Wardcast

Every time we try to spoil Endgame, we get distracted by the blue blur’s glorious cinematic debut, so we stick to giving our Infinity Saga impressions spoiler free, voice the problems with the MCU, and discuss the slippery slope of saying things are “just for kids.”

And it wouldn’t be a week in the games industry without discussing crunch and related workplace problems. We tackle the recent reports of employee suffering at Epic, NetherRealm, and Riot; the universality of crunch in the industry; and the hand games media plays in driving the discussion of crunch and other related development topics.

Games include Devil May Cry 5, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, and The Elder Scrolls: Blades.

Got a question for the show? Join us on Discord at ward-games.com/discord or email us at [email protected]!

This week, we’re joined by Marlowe Dobbe — artist on Dicey Dungeons and The World Next Door and member of PIGSquad!

She talks about how she got into games as an artist, what inspires her art style, and her pipeline for creating game art.

We discuss what it’s like running booths at larger game expos, and — most importantly — we try to see how many Pokémon movies we can name from memory.

Got a question for the show? Join us on Discord at ward-games.com/discord or email us at [email protected]!

We lose one Joe but gain one Nelson, who’s here to put a cap on his Devil May Cry 5 experience. Dylan and Alex are still deep into their Hypnospace journey, filled with cool punks, angry teachers, and tales of the Chowder Man.

Sony blows the doors off the lead up to E3 with an early look at the PS5, we learn about the Three C’s of Cerny, and Jedi: Fallen Order is finally starting to look like a video game!

Games include Sayonara Wild Hearts; Dangerous Driving; Get in the Car, Loser!; Creature in the Well; Hypnospace Outlaw; Risk of Rain 2; Devil May Cry 5; Onrush; Devil’s Hunt; and Alice: Madness Returns.

Got a question for the show? Join us on Discord at ward-games.com/discord or email us at [email protected]!

Dante Douglas — writer, designer, and one of the editors-in-chief over at Deorbital — joins the show this week, wearing the dual hats of press and developer and discussing how there’s no real division between them.

We also cover the differences we find in artistic games criticism versus mechanical games criticism and everyone’s difficulty in separating critical analysis from one’s taste in games.

Games include Hades.

Got a question for the show? Join us on Discord at ward-games.com/discord or email us at [email protected]!

A new chapter is etched into the annals of gaming as two tech giants enter the arena. The masses cheer! Google Stadia! Apple Arcade! Shall these titans bring with them the dawning of a new age, or will they plunge us all into the yawning abyss?

This week, we also discuss some takeaways from GDC and PAX East, dying shadows and internet fugitives, and our new show — Attract Mode! — which you can find on iTunes, Google Podcasts, or via RSS.

Games include Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and Hypnospace Outlaw.

Got a question for the show? Join us on Discord at ward-games.com/discord or email us at [email protected]!

Hidden Gems returns home to PAX East to showcase the latest and greatest gems on the show floor. Join Dylan Ilvento, Nelson Johnson, Felix Kramer, and Sarah Elmaleh as they highlight games both obscure and overlooked at PAX. Follow along with the panel slides here.

From the panel description:

You’re at PAX, and you’re excited to try and see everything the show has to offer. Problem is, where do you start? For the third year in a row, we’re bringing Hidden Gems back to PAX East to bring you all the cool, new, and unexpected games at the show. With our collective knowledge of the games industry, we’ll showcase handpicked games and experiences that you won’t want to miss.

Games include tri.Attack; Sayonara Wild Hearts; Mutazione; Flotsam; Bloodroots; Creature in the Well; Industries of Titan; Treachery in Beatdown City; Stacks on Stacks (on Stacks); Get in the Car, Loser!; Afterparty; Where the Bees Make Honey; Kaisuo; and Crosshatch.

Got a question for the show? Join us on Discord at ward-games.com/discord or email us at [email protected]!

Games? They’re so passé. It’s all about movies now.

Sike! Ha-ha, got ya! When we’re not insurance adjusting on an abandoned ship, we’re getting back into the groove, celebrating our favorite super party, and figuring out what color our lightsaber is.

Games include Return of the Obra Dinn, Toejam & Earl, Super Mario Party, Mario Kart Arcade GP DX, Apex Legends, Hand of Fate, and Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords.

Got a question for the show? Join us on Discord at ward-games.com/discord or email us at [email protected]!

It’s GDC week, and to celebrate, Dylan is rejoined by friend of the show Callum Underwood, Senior Scout at Raw Fury, Director of Special Projects at the SUPERHOT Team, and Head of Games and eSports at Caffeine.

To get ourselves ready for GDC, we discuss how you can prepare for the show, whether your goal is networking, pitching your game, or simply hanging out. And on the publishing side, Callum discusses what you should have ready when pitching your game to indie publishers and why pitching can often suck.

We also take some time to learn some US geography and regale ourselves with Callum’s journey of bringing his Snorlax home.

Got a question for the show? Join us on Discord at ward-games.com/discord or email us at [email protected]!

We’ve got a radical episode for y’all this week.

When we’re not hypothesizing about Beanie Baby Soulsbornes, we’re watching Movie Sonic getting unleashed onto the world.

Nelson finds pleasure in Dee Em Cee Vee, and we gird ourselves in the wake of upcoming conventions, hardware announcements, and more!

Games include Devil May Cry 5, Final Fantasy IX, and Pikuniku.

Got a question for the show? Join us on Discord at ward-games.com/discord or email us at [email protected]!

A string of absences and illnesses hits the Wardcast hard, but Dylan is fortunate enough to be joined by “YouTube Joe” Wetmore to talk about topics a-plenty, including a short Nintendo Direct and a tall Nintendo retiree.

We converse about the week’s disturbing THQ debacle and an unfortunately swift round of layoffs, all the while letting the GaaS out of the looty shooty genre.

Games include Warhammer: Vermintide 2, Apex Legends, Brawl Stars, Snake, Minesweeper, 12 Orbits, and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.

Got a question for the show? Join us on Discord at ward-games.com/discord or email us at [email protected]!