Tales from the Backlog

By David Jackson

A video games podcast where Dave Jackson and guests break down and discuss the games they play. Each episode looks at one game in depth, focusing on mechanics, story, music and other aspects, with no ... more

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FAQs about Tales from the Backlog:

How many episodes does Tales from the Backlog have?

The podcast currently has 211 episodes available.

Tales from the Backlog episodes:

July 02, 2025172: Indiana Jones and the Great Circle (with Dan - The Greatest Story Ever Played)
Support my work on Patreon
As a lifelong Indiana Jones agnostic, there was no way that MachineGames would make an Indiana Jones game I would care about, right? Right? Well, it certainly looked that way when the first gameplay trailer for Indiana Jones and the Great Circle dropped. But then I started hearing my activation phrases start to bounce around- "this is like Hitman", "this is like Dishonored", so I knew I had to give it a try. And boy am I glad that I did!
Guest info: Dan of The Greatest Story Ever Played
Check out the podcast https://linktr.ee/thegreateststoryeverplayed
Follow Dan on BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/storyeverpod.bsky.social
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Title Card
0:36 Intros
3:33 Personal Histories with Indiana Jones and The Great Circle
7:55 Opening Thoughts
11:33 Story Setup and Troy Baker as Indiana Jones
16:35 A Great Villain and Supporting Cast
24:54 Music and Visual Presentation
34:36 Combat and Stealth
48:28 Side Quests, Exploration and Level Design
1:04:19 Final Thoughts/Recommendations
1:08:24 The Greatest Story Ever Played Plugs
1:13:07 SPOILER WALL/Patron Thank-Yous
1:14:46 Spoiler Section
Music used in the episode is credited to Gordy Haab. Tracks used: The Great Circle, A New Adventure Awaits, Where Are We, Gina's Theme, Signs of the Stones, Until the Next Adventure
Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server!
Buy me a coffee on Ko-fi!
Social Media:
BlueSky
Instagram
Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures
Listen to A Top 3 Podcast on Apple, Spotify and [other podcast platforms](atop3podcast.fireside.fm)!
Support Tales from the Backlog
...more
1h 57min
June 25, 2025171: El Paso, Elsewhere (with Jacob McCourt & Luke Lewis)
Support my work on Patreon
Strange Scaffold is a rare game studio that gets as much, or maybe even more, positive attention for their workplace ethos and number of releases per year as they do for their games themselves. I found myself in that same position, with great respect for their process, but no experience with the games themselves....until now! El Paso, Elsewhere is an emotional take on neo-noir, vampire stories, Max Payne and boomer shooters, and it works really well!
Guest info: Jacob McCourt and Luke Lewis
Check out their shared podcast Crossplay Conversations https://www.youtube.com/@crossplayconvos
Check out Lukewarm Games https://www.lukewarmgames.com/
Follow Luke on BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/lukewarmlewis.bsky.social
Check out Left Behind Game Club https://leftbehindgame.club/
Check out Jacob's written reviews on The Gaming Brief https://thegamingbrief.ca/
Follow Jacob on BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/jacob.bsky.social
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Title Card
0:22 Intros
4:20 Personal Histories with Strange Scaffold/El Paso, Elsewhere
10:43 Top-Level Thoughts on El Paso, Elsewhere
15:10 Story Setup
20:49 Presentation and Storytelling
27:02 Music
34:39 Shooting and Bullet Time
48:57 Gameplay Pacing
55:03 Closing Thoughts/Recommendations
1:01:27 Jacob and Luke Plug Their Stuff!
1:11:31 SPOILER WALL/Patron Thank-Yous
1:13:45 Spoilers- Janet, Draculae and James
1:33:06 Spoilers- Addiction, Being a Good Person, Endings
Music used in the episode is credited to R.J. Lake and LAKE SAVAGE. Tracks used: a forty-six story motel, GONNA CUT, GHOSTIN' THE MAINFRAME, audio demon, almost exactly the same, next time on elpasoball z.
Buy the score- https://spellmynamewithabang.bandcamp.com/album/el-paso-elsewhere-part-one-the-score
Buy the rap album- https://spellmynamewithabang.bandcamp.com/album/el-paso-elsewhere-part-two-the-album
Check out an interview with Xalavier Nelson Jr on the Gamerheads Podcast.
Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server!
Buy me a coffee on Ko-fi!
Social Media:
BlueSky
Instagram
Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures
Listen to A Top 3 Podcast on Apple, Spotify and [other podcast platforms](atop3podcast.fireside.fm)!
Support Tales from the Backlog
...more
1h 56min
June 18, 2025170: Lunacid (with Dave Cox)
Support my work on Patreon
