Shall We Play a Game?

Shall We Play a Game? episodes:

• 10.20.2018

  ‘Carne y Arena’ - Shall We Play a Game?

  You’ve got 11 days left to go see Alejandro González Iñárritu’s virtual-reality installation “Carne y Arena.” We saw it/did it/played it, and tell you why you should, too (if you’re anywhere near Washington, D.C.).  PS: It feels great to be back! We...

  
• 06.26.2018

  ‘Assassin’s Creed’: ‘Origins’ vs. ‘Syndicate’ - Shall We Play a Game?

  JJ talks about why he liked “Syndicate” more than “Origins,” while Chris begs for Discovery Modes to be retrofitted into every game in the series. Plus a dash of “God of War” (2018) and “Pillars of Eternity II.” We have a...

  
• 05.25.2018

  ‘Solo’ (and ‘God of War’!) - Shall We Play a Game?

  Our instant review of “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” the first “Star Wars” movie to reference “Masters of Teras Kasi,” preceded by a paean to the “God of War” camera. We have a Patreon at www.patreon.com/shallweshow! We are eternally grateful...

  
• 04.13.2018

  ‘Ready Player One’ - Shall We Play a Game?

  Our review of Steven Spielberg’s movie *and* Ernest Cline’s book answers the question you’ve been waiting for: What if Halliday had been into walking simulators? We have a Patreon at www.patreon.com/shallweshow! We are eternally grateful to everyone who has made a...

  
• 03.20.2018

  ‘Florence’ - Shall We Play a Game?

  Unknowingly, we have undertaken a journey to become America’s hottest Annapurna Interactive podcast. We have a Patreon at www.patreon.com/shallweshow! We are eternally grateful to everyone who has made a pledge. NEXT TIME, WE HOPE: “Ready Player One” SHOW NOTES: Review us on iTunes Like us on...

  
• 02.06.2018

  2017’s All-Star GOTY Spectacular - Shall We Play a Game?

  Better late than never: We asked 25 of the smartest people we know–game developers, critics, professors of theater and history, comedy writers, political journalists, podcasters–for their favorite video game of 2017, and got 20 answers. Counting Chris and JJ, that’s 27...

  
• 12.21.2017

  ‘Gorogoa’ - Shall We Play a Game?

  The second game from Annapurna Interactive is a meditative puzzle by Jason Roberts. We have a Patreon at www.patreon.com/shallweshow! We are eternally grateful to everyone who has made a pledge. NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE: “Butterfly Soup” SHOW NOTES: Review us on iTunes Like us on Facebook Follow...

  
• 12.15.2017

  ‘The Last Jedi’ spoilercast - Shall We Play a Game?

  The annual “Shall we watch a ‘Star Wars’ movie?” episode of the “Shall We Play a Game?” podcast. WARNING: Do not listen to more than a minute or so if you haven’t seen “The Last Jedi.” We have a Patreon at www.patreon.com/shallweshow! We...

  
• 12.12.2017

  ‘Universal Paperclips’ - Shall We Play a Game?

  A new Game of the Year contender. We have a Patreon at www.patreon.com/shallweshow! We are eternally grateful to everyone who has made a pledge. THIS WEEK, WE HOPE: “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE: “Gorogoa” SHOW NOTES: Review us on iTunes Like us on Facebook Follow...

  
• 12.01.2017

  ‘Subsurface Circular’ - Shall We Play a Game?

  Mike Bithell’s short interactive robot detective fiction–how’s that for a five-word phrase–is good. Plus, JJ reveals the most embarrassing/proud public place he has played his Nintendo Switch. And Chris talks about minivan radio interfaces. We have a Patreon at www.patreon.com/shallweshow! We...

  
• 11.21.2017

  ‘Star Wars Battlefront 2’ & More ‘Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus’ - Shall We Play a Game?

  Alright, Der Fuhrer, it’s time for my closeup. We have a Patreon at www.patreon.com/shallweshow! We are eternally grateful to everyone who has made a pledge. NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE: “Subsurface Circular” SHOW NOTES: Review us on iTunes Like us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Email us at...

  
• 11.15.2017

  ‘Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus’ - Shall We Play a Game?

  We’re about three hours in, up to the part when BJ arrives in Manhattan. We have a Patreon at www.patreon.com/shallweshow! We are eternally grateful to everyone who has made a pledge. NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE: More “Wolfenstein 2,” some “Star Wars Battlefront 2” SHOW...

  
• 11.09.2017

  More ‘Super Mario Odyssey’ - Shall We Play a Game?

