We're careening towards the Holiday Season which brings quality time spent with family you may or may not love. Well, do you know the quickest way to improve time spent with family you may or may not love? With traditional table games you may or may not love, of course! Unfortunately, traditional table games just don't hit the same in 2025. Luckily, rougelites like Balatro and BALL x PIT have paved a way for these beloved pasttimes to reenter the gamer lexicon. That's why we're spending this week deciding which card or board game would make the best rougelite.

Kyle is talking about a game you've heard of but probably don't understand. Andrew is talking about a game you've played but probably don't understand. Matt is talking about a game you've probably played and do understand.

The title of this week's episode was selected by our Patrons in our Discord Community! If you want to help us choose the next one, join our discord, and/or get some bonus content, become part of #ButtThwompNation at patreon.com/debatethiscast!

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MERCH! We have that! Right now you can go on the internet and order things that say Debate This! On them! All you need to do is head to MerchThis.net and give us your money! Ever wanted socks with the DT! logo on them? Well now you can get em! One more time that website is MerchThis.net!

Properties we talked about this week: Ballardo, Backgammon, Euchre, Mancala, Stardew Valley

Music for Debate This! is provided by composer Ozzed under a creative commons license. Check out more of their 8-bit bops at www.ozzed.net!

It's week 3 of the Spooktacular Express and this is, without a doubt, the scariest episode we've ever done. Put on your helmets, tune in and drop out as we take you to the realm of your VR nightmares. To make things even spookier, we've enlisted the "help" of an amorphous, soulless, faceless monster: generative AI. That's right, we're combining a game series with AI Slop(TM) to create the most terrifying VR experience possible.

Andrew is taking us back to a game we almost remember. Kyle is taking us to the government. Todd is taking us to a pervert cave.

*DISCLAIMER: This episode is a bit. We here at DT!HQ think that AI sucks and we don't condone its use in creative spaces.

The title of this week's episode was selected by our Patrons in our Discord Community! If you want to help us choose the next one, join our discord, and/or get some bonus content, become part of #ButtThwompNation at patreon.com/debatethiscast!

Have you seen our Instagram? instagram.com/debatethiscast
Have you seen our Threads? threads.net/debatethiscast
Want to send us an email? debatethiscast@gmail.com

MERCH! We have that! Right now you can go on the internet and order things that say Debate This! On them! All you need to do is head to MerchThis.net and give us your money! Ever wanted socks with the DT! logo on them? Well now you can get em! One more time that website is MerchThis.net!

Properties we talked about this week: Black Phone 2, Banjo-Kazooie, Metal Gear Solid, Kirby and the Forgotten Land, ChatGPT, Fortnite, Nirvana

Music for Debate This! is provided by composer Ozzed under a creative commons license. Check out more of their 8-bit bops at www.ozzed.net!

The year was 1979 and a scrappy little 16 year old named Richard Garriott started coding his friends' latest Dungeons & Dragons campaign into an Apple II. This is the small domino that fell over to eventually result in millions of players worldwide romancing a bear 30+ years later in Baldur's Gate 3. How did we get there? Well, there's a lot of answers to that question but a predominant step was through the landmark CRPG series, Ultima.

Imgur library link: https://imgur.com/a/5wN6Mec

Special thanks to "@NathanLV" for commissioning today's episode! If you want your own personal history lesson on some niche area, check out patreon.com/debatethiscast and consider sponsoring $60 one time to get your very own FLAVOR TEXT.

Recommended Reading:

• The Assassination of Lord British by the Coward "rainz": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GomZNDLX9SU
• Retro Tea Break's interview with Richard Garriott: https://youtu.be/LU90N4Cbj10?si=_N0zxqkkfZEBu-vo
• A complete breakdown of the Ultima series by Finntrovert: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUQmCK5A6Jg&t=22069s

Have you seen our Instagram? instagram.com/debatethiscast
Have you seen our Threads? threads.net/debatethiscast
Want to send us an email? debatethiscast@gmail.com

Music for Debate This! is provided by composer Ozzed under a creative commons license. Check out more of their 8-bit bops at www.ozzed.net!