottage Garden . We've got two spritely deck-building games, Harry Potter: Hogwarts Battle and Aeon's End . We've also got two interesting spins on existing classics, 4 Gods being a wild interpretation of Carcassonne , and Mythos Tales as a Lovecraftian sequel to Consulting Detective . Enjoy, everybody. And credit to Peter Dringautzki for the podcast image, with his beautiful photo of Cottage Garden! Dream Home , Harry Potter: Hogwarts Battle , Cottage Garden , Aeon’s End , Mythos Tales , 4 Gods

Oct 19, 2016

Like a domestic Sisyphus, Paul and Quinns continue on their quest to play all of the things! Quick, listen to this podcast before their boulder of relevancy rolls back down the side of Mount Internet. This month games discussed include Pax Pamir ! Conan ! Game of Thrones: Hand of the King ! A Touch of Evil ! And litttle Schotten Totten ! Of course we've got our usual special features in the form of listener mail and the Folk Game of the Month, but there's even more besides. Always keen to go the extra mile for the podcast, Quinns visited a real-life Crystal Maze and Paul had sex with a beast . What new game have you been enjoying recently? It doesn't have to be a new release, just new to you. Let us know! The Beast , Conan , A Game of Thrones: Hand of the King , Pax Pamir , Schotten Totten , A Touch of Evil: The Supernatural Game

Sep 21, 2016

Like a Jaguar (the car) or a jaguar (the cat), our 47th ever podcast is an absolute classic. Paul and Quinns discuss board games ranging from Vast: The Crystal Caverns , to Twilight Struggle , to Aquarium and The Dragon & Flagon . They answer reader mails! They review three idiotic folk games. They discuss their love of vegetables and their problems with jam. It's everything you want in a single, mid-sized audio file. Do you agree with Paul and Quinns on these folk games? Do you own a real-life Aquarium? Have you eaten World War 2 jam? Let us know in the comments! Vast: The Crystal Caverns , Twilight Struggle , Aquarium , crossing , The Dragon & Flagon

Aug 24, 2016

Oh dear! After a metaphorical explosion of our recording equipment at Gen Con '16, this is all we could salvage from our two live shows. Please don your protective masks and take turns passing the blasted husk around. The first 30 minutes of this ash-smelling podcast feature Paul, Quinns and our miniatures columnist Eric Tonjes discussing some highlights from the show, including the Runewars Miniatures Game , Pandemic: Reign of Cthulu , Arkham Horror: The Card Game , Conan and the real-time tile laying game of 4 Gods . Exciting, right? Not as exciting as the second half, friends! Paul and Quinns were able to snag an interview with a little designer by the name of Vlaada Chvátil. But this doesn't have to be a disaster-cast. Did you go to Gen Con, or have some otherwise transcendant board gaming in the last few weeks? Why not leave us a comment telling us all about it! Runewars: The Miniatures Game , Arkham Horror: The Card Game , Conan , Pandemic: Reign of Cthulhu , Codenames , 4 Gods

Aug 2, 2016

Oh god, it's too much. Asmodee has announced a new edition of Citadels - the first game SU&SD ever reviewed - and Quinns has a hangover that's lasted all day. Is our end near?! Not yet, it's not. In this episode Quinns proves he's young by playing the Pokémon Trading Card Game , Happy Pigs and Via Nebula , while Paul proves he's not by playing Meuterer , Mission: Red Planet and the profoundly apt Great Dinosaur Rush . We receive correspondence from our Antarctic SU&SD fan , and end with an interview with a proper board game veteran: Dr. Reiner Knizia. Also there is this vine of a man eating a banana . Thanks to BGG user Hexanauta for our podcast image of Via Nebula! Pokémon Trading Card Game , Happy Pigs , Via Nebula , Meuterer , Mission: Red Planet , The Great Dinosaur Rush

Jul 13, 2016

Hot diggity and a lack of dignity! It's the second podcast we recorded live at the 2016 UK Games Expo. This time we offer definitive feels on Spiel des Jahres-nominated games Karuba and Imhotep , as well as chatting about Beyond Baker Street , Yeti , Coup: Rebellion G54 and a game jam winner called Lantern . We also ask an important question: Have you started building your mausoleum? Beyond Baker Street , Karuba , Imhotep , Coup: Rebellion G54 , Yeti , Lantern

