Operation: Game Night
Travis Smith, Jared Erickson, and Clay Gable get together to discuss the latest and greatest in board games in this weekly podcast. What's hot, what's hitting the table, featured discussions about board games and the board gaming culture, and the primary mission objective- to play more board games!
Operation: Game Night
OTF: Madden, Chiropractors, and D&D
Gaming nostalgia takes center stage as we rediscover PS5 Madden after 15 years away, marvel at Spider-Man's detailed New York City playground, and share heartwarming stories of family D&D adventures that captivated both kids and adults alike.
• Getting gifted a PS5 and rediscovering Madden NFL after nearly two decades
• Spider-Man PS5 games recommendation - incredible graphics and fun even in short play sessions
• The therapeutic revelation of a proper hour-long chiropractic session versus rushed government healthcare
• Quest RPG family adventure with kids who were completely engaged for two hours of creative play
• Making new neighborhood friends through park connections and pizza nights
• The benefits of having skilled friends who can help with home projects
As always, come interact with us online, let us know if you have any feedback, and leave us a review/comment anywhere you get your favorite podcasts!
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Welcome to the Operation Game Night podcast. We're back, and better than ever, with a special over the fence episode. Why is it special? Because I'm going to have to leave halfway through and Clayton is going to come up with the most epic conclusion to this episode you have ever heard. You've heard Jared host before. He's done a great job. He came up with unique intros and an outstanding outro. This episode, clayton is going to bring it home with a bang.
Speaker 1:I'm joining me.
Speaker 2:I'm joined as always by my co-host, jared and Clayton. How you doing, boys?
Speaker 1:Doing good, fabulous. Really excited to be over the fence with you guys.
Speaker 2:It's been a while I've got a lot to say, let's jump right in.
Speaker 1:Okay, thing number one my cousin's fiance got a new ps5 he got like a ps5 pro or something okay and he gave me his old ps5, just like that, and I was like you know, I don't really play video games, but I downloaded madden 2026 and I have just been obsessed with playing mad.
Speaker 1:I cannot believe the last time I played a madden game was probably on the xbox 360 in like 2006, and the graphics have come a long way and also the amount of skill that you can have has come a long way. I mean, we're talking about throwing touch passes and like very particular ways of doing things. I don't know all the buttons yet, but I'm playing on rookie mode and occasionally I can complete a few passes and feel good about myself.
Speaker 3:But yeah, that is are you doing a campaign like? No, you have one player and you're trying to build that player up or what.
Speaker 1:What is this?
Speaker 2:uh on madden, that's a thing, yeah, yeah you create a skill player like you're, a wide receiver thing, yeah like play a high school game and then or you play like a college game or whatever and it's like, oh, you're getting drafted and now you have this skill set and you build your skills in the weight room and with the coaches and stuff. It's no way.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I've just scratched the surface. I've played like five games and it's it's really taken me back and like normal video games, like the shooter games, can't even come close to playing those anymore. So I'm trying to figure out where my lane is in this new video game land that I have. Madden's been a success for me so far. I like that you can hop on and play a game, like if you're just playing a quick game by yourself against the computer. It can be done in like 20, 25 minutes, which is like kind of perfect for me because I want to be like tied to the playstation for hours on end, which can easily happen in some of the games you might get into. Yeah, um, but yeah, so that's been my first stab at, you know, video gaming in a long time and I'm enjoying it and I'm kind of looking for the next thing. So, travis, you know, if you know of any games that might be of interest to somebody with a ps5, I'm going to best buy later today.
Speaker 2:So I so my very first recommendation to anybody that is playing on a ps5 is to play those spider-man games. They are so really phenomenal, they're so good. Even if you just hop in and swing around for 10 minutes, it all feels good you're, you know, you get your skill points or whatever. You can level the characters up. Um, the first spider-man game pretty long, long story, solo. Only you play by yourself, whatever. Um, they had like a kind of 1.5 slash 2, that is, miles morales, and it is a much condensed campaign, less collectibles. This campaign is so much shorter. It's like a nice bite-sized uh exploration video game so nice. I love that. One spider-man 2 came out, uh, I don't know, three years ago and it is so good. Dude, if you want to talk about graphics and interactive, you know uh design. It is amazing like you get the abilities you get. You're like launching yourself into the air. You have like web wings and you can like glide across new york.
Speaker 3:It's just fun to like get in there and just traverse, and not it's, it's like an open environment, yeah, like uh gt, uh gta, but like killing people.
Speaker 2:You're trying to help people. The entirety of new york city is like a playground. You can climb to the top of avengers tower. You can climb to the top of one world trade center, um, and it's like so it's so realistic. Like my, my pops, is not in the hospital there for a little while, like in the first game, I found his like hospital and like his room is like in the game, you could people like find their apartments in new york city, like what it's. It's crazy. It's amazing what they have done to design that game.
