This week, we're starting to talk about the Eight Types of Fun and how the rules of different games accommodate each of these different aspects of play. Join us as we start our discussion with Sensation, Fantasy, and Narrative, diving into each aspect of fun with definitions and examples of how we implement them in our own games, as well as other games which have mechanics that reinforce these aspects of fun.

Lots of links for this episode, starting with Ian Schreiber's multi-part blog post on Game Design Concepts: https://gamedesignconcepts.wordpress.com/2009/06/29/level-1-overview-what-is-a-game/

The Time We Have is a 2-player narrative game written by Elliot Davis. As mentioned by Danny Mendoza during Episode 200, the crew over at Many-Faced Plays has recorded multiple sessions, which can be found on this YouTube playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1c6JnNLy2c&list=PLMp2ZAfjgFwk. You can find the game on Elliot's Itch page, here: https://moreblueberries.itch.io/ttwh.

The Wretched is a solo journaling game written by Chris Bissette in which you play the sole survivor on a ship that is failing, with the thing that killed the rest of your crew coming back to finish the job. You can find the game on Chris's Itch page, here: https://loottheroom.itch.io/wretched

SPINE is a solo game published by Backwards Tabletop in which you feel compelled to read a book that wants to steal your soul, and the only way to lessen its power is by defacing the book. It is designed to be played by multiple consecutive players who mark up the physical copy of the book. You can find a review of the game by MyLifeIsAnRPG on YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWtfYXOJ9zg, and can find the game for sale on Backwards Tabletop's Itch page, here: https://backwards-tabletop.itch.io/spine.

Yazeba's Bed & Breakfast is a cozy, queer-coded slice-of-life game about the residents of a bed and breakfast, and the guests which come into and out of their lives. As you play the game, you mark up the book, showing the characters' progression through lived experiences, forever changing how they are played in the future. You can find the game on Possum Creek Games's Itch page, here: https://possumcreekgames.itch.io/yazebas-bed-breakfast.

Ten Candles is a narrative horror game by Stephen Dewey, designed around the mechanic of ten votive candles being an indicator of the gradual loss of hope in a hopeless scenario. This is an incredibly well-done game, but one which is quite emotionally heavy. You can find the game on Cavalry Games's website, https://cavalrygames.com/ten-candles-info.

Our website is live! Head on over to undercommontaste.com to find links to all of our social media, streaming sites, Patreon, Itch store, and Discord.

Our theme song is Massacre Anne, written and performed by Mary Crowell, and used with permission. You can find Mary's work online at marycrowell.bandcamp.com, or on Patreon at patreon.com/DrMaryCCrowell.

Our logo was illustrated by David Sutherland. You can find David's work online at instagram.com/wilex_73, or on DeviantArt at deviantart.com/davidsutherland.

This week, we're discussing what makes games fun. Join us as we talk about the different types of fun players seek in their games, what we look for in the games we play, and a trip down Memory Lane to assess how our past game experiences have shaped our current preferences.

Our website is live! Head on over to undercommontaste.com to find links to all of our social media, streaming sites, Patreon, Itch store, and Discord.

Our theme song is Massacre Anne, written and performed by Mary Crowell, and used with permission. You can find Mary's work online at marycrowell.bandcamp.com, or on Patreon at patreon.com/DrMaryCCrowell.

Our logo was illustrated by David Sutherland. You can find David's work online at instagram.com/wilex_73, or on DeviantArt at deviantart.com/davidsutherland.

This week, we celebrate our 200th episode with a Pirate Borg actual play, featuring special guests Jon (Tale of the Manticore), Eric Holden (The Goblin's Corner), and Danny Mendoza (The Streaming Rainbow). Join us as we set sail on the Dark Caribbean in search of a relic to turn back a horde of the undead.

You can find Jon on BlueSky (https://bsky.app/profile/taleofthemanticore.bsky.social), and you can find his podcast Tale of the Manticore at taleofthemanticore.com. Season 3 just wrapped up, and Season 4 is scheduled to launch on November 1st, 2026.

You can find Eric on BlueSky (https://bsky.app/profile/goblinscorner.bsky.social), and you can find his podcast The Goblin's Corner on at goblinscorner.com.

You can find Danny on BlueSky (https://bsky.app/profile/dannyrmendoza.bsky.social), and you can find all of his various projects through his LinkTree (linktr.ee/dannyrmendoza), or by looking back through the Self Promo channel on our Discord server.

It's a bit surreal to think that we've published 200 episodes (204, if you include the unnumbered Tarrasque Task of Maureen Trask AP episodes we did after episode 100). From the bottom of our hearts, we would like to thank our listeners and guests, without whom we would still just be Two Schmucks on the Internet.

Our website is live! Head on over to undercommontaste.com to find links to all of our social media, streaming sites, Patreon, Itch store, and Discord.

Our theme song is Massacre Anne, written and performed by Mary Crowell, and used with permission. You can find Mary's work online at marycrowell.bandcamp.com, or on Patreon at patreon.com/DrMaryCCrowell.

Our logo was illustrated by David Sutherland. You can find David's work online at instagram.com/wilex_73, or on DeviantArt at deviantart.com/davidsutherland.