Fire Escape Cast #119

I told you record mono as if I know what the fuck I'm talking about. I just like sounding like, do you record mono? You got in Uma in the forty one hundred Mega hurts? All right, cools to la cla, Yeah, I cla.

I live here.

Oh my god, we'll coming on that. Hey, everybody, Welcome back to the fire Escape Cast. I'm Mike Mahardi, your host as always. It's episode one hundred nineteen. It is forty seven degrees in Boise, Idaho, on this fine night. We're here as always with Mary.

Kish It's a full crisp day.

And returning guests from episode fifty two so a while ago. It's Chris Plant.

Yeah, yeah, I'm sorry. I don't I'm not very good at numbers. How many is it between fifty two and one nineteen? How many of that?

Are you asking? How long it? Why we haven't asked you in that stretch to come on.

That's not what I asked. Number. I'm just curious about it. Number.

You're forty eight for sixty seven, I think, yeah, that's right, something like that.

Seventy sixty more episodes have happened now and then than the entire run of the show up until me meaning on it.

That's true that Chris, it's really important with a voice as prolific as yoursself, don't water it down.

And that's so true.

Get excited to hear what you have to say.

Yeah, it sounds like that was rehearsed. It's because Mary has already tried that line on me.

It is my dreamed gaslight men on this podcast.

That's why you came.

Your dream or your routine.

It's a little bit, a little bit, a a little bit of Bee. I get to live the dream every day here. But I think that we should have had you on more.

It is a mistake. I apologize on behalf.

To have him on.

Who specifically said don't have him on? I believe those were his words.

That does sound right.

You were you. I don't think you were my boss during that last episode. I wouldn't have I don't think I would have had you on if you were we were still working together day job wise, I think that would have been after I left.

It's probably in between the two zones.

Yeah, because you're coming right to us from post games now. For those who haven't ye, for those who haven't might not be familiar, give them the elevator, pitch.

Yeah, tell us about post games. What is it?

Oh? That isn't there to say? You know, it's only the greatest video game podcast to ever exist in one of I think only two or three that are out there. But I am, you know, holding that torch in the darkness. Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's like, you know, it's not so boring. No, I mean, people listen to you, Mike, so they'll they'll appreciate this. It's like in PR, but for video games. Every week you get a new topic, uh, and then you get an interview, and then you get a little bit of

What's the percentage of porn game coverage?

I'm on postgames right now. We're done twenty three episodes and three of them are about porn games, so that equates to about like a ten mm hmm, yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm making up for it's ten percent, that's right. I don't know numbers. Listen, I asked you for the numbers at the beginning of the show. The point is this. If you are listening to this right now, just give me a real favor. Hit stop, go your podcast app, Big Post Games, subscribe, go to Patreton not gone forward,

I thought we had a week without him, couldn't escape. Yeah, Dancy, Actually we're He's here on the East coast, but he's he's busy doing giant bomb stuff.

Is your oppression of Dan that he would like barbecue.

My impression of Dan is just any generic person that I grew up with in and around Kansas City talk. I don't think about Dan, actually, I just think of people that could be a Dan.

Yeah, so he's kind of like a faceless native guy.

I don't know why we couldn't go get some prime pickles like something like that.

He does talk about Joe's Barbecue often and the burnt Ins burnt In's, oh yeah.

And then burnt Ins and Kansas City. You're not like burnt In's everywhere else. They're actual burnt ins. It's like gristle. It's just pure fat gristle. Yeah for free.

If you don't pronounce the e like an I, you're not from the Midwest or Kansas specifically burnt ins. It's almost it's like the difference between Australia and New Zealand. Australia have Australians like with the cow. New Zealanders they like Whiz the car. It's a huge difference between Kansas and now that's from Flight of the Concords. There's a big difference between Kansas and Minnesota. But yeah, Dan's on the East Coast. He's doing there, doing the giant bomaiton,

Is porn section.

The third is just porn noises, just a lot.

And for that one, I recommend that you don't look the kids.

I do see five stars average rating. What have you done to get this?

He can, he wants, but he can't be in the hot seat himself.

I I'm just you know, I like to think that I'm just that good that I earned all. However, many of those five star reviews there are, Hey, that's not bad.

I agree, it's actually not too shabby.

It's not too shabby.

I agree. You should be very proud.

I am, thank you. Yeah, no, I mean, you know what, it's the guests who make the show. I like to think that I'm just merely a vessel for their talent. Who's been good about talking about my own stuff?

I sound like, yeah, I know, yeah, we could tell Yeah, just kidding, it's not that bad. Shadow Colossues. You did a recent three days ago with that? Is that your most recent episode? Twenty years later, Shadow the Classes still matters?

Yeah? Yeah. He talked with Jacob Geller, who Yeah, people, I'm sure who listen is they know Jacob? He makes video essays. But the cool thing about Jacob is he was making video essays that nobody watched for a while, and then he made one about Shadow Colosses and it so many people saw it completely changed his life. A fun thing about that video, though, he couldn't monetize it because he has assumed nobody would ever see his videos,

That's sad.

That's a sad state of affairs, but cool to set. You're still that much love about Shadow of the Colossus and people are that interested.

Yeah, did you all see the oral history that matt leone did. Yeah, it's very good if you're looking to read about this. Matt Leone did, Like all the oral history is a polygon about Street Fighter and Final Fantasy seven, and now there is one out about Shadow Classus That is so bonkers because I feel like anytime I get an oral history out of a game that was made in Japan, it feels like I conjured something that just

Yeah, there was always those like the culturally, it's like not a good idea to talk negatively or into the problems. I just did the TGS tour and I we had that same issue, which is like reporters culturally are not gonna grill you. They're not gonna they're not gonna ask you spicy questions. They're not gonna push too hard, and I think vice versa, the devs aren't gonna get into all the dirt, and so yeah, rapolate that is quite a feat.

Yeah. I once asked Miyamoto in a round table a question about his childhood playing in caves, and I have never felt cold chill take over the room quite as swiftly.

I think, I think you are Did you just stare at your soul? What happened?

He stared through me, smiling, and then the true people next to me were like, hey, they nobody asked me a personal questions. I was like, oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, no, no.

No, I was just seeing if he was touching about.

Was Bowser's favorite? Did you have a favorite kid?

How many times have you read The Great Gatsby? I think it's a rite of passage to ask Miyamoto about his childhood spelunking outside Kyoto, Like I I've asked that the question the one time I interviewed him, as well, you gotta and if you know, because I interviewed people, it's been I don't know what the cause has been, But before Tiers of the Kingdom came out, we had a few interviews with them with Aji Numa and hit A taka Fujibayashi the director, and like that was those

Are a bit chattier too. I've had that with Kirby where I asked him about like, what would happen if Kirby sucked up a really hot man?

Yeah? I ah, what do you say?

I think it was something like you a child, pretty hot man?

You people whispered at you.

No one asks what would happen if kirk sucked up a hot man?

Yeah?

But he missed the translator Japanese, but I know that they kept saying macho. It's like macho Jean, And I was like, you would be a very handsome person.

Yeah, you're right, yeah, and then you're I would love it if you were so confident in your elementary Japanese the time that you tried, you tried asking yourself and instead you said, what would happen if Kirby sucked off a very hot man.

I was that very hot man that would have.

Gone really well.

Uh, Kirby days ca.

I'll see myself out sem awesome.

Yeah, Shower Glasses is still really good. There's a question later about specific older games that I think we have an email section. I love Shadow Classes. That remake was awesome. I'm glad Jacob geller Is has a wider audience now because his videos are great.

Red because he was on my podcast.

No, because of the shadow of the Don't Flatter Yourself.

Because of his association and connection to you.

Yeah, finally I'm being a moment. I'm making break from the most popular video game.

Yeah, the plant Effect.

That's what happened when Donkey came on my show. Have you heard about this guy? Yeah?

Half have you heard of this guy?

It was crazy he was on my show and then people were like, why is he on this guy's show? You know what is really fun is when really humbling you do an interview with Donkey and I was like, oh, you know what, I should just throw this on YouTube, just like have the file there. Yeah, have like a YouTube channel. I've like made three episodes of this thing, and also like who am I in? All the comments are like, how the hell did this YouTube channel with

Very good to know all these five star reviews, show them.

Look at them, look at them.

You can't buy those. I mean in theory, y'all.

I love video games. I love chat with y'all. I may have made a little more coffee than I expected to make, and I'm definitely feeling it. I'm just letting you know that.

It's usually the opposite for us. We usually make more too much like alcohol. No, yeah, actually I've I've been doing that less these days. For the show. I'm sticking to. This is a cinnamon tea, cinnamon orange tea. Wow? Good, Yeah, what is it? I'm so god, I'm so noble.

And South Park impressions.

No, no, you're coming on. This is a serious episode.

Dan's gone that I am doing this with two losers.

I'm the only drinking.

Oh You're no, I'm going in a beer. Don't worry.

I'm like two seconds, I might crack.

Hardy starts to talking about some game that I don't like.

Yeah, which is strategy in the game section. I'm cracking a beer.

That's the only way I can get through it. We won't have what I'll go ahead, go ahead.

I mean it wasn't important. I was gonna tell you that I'm in the beer. I'm ment guit. It's like it tastes like you know, wood top of a tree like that. Oh nice, pretty good? Yeah, that sounds great would come off of It's like a cherry wood, is what it. It's one of those things where like, oh, this was made by running wheat and barley over just dead trees, like they're a lot that sounds seasonal.

There's a lot of like bourbons rise these days that use like used sherry casks or wine barrels, and I hate all of them. No, some of them are good. I don't like to use wine barrel bourbons. Those usually come out gross. Like there's one I forget what it was. I got it as a gift and it was like, oh, used pino noir barrels and like that, there's not a flavor I want in my bourbon no And I love pino noir, but I don't want like neutral barrel like four to five year old barrels.

What if they made like coke inside of used wine barrels. You think that would tastes good.

That's how they make carry coke.

It is not.

No, I'm just kidding, it probably would be good.

Mike, dead cells things pretty hard.

You have to really look dead eyes to know that he's fucking with you.

My beady little eyes. Mary loves to.

Say, oh, like the eyes of a dull Yeah, I know that.

Well, what's new with you? Mary? We've been fucking plants, been hogging the spotlight for a day. Now, what are you doing? You're in bikini bottom again.

Stuff.

I'm in the same place I've been for eight years. I'm at Twitch headquarters. It's just like another travel trip. I will like just openly say I've had so much travel, and.

A lot of it has been rewarding.

But generally speaking, when you travel three out of four weeks of the month like no train, I don't want to travel anymore. Like I think I might be done visually. But I will say I had a great trip. I went to Ohio, which is where I'm from, and I had that I.

Had a great trip. I went to Ohio. No, I'm joking.

There's a lot of fun in Ohio.

I know, I know, it's a callback. It's a callback I've been to. I've had some fun in Ohio as well.

Where are you from, Ohio?

I'm from but I okay, okay, Sinatti, but I don't care for since. But I lived in Columbus for most of my childhood and I got the opportunity to speak to a bunch of middle school students from the middle school I went to, which is really.

Oh my gosh, yeah, and I loved it.

R that was worth it because it was like it was basically I was talking all these people about like possible careers in STEM, which I think is a stretch for me to say, but technically, games and games, media is within.

You do have IGV lights behind you, idea and women in stuff.

