We brought back special guest Ray Hargreaves to challenge him (and embarrass him if possible) with a Sonic-themed game of “Name That Tune!” He knows his Sonic games, but just how well will he fare? How well will YOU fare? Let us know! Special thanks to Ray for participating and for sharing a few favorite Sonic tracks of his own! Contact us at LevelWithUsPodcast [at] gmail [dot] com! Timestamps: 0:00 - Introduction 0:53 - The Rules 4:32 - Track #1 6:24 - Track #2 7:17 - Track #3 8:06 - Track #4 9...
Aug 24, 2023•57 min•Ep. 70
Marcus is now hitched, so it’s up to Jared to fill the new void in his life with some excellent indie recommendations! This week we’ve got a minimalist RTS, an insanely detailed city-builder, and a… minesweeper-like?! Purchase these excellent titles HERE: Let’s! Revolution! - https://store.steampowered.com/app/2111090/Lets_Revolution/ Ixion - https://store.steampowered.com/app/1113120/IXION/ Thronefall - https://store.steampowered.com/app/2239150/Thronefall/ Contact us at LevelWithUsPodcast [at]...
Aug 17, 2023•12 min•Ep. 69
Part cozy game, part terrifyingly weird experience - we cannot get enough of Pikmin 4! This week Mariah joins Jared once again to discuss this new entry in the acclaimed yet lesser known Nintendo franchise. And a hearty congrats to the winner of our free game giveaway! Contact us at LevelWithUsPodcast [at] gmail [dot] com! Timestamps: 0:00 - Introduction 1:06 - Our History with the Pikmin Series 2:38 - Pikmin 4 General Thoughts 6:40 - ⭒Star Pieces 10:36 - Oatchi! 11:45 - Quick Jabs 15:28 - Who’s...
Jul 31, 2023•23 min•Ep. 68
It’s been two months since The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom came out, so how do we feel about it now? Keep in mind there are full SPOILERS in this episode, but if you don’t want to hear them, skip to the end to learn how you can win a free copy of an excellent indie title! Win a FREE COPY of Shovel Knight: Pocket Dungeon by telling us an indie game we should cover on our show! The winner will be randomly selected in a future episode. Enter by Contacting us at LevelWithUsPodcast [at] gma...
Jul 10, 2023•30 min•Ep. 67
Video game trivia with a splash of roleplaying: Welcome to Fake Fan Fantasy II! In this exciting second installment, Jared plays Game Master while Marcus has to identify attractive Zelda characters, UI sound effects, and Pokémon he’s never heard of. Will he gain enough clue coins? Or is he truly the fakest fan? Play along and let us know YOUR high score by contacting us at LevelWithUsPodcast [at] gmail [dot] com! You can also reach us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/LvlWithUs Timestamps: 0:00 - ...
Jun 26, 2023•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 66
Oops! All Marcus! Jared is gone this week, so Marcus finally took some initiative and made his own episode! In this short review, Marcus gives his thoughts on Toodee and Topdee, a charming puzzle platformer. Contact us at LevelWithUsPodcast [at] gmail [dot] com! You can also reach us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/LvlWithUs
Jun 13, 2023•7 min•Ep. 65
The wait is over! This week we talk about the highly-anticipated game everyone else is talking about: The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. There are no major story spoilers in our discussion, but we do mention one big area you encounter in the first few hours of the game. If YOU have thoughts on Tears of the Kingdom, such as a funny story that happened to you in the game, please let us know and we’ll read it on the next episode of our show! You can Contact us at LevelWithUsPodcast [at] gma...
May 22, 2023•35 min•Ep. 64
Beardo’s journey continues as he tries to solve the final video game trivia challenges of “Levelwithandia!” Will he succeed and save his failing business? Or will he be dumb and call Mr. Game & Watch an anime character? Find out in this final chapter! Marcus guested on “Escape This Podcast!” - Check it out: https://www.podbean.com/pu/pbblog-imt4k-1b0e86 …and be sure to also check out Marcus’s murder mystery podcast as well! https://open.spotify.com/show/30R5REvknCBprrCrlAYDTW Contact us at L...
