In which we are so excited by Game Journalist Christmas that we forget to say who we are. Also: Tom F, Graham and Marsh answer the latest Call of Duty with varying levels of enthusiasm while Chris gets frothy about the first hours of Dragon Age 3.

In which the sky splits asunder, illuminating the pallid, rictus faces of Marsh, Tom S and Tom F as they discuss spoooOOOOoooky games like Alien: Isolation, The Evil Within and, er, Civilization: Beyond Earth. Also booted: Lords of the Fallen.

Tom F, Chris and Graham gather to drink glasses of fine dry sherry, but also to discuss some fine dry videogames. Tom travels Kentucky Route Zero and builds a Defense Grid 2, while Chris goes Civilization: Beyond Earth. Graham just drinks.

This week Graham, Tom F and Tom S and talk about mind-controlling Uruks in the grassy second half of Shadow of Mordor, being manipulated into giving EA money in FIFA Ultimate Team, being funnelled into 720p corridors in Final Fantasy XIII, bad games with good personality, good games with bad sequels, and bad games with good mods.

In which Tom F, Marsh and Graham master shadows in Styx: Master of Shadows, become the shadow in Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, embrace the light in Hyper Light Drifter, and get killed in the shadows of Alien Isolation.

In which Chris, Graham and Marsh are joined by RPS co-founder John Walker to talk about Shadow of Mordor, Sherlock Holmes, Ethan Carter, FIFA 15, Shadowrun Returns, and somehow - across multiple subjects - various dads.

Marsh, Chris and Graham curate their thoughts about Steam curation, then talk Star Citizen and Elite: Dangerous, the dark future of Brigador, the bright future of Sim Hero, and Marsh's time spent formulating The Masterplan.

In which nations may or may not be sundered. Tom S, Chris and Marsh are joined by Hot Duke Matt Cox, who’s been playing ho-hum robo-moba Minimum. Chris raises a stein to Wolfenstein and Marsh keeps it rail in score-attack subway-sim Mini Metro.

This week Tom F, Tom S and Graham are joined by Castles in the Sky co-creator Jack De Quidt for an unusually long and segue-woven discussion of Firewatch, Eidolon, Far Cries 2, 3 & 4, Ubisoft's formulae, and reasons to make morally terrible choices.

In which special guest Phil Savage brings us tales of calamitous chair physics (and pickles) from vintage bugfest Boiling Point. Marsh interrogates robots in The Fall and Tom Senior puts a bit of stick about, courtesy of some snazzy peripherals.