Tales from the Backlog

By Dave JacksonLeisure Video Games Games

Tales from the Backlog episodes

April 15Is It Harder for Video Games to Be Funny? (with Doug Lief & Gen Moonen)
Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson
Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog
Guest info: Doug Lief (he/him) and Gen Moonen (they/them)
Listen to Nostalgium Arcanum https://nostalgiumarcanum.fireside.fm/
Listen to Playing By Ear https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/playing-by-ear/id1815995146
Listen to Still Muppeting https://www.patreon.com/c/stillloadingpod/posts
Listen to "Fun" and Games https://funandgames.libsyn.com/
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Title Card
0:10 Introductions and Top-Level Thoughts
7:20 Unpredictability- Problem or Opportunity?
19:48 Failure Can Be Funny
38:35 Jokes In Any Form
50:07 Unique Challenges Facing Game Comedy
1:32:15 More Ways Games are Uniquely Funny
1:44:46 Wrap-Up Thoughts
1:48:56 Gen & Doug's Podcasts
Music used in the episode:
Secret Hoppin' (Vacation Mix)- ClascyJitto (Pizza Tower OST)
Whispering Rock Psychic Summer Camp- Peter McConnell (Psychonauts OST)
Dave's guest appearance on Play Along Podcast- https://linktr.ee/PlayAlongPodcast
Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures
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1 hr 58 min
April 08210: Vampire: The Masquerade: Bloodlines (with TroytlePower)
Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson
Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog
Join Dave and special guest TroytlePower as they discuss Vampire: The Masquerade: Bloodlines, developed by Troika Games and published by Activision in 2004. Any recommendation to play Bloodlines comes with all sorts of disclaimers attached, which makes it nearly irresistable for someone with a brain like mine. And while all of those bad things I had heard about the game turned out to be extremely true, it's still a fascinating game that led to a fun discussion. Check out the podcast for more!
Guest info: TroytlePower (he/him)
Check out all of Troy's work! https://troytlepower.com/
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Title Card
0:17 Introductions
4:30 Our Histories with Bloodlines
8:39 Top-Level Thoughts
13:57 Story Setup and Clan Selection
21:03 The Masquerade and Vampire Society
28:06 Presentation and Game World
36:53 Music and Vibes
44:34 Vampire Lore TM
51:00 Character Building
1:02:04 Combat
1:17:00 If They Only Had More Time...
1:25:52 Who Should Play Bloodlines?
1:31:00 Troy's Podcasts and Writing
1:35:56 Spoiler Wall and Patron Thank-Yous
1:37:51 Spoilers- Early-Midgame Quests and Stories
2:23:00 Spoilers- The Sewers and Onward
Music used in the episode is credited to Rik Schaffer. Tracks used: Main Menu, Downtown, Disturbed and Twisted Combat, Generic Combat, Santa Monica, Crypt Combat
Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures
Support Tales from the Backlog
3 hr 8 min
April 05PAX East 2026 Wrap-Up
Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson
Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog
Dave recaps 13 indie games that he played on the PAX East 2026 show floor.
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Intro
0:25 The Secret of Weepstone
2:05 Throwback! Jai-Alai Heroes
2:59 Canvas City
3:51 DREADMOOR
5:03 Fractured Blooms
6:20 GNAW
7:31 Valor Mortis
8:32 Well Dweller
9:39 Never's End
11:17 ZWAARD
12:15 Project Lexa
13:37 Backyard Baseball
15:20 Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon
16:31 Wrap-Up
17:06 More Indie Game Coverage!