May 02, 2023•28 min•Ep. 63
Marcus challenged Jared to an all-out video game trivia battle - with a roleplaying twist! Grab your favorite beverage and settle in as these two bicker about different video game currencies, deckbuilding jargon, and knock-off names of video games. And be sure to stay tuned because pt. 2 will be posted next week! Contact us at LevelWithUsPodcast [at] gmail [dot] com! You can also reach us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/LvlWithUs Timestamps: 0:00 - Introduction 2:47 - Backstory 4:36 - Video Game...
Apr 24, 2023•31 min•Ep. 62
Welcome to our side series “Backlog Brunch,” where we catch up on all the games we’ve been playing in the past couple months! While we’d love to dedicate a full episode to each game we play, Backlog Brunch will be our chance to share our thoughts on several games all-in-one! Stay tuned to the end to hear the winner of our DREDGE Giveaway! Contact us at LevelWithUsPodcast [at] gmail [dot] com! You can also reach us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/LvlWithUs Timestamps: 0:00 - Intro 2:17 - Metroid ...
Apr 11, 2023•36 min•Ep. 61
To win a free Switch code for DREDGE (North American region only), listen to the rules (28:00) and then e-mail us the creepiest undersea creature you can think of to LevelWithUsPodcast [at] gmail [dot] com! Today we review DREDGE, an indie that’s about fishing, item management, and maaayyyybe going just a little bit insane. Let us know what you think of our star pieces, quick jabs, and awful fishy puns as we talk about this game and its unique genre! You can purchase DREDGE HERE: https://www.nin...
Mar 23, 2023•32 min•Ep. 60
Ragnarok may have come and gone a few months ago… but it’s never too late to revisit the Nine Realms! Today Jared is joined by Dan from Octopus Deathpunch for an extended deep dive into God of War: Ragnarok’s story and gameplay choices, and what we thought of them! MAJOR spoilers ahead; feel free to skip this episode if you want to experience the game fresh for yourself. Check out Dan’s website HERE: https://octopusdeathpunch.com/ …and his podcast HERE: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/oc...
Mar 17, 2023•44 min•Ep. 59
The Professor Layton series isn’t dead!! With the announcement of “Professor Layton and the New World of Steam,” we thought it would be fun to not only speculate on what it could be like - but pitch our OWN ideas for what would make for a good franchise revival! Joining us once again is the impeccable Bob from DearestHershel to discuss ideas for the Story, Gameplay, and Setting of this new hypothetical game. I wonder how many predictions we’ll get right…? See more of DearestHershel’s content HER...
Mar 04, 2023•33 min•Ep. 58
We’re thrilled to once again welcome Ray Hargreaves on the podcast to discuss Sonic Frontiers (albeit a couple months late - whoops!). For this episode we talk about the ups, downs, and loop-de-loops that this game brings to the franchise. Expect fun rants, lots of laughs, and even a "Name That Tune!" Contact us at LevelWithUsPodcast [at] gmail [dot] com! You can also reach us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/LvlWithUs Timestamps: 0:00 - Intro 0:54 - General Thoughts 5:00 - The Story 8:02 - The G...
Feb 11, 2023•40 min•Ep. 57
We were delighted to get to try Wavetale this week, an indie game where the player gets to glide along the ocean using a superb movement system. Listen to us gush about the overall presentation, get our star pieces and quick jabs mixed up, and plug a new podcast Marcus has been working on! You can purchase Wavetale on the Switch eShop! https://www.nintendo.com/store/products/wavetale-switch/ (Also available on other platforms.) Check out Marcus’s podcast “Aurelius Whitlock’s Murder Museum” HERE!...
