Ours, Played

Welcome to Ours, Played - a podcast for couples looking to find the perfect cooperative video game or board game. We believe the best cooperative games fit the players both as individuals and as a team. In this first episode, we share what we each look for in the games we play and reveal some of our favorite co-op games.The Games that Made Us - below are games that we have played throughout our lives that exemplify what we look for in games.Animal Crossing Wild WorldDark SoulsDead CellsKilling FloorOutwardPath of ExileRisk of Rain Super Mario Sunshine Yoshi’s Island DSConnect with us!To stay up to date with the show, talk to us about what we have been playing, or even suggest a new game, we encourage you to follow the show and connect with us on Discord, Twitter, and Instagram.

Greetings, Knight! Grab a friend, a weapon, and the floating animal sidekick of your choice, and join us on this episode of Ours, Played as we hack and slash through the classic The Behemoth beat-em-up, Castle Crashers. We are excited to share the couple’s perspective on this fast-paced and lighthearted co-op game.In this episode we cover: Which floating animal makes the best petOur dislike for beach volleyball (when it comes to our fantasy games, at least)The ethics of beating up your friends to rescue a princessGame Details:Name: Castle Crashers We played it on: PCAlso available on: Xbox, PlayStation 4, Nintendo SwitchDeveloper: The BehemothYear: 2008Connect with us!To stay up to date with the show, talk to us about what we have been playing, or even suggest a new game, we encourage you to follow the show and connect with us on Discord, Twitter, and Instagram.

Put down the controllers and clear the table - we’re switching to a board game tonight. Terrifying creatures run amok in the Elementary College, and it’s up to our team of magic students to seal them back into The Big Book of Madness through our family’s favorite cooperative, deck-building, strategy game. In this episode we discuss: Whether or not Roman numerals should be read phonetically Why choosing the coolest looking character is not always the best strategy If small cards are an acceptable way to add difficulty to a board game Game Details:Name: The Big Book of MadnessMedium: Board gameDeveloper: IelloYear: 2015Connect with us!To stay up to date with the show, talk to us about what we have been playing, or even suggest a new game, we encourage you to follow the show and connect with us on Discord, Twitter, and Instagram.

We’ll shoot, smack, and spellcast our way through the monster-swarmed world of Chronicon - an incredibly detailed fantasy RPG by a solo developer. Join us on our quest to max out our kill-streak and strive to find legendary-level loot.In this episode we discuss: The importance of killing monsters quickly when one is killing monsters Our appreciation for variable and adjustable difficulty options in video games An impressive early access success story Game Details:Name: ChroniconWe played it on: PCDeveloper: SubworldYear: 2015Connect with us!To stay up to date with the show, talk to us about what we have been playing, or even suggest a new game, we encourage you to follow the show and connect with us on Discord, Twitter, and Instagram.

Battlestations, L.O.V.E.R.S.! Anti-love has corrupted the universe, and it's up to us to free our space friends and bring back the love. Join us on EP 4 of Ours, Played as we navigate the playfully psychedelic cosmos of @asteroidbase’s Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime.In this episode we discuss: The pros and cons of rescuing all your friends, or just the required minimumWhile 2 might be better than 1, 2 players is probably not better than 4 players The shortcomings of playing co-op with an AI controlled cute space animalGame Details:Name: Lovers in a Dangerous SpacetimeWe played it on: PCAlso available on: Xbox, PlayStation 4, Nintendo SwitchDeveloper: Asteroid BaseYear: 2015Connect with us!To stay up to date with the show, talk to us about what we have been playing, or even suggest a new game, we encourage you to follow the show and connect with us on Discord, Twitter, and Instagram.

It’s an Ours, Played two-for-one special! This week we lock, load, and test our luck on hostile alien planets in Hopoo Games’ Risk of Rain 1 AND 2 in our first ever bundle episode. In this episode we discuss: Just how much time and effort has gone into defining the term rogue-likeWhy it's ok to large amounts of alien monsters even if you don’t take the time to learn about them in item descriptions Our preferred method of teleportation in video gamesGame Details:Name: Risk of Rain &  Risk of Rain 2We played them on: PCRisk of Rain 2 is also available on: Xbox, PlayStation 4, Nintendo SwitchDeveloper: Hopoo GamesYear: 2013 & 2020Connect with us!To stay up to date with the show, talk to us about what we have been playing, or even suggest a new game, we encourage you to follow the show and connect with us on Discord, Twitter, and Instagram.

