Wardcast

Stepping foot inside the new and improved Seattle Convention Center for the first time, Dylan is joined by Hidden Gemsters old and new to showcase the indie games PAX West 2023 has on offer! Joining him is Good Trouble’s Director of Communications Harris Foster, Innersloth’s Communications Director Victoria Tran, Strange Scaffold’s Creative Director Xalavier Nelson Jr., and Intelligame Founder Josh Boykin. From the panel description: PAX is huge — with hundreds of things to see and do, can you really experience it all? Since 2017 the Hidden Gems panel has helped PAX attendees discover new favorites that may be lurking right under their noses. Our panel of game industry professionals seek out the hidden and overlooked spaces of the convention center and beyond to pluck out one-of-a-kind experiences that are worth your time. Who knows… you may just find your next favorite game here! Games include Antonblast, Peggy’s Farm, Thank Goodness You’re Here!, Spirit Swap: Lofi Beats to Match-3 To, Emberwind, Rose and Locket, Star Salvager, Clam Man 2: Headliner, Project Dark, Beastieball, Arco, Shot One, Treachery in Beatdown City, and World of Horror. Got a question for the show? Join us on Discord at ward-games.com/discord or email us at [email protected]!

Masked, vaxxed, and ready for PAX, Hidden Gems returns for its first in-person panel since the start of the pandemic. Joining Dylan in the panel’s home in the Bumblebee Theatre are our pals Coby West from The Glory Society and Anya Combs from Backerkit! From the panel description: Making its triumphant return, Hidden Gems is back for PAX East 2023! What is Hidden Gems? Imagine this: you’ve spent your whole day exploring the expo, playing games, and making life-long memories, but you still haven’t seen a fraction of what is available at the show. How do you know you’re not missing the coolest thing at PAX? That’s where we come in. Our veteran crew of hidden-gemologists has compiled a list of the latest and greatest overlooked games to grace the show floor. Join us as we highlight, discuss, and point you in the direction of these hidden gems! Games include Scene Investigators; Hyde’s Haunt and Seek; Rightfully, Beary Arms; Pacific Drive; Sparks; Unleaving; Who’s Your Daddy?!; The Wandering Village; Paper Trail; and Ten Candles. Got a question for the show? Join us on Discord at ward-games.com/discord or email us at [email protected]!

Here we are: at the end of 2022, with 2023 waiting right around the corner. Despite not recording many episodes this year, we still found the time to play — as well as develop! — games, and now it’s time to tell you, dear lister, which ones meant the most to us in Two Thousand and Twenty-Two. Games include Fortnite, In Sound Mind, World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth, Tunic, Rogue Legacy 2, and Splatoon 3. Got a question for the show? Join us on Discord at ward-games.com/discord or email us at [email protected]!

We awaken from our Wardcast cryosleep long enough to get ahold of some audio equipment and record ourselves a podcast. Much has happened while we were away — too much to cover in a single podcast, in fact, so we’ll just focus on the most recent events. Namely, John Riccitiello’s continued mismanagement of Unity with its announced merger with ironSource. We then scooch on over to talk about the games we’ve been preoccupying ourselves with — we stand on either end of the soulslike spectrum with Tunic and Elden Ring, converse about Wordle and Wordle accessories, and take command of some decks in Magic: The Gathering. All this and more on this very special Wardcast! Games include The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Tunic, Inscryption, Wordle, Fortnite: Zero Build, Pokémon Legends Arceus, Elden Ring, and Magic: The Gathering. Got a question for the show? Join us on Discord at ward-games.com/discord or email us at [email protected]!

It’s time for one final ‘cast before the year is done, and it’s the one we’ve all been waiting for: the Best Games Played of Twenty Twenty-One! We’ve spent the past few episodes giving big ups to our favorite games this year; now it’s time to give the biggest ups to just a final few — those games that stood out from the pack. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you may even be surprised by what games make the top ten. Awards include Funnest Ride, Best Return to Form, Most Layered, Snappiest Dialog, Most Genuine, Freshest Interactions, Most Realized, Brightest Return, Best Momentum, and Wildest Ideas. Got a question for the show? Join us on Discord at ward-games.com/discord or email us at [email protected]!

It’s our third and final stretch of the Road to BGP 2021, and we’re almost prepared for the final showdown. But before we get to the games, we revisit a classic video game boondoggle, consider the six degrees of Ryu, and argue about Pokémon designs. Then, Dylan and Alex finally settle in for some dodgeball metropolises, residential horrors, papercraft plumbers, not to mention some honorable mentions that didn’t quite make the cut. Games include Knockout City, Resident Evil Village, Adios, New Pokémon Snap, Paper Mario: The Origami King, Hitman 3, Later Alligator, The Pathless, and Slice & Dice. Got a question for the show? Join us on Discord at ward-games.com/discord or email us at [email protected]!

The second stretch of 2021’s Road to BGP has us talking time loops a-plenty, sequels and expansions, and the return of some of our favorite armor-clad space soldiers. Join us as we try, and fail, to finish talking about the rest of the games we loved this year. Games include Monster Hunter Rise, Deathloop, Metroid Dread, holedown, Inscryption, Halo Infinite, and Outer Wilds - Echoes of the Eye. Got a question for the show? Join us on Discord at ward-games.com/discord or email us at [email protected]!

As was foretold, we have reemerged from our subterranean slumber to fulfill an ancient prophecy — talking about the games we enjoyed the most in 2021, and also one we didn’t much care for. It should also be stated: content warning for discussions of domestic violence, animal death, terminal illness, and similar topics during the discussion of some of these games. Games include Twelve Minutes, KID A MNESIA EXHIBITION, Cruelty Squad, Pac-Man 99, Before Your Eyes, Hitman 3, Guilty Gear Strive, and Splitgate. Got a question for the show? Join us on Discord at ward-games.com/discord or email us at [email protected]!

Hey, ho, and whadya know — it’s a rare Wardcast sighting! We’ve come out of hiding for a special occasion: to witness the final Smash Brother get announced — live! Join us as we see who exactly they announce (it could be anyone), and stick around after as we discuss the revelatory reveal and bring up some games we’ve been playing. Games include Deathloop, Outer Wilds - Echoes of the Eye, Twelve Minutes, WarioWare: Get It Together!, and Paper Mario: The Origami King. Got a question for the show? Join us on Discord at ward-games.com/discord or email us at [email protected]!

After a year and a half hiatus, Hidden Gems returns to the virtual PAX floor to showcase games at the second ever PAX Online! Joining Dylan on a tour through game demos galore is Hidden Gems mainstay Felix Kramer, El David y Estefi Show host David Lucio, and Innersloth and Among Us community director Victoria Tran! From the panel description: As you peruse all the fun and games PAX Online has on offer, you may be wondering, “what are the must-see games this weekend?” Allow us to answer that question for you! Tune in as our esteemed panelists from across the games industry convene for the first virtual Hidden Gems, where we’ll show you the games you won’t want to miss and the demos you can enjoy from the comfort of your own home! Games include Death Trash, Jack Move, Button City, Hoa, Haak, No Place for Bravery, Cris Tales, Dice Legacy, Tunche, Peglin, Justice Sucks Recharged, Klang 2, Dorf Romantic, and Firegirl. Got a question for the show? Join us on Discord at ward-games.com/discord or email us at [email protected]!