Flip the Table

Episode 10,001 - Wayne's World LIVE at G2S Mar 09, 2020

In a special one night only reunion episode, the Flip the Table crew with guest Gil Hova reunited at the Granite Game Summit in Nashua, New Hampshire to explore the (self-proclaimed) excellence of the Wayne’s World VCR Game! Players race to collect Party Makers, a date, and a backstage pass to Party Central, all while being heckled and hindered by Wayne and Garth themselves. Plus: Ben and Niki Turner join Professor Laserbooks for a few words from our “sponsors”. Was it worth coming out of retirement for one more job? Tune in to find out!

BONUS EPISODE: The Professor, Niki, and Ben...Together Again! Mar 01, 2020

With our reunion episode looming on the horizon, Professor Laserbooks, Ben Turner, and Niki Turner stopped by to record a couple of segments. While they were here, a Battle of Wits broke out! Please enjoy this bonus episode recorded in the living room of Flip the Table Tower as we play "Stupid Answers" for the first time since 2017!

PAXU Secret Panel - With Flip Florey, Bruce Voge, Chaz Marler, and Crystal Pisano Dec 10, 2019

Recorded in a secret location near PAX Unplugged in Philadelphia, PA, Moderator Chris is joined by Flip Florey, Bruce Voge, Chaz Marler, and Crystal Pisano for the first ever 2 on 2 Wrong Scattergories Battle of Wits! Flip and Bruce represent the East, and Chaz and Crystal represent the west…which region will reign supreme? And does Moderator Chris still have what it takes to keep control of the Battle, or will the proceedings descend into chaos?

Bonus Episode - 2015 GenCon Secret Episode Nov 20, 2019

For the first time (at least without an unofficial leak), our secret Battle of Wits from GenCon 2015 is now widely available! When Flip Florey attended the convention a few years ago, he handed out cassettes of this episode to loyal listeners. Recorded in secret at Flip the Table tower, it has never before been released in our official feed…now, you can enjoy the high quality digital version without dragging your boom box out of the attic. You still have to rewind it with a pencil, though!

Justins and Biebers and Whiskers on Kittens (This Game is Broken Bonus Episode) Dec 25, 2018

In this special bonus episode courtesy of This Game is Broken, Moderator Chris and Flip Florey unite with the entire TGiB cast for a special edition of The Battle of Wits! Can a bunch of idiots, known for doing idiotic things on their own board game panel game show, survive a harrowing Justins & Biebers adventure and defeat the mysterious final villain? Happy holidays!!!

Flip Florey's Bieber Battling Compilation Classic! Jan 04, 2018

Flip's got a brand new podcast coming out, and we're celebrating by revisiting some of his favorite Battles of Wits! In this compilation, we'll listen to the trilogy of adventures in the world of "Justins and Biebers", FTT's version of a tabletop role playing game. Listen as the panel faces off against devious challenges from listeners all over the world in their quest to gather loot, level up, and ultimately roll a "20" to defeat the final boss! Aaaand once you're done reliving the magic of J&B, don't forget to subscribe to Flip Florey's Super Saturday Board Game Serial! It's a podcast that celebrates the FUN in board games featuring Flip and a slew of gaming notables! Are you ready? Then heeeeeeeeeeeeere we go!

Episode 10,000: VCR WrestleMania (Series Finale) Jul 28, 2017

This is it...our series finale! In this two hour extravaganza, We review the WWF VCR WrestleMania game, name our Best and Worst games of both 2017 and the entire series, and engage in an epic Battle of Wits to finally settle who is truly the Wittiest Battler! Nuff said!

Episode 110: Myst Jul 07, 2017

In our penultimate episode, we travel back to the magical land of the 1990's to play Myst, a board game based on the classic CD-ROM adventure game! This title somehow wedges in real-time jigsaw puzzle building as two players or teams vie for control of key locations from the computer game. Does this one somehow find all the right switches? Tune in to find out!

Episode 109: Dream Phone Jun 09, 2017

In our third-to-last show, we revisit the 90's "Dreamy dude" genre of games with Electronic Dream Phone! Using the iconic pink phone, players call all the boys at school and interrogate them to determine who the "secret admirer" is, all while using cards to extract additional clues from the other players. Does this game measure up to the standard of Heartthrob, or is it as obsolete as a land line?

Episode 108: Doctor Who: The Game of Time and Space May 18, 2017

In this super-sized episode, we revisit the Whoniverse by playing the most complex game ever reviewed on Flip the Table...Doctor Who: The Game of Time and Space from 1980! This Games Workshop pseudo-classic pits multiple incarnations of The Doctor against each other as they wrestle the Keys of Chronos from baddies like Daleks, Cybermen, and each-other! Is this game worth your TIME and the SPACE in your collection?

Episode 107: LIVE - The Harlem Globetrotters with Bill Corey! Apr 26, 2017

We're in front of a LIVE audience at the Granite Game Summit in Nashua, New Hampshire to talk about the Harlem Globetrotters game from 1971! Bill Corey of The Cubist Podcast joins us as we discover if the fourth wall bending athletic shenanigans of the 70's Globetrotters can be properly expressed via set collection. Plus, a Battle of Wits spectacle you have to hear to believe!

Episode 106: Tales of the Crystals Apr 05, 2017

In our first and only venture into the world of role playing games, we cover Tales of the Crystals; a 1993 audio cassette game from Milton Bradley. Players assume the role of crystal-bearing adventurers guided through a mystical adventure through a combination of magnetic tape and randomly drawn cards. Will this game transport us to a "World of myth and magic," or did this game go the way of Crystal Pepsi for a reason?

Episode 105: Rich Little's VCR Charades Mar 16, 2017

We begin our "Epic Final Season" of Flip the Table by playing "Rich Little's VCR Charades," a game where players watch famous celebrity impersonator Rich Little try to get concepts across without talking. VHS technology can improve a lot of things...but should the classic game of Charades remain unblemished by magnetic tape?

Our Epic Final Season Begins. Mar 14, 2017

In this bonus episode, I announce the beginning of Flip the Table's "Epic Final Season." I'll tell you how we'll celebrate the legacy of Flip the Table in the coming months, and how we'll bring our cheesy, weird, and obscure journey to a close.

Episode 104: CSI DVD Game Feb 23, 2017

Also known as "The one that's not Law and Order," CSI: Crime Scene Investigation was a crime drama mainstay on the CBS network which spawned endless spinoffs and yet another vehicle for Ted Danson...not to mention a DVD game! We'll take a look at this police procedural romp as we attempt to solve a mystery with a tiny black light, a red lens, and a little bit of brute force. Will we crack the case, or will our patience crack first?

Episode 103: Motor Mouth Feb 03, 2017

In the 80's and 90's, John Moschitta Jr. held the Guinness World Record for being the fastest talking human being alive. And he turned it into a career as an actor and commercial pitchman, most famously starring in commercials for Federal Express and Micro Machines. And they made a board game about it. And we played it. 'Nuff said.

Episode 102: Jumanji and Zathura Jan 13, 2017

Prepare to be sucked into the deadly world of board games as we cover Jumanji and Zathura in a super-sized double-header! These based-on-the-movie, based-on-the-children's-book games both feature players racing to finish the game before they are consumed by deadly peril. But is jungle peril better than space peril? Who is better...Robin Williams or Dax Shepard? Plus, a fan-made Battle of Wits!

BONUS EPISODE: Events, Appearances, and a Couple of Games Played Jan 06, 2017

Your Moderator Chris, here! On this quickfire bonus episode, I'll tell you about our upcoming appearances at SnowCon, TotalCon, and the Granite Game Summit, we'll tell you which other podcasts the FTT crew has been creeping up on lately, and I'll even do a quick legit review or two!

