It’s the end of the year! Pip, Marsh, Alex, Chris and a hologram of Tom Francis gather on a big sofa to discuss their favourite games of the year. Featuring Sekiro, Baba is You, Red Dead Redemption 2, Disco Elysium, Outer Wilds and more! This’ll be our last podcast of the year – we’ll be back in January! If you like, you also have the option of watching this podcast on YouTube – view our faces! Watch us sit! Regard the takes! Apologies to Tom, from me, Chris. I did not realise that I was occludi...
Dec 21, 2019•2 hr 34 min
Alex and Chris discuss Resident Evil 3 and Twin Peaks VR before setting a course straight for the heart of men-in-helmets-land: Phoenix Point, Halo: Reach, and a little Destiny 2: Season of Dawn. Also featuring: the true pillars of any hero’s journey, the retroactive bigtown crisis, the vital importance of denying yourself the dream gnome, and meditations on how to tell when a wizard is not a wizard and why that wizard can’t be you. They’ve only gone and done another Resident Evil , and quickly,...
Dec 13, 2019•2 hr
Tom, Marsh and two-thirds of a bottle of whiskey consider the fate of Valley of the Gods, indulge in Russo-phobic whack-a-mole in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and ponder space, loss and buttons in Still There. Campo Santo’s Valley of the Gods is now officially on hold as its creators move onto other projects at Valve. But not everyone had a wheelie desk to wheel away, as Duncan Fyfe’s plangent tweets make plain. Death Stranding’s landscape is not the product of Avalanche’s proprietary engine – b...
Dec 06, 2019•1 hr 18 min
Alex, Chris and Marsh take on the Pied Poper in A Plague Tale: Innocence, pootle across the Sea of Thieves, burp their way through Sigma Theory: Global Cold War and leave a faint but distinctly colonic whiff of Dota in their wake. BUY BUY BUY And people did – specifically they went and bought all the Valve VR goggles. Bought ’em right up . Throw rats at popes in A Plague Tale: Innocence . Top tier charnel house tunnel effluent. 7/10. “Settlers with zombies” is the elevator pitch for They Are Bil...
Nov 30, 2019•1 hr 54 min
Tom, Chris, Alex and Marsh rejoice in the return of Half-Life, coo at the UI of Unity of Command II, marvel at the muddle of Death Stranding and spark up our Good Hot Swords in Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. This episode is brought to you in association with The People’s Lidl Rum David Bowie Orchestra. Half-Life: Alyx! HOLY SHIT! Half-Life 2 was released in 2004, as Alex said. What a wise and ancient creature he is. Tom F has actually playtested Half-Life: Alyx and somehow didn’t tell anybody in ...
Nov 22, 2019•2 hr 44 min
Alex, Chris and Marsh provide only the most deletable content as they marvel at the obscene indulgence of Death Stranding, tumble through infinity in Manifold Garden and test the limits of dark ecstasy in Lust From Beyond: Prologue. Don’t open with the genital shoggoth. Brian David Gilbert has made a Hideo Kojima name generator . That’s a generator that creates names of the kind that Hideo Kojima gives his characters, not a one that creates Hideo Kojima’s own name – that’s just Hideo Kojima, you...
Nov 15, 2019•1 hr 55 min
Marsh is joined by artist John Roberts to sleuth through Jenny LeClue: Detectivu, unpick the mysteries of Tangle Tower and expose deceptions in Telling Lies. Also: class war and Photoshop brushes. Fallout 1st is undergoing a proletariat revolution . EA’s stuff is back on Steam now. Cool? The Steam Library has been revamped . Hm. Detectiving and choosiness abounds in Jenny LeClue: Detectivu . Tangle Tower – a follow-up to Detective Grimoire by SFB Games. Also, not mentioned in the pod, but the ex...
Nov 01, 2019•1 hr 20 min
Marsh, Alex, Chris, both Toms and (occasionally Pip) assemble for the dawn of the podcast’s third century. Featuring Outer Worlds, more Disco Elysium, Radio Commander, Teamfight Tactics and more. Plus: the rise of Norman Buffus, British Public Transport Elysium, an extremely long conversation about pants, books, the cursed Beeb, and some vital Tom Francis news. Does nobody else have a house hat? Hideo Kojima’s best friend Conan O’Brien is here, and you’re an otter now . Alex’s BBC Radio 4 bit ca...
