Ace
👤 PersonPodcast Appearances
I mean, from what I've seen, it nails the atmosphere and the aesthetic it's going for with the whole puppeteering stage kind of stuff. And it works for me. So I know it'll work for you guys if you try it.
I mean, from what I've seen, it nails the atmosphere and the aesthetic it's going for with the whole puppeteering stage kind of stuff. And it works for me. So I know it'll work for you guys if you try it.
This is me poking you to try it for me because I don't have time.
This is me poking you to try it for me because I don't have time.
All right. We're going to move on to this next one after this short little break.
All right. We're going to move on to this next one after this short little break.
Okay, we're saving it for the deep dive. Is that it? Just like how John and Josh are saving it for the deep dive. They are not.
Okay, we're saving it for the deep dive. Is that it? Just like how John and Josh are saving it for the deep dive. They are not.
All right, we are back. We are talking about something that is going to be absolutely legendary. I can assure you now I'm not overhyping this. One of the best indie roguelikes known to man is getting a sequel. Enter the Gungeon 2. Oh, baby. Can you tell Ace is excited? Oh, Enter the Gungeon is one of the best indie roguelikes there is.
All right, we are back. We are talking about something that is going to be absolutely legendary. I can assure you now I'm not overhyping this. One of the best indie roguelikes known to man is getting a sequel. Enter the Gungeon 2. Oh, baby. Can you tell Ace is excited? Oh, Enter the Gungeon is one of the best indie roguelikes there is.
Hello, fellow gamers, and welcome to the Video Gamers Podcast. Today, we will team up in Lords of the Fallen with its seamless co-op, nail gravity-defying flips with fish and tuna hakes underwater, and master chess-inspired souls-like adventures in Stone Machia.
Hello, fellow gamers, and welcome to the Video Gamers Podcast. Today, we will team up in Lords of the Fallen with its seamless co-op, nail gravity-defying flips with fish and tuna hakes underwater, and master chess-inspired souls-like adventures in Stone Machia.
It's got a great story if you follow the story, because you pick one of the four characters, you go through the dungeon, and you're looking for a gun that'll kill your past. And if you can do that, then the story resets into unlocking more and more interesting characters that tie to the main story. I'm not going to go into the whole thing, because... I'll be here for hours.
It's got a great story if you follow the story, because you pick one of the four characters, you go through the dungeon, and you're looking for a gun that'll kill your past. And if you can do that, then the story resets into unlocking more and more interesting characters that tie to the main story. I'm not going to go into the whole thing, because... I'll be here for hours.
I mean, I'm a dork like that. But one thing that people have an issue with enter the gungeon with is of course, people like Josh, it's the graphics. It's pixel graphics.
I mean, I'm a dork like that. But one thing that people have an issue with enter the gungeon with is of course, people like Josh, it's the graphics. It's pixel graphics.
That's not a problem anymore. And into the gungeon too. This looks pretty good. We got some absolutely stunning 3D visuals on this one, and I, for one, am so excited to see where this goes. We don't have much to go on yet. We just have an announcement trailer, and we don't have an announcement date, unfortunately. But what do you think about this one, Ryan?
That's not a problem anymore. And into the gungeon too. This looks pretty good. We got some absolutely stunning 3D visuals on this one, and I, for one, am so excited to see where this goes. We don't have much to go on yet. We just have an announcement trailer, and we don't have an announcement date, unfortunately. But what do you think about this one, Ryan?
You've never played Into the Gungeon, but does this pique your interest in any way as a roguelike fan?
You've never played Into the Gungeon, but does this pique your interest in any way as a roguelike fan?
That's fair. I'm not huge on card battlers either.
That's fair. I'm not huge on card battlers either.
The guns are ridiculous. They're like, you know how we talked about Doom Eternal and how Doom Eternal has ridiculous weapons and guns? Yeah. And it really leans into that. Uh-huh. Enter the Gungeon is the same way. You'll get a shotgun shell that shoots shotguns.
The guns are ridiculous. They're like, you know how we talked about Doom Eternal and how Doom Eternal has ridiculous weapons and guns? Yeah. And it really leans into that. Uh-huh. Enter the Gungeon is the same way. You'll get a shotgun shell that shoots shotguns.
Or a barrel that shoots fish. Like, the guns are ridiculous, but the magic comes from the synergy of the items you pick up that go with the guns. So, like, maybe you'll pick up, you know, the infinite ammo boost with some kind of, like, Gatling gun, and it combines into some ridiculous weapon that just deletes the first boss. But it's got those fun roguelike elements.
Or a barrel that shoots fish. Like, the guns are ridiculous, but the magic comes from the synergy of the items you pick up that go with the guns. So, like, maybe you'll pick up, you know, the infinite ammo boost with some kind of, like, Gatling gun, and it combines into some ridiculous weapon that just deletes the first boss. But it's got those fun roguelike elements.
We've got some interesting little topics to go over today. I would say some of them more interesting than the others, in my opinion, but we're going to start with Lords of the Fallen. Have you ever heard of Lords of the Fallen, Ryan?
We've got some interesting little topics to go over today. I would say some of them more interesting than the others, in my opinion, but we're going to start with Lords of the Fallen. Have you ever heard of Lords of the Fallen, Ryan?
dodge roll and then you're doing some interesting things with their uh make a souls like that would be just on brand for their for their name as difficult as enter the gun you could be it's a bullet hell game so you're like dodgy rolling a lot it might as well be a souls like might as well yeah might as well be if you ask me so the first one was pretty pixely pixel graphics it was very uh it was a pixelated kind of graphical adventure it was uh
dodge roll and then you're doing some interesting things with their uh make a souls like that would be just on brand for their for their name as difficult as enter the gun you could be it's a bullet hell game so you're like dodgy rolling a lot it might as well be a souls like might as well yeah might as well be if you ask me so the first one was pretty pixely pixel graphics it was very uh it was a pixelated kind of graphical adventure it was uh
Oh, yeah. They've definitely got a little bit of knowledge about guns. But I think Enter the Gungeon 2, if it comes out this year... If they can time it to not come out with anything else, like we were talking about, no shadow drops or anything like that, it'll take the month it comes out because people freaking love Enter the Gungeon. I being one of them.
Oh, yeah. They've definitely got a little bit of knowledge about guns. But I think Enter the Gungeon 2, if it comes out this year... If they can time it to not come out with anything else, like we were talking about, no shadow drops or anything like that, it'll take the month it comes out because people freaking love Enter the Gungeon. I being one of them.
No, no, no, no, no. Bethesda, you're done. You've already dropped Oblivion and you have freaking Doom. The Dark Age is coming. No more from you. You're done. No more. You leave the indie gamers alone.
No, no, no, no, no. Bethesda, you're done. You've already dropped Oblivion and you have freaking Doom. The Dark Age is coming. No more from you. You're done. No more. You leave the indie gamers alone.
Oh, one second. Todd Howard's at my door. Yeah. Ding, ding, ding, ding. Oh, no, he's threatening me with a New Vegas remaster.
Oh, one second. Todd Howard's at my door. Yeah. Ding, ding, ding, ding. Oh, no, he's threatening me with a New Vegas remaster.
I don't know how much trouble we're going to get into for ripping to Todd Howard, but... Ah, whatever. We love you, Todd. Now it's okay, because we said we love you. But moving on from Enter the Gungeon, we're going to talk about a game that came out, I believe, last week. And I played this game. You played this game. I did a review of this game. It is not performing as well as I expected. Really?
I don't know how much trouble we're going to get into for ripping to Todd Howard, but... Ah, whatever. We love you, Todd. Now it's okay, because we said we love you. But moving on from Enter the Gungeon, we're going to talk about a game that came out, I believe, last week. And I played this game. You played this game. I did a review of this game. It is not performing as well as I expected. Really?
Yeah. We are talking about Mandragora Whispers of the Witch Tree, which is a 2.5D Metroidvania kind of Souls-like combat with a Diablo-style skill tree. The skill tree is insane in this game, I will say.
Yeah. We are talking about Mandragora Whispers of the Witch Tree, which is a 2.5D Metroidvania kind of Souls-like combat with a Diablo-style skill tree. The skill tree is insane in this game, I will say.
This was going to be one of the biggest indie souls likes with a dark fantasy setting. It looked incredible. People were so hyped for it. And when it released, it was just kind of dead on arrival. It was so disappointing, man.
This was going to be one of the biggest indie souls likes with a dark fantasy setting. It looked incredible. People were so hyped for it. And when it released, it was just kind of dead on arrival. It was so disappointing, man.
just there's just too much it's too much for me and you never played a souls like so you don't like you never dealt with the weapon scaling kind of mechanics that come from souls like games where having higher stats you know can attribute to using better weapons and make a certain weapon more effective which is what mantra gora tries to do it does have weapon scaling like that's where it's souls like elements come from on top of the freaking stamina bar
just there's just too much it's too much for me and you never played a souls like so you don't like you never dealt with the weapon scaling kind of mechanics that come from souls like games where having higher stats you know can attribute to using better weapons and make a certain weapon more effective which is what mantra gora tries to do it does have weapon scaling like that's where it's souls like elements come from on top of the freaking stamina bar
You can like what you like. Don't worry about it. If you haven't played Bloodborne, you're missing out. Go buy a PlayStation just for Bloodborne. Oh, there you go. There you go.
You can like what you like. Don't worry about it. If you haven't played Bloodborne, you're missing out. Go buy a PlayStation just for Bloodborne. Oh, there you go. There you go.
It is getting very mixed reviews, and I don't understand why because it's a beautiful 2.5D game. It's got stunning graphics. It looks amazing, yeah. Incredible voice acting. The combat is fun and fluid, and it's just a fun game if you like this kind of game. It's got like 80 hours worth of content if you're looking for it.
It is getting very mixed reviews, and I don't understand why because it's a beautiful 2.5D game. It's got stunning graphics. It looks amazing, yeah. Incredible voice acting. The combat is fun and fluid, and it's just a fun game if you like this kind of game. It's got like 80 hours worth of content if you're looking for it.
So I don't understand why this one's not performing as well as it could have. I don't know if it's because of lack of marketing or maybe it was marketed incorrectly.
So I don't understand why this one's not performing as well as it could have. I don't know if it's because of lack of marketing or maybe it was marketed incorrectly.
That's really rough for them, and I do feel bad for the Mandragora devs, because you can clearly tell they put a lot of heart and a lot of effort into this game, and it just didn't land for people, unfortunately. And, you know, that's just how it is sometimes. Sometimes games just don't land.
That's really rough for them, and I do feel bad for the Mandragora devs, because you can clearly tell they put a lot of heart and a lot of effort into this game, and it just didn't land for people, unfortunately. And, you know, that's just how it is sometimes. Sometimes games just don't land.
But if you're even remotely interested into Metroidvanias and you like Souls-like kind of elements, I think people should definitely still check out Mandragora. Even if you feel like you need to wait for a sale for it to be worth your time, I think people should still check it out.
But if you're even remotely interested into Metroidvanias and you like Souls-like kind of elements, I think people should definitely still check out Mandragora. Even if you feel like you need to wait for a sale for it to be worth your time, I think people should still check it out.
Yeah, but we may have a cyberpunk ask redemption story on our hands with Lords of the Fallen as they've gotten a 2.0 update as it would be that went live this April that overhauled the game completely.
Yeah, but we may have a cyberpunk ask redemption story on our hands with Lords of the Fallen as they've gotten a 2.0 update as it would be that went live this April that overhauled the game completely.
It might be a price thing. And I thought maybe it's the Souls-like elements being too heavily implemented into the Metroidvania elements. But then I play games like Blasphemous, and Blasphemous is very similar. It's like, I don't know. I don't know what doesn't work.
It might be a price thing. And I thought maybe it's the Souls-like elements being too heavily implemented into the Metroidvania elements. But then I play games like Blasphemous, and Blasphemous is very similar. It's like, I don't know. I don't know what doesn't work.
Okay, so people like it, they just don't love it, which is something we talked about. Actually, we haven't talked about it yet. Scratch that. You haven't heard it yet. It's not out yet. Don't listen, don't listen. Don't listen to me. Well, before we... You know, I'll have to end on that note. Yeah. Happy, happy. Let's talk about one more thing.
Okay, so people like it, they just don't love it, which is something we talked about. Actually, we haven't talked about it yet. Scratch that. You haven't heard it yet. It's not out yet. Don't listen, don't listen. Don't listen to me. Well, before we... You know, I'll have to end on that note. Yeah. Happy, happy. Let's talk about one more thing.
Let's talk about Stone Machia, which is probably the strangest combination of games I think I've seen yet. Do you like chess, Ryan?
Let's talk about Stone Machia, which is probably the strangest combination of games I think I've seen yet. Do you like chess, Ryan?
Have you ever looked at chess and been like, what if it was a Souls-like? You know what this chess board needs? More Souls-like elements. I feel like that's every indie dev. This needs more roguelike. This needs more Souls-like.
Have you ever looked at chess and been like, what if it was a Souls-like? You know what this chess board needs? More Souls-like elements. I feel like that's every indie dev. This needs more roguelike. This needs more Souls-like.
Dude, this is an absurd game. I found this today. Well, I was on my break. I was looking on my phone for something we could talk about that was not what I put in here because I was like, everyone knows about this already. Everyone knows what this is. this looks so ridiculous, but also so intriguing to me. I don't know what it is.
Dude, this is an absurd game. I found this today. Well, I was on my break. I was looking on my phone for something we could talk about that was not what I put in here because I was like, everyone knows about this already. Everyone knows what this is. this looks so ridiculous, but also so intriguing to me. I don't know what it is.
Yeah. It added a seamless co-op and progression system and a friend pass, which we may know from games like It Takes Two or Split Fiction, where only one person has to own the game to play with their friends. So we're always on board with something like that. Like, why don't more developers do that?
Yeah. It added a seamless co-op and progression system and a friend pass, which we may know from games like It Takes Two or Split Fiction, where only one person has to own the game to play with their friends. So we're always on board with something like that. Like, why don't more developers do that?
I'd like to say it does not look like a mobile game. Before anyone judges it, it does not look like a mobile game.
I'd like to say it does not look like a mobile game. Before anyone judges it, it does not look like a mobile game.
yeah that's probably true it has a very impressive graphical style where you play as a pawn and you can sort of level up into the different you know archetypes of chess and go through this italian renaissance themed world of dark fantasy and action rpg hack and slash adventure as a pawn if that's what you've always wanted to do i don't know yeah
yeah that's probably true it has a very impressive graphical style where you play as a pawn and you can sort of level up into the different you know archetypes of chess and go through this italian renaissance themed world of dark fantasy and action rpg hack and slash adventure as a pawn if that's what you've always wanted to do i don't know yeah
They just sat around a table. It's like, all right, we all love chess. What about chess too? There you go. The soul's like version.
They just sat around a table. It's like, all right, we all love chess. What about chess too? There you go. The soul's like version.
Coming soon. But it does have a demo if people want to try out the demo. Oh, it does. And jump into that. It does have a demo, which if you really are interested in what I just talked about, I'm not going to repeat it. But I said a lot of words. Armed with the power of chess. Armed with the power of chess. The pawn will take the kingdom for himself. That's probably not even the plot.
Coming soon. But it does have a demo if people want to try out the demo. Oh, it does. And jump into that. It does have a demo, which if you really are interested in what I just talked about, I'm not going to repeat it. But I said a lot of words. Armed with the power of chess. Armed with the power of chess. The pawn will take the kingdom for himself. That's probably not even the plot.
I'm just being dumb.
I'm just being dumb.
Yeah, souls like chess. What better? You know, we have a little bit of time, so we're going to talk about it anyway. We're going to talk about Repo. Oh, yeah. You know what? Repo, everyone knows. If I say repo, I think everyone who knows indie games knows exactly what I'm talking about right now. Oh, yeah.
Yeah, souls like chess. What better? You know, we have a little bit of time, so we're going to talk about it anyway. We're going to talk about Repo. Oh, yeah. You know what? Repo, everyone knows. If I say repo, I think everyone who knows indie games knows exactly what I'm talking about right now. Oh, yeah.
You're not able to scroll through Instagram right now or YouTube or anything without a short from repo popping up.
You're not able to scroll through Instagram right now or YouTube or anything without a short from repo popping up.
And they're like, oh no! Dude, me and I haven't played repo with you and Josh. I've played repo with other people and that has happened so many times. I'll get like a vase in there worth like $6,000 and it'll just get smashed immediately. Like, no, all my hard work.
And they're like, oh no! Dude, me and I haven't played repo with you and Josh. I've played repo with other people and that has happened so many times. I'll get like a vase in there worth like $6,000 and it'll just get smashed immediately. Like, no, all my hard work.
But for the unaware, Repo is a cooperative survival horror game a la Lethal Company, where you play as robots going through these, you know, randomly, I guess, semi-randomly generated levels. gathering loot and scrap with a sort of physics engine similar to Gary's mod or Half-Life using the physics gun. And different things weigh different things. So you have to have friends help you carry things.
But for the unaware, Repo is a cooperative survival horror game a la Lethal Company, where you play as robots going through these, you know, randomly, I guess, semi-randomly generated levels. gathering loot and scrap with a sort of physics engine similar to Gary's mod or Half-Life using the physics gun. And different things weigh different things. So you have to have friends help you carry things.
And if you bang them into walls or the floor, you lose value on the thing you're carrying.
And if you bang them into walls or the floor, you lose value on the thing you're carrying.
Yeah. And, of course, because it's a horror game, there are monsters. My favorite being the duck that follows you around, and if you touch it, it turns into a horrible monstrosity that chases you down like you're its next snack.
Yeah. And, of course, because it's a horror game, there are monsters. My favorite being the duck that follows you around, and if you touch it, it turns into a horrible monstrosity that chases you down like you're its next snack.
These are the new party game to me.
These are the new party game to me.
But you all hop on.
But you all hop on.
I mean, Repo is just similar to Lethal Company. It's just taking the world by storm. People love Repo. A lot of people thought it would be a flash in a pan, you know, another Lethal Company-like game. It's going to be here and gone.
I mean, Repo is just similar to Lethal Company. It's just taking the world by storm. People love Repo. A lot of people thought it would be a flash in a pan, you know, another Lethal Company-like game. It's going to be here and gone.
What does it have, like over 100,000 overwhelmingly positive reviews?
What does it have, like over 100,000 overwhelmingly positive reviews?
And that's for just one of those, you know, quick pick up and play party games. Like, that's insane. For 10 bucks. For 10 bucks. And it's still actively being supported by the dev, of course. The dev is a little bit overwhelmed, to say the least. I think he said, like, I'm suffering from success right now. Dude, I'll take that. I would love to suffer from success.
And that's for just one of those, you know, quick pick up and play party games. Like, that's insane. For 10 bucks. For 10 bucks. And it's still actively being supported by the dev, of course. The dev is a little bit overwhelmed, to say the least. I think he said, like, I'm suffering from success right now. Dude, I'll take that. I would love to suffer from success.
Because, you know, people are like, when's the next update? When are we getting more? Yeah. More environments, more monsters, more character models.
Because, you know, people are like, when's the next update? When are we getting more? Yeah. More environments, more monsters, more character models.
You are not a Souls-like guy. But if I tell you I have Lords of the Fallen and you could play it with me for free, the very idea of just playing a game with me is enough to get you interested. Yeah.
You are not a Souls-like guy. But if I tell you I have Lords of the Fallen and you could play it with me for free, the very idea of just playing a game with me is enough to get you interested. Yeah.
I believe so, yeah.
I believe so, yeah.
I'd have to check on that, but I'm 98% sure it's a solo dev for this one.
I'd have to check on that, but I'm 98% sure it's a solo dev for this one.
I mean, the game's the medium, and the people you play with is where the entertainment comes from. Because the proximity chat, of course, is what makes this game so funny. Oh, gosh. And how the robots all flap their heads like Canadians from South Park.
I mean, the game's the medium, and the people you play with is where the entertainment comes from. Because the proximity chat, of course, is what makes this game so funny. Oh, gosh. And how the robots all flap their heads like Canadians from South Park.
If you haven't played Repo and you have a group or even just one or two people who want to play a game with you, I'd recommend picking up Repo. Repo is a good time.
If you haven't played Repo and you have a group or even just one or two people who want to play a game with you, I'd recommend picking up Repo. Repo is a good time.
We'll never get Josh to play it with us, so you better get your friends to play it with you. But I wanted to leave it on a positive note there, since we kind of dunked on Magic Core for a little bit. I like it.
We'll never get Josh to play it with us, so you better get your friends to play it with you. But I wanted to leave it on a positive note there, since we kind of dunked on Magic Core for a little bit. I like it.
Everyone's feeling good. We're feeling good about indie games. We're not worried about Oblivion totally covering up releases or anything.
Everyone's feeling good. We're feeling good about indie games. We're not worried about Oblivion totally covering up releases or anything.
man the dive is strong this season oh yes yes it is i just want to thank everyone for turning uh tuning in listening and if you wouldn't mind going down there and leaving us a nice little review yeah rate the podcast leave us a comment go to our youtube check out the video we're here we're gonna look at our pretty pretty faces oh hello and uh ryan house can they support the podcast
man the dive is strong this season oh yes yes it is i just want to thank everyone for turning uh tuning in listening and if you wouldn't mind going down there and leaving us a nice little review yeah rate the podcast leave us a comment go to our youtube check out the video we're here we're gonna look at our pretty pretty faces oh hello and uh ryan house can they support the podcast
So, all right, that'll do it. Well, thank you all for joining us and happy gaming. See ya.
So, all right, that'll do it. Well, thank you all for joining us and happy gaming. See ya.
Yeah, I was just about to get to that. It was janky. It was really janky and it was really unsatisfying to play. The combat did not feel fluid. People just did not enjoy this game and this came out around the same time as like Liza P so people were very heavily comparing the two and Liza P was just a much better Andy Souls like. Lords of the Fallen, however, it fell short, to say the least.
Yeah, I was just about to get to that. It was janky. It was really janky and it was really unsatisfying to play. The combat did not feel fluid. People just did not enjoy this game and this came out around the same time as like Liza P so people were very heavily comparing the two and Liza P was just a much better Andy Souls like. Lords of the Fallen, however, it fell short, to say the least.
Yeah, I feel so bad for them. They made a very visually impressive game, like... It had a cool mechanic where you could travel between the real world and the underworld using lanterns. It was super neat, but it just sucked.
Yeah, I feel so bad for them. They made a very visually impressive game, like... It had a cool mechanic where you could travel between the real world and the underworld using lanterns. It was super neat, but it just sucked.
But before that, I wouldn't necessarily say he's jumped the shark, but his ability to ollie, kickflip, and grind as a fish tells me it's just a matter of time. It's Ryan.
But before that, I wouldn't necessarily say he's jumped the shark, but his ability to ollie, kickflip, and grind as a fish tells me it's just a matter of time. It's Ryan.
But they've not only added the friends pass and the cross progression, they've overhauled the game completely. The mechanics are much better now. The gameplay feels much better now. And just overall, the game is better now. It's got a new tutorial. It's basically a whole new game. This might as well be Lords of the Fallen 2, is what people are saying.
But they've not only added the friends pass and the cross progression, they've overhauled the game completely. The mechanics are much better now. The gameplay feels much better now. And just overall, the game is better now. It's got a new tutorial. It's basically a whole new game. This might as well be Lords of the Fallen 2, is what people are saying.
And I think that makes it worth revisiting, in my opinion.
And I think that makes it worth revisiting, in my opinion.
We screwed up.
We screwed up.
You gave CD Projekt Red one more chance.
You gave CD Projekt Red one more chance.
Is it now? They really messed up with that one.
Is it now? They really messed up with that one.
I mean, speaking of a lot more money and a lot more people, indie devs tend to get overshadowed when it comes to AAA releases, which means they like to schedule their releases... Away from big releases. I'd say that's a pretty smart, you know, business decision not to schedule, you know, oh, yeah, we're going to put our game out the same day as Grand Theft Auto 6. Oh, yeah.
I mean, speaking of a lot more money and a lot more people, indie devs tend to get overshadowed when it comes to AAA releases, which means they like to schedule their releases... Away from big releases. I'd say that's a pretty smart, you know, business decision not to schedule, you know, oh, yeah, we're going to put our game out the same day as Grand Theft Auto 6. Oh, yeah.
Well, we had a very interesting little story come up about the dev on Blueprints and what he had to say about the shadow drop of the Oblivion remaster. Lay it on me.
Well, we had a very interesting little story come up about the dev on Blueprints and what he had to say about the shadow drop of the Oblivion remaster. Lay it on me.
Co-founder and indie publisher of Raw Fury, he argued that unexpected shadow drops like Oblivion Remastered unfairly bury smaller indie titles, noting that indie teams will meticulously plan their releases around, you know, these big games and try to avoid them.
Co-founder and indie publisher of Raw Fury, he argued that unexpected shadow drops like Oblivion Remastered unfairly bury smaller indie titles, noting that indie teams will meticulously plan their releases around, you know, these big games and try to avoid them.
He highlighted how indie gems such as Post Trauma and The Darkest Files, which are indie games, which you probably never heard of because they got buried, struggled to gain traction despite their positive reception because big games are dropped on the same day without any warning whatsoever. What do you think of that?
He highlighted how indie gems such as Post Trauma and The Darkest Files, which are indie games, which you probably never heard of because they got buried, struggled to gain traction despite their positive reception because big games are dropped on the same day without any warning whatsoever. What do you think of that?
That's true. You do love aquariums, don't you?
That's true. You do love aquariums, don't you?
Think about it. If that had dropped the same week as Oblivion, would Oblivion have buried it? Would nobody be covering it because everyone would be looking at Oblivion?
Think about it. If that had dropped the same week as Oblivion, would Oblivion have buried it? Would nobody be covering it because everyone would be looking at Oblivion?
I clearly see where he's coming from on this, that shadow drops are going to...
I clearly see where he's coming from on this, that shadow drops are going to...
hurt indies indirectly but also i think like it's just part of the business i think it's something you just kind of have to roll with because that's how some people want to do things they don't want to do a big you know hour-long showcase and be like that's right our game has been announced four months in advance yeah exactly hyped america yeah you build up that hype
hurt indies indirectly but also i think like it's just part of the business i think it's something you just kind of have to roll with because that's how some people want to do things they don't want to do a big you know hour-long showcase and be like that's right our game has been announced four months in advance yeah exactly hyped america yeah you build up that hype
Oh, man. I didn't even think about that. I was like, oh, yeah, Ryan loves escape, but I totally forgot you love aquariums and fish, too.
Oh, man. I didn't even think about that. I was like, oh, yeah, Ryan loves escape, but I totally forgot you love aquariums and fish, too.
You would have never even touched it. Even if Josh told you, we need to play this game, you would have been on Oblivion.
You would have never even touched it. Even if Josh told you, we need to play this game, you would have been on Oblivion.
Unless you just don't care. Some indie games are just so small and they just don't care, like the one we're about to talk about right now. I don't even know where to begin with this game. This is clearly a joke game. I would say like a parody game. You're not meant to take it seriously. But Tuna Hakes Underwater. Let's all just take a moment to take that name in. Tuna Hakes Underwater.
Unless you just don't care. Some indie games are just so small and they just don't care, like the one we're about to talk about right now. I don't even know where to begin with this game. This is clearly a joke game. I would say like a parody game. You're not meant to take it seriously. But Tuna Hakes Underwater. Let's all just take a moment to take that name in. Tuna Hakes Underwater.
It's like perfect for you.
It's like perfect for you.
What does that sound like to you, Ryan?
What does that sound like to you, Ryan?
Oh, man.
Oh, man.
Oh man, on my 15 minute breaks at work, I will just go to the Steam page and I'll just search the word indie. And then I'll go just check every single tab for something that's interesting. And some of the games on there I can't talk about, but some of the games are very interesting. And then there's just ones that stand out for completely different reasons.
Oh man, on my 15 minute breaks at work, I will just go to the Steam page and I'll just search the word indie. And then I'll go just check every single tab for something that's interesting. And some of the games on there I can't talk about, but some of the games are very interesting. And then there's just ones that stand out for completely different reasons.
It's not ones like, I'm like, oh, this game's going to be an all-timer. It's going to be like, this game's two bucks, but man, it could be a great time for two bucks.
It's not ones like, I'm like, oh, this game's going to be an all-timer. It's going to be like, this game's two bucks, but man, it could be a great time for two bucks.
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. With the jet skis and stuff.
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. With the jet skis and stuff.
Even if no one buys this game, I want you to go check the trailer out just so you can see how much of a parody of Tony Hawk this game is. No one is buying it, Ace.
Even if no one buys this game, I want you to go check the trailer out just so you can see how much of a parody of Tony Hawk this game is. No one is buying it, Ace.
100% positive reviews on Tuna Haze.
100% positive reviews on Tuna Haze.
Yeah, I know. You and Josh get to take a little break. As people may have noticed, he's not here. We're giving him a little break from all the chaos, and honestly, we just can't pull him away from Expedition 33. That's the real issue. We can't get him here. He doesn't want to come.
Yeah, I know. You and Josh get to take a little break. As people may have noticed, he's not here. We're giving him a little break from all the chaos, and honestly, we just can't pull him away from Expedition 33. That's the real issue. We can't get him here. He doesn't want to come.
oh dude the real the rail sliding with the fish was what got me at the end i was like and their tails are still flopping as they're going across yeah if it's not clear tuna hake is a uh tony hawk ripoff a very low effort one uh sandbox game $1.79 right now you can have $1.79 if you're looking for just a dumb fun game But with its 31 players strong... Yeah. Yeah. It's nothing offensive.
oh dude the real the rail sliding with the fish was what got me at the end i was like and their tails are still flopping as they're going across yeah if it's not clear tuna hake is a uh tony hawk ripoff a very low effort one uh sandbox game $1.79 right now you can have $1.79 if you're looking for just a dumb fun game But with its 31 players strong... Yeah. Yeah. It's nothing offensive.
I wouldn't say it's hurting the game industry in any way. I think it's silly and fun.
I wouldn't say it's hurting the game industry in any way. I think it's silly and fun.
yeah this is my vision is my dream this seems cool yeah i've always wanted to see fish grind rails yeah that's yeah that's that's always been you know in my in my bucket list of things to see but moving on from tuna hay let's talk about a indie game that looks just a little bit more interesting to me for completely different reasons We're talking about Once Upon a Puppet.
yeah this is my vision is my dream this seems cool yeah i've always wanted to see fish grind rails yeah that's yeah that's that's always been you know in my in my bucket list of things to see but moving on from tuna hay let's talk about a indie game that looks just a little bit more interesting to me for completely different reasons We're talking about Once Upon a Puppet.
It is a 2D platformer kind of game. It's a 2.5D puzzle platformer kind of game. It kind of reminds me of this old PS3 game called Puppeteer, where you played as a puppet with scissors and you would try to cut the heads off of enemies and use the heads as your lives. It was a very interesting game.
It is a 2D platformer kind of game. It's a 2.5D puzzle platformer kind of game. It kind of reminds me of this old PS3 game called Puppeteer, where you played as a puppet with scissors and you would try to cut the heads off of enemies and use the heads as your lives. It was a very interesting game.
Yeah, it was a very interesting game.
Yeah, it was a very interesting game.
Yeah, this one was crazy. I loved the look of it, too. You know, you had the whole puppeteer thing, the strings and all that. Games that can, like, nail that aesthetic of puppeteering really worked for me when pulling me into the world. And this one does that for me. I don't know what you thought about it, but...
Yeah, this one was crazy. I loved the look of it, too. You know, you had the whole puppeteer thing, the strings and all that. Games that can, like, nail that aesthetic of puppeteering really worked for me when pulling me into the world. And this one does that for me. I don't know what you thought about it, but...
Yeah, no. We already know how you feel about Expedition 33, right?
Yeah, no. We already know how you feel about Expedition 33, right?
If we didn't have the midnight walk coming up, I would definitely be like, Oh yeah, I'm going to play once upon a puppet. But like we've got, there's like we said before, there's so many good games coming out this year. I feel like we just don't have time to play everything. And it really is a disappointment. So if anyone out there wants to play it for us and tell us how it was.
If we didn't have the midnight walk coming up, I would definitely be like, Oh yeah, I'm going to play once upon a puppet. But like we've got, there's like we said before, there's so many good games coming out this year. I feel like we just don't have time to play everything. And it really is a disappointment. So if anyone out there wants to play it for us and tell us how it was.
Oh, yeah. No, if you don't get that emotional connection with it, like within the first hour, you're not going to go anywhere with it. Because the whole point of it is not to fight monsters and level up. It's to be human and show humanity and see what happens. Yeah.
Oh, yeah. No, if you don't get that emotional connection with it, like within the first hour, you're not going to go anywhere with it. Because the whole point of it is not to fight monsters and level up. It's to be human and show humanity and see what happens. Yeah.
Oh, yeah. It's this great little game where you fly through space and you just happen to be stuck in a time loop and the sun is exploding.
Oh, yeah. It's this great little game where you fly through space and you just happen to be stuck in a time loop and the sun is exploding.
No, you don't think so?
No, you don't think so?
You wouldn't do that to me, Ace. That's too bad. I'm taking Subnautica anyways.
You wouldn't do that to me, Ace. That's too bad. I'm taking Subnautica anyways.
I did. You did.
I did. You did.
No, are you kidding me? This will be light work. I mean, come on. Oh, here we go. YouTube, indie games. Yeah, sure.
No, are you kidding me? This will be light work. I mean, come on. Oh, here we go. YouTube, indie games. Yeah, sure.
Man, I love Subnautica, but it gives me anxiety when I get deep down there and it's dark and I'm all by myself.
Man, I love Subnautica, but it gives me anxiety when I get deep down there and it's dark and I'm all by myself.
I played it once on Nintendo switch and never touched it again. No.
I played it once on Nintendo switch and never touched it again. No.
I've got to confess, you guys, I had no idea Rocket League was an indie. I thought it was an Epic Games thing.
I've got to confess, you guys, I had no idea Rocket League was an indie. I thought it was an Epic Games thing.
We'll see. Yeah, we'll see.
We'll see. Yeah, we'll see.
It is one of the most incredible 3D roguelikes. And it's multiplayer, so you can play with friends. Yeah. Come on!
It is one of the most incredible 3D roguelikes. And it's multiplayer, so you can play with friends. Yeah. Come on!
There it goes. I figured it would. Yeah.
There it goes. I figured it would. Yeah.
I got to be true to myself. I hinted at it earlier.
I got to be true to myself. I hinted at it earlier.
Oh, I have a bad feeling.
Oh, I have a bad feeling.
That's awesome.
That's awesome.
Just do it.
Just do it.
That wasn't on my list.
That wasn't on my list.
Welcome to the other 2%. I'm not a fan.
Welcome to the other 2%. I'm not a fan.
It's an absolute giant in the indie scene. I mean, you can't go anywhere without someone knowing what Stardew Valley is.
It's an absolute giant in the indie scene. I mean, you can't go anywhere without someone knowing what Stardew Valley is.
Yeah. Solo dev, too, which is incredible. Which is insane, dude.
Yeah. Solo dev, too, which is incredible. Which is insane, dude.
Concerned 8. And he's already working on his next game.
Concerned 8. And he's already working on his next game.
You know... Don't mess it up, man. I've been drafting in the name of the people this whole time, but I think it's time I chose some of the ones closer to my own heart. And specifically, this guy, I spent $100 to have you play his game.
You know... Don't mess it up, man. I've been drafting in the name of the people this whole time, but I think it's time I chose some of the ones closer to my own heart. And specifically, this guy, I spent $100 to have you play his game.
My good buddy, Shovel Knight.
My good buddy, Shovel Knight.
Celeste may be one of the greatest platformers of all the indie genre, but Shovel Knight's a close second, man, with just how much variety in the gameplay there is.
Celeste may be one of the greatest platformers of all the indie genre, but Shovel Knight's a close second, man, with just how much variety in the gameplay there is.
Yeah. Don't do that. You make it so much harder on yourself. You get an achievement for it if you do it, but I don't recommend it. No. Poor Paul.
Yeah. Don't do that. You make it so much harder on yourself. You get an achievement for it if you do it, but I don't recommend it. No. Poor Paul.
All right. Your last pick. This is it. This is rounding out your top five list of best indie games of all time, man. Well, you know, y'all let me have it, so I'm going to take it. And that's Ender Magnolia. It is going to be my game of the year, and it's easily one of the greatest games I've ever played in my entire life. I love it so much.
All right. Your last pick. This is it. This is rounding out your top five list of best indie games of all time, man. Well, you know, y'all let me have it, so I'm going to take it. And that's Ender Magnolia. It is going to be my game of the year, and it's easily one of the greatest games I've ever played in my entire life. I love it so much.
And it's not even recency bias anymore because it's been a while.
And it's not even recency bias anymore because it's been a while.
Oh, yeah, you know it. Here we have a five-star review that's titled The Office of Podcast by... Oh, my God, how do you read that?
Oh, yeah, you know it. Here we have a five-star review that's titled The Office of Podcast by... Oh, my God, how do you read that?
Yeah, we pointed that out before. That's what really works for them, I think. It's what keeps people there when they don't have the great graphics to go along with it sometimes. Or they can't afford the hand-drawn graphics. It's like, oh man, this soundtrack's killer. I'm going to keep playing this level.
Yeah, we pointed that out before. That's what really works for them, I think. It's what keeps people there when they don't have the great graphics to go along with it sometimes. Or they can't afford the hand-drawn graphics. It's like, oh man, this soundtrack's killer. I'm going to keep playing this level.
I'm just glad I had a backup platformer.
I'm just glad I had a backup platformer.
Ryan, this is your last pick.
Ryan, this is your last pick.
Good luck, Ace. Jadibi. Jadibi. We'll call you Jadibi.
Good luck, Ace. Jadibi. Jadibi. We'll call you Jadibi.
Yeah.
Yeah.
remember during the pandemic people streamed like 1 billion minutes of the office that's because that's what felt like when you were watching with old friends and it was comfort in hard times this is exactly the same thing for game nerds keep it up well thank you that's super kind of you dude i'm sorry anybody that refers to us as the office yeah the same vein as the office i'm in high praise brothers high praise
remember during the pandemic people streamed like 1 billion minutes of the office that's because that's what felt like when you were watching with old friends and it was comfort in hard times this is exactly the same thing for game nerds keep it up well thank you that's super kind of you dude i'm sorry anybody that refers to us as the office yeah the same vein as the office i'm in high praise brothers high praise
I really do. So Bellatro is like alcohol. It's pretty addictive to a lot of people, man.
I really do. So Bellatro is like alcohol. It's pretty addictive to a lot of people, man.
Y'all really like that one, huh? Oh, dude, it's so good.
Y'all really like that one, huh? Oh, dude, it's so good.
What is this support? I've never felt this in my life.
What is this support? I've never felt this in my life.
Yeah, that's a pretty great fail pick if you remember that one.
Yeah, that's a pretty great fail pick if you remember that one.
I've got a few to say.
I've got a few to say.
Let me just open my dictionary of Indians.
Let me just open my dictionary of Indians.
Yeah, that one's so good, man. Lethal Company is an all-timer. It really is. And it's a shame it couldn't make my list because it is really that good. Well, I got a few. We've already drafted a few of the roguelikes from the genre, but one of the biggest ones I would say is Enter the Gungeon.
Yeah, that one's so good, man. Lethal Company is an all-timer. It really is. And it's a shame it couldn't make my list because it is really that good. Well, I got a few. We've already drafted a few of the roguelikes from the genre, but one of the biggest ones I would say is Enter the Gungeon.
I mean, they're these bullet hell heck games where you're basically like you go into a dungeon, you gather as much material as you can and try to fight the boss to move up to the next floor like any other roguelike. But there's so much synergy with everything you pick up. And it's each of them have their own unique style.
I mean, they're these bullet hell heck games where you're basically like you go into a dungeon, you gather as much material as you can and try to fight the boss to move up to the next floor like any other roguelike. But there's so much synergy with everything you pick up. And it's each of them have their own unique style.
And Gungeon just does it so well, especially because it has like a secret story hidden in there as well. But on top of that, I would also want to mention Amnesia the Dark Descent.
And Gungeon just does it so well, especially because it has like a secret story hidden in there as well. But on top of that, I would also want to mention Amnesia the Dark Descent.
It's not going to win. It is super good.
It's not going to win. It is super good.
Oh, man. It is not going to win any rewards, but it definitely... It definitely redefined horror for a while there. I think it really changed the way we see this psychological horror in games and things like that. Like Outlast definitely came from inspirations of amnesia. I don't know if that's like sacrilegious to say or something.
Oh, man. It is not going to win any rewards, but it definitely... It definitely redefined horror for a while there. I think it really changed the way we see this psychological horror in games and things like that. Like Outlast definitely came from inspirations of amnesia. I don't know if that's like sacrilegious to say or something.
And just to keep it short, the last one I'll mention is Liza P. It was hard not to draft Liza P. Yeah, dude.
And just to keep it short, the last one I'll mention is Liza P. It was hard not to draft Liza P. Yeah, dude.
I can't believe you sniped Celeste for me.
I can't believe you sniped Celeste for me.
Oh, yeah. My list is one of a kind. What do you mean?
Oh, yeah. My list is one of a kind. What do you mean?
We've all played this game before. I'm picking Hollow Knight. The ultimate revival of Metroidvanias within our lifetime.
We've all played this game before. I'm picking Hollow Knight. The ultimate revival of Metroidvanias within our lifetime.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Vote for me. Peace out. See ya.
Vote for me. Peace out. See ya.
You weren't getting Hollow Knight if I got first pick.
You weren't getting Hollow Knight if I got first pick.
I feel like at this point it's been so long. If it's not, there will be riots.
I feel like at this point it's been so long. If it's not, there will be riots.
Oh yeah, no. If it doesn't at least live up to the hype of base game Hollow Knight before all the content got added to it. Yeah. Massive letdown.
Oh yeah, no. If it doesn't at least live up to the hype of base game Hollow Knight before all the content got added to it. Yeah. Massive letdown.
I'll record you a Let's Play and leave it there for you.
I'll record you a Let's Play and leave it there for you.
Yeah, exactly.
Yeah, exactly.
It doesn't mean it's good.
It doesn't mean it's good.
I don't want to admit it, but that's a great pick. With Jack Black as the lead role.
I don't want to admit it, but that's a great pick. With Jack Black as the lead role.
It does not look good to me. It looks like garbage.
It does not look good to me. It looks like garbage.
I played it recently. It is an incredible game and it's an experience like you can't get anywhere else. Even though it lacks like direct action, you never feel bored or like you're not doing anything.
I played it recently. It is an incredible game and it's an experience like you can't get anywhere else. Even though it lacks like direct action, you never feel bored or like you're not doing anything.
Sworn is super close. I will say, I'm not trying to give any spoilers on Sworn yet, but Sworn is as close as I've seen someone get to perfecting that almost Hades bar. Because Hades absolutely raised the bar for what people expect out of a top-down roguelike like that. Like, it is absurd the quality.
Sworn is super close. I will say, I'm not trying to give any spoilers on Sworn yet, but Sworn is as close as I've seen someone get to perfecting that almost Hades bar. Because Hades absolutely raised the bar for what people expect out of a top-down roguelike like that. Like, it is absurd the quality.
I just didn't think Ryan, of all people, would take Celeste.
I just didn't think Ryan, of all people, would take Celeste.
I love this so much.
I love this so much.
Do you even know the protagonist's name in Celeste? I have no idea.
Do you even know the protagonist's name in Celeste? I have no idea.
It is. It's Madeline. The mountain's name is Celeste, if you wanted to know.
It is. It's Madeline. The mountain's name is Celeste, if you wanted to know.
I genuinely thought I got it past you guys when Josh didn't take it as second pick. I was like, oh, yeah, I've got this. Ryan doesn't even know what Celeste is.
I genuinely thought I got it past you guys when Josh didn't take it as second pick. I was like, oh, yeah, I've got this. Ryan doesn't even know what Celeste is.
This is one I know might be on your list, but you know nothing about. It is a pixel art turn-based RPG that took the world by storm when it came out and kind of revived the indie genre from where it was. And that is a little game called Undertale.
This is one I know might be on your list, but you know nothing about. It is a pixel art turn-based RPG that took the world by storm when it came out and kind of revived the indie genre from where it was. And that is a little game called Undertale.
I have to agree. I think that Risk of Rain 2 is completely underrated. At 93, that feels like a crime, honestly, with how good this game is. and how much it, like, innovates on the roguelike genre. Because, like, how many roguelikes do you know that are, like, in a 3D environment like that that you could play with friends, too? Like, that's crazy.
I have to agree. I think that Risk of Rain 2 is completely underrated. At 93, that feels like a crime, honestly, with how good this game is. and how much it, like, innovates on the roguelike genre. Because, like, how many roguelikes do you know that are, like, in a 3D environment like that that you could play with friends, too? Like, that's crazy.
I thrive on the pain and misery.
I thrive on the pain and misery.
Well, if Stardew Valley can be a 98% and people think that's fine, I think Hades is underrated because it is absolutely a 99 or a 100. Because aside from where Hollow Knight, where I have played other Metroidvanias that are way better. Sorry, Hollow Knight fans. He's just digging that hole. I know. I'm really digging. I'm twisting the knife real good there. I have not played another, like,
Well, if Stardew Valley can be a 98% and people think that's fine, I think Hades is underrated because it is absolutely a 99 or a 100. Because aside from where Hollow Knight, where I have played other Metroidvanias that are way better. Sorry, Hollow Knight fans. He's just digging that hole. I know. I'm really digging. I'm twisting the knife real good there. I have not played another, like,
roguelike like hate hand-drawn roguelike like Hades with this much detail and this much like dialogue and beautiful artwork that tops it like nothing has topped Hades in the roguelike genre for me when it comes to like these top-down perspectives yeah that's I mean that's fair there is underrated
roguelike like hate hand-drawn roguelike like Hades with this much detail and this much like dialogue and beautiful artwork that tops it like nothing has topped Hades in the roguelike genre for me when it comes to like these top-down perspectives yeah that's I mean that's fair there is underrated
I am. I am a big fan of Lethal.
I am. I am a big fan of Lethal.
At a 97%, I'm going to have to say it's overrated. No! Unfortunately.
At a 97%, I'm going to have to say it's overrated. No! Unfortunately.
I think it is the genre that Lethal is, which I call it the horror extraction genre, because that's, I guess, what you would consider it has been innovated on since Lethal with games like Repo. Repo has sort of taken what Lethal did and it's made it based around this physics engine where things have weight and you have to carry them with basically a carries mod physics gun. Excuse me.
I think it is the genre that Lethal is, which I call it the horror extraction genre, because that's, I guess, what you would consider it has been innovated on since Lethal with games like Repo. Repo has sort of taken what Lethal did and it's made it based around this physics engine where things have weight and you have to carry them with basically a carries mod physics gun. Excuse me.
No. You don't get to pick in between the lines. No, you got to go one or the other.
No. You don't get to pick in between the lines. No, you got to go one or the other.
And I think that makes that a little bit more special than what Lethal does.
And I think that makes that a little bit more special than what Lethal does.
I know.
I know.
I'm surprised we're all in agreement on this one.
I'm surprised we're all in agreement on this one.
Ryan, got to have that infinite sprint.
Ryan, got to have that infinite sprint.
No, they didn't. I can tell you they didn't.
No, they didn't. I can tell you they didn't.
Okay. I'm going to say it's underrated. Whoa.
Okay. I'm going to say it's underrated. Whoa.
Oh, thank God. Someone will. Oh, hold on.
Oh, thank God. Someone will. Oh, hold on.
Oh, you're the tank. You'll be fine. But no, I definitely think Subnautica is underrated, especially with how saturated the genre has become with, you know, these survival games. Subnautica really stands out as something special with its, you know, its setting and the gameplay and the story too. Like, I mean, it's all really good. It scares the crap out of me, though.
Oh, you're the tank. You'll be fine. But no, I definitely think Subnautica is underrated, especially with how saturated the genre has become with, you know, these survival games. Subnautica really stands out as something special with its, you know, its setting and the gameplay and the story too. Like, I mean, it's all really good. It scares the crap out of me, though.
Yeah, that's a crime. That's pretty wild. 87 is crazy.
Yeah, that's a crime. That's pretty wild. 87 is crazy.
Of course it did.
Of course it did.
Dave is definitely underrated, man. Dave is so good, and there's so much content in that game that you could be playing right now. you be silent i will be silent i'm gonna let you finish this ramble you're gonna go on real quick oh ramble is that what oh man we know ryan feels do we know like what game do you know got a crossover with yakuza and godzilla ryan huh that doesn't mean it's good
Dave is definitely underrated, man. Dave is so good, and there's so much content in that game that you could be playing right now. you be silent i will be silent i'm gonna let you finish this ramble you're gonna go on real quick oh ramble is that what oh man we know ryan feels do we know like what game do you know got a crossover with yakuza and godzilla ryan huh that doesn't mean it's good
You don't think it's 98% good?
You don't think it's 98% good?
That's Stardew Valley levels of good.
That's Stardew Valley levels of good.
How dare you?
How dare you?
You'll make some enemies with those ones, I can promise you that. That's fine, man. I can take the heat, man. I can take it.
You'll make some enemies with those ones, I can promise you that. That's fine, man. I can take the heat, man. I can take it.
Wild card. What about you, Ace? Until today, I didn't even know you played Cuphead. I have, yep.
Wild card. What about you, Ace? Until today, I didn't even know you played Cuphead. I have, yep.
I have played Cuphead. I think it is completely overrated. no i think it's a i think it's a beautiful game yeah i think the sound design and the you know artwork and all that is super crisp super pretty super great and that the sacrifice the devs made to get that game out there by like mortgaging their houses like three times or whatever just to get that game made is super great and all but like
I have played Cuphead. I think it is completely overrated. no i think it's a i think it's a beautiful game yeah i think the sound design and the you know artwork and all that is super crisp super pretty super great and that the sacrifice the devs made to get that game out there by like mortgaging their houses like three times or whatever just to get that game made is super great and all but like
That game just doesn't deserve it. It's not accessible enough to people, I think, to the point where it deserves that high a score. I could see a 95, but I'm definitely not on the side of the Metacritic users who put it at 86. Yeah. That's crazy.