Episode 101: End of Year Special 2016 Dec 09, 2016

It's our two-hour end of year special, and we're closing out the year by once again skipping this whole "playing cheesy games" business and instead answering your questions! We'll also award the "BANCE Lombardi Trophy" to the best and worst games we played in 2016, and play a special listener-created Battle of Wits! So you know, the usual stuff.

Episode 100: Monopoly Tropical Tycoon Nov 16, 2016

It's our 100th episode, and we're celebrating in style with Monopoly Tropical Tycoon! This version of Hasbro's classic real estate game brings DVD technology into the mix...but with a concept like "DVD Monopoly," is it a "wheelbarrow" full of fun, or should it get the "boot"? Plus, lots of surprises, twists, and turns in celebration of 100 episodes of FTT...don't miss it!

BONUS EPISODE: Extra Life 2016 Wrap-Up Nov 09, 2016

We take a few minutes to talk about this year's Extra Life campaign...thanks so much to everyone who made it a phenomenal success!

Episode 99: Mythbusters Oct 27, 2016

We reject your reality and substitute our own as we play Mythbusters from 2012! Players answer trivia questions based on the tv show in order to manipulate a catapult into position to launch Buster the Crash Test Dummy toward victory. Is it "plausible" that science and dexterity can make a trivia game bearable, or is this one just "busted"? We experiment and find out...

Episode 98: Lost Oct 06, 2016

We're stranded on a mysterious island of cardboard as we take on Lost, a game based on the popular ABC television series! Players explore the island and uncover its mysteries while seeking to win the loyalty of the other castaways from Oceanic Airlines Flight 815. The characters are there, the smoke monster is there, but is the drama there? Flash back with us and find out...

Episode 97: Barbie's Keys to Fame Sep 16, 2016

We're headed back to the 1960's to try on some new careers in "Barbie's Keys to Fame Game by Mattel"! Players take on the role of multidimensional Barbie clones, each with a secret career aspiration, who compete to collect the personality traits they need to be successful as a working woman of the 60's. Is this slice of retro kitsch cool like Mad Men, or hot like fondue?

Episode 96: Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Aug 26, 2016

YOU SHALL NOT PASS up the opportunity to listen to the panel take on Lord of the Rings: Return of the King! This RoseArt title gives players a chance to take on all the major characters of the Peter Jackson movie as Frodo tries to destroy the One Ring while trembling under the gaze of Sauron. A roll and move game about a major movie license made by a crayon company? What could possibly go wrong?

Episode 95: SpyQuest Aug 07, 2016

We engage in VCR espionage as we play SpyQuest from 1994! Players first watch one of three thrilling thirty-minute "spy movies," then race across the globe to collect clues, survive interrogation, and avoid sabotage in order to discover the secret location. Does this game make players feel like a secret agent, or does it make them feel like they need an aspirin? FTT investigates.

Episode 94: LIVE - The Real Ghostbusters with Suzanne Sheldon and Chaz Marler at Dice Tower Con 2016 Jul 12, 2016

We're busting ghosts in front of a LIVE audience at Dice Tower Con 2016 as we discuss The Real Ghostbusters from 1986! Our guests Suzanne Sheldon and Chaz Marler join us for this vintage 3D game of "Tricks and Traps" as the cartoonified versions of Venkman, Spengler, Stantz and Zeddemore race to get from the firehouse to the top of Baron Bones' mansion. Does this game of bouncing skulls and spinny spinners live up to the franchise's immense nostalgia? Plus: a 2 on 2 Battle of Wits pitting "Team LaserSuz" against "Team HunneChaz" that you absolutely cannot miss...

Episode 93: Superman III Jun 26, 2016

We're flying backwards around the earth's axis to travel back to the early 1980's to bring you Superman III: The Board Game! Based on the slapstick superhero film, players take on the role of Supes as battles an evil supercomputer...and himself. Does this game faithfully recreate the nuance of this cinematic classic? Is there enough Richard Pryor in the game? This looks like a job for Flip the Table!

Episode 92: Guinness Game of World Records Jun 02, 2016

Who doesn't like a good leaderboard? On this episode, the panel plays the Guinness Game of World Records, based on the famous book that was wedged next to the encyclopedias in your third grade class. It's a little bit of trivia and a whole lot of dexterity as players try to beat each-other's records in a race to 100 points. Is this 70's classic as much fun as poring through a bunch of tiny black-and-white text?

Episode 91: Dragons' Den May 12, 2016

Before there was Shark Tank in the United States, there was (and is) Dragons' Den; a UK reality show where entrepeneurs pitch their grand schemes in hopes of getting a six-figure investment from some mean, rich people. This episode we join the excitement at home with the British version of the home game, where players hear off-the-wall pitches for real products and decide if they'll be a "Goldmine," "Hit," or "Flop." Is having the word "Dragon" in the title enough to make us want to invest in this one?

Episode 90: Ice Cube Apr 22, 2016

Some games are less fun than watching paint dry...but are they less fun than watching ice melt? We'll finally be able to answer that question after playing the 1972 oddity Ice Cube by Milton Bradley! Players torture each-other's ice pawns with salt, water, and pressure in a war of attrition to be the last cube standing. Will this rare title be a unique surprise, or will it leave us feeling cold?

BONUS EPISODE: Flip the Table on The Party Gamecast Apr 02, 2016

By now you've discovered our April Fool's Day surprise, where The Party Gamecast (Featuring The Party Game Cast) took control of FTT for an episode! But what were we doing during that time? In case you haven't figured it out, we present to you our turn on The Party Gamecast. Did we manage to avoid playing bad games for once? Yeeeah, probably not. HUGE thanks to our pals at The Party Gamecast for doing such a great job caring for FTT Tower while we were gone! Back to normal, such as it is, in three weeks.

Episode 89: MTV Remote Control Apr 01, 2016

In the late 1980's, MTV shocked the world by not playing music videos for 30 minutes, and instead brought us the cult classic game show "MTV Remote Control." Now, Flip the Table takes on the home version, complete with clicky little remotes and irreverent TV trivia from decades gone by. Does this "Worthless game of useless TV knowledge" live up to its own tagline? Tune in to find out if this game will stay in the collection, or get sent packing straight through the basement wall.

Episode 88: Sonic the Hedgehog Mar 05, 2016

He's blue! He's spiky! He's Urkel-y! And he's fast! It's Sonic the Hedgehog, based on the original Sega Genesis game from the 1990's. Players control Sonic as he weaves his way through classic levels from the video game, collecting rings and freeing the occasional fuzzy animal from robot slavery. Can the power of "blast processing" be replicated in cardboard form, or will this one have us desperately searching for oxygen bubbles?

Episode 87: Hello Kitty with Geoff Engelstein Feb 12, 2016

In perhaps our most adorable episode yet, we're joined by Geoff Engelstein, co-designer of Space Cadets and co-host of Ludology to play the Hello Kitty Best Friends Game! Players race to Kitty's house for a fun slumber party while collecting stickers from their friends. Does togetherness truly bring happiness, or does this one belong in the litter box? Also: Geoff Engelstein! That's fun!

Episode 86: The Weakest Link Jan 22, 2016

Do you like game shows? How about brutal insults? This week's title might be a brutal insult to game shows...as we're playing The Weakest Link, based on the American version of the popular UK quiz show. Players answer rapid fire trivia questions to earn points as a team, then turn on each-other and eliminate each-other one by one until one winner remains. One player even gets to play Anne Robinson and unleash vicious jabs at poorly performing players! Will we be playing this one again, or will we say "Goodbye"?

Episode 85: End of Year Special 2015 Dec 30, 2015

It's time for our special 2 HOUR year-end extravaganza! We skip the whole ironic board game discussion thing and spend most of this episode answering your questions. Shocking secrets will be revealed, pending your relatively low tolerance for shock! Plus, we'll give out the "Bance Lombardi" award for the best and worst games of 2015, and roll out another fan-created Battle of Wits with tens of thousands of points on the line! Spend your New Year's Eve with us!!! Not literally, of course...that would be the worst.