Women you're yeah, come on, guys, I'm an ally And.

I talked to mostly girls about careers and STEM and it was the funniest thing I think I have done in a hot minute. This is like, just to be clear, this is like seven hundred. It was like nine hundred

And I'm like, okay. She like gets up there and does a little intro.

These kids are like not paying attention at all, and she like introduces me and I stand on this stage and this is obvious, this is a stretch, but like I need to get these kids attention, and I said, goo, here in this auditorium knows who Kai Sanad is.

And they all started screaming. They started freaking.

They in him on to the stage.

I hope not, because that did knock her.

He was not there, and they started losing their goddamn minds and they were they were locked in one.

And I was like, cool, that's what wwitches.

Oh anyway, I'm Mary, that's nothing.

I dropped the mic and I walked off the set and I talked for like a little bit about why they might want to get into game design, audio engineering.

You know.

I tried to like stretch.

It beyond what it is that we do, because games in general is a really exciting job, not just games media. We're talking about games, but just literally like game design is a really fascinating and they would need to start learning coding at that stage.

So trying to like spark their imaginations. But the second I think I said kay.

They were just basically like, I too wish to play Fortnite full time. And I was like, oh no, I've created seven hundred little little monsters.

And I just love this move of going off me and like.

Hey and by who knows the bond James, I know, great, neither of them.

We're gonna be here today.

It's a really bold move. That's a Michael Scott ass kind of thing to do. Yeah, but if you're intem I'm a fucking brain surgeon. Speaking of kids, I'm on the I'm on the fourth season of the Wire, Chris. I've been telling them I'm rewatching the Wire for the third time. Season four. The education sy all the kids.

Okay, yeah, yeah, yeah, you're not the five is the journalism.

Yeah, the serial killer one, which is like definitely not the best but the only always.

Yeah, yeah, the perfect show.

But no, the show's still really good. I bounce back and forth between what the best show ever made is?

In What Breaking That? Madmen?

I go back back and forth between like the Sopranos, mad Men, the Wire. Although I will say, and I'm trying to think of anything more recent than this, I really really they like Watchmen, like, oh yeah, just as a more recent one that I think could potentially be on the Mount Rushmore that we don't give as much credit because it's not like twenty five years old yet.

Yeah, I've already seen the critic No trying Jay Sherman, the animated TV show.

Yeah, I saw that.

I don't. I don't like being a critic, let alone watching shows about them.

That would that be on your Mount Rushmore?

Chris, Oh No, I was just asking if I had seen it.

Oh what prompted that because I was criticizing shows?

No, No, no, I'm just curious. Just you message, we're talking about TV. You might like it.

Oh, I don't know, I haven't seen it. Uh are you watching?

Of all time?

I told you. I've had a lot of coffee. It's a good show. I love. There's a lot of referential humorage, like nineteen ninety s Oh great when I was three, Yeah, fucking car partund Circle in Liverpool, New York.

Random shows.

You literally then this to the kids. You were like, hey, you're seen this person and then I try it and suddenly it's off the table.

Yeah, sell it. You have to really sell it. Also.

That would also you know allude that you were saying that the critic is the Lebron James of television shows.

Before its time, So true, you know that's that is untouchable, John Love. It was the biggest on TV.

Imagine if I was covered in that and I said, who here knows Seinfeld and fucking crickets And I said, well, in its time it was.

It was.

Fucking stupid kids.

Do you all remember that in the mash that was crazy? Everybody was watching.

We lost the war spoiler Yeah, oh no, no, no, sorry, that was Korea, not Vietnam. Was Korea? Or it was Korea?

Yes, right, the movie was Vietnam and the film or the TV series with Korea, I believe. So.

My dad liked the show, but like everything else my dad, Like, when I was young, I hated it, but now I love a lot of that. So maybe I need to go back and watch mash Mike.

How are you? How is your work in STEM going?

It's good? U have a few breakthroughs. Uh No, it's good. It's going well.

Ave lives around here.

Yeah, it's all. It's always funny when uh so, my wife is an architect. I guess I could say, Amanda, you both know her, it's always like feeling through it, so it's funny, like her job is making sure buildings don't murder a ton of people by collapsing. And then mine's just like it's always funny when I've had a rough day, just like in video games at all. And then she's like, yeah, she to her credit. She's never like discredits me. But then I'm like, anyway, how was

Yeah.

We have to remind ourselves that all the time, right, like that this is on our worst days.

It's actually like a functional job. It is an inch show.

Wild Space be in which is why it's so coveted and probably why we're allowed to go through so much trauma because they know we'll deal with it.

But it's not as bad as working in the er.

I know.

To be clear, none of this is like my job. I'm just saying in general. When I tell her about like the video game industry stuff, she's like, oh, that that sounds rough.

And then question, have you asked her why the architects who keep building buildings in New York are not good?

Oh, she'll be the first to ask. She's the first to say it.

It's crazy. They're all just they're all set to just fall down. I think every time I move with the New York Times, it's like, oh, another one of those buildings that we built. It turns out that it's fifteen feet leaning the wrong way each year.

More yeah, or it looks like Baratt door, uh, construction materials than it is the design, because I heard that like like back in the day.

So my house is like.

One hundred and fifteen years old and it's made with like one hundred and fifty year old trees. Like the wood is like so unbelievably old that like it was rock solid back then whereas like now they don't have those those trees are gone and like there's none of that wood left.

And I think that.

They would love that excuse for the big buildings. But from what I can tell, every story is like, yeah, they just missed a zero.

Yeah, like materials. I mean, I Amanda listens to the show every episode. She's probably like gonna tear her hair out. I'm sure bad materials absolutely come into play. Like sometimes I hear from like past job she's had, she comes back and she's like, oh yeah, someone I'll just like a supplier fucked this up and gave us the complete wrong thing, which of course they replace it. But no, Yeah, bad design is very much a thing.

But if it's calculations, should we go back to the abacus?

Mmmm, that's a good question. That's a real STEM question.

Maybe you should be in STEM.

Everybody questions me, but I'm the one who asks real questions around here brand the advocates.

My favorite thing is there's a building on the west side of New York. I want to say, like above Hudson Yards. It is a triangular one plant. You probably what I'm talking about about your ads? Yeah, yeah, yeah, Mary, you probably saw in the news too, because I want to say, three four years ago something like that. Uh, they Dorito's got ad space, and by that I mean they got the right to project a giant cheese dorito on the building, which is already shaped like a cheese derito,

H I'm sorry, Klue Postrios. One second, you're telling me that some that he made a triangle building is named Angles.

E N G L S. Yeah, okay, but close when you say it out loud, good, it's like a. It's like a it's like a guy named Matt Edge made a square building. No, it's just funny because apparently that guy has really made His name was Dorito. It was very full circle.

All right, Well, it looks good.

It's just funny to know that some of these architects are very very like the smell of their own farts. And then one day, though, who's to stop Dorito's from getting a hold of their design and using it to their advantage?

True, yeah, brilliant engineering. I mean, what better design? Structure is there, then the pyramids have been doing great, is all I'm saying. We got all these buildings that are off by like a couple zeros, and they're leaning fifteen.

It doesn't lean a fucking pyramid.

That's true. That's not true.

I think structurally possible for pyramid to lean.

Yeah, I think you're right.

I think it already is leaning. But there's four triangles leaning into one another.

Well, write this down.

We need to back triangle buildings because they're obviously killing it.

Mary, where was all this material when you were talking to the kids.

I only needed one line. All I needed to do is say, kaisana and you know what else? He truly is in my mount rushmore of streamers and maybe in basically just content creators in general. But like, it was so funny to me how much all the kids, every kid was freaking out. When I stepped down from the stage, multiple parents came up to me and said, I obviously got to.

Look this guy up.

I realized, parents do not know who these people are real.

There is a huge knowledge gap of like what the kids are into.

Parents just understand. And it's true, it's so true. I actually, when I was coming up with the Postgames of Soul podcasts that you've already subscribed to you and thank you for turing the Patreon. I was thinking about, like, oh, is there a business that's just literally, Hey, you only have twenty minutes this week where you're going to give a shit about learning whatever your kid is into. I'm going to explain it in twenty minutes, get out of

Games are wild and you have to be on top of it. You want to get these youths attention, I will say, just because you brought it up.

I am not going to spend twenty minutes out of.

My day like researching the youths. But I do subscribe to a sub stack called after School Casey Lewis, and that's what that is about. It's just straight up like I'm going to talk about the youths and what they're into. And it's like how I learned about like the fact that like young people twenty one and up, but like young people are doing buzzball parties where they're like having like fancy dinners but they're serving buzzballs as the drink.

And I was like, that's real, okay, genius, I like it.

But they talk about like teens too, and like, you know, just just like what the kids are up to at any given time, it's usually like fifteen to twenty five. I'll and I think it's like really helpful for me to be like, I don't know what the what the fifteen year olds are into.

So yeah, anyway, gotta know I have to you know, how else am I going to win them over? At nine thirty am on a school day. It's so limiting. The options that I had to win them over were so slim. I mean it was kind.

Of like I was like a football star. There was like ten seconds left on the clock and they were like, we need you to score this touchdown.

They call them very long pass and the end zone. It's called the hell Mary.

It was a hail me and I did it. They some kids did ask for my autograph.

I didn't want to let you guys know, and I said, I just want to be clear that I am not famous, and they said close enough, And I.

Wait, genuine question their bags? Are you are? Are you using that as euphemism for like a photo with them, or like, do kids actually ask for autographs.

Again my autograph.

Because they're too young autographs? But that's cool.

I like that my selfies. And they called me one girl.

I'm like, I said they there was like seven hundred kids, but one girl called me a battie. And I have to tell you there's no compliment like a schoolgirl calling you a battye.

That made me.

How do you like? How do you I find it funny.

I don't.

Bad intro on it.

I don't even understand exactly what a baddie is.

I can only assume that it means a cool lady.

Yes, I walked away from that situation thinking I was like God's gift to the middle school.

That's what I've always called you.

I was like, I've done it. I couldn't believe it, but I don't. I don't think they're going to.

Be like holding up those uh autographs and reselling them any times soon. They're probably in the garbage now. But I felt really amazing walking away from it.

Those children got like I would love to be a fly on the wall when they get back to their their home after that school day, trying to explain who spoke to them in the auditorium. Oh, this woman in stem, this battie, she's again God's gift to middle schoolers. She knows Kai Sanat he bailed less than it. Do you know him?

And I was like, I know of him? And they were like, sign everything.

You signed my binder, so I'm.

Over thirty and you know of him. I got you to find this.

What a battie, they said. I said, yes, that is me.

I'm sure you killed it. It sounds like you did. And you signed some autographs. I've never signed an autograph. I would love to you one day.

Really, so it's very rare, but I would say once a year someone will recognize me from game Spot and or Giant Bomb and or fire Escape and ask for.

A photo and that feels.

Really fucking amazing, and it's a wonderful experience.

But it's very, very.

The best when you're not an actual thing this I am not had this happen in a while, mostly because when I went to Polygon, when I became an editor in cheap it's like a you just disappear into the world job and uh, and now it feels a little bit more. I exist. I was in New York last week walking through like random ass in your park slope and as I'm looking for the restaurant on my map, somebody just comes up to me. I'm like, hey, your plan. I was like yeah, and you and they're like, you know,

That's such a sweet thing for someone to say to you that you're a great.