That game just doesn't deserve it. It's not accessible enough to people, I think, to the point where it deserves that high a score. I could see a 95, but I'm definitely not on the side of the Metacritic users who put it at 86. Yeah. That's crazy.
Actually, there was a rat. He was a boss in the game.
Actually, there was a rat. He was a boss in the game.
That did psychic damage to him.
That did psychic damage to him.
You are. Because you're too honest. You are, buddy.
You are. Because you're too honest. You are, buddy.
I agree completely. 93 is way, way, way too low for Disco Elysium. There's no other game like Disco Elysium out there that can do what it does without combat. It all takes place basically in Harry's head. What's going on? Yeah, exactly. The first time you boot it up, it's like, LIMIC system. You just know it's super freaking weird, and it's going to be a great time.
I agree completely. 93 is way, way, way too low for Disco Elysium. There's no other game like Disco Elysium out there that can do what it does without combat. It all takes place basically in Harry's head. What's going on? Yeah, exactly. The first time you boot it up, it's like, LIMIC system. You just know it's super freaking weird, and it's going to be a great time.
I'm going to preference this by saying Dredge is probably one of my favorite games ever. But near the end, it really starts to drag. And you hit that wall and you hit it hard. So I'm going to have to say it's a little bit overrated.
I'm going to preference this by saying Dredge is probably one of my favorite games ever. But near the end, it really starts to drag. And you hit that wall and you hit it hard. So I'm going to have to say it's a little bit overrated.
Maybe we could send him to Indie in 60 instead. Yeah, there you go. I found it on our Instagram.
Maybe we could send him to Indie in 60 instead. Yeah, there you go. I found it on our Instagram.
That's what I'm worried about. We're all just going to look back and be like, oh, wow, Dredge did it right.
That's what I'm worried about. We're all just going to look back and be like, oh, wow, Dredge did it right.
Yeah, we should be scared.
Yeah, we should be scared.
Yeah, I'll introduce that one after I say that I have to unfortunately agree with you that Dead Cells is a little overrated. I hate to say what it is. It's a little bit overrated when the genre is this packed with giants of the roguelike genre and even the roguelike 2D platformer genre.
Yeah, I'll introduce that one after I say that I have to unfortunately agree with you that Dead Cells is a little overrated. I hate to say what it is. It's a little bit overrated when the genre is this packed with giants of the roguelike genre and even the roguelike 2D platformer genre.
96% on Steam.
96% on Steam.
Don't poke the bear. Oh, sorry.
Don't poke the bear. Oh, sorry.
Yeah, don't poke the bear, please. And a 92 on Metacritic. I have to say that Undertale is completely and utterly...
Yeah, don't poke the bear, please. And a 92 on Metacritic. I have to say that Undertale is completely and utterly...
underrated josh take it away now overrated it is completely overrated i was like wait what wait a second just bait and switch me like what just happened oh man i think undertale is completely overrated it's got great music and i know people love the story and that the whole thing is about choice and whatever it just didn't resonate with me and i don't think that if if we didn't have like cringy teenagers in youtube it would be as nearly as big as it is
underrated josh take it away now overrated it is completely overrated i was like wait what wait a second just bait and switch me like what just happened oh man i think undertale is completely overrated it's got great music and i know people love the story and that the whole thing is about choice and whatever it just didn't resonate with me and i don't think that if if we didn't have like cringy teenagers in youtube it would be as nearly as big as it is
Old man opinions. Yeah.
Old man opinions. Yeah.
I agree. It is completely underrated, and it's got infinite replayability, and you can play it with your friends. So underrated, Rock and Stone. Rock and Stone.
I agree. It is completely underrated, and it's got infinite replayability, and you can play it with your friends. So underrated, Rock and Stone. Rock and Stone.
It's a close line.
It's a close line.
It's a close line.
It's a close line.
Send all hate to Ryan. He wants it. Yeah.
Send all hate to Ryan. He wants it. Yeah.
Apparently you're wrong about that.
Apparently you're wrong about that.
You're not going to find it for me. Yeah, you're not going to find it here, unfortunately, either. I think it's overrated as heck, man. Am I amongst friends? Yeah, I think it's overrated as heck.
You're not going to find it for me. Yeah, you're not going to find it here, unfortunately, either. I think it's overrated as heck, man. Am I amongst friends? Yeah, I think it's overrated as heck.
You tell me you don't like to do your virtual chores every day, Ryan, and go talk to all the people in the town and build relationships in the game instead of in real life.
You tell me you don't like to do your virtual chores every day, Ryan, and go talk to all the people in the town and build relationships in the game instead of in real life.
Because it's got vampires and werewolves, too.
Because it's got vampires and werewolves, too.
It's overrated. It's overrated. It's still good, it's just overrated. It's going to be a good game.
It's overrated. It's overrated. It's still good, it's just overrated. It's going to be a good game.
Torches and pitchforks are coming. Oh, yeah.
Torches and pitchforks are coming. Oh, yeah.
Here we go. Here it comes.
Here we go. Here it comes.
Yeah, I can't believe it. I still can't believe that.
Yeah, I can't believe it. I still can't believe that.
So in my time as an indie gamer, I've played lots of Metroidvanias. Your favorite genre. It is my favorite genre. Yes.
So in my time as an indie gamer, I've played lots of Metroidvanias. Your favorite genre. It is my favorite genre. Yes.
And I've just got to say at this point in my life, I think Hollow Knight is a little overrated. There's better Metroidvanias. Oh, my goodness.
And I've just got to say at this point in my life, I think Hollow Knight is a little overrated. There's better Metroidvanias. Oh, my goodness.
How dare you? There's better Metroidvanias with better mechanics that deserve a higher spot than Hollow Knight, in my opinion. Ender Lilies and Ender Magnolia. There's two. Of course he's going to name those. Let's not forget Blasphemous. Blasphemous is an incredible Metroidvania that nobody pays attention to. Okay. Yeah, you know.
How dare you? There's better Metroidvanias with better mechanics that deserve a higher spot than Hollow Knight, in my opinion. Ender Lilies and Ender Magnolia. There's two. Of course he's going to name those. Let's not forget Blasphemous. Blasphemous is an incredible Metroidvania that nobody pays attention to. Okay. Yeah, you know.
It's a pretty game, and it's beautiful, and I don't think it's bad by any means, but at this point in my life, I'm going to say it's overrated.
It's a pretty game, and it's beautiful, and I don't think it's bad by any means, but at this point in my life, I'm going to say it's overrated.
Wild take.
Wild take.
I guess I'm not among friends.
I guess I'm not among friends.
Bring it on, baby. The truth's coming, whether you want to hear it or not.
Bring it on, baby. The truth's coming, whether you want to hear it or not.
It feels like such a crazy thing to say Hollow Knight's underrated. I know, right? When you think of indie games, that's one of the first that comes to mind. It is. Oh, yeah, you should play Hollow Knight.
It feels like such a crazy thing to say Hollow Knight's underrated. I know, right? When you think of indie games, that's one of the first that comes to mind. It is. Oh, yeah, you should play Hollow Knight.
I think that also really increases the longevity of these games, too. Oh, for sure. You're a lot more willing to jump back into a roguelike you've already beaten if your friend's like, hey, I've not played this before. Can we play it? That's where Cult of the Lamb got a massive resurgence is when they added the local co-op because people were like, oh, I can play Cult of the Lamb with my friends.
I think that also really increases the longevity of these games, too. Oh, for sure. You're a lot more willing to jump back into a roguelike you've already beaten if your friend's like, hey, I've not played this before. Can we play it? That's where Cult of the Lamb got a massive resurgence is when they added the local co-op because people were like, oh, I can play Cult of the Lamb with my friends.
Oh yeah. And that's going to be a blast. That's not an indie, but I will say right now, listeners, I'm very excited for night rant. You're excited.
Oh yeah. And that's going to be a blast. That's not an indie, but I will say right now, listeners, I'm very excited for night rant. You're excited.
Oh, come on. But yeah. Undermine 2 coming in July of 2022. That's pretty close, honestly. So mark it on your calendars, add it to your wishlist, which you should be doing for all these games. If you're good listeners, that's what you're doing. You're supporting the devs by putting them on their wishlist.
Oh, come on. But yeah. Undermine 2 coming in July of 2022. That's pretty close, honestly. So mark it on your calendars, add it to your wishlist, which you should be doing for all these games. If you're good listeners, that's what you're doing. You're supporting the devs by putting them on their wishlist.
Hello, fellow gamers, and welcome to the Video Gamers Podcast. I am your host, Ace, and today we are going to look at a mushroom-filled roguelike, a ridiculous dating simulator, and probably one of the most frustrating games you'll ever play in your life. But before that, I've got to introduce to you a man who just came out of a devastating breakup with his toaster. It's Ryan. Ryan.
Hello, fellow gamers, and welcome to the Video Gamers Podcast. I am your host, Ace, and today we are going to look at a mushroom-filled roguelike, a ridiculous dating simulator, and probably one of the most frustrating games you'll ever play in your life. But before that, I've got to introduce to you a man who just came out of a devastating breakup with his toaster. It's Ryan. Ryan.
this year comes out so thank you for saying it right because i messed that up i was like yeah i 22 oh yeah no that's not like do you want to get the time machine and go back and like i kind of do but you know what i'm gonna roll with it i'm already the punching bag i like it no you're good we wouldn't do that to your old bones what are you talking about no not again but we're gonna take a quick break right now and i'll be right back
this year comes out so thank you for saying it right because i messed that up i was like yeah i 22 oh yeah no that's not like do you want to get the time machine and go back and like i kind of do but you know what i'm gonna roll with it i'm already the punching bag i like it no you're good we wouldn't do that to your old bones what are you talking about no not again but we're gonna take a quick break right now and i'll be right back
All right. We are back. We are talking about a interesting indie, to say the least, bringing back the punch out genre, which I don't know what you write. I don't see many games try to bring back punch out.
All right. We are back. We are talking about a interesting indie, to say the least, bringing back the punch out genre, which I don't know what you write. I don't see many games try to bring back punch out.
That's pretty high praise then coming from you.
That's pretty high praise then coming from you.
Yeah, we're talking about a game called Leftovers KO, by the way. I forgot to mention the name because I'm that way. I got ahead of myself.
Yeah, we're talking about a game called Leftovers KO, by the way. I forgot to mention the name because I'm that way. I got ahead of myself.
It is a hand-drawn punch-out sort of, I don't want to say clone. What's the word? homage tribute yeah there's the word i want never could find the words i gotcha where you are fighting your leftovers you know giant six foot hamburgers or angry pizza yeah you know sometimes when food upsets my stomach i want to go punch it in the face too see this is a relatable moment
It is a hand-drawn punch-out sort of, I don't want to say clone. What's the word? homage tribute yeah there's the word i want never could find the words i gotcha where you are fighting your leftovers you know giant six foot hamburgers or angry pizza yeah you know sometimes when food upsets my stomach i want to go punch it in the face too see this is a relatable moment
Yeah, it's very hand-drawn. Almost like a Garfield cartoon is kind of what it reminds me of.
Yeah, it's very hand-drawn. Almost like a Garfield cartoon is kind of what it reminds me of.
So did you play much punch out or anything like that? I played punch out on the Wii and I was terrible at it. Yeah. I can tell you now, like I was bad, bad at it, but I was also like 11, I think. So, you know, maybe I didn't have the reflexes I should have.
So did you play much punch out or anything like that? I played punch out on the Wii and I was terrible at it. Yeah. I can tell you now, like I was bad, bad at it, but I was also like 11, I think. So, you know, maybe I didn't have the reflexes I should have.
That's great, man. I think that's exactly the way I feel, too. Oh, cool. Indie games have so much more heart, it feels like. AAA games have heart. I'm not going to say that at all.
That's great, man. I think that's exactly the way I feel, too. Oh, cool. Indie games have so much more heart, it feels like. AAA games have heart. I'm not going to say that at all.
Super Punch-Out is crazy hard.
Super Punch-Out is crazy hard.
What do you mean I lost to Glass Joe? No one loses to Glass Joe. How did this happen? I'm a failure.
What do you mean I lost to Glass Joe? No one loses to Glass Joe. How did this happen? I'm a failure.
This one has a demo as well that I played.
This one has a demo as well that I played.
I played the demo. Okay.
I played the demo. Okay.
It rings true. It's just as difficult.
It rings true. It's just as difficult.
I got my butt kicked. Oh, wow. Absolutely destroyed by a hamburger. I won the first match, and he came back with a vengeance, just right hook, right hook.
I got my butt kicked. Oh, wow. Absolutely destroyed by a hamburger. I won the first match, and he came back with a vengeance, just right hook, right hook.
No, it makes me a little more aggressive on the hamburgers that can't fight back, actually.
No, it makes me a little more aggressive on the hamburgers that can't fight back, actually.
Yeah, yeah. Rockstar puts their all into every game they make.
Yeah, yeah. Rockstar puts their all into every game they make.
Pretty soon we're going to see this one. And I'm going to be very interested to come back and check the reviews on this and just see how many people like me are just really bad at these. Yeah. I got my butt handed to me by a pizza.
Pretty soon we're going to see this one. And I'm going to be very interested to come back and check the reviews on this and just see how many people like me are just really bad at these. Yeah. I got my butt handed to me by a pizza.
They do put all their money into it, like a freaking studio film. But when you play an indie game, especially one that not a lot of people talk about, a lot of times you find those hidden gems, you're just like... this is just someone like trying to relive their nostalgia days and like give it back to you. And you're just like, I can feel it. And I love it. Yeah. That's a good answer. I like that.
They do put all their money into it, like a freaking studio film. But when you play an indie game, especially one that not a lot of people talk about, a lot of times you find those hidden gems, you're just like... this is just someone like trying to relive their nostalgia days and like give it back to you. And you're just like, I can feel it. And I love it. Yeah. That's a good answer. I like that.
Oh, don't you start with it.
Oh, don't you start with it.
We don't have time to start this with you. He knows, audience. He wants to keep me from saying anything. But speaking of hard and frustrating games, how do you feel about rage games, Ryan? Games that are just there to make you upset.
We don't have time to start this with you. He knows, audience. He wants to keep me from saying anything. But speaking of hard and frustrating games, how do you feel about rage games, Ryan? Games that are just there to make you upset.
Is that why you didn't play Chain together with me and Josh?
Is that why you didn't play Chain together with me and Josh?
If your friends screw you over, you're in trouble.
If your friends screw you over, you're in trouble.
No, this one you have no one to blame but yourself. You're talking about a game called Baby Steps made by the legend of Rage Games himself, Bennett Foddy. Oh, God. Famous for the game Getting Over It, which is the one where you're the guy who's stuck in the pot with the sledgehammer and you're trying to climb the mountain. Oh, I've seen that.
No, this one you have no one to blame but yourself. You're talking about a game called Baby Steps made by the legend of Rage Games himself, Bennett Foddy. Oh, God. Famous for the game Getting Over It, which is the one where you're the guy who's stuck in the pot with the sledgehammer and you're trying to climb the mountain. Oh, I've seen that.
I've seen speedruns of that that are absolutely insane. This is a game where you play as an overweight middle-aged man who gets teleported out into the wild and now you have to manually walk your way back home. It is an open world game, by the way. So there's no directions. You don't know where you're supposed to go.
I've seen speedruns of that that are absolutely insane. This is a game where you play as an overweight middle-aged man who gets teleported out into the wild and now you have to manually walk your way back home. It is an open world game, by the way. So there's no directions. You don't know where you're supposed to go.
And the footage for this is absolutely hilarious. Just every, like, fourth step he takes, he just face plants in the dirt. And I was just...
And the footage for this is absolutely hilarious. Just every, like, fourth step he takes, he just face plants in the dirt. And I was just...
These are like content games.
These are like content games.
It's not for us, but man, do I want people to know about it. So if anyone streams it in our Discord, I could just be a fly on the wall in there.
It's not for us, but man, do I want people to know about it. So if anyone streams it in our Discord, I could just be a fly on the wall in there.
Nah, just this year, but it's looking like, from what we've seen, it looks pretty much done. So I imagine we're going to hear some news about it soon. If not, you know...
Nah, just this year, but it's looking like, from what we've seen, it looks pretty much done. So I imagine we're going to hear some news about it soon. If not, you know...
Heck yeah.
Heck yeah.
Yeah, I could tell Ryan's heart grew three sizes that day.
Yeah, I could tell Ryan's heart grew three sizes that day.
I'm not even playing the game. Exactly. All right. This is the last one we'll cover. This is one I think you and I will both be equally excited for. If you mix the worlds of Lethal Company with the first person shooting of Borderlands, you get a game called Mycopunk. This game looks insane. I love it.
I'm not even playing the game. Exactly. All right. This is the last one we'll cover. This is one I think you and I will both be equally excited for. If you mix the worlds of Lethal Company with the first person shooting of Borderlands, you get a game called Mycopunk. This game looks insane. I love it.
It almost looks like a first person Risk of Rain. yeah like looking at it okay it looks like first person risk of rain it's got incredible environments and weapon options it's a co-op first person like sci-fi shooter it looks great no it definitely it definitely looks good that's a good comparison i think the the risk of rain look to it it's um
It almost looks like a first person Risk of Rain. yeah like looking at it okay it looks like first person risk of rain it's got incredible environments and weapon options it's a co-op first person like sci-fi shooter it looks great no it definitely it definitely looks good that's a good comparison i think the the risk of rain look to it it's um
I do not like indie games. Well, let's start with probably one of my favorite ones we're going to talk about today. And that would be a dating sim. That's right, everyone. We're talking about a dating sim on this show called Date Everything. Ryan, what did you think about this when I put it in the doc?
I do not like indie games. Well, let's start with probably one of my favorite ones we're going to talk about today. And that would be a dating sim. That's right, everyone. We're talking about a dating sim on this show called Date Everything. Ryan, what did you think about this when I put it in the doc?
Borderlands, lethal company, risk of rain. All of these have like influences in here that I could see. And I'm just like, oh, this is going to be fun. Yeah.
Borderlands, lethal company, risk of rain. All of these have like influences in here that I could see. And I'm just like, oh, this is going to be fun. Yeah.
I think we definitely will have to check this one out and get back to people, because I love what I'm looking at now. I'm just like, this is so freaking cool. Yeah.
I think we definitely will have to check this one out and get back to people, because I love what I'm looking at now. I'm just like, this is so freaking cool. Yeah.
And like I said, we don't know what the full release date for that one is. We just know that there is a demo available now. But it's probably coming this year if there's a demo already. Just to go ahead and make my own little prediction there.
And like I said, we don't know what the full release date for that one is. We just know that there is a demo available now. But it's probably coming this year if there's a demo already. Just to go ahead and make my own little prediction there.
All right. That was our last one. Ryan, tell me, which one of these are you most excited about?
All right. That was our last one. Ryan, tell me, which one of these are you most excited about?
There's a lot of good options here.
There's a lot of good options here.
I don't know if I'm looking forward to that the most, but it's between Undermine 2 and Mycopunk for me.
I don't know if I'm looking forward to that the most, but it's between Undermine 2 and Mycopunk for me.
I think that's a great idea. I think we should definitely do that.
I think that's a great idea. I think we should definitely do that.
Absolutely. And everyone is welcome. So come on in.
Absolutely. And everyone is welcome. So come on in.
But that's all for this episode, everyone. I've got a toaster to rebound. So I'll see you next time.
But that's all for this episode, everyone. I've got a toaster to rebound. So I'll see you next time.
Ryan, are you saying two married men have no interest in playing a dating simulator?
Ryan, are you saying two married men have no interest in playing a dating simulator?
You know that's always been your dream to go downstairs and see the water heater and be like, hey. That's looking pretty good over there. We've known each other for a long time.
You know that's always been your dream to go downstairs and see the water heater and be like, hey. That's looking pretty good over there. We've known each other for a long time.
The design is very good, and the naming is also very funny to me. But yeah, this is a 3D sandbox dating sim where you put on these glasses that were given to you called date viators, because of course they are. Oh, yeah. And you go around and you can talk to all the objects in your house and decide if you want to romance them, become their friends, or...
The design is very good, and the naming is also very funny to me. But yeah, this is a 3D sandbox dating sim where you put on these glasses that were given to you called date viators, because of course they are. Oh, yeah. And you go around and you can talk to all the objects in your house and decide if you want to romance them, become their friends, or...
For some reason, you can make them hate you. That was like one of the options. I don't know why. This game has over 100 voice actors and 70,000 unique lines of dialogue. Jeez. That's a lot. That's insane.
For some reason, you can make them hate you. That was like one of the options. I don't know why. This game has over 100 voice actors and 70,000 unique lines of dialogue. Jeez. That's a lot. That's insane.
package deal yeah i would be very interested if someone would come to our discord and explain like if they're hyped for this why they're hyped for this like clearly our brains are not wired to enjoy dating sims but maybe we're not we're obviously not the target audience so i'm not going to say anything negative about this game but it looks great it's got a lot of effort put into it and you can tell it has heart i'll say that they try and it's coming june 17th
package deal yeah i would be very interested if someone would come to our discord and explain like if they're hyped for this why they're hyped for this like clearly our brains are not wired to enjoy dating sims but maybe we're not we're obviously not the target audience so i'm not going to say anything negative about this game but it looks great it's got a lot of effort put into it and you can tell it has heart i'll say that they try and it's coming june 17th
Yep. It's coming very soon. June 17th.
Yep. It's coming very soon. June 17th.
I want to check the reviews, and I want to watch a quick Twitch stream. Watch.
I want to check the reviews, and I want to watch a quick Twitch stream. Watch.
Them Eggos are expensive, man.
Them Eggos are expensive, man.
We're totally misreading it. Right now, it's like, it's going to be the biggest game of 2025.
We're totally misreading it. Right now, it's like, it's going to be the biggest game of 2025.
You're not wrong. But moving on from that, actually, we have one of the most anticipated indies probably of all time coming, and that would be Deltarune. What do you know about Deltarune, Ryan?
You're not wrong. But moving on from that, actually, we have one of the most anticipated indies probably of all time coming, and that would be Deltarune. What do you know about Deltarune, Ryan?
I knew it. Did you know Deltarune is an anagram for Undertale?
I knew it. Did you know Deltarune is an anagram for Undertale?
Yeah. Deltarune, you know how big Undertale is. Undertale's huge. People freaking love Undertale. Deltarune is made by the same guy. It is like a multiverse sort of situation, prequel sort of thing. I don't even really know how to explain it. It's been releasing in chapters very slowly over the years.
Yeah. Deltarune, you know how big Undertale is. Undertale's huge. People freaking love Undertale. Deltarune is made by the same guy. It is like a multiverse sort of situation, prequel sort of thing. I don't even really know how to explain it. It's been releasing in chapters very slowly over the years.
And this is going to be the next third and fourth chapter coming out. And I guess that's going to basically be the end from all I know. And people are so freaking hyped for this. You would hate this game. It's a turn-based RPG.
And this is going to be the next third and fourth chapter coming out. And I guess that's going to basically be the end from all I know. And people are so freaking hyped for this. You would hate this game. It's a turn-based RPG.
I hate this one. He'd be like, Oh, pixels.
I hate this one. He'd be like, Oh, pixels.
Dude, we have got some weird ones to talk about today. We've got some good ones to talk about today.
Dude, we have got some weird ones to talk about today. We've got some good ones to talk about today.
but what I know about it is it's going to have great humor. It's going to have an absolutely banging soundtrack because Undertale, if Undertale has one thing, it is an incredible soundtrack, which I think was like all done with like a pirated version of garage band initially.
but what I know about it is it's going to have great humor. It's going to have an absolutely banging soundtrack because Undertale, if Undertale has one thing, it is an incredible soundtrack, which I think was like all done with like a pirated version of garage band initially.
Which is amazing.
Which is amazing.
It's unclear from what I've seen. The characters from Undertale appear in it, but they don't acknowledge any of the events of Undertale. So it's like... Yeah, it's very strange. It's like there, but not. If you wanted me to look into the lore, we would be here for an hour.
It's unclear from what I've seen. The characters from Undertale appear in it, but they don't acknowledge any of the events of Undertale. So it's like... Yeah, it's very strange. It's like there, but not. If you wanted me to look into the lore, we would be here for an hour.
We don't have an hour to talk about Deltarune. Not when we have an incredible, silly little game called Backseat Drivers to look at. Oh, yeah. This one, I think, is a little more up our alley. Yes. All right. Backseat Drivers, which someone in our Discord linked this. I'm sorry I didn't go back and check. You know who you are. You're a beast. Yeah, you rule. You rule. Unnamed person. Again.
We don't have an hour to talk about Deltarune. Not when we have an incredible, silly little game called Backseat Drivers to look at. Oh, yeah. This one, I think, is a little more up our alley. Yes. All right. Backseat Drivers, which someone in our Discord linked this. I'm sorry I didn't go back and check. You know who you are. You're a beast. Yeah, you rule. You rule. Unnamed person. Again.
But, you know, they're indie all the same. Absolutely. But before we get into them, I have a little question for you. All right. What do you like to see most from these indie developers in these indie games?
But, you know, they're indie all the same. Absolutely. But before we get into them, I have a little question for you. All right. What do you like to see most from these indie developers in these indie games?
I don't know if this is quite a rage game so much as a cooperation game where one person will be playing a granny who sits in the front seat and can barely see over the steering wheel of her car. And the other person is going to be the annoying grandson who sits in the backseat and is going to try to guide her through the obstacle course and through traffic.
I don't know if this is quite a rage game so much as a cooperation game where one person will be playing a granny who sits in the front seat and can barely see over the steering wheel of her car. And the other person is going to be the annoying grandson who sits in the backseat and is going to try to guide her through the obstacle course and through traffic.
And from what I've seen, it's pretty chaotic right off the bat.
And from what I've seen, it's pretty chaotic right off the bat.
It's got one of my favorite things, too. It's got proximity chat as well as the moving mouths like from headliners.
It's got one of my favorite things, too. It's got proximity chat as well as the moving mouths like from headliners.
It's unclear.
It's unclear.
It's the same as the extraction games that we talk about. You play it for a little bit. You don't need to play it forever. You don't need to commit yourself to this game.
It's the same as the extraction games that we talk about. You play it for a little bit. You don't need to play it forever. You don't need to commit yourself to this game.
You're going to see a lot of YouTube videos, a lot of streamers playing this. And it's like, It's just a silly little game. I can't wait to see it.
You're going to see a lot of YouTube videos, a lot of streamers playing this. And it's like, It's just a silly little game. I can't wait to see it.
Like you said, there is a free test drive.
Like you said, there is a free test drive.
There you go. And Ryan, it's not an indie episode unless we talk about a roguelike. Oh, absolutely. Especially with you, brother. Oh, yeah. You know me. But we're talking about a roguelike called Undermine 2. I did not play the original Undermine. I actually watched someone on YouTube play through the entire thing.
There you go. And Ryan, it's not an indie episode unless we talk about a roguelike. Oh, absolutely. Especially with you, brother. Oh, yeah. You know me. But we're talking about a roguelike called Undermine 2. I did not play the original Undermine. I actually watched someone on YouTube play through the entire thing.
Imagine how boring that is, being the person watching someone else play through a roguelike. Oh, yeah. Yeah, I can only imagine. Undermine 2 is a very unique and fun roguelike. It's almost Stardew Valley-like in its pixel art aesthetics.
Imagine how boring that is, being the person watching someone else play through a roguelike. Oh, yeah. Yeah, I can only imagine. Undermine 2 is a very unique and fun roguelike. It's almost Stardew Valley-like in its pixel art aesthetics.
Yeah, it's a little bit better than that. But if you've ever played Spelunky... I don't know if you've heard of that one. It's where you play a little cave diver and you go through these vertical levels. This is like that, except for it's room based, more like your natural roguelike, like a Binding of Isaac or Enter the Gungeon.
Yeah, it's a little bit better than that. But if you've ever played Spelunky... I don't know if you've heard of that one. It's where you play a little cave diver and you go through these vertical levels. This is like that, except for it's room based, more like your natural roguelike, like a Binding of Isaac or Enter the Gungeon.
And you're going to keep going down and down through the mines, gathering money and upgrading your stuff. But this time it's co-op. Oh, that seems to be the thing this year. It's like roguelike, but co-op.
And you're going to keep going down and down through the mines, gathering money and upgrading your stuff. But this time it's co-op. Oh, that seems to be the thing this year. It's like roguelike, but co-op.
We're on the indie episode. I like Undermine, too, but not Deltarune.
We're on the indie episode. I like Undermine, too, but not Deltarune.
I think it's going to be really awesome. I think people are going to really enjoy it. And I'm totally on board for people with their sequel to the roguelikes just being like, yeah, roguelike 2. Now you can play two people. Yeah. I'm totally cool with that.
I think it's going to be really awesome. I think people are going to really enjoy it. And I'm totally on board for people with their sequel to the roguelikes just being like, yeah, roguelike 2. Now you can play two people. Yeah. I'm totally cool with that.
You have made me the perfect game and I cannot wait to play it.
You have made me the perfect game and I cannot wait to play it.
Recently, I have not played any Metroidvanias. I guess I'd say the closest. I revisited an indie game called Cookie Cutter recently. And they got a big update where they added all the voice acting and stuff like that. Because the game had no voice acting or anything like that at the start. So I went back to that and I played through a good bit of it again.
Recently, I have not played any Metroidvanias. I guess I'd say the closest. I revisited an indie game called Cookie Cutter recently. And they got a big update where they added all the voice acting and stuff like that. Because the game had no voice acting or anything like that at the start. So I went back to that and I played through a good bit of it again.
And I was like, man, this game is really hard but really rewarding. So I'd say that's the closest you get from me. It doesn't quite have the RPG element, unfortunately.
And I was like, man, this game is really hard but really rewarding. So I'd say that's the closest you get from me. It doesn't quite have the RPG element, unfortunately.
It did, actually. It was really nice to see not only the voices I initially imagined in my head, but what they actually sound like was very similar. It was just kind of funny.
It did, actually. It was really nice to see not only the voices I initially imagined in my head, but what they actually sound like was very similar. It was just kind of funny.
Oh, man, I love Kingdom Hearts. I have a Kingdom Hearts tattoo. I love Kingdom Hearts to death.
Oh, man, I love Kingdom Hearts. I have a Kingdom Hearts tattoo. I love Kingdom Hearts to death.
No, actually, I have a Claymore from one of the members of Organization XIII, and my spouse has the Chakrams from the other members.
No, actually, I have a Claymore from one of the members of Organization XIII, and my spouse has the Chakrams from the other members.
It was our anniversary tattoo. It was really cool. Nice thing we did. We both love Kingdom Hearts, man.
It was our anniversary tattoo. It was really cool. Nice thing we did. We both love Kingdom Hearts, man.
Kingdom Hearts 2. Yeah, I'd say that's the easiest way to get in. You might miss a little bit of the story, but Kingdom Hearts 1 basically gets retconned anyway into what the story goes on to be. And if you ask anyone, they'll tell you Kingdom Hearts probably has the most complicated lore of any game in existence.
Kingdom Hearts 2. Yeah, I'd say that's the easiest way to get in. You might miss a little bit of the story, but Kingdom Hearts 1 basically gets retconned anyway into what the story goes on to be. And if you ask anyone, they'll tell you Kingdom Hearts probably has the most complicated lore of any game in existence.
Especially when you find out like Donald Duck can cast the most powerful spell in all of Final Fantasy. And you're just like, what? That's awesome. You look it up on the wiki and it's like the only two people who've cast this spell was Bahamut, God of Death, and Donald Duck.
Especially when you find out like Donald Duck can cast the most powerful spell in all of Final Fantasy. And you're just like, what? That's awesome. You look it up on the wiki and it's like the only two people who've cast this spell was Bahamut, God of Death, and Donald Duck.
He's the knight with the shield in Kingdom Hearts. He also dies for a little bit in one game. Goofy does? Yeah, he gets hit with a rock and dies for a chapter and comes back. They think he's dead, but he just got hit with a rock. He's fine. It's really funny, though, because Mickey gets all serious about it. He's like, they'll pay for this. He goes charging off into a crowd.
He's the knight with the shield in Kingdom Hearts. He also dies for a little bit in one game. Goofy does? Yeah, he gets hit with a rock and dies for a chapter and comes back. They think he's dead, but he just got hit with a rock. He's fine. It's really funny, though, because Mickey gets all serious about it. He's like, they'll pay for this. He goes charging off into a crowd.
pizza tacos and hamburgers john your answers here are going to affect how i see you for the rest of my life i hope you know well what do you what do you got i say let me go first because uh i'm just gonna come out the gate and say i'm keeping pizza i'm not getting rid of pizza anytime soon i guess i'll trade hamburgers because i guess can i trade them for cheeseburgers i mean
pizza tacos and hamburgers john your answers here are going to affect how i see you for the rest of my life i hope you know well what do you what do you got i say let me go first because uh i'm just gonna come out the gate and say i'm keeping pizza i'm not getting rid of pizza anytime soon i guess i'll trade hamburgers because i guess can i trade them for cheeseburgers i mean
Okay, so the opposite of a Souls-like.
Okay, so the opposite of a Souls-like.
That hard, huh?
That hard, huh?
No, I've still got to get to it, man. I picked it up. I haven't played it yet, though.
No, I've still got to get to it, man. I picked it up. I haven't played it yet, though.
This one, this is a bit recent. I picked up a little game called Webfishing, which is... It's a cozy little fishing chat room style game, and everything's kind of like a pixelated Animal Crossing almost. It's 3D environments and stuff like that, and the fish you catch are 2D. And my friends picked it up ages ago, and I always saw them playing it online. I was like, that's such a boring game.
This one, this is a bit recent. I picked up a little game called Webfishing, which is... It's a cozy little fishing chat room style game, and everything's kind of like a pixelated Animal Crossing almost. It's 3D environments and stuff like that, and the fish you catch are 2D. And my friends picked it up ages ago, and I always saw them playing it online. I was like, that's such a boring game.
Why do you want to just stand around and talk to each other while you fish? And now I find myself online talking to myself fishing because I miss the boat. Ha ha ha. But I love just to log on, and if I just need some peace and quiet to myself, I'll put a YouTube video on on my second monitor, and then I'll just start fishing. And I'll just be like, this is nice. I like this.
Why do you want to just stand around and talk to each other while you fish? And now I find myself online talking to myself fishing because I miss the boat. Ha ha ha. But I love just to log on, and if I just need some peace and quiet to myself, I'll put a YouTube video on on my second monitor, and then I'll just start fishing. And I'll just be like, this is nice. I like this.
It's totally not my style of game, but I fell in love with it for some reason. What about you?
It's totally not my style of game, but I fell in love with it for some reason. What about you?
I really liked the Indiana Jones one. I thought it was really great. Uh, the first one, I never played the second Lego Indiana Jones where they included the crystal skull, but the, the first one with the actual movies, like that, that one was good.
I really liked the Indiana Jones one. I thought it was really great. Uh, the first one, I never played the second Lego Indiana Jones where they included the crystal skull, but the, the first one with the actual movies, like that, that one was good.
And then like he would be able to turn into the Hulk and also web swing and have Captain America shield. And then they nail it. It's so cool. All the cool things they were able to include.
And then like he would be able to turn into the Hulk and also web swing and have Captain America shield. And then they nail it. It's so cool. All the cool things they were able to include.
We can't go on a Lego tangent. We'll be here for hours. Are you a Lego guy? I am. I love Legos. I don't have any displayed right now because I don't have any room. But if I did, I'd have quite a bit. My favorite being the Sonic Green Hill Zone.
We can't go on a Lego tangent. We'll be here for hours. Are you a Lego guy? I am. I love Legos. I don't have any displayed right now because I don't have any room. But if I did, I'd have quite a bit. My favorite being the Sonic Green Hill Zone.
Yeah, and then I'm cutting tacos. I'm just not a big taco guy. That's so interesting, man. Like, I don't know why. I've just never been, like, super into them. Like, pizzas are super customizable. You can put whatever the heck you want on it. Heck, I put blueberries and bananas on my pizza once because I could, and it tasted perfectly fine. That is sacrilege.
Yeah, and then I'm cutting tacos. I'm just not a big taco guy. That's so interesting, man. Like, I don't know why. I've just never been, like, super into them. Like, pizzas are super customizable. You can put whatever the heck you want on it. Heck, I put blueberries and bananas on my pizza once because I could, and it tasted perfectly fine. That is sacrilege.
People will judge me for this because there is no reason to be this animal. It has no benefit. But I love kiwi birds, which is the national bird of New Zealand for people who don't know. If you looked at them, you would not think it's a bird because it is a fluffy, beaked, long-legged creature that doesn't even appear to have wings.
People will judge me for this because there is no reason to be this animal. It has no benefit. But I love kiwi birds, which is the national bird of New Zealand for people who don't know. If you looked at them, you would not think it's a bird because it is a fluffy, beaked, long-legged creature that doesn't even appear to have wings.
But I love them to death and I would love nothing more than to be able to turn into one.
But I love them to death and I would love nothing more than to be able to turn into one.
They're so good. Like, oh, my gosh.
They're so good. Like, oh, my gosh.
Okay, I got you.
Okay, I got you.
Well, Kiwis don't have any natural predators. Where they live, they're completely safe where they live. The only thing that bothers them are people.
Well, Kiwis don't have any natural predators. Where they live, they're completely safe where they live. The only thing that bothers them are people.
I don't think anything hunts the Kiwis.
I don't think anything hunts the Kiwis.
Oh, yeah, yeah. I remember hearing that from my brother, actually, because he was stationed there for a while.
Oh, yeah, yeah. I remember hearing that from my brother, actually, because he was stationed there for a while.
Kiwi's got it pretty good. I'm glad I didn't go with my second pick, which was Puffin, because then you'd be eating me.
Kiwi's got it pretty good. I'm glad I didn't go with my second pick, which was Puffin, because then you'd be eating me.
I like birds, if you can't tell, audience. I love birds.
I like birds, if you can't tell, audience. I love birds.
Okay.
Okay.
It's not the most creative thing. I'm sure someone's drawn it in a TV show or done it in a game. But I've always just wanted an old-timey gold pocket watch that I could stop time with or reverse time with. That's always been something I thought would be so nice to have. I was just like, I really screwed that up. I'd like to go back that 15 seconds or whatever and redo that.
It's not the most creative thing. I'm sure someone's drawn it in a TV show or done it in a game. But I've always just wanted an old-timey gold pocket watch that I could stop time with or reverse time with. That's always been something I thought would be so nice to have. I was just like, I really screwed that up. I'd like to go back that 15 seconds or whatever and redo that.
I know it's not the most creative thing to want, but I really would love to be able to stop time every now and then.
I know it's not the most creative thing to want, but I really would love to be able to stop time every now and then.
Are you afraid of a little fruit on pizza?
Are you afraid of a little fruit on pizza?
What is your brain cooked up for us?
What is your brain cooked up for us?
I want to take Kirby and put him in Astro Bot. I just think he'd belong there.
I want to take Kirby and put him in Astro Bot. I just think he'd belong there.
I feel like he belongs there. He could be happy there. No one would really be able to bother him. Oh, man.
I feel like he belongs there. He could be happy there. No one would really be able to bother him. Oh, man.
Who doesn't love Astro Bot? What? Yeah, I think Josh hates Kirby, I'm pretty sure. How can you hate Kirby? It's too easy. Yeah.
Who doesn't love Astro Bot? What? Yeah, I think Josh hates Kirby, I'm pretty sure. How can you hate Kirby? It's too easy. Yeah.
Yeah, he hates Kirby because his games are too easy. He doesn't know Kirby.
Yeah, he hates Kirby because his games are too easy. He doesn't know Kirby.
Oh, yeah, that did happen.
Oh, yeah, that did happen.
No, Hellboy got me doing Justice 2, along with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
No, Hellboy got me doing Justice 2, along with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Yeah. Sorry, audience. Tangent.
Yeah. Sorry, audience. Tangent.
That would be really cool.
That would be really cool.
Well, shout out to our buddy and editor, Gregasaurus. I know for a fact that playing as a superhero in a fighting game is awesome because I got to play as Omni-Man when we played Mortal Kombat 1 together.
Well, shout out to our buddy and editor, Gregasaurus. I know for a fact that playing as a superhero in a fighting game is awesome because I got to play as Omni-Man when we played Mortal Kombat 1 together.
That was the only character I got slightly close to beating him with.
That was the only character I got slightly close to beating him with.
He absolutely demolished me. That checks. Who is his main? He's played any character. He didn't have a main. Any character he picked, he could beat me with. It did not matter.
He absolutely demolished me. That checks. Who is his main? He's played any character. He didn't have a main. Any character he picked, he could beat me with. It did not matter.
A lot of fatalities.
A lot of fatalities.
You might have heard of this one. I'm not sure. Are you familiar with the Oddworld franchise?
You might have heard of this one. I'm not sure. Are you familiar with the Oddworld franchise?
Yes, I love them. So my favorite game from that franchise is Stranger's Wrath. Which is the one where you are a bounty hunter.
Yes, I love them. So my favorite game from that franchise is Stranger's Wrath. Which is the one where you are a bounty hunter.
He talks like, gotta get to town and bag that pack rat palooka. That's like, I love that game to death. And I've never finished it because it's actually a really hard game to play on modern consoles. Why is that? The camera. The camera fights you the whole time.
He talks like, gotta get to town and bag that pack rat palooka. That's like, I love that game to death. And I've never finished it because it's actually a really hard game to play on modern consoles. Why is that? The camera. The camera fights you the whole time.
Because I played it on Steam a while back, and first I couldn't get the controller to connect, and playing it on mouse and keyboard was a no. It was not going to happen. Then when I finally got the controller fixed, because I went to Reddit and found a little solution or whatever, the camera fought me until I got like a two-thirds of the game, and I was like, I can't do it anymore.
Because I played it on Steam a while back, and first I couldn't get the controller to connect, and playing it on mouse and keyboard was a no. It was not going to happen. Then when I finally got the controller fixed, because I went to Reddit and found a little solution or whatever, the camera fought me until I got like a two-thirds of the game, and I was like, I can't do it anymore.
But I absolutely love everything about that game. I love the world. I love the fact you have to gather your ammo yourself, and that you can upgrade it to be more effective or less lethal. That way you can get the stun on the enemy and bag them alive and get way more money for it.
But I absolutely love everything about that game. I love the world. I love the fact you have to gather your ammo yourself, and that you can upgrade it to be more effective or less lethal. That way you can get the stun on the enemy and bag them alive and get way more money for it.
Yeah, you're not wrong.
Yeah, you're not wrong.
I don't like it. I don't care. I don't want to.
I don't like it. I don't care. I don't want to.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah, and it's a rock star game, so the controls are already like, oh, I hate this. I have to spam B to run.
Yeah, and it's a rock star game, so the controls are already like, oh, I hate this. I have to spam B to run.
Take it from the pro.
Take it from the pro.
No, I was not allowed to play Grand Theft Auto when I was younger, and I just never grew into it once I got past that point. I watched so many people on YouTube play it, I didn't care about it anymore, unfortunately. Sacrilege as it is, I prefer Watch Dogs.
No, I was not allowed to play Grand Theft Auto when I was younger, and I just never grew into it once I got past that point. I watched so many people on YouTube play it, I didn't care about it anymore, unfortunately. Sacrilege as it is, I prefer Watch Dogs.
I don't deny how good it is for everyone around. I don't deny that people love Red Dead. It's just I know it's not for me because I know as soon as I pick it up, those Rockstar controls will get to me and I'll just be like, I hate how this controls so much. It's not intuitive.
I don't deny how good it is for everyone around. I don't deny that people love Red Dead. It's just I know it's not for me because I know as soon as I pick it up, those Rockstar controls will get to me and I'll just be like, I hate how this controls so much. It's not intuitive.
Yeah, I was super happy to hear that. I was like, thank you. Someone with some sense. Yeah.
Yeah, I was super happy to hear that. I was like, thank you. Someone with some sense. Yeah.
Aside from like the opening bit of Metal Gear Revengeance. Dude, they're so good. I know. And I saw like the collection on Steam where like they remade or remastered the first like two, three games. I was like, I really should do that before the fourth remake comes out.
Aside from like the opening bit of Metal Gear Revengeance. Dude, they're so good. I know. And I saw like the collection on Steam where like they remade or remastered the first like two, three games. I was like, I really should do that before the fourth remake comes out.
Yeah, I think I think I'm going to. And then if we're talking genre, I would say like cozy sim games. I'm not super like aware of and super into. So I lose a lot of the like news like that. Like people tell me about indie games coming out. It's like, oh, it's just like Stardew Valley. I was like, but you have Stardew Valley. Why do you want another Stardew Valley?
Yeah, I think I think I'm going to. And then if we're talking genre, I would say like cozy sim games. I'm not super like aware of and super into. So I lose a lot of the like news like that. Like people tell me about indie games coming out. It's like, oh, it's just like Stardew Valley. I was like, but you have Stardew Valley. Why do you want another Stardew Valley?
I mean, Rivals was the first one I've actually really played and it's clicked for me. Every other one I've tried to pick up, like Team Fortress 2, even Overwatch 2 for a little bit there, I got crushed immediately. I don't know what it is with Rivals.
I mean, Rivals was the first one I've actually really played and it's clicked for me. Every other one I've tried to pick up, like Team Fortress 2, even Overwatch 2 for a little bit there, I got crushed immediately. I don't know what it is with Rivals.
With Rivals? Eh, just like, I would say like two or three, four hour play sessions. And I was like really comfortable. Especially playing with Josh and everyone else. It was like, the part of it was just being there for the experience. And I play a healer.
With Rivals? Eh, just like, I would say like two or three, four hour play sessions. And I was like really comfortable. Especially playing with Josh and everyone else. It was like, the part of it was just being there for the experience. And I play a healer.
Yeah, that's fair. I play support, so I guess I have the easy way out.
Yeah, that's fair. I play support, so I guess I have the easy way out.
Yes, I am primarily on PC nowadays. I do have other consoles, so I'm flexible, but I mostly do everything on my PC nowadays. It's easier to capture recording footage and things like that. So it's just like better for me.
Yes, I am primarily on PC nowadays. I do have other consoles, so I'm flexible, but I mostly do everything on my PC nowadays. It's easier to capture recording footage and things like that. So it's just like better for me.
So I get not wanting to give up the old brick and mortar basically.
So I get not wanting to give up the old brick and mortar basically.
There's cauliflower crust. That's always an option. If you want healthy pizza.
There's cauliflower crust. That's always an option. If you want healthy pizza.
uh let's see and then also ask what video game world would you love to visit this is for both of us oh this was easy for me uh i'd love to visit the world of super mario sunshine isle isle delfino or whatever heck yeah it's a freaking island shaped like a dolphin of course i want to go there
uh let's see and then also ask what video game world would you love to visit this is for both of us oh this was easy for me uh i'd love to visit the world of super mario sunshine isle isle delfino or whatever heck yeah it's a freaking island shaped like a dolphin of course i want to go there
I mean, there's a lot of bad stuff happening, but, you know, you can just go to the beach and pretend you don't see Mario being framed for crimes he didn't commit.
I mean, there's a lot of bad stuff happening, but, you know, you can just go to the beach and pretend you don't see Mario being framed for crimes he didn't commit.
Ace. Hey, man, everyone's going to know about Ender Magnolia, Bloom in the Mist, by the time I'm done on this show.
Ace. Hey, man, everyone's going to know about Ender Magnolia, Bloom in the Mist, by the time I'm done on this show.
Oh, that's a good pick, too, even though sin will destroy the world.
Oh, that's a good pick, too, even though sin will destroy the world.
Would you try to pull out the eject shot?
Would you try to pull out the eject shot?
I was like, I have no idea.
I was like, I have no idea.
Yeah, it's not great.
Yeah, it's not great.
That's a great pick. It's a beautiful world that they lived in.
That's a great pick. It's a beautiful world that they lived in.
You know, it is an option.
You know, it is an option.
So for why don't you explain to me what a land party is, John? Cause I don't know what you're talking about.
So for why don't you explain to me what a land party is, John? Cause I don't know what you're talking about.
Yeah, that sounds like a real pain in my butt. I don't think I want to do that. I think I'm just going to go to my Steam friends list and invite to game instead. I think that sounds a little better to me.
Yeah, that sounds like a real pain in my butt. I don't think I want to do that. I think I'm just going to go to my Steam friends list and invite to game instead. I think that sounds a little better to me.
Yeah, no, we're completely opposite. So you also trade hamburgers then?
Yeah, no, we're completely opposite. So you also trade hamburgers then?
it would feel like such an inconvenience well let's still let's alter this a bit for you what's your go-to like co-op community game well currently it's marvel rivals is that that is my that is my current go-to that's usually what i'll be like hey i'm playing this anyone want to join that is and if if you're saying like if marvel rivals was like a physical game
it would feel like such an inconvenience well let's still let's alter this a bit for you what's your go-to like co-op community game well currently it's marvel rivals is that that is my that is my current go-to that's usually what i'll be like hey i'm playing this anyone want to join that is and if if you're saying like if marvel rivals was like a physical game
that people had to meet up to play in order to play it as it is now. I would 100% go through the effort to do that because I love that game so much.
that people had to meet up to play in order to play it as it is now. I would 100% go through the effort to do that because I love that game so much.
That'd be insane. That'd be crazy.
That'd be insane. That'd be crazy.
Um,
Um,
You love superheroes.
You love superheroes.
Yeah, I would say it's above cut. Cut is getting rid of something entirely. Trade is, yeah, you trade it for something else.
Yeah, I would say it's above cut. Cut is getting rid of something entirely. Trade is, yeah, you trade it for something else.
I think it was last year that Josh introduced me to Halo through Halo Infinite. We had a good week there where everyone was playing a whole lot of Halo Infinite together. And I picked up the Master Chief Collection. I've yet to get to it. But from what I know, it must have been a really good time. Because how people talk about Halo now compared to what it is now.
I think it was last year that Josh introduced me to Halo through Halo Infinite. We had a good week there where everyone was playing a whole lot of Halo Infinite together. And I picked up the Master Chief Collection. I've yet to get to it. But from what I know, it must have been a really good time. Because how people talk about Halo now compared to what it is now.
There's still so much love in their voices when they talk about it.
There's still so much love in their voices when they talk about it.
You're not a burger man, John. They're fine. Oh, man, I can't think of something as good as a nice, juicy hamburger, except for maybe a nice hot pizza. But I blame the Ninja Turtles for that, honestly. Oh, my God.
