dotzip

By dotzipLeisure Video Games Games

dotzip episodes

January 19Moving Forward in Sayonara Wild Hearts
Sometimes every single part of the game is so good that you simply can't articulate it completely.
Today we're talking about Sayonara Wild Hearts by Simogo! A game about playing a pop album and therapeutic movement!
Get Sayonara Wild Hearts everywhere!!! Follow Simogo's work on their website!

Discussed in the episode:
Sayonara Wild Hearts Analysis – Use of Tarot in Game Design and Narrative by Angie for Backlog Crusader
Additional links:
Fading Memories (Demos and unused tracks from Sayonara Wild Hearts) on YouTube
How Simogo built Sayonara Wild Hearts' best stage by Matt Leone for Design Room
Teddy Girls: The Style Subculture That Time Forgot by Laura Havlin for AnOther (fashion that inspired SWH's design)
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Art by Tara Crawford
Theme music by _amaranthine
Additional sounds by Boqeh
Produced and edited by AJ Fillari
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Timecodes:
(00:00) - Fem unc?
(01:26) - Welcome to 2026!
(02:05) - Welcome to 2026 (correct version)!
(03:06) - What is Sayonara Wild Hearts?
(04:55) - How was it?
(12:56) - Spoilers
(13:38) - Favorites?
(18:54) - The effect of switching stuff up so much
(24:04) - There are levels to this game
(25:18) - The game is good and we don't know what else to say
(31:08) - Big Takeaways
(31:29) - Chase's Big Takeaway
(34:33) - AJ's Big Takeaway
(35:14) - Robin's Big Takeaway
(37:17) - It's a good one!
(40:00) - Think about sleeping and hire Robin
★ Support this podcast ★
43 min
January 12Picking the Slate! - January to Marchish | fart.piss 3
Welcome Robin to dotzip!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
In this one we pick 11 games that we'll be playing over the next few months! Don't forget there's a NextFest in there too! Hah ha ! Hehe! Ho hoh!!!!
Check out AJ's video about their top 12 games of 2025!!!
Discussed in the episode:
PODCAST: felvidek (2024) by Leaving the Party
Eclipsium is G O O D dotzip stream archive
Cucumber Quest by gigi d.g.
The Slate! (check the website for the release order!):
The Sea Will Claim everything - https://store.steampowered.com/app/337720/The_Lands_of_Dream/(suggested by Alex!)
Sayonara Wild Hearts - https://store.steampowered.com/app/1122720/Sayonara_Wild_Hearts
Despelote- https://store.steampowered.com/app/2367820/despelote/
Eclipsium - https://store.steampowered.com/app/2419670/Eclipsium/
A Year of Springs - https://store.steampowered.com/app/1688580/A_YEAR_OF_SPRINGS/
Before your eyes - https://store.steampowered.com/app/1082430/Before_Your_Eyes/
Soul of Sovereignty (prelude) - https://gigidigi.itch.io/soulsov (suggested by Amet!)
In Other Waters - https://store.steampowered.com/app/890720/In_Other_Waters/
Cr33p - https://try-froggery.itch.io/cr33p
Toroa: Skycall - https://store.steampowered.com/app/2003490/Toroa_Skycall/
Depanneur Nocturne - https://store.steampowered.com/app/1285160/Depanneur_Nocturne/
Hypnagogia - https://sodaraptor.itch.io/hypnagogia
Hypogea - https://store.steampowered.com/app/2980260/Hypogea/
Formless Star - https://splendidland.itch.io/formless-star
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Visit our website!
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Follow the show on Bluesky!
Check out The Worst Garbage Online!
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Art by Tara Crawford
Theme music by _amaranthine
Additional sounds by Boqeh
Produced and edited by AJ Fillari
---
Timecodes:
(00:00) - DS(N)i(ece)
(02:16) - How do we podcast again?
(02:35) - BIG EPISODE!
(06:00) - Welcome to fart.piss!
(06:03) - Selections begin!
(06:58) - The Sea Will Claim Everything
(08:39) - Sayonara Wild Hearts
(12:05) - despelote
(14:07) - Eclipsium
(19:19) - A Year of Springs
(21:21) - Before Your Eyes
(24:39) - Soul of Sovereignty (prelude)
