The battle-ready cast of the Indie Haven podcast take a break from *whatever it was they were doing in that tower* to discuss the pressing issues of the day: Temtem blowing the internet's mind by having looked up the word "they"; a Hellblade sequel emerging from the ether to completely miss the point; and, of course, bones.

Oh, and the Discord game store closed.

Oh, there was a Discord game store by the way.

If not here, then where?

Talk is cheap. Cauliflowers aren't.

Things are very, very bad. So many bad things. Just dreadful. You might want to brace yourself.

Chucklefish exploiting teenagers to work on their games for free, the transphobic horror show around Heartbeat, the *homo*phobic horror show around Ion Fury, the intense scummery of Nicalis...

Thank fuck otters exist.

**LINKS**

Polygon's Chucklefish article:

https://www.polygon.com/2019/9/2/20839830/starbound-developers-chucklefish-game-industry-exploitation

Statement from Stardew Valley creator:

http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2019/10/stardew_valley_creator_opts_to_self-publish_game_on_switch_amid_chucklefish_allegations

Heartbeat transphobia scandal:

https://www.dailydot.com/irl/heartbeat-trans-suicide-rate/

Ion Fury homophobia:

https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2019-08-26-ion-fury-to-retain-homophobia-in-game-after-all

Edmund McMillen cuts ties with Nicalis:

https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/the-binding-of-isaac-developer-halts-work-with-nicalis-over-allegations-of-racism-and-abuse/

A nice video of a good otter:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=f3HqxE7lyvY

(in case you need it after all that, as I did - J)

Time to make our move.

It's the Skeleton Special here at ThingsTalk. Bones for all, and all bones are good. Get yer skeletons here, folks. It's enough to make you drop your nuns.

What does it mean to truly choose a vole?

**CONTENT WARNING**

This episode contains discussion of the subjects of abuse and suicide beginning at 29:47 and ending at 53:00. A recorded content warning has been added in front of the section to give listeners the opportunity to skip ahead if they would rather avoid these topics.

The gang does their best to fulfil their podcasting obligations live from the Village of the Weird People. Two new names are slapped over a troubled past as a popular company's face is purchased, a confusing crossover event manifests, Josh has a prophetic vision of an unorthadox holiday, and a Tim Curry delay brings glad skeletal tidings...

Snootboys are always a 10.

This is not how we were told it would be.