Jun 29, 2016

Long and spicy like a hot dog, the 43rd EVER SU&SD podcast is HERE! Quickly, consume the whole thing before it starts disintegrating and leaking board game mustard into your lap. In this cast Matt, Paul, Pip and Quinns met up with 300 fans in a sweaty room at the UK Games Expo to discuss what they'd been playing. That meant The Ravens of Thri Sahashri , Ice Cool , Treasure Hunter , the Horses & Stagecoach expansion for Colt Express , Codenames: Pictures , Czech Games' new game Adrenaline and more besides! Finally, we end with an electrifying game of Question Wood Toy Folds High. Can Matt fix his losing streak? If you'd prefer to watch this podcast as a video (and to be fair, the bit where the audience boos Quinns is priceless), you can do so right here . But the comments are separate on each post, so CHOOSE WISELY. Are you team podcast, or team video? The Ravens of Thri Sahashri , Ice Cool , Treasure Hunter , Deep Sea Adventure , Colt Express , Codenames: Pictures , Adrenaline

Jun 15, 2016

Strap on your jackboots! It's time for a veritable military parade of a podcast, impressive and pacy but nonetheless going on for slightly too long. Games covered include A Feast to Die For , Quadropolis , Fairy Tale , Pandemic: Contagion and Dear Leader , as well as the long-awaited second half of our spoiler-filled Pandemic Legacy chat! Don't worry about that particular minefield. It's very clearly signposted at the end of the podcast. Following a startlingly unprofessional link from Paul, we eventually manage to produce a folk game and some fan mail, too. Enjoy, everybody! (This podcast image comes courtesy of BGG user Punkin312! ) Quadropolis , Fairytale , Pandemic: Contagion , Dear Leader , Pandemic Legacy

Jun 1, 2016

Psst! Down here! Climb into this cramped cave of chat with us. There's room for one more person. In what could well be our most feature-filled podcast ever, Matt, Paul and Quinns discuss Torchbearer , Merchant of Venus , Dragon Farkle , The Red Dragon Inn and the concept of playing board games in virtual reality, before getting down to (yet another) peculiarly erotic folk game. But wait! There's more! Quinns snagged video game designer Soren Johnson of Offworld Trading Company to discuss civilisation-building and trading board games. Enjoy, everybody. Torchbearer , Merchant of Venus (2nd Edition) , Drinking at the Red Dragon Inn , Dragon Farkle

Apr 20, 2016

Matt, Paul and Quinns have met once again to create a board gaming Voltron! Albeit one with three hearts and no brain. Games discussed in this prestigious 40th episode include And Then We Held Hands , Ra , Through the Ages , FUSE and A Fake Artist Goes to New York . If you're looking for the Tuesday Knight Games podcast featuring Matt, you'll find it right here . We also chat about board game boxes and sustainability and end with a lovely interview with Plaid Hat's lead designer and lead art director Isaac Vega, who wants to tell us all about the new standalone expansion for Dead of Winter: The Long Night . In case you missed our review of Dead of Winter, you'll find that here ! …and then we held hands. , Ra , Through the Ages: A New Story of Civilization , FUSE , A Fake Artist Goes to New York , Dead of Winter: A Crossroads Game

Mar 23, 2016

Paul, Matt and guest star Jonathan Ying come to us LIVE from GDC 2016 discuss the hottest new board games! And by "hottest" we mean "weirdest" (and by "new" we mean "old"). Designer Tim Fowers stopped by our lounge to demo his games to us, the sneaktacular co-op Burgle Bros and deck-building word-builder Paperback . Fantasy Flight designer and friend of the show Mr. Ying showed us Brawl , a real-time card game that just this month enjoyed a reprint. There's also Dancing Eggs , which we inflicted on GDC like a horrible rubber virus. Burgle Bros. , Paperback , Brawl , Dancing Eggs

Feb 17, 2016

Welcome back to the podcastle! Not to be outdone after listener Alex Cannon contributed a jingle for last episode, Matt's made yet another jingle. Ready your body! Lube up your ears. It's got a harmony. You've been warned. As for games, we chat about Liar’s Dice , Arboretum , the new editions of Archaeology , and Elevenses: The Card Game of Morning Tea AND new releases 504 and Power Grid: The Stock Companies . Plus our folk game of the month, of course. It's not just Friedemann Friese who can pack a whole lot of nonsense into a small package. Liar’s Dice , Arboretum , Archaeology: The New Expedition , Elevenses , 504 , Power Grid: The Stock Companies , Power Grid

Jan 13, 2016

Matt, Quinns and Paul return for 2016! New games discussed include Billionaire Banshee , Flick 'em Up and Marrying Mr. Darcy . Old games discussed include Tikal and Pictomania . Million year-old games discussed include The Fun Stick Game. Most importantly of all, our jingle roster has grown! Huge thanks to SU&SD fan Alex Cannon for sending in a folksy sting for Folk Game of the Month. Perhaps we should make a quick round of Billionaire Banshee a regular feature too... ? Billionaire Banshee , Flick ’em Up! , Marrying Mr. Darcy , Tikal , Pictomania

