This week, we tackle another big-picture topic with a couple of narrow dives: crossovers in games, how they relate to aesthetic and vibe, and how designing them well looks. To help us out, we do a couple of deep looks into Kingdom Hearts and Magic the Gathering. Come along!

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This week (or, more accurately, a few weeks ago, oops) we take a look at how games use puzzles of varying difficulties to draw us in, make us think, and tell their stories.

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This week, we return to proper, naval-gazey form for a rambling look at what makes us return to games over and over. From mechanics to vibes, we go over some of our favorite replays and what keeps us coming back.

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This week, we're oddly topical once again as we dive into an overview of Tunic, a new isometric, Zelda-inspired adventure game with a LOT going on under the hood. From the game's presentation to avant-garde gaming in general, turns out there's a lot to break down in this little indie darling.

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This week, for the second time in a row, our topic is weirdly topical (at first). We chat about Elden Ring, its strange blending of genres, and why it feels so darn good to just explore, then veer off the rails into discussions of other strange instances of open-world game design.

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This week, for something a little different, we talk about a couple new games that have dropped that are very much in our wheelhouses: King of Fighters 15 and Sifu. We talk engagement, aesthetic, presentation, and generally just chat about some new cool stuff.

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This week, Chris & Dylan take it easy and do a little talking about the recent Bidoof's Big Stand Pokemon short. Why does it work, what does it say, and what does it point towards? Find out today!

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As long-time listeners may remember, we spent our first (and so far only, thanks pandemic) live show talking about weird and wild game advertisement campaigns from back in the day. Today, with a similarly wild energy but without a crowd laughing and eating up time, we go back to the topic to look at how ads have changed over time.

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This week, we use one of Chris' growing passions to do a thorough overview of how principles of fight choreography and stunt design influence the kinds of games we play. From over the top to highly grounded, the way that games present their violence to the player does a lot of heavy lifting.

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This week, we take a long look at two related genres that we've been dabbling in recently: Metroid-vanias and Souls-likes. We get in deep about pacing, exploration, navigation, and how all of that comes together to influence how a story is told.

Backstage Gaming is a proud member of the HP Video Game Podcast Network (@hpvgpodnetwork on Twitter)

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