I was admittedly very late to the King's Field and Shadow Tower bandwagons, energized by my love for FromSoftware's modern titles and a desire to dig into their history some more. However, I didn't anticipate loving those games so much that I wanted more like them, and that's where Kira LLC's Lunacid (2023) entered the fray. Lunacid is a fantastic game, leaning more on the exploration and vibes of those FromSoftware dungeon crawlers than the opaque RPG mechanics, capturing the spirit in a modern way. A true indie success- listen in to find out why.
Guest info: Dave Cox of Monster Dear Monster
Check out Monster Dear Monster podcast https://www.monsterdear.monster/
Follow Dave on BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/senplus.bsky.social
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Title Card
0:27 Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts
11:53 Story/World Setup
28:51 PS2-era Presentation/Controls
40:53 Soundtrack
47:52 Gameplay/RPG Mechanics
1:09:07 World Design/Exploration
1:13:53 "Breaking the Level Design"
1:29:49 Closing Thoughts/Recommendations/Guest Plugs
1:38:57 SPOILER WALL/Patron Thank-Yous
1:41:13 Spoiler Section- Discoveries and Easter Eggs
2:04:22 Spoiler Section- Story and Ending
Music used in the episode is credited to Kira LLC. Tracks used:
River of Death (Akuma Kira)
The Great Well (Jarren Crist)
Washed Away (Akuma Kira)
Falling To My Death (Jarren Crist)
Serence (Jarren Crist)
The World and You (Akuma Kira)
Serence (Reprise) (Jarren Crist)
Purchase the soundtrack- https://store.steampowered.com/app/2692630/Lunacid_Original_Soundtrack/
Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server!
Buy me a coffee on Ko-fi!
Social Media:
BlueSky
Instagram
Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures
Listen to A Top 3 Podcast on Apple, Spotify and [other podcast platforms](atop3podcast.fireside.fm)!
Support Tales from the Backlog
...more
2h 37min
June 11, 2025169: South of Midnight (with Kate Sánchez)
Support my work on Patreon
Some games just grab your attention from the first trailer, and South of Midnight is one of those games. A breathtaking art style and a gothic Southern fantasy setting? South of Midnight jumped straight to the top of my to-play list, and it did not disappoint.
Guest info: Kate Sánchez of But Why Tho?
Check out all of the writing and reporting on But Why Tho? https://butwhytho.net/
Check out Kate's article on the folklore inspirations in South of Midnight https://butwhytho.net/2025/04/south-of-midnight-real-southern-folklore/
Follow Kate on BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/ohmymithrandir.bsky.social
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Title Card
0:30 Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts
13:54 Story Setup/Folklore/Southern Gothic Storytelling
46:37 Presentation- Visuals/Music
1:01:46 Gameplay/Combat
1:21:49 Recommendations/Guest Plugs
1:30:37 SPOILER WALL/Patron Thank-Yous
1:32:26 Spoiler Section
Music used in the episode is credited to Olivier Deriviere. You can purchase the soundtrack here. Tracks Used: Hazel's Story, The Storm, The Floods, Two-Toed Tom (Boss Fight), The Full Story, The Story Ends
Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server!
Buy me a coffee on Ko-fi!
Social Media:
BlueSky
Instagram
Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures
Listen to A Top 3 Podcast on Apple, Spotify and [other podcast platforms](atop3podcast.fireside.fm)!
Support Tales from the Backlog
...more
2h 27min
June 04, 2025168: Persona 4 Golden (with Flora Merigold)
Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson
Persona games are a tough sell for a guy who does a weekly podcast like this, so thank you to my wonderful patrons for voting Persona 4 Golden onto the show. While it has all of the pacing issues that you would expect an 80 hour game to have, I thought this is, in some ways, the best of the Persona 4/5/Metaphor trio that I've played in the last five years. Tune in to the episode to find out why.
Guest Info: Flora Merigold
Find her writing at Epilogue Gaming https://epiloguegaming.com/flora-merigold/
Hear her on Left Behind Game Club https://leftbehindgame.club/
Follow her on BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/floramerigold.bsky.social
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Title Card
0:22 Intros
4:40 Personal Histories with Persona and Persona 4
8:07 Opening Thoughts about Persona 4 Golden
16:05 Murder Mystery Story Setup
21:55 Characters and Problematic Representation(?)
37:13 Story Themes and PSA for New Players
49:03 Visuals
57:12 Music
1:05:42 Dungeon Crawling and Combat
1:28:03 Life-Sim Gameplay
1:44:52 Closing Thoughts/Recommendations/Plugs
1:55:14 SPOILER WALL/Patron Thank-Yous
1:56:49 Spoilers- Kanji, Naoto and Representation
2:37:34 Spoilers- Teddie and Rise and More
Music used in the episode is credited to Shoji Meguro. Tracks used: Glimpse of a Memory, Signs of Love, Like a Dream Come True, Heartbreak, Heartbeat, Reach Out to the Truth (First Battle), Sauna, Studio Backlot, Junes Theme, Your Affection, Results