(26:12) - In Other Waters
(28:08) - Cr33p
(29:51) - Toroa: Skycall
(31:33) - Depanneur Nocturne
(33:10) - hypnogogia
(34:41) - Hypogea
(35:53) - Formless Star
(39:13) - The lineup!
(40:00) - February NextFest Cometh
(40:50) - Thanks for listening!
★ Support this podcast ★
44 min
December 22, 2025Themes of the Year 2025! | RAM
Surprise! Kim and AJ sat down and discussed their games of the year in the context of the themes that jumped out to them! What will be crowned Theme of the Year by the end of it?? Only one way to find out!
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Discussed in the episode (🚨Spoilers for games and themes, but no spoilers for the TOTY winner🚨):
Themes of the year spreadsheet
Exercising Power and Control in the Face of Hegemony
of the Devil
Michel Foucault and the panopticism theory of disciplinary power on Wikipedia
Q-Up
Leila
FACEMINER
Occlude
Faustian bargain on Britannica
The Dark Queen of Mortholme
Öoo
Centum
DEAD LETTER DEPT
Known Mysteries
Fear and The Mind
Eclipsium
The Children of Clay
Without a Dawn
Phoenix Springs
Interstate 35
Life's Weird, Huh?
Eclipsium
Centum
Mini Mini Golf Golf
Occlude (or not)
Strange Jigsaws
Unfair Flips
Q-Up
A Pizza Delivery***
Why Do We Puzzle?
Strange Jigsaws
The Worst Puzzle of All-Time | Design Delve on YouTube
Your House
Occlude
Leila
Is This Seat Taken
Dark Queen of Mortholme
Öoo
(and Bubumbu)
Work is Terrifying
Constance
DEAD LETTER DEPT
Children of Clay
Qualia
FACEMINER
The Dark Queen of Mortholme
Q-Up
A Pizza Deilvery
(and Easy Delivery Co.)
Environment's Fucked
Known Mysteries
FACEMINER
Centum
Mini Mini Golf Golf
Artificial? Intelligence??? (slash Technology)
FACEMINER
Qualia
Making Kin with the Machines by Jason Edward Lewis, Noelani Arista, Archer Pechawis, and Suzanne Kite for Journal of Design and Science
Mini Mini Golf Golf
Centum
Q-Up
Phoenix Springs
ChatGPT made me delusional by Eddy Burback on YouTube
of the Devil
DEAD LETTER DEPT
Legacy
Hades 2
Carimara: Beneath the forlorn limbs
Interstate 35
Phoenix Springs
Mini Mini Golf Golf
Your House
Sometime It's Just Nice to Go Fishing
Cast n Chill
PEAK
Unfair Flips
Subscribe to our Kofi to see AJ's playthrough!
Kabuto Park
Q-Up
(and like all of the other games on this list)
---
Visit our website!
Support the show on Kofi!
Follow us on Twitch!
Follow the show on Bluesky!
Check out The Worst Garbage Online!
---
Art by Tara Crawford
Music by _amaranthine
Additional sounds by Boqeh
Produced and edited by AJ Fillari
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Timecodes:
(00:00) - Hey remember RAMs???
(00:47) - Check out ZOTY if you haven't yet!
(01:09) - GOTY but make it dotzip
(02:33) - Structure of the episode
(03:15) - The year of Discrete Experiences
(08:50) - A very good place to start (Hegemony)
(09:00) - Exercising Power and Control in the Face of Hegemony
(12:30) - Q-Up SPOILERS
(16:02) - Exercising Power and Control in the Face of Hegemony
(32:23) - Fear and The Mind
(35:36) - Eclipsium SPOILERS!!!
(41:29) - Fear and The Mind
(43:09) - Life's Weird, Huh?
(47:16) - Centum SPOILERS!!!
(50:14) - Life's Weird, Huh?
(51:01) - Why Do We Puzzle?
(57:12) - Why do we puzzle? (derogatory)
(58:37) - Work is terrifying
(01:04:41) - Environment's Fucked
(01:11:01) - Cleanse the palette or keep digging the hole?
(01:11:33) - Artificial? Intelligence??? (slash Technology)
(01:28:11) - Legacy
(01:41:35) - Sometimes It's Just Nice to Go Fishing
(01:49:36) - Crowning the Theme of the Year
(01:51:37) - TOTY is the bag!
(01:52:06) - Hey that's it. See you next year!
★ Support this podcast ★
1 hr 54 min
December 15, 2025Zip of the Year 2025!
Today we're talking about 44 video games by a bunch of different people! Join us as we arbitrarily draft all the games we've played this year! Thank you so much for listening! See you next year!!!!!
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Discussed in the episode
video game.