  Now when the child of morning, rosy-fingered Dawn, appeared, Mario rose and dressed himself. He bound his sandals on to his comely feet, girded his sword about his shoulder, and left his room looking like an immortal god. We have...

  
• 11.02.2017

  ‘Super Mario Odyssey’ - Shall We Play a Game?

  Tell me, O muse, of that ingenious hero who travelled far and wide after he had sacked the famous town of World 1-1. We have a Patreon at www.patreon.com/shallweshow! We are eternally grateful to everyone who has made a pledge. NEXT WEEK,...

  
• 10.24.2017

  What Would Donald Trump Play? - Shall We Play a Game?

  We’re busy with “Super Mario Odyssey” this week–which we’ll talk about on next week’s show–so we’re sharing this Patreon members-only mailbag with the wider listening public. Try it! It’s good! We have a Patreon at www.patreon.com/shallweshow! We are eternally grateful to...

  
• 10.17.2017

  ‘Divinity: Original Sin 2’ - Shall We Play a Game?

  Is there joy in Fort Joy? We have a Patreon at www.patreon.com/shallweshow! We are eternally grateful to everyone who has made a pledge. NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE: More “Divinity: Original Sin 2” SHOW NOTES: Review us on iTunes Like us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Email us...

  
• 10.09.2017

  ‘Thimbleweed Park’ - Shall We Play a Game?

  We would rather Switch than fight. We have a Patreon at www.patreon.com/shallweshow! We are eternally grateful to everyone who has made a pledge. NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE: “Divinity: Original Sin 2” SHOW NOTES: Review us on iTunes Like us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Email us at...

  
• 10.03.2017

  ‘Nier: Automata’ - Shall We Play a Game?

  A divisive game divides us against ourselves. We have a Patreon at www.patreon.com/shallweshow! We are eternally grateful to everyone who has made a pledge. NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE: “Thimbleweed Park” — but the Patreon Game Club for October will discuss “Divinity: Original...

  
• 09.28.2017

  ‘Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle’ - Shall We Play a Game?

  Surely the only podcast on this game that delves into Shigeru Miyamoto’s reflections after the Sandy Hook massacre. We have a Patreon at www.patreon.com/shallweshow! We are eternally grateful to everyone who has made a pledge. NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE: “Nier: Automata” SHOW NOTES: Chris’ New...

  
• 09.18.2017

  ‘Uncharted: The Lost Legacy’ - Shall We Play a Game?

  Someone liked this game. Someone else didn’t. Someone gets angry. Someone else says, “But it’s ‘Uncharted’!” We have a Patreon at www.patreon.com/shallweshow! We are eternally grateful to everyone who has made a pledge. NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE: “Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle” SHOW NOTES: Review...

  
• 09.12.2017

  ‘Tacoma’ & ‘Gone Home’ designer Steve Gaynor - Shall We Play a Game?

  Steve Gaynor, the designer and writer of “Gone Home” and 2017’s “Tacoma,” talks about why “Tacoma” was so hard to make, what he learned by working with Ken Levine on “BioShock Infinite,” and whether he sees his work as part...

  
• 09.06.2017

  ‘Hellblade’ & More ‘Tacoma’ - Shall We Play a Game?

  Chris and JJ agree, more or less, about Ninja Theory’s “Hellblade” and then disagree, vehemently, about Fullbright’s “Tacoma.” We have a Patreon at www.patreon.com/shallweshow! We are eternally grateful to everyone who has made a pledge. NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE: The audio cut...

  
• 08.24.2017

  ‘Typeshift’ designer Zach Gage - Shall We Play a Game?

  Zach Gage, the designer of mobile games like “SpellTower,” “Really Bad Chess,” “Sage Solitaire,” and 2017’s “Typeshift,” talks to Chris and JJ during a live show from the Play NYC convention. Plus, JJ’s “Tacoma” mini review. We have a Patreon at...

  
• 08.16.2017

  ‘Edith Finch’ director Ian Dallas on ‘What Remains of Edith Finch’ - Shall We Play a Game?

  Ian Dallas, the creative director of Giant Sparrow, talks about whether Molly starved to death, how he wrote a headline for The Onion that became a self-fulfilling prophecy, and why he wishes he had made an “Edith Finch” level with...

  
• 08.10.2017

  ‘Dream Daddy’ - Shall We Play a Game?

  Chris Suellentrop and guest critic Laura Hudson–a contributor to Wired, Slate, The New York Times, and more–talk about “Dream Daddy,” the dad-dating sim that hit No. 1 on Steam.  We’re doing a live show at 1 p.m. on August 19 at...