17:52 Outro and How to Support
Game links:
The Secret of Weepstone- https://store.steampowered.com/app/3702100/The_Secret_of_Weepstone/
Throwback! Jai-Alai Heroes- https://www.astrocrow.com/throwback
Canvas City https://store.steampowered.com/app/3226830/Canvas_City/
DREADMOOR https://store.steampowered.com/app/3629430/DREADMOOR/
Fractured Blooms https://store.steampowered.com/app/3730310/Fractured_Blooms/
GNAW https://store.steampowered.com/app/2306490/GNAW/
Valor Mortis https://store.steampowered.com/app/2828710/Valor_Mortis/
Well Dweller https://store.steampowered.com/app/3699590/Well_Dweller/
Never's End https://store.steampowered.com/app/1999930/Nevers_End/
ZWAARD https://store.steampowered.com/app/2251170/ZWAARD/
Project Lexa https://store.steampowered.com/app/3162890/Project_Lexa/
Backyard Baseball https://store.steampowered.com/app/3935020/Backyard_Baseball/
Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon https://store.steampowered.com/app/1466060/Tainted_Grail_The_Fall_of_Avalon/
Music used:
High Above the Land (The Flying Machine)- Jake Kaufman (Shovel Knight)
Various tracks from The 16-Bit Starter Pack, composed by Bert Cole [bitbybitsound.com](bitbybitsound.com)
For more PAX and indie game coverage, check out:
https://theindieinformer.com/
https://www.sixoneindie.com/
https://nosmallgames.com/
https://funandgames.libsyn.com/
https://youtube.com/@crossplayconvos
https://youtube.com/@danomak
https://leftbehindgame.club/
https://youtube.com@NOLAnerdcast
https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/pixelspectrum/
https://www.gamesandwich.com/
https://www.buzzsprout.com/747596
https://kzum.org/podcasts/underplayed/
https://youtube.com@CGDannyB
https://youtube.com@Kimchica
https://bossrush.net/
https://passthecontroller.io/
https://www.gamerheadspodcast.com/
https://www.youtube.com/@PSTrophyRoom
https://datewithuspodcast.podbean.com/
https://epiloguegaming.com/
https://somanygames.co.uk/
https://dotzip.online/
https://skyboxcritics.com/
https://www.quitthebuild.com/1h1d
Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures
Support Tales from the Backlog
20 min
April 01209: Chants of Sennaar (with Travis Colenutt - Left Behind Game Club)
Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson
Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog
Join Dave and guest Travis Colenutt on their language-learning journey up the tower in Chants of Sennaar (Rundisc, Focus Entertainment, 2023). What do our languages say about our culture, and how can learning another language change the way we see the world? All of this and more in the discussion!
Guest info: Travis Colenutt (he/him)
Check out Left Behind Game Club https://leftbehindgame.club/
Follow on Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/traviscolenutt.bsky.social
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Title Card
0:21 Introductions
4:53 Why Did We Play Chants of Sennaar?
9:50 Top-Level Thoughts About Chants of Sennaar
16:06 Story and Language Learning Setup
28:00 Using Language to Make Progress
33:40 Learning About Culture Via Languages
39:04 Making Connections Via Languages
48:02 Stealth In My Puzzle Game?
53:58 Visuals, Music and Sound
1:08:31 Do We Recommend?
1:11:17 Left Behind Game Club
1:15:10 Spoiler Wall & Patron Thank-Yous
1:17:34 Spoilers- The Devotees & Warriors
1:40:05 Spoilers- The Bards & Alchemists
1:55:32 Spoilers- The Anchorites & Ending
Music used in the episode is credited to Thomas Brunet. Tracks used: The Call, Out of the Cavern and into the Light, Catch Me!, Envers, Bonds Reforged
Catch Dave on Nostalgium Arcanum talking about Rocky https://nostalgiumarcanum.fireside.fm/
Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures
Support Tales from the Backlog
2 hr 25 min
March 25208: Death Howl (with Bryan Skursha - Pixelated Playgrounds)
Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson
Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog
Join Dave and guest Bryan Skursha as they deep dive Death Howl (The Outer Zone, 11 Bit Studios, 2025) on their journey through the underworld to find out what the hell a soulslike deckbuilder even is. Brutal turn-based combat, a story about grieving and a mother's love, and all the fucked up guys a gamer could ask for. Listen in to find out more!
Guest info: Bryan Skursha (he/him)
Check out Pixelated Playgrounds https://www.pixelatedplaygrounds.com/
Follow on BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/bsushi.bsky.social
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Title Card
0:18 Introductions
5:39 Our Histories with Death Howl
10:50 Top-Level Thoughts
15:42 Story Setup
23:58 Dreamy, Hazy Visuals and Sound
40:01 Combat Basics and Deckbuilding Strategy
54:58 Is It Soulslike?
1:05:00 Open-Ended Structure and Side Quests
1:10:22 Combat Depth
1:16:40 Who Should Play Death Howl?
1:19:00 Pixelated Playgrounds
1:22:55 Spoiler Wall & Patron Thank-Yous
1:24:58 Spoilers- Favorite Areas, Bosses, Decks
1:41:00 Spoilers- Final Area and Final Bosses
1:55:46 Spoilers- Story Discussion
Music used in the episode is credited to Chris Bjørumslet & Malte Burup. Tracks used: Death Howl, Olvi, Shadows of Rot, Cantharsis, Meadows of Delusion, Moon Eel, Ever Since Your Heart Stopped Beating
Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures
Support Tales from the Backlog
2 hr 25 min
March 18207: Skate Story (with Josh Leslie - IndieQuest)
Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson
Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog
Join Dave and special guest Josh Leslie as they discuss Skate Story, developed by Sam Eng and published by Devolver Digital in 2025. How does the skating compare to touchstone games like Tony Hawk's Pro Skater or skate.? How does its poetic storytelling land? How do the aesthetics enhance other aspects of the game? All this and more- enjoy!
