Games, Potatoes, and Spatulas

We go into summer with conversation as hot as the temperature outside. Discussion of the challenges indie developers face in being seen on console platforms brings the heat. A cooling dip into Kentucky Route Zero gets us into deep philosophical waters. And we start it all with our usual Swedish and things. And with that we're off all July for our summer holiday. New episodes return first week in August!

We regroup from the two week deluge of game trailers, reveals, video montages, and announcements. Is it all too much or do we need to be honest with ourselves and admit our love of the hype machine? And where does Early Access fit in? To take a read we played Hardspace Shipbreaker. One thing we can be honest about is excitement for the summer. It's that time and we wish you all a glad midsommar!

A veritable smorgasbord of video trailers fed our hype hunger this week. Special guest host Elena joins Garnett in time honored tradition of serving you the best of everything on offer. These two Americans in Stockholm also relate the graduation madness around town, the growing juggernaut of Xbox games, and more.

It's a classic. Beloved reinvented franchise meets zombie come lately. And what draws us to scary games anyway? The thrill? The action? The knowledge that we are actually safe? We don't know but hey, that won't stop us from talking about it, eller hur? All that and the usual on the way to confirming your weekend! 

Oh BioMutant, we found so much to like. Why make it such a chore to get there? It's like Sweden where everyone walks on the left while they drive on the right. We also admit to some of those big name series we haven't played, wonder who bought all the PS5s, and more all to make sure the weekend is confirmed! 

Back from adventures in Loop Hero, Jonas and Garnett tell their epic tales. Plans get made to play the Longest Road on Earth next week. And so the conversation turned to the modern challenges facing the return of Timesplitters, the impact of visual style on reception of a game, and these tiny water glasses in Sweden. Like, really, what's up with that? 

Many times the number of games that succeed go unnoticed. Let's figure out ways to find those great games. This subject spills over into a look at the future of big budget games and the impact of their intense experiences. All this and more as we mark Ascension Day. 

Returnal for PS5 arrived looking gorgeous and sporting that new pricetag. Pricing games poses a tough question that we find no easy answer to. That discussion turns to No Man's Sky which with its latest "Expeditions" update now offers an expansive experience that defies a traditional price model. Add some recap of our semiannual FuryCon, this week's living in Sweden moment, and you've got a great way to confirm the weekend. 

Spring has sprung and it brings with it publisher sales. Are subscription services an even brighter future for indie games? Either way it takes tremendous effort to get your game done. Sort of like learning a new language that requires sounds that have never come out of your mouth before. 

Valheim called us into the wilderness where we gathered around the fire to talk about Early Access. Falcon Age proved less ready for adventure. Knowing better than to ask we wonder about why love for creative expression doesn't translate so easily into monetary value. Balance also comes up in discussing the Swedish concept of lagom. We loved watching "My Octopus Teacher" and plenty more.