RDTN Episode 203 Covers Portal Games, Succulent and Scooby-Doo: Betrayal at Mystery Mansion

RDTN Episode 203 has the feel of a catch-up around a crowded game table: Vanessa returns to talk with Marty about recent gaming, a range of titles, and their favorite Portal Games. The episode also includes a review of Hamilton and stops for Succulent, Cloaked Cats and Scooby-Doo – Betrayal at Mystery Mansion. With so many subjects on the running order, the timestamps are especially useful for listeners who want to jump straight to a particular discussion.

The hosts open with a practical problem familiar to anyone trying to arrange an evening out: local places are closing early, and some are limiting how long customers can stay. That makes getting together for a game harder, particularly when a venue needs to keep tables available for its business. Vanessa and Marty’s conversation comes instead from games played with family during time away in a cabin in North Carolina. The setting gives the episode a relaxed catch-up premise, while the lineup makes room for hobby news, a review and lighter talk about favorites.

A varied catch-up, from D&D to new projects

The first stretch moves through subjects that will interest listeners following the hosts’ wider gaming lives. After the introduction at 00:35, online surveys come up at 02:50, followed by the Imperial Settlers: Roll & Write app at 03:48. A possible legacy game is mentioned at 05:30, and the conversation returns to D&D at 06:18 alongside Metallic Dice Games.

Those brief entries give returning listeners several threads to follow without pretending each is a full review. The D&D segment offers a change of pace from the board game talk, while the roll-and-write app and possible legacy game point toward different ways to bring a group back to the table. The episode’s schedule doesn’t spell out the hosts’ conclusions on those topics, so listeners looking for their detailed takes will want to hear the segments themselves.

At 09:45, the hosts share an update on Ascension Tactics. The following topic, at 12:12, is AEG Dead Reckoning. Both are presented as update discussions, making this part of the episode a natural stop for listeners tracking those projects. The listings give no further figures or timing details, so the conversation itself is the place to hear what Vanessa and Marty have to say.

Hamilton and a Portal Games ranking

The episode’s review segment begins at 17:49 with Hamilton – RDTN Review. That gives the show a longer central discussion before it turns to Portal Con at 27:25. Portal Games follows at 38:36, leading into the hosts’ Top 5 Portal Games at 39:48.

A ranked favorites segment is a useful invitation to compare tastes, especially when the hosts ask listeners to share their own picks through the RDTN BoardGameGeek guild. Their list is the draw here: the episode sets up a chance to hear which Portal titles made the cut and how the hosts weigh their favorites. It also makes for an easy entry point for anyone who knows the publisher’s games and wants to see whether their own shortlist lines up.

Listeners can find the publisher at Portal Games, and the episode points to a Portal Games search at Miniature Market. The hosts also discuss their attempt to host during Portal Con on YouTube. That provides a second way to follow the Portal Con material beyond the podcast conversation.

Succulent, Cloaked Cats and Mystery Mansion

From 59:02, the running order turns to Miniature Market and a series of individual games. Succulent begins at 1:00:21, followed by In A Flash Firefighters at 1:12:15, Cloaked Cats at 1:16:45 and Scooby-Doo – Betrayal at Mystery Mansion at 1:23:57. The sequence gives the final portion of the episode a clear focus on specific titles after the broader ranking and event talk.

The source notes identify these games as topics but don’t describe their rules, player counts or play times. For a useful first listen, start with the title you’re most curious about, then stay for the hosts’ reactions and conversation. Miniature Market is also linked in the episode notes, alongside pages for Succulent, Cloaked Cats and Scooby-Doo – Betrayal at Mystery Mansion.

The show wraps up at 1:36:47, with a later mention of the RDTN Discord and Twitch at 1:42:53, then The Broken Token at 1:46:17. For listeners choosing a starting point, the Portal Games ranking offers a shared debate to join, while the later game discussions make it easy to sample the episode one title at a time. The full running order also leaves room for the more personal catch-up that ties the lineup together.