Buy me a coffee on Ko-fi!
Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server!
Social Media:
BlueSky
Instagram
Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://www.instagram.com/jackallencaricatures/ and his other pages
Support Tales from the Backlog
...more
3h 18min
May 28, 2025167: Lorelei and the Laser Eyes (with Jesse Guarascia)
What if Resident Evil 1 was just puzzles? What if it was also about eccentric artists and how they view their art and the creative process vs how their work is perceived? Lorelei and the Laser Eyes (Simogo, 2024) is that game! Tune in to find out how we felt about it!
Guest Info: Jesse Guarascia
Find Jesse's work on Noclip's YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@NoclipDocs
Support Noclip on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/cw/noclip
Check out Blowback https://blowback.show/
Follow on BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/jesseguarascia.com
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Title Card
0:35 Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts
15:10 Story Setup/Story Themes
34:40 Puzzles
51:23 Presentation
1:09:11 Closing Thoughts/Recommendations/Guest Plugs
1:18:49 SPOILER WALL/Patron Thank-Yous
1:21:12 Spoiler Section
Music used in the episode is credited to Linea Olsson, Daniel Olsén and Jonathan Eng. You can purchase the soundtrack here. Tracks used:
Titles (Linea Olsson, Daniel Olsén)
Art (Linea Olsson, Daniel Olsén)
Mind Game (Linea Olsson, Daniel Olsén)
Quiz Club (Daniel Olsén)
The Black Arts Coffee Club (Linea Olsson, Daniel Olsén, Jonathan Eng)
Interrogation (Daniel Olsén, Jonathan Eng)
The Last Dream (Linea Olsson, Daniel Olsén)
How It Ends (Linea Olsson, Daniel Olsén)
Support Tales from the Backlog on Patreon! or buy me a coffee on Ko-fi!
Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server!
Social Media:
BlueSky
Instagram
Twitter
Facebook
Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://www.instagram.com/jackallencaricatures/ and his other pages
Listen to A Top 3 Podcast on Apple, Spotify and [other podcast platforms](atop3podcast.fireside.fm)!
Support Tales from the Backlog
...more
2h 20min
May 21, 2025166: Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown (with Derek Van Dyke)
Support my work on Patreon
I can hear it now- "Another Ace Combat game? Didn't Dave just do one?" and the answer to those questions is "You bet your ass I'm doing another one, I'm IN IT NOW"....ahem, Ace Combat rules, and Ace Combat 7 (Bandai Namco, 2019) is the most Ace Combat that Ace Combat has ever been. Join us as we give it the deep dive!
Guest info: Derek Van Dyke
Follow on BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/derekvandyke.bsky.social
Check out Derek's past work on SDGC https://officialsdgc.com/
Check out Castle Bravo for all of your Godzilla needs https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/castle-bravo-a-godzillaverse-retrospective/id1591745386
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Title Card
0:31 Introductions/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts
14:37 Story Setup
34:04 Music/Visual Presentation
45:25 Gameplay
1:01:04 Closing Thoughts/Recommendations/Guest Plugs
1:11:23 SPOILER WALL/Patron Thank-You's
1:13:53 Spoiler Section
Music used in the episode is primarily credited to Keiki Kobayashi. Tracks used: Daredevil, Sol Squadron, Yinshi Valley, Archange, Skies Unknown, Hush
Support Tales from the Backlog on Patreon! or buy me a coffee on Ko-fi!
Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server!
Social Media:
BlueSky
Instagram
Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://www.instagram.com/jackallencaricatures/ and his other pages
Support Tales from the Backlog
...more
1h 51min
May 19, 2025PAX East 2025 Wrap-Up
Support my work on Patreon- https://www.patreon.com/realdavejackson
PAX East 2025 show floor was dominated by indie games, and here are all 17 of the indie games that I had a chance to play! Thank you to the folks at PAX for allowing me to cover the convention!
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Intro
0:47 Tanuki: Pon's Summer https://store.steampowered.com/app/3218570/TANUKI_Pons_Summer/
2:39 Airframe Ultra https://store.steampowered.com/app/2522120/Airframe_Ultra/
4:18 Ultimate Sheep Raccoon https://store.steampowered.com/app/2923350/Ultimate_Sheep_Raccoon/
6:04 Mycopunk https://store.steampowered.com/app/3247750/Mycopunk/
7:39 BOTSU https://store.steampowered.com/app/885160/BOTSU/
9:20 GIGASWORD https://store.steampowered.com/app/1885930/GIGASWORD/
11:07 Altered Alma https://store.steampowered.com/app/2190700/Altered_Alma/
12:41 Constance https://store.steampowered.com/app/2313700/Constance/
13:54 The Berlin Apartment https://store.steampowered.com/app/2280430/The_Berlin_Apartment/
