Join four lifelong friends on this award-nominated comedy podcast about board games, video games, comicbooks, movies, TV and more; uncovering the hidden indie gems you’ll wonder how you ever lived without, and diving deep into the franchises you already know and love.
Episodes
Tuesday Mar 15, 2022
Tuesday Mar 15, 2022
00:00 - Happy. Birthday. To. You.
07:49 - Kris and Sam’s adventure in a broken car.
15:37 - Forget the discourse: FromSoftware’s Elden Ring is filled with Lovecraftian-ish creatures, rune gathering, wonderful exploration, and becoming increasingly okay with the idea of losing a lot of progress. Also it reminds us of the OSR. ALSO also: there’s a guy called Angry Pumpkin Head, apparently?
37:17 - What are our thoughts about black holes? What about rainbows? More importantly, after that tangent, what about Black Hole Rainbows from June Dune Games Production? It’s a 2-6 player, quick-playing and fairly light game that has absurdly high production values, and took us a bit by surprise by just how good it is.
48:18 - After a little faffing around time on Reddit, we’ve been checking out Eyes : Nonogram from Gamefox. If you’ve played Picross or Murder by Numbers, you’ll be in familiar territory, and it combines excellent presentation with easy interactions and loads of puzzles.
56:34 - The story of the old man.
All that, and the location of a book, with Kris (@DigitalStrider), Peter (@XeroXeroXero), and Sam (@MrSamTurner).
Our Spotify Playlist brings together lots of great thematic music inspired by the stuff we talk about. Go check it out. You might like it.
Links to where you can find us - StayingInPodcast.com
Note: sometimes we'll have been sent a review copy of the thing we're talking about on the podcast. It doesn't skew how we think about that thing, and we don't receive compensation for anything we discuss, but we thought you might like to know this is the case.
Tuesday Mar 01, 2022
Tuesday Mar 01, 2022
00:00 - “I’ll allow a Magnum”.
08:34 - It’s been in development Hell, but Uncharted’s tale of stealing a lost treasure is fun. It stumbles here and there, but the thrill of seeing the series on the screen, and some fleeting moments of excellence, means we’re excited for the inevitable sequel.
19:00 - The Blustery Day.
27:09 - Being back in the world of Aloy is lovely, as long as you’ve played the first game… and we have, so we’re really enjoying Horizon Forbidden West. And gosh it looks glorious with some incredible acting and character animations.
35:06 - High Score lets you gamble in a safe space (it’s a push your luck dice game), with that typical level of polish and quality you’d expect from Reiner Knizia and Kosmos.
39:43 - Almadi is from Funnyfox, via Hachette, and while it’s a teensy bit like Carcassonne, a smidgen like Wingspan, but it’s definitely its own experience.
44:42 - Roll Camera!... oh my word. This is quite possibly the most well-implemented themes-to-mechanics board game we’ve played. Completely co-operative, it’s your job to make a “successful” film from five scenes… but what does “successful” mean?
54:37 - Taking a moment to say thank you.
56:36 - Paratopic is an absurdly high quality cheap thrill from Arbitrary Metric and Baltoro Games. It’s smart and creepy, with looks ripped straight out of the late PS1/N64 era, and Silent Hill sensibilities.
All that, and the origins of Poirot’s moustache, with Dan (@ThisDanFrost), Kris (@DigitalStrider), Peter (@XeroXeroXero), and Sam (@MrSamTurner).
Our Spotify Playlist is over on Spotify, and gathers together lots of great thematic music inspired by the stuff we talk about.
Links to where you can find us - StayingInPodcast.com
Note: sometimes we'll have been sent a review copy of the thing we're talking about on the podcast. It doesn't skew how we think about that thing, and we don't receive compensation for anything we discuss, but we thought you might like to know this is the case.
Tuesday Feb 15, 2022
Tuesday Feb 15, 2022
00:00 - The Mallen Streak.