Dec 2, 2015

Hey kids! It's the SU&SD podcast, the perfect background noise when polishing, sharpening or simply admiring a knife. Paul's back from BoardGameGeek Con with stories to tell! Quinns joins him for a discussion of the pleasing heft of The Gallerist , the 2nd edition of Stronghold , the mixed-up genres of Above and Below , and the gentle joy of Porta Nigra . There's also Walk the Dogs , which sounds rubbish. Finally, the two discuss an email they received all about classic knife games. Is there anything cooler than a knife trick? You decide! This podcast brought to you by the United Kingdom Knife Lobby. The Gallerist , Stronghold , Above and Below , Porta Nigra , Walk the Dogs

Nov 12, 2015

Oh god. Sit down. The new podcast is out, and we've peaked. We'll never have a lineup like this again. Last week we enjoyed exclusive access to scalding-hot 2016 Fantasy Flight epic Star Wars: Rebellion , and on this podcast we want to tell you all about the fun we had with it. But that's not all! We also discuss our time with the wonderful new edition of Fury of Dracula , return to Star Wars: Armada and Quinns has sat down with Jeff Cannata of the DLC Podcast for a (well signposted) spoiler-ridden chat about Pandemic Legacy . That's more amazing board games than is wholly decent. But you deserve it. Star Wars: Rebellion , Fury of Dracula (Third Edition) , Star Wars: Armada , Pandemic Legacy

Oct 22, 2015

In what could be our most exciting reader mail ever , Quinns has helped a marine biologist pick some board games to take to the above Antarctic research station for 18 months. Tune in next year to hear how those games fared against penguins, boredom and the deadliest winters on planet Earth. But that's not all! Join Paul and Quinns as they walk the tightrope of talking about Pandemic Legacy without spoiling a darn thing. Listen as they discuss other Game of the Year candidates Codenames and Mysterium . Laugh as they chat about the most dangerous games they played as kids, and moan with delight as they describe yet another perversely erotic folk game. Pandemic Legacy , Codenames , Mysterium

Sep 16, 2015

Market research tells us that the median SU&SD reader is, at a given moment, most likely to be thatching their mead hall. How boring! You'd best pop our 33rd ever podcast on in the background. Matt and Quinns are desperate to talk about their crippling Infinity habit, while Paul's been playing the beloved game of Battlecon . We've got a quick interview with Fantasy Flight CEO Christian Petersen where he answers such lovely questions as "What happens to board games that don't sell" and "What is the most stressful thing about your job". And we receive an email from Brooklyn-based SU&SD fan Nate Kushner titled The Sad Room. The fun never stops! The thatching shouldn't either, though. Chop chop. Infinity , BattleCON

Sep 2, 2015

My god! 32 podcasts in and we're finally approaching "professional". Paul, Matt and Quinns discuss the bold new Game of Thrones card game and think back on classic lie-athon Battlestar Galactica , before clearing the floor for an interview with veteran designer Eric Lang (Quarriors, XCOM: The Board Game , Chaos in the Old World). We close with a quick trip to the SU&SD mailbag and an impromptu game show(!). We've done it, ladies and gents. It's all downhill from here. A Game of Thrones: The Card Game , Battlestar Galactica , Quarriors! , XCOM: The Board Game , Chaos in the Old World

Aug 7, 2015

(This podcast is also available as a video .) Last year team SU&SD hustled 300 people into a dingy Gen Con annex to record a live podcast . It was incredible. So this year we did it again! After a shaky start where Matt, Quinns and Pip realise their audience is only there to hear about their hotel, the board game chat begins in earnest. We discuss the croquet mallets of T.I.M.E. Stories, the wandering chicken nuggets of Evolution and waste disposal in The Bloody Inn. Then it's time for QUESTION STACK 'N FALL! Which is different from Question Jenga by about £8. T.I.M.E Stories , Evolution , The Bloody Inn

Jul 9, 2015

You ever eat Nerd Rope ? Just an endlessly long, glutinous tongue, speckled with sour little gobbets? That's basically the 30th ever SU&SD podcast. On this lengthy journey of no less than one hour and one minute, we discuss the absence of bitterness in the magnificent Forbidden Stars . We chat about the sheer joy of Funemployed (alas, we're still waiting on the European release), and the sweet coloured pebbles of Trajan . The Saturday morning cartoon-looking reimagining of Catacombs has reached us, too, complete with a wooden jelly cube! And of course, Spyfall snuck into the mix. WARNING: Your RDA of SU&SD podcasts is 0.2 a day. Forbidden Stars , Funemployed , Trajan , Catacombs , Spyfall