Person, you know, especially since I'm not.

As far as they know, you are a saint and that's that must make you a christ. Last time someone recognized me, which was at PAX, which is like such a reasonable place to be found, and they said, I love how much shit you give Dan, and I said thank.

You so so much, and to me not away from that situation them thinking.

That I was a good person, but that I had at least harmed Dan, and that.

Was they were Yet again people recognized Dan as the man who broke his thumb in a cheese bath.

That's his claim the fame you are you aware of what happened?

Show? All of the episode? Sometimes good because I love it.

People do say that.

I think the cheese bath was due and it's not my fault that post cheese bath during the cleaning.

Phase, Oh my god, cleaning that took a while.

It was vile.

We had to clean quite a quite a lot of mac and cheese out of a full bath time.

It was so goofy.

There are you overcouked it? It was not Al dente is my one criticism of the prank.

So many questions, I'm not meant to be in the kitchen. I'm a pattie and stem.

The funniest part of that prank also, the byproduct was trying to find normal pans in Dan's kitchen, of which I think there was like one we had. We had your pots and pans are just like, yeah, it's just scavenge.

For them, is it all?

Just like I think that's different now to like warm up like a burrito from I think they fleshed it out more since, but at the time it was.

Dan courring with a dowel rod.

They don't have items to cook with because I just think that most of their items were like Dan was doing a lot of like microwaveable meals, which is totally understandable for his lifestyle and what he was doing.

I just couldn't find I couldn't find a spoon, I think.

I think, yeah, I think it's I want to say that he's cooked more since I think so he had that he had that that stretch where he was bragging about learning to cook and he was doing the thing where he was catching up with the rest of us and wanted like props for it, and I had to indulge him. But yeah, I think he knows how to cook a few things now, so it's good for him. But he maybe he has more pots, But that god, that cleanup was was annoying. But yeah, he broke his

There's so many questions about like where the cheese goes?

Uh huh, you mean straight to the ass?

Oh? In the tube?

Okay, that's free phrase your question.

Do you mean in the tub when we cleaned it up?

Yeah? And on the body in the top.

He I don't know. I guess down the drain we hose it down.

Is that hypothetical?

Yeah, yeah, no, it's it's purely hypothetical.

If I was to be in a tub of cheese, where the cheese goes?

I mean, I feel much worth discussing. That's with you there versus Dan his body is I.

Think it could be anyone.

His body has been given to the public for that theoretical experiments. Okay, I think.

And he's in a pub.

In the top and it's full of cheese, sure like it does it go underneath the fingernails? Does it? Does it? We're not Does it congeal everywhere?

I think he absorbed some of the dairy too, not that there's real milk and belveda, but yeah, you know, you're he was. He was glowing. The next day. He looked wonderful.

Have you heard of wine baths?

Wine bags are legit and people pay money spa where you sit in a top full of wine.

Mike, I've thought about you.

I've seen these ads, and basically there's health benefits to bathing and wine. I suspect to some degree there is something that would alter of you when you bathe in cheese. I just don't think it would be beneficial.

Do you worry that it would be a little bit like a fond dou pot, like a giant human sized fond dow pot, and then that we would like dip dan in it, and then we'd have to eat them piece by piece.

I just consider cheese such a variation of butter, and I just think when you roll crisco all over the human body, it's usually not like something that makes it more supple or soft. I feel like it's something that would like make it break out.

And I've not heard of wine bats before, I believe it or not.

Dude, you got to look them up. They have them in Ay everywhere. Come visit me.

Yeah, like in Japan too, don't they have the at the saunas? Like there's don't have specialty baths?

Dump whole bottles in there, and apparently you know, I suppose like to some degree, it's just meant to be so good for your skin. But I was wondering if you'd get a little drunk, because you're like silently sure, but I don't.

Know, it's not you're boothing it. You'd be absorbing some to the skin a bit too, I think, and like some parts for your skin's not super thic, Like.

How can you be sure that nobody took a pass in the wine?

Well, I think you get your own point.

It's going to be that's so much wine. Yeah, for real, that's so much wine.

Wait, all right, let me look up how much? Okay, what is a what is the volume of a typical bath tub? In millileters? Not interested in AI mode? Fuck off? Seven fifty MILLI leaders? No? Wait? Sorry? Uh in mill leaders or not? Say leaders? Christ makes more sense?

Ball parking it? Seven bottles? Will do you do you think?

Seven? Well, you're still a tub.

I would say that if I put seven bottles in a bucket and you sat in it, you'd be like, I'm in a tub of wine.

Uh uh?

If I in a bucket?

Yeah, in a bucket, yeah, didn't a bucket, but a bathtub. That married wowl.

You're gonna put me in a bucket?

Leaders, So am a normal bathtub?

Average, it's decaded, this is a luxury. It's I have random bottles of yellow tail and I'm putting them in a bucket, and then I'm making you exclusion to the bucket.

I'm a woman in stem our engineered this battie.

This is modestly priced wine bucket.

Okay, a typical bathtub.

But I was just thinking of your finance.

I appreciate it. Thank you. I realized that I was paying for my own punishment.

Okay, I'm not the best with math, so I'm gonna do rattle some off and hopefully it's okay. So that typical bathtub holds between one hundred and thirty one hundred and eighty liters of water. One leader is one thousand milli leaders, an average A bottle of wine is seven hundred fifty mili leaders. Unless you're talking about like magnums

Eighty bottles of wine would take.

To fill bath?

Touch fucking flew over there?

I was.

I did the work, and he got He knew what equations us because I got there. That's how math works. Stem Mary thinks math is just having an answer ready to go. Of wine would be fine for a wind bath.

The type of wine and the mill leaders within that type of.

I didn't say the type of wine. We're not, although I am curious what kind of wine they use for these baths. Is it red?

It's got it? It's red in the phone, Oh.

Yeah, there's always Do you imagine if it was white? It would just a big pissed bath. Yeah, Oh dude.

Here I am in my shirt in eate bath, and yeah.

I take a shabble bath any day of the week. It would be. I would just like dunking myself whoops, and then just chugging on.

Oh whoops.

Oh what I fell again. Oh my god, I'm oh my god, I'm drowning in this chapline. Oh my god, Someone tell Mary you do get drunk doing this And it's totally through my skin and my butt, not my mouth. And that's that's what they called me in college. Yeah, I'll have to look these wine bass up. I don't want one.

For the record, I'm not interested.

Yeah, I go to go to one of these spas and then ask what vintage it is. It just be the biggest prick in the world.

Check out Mary's Wine Buckets because we have really good deals. On you sitting in a bucket of yellowtail wine.

I see one first seven to take to take a wine bath for.

On That sounds expensive, your, Yeah.

Is expensive. It's called veno therapy. Popped there in like ten years ago.

Oh, rape seed oil.

Okay, interesting, like actually going down this rabbit hole you brought.

I did I think that?

When Walmart came up as one of the options, great, I.

Mean that's I need my wine therapy And it's like on all their towels in their kitchen.

Liked it, and yeah, it's a it's a bath bomb, it says wine time.

Yeah.

I love cooking with wine sometimes I even put it in the food. All this fucking dumb ass glasses that you buy on Amazon.

I don't think so that's what you mean.

I don't think so, bro, I don't think so bro, I didn't go get my I'm gonna go get my my, my wooden cask beer.

Yeah yeah, you guys talk about video games.

Oh yeah, I get my beer beer.

That's that's how we break for games. So we're breaking now. Okay, yeah, like five minutes, two three, come, all right, let's talk about video games and hopefully Mary's computer doesn't blow up or whatever just happened. If it does, and she sounds weird the rest of the episodes because we switched over to some backup audio. All you all the audio nerds, and the comments like this doesn't sound as crisp as it usually does. You fucking deal with it, I Mary, speaking of scary stuff.

What's up?

You played Silent Hill? F?

It's my favorite time of year.

First of all, sober, Why where does the F come from? Is there like an in universe explanation for it?

I don't know.

I I don't think I actually know the answer to that question. What I will say is that this is completely different than every other Silent Hill in terms of like, it's a totally different.

Same universe, just in Japan, right.

It's in Japan.

You are like school girl, you know, with your with your baddy friends. It's a very different environment, and I wonder if they just added f so that you weren't like, am I going to be playing as the same traditional characters in Silent Hill, like you're not in Silent Hill?

It's probably one.

Actually, really quick before we go on, Yeah, if you could do an exercise with me that all you have a pin in the paper nearby?

Yeah, well no, but I have a pen.

Yeah, I can do it. Okay, looks like looks like you've got it. Great, great, great. I just want you to write this down for me. Okay, Okay, are you ready, Mary, I'm ready? Okay. Oh is there like a clever n I just want to write this down Silent Hill? Yeah, f yeah, art, okay, okay. Now I want you to hold it up to the camera so that we can uh Now, it appears that you're a Silent Hill fart.

Don't Mary. I don't think you're listening to what you said to do.

I can't believe I wasted my lipliner to do this.

Is your handwriting always that bad?

It's lipliners.

Mine's really bad as Oh it's alipliner. I see what you mean.

I looked nice. I could read it.

Thank you.

It's a no matter what the penmanship, Chris can always tell a fart.

So are you what are you thinking of the game overall? Have you played much of it? Are you kind of?

Yeah?

I think it's hard to always for me to tell in these because Silent Hills sometimes can be quite long, and so you don't. I'm actually not confident how far into the game I am, but I will tell you I I absolutely think it's a great addition to the Silent Hill franchise. So, as I said, totally different. Maybe it's like the same universe, but you're not in Silent Hill. You are in like a small town in rural Japan.

There's like a the fog.

Changes their skin, makes them bleed out of the pores of their skin, and then they just straight up like die, And so you're running from the fog and that's kind of what starts a very quick stresser of this game. The enemies are also insanely freaky.

They look like dolls.

Uh.

Silent Hill is known for their half hot, half scary enemy types, and this is no different the enemies. There's two different main ones that have come across so far. One they straight up do look like dolls, Like they have the doll parts, you know, or like that leg. You can see the line all the way around the leg and it looks like, you know, you could like

Very upset, you know, like.

The models that use when you're like learning how to draw in school.

Yes, they look like they look like that, a little like Uncanny Valley, but they're human enough that that would really stress you out. They are branded with some kind of knife usually or like MACHETI or some kind of sharp object, and they really run at you this game, unlike other Silent Hills where I felt like I was often dodging enemy attacks and previous Silent Hills just to preserve my health, and in this one they really are kind of I think encouraging you to get into combat.

They're putting me.

They're putting me in a space where I had to kill these dolls and then the other enemy that I keep coming across, which is really stressful. I'm going to call them like scared or crow adjacent enemy types. They look like they could be scarecrows. Or they're in a field the first time you see them, and uh, you have to pull like and I don't know, you do put thorns?

Is that what it is?

Well, they call it thorns when it's like nails with like little notes on them.

Yes, and you have to pull them out of their bodies and if you get it wrong, they come to life and attack you.

And if you get it right, you get they.

Can get it wrong. Sorry, is it like a puzzle?

It is a puzzle, very puzzly. Sorry, I went ahead of myself. Go ahead, Chris.

Did you did you like this puzzle? This puzzle is the people who love this low. They're like, you go into a field and there are six scarecrow and you need to pick the right one. Yeah, top of a mystery. Yeah, And if you don't know, I'm at you it's the best part of the game. Once you get that a game, it's really good. And I don't I don't know you didn't like it, Well, can you describe the puzzle?

