This week we talk about gaming in the age of social distancing. We talk about playing Kind Words (Popcannibal 2019) and gaming in general in the time of social distancing.

*Shout out to the background noise at the very beginning. We’re also dealing with podcasting in the age of social distancing/isolation

What We’re Playing:
Stardew Valley
Animal Crossing
Kind Words
Hearthstone
State of Decay 2
Words with Friends
Final Fantasy XIV
Shop Titans

What We’re Reading:
Ash Princess series
webtoons
Homeschooling resources

What We’re Drinking:
France Cabernet
sparkling moscato
Vandermill Vandy

This week Sam and Jordyn talk about microtransactions. What we like, what we don’t like, and whether or not they’re a necessary evil! Also Jordyn shares super exciting news.

What We’re Playing:

Death Squared
Stardew Valley
Penguin Isle
The Snack World: A Dungeon Crawl
Bless Unleashed*
The Division 2
State of Decay 2
Final Fantasy XIV (Final Fantasy XIV: Dad of Light series on Netflix)
What We’re Reading:

Saw Bones podcast
Slay by Brittney Morris
What We’re Drinking:

Peet’s coffee with Mexican coffee liqueur
Way too much friggin’ Nitro Cold Brew
* Sam received stream codes for these games, but as always her opinions are her own and not influenced by the receipt of the code.

This week Sam, Alisha, and Jordyn tackle the topic of walkthroughs. Do we use them? When, why, and what kind? As always we have some very strong opinions.

What We're Playing:

Untitled Goose Game
Cat Lady
Surviving the Aftermath
Final Fantasy XIV
Temtem
Journey to the Savage Planet
Shop Titans
Breath of the Wild
Big Book of Madness
Hearthlands
What We're Reading:

The Deep by Rivers Solomon
Slay by Brittany Morris
Five Dark Fates
What We're Drinking:

Spiced Rum and Dr. Pepper
Vandermill Vandy
J&B on the rocks

This week Sam, Alisha, and Jordyn talk about their top 10 games of the decade. Check out what we have to say about what made the cut and why.

What We're Playing:

Octopath Traveler
Fire Emblem: Three Houses
The Stretchers
Mario and Rabbids Kingdom Battle
Life is Strange 2
Finished Jedi: Fallen Order
Imhotep
Cat Lady
Codenames Duet
Little Dragons Cafe
Romancing Saga 3
Hearthlands
What We're Reading:

The Deep by Rivers Solomon
Midnight Son by James Dommek Jr
What We're Drinking:

White Zinfandel, Water, Half shot of Coconut Rum
Coffee and Gumballhead
Mountain Dew Kickstart and Vandermill Totally Roasted




Our Lists:

Alisha:

Fallout: New Vegas
State of Decay Dishonored
Breath of the Wild
Slay the Spire
MGSV
Life Is Strange
Bloodborne
Pokemon Go
Pandemic Legacy


Honorable Mention
Firewatch
PT
Until Dawn
Stardew Valley


Things I should have played but didn’t:
Brothers
Outer Wilds
Papers, Please
Jordyn:

Minecraft
Until Dawn
Forgotton Anne
Assassins Creed: Brotherhood
Night in the Woods
Legend of Zelda: BoTW
Life is Strange
Divinity Original Sin 2
Mass Effect 2
Overcooked
Honorable mention:
Jedi: Fallen Order
Dead by Daylight
Sam:

Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch
Bastion
Animal Crossing: New Leaf
Mass Effect 3
Diablo 3
Mafia III
Stardew Valley
Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Dream Daddy
Black Ops 4/The Division 2

Honorable Mentions
State of Decay
Minecraft (2009)

This week Sam, Alisha, and Jordyn are chatting about things they'd suggest for holiday shopping lists and of course a conversation about accessibility breaks out.

What We're Playing:
Woven*
Bee Simulator*
Pokemon Sword
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order*
Sparklite*
Death Stranding
Torchlight II

What We're Reading:
The Deep by Rivers Solomon
Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood
Five Dark Fates by Kendare Blake

What We're Drinking:
Guiness
Red Wine
Hot Toddy

* Sam received PR codes for these games for streaming and review purposes, but all opinions are honest.

This week Sam, Alisha, and Jordyn are chatting about their experiences playing Obsidian's new RPG The Outer Worlds (2019).