Episode 84: 10-Four, Good Buddy Dec 02, 2015

Straight from the CB Radio craze of the 1970's comes 10-Four, Good Buddy...the first, and probably only game, about truckers using CB Radios! Get in your big rig and hammer down as you flee from smokies while racing to be the first to complete your route! Read fun and nigh-incomprehensible trucker speak with the help of the included dictionary of CB lingo! Does this game broadcast loud and proud, or is it all static? Hit the road with us to find out!

Episode 83: Are You Afraid of the Dark? Nov 13, 2015

Gather 'round the campfire with us as we tell you a spooooooky story in a special Halloween Friday the 13th episode! We're playing Are You Afraid of the Dark from 1995, based on the Nickelodeon horror anthology series for tweens. Players create a custom character and explore the "Are You Afraid of the Dark"-niverse, facing supernatural peril as they attempt to max out their stats and return to the campfire. Will the panel walk away safely, or will they be shocked by an ironic and terrifying (yet kid-safe) twist? Download now...IF YOU DARE.

Episode 82: VCR Top Rank Boxing Oct 23, 2015

Float like a magnetic head and sting like a tracking error...this week we're playing VCR Top Rank Boxing! In this game of pausing and playing pugilism, players draw cards, roll dice, and watch exciting video clips in an attempt to last 13 rounds and win the judges' decision, or (allegedly) knock out their opponent. Can the makers of VCR College Bowl redeem themselves with this title? Will it be a KO, or merely be OK? Step into the ring with us to find out!

Episode 81: Garfield Oct 02, 2015

He hates Mondays and loves lasagna...but can Garfield deliver a compelling gameplay experience? Ben and Niki Turner join Your Moderator Chris and Professor Laserbooks to play this Parker Brothers title from the early 80's. Players match wits against Garfield as they attempt to complete laps around the board while avoiding his various whims and mood swings. Do the players have what it takes to cope with this temperamental cat, or will this box mysteriously find its way to Abu Dhabi? Plus, an epic Battle of Wits hosted for the first time by Niki! It'll be more fun than kicking a helpless dog off the table!

Episode 80: The Omega Virus Sep 10, 2015

Heeeeeeeeelp meeeeeee! Heeeeeeelp meeeeeeeee! I've been taken over by an insane artificial intelligence, which can only be defeated if you download and listen to this episode of Flip the Table about the cult classic The Omega Virus! [TRYYYYYYY AND STOP ME, YOU, HUMAN, SCUM!!!]

Episode 79: Batman Returns 3D Board Game Aug 21, 2015

We don the cape and cowl once more and take up the role of Michael Keaton in the Batman Returns 3D Board Game! In this one, players punch as many bad guys as they can, hoping to find enough Batman logos to earn the right to battle The Penguin...but Catwoman is on the prowl, sending you back to your home space to contemplate your dark past. It's a board game so dramatic, even the board is in "tiers"! The board is in "tiers", you guys!

BONUS: GenCon 2015 Debrief! Aug 09, 2015

In this special BONUS mini-episode, Chris debriefs Flip on his adventures at GenCon 2015! Find out what it was like for Our Favorite Party Clown to attend the big one for the first time! Did he make more friends than enemies? Did he remember to eat at some point? And just what did he ship home? The details are a click away!

Episode 78: 24 DVD Board Game Jul 28, 2015

The following podcast takes place in real time...except for all the boring stuff we cut out. We're playing the 24: DVD Board Game, where players help Jack Bauer to thwart terrorist threats by using such controversial tactics as navigating through slow, clunky menus with a DVD remote. It's a series of mini-games that combine the action packed "Thrills" of Dragon's Lair with the gritty, rule-breaking realism of "24" (toned down for family play, of course). Does this title capture the intensity and drama of the fight against terror, or is it really a mole waiting patiently in our collection? Plus: a Battle of Wits where nobody can be trusted...

Episode 77: Aladdin Jul 10, 2015

Like so much Steppenwolf, we're taking a "Magic Carpet Ride" in this episode of Flip the Table! We're playing Aladdin: The Magic Carpet Game...a dexterity/pick-up-and-deliver hybrid in the land of Disney's Agrabah. Players glide from zone to zone, trying to empty their hand of adventure cards and gain control of the Genie to win. Will our band of scoundrels and street rats "wish" to play this one again? Enter our itty bitty living space and find out!

Episode 76: Iron Chef Jun 20, 2015

This time, we take a big old bite out of the yellow bell pepper that is the Iron Chef Board Game! In this title based on the original Japanese series, players take the role of one of the four Iron Chefs in a free-for-all battle in Kitchen Stadium. Chefs jockey to present a three course meal, scoring bonus points for making dishes in their own specialty style and for actually remembering to include the Secret Ingredient. But be careful! At any time another Iron Chef could sabotage your dish...if you don't burn your own vegetables first! Will this game earn the favor of our panel of judges? Plus: We plagiarize pay tribute to the venerable Shut Up and Sit Down for our Battle of Wits!

Episode 75: VCR Golf May 28, 2015

No windmills or pirates here; we're playing the purest form of golf...VCR Golf! In this late 80's title, players must choose between using sure-thing club cards in their hand, or testing their VCR pausing skills with the video tape in order to shave the most strokes off their game. Is this version of the ancient game as exciting as playing real golf, or is it as exciting as watching real golf? Plus: in the Battle of Wits, we peer into the future...

Episode 74: Clarissa Explains it All May 08, 2015

Prop your ladder against our window and climb into our game room as we take on Clarissa Explains it All from 1994! In this notably slimeless entry from Nickelodeon, Clarissa Darling guides up to 6 players on their journey to finally get the car they've always wanted. Players earn car keys by getting into each-others' heads and answering Clarissa's well-explained questions, all while avoiding the dangers of parents and little brothers and predicting the answers to survey questions posed to kids who may or may not exist. Does this game earn its license, or will it be stuck at home with Fergwad forever?

Episode 73: America's Funniest Home Videos Apr 17, 2015

Before there was a YouTube, and we had ready access to people injuring themselves from all over the world 24 hours a day, America relied upon network television to deliver a weekly dose of poorly shot fail videos. This week we're playing the America's Funniest Home Videos VCR game, where players test their memory, creativity, and social savvy while watching hundreds of the "funniest" video clips the 1990s had to offer. Can the panel successfully remember minute details of blurry, VHS quality clips? Will Bob Saget's running commentary provide any assistance? Plus, we go shopping in this week's Battle of Wits...

Episode 72: The Justin Bieber Special Mar 27, 2015

It's a special two-game episode filled with longing stares and fingers bent into the shapes of hearts! First, the panel takes on Justin Bieber: Always Be Mine...where players must be willing to do anything to earn the attention of the pop idol! Does anyone in the panel have what it takes to turn Justin's finely coiffed head? Then, it's Justin Bieber: Backstage Pass...a trivia game where players must prove their mastery of Justin Bieber minutiae in order to claw their way to a backstage meet-and-greet with "The Bieb" himself! All that, plus a cameo from Chaz Marler and a special fan-created Battle of Wits! #SQUEEE!!!!

Episode 71: Waterworld Mar 07, 2015

Hoist your sails and brush up on your Portu-Greek, because Flip the Table is about to take you to Waterworld! This board game, based on the 90's Kevin Costner spectacle of the same name, has players sailing their Trimarans around the endless sea of a post-apocalyptic future as they search for the mythic "Dryland"...all while escaping the infamous Smokers, who try to run them down aboard the Exxon Valdez. Can a board game based on one of the biggest box office bombs of all time somehow transcend its license and deliver a compelling experience? It won't cost you 40 quarters to find out...