Sure, I will try and describe the puzzle. So you're sayah, and a foul on sex spacraws, and there will be a person that is essentially saying if you try and run into the mist, the mist will just magically transport you back to the same field. So you have to pick the right person who will point in a very specific direction for you to continue your journey in this

And my answer, yeah, go.

Ahead, Yeah, Well there's like three difficulties. Yes, And I looked up a guide because I was like, oh, man, I don't know what's going on here. Yeah, the easiest difficulty made the least sense in the hardness difficulty, I was like, oh, I hadn't nailed that one.

I was on hard to agree. So maybe that's why I felt like I got it.

That I should have played that, because mine was like, I can't believe you stab me in the back. And it's like a person stabbing someone in the back, and it's like nope, nope, try again, stupid idiot.

Idiot doesn't I don't like vague puzzles.

In the hard mode a lot of the Well, actually I didn't play easy mode. I didn't play baby ass baby mode. So maybe you can tell me. Did they have masks on? Because what I recognized with when they said something like you are smiling, but I know deep down inside you were upset. The mask was smiling and the person was upset, and so it was a It was a two fur for me to recognize that the mask is the mask that we wear and the way

At a certain point, I just started killing everyone.

Yeah, I will say I did fine on the first one. I actually like, didn't get it right on my second one three times, and then I got the first. I got it right on the first try on my third one, so it's like I made even it's solid.

We all make mistakes.

That's so true. Thank you for making me feel better about my decision to just murder thousands.

Of It's hard though, because the.

Just like in other silent hills like your your items have durability and so you don't really want to just get into combat willy nilly, because you're burning through you're good items.

Uh so you were playing on hard on that also? I see on combat?

Yeah? Sorry, Oh no, we've been playing a different game. Is there not ability on easy mode?

It's well, I was playing on wherever the normal mode is right, and I was fucking god, I was you there's a dodge freeze dodge in this game. That is, you are literally just neo for matrix. You like literally enemies would I would just wait for them to attack me because I was like, oh man, I'm gonna kill you if you even dare to come at me. Wow. Which the game. It's a weird game because you would

How far are you?

I'm well, that's what I was saying. I'm actually not sure how far I am. I'm like past the school.

Okay, yeah, you're in it.

I'm in it.

I think it's great so far, But you know, like most Silent Hill games, the ending is going to be what probably makes me decide whether or not I think this is all justified.

But I just want to say, like.

Mechanically, I'm really liking how they've connected the game to the world building. Because I get all these items, and it could be anything from like chocolate to like a fizzy drink to a bandage. I can use them, I can or I can sell them. But these shrines and I can upgrade my character. So if I'm not using all these items, if I'm playing really efficiently or effectively, I'm selling them and I'm upgrading my my combat ability or you can sell them. And I think this is

I have one more question, what do you think of the phantom zone with the wolf boy?

Ah, with the wolf Boy. I don't know if I get it.

Uh.

I just assumed that it was just more atmosphere. But Silent Hill is known for me being like I don't know what that's all about. Yeah, so my my my answer is I don't know. I don't know what.

I don't know. Yeah, I don't know if I get it. I enjoyed it. It's like it was a good change of pace.

Yeah, I gotta play it.

I mean now, after talking to you, I'm like, you guys should play it on hard, because, like I I.

Think I should.

The combat was I always do.

Very challenging, and I I thought I thought that, like that is the way to play these because you want to be scared and you want it to challenge you. The puzzles being on hard is also pretty wild, Like it's one thing to have to change difficulty setting. It's another to be like, what do you want your combat difficulty to be?

Cool?

What do you want your puzzle difficulty to be? And I was like, what, like, you can change that, and you can. I made both of them like very difficult because I want the game to be difficult and it is a hard game to get through. But I think that that's I didn't play this to like seamlessly breeze through it. I want to be scared, and I want to be grossed out, and I want to be confused, and I got all of those.

I really should have done that, because there's like there are these like mini possis that meet. They're huge, like the size of a tank, and I would just beat it down with my pipe until it died part time and it can't be killed, so I just wake up and then the second it woke up, I just beat it down and then I go back to someone whatever puzzle I had, Oh.

My god, that part was so stressful to me. I used all of my weapons to take it down once and then I got halfway through the puzzle and it came back to life and I.

Went, what the fuck have any items?

Nah? As I rolled up like a newspaper and swatting it on the nose. I was like, please stop, and I was like.

We had a very different experience playing this game.

Like a crimson Head from res remake.

Oh, they do like regenerate and the ones in the field they're fucked up too. I will just say, uh, they're They're the kind of thing where you'll look at all of them, like, so you'll see six in a field, but to find the one that you want, you need to look around. So I'd look at one specifically and then I would hear something and I would turn around

Wow, that's the truth.

Really, I really want to play it. It seems up my alley. I also have recently restarted The Quarry because I got into it a decent amount two years ago whenever it first came out I think it was two years ago. And I love super massive stuff, so I want to keep playing that. But I also the more I.

Have you played The Quarry before, Yeah, I.

Got like a third of the way into it from my understanding of length. Other stuff came out for work, I'm sure or something like that.

It wasn't.

It wasn't like quit from exhaustion or disinterest.

Yeah, I think it was good. I don't think Yeah, problem with those types of games is quite.

A bit, and I just kind of wanted those vibes. But I also the more time I spend on this Earth, the more I think about Alan Wake two. Since I played that game, I fucking love that game, and uh I sometimes I'm like always fighting off replaying that game. I really should not replay that game right now because we have a I have quite a lot of other things to catch up on before Game of the Year and Alan Wake two.

I really want to go back and actually just play that game, because I when it came out, it ran like garbage on my PC for whatever reason.

I think it was a Yeah, it was a widespread problems.

It was such a bummer too, because there were entire parts I remember the musical number so yeah, yeah, just completely bombed out time after two.

That must really ruin your ability to enjoy it.

Do you have an like do you perchance have like like a handheld that's like thousand dollars?

M well, I am an ally on the Republic of Gamers. I try to be you know, I try to be the man that I want to see in the world.

Dress if you want. But in consoles, I bet it would play great on that. So that's a shame.

Oh yeah, you know, when not play great on that that Xbox handheld Xbox games, you would think it would be the opposite. I'm sorry, this is like, this is you pushed into my life. Number one thing. I'm I try not to be the shock jock Radio person. Something about this handheld truly just drives me the skin wants to leave my skeleton. It is so absurd that the entire marketing is this is an Xbox, and then they made an Xbox and it doesn't play Xbox games. It's

Yeah, who knows the decision making?

I will say, like it's it's alan Wick two was like kind of shocking for everyone who was like, you have to play this game.

And I think I was also distracted in the musical sequence.

I forget what was happening, but I think my dog was like coughing up a hairball or something was happening, and I just remember being distracted. And I remember like everyone was like did you get to that scene? And I was like yeah, it was cool, and everyone was like, but wasn't it life altering? And I was like, oh, I just thought it was like a funky little dancing scene, and I just didn't.

I did not.

Get the same immersion that so many people got from that experience.

Uh No, I think I was.

In the games when I stream them, I will say some games I think are harder to stream than others. Yeah, I will not stream like an elden Ring, for example, because there's no way I would enjoy it. I would be too focused on how embarrassed I am that I've died five hundred times to the same boss.

Yeah, and I.

Don't think I would actually be able to just like appreciate it. But some games I've really enjoyed streaming.

Oh yeah, no, it's it's I mean it's possible to not love that scene, even if you were playing it offline or on.

Off dog is coughing up a hairball. You are distracted.

No, it's not gonna get everybody the same way. I big picture wise, that game, I just absolutely love that they they made two games that are very very different within that one one which is like inspired by Taxi Driver and acid trips and like liminal spaces, and then they put Allen in there. And then the other one was more straight up survival horror in the Pack Northwest, And you could play either one up until basically the like penultimate scene, and then go to the other one.

It's true we have to like really start, you know, just stacking the decks because we have to fight Dan on anything that he's going to bring to the table.

Death Beginning two is in trouble.

Speaking of stacking the decks, I have been playing Monster Train two, which is a rubliic deck builder, So thank you Mary for the transition. You're Monster Train one. I want to say it came out in twenty twenty one something like that a few years ago. Really great game, both that game and this The art, how do I say it? It's not the yeah art style art direction

That saturated. It was what it feels, very saturated.

It's not saturated for me. It's like, literally, it just looks like cheap is the best way I could put it. But Monster Trained two and I said that about Tower Dominion too, my another one of my favorite games this year, which is a tower defense game. But Monster Train two is phenomenal. I don't did you either of you play Monster Train the first game?

I'll be real card games.

Yeah, fair enough that I don't like the whole genre. I would say this one kind of unlocked them for me in certain ways. But just elevator pitch. You're on a train hurtling toward the final boss, and the train is composed of four levels, so enemies will come in. Anyones you don't kill in THETTOM level will advance to the top level, and then the third, and then to your core, which is basically your trans engine, which can do damage to them, but it also takes enough damage

Do that in the first You what you could do that in the first Monster Hunter, Monster Train.

Yeah, that's what I'm saying. It's not new, yeah, but I'm saying they still held on to that core, like they want you to kind of think about how you might actually make this character indestructible. So I'm loving it. I'm only six runs in. I've gotten close to the final boss on the fifth, but like many a Rogue Light, you're also unlocking quite a bit between runs. You're upgrading individual factions, unlocking new ones, and it's great. I'm liking

So you're saying it's a talkie game.

Super talky, Yeah, yeah, there is actually Weirdly this game, they introduce this like lower codex where you can unlock story, which does not play against your will while you're trying between runs. But there is a codex you can go to and read lore if you care, and I don't care. Sure, no offense, no offense. I'm sure there's a lot of well written stuff there for people who made this. Uh I, shiny Shoe. I believe it's the studio, sure, I just uh I just that's not what I'm there for. I

I get lots more in my own way. I don't need someone to force feed.

My lore got lower all along this bookshelf. Oh yeah, I go to the Lore Valley. Just really good stuff there. Yeah, but yeah, I Muster Trained two is great so far.

I mean, I've been playing so much the thing that I guess I'll shout out now because it'll be coming out close. When does this episode drop?

The November third Monday?

Oh okay, I think it'll be like very close the full release of this. Q OP Do you know about q OP?

No?

Like q U e U e Q the letter Q You.

Want me to write it down in my lipliner?

Perfect perfect silent hill fart. It is the latest game, uh from Frank Lance who did Universal paper Clips. Yeah, and uh, and there's a bunch of other people working on this from what I can tell, But it is a eesport all about fairness. Everything is one hundred percent completely random multiplayer eesport. That's definitely what it is. It is about coin flipping. Are you heads? Are you tails? Which one are you gonna get? Play to the death?

E sports. That's all.

That's all. There's nothing else going on. It's just esports. It's just one hundred percent fair, one hundred percent random flipping some cold But are there like individual heroes too? And the crazy thing about it is they are heroes, but they're all equally good because it's one hundred percent fair.

What game? What game are? These characters reminded me of like Goodbye Volcano High or whatever. Those No, that was all like anthropomorphic creatures. This is this has like, uh, what was the It's kind of what the dad day dat?

Yeah, the date the dads?

No, what was the daddy dat game? You know what I'm talking about? Mary, You must know the dad.