What We're Playing:
The Outer Worlds
Man of Medan
Overcooked 2 DLC
LEGO: Force Awakens
Nine Parchments
Supermarket Shriek
Outward
Dead by Daylight
Hearthlands
Citadel Forged with Fire*
Bless Unleashed
Luigi’s Mansion
Call of Duty:Modern Warfare*

What We're Reading:
Hollow Kingdom by Kira Jane Buxton
Five Dark Fates by Kendare Blake

What We're Drinking:
Coffee and Stone Ruination double IPA 2.0
Whiskey Sour
Squirt and Mango Raspberry Vodka

* Sam received PR codes for these games for streaming and review purposes, but all opinions are honest.

This week Sam and Alisha are joined by Kishonna Gray (@kishonnagray) talk about parenting (and being women) while doing the game studies scholar grind.

What We're Playing:
Apex Legends
Stranded Sails*
Knight's Quest*
Indivisible*
Cat's Quest*
Trine 4*
Yooka Laylee and the Impossible Lair*
Ni No Kuni (Switch)
Space Team
Jack Box games
Hearthstone

What We're Reading:
Slay
The Similars
The Water Dancer

What We're Drinking:
You don't want to know!

* Sam received PR codes for these games for streaming and review purposes, but all opinions are honest.

This week Jordyn and Sam are joined by NYMG alum Ashley Barry-Biancuzzo (@ashleybiancuzzo) to talk about Sea of Solitude (Jo-Mei Games 2019) (and games in general) and mental health. N.B. We are not speaking as mental health professionals, but as gamers and people with our own unique set of experiences, so your mileage may vary.

What We're Playing:
Elder Scrolls Online
WoW Classic
Gears 5 *
Borderlands 3
The Sims: Realm of Magic
Re:Legend *
Minecraft
Vampyr
Unravel 2

What We're Reading
Pet
Storm of Locusts
Five Dark Fates

What We're Drinking:
Orange-Vanilla Seltzer
Ciderboys Pineapple Hula
Fat Tire

* Sam received PR codes for Gears 5 (from Microsoft) and Re:Legend (from 505 Games) for streaming and review purposes.
What We're Playing:
Elder Scrolls Online
WoW Classic
Gears 5
Borderlands 3
The Sims: Realm of Magic
Re:Legend
Minecraft
Vampyr
Unravel 2

What We're Reading
Pet
Storm of Locusts
Five Dark Fates

What We're Drinking:
Orange-Vanilla Seltzer
Ciderboys Pineapple Hula
Fat Tire

This week we look at this Fall's upcoming games and talk about the ones that we are most looking forward to. Some surprising, some not so surprising.

What We're Playing:

Catastronauts
Lovers in a Dangerous Space Time
Coffin Rot
Unravel Two
Board Games (Mysterium, Harry potter Hogwarts Battle, Sushi Party Go)
Dream Daddy
The Church in the Darkness
Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Woodle Tree 2 Deluxe
Bear with Me
The Tower of Beatrice
Slay the Spire
LIS: Before the Storm
Breath of the Wild
Welcome To Your Perfect Home
Pokemon Go
What We're Reading

Feminism, Labor, and Digital Media by Kylie Jarrett
Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants
Mrs. Sherlock Holmes
What We're Drinking:

Peach-Ginger Honey Wine
Glenlivet
Peach Margarita

This week we had a conversation with TreaAndrea Russworm (@ProfessorTMR UMass-Amhearst), Amanda Phillips (@NazcaTheMad Georgetown University), and Angela Rain Kim (@angelarainkim UMass-Amhearst) about the #30Games90Days project and the struggle of playing video games as a scholar. Settle in for an amazing conversation as we talk about games and shit (quite literally).

What We're Playing:

Injustice: Gods Among Us
Dream Daddies
Project High Rise
Dandara
Binding of Isaac
Phoenix Wright: Dual Destinies
Life is Strange Before the Storm
Azul
Emily is Away
Halo
Gears 5 Tech Test
Dragon Quest Builders 2
What We're Reading

Rainbow Arcade Collection
How to Play Video Games ed. by Matthew Thomas Payneand Nina B. Huntemann
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
Lola by Melisa by Scrivener Love
The Erotic Life of Racism by Sharon Patricia Holland
The Mad Man by Samuel R. Delany
Babel-17 by Samuel R. Delany
7 1/2 deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton
Saga comics
The Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemison
What We're Drinking:

Grapefruit Radler
Glenlivet
New City Mule Ginger Beer
Kirkland Tequila