03:56 - Hype for Horizon Forbidden West from Guerrilla Games, and the slight weirdness of it being from the same team behind Killzone.
10:05 - As always, we answer the important question of the day, chiefly: is Lady Dimitrescu from Resident Evil Village everything she’s cracked up to be?
25:57 - Archive 81 is watching people watching people, and we can’t stop watching. Spooky, mysterious, and a lovely addition to your TV watching watchlist.
33:21 - The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles is the perfect entry point to Capcom’s visual novel courtroom series.
46:17 - Iki is an ancient philosophy about how to live, and also a gentle gem of a worker movement boardgame from Sorry we are French, via Hachette.
All that, and papa’s eaten us all, with Kris (@DigitalStrider), Peter (@XeroXeroXero), and Sam (@MrSamTurner).
Our Spotify Playlist is over on Spotify, and gathers together lots of great thematic music inspired by the stuff we talk about.
Links to where you can find us - StayingInPodcast.com
Note: sometimes we'll have been sent a review copy of the thing we're talking about on the podcast. It doesn't skew how we think about that thing, and we don't receive compensation for anything we discuss, but we thought you might like to know this is the case.
Tuesday Feb 01, 2022
Tuesday Feb 01, 2022
00:00 - The Secret Life of Peter Willington.
06:46 - Sam’s Swanky New Tablet.
11:24 - Paper Girls is a superb, and occasionally very surprising story from the team of Brian K. Vaughan, Cliff Chiang, and Matt Wilson, and published by Image Comics.
19:23 - Something Secret, Private, and Lovely.
23:31 - Reading M. R. James short stories for the first time, specifically Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to You, My Lad, plus Casting the Runes from The Design Mechanism, which takes its name from an M. R. James short story. We’ve been really enjoying its investigation-based play.
37:41 - Everyone’s talking about Encanto, and with good reason: it has some of the best songs and animation of any movie produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios. High praise indeed, but well-deserved.
51:10 - Osprey Games and Peer Sylvester are always a good combo, and they’re behind Brian Boru: High King of Ireland, an always-interesting game of diplomacy, manipulation, and trick taking.
All that, and one of us sounds a bit like a god, with Dan (@ThisDanFrost), Kris (@DigitalStrider), Peter (@XeroXeroXero), and Sam (@MrSamTurner).
Our Spotify Playlist is over on Spotify (obvs), and it gathers together lots of great thematic music inspired by the stuff we talk about.
Links to where you can find us - StayingInPodcast.com
Note: sometimes we'll have been sent a review copy of the thing we're talking about on the podcast. It doesn't skew how we think about that thing, and we don't receive compensation for anything we discuss, but we thought you might like to know this is the case.
Saturday Jan 15, 2022
Saturday Jan 15, 2022
00:00 - Nap strats and sleep hacks.
06:48 - With Unpacking from Witch Beam Games there’s, well, a lot to unpack. What’s truly brilliant here is the way the storytelling fully integrates with the gameplay, without feeling clunky, and explores a life experience in a delicate way, without being cloying.
21:06 - Above? Below? Why not have both? Ryan Laukat and Red Raven Games have made a truly lovely and pleasantly light Euro game with Above and Below, merging worker placement with a choose-your-own-adventure-like narrative element.
34:28 - We’re big fans of the work of Big Potato Games and Snakesss is no exception. Phil Walker-Harding’s latest is a blend of social deduction and trivia and it works brilliantly - just ask the Mongoose of Truth.
43:54 - We also got a chance to play Big Potato TV, which is currently in beta. It’s great value, even in its work-in-progress state, and an easy way to get more games on the go during family gatherings, even for those people that might typically shy away from them.
46:38 - We’ve been exploring classic movies and rediscovering the joy of just browsing through the Radio Times for cool stuff to watch that you might not normally think of. Plus a chat about how one director aims to help save the cinema experience.