Oh what are you talking about?

Dream daddy, Dream daddy?

Thank you.

It looks like the same art style.

Let me know, if you were to talk about any hot smutty boys, I got you anyway.

But yeah, you know, it's it is as I'm being very starky, but it is a game that is not as it seems. It is a game, Mary, you are going to love this game, I think because it's a lot of playing this extremely fair esport that is definitely very popular amongst uh streamers, and then also getting emails from the company that makes it. Uh. There's a lot of there's a lot of Chalky in this game to go along with the Dewey.

And looking at a lot of reading too, like not just talking like I'm reading, there's a lot of text on the screen, Bud.

Yes, I think I think it's going to be a good thing. I don't know if it's going to blow up. We'll see, but I think people who play it are going to really love it. And then in terms of you know, I've been playing all this stuff the everybody's I'm playing speaking of games from people who you know, worked at n YU Baby Steps, It's great. I loved it.

I don't understand how you can love this game.

Yeah for real, Yeah, neither of them really, No.

We we we've talked about the last episodes. Get I like it. It's just not tell us about it.

You sick?

Why do you like this game? I don't even like.

I'm taking it at my pace, so I'm not one of thos like art.

Can't be builed down to one simple.

That's That's why that face is literally my nightmare.

It's the face I do when I'm being pretentious. Is it the face you do when you're being pretentious or you've enjoyed baby steps? If that's the right.

No, I'm playing it at my own pace, and for me, it just it like quite literally feels good on a mechanical level, just moving around.

What do you mean it feels it feels awful? You're stumbling around and you're looking at.

This I have only maybe like twice what I think. It's a game that once you learn how to walk, it truly is a game. I think the problem is people saw this game like, oh, it's a game about difficulty. It is a game about like all these things, and like how many horrible things can you overcome? And they're thinking about it like getting over it like the other Bennettotty. Yes, I think it is the exact opposite. If you actually just take the main path, if you just go whatever

It sounds like the episode when Jeff doing.

You think philosophically, what it's teaching you is to just take the easy route.

You don't have to.

I think it is. There's a point later in the game and this is like spoilers, but it's now all over, like you're not going to escape this where there's a absolutely impossible mountain side that you can climb, and then there's also and then yeah, grub I think actually made a video of about spiral staircase. There's the green Spiral staircase, and you can just take the green Spiral staircase and there's nothing different. The game call like it shames you

I cannot believe that you have found such deep meaning in such a stupid, stupid.

Ugly game.

Do you know about like the little mini games that you can unlock, No, they're like many scenes. Okay, so this is the wild chain, and it's why it would motivate you to do the other things. If you get a hat or whatever and you care like you wear it to the campfires or whatever that check point each thing. When you get there, it will cut to atari like scene that you can move around, and they're all just

That's so crazy, like.

Say hello to friends, you know, receive help.

Putting so much assumption into the design of this game. I thought that the purpose of this game was to be so annoyingly bad that I was meant to go outside and touch grass.

I will also say I'm unquestionably biased, like mega biased on this game. Why one of the designers was one of my co teachers at n y U Penet Wow. I also think it is one of the I think he's brilliant.

Body is brilliant.

Oh now we all think is really.

It was cool.

Designers want a game students.

One of the I made the one that you used to wear when you guys were.

Basically plant design this game because.

That's what I'm trying to say is I had the smallest effect on these two people's lives. But I think that they looked at me and they said, Wow, what a sad man. I think she's just a video game about it.

I can't believe that you're going to win a game award about your likeness.

It's a great game. The only other one that I guess I will like plag because I loved it. I also I just loved talking to the creators about it on post games of podcasts issues. Did y'all play Blipo?

No? Tell me about Blippo?

Wait? Really, do you not know about Blippo at all? Oh?

Your educating? Okay.

Blippo is a FMV games looks like Access TV from like nineteen eighty eight, and it's an entire alien TV like cable package. It's like multiple channels and you can flip through the channels like, oh, here's the news, or here is a exercise show. There's an entire Nickelodeon ripoff in it, and you just there's no goal. You just watch it and as you watch a certain amount, it unlocks new packages. Wow, you can watch more. And it was made by in part by the band Yacht. The lead singer wrote.

It it's on that tiny device.

Yeah it works on the Playdate, but you could also now play it on Steam and Color and all of them. A bunch of la art community like underground artists like appear in it, including like high school theater kids. And then they shot it in a studio that uses actual old TV equipment from the eighties and nineties. So I respect it's it's so it is a real what do you do?

Nothing?

You literally just watch it. It is a game that the idea is that the planet Blip has all of these TV channels and something is going on on the planet Blip and you will learn the story by watching the channel.

Okay, cool that sounds It's like, what do you want to call it? It's got oh my god, San Barlow vibes and immortality.

Immortality That was it.

Right, immortality in her story?

Yes, but even less worry about a game. You can tell it was made. It was published by Panic, who did untitled Goose game but also did like Deak below tay, I think Cable, the guy who runs that, he's very successful off of my app business. Truly one of the people that seems to be cool with. I don't know if this will ever make money.

I don't give a shit.

It's quite cool and that's not my problem.

I mean I respect that a lot.

Can I ask you, though, like, is it uh, I'm just looking for tone here.

Is it funny? Is it like uneasy?

Is it like it's not it's not one of those things. It's like, oh it looks old and silly, but it's actually a jump scare. No, it's it's crying. No, it's it's like playing nineteen eighties local TV. That's it really commits to the bit.

I mean, nothing creepy about that.

Yeah, I mean I love FMV games and I have to say, like, this really scratches an itch for me. But I'm just curious if this is like a you gotta play this during Spooptober, or if it's like not really like this is.

No, I would say this is a good like you know that slow period at the beginning of December, where're like I thought I would have more to play right now and then you don't. Oh yeah, that's it's going to be the good stuff.

I love f MV games so much and I really have to say this, like, is this is so appealing to me.

They're starting to translate a lot of the games from China, the fm B games that they've been making over there, and I am living.

For that is music to my ears. I can't wait to watch that crazy ship.

I'm sure on some of these historic romantic dramas and.

Me China romantic dramas.

Oh yeah, one second, I'm gonna find one and I'm sorry, what thank you? Yes? Road to Empress? Uh oh yeah, games are back.

Games are back, baby.

I just think it's fun to watch h what they what they do with the power of FMV, Like, it's so wild to me that we we can play with the realities like this, and I don't know, I get really immersed in the scrap.

I love it.

Mary, Can I read you this not says for Road to Empress?

Yes?

Please, You've never played a game like this before. Road to Empress is a cinematic palace adventure where your choices decide everyone's fate. Tackle one hundred plus story branches in a high mortality rate with charm, wisdom, and courage. Question mark first survive. Wow ye that.

The rest of the game is translated as beautifully as this description.

It's there's it's so good. Wow, I cannot wait for you to play it. And also the stories are like, legit, this is my my shitty reading of this for you. It is genuinely interesting game. It is a very positive on Steam, so I'm not the only person here. Somebody one of the top Steam reviews is never mind. I'm actually not gonna read.

Have you guys played Detroit Become Human? More like this section, which is probably not a good thing for this game.

Oh my god, this is uh, this is great. Thank you you've like this. Better not unleash anything within me. This is so nice.

Cool Mary, you also played Keeper?

Yeah?

Has anyone else played this new Uh? I think it's fine.

No, not yet.

I'm also biased because I just like double fines, so just throw that one out there. But anyway, Keeper is it's so cute, you guys. You are a lighthouse atsh Atmospheric is shit really knows its audience you are. It's such an imaginative little world filled with I would say, it's.

Like I wanted to look this up. I should have looked this up before we did this.

But the audio sounds like macnarium, you guys, and it's like half natural environments with like greenery and you know, jungle or you know. But then like the animals that you're coming across are mechanical. They look like they're made out of gears and parts, and you yourself are an

Oh, it's great. It's very simple.

You walk and you move your light and you can focus your light.

That's it.

It's it's very simple mechanically, and the puzzles also kind of reflect that simple nature of it.

This is not a hard game.

I think younger people could play this game, but I think older people could enjoy the simplicity of Hey, there's some kind of like blight in this world, some kind of rot, and when you shine your light on it doesn't like that. So you're kind of like curing the world of.

These issues or these woes. And also like maybe.

There's you know, a door that can open, so you need to shine your light to open the door. But when you stop shining your light, the door closes, okay, and how do you solve this?

You end up getting a bird.

The bird.

The bird is so cute and it also kind of it stays on your lighthouse like a hat, which I love, and you can send him out to help you solve puzzles.

He's got weight.

To him, right, so maybe like maybe there's like a weight puzzle where you need your bird on there, but you also need to be able to get him back on times so you can get through these doors and get to the next area. I think it's designed very very simply, but very well where it won't let you move forward.

You can't break it.

You just got to like solve these simplistic puzzles. But I find it so cathartic to play a game like this where it's just like I know what you're trying to get me to do, and I can solve this in like thirty seconds or less, and I do, and I feel really smart about it. The puzzles do get smarter. I think they get a little stronger. About halfway through the game. There's a town that you get to where

Use your bird as a bird or your bird as an egg to get through these puzzles.

And I remember being like, that's fucking smart, and it's really fun, and it's visually very appealing to turn your bird into an egg. So rad it's cute, it's super cute. I think it's I think it's brilliantly executed. I think they did such a good job with the just the atmosphere and the thoughtfulness of it. And again, the music is so delightful. I thought it was like the guy

It allows you.

To like change forms, which changes your mechanics and also changes the puzzles. It mixes it up a lot. I really do think this game is an absolute delight. My one thing that I have to say that it did not care that I was unfortunate, is that doesn't play great on the steam Deck. It's chugging on my steam deck and I love to play a game like this on my steam deck. But there's a couple times the game is just straight up slowed to like ten frames and I had to get out.

They need to release something new.

I agree.

I appreciate the not like going bonkers on constant hardware and stuff, but like I Ninja guid In four was another one of these. Yes, it was these things that you think should just.

You work fine, want it to work fine, and it just doesn't.

Yeah. Yeah, it's a bummer.

It is a bummer.

So what I will say is, if you're interested in Keeyer Keeper, I would recommend it for console or PC, probably not Steam deck. Unfortunately, I for the record, because I've been traveling so damn much. I've played Keeper completely on my steam deck and I've gotten through it, but I can't say that it was always the best experience when it was chugging like that, but it's nevertheless with those small with that small technical issue, I absolutely fully recommend this atmospheric puzzler.

Uh.

It's it's just so sweet, you guys, And like every time I'm done playing it, all these like there's these tiny little animals that are constantly in the world, and anytime you solve an area or you solve a puzzle, they're kind of just like yeah, and they give you these little cheers and stuff like that, and it just gives you that that like good feeling in your core of like I helped I've helped this little town and I am so smart and I and you're just a little lighthouse,

There's nothing.

I don't think there's any talking in this entire there's not a word in this game. There's no humans. It's like just it's it's all done through visual design. Every once in a while has to put up a tiny piece of UI that says you can focus your light, you know, and that's just to help guide you in case you're like really slow.

I'm curious if this is the future of Xbox. I feel like we've seen like seven different futures of the Xbox that could happen, and one of them was we're gonna buy up tons and tons and tons of devs. Yeah, and then like have games come out. They're almost like movies. Like this game, it's not a whole lot to do. It's it's an experience as much as it is a game, and you could have it over the course of a weekend or maybe two weekends. And it makes a real

I agree a little worried that it won't.