You're not a burger man, John. They're fine. Oh, man, I can't think of something as good as a nice, juicy hamburger, except for maybe a nice hot pizza. But I blame the Ninja Turtles for that, honestly. Oh, my God.
I am, yeah. I don't watch a lot of the Disney Plus shows or anything like that. My favorite Star Wars movie is actually Rogue One.
I am, yeah. I don't watch a lot of the Disney Plus shows or anything like that. My favorite Star Wars movie is actually Rogue One.
That is my favorite Star Wars movie, hands down.
That is my favorite Star Wars movie, hands down.
This one's kind of weird for me because gaming is my hobby. I guess my other hobby is podcasting and recording. But behind me, as you can see, I love collecting things like just silly little figures and statues and things like that. And for the listeners, I have statues of like one piece characters like and the mask from Dishonored on my shelf behind me.
This one's kind of weird for me because gaming is my hobby. I guess my other hobby is podcasting and recording. But behind me, as you can see, I love collecting things like just silly little figures and statues and things like that. And for the listeners, I have statues of like one piece characters like and the mask from Dishonored on my shelf behind me.
But you could see it in our video podcast, which you should definitely go check out on YouTube and Spotify.
But you could see it in our video podcast, which you should definitely go check out on YouTube and Spotify.
I love to have like merchandise from my favorite games and my favorite TV shows and things like that. I think it's just a fun little thing I get to do. It is expensive. I will say that.
I love to have like merchandise from my favorite games and my favorite TV shows and things like that. I think it's just a fun little thing I get to do. It is expensive. I will say that.
No, never. Like it looked so good. And it's like nothing will ever live up to the hype of that.
No, never. Like it looked so good. And it's like nothing will ever live up to the hype of that.
Mortal Kombat for me.
Mortal Kombat for me.
My mom kicked my butt at Street Fighter too much. I could never get the hang of it. Your mom kicked your butt? I had a SNES classic that I picked up from Target the day that they came out. And I took it home and we put on Street Fighter 2 and my mom, who does not play video games...
My mom kicked my butt at Street Fighter too much. I could never get the hang of it. Your mom kicked your butt? I had a SNES classic that I picked up from Target the day that they came out. And I took it home and we put on Street Fighter 2 and my mom, who does not play video games...
royally kicked my butt several times the point where i have sour memories when i think of that game okay fair enough so so mortal combat by default yeah mortal combat by default because me and my uncle were learning how to do the fatalities on one another and we never got it right but at least we both sucked at that game
royally kicked my butt several times the point where i have sour memories when i think of that game okay fair enough so so mortal combat by default yeah mortal combat by default because me and my uncle were learning how to do the fatalities on one another and we never got it right but at least we both sucked at that game
Didn't kick your butt at it, huh?
Didn't kick your butt at it, huh?
Greg has taken over the place of my mom in the butt kicking department.
Greg has taken over the place of my mom in the butt kicking department.
maybe they could do like a team up or something oh please no yeah i guess i'm moving to soul caliber now um let's see pasta or bread pasta or bread i'm a big bread guy i really like like a garlic bread with cheese and all those herbs on it like that that's for me i'm not i gotta be honest i'm not a super big pasta guy i really like bread
maybe they could do like a team up or something oh please no yeah i guess i'm moving to soul caliber now um let's see pasta or bread pasta or bread i'm a big bread guy i really like like a garlic bread with cheese and all those herbs on it like that that's for me i'm not i gotta be honest i'm not a super big pasta guy i really like bread
I just feel like I can't eat that many noodles. I get full on noodles very fast.
I just feel like I can't eat that many noodles. I get full on noodles very fast.
I have to eat on a schedule because my body doesn't tell me when I'm hungry. That's how my life works.
I have to eat on a schedule because my body doesn't tell me when I'm hungry. That's how my life works.
Oh, my favorite movie of all time? You're going to judge me, but it's Saw. I really like the first Saw. I know.
Oh, my favorite movie of all time? You're going to judge me, but it's Saw. I really like the first Saw. I know.
The best fast food burger, in my opinion, it comes from Wendy's, in my opinion. If you're talking about fast food.
The best fast food burger, in my opinion, it comes from Wendy's, in my opinion. If you're talking about fast food.
Now I'm the demented one.
Now I'm the demented one.
uh the famous question asked in every ama and ask a mailbag episode of video gamers podcast uh the funniest thing about that is like both of them have played video game characters at this point too so now i kind of feel like i have to choose between which video game character i like better and if i'm doing that you have to choose so jim carrey obviously the sonic the hedgehog robotnik
uh the famous question asked in every ama and ask a mailbag episode of video gamers podcast uh the funniest thing about that is like both of them have played video game characters at this point too so now i kind of feel like i have to choose between which video game character i like better and if i'm doing that you have to choose so jim carrey obviously the sonic the hedgehog robotnik
I'm sure there's one we're missing too. The only reason I think I would go with Jack Black is because I really like Nacho Libre.
I'm sure there's one we're missing too. The only reason I think I would go with Jack Black is because I really like Nacho Libre.
And he's also a great Grinch. He's the best Grinch we've had ever, I think. And also, did you see Sonic 3?
And he's also a great Grinch. He's the best Grinch we've had ever, I think. And also, did you see Sonic 3?
Oh, my God. Watching him interact with himself, but just like a really old version of himself was the best. I won't spoil anything because it's a fairly new movie, but it has some amazing and hilarious moments that people absolutely need to see.
Oh, my God. Watching him interact with himself, but just like a really old version of himself was the best. I won't spoil anything because it's a fairly new movie, but it has some amazing and hilarious moments that people absolutely need to see.
Yeah, it's the first big example of that, like taking listener feedback to the point where it changed the whole course of the history of the franchise. Yeah.
Yeah, it's the first big example of that, like taking listener feedback to the point where it changed the whole course of the history of the franchise. Yeah.
Well, my first thoughts when listening to this podcast was, hey, it wasn't called the Video Gamers podcast yet. It was called the Multiplayer Gaming Podcast. And my first thoughts were, wow, these guys really hate Sea of Thieves, huh? That's pretty good. Because I just remember tuning in. I was like, oh, I want to play Sea of Thieves. I wonder what they thought about it.
Well, my first thoughts when listening to this podcast was, hey, it wasn't called the Video Gamers podcast yet. It was called the Multiplayer Gaming Podcast. And my first thoughts were, wow, these guys really hate Sea of Thieves, huh? That's pretty good. Because I just remember tuning in. I was like, oh, I want to play Sea of Thieves. I wonder what they thought about it.
And they're just like, there's no reward. It gets really repetitive. I was like, oh, okay. I guess I don't want to play Sea of Thieves.
And they're just like, there's no reward. It gets really repetitive. I was like, oh, okay. I guess I don't want to play Sea of Thieves.
I was listening to a D&D podcast called Drunks and Dragons. Oh, nice. Are you a D&D guy? I am. A little bit. Oh, wow. Okay. I don't get to play it very often, but actual video games like Divinity and Baldur's Gate are totally my jam because I really enjoy that kind of role-playing aspect.
I was listening to a D&D podcast called Drunks and Dragons. Oh, nice. Are you a D&D guy? I am. A little bit. Oh, wow. Okay. I don't get to play it very often, but actual video games like Divinity and Baldur's Gate are totally my jam because I really enjoy that kind of role-playing aspect.
Yeah, same story, brother. What episode were you listening to? What was your first episode? Oh, gosh. What was the episode that hooked you?
Yeah, same story, brother. What episode were you listening to? What was your first episode? Oh, gosh. What was the episode that hooked you?
That's a good one. That's a good one to start with. Any drafts are awesome.
That's a good one. That's a good one to start with. Any drafts are awesome.
was actually the pub g1 because i couldn't stop laughing at how much they were trolling their friends whenever you get on the bike they'd hit him in the back of the head with the pan and he's like i'm not gonna do it again i'm not gonna do it again he's like get back over the bike
was actually the pub g1 because i couldn't stop laughing at how much they were trolling their friends whenever you get on the bike they'd hit him in the back of the head with the pan and he's like i'm not gonna do it again i'm not gonna do it again he's like get back over the bike
Well, we've already beat it into the ground, but I'm going to say it again. Come and join our Discord if you want to come hang out with us and meet fellow like-minded gamers because we really want to meet you.
Well, we've already beat it into the ground, but I'm going to say it again. Come and join our Discord if you want to come hang out with us and meet fellow like-minded gamers because we really want to meet you.
We want you to come in there and feel as comfortable as you possibly can be and join us for our community nights so you can get your butt kicked by Nexivus, our strongest Marvel Rivals player.
We want you to come in there and feel as comfortable as you possibly can be and join us for our community nights so you can get your butt kicked by Nexivus, our strongest Marvel Rivals player.
Yeah, we're super appreciative of any feedback that we can get.
Yeah, we're super appreciative of any feedback that we can get.
I had to squeeze it in there, huh?
I had to squeeze it in there, huh?
So I don't play this game as much as I used to anymore. But when this game came out on the Xbox 360, I remember me and my cousin just cracking out on it all night long. And that game was Minecraft.
So I don't play this game as much as I used to anymore. But when this game came out on the Xbox 360, I remember me and my cousin just cracking out on it all night long. And that game was Minecraft.
Yeah. The first time it came to a console... which was the Xbox 360, as I said, we just, we picked it up and we played all night, sunrise to sunset. It didn't matter. We didn't even do anything like great. We weren't good at the game. We were just walking around surviving. We tried to build a house out of sand and it fell on top of us.
Yeah. The first time it came to a console... which was the Xbox 360, as I said, we just, we picked it up and we played all night, sunrise to sunset. It didn't matter. We didn't even do anything like great. We weren't good at the game. We were just walking around surviving. We tried to build a house out of sand and it fell on top of us.
Yeah, something pretty similar. We had a massive bowl of Hershey candy bars. Yeah. Like the little snack sized ones. And then we had like 12 packs of Mountain Dew. And we just kept pounding those all night long.
Yeah, something pretty similar. We had a massive bowl of Hershey candy bars. Yeah. Like the little snack sized ones. And then we had like 12 packs of Mountain Dew. And we just kept pounding those all night long.
Man, it used to be so easy to stay up like that. But like now, I need something a little stronger.
Man, it used to be so easy to stay up like that. But like now, I need something a little stronger.
OK, so I'm going to have to preference this with the fact that I wasn't allowed to play anything over E10 plus until I moved out of my parents house. So when I turned 18, I jumped ship, didn't have anywhere to go. I wouldn't live with my brother. And he had a 360 downstairs with Assassin's Creed 2 already in the tray. So I just went ahead and flipped that on.
OK, so I'm going to have to preference this with the fact that I wasn't allowed to play anything over E10 plus until I moved out of my parents house. So when I turned 18, I jumped ship, didn't have anywhere to go. I wouldn't live with my brother. And he had a 360 downstairs with Assassin's Creed 2 already in the tray. So I just went ahead and flipped that on.
And just, like, after I got past that opening sequence where you're Ezio and you're racing your brother up the top of the buildings. And, you know, he puts his arm around. He's like, it's a good life we live, brother. It is indeed. And I was like, oh, I love this. I'm living this. This is so good. And then spoilers. You get to the part where his whole family gets hung for treason. He's like, ugh.
And just, like, after I got past that opening sequence where you're Ezio and you're racing your brother up the top of the buildings. And, you know, he puts his arm around. He's like, it's a good life we live, brother. It is indeed. And I was like, oh, I love this. I'm living this. This is so good. And then spoilers. You get to the part where his whole family gets hung for treason. He's like, ugh.
Oh my god, like, I didn't even play Assassin's Creed 1 yet, I just jumped right into 2, and I was just like, this is so good! Where has this been all my life?
Oh my god, like, I didn't even play Assassin's Creed 1 yet, I just jumped right into 2, and I was just like, this is so good! Where has this been all my life?
I guess the closest thing would have been Minecraft or Terraria at that time. But like, I never felt like the same I did as when I first popped in Assassin's Creed. Terraria got close because I played that on the 3DS, which was a very broken port of that game. Yeah.
I guess the closest thing would have been Minecraft or Terraria at that time. But like, I never felt like the same I did as when I first popped in Assassin's Creed. Terraria got close because I played that on the 3DS, which was a very broken port of that game. Yeah.
There was something really special about that first leap of faith and that first moment within the franchise of Assassin's Creed, the shell of what it is now, I guess.
There was something really special about that first leap of faith and that first moment within the franchise of Assassin's Creed, the shell of what it is now, I guess.
Shadows is their last hope, man. I know people don't want to hear that, but Shadows is Ubisoft's last leg.
Shadows is their last hope, man. I know people don't want to hear that, but Shadows is Ubisoft's last leg.
Yeah, you're not wrong. I'm already tempted to go back.
Yeah, you're not wrong. I'm already tempted to go back.
There's a lot of really good Super Mario games. Super Mario 2 was the one that was like the reskin of Doki Doki Panic, right?
There's a lot of really good Super Mario games. Super Mario 2 was the one that was like the reskin of Doki Doki Panic, right?
I actually had that on my Game Boy. I used to play it all the time. It was great.
I actually had that on my Game Boy. I used to play it all the time. It was great.
You know, I thought long and hard about what might happen if we push the button. And I'm just going to say, maybe if we push the button, Silksong releases.
You know, I thought long and hard about what might happen if we push the button. And I'm just going to say, maybe if we push the button, Silksong releases.
Yeah, you know, maybe. Just maybe.
Yeah, you know, maybe. Just maybe.
So you're saying it wouldn't be like Fallout.
So you're saying it wouldn't be like Fallout.
Good to know.
Good to know.
John wants to push the nuclear button, everyone.
John wants to push the nuclear button, everyone.
Patrick is just saying we have to.
Patrick is just saying we have to.
Is that what you said? Okay. I like my answer better.
Is that what you said? Okay. I like my answer better.
Hopefully.
Hopefully.
Oh, this is easy for me. First of all, I've got to start with a Metroidvania. A good Metroidvania is basically that's like putting a nice hot pizza in front of me. I enjoy Metroidvania just as much. Now you throw in a little bit of souls like element, make it difficult, add some dodge rolling stamina. Now I'm really happy. Then you make it an RPG and I'm over the moon, baby.
Oh, this is easy for me. First of all, I've got to start with a Metroidvania. A good Metroidvania is basically that's like putting a nice hot pizza in front of me. I enjoy Metroidvania just as much. Now you throw in a little bit of souls like element, make it difficult, add some dodge rolling stamina. Now I'm really happy. Then you make it an RPG and I'm over the moon, baby.
Oh, especially with our community.
Oh, especially with our community.
There's always someone down to play, man.
There's always someone down to play, man.
And then you'll hear me scream.
And then you'll hear me scream.
So in Headliners, you play as reporters who are going into a quarantine city that's been basically taken over by aliens. There's an alien invasion going on and you need to get the news out to the public ASAP. So you're going to go in with your friends with cameras and flashlights for the start. At least you will lose the flashlights.
So in Headliners, you play as reporters who are going into a quarantine city that's been basically taken over by aliens. There's an alien invasion going on and you need to get the news out to the public ASAP. So you're going to go in with your friends with cameras and flashlights for the start. At least you will lose the flashlights.
I'm sorry, but you're going to go with your friends and you're going to try to get pictures of these aliens without getting horribly dismembered or killed. And if you're like Ryan, you're going to get kicked in the face with a car by a giant alien. Yeah.
I'm sorry, but you're going to go with your friends and you're going to try to get pictures of these aliens without getting horribly dismembered or killed. And if you're like Ryan, you're going to get kicked in the face with a car by a giant alien. Yeah.
And you can knock your friends down with their own arms.
And you can knock your friends down with their own arms.
Absolutely. I mean, these are basically the new party game to me. Like, you just boot this up. It's like, hey, everyone want to play? Yeah.
Absolutely. I mean, these are basically the new party game to me. Like, you just boot this up. It's like, hey, everyone want to play? Yeah.
Oh, this game is so trippy.
Oh, this game is so trippy.
So A Midnight Walk is a survival horror game done with claymation in real life, like IRL claymation done by the developers, by these artists. And you get to walk through and experience that. Oh, did I mention it's VR? It's PSVR. Oh. No. And I do not know the story.
So A Midnight Walk is a survival horror game done with claymation in real life, like IRL claymation done by the developers, by these artists. And you get to walk through and experience that. Oh, did I mention it's VR? It's PSVR. Oh. No. And I do not know the story.
I imagine they're keeping the story a secret for a good reason, but it's this incredible little game where you're walking around this horrifying world made of clay all by yourself. And I don't really know what it's going to be, but it looks incredible. I mean, Ryan, you like survival horror games, right?
I imagine they're keeping the story a secret for a good reason, but it's this incredible little game where you're walking around this horrifying world made of clay all by yourself. And I don't really know what it's going to be, but it looks incredible. I mean, Ryan, you like survival horror games, right?
Oh, this is one of those games they're going to consider art later down the line. They're going to be like, they made this and it's pure art. Even if the gameplay isn't like amazing, just the visuals and hopefully the story will just carry it forward. But like these claymation, I'm always impressed by that. So I'm already down.
Oh, this is one of those games they're going to consider art later down the line. They're going to be like, they made this and it's pure art. Even if the gameplay isn't like amazing, just the visuals and hopefully the story will just carry it forward. But like these claymation, I'm always impressed by that. So I'm already down.
I'm very excited for that one too.
I'm very excited for that one too.
It's interesting and intriguing and it pulls you in. So it's doing its job. Yeah.
It's interesting and intriguing and it pulls you in. So it's doing its job. Yeah.
Yeah, I think it's Ichiban.
Yeah, I think it's Ichiban.
What a crossover.
What a crossover.
No, but I think I have an understanding of what they are. They're basically adult versions of the Persona games, whereas instead of playing as teenagers, you play as middle-aged adults who worked in the Yakuza.
No, but I think I have an understanding of what they are. They're basically adult versions of the Persona games, whereas instead of playing as teenagers, you play as middle-aged adults who worked in the Yakuza.
It's gotta be like a pirate.
It's gotta be like a pirate.
We're going right into it. Give it to me.
We're going right into it. Give it to me.
Oh, dude, Overture looks incredible. For one thing, it's a DLC that takes place before the whole puppet frenzy thing where all the bad stuff's happening and all the puppets have turned evil and stuff. And it seems like it's a good bit back in the past since, like, the cat that usually pets a kitten. And then they showed off some incredible new weapons, too. Yeah. There's like Wolverine claws.
Oh, dude, Overture looks incredible. For one thing, it's a DLC that takes place before the whole puppet frenzy thing where all the bad stuff's happening and all the puppets have turned evil and stuff. And it seems like it's a good bit back in the past since, like, the cat that usually pets a kitten. And then they showed off some incredible new weapons, too. Yeah. There's like Wolverine claws.
I was just going to say, give me the Wolverine claws, man. That was the number one weapon. And there was a sword that was also a gun. Like, come on. That's got to get you a little bit, Ryan. Like, come on.
I was just going to say, give me the Wolverine claws, man. That was the number one weapon. And there was a sword that was also a gun. Like, come on. That's got to get you a little bit, Ryan. Like, come on.
And it plays so smooth, man. You would think FromSoft made this game with how smooth the gameplay is and how responsive. And if they had made it, it would be a top 10 game for everyone.
And it plays so smooth, man. You would think FromSoft made this game with how smooth the gameplay is and how responsive. And if they had made it, it would be a top 10 game for everyone.
Oh, sword gun again. Like, come on. I mean, the biggest thing is Liza P is a souls like with a story that you can follow. It is not hidden behind everything. You can follow the story and it's really interesting.
Oh, sword gun again. Like, come on. I mean, the biggest thing is Liza P is a souls like with a story that you can follow. It is not hidden behind everything. You can follow the story and it's really interesting.
Oh, Tito.
Oh, Tito.
I thought it was fantastic. And Josh, you and I played this demo before...
I thought it was fantastic. And Josh, you and I played this demo before...
once once before and uh this new version came out and it's so incredible the difference is night and day from what we played like if you told me this was the same game wouldn't believe it it's so polished okay so i didn't i never played the original like demo that you guys must have played then so so to me it felt it felt awesome it felt like a really true crisp platformer that that i i
once once before and uh this new version came out and it's so incredible the difference is night and day from what we played like if you told me this was the same game wouldn't believe it it's so polished okay so i didn't i never played the original like demo that you guys must have played then so so to me it felt it felt awesome it felt like a really true crisp platformer that that i i
It's so good. You can tell there's so much passion behind this game because comparing it to the first demo we saw, it was still great in the first demo. And now you get this and like, I feel like I'm playing a whole new polished game just for me made with love. Family love.
It's so good. You can tell there's so much passion behind this game because comparing it to the first demo we saw, it was still great in the first demo. And now you get this and like, I feel like I'm playing a whole new polished game just for me made with love. Family love.
I'm going to jump over the roof and get to you guys. Don't worry.
I'm going to jump over the roof and get to you guys. Don't worry.
We apologize to any Scottish listeners right now. Please, we're sorry. We're dumb Americans. Formal apology from all of us.
We apologize to any Scottish listeners right now. Please, we're sorry. We're dumb Americans. Formal apology from all of us.
And then I drop and die. Ryan's the first we lose in the clover pit, I guess.
And then I drop and die. Ryan's the first we lose in the clover pit, I guess.
Yes, it's a walking simulator.
Yes, it's a walking simulator.
You know, I felt that way as well, that if I'd been like in the hot seat, you know, as the burnt one doing all this stuff, you could see your hands move when you move them and things like that. Maybe I would have felt more immersed and scared. Yeah. But I do have to agree, it's a very simple gameplay.
You know, I felt that way as well, that if I'd been like in the hot seat, you know, as the burnt one doing all this stuff, you could see your hands move when you move them and things like that. Maybe I would have felt more immersed and scared. Yeah. But I do have to agree, it's a very simple gameplay.
Hello, fellow gamers, and welcome to the Video Gamers Podcast. Tonight, we take a walk down the trail of the Midnight Walk, and I am your host, Ace. And of course, joining me are my two lovely and wonderful co-hosts, maybe not one today, though, as he likes to walk in the path of darkness and betray the light.
Hello, fellow gamers, and welcome to the Video Gamers Podcast. Tonight, we take a walk down the trail of the Midnight Walk, and I am your host, Ace. And of course, joining me are my two lovely and wonderful co-hosts, maybe not one today, though, as he likes to walk in the path of darkness and betray the light.
Yeah. I guess that's fair. Well, if we're not, if you didn't see anything in the gameplay, I guess I'll talk about it. It is a walking simulator, but it's also a stealth game. You do need to, you know, creep around and hide from enemies or, you know, you know, outsmart them by sneaking around them without being seen. Yeah.
Yeah. I guess that's fair. Well, if we're not, if you didn't see anything in the gameplay, I guess I'll talk about it. It is a walking simulator, but it's also a stealth game. You do need to, you know, creep around and hide from enemies or, you know, you know, outsmart them by sneaking around them without being seen. Yeah.
but you can all there's also puzzles involved very simple puzzles oh my gosh like the easiest puzzles you can match how many candles do i have to light all right there they are exactly yeah where do i take my giant match cannon yeah yeah there it is when you when you are getting snuck up on by something in that game and you hear that watch out who is saying that Watch out.
but you can all there's also puzzles involved very simple puzzles oh my gosh like the easiest puzzles you can match how many candles do i have to light all right there they are exactly yeah where do i take my giant match cannon yeah yeah there it is when you when you are getting snuck up on by something in that game and you hear that watch out who is saying that Watch out.
Oh, it's like the voices of the dead or something. Cause it's not pot boy. He doesn't speak. Yeah. I never got that. You don't speak either. The burnt one doesn't get a mouth. Yeah.
Oh, it's like the voices of the dead or something. Cause it's not pot boy. He doesn't speak. Yeah. I never got that. You don't speak either. The burnt one doesn't get a mouth. Yeah.
What do you mean?
What do you mean?
Exactly. For those who aren't aware, I'll go ahead and give the lowdown right here. The Midnight Walk, released May 8th, 2025, and I was very excited for it, is an indie dark fantasy adventure built using real clay assets scanned into the game and animated in a stop-motion style. That's just super freaking cool to me. I don't know about you guys.
Exactly. For those who aren't aware, I'll go ahead and give the lowdown right here. The Midnight Walk, released May 8th, 2025, and I was very excited for it, is an indie dark fantasy adventure built using real clay assets scanned into the game and animated in a stop-motion style. That's just super freaking cool to me. I don't know about you guys.
Potboy, you can speak? Yeah. I didn't think you were intelligent enough to breathe on your own.
Potboy, you can speak? Yeah. I didn't think you were intelligent enough to breathe on your own.
I would say I think the audio is the best thing I've experienced is just because it's the binaural audio, which, you know, is, you know, from whatever side you're hearing things is where it's coming from. But also it's part of the mechanic of closing your eyes and listening for invisible objects.
I would say I think the audio is the best thing I've experienced is just because it's the binaural audio, which, you know, is, you know, from whatever side you're hearing things is where it's coming from. But also it's part of the mechanic of closing your eyes and listening for invisible objects.
That's a pretty good analogy.
That's a pretty good analogy.
I'm curious to know, do you think the VR integration has hurt this game's development, or do you think it has made it better?
I'm curious to know, do you think the VR integration has hurt this game's development, or do you think it has made it better?
I mean, the very first time I ever talked about it, I think I just said PSVR because that's all I thought it was for. Because when I saw the trailer, it looked like a VR game. It did not look like a game. And I was very confused when I found out it is not just a VR game.
I mean, the very first time I ever talked about it, I think I just said PSVR because that's all I thought it was for. Because when I saw the trailer, it looked like a VR game. It did not look like a game. And I was very confused when I found out it is not just a VR game.
I was... Okay. It was incredibly short for what I paid for it. That is my biggest takeaway from it.
I was... Okay. It was incredibly short for what I paid for it. That is my biggest takeaway from it.
We'll bring that up. But my personal experience with it is I really liked it after I sat with it for a little bit and I thought about what the narrative meant and what the endings meant and what it all could mean. But... I can't really say I liked it if I don't have any intention to ever play it again.
We'll bring that up. But my personal experience with it is I really liked it after I sat with it for a little bit and I thought about what the narrative meant and what the endings meant and what it all could mean. But... I can't really say I liked it if I don't have any intention to ever play it again.
It is a narrative game that maybe you replay once you've forgotten about it.
It is a narrative game that maybe you replay once you've forgotten about it.
you really like the vr component yeah exactly i would totally give it another shot in vr yes i would absolutely play it again in vr because that's a whole new experience for me versus you know sitting here at my desk you know using a controller because of course i was and playing it here where it's just like oh i'm just playing a horror game it's a narrative driven horror game that
you really like the vr component yeah exactly i would totally give it another shot in vr yes i would absolutely play it again in vr because that's a whole new experience for me versus you know sitting here at my desk you know using a controller because of course i was and playing it here where it's just like oh i'm just playing a horror game it's a narrative driven horror game that
I mean, those guys had sewed up eyes and mouths, though.
I mean, those guys had sewed up eyes and mouths, though.
And that's why I asked.
And that's why I asked.
I couldn't win you over with this, John. I couldn't win you over in the first impressions. And, you know, somehow I got you to finish the game for this deep dive.
I couldn't win you over with this, John. I couldn't win you over in the first impressions. And, you know, somehow I got you to finish the game for this deep dive.
Spooky light. I like that.
Spooky light. I like that.
Well, we'll get into a few more of our other personal opinions just after this little break. All right, we're back. Let's see. Let's talk about the elephant in the room. The price. Who? Who else feels slightly ripped off by this game?
Well, we'll get into a few more of our other personal opinions just after this little break. All right, we're back. Let's see. Let's talk about the elephant in the room. The price. Who? Who else feels slightly ripped off by this game?
Okay.
Okay.
All right. Remember a number in your head right now. Okay. Do it with me, audience.
All right. Remember a number in your head right now. Okay. Do it with me, audience.
It's $40 for a five-hour game, by the way. It's kind of crazy. I understand why they think they can charge $40 for it because of how much work they put into it.
It's $40 for a five-hour game, by the way. It's kind of crazy. I understand why they think they can charge $40 for it because of how much work they put into it.
That's the problem.
That's the problem.
I think it just hurts you more. I'll be honest. But the story of the Midnight Wonga is that you are the burnt one and you're going to take your pot boy companion who is like the last light in the end of the world up to the mountain and, you know, hopefully reignite the sun and bring light back to the world.
I think it just hurts you more. I'll be honest. But the story of the Midnight Wonga is that you are the burnt one and you're going to take your pot boy companion who is like the last light in the end of the world up to the mountain and, you know, hopefully reignite the sun and bring light back to the world.
They made everything that's in the game, John. But they didn't need to. They didn't need to.
They made everything that's in the game, John. But they didn't need to. They didn't need to.
I got it for 35 because it was on sale on Steam. But that's still $10 more than I want to pay for this, especially after finding out how long it is.
I got it for 35 because it was on sale on Steam. But that's still $10 more than I want to pay for this, especially after finding out how long it is.
Yeah. For a reason. That's why it's because it's expensive, but it's also because people are not willing to pay stop motion prices.
Yeah. For a reason. That's why it's because it's expensive, but it's also because people are not willing to pay stop motion prices.
Oh, no. No love for Wallace and Gromit over there, fam.
Oh, no. No love for Wallace and Gromit over there, fam.
i i understand them but i don't and it did anyone else i know you didn't get to the end ryan but did anyone else feel like those last two chapters they'd run out of budget or ideas why because they went like flies yeah yeah they went so fast honestly this was a three chapter game dude the the last chapter when you're going up the mountain was like
i i understand them but i don't and it did anyone else i know you didn't get to the end ryan but did anyone else feel like those last two chapters they'd run out of budget or ideas why because they went like flies yeah yeah they went so fast honestly this was a three chapter game dude the the last chapter when you're going up the mountain was like
It's a very simple narrative driven game, but the style is what's going to carry it forward for a lot of people. I'd say what really did anything hook you at all, Ryan, when you started playing the game or was it?
It's a very simple narrative driven game, but the style is what's going to carry it forward for a lot of people. I'd say what really did anything hook you at all, Ryan, when you started playing the game or was it?
I hate to say it, but the Midnight Walk is definitely on the bottom. Right? It is. Of those games, it's on the bottom. Here's the thing, though. It's not a bad game. It's not a noticeably bad game. It is just what we've talked about before, a 7 out of 10 or a 6 out of 10. It's just like... I think I don't want to say it's bad.
I hate to say it, but the Midnight Walk is definitely on the bottom. Right? It is. Of those games, it's on the bottom. Here's the thing, though. It's not a bad game. It's not a noticeably bad game. It is just what we've talked about before, a 7 out of 10 or a 6 out of 10. It's just like... I think I don't want to say it's bad.
They take one step.
They take one step.
Yeah, I haven't played Limbo or Inside, but I've played Little Nightmares. I need to get to Limbo and Inside. Oh, they're great. I've heard such great things. And they're like a decade old, man, and they're still so good. I feel like I watched YouTubers play them ages ago, and then I was like, oh, I've experienced this, and then I moved on with my life. But that's not it.
Yeah, I haven't played Limbo or Inside, but I've played Little Nightmares. I need to get to Limbo and Inside. Oh, they're great. I've heard such great things. And they're like a decade old, man, and they're still so good. I feel like I watched YouTubers play them ages ago, and then I was like, oh, I've experienced this, and then I moved on with my life. But that's not it.
That's not how it works in the real world.
That's not how it works in the real world.
You can't talk bad about the one thing we liked about him.
You can't talk bad about the one thing we liked about him.
oh well okay one second uh we're gonna go ahead and talk about spoilers real quick because i want to get a quick spoiler segment out there uh go ahead and skip to whatever ryan writes down but uh i think he does get his emo haircut at the end there when the shadows give him his head yeah yeah yeah yeah what ending did you get john i do i chose sacrifice him
oh well okay one second uh we're gonna go ahead and talk about spoilers real quick because i want to get a quick spoiler segment out there uh go ahead and skip to whatever ryan writes down but uh i think he does get his emo haircut at the end there when the shadows give him his head yeah yeah yeah yeah what ending did you get john i do i chose sacrifice him
I did not. I was not going to let my little buddy die. I was not going to let these people tell me what my purpose was.
I did not. I was not going to let my little buddy die. I was not going to let these people tell me what my purpose was.
So when you bring the sun back, all three of you die. Halsey dies. You die. And Pop Boy dies.
So when you bring the sun back, all three of you die. Halsey dies. You die. And Pop Boy dies.
How's he comes back though, to lift up pop boys. So he can reach the sun. Yeah. He comes back as a carcass. Yeah. Cause you know, pop boy accidentally set him on fire and killed him, but you know, he kind of learned why fire is dangerous, but you know, that happens and the sun comes back.
How's he comes back though, to lift up pop boys. So he can reach the sun. Yeah. He comes back as a carcass. Yeah. Cause you know, pop boy accidentally set him on fire and killed him, but you know, he kind of learned why fire is dangerous, but you know, that happens and the sun comes back.
And it shows you like all the residents looking at the sun and they're not really moved or changed by any of it. Like you see the craftsman and his daughter walking away and they keep walking away. You see all these people turn to look at the sun and then they go back to what they're doing because it does not matter. It's, like, futile.
And it shows you like all the residents looking at the sun and they're not really moved or changed by any of it. Like you see the craftsman and his daughter walking away and they keep walking away. You see all these people turn to look at the sun and then they go back to what they're doing because it does not matter. It's, like, futile.
It's futile to try to help the people of this world, basically. Versus the ending I have, where I told Potboy to stop trying to light the sun, and he tries anyway, and he fails. He fails miserably, and then you and what remains of Halsey and Potboy continue walking down the Midnight Walk. That you've brought the moon back instead, and... And it's the same. Nobody cares. Nobody noticed.
It's futile to try to help the people of this world, basically. Versus the ending I have, where I told Potboy to stop trying to light the sun, and he tries anyway, and he fails. He fails miserably, and then you and what remains of Halsey and Potboy continue walking down the Midnight Walk. That you've brought the moon back instead, and... And it's the same. Nobody cares. Nobody noticed.
Your efforts were for nothing, no matter what, to this world. you need people to want to help themselves in order to help them.
Your efforts were for nothing, no matter what, to this world. you need people to want to help themselves in order to help them.
Like if we haven't talked about the matches, like, The girl who stole matches and got burned alive.
Like if we haven't talked about the matches, like, The girl who stole matches and got burned alive.
Now I have.
Now I have.
If you want another first-person one, that's actually pretty good. I'd also recommend My Friendly Neighborhood. It's a pretty good... Oh, it's Resident Evil, but with Muppets. Oh, that sounds awesome. That sounds pretty good, Ace. I do like that one a lot. We're not talking about My Friendly Neighborhood, though. We're talking about The Midnight Walk, unfortunately.
If you want another first-person one, that's actually pretty good. I'd also recommend My Friendly Neighborhood. It's a pretty good... Oh, it's Resident Evil, but with Muppets. Oh, that sounds awesome. That sounds pretty good, Ace. I do like that one a lot. We're not talking about My Friendly Neighborhood, though. We're talking about The Midnight Walk, unfortunately.
But yeah, no, that's the only reason I think I really care about the Midnight Walk is because you kind of start to look at the stories and all the things that you've done. And even though they were for nothing for your main quest, you helped those people with their problem. But your main quest just meant nothing to anyone. They didn't care. They weren't there to help you. You were just in the way.
But yeah, no, that's the only reason I think I really care about the Midnight Walk is because you kind of start to look at the stories and all the things that you've done. And even though they were for nothing for your main quest, you helped those people with their problem. But your main quest just meant nothing to anyone. They didn't care. They weren't there to help you. You were just in the way.
We brought the cauldron back for whatever that thing was so it could mourn its dead friend.
We brought the cauldron back for whatever that thing was so it could mourn its dead friend.
Yeah, let's put this one to rest. Let's go ahead and end the spoiler segment right here. It was half the episode.
Yeah, let's put this one to rest. Let's go ahead and end the spoiler segment right here. It was half the episode.
Let's go ahead and end our journey on the Midnight Walk. And Ryan, why don't you tell people where they can support the podcast?
Let's go ahead and end our journey on the Midnight Walk. And Ryan, why don't you tell people where they can support the podcast?
I'm with you. We all are right there where we want to be able to say, play the Midnight Walk. It's a great game. But instead, I'm going to say, wait for a sale.
I'm with you. We all are right there where we want to be able to say, play the Midnight Walk. It's a great game. But instead, I'm going to say, wait for a sale.
invite us to i want to see the effort that went into this make me appreciate it oh you're gonna get so much hate john we're gonna get shot it's like so mad about you being hate hating on the puppets that's fine all the effort that went into the puppets i bet they look awesome in real life but that's all for this time everyone until then happy gaming see ya toodly doodly
invite us to i want to see the effort that went into this make me appreciate it oh you're gonna get so much hate john we're gonna get shot it's like so mad about you being hate hating on the puppets that's fine all the effort that went into the puppets i bet they look awesome in real life but that's all for this time everyone until then happy gaming see ya toodly doodly
I thought as soon as I loaded up the game, I thought it nailed the atmosphere. Cause I don't know if you guys remember the opening, but the opening is you rise from the dead and your vision's blurry and your, your hearing's all screwed up and you just start walking forward down this corridor until a statue with two eyes pops up. And it's just like,
I thought as soon as I loaded up the game, I thought it nailed the atmosphere. Cause I don't know if you guys remember the opening, but the opening is you rise from the dead and your vision's blurry and your, your hearing's all screwed up and you just start walking forward down this corridor until a statue with two eyes pops up. And it's just like,
take your eyes yeah you're like you put one eye in it's a little clearer you put the other eye in now you can see but your ears are still all screwy so you keep walking and you find two more statues like take your ears
take your eyes yeah you're like you put one eye in it's a little clearer you put the other eye in now you can see but your ears are still all screwy so you keep walking and you find two more statues like take your ears
and then from there you put your ears on and then that becomes part of the entire game's thing with the like the binaural hearing where the uh i guess that's binaural audio where you it passes from one headphone to the other and you can kind of use that to find things did anything hook you at all john with this one like well okay was it impossible to set the hook for a game you just didn't like no yeah i mean clearly the the art
and then from there you put your ears on and then that becomes part of the entire game's thing with the like the binaural hearing where the uh i guess that's binaural audio where you it passes from one headphone to the other and you can kind of use that to find things did anything hook you at all john with this one like well okay was it impossible to set the hook for a game you just didn't like no yeah i mean clearly the the art
And I can only hope that he walks the path of light and justice with me in this beautiful work of art. It's Ryan.
And I can only hope that he walks the path of light and justice with me in this beautiful work of art. It's Ryan.
Claymation? Claymation. It's stop motion claymation.
Claymation? Claymation. It's stop motion claymation.
I'm just so surprised. I mean, I kind of get what you're saying. It definitely felt like it was very lost from the get-go, and it didn't really have that heart. I don't know if you felt that, Ryan, if it felt like there wasn't much to go with.
I'm just so surprised. I mean, I kind of get what you're saying. It definitely felt like it was very lost from the get-go, and it didn't really have that heart. I don't know if you felt that, Ryan, if it felt like there wasn't much to go with.
Let's light them up.
Let's light them up.
For me, until I met Pop Boy, I didn't have a connection to this world. This world is very empty and barren, which it's supposed to be. It's the end of the world. This takes place at the end of this claymation world, and you're basically surviving in the aftermath, which makes sense why it's so empty and sad and...
For me, until I met Pop Boy, I didn't have a connection to this world. This world is very empty and barren, which it's supposed to be. It's the end of the world. This takes place at the end of this claymation world, and you're basically surviving in the aftermath, which makes sense why it's so empty and sad and...
Clearly today we have mixed opinions on what's going to be coming forward. But we've talked about the Midnight Walk before. We were all relatively excited for it, I want to say. John, were you excited?
Clearly today we have mixed opinions on what's going to be coming forward. But we've talked about the Midnight Walk before. We were all relatively excited for it, I want to say. John, were you excited?
terrible music was good though the music got me that was really good music music was pretty solid yeah i did i gotta give the music the i i did grow to like the music quite a bit i mean that one uh what do they call that they don't call it a sting uh I can't think of the word. The one cue that plays whenever Popboy is setting a fire for the end of a chapter. Oh, yeah, yeah.
terrible music was good though the music got me that was really good music music was pretty solid yeah i did i gotta give the music the i i did grow to like the music quite a bit i mean that one uh what do they call that they don't call it a sting uh I can't think of the word. The one cue that plays whenever Popboy is setting a fire for the end of a chapter. Oh, yeah, yeah.
Yeah, where it pulses up three times and you're activated. Yeah, that one got me. I love that one. It was so good. Yeah, it's a good. Such a good. I'm going to remember the name of what that's called one day. At some point on the podcast, apparently.
Yeah, where it pulses up three times and you're activated. Yeah, that one got me. I love that one. It was so good. Yeah, it's a good. Such a good. I'm going to remember the name of what that's called one day. At some point on the podcast, apparently.
But, you know, the game is split into five unique tales that each tell a story of fire or darkness or how they would, you know, combine within this world. Because as we mentioned, Potboy is our companion, but he is also the last light at the end of the world. There's no fire in this world anymore. It's all been taken over by shadow. The sun is gone. The moon is gone. Everything is just dark. Yep.
But, you know, the game is split into five unique tales that each tell a story of fire or darkness or how they would, you know, combine within this world. Because as we mentioned, Potboy is our companion, but he is also the last light at the end of the world. There's no fire in this world anymore. It's all been taken over by shadow. The sun is gone. The moon is gone. Everything is just dark. Yep.
Which is why you need to take Potboy to the mountain and reignite the sun and bring light back to the world.
Which is why you need to take Potboy to the mountain and reignite the sun and bring light back to the world.
i did i do think they did a good job on that is is unsettling you before you kind of dive into this world yeah i think so too i think it's very they do a very good job of letting you know that this is a bad world yeah it's something like we talked about with the first impressions john was like at least what i had experienced by then because i hadn't met anyone yet it was like i felt very alone in this world and pot boy was the only companion i had and that kind of stays true through the whole thing even if you do make friends they don't really stay around yeah
i did i do think they did a good job on that is is unsettling you before you kind of dive into this world yeah i think so too i think it's very they do a very good job of letting you know that this is a bad world yeah it's something like we talked about with the first impressions john was like at least what i had experienced by then because i hadn't met anyone yet it was like i felt very alone in this world and pot boy was the only companion i had and that kind of stays true through the whole thing even if you do make friends they don't really stay around yeah
And I think that really does actually add to the world building, even if the world isn't that great. Sorry, the midnight walk.
And I think that really does actually add to the world building, even if the world isn't that great. Sorry, the midnight walk.
I felt like I was just like... You didn't follow the story?
I felt like I was just like... You didn't follow the story?
How many reviews is that? That is 378, I believe. Oh, wow. Okay. I mean, it's still kind of early, but... It's still in its infancy, but it's still incredible that it's only been out for that long and it's already gotten this positive a reception.
How many reviews is that? That is 378, I believe. Oh, wow. Okay. I mean, it's still kind of early, but... It's still in its infancy, but it's still incredible that it's only been out for that long and it's already gotten this positive a reception.
I mean, it's a cozy, narrative, charming horror game with a clay craft aesthetic. Like, come on.
I mean, it's a cozy, narrative, charming horror game with a clay craft aesthetic. Like, come on.
Yeah, clearly you thought it was going to be for you. But since you're very familiar with this genre and what it does and what it doesn't do, what makes The Midnight Walk stand out gameplay-wise? Is there any mechanics or anything that stood out to you?
Yeah, clearly you thought it was going to be for you. But since you're very familiar with this genre and what it does and what it doesn't do, what makes The Midnight Walk stand out gameplay-wise? Is there any mechanics or anything that stood out to you?
The problem is that as somebody who sleeps like...
The problem is that as somebody who sleeps like...
a maximum of two to three hours a night like for years at a time i'm like prejudice against the uh title like that he gets to feel sleepy so i may end up skipping that one i'll take the cliff's notes on that one and you guys can keep singing it though i like the song maybe that'll maybe that'll put you to sleep just just loop you guys singing mr sleeping man works all day
a maximum of two to three hours a night like for years at a time i'm like prejudice against the uh title like that he gets to feel sleepy so i may end up skipping that one i'll take the cliff's notes on that one and you guys can keep singing it though i like the song maybe that'll maybe that'll put you to sleep just just loop you guys singing mr sleeping man works all day
Oh, man. If I could, I would. So I'll throw one out of left field for you guys, too. And this one, there hasn't really been a lot in the way of gameplay that's come out yet, but it's combining two things together. That I have a really strong fondness for. I grew up in SoCal and was a really, really big fan of Disney and Disney properties and sort of the old school hand-drawn Disney animation.
Oh, man. If I could, I would. So I'll throw one out of left field for you guys, too. And this one, there hasn't really been a lot in the way of gameplay that's come out yet, but it's combining two things together. That I have a really strong fondness for. I grew up in SoCal and was a really, really big fan of Disney and Disney properties and sort of the old school hand-drawn Disney animation.
It will always have a special place in my heart. And I feel like it's shaped a lot of what animation is today. I mean, animation exists in its current state because of the Disney legacy. Mm-hmm. And in survival horror, because I like creepy stuff and watching people die slowly. Whoa, all right.
It will always have a special place in my heart. And I feel like it's shaped a lot of what animation is today. I mean, animation exists in its current state because of the Disney legacy. Mm-hmm. And in survival horror, because I like creepy stuff and watching people die slowly. Whoa, all right.
There is a game coming out called By Sweet Carol that combines those two genres in a really interesting way. Again, it's limited stuff that's come out so far, but we have... sort of that old hand-drawn Disney aesthetic, sort of circa Sleeping Beauty era, maybe Sleeping Beauty, Beauty and the Beast era, combined with this really dark, moody kind of Little Nightmares sort of atmosphere.
There is a game coming out called By Sweet Carol that combines those two genres in a really interesting way. Again, it's limited stuff that's come out so far, but we have... sort of that old hand-drawn Disney aesthetic, sort of circa Sleeping Beauty era, maybe Sleeping Beauty, Beauty and the Beast era, combined with this really dark, moody kind of Little Nightmares sort of atmosphere.
And it just looks great. Like I cannot wait. I can just see so much fun to be had with the mixing of the really, really bubbly kind of, you know, Disney vibe. And then,
And it just looks great. Like I cannot wait. I can just see so much fun to be had with the mixing of the really, really bubbly kind of, you know, Disney vibe. And then,
juxtaposing that with this dark gritty you know sort of resident evil style survival horror kind of theme it looks it looks really cool and unique and honestly i mean like dude we have been talking for what 20 minutes now and like we've covered a huge span of genres indie does it better than everyone but seeing something new seeing something fresh is like not very common and this felt feels new and fresh i haven't seen anything like this
juxtaposing that with this dark gritty you know sort of resident evil style survival horror kind of theme it looks it looks really cool and unique and honestly i mean like dude we have been talking for what 20 minutes now and like we've covered a huge span of genres indie does it better than everyone but seeing something new seeing something fresh is like not very common and this felt feels new and fresh i haven't seen anything like this
Yeah, it's interesting. I've never had any interest in the Monster Hunter games, but Jack with Oddbug, when we did our segment with him, he really turned me on to it. Like just the concept that you can sort of like play as long as you want, but also just kind of like get your little fix every once in a while. That is like right up my alley these days. So I may end up jumping on there.
Yeah, it's interesting. I've never had any interest in the Monster Hunter games, but Jack with Oddbug, when we did our segment with him, he really turned me on to it. Like just the concept that you can sort of like play as long as you want, but also just kind of like get your little fix every once in a while. That is like right up my alley these days. So I may end up jumping on there.
That's probably the sleep deprivation talking there.
That's probably the sleep deprivation talking there.
It has an unmistakable visual style.
It has an unmistakable visual style.
Oh, yeah, yeah, absolutely.
Oh, yeah, yeah, absolutely.
I agree. I'm stoked for it.
I agree. I'm stoked for it.
Well, dude, and like, so this is something that Andor, I'm also a big Star Wars simp too, but that's something that Andor did particularly well is that I thought, I think they took sort of like the, really authentic visual style of the old Star Wars where everything's practical and, you know, the sets are sort of like retro future, like kind of almost...
Well, dude, and like, so this is something that Andor, I'm also a big Star Wars simp too, but that's something that Andor did particularly well is that I thought, I think they took sort of like the, really authentic visual style of the old Star Wars where everything's practical and, you know, the sets are sort of like retro future, like kind of almost...
I don't know, almost, almost vapor punk or whatever. Uh, but they adulted up the storyline and, um, you know, it, it's interesting to me that you haven't seen more of that happen with the Disney stuff. I mean, it's like, it's ubiquitous. Everybody knows everybody grew up with it basically.
I don't know, almost, almost vapor punk or whatever. Uh, but they adulted up the storyline and, um, you know, it, it's interesting to me that you haven't seen more of that happen with the Disney stuff. I mean, it's like, it's ubiquitous. Everybody knows everybody grew up with it basically.
I mean, like Ace, you're the youngest guy in the room, but I'm sure you've seen some of the Disney, you know, traditional animated stuff. Yeah. And so seeing them take that style and, like you said, Ryan, bringing it to a more mature audience, I don't know, man. It's got me locked. They've got my money.
I mean, like Ace, you're the youngest guy in the room, but I'm sure you've seen some of the Disney, you know, traditional animated stuff. Yeah. And so seeing them take that style and, like you said, Ryan, bringing it to a more mature audience, I don't know, man. It's got me locked. They've got my money.
i love it when devs respond to the to the audience feedback like that man that is so so welcome like they did it with final fantasy 14 the sonic the hedgehog movies famously did it man yeah i mean like bro if if star wars and marvel would just get on that bandwagon listen to the fans guys we have the answer i swear just just listen to us please
i love it when devs respond to the to the audience feedback like that man that is so so welcome like they did it with final fantasy 14 the sonic the hedgehog movies famously did it man yeah i mean like bro if if star wars and marvel would just get on that bandwagon listen to the fans guys we have the answer i swear just just listen to us please
I was going to say, you know, you mentioned that, like, you don't know who's heard of this game, but, bro, I bet you'd be surprised, man, with his... big of a runaway hit as cuphead was like, there is a, there is a market for this dude. I see this game going far, man. I think this game is going to find a big audience.
