Words About Games

This week Amy talks about some cool indie game demos she played during the recent Steam Next Fest, Moody wants to talk about renting a PS5, and Vitz wants to discuss how much creative freedom PlayStation studios have in picking their own projects.

Time Stamps:

0:00:00 - Intro

0:23:47 - Amy's favourite Steam Next Fest demos (links below)

0:51:10 - You can rent PlayStation 5's in the UK now

1:24:00 - No more Last of Us games?

1:45:19 - OpenCritic Head-To-Head

Next Fest links:

The Horror At Highrook: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2836860/The_Horror_at_Highrook/

Promise Mascot Agency: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2585830/Promise_Mascot_Agency/

Deck of Haunts:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3179730/Deck_of_Haunts/

Into The Restless Ruins: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2877770/Into_the_Restless_Ruins/

Static Dread: 15 Nights at the Old Lighthouse: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3298940/Static_Dread_15_Nights_at_the_Old_Lighthouse/

Check out our Indie Game of the Week Steam curator page to see all of our previous selections: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/7857031-Words-About-Games/

We are raising funds for Safe In Our World! Click the link to head to our Just Giving page and please consider donating, or sharing the link: https://www.justgiving.com/page/wag2025

Want to hang out with us while we play games? Head over to twitch.tv/wordsaboutgames and drop us a follow!

Follow along with Amy's backlog progress (including her raw thoughts on the game's she plays) throughout 2025 here: https://tinyurl.com/amysbacklog

Support the show - ko-fi.com/wordsaboutgames

Follow Amy Kate on Bluesky @itsmeamykate

Follow Moody on Bluesky @dafyddmoody

Follow Vitz Bluesky @VitzPatel

Time Stamps:

0:00:00 - Intro

0:21:31 - WB Games lays off closes three studios, including Monolith

1:08:28 - Indie Game of the Week - Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream (https://store.steampowered.com/app/2377280/Eriksholm_The_Stolen_Dream/)

1:11:38 - Pokemon Day 2025 News Reactions

1:35:55 - Amy’s Backlog Project Update #1

1:58:39 - OpenCritic Head-To-Head

Check out our Indie Game of the Week Steam curator page to see all of our previous selections: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/7857031-Words-About-Games/

Want to hang out with us while we play games? Head over to twitch.tv/wordsaboutgames and drop us a follow!

Follow along with Amy's backlog progress (including her raw thoughts on the game's she plays) throughout 2025 here: https://tinyurl.com/amysbacklog

Support the show - ko-fi.com/wordsaboutgames

Follow Amy Kate on Bluesky @itsmeamykate

Follow Moody on Bluesky @dafyddmoody

Follow Vitz Bluesky @VitzPatel

This week we discuss our next charity fundraiser and all of its stretch goals, Vitz reviews the Portal Revolution mod and Moody tries to predict what will happen in the next Pokemon Presents direct.

Time Stamps:

0:00:00 - Intro

0:21:16 - Announcing our next charity fundraiser

0:54:06 - Indie Game of the Week - Tanuki: Pon's Summer (https://store.steampowered.com/app/3218570/TANUKI_Pons_Summer/)

0:58:26 - Vitz reviews Portal Revolution

1:13:52 - Moody predicts Pokemon Day 2025

1:42:39 - OpenCritic Head-To-Head

We are raising funds for Safe In Our World! Click the link to head to our Just Giving page and please consider donating, or sharing the link: https://www.justgiving.com/page/wag2025

Check out our Indie Game of the Week Steam curator page to see all of our previous selections: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/7857031-Words-About-Games/

Want to hang out with us while we play games? Head over to twitch.tv/wordsaboutgames and drop us a follow!

Follow along with Amy's backlog progress (including her raw thoughts on the game's she plays) throughout 2025 here: https://tinyurl.com/amysbacklog

Support the show - ko-fi.com/wordsaboutgames

Follow Amy Kate on Bluesky @itsmeamykate

Follow Moody on Bluesky @dafyddmoody

Follow Vitz Bluesky @VitzPatel

Time Stamps:

0:00:00 - Intro

0:24:03 - PlayStation State of Play thoughts

1:09:54 - Indie Game of the Week - Moth Kubit (https://store.steampowered.com/app/2257830/Moth_Kubit/)

1:13:58 - What would happen if we were in charge of Secret Level season 2 (and season 3)?