I mean, I'm hoping as well. I like I back you up here. Like Laika just released their new trailer for their next game or sorry, their next movie, because they're a claymation studio. Anyone who doesn't know, likea they made like Kujo and the Two Strings, Perry Norman, Oh my God, like all your favorites. It's all made Byleika Portland, by the way, and that's where they're from. And I think, like when I think of the whimsy of that, I think of Keeper and the things that Double Find create,

I can tell they didn't push them too hard.

Or like make this too dirty or like public for public, like consuming like this is an art piece and it's beautiful and it's really well done, and continue to leave them alone because they're they're doing great stuff.

I definitely want to try to keep her out for sure. It's also like I loved Psycho Knots too.

I loved Psycho Knots too. They're killing it when they're on.

They're on.

A lot of Double Fine stuff has not clicked with me. I always wanted to like a lot of it more than I did. Grim Fandango seamed up my alley and then I just couldn't get through it. Same with the first Psychoots and I want to say, what was the Kickstarter one they did?

The first Kickstar Click Adventures was kind of weird for me, and I forget the name of that one.

I feel so bad because I all their games I want to like more than I do. They're not bad, it's always want to like them more than I do. And my favorite Double Fine production is the documentary. It's I think they made like one of the best documentaries.

I think it's because.

Tim Schaeffer is like a gift to to humanity. I just think he's like a sweet, sweet boy.

Yeah, I like I did like Brutal Legend, actually Brutal Legend, but I like I like Psychoots two quite a bit. So I want to check this game out because I feel like they've been getting me lately.

I also think this is like the right choice of just if it's gonna be about the art style just truly get out of their way. Like Costume Quest was a game where I wish that that was just walking around because every time I got into combat it was.

I didn't even know there's combat and costume quests.

It's it's turn based RPG but made for like six year olds. Great brutal, but the art is some of my favorite art in the game and the vibe, like I wish that was the game that was playing right now. Yeah, I should see if there's a mod that removes the combat from that game, that'd be great.

I think I think this game is one of it's of one of Double Find's best. I think this is one of the best games that they've made ever. I do think it's simple, and so I just caveat that with it. If you're like I want like a really tough puzzler, I just don't think that's what this is. This is a whimsical treat for the eyes with some light light puzzles, light puzzles that.

You get to enjoy.

I have not been stumped once, but I have enjoyed my experience with it nicely.

That reminds me of I mean, that's kind of got like Inside Vibes. The puzzles are not crazy difficult inside or Limbo, but it's there for the atmosphere. It's there for the actual Like Journey, I.

Think Limbo pushed me a couple times where I was like, what are you trying to get me to do here?

And also get somewhat challenging inside Inside, the puzzles are more. There's the one where you had to act like those robots being built, which I liked quite a bit. It was more like play acting.

Yeah, yeah, I think this one's easier, but I still think it's it's great.

I think you and I have both played more Hades two yes Es Journey going.

I wish I could say to you that I have beat this game, but I have put a lot more hours into the game, and I still haven't beaten Hades too.

And okay, like, wait, so you haven't beaten like have you gone to the surface yet?

Yeah, but I haven't gotten the I haven't beaten the main.

Boss Kronos or is there someone past Cronos.

I don't know because I haven't beaten Gotch.

I was asking, okay, gotcha, Yeah, yeah, I haven't. I'm still I'm on my like really early on, I think twelfth run or something. Oh okay, liking it quite a bit. Still, I'm playing it like, yeah, it's great, it's funny. We talked about this last episode. But I feel as if every time I go back to the game, or at least the four different times I played it, I have a new favorite weapon, which I think is probably a

Two Kimirial with you cayuse this place to talk about my feelings.

You don't like Hades or Hates two.

It's not even that this game. I love every person who listens to the best us into post games. I want to be super clear. I love you, and if you're this person, I love you. So many people have been so worried about this game now being covered. It's getting enough attention, and I just want to assure you people who made this game are they're literally Scrooge mcdoc. They're streaming in a pool of dollars. They are a okay,

Yeah, I feel that. I don't think it's doing anything crazy to change the formula, and I'm fine with more hades. I'm hiking it quite a bit, yeah, which is which is but I hear.

What you're saying too, which is like I will just say, like, largely as critics or just as you know, people who play a shit ton of games, our job is to talk about something that's like moving the medium forward or is like really shocking us with like something that that's different.

I was gonna say you underappreciated.

Underappreciated for like how much it made you appreciate those characters and what it did with the story and how it made people feel. Hades was like everyone's like, oh my god, everybody's hot. Like it's so unbelievably good to play.

It's so smooth.

It was our it was our goady like years ago, and Hades too.

Is good.

Yeah, but it's Hades, And so it's a bit of a change up for me to be like, well, I mean you you've you've made this game, You've already perfected it in so many ways.

It's like the kid where they've been like for four months, have been getting a's in class. Yeah, and then they like get like an A and people are like, hey, like what do you have to say? And then you're just like, I don't know, you're doing great, like chill out, like don't worry about it. You're like, I'm not going to tell you're bad. You want me to tell you're good, Like.

You're still going to Princeton Like we don't.

Yeah, Like it's it's all great. I will I cannot wait to talk about whatever the studio does next. But yeah, it also just has misun very honestly as a hole metic conversation. I'm sorry.

This is the review that's actually about writing reviews, not the game.

Yeah, there's just so many games. There's so many games.

Yeah, yeah, even in twenty twenty, the first game was way easier to spend like a fucking week just playing through until your eyes bled.

Now, not even just playing through, I mean even just talking about like there's only so much time, and it's like, yeah, do I again? Is this where I want to use my words?

Well, so I'm glad you came on because blipp oh, I don't think Dan Mary Ray would have brought up it's q up. We wouldn't have brought up. So there are some people out there who hear about these and then yard like, so.

Many games I could tell you about. We could be talking about Demon Schools coming out, y'all get me playing Demon.

School, Elevator Pitch Each.

What if I told you it's like tactics, turn based persona. You like those words, those good words?

Are you doing that? Because you know I do like those words?

Yeah, And also that's literally what the game is can you really not seeing any of this game?

No? Wait, this is great, just as the themes to plant bringing up a game and then surprise of this. Uh, Chris, plant one breath. There are way too many games to talk about planting the next breath? How have you not heard of this game? I can call you out and say you're being hypocritical. I'll look at your games. Don't give me shipped for it. Okay, let me look at the U r L. I dropped it chat fucking serial killer using the zoom chat. Yeah, it's right.

Where I also put b RV need to use potty power women school people. That's gone.

Oh yeah, this looks red.

This is like a mic coded game.

Tactics RPG persona. That's what it looks like. I could tell you about games all day games, games on games educa.

That's a cool art style. It's weird. The environments look like uh isometric Obsidian vibes like Path of the Oh God, what am I thinking of? What is the pirate game that Obsidian made? It'll come to me. It looks like it looks like Tides of Torment Newman era kind of vibes. The environments, but then the characters look different. Yeah, yeah, gorgeous.

I'm gonna give you. I'm gonna give you one more. I'm gonna give you one more.

You play, thank you dead Fire. Okay, sorry, continue.

Trying Trine's Legacy. You playing Shrine's Legacy. I love trying Shrine Shrines Legacy, A legacy of Shrines. It's like a sixteen bit action RPG in the style of S and E S, but unlike all these other ones are like, yeah, it's like in the style of SNS, but it's just a modern game. It's like if you actually just had a brand new Super Nintendo RPG that you like, somehow totally missed. Ah the I'm just here to just shout games. I'm just here to give games to people. Seventy eight

Stop.

I'm just saying, like, I know you should listen. If you're listening to us, you already bought Hades too. It's more just like what a bummer for the people who make these games. A great for us, But this game comes out kick it's it's great, it's a delight, and five years ago this would have been all we were talking about. Seventy eight reviews on Steam brutal.

It looks great. All these look great. I but I'm not going to have the time in December to play these because I've got to catch up on the other game came out, and then.

I've got to play those because baby steps like next.

No, I'm not to your credit. You you got me closer to considering it than anybody else has interesting. Dan didn't like it, that's good. I think Outer World's two might be the next one I play, because it seems digestible in the same way that Claire Obscure lengthwise was pretty digestible, not that Claibscure wasn't sweeping in its own way. Can I say something really? Uh? I think it's It's one of the most mic things I've said in a while.

Yeah.

One of my favorite wines I've had recently was a Champagne and the couvet was called Claire Obscure from Salima and Alan Cardai. In Champagne. It's fucking delicious if you find it.

Do you think the game is named after that?

No, I wish after a wine.

Oh so I will say that seeing it on the Champagne I made me google it I didn't realize it's just the French term for kiarascuro, which I'm sure you know plant because that's a plant thing to know.

No, it just means me I should know more of my French, but I don't remember. I can say like malta to jadu malto too, like that that sort of stuff.

Oh yeah, apologies to Italian listeners if we have any. I just said, Chiara Scorer. I think.

I thought you were dunking on my fringe accent.

No, maybe I did say kiosky. I don't know, but yeah, it just means light dark and uh, you know the like the Selima and Alan Cardoi are some of my favorite producers, Champagne and so I saw that, I was like, I'm going to buy this and drink it and it was delicious. I loved it.

In that game that was that was something.

Remember what the end of that game? Oh yeah, wait quick? Uh you're I really want to hear your opinion of Claire Obscurer in three sentences, No, in one sentence, What did you think of Claire Obscure Expedition thirty three?

Read a book?

Yeah? Did you like the game before the ending?

It's not my type of game on top of it to begin with. Right, Yeah, I mean I I but yet I love like a Dragon, I love Persona. I can love it. Yeah, and there was a lot that abound interesting about it. But uh yeah, it's not a fan of when people are like, no, just trust me. I know the fights are just so repetitive. But you Seena skipped to the end. I was. I wised up to that. I said, YouTube, baby, I can skip to that part, and let me tell you I was glad that I did. Wow.

I'm seeing a pattern with you, Chris, Like.

You have good taste.

You are recognizing when a game hits like this peak pop culture part where you're just like, I don't.

Know about that.

Have you played this fucking weird ass FMV game that no one's talking about.

I can talk Hey, okay, okay, okay, ready about a great game. I'm gonna tell you about a great game. It's called Sonic Racing.

Crist Yeah, baby, that's what we need. I can do this all day.

I can talk about good plan.

Tactics. Plant can get down the slop with us, watch him.

Yeah, I'm just saying that I don't a story. Tell me about the second story is about art is the second I'm like, peace, yea, have.

You guys played Near Automata? It's about storytelling, and then the more you play it the more because I love you that you're not my bossing marg and just lay into you. It's funny.

Yeah, this is very different than the time when I was.

Yeah, no, I'm I I was a sucker for Clare obscure. But I also like, I don't disagree with you.

More of a Stellar Blade, man, I know, I get yeah, hell yeah, I'm more of a Tales of a Rise.

If you're not talking about the perils of slavery right off the bat in your RPG, I'm not fucking interested. Is what a weird year? Though, I got plenty of games. I'm gonna play Out of Worlds too, Outer Worlds two, and then after that, what am I going to play? After that? I can kind of I got I gotta switch to on the Way officially nice. I'm think I'm gonna play Bonanza. I'm gonna try out Mario Kart, and then Metroid Prime four and oh the only game, well,

That's it's a port of a mobile game, is that right?