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Visit our website!
Support the show on Kofi!
Follow us on Twitch!
Follow the show on Bluesky!
Check out The Worst Garbage Online!
---
Art by Tara Crawford
Music by _amaranthine
Additional sounds by Boqeh
Produced and edited by AJ Fillari
---
Timecodes:
(00:00) - Picking the order
(00:55) - Welcome to the Zip of the Year 2025!!
(01:23) - How we do this
(03:23) - AJ is nervous
(04:51) - The ZOTY begins
(05:38) - Game #1
(09:44) - Game #2
(12:07) - How bartering works
(12:49) - Game #2 (cont.)
(20:35) - Game #3
(27:21) - Game #4
(34:12) - Game #5
(38:06) - Chase gives AJ a gift
(40:23) - Game #6
(46:55) - Game #7
(57:27) - Game #8
(01:01:46) - Unsettling implications of a core element of ZOTY
(01:02:22) - Piss #9
(01:06:42) - Game #10
(01:11:15) - Game #11
(01:17:00) - Game #12
(01:21:43) - Game #13
(01:24:07) - Game #14
(01:27:11) - Game #15
(01:32:01) - Intermission
(01:33:47) - It's been 2 weeks
(01:34:15) - Game #16
(01:38:02) - Game #17
(01:40:11) - Game #18
(01:42:58) - Game #19
(01:46:13) - Game #20
(01:49:25) - Game #21
(01:50:55) - Game #22
(01:54:17) - Game #23
(01:56:44) - Game #24
(02:00:50) - Game #25
(02:02:15) - Game #26
(02:04:13) - Game #27
(02:06:13) - Game #28
(02:09:33) - Game #29
(02:11:52) - Game #30
(02:16:40) - Game #31
(02:19:03) - Game #32
(02:20:50) - Game #33
(02:22:47) - Game #34
(02:25:40) - A flag
(02:26:06) - Game #35
(02:28:09) - Gmae #36
(02:30:10) - Game #37
(02:31:46) - Game #38
(02:32:52) - Game #39
(02:33:54) - A proposal
(02:34:55) - Game #39 (cont.)
(02:37:26) - Game #40
(02:38:32) - A false alarm
(02:39:19) - Game #41
(02:40:03) - Game #42
(02:41:48) - Game #43
(02:43:50) - Game #44
(02:45:35) - Welcome to Call of Doty 1.5
(02:47:04) - A quick GOTY shoutout!
(02:48:01) - Themes?????
(02:53:54) - Kim reveals her final bargaining chip
(02:56:06) - Thank you so much for listening!!!!
★ Support this podcast ★
3 hr 1 min
December 08, 2025Finding Perfect Fits in Bubumbu
Alton Brown is BACK makin' Good Eats-style videos on YouTube. I really think th-- what? Oh right this podcast is about video games sorry.
Today we're talking about Bubumbu by An Otter Team! A game about solving puzzles and making a penguin happy by giving it a little bowtie.
Get Bubumbu on Steam. Follow An Otter Team's work on their website!

Discussed in the episode:
Wikipedia page for The Missing Piece by Shel Silverstein
Daniel Sloss’ ‘Jigsaw’ Is Causing Tons of Break Ups 💔 Graham Norton Show on YouTube
Willa's thread about her playthrough of Dispatch on Bluesky
---

Support us on Ko-fi!

Visit our website!
Follow us on Twitch!
Follow the show on Bluesky!
Check out The Worst Garbage Online!
---
Art by Tara Crawford
Theme music by _amaranthine
Additional sounds by Boqeh
Produced and edited by AJ Fillari
---
Timecodes:
(01:00) - Who are you? Why are you here?
(01:52) - What is Bubumbu
(04:54) - The base level of a puzzle game
(07:35) - Games as toys
(08:37) - The game is good!
(09:09) - Spoilers??
(10:21) - Spoilers OVER
(11:45) - Big Takeaways
(11:56) - Kim's Big Takeaway
(13:59) - Chase's Big Takeaway
(23:41) - We're done talking about the video game now
(23:48) - Pluribus
(26:32) - The act of consuming in community
(30:45) - Chase has played some Dispatch
(40:54) - Wrapping up
(43:06) - ZOTY is comin!
★ Support this podcast ★
46 min
December 01, 2025Handling Consensus in Sub-Verge
What would you do if your boss was actually a giant bug? Something to think about.
Today we're talking about Sub-Verge by Interactive Tragedy, Limited! A game about listening to people and trying not to drown.
Get Sub-Verge on Steam or itch.io. Follow Interactive Tragedy, Limited's work on their website!