Oct 25, 2019•3 hr 28 min
Chris and Marsh get the comms horn for Fortnite’s spectacular server shutdown, eat the wave of FOMO in Destiny 2 and unleash their inner twat upon Disco Elysium. Also: house rules for goblins. Fortnite Chapter 2 is a marketing coup and some sort of game, too, I guess. A good thread on the aforementioned. Chris often sinks his costly phallus into Destiny 2 . That’s what I heard, anyway. Yet another white man rises from a booze soup in Disco Elysium – but it’s still brilliant anyway. So far. Fleab...
Oct 18, 2019•2 hr 16 min
Toms Francis and Senior join Marsh to discuss dismissive dad death in Indivisible and lobby for gun-lobbing in both Borderlands 3 and John Wick Hex. Also: why PCs are awful and no one should build them. Please, don’t say “fampany”. Blizzard’s incredible, punitive reaction to a pro-player speaking out about Hong Kong. UsTwo Games got caught up in a union dispute when it let one of its employees go. Motion Twin are a French dev with a flat structure. But for how long?!?! Indivisible : inadvisable ...
Oct 11, 2019•1 hr 44 min
Tom F, Alex and Marsh discuss the voxely promise of Teardown and existential terror of Microsoft Flight Simulator, return to Destiny redux, play some holes in What the Golf? and get nailed by every pixel in Noita. Put that in your leviathan and smoke it. Admire the restrained scope and exquisite smashiness of Teardown by Dennis Gustafsson . The triumphant return of Microsoft Flight Simulator : every dead dog procedural. Asobo also made rat-a-palooza A Plague Tale: Innocence and underrated Americ...
Oct 04, 2019•1 hr 50 min
Tom F and Chris break into the pod chamber to discuss the latest wave of gaming subscription programmes, the pipe edge situations of Overland, and some game about a goose you probably haven’t heard of. You’ve always got some redundant beans. The subs models in question are Apple Arcade , Xbox Game Pass , Humble Monthly and Google Play Pass . The tweet that Tom quotes regarding the negative impact of the Google Play Pass’ playtime-based developer reward model is this one, by Will O’Neill . Everyb...
Sep 28, 2019•2 hr 3 min
Chris, Tom S and Marsh discuss The Hunt: Showdown, Nocked! True Tales of Robin Hood and Astral Chain. Plus things that tinkle and jangle, things that waggle to make friars happy and things that should be renamed, remade and covered with moons. It’s a busy weekend for game releases: honk at a farmer in Untitled Goose Game and choose PETROL or DOG in Overland (which is not like Brigador but is a bit like Into the Breach ) Disco Elysium has a new, kinda baffling trailer and a release date of Octobe...
Sep 20, 2019•1 hr 8 min
Chris, Tom F, Alex and… Marsh (!) discuss Wilmot’s Warehouse, Guild Wars 2, Slay The Spire’s new class and Control. Plus: what’s that wizard’s problem anyway, the tricky issue of endings, David Cage’s Hamlet, and so on. One is a box in Wilmot’s Warehouse . Here’s the excellent trailer , featuring Pip! Six birthdays all at once have ruined Guild Wars 2 for Alex. Tom F adopts various stances on Slay The Spire ‘s new class. Chris shoots his idea-gun at Control . We ruminate upon the tsars and oreos...
Sep 12, 2019•2 hr 13 min
Tom F and Alex are joined by special guest Mike Cook: AI researcher, indie dev, and friend of the podcast. We get into AI judging games, combining games, designing games, and failing to understand what’s so good about walls. Also discussed: long Cebs in The International, dialogue style in A Short Hike, gossip in Fire Emblem, and why Tom never knows the world’s about to end. Mike’s game-designing AI , which may not always be called Angelina Canabalt meets Typing of the Dead: Mike’s hacking game ...