All that, and the number one rule, with Dan (@ThisDanFrost), Kris (@DigitalStrider), Peter (@XeroXeroXero), and Sam (@MrSamTurner).
A cheeky l’il Spotify Playlist is over on Spotify (obviously), which gathers together lots of great thematic music inspired by the stuff we talk about.
Links to where you can find us - StayingInPodcast.com
Note: sometimes we'll have been sent a review copy of the thing we're talking about on the podcast. It doesn't skew how we think about that thing, and we don't receive compensation for anything we discuss, but we thought you might like to know this is the case.
Saturday Jan 01, 2022
Saturday Jan 01, 2022
00:00 - A coward’s New Year’s Resolutions.
05:22 - Spoiler-free Spider-Man: No Way Home chat. We talk about how relatable a hero Spider-Man is, and how much Parker’s world has changed, plus why this is Peter’s film, not Spidey’s.
24:22 - Kris’ New Year’s Resolutions.
27:57 - Super-Skill Pinball: Ramp It Up! brings in four new tables to this glorious roll-and-write, and we think they might just be the best tables yet. We also talk about just how lovely it is to play solo.
41:01 - Dan’s New Year’s Resolutions.
46:43 - Taverns of Tiefenthal: Open Doors! brings more, more, and yet more flexibility and depth to Wolfgang Warsch’s hospitality-em-up, with four new modules sitting neatly on top of the four already included in the base game.
57:33 - Sam’s New Year’s Resolutions.
1:05:17 - More spider-chat, this time ABSOLUTELY FILLED WITH SPOILERS.
All that, and the roulette wheel of life, with Dan (@ThisDanFrost), Kris (@DigitalStrider), and Sam (@MrSamTurner).
A lovely Spotify Playlist is waiting for you over on, uh, Spotify, which is always updated with music inspired by the things we harp on about.
Links to where you can find us - StayingInPodcast.com
Note: sometimes we'll have been sent a review copy of the thing we're talking about on the podcast. It doesn't skew how we think about that thing, and we don't receive compensation for anything we discuss, but we thought you might like to know this is the case.
Wednesday Dec 15, 2021
Wednesday Dec 15, 2021
00:00 - A festive crop top and a weekend at Willington’s.
13:40 - Secret Santa, Part 1.
19:06 - Exit: The Mystery of the Ice Cave is an absolute treat: it has great puzzles and an excellent, slow burn narrative. It’s sold out this year, but fingers crossed for another one from Kosmos in 2022.
30:18 - Secret Santa, Part 2.
35:09 - Hawkeye often plays a supporting role in the MCU but in his new series - which is Planes, Trains and Automobiles by way of The Avengers - he’s put centre stage. It’s a lot of fun, with a good mix of humour and action.
47:24 - Secret Santa, Part 3.
56:26 - Twenty Twenty Twix.
All that, and a can of Ollie’s, with Dan (@ThisDanFrost), Kris (@DigitalStrider), Peter (@XeroXeroXero), and Sam (@MrSamTurner).
Interested in picking up Peter's Call of Cthulhu one-on-one scenario The Catcott Collection? You can find it via TitanMoth.com or get it direct from DriveThruRPG.
We have a lovely Spotify Playlist we’re constantly updating with music inspired by all the things we waffle on about.
Links to where you can find us - StayingInPodcast.com
Note: sometimes we'll have been sent a review copy of the thing we're talking about on the podcast. It doesn't skew how we think about that thing, and we don't receive compensation for anything we discuss, but we thought you might like to know this is the case.
Wednesday Dec 01, 2021
Wednesday Dec 01, 2021
00:00 - Leaving the pub with invincibility.
08:20 - Dire Wolf Digital’s Dune: Imperium is a highly thematic worker placement game that successfully captures the political intrigue the franchise is known for. Better yet, it avoids a lot of the pitfalls of similar games, by always offering you something truly beneficial to do, so you never feel like a turn is “wasted”.