Links:
Subtle Mind - A Sub-Verge prequel by Zach Dodson on Steam
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Support us on Ko-fi!

Visit our website!
Follow us on Twitch!
Follow the show on Bluesky!
Check out The Worst Garbage Online!
---
Art by Tara Crawford
Theme music by _amaranthine
Additional sounds by Boqeh
Produced and edited by AJ Fillari
---
Timecodes:
(00:00) - drop.zip
(00:30) - Interactive tragedy-likes
(01:13) - What is Sub-Verge?
(05:12) - There are multiple endings
(05:59) - Trying to pick the right order
(14:02) - The player can only decide who pulls
(15:54) - What the game is "about"
(17:56) - Spoilers
(17:57) - The Mind
(20:46) - How the story is doled out
(22:27) - Krake 2025
(27:25) - Some friction
(29:27) - High level story chat
(34:06) - The endings
(40:15) - The game is bleak!
(42:29) - The game is good
(44:32) - Big Takeaways
(44:52) - Chase's Big Takeaway
(51:46) - AJ's Big Takeaway
(57:57) - A Noam Chomsky cliffhanger
(58:17) - Thank you for listening<3
★ Support this podcast ★
1 hr 3 min
November 24, 2025Losing Whimsy in Pine: A Story of Loss
Members got a special segment about the Wikipedia page on Tier Lists this week. Like and Subscribe to our Ko-fi for exclusive content like that. (Also shoutout to our friends on Total Party Skill (a good podcast) for drawing attention to the page!!!)
Today we're talking about Pine: A Story of Loss by Made Up Games! A game about learning how to let go and replacing the grass in your roof so it doesn't leak.
Get Pine: A Story of Loss on Steam, Switch or iOS. Follow Made Up Games' work on their website!

Links:
Pine: A Story of Loss OST by Blankfo.rms on Steam
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Support us on Ko-fi!

Visit our website!
Follow us on Twitch!
Follow the show on Bluesky!
Check out The Worst Garbage Online!
---
Art by Tara Crawford
Theme music by _amaranthine
Additional sounds by Boqeh
Produced and edited by AJ Fillari
---
Timecodes:
(00:00) - Kim is a sports muse
(01:30) - Welcome to Wifeguy Fall
(02:09) - What is Pine: A Story of Loss
(04:28) - A whittle segment
(06:35) - A word-light narrative
(09:04) - How the game handles shows grief
(13:15) - Very beautiful game
(13:28) - Spoilers!
(13:29) - They added a FIFTH season!!!!!!!!!
(14:57) - The music
(16:40) - Winter
(18:03) - Embracing the grief
(26:40) - dotzip's Greatest Hits
(28:04) - Big Takeaways
(28:07) - Kim's Big Takeaway
(29:22) - AJ's Big Takeaway
(31:09) - A story of Live Laugh Love
(34:08) - ZOTY is COMIN'
★ Support this podcast ★
36 min
November 17, 2025Not Getting Closure in and Roger
It's really hard to type when your entire body has been hollowed out by a video game.
Today we're talking about and Roger by Tearyhand Studio! A game about waking up in a strange place and going to a bakery.
Get and Roger on Steam or Switch. Follow Tearyhand Studio's work on their Steam page!

Links:
One of 2025's Best Games, And Roger, Is About God, Love, and Loss by Patrick Klepek for Remap
And Roger Is A Short, Moving Game About Family by Riley Macleod for Aftermath
And Roger Review - When Actions Speak Louder by Marcus Stewart for Game Informer
and Roger Is One Of 2025’s Most Special Games, And It’s Cheap by Kenneth Shepard for Kotaku
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Support us on Kofi!

