Terran joins Marina to talk about writing video game music.They delve into: how they start a new piece of music, overcoming writer’s block, talent vs. skill, iterating and acting on feedback, the importance of music theory, and more.Grab a coffee, and join us for a chat!* * * * * * * TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Intro(07:04) What games we’re playing (08:50) How Terran got into music composition(12:10) The need to create(15:13) How Marina got into music composition(17:23) How we come up with musical ideas(...
May 28, 2025•1 hr 8 min
Fletch joins Marina to talk about working on games, streaming, and community building. They delve into: the importance of creativity, getting into game development and streaming, building safe communities, and the importance of game vision, player experience, and accessibility. Grab a coffee, and join us for a chat! * * * * * * * TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Intro (04:33) What is a Playdate? + Physical releases of games (08:25) How Fletch got into game development and streaming (14:50) How did the first ...
Apr 29, 2025•49 min
Paul Dean joins Marina to talk about working in creative roles within the gaming industry. They delve into: creative practices, habits, and techniques, what it’s like to work on a game dev team, the importance of feedback, following one’s curiosity, and time, privilege, access, and opportunity in the industry. Grab a coffee, and join us for a chat! * * * * * * * TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Intro (06:26) Pacific Drive nominated for a Nebula Award! (09:51) Everything is interconnected (a discussion on tea...
Mar 28, 2025•1 hr 36 min
The Souls Squad is back! Sherveen, Jack, and Marina are back again to talk about the intersection between games and their disciplines in the gaming industry.They delve into misconceptions about their work, the importance of feedback and iterating, cohesion between music and game systems, some of their favourite things about what they do, and games they love. Grab a coffee, and join us for a chat! * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * TIMESTAMPS:( 00:00 ) Intro( 04:04 ) What...
Feb 28, 2025•1 hr 29 min
We’re back! Happy new year! Blue joins Marina once again to talk about the games they’re playing and what they’re looking forward to playing this year. They also delve into Blue’s area of expertise: video game localization, what it entails, and what game does it really, really well. Grab a coffee, and join us for a chat! *********** TIMESTAMPS: ( 00:00 ) Show intro ( 01:37 ) Blue’s intro ( 06:28 ) What Blue is playing (+ thoughts on ludonarrative dissonance and bugs) ( 10:38 ) Does working in ga...
Jan 31, 2025•1 hr 11 min
The Souls Squad is back! Marina sits down with Sherveen and Jack to talk about Elden Ring’s DLC: Shadow of the Erdtree. They talk about the expanded lore of the Land of Shadow, their favourite narrative themes, their DLC builds, and their favourite bosses and music. Grab a coffee, and join us for a chat!To check out our prior Elden Ring episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KixVOo4TH0 * * * * * * * TIMESTAMPS: ( 00:00 ) Intro and what games we’re playing ( 08:57 ) Story overview ( 11:28 ) Ou...
Dec 31, 2024•1 hr 42 min
(Note that this episode was recorded back in August 2024) Marina sits down with Rachel - who’s worked as a producer at game studios and in game publishing - to talk about the games they’re playing, and what they want to play next. They talk about games of all sizes and genres, including beloved indies, new releases, and AAA classics. Grab a coffee, and join us for a chat! * * * * * * * TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Intro (03:00) What Rachel is playing (Cobalt Core, Against the Storm, (11:40) Marina loves ...
Nov 30, 2024•45 min
Marina sits down with Myleah - Founder of Lumikha Cosplay Resale - to talk about Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. They chat about the game’s charm, sarcasm, and cheekiness, robots gaining sentience, and why Vivian is so amazing. Grab a coffee, and join us for a chat! * * * * * * * TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Intro (10:12) Story Overview (12:57) Why this is Myleah’s favourite game (16:40) Cheeky, sarcastic tone of the game (20:46) Favourite characters (24:45) Narrative theme of found family (26:20) S...
Aug 29, 2024•55 min
Marina sits down with returning guest Ren to talk about the games they’re currently playing. They talk about collecting mermaid items in Animal Crossing, how the Elden Ring DLC feels like an entire sequel, Stardew Valley’s similarities to the original Animal Crossing, the cheekiness of Paper Mario, and our love for Final Fantasy XIV. Grab a coffee, and join us for a chat! * * * * * * * TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Intro (05:38) Animal Crossing (12:12) Elden Ring DLC: Shadow of the Erdtree (20:24) Stardew...
Jul 27, 2024•54 min
Marina sits down with Xander from Xander’s Cut to talk about Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and 3. They talk about the importance of foreshadowing, whether Xenoblade 2’s DLC was better than the base game, their thoughts on Xenoblade 3’s ending, and their favourite musical pieces. * * * * * * * TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Intro (06:00) Overview of the games (11:37) Pyra and Mythra’s story (16:55) Is Xenoblade 2’s DLC better than the base game? (22:53) Favourite music (28:25) The ending of Chapter 5 in Xenoblade ...