I was going to say, you know, you mentioned that, like, you don't know who's heard of this game, but, bro, I bet you'd be surprised, man, with his... big of a runaway hit as cuphead was like, there is a, there is a market for this dude. I see this game going far, man. I think this game is going to find a big audience.
Yeah, dude, I'm so stoked to be joining for this episode in particular. Ace and I chat a lot offline about this, but I think probably out of everybody who speaks on this show, Ace and me probably have the closest, most aligned sort of game tastes. And when I was looking at my most anticipated games of the year, basically they're all indies. So this is going to be awesome.
Yeah, dude, I'm so stoked to be joining for this episode in particular. Ace and I chat a lot offline about this, but I think probably out of everybody who speaks on this show, Ace and me probably have the closest, most aligned sort of game tastes. And when I was looking at my most anticipated games of the year, basically they're all indies. So this is going to be awesome.
It nails that aesthetic. Absolutely, man. It looks gorgeous.
It nails that aesthetic. Absolutely, man. It looks gorgeous.
I do want to give a shout out to, uh, to Jack and John over at odd bug for tales of iron, tales of iron to great games. My next game is sadly not mouse themed that I know of. Uh, but, uh, but their studio happens to be named after a rabbit. It is harebrained studios, new game coming out called graft. Uh,
I do want to give a shout out to, uh, to Jack and John over at odd bug for tales of iron, tales of iron to great games. My next game is sadly not mouse themed that I know of. Uh, but, uh, but their studio happens to be named after a rabbit. It is harebrained studios, new game coming out called graft. Uh,
And what I'm going to say about Graft is as soon as you get done with this episode and listen to five other episodes, and then between that and listening to yet another five episodes, take a quick break and watch the Graft trailer. If nothing else, the song in that trailer is going to hook you. It's some of the best teaser music I've probably ever heard in a game.
And what I'm going to say about Graft is as soon as you get done with this episode and listen to five other episodes, and then between that and listening to yet another five episodes, take a quick break and watch the Graft trailer. If nothing else, the song in that trailer is going to hook you. It's some of the best teaser music I've probably ever heard in a game.
But aside from that, this is kind of like a top-down... I don't know what you'd call it. Would you call it... Ryan, I know you've seen the trailer. Would you call this like a survival horror-y type game? Like a cyberpunk sort of... I'm having trouble putting to words what I would call the actual aesthetic. But I would call it cyberpunk meets horror. And again...
But aside from that, this is kind of like a top-down... I don't know what you'd call it. Would you call it... Ryan, I know you've seen the trailer. Would you call this like a survival horror-y type game? Like a cyberpunk sort of... I'm having trouble putting to words what I would call the actual aesthetic. But I would call it cyberpunk meets horror. And again...
What I look for, especially in these preview phases, we have no idea what these things are actually going to play like. And frankly, I think that's a plus. When I look at a game and I go, oh, that's this, that's Street Fighter meets, I don't know, Street Fighter meets Hades or something. I don't like that.
What I look for, especially in these preview phases, we have no idea what these things are actually going to play like. And frankly, I think that's a plus. When I look at a game and I go, oh, that's this, that's Street Fighter meets, I don't know, Street Fighter meets Hades or something. I don't like that.
Like I want to, I want to be curious about what I'm getting into and I, and I am with this, but what I can tell you is that the trailer made me feel something, you know, I like walking away from that little one minute clip. I go, Oh God, I want to, I want to know more about this universe and it looks fantastic.
Like I want to, I want to be curious about what I'm getting into and I, and I am with this, but what I can tell you is that the trailer made me feel something, you know, I like walking away from that little one minute clip. I go, Oh God, I want to, I want to know more about this universe and it looks fantastic.
Kind of like the 90s version of what the future would look like or something.
Kind of like the 90s version of what the future would look like or something.
That's a really good description.
That's a really good description.
That's true. There may be rats. This is a dystopia.
That's true. There may be rats. This is a dystopia.
Ah, they did it. Yeah.
Ah, they did it. Yeah.
Well, dude, I'm one of these guys where I generally, unless I'm really dialed into a game, I'm hitting X to get through all the dialogue as quick as possible. And this game isn't real rich on cut scenes. I don't think there's many cut scenes at all in the first one anyways. But the dialogue is so witty and engaging that I listen to every single line of dialogue in it.
Well, dude, I'm one of these guys where I generally, unless I'm really dialed into a game, I'm hitting X to get through all the dialogue as quick as possible. And this game isn't real rich on cut scenes. I don't think there's many cut scenes at all in the first one anyways. But the dialogue is so witty and engaging that I listen to every single line of dialogue in it.
It was such a good game, the first one.
It was such a good game, the first one.
Absolutely. Dude, it is a masterpiece. And it actually has a very specific purpose too. Like Switch is still one of my favorite systems. Prior to coming on the podcast and meeting with you fine gentlemen, I used to travel a lot for work and for pleasure but traveling a lot. Like my wife and I were traveling –
Absolutely. Dude, it is a masterpiece. And it actually has a very specific purpose too. Like Switch is still one of my favorite systems. Prior to coming on the podcast and meeting with you fine gentlemen, I used to travel a lot for work and for pleasure but traveling a lot. Like my wife and I were traveling –
At least a couple of times a month and spending a lot of time in airplanes and airports and stuff. And Hades might be the ultimate like travel slash short time game. You can like pick it up over and over again and play it as long as you want or as short as you want and have like a memorable, worthwhile experience with it. And, uh, bro, the, I mean, for a roguelike, it is absolute perfection.
At least a couple of times a month and spending a lot of time in airplanes and airports and stuff. And Hades might be the ultimate like travel slash short time game. You can like pick it up over and over again and play it as long as you want or as short as you want and have like a memorable, worthwhile experience with it. And, uh, bro, the, I mean, for a roguelike, it is absolute perfection.
There's so many different ways that you can approach every single level and boss. I, I generally tend to favor you, Ryan, where I'm like, I don't want to die a hundred times fighting millennia. Like that, that upsets me. Like I get upset at the game. Hades dude. I plowed right through that to the end, man. That's the one thing I've got on Josh is that I beat Hades and he did not.
There's so many different ways that you can approach every single level and boss. I, I generally tend to favor you, Ryan, where I'm like, I don't want to die a hundred times fighting millennia. Like that, that upsets me. Like I get upset at the game. Hades dude. I plowed right through that to the end, man. That's the one thing I've got on Josh is that I beat Hades and he did not.
Oh, love it.
Oh, love it.
So I knew you, one of us was going to cover it and that's awesome. Um, I don't want to dive too deep into this next one. So I'm just going to like throw out like a little special mention for me, but little nightmares three, again, big fan of the first two part three is taken on by a different studio. I think it's actually Bandai that's doing the third one.
So I knew you, one of us was going to cover it and that's awesome. Um, I don't want to dive too deep into this next one. So I'm just going to like throw out like a little special mention for me, but little nightmares three, again, big fan of the first two part three is taken on by a different studio. I think it's actually Bandai that's doing the third one.
So I don't, I don't even know if you can call it indie anymore. Um, the, the previews still look pretty, pretty good and pretty faithful to the originals, but, uh, you know, I'm not really sure whether to call that an indie anymore, just like kingdom come deliverance too.
So I don't, I don't even know if you can call it indie anymore. Um, the, the previews still look pretty, pretty good and pretty faithful to the originals, but, uh, you know, I'm not really sure whether to call that an indie anymore, just like kingdom come deliverance too.
I'm not really sure whether to call that an indie or not, but the game that I am most excited about right up there with re animal is, Kind of fits into the niche where you guys were talking about, like, how can you have these little simple pixel art games and then also still call this an indie game? Is Claire Obscura Expedition 33. Oh my golly gosh. That game looks so good.
I'm not really sure whether to call that an indie or not, but the game that I am most excited about right up there with re animal is, Kind of fits into the niche where you guys were talking about, like, how can you have these little simple pixel art games and then also still call this an indie game? Is Claire Obscura Expedition 33. Oh my golly gosh. That game looks so good.
I can't believe an indie studio pulled this off. And as somebody who, like... I've had a lot of wonderful moments in my life. I've traveled all over the world. I have built and sold a successful business. My wife is my best friend. I'm thankful every day for her and for this awesome life I have. But some of my favorite life experiences We're playing final fantasy games.
I can't believe an indie studio pulled this off. And as somebody who, like... I've had a lot of wonderful moments in my life. I've traveled all over the world. I have built and sold a successful business. My wife is my best friend. I'm thankful every day for her and for this awesome life I have. But some of my favorite life experiences We're playing final fantasy games.
Like I put those right up there with like real life, you know, IRL type experiences that I've had.
Like I put those right up there with like real life, you know, IRL type experiences that I've had.
And this game based on what I've seen so far looks more final fantasy than final fantasy. I, the, the aesthetic of it, the mood.
And this game based on what I've seen so far looks more final fantasy than final fantasy. I, the, the aesthetic of it, the mood.
the fit you know i know ryan you're not a big fan of turn-based combat you'll get there son the older you get the more you'll appreciate it yeah you'll grow out of it but uh it it it looks like it was basically designed for me and i'm very thankful for that if you guys haven't checked it out please check out the trailer that game looks absolutely fantastic and my early call here is
the fit you know i know ryan you're not a big fan of turn-based combat you'll get there son the older you get the more you'll appreciate it yeah you'll grow out of it but uh it it it looks like it was basically designed for me and i'm very thankful for that if you guys haven't checked it out please check out the trailer that game looks absolutely fantastic and my early call here is
How can you put Bellatro and this in the same general category?
How can you put Bellatro and this in the same general category?
And something, something that it does really well that I loved from the old, like I know I actually got into final fantasy at eight. So I kind of missed seven and the new, the seven remakes haven't really done it for me. Honestly, I got in at eight, but really I peaked like my, basically like my Renaissance period for gaming was final fantasy 10, 10, even 10, two as, as, as cringes.
And something, something that it does really well that I loved from the old, like I know I actually got into final fantasy at eight. So I kind of missed seven and the new, the seven remakes haven't really done it for me. Honestly, I got in at eight, but really I peaked like my, basically like my Renaissance period for gaming was final fantasy 10, 10, even 10, two as, as, as cringes.
There was a lot of great game diamond dynamics in 10, two, but 10 and 12, uh, man, like the fact that you had these like really kind of like dark undertones that, you know, like it's the world in threat. Like, you know, it's every, every major game, every final fantasy game basically has the whole world is going to die as, as it's, that's usually, but you also go to these like,
There was a lot of great game diamond dynamics in 10, two, but 10 and 12, uh, man, like the fact that you had these like really kind of like dark undertones that, you know, like it's the world in threat. Like, you know, it's every, every major game, every final fantasy game basically has the whole world is going to die as, as it's, that's usually, but you also go to these like,
Wonderful worlds where it's like fantastical and you can like just go there and it's almost becomes like a cozy, you know, where it's like, man, I just want to like smile and look at my pixelated sunset for a while and play cards with this dude on the beach or go fishing or whatever. And the new Final Fantasies of 15, 15.
Wonderful worlds where it's like fantastical and you can like just go there and it's almost becomes like a cozy, you know, where it's like, man, I just want to like smile and look at my pixelated sunset for a while and play cards with this dude on the beach or go fishing or whatever. And the new Final Fantasies of 15, 15.
got there kinda but 16 big miss for me man 16 and the and the seven remakes for me man it's just like they they try to double down on the on the dark you know gloomy aesthetic and that that just doesn't say final fantasy to me this claire obscura looks like it checks all those boxes and i highly encourage i i know you guys have talked about it ad nauseum on the show
got there kinda but 16 big miss for me man 16 and the and the seven remakes for me man it's just like they they try to double down on the on the dark you know gloomy aesthetic and that that just doesn't say final fantasy to me this claire obscura looks like it checks all those boxes and i highly encourage i i know you guys have talked about it ad nauseum on the show
But for all you lurkers out there who haven't drank the Kool-Aid yet, now's your opportunity. The Kool-Aid is delicious.
But for all you lurkers out there who haven't drank the Kool-Aid yet, now's your opportunity. The Kool-Aid is delicious.
So when you play chess with somebody, do you just slap all the pieces at the opponent?
So when you play chess with somebody, do you just slap all the pieces at the opponent?
We got nothing to say. Look, guys, it was and is a really good game. But, man, in that genre, there is a wealth of amazing games. That's probably my favorite genre right now. It's probably one of yours, too, if not your favorite. My man. But, dude, I'm playing... I don't know how I slept on it, but thanks to SuperMario64 on the Discord for recommending this.
We got nothing to say. Look, guys, it was and is a really good game. But, man, in that genre, there is a wealth of amazing games. That's probably my favorite genre right now. It's probably one of yours, too, if not your favorite. My man. But, dude, I'm playing... I don't know how I slept on it, but thanks to SuperMario64 on the Discord for recommending this.
Well, dude, I have such a like perfect example of this too. I'm like a Marvel ride or die kind of guy. And my wife and I went to go see Brave New World, the new Captain America movie. And super cool fight choreography. And I like simp for Captain America so hard. Like, you could put him in anything and I'd watch it, basically. But, bro, it seems like the bigger budget stuff...
Well, dude, I have such a like perfect example of this too. I'm like a Marvel ride or die kind of guy. And my wife and I went to go see Brave New World, the new Captain America movie. And super cool fight choreography. And I like simp for Captain America so hard. Like, you could put him in anything and I'd watch it, basically. But, bro, it seems like the bigger budget stuff...
The Prince of Persia game, the most recent one. Dude, so fun. And then Ace turned me on to Ender Lilies and Ender Magnolia. Those look fantastic. If you haven't checked out Ori, either of the Ori games, man, are those good. They're so good. I mean, like, you've got so much to choose from. I have no doubt Hollow Knight or Silksong is going to be a great game, but man, I don't know.
The Prince of Persia game, the most recent one. Dude, so fun. And then Ace turned me on to Ender Lilies and Ender Magnolia. Those look fantastic. If you haven't checked out Ori, either of the Ori games, man, are those good. They're so good. I mean, like, you've got so much to choose from. I have no doubt Hollow Knight or Silksong is going to be a great game, but man, I don't know.
If it comes out, fine.
If it comes out, fine.
I meant acceptance. We're at denial. We're at denial.
I meant acceptance. We're at denial. We're at denial.
Well, my last one is called Knife Hands.
Well, my last one is called Knife Hands.
The best game.
The best game.
no ace i uh i eat member berries for like breakfast lunch and dinner man and like the old school days of fixed camera silent hill and resident evil with like the limited resources man that just that that tickles something in me that's uh that i that i miss a lot and games have largely moved away from that so this will probably be one that i check out for sure oh yeah i can't wait to just like try to run into a door and just run to the wall oh i've been doing man i
no ace i uh i eat member berries for like breakfast lunch and dinner man and like the old school days of fixed camera silent hill and resident evil with like the limited resources man that just that that tickles something in me that's uh that i that i miss a lot and games have largely moved away from that so this will probably be one that i check out for sure oh yeah i can't wait to just like try to run into a door and just run to the wall oh i've been doing man i
Last for the best? Yeah. Best for last.
Last for the best? Yeah. Best for last.
Hey, attaboy, attaboy. My last one is a game that Josh actually is playing. He's playing the demo right now, and I think it's supposed to come out in a couple of weeks. So if anybody's itching for something to play, you know, kind of on the sooner end of things, RIP Silksong, is a game called Grit and Valor. And Grit and Valor... It looks like kind of like, I don't know.
Hey, attaboy, attaboy. My last one is a game that Josh actually is playing. He's playing the demo right now, and I think it's supposed to come out in a couple of weeks. So if anybody's itching for something to play, you know, kind of on the sooner end of things, RIP Silksong, is a game called Grit and Valor. And Grit and Valor... It looks like kind of like, I don't know.
there's like this weird situation where it just all becomes like the same. Like when the MCU was young, like each brand within it had its kind of own identity. And now like, dude, this was like a cut and paste movie. Like everything was so absolutely predictable. And then Sarah and I went and saw this little indie movie called Companion. And oh my God, what a breath of fresh air.
there's like this weird situation where it just all becomes like the same. Like when the MCU was young, like each brand within it had its kind of own identity. And now like, dude, this was like a cut and paste movie. Like everything was so absolutely predictable. And then Sarah and I went and saw this little indie movie called Companion. And oh my God, what a breath of fresh air.
Again, I'm not quite clear on what the gameplay is at this point. I should probably download the... the, the, uh, the preview, the demo, but, but, uh, but what I can tell you is mechs and mechs are awesome. Like robots. Oh my God. I'm in no matter what. And, uh, I'm a big Warhammer, uh, big Warhammer geek. This looks like pulled straight out of the grim, dark, uh, future. And, uh, it looks great.
Again, I'm not quite clear on what the gameplay is at this point. I should probably download the... the, the, uh, the preview, the demo, but, but, uh, but what I can tell you is mechs and mechs are awesome. Like robots. Oh my God. I'm in no matter what. And, uh, I'm a big Warhammer, uh, big Warhammer geek. This looks like pulled straight out of the grim, dark, uh, future. And, uh, it looks great.
So, I mean, really, I don't have much to go by other than the aesthetics of the game at this point. And that, uh, The devs have been super cool to talk to. But this is one that's right around the corner. I haven't downloaded the demo because I'm going to be playing the game. But highly recommend it. Looks good.
So, I mean, really, I don't have much to go by other than the aesthetics of the game at this point. And that, uh, The devs have been super cool to talk to. But this is one that's right around the corner. I haven't downloaded the demo because I'm going to be playing the game. But highly recommend it. Looks good.
Dude, I want to hit on that point. support your local indie gamers or game developers i just played a game called arise on my switch because switch is i've been moving and so that's like my primary console right now yeah and this game had just like a wonderful little pixar story attached to it two bucks two dollars i played for that game best two dollars i've spent all year
Dude, I want to hit on that point. support your local indie gamers or game developers i just played a game called arise on my switch because switch is i've been moving and so that's like my primary console right now yeah and this game had just like a wonderful little pixar story attached to it two bucks two dollars i played for that game best two dollars i've spent all year
I think the thing that indies have... over the big budget studios is that the creators are like laser focused on the vision and the overall kind of like Ness universe of the, uh, the universe that they know exactly what they want out of it. And they still have the freedom to go. No, you, you stay in your own light.
I think the thing that indies have... over the big budget studios is that the creators are like laser focused on the vision and the overall kind of like Ness universe of the, uh, the universe that they know exactly what they want out of it. And they still have the freedom to go. No, you, you stay in your own light.
And yeah, I want to piggyback on what you just said to Ryan. For anybody who's been listening to the last few weeks of content... you've probably noticed that there's been a theme of giving back to charities that, that mean a lot to us.
And yeah, I want to piggyback on what you just said to Ryan. For anybody who's been listening to the last few weeks of content... you've probably noticed that there's been a theme of giving back to charities that, that mean a lot to us.
I think everybody here on staff at video gamers pod has a real soft spot for kids who are going through disadvantaged situations, whether they are, you know, in the pipeline for make a wish or they are in foster care displaced from their families. And, uh, we have all of us been a kid. Most of us started gaming when we were kids. And that's a magical time in your life.
I think everybody here on staff at video gamers pod has a real soft spot for kids who are going through disadvantaged situations, whether they are, you know, in the pipeline for make a wish or they are in foster care displaced from their families. And, uh, we have all of us been a kid. Most of us started gaming when we were kids. And that's a magical time in your life.
And it's also a very vulnerable time in your life. And it has been really fortunate that we've been able to be in a position where we've been able to give back. And how you, the listener or the viewer, however you're consuming this podcast can help is please Follow the podcast on whatever platform you're consuming it. Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Instagram, etc. And leave us a review.
And it's also a very vulnerable time in your life. And it has been really fortunate that we've been able to be in a position where we've been able to give back. And how you, the listener or the viewer, however you're consuming this podcast can help is please Follow the podcast on whatever platform you're consuming it. Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Instagram, etc. And leave us a review.
That helps us so much for being able to contribute to these awesome causes. And you get to be a part of it. You get to be a part of improving lives around the world, which is what we are all about here, one game at a time.
That helps us so much for being able to contribute to these awesome causes. And you get to be a part of it. You get to be a part of improving lives around the world, which is what we are all about here, one game at a time.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Yeah. Like out of all the games, I mean, I've been listening first time caller, long time listener guys. I've been listening to this show for quite some time. You guys have been like my workout buddies for a couple of years at this point.
Yeah. Like out of all the games, I mean, I've been listening first time caller, long time listener guys. I've been listening to this show for quite some time. You guys have been like my workout buddies for a couple of years at this point.
and you have spoken so enthusiastically about this game that like it's always kind of been on my backlog but i've i don't know something just hasn't pushed me over the edge to go do it but a second one definitely is you know interesting for some reason i end up favoring the second game in most series so well they learned what they did wrong and they can make it better yeah exactly exactly
and you have spoken so enthusiastically about this game that like it's always kind of been on my backlog but i've i don't know something just hasn't pushed me over the edge to go do it but a second one definitely is you know interesting for some reason i end up favoring the second game in most series so well they learned what they did wrong and they can make it better yeah exactly exactly
Yeah.
Yeah.
Let's go. Yeah, exactly.
Let's go. Yeah, exactly.
Hey, everybody. Ryan, first of all, you should be thanking me for that. That is my number one most anticipated game of this year. And I think it's going to surprise you, dude.
Hey, everybody. Ryan, first of all, you should be thanking me for that. That is my number one most anticipated game of this year. And I think it's going to surprise you, dude.
Yeah. And we've even found that with like our outreach, like dude, the indie developers are like stoked to talk about their games. You know, it's not, it's not just numbers on a spreadsheet to them. There's like heart in it.
Yeah. And we've even found that with like our outreach, like dude, the indie developers are like stoked to talk about their games. You know, it's not, it's not just numbers on a spreadsheet to them. There's like heart in it.
Okay. So for anybody who's been a part of the discord, I apologize in advance because I've been spamming this game for like the last, like three months, but my number one tie for number one, most anticipated game for this year is a game called re animal. It is made by Tarsier studios and they are the makers of the original little nightmares and little nightmares too.
Okay. So for anybody who's been a part of the discord, I apologize in advance because I've been spamming this game for like the last, like three months, but my number one tie for number one, most anticipated game for this year is a game called re animal. It is made by Tarsier studios and they are the makers of the original little nightmares and little nightmares too.
And I'm going to just say Little Nightmares was a good game. Little Nightmares 2, in my opinion, is a masterpiece on just about every possible metric. And what they are doing with Re-Animal looks like they're leveling up in every possible way. Do yourselves a favor. Check out that trailer. It looks freaking incredible.
And I'm going to just say Little Nightmares was a good game. Little Nightmares 2, in my opinion, is a masterpiece on just about every possible metric. And what they are doing with Re-Animal looks like they're leveling up in every possible way. Do yourselves a favor. Check out that trailer. It looks freaking incredible.
Yeah, yeah, you got it. That's what I meant.
Yeah, yeah, you got it. That's what I meant.
Yeah, Josh said the same thing. Josh goes, okay, well, Nightmare Fuel. Great. Thank you.
Yeah, Josh said the same thing. Josh goes, okay, well, Nightmare Fuel. Great. Thank you.
Well, dude, and the best thing about them is like there's a lot of games now that like kind of like – over rely on the gore and the shock factor to the point where you almost get like numb to it. And like, man, little nightmares too, is the perfect example. They do so much with just the ambience and the sound design that like, it gives you, I'm actually getting chills, like just talking about it.
Well, dude, and the best thing about them is like there's a lot of games now that like kind of like – over rely on the gore and the shock factor to the point where you almost get like numb to it. And like, man, little nightmares too, is the perfect example. They do so much with just the ambience and the sound design that like, it gives you, I'm actually getting chills, like just talking about it.
Well, in the event that you don't, I hope you have the courtesy to lie about it at least and don't hurt my feelings.
Well, in the event that you don't, I hope you have the courtesy to lie about it at least and don't hurt my feelings.
Like it is, it is perfection in my opinion, in, uh, in game design. Plus they know, uh, how long the game should be. They don't go too long in the tooth. They're like these short little digestible games that you can probably finish in 10 hours, experience a bunch of new game mechanics in that short time and a wonderful encapsulated story that just sucks you in.
Like it is, it is perfection in my opinion, in, uh, in game design. Plus they know, uh, how long the game should be. They don't go too long in the tooth. They're like these short little digestible games that you can probably finish in 10 hours, experience a bunch of new game mechanics in that short time and a wonderful encapsulated story that just sucks you in.
There's definitely a time and a place for it.
There's definitely a time and a place for it.
Yeah. I could, I could use a good nostalgia trip. I may be checking that out.
Yeah. I could, I could use a good nostalgia trip. I may be checking that out.
Dude, I don't think I've ever... I've never had a song that I've never actually heard stuck in my head, but...
Dude, I don't think I've ever... I've never had a song that I've never actually heard stuck in my head, but...
Hades is such a giant in the indie scene. And like, nobody saw that coming when that was announced. Nobody saw where that was going to go. If it had came out in a different year, it would have been game of the year for that year. I'm certain. Oh, totally. Yeah. Cause it took the world by storm. Even Ryan likes Hades and he doesn't even play that many.
Hades is such a giant in the indie scene. And like, nobody saw that coming when that was announced. Nobody saw where that was going to go. If it had came out in a different year, it would have been game of the year for that year. I'm certain. Oh, totally. Yeah. Cause it took the world by storm. Even Ryan likes Hades and he doesn't even play that many.
hello fellow gamers and welcome to the video gamers podcast i'm your host ace and today we're talking our top indies but before that with me is my indie brother in arms john hey what's up everybody super stoked for this episode oh this is gonna be a good one i'm very excited for this one and of course my newest recruit to the indie army The one and only Ryan.
hello fellow gamers and welcome to the video gamers podcast i'm your host ace and today we're talking our top indies but before that with me is my indie brother in arms john hey what's up everybody super stoked for this episode oh this is gonna be a good one i'm very excited for this one and of course my newest recruit to the indie army The one and only Ryan.
My poor phone battery couldn't take it, unfortunately. Well, I can't help you there. I'm just a little cheap on that. That's all my fault. But it's my turn to hit the number four spot, and I want to talk about Blasphemous. You'll never guess what genre Blasphemous is from, guys.
My poor phone battery couldn't take it, unfortunately. Well, I can't help you there. I'm just a little cheap on that. That's all my fault. But it's my turn to hit the number four spot, and I want to talk about Blasphemous. You'll never guess what genre Blasphemous is from, guys.
Oh, yeah. You know, it might just happen to be my favorite genre in all of indie ever. The Metroidvania. No.
Oh, yeah. You know, it might just happen to be my favorite genre in all of indie ever. The Metroidvania. No.
It's just something so pure about the experience of Metroidvania and just how big and open it is and how exciting. And I love it. Blasphemous, though, is another kind of pixel art game. It's got beautiful pixel art, absolutely stunning pixel art. But it takes place in a... I don't really know what you call it. It's not Catholic. I don't want to call it Catholic. It feels bad.
It's just something so pure about the experience of Metroidvania and just how big and open it is and how exciting. And I love it. Blasphemous, though, is another kind of pixel art game. It's got beautiful pixel art, absolutely stunning pixel art. But it takes place in a... I don't really know what you call it. It's not Catholic. I don't want to call it Catholic. It feels bad.
But a very heavily Catholic-inspired religious world. Yeah, there you go. Where a grievous miracle is bestowed all these quote-unquote gifts upon the land. And these gifts are nothing but suffering and pain, being that the first miracle was a guy getting twisted around a tree and lifted into the air. So... but blasphemous is like beautifully dark.
But a very heavily Catholic-inspired religious world. Yeah, there you go. Where a grievous miracle is bestowed all these quote-unquote gifts upon the land. And these gifts are nothing but suffering and pain, being that the first miracle was a guy getting twisted around a tree and lifted into the air. So... but blasphemous is like beautifully dark.
And I absolutely love it. Every boss you fight is one of these people who's been bestowed with the quote unquote gifts from the miracle. And you, as you fight them and as you pick up items, you kind of learn more about them and about the world you're in. And you play as a guy with a big pointy hat called the Penitent One, and he's taken a vow of silence.
And I absolutely love it. Every boss you fight is one of these people who's been bestowed with the quote unquote gifts from the miracle. And you, as you fight them and as you pick up items, you kind of learn more about them and about the world you're in. And you play as a guy with a big pointy hat called the Penitent One, and he's taken a vow of silence.
So it makes total sense why everyone else talks and you don't. That's pretty cool.
So it makes total sense why everyone else talks and you don't. That's pretty cool.
I mean, I don't know if either of you have ever picked up and played Blasphemous at all, but.
I mean, I don't know if either of you have ever picked up and played Blasphemous at all, but.
But it's a really hard game, John. I'm going to warn you now.
But it's a really hard game, John. I'm going to warn you now.
If another crab's treasure wasn't your cup of tea, Blasphemous is... Just as difficult, if not more.
If another crab's treasure wasn't your cup of tea, Blasphemous is... Just as difficult, if not more.
Ryan, you might be able to mess with Blastmasters. I think you'd like it. It's got super good graphics for pixel art, but it also has the same thing like Doom, where if you do enough damage to an enemy, you can glory kill them, and each enemy has a unique animation.
Ryan, you might be able to mess with Blastmasters. I think you'd like it. It's got super good graphics for pixel art, but it also has the same thing like Doom, where if you do enough damage to an enemy, you can glory kill them, and each enemy has a unique animation.
It's probably pretty devastating, honestly.
It's probably pretty devastating, honestly.
I'm in the same boat. I know you are too, right, Ryan? Most of your favorite games are surely indie games.
I'm in the same boat. I know you are too, right, Ryan? Most of your favorite games are surely indie games.
That sounds good. What I love about it is, uh, You can't spend a ton of time in the levels because you need to gather as much stuff as possible and get out.
That sounds good. What I love about it is, uh, You can't spend a ton of time in the levels because you need to gather as much stuff as possible and get out.
Because there's a timer at the bottom, and the longer you stay in the level, the timer is going to keep moving up, and that's increasing the difficulty of the game.
Because there's a timer at the bottom, and the longer you stay in the level, the timer is going to keep moving up, and that's increasing the difficulty of the game.
Over and over again. At the end, it gets to the last bar, and it's just... I can't kill him.
Over and over again. At the end, it gets to the last bar, and it's just... I can't kill him.
that's the hardest difficulty yeah but it's uh it's an absolute blast man like we will definitely get you in on it it's uh it's a 3d roguelike too so it's very interesting to see like roguelikes within 3d environments like that because that's not a very common thing within the indie yeah i would agree with you on that yeah yeah yeah but uh you want to go ahead and give us your third one john yeah so i had uh i had a tough time with this one because there's kind of like a
that's the hardest difficulty yeah but it's uh it's an absolute blast man like we will definitely get you in on it it's uh it's a 3d roguelike too so it's very interesting to see like roguelikes within 3d environments like that because that's not a very common thing within the indie yeah i would agree with you on that yeah yeah yeah but uh you want to go ahead and give us your third one john yeah so i had uh i had a tough time with this one because there's kind of like a
Getting to know the people who made your game are pretty rad. I have not played the second game. I bought it. I haven't played it yet. But I played the first game and it's DLC as well as a mobile game that no longer exists.
Getting to know the people who made your game are pretty rad. I have not played the second game. I bought it. I haven't played it yet. But I played the first game and it's DLC as well as a mobile game that no longer exists.
I was just curious what makes it the step above for you.
I was just curious what makes it the step above for you.
I also get like breaking – kind of breaking in your palette for indie games too with what's popular versus what's actually fun.
I also get like breaking – kind of breaking in your palette for indie games too with what's popular versus what's actually fun.
True. What about you, Ace? What's your number three? For me, number three, I have Death's Door.
True. What about you, Ace? What's your number three? For me, number three, I have Death's Door.
oh great game i was hoping to get that reaction oh great game yeah that's that's another one of these or would you call that kind of like a horror game vaguely i wouldn't maybe call it a horror game it's not i wouldn't call it it's more like i'm not it's more of a existential crisis kind of game this is like basically like playing through your own ghibli film is what it is for me oh okay
oh great game i was hoping to get that reaction oh great game yeah that's that's another one of these or would you call that kind of like a horror game vaguely i wouldn't maybe call it a horror game it's not i wouldn't call it it's more like i'm not it's more of a existential crisis kind of game this is like basically like playing through your own ghibli film is what it is for me oh okay
You play as a little crow who is a servant of death going around collecting souls when suddenly during one of your missions you're interrupted and the soul is stolen and sent through death's door and you have to retrieve it otherwise you can never go home. And while you're in the real world, you're not immortal.
You play as a little crow who is a servant of death going around collecting souls when suddenly during one of your missions you're interrupted and the soul is stolen and sent through death's door and you have to retrieve it otherwise you can never go home. And while you're in the real world, you're not immortal.
So now the clock is ticking for you to get enough souls to open up death's door and get that thing back.
So now the clock is ticking for you to get enough souls to open up death's door and get that thing back.
But it's a super fun game. And especially if you take the challenge like I did to beat the entire thing with just the umbrella, which was the worst weapon in the game. You beat the game with an umbrella? Yeah. You have to pick up the umbrella at the beginning of the game and never unequip it. It's a trophy on PlayStation to get the platinum. Yep.
But it's a super fun game. And especially if you take the challenge like I did to beat the entire thing with just the umbrella, which was the worst weapon in the game. You beat the game with an umbrella? Yeah. You have to pick up the umbrella at the beginning of the game and never unequip it. It's a trophy on PlayStation to get the platinum. Yep.
Weakest weapon. But you still can use the spells and stuff. So I upgraded the fireball and I just used that as my main attack. But that game will hit you in spots you're not expecting with how it talks about mortality and the importance of death. And I'm not going to spoil what the twist is with the whole game because it's so freaking good.
Weakest weapon. But you still can use the spells and stuff. So I upgraded the fireball and I just used that as my main attack. But that game will hit you in spots you're not expecting with how it talks about mortality and the importance of death. And I'm not going to spoil what the twist is with the whole game because it's so freaking good.
But if you like deep stories like that, as well as just a fun action adventure, very Zelda-esque, honestly, if I had to compare it to something, then Death's Door is definitely for you. You would, I think, like it, right? I think you could get down with it. Yeah.
But if you like deep stories like that, as well as just a fun action adventure, very Zelda-esque, honestly, if I had to compare it to something, then Death's Door is definitely for you. You would, I think, like it, right? I think you could get down with it. Yeah.
marketing money to put you know a little title like death store out in front of everybody's face i talk with like other indie devs uh in other servers because you know i i help them on kickstarter not like the main help just my name to them but i talk to them and uh we bring up death store all the time we're like whatever happened to those developers and it's just like yeah
marketing money to put you know a little title like death store out in front of everybody's face i talk with like other indie devs uh in other servers because you know i i help them on kickstarter not like the main help just my name to them but i talk to them and uh we bring up death store all the time we're like whatever happened to those developers and it's just like yeah
It didn't take off, so they didn't get anywhere, but it's a beautiful game with stunning graphics that look just like a 3D Studio Ghibli, as well as just a great story and honestly a really fun protagonist design, if you ask me. Oh, all the character designs are great.
It didn't take off, so they didn't get anywhere, but it's a beautiful game with stunning graphics that look just like a 3D Studio Ghibli, as well as just a great story and honestly a really fun protagonist design, if you ask me. Oh, all the character designs are great.
I think that's enough to entice people to bring them in is if I tell them it's like playing a studio Ghibli film, it's even got the dark parts that you don't talk about to your friends.
I think that's enough to entice people to bring them in is if I tell them it's like playing a studio Ghibli film, it's even got the dark parts that you don't talk about to your friends.
All right, Ryan.
All right, Ryan.
Yeah, hit us with your third, buddy.
Yeah, hit us with your third, buddy.
Yeah, it's the game where you dance like this.
Yeah, it's the game where you dance like this.
Yeah, it's like, this is something we can do together, and it's not super, you know, mind-boggling hard to know all the buttons and things like that. It's just like, you pick up stuff, you put stuff down, run for your life. The bees! The bees are coming! Oh, yeah. All right. You go grab that hive. I'm going to lead the bees that way.
Yeah, it's like, this is something we can do together, and it's not super, you know, mind-boggling hard to know all the buttons and things like that. It's just like, you pick up stuff, you put stuff down, run for your life. The bees! The bees are coming! Oh, yeah. All right. You go grab that hive. I'm going to lead the bees that way.
And then the fact that that game has open mod support and it gets mods all the freaking time. Like you mentioned the casino. The casino is a massive mod where you can gather all the scrap you need to meet quota. And then maybe you want to go risk it all for no reason.
And then the fact that that game has open mod support and it gets mods all the freaking time. Like you mentioned the casino. The casino is a massive mod where you can gather all the scrap you need to meet quota. And then maybe you want to go risk it all for no reason.
Let's go. Like when you took my body and bet it all on black. Well...
Let's go. Like when you took my body and bet it all on black. Well...
Yeah, I mean, that's fair. You're also a console gamer, right? So Lethal's only on PC right now because it's an access. So you wouldn't know. I have an excuse. Yeah, you wouldn't have had much time with it.
Yeah, I mean, that's fair. You're also a console gamer, right? So Lethal's only on PC right now because it's an access. So you wouldn't know. I have an excuse. Yeah, you wouldn't have had much time with it.
I love talking about what's coming out in the indie scene, but I definitely love talking about what I already love from the indie scene. So this episode is going to be very fun for me. Because like I've said before, I think indies are the...
I love talking about what's coming out in the indie scene, but I definitely love talking about what I already love from the indie scene. So this episode is going to be very fun for me. Because like I've said before, I think indies are the...
Yeah, and it's definitely made its mark on the gaming landscape, I'd say.
Yeah, and it's definitely made its mark on the gaming landscape, I'd say.
All right, John, here's with number two.
All right, John, here's with number two.
And I also do really appreciate a game that can tell a story without words. I think that's something very impressive to be able to do that, that you don't have to have it all exposition dumped on you all the freaking time. Like, And that's coming from someone who said last time on the Blueprints episode, I need the yellow paint.
And I also do really appreciate a game that can tell a story without words. I think that's something very impressive to be able to do that, that you don't have to have it all exposition dumped on you all the freaking time. Like, And that's coming from someone who said last time on the Blueprints episode, I need the yellow paint.
Ori is kind of like a, what would you describe the world of Ori like? Is it sad and somber? Is it more alive?
Ori is kind of like a, what would you describe the world of Ori like? Is it sad and somber? Is it more alive?
You sound like a Kingdom Hearts character.
You sound like a Kingdom Hearts character.
Yeah. Okay. Now just throw in some stuff about hearts and happiness and you'll be all good to go. But I was going to say is it's very interesting how we can find comfort in the immersion of worlds like that. We're like, maybe the character is not having a great time, but like you being in their world instead of them being in their world makes you feel better.
Yeah. Okay. Now just throw in some stuff about hearts and happiness and you'll be all good to go. But I was going to say is it's very interesting how we can find comfort in the immersion of worlds like that. We're like, maybe the character is not having a great time, but like you being in their world instead of them being in their world makes you feel better.
Elden Ring is not a happy setting to say you're a tarnished, which is someone who's trapped in this loop. Yeah.
Elden Ring is not a happy setting to say you're a tarnished, which is someone who's trapped in this loop. Yeah.
of existence but i can't think of a more miserable plain than elden ring man in every respect i was digging being trapped in the world of elden ring i loved it but uh moving on to my number two i'm gonna be a little i'm gonna get a little bit real with y'all uh we're moving on to your number two
of existence but i can't think of a more miserable plain than elden ring man in every respect i was digging being trapped in the world of elden ring i loved it but uh moving on to my number two i'm gonna be a little i'm gonna get a little bit real with y'all uh we're moving on to your number two
yeah i see how yeah am i am i that much more immature than you guys you might be just a little bit i'm twice your age i can't help i can't fault you i'm the oldest here all right so says so says the so says everyone on instagram tiktok and unfortunately our own discord server But I'm going to get a little real. My number two is Shovel Knight, the Treasure Trove.
yeah i see how yeah am i am i that much more immature than you guys you might be just a little bit i'm twice your age i can't help i can't fault you i'm the oldest here all right so says so says the so says everyone on instagram tiktok and unfortunately our own discord server But I'm going to get a little real. My number two is Shovel Knight, the Treasure Trove.
And Shovel Knight is another pixel art kind of game. It's a 2D action platformer, very similar to Mega Man or DuckTales, if you ever played those. Shovel Knight kind of came to me in a time when I really needed something to bring me out of a dark spot. And it's... was this perfectly bright and happy game with a good amount of humor and difficulty. And I just loved it to death.
And Shovel Knight is another pixel art kind of game. It's a 2D action platformer, very similar to Mega Man or DuckTales, if you ever played those. Shovel Knight kind of came to me in a time when I really needed something to bring me out of a dark spot. And it's... was this perfectly bright and happy game with a good amount of humor and difficulty. And I just loved it to death.
Being able to play through it, learn all about the characters and the world. And it's a short game. I would say it's a short game if you're good at video games. If you're not and you break all the checkpoints like Paul did, you're going to have a real bad time. But Shovel Knight brought me really back from a dark spot in my life.
Being able to play through it, learn all about the characters and the world. And it's a short game. I would say it's a short game if you're good at video games. If you're not and you break all the checkpoints like Paul did, you're going to have a real bad time. But Shovel Knight brought me really back from a dark spot in my life.
where I could enjoy this happy world and this bright, colorful world where you get to take on all these enemies and free the world of darkness and beat the enchantress and find out what happened to the girlfriend or whatever she is to you. It's unclear because there's not a lot of dialogue in Shovel Knight. But that's why it stands out to me. And it has another killer soundtrack.
where I could enjoy this happy world and this bright, colorful world where you get to take on all these enemies and free the world of darkness and beat the enchantress and find out what happened to the girlfriend or whatever she is to you. It's unclear because there's not a lot of dialogue in Shovel Knight. But that's why it stands out to me. And it has another killer soundtrack.
Absolutely killer soundtrack. And I know neither of you have played Shovel Knight, but it's an absolutely outstanding game.
Absolutely killer soundtrack. And I know neither of you have played Shovel Knight, but it's an absolutely outstanding game.
Well, something to point out is Shovel Knight has become a very much an icon of the indie world. I almost said series. It's not a thing.
Well, something to point out is Shovel Knight has become a very much an icon of the indie world. I almost said series. It's not a thing.
Because he's become like the grandfather of the indie. He gets referenced in everything. He's in Bloodstained. He's in, what was the weirdest one? Blazblue Azure Striker. That was a weird one.
Because he's become like the grandfather of the indie. He gets referenced in everything. He's in Bloodstained. He's in, what was the weirdest one? Blazblue Azure Striker. That was a weird one.
Yeah. Yeah. He's in ukulele. He's in everything. He is sort of when people think of an indie game, they think of Shovel Knight, but there's so many people who don't remember him because of this.
Yeah. Yeah. He's in ukulele. He's in everything. He is sort of when people think of an indie game, they think of Shovel Knight, but there's so many people who don't remember him because of this.
But he's got an absolutely iconic design with that blue armor and that big old horns. Yeah.
But he's got an absolutely iconic design with that blue armor and that big old horns. Yeah.
Shovel Knights, Hollow Knights. Oh, yeah.
Shovel Knights, Hollow Knights. Oh, yeah.
Ryan, do you have any interest in Shovel Knight?
Ryan, do you have any interest in Shovel Knight?
Any at all.
Any at all.
That's good enough for me. Just don't break the checkpoints, all right? Just don't do it. You'll make your life horrible.
That's good enough for me. Just don't break the checkpoints, all right? Just don't do it. You'll make your life horrible.
I would say absolutely. I believe that's where the most promise is coming from. That's where we're seeing the most evolution. Because you have to innovate in the indie scene if you want to stand out. You can't just keep doing the same thing with a popular character. Right. or else they're just going to throw you away very fast. I agree. I agree.
I would say absolutely. I believe that's where the most promise is coming from. That's where we're seeing the most evolution. Because you have to innovate in the indie scene if you want to stand out. You can't just keep doing the same thing with a popular character. Right. or else they're just going to throw you away very fast. I agree. I agree.
Hey, there we go. I'm very, very good.
Hey, there we go. I'm very, very good.
Yeah, Subnautica 2 looks very promising, especially with the multiplayer. That's a very enticing thing for me. Being able to play together. Maybe I'll be less scared when I go to the depths of the abyss. It's scary, dude. As someone who's terrified of the depths of the ocean, Subnautica hit all the right spots for me to become a horror game instead of a survival game.
Yeah, Subnautica 2 looks very promising, especially with the multiplayer. That's a very enticing thing for me. Being able to play together. Maybe I'll be less scared when I go to the depths of the abyss. It's scary, dude. As someone who's terrified of the depths of the ocean, Subnautica hit all the right spots for me to become a horror game instead of a survival game.
But I absolutely get what you're saying. It is a fantastic survival game. Are you much into survival games, John?
But I absolutely get what you're saying. It is a fantastic survival game. Are you much into survival games, John?
That's crazy.
That's crazy.
Yeah, that's what I'm struggling with right now.
Yeah, that's what I'm struggling with right now.
Also, am I the only one here who hasn't swam with dolphins? I feel left out. I think you are.
Also, am I the only one here who hasn't swam with dolphins? I feel left out. I think you are.
Subnautica is an all-timer. And if you haven't played it, you definitely should. All right, John. You ready to take her home?
Subnautica is an all-timer. And if you haven't played it, you definitely should. All right, John. You ready to take her home?
You become Ubisoft if you stay around too long.
You become Ubisoft if you stay around too long.
Crazy high praise. It's really hard for me to grasp the idea that there is a turn-based game that's better than Persona 5 because that is my peak of a turn-based game. Man, I love Persona 5. And I really love the story of Persona 5 and how it's all about, you know, the little guy taking on the world, you know, fighting injustice in your own way.
Crazy high praise. It's really hard for me to grasp the idea that there is a turn-based game that's better than Persona 5 because that is my peak of a turn-based game. Man, I love Persona 5. And I really love the story of Persona 5 and how it's all about, you know, the little guy taking on the world, you know, fighting injustice in your own way.
We're not getting into that. That's a whole other episode's worth of content there. But, you know, kicking us right off, John, why don't you start with us? Tell us what your top five indie is.
We're not getting into that. That's a whole other episode's worth of content there. But, you know, kicking us right off, John, why don't you start with us? Tell us what your top five indie is.
But you guys have really been selling me on Claire Obscura Expedition 33. And I know I missed out on it because I just don't have time for it right now. But I really want to get to it.
But you guys have really been selling me on Claire Obscura Expedition 33. And I know I missed out on it because I just don't have time for it right now. But I really want to get to it.
It's everyone in our Discord. Every single day, I can go in there, and there's someone with a million spoiler tags talking about the game.
It's everyone in our Discord. Every single day, I can go in there, and there's someone with a million spoiler tags talking about the game.
What did you feel about the ending, Ryan?
What did you feel about the ending, Ryan?
I'm very glad this game has found its audience and people really are showing appreciation for it.
I'm very glad this game has found its audience and people really are showing appreciation for it.
It's hard for me to imagine.
It's hard for me to imagine.
I don't see why you wouldn't like it.
I don't see why you wouldn't like it.
Man.
Man.
I think that's... TLDR, it's really good, guys. Yeah, I mean, that's what you could have just said. Yeah, I really like it. I think it's pretty sweet. Well, my number one isn't quite as fancy and pretty as that game, unfortunately, but it is pretty in its own way and fancy in my way. No one could have guessed this, but it's Ender Magnolia, Bloom in the Mist. What? I know.
I think that's... TLDR, it's really good, guys. Yeah, I mean, that's what you could have just said. Yeah, I really like it. I think it's pretty sweet. Well, my number one isn't quite as fancy and pretty as that game, unfortunately, but it is pretty in its own way and fancy in my way. No one could have guessed this, but it's Ender Magnolia, Bloom in the Mist. What? I know.
Me picking a Metroidvania, let alone an Ender game, as my number one indie. Okay.
Me picking a Metroidvania, let alone an Ender game, as my number one indie. Okay.
I highly recommend starting with Ender Lilies, but just because I like both and the music in both is really good.
I highly recommend starting with Ender Lilies, but just because I like both and the music in both is really good.
Well, Ryan, I've got great news for you. There's a podcast episode all about it. You could find it on our feed.
Well, Ryan, I've got great news for you. There's a podcast episode all about it. You could find it on our feed.
Oh, you know, it just happens to be the exact same name as the podcast you're listening to.
Oh, you know, it just happens to be the exact same name as the podcast you're listening to.
Is it the Video Gamers Podcast? But Intermagnolia is a absolutely stunning game that I've talked, I've sung its praises so many times where it's another one of those instances of being where the immersion is a really big part of it for me. Even though the world you're immersing yourself in is basically on the verge of collapse and it's not a great place to be.
Is it the Video Gamers Podcast? But Intermagnolia is a absolutely stunning game that I've talked, I've sung its praises so many times where it's another one of those instances of being where the immersion is a really big part of it for me. Even though the world you're immersing yourself in is basically on the verge of collapse and it's not a great place to be.
Your protagonist may be alone, but because you're there with her, maybe she doesn't feel so alone because you're there. That's kind of how I felt about it. And that's a little bit sappy and stupid, but that's how I felt.
Your protagonist may be alone, but because you're there with her, maybe she doesn't feel so alone because you're there. That's kind of how I felt about it. And that's a little bit sappy and stupid, but that's how I felt.
I mean, the first game, you're the last surviving descendant of a white priestess traveling through a blighted kingdom of lands and all by your lonesome. Only companions you have are the dead spirits that you have control over because you are a white priestess. And you're just trying to defeat this blight and get rid of this sickness that's killing everything.
I mean, the first game, you're the last surviving descendant of a white priestess traveling through a blighted kingdom of lands and all by your lonesome. Only companions you have are the dead spirits that you have control over because you are a white priestess. And you're just trying to defeat this blight and get rid of this sickness that's killing everything.
Sort of break the cycle of what's going on. And then the second game, you play as... A totally different person who's related to the bloodline of the White Priestess, but you're still just another girl named Lilac all alone in this land of fumes, traveling with homunculi robots as your only companions.