Visit our website!
Follow us on Twitch!
Follow the show on Bluesky!
Check out The Worst Garbage Online!
---
Art by Tara Crawford
Theme music by _amaranthine
Additional sounds by Boqeh
Produced and edited by AJ Fillari
---
Timecodes:
(00:00) - being.real
(01:14) - Surprise the episode is here!
(01:48) - and Roger
(02:27) - Okay this episode you do actually have to do the homework pls
(05:18) - When we realized what was going on
(07:12) - We have to get into spoilers sorry lmao
(07:53) - SPOILERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(08:01) - The clock
(10:01) - The horror
(11:55) - How the core mechanic tells the story
(17:29) - There is no closure
(18:37) - Roger
(27:07) - The religion
(31:01) - The unique perspective of the game
(38:09) - The name of the game
(38:35) - Big Takeaways
(38:38) - SPOILERS FOR WITHOUT A DAWN | Kim's Big Takeaway
(41:45) - Chase's Big Takeaway
(47:01) - AJ's Big Takeaway
(49:14) - Hoo man..
★ Support this podcast ★
55 min
November 10, 2025Fighting Persistence in The Dark Queen of Mortholme
"Git gud"? How about "git empathetic"? "Git compassionate"?
Today we're talking about The Dark Queen of Mortholme by Mosu! A game about killing the hero and killing the hero and killing the hero and killing the hero and waiting for the hero and killing the hero and killing the hero and waiting for the hero and... waiting.......... for the hero.............. and......................... waiting..................................
Get The Dark Queen of Mortholme on Steam or itch.io. Follow Mosu's work on their itch page!

Discussed in the episode:
Extinction Burst on Wikipedia
---

Support us on Kofi!

Visit our website!
Follow us on Twitch!
Follow the show on Bluesky!
Check out The Worst Garbage Online!
---
Art by Tara Crawford
Theme music by _amaranthine
Additional sounds by Boqeh
Produced and edited by AJ Fillari
---
Timecodes:
(00:00) - Pugoween
(01:11) - Become a member for the jumpscare-cut
(02:08) - What is The Dark Queen of Mortholme?
(06:38) - Commentary on the commentary
(10:44) - The mechanics
(13:24) - Very minor spoiler
(14:16) - Bonding with the hero
(16:27) - Where do Ornstein and Smough eat lunch?
(18:29) - The mentorship arc
(22:17) - The personality of the Queen
(25:14) - NOT Chase's Big Takeaway
(27:45) - Big-Sized Takeaways
(28:39) - Hello
(31:50) - Kim's Big Takeaway
(36:35) - Chase's Big Takeaway
(41:54) - AJ's Big Takeaway
(51:30) - We've perservered to the end of the episode!
★ Support this podcast ★
57 min
November 03, 2025Being Alone in Without a Dawn
Sometimes the game makes you feel so bad that you can't make a joke about it.
Today we're talking about Without a Dawn by Jesse Makkonen! A game about being alone and looking out the window.
Get Without a Dawn on Steam.
🚨CONTENT WARNING: HALLUCINATIONS, PARANOID DELUSIONS, OBSESSIVE THINKING, SELF-HARM, DISTURBING IMAGERY🚨

Discussed in the episode:
Interview with Jesse Makkonen by Wayne Goodchild for Eneba
Additional links:
Without a Dawn is a haunting campfire story by Phil Bothun for 70 Percent Complete
---

Support us on Kofi!

Visit our website!
Follow us on Twitch!
Follow the show on Bluesky!
Check out The Worst Garbage Online!
---
Art by Tara Crawford
Theme music by _amaranthine
Additional sounds by Boqeh
Produced and edited by AJ Fillari
---
Timecodes:
(00:00) - dot.hang out
(00:39) - Chase is BACK
(03:36) - You don't have to play all the games we do!!!!
(05:41) - It's still Octoadber, baby
(06:12) - What is Without a Dawn
(07:03) - BIG CONTENT WARNINGS!!!! CHECK THE SHOW NOTES!!!!!
(08:22) - ASCII art!!
(10:56) - How this game handles delusions
(16:22) - Ringo is in this game
(16:37) - What's the PJ situation
(17:19) - The blinds
(18:22) - What is happening and is it important?
(21:22) - The ending
(30:07) - Why not a vampire?
(33:11) - Big Takeaways
(33:13) - AJ's Big Takeaway
(35:37) - Kim's Big Takeaway
(37:02) - Chase's Big Takeaway
(45:03) - Wa-hoo!

★ Support this podcast ★
50 min

About dotzip

From the publisher's feed

A show about big games in small packages! Join AJ, Kim, Robin, and Chase every week to talk about short video games, indie tabletop games, and maybe other stuff!