A shadowy figure approaches you. He offers you his full protection from the terrors of the night, and all he asks for in exchange is a few hours of your time. Get ready to focus up, gather resources, and test your luck with us in Fantasy Flight’s Eldritch Horror. Keep your allies close and enemies as far away as you can if you hope to survive the mythos phase! In this episode we discuss: Our board game preference: Long and complex, or really long and complexThe exact odds of rolling a 5 or a 6 on a six sided dieHow many expansions is too many expansions for one of your favorite games Game Details:Name: Eldritch HorrorMedium: Board GameDeveloper: Fantasy Flight GamesYear: 2013Connect with us!To stay up to date with the show, talk to us about what we have been playing, or even suggest a new game, we encourage you to follow the show and connect with us on Discord, Twitter, and Instagram.

We’re surrounded! Archers, knights, swordsmen - to arms! After a gaming PC snafu delayed our intended game review, we broke out another low-tech family favorite, Fireside Games’ Castle Panic. Join our ranks as we defend our castle from an onslaught of monsters, plague, and the dreaded giant boulder.In this episode we discuss:The appropriate level of mourning when one’s gaming PC dies suddenly How it's totally fine to sacrifice your entire castle as long as one tower survives and you kill all the baddiesHow Castle Panic is inextricably linked to the Dungeons and Dragons movie from 2000… Game Details:Name: Castle PanicCastle Panic The Wizard’s TowerCastle Panic Engines of WarCastle Panic The Dark TitanMedium: Board GameDeveloper: Fireside GamesYear: 2009 (base game)Connect with us!To stay up to date with the show, talk to us about what we have been playing, or even suggest a new game, we encourage you to follow the show and connect with us on Discord, Twitter, and Instagram.

It can be a big and scary world out there. When we feel broken or are far from home, we are made whole by those we keep close. Come get tangled up with us in adventure, memory, and yes...yarn, in Coldwood Interactive’s adorable co-op puzzle platformer, Unravel Two.In this episode we cover:Bringing your own meaning to an ambiguous story line.Actually remembering the co-op controls increases your chances for success.Tangling ourselves up in the coolest puzzle platformer mechanic we’ve ever seen.Game Details:Name: Unravel 2We played it on: PCAlso available on: Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo SwitchDeveloper: Coldwood InteractiveYear: 2018Connect with us!To stay up to date with the show, talk to us about what we have been playing, or even suggest a new game, we encourage you to follow the show and connect with us on Discord, Twitter, and Instagram.

They - are - family! Linda, John, Kevin, and Lucy! Not forgetting the rest of the Bergsons, of course. This week we were adopted by the guardians of Mount Morta to drive back the Corruption and protect our lands. In this episode we cover:Growing as a team: leveraging leveling up to boost all Bergson family members’ stats.Interior design inspired by the Bergsons’ manor.The rogue-like and rogue-lite talk: moving beyond frustration to realizing that death is progression.Game Details:Name: Children of MortaWe played it on: PCAlso available on: Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch.Developer: Dead Mage Inc.Year: 2019Connect with us!To stay up to date with the show, talk to us about what we have been playing, or even suggest a new game, we encourage you to follow the show and connect with us on Discord, Twitter, and Instagram.

Surprise! It’s time for an Ours, Played bonus episode. In our first holiday special, we’re asking you to help us find what to play on game night. Listen as we highlight the co-op games that are at the top of our wish lists this year, and let us know which game should find its way under our tree.Wish List Games:GloomhavenThe Lord of the Rings: Journeys in Middle EarthThe Princess Bride Adventure Book GameSpiritfarerStuffed FablesUnrailed!Connect with us!To stay up to date with the show, talk to us about what we have been playing, or even suggest a new game, we encourage you to follow the show and connect with us on Discord, Twitter, and Instagram.Sound effects obtained from https://www.zapsplat.com 

Focus, breach mages! For The Nameless approaches, and the fate of the city of Gravehold is in your hands. Join us as we build up our decks and pray that the turn order is in our favor, so that we may drive back the vicious nemeses and their hoards of minions. In this episode we cover:To shuffle, or not to shuffle? Flipping a traditional convention of deck-building games on its head.The going conversion rate of HP to citizens of Gravehold.Rob gushes over the most beautifully organized board game he has ever seen.Game Details:Name: Aeon’s End: Second EditionMedium: Board GamePublisher: Indie Boards and CardsYear: 2017Connect with us!To stay up to date with the show, talk to us about what we have been playing, or even suggest a new game, we encourage you to follow the show and connect with us on Discord, Twitter, and Instagram.

Smiles, everyone! Life on the island sure is swell thanks to our own, Mr. Sunshine! Or so some might want you to believe. Join us as we jump, kick, and roll our way into revolution in the puzzle adventure game, Pikuniku, by Sectordub. Plus, we explore finding opportunities for co-op within single-player game modes.In this episode we cover:Whether or not it is ok to willfully buy into government coverups if it’s profitable  The performance enhancing properties of whiskey for puzzle platformers The one surefire strategy for tricking your partner into enjoying gaming Game Details:Name: PikunikuWe played it on: PCAlso Available on: Xbox One, Nintendo Switch Developer: SectordubYear: 2019Connect with us!To stay up to date with the show, talk to us about what we have been playing, or even suggest a new game, we encourage you to follow the show and connect with us on Discord, Twitter, and Instagram.

