Welcome to Spotlight! Today we’re talking to Elaine and Efka, the members of No Pun Included. NPI is a YouTube review series known for its informality, energy, and copious quantities of humor. (humour, sorry).

Elaine (right) with Efka (not right)

Without adoing any further:

Hello No Pun Included! (is that a promise or a threat?)

Elaine: Neither, it’s a board game channel on YouTube.

Efka: And we hope it’s a funny and informative one. But most importantly it’s a project by two people who didn’t know what they were doing, but learned along the way.

Elaine: And had a lot of fun doing it.

I feel like ‘fun’ in these contexts is usually code for ‘hilarious off-camera hijinks.’

Efka: You’d be surprised as to how serious things can get behind camera. Not often, but they do.

Elaine: It’s not that we don’t have fun, we do, but there’s always a lot of work ahead of us so sometimes we can be very focused.

The reader is left to draw their own conclusions.

What’s your favorite game that you’ve reviewed, and is it your favorite game?

Efka: I would say the favourite game I reviewed is Mombasa, but it’s not really my favourite game because I am not sure I have one? I always found it so hard to quantify these things, but now that we have a Top 25 as a stretch goal on our Kickstarter campaign, I guess I’m in for a tough pickle. Which is a phrase kids say these days.

Elaine: It’s more of a soft pickle for me. I enjoy anything with a story, but I think my favourite game that we’ve reviewed is whatever we’re reviewing at that moment.

Efka: Oh Elaine, that’s such a cop-out answer!

Elaine: Well, we have so much fun making the reviews, so that’s always the thing that’s fresh in my mind. And also I have a terrible memory. Once we’re reviewing the new thing, I immediately forget anything I’ve ever played before.

[Editor's Note - They didn't manage to reach the top 25 stretch goal tier.]

You’re actually the first Europeans I’ve had on Spotlight. What do you think being on the right-hand half of the pond does for you as board gamers? +2 proximity bonus to Germany, maybe?

Efka: Well you say that, but Elaine’s not going to be European for much longer. Things change so fast these days.

Elaine: Ha ha. Thanks Efka for reminding me I need to sort out my visa for Essen.

Efka: I think being in Europe has its ups and downs. But that’s much like anywhere else in the world. I guess we have an easier access to some publishers and conventions here, but a tougher access to other ones. I’m always curious about gaming culture in faraway places. Like, if I went to a game night in a different continent - how different would it be? I suspect not much, and that’s kinda neat, because we have something that unites us all.

Elaine: Yeah I can’t top what Efka said.

Gaming in Malaysia has its ups and downs too, mainly the downs are to do with shipping costs.

Elaine: That’s a shame, board games should really be equally accessible but of course that’s more often not true.

The Maltan connection: Elaine and Efka with Richard Ham of Rahdo Runs Through.

I don’t actually have too much contact with British culture apart from shows like QI and Idris Elba, but quick aside: HOW AMAZING IS THE GREAT BRITISH BAKE OFF. I didn’t know I could like reality TV until I saw this show! It’s so pleasant! I cry all the time from how sweet and touching it is.

Efka: Well, there’s this episode of Friends (oh Lord, I can’t believe I am referencing Friends), where Chandler is advised not to say that he dislikes dogs, because people will think he is a monster. That is all I have to say on this subject.

Elaine: Actually, the current citizenship test is based on how much you know about the Great British Bake-Off. Or G-Bo as we call it here.

Efka: Which is why I failed it. But I do enjoy some good Idris Elba, so at least there’s that.

Calvin’s vote for ‘Most Hottest & Attractive Man Evers.’

There is no man alive I want to listen to more.

Efka: Does he sing as well? I imagine his first album would be called Elba Pain (see, that’s why we avoid puns - because that happens).

He does in fact sing. He also DJs, and raps under the name Driis.