Jun 3, 2015

Now Quinns is back from the UK Games Expo, we slid a microphone under the door of the con-tamination chamber to record a new podcast! Paul's got questions about the sublime Welcome to the Dungeon , the prototype of Vlaada's Codenames and Quinns' performance at the UK Netrunner Nationals. But that's not all! Quinns is starved for company and wants to know about the games Paul's been playing: For the Crown and 7 Ronin , which both sound great. There's also some discussion of Knightmare Chess , mostly along the lines of "Why haven't we reviewed it yet?" For curious international listeners, here's a clip of the UK's Knightmare game show . Enjoy that one. Now if you'll excuse us, we're off to burn the mic. Welcome to the Dungeon , Codenames , Android: Netrunner , For the Crown , 7 Ronin , Knightmare Chess

Apr 30, 2015

Sometimes Team SU&SD can be compared to a marching band, except instead of playing musical instruments we make awful mistakes, and instead of moving forward we stay in the same place forever. Not today, though! Today, in podcast #28, we prove our competence. Paul discusses overcoming Panamax 's awful manual to discover the fabulous game within, while Matt and Quinns discuss the great time they had leading civilizations in both Nations and Imperial Settlers . Finally, we discuss Paul's new, potent sex power in the game of Apocalypse World . Don't worry. This can't last... can it? Panamax , Nations , Imperial Settlers , Apocalypse World

Apr 8, 2015

STOP! This is the police. You're under arrest for being in possession of 27th Shut up & Sit Down podcast. I'm afraid it's very illegal indeed. First there was that scaremongering at the beginning about ghosts in Mysterium . Then they openly discussed how they were underqualified for their work as politicians in the recent Megagame , detectives in Consulting Detective and alchemists in Alchemists . Then there was Quinns' segment on the most morally questionable games in all of the board game geek database, and they finished the whole affair with a folk game about pre-teen nudity! Oi! Come back! Don't make me run! Mysterium , Megagame , Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective , Alchemists

Mar 25, 2015

Matt, Quinns and Paul re-unite in a stuffy room to discuss all the marvelous games they've seen on their travels around North America, the forgotten continent. We get off to a civilized start with Bring Your Own Book and the delicate negotiation of Dragon's Gold , followed by total regression into childhood and the beautiful miniatures and deadly turbolasers of Imperial Assault . Finally, Matt's heard rumours of a folk game that's all about ruining things. But that's all they are... rumours... Bring Your Own Book , Dragon’s Gold , Star Wars: Imperial Assault

Mar 25, 2015

Paul : Here's the story of how I bunked off school to play a board game and how that board game changed my life. Saying that immediately makes me excited to tell it.

Mar 25, 2015

After discovering everything he was taught about chess to be wrong, Brendan goes on a quest to learn the game properly, in this special feature on the ancient pastime.

Feb 4, 2015

First things first, huge thanks to Vitaliy Zavadskyy for gifting our podcast with some magical intro and outro themes. The UK finally has a second radio show to be proud of after the BBC World Service. In this episode Paul's been hard at work testing Spyfall , Panamax and The Witcher Adventure Game as well as continuing to plumb the depths of the new edition of D&D . Meanwhile, Matt and Quinns do their best to get in his way. Quinns wants everybody to play his new on-air banana game and Matt needs to talk about corpses, churches and bushes. This episode's folk game is Pretty Darn Quick . Spyfall , Panamax , The Witcher Adventure Game , Dungeons & Dragons (5th Edition)

Jan 14, 2015

Oho! What's this? Board gaming's most excitable hour of chatter is back, as Matt and Quinns discuss everything they played and saw over the New Year, including a visit to London's first board game cafe . After that, this one's all about crap houses. The boys discuss the terrible property investments they made in Last Will and the Getting Sacked expansion , Matt makes fun of Quintin's horrible estate in Castles of Mad King Ludwig , before finally the boys discuss how being tall makes it harder to build pagodas in Pagoda . Finally the boys talk about Dead Body , a game sent in by reader Joe Faustine that would work best in a real-life spooky house. Last Will , Last Will: Getting Sacked , Castles of Mad King Ludwig , Pagoda , Dead Body

Dec 5, 2014

Quinns spent his youth as a "Keeper of Drinking Games". Whenever him and his friends were boozing as kids, in those empty kitchens or under trees, he'd lay the games out. He wants to share a few with the world now, before he dies. A written transcript is available here , and Brendan's essay on craic is here .