All aboard! Train’s leaving the platform - but wait! We still need to build the track. Grab your tickets and meet us at the station as we frantically lead our locomotive through puzzling pixelated landscapes in Unrailed! by Indoor Astronaut.In this episode we cover:A cooperative board game announcement that has us (Rob) super hyped The acceptable level of emphasis for pronouncing exclamation pointsThe similarities of being a railway worker and a line cook Introducing….Ours, Played Date Night!Game Details:Name: Unrailed!We played it on: PCAlso Available on: Xbox, PlayStation 4, Nintendo SwitchDeveloper: Indoor AstronautYear: 2019Ours, Played Date NightTo pair with Unrailed!, we recommend:Drinking a Dynamite1 oz Gran Marnier or other orange liqueur such as Cointreau½ oz Cognac2 dashes angostura bitters 1 oz orange juiceCombine all ingredients in a chilled champagne flute or cocktail glass and top with champagne Watching The Darjeeling Limited (2007)Connect with us!To stay up to date with the show, talk to us about what we have been playing, or even suggest a new game, we encourage you to follow the show and connect with us on Discord, Twitter, and Instagram.

3...2…1... We have liftoff! Our mission in search of the mysterious Planet 9 begins. Don your pressurized spacesuit and turn off your comms as communication is limited in this cooperative trick-taking card game, The Crew, published by Kosmos Games. In this episode we cover:Our AI teammate trying to kill usWhether or not 52 pickup is actually a card game Defining the exact moment that talking in a limited communication becomes cheatingGame Details:Name: The Crew - The Quest for Planet NineMedium: Board GamePublisher: Kosmos GamesYear: 2020Ours, Played Date NightTo pair with The Crew, we recommend:Space Junk Cookies (an out-of-this-world take on the Kitchen Sink Cookie)Ingredients2 tbs.(34 g) canola oil1 cup (201 g) butter (softened)1.5 tsp. (6 g) baking soda1 cup (201 g) brown sugar2 tbs. (34 g) cornstarch 0.5 cup (100 g) granulated sugar2 eggs3.25 (650 g) cups of flour1 tsp. (4.2 g) salt 2 tsp. (8.4 g) vanilla1-2 cups (200 - 400 g) chopped Milky Way bars1 cup (201 g) chopped pretzels1 cup (201 g) chopped walnutsBaking InstructionsCream together butter, oil, and sugars until light and fluffyAdd eggs, vanilla, and salt until combinedAdd baking soda, cornstarch and half of the flour. Mix only until combined.Add chopped Milky Way bars, pretzels, and walnuts.Chill dough for 1 hour.Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (176 Celsius)Drop heaping spoonfuls of dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet.Bake for 7-8 mins or until the tops are golden brown.Remove from the oven and let cool on pan for 2 mins.Transfer to the cooling rack before enjoying.Venus:2 oz gin1 oz cointreau ¼ oz simple syrup Dash Peychaud’s bitters 6 Raspberries Shake all ingredients (Raspberries too!) over ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with remaining raspberriesConnect with us!To stay up to date with the show, talk to us about what we have been playing, or even suggest a new game, we encourage you to follow the show and connect with us on Discord, Twitter, and Instagram.

She’s hot and he’s cold. She jumps and he rolls. She swims as he glides; true love they will find. (Ok - enough with the Katy Perry remix). Get close to your Player 2 and join us as polar opposites become close companions in this beautifully illustrated, cooperative puzzle platformer, Degrees of Separation by Moondrop.In this episode we cover:Figuring out who needs to be where in order to do whatScarves: Magical keys to doors OR emo boy fashion staplesDoes it count as beating the game if you accidentally missed a whole level?Rob’s incredibly high standards for unlocking levels in games. Game Details:Name: Degrees of SeparationWe played it on: PCAlso Available on: Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo SwitchDeveloper: MoondropYear: 2019Connect with us!To stay up to date with the show, talk to us about what we have been playing, or even suggest a new game, we encourage you to follow the show and connect with us on Discord, Twitter, and Instagram.Ours, Played Date NightTo pair with Degrees of Separation, we recommend:Love Potion⅓ cup Vodka¼ cup Peach Schnapps  1 cup Ruby Red Grapefruit Juice (or preferred red juice) Pour all ingredients into a swing top bottle, gently swirl to incorporate, and refrigerate until serving. Pour into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with Strawberry and raspberry on the rim. Braided Heart LoafIngredients1 package of dry yeast0.25 cup (50 g) warm water1 tsp. (4.2 g) sugar2 cups (400 g) milk0.5 cup (100 g) sugar0.5 cup (100 g) shortening2 tsp.(2.1 g) salt2 beaten eggs7 cups (1400 g) of flourBaking Instructions Add 1 tsp. of sugar to warm water; dissolve yeast into waterScald milk, and then add the 0.5 cup sugar, salt, and shortening. Stir to combine, then take off of the heat and cool until lukewarm.Add the yeast mixture to the milk mixture; stir in the eggs.Start adding the flour a little at a time, stirring to blend in.When dough is too thick to stir by hand, dump on a floured board and knead until smooth and elastic.Put dough into a greased bowl, cover and set in a warm place to rise until double in size.Remove from the bowl and place on a surface for shaping. Punch down dough and divide into 6 equal parts.Roll each part into a rope about 24 inches (60 cm) long.Use 3 ropes and make braid; repeat with the other 3 ropes.On a large pizza pan or tray, shape a heart, (Each rope will he half of the heart). Wet ends of water and work together.Let the dough rise in a warm place for about 1 hour.Preheat the oven to 350 F (176 Celsius) degrees.Bake until bread is brown (about 50 mins). Set to cool before enjoying.

