In this episode of JK! Games!, we’re wrapping up our playthrough of Tiny Bookshop with our official Video Game Book Club review.

Jerica and Kayla break down the story, characters, shopkeeping systems, cozy atmosphere, and whether this indie delivers as a must-play for management game fans. We share our final verdicts, listener responses, and reveal our next Book Club pick.

JK! Games! is a gaming podcast where we bring you the news and reviews we care about — and with our Video Game Book Club (VGBC), we dive deep into one game at a time. Whether you’re chasing every side quest or just here for the vibes, you belong in the conversation.

Timecodes:
00:00:00 – Start
00:10:58 – Listener Question of the Week (Favorite Cozy/Management Game)
00:22:00 – Jerica on Silksong
00:33:30 – Normal Mode: Setting the Stage for Tiny Bookshop Review
00:44:20 – Expert Mode: Tiny Bookshop Review

Listener Question of the Week:
What cozy or management game has been your favorite and why?

Next Game:
Our next Video Game Book Club pick is Titanfall 2 — join us in Discord to play along!

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This week on JK! Games! we’re catching up on what we’ve been playing, talk about Gamescom, and diving into our very first impressions of Tiny Bookshop. Jerica and Kayla also talk about what games have been added to their backlogs of DOOM.

Timecodes:
00:00:00 – Start
00:05:52 – Let’s Play a Game
00:30:39 – Backlog of Doom
00:41:54 – Normal Mode: Gamescom Predictions
00:52:24 – Expert Mode: Tiny Bookshop First Impressions

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In Part 6 of our Tears of the Kingdom Video Game Book Club, we’ve reached the end of our Hyrule adventure — We got close. Kayla’s still on her journey, but that won’t stop us from talking about the game’s biggest moments, how the final stretch plays out, and whether it all lands as a satisfying payoff.

We kick things off with our Emoji Game in Easy Mode before reading your answers to this week’s listener question: What’s a game that had the perfect payoff for you — whether it was a moment, a mission, or the entire ending? Then, we dig into our spoiler-friendly finale discussion, touching on emotional beats, standout gameplay, and the most surprising discoveries from our time in TOTK.

About JK! Games!
JK! Games! is the gaming podcast where we bring you the news and reviews we care about — and our signature Video Game Book Club (VGBC), where we pick one game to play together over several episodes. Whether you’re here for deep dives, casual vibes, or just to follow along at your own pace, you belong in our conversation.

Timecodes:
00:00:00 – Start
00:16:00 – Emoji Game
00:33:54 – Easy Mode
00:45:58 – Listener Question of the Week
00:58:30 – Expert Mode: TOTK Finale Discussion
01:22:00 – Wrap-Up & Farewell to TOTK

Next Game:
Tiny Bookshop

Join the club and play along with us:
Discord → https://discord.gg/P3NaGwQh
Watch live Mondays at 9PM EST → https://twitch.tv/jkgamespodcast
Follow us everywhere → @JKGamesPodcast

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In Part 5 of our Tears of the Kingdom Book Club, we’re deep enough into the game to start asking the tough questions… like, is this story actually working?

Kayla and Jerica catch up on their progress and explore how the game’s environmental design shapes the way you play. Then, we dive into a thoughtful — and maybe spicy — conversation about how the narrative is structured, whether it lands, and how non-linear storytelling might be doing more harm than good.

00:00:00 Start
00:16:00 Last Week’s Checkpoint
00:23:30 Easy Mode
00:34:00 TOTK Traversal and Environments
00:45:53 Story Flawed?

Checkpoint Completed:
– A third Sage companion
– 4+ more shrines (12+ total)
– Another Dragon Tear memory
– Bonus: Depths exploration begins

Listener Question of the Week:
“What is more important to you: gameplay or story — and why?”
We read your answers and unpack where we stand.

Next Checkpoint (Part 6):
Finish the game. No pressure.

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In Part 4 of our Tears of the Kingdom Book Club, we wrapped up a second Regional Phenomena and brought another Sage into the squad. Kayla’s sharpening her combat skills, and Jerica dives deeper into what makes this open world experience truly stand out from the rest.

Timecodes:
00:00 Start
08:40 Easy Mode
34:15 Normal Mode
58:00 Expert Mode

Checkpoint Completed:
– Another Sage companion
– 4+ more shrines
– Another Dragon Tear memory

Next Checkpoint (Part 5):
– A third Sage companion
– 4+ additional shrines
– One more Dragon Tear memory
– Bonus: Try to buy a house and… Jerica is definitely going to catch the biggest horse in the game. Not kill. Definitely not kill.