1:43:19 - Football Manager 25 has been cancelled

2:00:56 - OpenCritic Head-To-Head

Check out our Indie Game of the Week Steam curator page to see all of our previous selections: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/7857031-Words-About-Games/

Want to hang out with us while we play games? Head over to twitch.tv/wordsaboutgames and drop us a follow!

Follow along with Amy's backlog progress (including her raw thoughts on the game's she plays) throughout 2025 here: https://tinyurl.com/amysbacklog

Support the show - ko-fi.com/wordsaboutgames

Follow Amy Kate on Bluesky @itsmeamykate

Follow Moody on Bluesky @dafyddmoody

Follow Vitz Bluesky @VitzPatel

Time Stamps:

0:00:00 - Intro

0:23:36 - Talking Nintendo Switch software sales & its legacy

1:04:44 - Indie Game of the Week - Inkression (https://store.steampowered.com/app/2965930/Inkression/)

1:07:43 - Are £70 resulting in lower sales?

2:08:47 - OpenCritic Head-To-Head

Check out our Indie Game of the Week Steam curator page to see all of our previous selections: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/7857031-Words-About-Games/

Want to hang out with us while we play games? Head over to twitch.tv/wordsaboutgames and drop us a follow!

Follow along with Amy's backlog progress (including her raw thoughts on the game's she plays) throughout 2025 here: https://tinyurl.com/amysbacklog

Support the show - ko-fi.com/wordsaboutgames

Follow Amy Kate on Bluesky @itsmeamykate

Follow Moody on Bluesky @dafyddmoody

Follow Vitz Bluesky @VitzPatel

Time Stamps:

0:00:00 - Intro

0:15:36 - Xbox Developer Direct Thoughts

1:06:38 - Indie Game of the Week - Mother Machine (https://store.steampowered.com/app/1555980/Mother_Machine/)

1:10:55 - PlayStation re-organises its C-Suite executives

1:46:13 - Ender Magnolia: Bloom In The Mist Review

2:01:21 - OpenCritic Head-To-Head

Check out our Indie Game of the Week Steam curator page to see all of our previous selections: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/7857031-Words-About-Games/

Want to hang out with us while we play games? Head over to twitch.tv/wordsaboutgames and drop us a follow!

Follow along with Amy's backlog progress (including her raw thoughts on the game's she plays) throughout 2025 here: https://tinyurl.com/amysbacklog

Support the show - ko-fi.com/wordsaboutgames

Follow Amy Kate on Bluesky @itsmeamykate

Follow Moody on Bluesky @dafyddmoody

Follow Vitz Bluesky @VitzPatel

Time Stamps:

0:00:00 - Intro

0:21:09 - Nintendo revealed the Switch 2

0:52:29 - Indie Game of the Week - The Mermaid Mask (https://store.steampowered.com/app/1696770/The_Mermaid_Mask/)

0:56:29 - PlayStation cancels more live service games

1:35:14 - Fantasy Critic Draft & Update

2:02:24 - OpenCritic Head-To-Head

Check out our Indie Game of the Week Steam curator page to see all of our previous selections: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/7857031-Words-About-Games/

Want to hang out with us while we play games? Head over to twitch.tv/wordsaboutgames and drop us a follow!

You should watch Vitz's new quiz show Pixel Pop Stars! You can catch episodes live at twitch.tv/vitzpatel or later on YouTube at youtube.com/vitzpatel

Follow along with Amy's backlog progress (including her raw thoughts on the game's she plays) throughout 2025 here: https://tinyurl.com/amysbacklog

Support the show - ko-fi.com/wordsaboutgames

Follow Amy Kate on Bluesky @itsmeamykate

Follow Moody on Bluesky @dafyddmoody

Follow Vitz Bluesky @VitzPatel

Time Stamps:

0:00:00 - Extended intro where we catch up after 3 weeks away

0:59:06 - Most anticipated games of 2025 (and probably beyond)

2:15:29 - The great 2025 pizza bet

2:18:45 - OpenCritic Head-To-Head

Check out our Indie Game of the Week Steam curator page to see all of our previous selections: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/7857031-Words-About-Games/

Want to hang out with us while we play games? Head over to twitch.tv/wordsaboutgames and drop us a follow!

