From AI Ace Attorneys to Tabletop Turmoil - this week's Nerdy News!
The Week In Geek Recap
Welcome back to TWIG — your Weekly Geekly, Family-Friendly news show where the nerdy meets the noteworthy! Hosted by Nerd Pastor Nate and featuring the long-awaited return of SneakyPig, this episode dives into anime action, AI lawyers, Elder Scrolls nostalgia, and one seriously unexpected lawsuit in the world of board games.
Grab your dice, your dual blades, or your dignity (if you have any left after this week's meme), and let’s dive in.
🎥 What We’re Watching, Playing, and Reading (WPR Roundup!)
📺 SneakyPig’s Watchlist: Wheel of Time Rises
Back from his IRL grind to earn a degree in IT (congrats, Sneaky!), our guest rejoined the fold and shared his love for Wheel of Time Season 3. While Season 1 felt like a fever dream for book fans, the show has finally “found its groove” — with standout episodes and character development that’s made even the most skeptical viewers believers.
Oh, and he’s rewatching Andor Season 1 in prep for Season 2. Nerds prepare accordingly.
🎮 Games Galore: South of Midnight, Indiana Jones, Blueprints, and More
Sneaky’s been catching up on everything from Indiana Jones and the Great Circle (fun, if a bit basic) to the stunning, if slightly underwhelming South of Midnight. But the real glow-up moment? The Oblivion remaster — more than just a graphical update, Sneaky swears it's basically a remake. “Stealth archer supremacy returns!”
Meanwhile, both hosts are fully sucked into the addictive puzzle world of Blue Prince. Nate’s rolled credits at room 46 — but with Jason Schreier logging 120 hours? It’s a beast.
📚 Book Club Buzz: Dungeon Crawlers and Teleporters
Dungeon Crawler Carl has become Sneaky's new obsession — “Princess Donut is peak character design.” He’s also digging into Leap by OC Heaton (what if teleportation were real?) and pushing through The Expanse series now that his school-induced reading drought is over.
Nate’s cracking into Will of the Many and Book of Five Rings, and getting back into Jujutsu Kaisen. “Why is everyone else reading 600 pages a day?!”
🧠 AI vs. Phoenix Wright: Objection, Robots!
AI tried to beat Ace Attorney.
Spoiler: it failed.
A recent study had AI models like GPT-4 and Google Gemini attempt to play Phoenix Wright’s iconic cases. While some made it to the penultimate episode, they still couldn’t solve the deliberately simple first case. Even the devs found it hilarious — turns out “deliberately simple for humans” still flummoxes artificial brains.
Sneaky asked the real question: “Is this a step toward AI evaluating real-world court cases?” Nate replied with what we all feel: “Please, no robot Monokumas.”
🧵 Discord Drama: New CEO, New Concerns
Big news: Discord named Humam Sakhnini as CEO, replacing co-founder Jason Citron (now an advisor). Sakhnini’s pedigree? Ex-King and Activision Blizzard.
If that name combo sets off alarm bells, you’re not alone.
Nate voiced concern about a gentrified future for the platform: “We built our church on Discord. What happens if it turns into an ad-soaked, microtransaction-ridden nightmare?” Sneaky added: “Activision Blizzard? Yikes.”
While Discord already quietly runs ads and experiments with monetization, this leadership shift could fast-track the company’s push toward becoming a profit-first platform — with ripple effects across digital communities like Checkpoint Church.
🐉 Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion — Back and Better Than Ever
Surprise drop! Bethesda unleashed a gorgeous Oblivion remaster, and Sneaky was one of the first through the gates.
Using Unreal Engine 5, this version boasts:
4K visuals
60 FPS
Enhanced menus, combat, and character creation
New dialogue, lip syncing, and all DLC
A fresh orchestral soundscape that “rivals Skyrim”
Sneaky called it “basically a remake,” and Nate — a lifelong Nintendo fan with zero Elder Scrolls experience — may finally be tempted to open a scroll.
🎲 Main Segment: Board Games vs. The Tariffpocalypse
Let’s talk lawsuits.
Board game juggernaut Stonemaier Games (makers of Wingspan and Scythe) has joined a lawsuit against the U.S. government over a mind-boggling 145% tariff on Chinese imports.
That’s right: $10 to make a game in China, $14.50 in tariff fees just to bring it into the U.S.
Small publishers are shuttering. Warehouses are stalled. Staff are getting laid off. The board game industry, built on passion and precision, is in turmoil.
Checkpoint’s hosts broke it down:
Cephalofair (Gloomhaven) can’t afford to ship 60,000+ units
Boardlandia closed shop entirely
Kickstarter creators are watching projects go belly up
Prices are spiking, delays are rampant
Stonemaier’s Jamie Stegmaier, not known for litigation, is helping lead a Supreme Court-bound case challenging the unchecked power of the executive branch to impose such tariffs. It’s not just about games — it’s about survival.
🙏 Checkpoint's Response: Do Good. Do No Harm. Strive to Grow.
Nate offered a faith-driven call to action:
Support creators by shouting them out
Stay patient through delays and price hikes
Avoid villainizing — critique policy, not people
Keep striving for growth and grace, even when stakes are high
This is more than economics. It’s about community. It’s about justice. It’s about protecting the creative hearts behind our favorite games.
🔮 Upcoming Geeky Things We're Hyped For
Sneaky’s Picks:
Andor Season 2 – Espionage Star Wars at its finest
Days Gone Remaster – Time to hop back on that zombie biker train
Thunderbolts – Florence Pugh and Marvel’s B-Team? Yes, please.
Nate’s Picks:
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 – Age = death, and French devs made it beautiful
Until Dawn Movie – A horror hit turned theatrical? Fingers crossed.
The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy – A spiritual successor to Danganronpa and Zero Escape, with 100 days to save the school
😂 Meme of the Week: The Perils of Perfectionism
This week’s meme? A brutal callout:
Big oof. We all felt seen.
✌️Final Shoutouts & Sign-Off
Checkpoint’s Discord got some love as the real MVP of the community. Whether you’re there daily or just lurking, it’s a space that lives and breathes kindness, connection, and chaos.
And with that, TWIG 5.9 wrapped up — reminding us once again of Checkpoint Church’s three truths:
God loves you.
We love you.
You matter.
Until next time: Do good. Be kind. Keep geeking out. 🎙️✨
Villainizing - now there's an interesting and timely angle for a study of Christian wisdom on a topic... 👀