Master of Wills and Too Many Bones: Undertow Lead RDTN Episode 162

RDTN is back after a break, and episode 162 makes room for the kind of mix that keeps a tabletop podcast lively: holiday stories, hobby chatter, brief looks at games and a pair of substantial table impressions. The featured games take different routes to a good session. Master of Wills builds toward a contest over citizens, while Too Many Bones: Undertow needed a few false starts before the group found its rhythm.

A tactical contest in Master of Wills

Published by Stormcrest Games, Master of Wills is a deck-building card game with a clear endpoint and a changing contest for influence. At the start of a turn, a player selects a Citizen card. Its abilities can let them play special cards from the faction deck they built before the game began. Those choices connect deck construction to the shifting state of play: the cards prepared in advance matter, but so does the citizen a player chooses in the moment.

The game lasts eight rounds. When the final round ends, the winner is determined by the number of citizens on their side of the board. That gives the episode’s description of the game a useful tension: players are building toward a final count while making tactical decisions along the way. The review calls the rules straightforward, but says the play still has plenty of tactical interest. That combination can make a game approachable at the table without making every turn feel automatic.

Different factions add replayability, according to the hosts. They don’t detail how each faction changes a match, so the clearest takeaway is that the faction deck is part of the game’s setup and offers reasons to return with a different approach. For players considering it, the episode’s praise is focused: an easy-to-follow structure, tactical play and enjoyable games.

Finding the rhythm in Too Many Bones: Undertow

The group’s session with Too Many Bones: Undertow took more work to get going. The hosts mention false starts, then say the game became enjoyable once they were up and running. That makes the experience sound like one where the first stretch asks the table to settle into its flow, with the payoff coming after the group has found its footing. Their verdict is enthusiastic: they want to bring it back to the table.

One detail that stood out was the writing on the encounter cards. The host says the flavor text was strong enough to make them want to read it aloud. That’s a small element with a practical effect: text that catches a group’s attention can help an encounter feel like a moment to share, rather than a card to resolve and set aside. The episode doesn’t explain the encounter rules, so the praise stays with the writing and the group’s response to it.

Cost is part of the discussion, too. The host describes Undertow as expensive, while saying they understand the price point given what comes in the game. They’re still weighing a purchase and would like to get additional characters, perhaps as part of a bundle at Gen Con. That’s a personal plan, not a promise about availability or price. For now, the strongest recommendation is simply that the hosts want another session.

More stops along the episode

The game impressions sit inside a broader conversation. The episode opens with holiday events and a joke from a listener who described the show as “making background noise.” The hosts take it in good humor, then move through a Flying Squirrel segment and several hobby and gaming topics. They also announce the winners of their sixth-anniversary celebration and thank listeners for spending time with the podcast.

The time guide points to quick stops across the show, including a Game of Thrones expansion, Kitchen Rush, The Quiver, and a discussion of app games. Other segments include Tony’s games at Christmas, a poem reading, and the hosts’ take on KeyForge tokens from The Broken Token. Listeners can also find the episode’s mentions of Portal Games, War of the Worlds: The New Wave, and Railways of Portugal. The show wraps with its winners, an outro and a mention of The Drop.

Episode guide

The recording runs 1:17:18. The listed timestamps make it easy to jump to a particular topic: the Game of Thrones expansion begins at 04:42, Kitchen Rush at 10:15, and The Quiver at 20:07. The Flying Squirrels segment starts at 35:33, with app games at 36:15. Master of Wills arrives at 50:14, followed by Too Many Bones: Undertow at 54:58. The anniversary winners are announced at 01:08:25.

For listeners choosing where to start, those last two reviews offer the episode’s clearest look at games played by the hosts. Master of Wills earns praise for tactical decisions within a compact eight-round contest; Undertow wins them over after a slower start, especially with its encounter-card writing. Both leave the table with a reason to play again, which is a fitting note for a podcast setting out on another year.