  
• 08.01.2017

  ‘Tacoma’ - Shall We Play a Game?

  Chris Suellentrop and guest critic Chris Plante–now the culture editor of The Verge, soon to be executive editor of Polygon–talk about “Tacoma,” Fullbright’s follow-up to “Gone Home.” No spoilers! We’ll save those for when JJ returns next week. We have a...

  
• 06.14.2017

  Even More ‘The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild’ - Shall We Play a Game?

  Two divine beasts down, two more to go. Could we play this game forever? Also, some E3 ranting. We’re taking a brief hiatus for the next few weeks. See you (hear us?) in August! We have a Patreon at www.patreon.com/shallweshow! We...

  
• 06.08.2017

  More ‘The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild’ - Shall We Play a Game?

  Is the new “Zelda” being graded on a curve? Or is JJ playing it wrong? Can you even play it wrong? Does it matter that there isn’t much of a story? Will Chris ever stop bringing up “Horizon: Zero Dawn”? We...

  
• 06.01.2017

  ‘Zelda’ on Switch & the End of ‘Prey’ - Shall We Play a Game?

  At last, we have new Nintendo consoles. Our playthrough of “Breath of the Wild” begins, followed by a spoilercast on the end of Arkane’s “Prey.” We have a Patreon at www.patreon.com/shallweshow! We are eternally grateful to everyone who has made...

  
• 05.24.2017

  Even More ‘Prey’ - Shall We Play a Game?

  We’re almost finished with Arkane’s “Prey.” Before we gripe about an otherwise excellent game, we answer a listener mail about our “first favorite” video games. This episode is brought to you by Eddy Boswell-Correa, a listener and Patreon supporter. Join Eddy at www.patreon.com/shallweshow!...

  
• 05.18.2017

  More ‘Prey’ & Nintendo Switch - Shall We Play a Game?

  We’ve explored Crew Quarters in Arkane’s still-terrific “Prey.” Chris has one quibble, but the spoilers wait until after he talks to Sofija Stefanovic, a Serbian-Australian-New-Yorker writer about her decreasingly quiet longing for a Nintendo Switch. We have a Patreon at www.patreon.com/shallweshow!...

  
• 05.11.2017

  ‘Prey’ - Shall We Play a Game?

  Do the first eight hours or so of Arkane’s love letter to the immersive sim live up to the promise of the demo? This episode is brought to you by Troy Gilbert, our very first Patreon patron. We have a Patreon...

  
• 05.03.2017

  ‘Prey,’ ‘Night in the Woods’ & More ‘Edith Finch’ - Shall We Play a Game?

  Did the hourlong demo for “Prey,” Arkane’s highly referential immersive sim, sell us on playing the whole thing? Can JJ stomach the storyline in “Night in the Woods?” Can Chris get a do-over to explain why he adores “What Remains...

  
• 04.26.2017

  ‘What Remains of Edith Finch’ - Shall We Play a Game?

  The second game from Giant Sparrow, and the first from Annapurna Interactive, is a virtuosic take on the walking simulator. We have a Patreon at www.patreon.com/shallweshow! We are eternally grateful to everyone who has made a pledge. NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE: “Night in...

  
• 04.18.2017

  What I Play: Sam Biddle - Shall We Play a Game?

  The Intercept reporter, and former Gawker writer and Valleywag editor, talks about growing up as a Dreamcast kid, playing Yakuza 0 and Persona 5, and what it was like to be in the middle of a Gamergate skirmish. We have a Patreon...

  
• 04.13.2017

  The Economist’s Ryan Avent & More ‘Persona 5’ - Shall We Play a Game?

  Ryan Avent of The Economist talks about research showing that some people may be dropping out of the workforce to play video games. Plus, JJ and Chris are still playing “Persona 5.” We have a Patreon at www.patreon.com/shallweshow! We are eternally grateful...

  
• 04.06.2017

  ‘Persona 5’ & ‘Psychonauts’ - Shall We Play a Game?

  Two video games, one old and one new, about children who navigate fantastical mental landscapes. Not to mention literal subway systems. Plus, the shortest “What I Play” in history. We have a Patreon at www.patreon.com/shallweshow! We are eternally grateful to everyone...

  
• 03.30.2017

  ‘Everything’ & More ‘Mass Effect: Andromeda’ - Shall We Play a Game?