No, So they did a whatever the previous one was called. They made a mobile game. This is a prequel to the entire series, but they're pulling design tenants from the mobile game. So, but it's this is not the port of the mobile game. Okay, so this is its own game, but they're you instead of having the eight characters, you create your own and then you're recruiting something like thirty in the vein of sweak it in. But it's it's definitely oh you know what, it reminds me of Fire Emblem? Uh?

Can you give you another game?

Yes?

Did you all play Kaisen?

No? But I know I actually know what this is, but I did not play it.

Yeah, that's the good stuff. It's the good stuff. It's a it's a puzzle game where you're designing the machines that make stuff in automated factories like.

What like jiu jitsu Kaisen? It's an anime?

Oh no, I see Kais? Then no, I see what you're doing. I was like, I don't remember a factory, and I thought that was just an action anime where they got stronger, and then you know, showed it stronger. You know, I I see it's Kais. You're not wrong, No, you just you just make stuff. So it'll be like, oh, do you want to make radios? And then you design

I don't know.

I wait, you're saying it's like a puzzle game, but there's like severe sexism rampant throughout the experience.

But it's more I play it every day.

It's just very navigating one.

I live it.

It's more.

Birds like it's slice of life. It's what I would say. It's like each episode between it it's like, oh, you're out for dinner, and then it's like, oh, why does she not have a higher job. It seems like she knows everything that's going on here, like piecing it together, that sort of thing. And then as it goes on, things get better. I will say that.

Okay, well, all right, plenty of recommendations, plenty for us to catch up on when I got time. Do you want to talk about emails?

Let's talk about them? How do they get there?

Okay? As always, you can run into fire Escape cast at gmail dot com any questions, comments, concerns, But I mean the questions we might read him on the air. We have a couple tonight. There were a few dance specific ones that I did not do because he is gallivanting in New Jersey. Uh, Mary, do you want to read this first one from Alex in is it? Mary? Do you know? Is it Bendigo or Bendigo Australia. Bendigo?

It's Bendigo.

Oh I skinny Dodge, It's okay from Alex a Offendigo.

Hello, Chicky Babes, Thank you. That's so cute.

I recently fucked up making a cake, absolutely beefed it. What a goddamn mess. If I was a surgeon, that baby would be dead.

My god, we have What have we done to Alex?

Still ate it though, just like that surgeon. So what low steaks thing have you fucked up recently? How many shoe incidents has Mary been involved in? Cheers Alex and Bendigo Australia, Chris. The shoe incident I think is referring to when I was recently in Japan.

I uh thought they.

Said take off your shoes before entering, and I saw a bunch of sandals, and so I assumed I was supposed to put on the sandals. And then they yelled at me and I had put on somebody else's sandals and walked.

Inside the house.

I do that kind of ship a lot in my life.

I also knocked down a wall. She thought a wall was a door sliding There was a sliding door into a into like an omacase in Japan, and she knocked down the entire wall. MM.

Yeah, I'm a fucking I'm a fucking idiot, and I do this most of my life. I think that I have like gotten really comfortable with embarrassing myself. I mean, I just think I I think I'm smart in so many ways. I have all these talents, and I have this unbelievable ability, though, to just ruthlessly embarrass myself in public.

Face and it hurt pretty badly.

I know, but it's also like my fault because I was the pranker, so I had to like brush it off and be like I got you, Like my face was there when you were trying to swing the ball, but it actually really hurt to go to the bathroom and like process my face concussion.

I just read your nose broken.

It was.

Got you good.

You guys, you should have seen the look on your face.

Idiot Mary, remind us of the name of your.

Team, the pinsy low hands.

What was the offensive one that you did not go with.

Full penetration that I remember that one?

Yeah, I was not allowed. Yeah.

There are times where I'm you've said a few things or just over the years where I will clip it and Mic to file under blackmail. It's not fair. If I had your just god, I would do the same for you.

Mike says, thaying, oh yeah, you got You've got plenty of you got dirt on me.

There's some there's some bad ones. There's some real bad ones. There was definitely a time where I probably should have stopped listening as somebody who asked to report things to HR, but I was happy not to, you know. Oh yeah, it worked out in the long run.

Yeah, we're doing fine.

Now.

You own nobody nothing.

I don't know anybody.

You're your own HR.

I like, except for my patrons, who I love, and I'm so glad that you've chosen to be one of them.

Are they HR in a way?

Are they?

What?

Are they your HR?

I mean they're everything. They can decide to not pay me anymore.

I I don't know if this qualifies as low steaks. I like, body slammed a toddler the other day on accident. What so I guess I could fuck that. I guess that counts as a fuck up. Yeah it was fine, it wasn't it. Actually it kind of really was not my fault.

It was the toddlers.

I was. I was on a run in the morning, and I will say, the one thing I could have done better is not go for a run when like students at the elementary school, middle school, high school. I live in a town that the city is literally a square mile, so there's one two times a day when like all the students are either coming or going from to or from their school. I should not go for a run when that's happening, because the streets are flooded

Nah. I felt like they're made of something else. Yeah, they have the building us balance back.

I live in like prime. Well, to be fair, any parents should be concerned if their kid gets body slam by a stranger, but like I live in prime angry angry parent, freak out parent territory. So I was like, oh, I'm not going to hear the end of this. I'm gonna have to like this. They're gonna call the cops. And I was like, I'm so sorry. I was. I just I was coming off the streets so I didn't get hit by a car. Basically, it's sorry, it's very crowded.

He knews kid was an idiot.

Immediately the kid you you hurt his child, and his immediate reaction was my stupid child was in your way.

Good sir, enjoy your run.

Yeah no, I didn't even I really didn't. Didn't know how to process it because I just kept running. You know, I had a three fifteen mile to run, you know what I mean. But that's actually not low stakes but low steaks. Yeah, I mean, to Alex's point, I fuck up in the kitchen like every night, but you know, you improv. That's why I don't like baking, because you fuck up baking and it just doesn't work over the chemistry. The science is not there. It does. It comes out

I was making some salmon in the oven for my wife and my my my in laws lived near us, but I was going out to the movie. I was like, oh, I got it in the oven. I got it all set. The alarm went off on my phone to let me know, hey, you got to go take that out, and I was like, yeah, yeah, I'm gonna go do that.

I know, fun to do, I know time.

Yeah, and then I forgot and it was like ten minutes past and here's what I did. They weren't back yet, put it in the fridge. I was like, oh yeah, you can warm it up whenever you're ready. And then when they're like, oh yeah, this is like it was a little bit tough, I was like, oh yeah, you overhear did it?

You gas lit them? You told them it was their fault.

Damn right it did. Yeah, pretty smart.

Do you eat a lot of salmon, by the way, Yeah, of course they do. Well. Sorry, I love it.

I can't wait for this joke.

It's not a joke. I was gonna tell you. I was going to tell you my favorite way to prepare salmon, which I like.

Oh no, no, I do want to hear it.

Miso blaze, like marinate it all day and then just straight up put put the top rack of the oven right under the broiler, broil it for like five minutes. The miso glaze gets like caramelized, and then it's just fucking perfect. Unless it's a very fat piece of salmon. Then you have to cook it.

Do you cook it for like maybe like tin and then you broil at the last fibe.

No, it's just broiling, baby, just yeah, yeah, is it raw? No? I take it out, it's room temperature for a while, like an hour before him. But yeah, it's raw salmon unless again, unless you have like a fat piece of salmon. I mean, broiling is easy for the eye test. It's like it'll split in the middle and you can tell when it's done.

Oh okay, so it's it's cooked all the way through.

Oh yeah, I'm not. I if anything, I'm kind of guilty of overcooking salmon. I don't love undercooks. I mean I like, I like crudo, I like or I like sushi, but I don't love the.

Flaky or it needs to be a sushi.

Yeah yeah, yeah, flaky. It gets flaky when you broil it. It goes quickly and I spent, like my oven rack is right there on the flame. It's like it's like burger king style. But miso glaze, get some mirroring, get some soy sauce, get the miso itself. I used light recently, right yeah, hell yeah. And then you can add a little bit like a shot of sake in there if you want, give it a little bit of kick. Actually, it doesn't even translate to a kick obviously. When you're

It sounds great, you know it is.

I'll send you the recipe.

Problem for me, I was so into cooking until around when a kid turned like two or three, and then I was like, you know what, what if my salmon recipe is I cook the salmon.

Your kid doesn't like misoglaze salmon.

No, No, I mean he actually, honestly, he probably would love it. He actually likes flavors. But it's where I'm like, what if I make basic salmon? And then it's like, oh, this time, I put some of those leftovers on a piece of bread. This time I put some of those lepters on some of arugula, And next time I put some talks some like some pasta with.

And then you put it on gummy bears. No rules in the in the plant household, no rule. But no, I'll send you that recipe. You put it on a bed of like bas maadi rice, and then and then you take the sauce that it was marinating in and you reduce that a bit, and then you kind of just drizzle it over everything, and then some chives on top, maybe some bread crumbs if you're feeling spicy. Yeah, it's it's the best thing ever. But yeah, I I fuck

It's just like.

Life, stuff that's supposed to be like kind of embarrassing. I do it so much in my friend circle. Like I'm so notorious for.

Like saying or doing something that it's like, you fucking idiot.

Get in a fight with Jersey moms.

That there's a catchphrase that they have and it's just marry marry May And that's what they say when I say or do something stupid.

I can hear Josh head Mary.

Okay, this is like a small a small, but it's like make my favorite small funk up from when I. I have been married for a very long time, but when I was in high school. I don't want to brag. I went on a few dates, Oh, Lothario. I know it was pretty cool and there.

That's that's not what I That's not the way I was going. But yeah, sure, the just chive into the bed slut.

Go on, tell us your story.

Chris Plan more like Chris Plant and ass all of the Kansas City that's what they said. Sorry.

I went on with this girl and I will not name names because of where the story goes, but I picked her up and she would always wear this like, uh like a ribbon around her neck, and everybody was like, why does she always wear this ribbon around her neck? I was like, oh, man, I have to know, right, So anyway, we go on the state, Mary, you go okay, we go on the state and then it like goes.

Really well book like it's just like I got.

It and then I know and in anyway, so I was like, oh my gosh, like here we are. We've had a great night. We like went to the movies and then we like kind of like found like uh you know, like.

They have these an ol cove to make out, an.

Al cove make out spot, and I was like, oh, before you make out, I need to like what's up with the ribbons? I can't tell you. And I was like, oh, just like as a goof, I was like, okay, well I'll just pull it. I pulled it and her head fell off. Not even joking, I'm not even joking.

It's like a Norm McDonald bit.

Like straight up like gingo, like no, this is worse than that.

This is a that's good.

This is like are you a stark story?

You motherfucker the whole time? And I know.

The weird thing is I.

Did have sex with her.

Yes, and her regardless, I did get some.

Do not tell my wife.

We went all the way. That is I fucking I think the reason I kept last it was I knew from the moment you said ribbon.

I knew.

I like this is the sound.

I fucking knew it.

