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Before games taught us how to play, there were instruction manuals.

Folded inside the box, they were more than just guides to the controls. They introduced us to new worlds, told stories, shared artwork, and built excitement long before we ever pressed the Start button.

In Episode 7 of Artifacts, Danny Brown explores why video game manuals became such an important part of growing up for a generation of players. From reading them in the car on the way home to studying every screenshot before finally getting to play, these little booklets sparked imagination in ways that today's instant downloads rarely can.

But this isn't really a story about instruction manuals.

It's about anticipation, imagination, and a time when discovering a new world began on paper before it ever appeared on a screen.

Because sometimes the objects fade.

But the feeling doesn’t.

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Products I Use for Artifacts

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My equipment:

• RODE NT1-A large diaphragm condenser mic
• Rodecaster Pro II audio production studio
• Sony MDR-7506 Studio Monitor Headphones
• Elgato Wave Mic Arm Low Profile

Recommended resources:

• Captivate.fm podcast hosting, distribution, analytics, and monetization
• Hindenburg Pro recording and editing
• Auphonic mastering tool for audio post production