Speaking of staggering levels of masculinity and confidence, what are your main struggles as a reviewer? Myself I always have the nagging doubt that whatever I make is nowhere near as good as it could be…

Efka: Oh god, yes. That one. I find it completely impossible to tell whether what we are doing at the time is any good or not. It takes a few months of forgetting about the thing to come back and watch it. And then I can tell. But Baz Lurhmann once told us: do one thing a day that scares you. And I think that’s very good advice.

Still waiting on the board game adaptation.

Elaine: It’s good to have a bit of self-doubt because it always makes you strive for better. But our motto is “never settle.” We always try to improve. I can’t play a game now without thinking about how I would review it. But I don’t think that’s a bad thing, because it makes me think more analytically about games.

I remember when I started doing that for films. It dramatically reduces the amount of films that I feel like I should spend money on, so that's a help for the budget at least.

Obligatory shelf shot.

To take a left turn for a moment: what non-gaming things are you totally into right now? What passions are burning you up inside?

Elaine: Well, there’s my ant farm. I just can’t get them to pull the plough or herd the sheep. But seriously, I am quite excited about rediscovering photography. I always liked taking pictures but I want to learn more. I have a pinhole camera, and at the other end of the spectrum we just bought a fancy new camera for our channel, and I am equally excited about experimenting with both of them. It fascinates me how photography has advanced so much over the years. No one has to carry a medicine chest anymore. It’s become so accessible.

I know that the photography nerds among our audience are screaming at me for not asking deeper questions about the cameras, but I'm dying to know … do you actually have an ant farm?

Elaine: Only that mound in our garden that continuously ruins our very british afternoon picnics. In fact, Idris Elba said he’s no longer coming to our picnics because of “that darn ant hill.” His exact words.

Efka: I am currently very eager to read Murakami’s Absolutely on Music, which Elaine borrowed from the library and I haven’t had the chance to sit down with yet. I am very much a layman when it comes to classical music but I always want to learn more, about pretty much anything. What’s great about Murakami, is that he is by no means a layman, but he thinks of himself as one. And he just wants to share, and I’m quite ready to absorb that book.

Do you read a lot of Murakami?

Efka: I used to be obsessed with his fiction. Now I just catch up with whatever is current. I think he just gets better with time.

Still waiting on the board game adaptation.

Apart from reviewing, is there anything else you’d love to be doing in the board games industry?

Elaine: It’s not something I’ve thought about. Honestly, no. I really like what we’re doing. I hope what we do enriches people’s lives in some way, and that’s what I want my focus to be.

Efka: I’m with Elaine on this one. I’ve never been particularly into game design. I don’t understand how to put a game together, just how to pick it apart. Which is a much easier thing.

I do feel bad when I have to pick nits about a game. Here's years of work by a large team and I'm saying things like ‘it doesn't feel as mechanically tight as I would like…’

Do you have a sneak peek for us of any videos coming up soon? Any super sekrit projectz?

Elaine: Well there is that one that involves a hedgehog and some scuba gea…

Efka: NO ELAINE WE CAN’T. People are not ready yet. But I can tell you that we are planning something that has a documentary slant to it, but it’s very far away and might not even happen. Otherwise, we’re not keeping many secrets.

Elaine: One of the great things about working as a pair, is that there’s always someone to pitch an idea to. And we do like to try out new things and see if they stick.

You recently wrapped up a Kickstarter fundraiser. How do you feel that went?

Efka: Well, a lot of people congratulate us so I guess that’s an indication that it went well. Looking from within, there’s constantly things you notice you could do better.

If their chosen image is any indication, they’re p. much perfect tbh.

I know it’s like making parents choose among children, but do you have a favorite video among the ones that you've done?

Elaine: Yes, that one where we were pretending to be parents and chose our favourite from among our children.

Efka: What Elaine means to say is, no, we don’t have a favourite video.

Elaine and Efka, thanks for coming on Spotlight. Where can our audience find you, and do you have any final notes for them?

Efka: You can find us like you find any things these days - type our name into YouTube, and like Mary Poppins - we’ll be there when you need us. Please be kind to each other.

Elaine: And thanks for reading!

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