Guest info: Josh Leslie (he/him)
Check out IndieQuest podcast https://indiequest.buzzsprout.com/
Check out The Monthly Mishap podcast https://monthlymishap.buzzsprout.com/
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Title Card
0:21 Introductions
5:00 Our Histories with Skate Story
9:05 Top-Level Thoughts
16:00 Story Setup and Poetic Storytelling
23:42 Open Zones and City Life
27:58 Visuals and Music
41:00 Skating and Downhill Sections
50:48 Boss Encounters and Challenges
59:43 Plan and Perform
1:03:30 Recommendations
1:07:13 Josh's Work- IndieQuest and The Monthly Mishap
1:11:34 Spoiler Wall & Patron Thank-Yous
1:13:21 Spoilers- Eating the Moons
1:31:08 Spoilers- Emotional Arc & Interpretations
1:50:20 Spoilers- Final Boss and Ending
1:56:32 Spoilers- We Still Exist
Music used in the episode: Collapsing, Like Clouds Into Smoke (Blood Cultures), Where the City Can't See (Blood Cultures), Redvoid (John Fio), Lyceum (John Fio), Alcian Blue (Blood Cultures), Hole in the Sun (Blood Cultures), Godhook (John Fio)
Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures
Support Tales from the Backlog
2 hr 8 min
March 11206: Bioshock (with Joseph Hooper - Crossplay Conversations)
Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson
Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog
Bioshock is a title that carries weight, nearly 20 years after its 2007 release by 2K Boston and 2K Australia, and it feels like one that every gaming podcast eventually talks about. And hey, it's our turn this time- Bioshock has long been a favorite of mine that I've revisited through the years. But when put under the Tales from the Backlog microscope, does it hold up under pressure or does it spring a leak? Listen in to find out.
Guest info: Joseph Hooper (he/him)
Check out Crossplay Conversations https://www.youtube.com/@crossplayconvos
Check out Can't Pause on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@cantpause
Check out Player Player https://playerplayerpod.com/
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Title Card
0:26 Introductions
5:25 Our Histories with Bioshock
9:20 Top-Level Thoughts
14:25 Story Setup
21:30 Learning Backstory Via Audio Logs
26:40 Rapture and Ideology
35:18 Big Daddies, Little Sisters and Moral Choices
44:24 Combat Mechanics
54:00 Some Immersive Sim DNA
1:03:29 Combat Balance & Difficulty
1:13:26 Visual Design and Music/Sound
1:22:27 Who Do We Recommend Bioshock To?
1:24:38 Joseph's Podcasts and YouTube Channel
1:28:26 Spoiler Wall and Patron Thank-Yous
1:30:13 Spoilers- Would You Kindly? and Fontaine
1:44:48 Spoilers- Rapture's Downfall
2:01:37 Spoilers- Other Major Players
2:14:00 Spoilers- Big Daddy and Endings
Music used in the episode is credited to Garry Schyman unless otherwise noted. Tracks used: Under the Sea (Bobby Darin), Welcome to Rapture, Mr. Bubbles - Little Sister, Dancers on a String (Reprise), Through the Docks, Cohen's Masterpiece, Leaving Rapture
Gameplay footage used with permission from World of Longplays on YouTube, gameplay by Spazbo4. www.longplays.org
Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures
Support Tales from the Backlog
2 hr 32 min
March 04205: Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective (with Steve aka Blinkoom)
Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson
Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog
I always tend to take note when a game from previous generations gets a remaster and the general consensus is "hell yeah, finally!", which just so happened to be the case when Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective (Capcom, 2010) got the HD treatment in 2023. The DS is a real blind spot for me, as are the works of ShuTakumi, so this has been on my backlog list for a while now. Listen in to find out how my guest and I felt about it!
Guest info: Steve aka Blinkoom (he/him)
Check out IndieQuest podcast https://polymedianetwork.com/indiequest
Check out Polykill podcast https://polymedianetwork.com/podcast
Check out Steve's YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@Blinkoom
Follow Steve on Twitch https://www.twitch.tv/blinkoom
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Title Card
0:21 Introductions
5:37 Our Histories with Ghost Trick
9:20 Top-Level Thoughts About Ghost Trick
13:26 Story Setup
19:11 Ghost Tricks and Puzzles
37:16 Where Does the Charm Come From?