Aug 23, 2019•2 hr 31 min
Chris, Tom F and Alex discuss Dicey Dungeons, Jupiter Hell, Exanima and Fire Emblem. Plus: arguably the worst way of categorising games we’ve ever come up with, and that’s saying something. I’m sorry, but for physics reasons I need you to cradle me and lower me to the earth. We’ve all been playing Dicey Dungeons , including Pip, who worked on the game. There’s yer disclaimer! Alex has been adjusting to the various speeds of Jupiter Hell , the spiritual successor to DRL . Chris would like to tell...
Aug 16, 2019•2 hr 5 min
Chris, Pip and Tom F briefly return to autobattlers before discussing A Short Hike, Stones of Solace, Islanders, and the faults of a variety of algorithms. All this, just so that an otter can say well done. Pip’s lives in Teamfight Tactics now. …with breaks for Stones of Solace . Tom has taken A Short Hike and will perhaps one day attempt to Drawdog . Further art: Passpartout: The Starving Artist and Chris Livingston’s diary thereof . Chris has (eventually) been algorithmically led to Islanders ...
Aug 09, 2019•1 hr 42 min
Chris and both Toms wander in late to discuss assorted retro shooters, Nowhere Prophet, Fire Emblem, naughty semaphore, and additional tepid takes. I’m a murder president on the go, and I need my fix. Tom S’s been playing a big pile of all-caps retro shooters, including AMID EVIL , DUSK , Ion Fury . Tom F has been relentlessly taunted by Nowhere Prophet and continues his murder cruise in Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey . Chris has decided to talk about Fire Emblem: Three Houses and it’s too late to st...
Aug 03, 2019•2 hr 12 min
Tom F, Chris and Alex use videogames’ full name as they discuss Kingdom Come, Bloodstained, Griftlands, Mechanicus, The Witcher 3 and more. Chris has been pondering Kingdom Come: Deliverance and Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus . Alex has been developing an art collection in Assassin’s Creed: It’s A Real Journey and Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night . Tom’s been pleading with Griftlands and The Witcher 3 . You can hang out with us and our community on our Discord channel . If you have a question for...
Jul 19, 2019•2 hr 7 min
Autobattlers agogo. Pip and Chris take some time out from their busy wizard management schedule to discuss Valve’s Steam Lab before delivering the definitive verdict on the world’s array of autochesses. The Steam Labs page has all of the info you need about Valve’s disparate attempts to replace me and everyone I know with a robot. Steam’s new microtrailers feature is based on this Twitter account . Oh boy you better believe it’s time for autochess games. Begone, manual chess! Dota Underlords! Do...
Jul 12, 2019•1 hr 25 min
Tom F, Chris and John discuss the cutthroat business of wizard cards, the biting bureaucracy of Pathfinder: Kingmaker, and the travails of high finance in Hitman 2 New York. Here’s a picture of a gem that might belong to a new, free, Slay The Spire character. A lot of people sure have played Dota Underlords , and also Magic: The Gathering Arena . John’s been trying to bite Pathfinder: Kingmaker . Tom’s called time on late capitalism in Hitman 2’s New York level . You can hang out with us and our...
Jul 05, 2019•2 hr 10 min
Chris, Tom F and Alex revisit Life is Strange, consider time’s cooldown in Touhou Luna Nights, chew noisily on Dota Underlords, and fling themselves over Shape of the World. I’ve activated the four rocks… show me the staircase. Tom’s returned to Life is Strange . Here’s the b log post by Ashly Burch that Tom mentions. Note: this post vividly describes grief and bereavement – and as a far less significant caveat, includes some major plot details for Life is Strange. Alex has been playing Touhou L...
Jun 21, 2019•1 hr 57 min
Pip, Chris and Tom F dive into a big pile of E3 nonsense followed by a big pile of questions nonsense, considering the noun-circle ramifications of both. We’re DONE, Octavian! You know what you did! Here’s that Watch Dogs: Legion footage from E3. Also, Phil Savage’s review of the pub from Everybody’s Gone To The Rapture . The Maneater trailer , in which shark have nice day. The Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey Story Creator reveal, in which Herodotus just want to have fun. Chris watched this Star Wars ...
