RDTN Episode 122: Four Games, Origins Recap and a Rocky Mountain Gaming Trip

Four games make this episode a brisk catch-up rather than a deep dive. Marty and his co-host return from vacation with a backlog to work through, and the conversation moves between game impressions, convention memories and a hiking trip that included a healthy amount of table time. That mix gives Episode 122 its appeal: it’s a snapshot of what the hosts have been playing and where they’ve been playing it.

Four games, four different table moods

Near and Far gets the clearest recommendation in the group. The hosts call it another strong game from Red Raven Games, and point listeners who enjoyed Above and Below toward it as a natural next game to try. They don’t unpack its rules or story in detail here, so listeners looking for a full account of its turn structure will need more than this episode’s quick take. Still, the comparison gives fans of Red Raven’s earlier work a useful starting point.

Sentient earns a more emphatic response. The hosts expect it to split players, but say their own reaction is firmly positive. That’s a useful signal for listeners deciding whether to give a divisive design a seat at the table: the episode offers a clear preference, even if it doesn’t explain which mechanisms prompted it. The title appears later in the show, after the Origins discussion.

Lovecraft Letter is described as Love Letter with a different theme, one the hosts find appealing. Their brief take doesn’t go into the changes between editions or explain how the theme affects play, so this is a quick endorsement of the setting’s fit rather than a detailed rules comparison. The episode guide links to the game’s BoardGameGeek entry under the misspelled label “Lovercraft Letter.”

Pit Crew is the episode’s easygoing pick. The hosts sum up its appeal with three F’s: “Family Fun Filler.” That’s a compact recommendation for listeners who want a lighter game that can fit into a family game night or fill a gap between longer sessions. The show doesn’t provide player counts, play times or a closer look at how a race unfolds, so the description is best read as a broad sense of its table role.

Origins between games and good food

Marty’s Origins stories cover the convention’s food as readily as its gaming. He mentions meals from the vendor hall, MELT and North Market, along with time spent playing games. The episode also points to a video of Marty and Chaz closing out Origins for anyone who wants to see the event rather than only hear about it.

The timestamped guide suggests just how much ground the convention conversation covers. It includes stops at Century and the Renegade booth, a mention of Werewords and Rodney Smith, and a look at Summit – The Board Game. Other segments touch on an auction team vest, the convention’s food, Restoration Games and The Broken Token. These are brief stops in a broad recap, not full reports on each game or company.

There’s also a contest wrap-up: the hosts congratulate the winners of “Screening, Streaming, or Steaming.” Marty mentions a Gen Con event, which is linked in the show notes. The episode guide runs from the introduction at 00:39 through the final “Bye-Bye Flip the Table” segment at 1:16:50, with the outro at 1:13:38 and mentions of Megamoose Con and Funagain afterward.

A vacation with room for games

The Rocky Mountain Gaming Vacation gave one host and his wife a change of pace: comfortable lodging, hiking and gaming during the trip. Wildlife stories come with a playful measure of relief. Nobody was trampled by a moose, met a bear attack or got bitten by a squirrel, though the hosts did collect photographs of squirrels and moose droppings. The trip is described as a great adventure, with the hiking and shared time away standing out alongside the games.

The next gathering is planned for Park City, Utah. The host hasn’t decided whether to return, leaving that choice open for another year. For listeners weighing a similar trip, the episode’s most practical lesson is in its balance: the vacation worked as both an outdoor getaway and a chance to play games together. Episode 122’s game notes are short, but the surrounding stories make clear that the hobby travels easily from a convention floor to a mountain lodge.

Episode guide

The conversation starts with the introduction at 00:39, followed by an Instagram event at 2:51 and two winner announcements at 5:23 and 9:16. The hosts turn to Transformers at 11:33, then return to their game backlog at 13:54. Near and Far comes up at 16:06, ahead of the Origins recap beginning at 21:40.

Origins topics include Century at 24:09, the Renegade booth at 24:47, Werewords and Rodney Smith at 26:13, Summit at 32:06, the auction team vest at 34:17, food at 36:13 and final convention thoughts at 38:31. The show reaches Restoration Games at 40:41, Sentient at 41:18, The Broken Token at 46:19, Lovecraft Letter at 47:08 and Pit Crew at 49:27. The Rocky Mountain trip begins at 52:00, followed by a conversation with Sean and Mark at 1:00:25. Portal follows at 1:12:27.