Episode 70: Star Trek (1979) Feb 13, 2015

Are you feeling ambitious? Perhaps..."Enterprise"-ing? Then you'll want to download this episode as the panel returns to the Final Frontier for the Star Trek Game from 1979! We fire up our warp engines (with entirely randomized controls) and race each-other to be the best space diplomats/Gorn punchers by completing secret missions. Do we have the guts, nay, the "Bones" to rise to the top of the Federation ranks? Plus, in the Battle of Wits, we make up a bunch of stuff.

Episode 69: Elmo's Birthday Game Jan 24, 2015

What's red, fuzzy, and started a lot of fights in the 90's? Why Elmo, of course! We take a trip to Sesame Street for Elmo's Birthday Game, a Candy Land-esque affair where players race to get all their gifts to Elmo's party before he arrives to speak in the third person about his cake and stuff. Does this title contain sufficient levels of Oscar the Grouch to be an acceptable game for your family? Plus, in the Battle of Wits, we play a classic Sesame Street game...

Episode 68: Pac-Man: The Board Game Jan 01, 2015

Flip the Table has returned...with a bad case of Pac-Man Fever! We're joined by Bangor City Councilor Gibran Graham as we revisit the Pac-Man board game universe with this Milton Bradley classic. Players take on one of four colored Pac-Men (Pac-Mans? Pac-Mani?) as they race to munch marbles and earn points. Using a special brand of roll-and-move necromancy, players also send ghosts to gobble opponents and steal their marbles away from them. Does this game faithfully recreate the arcade phenomenon, or does playing it feel like swallowing a key? Kick off the new year with us as we find out!

Episode 67: End of Year Special 2014 Nov 19, 2014

It's time once again for our super-sized, super-spectacular, super-bedazzled End of Year Special! We stop rolling and moving for once so we can take some time to answer a bunch of your questions and mispronounce all of your names. Then, we'll give our annual awards for the best and worst games we've covered in 2014. And it wouldn't be a special episode without another fan-created Battle of Wits, where the panel will fight for tens of thousands of VALUABLE POINTS! FTT will return in January...but for now, enjoy this special double-episode!

Episode 66: Buffy the Vampire Slayer Nov 09, 2014

This week's game is a certified cult classic...a Milton Bradley title that makes even hardened hobby gamers want to play "Once More, with Feeling!" In Buffy the Vampire Slayer, players roll and move their way through Sunnyvale, fighting ancient vampires and searching for mystical artifacts...all while experiencing their own brand of teen drama (presumably). The panel searches for weapons, researches magic spells, and calls for help from the denizens of the Whedonverse while trying to prevent Buffy from being destroyed or turned into a vampire. Does Buffy deserve its cult classic status, or does it feel seven times longer than Firefly? Download now to find out!

Episode 65: Home Alone Oct 24, 2014

Just in time for the much too early start of the Christmas season, we're playing the Home Alone board game! This spin and move memorization game, based on the massive 90's blockbuster, has players controlling both a particularly independent 8 year old and the infamous "Wet Bandits" as they try to protect the family's valuables while springing the most lethal traps on the crooks. Has the panel had enough of this one, or are they thirsty for more? Plus, Flip gets the fans involved in a very special (too early for the) holiday edition of the Battle of Wits!

Episode 64: Beakman's World Oct 10, 2014

Take a little Mr. Wizard, a little Ren and Stimpy, and blend in a heaping helping of roll and move, and you get the Beakman's World: Beakmania Game! In this trivia/dexterity hybrid based on the 1990's-era educational science show for kids, players battle for beakers at Beakman's lab...using such varied props as dominoes, magnetic marbles, plastic discs, wadded up paper, rulers, and balloons. Does this nineties-tastic edutainment title manage to work in a little actual entertainment on the side? Plus: Professor Laserbooks tries to make a subjective Battle of Wits a little more scientific...

Episode 63: The Simpsons: Don't Panic Sep 26, 2014

A board game about the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant? That's unpossible! This week we're diving into The Simpsons: Don't Panic...a game of spinning donuts and silly mayhem based on one of the longest running animated series of all time. Players compete in a series of crazy stunts in 60 second bursts as they race to collect enough pieces of junk to stop the reactor from melting down and, presumably, ending civilization. Does this game contain enough zany fun to make us say "Ay caramba," or will we be left eating our shorts? Plus, in this week's Battle of Wits, we'll find out who is the S-M-R-T-est about Simpson's merchandise...

Episode 62: Vanilla Ice Electronic Rap Game Sep 11, 2014

We demand you stop, collaborate, and listen to this episode of Flip the Table, where we dive into the endless complexity of the Vanilla Ice Electronic Rap Game! Featuring the "Electronic Beat Box Microphone," players cover up pictures of Vanilla Ice using harshly colored rhyming words while jockeying for position on a thin piece of 1990's-era cardboard. Complete a stanza, and not only do you score big points, you get the pleasure of rapping your frankenrhyme for everyone at the table! Does the panel have what it takes to spit hot fire and rap like ninjas, or will we simply fade into obscurity? To the extreme!

Episode 61: Star Wars: The Interactive Video Board Game Aug 30, 2014

Once again, we attempt to lift up some rocks while we stand on our heads as we return to the Star Wars universe! In Star Wars: The Interactive Video Board Game, you and up to 5 other rebels invade a partially constructed Death Star, using a combination of plucky astromech droids and the awesome power of The Force to plant enough heavy explosives to blow it to kingdom come. But be careful! A VHS-based Darth Vader and a single wandering Stormtrooper seek to thwart your efforts (because good is dumb)...and the Dark Side of The Force may prove too seductive for one of your well-intentioned friends. Is a 3D board and a blurry Darth Vader enough to set this apart from other VHS games? Plus, we ask a Very Important Question about scenes from Star Wars too awesome for theaters. Download now!

Episode 60: Thundercats Aug 15, 2014

In an instance of obvious pandering to Internet cat worship, this week we're covering the Thundercats board game from 1985! We take on the roles of anthropomorphic feline space travelers who brave mutant attacks and library-like forests in a race to finish the final battle by ourselves and snatch the glory from our fellow travelers. Is there fun to be had in this game, or are we chasing a mysterious red dot that was never really there? Download, HO!

Episode 59: Cheers Aug 01, 2014

Though some of this week's panel are teetotalers, that will not stop us from reviewing this 1987 classic about everyone's favorite Boston bar! The Cheers board game, based on the situation comedy of the same name, pits the patrons and staff against each-other in a hybrid trivia/dexterity game. Is the brutal "Normie's Olympics" too much of a challenge for even the most sober of panelists? Will this TSR-produced classic deliver on the implied promise of dungeons and/or dragons in a Boston pub? Pull up a stool and join us, won't you?

Episode 58: The Baseball Double-Header Jul 18, 2014

It's another sportsball-themed episode as we take on two games featuring America's Non-MMA Pastime, the historic game of Baseball. First, we attempt to screen out the shouts of angry parents as we play The Approved Little League Game from the 1960's...a chart-based simulator featuring all the high-octane thrills of choosing how many pitches not to swing at. Then, it's The Baseball Card Game, a team-branded rummy style game which has the guts to implicitly claim its own definitiveness by having a starkly-worded title. Just how much pine tar and cork is needed to fix these games? Download now to find out!

Episode 57: Isaac Asimov's Robots Jul 03, 2014

Let the wondrous, futuristic technology of magnetic tape transmitting images into a cathode ray tube transport you into the world of Isaac Asimov's Robots! In this deduction game, players take the role of futuristic gumshoes solving an attempted murder. Pay close attention to the VHS tape as well as randomly drawn clues to figure out whotriedtodunit. Was it a filthy "Earther," filled with discontent about their living conditions and a hatred of the sun, or was it a smug "Spacer," living in their ivory tower in the stars with their better robots and their extreme germophobia? Plus, in the Battle of Wits, we try to figure out which Asimov plotline is real, and which is a futuristic fantasy.