Sort of break the cycle of what's going on. And then the second game, you play as... A totally different person who's related to the bloodline of the White Priestess, but you're still just another girl named Lilac all alone in this land of fumes, traveling with homunculi robots as your only companions.
There are more living people to talk to in Bloom in the Mist where you'll make connections with them and... It's a lot bigger of a world and bigger story. And it all kind of clicks together. I'm not going to spoil any of the story for you because it's really good. But it's got beautiful artwork. It's got beautiful music. It's all just absolutely stunning.
There are more living people to talk to in Bloom in the Mist where you'll make connections with them and... It's a lot bigger of a world and bigger story. And it all kind of clicks together. I'm not going to spoil any of the story for you because it's really good. But it's got beautiful artwork. It's got beautiful music. It's all just absolutely stunning.
And I think anyone who's anyone should be playing Ender Lilies or Ender Magnolia.
And I think anyone who's anyone should be playing Ender Lilies or Ender Magnolia.
But listen to our episode first.
But listen to our episode first.
Yeah, go ahead and wrap it up for us, buddy.
Yeah, go ahead and wrap it up for us, buddy.
Uh-huh. Rock and stone. Rock and stone. Come on, John. Yeah.
Uh-huh. Rock and stone. Rock and stone. Come on, John. Yeah.
That's a great last pick. I think everyone should play Deep Rock Galactic. Everyone should check it out. We will definitely get you in on a session of Deep Rock, John, because we could just pick it up on the Xbox Store.
That's a great last pick. I think everyone should play Deep Rock Galactic. Everyone should check it out. We will definitely get you in on a session of Deep Rock, John, because we could just pick it up on the Xbox Store.
Hey, okay, this isn't like a story game. You just can play one session.
Hey, okay, this isn't like a story game. You just can play one session.
Fellas, I've rambled on about indies for a little too long, it seems, because our time is up. But thank you so much, everyone, for listening. We truly appreciate it. John, how can people help the show?
Fellas, I've rambled on about indies for a little too long, it seems, because our time is up. But thank you so much, everyone, for listening. We truly appreciate it. John, how can people help the show?
Yeah, I thought it was going to be about the fact that we have social media and a YouTube video you can watch or Spotify videos.
Yeah, I thought it was going to be about the fact that we have social media and a YouTube video you can watch or Spotify videos.
Definitely don't show them the edit with the cigar and the big head.
Definitely don't show them the edit with the cigar and the big head.
I want to go to France. I want to go so bad. Well, thank you, then, everyone, for listening. And if you have your own top five, why don't you drop them down there, too? Tell us what your top five indies are or come to our Discord and tell us why our top five indies are terrible. But John will definitely fight you over his. Oh, hell yeah. Yeah, you will.
I want to go to France. I want to go so bad. Well, thank you, then, everyone, for listening. And if you have your own top five, why don't you drop them down there, too? Tell us what your top five indies are or come to our Discord and tell us why our top five indies are terrible. But John will definitely fight you over his. Oh, hell yeah. Yeah, you will.
If someone says something negative about Clear Obscura, I'm sure I'm going to see some fire.
If someone says something negative about Clear Obscura, I'm sure I'm going to see some fire.
It's such a unique game too. There's not a lot of sort of, I don't even know what you would call that because it's not really a Metroidvania. It's just like an action platformer, almost Souls-like in its difficulty. But there's not a lot of indie games in that genre that I can think of other than like Tales of Iron 1 and 2 and Salt and Sanctuary and its sequel.
It's such a unique game too. There's not a lot of sort of, I don't even know what you would call that because it's not really a Metroidvania. It's just like an action platformer, almost Souls-like in its difficulty. But there's not a lot of indie games in that genre that I can think of other than like Tales of Iron 1 and 2 and Salt and Sanctuary and its sequel.
Well, that's all for this episode. Happy gaming, everyone. See ya! Toodaloo!
Well, that's all for this episode. Happy gaming, everyone. See ya! Toodaloo!
That's the only other games I could think of that are like that. You didn't play it, Ryan. I know you did. But you loved looking at the art. You thought the art was stunning.
That's the only other games I could think of that are like that. You didn't play it, Ryan. I know you did. But you loved looking at the art. You thought the art was stunning.
Oh, yeah, absolutely. Getting to see the heart of that was so cool. But I guess I'll take the next step here, and I want to talk about The Messenger. I actually made a little short for The Messenger back before we did FaceCam or anything like that over on our Instagram. That one kind of popped off a little bit, I will say. It did. If you haven't checked out our Instagram, go check it out.
Oh, yeah, absolutely. Getting to see the heart of that was so cool. But I guess I'll take the next step here, and I want to talk about The Messenger. I actually made a little short for The Messenger back before we did FaceCam or anything like that over on our Instagram. That one kind of popped off a little bit, I will say. It did. If you haven't checked out our Instagram, go check it out.
We have some great content over there. Great plug, Ace. There you go.
We have some great content over there. Great plug, Ace. There you go.
We're going to make a businessman out of you. But The Messenger is a super cool game. So it starts off like an 8-bit sort of running, not hack and slash platformer. I almost said running gun. There's no guns in The Messenger. But it's a hack and slash platformer similar to like Ninja Gaiden and such. But halfway through the game, you get to time travel.
We're going to make a businessman out of you. But The Messenger is a super cool game. So it starts off like an 8-bit sort of running, not hack and slash platformer. I almost said running gun. There's no guns in The Messenger. But it's a hack and slash platformer similar to like Ninja Gaiden and such. But halfway through the game, you get to time travel.
And when you time travel, it also upgrades the amount of bits you get and the graphics change from 8-bit into 16-bit. And now it is in open-world Metroidvania. It's got great humor. It's got great graphics and... an incredible soundtrack. Like, I am not kidding. We love good soundtracks around here, and The Messenger is second to none, except for maybe, you know, one of John's picks later on.
And when you time travel, it also upgrades the amount of bits you get and the graphics change from 8-bit into 16-bit. And now it is in open-world Metroidvania. It's got great humor. It's got great graphics and... an incredible soundtrack. Like, I am not kidding. We love good soundtracks around here, and The Messenger is second to none, except for maybe, you know, one of John's picks later on.
We brought it up several times. The music in indie games is just incredible.
We brought it up several times. The music in indie games is just incredible.
I'm going to say it's just because they're willing to take the time and invest into it because this is their vision. This is their project. They want it to be perfect versus like a AAA studio, which is like, oh, we could cut some budget there. That's my guess. But what do you think, John?
I'm going to say it's just because they're willing to take the time and invest into it because this is their vision. This is their project. They want it to be perfect versus like a AAA studio, which is like, oh, we could cut some budget there. That's my guess. But what do you think, John?
Well, clearly, because it didn't make any difference for you how you felt about it. I mean, Baldur's Gate 3 won Game of the Year. It's an indie technically, so I'm thinking we're probably going to see another indie win Game of the Year, if you ask me.
Well, clearly, because it didn't make any difference for you how you felt about it. I mean, Baldur's Gate 3 won Game of the Year. It's an indie technically, so I'm thinking we're probably going to see another indie win Game of the Year, if you ask me.
All right, Ryan. Why don't you give us your number five?
All right, Ryan. Why don't you give us your number five?
I have almost picked up VR solely for Superhot several times.
I have almost picked up VR solely for Superhot several times.
Nice. I mean, what's it time only moves when you move. That was the tagline.
Nice. I mean, what's it time only moves when you move. That was the tagline.
I think technically two isn't, but one is. It's semantics, all sorts of stuff like that. But, you know, we got a really exciting episode here where we're going to break down our personal top five indies. And I'm very excited because I definitely have a lot I really want to talk about. I know you definitely do.
I think technically two isn't, but one is. It's semantics, all sorts of stuff like that. But, you know, we got a really exciting episode here where we're going to break down our personal top five indies. And I'm very excited because I definitely have a lot I really want to talk about. I know you definitely do.
Something like the first big mainstream VR game. Personally, at least.
Something like the first big mainstream VR game. Personally, at least.
Well, John, it's back to you.
Well, John, it's back to you.
I feel like we bring up Hades a lot around here. I ain't mad about it.
I feel like we bring up Hades a lot around here. I ain't mad about it.
We can start our own game. We're ready for the remake. Yeah, there you go.
We can start our own game. We're ready for the remake. Yeah, there you go.
Oh, you're one of those speed runner kinds.
Oh, you're one of those speed runner kinds.
I see how he is sleeping. Yeah.
I see how he is sleeping. Yeah.
Yeah, I got thrown in jail a lot because I was trying to go upstairs behind the cop like several times. And you have like a wanted meter. So like the first time he catches you, he'll just kick you down the stairs. You're like, okay, don't do it again. And then your wanted meter goes up a little bit and you do it again. He's like, all right, you're going to jail.
Yeah, I got thrown in jail a lot because I was trying to go upstairs behind the cop like several times. And you have like a wanted meter. So like the first time he catches you, he'll just kick you down the stairs. You're like, okay, don't do it again. And then your wanted meter goes up a little bit and you do it again. He's like, all right, you're going to jail.
yeah that must have been what happened yeah because i stole the donut first and then he got it back and put it back on the table and i'm like fine i'll just go over here bro and i went to go up the steps and he came i thought i could outrun him and nope he caught right back up to me and grabbed me and then i i went to prison one of my one of my favorite things you can do in that game is uh if you can make it all the way at the top there's an hourglass you can push over that makes like a an updraft you can use that updraft to float up to the moon and the moon will suck you in
yeah that must have been what happened yeah because i stole the donut first and then he got it back and put it back on the table and i'm like fine i'll just go over here bro and i went to go up the steps and he came i thought i could outrun him and nope he caught right back up to me and grabbed me and then i i went to prison one of my one of my favorite things you can do in that game is uh if you can make it all the way at the top there's an hourglass you can push over that makes like a an updraft you can use that updraft to float up to the moon and the moon will suck you in
I thought this was a super unique game. I'd definitely say Sonic is the first thing that comes to mind, but it's in that genre of runner-style games where it's just run to the end of the level as fast as possible. Yeah. But it has so many unique mixes in there, like diving to go land at the perfect spot so you don't lose any momentum. And then you have the boost board to keep going.
I thought this was a super unique game. I'd definitely say Sonic is the first thing that comes to mind, but it's in that genre of runner-style games where it's just run to the end of the level as fast as possible. Yeah. But it has so many unique mixes in there, like diving to go land at the perfect spot so you don't lose any momentum. And then you have the boost board to keep going.
It's the one I know the most about, too. This is a solo dev that the whole game started with that song you were singing in the beginning, and it became a game afterwards. That's so cool. There was no intention for a game initially. He was just like, I'm going to write a song. And then he was like, who's Mr. Sleepy Man? Let's find out.
It's the one I know the most about, too. This is a solo dev that the whole game started with that song you were singing in the beginning, and it became a game afterwards. That's so cool. There was no intention for a game initially. He was just like, I'm going to write a song. And then he was like, who's Mr. Sleepy Man? Let's find out.
I can't really think of any, honestly.
I can't really think of any, honestly.
I mean, I hit a good bit of demos, but only so many of them really stood out as something special.
I mean, I hit a good bit of demos, but only so many of them really stood out as something special.
That one, it wasn't really...
That one, it wasn't really...
And then the grapple hook to keep pulling on things to keep moving forward. And I was just like, this is so sick.
And then the grapple hook to keep pulling on things to keep moving forward. And I was just like, this is so sick.
And it had this awesome, super unique thing too, where you were going, uh, when you entered the level, you were able to go down the tree. Like it was a roguelike basically. Oh, you got upgrades and things like that. And at the end there was a freaking boss. Like I was not expecting boss fights in my runner game, but here we are.
And it had this awesome, super unique thing too, where you were going, uh, when you entered the level, you were able to go down the tree. Like it was a roguelike basically. Oh, you got upgrades and things like that. And at the end there was a freaking boss. Like I was not expecting boss fights in my runner game, but here we are.
people like definitely keep an eye out for haste haste is a special game and i think that's the most played demo of next fest really i believe so that's pretty good and uh date on that what's that tba yeah that one's yeah i'm still to be determined uh most of these are to be announced we'll we'll see what happens but if they're if there's a next fest demo it probably is coming out this year at some point yeah definitely all right well you got uh you got another one for us heck yeah man
people like definitely keep an eye out for haste haste is a special game and i think that's the most played demo of next fest really i believe so that's pretty good and uh date on that what's that tba yeah that one's yeah i'm still to be determined uh most of these are to be announced we'll we'll see what happens but if they're if there's a next fest demo it probably is coming out this year at some point yeah definitely all right well you got uh you got another one for us heck yeah man
We're looking at a platformer this time called Demon Tides. And you played this one as well, but I'll go ahead and read the Steam description for Demon Tides here. Now, of course they would do this to me. Explore the open seas and uncover the kingdom's dark secrets as you expressively platform your way across dozens of locales, upgrading your gear every step of the way.
We're looking at a platformer this time called Demon Tides. And you played this one as well, but I'll go ahead and read the Steam description for Demon Tides here. Now, of course they would do this to me. Explore the open seas and uncover the kingdom's dark secrets as you expressively platform your way across dozens of locales, upgrading your gear every step of the way.
And to me, this one, Oh, go ahead. To me, this one felt like a mix of a super Mario odyssey and legend of Zelda, the wind waker.
And to me, this one, Oh, go ahead. To me, this one felt like a mix of a super Mario odyssey and legend of Zelda, the wind waker.
Oh, yeah. They help so much because it's like... even going from island to island to get to the different like platforming segments, you could turn into a snake and basically water ski across the area at super speed. So you never felt like you were like struggling to get anywhere.
Oh, yeah. They help so much because it's like... even going from island to island to get to the different like platforming segments, you could turn into a snake and basically water ski across the area at super speed. So you never felt like you were like struggling to get anywhere.
We're seeing a lot more indie developers tackle the platforming genre now. I think it's safe to say Astro Bot may have opened the floodgates in showing people that we're interested in platformers, again, 3D platformers like this.
We're seeing a lot more indie developers tackle the platforming genre now. I think it's safe to say Astro Bot may have opened the floodgates in showing people that we're interested in platformers, again, 3D platformers like this.
It's super unique.
It's super unique.
Hey, the results for that battle have still not been determined, all right? The poll never went up.
Hey, the results for that battle have still not been determined, all right? The poll never went up.
I've had enough. The guy who drafted Stardew Valley doesn't like cozy games. Oh, I don't know, man.
I've had enough. The guy who drafted Stardew Valley doesn't like cozy games. Oh, I don't know, man.
I think this one's super unique though. Like as for a cozy survival crafting game where you play as a squirrel and you can do things squirrels do, which is climb trees and things like that. But you can also play this with friends. It's a multiplayer game. And you could build a house in the trees and glide around like it's Breath of the Wild. And there's only one enemy.
I think this one's super unique though. Like as for a cozy survival crafting game where you play as a squirrel and you can do things squirrels do, which is climb trees and things like that. But you can also play this with friends. It's a multiplayer game. And you could build a house in the trees and glide around like it's Breath of the Wild. And there's only one enemy.
And it's just a dog that does not want to let you have peace.
And it's just a dog that does not want to let you have peace.
Hollow Knight will carry me to victory, I swear it.
Hollow Knight will carry me to victory, I swear it.
I didn't think this would want to be for you. But I wanted to show that there is a variety of demos out there. Not just action games. Not just platformers.
I didn't think this would want to be for you. But I wanted to show that there is a variety of demos out there. Not just action games. Not just platformers.
yeah that one's doing pretty well as well so i recommend if you even think you like survival crafting cozy kind of games check out scrolled away just check out the demo if nothing else and if you hate it you know come tell me in the discord i'll listen yeah i take constructive criticism it wasn't me if you hate it so it's aced but uh awesome well we we got a few more to go over uh and we will do that right after this break
yeah that one's doing pretty well as well so i recommend if you even think you like survival crafting cozy kind of games check out scrolled away just check out the demo if nothing else and if you hate it you know come tell me in the discord i'll listen yeah i take constructive criticism it wasn't me if you hate it so it's aced but uh awesome well we we got a few more to go over uh and we will do that right after this break
Yeah, dude, this is going to be dope. As you know, Steam Next Fest just kicked off, which means we get all sorts of new indie demos to check out, man.
Yeah, dude, this is going to be dope. As you know, Steam Next Fest just kicked off, which means we get all sorts of new indie demos to check out, man.
Dude, this game is so unique. This is like so cool. It's a hand-drawn Metroidvania. I know, surprise, Ace picked a hand-drawn Metroidvania. I had a different one lined up. It didn't work out, but I won't slam it yet. but, uh, you fight with a freaking pillar instead of like a sword or an ax. It's a straight up like Coliseum pillar and you use it for platforming and for fighting.
Dude, this game is so unique. This is like so cool. It's a hand-drawn Metroidvania. I know, surprise, Ace picked a hand-drawn Metroidvania. I had a different one lined up. It didn't work out, but I won't slam it yet. but, uh, you fight with a freaking pillar instead of like a sword or an ax. It's a straight up like Coliseum pillar and you use it for platforming and for fighting.
And it's, it's a super unique concept. And the, uh, did you get to the overworld map? I did not. So the overworld map, it works like a legend of Zelda two where you're crossing it and you'll run into enemies. And now you have to walk through a level to get to the end to get back to the map again, or beat all the enemies in the level to get back to the map again.
And it's, it's a super unique concept. And the, uh, did you get to the overworld map? I did not. So the overworld map, it works like a legend of Zelda two where you're crossing it and you'll run into enemies. And now you have to walk through a level to get to the end to get back to the map again, or beat all the enemies in the level to get back to the map again.
Okay. Just so you can progress.
Okay. Just so you can progress.
I think it's going to be really good, man. I really do. I played almost everything the demo had to offer, and I was still like, I hope there's more. Ace wanting more from a Metroidvania? What? But it was a super cool Metroidvania, especially just like the different art styles for the different areas and things like that. And I don't really know how you describe this art style.
I think it's going to be really good, man. I really do. I played almost everything the demo had to offer, and I was still like, I hope there's more. Ace wanting more from a Metroidvania? What? But it was a super cool Metroidvania, especially just like the different art styles for the different areas and things like that. And I don't really know how you describe this art style.
I will say the dialogue wasn't my thing, but other than that, it was very cheesy dialogue. Yeah. It seemed to be they always are. They always go a little too far with the dialogue. Yeah.
I will say the dialogue wasn't my thing, but other than that, it was very cheesy dialogue. Yeah. It seemed to be they always are. They always go a little too far with the dialogue. Yeah.
the combat kind of compares to some of the other metroidvanias you know that you played so far it's uh it's very simplistic you only have the one move at least in the demo yeah but being able to maneuver around with the pillar like throw it down so you can jump over enemy attacks and then call the pillar back to you to hit the enemy and stun them or whatever was super cool and i could see it uh
the combat kind of compares to some of the other metroidvanias you know that you played so far it's uh it's very simplistic you only have the one move at least in the demo yeah but being able to maneuver around with the pillar like throw it down so you can jump over enemy attacks and then call the pillar back to you to hit the enemy and stun them or whatever was super cool and i could see it uh
in the full game, like having more combos with that. Like I picked up a special thing that let me throw down the pillar, but then if I have this like badge equipped, I can kick the pillar at an enemy to do extra damage.
in the full game, like having more combos with that. Like I picked up a special thing that let me throw down the pillar, but then if I have this like badge equipped, I can kick the pillar at an enemy to do extra damage.
Well, I'm going to preface this way. This was not a Next Fest demo. This was a Next Fest demo from like two years ago. But the game is promised to come out this year. So I wanted to talk about it.
Well, I'm going to preface this way. This was not a Next Fest demo. This was a Next Fest demo from like two years ago. But the game is promised to come out this year. So I wanted to talk about it.
Yeah. There you go. Smooth jazz there. Yeah.
Yeah. There you go. Smooth jazz there. Yeah.
This is a little game called Mr. Sleepy man. And I'll go ahead and you got to throw that in there too. Yeah. Oh yeah. I will. But I'll go ahead and read the Steam description for this one. In Mr. Sleepy Man, you play as a sleepy guy who's up way past his bedtime and out of control.
This is a little game called Mr. Sleepy man. And I'll go ahead and you got to throw that in there too. Yeah. Oh yeah. I will. But I'll go ahead and read the Steam description for this one. In Mr. Sleepy Man, you play as a sleepy guy who's up way past his bedtime and out of control.
Make a mess of everything you find and turn Bedtime Town against you in this sandbox adventure filled with comical hijinks, outrageous characters, and platforming action.
Make a mess of everything you find and turn Bedtime Town against you in this sandbox adventure filled with comical hijinks, outrageous characters, and platforming action.
Dude, this is a super unique 3D platformer. It's kind of got like N64 style graphics. And it has the same kind of humor from those N64 games like Banjo-Kazooie or Conker's Bad Fur Day, things like that. Yeah. And he just has so much attention to detail in the little things you can do.
Dude, this is a super unique 3D platformer. It's kind of got like N64 style graphics. And it has the same kind of humor from those N64 games like Banjo-Kazooie or Conker's Bad Fur Day, things like that. Yeah. And he just has so much attention to detail in the little things you can do.
Or hospitals, you know, if you're talking Silent Hill. That's another one. Dude, the more rooms you have, the more likely you are to get invaded by zombies. We just discovered something here.
Or hospitals, you know, if you're talking Silent Hill. That's another one. Dude, the more rooms you have, the more likely you are to get invaded by zombies. We just discovered something here.
Slightly. So, Ace, one thing that you did mention is this is a solo dev for this game. That's impressive to me, man.
Slightly. So, Ace, one thing that you did mention is this is a solo dev for this game. That's impressive to me, man.
And I will say, as a graphics snob, this game does not look bad. The graphics are very serviceable in this game, and so to be able to put together a game and the graphics... and the sound, and the gameplay as a solo dev is absolutely something that I think as gamers that we should check out. If nothing else, watch the trailer for this game to see if it's up your alley.
And I will say, as a graphics snob, this game does not look bad. The graphics are very serviceable in this game, and so to be able to put together a game and the graphics... and the sound, and the gameplay as a solo dev is absolutely something that I think as gamers that we should check out. If nothing else, watch the trailer for this game to see if it's up your alley.
What's the dev's name on this one, Ace?
What's the dev's name on this one, Ace?
texa okay well kudos texa for what you've made um i hope i get a chance to actually try this one out at some point but again that game is called the mute house and it is actually out now so you can uh you can go pick that up 12.99 on steam and it's sitting currently at an 86 steam rating that's good which is i mean for an indie solo dev game that is you know a an homage to resident evil that's pretty good man that says something's going on there for sure
texa okay well kudos texa for what you've made um i hope i get a chance to actually try this one out at some point but again that game is called the mute house and it is actually out now so you can uh you can go pick that up 12.99 on steam and it's sitting currently at an 86 steam rating that's good which is i mean for an indie solo dev game that is you know a an homage to resident evil that's pretty good man that says something's going on there for sure
Hello, fellow gamers, and welcome to the Video Gamers Podcast. On this indie-focused episode, we'll be taking a look at the recent release of Tales of Iron 2, taking a look at a hilarious-looking game called Headliners, taking a tour of the Mute House, and talking about a very good-looking game called Sworn that looks like Hades with the art style of Darkest Dungeon and its multiplayer...
Hello, fellow gamers, and welcome to the Video Gamers Podcast. On this indie-focused episode, we'll be taking a look at the recent release of Tales of Iron 2, taking a look at a hilarious-looking game called Headliners, taking a tour of the Mute House, and talking about a very good-looking game called Sworn that looks like Hades with the art style of Darkest Dungeon and its multiplayer...
It's kind of nice to know, like it's probably going to be $25, you know? And if it's more than that, that means they're confident enough in this, that they're like a little more.
It's kind of nice to know, like it's probably going to be $25, you know? And if it's more than that, that means they're confident enough in this, that they're like a little more.
Yeah, absolutely. Um, speaking of quality, I found this game. I was doing some searching the other day and I found this game guys.
Yeah, absolutely. Um, speaking of quality, I found this game. I was doing some searching the other day and I found this game guys.
Oh my goodness. I don't know, dude. So Ace, I mean, you got me and Ryan hyped. We're probably getting everybody hyped, but tell us about Sworn. Give people the rundown on this and then why they should be very excited with us.
Oh my goodness. I don't know, dude. So Ace, I mean, you got me and Ryan hyped. We're probably getting everybody hyped, but tell us about Sworn. Give people the rundown on this and then why they should be very excited with us.
Yeah, dude, if you'd like Hades, okay, which I love Hades, Ace, I know you loved Hades. Ryan has not played Hades, but Ryan did play Endless Dungeon, which is, you know, they are very different, but I kind of get the whole like, hey, it's the kind of isometric view. You're fighting like hordes of guys. You're kind of having to dash around and it's that kind of fast paced gameplay.
Yeah, dude, if you'd like Hades, okay, which I love Hades, Ace, I know you loved Hades. Ryan has not played Hades, but Ryan did play Endless Dungeon, which is, you know, they are very different, but I kind of get the whole like, hey, it's the kind of isometric view. You're fighting like hordes of guys. You're kind of having to dash around and it's that kind of fast paced gameplay.
That's a good question. What is premium indie game price? I'm going to say $40.
That's a good question. What is premium indie game price? I'm going to say $40.
But look, this game is straight up Hades, right? But it legitimately does have that kind of dark, gritty, angular style that Darkest Dungeon has. And I am a big fan of Darkest Dungeon. I loved the art style in that game. Not only that, but this focuses on the kind of, I don't want to say mythology, but Camelot.
But look, this game is straight up Hades, right? But it legitimately does have that kind of dark, gritty, angular style that Darkest Dungeon has. And I am a big fan of Darkest Dungeon. I loved the art style in that game. Not only that, but this focuses on the kind of, I don't want to say mythology, but Camelot.
So this is the premise of Camelot and the Knights of the Round Table and King Arthur's Court, which I love. And so that's kind of the basis instead of like the Greek Pantheon with Hades, you're getting like Camelot and the Knights and some of the mythology there. And it's multiplayer, dude.
So this is the premise of Camelot and the Knights of the Round Table and King Arthur's Court, which I love. And so that's kind of the basis instead of like the Greek Pantheon with Hades, you're getting like Camelot and the Knights and some of the mythology there. And it's multiplayer, dude.
I feel like $40 is like the... We've got something special here. We're still an Indy company, so we're going to charge the most we can charge. And I feel like $40 is that high point.
I feel like $40 is like the... We've got something special here. We're still an Indy company, so we're going to charge the most we can charge. And I feel like $40 is that high point.
oh yes i'm so happy to hear that we're in i am i oh yes yeah um you know and this is one of those things too where you know i've played a lot like when hades came out i fell in love with hades i played it but then we
oh yes i'm so happy to hear that we're in i am i oh yes yeah um you know and this is one of those things too where you know i've played a lot like when hades came out i fell in love with hades i played it but then we
kind of started to get some like knockoff type games where it's like oh let's try to capitalize on this and it's this isometric view and it's fast-paced combat and i tried a couple of those and i'll be honest like none of them got the pacing right none of them got the progression right um there is something about sworn that just clicks instantly for like, for my brain.
kind of started to get some like knockoff type games where it's like oh let's try to capitalize on this and it's this isometric view and it's fast-paced combat and i tried a couple of those and i'll be honest like none of them got the pacing right none of them got the progression right um there is something about sworn that just clicks instantly for like, for my brain.
And I don't know if it's the pacing where it looks almost identical to Hades, where I'm like, Oh dude, like if I didn't know better, I would say this is like Hades two in a way, you know, where it's like, it almost looks like it is made by the same people. Um,
And I don't know if it's the pacing where it looks almost identical to Hades, where I'm like, Oh dude, like if I didn't know better, I would say this is like Hades two in a way, you know, where it's like, it almost looks like it is made by the same people. Um,
But I mean, you get different classes, you get different skills, like they showed the upgrade path where it's like, you know, when you beat a room or you get the whatever the thing is in this game where it like lets you choose an upgrade to where you are getting that true roguelike nature out of it as well. The monsters look good. I mean, you know, there's dodge rolling. There's
But I mean, you get different classes, you get different skills, like they showed the upgrade path where it's like, you know, when you beat a room or you get the whatever the thing is in this game where it like lets you choose an upgrade to where you are getting that true roguelike nature out of it as well. The monsters look good. I mean, you know, there's dodge rolling. There's
like, you know, ranged attacks, there's melee attacks, like everything in this just screams. This is a top notch game that you can actually play with your friends at that point. Um, yeah, I am, I am a hundred percent in, in on sworn man. Um, the only downside to this game is it's releasing an early access. It's not fully releasing, but, They claim they have a lot of content on this one.
like, you know, ranged attacks, there's melee attacks, like everything in this just screams. This is a top notch game that you can actually play with your friends at that point. Um, yeah, I am, I am a hundred percent in, in on sworn man. Um, the only downside to this game is it's releasing an early access. It's not fully releasing, but, They claim they have a lot of content on this one.
Like that's... Man, $40 for an Indy... Currently Googling audacious?
Like that's... Man, $40 for an Indy... Currently Googling audacious?
I mean, if you go to their Steam page, which you absolutely should go to their Steam page and check this one out. But it does say, hey, we've been developing this game for over two years now. It does have a pretty good bit of content, but early access really does suit us because we want to make sure this game is as good as it can be. And, you know, I get that that's probably helpful.
I mean, if you go to their Steam page, which you absolutely should go to their Steam page and check this one out. But it does say, hey, we've been developing this game for over two years now. It does have a pretty good bit of content, but early access really does suit us because we want to make sure this game is as good as it can be. And, you know, I get that that's probably helpful.
This game looks really good. Number one, I pick on you, Ace, but I'm super glad that you found this because I did not know this game existed. And I'm sure a lot of our listeners don't know this game exists. That's why we do this.
This game looks really good. Number one, I pick on you, Ace, but I'm super glad that you found this because I did not know this game existed. And I'm sure a lot of our listeners don't know this game exists. That's why we do this.
Yeah, I'm the same way. So this actually releases the day after this episode. So if we have gotten you hyped, which I know we're hyped, and we want this game to be as good as it looks. I mean, again, we don't know. We don't know what the early access is going to be like, but it legitimately releases tomorrow. If you're listening to this, it releases tomorrow. We don't know the price on it. It
Yeah, I'm the same way. So this actually releases the day after this episode. So if we have gotten you hyped, which I know we're hyped, and we want this game to be as good as it looks. I mean, again, we don't know. We don't know what the early access is going to be like, but it legitimately releases tomorrow. If you're listening to this, it releases tomorrow. We don't know the price on it. It
It really does look good. It would not surprise me if the price comes out and it's $25, but it actually looks like it's probably worth that as well. But yeah, go check out sworn. I think you're going to see why we're really hyped for this game. This is honestly, this is one of the best looking indie games I think I've seen in a while.
It really does look good. It would not surprise me if the price comes out and it's $25, but it actually looks like it's probably worth that as well. But yeah, go check out sworn. I think you're going to see why we're really hyped for this game. This is honestly, this is one of the best looking indie games I think I've seen in a while.
Like as far as like just shooting up my hype meter, like instantly. Yeah. Um, so yeah, go check that out. Um, all right. And then ACE man, I kind of, we were talking about this game before we started recording and you said, did you, did you watch this trailer? And I kind of went, no, it looked ugly to me. And I listen, I, I, I admit it. Okay. Like I, I, I started watching this trailer.
Like as far as like just shooting up my hype meter, like instantly. Yeah. Um, so yeah, go check that out. Um, all right. And then ACE man, I kind of, we were talking about this game before we started recording and you said, did you, did you watch this trailer? And I kind of went, no, it looked ugly to me. And I listen, I, I, I admit it. Okay. Like I, I, I started watching this trailer.
Okay. So we just also realized that Ryan's the cheap one out of the three of us. Ryan does not.
Okay. So we just also realized that Ryan's the cheap one out of the three of us. Ryan does not.
I think I watched about 30 seconds of it and I kind of went, yeah, no. Um, And then we started talking about it, and you were like, dude, this game's getting some serious hype right now. And then I kind of went, well, dang it. Maybe I should take a look at this again. And so I started watching the trailer, and I watched about 30 seconds of it, and I went, yeah, no. Let me skip ahead a little bit.
I think I watched about 30 seconds of it and I kind of went, yeah, no. Um, And then we started talking about it, and you were like, dude, this game's getting some serious hype right now. And then I kind of went, well, dang it. Maybe I should take a look at this again. And so I started watching the trailer, and I watched about 30 seconds of it, and I went, yeah, no. Let me skip ahead a little bit.
And so I skipped ahead, and then I kind of went like, oh, wait a minute now. This game actually looks like it could be pretty cool. And so this is a game called Fly Night.
And so I skipped ahead, and then I kind of went like, oh, wait a minute now. This game actually looks like it could be pretty cool. And so this is a game called Fly Night.
Tell us a little bit about Fly Night Ace. What does this game look like? It's getting a ton of hype. I mean, the Steam reviews are off the charts for this thing, but why is this kind of on your radar? And it's hard to ignore this kind of hype. When you start seeing a game that's getting insanely good reviews, even if the graphics kind of look eh, there's probably something there.
Tell us a little bit about Fly Night Ace. What does this game look like? It's getting a ton of hype. I mean, the Steam reviews are off the charts for this thing, but why is this kind of on your radar? And it's hard to ignore this kind of hype. When you start seeing a game that's getting insanely good reviews, even if the graphics kind of look eh, there's probably something there.
All right, Jigglepuff. Kudos to Jigglepuff.
All right, Jigglepuff. Kudos to Jigglepuff.
I was going to say, minimum requirements, potato.
I was going to say, minimum requirements, potato.
Yeah. Man, we have a lot to talk about. Ace, you being our indie wizard here, honestly, you found all of these games that we're going to talk about today. And I'm actually kind of hyped for all of these, man. So why don't we start off with the Tales of Iron 2? Now, this is a game that you were insanely hyped for.
Yeah. Man, we have a lot to talk about. Ace, you being our indie wizard here, honestly, you found all of these games that we're going to talk about today. And I'm actually kind of hyped for all of these, man. So why don't we start off with the Tales of Iron 2? Now, this is a game that you were insanely hyped for.
I'm kind of reminded of abiotic factor in a way. And I'll say this, like the graphics and abiotic factor, I think are better, but it is, it is one of those things where when you watch a trailer for abiotic factor, you kind of go, this doesn't look like anything special.
I'm kind of reminded of abiotic factor in a way. And I'll say this, like the graphics and abiotic factor, I think are better, but it is, it is one of those things where when you watch a trailer for abiotic factor, you kind of go, this doesn't look like anything special.
Like, you know, how many survival crafting games have we had and how many games are kind of made in the art style of half-life and why should I play this? But then you kind of get the whispers of like, guys, have you heard about this game? Have you played it? You know, and Ace, you and I. Oh, yeah. We kind of went like, hey, Abiotic Factor is getting a ton of hype. Should we check it out?
Like, you know, how many survival crafting games have we had and how many games are kind of made in the art style of half-life and why should I play this? But then you kind of get the whispers of like, guys, have you heard about this game? Have you played it? You know, and Ace, you and I. Oh, yeah. We kind of went like, hey, Abiotic Factor is getting a ton of hype. Should we check it out?
We both kind of went, yeah, let's check it out, man. Yeah, why not? Two weeks later, you and I have beaten all of the content in Abiotic Factor. I mean, we're hopping on Doodoo Play. Yeah, and it is awesome.
We both kind of went, yeah, let's check it out, man. Yeah, why not? Two weeks later, you and I have beaten all of the content in Abiotic Factor. I mean, we're hopping on Doodoo Play. Yeah, and it is awesome.
It was great.
It was great.
probably has something there i think it's got that magic i think it does kind of think it might man so i mean for for me this looks like a it's almost like a throwback to like an old school dungeon crawler type game where it's like you know you're underground you're kind of moving slowly you can see the enemies kind of off in the distance in front of you uh you know they don't aggro right away so it's kind of like hey let me run up to this guy and bash him over the head
probably has something there i think it's got that magic i think it does kind of think it might man so i mean for for me this looks like a it's almost like a throwback to like an old school dungeon crawler type game where it's like you know you're underground you're kind of moving slowly you can see the enemies kind of off in the distance in front of you uh you know they don't aggro right away so it's kind of like hey let me run up to this guy and bash him over the head
One of the cool things that I didn't realize, and when you watch the trailer, I don't know if this is evident, maybe it is and I'm just a dummy, but this game actually has targeted limb damage and stuff like that. So you can attack the limbs and then that will disarm them, literally and figuratively disarm them.
One of the cool things that I didn't realize, and when you watch the trailer, I don't know if this is evident, maybe it is and I'm just a dummy, but this game actually has targeted limb damage and stuff like that. So you can attack the limbs and then that will disarm them, literally and figuratively disarm them.
Right. Yeah. You know, and so or you can bash him in the head and then that kind of takes their senses away. So maybe they can't see you or sense you as well or something like that, which I think is a really neat aspect. The co-op nature of this game, I think, is probably going to lend itself to a lot of fun with a buddy. I mean, you know, they have swords, they have range.
Right. Yeah. You know, and so or you can bash him in the head and then that kind of takes their senses away. So maybe they can't see you or sense you as well or something like that, which I think is a really neat aspect. The co-op nature of this game, I think, is probably going to lend itself to a lot of fun with a buddy. I mean, you know, they have swords, they have range.
I think at one point I saw him casting a spell if I remember right. So it looks like there's various ways that you can play like these classes or something like that. There is exploration. This is a crafted experience. So it's not like procedurally generated levels. They even say, Hey, we've kind of handcrafted all of this. Um,
I think at one point I saw him casting a spell if I remember right. So it looks like there's various ways that you can play like these classes or something like that. There is exploration. This is a crafted experience. So it's not like procedurally generated levels. They even say, Hey, we've kind of handcrafted all of this. Um,
The more I watch of the trailer, the more this game kind of goes like, I think this might be kind of like the next abiotic factor where I think it's going to gain a lot of traction that it may not be readily apparent. But I mean, so this game is fully released, by the way. I don't know. It came out January 31st. Yep. It is currently sitting at an overwhelmingly positive score.
The more I watch of the trailer, the more this game kind of goes like, I think this might be kind of like the next abiotic factor where I think it's going to gain a lot of traction that it may not be readily apparent. But I mean, so this game is fully released, by the way. I don't know. It came out January 31st. Yep. It is currently sitting at an overwhelmingly positive score.
That tells you something right there. And this is out of 1,400 reviews. So for being a game that I've never heard of before, there is obviously something there with Flyknight.
That tells you something right there. And this is out of 1,400 reviews. So for being a game that I've never heard of before, there is obviously something there with Flyknight.
Yeah. Did we mention this game is five whole dollars? No.
Yeah. Did we mention this game is five whole dollars? No.
I mean, yeah.
I mean, yeah.
Oh man. Yeah. So between fly night, the mute house sworn, the fun that headliners could be, we're going to dive further into tales of iron two on an actual deep dive so we can get the full story from ace on that one. Um, Man, this is a good-looking list you have put together, Ace. And so for everybody that's listening, support your indie devs. Check these games out.
Oh man. Yeah. So between fly night, the mute house sworn, the fun that headliners could be, we're going to dive further into tales of iron two on an actual deep dive so we can get the full story from ace on that one. Um, Man, this is a good-looking list you have put together, Ace. And so for everybody that's listening, support your indie devs. Check these games out.
I mean, I feel like almost daily you were just posting videos for Tales of Iron 2, tagging Ryan and I and, you know, a lot of people in the Discord server. And then it finally released. And I know that you have played it. I know that. Have you beaten it yet?
I mean, I feel like almost daily you were just posting videos for Tales of Iron 2, tagging Ryan and I and, you know, a lot of people in the Discord server. And then it finally released. And I know that you have played it. I know that. Have you beaten it yet?
If nothing else, just go watch the trailers for them. If you think it looks good, remember that wishlisting on Steam is very, very helpful for indie devs as well. And yeah, I mean, dude... These games look fun to me. And so that means these indie devs are doing exactly what they're trying to do. So yeah, make sure you support them. Make sure you check these out. That's it for this episode, fellas.
If nothing else, just go watch the trailers for them. If you think it looks good, remember that wishlisting on Steam is very, very helpful for indie devs as well. And yeah, I mean, dude... These games look fun to me. And so that means these indie devs are doing exactly what they're trying to do. So yeah, make sure you support them. Make sure you check these out. That's it for this episode, fellas.
Ace! Thank you. Uh, my pocketbook hates you, but when we're all playing sworn together or fly night and diving into that, you know, I'll take it all back. Yeah. I'll take it all back at that point. So, but awesome. Listen, we hope you enjoy these indie episodes. Um, thank you so much for joining us for this ACE. Thank you for putting all of this together.
Ace! Thank you. Uh, my pocketbook hates you, but when we're all playing sworn together or fly night and diving into that, you know, I'll take it all back. Yeah. I'll take it all back at that point. So, but awesome. Listen, we hope you enjoy these indie episodes. Um, thank you so much for joining us for this ACE. Thank you for putting all of this together.
You know, Ace is the driving factor on these, by the way. I know I'm doing a lot of talking on these, but Ace is the guy that found all these. He's the one that kind of gets us hyped for him, explains them, puts them on our radar, puts them on your radar. And so, you know, thank you for doing that. And we're going to keep doing this, man. These indie episodes are going around, man. Yeah.
You know, Ace is the driving factor on these, by the way. I know I'm doing a lot of talking on these, but Ace is the guy that found all these. He's the one that kind of gets us hyped for him, explains them, puts them on our radar, puts them on your radar. And so, you know, thank you for doing that. And we're going to keep doing this, man. These indie episodes are going around, man. Yeah.
We got a huge response to the first one that we did. We're not leaving.
We got a huge response to the first one that we did. We're not leaving.
Yeah.
Yeah.
So listen, that'll do it for this episode. Remember to follow the show. If you have not done that already, take a second in your podcast app to hit that plus button, hit that follow button. And while you're at it, Tap that five-star button if you enjoyed this. That tells us that you want more like this. You want more indie content. Tell us what we're doing right in that regard.
So listen, that'll do it for this episode. Remember to follow the show. If you have not done that already, take a second in your podcast app to hit that plus button, hit that follow button. And while you're at it, Tap that five-star button if you enjoyed this. That tells us that you want more like this. You want more indie content. Tell us what we're doing right in that regard.
Tell a friend also, man. That's honestly one of the absolute best things that people can do is tell your gaming buddies, dude, have you guys ever checked out the Video Gamers Podcast? And they're going to say, what? And then just tell them. Tell them how awesome it is. Tell them how awesome our community is. It is really the absolute best place on the planet for gaming.
Tell a friend also, man. That's honestly one of the absolute best things that people can do is tell your gaming buddies, dude, have you guys ever checked out the Video Gamers Podcast? And they're going to say, what? And then just tell them. Tell them how awesome it is. Tell them how awesome our community is. It is really the absolute best place on the planet for gaming.
This sounds kind of hokey, but I didn't know gamers could be this cool to each other, man. Dude, it's wild.
This sounds kind of hokey, but I didn't know gamers could be this cool to each other, man. Dude, it's wild.
You have 100%ed Tales of Iron 2. Oh, here we go. Okay. I mean, I don't know what that says, but, but the game did release. So let's, without spoiling your thoughts on this case, cause we are going to do a deep dive on this. Um, what do you like, you know, the game has kind of come out to, I don't, is it fair to say like mid reception?
You have 100%ed Tales of Iron 2. Oh, here we go. Okay. I mean, I don't know what that says, but, but the game did release. So let's, without spoiling your thoughts on this case, cause we are going to do a deep dive on this. Um, what do you like, you know, the game has kind of come out to, I don't, is it fair to say like mid reception?
And it's one of those things like, you know, we talk about sworn and it being multiplayer. And I know there's somebody listening. That's like, dude, that game sounds awesome. I watched the trailer, but I don't have friends to play with. We'll play. We're your friends.
And it's one of those things like, you know, we talk about sworn and it being multiplayer. And I know there's somebody listening. That's like, dude, that game sounds awesome. I watched the trailer, but I don't have friends to play with. We'll play. We're your friends.
I mean, I guarantee you, you'll find people that want to play. Yeah.
I mean, I guarantee you, you'll find people that want to play. Yeah.
So come join the community. The link is in the episode description for our discord server there as well. That's it for this one. Thank you everybody for joining us and until next time, happy gaming.
So come join the community. The link is in the episode description for our discord server there as well. That's it for this one. Thank you everybody for joining us and until next time, happy gaming.
See ya!
See ya!
Now, I saw 15 hours to beat. Does that sound about right?
Now, I saw 15 hours to beat. Does that sound about right?
Okay. So maybe a little bit less for somebody that is familiar.
Okay. So maybe a little bit less for somebody that is familiar.
Okay. Okay. I mean, it's $24.99. It's like 12 hours worth of entertainment. That's still good value. Two tickets.
Okay. Okay. I mean, it's $24.99. It's like 12 hours worth of entertainment. That's still good value. Two tickets.
Two tickets to go see a movie is going to cost you $25, if not more. And that's if you don't get any popcorn or drinks or anything. So it's like you can get two hours of entertainment out of a movie with somebody else, or you can get 12 hours of entertainment out of a game for $24.99.
Two tickets to go see a movie is going to cost you $25, if not more. And that's if you don't get any popcorn or drinks or anything. So it's like you can get two hours of entertainment out of a movie with somebody else, or you can get 12 hours of entertainment out of a game for $24.99.
this is one of those things I don't really understand with gamers, man, is it's like break it down to the, like the dollar per hour, like breakdown, you know? And it's like, if you're getting 12 hours worth of entertainment for 24 99, that seems like a good deal to me.
this is one of those things I don't really understand with gamers, man, is it's like break it down to the, like the dollar per hour, like breakdown, you know? And it's like, if you're getting 12 hours worth of entertainment for 24 99, that seems like a good deal to me.
I feel like that's the truth, dude. Like, honestly, I don't know if it's just that they're like they go for the artistic thing or it's like, hey, if we have a really rocking soundtrack, this is really going to enhance the game kind of thing. Um, I mean, you know, it's kind of hard when you have like Skyrim and God of War and some of the music that goes along with those types of games.
I feel like that's the truth, dude. Like, honestly, I don't know if it's just that they're like they go for the artistic thing or it's like, hey, if we have a really rocking soundtrack, this is really going to enhance the game kind of thing. Um, I mean, you know, it's kind of hard when you have like Skyrim and God of War and some of the music that goes along with those types of games.
But yeah, I'm with you, man. I think some of like the music and indies is like really, really well done. And I'd be very curious to kind of like hear about that. You know, it's like, is this a focus? Is this like a main thing where it's like, Hey, we're indie. We really want to nail like the soundtrack for this too. Yeah.
But yeah, I'm with you, man. I think some of like the music and indies is like really, really well done. And I'd be very curious to kind of like hear about that. You know, it's like, is this a focus? Is this like a main thing where it's like, Hey, we're indie. We really want to nail like the soundtrack for this too. Yeah.
Plus more. But before we get into that, some introductions are in order. I am your host, Josh. And joining me, he's currently running for his life from some monstrous invader, but he's got his camera filling. Oh, oh, nope, nope. He just got ripped in half. It's Ryan. My guts, my guts.
Plus more. But before we get into that, some introductions are in order. I am your host, Josh. And joining me, he's currently running for his life from some monstrous invader, but he's got his camera filling. Oh, oh, nope, nope. He just got ripped in half. It's Ryan. My guts, my guts.
Yeah. So, yeah, Ace, I mean, it's sitting at 80% on Steam right now. I don't want you to spoil your thoughts on this. You know, this is a game that you were very, very hyped for. Yeah. We're going to do the deep dive. So it's like, man, I'm kind of dying to know your thoughts on this, but I don't want to spoil the deep dive either. Is there anything that you can say about this game?
Yeah. So, yeah, Ace, I mean, it's sitting at 80% on Steam right now. I don't want you to spoil your thoughts on this. You know, this is a game that you were very, very hyped for. Yeah. We're going to do the deep dive. So it's like, man, I'm kind of dying to know your thoughts on this, but I don't want to spoil the deep dive either. Is there anything that you can say about this game?
How about this? Are you disappointed? No. We'll leave it at that. No.
How about this? Are you disappointed? No. We'll leave it at that. No.
Okay, I think that's a fair thing to say, to get a lay of the land on. Ryan, I mean, for you and me, I know as much as Ace has tried to sell us on this game, I'm not sure that they... I don't know that I'll ever play it. Now, I do know that John has actually been playing this, and I think he said he's about 10 hours into it at this point. And he said he's quite enjoying it.
Okay, I think that's a fair thing to say, to get a lay of the land on. Ryan, I mean, for you and me, I know as much as Ace has tried to sell us on this game, I'm not sure that they... I don't know that I'll ever play it. Now, I do know that John has actually been playing this, and I think he said he's about 10 hours into it at this point. And he said he's quite enjoying it.
Yeah, we're going to do a full deep dive on Tales of Iron 2. It is out. There is a lot to like about this game. I mean, if you read some of the reviews, people really do appreciate the combat seems kind of hard. Now, Ace, is the combat harder than the first game? Because I think you did mention that.
Yeah, we're going to do a full deep dive on Tales of Iron 2. It is out. There is a lot to like about this game. I mean, if you read some of the reviews, people really do appreciate the combat seems kind of hard. Now, Ace, is the combat harder than the first game? Because I think you did mention that.
Oh, okay. So they kind of improved over the first game then?
Oh, okay. So they kind of improved over the first game then?
All right. Nice. Nice. All right. Well, we got to avoid spoilers. No more. No more.
All right. Nice. Nice. All right. Well, we got to avoid spoilers. No more. No more.
All right. Now, this is a game that I had actually heard of and you found this, but I hadn't actually seen any trailers or anything for it. And that's headliner. So why don't you kind of give us the rundown on what headliners is like the type of game it is and what makes this kind of on your radar, I guess.
All right. Now, this is a game that I had actually heard of and you found this, but I hadn't actually seen any trailers or anything for it. And that's headliner. So why don't you kind of give us the rundown on what headliners is like the type of game it is and what makes this kind of on your radar, I guess.