Join the club and play along with us:
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In Part 3 of our Tears of the Kingdom Video Game Book Club, we reached our first Regional Phenomena, recruited a Sage companion, knocked out a handful of shrines, and uncovered our first Dragon Tear memory.

This week we dig into what makes combat in TOTK actually feel good, the magic behind its environmental storytelling, and how the game keeps surprising us. Kayla got zapped by lightning. Jerica may or may not be preparing to slay a dragon. Spiritually. Maybe literally.

Checkpoint Completed:
– First Regional Phenomena
– One Sage companion
– 4–8 shrines
– One Dragon Tear memory

Next Checkpoint (Part 4):
– Another Sage companion
– 4+ more shrines
– Another Dragon Tear memory

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We’ve landed. In this episode of JK! Games! Book Club, we’ve officially completed our first checkpoint in Tears of the Kingdom — and Hyrule is opening it's butthole wide for us.

We discuss reaching Lookout Landing, unlocking the Skyview Tower, getting the Paraglider, and choosing our first steps in the open world. We also share our reactions to returning characters like Purah and Robbie, how this sequel builds on Breath of the Wild, and what new mechanics and mysteries have already hooked us.

This episode sets the stage for the real adventure ahead, and we announce next week’s checkpoint — tackling our first Regional Phenomena (Rito, Zora, Goron, or Gerudo). Pick your path and play along with us!

Checkpoint just completed:

Finish the Great Sky Island
Reach Lookout Landing
Unlock the Skyview Tower + Paraglider
Talk to Purah and Robbie

Next week’s checkpoints:
1. Complete one of the four Regional Phenomena questlines
2. Complete 8 Shrines
3. Find a Dragon Tear memory

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JK! Games! is back—and we’re kicking things off with a brand-new format.

In this episode, we officially launch our video game book club with The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. We catch up after our podcast hiatus (and time spent deep in The Last of Us coverage over on ClickerBait), and share what this new chapter of JK! Games! is all about.

We reflect on our personal history with the Zelda franchise, break down our first impressions of TOTK’s gameplay, powers, and early worldbuilding, and set our very first book club checkpoint so listeners can play along with us.

This week’s checkpoint: Complete the Great Sky Island tutorial and reach Lookout Landing.

Whether you’re revisiting Hyrule or jumping in for the first time, there’s a place for you in the JK! Games! Book Club. Join us every week as we play through one game at a time—together.

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We’re Back! JK! Games! Returns with a New Format 
After a 4-month break (thanks to our ClickerBait takeover 👀), we’re back with a brand new JK! Games! episode — and we’ve got some exciting updates to share.

In this episode, we catch up on what we’ve been up to, talk about our time covering The Last of Us Season 2 on our podcast ClickerBait, and reveal the future of JK! Games!...

We’re turning JK! Games! into a video game book club!
That’s right — we’re still covering the news and reviews we care about, but the heart of the show will now center around one featured game at a time. Whether you’re playing along with us or revisiting an old favorite, this is your chance to join the conversation.

We announced our first game this episode and shared our vision for how this new format will bring our community together to share thoughts, memories, and hot takes as we play through games together.

💬 Want to be part of the club?
Join our Discord to submit your thoughts, questions, or spicy opinions while we play through our featured games:
👉 https://discord.gg/P3NaGwQh (Look for the Drop-in Drop-out server — we have a JK! Games! Book Club section there!)

📺 Catch us live on Twitch for recording sessions, game nights, and more:
👉 twitch.tv/jkgamespodcast

🔗 Don’t forget to follow us everywhere @JKGamesPodcast and check out our ClickerBait recap of The Last of Us Season 2 if you missed it!

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Jerica and Kayla talk about their first impressions of #splitfiction and for Expert Mode this week, we talk about our experiences with playing Co-op Games. We also talk a little about #thelastofushbo and that #deathstranding news!

00:00:00 Start
00:04:40 Stream announcement!
00:09:40 Easy Mode - What we playing?
00:24:25 Normal Mode - No more #tlou and #deathstranding2 is coming out this JUNE?!
00:48:25 Expert Mode - Split Fiction and Co-op Games!

Follow us @JKGamesPodcast on Twitter, Instagram, FB, and Bluesky!  Also, we wouldn't be content creators without a TikTok. Let us know what you think of the show and share ideas on what content you would like to see next! Also email us at [email protected] for questions, comments, or corrections! You all are amazing and thanks for listening!

contact Jerica directly [email protected]
contact Kayla directly [email protected]

Follow and play with us! @JKGamesPodcast

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