Jun 28, 2024•54 min
Marina sits down with Thomas Roland to talk about the second half of the mainline Resident Evil series. They talk about why it matters to have character-driven stories in the horror genre, their favorite moments and twists, and what game they think is the scariest in the entire series. * * * * * * * TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Intro (06:17) Overview of the games (16:09) Why character-driven stories matter in horror games (22:18) Favourite moments in RE5 (28:04) Favourite moments in RE6 (33:16) Favourite...
May 31, 2024•52 min
Marina and Minnie sit down to talk about one of the most beloved games of the last 2 decades: The Sims. They talk about player-led emergent narratives, the stories they crafted for their Sims, how differently they played the games, the chaos of co-op mode, the first time they saw the Grim Reaper, and their particular fondness of The Sims 2. * * * * * * * TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Intro (05:05 Game overview (07:38) What Sims games we’ve played (09:28) Sims 2 is peak Sims (11:28) The Sims 4 is still add...
Apr 28, 2024•48 min
Marina sits down with Zack Parkerson to talk Nier once again, but this time, we’re trading in Replicant for Automata. We talk about Nier Automata’s masterful narrative design, how it misdirects the player until the very end, our favourite side quests, and why we love this game so much. Grab some headphones, make a coffee, and let’s talk about one of the greatest games ever made. * * * * * * * TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Introductions & What We’re Currently Playing (09:51) Story Summary (10:37) Is Th...
Mar 27, 2024•56 min
Marina sits down for a solo episode and the first one on our new segment, Side Quest! She answers some community questions and dives into Elden Ring’s new DLC, Shadow of the Erdtree, FFXIV and Dawntrail, FF7 Rebirth’s upcoming release, Baldur’s Gate 3, Bloodborne, and Resident Evil 7. A HUGE thank you to our community for all the support. Grab some headphones, make a coffee, and let’s talk games. * * * * * * * TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Introduction (01:49) Elden Ring DLC: Shadow of the Erdtree (08:53)...
Feb 26, 2024•26 min
Marina sits down with professional opera singer-turned-voice actor MarcoMeatball to talk all things video game music. We talk about how FFXIV and Granblue Fantasy: Relink blend genres, the sadness in Bloodborne’s soundtrack, how vertical music sequencing is used in Nier Automata, how ambient music is used to shape a narrative, and much more. We also talk about the music in the games we’re currently playing, as well as some of our favourites. Grab some headphones, and let’s dive in. * * * * * * *...
Feb 10, 2024•56 min
Marina sits down with games journalist Jack Alex Roberts and game dev Sherveen Uduwana to talk about our Tarnished journeys in the Lands Between. We talk about our love of Elden Ring’s lore, narrative design, music, how we got into the Soulsborne genre, what builds we played, our favourite moments in the game, how difficulty is used as a lever for intentional storytelling, and much more. Grab a coffee, and let’s dive into the Lands Between. * * * * * * * TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Introduction (03:10) ...
Jan 24, 2024•1 hr 49 min
Marina Ryan sits down to recap Quest Markers’ first year – and the life lessons that video games can teach us. We talk about community, grief, love, finding meaning in life, overcoming despair, becoming your own saviour, and so much more. Hope you enjoy! * * * * * * * (00:00) Introduction (02:07) The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (04:00) Metroid Dread (05:48) Final Fantasy VII & Final Fantasy 7 Remake (07:12) Xenoblade Chronicles (08:31) NieR: Replicant (09:55) The Legend of Zelda: Breath...
Dec 19, 2023•24 min
Marina Ryan sits down with Kinsey for part 2 of Quest Markers’ anniversary episode! Thank you for 1 year of conversations, coffee, and laughs 🖤 Grab your ocarina and let’s fall into Termina for the sequel to our very first episode with our very first guest. We talk about how Majora’s Mask tells a story of pain and healing through trauma, and we speculate about what the Fierce Deity's mask actually symbolizes. * * * * * * * (00:00) Introduction (01:39) Link’s memories, pain, and trauma (03:10) T...
Nov 27, 2023•39 min
Marina Ryan sits down with Kinsey for Quest Markers’ anniversary episode! Thank you for 1 year of conversations, coffee, and laughs 🖤 Grab your ocarina and let’s fall into Termina for the sequel to our very first episode with our very first guest. We talk about how Majora’s Mask tells a story of pain and healing through the 5 stages of grief – and how it’s up to us to decide how we respond to a terrible fate. * * * * * * * (00:00) Introduction (01:57) Meeting Kinsey (08:08) Story summary (10:17...
Nov 13, 2023•36 min
Marina Ryan sits down with Thomas Roland for a special Halloween episode covering the Resident Evil series. This episode covers Resident Evil 0 through 5 Remake. Grab your green herbs and get ready for a dive into RE’s characters, the themes of fleeting hope and becoming your own saviour, and why the survival horror genre isn’t meant to be difficult. Welcome to (an accidental) Leon Kennedy Hour. (00:00) Introduction (07:33) Story summary for all 5 games (14:30) Why Resident Evil 4’s change in di...
Oct 31, 2023•59 min
Marina sits down for another solo episode to talk about the game she hadn’t stopped talking about for 2 years straight: NieR: Automata. This episode goes in-depth on NieR: Automata’s story, how its game elements come together, why its use of narrative design is masterful, how it explores existentialism, free will, and the meaning of being alive, and why YoRHa androids wear blindfolds. (00:00) Introduction (03:32) Story summary (21:20) How the game elements come together (23:36) Mastery in narrat...