Episode 56: Welcome Back, Kotter Jun 20, 2014

Hi, therrre! Even a note from Epstein's Mother won't excuse you from listening to this week's Flip the Table, as we explore the extended canon of the Welcome Back, Kotter board game. Ben and Niki join us as we roll and move our way through a dirty Brooklyn classroom, trying to string together a single sentence while under the watchful eye of a loveable, mustachioed mentor/poker player. Will this title inspire us to achieve greater things and transcend our sweathog status, or will we be children left behind?

Episode 55: Pokemon Master Trainer Jun 05, 2014

Happy 2nd BANCE-iversary to Flip the Table! We're kicking off our 3rd year with one of the biggest IPs in the world of gaming as we take on Pokemon...but not the good kind like you want. In Pokemon Master Trainer, players race to accumulate tiny, adorable monsters as they build up power for the final battle at Indigo Plateau. Collect all 3 of a Pokemon's evolutionary levels and enjoy a massive bonus. But is it enough to take down Team Rocket in the end, or will you be left crying like a kid with a prematurely unplugged link cable? Plus, in the Battle of Wits, the panel struggles to name a single Pokemon correctly.

Episode 54: E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial May 16, 2014

In the early eighties, Steven Spielberg brought to life a pop culture phenomenon with a few simple ingredients...namely, a Speak & Spell, a saw blade, some Reese's Pieces, and a yearning for home. However, if you blend a bit of Roll & Move into the mix, you get the E.T. board game by Parker Brothers. This blockbuster tie-in pits players against each-other in an epic duel of helpfulness as they compete to assist E.T. in building his communicator device and fleeing Earth's horrible, smog-filled atmosphere. It's a co-petitive title which requires significant blind-luck skills, and a dash of ESP...but does the experience take us to the sky on its magic bike, or does it deserve to be buried in the desert?

Episode 53: 1 vs. 100 May 02, 2014

The game show boom of the early-to-mid 2000's featured lots of push-your-luck, big money shows...but only one was hosted by Danny Tanner. Contributing Flipsters Ben and Niki join us for a look at the 1 vs. 100 DVD game, a party game where one lucky player competes for huge stacks of DVD cash while everyone else tries to spoil it for them. Answering questions keeps you in the game while you try to outlast "The Mob" on your way up the ladder. Is it fun enough to keep playing until your inevitable defeat, or should you just take your pretend money and run? Much like any prime time game show, we'll drag the answer out over two commercial breaks...

Episode 52: TV Scrabble Apr 18, 2014

For the first time since our very fourth episode, it's a Chuck Woolery themed Flip the Table as we take on the game you've played all your life...but never quite like this! TV Scrabble is the 1987 board game based on the TV game show, which itself was based on the 1948 board game (give yourself a minute to parse that sentence). This game brings the rotating sets and Woolerific game show action home as players solve crossword-style clues to score points, while avoiding the dreaded "Stopper." But can a game two generations removed from its source material manage to please board game fans and game show fans alike? Woolery!

Episode 51: Where in the USA is Carmen Sandiego? Apr 04, 2014

Take a trip with us to the 90's, where the world's most dangerous criminals were often pursued and captured by young children. In "Where in the USA is Carmen Sandiego?" players travel the US searching for stolen national landmarks, obtaining a warrant, and arresting criminals with extremely punny names. This board game version swaps the cumbersome nature of reading an encyclopedia for the streamlined simplicity of multiple choice questions...but can our panel of gumshoes stop VILE with their knowledge of elementary-level geography, or will Carmen Sandiego escape yet again? Plus, in this week's battle of wits, Professor Laserbooks presents an old favorite with a new twist...

Episode 50: The Bionic Special Mar 21, 2014

In this special double-episode, we're replacing all our limbs and taking on two games of Bionic proportions! First, we step into the track suit of Steve Austin (The other one) in The Six Million Dollar Man game, where we'll spin and move our way into brick walls until we prove which OSI agent is the real deal. Then, in The Bionic Woman, we'll travel around a sort of 70's fantasy landscape rescuing children for big points! Does this Bionic hardware stand the test of time, or has it become obsolete government property?

Episode 49: The Legend of Zelda Mar 07, 2014

Enjoy this special edition gold-colored mp3 as we pick up our wooden swords and embark upon The Legend of Zelda! This board game features multiple players controlling a single Link as he travels the vast overworld of Hyrule and flips over random enemy tiles until he defeats Ganon or someone dies. Does the panel have sufficient hearts to survive this journey, or will they be left with a dead battery and a corrupt save file?

Episode 48: The McDonald's Game Feb 20, 2014

We're taking off our shoes and ascending the twisty pipe-slide as we prepare to descend into The McDonald's Game from 1975! This super-rare, super-retro title pits Ronald, Grimace, Hamburglar, and Birdie against each-other in a hamburger-slinging game of listening, memorization, and quick-thinking. We race to complete each-other's orders to score points...and strategically decide when to intentionally mess them up. This game will definitely make you hungry, but will it make you happy? Flip the Table investigates.

Episode 47: Indiana Jones DVD Adventure Game Feb 08, 2014

Bullwhips! Stubble! Mine carts! Choosing things! All the most famous hallmarks of the Indiana Jones franchise...upon which the Indiana Jones DVD Adventure Game is based. We choose a Harrison Ford pawn and work our way through a modular dungeon as we fight exotic thugs and avoid dangerous traps in search of ancient artifacts. Once the temple is thoroughly looted, players race to the exit to avoid being crushed by stuff in the name of archaeology. Does this game deliver a thrilling adventure to fortune and glory, or will it melt our faces off when we open the box?

Episode 46: VCR College Bowl Jan 24, 2014

It's game night on the gridiron as Flip the Table meets VCR College Bowl! This VHS title from the early 80's simulates college football as players draw cards and watch exciting clips to inch forward slowly in this high stakes game of VIDEO ACTION! It's bone-crushing tackles combined with soul-crushing gameplay...will the panel's limited football experience be enough to get them to the end zone? Ready! Download! HUT-HUT-HUT!

Episode 45: Doorways to Horror Jan 10, 2014

Vampires! Witches! Monsters! All sorts of ghoulish terrors await you behind the Doorways to Horror! Featuring COLORSCAN(TM) technology, this 1986 VHS bidding game advertises "over 8 million different encounters" where players watch clips of (probably public domain) horror films while casting magic spells on various creatures to earn gold certificates. In this video adventure of menacing monsters and punishing puns, will the panel have the nerve to survive? Plus: in our Battle of Wits, the panel is forced to make a horrible choice...

Episode 44: End of Year Special 2013 Dec 28, 2013

The bedazzled trophy is back! It's our super-sized 2013 End of Year Special, where we answer questions from Flipsters all over the globe, and give our awards for the best and worst games we played all year! Plus, our special Season Finale Battle of Wits features our first ever fan-created battle! Who will become the 2013 BoW champion? Will it be decided with anything remotely resembling game balance? And...we have a special gift for all our listeners! This episode is HUGE! Like, literally larger than most of our episodes! Enjoy!

Episode 43: Terminator 2 Dec 13, 2013

Say "Hasta la vista" to boredom and get ready to join us for a rousing game of "Terminator 2: Judgement Day"...a board game based on the blockbuster film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. This game sees players racing to collect floppy diskettes and Terminator parts while fleeing the dreaded T-1000 as they prepare for the deadly final battle at the local steel mill. Will this game get a "Thumbs-up," or will it become self-aware and destroy us all? Plus; we dig into Arnold's back catalog in the Battle of Wits. Download now!

Episode 42: Saved by the Bell - LIVE at BGG.con with Eric Summerer!!! Nov 29, 2013

It's our first ever LIVE podcast, recorded at BGG.con 2013! Our guest Eric Summerer from The Dice Tower joins us as we play Saved By the Bell from 1992, a pick-up-and-deliver game where players earn points by hanging out with the gang from Bayside and going on a date with both Zack AND Slater! Race around the school while avoiding detention and asking your friends uncomfortable questions about their classmates. Enjoy 54 unique(ish) images of the Bayside gang and collect your favorite ones to score valuable points. Over 2 decades later, did this game hold up as well as its namesake television program? Plus, a Battle of Wits you won't want to miss!