Yeah. Oh, that's awesome. The trailer for this game is pretty hilarious. And I mean, I kind of joked in the intro is you are absolutely seeing your teammates just getting ripped in half. You know, a guy like some tentacle shoots out of the ground and like grab somebody and is flinging them around all over the place and slamming them up against the wall.
Yeah. Oh, that's awesome. The trailer for this game is pretty hilarious. And I mean, I kind of joked in the intro is you are absolutely seeing your teammates just getting ripped in half. You know, a guy like some tentacle shoots out of the ground and like grab somebody and is flinging them around all over the place and slamming them up against the wall.
And it's like your buddies are filming it because I guess it's like you're trying to get... extra like creditors that was good footage of your friend getting dismembered man that's a bonus points yeah but i mean that's kind of what this game seems like it is like if your friend dies gloriously and you get that footage like that's a good thing in the game it seems like
And it's like your buddies are filming it because I guess it's like you're trying to get... extra like creditors that was good footage of your friend getting dismembered man that's a bonus points yeah but i mean that's kind of what this game seems like it is like if your friend dies gloriously and you get that footage like that's a good thing in the game it seems like
If you're willing to go into the monsters next.
If you're willing to go into the monsters next.
We may wind up trying this one just because this game's cheap, man. It's $6 right now. It literally just released a few days ago, and so they're doing that new release 10% off deal. It's $6, man. I mean, for $6, dude, for you and a couple buddies to jump into this and have some laughs seems like it's just a no-brainer to me. I can't afford not to play.
We may wind up trying this one just because this game's cheap, man. It's $6 right now. It literally just released a few days ago, and so they're doing that new release 10% off deal. It's $6, man. I mean, for $6, dude, for you and a couple buddies to jump into this and have some laughs seems like it's just a no-brainer to me. I can't afford not to play.
i mean it looks like honestly i pay six dollars to have a night of just laughter and shenanigans even literally one night will pay for itself like six bucks oh yeah that's easily that's penance you know that's nothing yeah like like legitimately i don't this is one of those things like this i'll be honest like i think this game looks like it's going to be a blast i'm not sure that you're playing this game for like two or three weeks kind of thing
i mean it looks like honestly i pay six dollars to have a night of just laughter and shenanigans even literally one night will pay for itself like six bucks oh yeah that's easily that's penance you know that's nothing yeah like like legitimately i don't this is one of those things like this i'll be honest like i think this game looks like it's going to be a blast i'm not sure that you're playing this game for like two or three weeks kind of thing
Again, you know, lethal company content warning, uh, now headliners, I, this very much fits in that lane of very simple game, very simple premise, but because it's open to the things that can happen to you or your party members, you know, your buddies, I think it's absolutely that kind of game where you are going to have a good time. You are going to laugh.
Again, you know, lethal company content warning, uh, now headliners, I, this very much fits in that lane of very simple game, very simple premise, but because it's open to the things that can happen to you or your party members, you know, your buddies, I think it's absolutely that kind of game where you are going to have a good time. You are going to laugh.
Like something terrible is going to happen at the worst time and people are going to
Like something terrible is going to happen at the worst time and people are going to
end up cracking up and that will alone make it worth the price of admission to me somebody's getting disemboweled somewhere and then it'll be hilarious yeah i tried to convince my kid to get this game because she really likes like she just played content warning like like two days ago with some of her friends and it's like i told her about headliners and she was like oh i have to look into that so it's like i almost wanted her to be the guinea pig you know it's like hey play this game and let me know if it's any good but
end up cracking up and that will alone make it worth the price of admission to me somebody's getting disemboweled somewhere and then it'll be hilarious yeah i tried to convince my kid to get this game because she really likes like she just played content warning like like two days ago with some of her friends and it's like i told her about headliners and she was like oh i have to look into that so it's like i almost wanted her to be the guinea pig you know it's like hey play this game and let me know if it's any good but
Yeah, I can see picking this up on like a Friday or Saturday night and we all just hop in and give it a try and, you know, see how good this thing really is. Yeah. I mean, I can see it now. Let's take a quick break. And then we've actually got a few more games to talk about here because you've put together a pretty good list, Ace. And man, Sworn. Oh, my goodness. I really want to talk about Sworn.
Yeah, I can see picking this up on like a Friday or Saturday night and we all just hop in and give it a try and, you know, see how good this thing really is. Yeah. I mean, I can see it now. Let's take a quick break. And then we've actually got a few more games to talk about here because you've put together a pretty good list, Ace. And man, Sworn. Oh, my goodness. I really want to talk about Sworn.
Wait, wait. All right. We'll be right back after this break. All right. Well, let's talk about sworn after we talk about this game. Cause I'm actually pretty excited for this one too. I did not know this game existed. Ace, you found this game called the mute house. Um, and I I'll be honest when I started watching the trailer, it kind of caught my attention.
Wait, wait. All right. We'll be right back after this break. All right. Well, let's talk about sworn after we talk about this game. Cause I'm actually pretty excited for this one too. I did not know this game existed. Ace, you found this game called the mute house. Um, and I I'll be honest when I started watching the trailer, it kind of caught my attention.
Like this looks like a throwback to the old resident evil type, uh, Like the old Resident Evil games where it was very much more of the atmosphere and the horror than it was the action and the shooting and stuff like that. This game looked pretty creepy to me. So give us kind of the rundown on the Mute House.
Like this looks like a throwback to the old resident evil type, uh, Like the old Resident Evil games where it was very much more of the atmosphere and the horror than it was the action and the shooting and stuff like that. This game looked pretty creepy to me. So give us kind of the rundown on the Mute House.
I don't like you, Ace. I like you, but I don't like you because you did your video for Dredge the other day, and I showed it to my wife, and she's like, well, this game looks great. So you cost me $30, then you put Sworn in front of us, and it's like, I don't know how much this game's going to be. I'm guessing $25, and now you cost me $25, Ace. You're getting expensive, buddy.
I don't like you, Ace. I like you, but I don't like you because you did your video for Dredge the other day, and I showed it to my wife, and she's like, well, this game looks great. So you cost me $30, then you put Sworn in front of us, and it's like, I don't know how much this game's going to be. I'm guessing $25, and now you cost me $25, Ace. You're getting expensive, buddy.
Oh really?
Oh really?
Oh no. I am a reload addict, man. Two bullets and I'm reloading. I would always be out of ammo at that point. And then I'm just going to be running in this house, just screaming by trying to not die. Um,
Oh no. I am a reload addict, man. Two bullets and I'm reloading. I would always be out of ammo at that point. And then I'm just going to be running in this house, just screaming by trying to not die. Um,
Oh, lovely. I love the kind of atmosphere that they build on this one. Because if you watch the trailer on this, the trailer is pretty creepy, man. There's like a lady. I guess she's a cop. She's standing at the entrance to this giant house. She's talking to somebody over the radio. But then you get these really weird kind of audio things in the background that are creeping me out.
Oh, lovely. I love the kind of atmosphere that they build on this one. Because if you watch the trailer on this, the trailer is pretty creepy, man. There's like a lady. I guess she's a cop. She's standing at the entrance to this giant house. She's talking to somebody over the radio. But then you get these really weird kind of audio things in the background that are creeping me out.
It's always a mansion.
It's always a mansion.
Do zombies not like small houses? It's always a mansion.
Do zombies not like small houses? It's always a mansion.
So this just made me realize that rich people are much more a high risk for zombie invasions than just the common folk. Zombies aren't breaking into my two-bedroom house, man.
So this just made me realize that rich people are much more a high risk for zombie invasions than just the common folk. Zombies aren't breaking into my two-bedroom house, man.
Have you ever played a Resident Evil game?
Have you ever played a Resident Evil game?
You know, like –
You know, like –
The triple jump is too difficult. Yeah.
The triple jump is too difficult. Yeah.
The game's narrative is very deeply entwined with its soundtrack, I imagine. So I'm kind of wondering how you approach the challenge of telling the story through both the visuals and the music, if that's hard or without dialogue.
The game's narrative is very deeply entwined with its soundtrack, I imagine. So I'm kind of wondering how you approach the challenge of telling the story through both the visuals and the music, if that's hard or without dialogue.
Oh, that's awesome. So what are some of the like unique, uh, advantages and challenges of developing game completely by yourself and on your own? Like, have they introduced, like, have they influenced the way that you, uh, creatively make decisions?
Oh, that's awesome. So what are some of the like unique, uh, advantages and challenges of developing game completely by yourself and on your own? Like, have they introduced, like, have they influenced the way that you, uh, creatively make decisions?
Game developers for president, huh?
Game developers for president, huh?
For us, it definitely resonated. That's for sure.
For us, it definitely resonated. That's for sure.
You might be the realest person I've ever talked to in my life. You're so in sync with yourself. It's awesome because it means you're an honest developer. You know what doesn't work and maybe even if you put a lot of effort into it, if it's not working, you just got to cut it. You have to.
You might be the realest person I've ever talked to in my life. You're so in sync with yourself. It's awesome because it means you're an honest developer. You know what doesn't work and maybe even if you put a lot of effort into it, if it's not working, you just got to cut it. You have to.
So like looking beyond, you know, your initial release of the full game, what are your long-term goals for Mr. Sleeping Man? And do you like have any new features or expansions you might want to add if, you know, it takes off?
So like looking beyond, you know, your initial release of the full game, what are your long-term goals for Mr. Sleeping Man? And do you like have any new features or expansions you might want to add if, you know, it takes off?
Go make some NFTs or something.
Go make some NFTs or something.
Like I can get that. I get that.
Like I can get that. I get that.
Oh, no.
Oh, no.
That's fair.
That's fair.
I mean, that's why I'm here. I'm just here to shout to the rooftops how great indie games are. And I don't care who tells me to shut up. I'm going to keep talking about them.
I mean, that's why I'm here. I'm just here to shout to the rooftops how great indie games are. And I don't care who tells me to shut up. I'm going to keep talking about them.
They are. They are. They're our future, in my opinion. Yeah. Where AAA games are failing us. I think indie games with their passion and their actual desire to make a good game that people want to enjoy and play and reminds them of their past and their childhood. It's going to come out on top in the end, in my opinion.
They are. They are. They're our future, in my opinion. Yeah. Where AAA games are failing us. I think indie games with their passion and their actual desire to make a good game that people want to enjoy and play and reminds them of their past and their childhood. It's going to come out on top in the end, in my opinion.
Yeah.
Yeah.
So based on your journey so far, what kind of advice would you give to any other solo developer or indie creator who's dreaming of combining their multiple like art forms and desires into a game?
So based on your journey so far, what kind of advice would you give to any other solo developer or indie creator who's dreaming of combining their multiple like art forms and desires into a game?
You don't need to make a whole game. Run! Oh, that's great. You know what? That's completely fair. Go touch grass, huh?
You don't need to make a whole game. Run! Oh, that's great. You know what? That's completely fair. Go touch grass, huh?
That's pretty great. That would be pretty great. See, that's what I love.
That's pretty great. That would be pretty great. See, that's what I love.
Wake up.
Wake up.
I would say everyone's addicted to caffeine.
I would say everyone's addicted to caffeine.
Oh, that's fair.
Oh, that's fair.
There's nothing else I could be doing right now.
There's nothing else I could be doing right now.
We don't care.
We don't care.
Hey, I'm back, man. I am definitely a little bit of Mr. Sleepy Man, I won't lie, but I am here regardless.
Hey, I'm back, man. I am definitely a little bit of Mr. Sleepy Man, I won't lie, but I am here regardless.
I'm not that much younger. Come on now. I've still played some 3D platformers.
I'm not that much younger. Come on now. I've still played some 3D platformers.
For me, I found this game when I was looking for Next Fest demos for us to review. And it wasn't on the Next Fest for this year. But I was just like, I got to talk about it anyway. Because I had such a blast booting it up and just seeing how unique and special it was. I could feel it the moment I stepped into it. Just how much energy went into it.
For me, I found this game when I was looking for Next Fest demos for us to review. And it wasn't on the Next Fest for this year. But I was just like, I got to talk about it anyway. Because I had such a blast booting it up and just seeing how unique and special it was. I could feel it the moment I stepped into it. Just how much energy went into it.
It takes a bit to wake up and get back out there.
It takes a bit to wake up and get back out there.
And it just kind of, it reminded me of the very first time I played like a hat in time. If you've ever played that, you just kind of boot it up and you know, instantly when you look at the characters, what they're all about. And it's, it's, it's really cool. And it's really awesome.
And it just kind of, it reminded me of the very first time I played like a hat in time. If you've ever played that, you just kind of boot it up and you know, instantly when you look at the characters, what they're all about. And it's, it's, it's really cool. And it's really awesome.
I never wanted to unpause the game when I paused it because the music was so good. I was like, man, it's so good. I don't want to stop. And then it got stuck in our heads.
I never wanted to unpause the game when I paused it because the music was so good. I was like, man, it's so good. I don't want to stop. And then it got stuck in our heads.
I don't know, man. You just got to brush it off.
I don't know, man. You just got to brush it off.
Yeah, absolutely loved everything about it so far. So Mr. Sleepy Man is filled with like 2000s nostalgia, pop culture references and things like that. But do you have like any personal media from there or influential games and aesthetics that really affected the game and your development?
Yeah, absolutely loved everything about it so far. So Mr. Sleepy Man is filled with like 2000s nostalgia, pop culture references and things like that. But do you have like any personal media from there or influential games and aesthetics that really affected the game and your development?
I'm super excited to see the story of the game. You have no idea. Wait, this game is a story?
I'm super excited to see the story of the game. You have no idea. Wait, this game is a story?
That's fair.
That's fair.
So I will say I think the Midnight Walk is promising. I don't think it's I think so, too. I think it's going to be incredible.
So I will say I think the Midnight Walk is promising. I don't think it's I think so, too. I think it's going to be incredible.
Take that shield with the saw blade. Everything.
Take that shield with the saw blade. Everything.
I'm not, but I did play through all of Doom Eternal and its DLC, so I greatly enjoyed it. So I will be picking this up. I am curious if Dark Age is going to be able to stand out this year with all the other games that have come out so far. Because, oh my gosh, what a year for video games.
I'm not, but I did play through all of Doom Eternal and its DLC, so I greatly enjoyed it. So I will be picking this up. I am curious if Dark Age is going to be able to stand out this year with all the other games that have come out so far. Because, oh my gosh, what a year for video games.
Dude, the Gatling gun that shoots shreds of skull and you have to load a new skull into it is just the coolest, most metal thing ever.
Dude, the Gatling gun that shoots shreds of skull and you have to load a new skull into it is just the coolest, most metal thing ever.
That I hate at the same time.
That I hate at the same time.
We'll get there last night.
We'll get there last night.
Yeah. I understand this. I mean, because FromSoft's never done something like this. They never like revisit IPs and make them a whole another genre of game. Right. Because for people who don't know, Night Rain is going to be a roguelike game. Which, Souls-like, roguelike, okay. Co-op roguelike. You play with your buddies. Which will be incredible.
Yeah. I understand this. I mean, because FromSoft's never done something like this. They never like revisit IPs and make them a whole another genre of game. Right. Because for people who don't know, Night Rain is going to be a roguelike game. Which, Souls-like, roguelike, okay. Co-op roguelike. You play with your buddies. Which will be incredible.
It's going to bring back bosses from all the old Souls games, you know, like some of the worst ones you've ever fought in your life.
It's going to bring back bosses from all the old Souls games, you know, like some of the worst ones you've ever fought in your life.
I'm worried about the Orphan of Kos from Bloodborne. That's who I'm scared of running into again.
I'm worried about the Orphan of Kos from Bloodborne. That's who I'm scared of running into again.
You could also parry. Oh, yeah.
You could also parry. Oh, yeah.
You are not wrong. Yeah.
You are not wrong. Yeah.
Let this be the stepping stone that pulls you into the actual adventure. Like, Yes.
Let this be the stepping stone that pulls you into the actual adventure. Like, Yes.
Can't wait to teach you how to Souls life.
Can't wait to teach you how to Souls life.
explain to people the kind of premise behind this and what's going on with this so support is knowingly you know the the lesser viewed role by a lot of other players crazy talk number one oh yeah is it yeah time out time out i'm trying to hype you up already look at him because he's better than me because he's not a support oh man no i'm surprised he's not just yelling heal heal heal look
explain to people the kind of premise behind this and what's going on with this so support is knowingly you know the the lesser viewed role by a lot of other players crazy talk number one oh yeah is it yeah time out time out i'm trying to hype you up already look at him because he's better than me because he's not a support oh man no i'm surprised he's not just yelling heal heal heal look
Heal, healer.
Heal, healer.
It's just brain-dead gameplay. I can't help you if you can't heal. Okay, sorry.
It's just brain-dead gameplay. I can't help you if you can't heal. Okay, sorry.
So a... popular streamer i don't know what was necros i guess his name is he's a spider-man which is a dps oh oh what do you know oh my goodness oh no but spider-man is the most annoying dps in the entire game because he could just delete you with a single combo yes But he basically said that support players are stupid and brain dead and that they're pointless.
So a... popular streamer i don't know what was necros i guess his name is he's a spider-man which is a dps oh oh what do you know oh my goodness oh no but spider-man is the most annoying dps in the entire game because he could just delete you with a single combo yes But he basically said that support players are stupid and brain dead and that they're pointless.
So a lot of people kind of picked up his mentality within the community of Marvel Rivals and just started dunking on their supports all the time. To the point where, like, it gets really depressing to play support in Marvel Rivals, especially in solo queue. So you'll be trying your best to heal, quite frankly, some very un...
So a lot of people kind of picked up his mentality within the community of Marvel Rivals and just started dunking on their supports all the time. To the point where, like, it gets really depressing to play support in Marvel Rivals, especially in solo queue. So you'll be trying your best to heal, quite frankly, some very un...
Every support has now decided to put their foot down and we're not healing you anymore. You're on your own. We're insta-locking DPS, tanks, just like you guys until people start treating us a little bit better.
Every support has now decided to put their foot down and we're not healing you anymore. You're on your own. We're insta-locking DPS, tanks, just like you guys until people start treating us a little bit better.
All they do is complain. What happens when you're solo healing? Do you get dived and then nobody heals for you to help save you because they do not care about you at all? Where's the heals? Where's the heals?
All they do is complain. What happens when you're solo healing? Do you get dived and then nobody heals for you to help save you because they do not care about you at all? Where's the heals? Where's the heals?
You lost in like two matches, bro. You did not last.
You lost in like two matches, bro. You did not last.
Yeah.
Yeah.
That really makes me sad. You left out the best part.
That really makes me sad. You left out the best part.
Yeah. See, Spidey. Yeah. So...
Yeah. See, Spidey. Yeah. So...
I will give props to Nettie's just as a company. They listen to the feedback of their players. They are very good about balancing. No, they don't.
I will give props to Nettie's just as a company. They listen to the feedback of their players. They are very good about balancing. No, they don't.
They balance for fun, not competitiveness, I will say.
They balance for fun, not competitiveness, I will say.
Yeah, it's very nice. Yeah, when they say support, they mean every support. So that includes Jeff the Landshark. It's the dark side.
Yeah, it's very nice. Yeah, when they say support, they mean every support. So that includes Jeff the Landshark. It's the dark side.
Yeah.
Yeah.
He's like, what are you doing? Some funny ones. I'll say some education.
He's like, what are you doing? Some funny ones. I'll say some education.
I will not. Even if you play Spider-Man at Community Night, he'll be nice to you. I will, maybe.
I will not. Even if you play Spider-Man at Community Night, he'll be nice to you. I will, maybe.
Oh, absolutely. Everyone could play. I mean, even Josh plays, so anyone. And it's free.
Oh, absolutely. Everyone could play. I mean, even Josh plays, so anyone. And it's free.
Peace out.
Peace out.
It's so crazy. It's just like a light flips on and off all day long in our Discord where people are just going to play the game. Oh, this is where I'm at. Back to the game.
It's so crazy. It's just like a light flips on and off all day long in our Discord where people are just going to play the game. Oh, this is where I'm at. Back to the game.
It's exactly like that.
It's exactly like that.
It really does. Redacted. Redacted. Redacted. Redacted.
It really does. Redacted. Redacted. Redacted. Redacted.
Any team, man, they can make dreams come true. And like you mentioned Ubisoft, these guys are all like former Ubisoft devs. It just shows you how much Ubisoft holds people back because, oh boy, a million people already.
Any team, man, they can make dreams come true. And like you mentioned Ubisoft, these guys are all like former Ubisoft devs. It just shows you how much Ubisoft holds people back because, oh boy, a million people already.
That's a lot of work, man. Revelation.
That's a lot of work, man. Revelation.
That's just insane.
That's just insane.
Dude, this game.
Dude, this game.
But tell people what this game is. Well, this is a horror atmospheric sort of dark fantasy adventure game where it's all done with stop motion. It's stop motion graphics with real stop motion figures for like every model in the game. So it's super cool. And it's going to be in VR on release, which is insane. And again, another indie. I didn't know it was going to be in VR. It's going to be in VR.
But tell people what this game is. Well, this is a horror atmospheric sort of dark fantasy adventure game where it's all done with stop motion. It's stop motion graphics with real stop motion figures for like every model in the game. So it's super cool. And it's going to be in VR on release, which is insane. And again, another indie. I didn't know it was going to be in VR. It's going to be in VR.
That's wild.
That's wild.
It's stop motion claymation. It's a mix of different kinds of stop motion, it looks to me. You have a mix of armatures with claymation, but also just some regular old stop motion thrown in there as well. And it just looks incredible to me. There's no game like this.
It's stop motion claymation. It's a mix of different kinds of stop motion, it looks to me. You have a mix of armatures with claymation, but also just some regular old stop motion thrown in there as well. And it just looks incredible to me. There's no game like this.
I think I said on that indie episode, even if this game underperforms, people will remember this game for how it looks and how it's animated and how impressive it is.
I think I said on that indie episode, even if this game underperforms, people will remember this game for how it looks and how it's animated and how impressive it is.
There you go, Ryan. That was it for me. Nightmare Before Christmas. Don't you know any other stop-motion films? Coraline.
There you go, Ryan. That was it for me. Nightmare Before Christmas. Don't you know any other stop-motion films? Coraline.
I was into the look. I was into the vibe. It was given off. And then everyone around me just said. It's okay.
I was into the look. I was into the vibe. It was given off. And then everyone around me just said. It's okay.
I think that's a perfectly valid take. I'll be honest. I know people won't like to hear that, but that's like, we have limited time to spend playing games. So if we hear a game is not, like...
I think that's a perfectly valid take. I'll be honest. I know people won't like to hear that, but that's like, we have limited time to spend playing games. So if we hear a game is not, like...
Krusty Krab unfair.
Krusty Krab unfair.
I'll have, you know, the only puzzle I could get right was the box puzzle. Thank you very much. It was the only one that every single time was like, Oh, one of us tells nothing but truth. One of us tells nothing but lies.
I'll have, you know, the only puzzle I could get right was the box puzzle. Thank you very much. It was the only one that every single time was like, Oh, one of us tells nothing but truth. One of us tells nothing but lies.
every time you end the day the the mansion resets and all the rooms you placed they disappear and you just have the foyer consistently that's what you you'll always have the foyer and the three doors and then you'll go there and you'll place the new floor plan every day and you'll see how far you can get but also not only do you have to you know place the rooms in a way that you can keep moving forward and connecting you have to watch your steps because if you run out of steps the steps are the key here yeah
every time you end the day the the mansion resets and all the rooms you placed they disappear and you just have the foyer consistently that's what you you'll always have the foyer and the three doors and then you'll go there and you'll place the new floor plan every day and you'll see how far you can get but also not only do you have to you know place the rooms in a way that you can keep moving forward and connecting you have to watch your steps because if you run out of steps the steps are the key here yeah
then you have to start over. That's it. You can't go any farther. You pass out. No matter what. Yeah, no matter what. No matter what you have.
then you have to start over. That's it. You can't go any farther. You pass out. No matter what. Yeah, no matter what. No matter what you have.
It doesn't matter if you were about to beat the game.
It doesn't matter if you were about to beat the game.
All those keys, all those coins, all those gems, doesn't matter if you ran out of steps. Yep.
All those keys, all those coins, all those gems, doesn't matter if you ran out of steps. Yep.
Yeah, there goes your steps again.
Yeah, there goes your steps again.
Run over.
Run over.
The options were very limited at several times for me. It's just like, all right, time to start a new run. I didn't get that far in the last one. I opened the first door closet, open the next door bedroom, open the next door.
The options were very limited at several times for me. It's just like, all right, time to start a new run. I didn't get that far in the last one. I opened the first door closet, open the next door bedroom, open the next door.
Another dead end. And I'm like, I just started that.
Another dead end. And I'm like, I just started that.
Exactly.
Exactly.
I got so tired of walking through the same like four rooms. And then all the only puzzle I was getting was, you know, the box puzzle. Right. and the billiard room. And I don't understand the billiard room at all. Yeah.
I got so tired of walking through the same like four rooms. And then all the only puzzle I was getting was, you know, the box puzzle. Right. and the billiard room. And I don't understand the billiard room at all. Yeah.
The weirdest one for me was when two of them had statements on them and then one of them was just completely blank.
The weirdest one for me was when two of them had statements on them and then one of them was just completely blank.
What? I want to know what I got wrong.
What? I want to know what I got wrong.
Yeah.
Yeah.
See, that's where I was. I was like, are these the only things I'm going to do is math and guess the box? Because, like, that's not a video game. What's in the box? What's in the box?
See, that's where I was. I was like, are these the only things I'm going to do is math and guess the box? Because, like, that's not a video game. What's in the box? What's in the box?
This is my main complaint with this game. Deal with it. The RNG is just sometimes not in your favor at all. Like, I'll get there and I can only pick from red rooms or something like that. It was like, well, I'm walking through the gymnasium, I guess. And then I just have to walk back and forth between the gymnasium, which cost you two extra steps.
This is my main complaint with this game. Deal with it. The RNG is just sometimes not in your favor at all. Like, I'll get there and I can only pick from red rooms or something like that. It was like, well, I'm walking through the gymnasium, I guess. And then I just have to walk back and forth between the gymnasium, which cost you two extra steps.
And all I can get is closets, so now I'm hitting dead ends. Or I'm getting the breaker room, but I'm not getting anything to turn on or off. I'm not getting the garage. I'm not getting the dark room. I'm not getting anything. So now I just have the breaker room for no reason.
And all I can get is closets, so now I'm hitting dead ends. Or I'm getting the breaker room, but I'm not getting anything to turn on or off. I'm not getting the garage. I'm not getting the dark room. I'm not getting anything. So now I just have the breaker room for no reason.
I feel like I'm just not wired for these games, man. Like I would walk into rooms. I was like, I don't see anything. I don't understand what I'm looking at. What is this?
I feel like I'm just not wired for these games, man. Like I would walk into rooms. I was like, I don't see anything. I don't understand what I'm looking at. What is this?
No, no, no, no. When I read that note, my first thought was, oh, the door in the front is unlocked. I'll just walk around the house.
No, no, no, no. When I read that note, my first thought was, oh, the door in the front is unlocked. I'll just walk around the house.
Well, on top of just not being worth it, I also think I think I fell asleep like two out of the three times I tried to play this game.
Well, on top of just not being worth it, I also think I think I fell asleep like two out of the three times I tried to play this game.
So a little too chill for my my liking, I think.
So a little too chill for my my liking, I think.
Oh, let me start.
Oh, let me start.
So what worked for me was, of course, I really liked the graphics and the environment. And I liked the start of the story where it seemed like we were getting somewhere pretty straightforward with the thinking and whatnot. And then it just devolves into Dark Souls levels of lore reading. And I'm just like, I do not want to do this.
So what worked for me was, of course, I really liked the graphics and the environment. And I liked the start of the story where it seemed like we were getting somewhere pretty straightforward with the thinking and whatnot. And then it just devolves into Dark Souls levels of lore reading. And I'm just like, I do not want to do this.
if the game had a narrator or something, when you pick something up that like would start telling me about it, maybe I would have been more into it. Uh, but you know, I liked aspects of it. What I don't like is a puzzle game where I am drafting my own path and it doesn't have all the answers. It's like you threw me into an escape room, but you left out the tools I need to escape.
if the game had a narrator or something, when you pick something up that like would start telling me about it, maybe I would have been more into it. Uh, but you know, I liked aspects of it. What I don't like is a puzzle game where I am drafting my own path and it doesn't have all the answers. It's like you threw me into an escape room, but you left out the tools I need to escape.
It makes you feel like an idiot because you're trying to go down the pathways. It's like, oh, no, you see, you got this room, but it only goes in this L shape. So it goes into the wall. It doesn't go anywhere else.
It makes you feel like an idiot because you're trying to go down the pathways. It's like, oh, no, you see, you got this room, but it only goes in this L shape. So it goes into the wall. It doesn't go anywhere else.
It's like, oh, you want to go this way, but you see, the only thing you've got that could move you forward is the chapel. And every time you walk into the chapel, you're going to lose money. And the money didn't even do anything. So I was like, whatever. Who cares, man? I'll take the chapel every time.
It's like, oh, you want to go this way, but you see, the only thing you've got that could move you forward is the chapel. And every time you walk into the chapel, you're going to lose money. And the money didn't even do anything. So I was like, whatever. Who cares, man? I'll take the chapel every time.
I got the metal detector and the lock picks more than I got the shovel.
I got the metal detector and the lock picks more than I got the shovel.
Yeah, of course we are. It's a 6 out of 10, I guess. It's not a bad game by any means. I just don't like it. I like a puzzle game that's been thoroughly thought out by someone. It's not randomly generated for me every time I go to do it. Like Outer Wilds. Outer Wilds is a roguelike puzzle game, but...
Yeah, of course we are. It's a 6 out of 10, I guess. It's not a bad game by any means. I just don't like it. I like a puzzle game that's been thoroughly thought out by someone. It's not randomly generated for me every time I go to do it. Like Outer Wilds. Outer Wilds is a roguelike puzzle game, but...
you're what resets not the entirety of what you were doing you know where to go and what to do because you learned it last time here you don't really learn anything from your previous runs unless you know you just get lucky on the draw
you're what resets not the entirety of what you were doing you know where to go and what to do because you learned it last time here you don't really learn anything from your previous runs unless you know you just get lucky on the draw
I felt like I wasn't getting enough progression, I guess, out of it. Even when I was getting these permanent progression rooms, I still wasn't getting enough to say, well, I was so close this time. Maybe I'll make it. And then I'd get there like closet, closet, closet. All right. Well, I'm just not a bad game.
I felt like I wasn't getting enough progression, I guess, out of it. Even when I was getting these permanent progression rooms, I still wasn't getting enough to say, well, I was so close this time. Maybe I'll make it. And then I'd get there like closet, closet, closet. All right. Well, I'm just not a bad game.
video gamer are we making your day just a little bit better come on down is your commute just not quite as bad did you just forget about the last two miles well then you should probably pay attention while you're driving okay you're behind a car come on oh man all right and then i've got one this one comes in from a dear friend of mine uh named aka wallaby
video gamer are we making your day just a little bit better come on down is your commute just not quite as bad did you just forget about the last two miles well then you should probably pay attention while you're driving okay you're behind a car come on oh man all right and then i've got one this one comes in from a dear friend of mine uh named aka wallaby
I would say people should definitely just take you two's opinion on this game, because I'm just not one of the people who's willing to put up with
I would say people should definitely just take you two's opinion on this game, because I'm just not one of the people who's willing to put up with
This ain't no Portal 2 for me.
This ain't no Portal 2 for me.
I don't know. I think I like puzzle games because I like Portal 2 and I liked what I played of Outer Wilds. And then I just like, I think I just lose interest. I think it's, I'm just, it's part of that like short form content brained part of me where I just like get into it and it's not being spoon fed to me.
I don't know. I think I like puzzle games because I like Portal 2 and I liked what I played of Outer Wilds. And then I just like, I think I just lose interest. I think it's, I'm just, it's part of that like short form content brained part of me where I just like get into it and it's not being spoon fed to me.
I need that yellow paint. All right. Oh no.
I need that yellow paint. All right. Oh no.
Not particularly. I was excited when I saw the graphics and what it all looked like. And the cel-shaded look and the 3D environments and it being a roguelike where you decide what rooms go where. That excited me. But once I found out it's just a walking sim puzzle game, I was just like...
Not particularly. I was excited when I saw the graphics and what it all looked like. And the cel-shaded look and the 3D environments and it being a roguelike where you decide what rooms go where. That excited me. But once I found out it's just a walking sim puzzle game, I was just like...
Yeah, absolutely.
Yeah, absolutely.
You were on top of this one, man.
You were on top of this one, man.
As soon as it was there.
As soon as it was there.
I thought I got to play fun games.
I thought I got to play fun games.
Oh, gosh. It's a liminal nightmare for me.
Oh, gosh. It's a liminal nightmare for me.
You know, it's a struggle every day, man. Sometimes I have to call my son over.
You know, it's a struggle every day, man. Sometimes I have to call my son over.
So it was fun making that character. I'll say finding out I could just go in with no clothes and nothing but sandals was probably the best. Yeah.
So it was fun making that character. I'll say finding out I could just go in with no clothes and nothing but sandals was probably the best. Yeah.
you get a hotel. That's what, like $75 a week or something like that is the greatest deal I've ever heard in my entire life.
you get a hotel. That's what, like $75 a week or something like that is the greatest deal I've ever heard in my entire life.
Well, like you said, in the beginning you have the hotel room, which is your first base of operations. It's not a ton of room, but it's enough. So you'll go down to the hardware store, you'll buy your first grow tent, call your supplier and get your first set of pot seeds or whatever. I think it's like OG Kush is your very first strain. And man, they love it. They love that OG Kush.
Well, like you said, in the beginning you have the hotel room, which is your first base of operations. It's not a ton of room, but it's enough. So you'll go down to the hardware store, you'll buy your first grow tent, call your supplier and get your first set of pot seeds or whatever. I think it's like OG Kush is your very first strain. And man, they love it. They love that OG Kush.
They love that Kush. But in order to sell any of it, you've got to get customers first. So you need to walk around the town and hand out free samples and be like, hey, you like this? I know where you could get some more. And they're like, yeah, I love this. I'll call you for sure. Or they'll tell you to get out of here.
They love that Kush. But in order to sell any of it, you've got to get customers first. So you need to walk around the town and hand out free samples and be like, hey, you like this? I know where you could get some more. And they're like, yeah, I love this. I'll call you for sure. Or they'll tell you to get out of here.
We got some good stuff, man. I don't know.
We got some good stuff, man. I don't know.
In the best way possible. It is absolutely.
In the best way possible. It is absolutely.
97,000 overwhelmingly positive on Steam.
97,000 overwhelmingly positive on Steam.
Have we mentioned that this game is indie and done by a solo dev?
Have we mentioned that this game is indie and done by a solo dev?
That took way too long to figure out that we messed that up.
That took way too long to figure out that we messed that up.
I mean, we just started giving out the granddaddy and just like, I hope it passes the skill check or whatever.
I mean, we just started giving out the granddaddy and just like, I hope it passes the skill check or whatever.
I've been called a soulless ginger and reject Seth Rogen. I don't know.
I've been called a soulless ginger and reject Seth Rogen. I don't know.
I mean, you can also get them addicted to the point where they will come to your base and be like, you got anything, anything at all.
I mean, you can also get them addicted to the point where they will come to your base and be like, you got anything, anything at all.
You are looking rough, man. Let's not forget about our boy Benji. Benji. Yeah. Benji is the dealer. He was the reason we made our process really work when we couldn't figure out how to sell. Yes.
You are looking rough, man. Let's not forget about our boy Benji. Benji. Yeah. Benji is the dealer. He was the reason we made our process really work when we couldn't figure out how to sell. Yes.
Well, while you're progressing, obviously, this is something you really want, is to be able to make money faster and faster and faster. And, you know, eventually you're going to run out of strains from the provider that you currently have, who only gives you, you know, a certain amount of weed seeds, a certain amount of things a day.
Well, while you're progressing, obviously, this is something you really want, is to be able to make money faster and faster and faster. And, you know, eventually you're going to run out of strains from the provider that you currently have, who only gives you, you know, a certain amount of weed seeds, a certain amount of things a day.
So as you go through the game, you're going to get new providers and dealers, which are the biggest game changer I think this game has to offer, is the ability to set a client list under these dealers... fill their inventory up, and just have them go make passive income for you, basically. They'll make all the deals. They'll go meet up with the clients. And then you get the proceeds.
So as you go through the game, you're going to get new providers and dealers, which are the biggest game changer I think this game has to offer, is the ability to set a client list under these dealers... fill their inventory up, and just have them go make passive income for you, basically. They'll make all the deals. They'll go meet up with the clients. And then you get the proceeds.
It's a win-win situation.
It's a win-win situation.
He's a real one guys.
He's a real one guys.
And he was able to sell the stuff that we were not advertising somehow. Yeah. He was successfully selling the stuff, even though he didn't have it. I was like, all right, whatever. That works.
And he was able to sell the stuff that we were not advertising somehow. Yeah. He was successfully selling the stuff, even though he didn't have it. I was like, all right, whatever. That works.
That's not on video. You can't prove it. That totally didn't happen. You can't prove it. Oh, that's right. We weren't recording. What are you going to do?
That's not on video. You can't prove it. That totally didn't happen. You can't prove it. Oh, that's right. We weren't recording. What are you going to do?
Absolutely. Yeah. But I loved it.
Absolutely. Yeah. But I loved it.
There's like trash everywhere. You're like, oh, there's trash all over this city. Yeah.
There's like trash everywhere. You're like, oh, there's trash all over this city. Yeah.
I think I probably bought 5,000 baggies.
I think I probably bought 5,000 baggies.
It was so many. And I was always in the house.
It was so many. And I was always in the house.
Every search needed to start with the words schedule one video game.
Every search needed to start with the words schedule one video game.
I remember. Yeah.
I remember. Yeah.
We couldn't find her because we had another order for her. And they were like, where'd she go?
We couldn't find her because we had another order for her. And they were like, where'd she go?
Yeah, we just went, I'm done. It's grindy now.
Yeah, we just went, I'm done. It's grindy now.
we'd only begun to launder money. I mean, we didn't even get to the final like drug.
we'd only begun to launder money. I mean, we didn't even get to the final like drug.
And so you are no longer part of the Romaine empire at that point. Exactly. Yeah.
And so you are no longer part of the Romaine empire at that point. Exactly. Yeah.
I have one massive gripe with this game and it's the map.
I have one massive gripe with this game and it's the map.
We would unlock new regions and be like, oh, you unlocked Midtown. You unlocked Downtown.
We would unlock new regions and be like, oh, you unlocked Midtown. You unlocked Downtown.
Where is Midtown?
Where is Midtown?
Is that where they filmed the Minecraft movie? Oh, no. Don't start.
Is that where they filmed the Minecraft movie? Oh, no. Don't start.
What do you mean? I'm not cool enough to talk to you. Crazy day.
What do you mean? I'm not cool enough to talk to you. Crazy day.
I would like to see rival drug dealers in the game that you could come across and they'd be like, hey, you're on my turf.
I would like to see rival drug dealers in the game that you could come across and they'd be like, hey, you're on my turf.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I think with Friends it's absolutely worth the $20. I haven't played it enough solo to say whether or not it'd be worth the $20. I don't think I'd enjoy it near as much solo. I think I would burn out on it a lot faster having to do all of the work myself up to, you know, the trimming, the packing, and the running until you unlock Benji. Yeah.
I think with Friends it's absolutely worth the $20. I haven't played it enough solo to say whether or not it'd be worth the $20. I don't think I'd enjoy it near as much solo. I think I would burn out on it a lot faster having to do all of the work myself up to, you know, the trimming, the packing, and the running until you unlock Benji. Yeah.
And then I also probably would never remember to buy seeds because Josh bought all the seeds.
And then I also probably would never remember to buy seeds because Josh bought all the seeds.
We're going to run over a cop.
We're going to run over a cop.
I think this game is just as addicting as the drugs you sell in it. And, uh, if you've got a good friend group and a consistent friend group who likes to play online with you all the time, you absolutely should pick this game up and play with them. Just, Have a good time making drugs with your friends. I mean, what's the deal?
I think this game is just as addicting as the drugs you sell in it. And, uh, if you've got a good friend group and a consistent friend group who likes to play online with you all the time, you absolutely should pick this game up and play with them. Just, Have a good time making drugs with your friends. I mean, what's the deal?
I love that this game could bring that just in a casual conversation.
I love that this game could bring that just in a casual conversation.
Yeah, we left that out. But if you burn trash, you can get a lot of money.
Yeah, we left that out. But if you burn trash, you can get a lot of money.
I haven't played a single Lord of the Rings game.
I haven't played a single Lord of the Rings game.
I was going to say. I missed it. Is that it? Yeah, you missed it. It was after your time. As the resident old head, I can definitely sympathize. With the phone and the disconnecting from the internet.
I was going to say. I missed it. Is that it? Yeah, you missed it. It was after your time. As the resident old head, I can definitely sympathize. With the phone and the disconnecting from the internet.
We may be a little behind. I got great news for him, though. Hey, we're on YouTube. Wait, I was going to say.
We may be a little behind. I got great news for him, though. Hey, we're on YouTube. Wait, I was going to say.
I apologize in advance. Yeah, I do as well. I'm so sorry. Don't show your children. Oh, man.
I apologize in advance. Yeah, I do as well. I'm so sorry. Don't show your children. Oh, man.
What about you? I have friends who've played the Elder Scrolls online. They really enjoy it, but I've never asked them why they enjoy it, because I have no interest in the Elder Scrolls. Oddly enough, I'd like to go back and try to save the first quadruple A title ever in existence. Skull and Bones. I would like for Skull and Bones to have been a good game because we don't have a good pirate game.
What about you? I have friends who've played the Elder Scrolls online. They really enjoy it, but I've never asked them why they enjoy it, because I have no interest in the Elder Scrolls. Oddly enough, I'd like to go back and try to save the first quadruple A title ever in existence. Skull and Bones. I would like for Skull and Bones to have been a good game because we don't have a good pirate game.
That's a good one.
That's a good one.
I don't think that's going to get near as much. Probably so. Oh, man.
I don't think that's going to get near as much. Probably so. Oh, man.
What did I do to deserve this?
What did I do to deserve this?
As simple as it is. It's a pretty simple game.
As simple as it is. It's a pretty simple game.
I was not in the first little opening tutorial. Yeah, you and I started first. We got through the tutorial and got things, you know, hit the ground running as it were.
I was not in the first little opening tutorial. Yeah, you and I started first. We got through the tutorial and got things, you know, hit the ground running as it were.
Yeah, apparently that means I'm old, I guess.
Yeah, apparently that means I'm old, I guess.
Oh, the eyelids got me. The eyelids are so funny, man.
Oh, the eyelids got me. The eyelids are so funny, man.
Ryan's like a hedgehog.
Ryan's like a hedgehog.
They don't fall.
They don't fall.
I heard that.
I heard that.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Oh, no. Oh, my gosh.
Oh, no. Oh, my gosh.
Wait, wait, wait, wait.
Wait, wait, wait, wait.
Oh, nice.
Oh, nice.
Oh.
Oh.
I think that also really increases the longevity of these games, too. Oh, for sure. You're a lot more willing to jump back into a roguelike you've already beaten if your friend's like, hey, I've not played this before. Can we play it? That's where Cult of the Lamb got a massive resurgence is when they added the local co-op because people were like, oh, I can play Cult of the Lamb with my friends.
Oh yeah. And that's going to be a blast. That's not an indie, but I will say right now, listeners, I'm very excited for night rant. You're excited.
Oh, come on. But yeah. Undermine 2 coming in July of 2022. That's pretty close, honestly. So mark it on your calendars, add it to your wishlist, which you should be doing for all these games. If you're good listeners, that's what you're doing. You're supporting the devs by putting them on their wishlist.
Hello, fellow gamers, and welcome to the Video Gamers Podcast. I am your host, Ace, and today we are going to look at a mushroom-filled roguelike, a ridiculous dating simulator, and probably one of the most frustrating games you'll ever play in your life. But before that, I've got to introduce to you a man who just came out of a devastating breakup with his toaster. It's Ryan. Ryan.
this year comes out so thank you for saying it right because i messed that up i was like yeah i 22 oh yeah no that's not like do you want to get the time machine and go back and like i kind of do but you know what i'm gonna roll with it i'm already the punching bag i like it no you're good we wouldn't do that to your old bones what are you talking about no not again but we're gonna take a quick break right now and i'll be right back
All right. We are back. We are talking about a interesting indie, to say the least, bringing back the punch out genre, which I don't know what you write. I don't see many games try to bring back punch out.
That's pretty high praise then coming from you.
Yeah, we're talking about a game called Leftovers KO, by the way. I forgot to mention the name because I'm that way. I got ahead of myself.
It is a hand-drawn punch-out sort of, I don't want to say clone. What's the word? homage tribute yeah there's the word i want never could find the words i gotcha where you are fighting your leftovers you know giant six foot hamburgers or angry pizza yeah you know sometimes when food upsets my stomach i want to go punch it in the face too see this is a relatable moment
Yeah, it's very hand-drawn. Almost like a Garfield cartoon is kind of what it reminds me of.
So did you play much punch out or anything like that? I played punch out on the Wii and I was terrible at it. Yeah. I can tell you now, like I was bad, bad at it, but I was also like 11, I think. So, you know, maybe I didn't have the reflexes I should have.
That's great, man. I think that's exactly the way I feel, too. Oh, cool. Indie games have so much more heart, it feels like. AAA games have heart. I'm not going to say that at all.
Super Punch-Out is crazy hard.
What do you mean I lost to Glass Joe? No one loses to Glass Joe. How did this happen? I'm a failure.
This one has a demo as well that I played.
I played the demo. Okay.
It rings true. It's just as difficult.
I got my butt kicked. Oh, wow. Absolutely destroyed by a hamburger. I won the first match, and he came back with a vengeance, just right hook, right hook.
No, it makes me a little more aggressive on the hamburgers that can't fight back, actually.
Yeah, yeah. Rockstar puts their all into every game they make.
Pretty soon we're going to see this one. And I'm going to be very interested to come back and check the reviews on this and just see how many people like me are just really bad at these. Yeah. I got my butt handed to me by a pizza.
They do put all their money into it, like a freaking studio film. But when you play an indie game, especially one that not a lot of people talk about, a lot of times you find those hidden gems, you're just like... this is just someone like trying to relive their nostalgia days and like give it back to you. And you're just like, I can feel it. And I love it. Yeah. That's a good answer. I like that.
Oh, don't you start with it.
We don't have time to start this with you. He knows, audience. He wants to keep me from saying anything. But speaking of hard and frustrating games, how do you feel about rage games, Ryan? Games that are just there to make you upset.
Is that why you didn't play Chain together with me and Josh?
If your friends screw you over, you're in trouble.
No, this one you have no one to blame but yourself. You're talking about a game called Baby Steps made by the legend of Rage Games himself, Bennett Foddy. Oh, God. Famous for the game Getting Over It, which is the one where you're the guy who's stuck in the pot with the sledgehammer and you're trying to climb the mountain. Oh, I've seen that.
I've seen speedruns of that that are absolutely insane. This is a game where you play as an overweight middle-aged man who gets teleported out into the wild and now you have to manually walk your way back home. It is an open world game, by the way. So there's no directions. You don't know where you're supposed to go.
And the footage for this is absolutely hilarious. Just every, like, fourth step he takes, he just face plants in the dirt. And I was just...
These are like content games.
It's not for us, but man, do I want people to know about it. So if anyone streams it in our Discord, I could just be a fly on the wall in there.
Nah, just this year, but it's looking like, from what we've seen, it looks pretty much done. So I imagine we're going to hear some news about it soon. If not, you know...
Heck yeah.
Yeah, I could tell Ryan's heart grew three sizes that day.
I'm not even playing the game. Exactly. All right. This is the last one we'll cover. This is one I think you and I will both be equally excited for. If you mix the worlds of Lethal Company with the first person shooting of Borderlands, you get a game called Mycopunk. This game looks insane. I love it.
It almost looks like a first person Risk of Rain. yeah like looking at it okay it looks like first person risk of rain it's got incredible environments and weapon options it's a co-op first person like sci-fi shooter it looks great no it definitely it definitely looks good that's a good comparison i think the the risk of rain look to it it's um
I do not like indie games. Well, let's start with probably one of my favorite ones we're going to talk about today. And that would be a dating sim. That's right, everyone. We're talking about a dating sim on this show called Date Everything. Ryan, what did you think about this when I put it in the doc?
Borderlands, lethal company, risk of rain. All of these have like influences in here that I could see. And I'm just like, oh, this is going to be fun. Yeah.
I think we definitely will have to check this one out and get back to people, because I love what I'm looking at now. I'm just like, this is so freaking cool. Yeah.
And like I said, we don't know what the full release date for that one is. We just know that there is a demo available now. But it's probably coming this year if there's a demo already. Just to go ahead and make my own little prediction there.
All right. That was our last one. Ryan, tell me, which one of these are you most excited about?
There's a lot of good options here.
I don't know if I'm looking forward to that the most, but it's between Undermine 2 and Mycopunk for me.
I think that's a great idea. I think we should definitely do that.
Absolutely. And everyone is welcome. So come on in.
But that's all for this episode, everyone. I've got a toaster to rebound. So I'll see you next time.
Ryan, are you saying two married men have no interest in playing a dating simulator?
You know that's always been your dream to go downstairs and see the water heater and be like, hey. That's looking pretty good over there. We've known each other for a long time.
The design is very good, and the naming is also very funny to me. But yeah, this is a 3D sandbox dating sim where you put on these glasses that were given to you called date viators, because of course they are. Oh, yeah. And you go around and you can talk to all the objects in your house and decide if you want to romance them, become their friends, or...
For some reason, you can make them hate you. That was like one of the options. I don't know why. This game has over 100 voice actors and 70,000 unique lines of dialogue. Jeez. That's a lot. That's insane.
package deal yeah i would be very interested if someone would come to our discord and explain like if they're hyped for this why they're hyped for this like clearly our brains are not wired to enjoy dating sims but maybe we're not we're obviously not the target audience so i'm not going to say anything negative about this game but it looks great it's got a lot of effort put into it and you can tell it has heart i'll say that they try and it's coming june 17th
Yep. It's coming very soon. June 17th.
I want to check the reviews, and I want to watch a quick Twitch stream. Watch.