  Can a video game do philosophy? Everything in David OReilly’s “Everything” is playable, to try to convey the perspective of, well, everything. Our review. We have a Patreon now at www.patreon.com/shallweshow! We are eternally grateful to everyone who has made a...

  
• 03.20.2017

  ‘Mass Effect: Andromeda’ - Shall We Play a Game?

  The truth is…you’re the weak, and I am the tyranny of evil men. But I’m trying, Ringo. I’m trying real hard to be Commander Shepard. NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE: “Everything” and more “Mass Effect: Andromeda” SHOW NOTES: Chris’s interview with CD Projekt Red founder...

  
• 03.14.2017

  ‘The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild’ & ‘Robo Recall’ - Shall We Play a Game?

  We started Nintendo’s latest masterpiece on the Wii U instead of the Switch, and then rebuilt our finicky VR setups for Epic’s free Oculus Touch shooter. Plus, what game did Chris give up for Lent? NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE: “Mass Effect: Andromeda” SHOW...

  
• 03.07.2017

  The End of ‘The Witcher 3’ - Shall We Play a Game?

  As always, we bring our listeners the hottest takes on the newest, freshest video games, which is why we just finished “The Witcher 3.” NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE: “Robo Recall” SHOW NOTES: Review us on iTunes Like us on Facebook Email us at shallweshow at gmail Join...

  
• 03.03.2017

  ‘Torment: Tides of Numenera’ & the GDC awards - Shall We Play a Game?

  It’s Nintendo Switch release day! So of course we give you a smidgen of “Torment: Tides of Numenera,” a smattering of the Independent Games Festival and Game Developers Choice Awards, and a smorgasbord of plans to start a membership drive. NEXT WEEK,...

  
• 02.20.2017

  More ‘Horizon Zero Dawn’ - Shall We Play a Game?

  Chris Plante, the culture editor of The Verge and a founder of Polygon, tells us why he liked “Horizon Zero Dawn.” Like Michael Jordan with the flu, JJ shows up despite his pneumonia.

  
• 02.03.2017

  ‘Horizon Zero Dawn’ & More ‘Yakuza 0’ - Shall We Play a Game?

  Our first-ever preview: Chris played four hours of “Horizon Zero Dawn.” Then, “Yakuza 0” and the disappearance of the medium-budget video game. NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE: “Resident Evil 7” in VR, if Chris can stop playing “Yakuza 0” SHOW NOTES: Holly Green’s tweets about...

  
• 01.30.2017

  ‘Planescape: Torment’ & ‘Yakuza 0’ - Shall We Play a Game?

  To prepare for the February release of “Torment: Tides of Numenera,” we’re playing “Planescape: Torment.” When we’re not playing “Yakuza 0,” that is. NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE: A preview of “Horizon Zero Dawn” SHOW NOTES: Review us on iTunes Like us on Facebook Email us at shallweshow...

  
• 01.19.2017

  Ronan Farrow: What I Play - Shall We Play a Game?

  The NBC News investigative journalist talks about why he bought a PlayStation Pro, whether it’s OK to talk about “Myst” in mixed company, and what Mia Farrow thinks about “BioShock Infinite.” NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE: “Planescape: Torment” SHOW NOTES: “A New Art Form May...

  
• 01.14.2017

  Nintendo Switch - Shall We Play a Game?

  Impressions of the Nintendo Switch after playing with it during its reveal event in New York City. Plus, why does “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild” put jump on the same button as “The Last Guardian”? And the...

  
• 01.06.2017

  2016’s All-Star GOTY Spectacular - Shall We Play a Game?

  What was your favorite video game of 2016? We asked 23 of the smartest people we know–game designers, podcasters, YouTubers, journalists, a screenwriter, a playwright–and got 19 answers. Counting Chris and JJ, that’s 25 people and 20 games in our...

  
• 12.30.2016

  The ‘Assassin’s Creed’ Movie - Shall We Play a Game?

  Is the first “Assassin’s Creed” movie better than the first “Assassin’s Creed” video game? Plus, what JJ is playing in VR with Oculus Touch. NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE: Our 2017 Game of the Year Podcast Spectacular SHOW NOTES: Chris’s Glixel interview with Respawn’s Vince...

  
• 12.23.2016

  More ‘Super Mario Run,’ ‘I Expect You To Die’ & Oculus Touch - Shall We Play a Game?

  What happens when a podcast rant about Nintendo turns into a New York Times op-ed. Plus, comparing PlayStation Move and Oculus Touch while playing “I Expect You to Die,” Schell Games’ VR spy puzzler. NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE: The “Assassin’s Creed” movie SHOW...