Check out the Words About Games Diaries blog at wordsaboutgames.net

Support our work on Ko-Fi - ko-fi.com/wordsaboutgames

Follow Amy Kate on Bluesky & Instagram @itsmeamykate

Follow Moody on Bluesky @dafyddmoody

Follow Vitz everywhere @VitzPatel

Time Stamps:

0:00:00 - Intro

0:22:31 - Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth (Game of the Year)

0:29:31 - Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree (Game of the Year)

0:38:06 - Metaphor ReFantazio (Game of the Year)

0:47:25 - Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown

0:51:04 - The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered

0:53:15 - Pacific Drive

0:59:48 - Final Fantasy VII Rebirth

1:05:21 - Alone In The Dark

1:07:19 - Dragon's Dogma 2

1:10:31 - Crow Country

1:12:51 - Animal Well

1:16:26 - 1000xRESIST

1:20:48 - Arco

1:22:48 - Astro Bot

1:30:47 - Witchfire

1:33:39 - The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom

1:39:37 - Silent Hill 2

1:44:59 - Super Mario Party Jamboree

1:47:03 - Diceomancer

1:50:25 - Marvel Rivals

1:53:51 - Our favourite games that were new to us in 2024

1:54:23 - A Short Hike

1:55:52 - Hades

1:57:52 - Pokemon Violet

2:01:38 - Halo: Reach

2:04:01 - Final Fantasy VI

2:06:33 - Judgment

2:09:08 - Parasite Eve

2:11:57 - Cyberpunk 2077

2:15:17 - OpenCritic Head-To-Head

We're raising money for Special Effect! Donate to help an awesome cause and help us hit milestones that will turn into awesome livestreams (and eventually awesome YouTube videos): https://justgiving.com/page/wagspecialeffect2024

Follow along with Amy's backlog progress (including her raw thoughts on the game's she plays) throughout 2025 here: https://tinyurl.com/amysbacklog

Check out our Indie Game of the Week Steam curator page to see all of our previous selections: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/7857031-Words-About-Games/

Want to hang out with us while we play games? Head over to twitch.tv/wordsaboutgames and drop us a follow!

Check out the Words About Games Diaries blog at wordsaboutgames.net

Support our work on Ko-Fi - ko-fi.com/wordsaboutgames

Follow Amy Kate on Bluesky & Instagram @itsmeamykate

Follow Moody on Bluesky @dafyddmoody

Follow Vitz everywhere @VitzPatel

Time Stamps:

0:00:00 - Intro

0:14:12 - My First Gran Turismo Review

0:30:35 - Do AAA games have a quality control problem?

1:15:44 - Indie Game of the Week - Sleight of Hand (https://store.steampowered.com/app/2857810/Sleight_of_Hand/)

1:22:14 - Fantasy Critic 2024 final check-in

1:44:40 - OpenCritic Head-To-Head

We're raising money for Special Effect! Donate to help an awesome cause and help us hit milestones that will turn into awesome livestreams (and eventually awesome YouTube videos): https://justgiving.com/page/wagspecialeffect2024

Follow along with Amy's backlog progress (including her raw thoughts on the game's she plays) throughout 2025 here: https://tinyurl.com/amysbacklog

Check out our Indie Game of the Week Steam curator page to see all of our previous selections: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/7857031-Words-About-Games/

Want to hang out with us while we play games? Head over to twitch.tv/wordsaboutgames and drop us a follow!

Check out the Words About Games Diaries blog at wordsaboutgames.net

Support our work on Ko-Fi - ko-fi.com/wordsaboutgames

Follow Amy Kate on Bluesky & Instagram @itsmeamykate

Follow Moody on Bluesky @dafyddmoody

Follow Vitz everywhere @VitzPatel