Them Eggos are expensive, man.
We're totally misreading it. Right now, it's like, it's going to be the biggest game of 2025.
You're not wrong. But moving on from that, actually, we have one of the most anticipated indies probably of all time coming, and that would be Deltarune. What do you know about Deltarune, Ryan?
I knew it. Did you know Deltarune is an anagram for Undertale?
Yeah. Deltarune, you know how big Undertale is. Undertale's huge. People freaking love Undertale. Deltarune is made by the same guy. It is like a multiverse sort of situation, prequel sort of thing. I don't even really know how to explain it. It's been releasing in chapters very slowly over the years.
And this is going to be the next third and fourth chapter coming out. And I guess that's going to basically be the end from all I know. And people are so freaking hyped for this. You would hate this game. It's a turn-based RPG.
I hate this one. He'd be like, Oh, pixels.
Dude, we have got some weird ones to talk about today. We've got some good ones to talk about today.
but what I know about it is it's going to have great humor. It's going to have an absolutely banging soundtrack because Undertale, if Undertale has one thing, it is an incredible soundtrack, which I think was like all done with like a pirated version of garage band initially.
Which is amazing.
It's unclear from what I've seen. The characters from Undertale appear in it, but they don't acknowledge any of the events of Undertale. So it's like... Yeah, it's very strange. It's like there, but not. If you wanted me to look into the lore, we would be here for an hour.
We don't have an hour to talk about Deltarune. Not when we have an incredible, silly little game called Backseat Drivers to look at. Oh, yeah. This one, I think, is a little more up our alley. Yes. All right. Backseat Drivers, which someone in our Discord linked this. I'm sorry I didn't go back and check. You know who you are. You're a beast. Yeah, you rule. You rule. Unnamed person. Again.
But, you know, they're indie all the same. Absolutely. But before we get into them, I have a little question for you. All right. What do you like to see most from these indie developers in these indie games?
I don't know if this is quite a rage game so much as a cooperation game where one person will be playing a granny who sits in the front seat and can barely see over the steering wheel of her car. And the other person is going to be the annoying grandson who sits in the backseat and is going to try to guide her through the obstacle course and through traffic.
And from what I've seen, it's pretty chaotic right off the bat.
It's got one of my favorite things, too. It's got proximity chat as well as the moving mouths like from headliners.
It's unclear.
It's the same as the extraction games that we talk about. You play it for a little bit. You don't need to play it forever. You don't need to commit yourself to this game.
You're going to see a lot of YouTube videos, a lot of streamers playing this. And it's like, It's just a silly little game. I can't wait to see it.
Like you said, there is a free test drive.
There you go. And Ryan, it's not an indie episode unless we talk about a roguelike. Oh, absolutely. Especially with you, brother. Oh, yeah. You know me. But we're talking about a roguelike called Undermine 2. I did not play the original Undermine. I actually watched someone on YouTube play through the entire thing.
Imagine how boring that is, being the person watching someone else play through a roguelike. Oh, yeah. Yeah, I can only imagine. Undermine 2 is a very unique and fun roguelike. It's almost Stardew Valley-like in its pixel art aesthetics.
Yeah, it's a little bit better than that. But if you've ever played Spelunky... I don't know if you've heard of that one. It's where you play a little cave diver and you go through these vertical levels. This is like that, except for it's room based, more like your natural roguelike, like a Binding of Isaac or Enter the Gungeon.
And you're going to keep going down and down through the mines, gathering money and upgrading your stuff. But this time it's co-op. Oh, that seems to be the thing this year. It's like roguelike, but co-op.
We're on the indie episode. I like Undermine, too, but not Deltarune.
I think it's going to be really awesome. I think people are going to really enjoy it. And I'm totally on board for people with their sequel to the roguelikes just being like, yeah, roguelike 2. Now you can play two people. Yeah. I'm totally cool with that.
Yes, it's a walking simulator.
You know, I felt that way as well, that if I'd been like in the hot seat, you know, as the burnt one doing all this stuff, you could see your hands move when you move them and things like that. Maybe I would have felt more immersed and scared. Yeah. But I do have to agree, it's a very simple gameplay.
Hello, fellow gamers, and welcome to the Video Gamers Podcast. Tonight, we take a walk down the trail of the Midnight Walk, and I am your host, Ace. And of course, joining me are my two lovely and wonderful co-hosts, maybe not one today, though, as he likes to walk in the path of darkness and betray the light.
Yeah. I guess that's fair. Well, if we're not, if you didn't see anything in the gameplay, I guess I'll talk about it. It is a walking simulator, but it's also a stealth game. You do need to, you know, creep around and hide from enemies or, you know, you know, outsmart them by sneaking around them without being seen. Yeah.
but you can all there's also puzzles involved very simple puzzles oh my gosh like the easiest puzzles you can match how many candles do i have to light all right there they are exactly yeah where do i take my giant match cannon yeah yeah there it is when you when you are getting snuck up on by something in that game and you hear that watch out who is saying that Watch out.
Oh, it's like the voices of the dead or something. Cause it's not pot boy. He doesn't speak. Yeah. I never got that. You don't speak either. The burnt one doesn't get a mouth. Yeah.
What do you mean?
Exactly. For those who aren't aware, I'll go ahead and give the lowdown right here. The Midnight Walk, released May 8th, 2025, and I was very excited for it, is an indie dark fantasy adventure built using real clay assets scanned into the game and animated in a stop-motion style. That's just super freaking cool to me. I don't know about you guys.
Potboy, you can speak? Yeah. I didn't think you were intelligent enough to breathe on your own.
I would say I think the audio is the best thing I've experienced is just because it's the binaural audio, which, you know, is, you know, from whatever side you're hearing things is where it's coming from. But also it's part of the mechanic of closing your eyes and listening for invisible objects.
That's a pretty good analogy.
I'm curious to know, do you think the VR integration has hurt this game's development, or do you think it has made it better?
I mean, the very first time I ever talked about it, I think I just said PSVR because that's all I thought it was for. Because when I saw the trailer, it looked like a VR game. It did not look like a game. And I was very confused when I found out it is not just a VR game.
I was... Okay. It was incredibly short for what I paid for it. That is my biggest takeaway from it.
We'll bring that up. But my personal experience with it is I really liked it after I sat with it for a little bit and I thought about what the narrative meant and what the endings meant and what it all could mean. But... I can't really say I liked it if I don't have any intention to ever play it again.
It is a narrative game that maybe you replay once you've forgotten about it.
you really like the vr component yeah exactly i would totally give it another shot in vr yes i would absolutely play it again in vr because that's a whole new experience for me versus you know sitting here at my desk you know using a controller because of course i was and playing it here where it's just like oh i'm just playing a horror game it's a narrative driven horror game that
I mean, those guys had sewed up eyes and mouths, though.
And that's why I asked.
I couldn't win you over with this, John. I couldn't win you over in the first impressions. And, you know, somehow I got you to finish the game for this deep dive.
Spooky light. I like that.
Well, we'll get into a few more of our other personal opinions just after this little break. All right, we're back. Let's see. Let's talk about the elephant in the room. The price. Who? Who else feels slightly ripped off by this game?
Okay.
All right. Remember a number in your head right now. Okay. Do it with me, audience.
It's $40 for a five-hour game, by the way. It's kind of crazy. I understand why they think they can charge $40 for it because of how much work they put into it.
That's the problem.
I think it just hurts you more. I'll be honest. But the story of the Midnight Wonga is that you are the burnt one and you're going to take your pot boy companion who is like the last light in the end of the world up to the mountain and, you know, hopefully reignite the sun and bring light back to the world.
They made everything that's in the game, John. But they didn't need to. They didn't need to.
I got it for 35 because it was on sale on Steam. But that's still $10 more than I want to pay for this, especially after finding out how long it is.
Yeah. For a reason. That's why it's because it's expensive, but it's also because people are not willing to pay stop motion prices.
Oh, no. No love for Wallace and Gromit over there, fam.
i i understand them but i don't and it did anyone else i know you didn't get to the end ryan but did anyone else feel like those last two chapters they'd run out of budget or ideas why because they went like flies yeah yeah they went so fast honestly this was a three chapter game dude the the last chapter when you're going up the mountain was like
It's a very simple narrative driven game, but the style is what's going to carry it forward for a lot of people. I'd say what really did anything hook you at all, Ryan, when you started playing the game or was it?
I hate to say it, but the Midnight Walk is definitely on the bottom. Right? It is. Of those games, it's on the bottom. Here's the thing, though. It's not a bad game. It's not a noticeably bad game. It is just what we've talked about before, a 7 out of 10 or a 6 out of 10. It's just like... I think I don't want to say it's bad.
They take one step.
Yeah, I haven't played Limbo or Inside, but I've played Little Nightmares. I need to get to Limbo and Inside. Oh, they're great. I've heard such great things. And they're like a decade old, man, and they're still so good. I feel like I watched YouTubers play them ages ago, and then I was like, oh, I've experienced this, and then I moved on with my life. But that's not it.
That's not how it works in the real world.
You can't talk bad about the one thing we liked about him.
oh well okay one second uh we're gonna go ahead and talk about spoilers real quick because i want to get a quick spoiler segment out there uh go ahead and skip to whatever ryan writes down but uh i think he does get his emo haircut at the end there when the shadows give him his head yeah yeah yeah yeah what ending did you get john i do i chose sacrifice him
I did not. I was not going to let my little buddy die. I was not going to let these people tell me what my purpose was.
So when you bring the sun back, all three of you die. Halsey dies. You die. And Pop Boy dies.
How's he comes back though, to lift up pop boys. So he can reach the sun. Yeah. He comes back as a carcass. Yeah. Cause you know, pop boy accidentally set him on fire and killed him, but you know, he kind of learned why fire is dangerous, but you know, that happens and the sun comes back.
And it shows you like all the residents looking at the sun and they're not really moved or changed by any of it. Like you see the craftsman and his daughter walking away and they keep walking away. You see all these people turn to look at the sun and then they go back to what they're doing because it does not matter. It's, like, futile.
It's futile to try to help the people of this world, basically. Versus the ending I have, where I told Potboy to stop trying to light the sun, and he tries anyway, and he fails. He fails miserably, and then you and what remains of Halsey and Potboy continue walking down the Midnight Walk. That you've brought the moon back instead, and... And it's the same. Nobody cares. Nobody noticed.
Your efforts were for nothing, no matter what, to this world. you need people to want to help themselves in order to help them.
Like if we haven't talked about the matches, like, The girl who stole matches and got burned alive.
Now I have.
If you want another first-person one, that's actually pretty good. I'd also recommend My Friendly Neighborhood. It's a pretty good... Oh, it's Resident Evil, but with Muppets. Oh, that sounds awesome. That sounds pretty good, Ace. I do like that one a lot. We're not talking about My Friendly Neighborhood, though. We're talking about The Midnight Walk, unfortunately.
But yeah, no, that's the only reason I think I really care about the Midnight Walk is because you kind of start to look at the stories and all the things that you've done. And even though they were for nothing for your main quest, you helped those people with their problem. But your main quest just meant nothing to anyone. They didn't care. They weren't there to help you. You were just in the way.
We brought the cauldron back for whatever that thing was so it could mourn its dead friend.
Yeah, let's put this one to rest. Let's go ahead and end the spoiler segment right here. It was half the episode.
Let's go ahead and end our journey on the Midnight Walk. And Ryan, why don't you tell people where they can support the podcast?
I'm with you. We all are right there where we want to be able to say, play the Midnight Walk. It's a great game. But instead, I'm going to say, wait for a sale.
invite us to i want to see the effort that went into this make me appreciate it oh you're gonna get so much hate john we're gonna get shot it's like so mad about you being hate hating on the puppets that's fine all the effort that went into the puppets i bet they look awesome in real life but that's all for this time everyone until then happy gaming see ya toodly doodly
I thought as soon as I loaded up the game, I thought it nailed the atmosphere. Cause I don't know if you guys remember the opening, but the opening is you rise from the dead and your vision's blurry and your, your hearing's all screwed up and you just start walking forward down this corridor until a statue with two eyes pops up. And it's just like,
take your eyes yeah you're like you put one eye in it's a little clearer you put the other eye in now you can see but your ears are still all screwy so you keep walking and you find two more statues like take your ears
and then from there you put your ears on and then that becomes part of the entire game's thing with the like the binaural hearing where the uh i guess that's binaural audio where you it passes from one headphone to the other and you can kind of use that to find things did anything hook you at all john with this one like well okay was it impossible to set the hook for a game you just didn't like no yeah i mean clearly the the art
And I can only hope that he walks the path of light and justice with me in this beautiful work of art. It's Ryan.
Claymation? Claymation. It's stop motion claymation.
I'm just so surprised. I mean, I kind of get what you're saying. It definitely felt like it was very lost from the get-go, and it didn't really have that heart. I don't know if you felt that, Ryan, if it felt like there wasn't much to go with.
Let's light them up.
For me, until I met Pop Boy, I didn't have a connection to this world. This world is very empty and barren, which it's supposed to be. It's the end of the world. This takes place at the end of this claymation world, and you're basically surviving in the aftermath, which makes sense why it's so empty and sad and...
Clearly today we have mixed opinions on what's going to be coming forward. But we've talked about the Midnight Walk before. We were all relatively excited for it, I want to say. John, were you excited?
terrible music was good though the music got me that was really good music music was pretty solid yeah i did i gotta give the music the i i did grow to like the music quite a bit i mean that one uh what do they call that they don't call it a sting uh I can't think of the word. The one cue that plays whenever Popboy is setting a fire for the end of a chapter. Oh, yeah, yeah.
Yeah, where it pulses up three times and you're activated. Yeah, that one got me. I love that one. It was so good. Yeah, it's a good. Such a good. I'm going to remember the name of what that's called one day. At some point on the podcast, apparently.
But, you know, the game is split into five unique tales that each tell a story of fire or darkness or how they would, you know, combine within this world. Because as we mentioned, Potboy is our companion, but he is also the last light at the end of the world. There's no fire in this world anymore. It's all been taken over by shadow. The sun is gone. The moon is gone. Everything is just dark. Yep.
Which is why you need to take Potboy to the mountain and reignite the sun and bring light back to the world.
i did i do think they did a good job on that is is unsettling you before you kind of dive into this world yeah i think so too i think it's very they do a very good job of letting you know that this is a bad world yeah it's something like we talked about with the first impressions john was like at least what i had experienced by then because i hadn't met anyone yet it was like i felt very alone in this world and pot boy was the only companion i had and that kind of stays true through the whole thing even if you do make friends they don't really stay around yeah
And I think that really does actually add to the world building, even if the world isn't that great. Sorry, the midnight walk.
I felt like I was just like... You didn't follow the story?
How many reviews is that? That is 378, I believe. Oh, wow. Okay. I mean, it's still kind of early, but... It's still in its infancy, but it's still incredible that it's only been out for that long and it's already gotten this positive a reception.
I mean, it's a cozy, narrative, charming horror game with a clay craft aesthetic. Like, come on.
Yeah, clearly you thought it was going to be for you. But since you're very familiar with this genre and what it does and what it doesn't do, what makes The Midnight Walk stand out gameplay-wise? Is there any mechanics or anything that stood out to you?
Hades is such a giant in the indie scene. And like, nobody saw that coming when that was announced. Nobody saw where that was going to go. If it had came out in a different year, it would have been game of the year for that year. I'm certain. Oh, totally. Yeah. Cause it took the world by storm. Even Ryan likes Hades and he doesn't even play that many.
hello fellow gamers and welcome to the video gamers podcast i'm your host ace and today we're talking our top indies but before that with me is my indie brother in arms john hey what's up everybody super stoked for this episode oh this is gonna be a good one i'm very excited for this one and of course my newest recruit to the indie army The one and only Ryan.
My poor phone battery couldn't take it, unfortunately. Well, I can't help you there. I'm just a little cheap on that. That's all my fault. But it's my turn to hit the number four spot, and I want to talk about Blasphemous. You'll never guess what genre Blasphemous is from, guys.
Oh, yeah. You know, it might just happen to be my favorite genre in all of indie ever. The Metroidvania. No.
It's just something so pure about the experience of Metroidvania and just how big and open it is and how exciting. And I love it. Blasphemous, though, is another kind of pixel art game. It's got beautiful pixel art, absolutely stunning pixel art. But it takes place in a... I don't really know what you call it. It's not Catholic. I don't want to call it Catholic. It feels bad.
But a very heavily Catholic-inspired religious world. Yeah, there you go. Where a grievous miracle is bestowed all these quote-unquote gifts upon the land. And these gifts are nothing but suffering and pain, being that the first miracle was a guy getting twisted around a tree and lifted into the air. So... but blasphemous is like beautifully dark.
And I absolutely love it. Every boss you fight is one of these people who's been bestowed with the quote unquote gifts from the miracle. And you, as you fight them and as you pick up items, you kind of learn more about them and about the world you're in. And you play as a guy with a big pointy hat called the Penitent One, and he's taken a vow of silence.
So it makes total sense why everyone else talks and you don't. That's pretty cool.
I mean, I don't know if either of you have ever picked up and played Blasphemous at all, but.
But it's a really hard game, John. I'm going to warn you now.
If another crab's treasure wasn't your cup of tea, Blasphemous is... Just as difficult, if not more.
Ryan, you might be able to mess with Blastmasters. I think you'd like it. It's got super good graphics for pixel art, but it also has the same thing like Doom, where if you do enough damage to an enemy, you can glory kill them, and each enemy has a unique animation.
It's probably pretty devastating, honestly.
I'm in the same boat. I know you are too, right, Ryan? Most of your favorite games are surely indie games.
That sounds good. What I love about it is, uh, You can't spend a ton of time in the levels because you need to gather as much stuff as possible and get out.
Because there's a timer at the bottom, and the longer you stay in the level, the timer is going to keep moving up, and that's increasing the difficulty of the game.
Over and over again. At the end, it gets to the last bar, and it's just... I can't kill him.
that's the hardest difficulty yeah but it's uh it's an absolute blast man like we will definitely get you in on it it's uh it's a 3d roguelike too so it's very interesting to see like roguelikes within 3d environments like that because that's not a very common thing within the indie yeah i would agree with you on that yeah yeah yeah but uh you want to go ahead and give us your third one john yeah so i had uh i had a tough time with this one because there's kind of like a
Getting to know the people who made your game are pretty rad. I have not played the second game. I bought it. I haven't played it yet. But I played the first game and it's DLC as well as a mobile game that no longer exists.
I was just curious what makes it the step above for you.
I also get like breaking – kind of breaking in your palette for indie games too with what's popular versus what's actually fun.
True. What about you, Ace? What's your number three? For me, number three, I have Death's Door.
oh great game i was hoping to get that reaction oh great game yeah that's that's another one of these or would you call that kind of like a horror game vaguely i wouldn't maybe call it a horror game it's not i wouldn't call it it's more like i'm not it's more of a existential crisis kind of game this is like basically like playing through your own ghibli film is what it is for me oh okay
You play as a little crow who is a servant of death going around collecting souls when suddenly during one of your missions you're interrupted and the soul is stolen and sent through death's door and you have to retrieve it otherwise you can never go home. And while you're in the real world, you're not immortal.
So now the clock is ticking for you to get enough souls to open up death's door and get that thing back.
But it's a super fun game. And especially if you take the challenge like I did to beat the entire thing with just the umbrella, which was the worst weapon in the game. You beat the game with an umbrella? Yeah. You have to pick up the umbrella at the beginning of the game and never unequip it. It's a trophy on PlayStation to get the platinum. Yep.
Weakest weapon. But you still can use the spells and stuff. So I upgraded the fireball and I just used that as my main attack. But that game will hit you in spots you're not expecting with how it talks about mortality and the importance of death. And I'm not going to spoil what the twist is with the whole game because it's so freaking good.
But if you like deep stories like that, as well as just a fun action adventure, very Zelda-esque, honestly, if I had to compare it to something, then Death's Door is definitely for you. You would, I think, like it, right? I think you could get down with it. Yeah.
marketing money to put you know a little title like death store out in front of everybody's face i talk with like other indie devs uh in other servers because you know i i help them on kickstarter not like the main help just my name to them but i talk to them and uh we bring up death store all the time we're like whatever happened to those developers and it's just like yeah
It didn't take off, so they didn't get anywhere, but it's a beautiful game with stunning graphics that look just like a 3D Studio Ghibli, as well as just a great story and honestly a really fun protagonist design, if you ask me. Oh, all the character designs are great.
I think that's enough to entice people to bring them in is if I tell them it's like playing a studio Ghibli film, it's even got the dark parts that you don't talk about to your friends.
All right, Ryan.
Yeah, hit us with your third, buddy.
Yeah, it's the game where you dance like this.
Yeah, it's like, this is something we can do together, and it's not super, you know, mind-boggling hard to know all the buttons and things like that. It's just like, you pick up stuff, you put stuff down, run for your life. The bees! The bees are coming! Oh, yeah. All right. You go grab that hive. I'm going to lead the bees that way.
And then the fact that that game has open mod support and it gets mods all the freaking time. Like you mentioned the casino. The casino is a massive mod where you can gather all the scrap you need to meet quota. And then maybe you want to go risk it all for no reason.
Let's go. Like when you took my body and bet it all on black. Well...
Yeah, I mean, that's fair. You're also a console gamer, right? So Lethal's only on PC right now because it's an access. So you wouldn't know. I have an excuse. Yeah, you wouldn't have had much time with it.
I love talking about what's coming out in the indie scene, but I definitely love talking about what I already love from the indie scene. So this episode is going to be very fun for me. Because like I've said before, I think indies are the...
Yeah, and it's definitely made its mark on the gaming landscape, I'd say.
All right, John, here's with number two.
And I also do really appreciate a game that can tell a story without words. I think that's something very impressive to be able to do that, that you don't have to have it all exposition dumped on you all the freaking time. Like, And that's coming from someone who said last time on the Blueprints episode, I need the yellow paint.
Ori is kind of like a, what would you describe the world of Ori like? Is it sad and somber? Is it more alive?
You sound like a Kingdom Hearts character.
Yeah. Okay. Now just throw in some stuff about hearts and happiness and you'll be all good to go. But I was going to say is it's very interesting how we can find comfort in the immersion of worlds like that. We're like, maybe the character is not having a great time, but like you being in their world instead of them being in their world makes you feel better.
Elden Ring is not a happy setting to say you're a tarnished, which is someone who's trapped in this loop. Yeah.
of existence but i can't think of a more miserable plain than elden ring man in every respect i was digging being trapped in the world of elden ring i loved it but uh moving on to my number two i'm gonna be a little i'm gonna get a little bit real with y'all uh we're moving on to your number two
yeah i see how yeah am i am i that much more immature than you guys you might be just a little bit i'm twice your age i can't help i can't fault you i'm the oldest here all right so says so says the so says everyone on instagram tiktok and unfortunately our own discord server But I'm going to get a little real. My number two is Shovel Knight, the Treasure Trove.
And Shovel Knight is another pixel art kind of game. It's a 2D action platformer, very similar to Mega Man or DuckTales, if you ever played those. Shovel Knight kind of came to me in a time when I really needed something to bring me out of a dark spot. And it's... was this perfectly bright and happy game with a good amount of humor and difficulty. And I just loved it to death.
Being able to play through it, learn all about the characters and the world. And it's a short game. I would say it's a short game if you're good at video games. If you're not and you break all the checkpoints like Paul did, you're going to have a real bad time. But Shovel Knight brought me really back from a dark spot in my life.
where I could enjoy this happy world and this bright, colorful world where you get to take on all these enemies and free the world of darkness and beat the enchantress and find out what happened to the girlfriend or whatever she is to you. It's unclear because there's not a lot of dialogue in Shovel Knight. But that's why it stands out to me. And it has another killer soundtrack.
Absolutely killer soundtrack. And I know neither of you have played Shovel Knight, but it's an absolutely outstanding game.
Well, something to point out is Shovel Knight has become a very much an icon of the indie world. I almost said series. It's not a thing.
Because he's become like the grandfather of the indie. He gets referenced in everything. He's in Bloodstained. He's in, what was the weirdest one? Blazblue Azure Striker. That was a weird one.
Yeah. Yeah. He's in ukulele. He's in everything. He is sort of when people think of an indie game, they think of Shovel Knight, but there's so many people who don't remember him because of this.
But he's got an absolutely iconic design with that blue armor and that big old horns. Yeah.
Shovel Knights, Hollow Knights. Oh, yeah.
Ryan, do you have any interest in Shovel Knight?
Any at all.
That's good enough for me. Just don't break the checkpoints, all right? Just don't do it. You'll make your life horrible.
I would say absolutely. I believe that's where the most promise is coming from. That's where we're seeing the most evolution. Because you have to innovate in the indie scene if you want to stand out. You can't just keep doing the same thing with a popular character. Right. or else they're just going to throw you away very fast. I agree. I agree.
Hey, there we go. I'm very, very good.
Yeah, Subnautica 2 looks very promising, especially with the multiplayer. That's a very enticing thing for me. Being able to play together. Maybe I'll be less scared when I go to the depths of the abyss. It's scary, dude. As someone who's terrified of the depths of the ocean, Subnautica hit all the right spots for me to become a horror game instead of a survival game.
But I absolutely get what you're saying. It is a fantastic survival game. Are you much into survival games, John?
That's crazy.
Yeah, that's what I'm struggling with right now.
Also, am I the only one here who hasn't swam with dolphins? I feel left out. I think you are.
Subnautica is an all-timer. And if you haven't played it, you definitely should. All right, John. You ready to take her home?
You become Ubisoft if you stay around too long.
Crazy high praise. It's really hard for me to grasp the idea that there is a turn-based game that's better than Persona 5 because that is my peak of a turn-based game. Man, I love Persona 5. And I really love the story of Persona 5 and how it's all about, you know, the little guy taking on the world, you know, fighting injustice in your own way.
We're not getting into that. That's a whole other episode's worth of content there. But, you know, kicking us right off, John, why don't you start with us? Tell us what your top five indie is.
But you guys have really been selling me on Claire Obscura Expedition 33. And I know I missed out on it because I just don't have time for it right now. But I really want to get to it.
It's everyone in our Discord. Every single day, I can go in there, and there's someone with a million spoiler tags talking about the game.
What did you feel about the ending, Ryan?
I'm very glad this game has found its audience and people really are showing appreciation for it.
It's hard for me to imagine.
I don't see why you wouldn't like it.
Man.
I think that's... TLDR, it's really good, guys. Yeah, I mean, that's what you could have just said. Yeah, I really like it. I think it's pretty sweet. Well, my number one isn't quite as fancy and pretty as that game, unfortunately, but it is pretty in its own way and fancy in my way. No one could have guessed this, but it's Ender Magnolia, Bloom in the Mist. What? I know.
Me picking a Metroidvania, let alone an Ender game, as my number one indie. Okay.
I highly recommend starting with Ender Lilies, but just because I like both and the music in both is really good.
Well, Ryan, I've got great news for you. There's a podcast episode all about it. You could find it on our feed.
Oh, you know, it just happens to be the exact same name as the podcast you're listening to.
Is it the Video Gamers Podcast? But Intermagnolia is a absolutely stunning game that I've talked, I've sung its praises so many times where it's another one of those instances of being where the immersion is a really big part of it for me. Even though the world you're immersing yourself in is basically on the verge of collapse and it's not a great place to be.
Your protagonist may be alone, but because you're there with her, maybe she doesn't feel so alone because you're there. That's kind of how I felt about it. And that's a little bit sappy and stupid, but that's how I felt.
I mean, the first game, you're the last surviving descendant of a white priestess traveling through a blighted kingdom of lands and all by your lonesome. Only companions you have are the dead spirits that you have control over because you are a white priestess. And you're just trying to defeat this blight and get rid of this sickness that's killing everything.
Sort of break the cycle of what's going on. And then the second game, you play as... A totally different person who's related to the bloodline of the White Priestess, but you're still just another girl named Lilac all alone in this land of fumes, traveling with homunculi robots as your only companions.
There are more living people to talk to in Bloom in the Mist where you'll make connections with them and... It's a lot bigger of a world and bigger story. And it all kind of clicks together. I'm not going to spoil any of the story for you because it's really good. But it's got beautiful artwork. It's got beautiful music. It's all just absolutely stunning.
And I think anyone who's anyone should be playing Ender Lilies or Ender Magnolia.
But listen to our episode first.
Yeah, go ahead and wrap it up for us, buddy.
Uh-huh. Rock and stone. Rock and stone. Come on, John. Yeah.
That's a great last pick. I think everyone should play Deep Rock Galactic. Everyone should check it out. We will definitely get you in on a session of Deep Rock, John, because we could just pick it up on the Xbox Store.
Hey, okay, this isn't like a story game. You just can play one session.
Fellas, I've rambled on about indies for a little too long, it seems, because our time is up. But thank you so much, everyone, for listening. We truly appreciate it. John, how can people help the show?
Yeah, I thought it was going to be about the fact that we have social media and a YouTube video you can watch or Spotify videos.
Definitely don't show them the edit with the cigar and the big head.
I want to go to France. I want to go so bad. Well, thank you, then, everyone, for listening. And if you have your own top five, why don't you drop them down there, too? Tell us what your top five indies are or come to our Discord and tell us why our top five indies are terrible. But John will definitely fight you over his. Oh, hell yeah. Yeah, you will.
If someone says something negative about Clear Obscura, I'm sure I'm going to see some fire.
It's such a unique game too. There's not a lot of sort of, I don't even know what you would call that because it's not really a Metroidvania. It's just like an action platformer, almost Souls-like in its difficulty. But there's not a lot of indie games in that genre that I can think of other than like Tales of Iron 1 and 2 and Salt and Sanctuary and its sequel.
Well, that's all for this episode. Happy gaming, everyone. See ya! Toodaloo!
That's the only other games I could think of that are like that. You didn't play it, Ryan. I know you did. But you loved looking at the art. You thought the art was stunning.
Oh, yeah, absolutely. Getting to see the heart of that was so cool. But I guess I'll take the next step here, and I want to talk about The Messenger. I actually made a little short for The Messenger back before we did FaceCam or anything like that over on our Instagram. That one kind of popped off a little bit, I will say. It did. If you haven't checked out our Instagram, go check it out.
We have some great content over there. Great plug, Ace. There you go.
We're going to make a businessman out of you. But The Messenger is a super cool game. So it starts off like an 8-bit sort of running, not hack and slash platformer. I almost said running gun. There's no guns in The Messenger. But it's a hack and slash platformer similar to like Ninja Gaiden and such. But halfway through the game, you get to time travel.
And when you time travel, it also upgrades the amount of bits you get and the graphics change from 8-bit into 16-bit. And now it is in open-world Metroidvania. It's got great humor. It's got great graphics and... an incredible soundtrack. Like, I am not kidding. We love good soundtracks around here, and The Messenger is second to none, except for maybe, you know, one of John's picks later on.
We brought it up several times. The music in indie games is just incredible.
I'm going to say it's just because they're willing to take the time and invest into it because this is their vision. This is their project. They want it to be perfect versus like a AAA studio, which is like, oh, we could cut some budget there. That's my guess. But what do you think, John?
Well, clearly, because it didn't make any difference for you how you felt about it. I mean, Baldur's Gate 3 won Game of the Year. It's an indie technically, so I'm thinking we're probably going to see another indie win Game of the Year, if you ask me.
All right, Ryan. Why don't you give us your number five?
I have almost picked up VR solely for Superhot several times.
Nice. I mean, what's it time only moves when you move. That was the tagline.
I think technically two isn't, but one is. It's semantics, all sorts of stuff like that. But, you know, we got a really exciting episode here where we're going to break down our personal top five indies. And I'm very excited because I definitely have a lot I really want to talk about. I know you definitely do.
Something like the first big mainstream VR game. Personally, at least.
Well, John, it's back to you.
I feel like we bring up Hades a lot around here. I ain't mad about it.
So I will say I think the Midnight Walk is promising. I don't think it's I think so, too. I think it's going to be incredible.
Take that shield with the saw blade. Everything.
I'm not, but I did play through all of Doom Eternal and its DLC, so I greatly enjoyed it. So I will be picking this up. I am curious if Dark Age is going to be able to stand out this year with all the other games that have come out so far. Because, oh my gosh, what a year for video games.
Dude, the Gatling gun that shoots shreds of skull and you have to load a new skull into it is just the coolest, most metal thing ever.
That I hate at the same time.
We'll get there last night.
Yeah. I understand this. I mean, because FromSoft's never done something like this. They never like revisit IPs and make them a whole another genre of game. Right. Because for people who don't know, Night Rain is going to be a roguelike game. Which, Souls-like, roguelike, okay. Co-op roguelike. You play with your buddies. Which will be incredible.
It's going to bring back bosses from all the old Souls games, you know, like some of the worst ones you've ever fought in your life.
I'm worried about the Orphan of Kos from Bloodborne. That's who I'm scared of running into again.
You could also parry. Oh, yeah.
You are not wrong. Yeah.
Let this be the stepping stone that pulls you into the actual adventure. Like, Yes.
Can't wait to teach you how to Souls life.
explain to people the kind of premise behind this and what's going on with this so support is knowingly you know the the lesser viewed role by a lot of other players crazy talk number one oh yeah is it yeah time out time out i'm trying to hype you up already look at him because he's better than me because he's not a support oh man no i'm surprised he's not just yelling heal heal heal look
Heal, healer.
It's just brain-dead gameplay. I can't help you if you can't heal. Okay, sorry.
So a... popular streamer i don't know what was necros i guess his name is he's a spider-man which is a dps oh oh what do you know oh my goodness oh no but spider-man is the most annoying dps in the entire game because he could just delete you with a single combo yes But he basically said that support players are stupid and brain dead and that they're pointless.
So a lot of people kind of picked up his mentality within the community of Marvel Rivals and just started dunking on their supports all the time. To the point where, like, it gets really depressing to play support in Marvel Rivals, especially in solo queue. So you'll be trying your best to heal, quite frankly, some very un...
Every support has now decided to put their foot down and we're not healing you anymore. You're on your own. We're insta-locking DPS, tanks, just like you guys until people start treating us a little bit better.
All they do is complain. What happens when you're solo healing? Do you get dived and then nobody heals for you to help save you because they do not care about you at all? Where's the heals? Where's the heals?
You lost in like two matches, bro. You did not last.
Yeah.
That really makes me sad. You left out the best part.
Yeah. See, Spidey. Yeah. So...
I will give props to Nettie's just as a company. They listen to the feedback of their players. They are very good about balancing. No, they don't.
They balance for fun, not competitiveness, I will say.
Yeah, it's very nice. Yeah, when they say support, they mean every support. So that includes Jeff the Landshark. It's the dark side.
Yeah.
He's like, what are you doing? Some funny ones. I'll say some education.
I will not. Even if you play Spider-Man at Community Night, he'll be nice to you. I will, maybe.
Oh, absolutely. Everyone could play. I mean, even Josh plays, so anyone. And it's free.
Peace out.
It's so crazy. It's just like a light flips on and off all day long in our Discord where people are just going to play the game. Oh, this is where I'm at. Back to the game.
It's exactly like that.
It really does. Redacted. Redacted. Redacted. Redacted.
Any team, man, they can make dreams come true. And like you mentioned Ubisoft, these guys are all like former Ubisoft devs. It just shows you how much Ubisoft holds people back because, oh boy, a million people already.
That's a lot of work, man. Revelation.
That's just insane.
Dude, this game.
But tell people what this game is. Well, this is a horror atmospheric sort of dark fantasy adventure game where it's all done with stop motion. It's stop motion graphics with real stop motion figures for like every model in the game. So it's super cool. And it's going to be in VR on release, which is insane. And again, another indie. I didn't know it was going to be in VR. It's going to be in VR.
That's wild.
It's stop motion claymation. It's a mix of different kinds of stop motion, it looks to me. You have a mix of armatures with claymation, but also just some regular old stop motion thrown in there as well. And it just looks incredible to me. There's no game like this.
I think I said on that indie episode, even if this game underperforms, people will remember this game for how it looks and how it's animated and how impressive it is.
There you go, Ryan. That was it for me. Nightmare Before Christmas. Don't you know any other stop-motion films? Coraline.
I was into the look. I was into the vibe. It was given off. And then everyone around me just said. It's okay.
I think that's a perfectly valid take. I'll be honest. I know people won't like to hear that, but that's like, we have limited time to spend playing games. So if we hear a game is not, like...
Krusty Krab unfair.
I mean, from what I've seen, it nails the atmosphere and the aesthetic it's going for with the whole puppeteering stage kind of stuff. And it works for me. So I know it'll work for you guys if you try it.
This is me poking you to try it for me because I don't have time.
All right. We're going to move on to this next one after this short little break.
Okay, we're saving it for the deep dive. Is that it? Just like how John and Josh are saving it for the deep dive. They are not.
All right, we are back. We are talking about something that is going to be absolutely legendary. I can assure you now I'm not overhyping this. One of the best indie roguelikes known to man is getting a sequel. Enter the Gungeon 2. Oh, baby. Can you tell Ace is excited? Oh, Enter the Gungeon is one of the best indie roguelikes there is.
Hello, fellow gamers, and welcome to the Video Gamers Podcast. Today, we will team up in Lords of the Fallen with its seamless co-op, nail gravity-defying flips with fish and tuna hakes underwater, and master chess-inspired souls-like adventures in Stone Machia.
It's got a great story if you follow the story, because you pick one of the four characters, you go through the dungeon, and you're looking for a gun that'll kill your past. And if you can do that, then the story resets into unlocking more and more interesting characters that tie to the main story. I'm not going to go into the whole thing, because... I'll be here for hours.
I mean, I'm a dork like that. But one thing that people have an issue with enter the gungeon with is of course, people like Josh, it's the graphics. It's pixel graphics.
That's not a problem anymore. And into the gungeon too. This looks pretty good. We got some absolutely stunning 3D visuals on this one, and I, for one, am so excited to see where this goes. We don't have much to go on yet. We just have an announcement trailer, and we don't have an announcement date, unfortunately. But what do you think about this one, Ryan?
You've never played Into the Gungeon, but does this pique your interest in any way as a roguelike fan?
That's fair. I'm not huge on card battlers either.
The guns are ridiculous. They're like, you know how we talked about Doom Eternal and how Doom Eternal has ridiculous weapons and guns? Yeah. And it really leans into that. Uh-huh. Enter the Gungeon is the same way. You'll get a shotgun shell that shoots shotguns.
Or a barrel that shoots fish. Like, the guns are ridiculous, but the magic comes from the synergy of the items you pick up that go with the guns. So, like, maybe you'll pick up, you know, the infinite ammo boost with some kind of, like, Gatling gun, and it combines into some ridiculous weapon that just deletes the first boss. But it's got those fun roguelike elements.
We've got some interesting little topics to go over today. I would say some of them more interesting than the others, in my opinion, but we're going to start with Lords of the Fallen. Have you ever heard of Lords of the Fallen, Ryan?
dodge roll and then you're doing some interesting things with their uh make a souls like that would be just on brand for their for their name as difficult as enter the gun you could be it's a bullet hell game so you're like dodgy rolling a lot it might as well be a souls like might as well yeah might as well be if you ask me so the first one was pretty pixely pixel graphics it was very uh it was a pixelated kind of graphical adventure it was uh
Oh, yeah. They've definitely got a little bit of knowledge about guns. But I think Enter the Gungeon 2, if it comes out this year... If they can time it to not come out with anything else, like we were talking about, no shadow drops or anything like that, it'll take the month it comes out because people freaking love Enter the Gungeon. I being one of them.
No, no, no, no, no. Bethesda, you're done. You've already dropped Oblivion and you have freaking Doom. The Dark Age is coming. No more from you. You're done. No more. You leave the indie gamers alone.
Oh, one second. Todd Howard's at my door. Yeah. Ding, ding, ding, ding. Oh, no, he's threatening me with a New Vegas remaster.
I don't know how much trouble we're going to get into for ripping to Todd Howard, but... Ah, whatever. We love you, Todd. Now it's okay, because we said we love you. But moving on from Enter the Gungeon, we're going to talk about a game that came out, I believe, last week. And I played this game. You played this game. I did a review of this game. It is not performing as well as I expected. Really?
Yeah. We are talking about Mandragora Whispers of the Witch Tree, which is a 2.5D Metroidvania kind of Souls-like combat with a Diablo-style skill tree. The skill tree is insane in this game, I will say.
This was going to be one of the biggest indie souls likes with a dark fantasy setting. It looked incredible. People were so hyped for it. And when it released, it was just kind of dead on arrival. It was so disappointing, man.
just there's just too much it's too much for me and you never played a souls like so you don't like you never dealt with the weapon scaling kind of mechanics that come from souls like games where having higher stats you know can attribute to using better weapons and make a certain weapon more effective which is what mantra gora tries to do it does have weapon scaling like that's where it's souls like elements come from on top of the freaking stamina bar
You can like what you like. Don't worry about it. If you haven't played Bloodborne, you're missing out. Go buy a PlayStation just for Bloodborne. Oh, there you go. There you go.
It is getting very mixed reviews, and I don't understand why because it's a beautiful 2.5D game. It's got stunning graphics. It looks amazing, yeah. Incredible voice acting. The combat is fun and fluid, and it's just a fun game if you like this kind of game. It's got like 80 hours worth of content if you're looking for it.
So I don't understand why this one's not performing as well as it could have. I don't know if it's because of lack of marketing or maybe it was marketed incorrectly.
That's really rough for them, and I do feel bad for the Mandragora devs, because you can clearly tell they put a lot of heart and a lot of effort into this game, and it just didn't land for people, unfortunately. And, you know, that's just how it is sometimes. Sometimes games just don't land.
But if you're even remotely interested into Metroidvanias and you like Souls-like kind of elements, I think people should definitely still check out Mandragora. Even if you feel like you need to wait for a sale for it to be worth your time, I think people should still check it out.
Yeah, but we may have a cyberpunk ask redemption story on our hands with Lords of the Fallen as they've gotten a 2.0 update as it would be that went live this April that overhauled the game completely.
It might be a price thing. And I thought maybe it's the Souls-like elements being too heavily implemented into the Metroidvania elements. But then I play games like Blasphemous, and Blasphemous is very similar. It's like, I don't know. I don't know what doesn't work.
Okay, so people like it, they just don't love it, which is something we talked about. Actually, we haven't talked about it yet. Scratch that. You haven't heard it yet. It's not out yet. Don't listen, don't listen. Don't listen to me. Well, before we... You know, I'll have to end on that note. Yeah. Happy, happy. Let's talk about one more thing.
Let's talk about Stone Machia, which is probably the strangest combination of games I think I've seen yet. Do you like chess, Ryan?
Have you ever looked at chess and been like, what if it was a Souls-like? You know what this chess board needs? More Souls-like elements. I feel like that's every indie dev. This needs more roguelike. This needs more Souls-like.
Dude, this is an absurd game. I found this today. Well, I was on my break. I was looking on my phone for something we could talk about that was not what I put in here because I was like, everyone knows about this already. Everyone knows what this is. this looks so ridiculous, but also so intriguing to me. I don't know what it is.
Yeah. It added a seamless co-op and progression system and a friend pass, which we may know from games like It Takes Two or Split Fiction, where only one person has to own the game to play with their friends. So we're always on board with something like that. Like, why don't more developers do that?
I'd like to say it does not look like a mobile game. Before anyone judges it, it does not look like a mobile game.
yeah that's probably true it has a very impressive graphical style where you play as a pawn and you can sort of level up into the different you know archetypes of chess and go through this italian renaissance themed world of dark fantasy and action rpg hack and slash adventure as a pawn if that's what you've always wanted to do i don't know yeah
They just sat around a table. It's like, all right, we all love chess. What about chess too? There you go. The soul's like version.
Coming soon. But it does have a demo if people want to try out the demo. Oh, it does. And jump into that. It does have a demo, which if you really are interested in what I just talked about, I'm not going to repeat it. But I said a lot of words. Armed with the power of chess. Armed with the power of chess. The pawn will take the kingdom for himself. That's probably not even the plot.
I'm just being dumb.
Yeah, souls like chess. What better? You know, we have a little bit of time, so we're going to talk about it anyway. We're going to talk about Repo. Oh, yeah. You know what? Repo, everyone knows. If I say repo, I think everyone who knows indie games knows exactly what I'm talking about right now. Oh, yeah.
You're not able to scroll through Instagram right now or YouTube or anything without a short from repo popping up.
And they're like, oh no! Dude, me and I haven't played repo with you and Josh. I've played repo with other people and that has happened so many times. I'll get like a vase in there worth like $6,000 and it'll just get smashed immediately. Like, no, all my hard work.
But for the unaware, Repo is a cooperative survival horror game a la Lethal Company, where you play as robots going through these, you know, randomly, I guess, semi-randomly generated levels. gathering loot and scrap with a sort of physics engine similar to Gary's mod or Half-Life using the physics gun. And different things weigh different things. So you have to have friends help you carry things.
And if you bang them into walls or the floor, you lose value on the thing you're carrying.
Yeah. And, of course, because it's a horror game, there are monsters. My favorite being the duck that follows you around, and if you touch it, it turns into a horrible monstrosity that chases you down like you're its next snack.
These are the new party game to me.
But you all hop on.
I mean, Repo is just similar to Lethal Company. It's just taking the world by storm. People love Repo. A lot of people thought it would be a flash in a pan, you know, another Lethal Company-like game. It's going to be here and gone.
What does it have, like over 100,000 overwhelmingly positive reviews?
And that's for just one of those, you know, quick pick up and play party games. Like, that's insane. For 10 bucks. For 10 bucks. And it's still actively being supported by the dev, of course. The dev is a little bit overwhelmed, to say the least. I think he said, like, I'm suffering from success right now. Dude, I'll take that. I would love to suffer from success.
Because, you know, people are like, when's the next update? When are we getting more? Yeah. More environments, more monsters, more character models.
You are not a Souls-like guy. But if I tell you I have Lords of the Fallen and you could play it with me for free, the very idea of just playing a game with me is enough to get you interested. Yeah.
I believe so, yeah.
I'd have to check on that, but I'm 98% sure it's a solo dev for this one.
I mean, the game's the medium, and the people you play with is where the entertainment comes from. Because the proximity chat, of course, is what makes this game so funny. Oh, gosh. And how the robots all flap their heads like Canadians from South Park.
If you haven't played Repo and you have a group or even just one or two people who want to play a game with you, I'd recommend picking up Repo. Repo is a good time.
We'll never get Josh to play it with us, so you better get your friends to play it with you. But I wanted to leave it on a positive note there, since we kind of dunked on Magic Core for a little bit. I like it.
Everyone's feeling good. We're feeling good about indie games. We're not worried about Oblivion totally covering up releases or anything.
man the dive is strong this season oh yes yes it is i just want to thank everyone for turning uh tuning in listening and if you wouldn't mind going down there and leaving us a nice little review yeah rate the podcast leave us a comment go to our youtube check out the video we're here we're gonna look at our pretty pretty faces oh hello and uh ryan house can they support the podcast
So, all right, that'll do it. Well, thank you all for joining us and happy gaming. See ya.
Yeah, I was just about to get to that. It was janky. It was really janky and it was really unsatisfying to play. The combat did not feel fluid. People just did not enjoy this game and this came out around the same time as like Liza P so people were very heavily comparing the two and Liza P was just a much better Andy Souls like. Lords of the Fallen, however, it fell short, to say the least.
Yeah, I feel so bad for them. They made a very visually impressive game, like... It had a cool mechanic where you could travel between the real world and the underworld using lanterns. It was super neat, but it just sucked.
But before that, I wouldn't necessarily say he's jumped the shark, but his ability to ollie, kickflip, and grind as a fish tells me it's just a matter of time. It's Ryan.
But they've not only added the friends pass and the cross progression, they've overhauled the game completely. The mechanics are much better now. The gameplay feels much better now. And just overall, the game is better now. It's got a new tutorial. It's basically a whole new game. This might as well be Lords of the Fallen 2, is what people are saying.
And I think that makes it worth revisiting, in my opinion.
We screwed up.
You gave CD Projekt Red one more chance.
Is it now? They really messed up with that one.
I mean, speaking of a lot more money and a lot more people, indie devs tend to get overshadowed when it comes to AAA releases, which means they like to schedule their releases... Away from big releases. I'd say that's a pretty smart, you know, business decision not to schedule, you know, oh, yeah, we're going to put our game out the same day as Grand Theft Auto 6. Oh, yeah.
Well, we had a very interesting little story come up about the dev on Blueprints and what he had to say about the shadow drop of the Oblivion remaster. Lay it on me.
Co-founder and indie publisher of Raw Fury, he argued that unexpected shadow drops like Oblivion Remastered unfairly bury smaller indie titles, noting that indie teams will meticulously plan their releases around, you know, these big games and try to avoid them.
He highlighted how indie gems such as Post Trauma and The Darkest Files, which are indie games, which you probably never heard of because they got buried, struggled to gain traction despite their positive reception because big games are dropped on the same day without any warning whatsoever. What do you think of that?
That's true. You do love aquariums, don't you?
Think about it. If that had dropped the same week as Oblivion, would Oblivion have buried it? Would nobody be covering it because everyone would be looking at Oblivion?
I clearly see where he's coming from on this, that shadow drops are going to...
hurt indies indirectly but also i think like it's just part of the business i think it's something you just kind of have to roll with because that's how some people want to do things they don't want to do a big you know hour-long showcase and be like that's right our game has been announced four months in advance yeah exactly hyped america yeah you build up that hype
Oh, man. I didn't even think about that. I was like, oh, yeah, Ryan loves escape, but I totally forgot you love aquariums and fish, too.
You would have never even touched it. Even if Josh told you, we need to play this game, you would have been on Oblivion.
Unless you just don't care. Some indie games are just so small and they just don't care, like the one we're about to talk about right now. I don't even know where to begin with this game. This is clearly a joke game. I would say like a parody game. You're not meant to take it seriously. But Tuna Hakes Underwater. Let's all just take a moment to take that name in. Tuna Hakes Underwater.
It's like perfect for you.
What does that sound like to you, Ryan?
Oh, man.
Oh man, on my 15 minute breaks at work, I will just go to the Steam page and I'll just search the word indie. And then I'll go just check every single tab for something that's interesting. And some of the games on there I can't talk about, but some of the games are very interesting. And then there's just ones that stand out for completely different reasons.
