In this episode, we discuss the 2017 twin-stick shooter Ruiner, which Epic gave away from November 7 to November14, 2019. This allows conversations about the role of game adaptations to film and television, if games need a plot, the aesthetics of the future, and how indie games pay homage to the 80s and 90s. 

In this episode, we discuss horror sci fi game SOMA, which Epic gave away from October 31 to November 7, 2019. We discuss the role of space in popular culture, what works and doesn't work for a protagonist, the ethics of the game (and what makes moral choice meaningful), and the mechanics of opening toilets in games. Overall, we liked this game - it is well done, cares for the player, puzzles are not too opaque - but also feel there are...too many of these games. After Observer, Metro, Conarium, et al., these games are feeling same-y.

In this episode, we discuss the cute 2010 RPG Costume Quest,  which Epic gave away from October 31 to November 7, 2019. This allows us to talk about Halloween as a cultural phenomenon, including our own experiences with the holiday (and our anger that the game doesn't focus much on candy!). We also talk about the role of cultural signifiers like suburbia, twins, and yetis, how earnest and campy the game is, and the way that indie games get caught up in corporate politics.

In this episode, we discuss the 2018 puzzle game Q.U.B.E. 2, which Epic gave away for free from October 24 to October 31, 2019. This opens conversations about science fiction world-building, the role of science in our world, and how the cultural zeitgeist affects how we play games. Overall we felt pretty positively about this game, especially in how it didn't feel like it was trying to be heavy-handed, how its difficulty remained moderate and accessible, and how seamless the mechanics felt.

In this episode, we discuss the 2016 horror game Layers of Fear, which Epic gave away from October 24 to October 31, 2019. We focus on thinking about intertextuality in games (with the many Dorian Gray references in this game), the use of art and aesthetics in games, the effects of streaming culture on game development, and themes of gender and alcoholism, especially as they are rooted in Victorian morality. Our overall assessment is that we weren't super hyped on this game (because it felt shallow and repetitive), but that it is worth a play for a short artistic experience, especially if you like jump scares. Or feel sad for Lord Byron.

In this episode, we discuss the game Epic gave away from October 17 to October 24, 2019, the 2017 psychological horror game Observer. This allows us to chat about worldbuilding, the aesthetics of dystopia, the genre of Eurojank, and technology addiction and surveillance in the modern world

In this episode, we discuss 2012's Alan Wake: American Nightmare, which Epic gave away for free from October 17 to October 24, 2019. We begin by considering why specific games get adapted and why Alan Wake might not have an adaptation yet. This leads to conversations about the meta elements of the game, the way certain games intend for players to analyze specific elements, the corporate influence over games (again), and the over-sexified women in Alan Wake's Dark Place.

In this episode, we discuss the game Epic gave away from October 10 to October 17, 2019, the city building simulation game, Surviving Mars (2018). This allows us to consider the function of realism and authenticity in media, the way tutorials can derail a game experience, and the escapist fantasy of a game about technology and utopia. We also return to the important fact that Ray secretly has a (Martian) dictator in him

In this episode, we discuss the 2018 quirky action adventure Zelda-like, Minit, which Epic gave away for free from October 3 to October 10, 2019 (bonus - I didn't notice until right now that October 3, 2019 is also when my second daughter was born!). This allows us to talk about gimmicks in games, in many different ways about representations of animals, about game pacing, the continued significance of mines, factories, and submarines in indie games, and what "charm" means when it comes to popular culture. We also had some technical difficulties, apologies, so there is a brief period that may be a bit rough.

In this episode, we discuss the 2017 universe simulation game Everything, which Epic gave away from September 26 to October 3, 2019. We explore the idea of a game with a message or a serious game, say more about indie games as alternative forms of therapy, and consider the ecocritical possibilities of games (and simulations). This also allows us to consider what philosophical voices would be good games, and whether we would like to be washing machines.