Nov 13, 2014

For our 23rd podcast Paul and Quinns discuss board games past, present and future. That sounds more hifalutin than it probably is. We begin by discussing the consenting tentacle sex of Consentacle , and how our next live podcast will be an excuse to review Cat on Yer Head . We fret about Prophecy , chat about Tammany Hall , ponder Istanbul and gossip about Warhammer 40,000: Conquest , a game of war, war and more war. And don't forget Shadows in the Woods ! It almost slipped us by. Post-podcast we played Iron & Ale , by the way, and had a fantastic time. There are just 6 days left on that Kickstarter, so look sharp! Consentacle , Cat On Yer Head , Prophecy , Tammany Hall , Istanbul , Warhammer 40000: Conquest , Shadows in the Woods , Iron & Ale

Oct 30, 2014

Last month Grant Howitt Kickstarted a silly RPG called Goblin Quest . A game where players take the role of a steady stream of goblins trying to compete banal tasks, but mostly just dying along the way. This week Grant sent us a preview of one of the variants in the back of the book, titled "Sean Bean Quest". The less you know about this the better. Just hit play and enjoy Matt, Paul and Quinns approaching never-before-seen levels of silliness.

Oct 16, 2014

Halloween is upon us! That wonderful time of the year where bumps are forcibly inserted into the night, and we can bookend our podcast with creaky door sound effects. In this horrifying installment we discuss the gore-flecked teenagers of Zombie 15' , the forbidden pouches of Sheriff of Nottingham , the... uh... terrifying suburbs and sidewalks of Subdivision , before finally giving up and chatting about the new edition of D&D , indie RPG Dog Eat Dog and Paul's trip to FiraxiCon. Listen... IF YOU DARE. Zombie 15′ , Sheriff of Nottingham , Subdivision , Dungeons & Dragons (5th Edition) , Dog Eat Dog

Aug 27, 2014

Our very 21st podcast is a magical journey into the realm of card games. We start in our Lifeboat , fall into Bruno Cathala's undersea Abyss , and wash up in the exotic Eastern home of Samurai Spirit , Panda Poker and Seiji Kanai's Say Bye to the Villains . Matt, Quinns and Paul have played all of these games, but that's not the best part. It turns out we can't agree about a single one of them. Abyss , Samurai Spirit , Lifeboat , Say Bye to the Villains , Pandánte

Aug 20, 2014

At Gen Con 2014 we hosted a special, live podcast for 300 of our closest fans. It was unbelievable. If you were there, thank you. If you weren't there, contained within is us yammering about the new XCOM board game , Ca$h 'n Guns and one huge game of Two Rooms and a Boom , before running two games of our own! True (or False) Dungeon and Question Jenga. It's more madness than you can shake a sedative at.

Aug 12, 2014

Yes, we're still playing the Star Wars: Edge of Empire roleplaying game! No, our intrepid gang of sob stories and space-wastrels hasn't been arrested yet. In session #3 the gang stretch their luck to the very limits by attempting a heist at the height of a terrible electric storm. And... oh, no. Are they really pretending to be musicians as a cover story? With no knowledge of music, and no musical paraphernalia at all? Star Wars: Edge of the Empire , Role-Playing Games

Aug 6, 2014

For the month of June 2014, Leigh played a deadly femme fatale in a month long watergun assassination game. This is her story of stalking her prey, shivering in bushes and battling the most dangerous enemy of all. GUILT. A companion podcast where Leigh, Paul and Quinns review the game itself is just over here , and a written transcript is available here .

Aug 6, 2014

In June, Paul, Leigh and Quinns took part in a month-long, city-wide, entirely ludicrous watergun assassination game. In podcast #19 they cast off their disguises, holster their leaky weapons and assemble for the official SU&SD review. A downloadable .pdf of Killer by Steve Jackson is available right here , the official Streetwars site is here and Leigh's AMAZING story of her time as a murderess is just over here .

Jul 29, 2014

It's part 2 of our entirely amazing Star Wars adventures! In this session our team of heroes arrive at a space station, kill an orc (kind of), succeed at crime (mostly) and (almost) begin working as a team. I'm calling it now. There is no way this ends well. If you missed part 1 we should stress that we haven't retreated into a child-like fantasy world and are in fact playing the new Star Wars RPG . Newcomers will definitely want to check out part 1 where our story begins. The dramatic caper of the Crap Plastic Artifact will conclude next week! Star Wars: Edge of the Empire , Role-Playing Games

Jul 22, 2014

Podcast #18, "The Turbocast", has been sighted in the Earth's atmosphere! Not to be confused with podcast #17, the Megacast, the Turbocast sees Team SU&SD compressing 60 minutes of board game chatter into a super-dense 30 minutes. We recommended you pop your ears before listening so the change in pressure doesn't cause your head to collapse like an egg. The games that underwent this revolutionary treatment were Trains and Stations , Lords of Vegas , Sherlock Holmes: Consulting Detective and Valley of the Kings . Finally, we provide the world's fastest, worst and most decisive Agony Aunt service. Enjoy, everybody! Trains and Stations , Lords of Vegas , Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective , Valley of the Kings

Jul 10, 2014

Have you ever considered the humble scratchcard? Brendan would like you to. There's a ceremony involved, you see. Like a papery King Canute, you must take joy in coaxing a tide of wealth forward, and agonise in watching it retreat. Within the scratchcard, perhaps, is all of life. A written transcript is available here .