15:23 - Magic darts.
17:20 - A reimplementation of Biblios, For the King (and Me) is from Coiledspring Games and Iello and features art that screams personality as the backdrop to a deeply satisfying auction game of continual push and pull.
27:44 - Marvel’s latest superhero movie is Eternals and we have not one, not three, but two claims to fame about its cast. The film itself is divisive, but what we can all agree on is that its core question is this: “is humanity actually worth saving?”
50:04 - Want to learn how to create and publish RPG content to the Miskatonic Repository, in just one month? Then you should definitely check out the Write Your First Adventure Call of Cthulhu Path from The Storytelling Collective. With insights from Ashley Warren and Paul Fricker, it’s a great experience, and not just because it gives you a deadline...
All that, and Bruce Willis with a space drill, with Dan (@ThisDanFrost), Kris (@DigitalStrider), Peter (@XeroXeroXero), and Sam (@MrSamTurner).
We have a lovely playlist set themed on the stuff we talk about, over on Spotify, if you’re into that sort of thing.
Links to where you can find us - StayingInPodcast.com
Note: sometimes we'll have been sent a review copy of the thing we're talking about on the podcast. It doesn't skew how we think about that thing, and we don't receive compensation for anything we discuss, but we thought you might like to know this is the case.
Monday Nov 15, 2021
Monday Nov 15, 2021
00:00 - Buying an apartment is boring. And very very expensive.
08:28 - The Call of Cthulhu Starter Set is one of the neatest pieces of introductory design; a great way to get into Chaosium’s legendary roleplaying game, which gets across the writings of Lovecraft really well, in an all-round excellent package.
29:32 - Dungeons & Dragons: Dungeon Scrawlers: Heroes of Undermountain is another great introduction to RPGs, but in this instance, to the world of Dungeons & Dragons itself, rather than the rules of D&D. A light, lovely experience.
42:20 - You can trust in Disco Elysium. ZA/UM’s hard-edged CRPG is challenging and dangerous in all the right ways, with fascinating choices, brilliant writing, and a wonderfully grim playground to explore.
55:36 - Hospitals and bananas.
All that, and a £3 meal deal, with Dan (@ThisDanFrost), Peter (@XeroXeroXero), and Sam (@MrSamTurner).
Like nice music curated into lovely curated lists? Give our Spotify Playlist set a listen.
Links to where you can find us - StayingInPodcast.com
Note: sometimes we'll have been sent a review copy of the thing we're talking about on the podcast. It doesn't skew how we think about that thing, and we don't receive compensation for anything we discuss, but we thought you might like to know this is the case.
Monday Nov 01, 2021
Monday Nov 01, 2021
00:00 - What to do with an extra hour.
07:27 - We went to watch Dune at the IMAX and realised that, for a film with the budget of a Hollywood blockbuster, it’s a surprisingly cerebral and mature adaptation of the novels, where the little things are what stand out most. This generation’s Lord of the Rings? Quite possibly...
29:17 - No Time to Die is the 25th Bond movie, and an appropriate send off for Daniel Craig’s take on James. A good movie, then, but who is the best Bond, and why is it Pierce Brosnan?
50:31 - Little Factory from Iello is a lighter touch resource management game perfect for families. Why? It’s easy to explain to a new player and, importantly, easy to understand the logic of the mechanics. It’s also very nice to look at... in some ways, it’s the board game equivalent of Everdale.
All that, and a Krisalis, with Dan (@ThisDanFrost), Kris (@DigitalStrider), and Sam (@MrSamTurner).
Still not sure what to do with your spare hour? Give our Spotify Playlist set a listen.
Links to where you can find us - StayingInPodcast.com
Note: sometimes we'll have been sent a review copy of the thing we're talking about on the podcast. It doesn't skew how we think about that thing, and we don't receive compensation for anything we discuss, but we thought you might like to know this is the case.