Jan 28, 2023•21 min•Ep. 56
In this bonus episode, Marcus plays “Name That Tune” for some of the biggest games of 2022 - and so can you! Keep track of which music tracks you guess correctly, and see if you scored higher at the end of the episode! For a little cheat sheet as you play, check out the video version of our episode!: https://youtu.be/-jAAftB_ljQ Tell us your score by e-mailing us at LevelWithUsPodcast [at] gmail [dot] com! You can also reach us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/LvlWithUs Timestamps: 0:00 - The Rul...
Jan 15, 2023•32 min•Ep. 55
We played a LOT of games in 2022 and these are our absolute favorites! Contact us at LevelWithUsPodcast [at] gmail [dot] com! You can also reach us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/LvlWithUs Timestamps: 0:00 - Intro 0:44 - Honorable Mentions 4:52 - Jared’s #5 5:44 - Marcus’s #5 6:13 - Marcus’s #4 8:25 - Jared’s #4 9:59 - Jared’s #3 10:51 - Marcus’s #3 12:00 - Marcus’s #2 13:41 - Jared’s #2 14:42 - Marcus’s #1 17:04 - Jared’s #1 19:03 - Most Anticipated Games in 2023 20:07 - Outro
Jan 09, 2023•22 min•Ep. 54
This week we play with the format a bit as we each cover our own assigned indie game, then report back on it! Lil Gator Game and Soccer Story have a lot going for them, especially since they are heavily inspired by two of our favorite indie games: A Short Hike and Golf Story. But do they live up to those excellent classics? Join us for a cozy discussion, and quite possibly Jared's longest "quick jab" rant ever. You can purchase the games on the Switch eShop! Lil Gator Game: https://www.nintendo....
Dec 23, 2022•34 min•Ep. 53
Splenda! This week we are talking about the cutesy Farm-Sim-Meets-Pokemon indie game, Ooblets! Joining Jared today is cozy streamer “Cozy Louise,” who is here to lend her expertise on the game’s farming elements, dance battles, and weird names like “Frunbuns!” You can find Louise’s content HERE: Twitter: twitter.com/cozylouise72 Twitch: twitch.tv/cozylouise Youtube: youtube.com/@cozylouise Instagram: instagram.com/cozylouise/ You can wishlist or purchase Ooblets HERE: https://www.nintendo.com/st...
Dec 17, 2022•16 min•Ep. 52
This week we’re review-discussing 3 MORE indie games!: A Little to the Left, which is a cozy puzzle game (and ASMR?), Somerville, which is a dark, narrative-driven game (and action movie?), and The Knight Witch, which is a bullet-hell metroidvania with deck building elements (and about climate change?). You can purchase A Little to the Left HERE: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1629520/A_Little_to_the_Left/ ...and Sommerville HERE: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1671410/Somerville/ ...and...
Dec 10, 2022•23 min•Ep. 51
Today we celebrate making it to 50 episodes! We’re so grateful to have come this far, and look forward to even more episodes in the future! Join us for a little chat about our lives, our visions for the future of Level With Us, and even some Fake Fan questions! Also, the winner of our free game giveaway will be announced today! Contact us at LevelWithUsPodcast [at] gmail [dot] com! You can also reach us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/LvlWithUs Timestamps: 0:00 - Intro 2:07 - What’s Happening......
Nov 28, 2022•28 min•Ep. 50
Bwaaah! Mario & Rabbids are together again in Ubisoft’s new triple-A release, Sparks of Hope! Join us today as we discuss how refreshing it is to have a tactical strategy game with all the simplicity and fun that Mario games usually have to offer. Stick around for a special “Name That Tune” and even an indie game giveaway! Special thanks to Ubisoft for the review code! Instructions on how to enter the game giveaway: 1. Tell us what you like about our show, your favorite segment, or feedback ...
Oct 30, 2022•32 min•Ep. 49
A top down action-platformer, a first-person farm sim, and a satiricle soulslike? What a variety! This week we’re covering three wildly different games: Trifox, Slime Rancher 2, and the Last Hero of Nostalgaia! We got to play a good chunk of each, so here are our thoughts, along with a Star Piece and Quick Jab for each one! Special thanks to the developers for the review codes: -Glowfish Interactive -Monomi Park -Over the Moon You can find all 3 games HERE: Trifox: https://store.steampowered.com...