Speaker 1:So highly recommend those to anybody that has a ps5 yeah, I knew you were the right guy to talk to. I've been. I've been saving this particular circumstance because I knew I would want to talk to you about video gaming, because you are my go-to guy on that yeah, I I'll come up with some more recommendations for you, but that's where I would start sweet and they're pretty affordable nowadays.
Speaker 3:Love it I'm gonna get me, uh, one of the old switches okay, next month from my internet provider, because apparently they just hand them out like free candy now that they're old news. So if you guys got old Switch games, send them to your boy, because I think the new version doesn't play, it's not compatible, I I guess, with the older version.
Speaker 2:They have Switch 2 cartridges that have a little more capacity and, like the memory readback will not work with the Switch 1, but there are a lot of games that are coming out on the Switch 2 that also have a Switch 1 cartridge available. So, yeah, I also have some recommendations for you. Don't get down on my luck.
Speaker 3:Okay, right on, what else is going on? I was going to say I have a health update. The last time me and Travis did an over the fence, literally that night, my back gave out and I went to the ER. Did I tell you guys this?
Speaker 1:Yeah, not on camera, not on camera, yeah.
Speaker 3:So well. I went to the, the er. They pumped me full of drugs, uh, for a week there I was uh, popping the, uh muscle relaxers big time. But then last week I went down the street to my neighborhood chiropractor because the department of defense, the health agency, the, what do they call them, those news dudes out there Referrals, no, whoever runs the health department, now they, they no longer do chiropractic care across anywhere for active duty, so it's coming out of pocket.
Speaker 3:So I'm like I'm going to go to a nice place and this guy does massages and chiropractic care. So it's like I'm there for like an hour getting massaged and, you know, worked on. And then he's like, oh, this feels kind of tight. Let me just freaking crack in my shoulder. He adjusted my shoulder. I've never had my shoulders adjusted. Oh my gosh, it felt amazing. My thumbs I have horrible thumbs from wrestling and stuff. He adjusted my thumbs too. It feels incredible. It helped out my back and my hip big time, stuff. And he adjusted my thumbs to feels incredible, um, but helped out my back and my hip big time and uh. So I told Coley that he has to go go over there and um and get some, get some work done, uh by, by our local chiropractor, but uh, cause all the time um DHA? Those are the new guys. Yeah, the new thing that got stood up in the government. They just don't like chiropractors, I guess. But what was I?
Speaker 1:I talked myself into a corner, but I usually do that don't worry, you can just channel your inner, uh donald, and get out my inner donald.
Speaker 3:it was the best back crack I've ever had. It was beautiful, most amazing cracks, biggest, loudest snaps you've ever heard. Um, but the back feels great, looking forward to going back. But what I was saying sorry, I do know what I was saying. I've never had one that lasted a whole hour because they've always been like a government chiropractor, like on base. That's like you get five minutes, 10 minutes, it's like a sweat shop or whatever. They just get you in and out. So, yeah, it was good to have, you know, a nice long care and feeding of little Jer, that's good, you look good man.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I'm glowing, aren't I.
Speaker 2:You are post chiropractic glow.
Speaker 1:Travis, I need to hear from you before you have to go. How much time do we have? Because there's something else I really want to talk to you about. I'm going to defer.
Speaker 2:I really don't have all that much time.
Speaker 1:You'd rather hear what I have to say.
Speaker 2:I do want to hear what you have to say.
Speaker 1:Okay, I've got to share something. So yesterday, this is hot on my mind. This is freaking awesome. My brother-in-law has been a D&D guy for forever. Okay, and he ran a one shot.
Speaker 1:Yeah, he ran a one shot with me a couple of years ago online on like roll20.com or something, yeah, and it was awesome. I was blown away. I like how he crafted this story and came up with things on the fly and he's been saying there's this RPG that's more geared towards, like, kids and families, that he wanted to run with my kids and so we got together yesterday and he did it. It's called Quest RPG and so we did the intro story the kids and I RPG and so we did the intro story the kids and I. We made our characters beforehand and we went on this adventure and the kids freaking, loved it. I loved it. Jason, I mean, he did amazing. Like you know, he was doing voices for the different characters. Just random stuff was happening, like we were dealing with puzzles and, you know, using each other's skills to help solve them and using each other's skills to help solve them. Mason was a wizard, isaac was a fighter.
Speaker 1:And I was a spy and it was just like I mean, if you have somebody that can do that well, like be a dungeon master or something like that, I mean these can be like really amazing experiences that are worth having. And I don't know how many people could do it as well as jason. He's been dming for a long time and he was also a theater major in college, so he's like very good at being on his toes and, like you know, coming up with storylines on the fly. But like, as soon as it ended, we played for like two hours. The kids were engaged the whole time, okay. And as soon as it ended, isaac's like can we play again? Oh, like he just wanted to go right back to it. I mean, it's just like it's so creative, you know, and like the things you can come up with. I'm going to show you I had chat gpt make the picture of our characters, um, based on our descriptions that we had.