15:47 Compensation Not Guaranteed https://store.steampowered.com/app/2795590/Compensation_Not_Guaranteed/
18:10 Undusted: Letters from the Past https://store.steampowered.com/app/2891020/Undusted_Letters_from_the_Past/
19:49 Fresh Tracks https://store.steampowered.com/app/3202950/Fresh_Tracks/
22:17 Nocturne https://store.steampowered.com/app/1374860/Nocturne/
24:13 Fretless: The Wrath of Riffson https://store.steampowered.com/app/2429050/FretlessThe_Wrath_of_Riffson/
25:45 The Lacerator https://store.steampowered.com/app/2339330/The_Lacerator/
27:30 Demonschool https://store.steampowered.com/app/1900250/Demonschool/
29:39 Love Eternal https://store.steampowered.com/app/3010610/LOVE_ETERNAL/
31:13 Video Game Trivia, Six One Indie Showcase and Thank You**
Check out Jacob Mccourt https://www.youtube.com/@JacobMcCourt for the Video Game Trivia show I was in, and follow Six One Indie https://www.youtube.com/@SixOneIndie for more indie game announcements on May 22nd!
Intro/outro music composed by Bert Cole- https://www.bitbybitsound.com
Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server!
Social Media:
BlueSky
Instagram
Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://www.instagram.com/jackallencaricatures/ and his other pages
Support Tales from the Backlog
...more
34min
May 14, 2025165: SUPERHOT (with Emily Merritt - No Small Games)
Support my work on Patreon https://patreon.com/realdavejackson
Is it really the most innovative shooter I've played in years? SUPERHOT Team struck gold with this idea, did just enough with it, and got out before things got stale. Now that's what I call SUPER. HOT.
Guest info: Emily Merritt aka aspecificegg
Check out No Small Games https://nosmallgames.com/
Follow No Small Games on BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/nosmallgames.bsky.social
Catch Emily on Twitch https://www.twitch.tv/aspecificegg
Follow Emily on BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/aspecificegg.bsky.social
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Title Card
0:14 Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts
11:07 Story Setup/Presentation
26:35 Gameplay
52:58 Closing Thoughts/Recommendations/Guest Plugs
1:01:30 SPOILER WALL/Patron Thank-Yous
1:02:55 Spoiler Section
Music used in the episode: SUPER. HOT. by SUPERHOT Team
Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server!
Social Media:
BlueSky
Instagram
Twitter
Facebook
Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://www.instagram.com/jackallencaricatures/ and his other pages
Listen to A Top 3 Podcast on Apple, Spotify and [other podcast platforms](atop3podcast.fireside.fm)!
Support Tales from the Backlog
...more
1h 36min
May 07, 2025164: Monster Hunter Wilds (with Brad Gallaway)
Support my work on Patreon
Review code provided by Capcom. Thank you!
Monster Hunter has been around for a long time, but has only recently fully broken into the mainstream. And with mainstream success comes grumbling from longtime fans. Is the game actually too streamlined? Does quality of life take away from quality of game? And what about the new focus on the story? All that and more in this lengthy discussion.
Guest info: Brad Gallaway
Check out written game reviews on GameCritics https://gamecritics.com/
Listen to So...Videogames! https://gamecritics.com/category/podcasts/so-videogames/
Follow Brad on BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/bradgallaway.bsky.social
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Title Card
0:28 Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts
15:11 New Player Experience/Fight Prep
35:04 Monster Fights/Upgrades and Gear
1:04:32 Story/Presentation
1:24:12 Closing Thoughts/Recommendations/Guest Plugs
1:33:10 SPOILER WALL/Patron Thank-Yous
1:35:23 Spoiler Section
Music used in the episode is credited to Miwako Chinone. Tracks used:
Main Title Theme
Proof of a Hero (Wilds Version)
Nu Udra Battle Theme
Mizutsune Battle Theme
Rey Dau Battle Theme
Suja Village Daytime
Zoh Shia Battle Theme Phase 1- Arrant Calamity
Quest Clear Theme
Check out Dave on Pixel Project Radio giving first impressions on Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 https://open.spotify.com/episode/2EYHKnevmhrHHa5kTMCOLb
Check out Dave on Your Friendly Neighborhood Gamers talking about Monster Hunter Wilds (May 5th) https://www.fngamers.com/
Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server!
Buy me a coffee on Ko-fi!
Social Media:
BlueSky
Instagram
Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures
Listen to A Top 3 Podcast on Apple, Spotify and [other podcast platforms](atop3podcast.fireside.fm)!
Support Tales from the Backlog
...more
2h 18min

FAQs about Tales from the Backlog:

How many episodes does Tales from the Backlog have?

The podcast currently has 211 episodes available.

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