Jun 12, 2014

And now for something a little different. We want to provide an exhaustive review of the new Star Wars: Edge of Empire Roleplaying Game , which means we're going to have to spend lots of evenings being crap in space. So why not let you guys in on it? Presenting... SU&SD's Amazing Star Wars Adventures! Starring Leigh Alexander as Beetle, wannabe bounty hunter! Quinns as ZB-33, her jury-rigged protocol droid! And Matt Lees as Fuse, a grumpy fish with lots of bombs. Our first session was mostly character creation and puzzling over rules so we're calling this instalment a "prologue", but it features a very dramatic moment where we successfully open a door. Enjoy, everybody!

May 27, 2014

Hopefully by now you've all enjoyed the majestic clusterbump that is our video report of Watch the Skies . This was a " Megagame " that featured dozens of players posing as world leaders, scientists and dastardly aliens, in something like a model U.N. turned up to 11 until the tables start exploding. While videos of Matt accidentally declaring war on outer space are all well and good, we also promised a podcast where we'd discuss the design of the thing. And here it is! More than an hour of anecdotes, observations and creative disagreements, and one enormous shout out to Anne, who kept the nation of Japan supplied with tea and sandwiches for fifteen years, which is quite a feat. Enjoy, everybody!

May 14, 2014

Fwssh-pop! A new Shut Up & Sit Down podcast has dropped out of hyperspace, its hull slick with enthusiasm, and its bulbous cargo bays heaving with games. In this episode Paul and Quinns are joined by Mike, Reference Pear's personal assistant, to discuss the ludicrous architecture of Ugg-Tect , shapely card game Pairs , the somewhat astonishing Monikers , as well as a sneak preview of this week's Lewis & Clark review. From there, the podcast slingshots along the Kessel run to arrive at a lengthy discussion of Fantasy Flight's new Star Wars RPG , answers a few of your questions, and leaves as quickly as it came, accompanied by the musical stylings of Mr. Jesse James . But your memories... they'll last a lifetime. They'll also need to be disinfected, so please mail them to us in a self-addressed envelope. Ugg-Tect , Pairs , Monikers , Lewis & Clark , Star Wars: Edge of the Empire

Apr 9, 2014

Oh my goodness it's a PODCAST! Rarest of all the pods. Gather round and hear Quinns and Paul talk of the giggly Jamaica , the confusing Rivals for Catan , the tricksy Great Fire of London 1666 , the long-awaited Race for the Galaxy: Alien Artifacts and lots more. But that's not all! Paul's back from GDC and is full of tales of daring-do, like the time he chased Warren Spector into a toilet and made him buy a copy of Quantum . And of course, we answer your choicest questions. Enjoy, everybody! Oh, and thanks muchly to SU&SD fan Jesse James for providing us with a lovely musical sting. The Rivals for Catan , The Great Fire of London 1666 , Race for the Galaxy , Race for the Galaxy: Alien Artifacts , Quantum

Mar 5, 2014

The Shut Up & Sit Down podcast has been sighted again! Quickly, catch it before it disappears back into the Thames in search of tasty nutrients. Ah, it's a fine specimen this time! Paul and Quinns discuss Richard Garfield classic RoboRally , they're playing Rex again, they've found time for Time 'n' Space , given a blood test to Blood Bound and were briefly riveted by Rivet Wars . Ah, look! Between the gills! It's also got a lengthy segment where Paul and Quinns discuss the books of board gaming, including The Theory of Poker by David Sklansky, Playing at the World by Jon Peterson and The Player of Games by Iain M. Banks. Enjoy, everybody! RoboRally , Rex: Final Days of an Empire , Time ‘n’ Space , Blood Bound , Rivet Wars: Eastern Front

