Jim, Doc, Chris, and Nick play a series of game shows for some holiday fun. Plus, Hearthstone: Kobolds and Catacombs, randomizers for The Legend of Zelda I and II, news on the NBA 2K League, and more. If you want to comment on this episode, ask a question, share some info, voice an opinion, or request a topic, send an email to [email protected], and we may feature you on a future episode of the podcast. Subscribe to the Backward-Compatible.com Podcast on iTunes: bit.ly/backward-compatible. You may also enjoy "Role With It," the show where the Backward Compatible crew and their guests tell improvised stories through roleplaying games. Check it out on SoundCloud (@role-with-it) or subscribe on iTunes (bit.ly/role-with-it).

Jim, Doc, and Chris talk about the methods tabletop RPGs use to evoke a specific emotion or experience for their players. Plus, Yakuza 0; Battle Chef Brigade; Harry Potter: Wizards Unite; Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp; The Game Preserve in Spring, Texas; and more. If you want to comment on this episode, ask a question, share some info, voice an opinion, or request a topic, send an email to [email protected], and we may feature you on a future episode of the podcast. Subscribe to the Backward-Compatible.com Podcast on iTunes: bit.ly/backward-compatible. You may also enjoy "Role With It," the show where the Backward Compatible crew and their guests tell improvised stories through roleplaying games. Check it out on SoundCloud (@role-with-it) or subscribe on iTunes (bit.ly/role-with-it).

Jim, Doc, and Chris discuss how an audience’s predispositions affect the way they consume games and other media. Plus, impressions of Resident Evil 7, news on the Star Wars: Battlefront II loot boxes controversy, reckless speculation about Star Wars: The Last Jedi, and more. If you want to comment on this episode, ask a question, share some info, voice an opinion, or request a topic, send an email to [email protected], and we may feature you on a future episode of the podcast. Subscribe to the Backward-Compatible.com Podcast on iTunes: bit.ly/backward-compatible. You may also enjoy "Role With It," the show where the Backward Compatible crew and their guests tell improvised stories through roleplaying games. Check it out on SoundCloud (@role-with-it) or subscribe on iTunes (bit.ly/role-with-it).

In an extra-large Thanksgiving Special, Jim, Doc, Chris, and Nick talk about the Star Wars: Battlefront II controversy and related industry trends. Plus, what would a feast of side segments be without uncomfortable table conversation? Topics include Orcs Must Die! Unchained, Sonic Forces, South Park: The Fractured But Whole, Worms Battlegrounds, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR, Metroid Prime 4, Stranger Things 2, the Overwatch League, and more. If you want to comment on this episode, ask a question, share some info, voice an opinion, or request a topic, send an email to [email protected], and we may feature you on a future episode of the podcast. Subscribe to the Backward-Compatible.com Podcast on iTunes: bit.ly/backward-compatible. You may also enjoy "Role With It," the show where the Backward Compatible crew and their guests tell improvised stories through roleplaying games. Check it out on SoundCloud (@role-with-it) or subscribe on iTunes (bit.ly/role-with-it).

Doc and Chris discuss the pros and cons of randomization in game systems design and how it can be used thoughtfully. Plus, Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp; the Vulgar language generator; Xanthochroid’s Of Erthe and Axen, Act II; and more. If you want to comment on this episode, ask a question, share some info, voice an opinion, or request a topic, send an email to [email protected], and we may feature you on a future episode of the podcast. Subscribe to the Backward-Compatible.com Podcast on iTunes: bit.ly/backward-compatible. You may also enjoy "Role With It," the show where the Backward Compatible crew and their guests tell improvised stories through roleplaying games. Check it out on SoundCloud (@role-with-it) or subscribe on iTunes (bit.ly/role-with-it).

In our annual Halloween Spooktacular, Chris and Doc are joined by Cara Curley to discuss costume and character design. Plus, scary-long editions of The Button Mosh and The Mobile Minute featuring Fire Emblem Warriors, Super Mario Odyssey, Death Squared, Stranger Things: The Game, and more. If you want to comment on this episode, ask a question, share some info, voice an opinion, or request a topic, send an email to [email protected], and we may feature you on a future episode of the podcast. Subscribe to the Backward-Compatible.com Podcast on iTunes: bit.ly/backward-compatible. You may also enjoy "Role With It," the show where the Backward Compatible crew and their guests tell improvised stories through roleplaying games. Check it out on SoundCloud (@role-with-it) or subscribe on iTunes (bit.ly/role-with-it).

Jim and Nick talk about the relationship between challenge and fun in games, dipping their toes into some cognitive flow theory along the way. Plus, Hyper Light Drifter, Masks, Assassin’s Creed: Origins, Chroma Squad, and more. If you want to comment on this episode, ask a question, share some info, voice an opinion, or request a topic, send an email to [email protected], and we may feature you on a future episode of the podcast. Subscribe to the Backward-Compatible.com Podcast on iTunes: bit.ly/backward-compatible. You may also enjoy "Role With It," the show where the Backward Compatible crew and their guests tell improvised stories through roleplaying games. Check it out on SoundCloud (@role-with-it) or subscribe on iTunes (bit.ly/role-with-it).

Jim, Doc, Chris, and Nick delve into emergent properties in games. What are they, how do they come about, and why do players find them appealing? Plus, Metroid: Samus Returns, Heat Signature, Sidereal Confluence, and NBA 2K18. If you want to comment on this episode, ask a question, share some info, voice an opinion, or request a topic, send an email to [email protected], and we may feature you on a future episode of the podcast. Subscribe to the Backward-Compatible.com Podcast on iTunes: bit.ly/backward-compatible. You may also enjoy "Role With It," the show where the Backward Compatible crew and their guests tell improvised stories through roleplaying games. Check it out on SoundCloud (@role-with-it) or subscribe on iTunes (bit.ly/role-with-it).

Jim, Doc, and Chris talk about their personal holy grails in gaming: things they'd like to see but might be impossible. Plus, World of Goo; Human Resource Machine; Hearthstone: Knights of the Frozen Throne; Tsuro for mobile; and Xanthochroid’s Of Erthe and Axen, Act I. If you want to comment on this episode, ask a question, share some info, voice an opinion, or request a topic, send an email to [email protected], and we may feature you on a future episode of the podcast. Subscribe to the Backward-Compatible.com Podcast on iTunes: bit.ly/backward-compatible. You may also enjoy "Role With It," the show where the Backward Compatible crew and their guests tell improvised stories through roleplaying games. Check it out on SoundCloud (@role-with-it) or subscribe on iTunes (bit.ly/role-with-it).

Jim, Doc, and Chris try to differentiate between mini-games and games within games and talk about some of their favorites. Plus, Sonic Mania, Yakuza Kiwami, the Gwent open beta, PlayStation 5 rumors, and Drew Hayes’s NPCs. If you want to comment on this episode, ask a question, share some info, voice an opinion, or request a topic, send an email to [email protected], and we may feature you on a future episode of the podcast. Subscribe to the Backward-Compatible.com Podcast on iTunes: bit.ly/backward-compatible. You may also enjoy "Role With It," the show where the Backward Compatible crew and their guests tell improvised stories through roleplaying games. Check it out on SoundCloud (@role-with-it) or subscribe on iTunes (bit.ly/role-with-it).