Oct 20, 2022•28 min•Ep. 48
This week we’re pleased to have Denise from SeeingStarsGaming on board to chat about recent title “Hokko Life” by Team17! Does it meet the “cozy” qualifications Denise’s channel is known for? Or did the creepy body proportions of its characters mentally disturb us? Listen to find out! Denise’s Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/SeeingStarsGaming Denise’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/seeingstargamer You can find Hokko Life here: Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/824000/Hokko_Life/ Switch:...
Oct 07, 2022•21 min•Ep. 47
As fans of Andrew Kenady (Nintendrew), we’re ecstatic that he’s released his own indie title called C.A.R.L.! And after playing through this action-platformer, we can indeed confirm that the game is G.R.E.A.T. (a Good, Really Exceptional, Amazing Time!). Listen to hear our full thoughts, and some more acronyms! Special thanks to Andrew for the pre-release review code! C.A.R.L. is available on all major platforms! Steam http://bit.ly/carlsteam Nintendo Switch http://bit.ly/carlswitch Xbox http://...
Oct 03, 2022•22 min•Ep. 46
Fast-paced gameplay! Bullet-time action! Metroidvania! These words describe recent indie release REDSHOT! For this week’s episode, we give our impressions of the game (and listen to some rad NES tunes as we do!). Check out REDSHOT on Steam! Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1745520/REDSHOT/ Contact us at LevelWithUsPodcast [at] gmail [dot] com! You can also reach us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/LvlWithUs Jared’s GG Profile: https://ggapp.io/jkrgamer Timestamps: 0:00 - Intro 0:56 - Mai...
Sep 23, 2022•17 min•Ep. 45
This week we are reviewing “Lost in Play” by Happy Juice Games! This is a point-and-click adventure without any pointing or clicking, and its art style reminds us of our favorite children’s cartoons we grew up with, like Gravity Falls, Hilda, and Over the Garden Wall! Join us as we discuss the game, debate whether fart jokes are tasteful, and make weird celery noises with our mouths! Check out Lost In Play on Steam and the Nintendo shop! Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1328840/Lost_in_...
Sep 17, 2022•30 min•Ep. 44
This week we turn to the more niche and eclectic indie games as we discuss “The Signal State” on Steam! This game is all about solving interesting programming-esque puzzles themed around modular synthesis! What is that, you ask? Listen to find out! And even if you’re not into modular synth, skip towards the end to hear some of Marcus’s synthesizer compositions, created on a Nintendo DS! Check out The Signal State on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1577620/The_Signal_State/ More of Marc...
Sep 10, 2022•21 min•Ep. 43
Fore! This week we talk about Cursed to Golf, a recent indie release about putting and driving your way out of Golf Purgatory! Did we find the core roguelike gameplay compelling, or was the sheer difficulty enough to make us quit and go do mini putt-putt instead? Listen to find out! Check out Cursed to Golf on the Nintendo shop: https://www.nintendo.com/store/products/cursed-to-golf-switch/ Contact us at LevelWithUsPodcast [at] gmail [dot] com! You can also reach us on Twitter: https://twitter.c...
Sep 02, 2022•25 min•Ep. 42
Check out the video HERE: https://youtu.be/RWGzuw0WcUA This week Marcus and I got together in-person to take a look at The Room Two on Switch! Marcus here is a resident escape room expert, so let's see what he thinks as he tries out the first couple levels blind! Special thanks to Fireproof Games for the review code! Purchase The Room Two HERE: https://www.nintendo.com/store/products/the-room-two-switch/ Contact us at LevelWithUsPodcast [at] gmail [dot] com! You can also reach us on Twitter: htt...
Aug 27, 2022•2 min•Ep. 41