Jan 15, 2014

It's the very first ever podcast of 2014, and we're celebrating with never before seen audio quality! Not that you can see sound. Unless you're a bat! Do any bats listen to the podcast? We just don't know. If they WERE listening, they'd hear Paul and Quinns are talking about new year's resolutions, and all the games they played over the holiday season! Games like the deeply hyped Yedo , the deeply excellent Timeline , the deeply deep Power Grid , the deeply creepy One Night Werewolf , and the deeply recent New Amsterdam . Finally, we descend to the deepest pits of nerdery, because our Game of the Month is none other than Dungeons & Dragons. Enjoy, everybody! Yedo , Timeline , Power Grid , One Night Ultimate Werewolf , New Amsterdam , Dungeons & Dragons (5th Edition)

Dec 5, 2013

Our very TWELFTH podcast has arrived! Twelfth doesn't look like a proper word, does it? Twelfth. What are all those consonants doing? It sounds like a Lovecraft monster. So: Quinns is back from Board Game Geek con, and he's fit to BURST with news of Nordic LARP , sinister physical games and a board game designer who's inexplicably gorgeous in person. Following this vital draining, the boys spend far too much time on the best question you guys have ever sent in, discuss venerable releases One Night Ultimate Werewolf , Coup and Dungeon Fighter , preview the distant Dead of Winter and get in a terrible fight regarding the mad mansions of Mansions of Madness . Enjoy, everyone! One Night Ultimate Werewolf , Coup , Dungeon Fighter , Dead of Winter: A Crossroads Game , Mansions of Madness

Nov 13, 2013

That's right, babies! You asked for more regular podcasts on your subscriber questionnaires, and we're doing exactly that. The system works! Ignore that clattering and keening coming from our servers. Right now, in this moment, the system works. Packed into podcast #11 are discussions of Freedom: The Underground Railroad , Keyflower , Space Cadets , Rattus and Cosmic Encounter . We discuss whether Trains has made Dominion redundant, answer a bushel of questions on the subject of imbalance in games, AND devote an entire, loving segment to the board game we've played more than any other- Descent: Journeys into the Dark . What's your favourite broken monster, readers? Freedom: The Underground Railroad , Keyflower , Space Cadets , Rattus , Cosmic Encounter , Trains , Dominion , Descent: Journeys in the Dark (Second Edition)

Oct 29, 2013

What's this? A scant three weeks since the last SU&SD podcast, a new one has slipped into the world like a newborn babe: Dirty, noisy, desperate for attention and a little bit intimidating. We've got so, so much chatter in this one. We've got new releases like Dread Curse , Cube Quest and Legends of Andor . We confirm whether Seasons has displaced 7 Wonders . We even discuss games so new you can't even BUY them yet, which is a first for us: Space Cadets: Dice Duel , Nothing Personal and Two Rooms and a Boom . All of this discourse clocks in at a marathon 90 minutes. Fitting, because we talk about the Olympics, too. Oh, and finally: Regular listeners might detect an attempt to make our podcast marginally less shambolic. And they're be right. Dread Curse , Cube Quest , Legends of Andor , Seasons , 7 Wonders , Space Cadets: Dice Duel , Nothing Personal , Two Rooms and a Boom

Oct 9, 2013

The NINTH EVER Shut Up & Sit Down podcast has arrived like a beautiful steam train! It’s impressive, quite long and harnesses only rudimentary technology. Several days after recording it, we’ve arbitrarily decided that this one has the theme of reigning! We’ve got detailed impressions of new, absurdly tricky card game Reignaissance Man , we discuss the problem with ruling imaginary nations, and we discuss the games we’d banish from our kingdoms if we could. We’re so classy that we’ve even managed to coax the fabulous Leigh Alexander back as a special guest! It’s as if she never left. Renaissance Man

Aug 7, 2013

The SU&SD podcast has once again arrived like a great big board gaming burrito: Fiery, fresh and surprisingly dense*. In our eighth instalment Paul and Quinns are joined by Matt Lees as they thoroughly deconstruct Egypt simulator Kemet , senile dementia simulator Mascarade , and Police Precinct ! Which simulates literally no policemen or women who have ever existed. They also find the time to quiz Paul about Risk Legacy , bully Quinns about Cube Quest and take on the tricky subject of wargaming, before diving headfirst into this month’s mailbag. *Rejected adjectives for this analogy: Lukewarm, creamy, gassy. Kemet , Mascarade , Police Precinct , Risk Legacy , Cube Quest

Jun 18, 2013

Paul : Yes, yes , we have a seventh podcast for you, for all of you, even you there, at the back. Please form an orderly queue here and pick up your free copy. In this podcast we bounce from topic to topic like kangaroos on trampolines in an earthquake, touching on the glorious Galaxy Trucker, the wicked Revolver 2, the svelte Netrunner and the august Augustus. We also slip a slimy tentacle into our mailbag and see which of your questions adhere best to our mucus-coated membranes, answering queries on topics from Cosmic Encounter to Mice & Mystics.* We also invite special guest Leigh Alexander on, to talk about why indie RPGs are so interesting and how we ended up roleplaying an inappropriate, awkward and surprisingly supernatural sexual encounter.** Is there any other podcast like this anywhere out there? You already know the answer to that. *NB: Our answer to the Mice & Mystics question is really disappointing. Sorry about that. Sorry. **Apologies in advance to Sting. Galaxy Trucker , Revolver 2: Last Stand at Malpaso , Android: Netrunner , Augustus , Cosmic Encounter , Mice and Mystics