Episode 41: The Muppet Show Nov 08, 2013

They had faces of foam rubber and hearts of gold...but do they have what it takes to make a great board game? Flip the Table investigates as we play The Muppet Show! This late 70's title features the wacky Muppetational stylings of Kermit, Fozzy, Miss Piggy, and the whole gang, and thrusts them into a madcap world of clinical, tactical movement. Which Muppets will reach the footlights and take their place on the big stage? How in the world does the mysterious Double Spinner factor in? What do Statler and Waldorf have to say about all this? Download now to find out!

Episode 40: The Price is Right Special Oct 25, 2013

In this special episode, we play 3 generations of games about the FABULOUS, SIXTY-MINUTE Price is Right! First, we go all the way back to the sixties and enjoy the trick-taking madness of Bid it Right: The Price is Right...where we fight over bowling balls and jigsaws to see who can earn the most cash. Then, it's a trip to 1986 where we play The Price is Right Board Game...a game which blends basic appraisal skills with a little Dungeons & Dragons. Finally, we play the 2008 Price is Right DVD Game, and see if modern technology can improve upon the formula. Which TPIR game is the superior experience? Come on down and find out!

Episode 39: Spy Vs. Spy Oct 11, 2013

This week, Flip the Table returns to the wacky world of Mad Magazine for a trip back in time to the Cold War...where the White Spy and Black Spy eternally engage in an epic duel on behalf of vague (but menacing) government agencies. Welcome to Spy Vs. Spy: The Board Game, where you and up to 3 others can build tunnels in search of deadly bombs and inexplicably bring them back to your home base, presumably while lit. Use tiles from your hand to build routes, and play your sabotage tiles to block in rival spies and force them to juggle hissing explosives turn after turn in hopes they somehow make it back home before their inevitable destruction. The question: does this game feel like the bleakness of the Cold War, or the fun, youthful spirit of the Cola Wars? Plus: Wrong Scattergories!

Episode 38: eBay Sep 26, 2013

Way back in 2001, when the dot-com bubble was bursting and the Internet was crumbling to dust in front of our eyes, one company had the foresight to create a time capsule of what would most assuredly be a distant memory 12 years later...a way to teach generation after generation about the thrill and excitement of online auctions. Now, in 2013, contributing Flipsters Ben and Niki Turner stop by to play the eBay Electronic Talking Auction Game! We let the soothing voice of the electronic squawk box guide us through 30 auctions of indeterminate length. Who will bid their way to victory and get the best assortment of random junk? And can we find the off switch? Find out now!

Episode 37: Home Improvement Sep 13, 2013

What problem has ever been solved by "Less power"? No important one, that's for sure. This week, we play the Home Improvement board game, where players roll, move, and grunt their way through the magical world of drywall, circuit testers, and subjective answers to trivia questions. It's a game that combines a little bit of Talisman, a little bit of Monopoly, and a whole lot of home improvement (the activity, not the sitcom). Who will be the first to capture the crown of command complete their jobs in the project house? Plus: which panelist is dreamier than Jonathan Taylor Thomas? (Spoiler: Nobody. Don't be stupid.)

Episode 36: Bruce Jenner Decathlon Aug 30, 2013

What do you get when you combine rubber bands, six sided dice, and The Prisoner's Dilemma? The Olympics, of course! This week, we're playing the Bruce Jenner Decathlon game from 1979! This vintage Parker Brothers title features Olympic Gold Medalist turned Kardashian stepfather Bruce Jenner guiding you through a magical journey through 10 track and field events which play out suspiciously like the same 3 mini-games repeated over and over again. Flick plastic discs at rubber bands and exercise your basic arithmetic skills on your way to the Gold! The question is, did this game eat its Wheaties for breakfast, or is it really full of Little Chocolate Donuts? Download now to find out!

Episode 35: Doctor Who Aug 16, 2013

This week, it's the Doctor Who Time Travelling Action Game!!! Oooh-WHEEE-Oooooooooh!!! WHEEEEE-oooh-WHOOOOOOOO!!!! Woooooo-OOOOOOh-oooooooh, Doooooo, d-doooooo... (Dum-da-da-dum, da-dum-da-da-dum, da-dum-da-dum) WHEEEOOOOOOOO, woooooo-OOOOOOOH!!!! Plus: Wrong Scattergories.

Episode 34: Pride and Prejudice Aug 02, 2013

We hope you've brought your Cliff's Notes, because this week's episode is about Pride and Prejudice: The Board Game! Based on the timeless Jane Austen novel which celebrates its 200th anniversary this year, this roll and mover pits players against each-other in a 19th century smackdown to find out who is the king and queen of regency life. Listen as the Flip the Table panel fails miserably to understand anything about Pride and Prejudice, guessing blindly at trivia questions about the novel as we flail our way to the church by exact count to win the game. Does this title adequately prepare us for life in 19th century British high society? Plus: we play Apples Against Prejudice in the Battle of Wits! Join us, won't you?

Episode 33: Gargoyles VHS Board Game Jul 20, 2013

Come join us in a world where stone warriors protect the city by night...and everyone kinda sounds like they belong on the Enterprise. We're playing Gargoyles: The VCR Board Game; a VHS pack-in with the Disney movie which was a special bonus feature long before DVDs brought us hours of deleted scenes. Spin and move your way to the Xanatos building within 20 minutes to defeat Jonathan Frakes before he unleashes horrible robot doppelgangers on the city of New York. If nobody makes it to the finish, the city is destroyed. OR IS IT?!?!?! Download now and join the adventure!

Episode 32: Party Mania Jul 06, 2013

The Flip the Table gang didn't get invited to too many parties in our formative years...but now, we can see what that would have been like thanks to the early 90's celebration preparation simulator Party Mania! This Nightmare-style VHS game is a race against the clock as you and your friends busily attempt to complete your chores and perfect your hair and outfit in time for the Keller Twins' huge bash. If you're lucky, one or more players will be ready in time for the party...too slow, and you'll be at home with your lame family and the nerdiest kids in school. Earn Mom's approval and manipulate your friends as you roll, move, and charade your way to victory. Does Party Mania flow through our veins? Download now to find out!

Episode 31: Space Jam Jun 22, 2013

Some would say that, prior to the 2000's, "Mashups" were an imperfect art form. Case in point: the 1996 hoops drama Space Jam, in which basketball megastar/baseball notsomuch Michael Jordan teams up with the Looney Tunes gang for an interstellar basketball throwdown. This week, the Flip the Table panel immerses themselves in the Space Jam experience by suiting up and taking it to the hole in Space Jam: Michael Jordan's Cosmic Court. In this Plinko-based basketball simulator, four competing Michael Jordans race to be the first to hit the ultimate SLAM DUNK to defeat the Monstars and rescue Bugs and the gang from the horrific Monstars. Without Bill Murray around to pick up the slack, can anybody save this game? Plus: DOUBLE SHAWARMA! Don't miss it!

Episode 30: Battlestar Galactica (1978) Jun 06, 2013

Set condition one throughout the ship! It's time to play Battlestar Galactica...but not the good kind like you want. We're covering the Parker Brothers edition of BSG from 1978, where four alert Viper pilots engage in an exciting, tense, and dramatic training mission to drag the husk of a crippled Cylon raider back to the Galactica for inspection or something. Spin and move your way through space as you attempt to use your awesomely destructive laser weapons in a non-lethal manner to keep your fellow pilots from bringing home a busted toaster. How does this compare to the modern edition? You'll have to listen to find out. Though you've probably already cracked that case.

