Windbreaker - podcast cover

Windbreaker

Second Windsecondwindgroup.com
Windbreaker is Second Wind's premier gaming podcast hosted by Yahtzee Croshaw, Marty Sliva & JM8. Join the trio (and occasional guests) weekly to discuss everything industry wide from current news, to recent releases and wider trends.

Episodes

How to (Not) Do an Ending | Windbreaker Podcast

On this week's episode of Windbreaker, Yahtzee, Frost, and Marty chat about what goes into a satisfying video game ending, and what causes some finales to stumble. Second Wind is fully independent, employee-owned and fan-funded. Consider supporting us on Patreon for as little as $1/month at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/SecondWindGroup⁠⁠

Jul 30, 20242 hr 42 minEp 35Transcript available on Metacast

Our Favorite Game Devs and Studios | Windbreaker Podcast

On this week's episode of Windbreaker, Yahtzee, Frost, and JM8 chat about the game developers that they would most like to meet. Second Wind is fully independent, employee-owned and fan-funded. Consider supporting us on Patreon for as little as $1/month at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/SecondWindGroup⁠⁠

Jul 23, 20242 hr 41 minEp 34Transcript available on Metacast

Can't Get You Out of My Head | Windbreaker Podcast

On this week's episode of Windbreaker, Yahtzee, Frost, and Marty chat about the slightly-obscure games and moments that they keep thinking about years later. Second Wind is fully independent, employee-owned and fan-funded. Consider supporting us on Patreon for as little as $1/month at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/SecondWindGroup⁠⁠

Jul 17, 20241 hr 17 minEp 33Transcript available on Metacast

Games That Actually Make Us Laugh | Windbreaker Podcast

On this week's episode of Windbreaker, Yahtzee, Frost, and Marty chat about the various ways that games can actually make us laugh. Second Wind is fully independent, employee-owned and fan-funded. Consider supporting us on Patreon for as little as $1/month at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/SecondWindGroup⁠⁠

Jul 09, 20242 hr 38 minEp 32Transcript available on Metacast

Modern Media Has a Lore Problem | Windbreaker Podcast

On this week's episode of Windbreaker, Yahtzee, Frost, and Marty chat about the growing popularity of lore-based media, and the increasing barrier to entry a lot of stories have. Second Wind is fully independent, employee-owned and fan-funded. Consider supporting us on Patreon for as little as $1/month at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/SecondWindGroup⁠⁠

Jul 02, 20242 hr 30 minEp 31Transcript available on Metacast

How Hard is Too Hard? | Windbreaker Podcast

On this week's episode of Windbreaker, Yahtzee, Frost, and Marty chat that old chestnut of difficulty in games, springboarding off the release of Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree. Second Wind is fully independent, employee-owned and fan-funded. Consider supporting us on Patreon for as little as $1/month at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/SecondWindGroup⁠⁠⁠

Jun 26, 20242 hr 48 minEp 30Transcript available on Metacast

AAA's Franchise Identity Problem | Windbreaker Podcast

On this week's episode of Windbreaker, Yahtzee, Frost, and Marty chat about AAA franchises, and whether or not their evolution lends to an inherent identity problem. Second Wind is fully independent, employee-owned and fan-funded. Consider supporting us on Patreon for as little as $1/month at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/SecondWindGroup⁠⁠

Jun 21, 20242 hr 36 minEp 29Transcript available on Metacast

Catching Yahtzee Up on Summer Game Fest | Windbreaker Podcast

On this week's episode of Windbreaker, Frost and Marty catch Yahtzee up on all the big announcements from this weekend's Summer Game Fest showcases. Second Wind is fully independent, employee-owned and fan-funded. Consider supporting us on Patreon for as little as $1/month at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/SecondWindGroup⁠⁠

Jun 11, 20242 hr 30 minEp 28Transcript available on Metacast

The Line Between a Game and an Experience | Windbreaker Podcast

On this week's episode of Windbreaker, Yahtzee, Frost, and Marty discuss what delineates a game from an experience. Second Wind is fully independent, employee-owned and fan-funded. Consider supporting us on Patreon for as little as $1/month at ⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/SecondWindGroup⁠⁠

Jun 04, 20241 hr 26 minEp 27Transcript available on Metacast

Reminiscing About the Infamous Series | Windbreaker Podcast

On this week's episode of Windbreaker, Yahtzee, Frost, and Marty discuss the 15th anniversary of Sucker Punch's Infamous, and chat about games/franchises they'd like to see make a comeback. Second Wind is fully independent, employee-owned and fan-funded. Consider supporting us on Patreon for as little as $1/month at ⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/SecondWindGroup⁠⁠