Speaker 1:So, uh, mason is this little blue wizard here in the striped robe. Isaac was isaac's guy, was named little guy and he had muscles. He was two feet tall, wore a tunic. Um, and that's me up there, the grizzled looking spy with a bandana.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, so how long did the one shot take?
Speaker 1:the one shot he did for me or or this one.
Speaker 2:Is this like the one that you did with your boys? Is this like a one shot?
Speaker 1:this was. I mean it can go on. He. He said there's not a ton of pre-written stories besides the intro one and it has a lot of stuff in the rule book and et cetera to help DM craft the next story or adventure. You would go on. But yeah, that intro one it was called Treasure Mountain or something and it was a lot of fun and took about two hours and you know, like he had printed out like a whole binder full of like you know, all the info on like you know what happens when you fail, uh, fail roles, et cetera. And just I mean I I would love to do something like that on a monthly basis. I'm going to be chirping at him to get another session scheduled because kids had a good time, I had a good time and yeah, role-playing games hot on it.
Speaker 2:Maybe you could invite me and. Jared to join in.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Participate. I want to get in on this. I'm always so D& slash rpg curious. Yeah, I have like all the root tabletop rpg books and maps and stuff and I'm like man, I really want to like get this played. Uh, I know vick vick does this sometimes and he has has a little bit of experience being the dm.
Speaker 1:So, uh, man, maybe we should get an og in I'm sure you know, if I gave jason, I said like, hey, we want to do this, we're good sports. His biggest beef is like he plays with a lot of neckbeards sometimes that, yeah, you know, try and ruin the game in some form or fashion. You know they're just, you know what.
Speaker 1:Yeah, spoilers. So you get those guys and you get like a bad group you're DMing for, that want to argue about everything and so he's kind of burned out on like running games. But he said he had a good time yesterday doing it with us and I'm sure he would be willing to spin one up for us if we, if we, got together okay, I'm, I'm.
Speaker 2:I just got the hook, so I'm gonna have to leave. Thank you for going over the fence with me. I'm going over the fence to our. Over the fence, clayton, I cannot wait to hear your outro. It's gonna be really good yeah we're gonna.
Speaker 3:We're just gonna just really surprise him, that's right. Yeah, I've been travis and I'm out. He has been travis, but we are gonna continue on with our 1v1 do you have anything else you'd like to say to me, jared? Uh that I I'm excited to see you next week. I'm excited to see you wherever week.
Speaker 1:I'm excited to see you too.
Speaker 3:Wherever that ends up being, I can't wait to see you. The future's bright. So, cole, our lovely, illustrious third wheel, to this love triangle I guess. He is very interested in board gaming the whole time. All this interaction is happening when I see you soon, so I love that Make sure make sure that I know this is over the fence, but make sure that you focus yourselves on yourself on some board games for when we're when we're there.
Speaker 1:So I'm always focused on board games, Jared.
Speaker 3:I expect nothing less.
Speaker 1:I may be saying things and doing other things, but my focus is still on what's the next board game I'm playing. Yes, don't worry, I got you, I got Cole.
Speaker 3:Wherever, whenever it happens, I will be there with a game that will suit the situation okay, I like it that's my promise to you okay, um, I do have one other, uh, pretty dicey, over the fence that you're not going to like. Um, he has a dog, not, um, no, you more like a dog, a guard dog of your friends. You're not going to like what I'm going to say. Uh, adrian and I found some friends at the park and, uh, he's a West point grad. We didn't know that. Uh, um, you know a song, have a type operation game night. We, uh, we pride ourselves in being, you know, you saw, for grads and we actually didn't know that the, the husband of this wife, you know, was a West Point grad. It's his only flaw he's got a great mustache, but and he's into D and D, which is, oh, this is kind of, this is crazy. It's coming full circle here.
Speaker 3:But, like, this is like a month and a half ago or so, not very a couple days after we moved into our house here, adrian and I went down to a park and there's this little boy playing at the park and he was with his mom. I was like we kind of like chit-chatted because, as one does with little kids, our kids were playing great, just chit-chatted real quick and and I was like you should go get her number and it's like I'm gonna go get her number. So adri was the extroverted one, went out, talked to her a little bit more, got her number and then they've been hanging out a little bit. They have a cute little boy, brought him over for some pizzas and really sealed the deal. You already have pizza base with them. Yeah, I know.
Speaker 1:That's like third base friendship material.
Speaker 3:I know I slid into pizza base. Wow, I know that's like third base friendship material. I know I slid into pizza base and, uh, I know, holy cow.
