The Checkpoint

By Cj Salcedo

No news. No hot takes. The Checkpoint is a conversation-driven video game podcast about backlogs, comfort games, and why we continue to play.

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FAQs about The Checkpoint:

How many episodes does The Checkpoint have?

The podcast currently has 8 episodes available.

The Checkpoint episodes:

April 03, 2026 Why Do We Create? (with Carlos Rodela)
On episode eight of The Checkpoint, Cj is joined by his good friend Carlos Rodela. The two catch up and talk about their many projects.
They dive into a wide range of topics, such as:
-Content creation
-Loot!
-Where and how they met
Follow Cj on Bluesky: @cynicalceezy.bsky.social
Follow Carlos on Bluesky: @onawa.bsky.social
Check out GttG: https://www.tiktok.com/@glitchthroughtheground
https://www.youtube.com/@glitchthroughtheground
Metal Jesus Rocks videos with Carlos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PL26qAQobp0
https://youtu.be/0ru57c1HlV8?si=ZKR1eLRFdqppzlWf
Find the podcast on other services here: https://rss.com/podcasts/thecheckpoin...
Intro/Outro music: Ballad of Aether - Synthwave/Synthpop - Royalty Free Music
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58min
March 27, 2026 More Bungie Talk (with Matty)
On episode seven of The Checkpoint, Cj is joined once again by his good friend Matty. The two discuss game writing and lore.
They dive into a wide range of topics, such as:
-Destiny 2 memories
-Marathon
-More sci-fi reads
Follow Cj on Bluesky: @cynicalceezy.bsky.social
Follow Matty on Bluesky: @questlog.bsky.social
Read Matty’s writing: https://medium.com/quest-log/marathon-may-challenge-runners-and-their-minds-to-find-a-new-path-fd576b73ff08
Find the podcast on other services here: https://rss.com/podcasts/thecheckpoin...
Intro/Outro music: Ballad of Aether - Synthwave/Synthpop - Royalty Free Music
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1h 50min
March 20, 2026 It's A Marathon, Not A Sprint (with Cody Bolster)
On episode six of The Checkpoint, Cj is joined once again by his good friend Cody. The two discuss hardware upgrades and their ever-growing book backlogs.
They dive into a wide range of topics, such as:
-Live-service games meshing with their backlogs
-The need to work on projects consistently
-Good sci-fi reads
Grind Survivors, Devil Jam and Royal Revolt Survivors codes were all provided by publishers.
Follow Cj on Bluesky: @cynicalceezy.bsky.social
Find the podcast on other services here: https://rss.com/podcasts/thecheckpoin...
Intro/Outro music: Ballad of Aether - Synthwave/Synthpop - Royalty Free Music
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1h 19min
March 06, 2026 The Good, The Bad, and The Past (with Justin, Rorenado)
NOTE: There were some issues with the audio including bizarre echoes, audio not aligning and a few other things. Rather than waste a great conversation, I tried to salvage this as best I could. -Cj
On episode five of The Checkpoint, Cj is joined by his good friend and writer, Justin (aka Rorenado). The two discuss emulation, first-person shooters and the joys of writing.
They dive into a wide range of topics, such as:
-The importance of offline shooter campaigns
-Remakes vs straight ports
-Retro enthusiasm
Check out Justin's work: https://muckrack.com/justin-grandfield-1
Follow Justin on Bluesky: @rorenado.bsky.socia
Follow Cj on Bluesky: @cynicalceezy.bsky.social
Find the podcast on other services here: https://rss.com/podcasts/thecheckpointpod/
Intro/Outro music: Ballad of Aether - Synthwave/Synthpop - Royalty Free Music
...more
1h 18min
February 27, 2026 Where and Why We Play (with Jose, TheSethRokage)
On episode four of The Checkpoint, Cj is joined by his good friend and YouTuber/podcaster, Jose (aka TheSethRokage). The two discuss their history of playing online shooters and what it's like playing a bit of everything.
They dive into a wide range of topics, such as:
-Differences between enjoying console, handheld and PC gaming
-Returning to old shooters
-How hard podcasting can be
Check out TheSethRokage: https://www.youtube.com/@thesethrokage
Follow Cj on Bluesky: @cynicalceezy.bsky.social
Find the podcast on other services here: https://rss.com/podcasts/thecheckpointpod/
Intro/Outro music: Ballad of Aether - Synthwave/Synthpop - Royalty Free Music
...more
1h 42min
February 20, 2026 Art In Trying Times (with Esteban Noel)
On episode three of The Checkpoint, Cj is joined by his good friend and writer, Esteban. The two catch up and talk film, politics and the joys of writing.
They dive into a wide range of topics, such as:
-Aliens
-The current political climate
-The joys of reading versus watching films
Follow Esteban's writing: https://www.estebannoel.com
Follow Cj on Bluesky: @cynicalceezy.bsky.social
Read Save States: savestatesblog.substack.com‬
Find the podcast on other services here: https://rss.com/podcasts/thecheckpointpod/
Intro/Outro music: Ballad of Aether - Synthwave/Synthpop - Royalty Free Music
...more
1h 24min
February 13, 2026 Finding That One Game (with Matty)
On episode two of The Checkcpoint, Cj is joined by his good friend and fellow lore-head, Matty. The two catch up and talk games, books and the joys of working in a library.
They dive into a wide range of topics, such as:
-Star Wars books
-How returning to games over time can be comforting
-Why reading up on game lore is so rewarding
Follow Matty on Bluesky: @questlog.bsky.social
Follow Cj on Bluesky: @cynicalceezy.bsky.social
Read Save States: savestatesblog.substack.com‬
Find the podcast on other services here: https://rss.com/podcasts/thecheckpointpod/
Intro/Outro music: Ballad of Aether - Synthwave/Synthpop - Royalty Free Music
...more
1h 39min
February 06, 2026 What Does Your Backlog Mean To You? (with Cody Bolster)
On the very first episode of The Checkpoint, Cj is joined by his good friend and fellow podcaster, Cody Bolster. The two catch up on what it means to record another podcast after being away from the mic for ages, as well as the challenges that present themselves when trying to create content.
They dive into a wide range of topics, such as:
-Science fiction books
-How burnout can affect the way we play games
-Why our backlogs should be celebrated, rather than feared
Follow Cody on X: @TiredObsidian
Read his writing: The Tired Obsidian
Check out his family's gaming content: HHC Gaming
Follow Cj on Bluesky: @cynicalceezy.bsky.social
Read Save States
Follow Save States on Bluesky: ‪@savestatesblog.substack.com‬
Intro/Outro music:
Ballad of Aether - Synthwave/Synthpop - Royalty Free Music
...more
1h 6min

FAQs about The Checkpoint:

How many episodes does The Checkpoint have?

The podcast currently has 8 episodes available.