Sure, we’ve had one Player, yes, but what about Second Player? In this episode of Ours, Played, we band together with the Fellowship on their quest to destroy the one ring - one brick at a time. Bash, break, and build your way through Middle Earth with all your favorite characters and lighthearted Lego fun in Lego: The Lord of the Rings by Traveller’s Tales.In this episode we cover:The importance of hitting record to… actually record audio The objective value of the elderlyHow to take cool LOTR monsters and make them boring AF The things we do for loving the original IPGame Details:Name: Lego: The Lord of the RingsWe played it on: PCAlso Available on: Nintendo Wii, Nintendo DS, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3Developer: Traveller's TalesYear: 2012Connect with us!To stay up to date with the show, talk to us about what we have been playing, or even suggest a new game, we encourage you to follow the show and connect with us on Discord, Twitter, and Instagram.NEW! We’re now Steam Curators. Follow us on Steam for quick thoughts on what we’ve been playing.Ours, Played Date NightTo pair with Lego: The Lord of the Rings, we recommend Watching the The Lord of the Rings movies, of course! Extended editions if you are superfans like we are.The Fellowship of the RingThe Two TowersThe Return of the KingFrench Gimli-et ...er….Gimlet2 Oz Gin1.5 oz elderflower liqueur (St. Germain).5 oz lime juice Shake all ingredients over ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a lime wedge (or if you haven’t gone grocery shopping in a while like me, use the dehydrated lime wheels you’ve been storing).

Dice, dice, baby. You won’t need the whole dining room table for this one, but you’ll definitely want to break out the dice trays! Descend down the monster and trap-laden floors with us in this miniature cooperative dice pool board game.In this episode we cover:The real life dangers of virtual sea travel Too many dice can spoil the broth, but that’s not the American wayRob’s inability to ever use the correct singular/plural of dice or dieBailey’s inability to ever use roguelite or roguelike correctly  Ikea’s guerilla support of our board gaming addictionGame Details:Name: One Deck DungeonWe played it as a board gameAlso Available as a video game on PCPublisher: Asmadi GamesYear: 2016Connect with us!To stay up to date with the show, talk to us about what we have been playing, or even suggest a new game, we encourage you to follow the show and connect with us on Discord, Twitter, and Instagram.Ours, Played Date NightTo pair with One Deck Dungeon, we recommend Watching Xena: Warrior PrincessWatching The Dungeon Master (aka Ragewar)

We look to the sea - a spunky young guitarist, and her feline first mate for company. Come aboard our ship as we care for the souls of the nearly-departed in the whimsical, deeply emotional, and ultimately triumphant cooperative resource management video game, Spiritfarer, by Thunder Lotus. In this episode we cover:The burgeoning genre of grieving simulators Drunk sawmill operation. Seriously. How many times is too many times to tease your spouse and co-host in one episodeGame Details:Name: SpiritfarerWe played it on: PCAlso Available on: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation4, Xbox OneDeveloper: Thunder LotusYear: 2020Connect with us!To stay up to date with the show, talk to us about what we have been playing, or even suggest a new game, we encourage you to follow the show and connect with us on Discord, Twitter, and Instagram.Ours, Played Date NightTo pair with Spiritfarer, we recommend:Restorative yoga and/or guided meditationCharon1oz. Vodka 1oz. Cherry Brandy1oz. Orange Juice Shake on ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass

Extra extra, read all about it! We’re bringing you the latest in Ours, Played news in our first ever Patch Notes episode. We’re super excited to announce some new content ideas, and we can’t wait to share them with you.Connect with us!To stay up to date with the show, talk to us about what we have been playing, or even suggest a new game, we encourage you to follow the show and connect with us on Discord, Twitter, and Instagram.