Inside the Box
is a web/youtube series of a group of people, reviewing board games. White it's primary object is to review and provide info about games, it's episodic nature, heavy use of comedic tropes, sense of humor overflowing the original concept and shenanigans of the cast members make it more of a comedy show than review show. The group was on it since 2014 and quality of videos/skits is steadily improving with each new addition. They release roughly an episode a month and are present on Patreon as well.
The concept revolves around a box that comes up with games at random, that the gang plays. Also, a massive purple dildo.
Main cast consists of:
- Jack Darwin, the The Real Man, Ameritrash games lover and occassionally The Leader;
- George Chen, the The Smart Guy and mostly Only Sane Man;
- Hana Ihaya, the half-human half-zombie hybrid and The Big Guy;
- Brandon Clair, the resident Cloudcuckoolander and comedy-relief character known for his Perverse Sexual Lustwith unexpected insights;
Inside The Box provides examples of the following tropes:
- Art Evolution: The video quality has gone up since the first episode, introducing more visual jokes and filters.
- Ascended Extra: Brandon Clair. He went from making a brief cameo at the end of Episode 4, to becoming one of the main cast as of Episode 7.
- Ass Shove: Discussed, mentioned, lampshaded - mostly in conjunction with their signature prop.
- Back-to-Back Badasses: Hana and George in Episode 20\A Game of Thrones:The Card Game 2nd Edition.
- Berserk Button: Don't ever recommend a game of Zombicide to Hana.
- As for Jack, it's blatantly making a move in a game that screws him over.
- Beware the Silly Ones: Quite often the gang plays a game and the one member that is not engaging in combat wins the game. (Brandon in Episode 23\Scythe, Hana in Episode 27\Merchants & Marauders)
- Bunny-Ears Lawyer: Brandon or Hana, most of the time. Both also see Cloud Cuckoolander.
- Butt-Monkey: Mat, who always got the short end of the stick in the episodes he was in, but especially so in Episode 5\Smash Up & Elder Sign, where he gets his neck bitten by Hana and having a table thrown at him without the rest of the gang caring.
- Cloud Cuckoolander: Brandon, most of the time. Hana, sometimes. Also crosses with Bunny-Ears Lawyer, most of the time.
- Deadpan Snarker: Most of the cast, but mostly George. The videos/skits are overflowing with snark.
- Demoted to Extra: Mat Cooper was part of the main cast up until Episode 5, after which he makes occasional appearances, either as a ghost or portraying another character entirely.
- The Eeyore: Mat in spades, especially when compared to the more upbeat Jack and George. Most of his scenes comprise of him groaning, leaving in disgust, or looking completely bored.
- Insane Troll Logic: Present, mostly when Brandon suggest something that ... oddly makes a lot of sense.
- Perverse Sexual Lust: Mostly Brandon as there are no limits to his sexual attraction, be they cards or figurines.
- Rage Quit: Jack, mostly. With literal tableflip. Sometimes, done not as an act of frustration, but as celebration (Episode 29\Tokaido)
- Running Gag: - all over the place.
- Jack - making convoluted schemes and tactics, that always back-fire. Requesting George "to give him the D" and making the party play games even if they don't wont to. Promising pizza and (almost) never actually getting it.
- George - rules lawyering, clever (and dirty) puns. Saying "that's what she said!". Playing (begrudgingly) the yellow player
- Hana - Eating something all the time. Sometimes human parts (It's okay. She is a half-zombie)
- Brandon - winning games by playing obscurely, figuring out games' mechanics in a weird, but actually very sense-making way.
- Your Soul Is Mine! - The Hako Onna from Episode 37 attempts this when she thinks she's won against the gang.
