Tim and Phill Talk About Games

In case you missed it, Tim, Megan and myself presented another of our panels on science and videogames at the latest Penny Arcade Expo Australia. You can watch the video at our YouTube page, but in case you're more fond of audio we've included it in our podcast feed. We discuss solving quantum computer problems with a high score table, the motivating power of Pokemon GO, and social responsibility and activism in games. It was really well-received (as usual) by the PAX crowd, and we're using these presentations as inspiration for another podcast being produced right now, so please let us know what you think!

We discuss the only shining light in a year that really heckin' sucked: our favourite games of 2016. Join us as we banish the bad thoughts and focus on the good ones in our end-of-year round-up.

Megan joins us as we spend an entire episode talking up the divisive genius of Jonathon Blow's The Witness. We discuss how puzzle games teach us how to play them, what we get out of pure logic, and residual puzzle solving. Witness us!

We've reached a milestone, so that means giveaways! Congratulations to our two winners, Moonwatcher and Cedar, who also have the good fortune to have kickass names. We review some games, thank some people, and get ready for another fifty awesome episodes. Thanks for listening and happy gaming!

You know what we haven't done yet? Spend an entire episode complaining about things we don't like in games. So this is what we do here! Tim finds fault in meaningless deaths, fake endings, and huge hubs; Phill hates Tetris'd inventories, boring bosses, and pointless pickups. Tune in to the latest episode of Tim and Phill Bitch About Games!

Not content with milking sequels for all their worth, large game publishers have turned to remaking their old games. But what does this offer the gamer that has already played and loved those originals? Do better lighting, textures, and poly counts really maketh the game? We query if this is just the marketers getting their hands dirty where they shouldn't as we discuss remakes, remixes, and remasters.

Are consoles beginning the slow road towards becoming mini PCs? That seems to be the case with the announcement of four new versions of the current generation of consoles. Is this a feasible release strategy for the Microsoft and Sony? What are gamers going to think of having these 'half-generational' releases? What is Nintendo doing over there in the corner? We try our best (and boy do we fail) to get in the heads of fanboys all over the world as we discuss consoles.

Sure, bullets are cool. But you know what's cooler? Just not doing bullets. Cue the 90s educational video music, because we're talking about non-lethal alternatives in games. Why is sneaking around so much fun when you know you could let rip and kill everyone in a room? What are some of the interesting ways game designers have avoided homicidal rages? As a gentle tap on the back of your head with a stun rod signals a descent into dream land, we ponder all this and more.

If a player names a planet and no-one is there to see it, does it make good gameplay? With the recent, very controversial release of No Man's Sky, we examine the ways in which exploration as a game mechanic can make or break a great game.

You could be fooled into thinking that the hosts of this wonderful podcast think about playing games, but don't actually play any games. That's not true! We play games, honest! Here we review Total War: Warhammer, Witcher 3, Starbound, Button Frenzy, Hyper Light Drifter, Star Citizen, and Rebel Galaxy. How do you like them apples?