The Operator is a spy game set entirely on the desktop computer of a government employee. We call this sort of game a UI RPG. We talk about other entries in this growing genre and then open the mailbag to answer some particularly excellent questions.

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

What makes a video game funny? This week, The Besties try World of Goo 2, the sequel to one of the original silly indie games. In the back half, they wax poetic on Thank Goodness You’re Here, the most comically British game… ever?

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

SteamWorld Heist 2 is one of the year’s best surprises. The turn-based tactics shooter builds on its 2015 predecessor in practically every way, transforming into a rich mishmash of story, adventuring, and thrilling shootouts. In the back half, The Besties make progress on emptying the mailbag with a lengthy AMA.

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

This week, Nintendo challenges the Besties to become elite speedrunners. Can they beat Mario in minutes? Will they transform into a morph ball in mere seconds? Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition helps the crew test the limits of their skills. Plus, Dungeons of Hinterberg blends Persona hangout session with Zelda’s dungeon-crawling combat.

NOTE: This episode of the Besties was recorded before the announcement of the SAG-AFTRA strike against major video game publishers.

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

We have talked about dozens of awesome games in 2024, yet we still missed several tasty delights. This week, the Besties take solo journeys across the world of gaming and return with some fascinating discoveries. Want a remake of a ‘90s classic? Or an FPS about sneakers? Have we got the games for you!

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

We stand at the midpoint of 2024. Behind us, we see a towering pile of video games. We reach into the stack and pull something loose. It’s Balatro! We grab another game from the rubble! Like a Dragon! Together, the Besties retrieve the best games of the year from this mess and bring only the best!

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Nintendo’s final year of Switch has been a bizarre mishmash of remakes and spinoffs. Luigi’s Mansion 2 continues that trend, updating the 2013 3DS jaunt for a 2024 audience. Can a decade-old game meet the expectations of Luigi’s Mansion 3 fans? And what other 3DS games should Nintendo update next?

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Can the game of the year be a DLC expansion? This week, The Besties discuss Elden Ring: The Shadow of the Erdtree, the highly anticipated addition to one of the greatest games of all time. Is it too hard? How is it different from the original game? Can The Besties get gud? 

In the back half, what do we want from FromSoftware moving forward? Listen to find out!

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Nintendo can't be stopped! With the Nintendo Switch 2 coming in 2025, we expected 2024 to be a slow year for the iconic game publisher. We were wrong. We open the show with a long convo about the big announcements, including a Zelda game starring Zelda. In the back half, The Besties hop into Destiny 2 one last time to try the last major update, The Final Shape. The MMO FPS launched in 2017 -- the same year Nintendo announced Metroid Prime 4.

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Hundreds of games were shown during the Summer Game Fest. The Besties spotlight some of their favorites, while discussing the strange and messy state of the video game industry in 2024. Is SGF the E3 replacement of our dreams? How should we feel about Xbox’s big moment? Are small games the future? We attempt to provide some answers!

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!