49:35 Handheld Console Pacing
55:09 Closing Thoughts and Recommendations
1:01:10 Steve's Work
1:04:54 Spoiler Wall and Patron Thank-Yous
1:06:38 Spoilers- Favorite Levels/Puzzles
1:22:50 Spoilers- More Story Thoughts
1:34:15 Spoilers- Big Mysteries and Reveals
1:43:21 Spoilers- Ending
Music used in the episode is credited to Masakazu Sugimori. Tracks used: Ghost Trick, Prologue, Cabanela, Lynn ~ A Targeted Redhead, 4 Minutes Before Death, The Last Desperate Struggle, Epilogue ~ The End of the "Night"
Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures
Support Tales from the Backlog
2 hr 3 min
February 25204: Ghost of Yōtei (with Jacob Price - The Pre-Order Bonus)
Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson
Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog
Ghost of Tsushima (2020) was one of my favorite games of that year, and happens to be episode 2(!!) of this podcast, an early game that screamed to me "you should talk about this into a microphone for 2+ hours). That being the case, Sucker Punch's follow-up, Ghost of Yotei, was an instant day-one buy. And while the things I expected to impress were great, there were certain aspects of the game that felt worse to me than Tsushima's version. Did I change over the past five years? Did the game adjust to industry trends? A secret third answer? All of this is part of the discussion, so I hope you enjoy it!
Guest info: Jacob Price (he/him)
Check out The Pre-Order Bonus podcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/747596
Check out Jake's reviews at So Many Games https://somanygames.co.uk/
Follow on Twitch https://www.twitch.tv/chipdip18
Follow on BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/chipdip.bsky.social
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Title Card
0:23 Introductions
5:18 Our Histories With This Series/Game
9:24 Opening Thoughts About Ghost of Yotei
18:50 Story Setup, Atsu and Revenge Stories
26:59 Presentation and Comparisons to Westerns
35:24 A Well-Made Known Commodity and Further Worldbuilding
49:51 Open World Design and Reward Structure
1:10:23 Stealth and Clearing Camps
1:16:33 Duels and Boss Fights
1:31:45 Closing Thoughts
1:37:34 The Pre-Order Bonus and So Many Games
1:42:12 Spoiler Wall and Patron Thank-Yous
1:44:02 Spoiler Section- The Onryo and Ghost Connections
1:57:56 The Snake, The Oni and The Kitsune
2:14:46 The Spider, The Dragon and Saito
Music used in the episode is credited to Toma Otowa: Ghost of Yotei, The Yotei Six, The Wrath of the Ghost, The Wilds of Ezo, Battle No.3, Battle No.1, Atsu's Theme
Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures
Support Tales from the Backlog
2 hr 53 min
February 18203: Pokémon Legends: Z-A (with Kenneth Shepard)
Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson
Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog
The Pokémon franchise got a long-awaited shakeup with 2022's Legends: Arceus, changing the game structure, catching and battling mechanics and setting. But now that Legends has become its own subseries with 2025's Legends: Z-A, all eyes were on its own innovations and changes, such as the new real-time battle system and one-city setting. Check out the discussion for our thoughts on all of it!
Guest info: Kenneth Shepard (he/him)
Check out Ken's work at Kotaku https://kotaku.com/author/kennethshepard
Check out Normandy FM podcast https://soundcloud.com/normandyfm
Follow on BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/shepardcdr.bsky.social
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Title Card
0:22 Introductions
4:15 Our Histories with Pokémon
7:10 Opening Thoughts about Pokémon Legends Z-A
16:56 Story Setup & Connections to X&Y
21:29 Our Starter Pokémon, Wild Zones & Lumiose City
43:04 New Battle System, Mega Battles and Battle Zones
1:02:47 Ken's Work at Kotaku and Normandy FM
1:05:52 Spoiler Wall and Patron Thank-Yous
1:08:26 Spoiler Section- Our Final Teams & Connections to Certain Pokémon
1:13:52 Dungeons and Story Chat
1:29:57 Endgame and Ending
Music used in the episode has a large ensemble of composers and no individualized credits at this time. All credits to Game Freak and The Pokémon Company. Tracks used: Lumiose City (Day), Battle Zone, Trainer Battle, Lumiose City (Night), Hotel Z, Battle! Vs Trainer (Z-A Royale)
Check out Dave on Pages of Play for "The Meeting of the Makers"- https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mom-the-meeting-of-makers/id1755937349?i=1000749250884
Chekc out Dave on Underplayed for Hollow Knight: Silksong- https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/underplayed/id1606954029
Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures
Support Tales from the Backlog
1 hr 52 min

About Tales from the Backlog

From the publisher's feed

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…