Apr 30, 2013

Oh, no. Having survived month one of the new site, the boys are trying to make their podcast more professional. The result? A regular feature they can’t decide on, musical stings they’re wielding like cattle prods, and a special guest! Of Brendan. On the plus side, we’re serving up HOT CHATTER about so many new titles! Lords of Waterdeep, Tokaido, City of Remnants, The New Science, Police Precinct, Kingdoms, Netrunner (again), Relic (again), and A La Carte! Which is a cooking game for children from 20 years ago. Sorry. Lords of Waterdeep , Tokaido , City of Remnants , The New Science , Police Precinct , Kingdoms , Android: Netrunner , Relic , A la carte

Apr 12, 2013

In this VERY SERIOUS podcastery from renowned “Men of letters” Paul and Quinns, we answer the questions that some people, somewhere, might want answered. Are board games cool? When is it about American-style boardgames? We also wonder if there’s a The Matrix board game but there isn’t. On the way we discuss all sorts of hot releases, including Relic, Talisman, Netrunner, Labyrinth, Last Night on Earth and even PERUDO! Because reasons. Relic , Android: Netrunner , Love Letter

Mar 26, 2013

Quinns : The technology behind podcasts is beyond us, as stars are beyond the humble antelope. I’ll tell you what, though! Paul and I can totally put a mic on a table and shout at it for 60 minutes. Poor mic. Hit play! That is, if you’d like to hear us talk about The Resistance: Avalon, Libertalia, the X-Wing Miniatures Game and so much more! So many games! You couldn’t even carry them all at once! The Resistance: Avalon , Star Wars: X-Wing Miniatures Game , Libertalia , Eclipse , Puzzle Strike , Descent: Journeys in the Dark (Second Edition) , Spartacus: A Game of Blood & Treachery , Core Worlds , The Cave

Mar 26, 2013

Paul : As well as bouncing between topics like a pinball between flippers, this is an important podcast for us for two reasons. First, we’re announcing an exciting thing and second, we’re also asking you, our audience, an important question about a decision we’re thinking of making. But we won’t make it without consulting you first. Does that sound dramatic? Hopefully it’s whetted your appetite and stimulated your curiosity gland, but BE WARNED - mostly we just talk about games again. Android: Netrunner , Libertalia , Guts of Glory , Puzzle Strike , Fortress America , D-Day Dice , Ghost Stories , Mission: Red Planet , The Resistance: Avalon , Agricola , Village , Mage Knight Board Game

Mar 26, 2013

Paul : Yep, that’s right, your eyes do not deceive you and nor do your ears. Shut Up & Sit Down is back and tightly, trimly encoded into a 64kbps podcast, streamlined for your pleasure. Just like your lunch break, it’s almost but not quite an hour long, far too fattening and ultimately nothing more than the briefest respite from the black and tentacled horrors of reality. In this second podcast, between sips of tea, we talk about two particularly wicked games that we hold nothing but hatred for. That’s right, hatred! Can you guess which they are? Dominant Species , El Grande , Dungeon Petz , Hive , Mag·Blast , Munchkin , Labyrinth: The War on Terror , Glen More , Citadels , Pictomania , 7 Wonders , The Extraordinary Adventures of Baron Munchausen , Virgin Queen , Warriors & Traders , The Resistance: Avalon , Flash Point: Fire Rescue

Mar 26, 2013

Paul : What is this?! Why, it’s the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast! At last, you can enjoy SU&SD while shelling crabs, or during an exceptionally banal bout of lovemaking. As our chat bubbles (and meanders) like a mountain stream, we touch on some of our viewer responses, beautiful hexagons, a dream about plants, some of our recent experiences with birds and so many games! Topics of discussion include Mage Knight, Race for the Galaxy and the deliciously devious Shadow Hunters. Rex: Final Days of an Empire , Mage Knight Board Game , Runebound (Third Edition) , Alien Frontiers , Race for the Galaxy , A Game of Thrones: The Board Game , Dixit , The Castles of Burgundy , Galaxy Trucker , Kingdom Builder , Arkham Horror , Carcassonne , Skull , Sneaks & Snitches , Shadow Hunters