Jun 14, 2019•1 hr 56 min
Chris, Tom F and Alex attempt to predict Thursday’s news on Wednesday, again, and mostly fail, again. After that: SteamWorld Quest, Void Bastards, The Outer Wilds! Destiny 2 is going free to play, coming to Steam and Stadia, and getting cross-save functionality. Pricing details for Stadia have been revealed and are entirely contrary to Chris’ predictions. Alex has been playing SteamWorld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech . Tom’s crafted his way through Void Bastards . We’re also playing the extraordinary...
Jun 07, 2019•1 hr 54 min
Tom F, Alex and Chris convene last Wednesday to discuss ‘computer games’, including but not limited to Void Bastards, Observation, Druidstone, and Mordhau. I feel compelled to perform my military responsibilities in the modern time. Early access sky MMO Worlds Adrift is shutting down. Here’s Starbase , a computer game. Yep, they called it Modern Warfare . Tom’s been playing Void Bastards . We’ve all played Observation . Tom’s also been playing Druidstone: The Secret of the Menhir Forest . Chris ...
May 31, 2019•2 hr 7 min
Alex and the Toms gather to discuss what they have been playing on their personal computers this week. We didn’t record in our usual studio for this one, but the audio quality will return to normal soon! Tom F has been playing Path of Exile . Tom S has been playing Destiny 2 too much. Alex has been playing A Plague Tale: Innocence . Blood: Fresh Supply promises retro shooter joy. Star Trek Online is still quite good, and Guild Wars 2 is marvellous . The game that Pip talked about on a previous e...
May 17, 2019•1 hr 42 min
Tom F, Chris and Alex convene to chat Total War(hammer), Phantom Doctrine, Mordhau, cakes and more. He’s not the Nerevarine, he’s a very naughty boy. Here’s a man saying thank you for the bullets in PlayerUnarmed Happygrounds. Ultra Ultra, the studio who made Echo, are shutting down . Alex is staying up past his bedtime to play Total War: Warhammer II . Tom’s got a new passport photo AND face in Phantom Doctrine . Chris considers the various arcs and curves of Mordhau . Alex adds Star Realms to ...
May 10, 2019•2 hr 14 min
Chris, Tom S and Alex chat a little bit of Sekiro, some Ascension, a smooth slice of The Room, and a dash of Katana ZERO. Plus: meditations on the byzantine pizza meta, Rama Tycoon, the completely predictable fate of action dad, and our rebranding as the internet’s premier cutlery conspiracy resource. We say that we’re not going to return to Sekiro , but then immediately do. Sorry! Alex is enjoying the venerable Ascension , prompting both Chris and Tom to remember how much they like Ascension. T...
Apr 26, 2019•1 hr 17 min
Alex, Tom F and Chris discuss City of Heroes’ surprising fate, EA’s Star Wars doings, Beat Saber, Heaven’s Vault, Risk of Rain 2, and the omega egg. Here’s Cass Marshall’s article about City of Heroes’ secret SCORE server. We’ve played a bit of Beat Saber . Here’s the reveal trailer for Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order . We’ve all been playing Heaven’s Vault . Here’s Pip’s review for PC Gamer ! On the subject of Heaven’s Vault – the issue with a forced-feeling dialogue choice that Tom describes was ...
Apr 19, 2019•2 hr 1 min
Chris, Tom F and Pip catch up on GDC highlights and discuss Darkborn, Anthem woes, Winkeltje, Sekiro, and Totally Accurate Battle Simulator. Plus: an asparagus crime to save print media, meditations on David Boreanaz The Minecraft Man, Monet’s hot nuts, and the art of Blunch. Columbo’s here, and he’s furious about Unreal Tournament. Here’s Tom’s writeup of Arkane’s Prey: Mooncrash talk at GDC. Project Wight has become Darkborn, here’s the video . Jason Schreier’s article about Anthem . Pip’s bee...
Apr 05, 2019•2 hr 3 min