May 28, 20241 hr 17 minEp 26Transcript available on Metacast

More Games Need to Embrace the Weird | Windbreaker Podcast

On this week's episode of Windbreaker, Yahtzee, Frost, and Marty discuss the history of weird in games. Second Wind is fully independent, employee-owned and fan-funded. Consider supporting us on Patreon for as little as $1/month at ⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/SecondWindGroup⁠⁠

May 21, 20242 hr 46 minEp 25Transcript available on Metacast

Shhh... Let's Talk About Video Game Secrets | Windbreaker Podcast

On this week's episode of Windbreaker, Yahtzee, Frost, and Marty discuss the past, present, and future of secrets in video games. Second Wind is fully independent, employee-owned and fan-funded. Consider supporting us on Patreon for as little as $1/month at ⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/SecondWindGroup⁠⁠

May 14, 20242 hr 45 minEp 24Transcript available on Metacast

What We Want from Our Video Game Villains | Windbreaker Podcast

On this week's episode of Windbreaker, Yahtzee, Frost, and Marty discuss what goes into a good video game villain, and where some games stumble. Second Wind is fully independent, employee-owned and fan-funded. Consider supporting us on Patreon for as little as $1/month at ⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/SecondWindGroup⁠⁠

May 08, 20242 hr 49 minEp 23Transcript available on Metacast

The Stop Killing Games Campaign (ft. Ross Scott) | Windbreaker Podcast

On this week's episode of Windbreaker, Yahtzee, Frost, and Jack chat with Ross Scott about games preservation and his Stop Killing Games campaign. For more info on how to get involved check out the website at https://www.stopkillinggames.com/ Second Wind is fully independent, employee-owned and fan-funded. Consider supporting us on Patreon for as little as $1/month at ⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/SecondWindGroup⁠⁠...

Apr 30, 20242 hr 54 minEp 22Transcript available on Metacast

The Art of Leveling Up | Windbreaker Podcast

On this week's episode of Windbreaker, Yahtzee, Frost, and Marty chat about what makes a good leveling system in games. Second Wind is fully independent, employee-owned and fan-funded. Consider supporting us on Patreon for as little as $1/month at ⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/SecondWindGroup⁠⁠

Apr 23, 20241 hr 27 minEp 21Transcript available on Metacast

The Worst Things About our Favorite Games | Windbreaker Podcast

On this week's episode of Windbreaker, Yahtzee, Frost, and Marty chat about the worst things in their favorite games -- from Super Metroid's wall-jumping, to the Okumura boss in Persona 5, to the final quarter of most From Soft games. Second Wind is fully independent, employee-owned and fan-funded. Consider supporting us on Patreon for as little as $1/month at ⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/SecondWindGroup⁠⁠...

Apr 16, 20242 hr 39 minEp 20Transcript available on Metacast

How to Build a Better Save System | Windbreaker Podcast

On this week's episode of Windbreaker, Yahtzee, Frost, and Marty chat about the history of save systems, the games that did it differently, and the ones that dropped the ball. Second Wind is fully independent, employee-owned and fan-funded. Consider supporting us on Patreon for as little as $1/month at ⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/SecondWindGroup⁠⁠

Apr 10, 20241 hr 27 minEp 19Transcript available on Metacast

Who Is Best Waifu? | Windbreaker Podcast

On this week's episode of Windbreaker, Yahtzee, Frost, and Marty celebrate the first day of April by having the tough conversations. Second Wind is fully independent, employee-owned and fan-funded. Consider supporting us on Patreon for as little as $1/month at ⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/SecondWindGroup⁠⁠

Apr 03, 20241 hr 29 minEp 18Transcript available on Metacast

Attack of the Microtransactions | Windbreaker Podcast

On this week's episode of Windbreaker, Yahtzee, Frost, and Marty chat about the role of microtransactions, and whether they can ruin an otherwise good game. Second Wind is fully independent, employee-owned and fan-funded. Consider supporting us on Patreon for as little as $1/month at ⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/SecondWindGroup⁠⁠

Mar 27, 20242 hr 59 minEp 17Transcript available on Metacast

Predicting the Next Big Trends in Gaming | Windbreaker Podcast

On this week's episode of Windbreaker, Frost and Marty pull out their crystal balls and try to predict the future of gaming. Second Wind is fully independent, employee-owned and fan-funded. Consider supporting us on Patreon for as little as $1/month at ⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/SecondWindGroup⁠⁠

