Player One | Player Two: The Board Gaming Duo

Eric Bonkowski & Kathleen Shaw
  • 1.0 (1)
  • GAMES

When you exclusively play board games with two players, the hobby can feel a bit like a solitary experience. The purpose of this podcast is to open our door to you, and welcome you into our gaming world, as well as hopefully help introduce other people to the hobby.

  1. 02/17/2022

    Episode 39: Don't Look Back in Anger

    In April 2016, Kathleen and I played a game that crushed me in disappointment. Checking nearly every box of my gamer wishlist, Sentinels of the Multiverse came into our one bedroom apartment and left a trail of ardent thumbs down in its wake. Alas, it was not a good fit on nearly any level. It departed our collection scant weeks later in a box bound for the local Goodwill. Fast forward six years, and Greater Than Games has released what they've designated the "Definitive Edition," promising better gameplay, better balance, better synergy, and better artwork. Can this "Definitive Edition" make good on promises broken years after the fact?? Sentinels of the Multiverse: The Definitive Edition https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/335212/sentinels-multiverse-definitive-edition Theme & End Credit Music by Javier Suárez (Jahzzar) www.betterwithmusic.com/ Check out our site! www.houseofcardboard.com

    54 min

  2. 01/27/2022

    Episode 38: Badlands

    If you've listened to our podcast before or know our gaming history, you probably know that Kathleen and I came to the hobby from Magic: The Gathering. That being said, once we left Magic behind, we didn't look back. Magic: The Gathering and other head-to-head dueling games just wasn't our bag any longer. But what about Daniel Piechnick's Radlands? Piechnick is a seasoned Magic: The Gathering player, and one read-through of the rules will prove he knows Magic's weak spots, because Radlands goes to great lengths to fix them. But is it enough to bring us back to solve our issues with the head-to-head dueling format... or not? Radlands https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/329082/radlands Theme & End Credit Music by Javier Suárez (Jahzzar) www.betterwithmusic.com/ Check out our site! www.houseofcardboard.com

    49 min

  3. 01/19/2022

    Episode 37: Blessed & Possessed

    Thematically, it feels appropriate that we name this episode after a Powerwolf song, but that may just be because I've not played Bloodborne. Anyway, let's dive into this huge box of plastic Victorian-esque horrors as we look at the Eric Lang/Michael Shinall co-designed campaign dungeon crawler. I'm not huge on dungeon crawlers, and I'm even more not huge (huh?) on campaign games, so this sounds like a great fit! Let's find out! Bloodborne: The Board Game https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/273330/bloodborne-board-game Theme & End Credit Music by Javier Suárez (Jahzzar) www.betterwithmusic.com/ Check out our site! www.houseofcardboard.com

    58 min

  4. 01/12/2022

    Episode 36: Be Prepared

    Deck building as a mechanic is a staple of the hobby, but one that we've both made clear isn't always enough to provide a satisfying gameplay experience. Add in a pretty niche theme and it seems like a recipe for disaster. Or is it? Well butter me up and call me a biscuit, because there's really something great here. Shame on my snobbery, but now I know. And knowing is half the battle! Yes, that was truly inevitable. G.I. Joe Deck-Building Game https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/343526/gi-joe-deck-building-game Theme & End Credit Music by Javier Suárez (Jahzzar) www.betterwithmusic.com/ Check out our site! www.houseofcardboard.com

    50 min

  5. 01/06/2022

    Episode 35: Time in a Bottle

    We've gone dark since May 2021, and now we've entered 2022. I'm gettin' tired of reassessing where we are and our general mental and physical well-being, but here we are. Instead of getting mopey, let's talk about what games we're playing and what has made us happy over the past eight months. Christmas always brings games to gamers homes, but that's not all we're talking about. Player 1 and Player 2 give quick catchups on big boxes of plastic MARVEL: Crisis Protocol, BLOODBORNE, and CLOUDSPIRE, as well as itty bitty card game VILLAGE GREEN. Anyway, here's a new episode finally! Now with more GI Joe references? Hope you are well. Keep on hangin' in there. Theme & End Credit Music by Javier Suárez (Jahzzar) www.betterwithmusic.com/ Check out our site! www.houseofcardboard.com

    38 min

  6. 05/29/2021

    Episode 34: Heroes

    On May 5, 2021, Marvel United: X-Men successfully funded on Kickstarter, raising nearly $6,000,000 of their $300,000 goal. I backed it, even though I've got some gripes with the 2020 release of Marvel United. Why did I back it? Because if I had even a passing interest in the game, I had to. Why, you ask? Because Kickstarter, baby. Let's take a look at 2020's Marvel United as an entity in and of itself, and then listen as we discuss how Kickstarter has left its mark on it, for better or for worse. Marvel United https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/298047/marvel-united Theme & End Credit Music by Javier Suárez (Jahzzar) www.betterwithmusic.com/ Check out our new site! www.houseofcardboard.com

    57 min

  7. 05/06/2021

    Episode 33: Everybody Wants to Rule the World

    The American Tabletop Awards have announced their winners for game of the year 2020, and we've just gotten the complex game of the year to the table... and we have thoughts! Now presenting, a deep and hungry pit of choice, waiting to swallow you and everything within kicking distance. Behold, Dominations: Road to Civilization! But hey, it has three-sided dominos! Dominations: Road to Civilization https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/250881/dominations-road-civilization American Tabletop Awards https://americantabletopawards.com/ Theme & End Credit Music by Javier Suárez (Jahzzar) www.betterwithmusic.com/ Check out our new site! www.houseofcardboard.com

    1h 4m

  8. 04/27/2021

    Episode 32: Still Havin' Fun (A Top 10 List!)

    A little over 18 months after our last Top 10 Favorite Games countdown finds us in much more subdued spirits, turning to comfort gaming--not too surprising! Some shake ups and some old standbys make their obligatory appearances.  Ya know what took a beating in the last 18 months? Gloomhaven. Woof, how the mighty have fallen!  The Previous List! www.buzzsprout.com/199741/1768600-episode-16-still-the-one-a-top-10-list Pubmeeple Ranking Engine rankingengine.pubmeeple.com/ Theme & End Credit Music by Javier Suárez (Jahzzar) www.betterwithmusic.com/ Check out our new site! www.houseofcardboard.com

    1h 5m
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When you exclusively play board games with two players, the hobby can feel a bit like a solitary experience. The purpose of this podcast is to open our door to you, and welcome you into our gaming world, as well as hopefully help introduce other people to the hobby.

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