Episode 29: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers May 23, 2013

Take a little bit of 90210, add a splash of Voltron, and sprinkle in a little kaiju mayhem, and you get the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers; the early 90's phenomenon which taught us that all problems can be solved with multicolored spandex and increasingly larger robots. This episode, Flip the Table plays the eponymous board game by Milton Bradley from 1994, where players mow through an army of Putty Patrollers to earn the right to form the Megazord and take on King Sphinx. Only the ranger who strikes the final blow can win the game. It's got dice chucking, memory elements, bluffing, and resource management...but does the game feel like an epic battle, or recycled, poorly dubbed stock footage? Only one way to find out...

Episode 28: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles May 10, 2013

One cannot master the art of Ninjitsu without the most important maneuver in the martial artist's arsenal...what the masters call, loosely translated, "Roll and Move." That's why we're playing the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Pizza Power game from 1987! In this game, players pick their Turtle of choice and battle an endless army of punks, Shredders and Krangs until they earn the right to enter the Technodrome and defeat the Bad Guys once and for all. However, mere basic arithmetic skills are not sufficient to take down the Foot Clan...you'll need to use the Battle Flipper to land a die in the right plastic compartment to collect your trophy and prevent your Good Guys from fleeing to the discard pile. Does a board game with roll and move combined with dexterity elements work as well as a pizza with peanut butter and sauerkraut? Then, will our newly developed Ninja skills with the Battle Flipper be enough to prevent us from losing all our points in the Battle of Wits? Get in the Turtle Van...and set a course for fun! Just watch out for the electric seaweed.

Episode 27: Mall Madness Apr 27, 2013

This episode, we play perhaps the most popular and well-known game we've ever reviewed on Flip the Table...it's Mall Madness! In the electronic version of this game, players take the role of shopping-obsessed teenagers racing to buy arbitrarily priced retail goods, such as sunglasses, t-shirts, and pets (on clearance, if possible). Need energy? Stop at the movie theater for a quick meal. Then, send your friend to the rest room to delay their progress. Has this electronic monument to mall culture stood the test of time, or is this just another roll-and-mover with fancy window dressing? Plus; Professor Laserbooks guides us through a Battle of Wits where we plumb the depths of consumer fads. Check it out! Seriously!!!

Episode 26: WWF Wrestling Superstars with Billy Kumohara and Ophidian!!! Apr 11, 2013

Say your prayers and eat your vitamins! It's time to play the WWF Wrestling Superstars board game...with our special guests from Chikara pro wrestling, Billy Kumohara and Ophidian! Join us as the host of Chikara's Quiz Present Crisis Battle and the Venomous and Vile Master of Snake Style wax nostalgic about the golden age of wrestling, and find out what happens when 80's pro wrestlers escape their reality and take up fighting monsters in Tokyo. Then, we check our boots for foreign objects and ring the bell for a special squared-circle themed Battle of Wits! Can Team Chikara steal enough energy from the crowd to defeat the villainous Team Flip the Table, or will they pull hair and bite their way to victory? Download now to find out!

Episode 25: Survivor Mar 28, 2013

Leave your razors at home and get ready to scheme...this week's game is Survivor: The Australian Outback! In this game based on one of the earlier seasons of the popular reality show, we collect survival items and engage in intense table politics, sort of, as we attempt to earn immunity and avoid being eliminated at Tribal Council. Secrets will be revealed, and rice will be eaten. Find out who survived the final vote, and whether or not we're still friends after (SPOILER: No.) Plus, it's our most devious, maddening, diabolical Battle of Wits yet!

Episode 24: He-Man Vs. The Powerpuff Girls Mar 16, 2013

It's animated anarchy at Flip the Table Headquarters as we take on two games in our first ever cartoon special! First, we play 1983's Masters of the Universe 3-D Action Game, a spin-and-mover which seeks to improve the Snakes and Ladders formula by injecting a healthy dose of Beast Man. Then we travel from Eternia to Townsville and take on Lenny Baxter and Mojo Jojo in The Powerpuff Girls: Saving the World Before Bedtime...a program movement game all the way from the futuristic utopia of The Year 2000. Is Chemical X enough to overcome The Power of Grayskull? Will He-Man ever figure out how to take the Wind Raider out of reverse? Listen now!

Episode 23: Batman Forever Audio Game Mar 01, 2013

Na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-BANCE!!! This week, we play the Batman Forever Audio Game, our first ever title featuring an audio cassette (It's like a VHS, but you can't see anything). We follow the commands of a mysterious 1940's radio announcer as we attempt to be the first to bring Tommy Lee Jones and Jim Carrey to justice. Will Two-Face's army of thugs stop our Dynamic Quintet? Will a phalanx of useless police officers do anything to stop this rampant epidemic of crime? Will we need a pencil to rewind the tape? Tune in now to find out!!!

Episode 22: VCR California Games Feb 16, 2013

Now you can virtually experience the warm California sun via the radioactive glow of a cathode ray tube...with VCR California Games! Join us as we roll and move our way through the bay area, participating in generic extreme sports competitions to raise enough money to go to "The Nationals" by way of watching 5 second clips of skateboarding, BMX, wind surfing, and more. Is this game totally "Nails," or is it the opposite of "Nails"? What does any of that mean? Plus, Professor Laserbooks sneaks some education past FTT Standards and Practices and into the Battle of Wits. Cowa-BANCE-ga!

Episode 21: All My Children Feb 01, 2013

Set your VCRs for 1985 and prepare for a healthy dose of drama as we play All My Children, the board game based on the popular ABC soap opera! This game by TSR (The company behind Dungeons and Dragons at the time) attempts to inject a little bit of gamerly nuance into a licensed roll and mover. Were they successful in turning endless melodramatic plots into a solid experience for gamers? Flip the Table investigates. Download now!

Episode 20: MAD Magazine with Rich Sommer!!! Jan 16, 2013

It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad episode of Flip the Table as Rich Sommer from TV's Mad Men joins us to review MAD Magazine: The Board Game! This 1979 classic combines the subversive wit and satire of the iconic magazine with all the thrill and excitement of an old roll & move board game. Players travel counterclockwise around the board as they do everything they can to lose all the money they have in a chair-swapping, impression-of-a-rock doing, deliberately-vague-rules-interpreting slugfest. Many of us had this one as a kid...but does it hold up almost 35 years later? Also: We find out how someone with an actual IMDB listing fares in our first ever Celebrity Battle of Wits!

Episode 19: The People's Court Jan 05, 2013

All rise! The People's Court is now in session! Join Flip the Table and returning contributors Ben and Niki Turner as we face the dreaded Judge Wapner Spinner and play this 1986 title based on the original courtroom reality show. Does this roll and move board game accurately depict the drama of petty disputes in a small claims court? Also: we seamlessly edit over a mistake in identifying where Jerry Springer served as mayor, and we engage in a special Judge Edition of the Battle of Wits. Download now!

Episode 18: 2012 End of Year Special! Dec 22, 2012

In our season finale, join Flip the Table as we present our awards for the best and worst games we've played on the show. Which game had the most BANCE? Which was the most eye-gougingly bad game we've played all year? We'll tell you! With words! Also: listen and laugh at our expense as we valiantly struggle to pronounce your names in our first ever listener Q&A, and find out who will be crowned the 2012 Battle of Wits Heavyweight Champion of the World! It's a super-sized episode filled with more plot twists than a Dennis Miller joke about M. Night Shyamalan movies. Listen now!

Episode 17: Star Trek: The Next Generation VCR Game Dec 06, 2012

In our last game review of 2012, Flip the Table invites you to "Experience Bij" as we play "Star Trek: The Next Generation Interactive VCR Board Game"! The Klingon warmonger Kavok has taken control of the Enterprise in this roll & move race against the clock. Can our Starfleet training overcome hammy acting and crew infighting to prevent an intergalactic war, or will the fragile alliance with the Klingons be shattered by a 60 minute VHS tape? Plus: Flip gives a full report from BGG.con, and Professor Laserbooks challenges the panel to a super-sized Star Trek Battle of Wits! "Engage" your favorite podcasting device and "Make it so" the noises we made go into your ears...download now!

