RDTN Episode 260 Reviews Gutenberg, Cat in the Box and More

Episode 260 moves between strategy games, card play and shorter two-player choices, with a few practical impressions for listeners deciding what to bring to the table. The clearest recommendation is conditional: Wingspan: Oceania is a good expansion if you don’t already have it. Gutenberg stands out for pairing approachable play with meaningful planning, while Cat in the Box gets a confident nod as a fresh challenge for card players.

The episode also points listeners toward Sakura Arms, Orlog and Radlands as enjoyable lunchtime games for two. That’s a useful shortlist for anyone trying to fit a session into a workday: each is presented as a pick to consider with a gaming friend, rather than as a sprawling evening commitment. The discussion doesn’t give play times or player counts beyond that two-player recommendation, so listeners will want to check the linked listings for practical details.

Gutenberg rewards flexible planning

The hosts describe Gutenberg as a Euro game that keeps its rules simple while still asking players to think strategically about beating their opponents. Its planning phase matters because it can shape which resources or opportunities a player gets. But the plan isn’t guaranteed to survive intact. The order in which players carry out their actions can leave someone without the order they wanted, forcing a change of approach.

That adjustment is the interesting part of the account. A player might have hoped to take a particular order, dislike the option left to them, and then use a gear adjustment to take a new order at random. The example suggests that a choice made during planning can help recover from an awkward turn, although it doesn’t promise a particular result. Players have to weigh the plan they made against the options that remain when it’s time to act.

My read is that this is the kind of tension that can make a relatively straightforward Euro game satisfying: players have room to plan, but must stay alert to how the turn unfolds. A plan that looks neat at the start may need revision once the available choices change. The episode’s praise is measured and specific, focusing on the mix of simplicity and strategic challenge rather than claiming that every decision will go smoothly.

Cat in the Box gets a card-table comparison

Cat in the Box is tipped as a likely hit with card players looking for another challenge. One host compares the excitement around it to the reception they remember for Diamonds when that game appeared. It’s a personal comparison, not a description of matching rules: the point is that Cat in the Box could appeal to players who enjoy discovering and sharing a new card game.

The episode doesn’t lay out Cat in the Box’s rules or explain its turn structure, so there isn’t enough here to assess how the challenge works in detail. What comes through is the hosts’ enthusiasm and their sense that it could have a future with the same kind of card-playing audience. For listeners who already enjoy learning and testing new card games, that makes it one of the episode’s most direct recommendations to investigate.

Wingspan: Oceania and compact two-player picks

There’s a quick correction on the Wingspan expansion’s name: it’s Oceania, not Oceanic. The host says it’s a good expansion for anyone who doesn’t already have it, then jokes about the name getting stuck in their head. That’s the full recommendation in the source; it doesn’t go into particular components or rule changes, so the linked listing is the place to look for product specifics.

For a shorter session with a friend, the hosts name Sakura Arms, Orlog and Radlands as enjoyable lunchtime options for two. The recommendation is appealingly practical: it gives listeners three titles to look into without suggesting that they all play alike. The episode offers no comparison of their mechanics, so the useful shared detail is their proposed setting—a game with a colleague or other gaming pal during a break.

A broad episode with useful timestamps

The running order covers a wide range of other titles and topics. Early segments include Upcoming Taste Buds, The Origins Adventure, Mistakes Happen and Durian Lives On. Later stops include Wormholes, Restoration Updates, Hitler’s Reich: WW2 in Europe, Marrakesh and Bot Factory. The episode also includes segments associated with Ultra Pro, Portal Games and Miniature Market.

The timestamps make it easier to jump straight to a title. The linked entries include Wingspan: Oceania, Hitler’s Reich: WW2 in Europe, First Rat, Orlog, Gutenberg, Radlands and Sakura Arms. The episode also links to Ultra Pro, Portal Games and Miniature Market.

For listeners choosing what to follow up on, Gutenberg offers the most detailed gameplay takeaway: prepare with a plan, then be ready to adapt as action choices unfold. Cat in the Box is the episode’s card-game bet, and the three two-player recommendations make a compact starting list for a shared break. The closing thanks listeners for their support, with “Toot-a-Loop” providing the final sign-off.