Oct 18, 2023•36 min
Marina sits down for her first solo episode to celebrate Quest Markers entering our episodic double digits, Dawntrail’s announcement, ARR’s 10th anniversary, and her finally getting caught up in MSQ after 1.5 years of playing FFXIV. This episode goes in-depth on Shadowbringers and Endwalker lore, why Endwalker’s story hit as deeply as it did, why Emet-Selch is one of the greatest antagonists in all of gaming, and why FFXIV gets the friendship, hope, and villainous nihilism tropes so, so right. 0...
Sep 18, 2023•49 min
Marina sits down with Scott from The Gaming Outsider to talk about Scott’s favourite Zelda game: A Link to the Past. We talk about community, trust, secrets, betrayal, why King Zora is the funniest character, and whether the game holds up after all these years. Enjoy, and have a great day! * * * * * * * Follow Us: The Gaming Outsider: https://thegamingoutsider.com/ Quest Markers: https://twitter.com/questmarkerspod Marina on The Gaming Outsider: https://www.patreon.com/posts/desert-island-864350...
Aug 21, 2023•50 min
Marina sits down with Game Director and Designer Sherveen to talk about the unexpectedly deep lore and narrative of Hollow Knight. We talk about the Hollow Knight’s tragic life, quirky characters we meet in Hallownest, the sad story of the Abyss’ vessels, and willing things into existence. Hope you enjoy! ( 00:00 ) Introduction & Meeting Sherveen ( 11:53 ) Hollow Knight's Story Overview ( 17:11 ) Discussion of Hollow Knight's Narrative ( 54:33 ) Wrapping Up * * * * * * * Follow Us: Midautumn...
Jul 16, 2023•58 min
Jack sits down with Marina to talk about Pokémon Gold & Silver! We talk about the darker themes explored in this story, the controversy of Slowpoke tails, this generation’s lack of fire Pokémon, the glorious pink dog that is Snubbull, why Lavender town is so creepy, and finally being able to evolve Pikachu. Join us for an equally chaotic and funny conversation, and enjoy! * * * * * * * Follow Us: Quest Markers: https://twitter.com/questmarkerspod GGRecon: https://www.ggrecon.com/ The Indiepe...
Jun 23, 2023•49 min
Ren comes back and sits down with Marina to talk about The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, just before the release of Tears of the Kingdom. We talk about Zelda’s desire for freedom, Fi’s significance, our favourite emotional moments, and BOTW’s open-world design. We also speculate about Ganondorf and Demise’s appearances in Tears of the Kingdom. Enjoy! * * * * * * * Follow Us: Quest Markers: https://twitter.com/questmarkerspod Ren: https://twitter.com/rensomnia Marina: https://twitter.com/m...
May 09, 2023•49 min
Zack and Marina sit down to talk about… what would happen if humanity was faced with its own demise? In talking about NieR Replicant, we explore the topics of protagonism, sapience, willpower, and more. Hope you enjoy! * * * * * * * Follow Us: Quest Markers: https://twitter.com/questmarkerspod The Gaming Outsider Podcast: https://twitter.com/TheGOCast Smirk Podcast: https://twitter.com/SmirkPodcast Zack: https://twitter.com/GOcastZack Marina: https://twitter.com/marinahascoffee Music: https://ma...
Apr 21, 2023•47 min
Snugboy and Marina sit down to talk all things Xenoblade Chronicles. In this episode, we talk about the art of foreshadowing, earnest protagonists, misdirection as a narrative tool, and the true power of friendship (Cringey to say? Yes. True, tho? Also yes). We hope you enjoy! * * * * * * * Follow Us: Quest Markers: https://twitter.com/questmarkerspod Snugboy: https://twitter.com/RealSnugboy Marina: https://twitter.com/marinahascoffee Music: https://linktr.ee/marinaryan...
Mar 29, 2023•53 min
Billy and Marina sit down to chat Final Fantasy VII – both the original game and Remake. In this episode, we talk about identity, destiny, Zack Fair, Sephiroth (obviously), and a theory that may be more tragic than the events of the original game. Enjoy! * * * * * * * Follow Us: Quest Markers: https://twitter.com/questmarkerspod Billy: https://twitter.com/saturn_sounds Marina: https://twitter.com/marinahascoffee Music: https://linktr.ee/marinaryan...
Feb 27, 2023•36 min
Ren and Marina sit down to talk all-things Metroid Dread. In this episode, we talk about our love of the Metroid series’ environmental storytelling, Samus Aran’s history, accessibility in gaming, and why we love Samus’ broad shoulders. Hope you enjoy! * * * * * * * Follow Ups: • Can I Play That (Gaming Accessibility Reviews): https://caniplaythat.com/ Follow Us: • Quest Markers: https://twitter.com/questmarkerspod • Ren: https://twitter.com/rensomnia • Marina: https://twitter.com/marinahascoffee...
Dec 10, 2022•38 min