Episode 16: Murder, She Wrote Nov 24, 2012

This week, we're joining forces with the Game Night Guys to bring you team coverage of Murder, She Wrote: The board game! It's a deduction game with a traitor element released 25 years ahead of its time. Like Battlestar Galactica, there are many copies of Jessica Fletcher (played by the immortal Angela Lansbury) chasing down a twisted murderer as they try to exterminate an entire island resort. Is this game worthy of being played after, say, "60 Minutes: The Board Game"? Plus: A Battle of Wits with an ending you won't believe! Check out our review, and visit gamenightguys.com to hear their coverage of Murder, She Wrote!

Episode 15: Mystery Mansion Nov 08, 2012

If you've ever enjoyed searching your couch cushions for change, you'll be intrigued by this week's title. Electronic Talking Mystery Mansion is a 1995 deduction game featuring a boatload of tiny doll furniture, and a squawking box which leads you through a treasure hunt. You'll search every nook and cranny of the house to find the Million Dollar Prize...but watch out! The other players will try to steal your clues by talking you out of them (read: beating you in a die roll). Nearly 20 years later, does this electronic gimmick hold up? Use the power of the Internet to download this episode and find out!

Episode 14: Dexter Oct 26, 2012

Just in time for Halloween, this spooktacular episode of Flip the Table features a dark and mysterious journey into the world of Dexter, the board game based on the Showtime television series. This title lets players step into the role of blood-spatter analyst and serial killer Dexter Morgan as he stalks other murderers and deals with them by making impulse purchases at hardware stores, sailing a boat across dry land, and riding along with his Dark Passenger into the endless, maddening downward spiral of one-way Miami traffic. Then: The Battle of Wits challenges the panel to price out more peculiar collectibles. Download now!

Episode 13: Gone Birding! Oct 12, 2012

Are you ready for some cutting-edge, video edutainment? This week, Flip the Table takes on 1990's Gone Birding! It's "A full-color video adventure in bird identification" where players watch VHS clips of birds, advancing across the board one space for each correctly identified species. However, what lies beneath the veneer of G-Rated entertainment for the whole family? Plus: the panel takes on another Battle of Wits inspired by this week's game and LangGuini from Island Officials! Who will be the king of bird calls? Find out now!

Episode 12: Star Wars Special! Ewoks Save the Trees and Star Wars: Galactic Heroes Sep 28, 2012

For the first time, Flip the Table attempts to scratch the surface of the massive Star Wars universe with a special two-game episode! First, we take on the Funburst children's classic Ewoks Save the Trees and find out what happens when the dastardly Phlogs attack the peaceful kingdom of Candy Land. Then, it's Battle Droid vs. Clone Trooper in the card-driven arena of Star Wars: Galactic Heroes...we talk about rules variants, and what's wrong with this poor Clone Trooper's foot. Does either game capture the epic space opera, or are the 3-D pop-up boards a mask for something much darker? Spaaaaaace!

Episode 11: Nightmare Sep 16, 2012

Hey! You! Do you like being frightened to death by a dead technology? Then prepare to be thrust into the "Atmosfear"-ic world of Nightmare, the 1991 VCR game! This roll-and-mover challenges you to take on the mysterious Gatekeeper as he shouts instructions at you in a strange accent. Will you beat the clock and stop the tape before the Gatekeeper dooms you forever, or will you be "BANIIIIISH TO THE BLECK HEWWWL"? Download now to hear Flip the Table's take on this cult classic, and find out if it holds up 20 years later.

Episode 10: Robocop: The VCR Game Aug 30, 2012

Flip the Table has returned from the near future to bring you Robocop: The VCR Game! This roll-and-mover features real video clips from the cinematic classic. Much like the ill-fated ED-209, this one's got a shiny veneer that seems impressive; but set it at the top of a flight of stairs, and you might reconsider your investment. Would we buy this one for a dollar? Download now to find out...you have 30 seconds to comply.

Episode 9: Trump: The Game Aug 18, 2012

If you've been to a thrift shop in the U.S. in the last 25 years, you've probably seen a shrink-wrapped copy of this week's title, Trump: The Game. No, not like a "Trump" from a deck of cards, or the onomatopoeia of a bag of laundry being dropped on a passer-by from 10 stories up...we're talking money mogul Donald Trump's entry into the world of board games. In this episode, the bold risk-takers at Flip the Table sit down to play the 1980's edition. Come wheel and deal with us as we try to find out why so much shrink-wrap remains unbroken...

Episode 8: Arcade Special! Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, and Turtles Aug 04, 2012

For the first time ever, Flip the Table takes on 3 games in one show! In this super-sized, epic length, 65 minute spectacular, we go back in time to the early arcade boom to cover three board games based on video game classics; Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, and Turtles (not the good kind like you want). Plus, in the Battle of Wits, Flip challenges us to enter the game and survive pixilated peril in a special classic arcade quiz. One of these games actually gets our seal of approval...which one? Press start and find out!

Episode 7: Halo Interactive Strategy Game Jul 22, 2012

What happens when you take a video game, turn it into a board game, then reintroduce video? You get the Halo: Interactive Strategy Game; a DVD board game which allows you to take on the role of Master Chief as he navigates endless menus. Does this box of grey plastic have a chance at recreating the pulse-pounding experience of one of the world's most popular shooters? Plus: In this week's Battle of Wits, the panel tests their knowledge of video game world records...so hop on your Warthog and download now!

Episode 6: Heartthrob Jul 07, 2012

As party games go, this is one...we're playing Heartthrob from 1988; the slumber party classic where players attempt to get into each-other's heads to find out which eligible bachelor they would choose to dance with, go steady with, and ultimately attempt to raise socially well-adjusted children with. It's a teen throwback targeted at exactly the opposite demographic of the Flip the Table panel. This week, we answer Chuck Woolery's timeless question: would we go on a second date with Heartthrob? The answer may surprise you. Or not.

Episode 5: GI Joe: Mission: Cobra HQ Jun 24, 2012

Yo, Joe! On this week's program, we play GI Joe: Mission: Cobra HQ...a roll & move game of infiltration where Snake Eyes and three other Joes attempt to steal TOP SECRET files from Cobra Headquarters. The question is, does this game contain the same level of subtle nuance and deep emotional engagement as the animated series? Download now to find out.

Episode 4: Lingo DVD Board Game Jun 10, 2012

It's a Chuck Woolery extravaganza as we play Lingo, the DVD board game featuring the host of such legendary game shows as Scrabble and Love Connection. Based on the GSN game show, this game seeks to capture the TV experience. Does this fusion of Bingo, Mastermind, and newspaper word puzzles succeed? The answer is just a click away...

Episode 3: WWE DVD Board Game Jun 10, 2012

It is perhaps the only board game to come with both a cardboard wrestling ring and a DVD...it's WWE: The DVD Board Game. This title casts you as the manager of a stable of wrestlers vying to collect all of the WWE titles by solving exploding Wheel of Fortune puzzles. Listen to find out if this game is a Jobber, or a Heavyweight Contender.

Episode 2: American Idol Card Game Jun 10, 2012

There is no singing in this episode. There is, however, much discussion of the American Idol Collectible Card Game. We send our hopeful singers into battle against each-other in this reality TV simulation...then, we test our knowledge of past Idols in the Battle of Wits. Find out if this game passed the audition round...

Episode 1: Transformers Jun 10, 2012

In our debut episode, we play the 80's board game Transformers: The Adventure Game; a roll-and-mover featuring the Autobots winding their way through a mysterious labyrinth...and, in the Battle of Wits, we look for some of our favorite board games on the Internet Movie Database. Will we survive our very first episode with sanity intact?

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