Mar 25, 20241 hr 25 minEp 16Transcript available on Metacast

What Do Developers Actually "Owe" Us? | Windbreaker Podcast

On this week's episode of Windbreaker, Marty, Frost, and JM8 discuss the relationship between developers and players. Second Wind is fully independent, employee-owned and fan-funded. Consider supporting us on Patreon for as little as $1/month at ⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/SecondWindGroup⁠⁠

Mar 13, 20242 hr 9 minEp 15Transcript available on Metacast

Gaming's Unforgivable Sins | Windbreaker Podcast

On this week's episode of Windbreaker, Marty, Frost, and JM8 discuss the unforgivable sins of video games. Second Wind is fully independent, employee-owned and fan-funded. Consider supporting us on Patreon for as little as $1/month at ⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/SecondWindGroup⁠⁠

Mar 06, 20242 hr 4 minEp 14Transcript available on Metacast

Has The World Become Too Cynical For Superheroes? | Windbreaker Podcast

On this week's episode of Windbreaker, Yahtzee, Marty and Frost discuss video games and their use of superheroes. Second Wind is fully independent, employee-owned and fan-funded. Consider supporting us on Patreon for as little as $1/month at ⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/SecondWindGroup⁠⁠

Feb 28, 20242 hr 41 minEp 13Transcript available on Metacast

To Side Quest, or Not to Side Quest | Windbreaker Podcast

On this week's episode of Windbreaker, Yahtzee, Marty and Frost discuss video game side quests, and how they personally engage with them. Second Wind is fully independent, employee-owned and fan-funded. Consider supporting us on Patreon for as little as $1/month at ⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/SecondWindGroup⁠⁠

Feb 22, 20241 hr 25 minEp 12Transcript available on Metacast

Your Video Game City Kinda Sucks | Windbreaker Podcast

This week's episode of Windbreaker is all about video game cities - from the most atmospheric, to the completely forgettable. Second Wind is fully independent, employee-owned and fan-funded. Consider supporting us on Patreon for as little as $1/month at ⁠⁠patreon.com/SecondWindGroup⁠

Feb 15, 20241 hr 21 minEp 11Transcript available on Metacast

The Sunk-Cost Fallacy of Finishing Games (ft. Nick Calandra) | Windbreaker Podcast

On this week's episode of Windbreaker, Marty, Frost, and Nick discuss the sunk-cost fallacy of finishing games... even if you're not enjoying them. Second Wind is fully independent, employee-owned and fan-funded. Consider supporting us on Patreon for as little as $1/month at ⁠⁠patreon.com/SecondWindGroup⁠

Feb 07, 20242 hr 32 minEp 10Transcript available on Metacast

The Games and Genres We Just Don't Get (ft. Jack Packard) | Windbreaker Podcast

On this week's episode of Windbreaker, Jack joins Yahtzee and Frost to discuss the wildly popular games and genres that they just can't wrap their heads around. From idle farming sims to cookie clicker, exactly what is it about these things that keeps players hooked? Second Wind is fully independent, employee-owned and fan-funded. Consider supporting us on Patreon for as little as $1/month at ⁠⁠patreon.com/SecondWindGroup⁠...

Jan 31, 20242 hr 6 minEp 9Transcript available on Metacast

Games That Actually Deserve a Redo | Windbreaker Podcast

On this week's episode of Windbreaker, Yahtzee, Frost, and Marty chat about the merits of remaking fan-favorite video games from the past, the remakes that have hit and missed over the years, as well as titles that are primed for the remake treatment. Second Wind is fully independent, employee-owned and fan-funded. Consider supporting us on Patreon for as little as $1/month at ⁠⁠patreon.com/SecondWindGroup⁠...

Jan 25, 20242 hr 54 minEp 8Transcript available on Metacast

How to NOT Do A Metroidvania | Windbreaker Podcast

On this week's episode of Windbreaker, Yahtzee, Frost, and Marty chat about the past, present, and future of the metroidvania genre. Second Wind is fully independent, employee-owned and fan-funded. Consider supporting us on Patreon for as little as $1/month at ⁠⁠patreon.com/SecondWindGroup⁠

Jan 17, 20242 hr 37 minEp 7Transcript available on Metacast

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly Grind | Windbreaker Podcast

On this week's episode of Windbreaker, Yahtzee, Frost, and Marty chat about grinding in games, and what separates the good kind that keeps us coming back for more, versus the bad kind that makes us want to walk away. Second Wind is fully independent, employee-owned and fan-funded. Consider supporting us on Patreon for as little as $1/month at ⁠⁠patreon.com/SecondWindGroup⁠

Jan 09, 20242 hr 39 minEp 6Transcript available on Metacast