RDTN Episode 198: Nova Luna, King’s Dilemma and Virtual Undaunted: Normandy

Episode 198 moves between virtual game nights, familiar favourites and the practical quirks of recording and playing together from a distance. The clearest contrast comes from two different kinds of online session: a guided attempt at Undaunted: Normandy, with designer Dave Thompson on hand to help, and a virtual play of The King’s Dilemma that left the group missing the feel of sharing a table.

That’s a useful thread for an episode that ranges widely. The hosts also discuss Nova Luna with Donna, who returns to the show after some time away, and touch on Feed the Kraken, Arkham Horror played by webcam, and solo gaming. A run of lighter personal topics rounds things out, from television and Pokémon nostalgia to an electric weed eater and the hosts’ continuing studio changes.

Learning Undaunted with its designer

The hosts share a virtual play of Undaunted: Normandy on their YouTube channel. The session doubles as a teaching game: Dave Thompson, the game’s designer, joins to help identify and correct mistakes as the group works through the rules. The hosts describe the experience warmly, and Marty later plays the second scenario, with Thompson taking the other host’s place.

That kind of guided session gives the episode a different flavour from a straightforward review. Viewers can see the hosts learning at the table, including the points where they need a rules correction, rather than hearing only a polished account after the fact. Having the designer there also lets the group keep the game moving when a question comes up. The episode doesn’t spell out the game’s full rules or scenario details, but the playthrough offers a look at how the group approached it.

At the time of recording, the hosts say the game is out of stock and that they’ve been told it should return to stores and online in June. That timing is reported as information they received; the episode doesn’t give a year or identify a specific retailer’s restock schedule.

Two games, two different online table experiences

The King’s Dilemma gets a virtual outing with the Scurry Reporters. The hosts are clear that their reservations concern the format of this particular session, rather than the game itself: playing remotely didn’t deliver the same experience they expected. Their read is that games in this vein can draw much of their energy from being together in one room.

That’s a practical point for groups weighing whether to take a game online. A remote session may get people playing when meeting up isn’t possible, but the mood and table conversation can feel different. The hosts plan to try the game again, though its legacy structure makes that a particular challenge: the experience continues across sessions, so a group may want to think carefully about how it handles a disrupted or less satisfying first attempt. The episode doesn’t give a rules explanation or reveal the group’s decisions, leaving the focus on how the remote format felt.

Arkham Horror also appears in the episode, played via webcam. It sits alongside the other virtual games as another example of the group adapting its hobby to remote play. The segment listing doesn’t describe the session in detail, so listeners looking for a full account of the setup or play should treat it as a topic marker rather than a rules guide.

Donna joins the Nova Luna conversation

Donna returns to the show to discuss Nova Luna, a game from Stronghold. The hosts share a clear response: both say they enjoyed it and want to play again. That’s the episode’s most direct recommendation, expressed as their own reaction rather than as a claim about what every group will think.

The conversation’s appeal is in hearing two players compare their impressions while the game is still fresh enough to prompt another session. For listeners deciding what to add to a game night, that enthusiasm is a helpful signal, though this episode’s description doesn’t provide player count, play time, price or a breakdown of Nova Luna’s mechanisms. The show spends time on many topics, so the discussion is best approached as a personal first look rather than a complete review.

A broad table talk, from nostalgia to solo play

The timestamp guide opens with Marty’s studio continuing to change, then moves to a Pokémon flashback and an Everdell crochet topic. Television gets two segments: shows watched during 2020 and programmes both hosts enjoy. Later, the discussion turns to Feed the Kraken, The Broken Token, and the BoardGameGeek Awards. The episode also has a segment on Portal Games before the outro, followed by a separate solo gaming discussion.

That range makes the timestamp list useful for listeners who want to jump to a particular subject. The advertised running time extends beyond the main conversation: the outro is marked at 1:18:16, and solo gaming begins at 1:19:42. The final listed topics include the BoardGameGeek Store affiliate link, Ewin Gaming Chairs, Bezier’s Wolfpack Membership and Miniature Market. Marty also mentions Ewin chairs; the hosts say a 20% discount was available and that the RDTN code could be used on top of it. Those details are presented as part of the episode’s conversation, rather than as independent price research.

The hosts apologize for audio problems and hope they won’t recur. Even with that caveat, Episode 198 gives listeners a useful snapshot of how the group’s gaming shifted online, what they thought of the sessions, and which game they’re eager to bring back to the table: Nova Luna.