Speaker 1:I know Well, I am happy for you. I can't imagine that Great. Let me know, when he plays a board game with you, how cool he is.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I mean, we'll see.
Speaker 1:Yeah. Because I feel like you're in a real gaming drought. When's the last time you played?
Speaker 2:I am.
Speaker 1:When's the last time you played IRL?
Speaker 3:IRL On the table.
Speaker 1:Was it with me?
Speaker 3:Yeah, With you For real, for real, for real. I don't think I've played in this house, in my new house, yet.
Speaker 1:How do you sleep at night? I don't know, knowing that house hasn't been christened. I know.
Speaker 3:It's a point of you know I'm embarrassed. Shame, you should feel shame. I have at least put them away. I think I sent you the photo. They're in my little armoire type thing that's on the TV. It's a step in the right direction. I need to. Actually, even Adri was like you should probably play a game, but Cole and Melissa are coming over tonight. So I'm going to get the Ooni out again, so maybe I slip one in.
Speaker 1:Slip one in. Just see how the vibe is Put. Fritz in charge of Gemma.
Speaker 3:Yeah, Like all right, Fritz, you're in charge.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 3:He can do that Juno, she can just be let loose. She's harmless at this point.
Speaker 1:You don't have any confounding factors that would make gaming hard.
Speaker 3:No, juno did poop on the couch twice this week, so that's also fun, maybe.
Speaker 1:I'll come to you.
Speaker 3:She's learning how to hit some bells with her nose to let us know that she needs to go out. So that's incredible. Like she will do it. Like I need to go potty. Hits the bells, go outside, go potty. But if you don't give her enough attention she'll just shit on the couch and then she'll get her attention that way. So that's a bad look, you know. Yeah, no, that looked good.
Speaker 1:So dang all right, wow, that's well, I don't know.
Speaker 3:I mean she's, she's a cute little uh king charles cavalier, what can I say?
Speaker 1:but the cutest ones are always the most troublesome that?
Speaker 3:ain't that the truth? Yeah, I've seen my daughter. Oh, yeah, she's the cutest of them, that's right well clay what over the fence and you've been doing, yeah, that's about it.
Speaker 1:Josh came over today. Um, he was borrowing my uncle's like tractor with like a bucket on the front I don't know that's like a bulldozer and he like moved. He scraped a ton of dirt around my house, like next to the driveway the previous owners had just been like piling up junk and like trash like a compost pile. Cole would have loved it. Oh yeah, I kind of went. I wanted that flat over there so I could put some gravel in, make a little more parking area and he just, you know, he was out there just backing it up, moving it around, shifting here, leveling there, packing it down with the freaking bucket. I mean, I was so turned on by the way he worked that tractor, it was impressive.
Speaker 3:We should have shouted Josh out on our last episode because, yeah, that boy, he, he can make it work. He's johnny on the spot, man, he just wrote he even rode that tractor up onto his trailer.
Speaker 1:He drove it over. It's just in the morning, just a quick little detour on his way from breakfast with his daughter and he's like, yeah, I'll just take care of this for you, man. So there, there are definitely perks to being back in, uh, in dallas town, that's for sure. The biggest one is josh. He's a, he's a big perk and maple, uh, maple donuts.
Speaker 3:Yeah, oh, is it is maple donuts? Yes, maple donuts. You can get maple bars at Maple Donuts. Now you've lived Dude. Josh is awesome and he's an electrician Wicked smart. He can put anything together. I saw his garage. I've been inside that garage of his and it gets me hot, not in the temperature wise, but the smell. You walk in there it just smells like oil and man. Oh yeah, he's got all the tools and just beautiful. It's got weather. He's grinding on steel in there. Yeah, jeez, jeez, josh. Does Josh listen to our podcast?
Speaker 1:He better, better he better listen to this one. Yeah, we'll find out.
Speaker 2:I'm not even telling him we'll see how long I will yeah, just send him the clip, yeah we'll just make a little instagram reel for it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, I'll fire up a reel and just uh loaf that off to him. But yeah, yeah, josh, he's great, we'll have him on the show sometime.
Speaker 3:I'm saying Our VIPs coming up, I hope that we have some big-time VIPs, because my ultimate goal is General Clark. You know that.
Speaker 1:I know you got to work our way there, though.
Speaker 3:I think we can just jump straight to it. I think I'm ready. I don't know. Yeah, I work our way there, though I think we can just jump straight to it. I think I'm ready.
Speaker 1:I don't think I am. I'll run the behind the scenes. I don't even think I can close this out today.
Speaker 3:You promised a very hot and heavy slam bang finish. Should I do it? Don't you dare. You don't, just don't you dare. Just don't press that button.
Speaker 1:You got to just stop it. Don't do it, don't you dare, I would never you.
