379: The Game Deflators E373 | Our Games of the Year Are NOT What You Expect

In this episode of the Game Deflators podcast, hosts Jon and Ryan dive into their latest game pickups, including the cult favorite Sky Gunner and a stack of retro gaming books. They also share fresh updates from their Dungeons & Dragons campaigns, highlighting new character arcs, unexpected encounters, and the chaos their parties have stirred up.
From there, the conversation shifts to their favorite games of the year—what stood out, what fell short, and which titles earned a spot on their personal lists. To wrap things up, they take on another round of the inflation‑deflation challenge, this time putting the holiday oddity Daze Before Christmas under scrutiny to see whether its current market price is naughty or nice.
00:00 Introduction to the Game Inflators Podcast02:17 Game Pickups and Recent Acquisitions06:21 Dungeons & Dragons Updates and Campaign Recaps12:18 Homebrewing D&D Campaigns and Storytelling Techniques18:14 The Role of AI in Game Mastering26:06 Game Reviews and Recommendations28:40 The Plucky Squire: A Charming Adventure30:59 Games of the Year: A Reflection on Favorites40:39 Looking Ahead: New Games Resolutions47:29 Elder Gamers: A 92-Year-Old Champion51:59 Magic: The Gathering’s New Casual Format56:42 Exploring Days Before Christmas Game01:03:21 The Lack of Christmas Games01:10:05 Looking Ahead to New Year’s Games
 
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Permission for intro and outro music provided by Matthew Huffaker http://www.youtube.com/user/teknoaxe 2_25_18