Oh my god, George Carlin asked ship all right to go Australia. All right? Last question, I'll read this one, Hello, escape artists. About a month ago, I got a twenty pound weighted best to where when I go running. It's been a great way to get a legwork out while also doing cardio. About a week ago, after using it consistently, my wife stopped me and said that vest is really working. Your butt is looking nice. Friends, Can I tell you

In front of all of our friends and co work.

Yeah. I knew very basic. I've been video editing. But the reason I like consider myself skilled it now is because that night I went back and I'm like, I'm gonna go to fucking show her. So then like the next episode, not the next episode. Jake was still editing the majority of those episodes after that, but there was one that I edited by myself because I think Jake was on a shoot somewhere else, and I like was waiting for Mary to say, hey, I knows you edit

The rage embarrassed publicly.

I was not embarrassed, to be clear, I want to I want to say it was not.

Let me be I'm not mad.

I'm not mad. That's the thing. Verylf between embarrassed and angry. Embarrassed willing nilly with your word choice, and you don't really care about where.

Where was your anger from? It was embarrassing the truth, is it?

Yes, But I wasn't embarrassed. It was I was angry. Yes, it was from the truth. I was angry that you.

My plant.

I was embarrassed. I was just humilitiate. That's all it was.

I was just.

Really very different, angry and fat and not in.

I was relieved.

I was a shame ilated, but I was not varied.

I went back and watch some cock porn and then edit video.

I got back on that horse.

Yeah, yeah, I don't regret it.

I did it.

At some point I thought I really hurt your feelings, and I have I do have a history of my friends being like, yo, you went too far, but like you learned skill as a result of it. You learned a skill as a result of it, And I think that is It's not.

A skill, it's like I like I, it's a skill set. Like I. It was very it's very useful and I enjoy it and fun. But still, fuck you plant? Has anybody count by your butt?

Oh? People are always complimenting my butt? Can? I be real with you. It's really embarrassing.

You were gonna start it with can because people always.

I can't remember anyone complimenting my butt, and yet I, I like have never gone on Facebook, Like I do not use Facebook, right, And then I was like somebody's like, hey, you got to see what your uncle was saying on Facebook. This is not about my butt and I okay, so I signed, and.

Then I see like, and the further you go with this story, I'm gonna dial one again.

I see a random friend from high school who's like doing like this amazing work with like a great like charity in Kansas City. I was like, oh, this is great. I should message them and be like, hey, I just saw this. I you know, I haven't seen your part, but really incredible what you're doing. And then I couldn't do it because the last mess since was from like two thousand and seven, and it was hurting like where that cute butt at? And I was like, I can't

Yeah?

Making making a post games, making a podcast where it's like I'm gonna do every damn part of this. I'm going to book my thing. I'm gonna produce it. I'm gonna write the script, I'm gonna perform it, I'm gonna interview, I'm going to edit it, and I'm gonna learn how to do all of that right now. He was like, don't actually know how to do any of it. It's a really motivating thing of just like I bet I could do all of it and I won't need anybody's help.

Kudasai people, I will say, like anyone anytime you're you're speaking Japanese, everyone is so polite to say your Japanese is real good. And that's just like a lovely thing where you're like, shut up and you.

Can the love that shut the fuck up.

You never know when someone's being authentic, But I do think that when someone reviews you genuinely and decides to give you five stars, that it is an authentic appreciation and compliment of your work.

And to have two hundred and eighty eight of them, oh wow.

I think is probably one of the nicest compliments a person can have with their podcast. And so I just want to say, you have a perfect review score, and that is a genuine compliment from people who like your work.

My therapist is so in my head right now. They just receive a nice thing, just compliment.

Except I didn't even do it.

I'm they've I'm letting you know I wouldn't because then your average, your average wouldn't be five. I'm just saying you, he's very obvious that there are hundreds of people that have like gone out of their way, and for every review, we always know there's like probably a hundred people who are just like listening. So it's like wonderful to like to see that type of affirmation of your work, So that has to feel very good.

It has to.

It feels so good. And also just doing the job feels good. Yeah, I'm real like it. I am so incredibly uh yeah, complex feelings about Pelagon and happy that it still exists, happy that some people still have jobs, very depressed about the many people who don't. But the job I have right now is like my dream job. It is so good and it's so weird to have

I think that's beautiful and it's so good.

It probably people probably don't get to like, I don't know you that well, but I think you should know, like, that's such a point of pride to be able to do what you love and and you should be so proud of what you've made and what you've accomplished in your career, and that's really exciting.

I'm really happy for you, Chris, thank you.

Thank you. It's the best.

Yeah, good for you.

Mine's just mad because Mike was going to throw a smash brother's party at his wine bar and they didn't come together and I didn't get to calm and he didn't get to see me, and he's he's sad. We're going to see each other very soon.

That would be good for you.

And the great thing is I'm going to be on the show in like seventy episodes, so it's true.

Who knows where you'll be in another seventy episodes, I would like to think, because every time we've we've had you on, you've gotten better and better. So the next time you're going to be like, you know, governor or something.

I don't know. It's got a fall, you know, it's I don't.

They can't.

You can't live your life in constant excellence at some point.

It's got a But the good thing about it episodes between there was a lot of hills and valleys in there. You just happen to be catching me on a hill. Good party, got to see something. He's keenly aware it was not all a climb.

Oh No, I'm well aware.

I've had a lot of ups and downs in my life, and I've i think, like most especially uh most women, I've like wrestled with whether or not like I fit in and whether or not I can like this and be accepted into this space. And being called a battie is it real? Is a peak compliment for me that I will have forever.

You can't take this and like she was thirteen, she could have ruined me.

Is there a better place though, to like chat, like to go talk, because you know, like you can get the thing where it's like, oh I talked to in this prestigious college I did like convincement sweets or anything. But going back to your junior high high school it might be the best place to be able to go. There's something like very I don't know that feels very uh circular in a way that I am in the.

It felt gratifying to me that I went to a place where I was mercilessly made fun of.

I was brutally taken a down at my thirteen. I had shut up like a weed.

At thirteen, I was so tall and I had no anything.

It was just a twig of I mean nothing was there was nothing nice.

I remember people called me ghosts because I was so pale.

I was ghost gumby.

Uh.

They I was like the house that everyone t peed at Halloween.

I but hey, hey, if you were in the house that everyone t peed, that means like people had crush it's on you.

I usually that's what parents say those were.

It's also true say that as a boy who te pet All right, Well.

My oldest brother went to egg the house of a teacher who him and his friends hated, and they got the They did the house next door to her house. No, which is one of my favorite stories in my family. Is like in the in the lore of my family.

Uh.

From then on, he was I like to think a bit more humbled. But anyway, so sorry, that was a non secretter may I'm Mary. I'm pretty sure they all just thought you were Yeah, they had crushes on you. They wanted attention, so they tpeed your hand.

I'm telling you with all sincerity, I was struggling with who I was and everything at thirteen, and it was. It was a real tough go for me during that era, and I felt bullied a lot and was pushed around a lot. So to go back to that space and be in that environment and have middle schoolers be like you're cool felt like a million dollars.

There's no price I could put on that.

I'm not trying to victim blame. I want to be really here. I'm not trying to victim blame. Do you think it might have been because you kept wearing that shirt it said eat pray again.

I will never question my stylistic choices of.

Nineteen ninety eight, which I was so cool.

Everybody knew that you wanted to wear the widest of jeans, which are back back in action by the way, So who's laughing now?

Me?

Not me?

Take that?

Thank you uh to his at job Jake from Media Pennsylvania. That's our show right in fire Escape cast at gmail dot com for next episode fill up dad inbox. Yeah, Phill Chris, it was good to have you back.

Good to be here.

Really quick housekeeping stuff while I interrupt you. December sixth Game of the Year, fire Escape, We'll be having our official Game of the Year live stream. We're descending on Minneapolis. As always, Jake, Mary, Dan and I will be there. Yeah, Dad will probably be on Dan's twitch channel, I believe twitch dot tv slash Dan Riker, as we usually do. We'll let people know. If that's not the case. We will also be Uh. I don't know. We might be doing some like bonus video stuff we usually do at

Tell us what's going on in your world?

What do you have coming up? You're always playing these weird, wacky games.

You know, what's going on with with the best sies. What's going on with postgame?

I have coming up? Besties is you know, it's the same every week we play new games. This is original idea that we've been working on incredibly for white men in playing video games, and they talk about it each week.

I gotta know what they're thinking.

You gotta know thinking. And then on post games, I have a bunch of cool stuff coming up. I have like my calendar through February set, so there's like some bonker stuff. One thing liking both of you off Mike about is I have a Thanksgiving special that I am putting together and I would love for both of you to help me with it, So people should subscribe before Thanksgiving so they can hear that there's a whole bunch of people who are going to be on it. And

But I have to know more. I bunk. Did they die in the cave?

Yeah? Yeah, it's it's so scary.

You know.

The most popular thing on TikTok is like just people being like this guy got into this cave and then he couldn't get out, and then he fucking that what itself?

It is the video game version of that in VR.

This is going to be your next popular video.

Make sure that the audio is you can like get paid for it.

Okay, don't don't, don't do it yourself? Fuck up?

This is the one. I'm telling you.

These are like the most popular and most of them are AI and they're fake, right, Like it's just so yeah.

This is and the way that it went down was one of the scariest things.

I've ever heard.

What, Yeah, I'm good, you should check it.

I gotta know about this spelunker crazy? Why would you get in the hold?

Tell you about it?

Like, don't go in there, it's only They're an NPR style pot guess.

I just like don't understand why anyone would get into a hole that you feel like might not be big enough for you, Like, why.

Don't clip that?

Do need Dan? Where's Dan when you need him? I know, answer your own question.

I just like I think it's a crazy decision, but anyway.

It is, it's a bad I do not go into.

Holes that might not be big enough for me. I do, Mary, What have you been up to?

I honestly been traveling so much that I haven't had a minute to stream, and I feel really bad.

I've like broken my stream streak for like three weeks because I keep traveling.

But when this airs, I should be back on my Monday streaming action. I have some collabs coming up with some of my friends. Will be playing some games, especially for Halloween, and I'll also be doing a charity game for Saint Jude called Metal Meals, where I stream making like a meal that's very like metal music in my kitchen. I don't actually know what I'm gonna make yet, but I'm excited for the concept of Metal Meals, So we'll be listening to metal music and making something cool.

Yeah for the kids.

You you do charities for them, I body slam them. Yeah.

We all children in our own way, all right. I didn't lie he exists.

Yeah, and then and the kids knew about him, all right. That is episode one nineteen. We will be back in two weeks. I believe it'll be the full crew. Plant won't be here maybe, well, I don't know. You could just hang around and we.

Don't know any episode dan.

So FMVs go follow post games, go review it, give it a good review. Five Keep up on the upcoming episodes catch up in the meantime, and uh yeah, we'll be prepping for Game of the Year in December. If you want to get some merch to support us. So that's we officially finally have fire skate merts dot com. I got around to doing the very simple task of getting it, so it's not a bit anymore. Uh yeah, go check it out. Get some banana hammocks, get some trunks.

Selling those shirts with the Jedi mind Warriors.

I don't know what you're talking about. That is our episode, we willkay good, Yeah, you got it.

Okay, I'm ordering that right now.

Get it for you as a Christmas gift for your loved ones.

There's coasters.

Oh there's mugs too. I think you're mad. Yeah, mouse pad, all right, go buy those fucking about the author ship things. All right, we'll be back in two weeks. Until then, see yeah bye,