Episode 157: On Playing with Children

Episode three of the "On Playing With" miniseries is focused on playing video games with kids, and for Caleb it is specifically about playing games with his oldest kid, Charlee. The two of them have played games before, but in the last few months Charlee took ownership of her first game, taking the time to learn how to play it and beat it herself, and it caught dad off guard a bit. Come listen as he describes what it is like to watch your kid become passionate about something you hold a great deal of passion for yourself.

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Episode 156: On Playing with Parents

On episode two of the "On Playing With" series I focus in on my family's long running family game night. But not before digging into some of the history that brought us to being capable of having family game nights. There is overlap in some ways between this conversation and the last episode. I also start to dig into what it's like to teach someone how to play games, which is actually a lot harder than you might think it is.

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Episode 155: On Playing with Friends

This episode is focused, as the title suggests, on the ever-evolving social structure of playing games with my group of friends, how that group changes (for good and bad), how the games constantly change, and how balance is a dish best served carefully. There are good times and bad times bundled up in this experience. And it's an experience I wouldn't trade, though I do sometimes wish I could switch it off for a few days.

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Episode 154: It's a New Year!

I am starting a new mini podcast series titled "On Playing With" starting tomorrow. The series will focus on the dynamics of playing games with different groups of people in my life, how those dynamics shift, and how the experience changes as a result. I am also conducting several interviews in the coming weeks. We will see the return of Joe Erskine and Jon Everist, as well as a few more. The stream is returning to Mondays and Wednesdays. And finally, I am pushing the Patreon again. All of those things are detailed a bit more in this episode, so come settle in!

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Episode 153: Cutscenes Edition #3 - MI: Dead Reckoning Part One

We did it! We survived until another Mission Impossible movie came out! Are we going to make it until the next one? It really does feel like there is no end to the Ethan Hunt escapades and you know what, I don't mind! Come listen to Caleb's thoughts on this globetrotting, death-defying, acrobatic, action-packed thrill ride.

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Episode 152: Cutscenes Edition #2 - Indiana Jones

Indiana Jones is back! IS it good? Is it weird? Is it the end? Find the answer to all of those questions here. TL:DR Action movies are silly fun and this is one of those movies. Harrison Ford looks like he's having a blast, the surrounding cast do a tremendous job, it's written well and, you know what, it feels like Indiana Jones. What more could you ask for!?

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Episode 151: Cutscenes Edition #1

I'm switching up the way I do movie reviews! I find it so much more gratifying and have received far more feedback spending a few weeks on a piece, ruminating, than when I slap together a 1300 word movie review the day after. It all just ends up feeling like hunting for the best tagline rather than the best thought. So, in the interest of enjoying watching movies in a critical capacity, I am transitioning the short "reviews" into audio bits I'm calling Cutscenes!

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Episode 150: Resetting with Zara Varin

It has been a minute! Lots of life changes and a move and a new baby on the way and all sorts of stuff just kept rolling in. But I’m back! And hopefully without a ton more interruption! Join me this week as I connect and reset the clock with Zara Varin, a wonderful human I met with my grandmother in 2019 at Halo: Outpost Discovery. We haven’t spoken to each other in real time since that weekend years ago, so we take some time to reacquaint before we dive into a handful of really great topics.

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