It's not ones like, I'm like, oh, this game's going to be an all-timer. It's going to be like, this game's two bucks, but man, it could be a great time for two bucks.
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. With the jet skis and stuff.
Even if no one buys this game, I want you to go check the trailer out just so you can see how much of a parody of Tony Hawk this game is. No one is buying it, Ace.
100% positive reviews on Tuna Haze.
Yeah, I know. You and Josh get to take a little break. As people may have noticed, he's not here. We're giving him a little break from all the chaos, and honestly, we just can't pull him away from Expedition 33. That's the real issue. We can't get him here. He doesn't want to come.
oh dude the real the rail sliding with the fish was what got me at the end i was like and their tails are still flopping as they're going across yeah if it's not clear tuna hake is a uh tony hawk ripoff a very low effort one uh sandbox game $1.79 right now you can have $1.79 if you're looking for just a dumb fun game But with its 31 players strong... Yeah. Yeah. It's nothing offensive.
I wouldn't say it's hurting the game industry in any way. I think it's silly and fun.
yeah this is my vision is my dream this seems cool yeah i've always wanted to see fish grind rails yeah that's yeah that's that's always been you know in my in my bucket list of things to see but moving on from tuna hay let's talk about a indie game that looks just a little bit more interesting to me for completely different reasons We're talking about Once Upon a Puppet.
It is a 2D platformer kind of game. It's a 2.5D puzzle platformer kind of game. It kind of reminds me of this old PS3 game called Puppeteer, where you played as a puppet with scissors and you would try to cut the heads off of enemies and use the heads as your lives. It was a very interesting game.
Yeah, it was a very interesting game.
Yeah, this one was crazy. I loved the look of it, too. You know, you had the whole puppeteer thing, the strings and all that. Games that can, like, nail that aesthetic of puppeteering really worked for me when pulling me into the world. And this one does that for me. I don't know what you thought about it, but...
Yeah, no. We already know how you feel about Expedition 33, right?
If we didn't have the midnight walk coming up, I would definitely be like, Oh yeah, I'm going to play once upon a puppet. But like we've got, there's like we said before, there's so many good games coming out this year. I feel like we just don't have time to play everything. And it really is a disappointment. So if anyone out there wants to play it for us and tell us how it was.
I have to agree. I think that Risk of Rain 2 is completely underrated. At 93, that feels like a crime, honestly, with how good this game is. and how much it, like, innovates on the roguelike genre. Because, like, how many roguelikes do you know that are, like, in a 3D environment like that that you could play with friends, too? Like, that's crazy.
I thrive on the pain and misery.
Well, if Stardew Valley can be a 98% and people think that's fine, I think Hades is underrated because it is absolutely a 99 or a 100. Because aside from where Hollow Knight, where I have played other Metroidvanias that are way better. Sorry, Hollow Knight fans. He's just digging that hole. I know. I'm really digging. I'm twisting the knife real good there. I have not played another, like,
roguelike like hate hand-drawn roguelike like Hades with this much detail and this much like dialogue and beautiful artwork that tops it like nothing has topped Hades in the roguelike genre for me when it comes to like these top-down perspectives yeah that's I mean that's fair there is underrated
I am. I am a big fan of Lethal.
At a 97%, I'm going to have to say it's overrated. No! Unfortunately.
I think it is the genre that Lethal is, which I call it the horror extraction genre, because that's, I guess, what you would consider it has been innovated on since Lethal with games like Repo. Repo has sort of taken what Lethal did and it's made it based around this physics engine where things have weight and you have to carry them with basically a carries mod physics gun. Excuse me.
No. You don't get to pick in between the lines. No, you got to go one or the other.
And I think that makes that a little bit more special than what Lethal does.
I know.
I'm surprised we're all in agreement on this one.
Ryan, got to have that infinite sprint.
No, they didn't. I can tell you they didn't.
Okay. I'm going to say it's underrated. Whoa.
Oh, thank God. Someone will. Oh, hold on.
Oh, you're the tank. You'll be fine. But no, I definitely think Subnautica is underrated, especially with how saturated the genre has become with, you know, these survival games. Subnautica really stands out as something special with its, you know, its setting and the gameplay and the story too. Like, I mean, it's all really good. It scares the crap out of me, though.
Yeah, that's a crime. That's pretty wild. 87 is crazy.
Of course it did.
Dave is definitely underrated, man. Dave is so good, and there's so much content in that game that you could be playing right now. you be silent i will be silent i'm gonna let you finish this ramble you're gonna go on real quick oh ramble is that what oh man we know ryan feels do we know like what game do you know got a crossover with yakuza and godzilla ryan huh that doesn't mean it's good
You don't think it's 98% good?
That's Stardew Valley levels of good.
How dare you?
You'll make some enemies with those ones, I can promise you that. That's fine, man. I can take the heat, man. I can take it.
Wild card. What about you, Ace? Until today, I didn't even know you played Cuphead. I have, yep.
I have played Cuphead. I think it is completely overrated. no i think it's a i think it's a beautiful game yeah i think the sound design and the you know artwork and all that is super crisp super pretty super great and that the sacrifice the devs made to get that game out there by like mortgaging their houses like three times or whatever just to get that game made is super great and all but like
That game just doesn't deserve it. It's not accessible enough to people, I think, to the point where it deserves that high a score. I could see a 95, but I'm definitely not on the side of the Metacritic users who put it at 86. Yeah. That's crazy.
Actually, there was a rat. He was a boss in the game.
That did psychic damage to him.
You are. Because you're too honest. You are, buddy.
I agree completely. 93 is way, way, way too low for Disco Elysium. There's no other game like Disco Elysium out there that can do what it does without combat. It all takes place basically in Harry's head. What's going on? Yeah, exactly. The first time you boot it up, it's like, LIMIC system. You just know it's super freaking weird, and it's going to be a great time.
I'm going to preference this by saying Dredge is probably one of my favorite games ever. But near the end, it really starts to drag. And you hit that wall and you hit it hard. So I'm going to have to say it's a little bit overrated.
Maybe we could send him to Indie in 60 instead. Yeah, there you go. I found it on our Instagram.
That's what I'm worried about. We're all just going to look back and be like, oh, wow, Dredge did it right.
Yeah, we should be scared.
Yeah, I'll introduce that one after I say that I have to unfortunately agree with you that Dead Cells is a little overrated. I hate to say what it is. It's a little bit overrated when the genre is this packed with giants of the roguelike genre and even the roguelike 2D platformer genre.
96% on Steam.
Don't poke the bear. Oh, sorry.
Yeah, don't poke the bear, please. And a 92 on Metacritic. I have to say that Undertale is completely and utterly...
underrated josh take it away now overrated it is completely overrated i was like wait what wait a second just bait and switch me like what just happened oh man i think undertale is completely overrated it's got great music and i know people love the story and that the whole thing is about choice and whatever it just didn't resonate with me and i don't think that if if we didn't have like cringy teenagers in youtube it would be as nearly as big as it is
Old man opinions. Yeah.
I agree. It is completely underrated, and it's got infinite replayability, and you can play it with your friends. So underrated, Rock and Stone. Rock and Stone.
It's a close line.
It's a close line.
Send all hate to Ryan. He wants it. Yeah.
Apparently you're wrong about that.
You're not going to find it for me. Yeah, you're not going to find it here, unfortunately, either. I think it's overrated as heck, man. Am I amongst friends? Yeah, I think it's overrated as heck.
You tell me you don't like to do your virtual chores every day, Ryan, and go talk to all the people in the town and build relationships in the game instead of in real life.
Because it's got vampires and werewolves, too.
It's overrated. It's overrated. It's still good, it's just overrated. It's going to be a good game.
Torches and pitchforks are coming. Oh, yeah.
Here we go. Here it comes.
Yeah, I can't believe it. I still can't believe that.
So in my time as an indie gamer, I've played lots of Metroidvanias. Your favorite genre. It is my favorite genre. Yes.
And I've just got to say at this point in my life, I think Hollow Knight is a little overrated. There's better Metroidvanias. Oh, my goodness.
How dare you? There's better Metroidvanias with better mechanics that deserve a higher spot than Hollow Knight, in my opinion. Ender Lilies and Ender Magnolia. There's two. Of course he's going to name those. Let's not forget Blasphemous. Blasphemous is an incredible Metroidvania that nobody pays attention to. Okay. Yeah, you know.
It's a pretty game, and it's beautiful, and I don't think it's bad by any means, but at this point in my life, I'm going to say it's overrated.
Wild take.
I guess I'm not among friends.
Bring it on, baby. The truth's coming, whether you want to hear it or not.
It feels like such a crazy thing to say Hollow Knight's underrated. I know, right? When you think of indie games, that's one of the first that comes to mind. It is. Oh, yeah, you should play Hollow Knight.
I'll have, you know, the only puzzle I could get right was the box puzzle. Thank you very much. It was the only one that every single time was like, Oh, one of us tells nothing but truth. One of us tells nothing but lies.
every time you end the day the the mansion resets and all the rooms you placed they disappear and you just have the foyer consistently that's what you you'll always have the foyer and the three doors and then you'll go there and you'll place the new floor plan every day and you'll see how far you can get but also not only do you have to you know place the rooms in a way that you can keep moving forward and connecting you have to watch your steps because if you run out of steps the steps are the key here yeah
then you have to start over. That's it. You can't go any farther. You pass out. No matter what. Yeah, no matter what. No matter what you have.
It doesn't matter if you were about to beat the game.
All those keys, all those coins, all those gems, doesn't matter if you ran out of steps. Yep.
Yeah, there goes your steps again.
Run over.
The options were very limited at several times for me. It's just like, all right, time to start a new run. I didn't get that far in the last one. I opened the first door closet, open the next door bedroom, open the next door.
Another dead end. And I'm like, I just started that.
Exactly.
I got so tired of walking through the same like four rooms. And then all the only puzzle I was getting was, you know, the box puzzle. Right. and the billiard room. And I don't understand the billiard room at all. Yeah.
The weirdest one for me was when two of them had statements on them and then one of them was just completely blank.
What? I want to know what I got wrong.
Yeah.
See, that's where I was. I was like, are these the only things I'm going to do is math and guess the box? Because, like, that's not a video game. What's in the box? What's in the box?
This is my main complaint with this game. Deal with it. The RNG is just sometimes not in your favor at all. Like, I'll get there and I can only pick from red rooms or something like that. It was like, well, I'm walking through the gymnasium, I guess. And then I just have to walk back and forth between the gymnasium, which cost you two extra steps.
And all I can get is closets, so now I'm hitting dead ends. Or I'm getting the breaker room, but I'm not getting anything to turn on or off. I'm not getting the garage. I'm not getting the dark room. I'm not getting anything. So now I just have the breaker room for no reason.
I feel like I'm just not wired for these games, man. Like I would walk into rooms. I was like, I don't see anything. I don't understand what I'm looking at. What is this?
No, no, no, no. When I read that note, my first thought was, oh, the door in the front is unlocked. I'll just walk around the house.
Well, on top of just not being worth it, I also think I think I fell asleep like two out of the three times I tried to play this game.
So a little too chill for my my liking, I think.
Oh, let me start.
So what worked for me was, of course, I really liked the graphics and the environment. And I liked the start of the story where it seemed like we were getting somewhere pretty straightforward with the thinking and whatnot. And then it just devolves into Dark Souls levels of lore reading. And I'm just like, I do not want to do this.
if the game had a narrator or something, when you pick something up that like would start telling me about it, maybe I would have been more into it. Uh, but you know, I liked aspects of it. What I don't like is a puzzle game where I am drafting my own path and it doesn't have all the answers. It's like you threw me into an escape room, but you left out the tools I need to escape.
It makes you feel like an idiot because you're trying to go down the pathways. It's like, oh, no, you see, you got this room, but it only goes in this L shape. So it goes into the wall. It doesn't go anywhere else.
It's like, oh, you want to go this way, but you see, the only thing you've got that could move you forward is the chapel. And every time you walk into the chapel, you're going to lose money. And the money didn't even do anything. So I was like, whatever. Who cares, man? I'll take the chapel every time.
I got the metal detector and the lock picks more than I got the shovel.
Yeah, of course we are. It's a 6 out of 10, I guess. It's not a bad game by any means. I just don't like it. I like a puzzle game that's been thoroughly thought out by someone. It's not randomly generated for me every time I go to do it. Like Outer Wilds. Outer Wilds is a roguelike puzzle game, but...
you're what resets not the entirety of what you were doing you know where to go and what to do because you learned it last time here you don't really learn anything from your previous runs unless you know you just get lucky on the draw
I felt like I wasn't getting enough progression, I guess, out of it. Even when I was getting these permanent progression rooms, I still wasn't getting enough to say, well, I was so close this time. Maybe I'll make it. And then I'd get there like closet, closet, closet. All right. Well, I'm just not a bad game.
video gamer are we making your day just a little bit better come on down is your commute just not quite as bad did you just forget about the last two miles well then you should probably pay attention while you're driving okay you're behind a car come on oh man all right and then i've got one this one comes in from a dear friend of mine uh named aka wallaby
I would say people should definitely just take you two's opinion on this game, because I'm just not one of the people who's willing to put up with
This ain't no Portal 2 for me.
I don't know. I think I like puzzle games because I like Portal 2 and I liked what I played of Outer Wilds. And then I just like, I think I just lose interest. I think it's, I'm just, it's part of that like short form content brained part of me where I just like get into it and it's not being spoon fed to me.
I need that yellow paint. All right. Oh no.
Not particularly. I was excited when I saw the graphics and what it all looked like. And the cel-shaded look and the 3D environments and it being a roguelike where you decide what rooms go where. That excited me. But once I found out it's just a walking sim puzzle game, I was just like...
Yeah, absolutely.
You were on top of this one, man.
As soon as it was there.
I thought I got to play fun games.
Oh, gosh. It's a liminal nightmare for me.
We apologize to any Scottish listeners right now. Please, we're sorry. We're dumb Americans. Formal apology from all of us.
And then I drop and die. Ryan's the first we lose in the clover pit, I guess.
You know, it's a struggle every day, man. Sometimes I have to call my son over.
So it was fun making that character. I'll say finding out I could just go in with no clothes and nothing but sandals was probably the best. Yeah.
you get a hotel. That's what, like $75 a week or something like that is the greatest deal I've ever heard in my entire life.
Well, like you said, in the beginning you have the hotel room, which is your first base of operations. It's not a ton of room, but it's enough. So you'll go down to the hardware store, you'll buy your first grow tent, call your supplier and get your first set of pot seeds or whatever. I think it's like OG Kush is your very first strain. And man, they love it. They love that OG Kush.
They love that Kush. But in order to sell any of it, you've got to get customers first. So you need to walk around the town and hand out free samples and be like, hey, you like this? I know where you could get some more. And they're like, yeah, I love this. I'll call you for sure. Or they'll tell you to get out of here.
We got some good stuff, man. I don't know.
In the best way possible. It is absolutely.
97,000 overwhelmingly positive on Steam.
Have we mentioned that this game is indie and done by a solo dev?
That took way too long to figure out that we messed that up.
I mean, we just started giving out the granddaddy and just like, I hope it passes the skill check or whatever.
I've been called a soulless ginger and reject Seth Rogen. I don't know.
I mean, you can also get them addicted to the point where they will come to your base and be like, you got anything, anything at all.
You are looking rough, man. Let's not forget about our boy Benji. Benji. Yeah. Benji is the dealer. He was the reason we made our process really work when we couldn't figure out how to sell. Yes.
Well, while you're progressing, obviously, this is something you really want, is to be able to make money faster and faster and faster. And, you know, eventually you're going to run out of strains from the provider that you currently have, who only gives you, you know, a certain amount of weed seeds, a certain amount of things a day.
So as you go through the game, you're going to get new providers and dealers, which are the biggest game changer I think this game has to offer, is the ability to set a client list under these dealers... fill their inventory up, and just have them go make passive income for you, basically. They'll make all the deals. They'll go meet up with the clients. And then you get the proceeds.
It's a win-win situation.
He's a real one guys.
And he was able to sell the stuff that we were not advertising somehow. Yeah. He was successfully selling the stuff, even though he didn't have it. I was like, all right, whatever. That works.
That's not on video. You can't prove it. That totally didn't happen. You can't prove it. Oh, that's right. We weren't recording. What are you going to do?
Absolutely. Yeah. But I loved it.
There's like trash everywhere. You're like, oh, there's trash all over this city. Yeah.
I think I probably bought 5,000 baggies.
It was so many. And I was always in the house.
Every search needed to start with the words schedule one video game.
I remember. Yeah.
We couldn't find her because we had another order for her. And they were like, where'd she go?
Yeah, we just went, I'm done. It's grindy now.
we'd only begun to launder money. I mean, we didn't even get to the final like drug.
And so you are no longer part of the Romaine empire at that point. Exactly. Yeah.
I have one massive gripe with this game and it's the map.
We would unlock new regions and be like, oh, you unlocked Midtown. You unlocked Downtown.
Where is Midtown?
Is that where they filmed the Minecraft movie? Oh, no. Don't start.
What do you mean? I'm not cool enough to talk to you. Crazy day.
I would like to see rival drug dealers in the game that you could come across and they'd be like, hey, you're on my turf.
Yeah.
I think with Friends it's absolutely worth the $20. I haven't played it enough solo to say whether or not it'd be worth the $20. I don't think I'd enjoy it near as much solo. I think I would burn out on it a lot faster having to do all of the work myself up to, you know, the trimming, the packing, and the running until you unlock Benji. Yeah.
And then I also probably would never remember to buy seeds because Josh bought all the seeds.
We're going to run over a cop.
I think this game is just as addicting as the drugs you sell in it. And, uh, if you've got a good friend group and a consistent friend group who likes to play online with you all the time, you absolutely should pick this game up and play with them. Just, Have a good time making drugs with your friends. I mean, what's the deal?
I love that this game could bring that just in a casual conversation.
Yeah, we left that out. But if you burn trash, you can get a lot of money.
I haven't played a single Lord of the Rings game.
I was going to say. I missed it. Is that it? Yeah, you missed it. It was after your time. As the resident old head, I can definitely sympathize. With the phone and the disconnecting from the internet.
We may be a little behind. I got great news for him, though. Hey, we're on YouTube. Wait, I was going to say.
I apologize in advance. Yeah, I do as well. I'm so sorry. Don't show your children. Oh, man.
What about you? I have friends who've played the Elder Scrolls online. They really enjoy it, but I've never asked them why they enjoy it, because I have no interest in the Elder Scrolls. Oddly enough, I'd like to go back and try to save the first quadruple A title ever in existence. Skull and Bones. I would like for Skull and Bones to have been a good game because we don't have a good pirate game.
That's a good one.
I don't think that's going to get near as much. Probably so. Oh, man.
What did I do to deserve this?
As simple as it is. It's a pretty simple game.
I was not in the first little opening tutorial. Yeah, you and I started first. We got through the tutorial and got things, you know, hit the ground running as it were.
Yeah, apparently that means I'm old, I guess.
Oh, the eyelids got me. The eyelids are so funny, man.
Ryan's like a hedgehog.
They don't fall.
I heard that.
Yeah.
Oh, no. Oh, my gosh.
Wait, wait, wait, wait.
Oh, nice.
Oh.
You know, like –
The triple jump is too difficult. Yeah.
The game's narrative is very deeply entwined with its soundtrack, I imagine. So I'm kind of wondering how you approach the challenge of telling the story through both the visuals and the music, if that's hard or without dialogue.
Oh, that's awesome. So what are some of the like unique, uh, advantages and challenges of developing game completely by yourself and on your own? Like, have they introduced, like, have they influenced the way that you, uh, creatively make decisions?
Game developers for president, huh?
For us, it definitely resonated. That's for sure.
You might be the realest person I've ever talked to in my life. You're so in sync with yourself. It's awesome because it means you're an honest developer. You know what doesn't work and maybe even if you put a lot of effort into it, if it's not working, you just got to cut it. You have to.
So like looking beyond, you know, your initial release of the full game, what are your long-term goals for Mr. Sleeping Man? And do you like have any new features or expansions you might want to add if, you know, it takes off?
Go make some NFTs or something.
Like I can get that. I get that.
Oh, no.
That's fair.
I mean, that's why I'm here. I'm just here to shout to the rooftops how great indie games are. And I don't care who tells me to shut up. I'm going to keep talking about them.
They are. They are. They're our future, in my opinion. Yeah. Where AAA games are failing us. I think indie games with their passion and their actual desire to make a good game that people want to enjoy and play and reminds them of their past and their childhood. It's going to come out on top in the end, in my opinion.
Yeah.
So based on your journey so far, what kind of advice would you give to any other solo developer or indie creator who's dreaming of combining their multiple like art forms and desires into a game?
You don't need to make a whole game. Run! Oh, that's great. You know what? That's completely fair. Go touch grass, huh?
That's pretty great. That would be pretty great. See, that's what I love.
Wake up.
I would say everyone's addicted to caffeine.
Oh, that's fair.
There's nothing else I could be doing right now.
We don't care.
Hey, I'm back, man. I am definitely a little bit of Mr. Sleepy Man, I won't lie, but I am here regardless.
I'm not that much younger. Come on now. I've still played some 3D platformers.
For me, I found this game when I was looking for Next Fest demos for us to review. And it wasn't on the Next Fest for this year. But I was just like, I got to talk about it anyway. Because I had such a blast booting it up and just seeing how unique and special it was. I could feel it the moment I stepped into it. Just how much energy went into it.
It takes a bit to wake up and get back out there.
And it just kind of, it reminded me of the very first time I played like a hat in time. If you've ever played that, you just kind of boot it up and you know, instantly when you look at the characters, what they're all about. And it's, it's, it's really cool. And it's really awesome.
I never wanted to unpause the game when I paused it because the music was so good. I was like, man, it's so good. I don't want to stop. And then it got stuck in our heads.
I don't know, man. You just got to brush it off.
Yeah, absolutely loved everything about it so far. So Mr. Sleepy Man is filled with like 2000s nostalgia, pop culture references and things like that. But do you have like any personal media from there or influential games and aesthetics that really affected the game and your development?
I'm super excited to see the story of the game. You have no idea. Wait, this game is a story?
That's fair.
You have made me the perfect game and I cannot wait to play it.
Recently, I have not played any Metroidvanias. I guess I'd say the closest. I revisited an indie game called Cookie Cutter recently. And they got a big update where they added all the voice acting and stuff like that. Because the game had no voice acting or anything like that at the start. So I went back to that and I played through a good bit of it again.
And I was like, man, this game is really hard but really rewarding. So I'd say that's the closest you get from me. It doesn't quite have the RPG element, unfortunately.
It did, actually. It was really nice to see not only the voices I initially imagined in my head, but what they actually sound like was very similar. It was just kind of funny.
Oh, man, I love Kingdom Hearts. I have a Kingdom Hearts tattoo. I love Kingdom Hearts to death.
No, actually, I have a Claymore from one of the members of Organization XIII, and my spouse has the Chakrams from the other members.
It was our anniversary tattoo. It was really cool. Nice thing we did. We both love Kingdom Hearts, man.
Kingdom Hearts 2. Yeah, I'd say that's the easiest way to get in. You might miss a little bit of the story, but Kingdom Hearts 1 basically gets retconned anyway into what the story goes on to be. And if you ask anyone, they'll tell you Kingdom Hearts probably has the most complicated lore of any game in existence.
Especially when you find out like Donald Duck can cast the most powerful spell in all of Final Fantasy. And you're just like, what? That's awesome. You look it up on the wiki and it's like the only two people who've cast this spell was Bahamut, God of Death, and Donald Duck.
He's the knight with the shield in Kingdom Hearts. He also dies for a little bit in one game. Goofy does? Yeah, he gets hit with a rock and dies for a chapter and comes back. They think he's dead, but he just got hit with a rock. He's fine. It's really funny, though, because Mickey gets all serious about it. He's like, they'll pay for this. He goes charging off into a crowd.
pizza tacos and hamburgers john your answers here are going to affect how i see you for the rest of my life i hope you know well what do you what do you got i say let me go first because uh i'm just gonna come out the gate and say i'm keeping pizza i'm not getting rid of pizza anytime soon i guess i'll trade hamburgers because i guess can i trade them for cheeseburgers i mean
Okay, so the opposite of a Souls-like.
That hard, huh?
No, I've still got to get to it, man. I picked it up. I haven't played it yet, though.
This one, this is a bit recent. I picked up a little game called Webfishing, which is... It's a cozy little fishing chat room style game, and everything's kind of like a pixelated Animal Crossing almost. It's 3D environments and stuff like that, and the fish you catch are 2D. And my friends picked it up ages ago, and I always saw them playing it online. I was like, that's such a boring game.
Why do you want to just stand around and talk to each other while you fish? And now I find myself online talking to myself fishing because I miss the boat. Ha ha ha. But I love just to log on, and if I just need some peace and quiet to myself, I'll put a YouTube video on on my second monitor, and then I'll just start fishing. And I'll just be like, this is nice. I like this.
It's totally not my style of game, but I fell in love with it for some reason. What about you?
I really liked the Indiana Jones one. I thought it was really great. Uh, the first one, I never played the second Lego Indiana Jones where they included the crystal skull, but the, the first one with the actual movies, like that, that one was good.
And then like he would be able to turn into the Hulk and also web swing and have Captain America shield. And then they nail it. It's so cool. All the cool things they were able to include.
We can't go on a Lego tangent. We'll be here for hours. Are you a Lego guy? I am. I love Legos. I don't have any displayed right now because I don't have any room. But if I did, I'd have quite a bit. My favorite being the Sonic Green Hill Zone.
Yeah, and then I'm cutting tacos. I'm just not a big taco guy. That's so interesting, man. Like, I don't know why. I've just never been, like, super into them. Like, pizzas are super customizable. You can put whatever the heck you want on it. Heck, I put blueberries and bananas on my pizza once because I could, and it tasted perfectly fine. That is sacrilege.
People will judge me for this because there is no reason to be this animal. It has no benefit. But I love kiwi birds, which is the national bird of New Zealand for people who don't know. If you looked at them, you would not think it's a bird because it is a fluffy, beaked, long-legged creature that doesn't even appear to have wings.
But I love them to death and I would love nothing more than to be able to turn into one.
They're so good. Like, oh, my gosh.
Okay, I got you.
Well, Kiwis don't have any natural predators. Where they live, they're completely safe where they live. The only thing that bothers them are people.
I don't think anything hunts the Kiwis.
Oh, yeah, yeah. I remember hearing that from my brother, actually, because he was stationed there for a while.
Kiwi's got it pretty good. I'm glad I didn't go with my second pick, which was Puffin, because then you'd be eating me.
I like birds, if you can't tell, audience. I love birds.
Okay.
It's not the most creative thing. I'm sure someone's drawn it in a TV show or done it in a game. But I've always just wanted an old-timey gold pocket watch that I could stop time with or reverse time with. That's always been something I thought would be so nice to have. I was just like, I really screwed that up. I'd like to go back that 15 seconds or whatever and redo that.
I know it's not the most creative thing to want, but I really would love to be able to stop time every now and then.
Are you afraid of a little fruit on pizza?
What is your brain cooked up for us?
I want to take Kirby and put him in Astro Bot. I just think he'd belong there.
I feel like he belongs there. He could be happy there. No one would really be able to bother him. Oh, man.
Who doesn't love Astro Bot? What? Yeah, I think Josh hates Kirby, I'm pretty sure. How can you hate Kirby? It's too easy. Yeah.
Yeah, he hates Kirby because his games are too easy. He doesn't know Kirby.
Oh, yeah, that did happen.
No, Hellboy got me doing Justice 2, along with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Yeah. Sorry, audience. Tangent.
That would be really cool.
Well, shout out to our buddy and editor, Gregasaurus. I know for a fact that playing as a superhero in a fighting game is awesome because I got to play as Omni-Man when we played Mortal Kombat 1 together.
That was the only character I got slightly close to beating him with.
He absolutely demolished me. That checks. Who is his main? He's played any character. He didn't have a main. Any character he picked, he could beat me with. It did not matter.
A lot of fatalities.
You might have heard of this one. I'm not sure. Are you familiar with the Oddworld franchise?
Yes, I love them. So my favorite game from that franchise is Stranger's Wrath. Which is the one where you are a bounty hunter.
He talks like, gotta get to town and bag that pack rat palooka. That's like, I love that game to death. And I've never finished it because it's actually a really hard game to play on modern consoles. Why is that? The camera. The camera fights you the whole time.
Because I played it on Steam a while back, and first I couldn't get the controller to connect, and playing it on mouse and keyboard was a no. It was not going to happen. Then when I finally got the controller fixed, because I went to Reddit and found a little solution or whatever, the camera fought me until I got like a two-thirds of the game, and I was like, I can't do it anymore.
But I absolutely love everything about that game. I love the world. I love the fact you have to gather your ammo yourself, and that you can upgrade it to be more effective or less lethal. That way you can get the stun on the enemy and bag them alive and get way more money for it.
Yeah, you're not wrong.
I don't like it. I don't care. I don't want to.
Yeah.
Yeah, and it's a rock star game, so the controls are already like, oh, I hate this. I have to spam B to run.
Take it from the pro.
No, I was not allowed to play Grand Theft Auto when I was younger, and I just never grew into it once I got past that point. I watched so many people on YouTube play it, I didn't care about it anymore, unfortunately. Sacrilege as it is, I prefer Watch Dogs.
I don't deny how good it is for everyone around. I don't deny that people love Red Dead. It's just I know it's not for me because I know as soon as I pick it up, those Rockstar controls will get to me and I'll just be like, I hate how this controls so much. It's not intuitive.
Yeah, I was super happy to hear that. I was like, thank you. Someone with some sense. Yeah.
Aside from like the opening bit of Metal Gear Revengeance. Dude, they're so good. I know. And I saw like the collection on Steam where like they remade or remastered the first like two, three games. I was like, I really should do that before the fourth remake comes out.
Yeah, I think I think I'm going to. And then if we're talking genre, I would say like cozy sim games. I'm not super like aware of and super into. So I lose a lot of the like news like that. Like people tell me about indie games coming out. It's like, oh, it's just like Stardew Valley. I was like, but you have Stardew Valley. Why do you want another Stardew Valley?
I mean, Rivals was the first one I've actually really played and it's clicked for me. Every other one I've tried to pick up, like Team Fortress 2, even Overwatch 2 for a little bit there, I got crushed immediately. I don't know what it is with Rivals.
With Rivals? Eh, just like, I would say like two or three, four hour play sessions. And I was like really comfortable. Especially playing with Josh and everyone else. It was like, the part of it was just being there for the experience. And I play a healer.
Yeah, that's fair. I play support, so I guess I have the easy way out.
Yes, I am primarily on PC nowadays. I do have other consoles, so I'm flexible, but I mostly do everything on my PC nowadays. It's easier to capture recording footage and things like that. So it's just like better for me.
So I get not wanting to give up the old brick and mortar basically.
There's cauliflower crust. That's always an option. If you want healthy pizza.
uh let's see and then also ask what video game world would you love to visit this is for both of us oh this was easy for me uh i'd love to visit the world of super mario sunshine isle isle delfino or whatever heck yeah it's a freaking island shaped like a dolphin of course i want to go there
I mean, there's a lot of bad stuff happening, but, you know, you can just go to the beach and pretend you don't see Mario being framed for crimes he didn't commit.
Ace. Hey, man, everyone's going to know about Ender Magnolia, Bloom in the Mist, by the time I'm done on this show.
Oh, that's a good pick, too, even though sin will destroy the world.
Would you try to pull out the eject shot?
I was like, I have no idea.
Yeah, it's not great.
That's a great pick. It's a beautiful world that they lived in.
You know, it is an option.
So for why don't you explain to me what a land party is, John? Cause I don't know what you're talking about.
Yeah, that sounds like a real pain in my butt. I don't think I want to do that. I think I'm just going to go to my Steam friends list and invite to game instead. I think that sounds a little better to me.
Yeah, no, we're completely opposite. So you also trade hamburgers then?
it would feel like such an inconvenience well let's still let's alter this a bit for you what's your go-to like co-op community game well currently it's marvel rivals is that that is my that is my current go-to that's usually what i'll be like hey i'm playing this anyone want to join that is and if if you're saying like if marvel rivals was like a physical game
that people had to meet up to play in order to play it as it is now. I would 100% go through the effort to do that because I love that game so much.
That'd be insane. That'd be crazy.
Um,
You love superheroes.
Yeah, I would say it's above cut. Cut is getting rid of something entirely. Trade is, yeah, you trade it for something else.
I think it was last year that Josh introduced me to Halo through Halo Infinite. We had a good week there where everyone was playing a whole lot of Halo Infinite together. And I picked up the Master Chief Collection. I've yet to get to it. But from what I know, it must have been a really good time. Because how people talk about Halo now compared to what it is now.
There's still so much love in their voices when they talk about it.
You're not a burger man, John. They're fine. Oh, man, I can't think of something as good as a nice, juicy hamburger, except for maybe a nice hot pizza. But I blame the Ninja Turtles for that, honestly. Oh, my God.
I am, yeah. I don't watch a lot of the Disney Plus shows or anything like that. My favorite Star Wars movie is actually Rogue One.
That is my favorite Star Wars movie, hands down.
This one's kind of weird for me because gaming is my hobby. I guess my other hobby is podcasting and recording. But behind me, as you can see, I love collecting things like just silly little figures and statues and things like that. And for the listeners, I have statues of like one piece characters like and the mask from Dishonored on my shelf behind me.
But you could see it in our video podcast, which you should definitely go check out on YouTube and Spotify.
I love to have like merchandise from my favorite games and my favorite TV shows and things like that. I think it's just a fun little thing I get to do. It is expensive. I will say that.
No, never. Like it looked so good. And it's like nothing will ever live up to the hype of that.
Mortal Kombat for me.
My mom kicked my butt at Street Fighter too much. I could never get the hang of it. Your mom kicked your butt? I had a SNES classic that I picked up from Target the day that they came out. And I took it home and we put on Street Fighter 2 and my mom, who does not play video games...
royally kicked my butt several times the point where i have sour memories when i think of that game okay fair enough so so mortal combat by default yeah mortal combat by default because me and my uncle were learning how to do the fatalities on one another and we never got it right but at least we both sucked at that game
Didn't kick your butt at it, huh?
Greg has taken over the place of my mom in the butt kicking department.
maybe they could do like a team up or something oh please no yeah i guess i'm moving to soul caliber now um let's see pasta or bread pasta or bread i'm a big bread guy i really like like a garlic bread with cheese and all those herbs on it like that that's for me i'm not i gotta be honest i'm not a super big pasta guy i really like bread
I just feel like I can't eat that many noodles. I get full on noodles very fast.
I have to eat on a schedule because my body doesn't tell me when I'm hungry. That's how my life works.
Oh, my favorite movie of all time? You're going to judge me, but it's Saw. I really like the first Saw. I know.
The best fast food burger, in my opinion, it comes from Wendy's, in my opinion. If you're talking about fast food.
Now I'm the demented one.
uh the famous question asked in every ama and ask a mailbag episode of video gamers podcast uh the funniest thing about that is like both of them have played video game characters at this point too so now i kind of feel like i have to choose between which video game character i like better and if i'm doing that you have to choose so jim carrey obviously the sonic the hedgehog robotnik
I'm sure there's one we're missing too. The only reason I think I would go with Jack Black is because I really like Nacho Libre.
And he's also a great Grinch. He's the best Grinch we've had ever, I think. And also, did you see Sonic 3?
Oh, my God. Watching him interact with himself, but just like a really old version of himself was the best. I won't spoil anything because it's a fairly new movie, but it has some amazing and hilarious moments that people absolutely need to see.
Yeah, it's the first big example of that, like taking listener feedback to the point where it changed the whole course of the history of the franchise. Yeah.
Well, my first thoughts when listening to this podcast was, hey, it wasn't called the Video Gamers podcast yet. It was called the Multiplayer Gaming Podcast. And my first thoughts were, wow, these guys really hate Sea of Thieves, huh? That's pretty good. Because I just remember tuning in. I was like, oh, I want to play Sea of Thieves. I wonder what they thought about it.
And they're just like, there's no reward. It gets really repetitive. I was like, oh, okay. I guess I don't want to play Sea of Thieves.
I was listening to a D&D podcast called Drunks and Dragons. Oh, nice. Are you a D&D guy? I am. A little bit. Oh, wow. Okay. I don't get to play it very often, but actual video games like Divinity and Baldur's Gate are totally my jam because I really enjoy that kind of role-playing aspect.
Yeah, same story, brother. What episode were you listening to? What was your first episode? Oh, gosh. What was the episode that hooked you?
That's a good one. That's a good one to start with. Any drafts are awesome.
was actually the pub g1 because i couldn't stop laughing at how much they were trolling their friends whenever you get on the bike they'd hit him in the back of the head with the pan and he's like i'm not gonna do it again i'm not gonna do it again he's like get back over the bike
Well, we've already beat it into the ground, but I'm going to say it again. Come and join our Discord if you want to come hang out with us and meet fellow like-minded gamers because we really want to meet you.
We want you to come in there and feel as comfortable as you possibly can be and join us for our community nights so you can get your butt kicked by Nexivus, our strongest Marvel Rivals player.
Yeah, we're super appreciative of any feedback that we can get.
I had to squeeze it in there, huh?
So I don't play this game as much as I used to anymore. But when this game came out on the Xbox 360, I remember me and my cousin just cracking out on it all night long. And that game was Minecraft.
Yeah. The first time it came to a console... which was the Xbox 360, as I said, we just, we picked it up and we played all night, sunrise to sunset. It didn't matter. We didn't even do anything like great. We weren't good at the game. We were just walking around surviving. We tried to build a house out of sand and it fell on top of us.
Yeah, something pretty similar. We had a massive bowl of Hershey candy bars. Yeah. Like the little snack sized ones. And then we had like 12 packs of Mountain Dew. And we just kept pounding those all night long.
Man, it used to be so easy to stay up like that. But like now, I need something a little stronger.
OK, so I'm going to have to preference this with the fact that I wasn't allowed to play anything over E10 plus until I moved out of my parents house. So when I turned 18, I jumped ship, didn't have anywhere to go. I wouldn't live with my brother. And he had a 360 downstairs with Assassin's Creed 2 already in the tray. So I just went ahead and flipped that on.
And just, like, after I got past that opening sequence where you're Ezio and you're racing your brother up the top of the buildings. And, you know, he puts his arm around. He's like, it's a good life we live, brother. It is indeed. And I was like, oh, I love this. I'm living this. This is so good. And then spoilers. You get to the part where his whole family gets hung for treason. He's like, ugh.
Oh my god, like, I didn't even play Assassin's Creed 1 yet, I just jumped right into 2, and I was just like, this is so good! Where has this been all my life?
I guess the closest thing would have been Minecraft or Terraria at that time. But like, I never felt like the same I did as when I first popped in Assassin's Creed. Terraria got close because I played that on the 3DS, which was a very broken port of that game. Yeah.
There was something really special about that first leap of faith and that first moment within the franchise of Assassin's Creed, the shell of what it is now, I guess.
Shadows is their last hope, man. I know people don't want to hear that, but Shadows is Ubisoft's last leg.
Yeah, you're not wrong. I'm already tempted to go back.
There's a lot of really good Super Mario games. Super Mario 2 was the one that was like the reskin of Doki Doki Panic, right?
I actually had that on my Game Boy. I used to play it all the time. It was great.
You know, I thought long and hard about what might happen if we push the button. And I'm just going to say, maybe if we push the button, Silksong releases.
Yeah, you know, maybe. Just maybe.
So you're saying it wouldn't be like Fallout.
Good to know.
John wants to push the nuclear button, everyone.
Patrick is just saying we have to.
Is that what you said? Okay. I like my answer better.
Hopefully.
Oh, this is easy for me. First of all, I've got to start with a Metroidvania. A good Metroidvania is basically that's like putting a nice hot pizza in front of me. I enjoy Metroidvania just as much. Now you throw in a little bit of souls like element, make it difficult, add some dodge rolling stamina. Now I'm really happy. Then you make it an RPG and I'm over the moon, baby.
The problem is that as somebody who sleeps like...
a maximum of two to three hours a night like for years at a time i'm like prejudice against the uh title like that he gets to feel sleepy so i may end up skipping that one i'll take the cliff's notes on that one and you guys can keep singing it though i like the song maybe that'll maybe that'll put you to sleep just just loop you guys singing mr sleeping man works all day
Oh, man. If I could, I would. So I'll throw one out of left field for you guys, too. And this one, there hasn't really been a lot in the way of gameplay that's come out yet, but it's combining two things together. That I have a really strong fondness for. I grew up in SoCal and was a really, really big fan of Disney and Disney properties and sort of the old school hand-drawn Disney animation.
It will always have a special place in my heart. And I feel like it's shaped a lot of what animation is today. I mean, animation exists in its current state because of the Disney legacy. Mm-hmm. And in survival horror, because I like creepy stuff and watching people die slowly. Whoa, all right.
There is a game coming out called By Sweet Carol that combines those two genres in a really interesting way. Again, it's limited stuff that's come out so far, but we have... sort of that old hand-drawn Disney aesthetic, sort of circa Sleeping Beauty era, maybe Sleeping Beauty, Beauty and the Beast era, combined with this really dark, moody kind of Little Nightmares sort of atmosphere.
And it just looks great. Like I cannot wait. I can just see so much fun to be had with the mixing of the really, really bubbly kind of, you know, Disney vibe. And then,
juxtaposing that with this dark gritty you know sort of resident evil style survival horror kind of theme it looks it looks really cool and unique and honestly i mean like dude we have been talking for what 20 minutes now and like we've covered a huge span of genres indie does it better than everyone but seeing something new seeing something fresh is like not very common and this felt feels new and fresh i haven't seen anything like this
Yeah, it's interesting. I've never had any interest in the Monster Hunter games, but Jack with Oddbug, when we did our segment with him, he really turned me on to it. Like just the concept that you can sort of like play as long as you want, but also just kind of like get your little fix every once in a while. That is like right up my alley these days. So I may end up jumping on there.
That's probably the sleep deprivation talking there.
It has an unmistakable visual style.
Oh, yeah, yeah, absolutely.
I agree. I'm stoked for it.
Well, dude, and like, so this is something that Andor, I'm also a big Star Wars simp too, but that's something that Andor did particularly well is that I thought, I think they took sort of like the, really authentic visual style of the old Star Wars where everything's practical and, you know, the sets are sort of like retro future, like kind of almost...
I don't know, almost, almost vapor punk or whatever. Uh, but they adulted up the storyline and, um, you know, it, it's interesting to me that you haven't seen more of that happen with the Disney stuff. I mean, it's like, it's ubiquitous. Everybody knows everybody grew up with it basically.
I mean, like Ace, you're the youngest guy in the room, but I'm sure you've seen some of the Disney, you know, traditional animated stuff. Yeah. And so seeing them take that style and, like you said, Ryan, bringing it to a more mature audience, I don't know, man. It's got me locked. They've got my money.
i love it when devs respond to the to the audience feedback like that man that is so so welcome like they did it with final fantasy 14 the sonic the hedgehog movies famously did it man yeah i mean like bro if if star wars and marvel would just get on that bandwagon listen to the fans guys we have the answer i swear just just listen to us please
I was going to say, you know, you mentioned that, like, you don't know who's heard of this game, but, bro, I bet you'd be surprised, man, with his... big of a runaway hit as cuphead was like, there is a, there is a market for this dude. I see this game going far, man. I think this game is going to find a big audience.
Yeah, dude, I'm so stoked to be joining for this episode in particular. Ace and I chat a lot offline about this, but I think probably out of everybody who speaks on this show, Ace and me probably have the closest, most aligned sort of game tastes. And when I was looking at my most anticipated games of the year, basically they're all indies. So this is going to be awesome.
It nails that aesthetic. Absolutely, man. It looks gorgeous.
I do want to give a shout out to, uh, to Jack and John over at odd bug for tales of iron, tales of iron to great games. My next game is sadly not mouse themed that I know of. Uh, but, uh, but their studio happens to be named after a rabbit. It is harebrained studios, new game coming out called graft. Uh,
And what I'm going to say about Graft is as soon as you get done with this episode and listen to five other episodes, and then between that and listening to yet another five episodes, take a quick break and watch the Graft trailer. If nothing else, the song in that trailer is going to hook you. It's some of the best teaser music I've probably ever heard in a game.
But aside from that, this is kind of like a top-down... I don't know what you'd call it. Would you call it... Ryan, I know you've seen the trailer. Would you call this like a survival horror-y type game? Like a cyberpunk sort of... I'm having trouble putting to words what I would call the actual aesthetic. But I would call it cyberpunk meets horror. And again...
What I look for, especially in these preview phases, we have no idea what these things are actually going to play like. And frankly, I think that's a plus. When I look at a game and I go, oh, that's this, that's Street Fighter meets, I don't know, Street Fighter meets Hades or something. I don't like that.
Like I want to, I want to be curious about what I'm getting into and I, and I am with this, but what I can tell you is that the trailer made me feel something, you know, I like walking away from that little one minute clip. I go, Oh God, I want to, I want to know more about this universe and it looks fantastic.
Kind of like the 90s version of what the future would look like or something.
That's a really good description.
That's true. There may be rats. This is a dystopia.
Ah, they did it. Yeah.
Well, dude, I'm one of these guys where I generally, unless I'm really dialed into a game, I'm hitting X to get through all the dialogue as quick as possible. And this game isn't real rich on cut scenes. I don't think there's many cut scenes at all in the first one anyways. But the dialogue is so witty and engaging that I listen to every single line of dialogue in it.
It was such a good game, the first one.
Absolutely. Dude, it is a masterpiece. And it actually has a very specific purpose too. Like Switch is still one of my favorite systems. Prior to coming on the podcast and meeting with you fine gentlemen, I used to travel a lot for work and for pleasure but traveling a lot. Like my wife and I were traveling –
At least a couple of times a month and spending a lot of time in airplanes and airports and stuff. And Hades might be the ultimate like travel slash short time game. You can like pick it up over and over again and play it as long as you want or as short as you want and have like a memorable, worthwhile experience with it. And, uh, bro, the, I mean, for a roguelike, it is absolute perfection.
There's so many different ways that you can approach every single level and boss. I, I generally tend to favor you, Ryan, where I'm like, I don't want to die a hundred times fighting millennia. Like that, that upsets me. Like I get upset at the game. Hades dude. I plowed right through that to the end, man. That's the one thing I've got on Josh is that I beat Hades and he did not.
Oh, love it.
So I knew you, one of us was going to cover it and that's awesome. Um, I don't want to dive too deep into this next one. So I'm just going to like throw out like a little special mention for me, but little nightmares three, again, big fan of the first two part three is taken on by a different studio. I think it's actually Bandai that's doing the third one.
So I don't, I don't even know if you can call it indie anymore. Um, the, the previews still look pretty, pretty good and pretty faithful to the originals, but, uh, you know, I'm not really sure whether to call that an indie anymore, just like kingdom come deliverance too.
I'm not really sure whether to call that an indie or not, but the game that I am most excited about right up there with re animal is, Kind of fits into the niche where you guys were talking about, like, how can you have these little simple pixel art games and then also still call this an indie game? Is Claire Obscura Expedition 33. Oh my golly gosh. That game looks so good.
I can't believe an indie studio pulled this off. And as somebody who, like... I've had a lot of wonderful moments in my life. I've traveled all over the world. I have built and sold a successful business. My wife is my best friend. I'm thankful every day for her and for this awesome life I have. But some of my favorite life experiences We're playing final fantasy games.
Like I put those right up there with like real life, you know, IRL type experiences that I've had.
And this game based on what I've seen so far looks more final fantasy than final fantasy. I, the, the aesthetic of it, the mood.
the fit you know i know ryan you're not a big fan of turn-based combat you'll get there son the older you get the more you'll appreciate it yeah you'll grow out of it but uh it it it looks like it was basically designed for me and i'm very thankful for that if you guys haven't checked it out please check out the trailer that game looks absolutely fantastic and my early call here is
How can you put Bellatro and this in the same general category?
And something, something that it does really well that I loved from the old, like I know I actually got into final fantasy at eight. So I kind of missed seven and the new, the seven remakes haven't really done it for me. Honestly, I got in at eight, but really I peaked like my, basically like my Renaissance period for gaming was final fantasy 10, 10, even 10, two as, as, as cringes.
There was a lot of great game diamond dynamics in 10, two, but 10 and 12, uh, man, like the fact that you had these like really kind of like dark undertones that, you know, like it's the world in threat. Like, you know, it's every, every major game, every final fantasy game basically has the whole world is going to die as, as it's, that's usually, but you also go to these like,
Wonderful worlds where it's like fantastical and you can like just go there and it's almost becomes like a cozy, you know, where it's like, man, I just want to like smile and look at my pixelated sunset for a while and play cards with this dude on the beach or go fishing or whatever. And the new Final Fantasies of 15, 15.
got there kinda but 16 big miss for me man 16 and the and the seven remakes for me man it's just like they they try to double down on the on the dark you know gloomy aesthetic and that that just doesn't say final fantasy to me this claire obscura looks like it checks all those boxes and i highly encourage i i know you guys have talked about it ad nauseum on the show
But for all you lurkers out there who haven't drank the Kool-Aid yet, now's your opportunity. The Kool-Aid is delicious.
So when you play chess with somebody, do you just slap all the pieces at the opponent?
We got nothing to say. Look, guys, it was and is a really good game. But, man, in that genre, there is a wealth of amazing games. That's probably my favorite genre right now. It's probably one of yours, too, if not your favorite. My man. But, dude, I'm playing... I don't know how I slept on it, but thanks to SuperMario64 on the Discord for recommending this.
Well, dude, I have such a like perfect example of this too. I'm like a Marvel ride or die kind of guy. And my wife and I went to go see Brave New World, the new Captain America movie. And super cool fight choreography. And I like simp for Captain America so hard. Like, you could put him in anything and I'd watch it, basically. But, bro, it seems like the bigger budget stuff...
The Prince of Persia game, the most recent one. Dude, so fun. And then Ace turned me on to Ender Lilies and Ender Magnolia. Those look fantastic. If you haven't checked out Ori, either of the Ori games, man, are those good. They're so good. I mean, like, you've got so much to choose from. I have no doubt Hollow Knight or Silksong is going to be a great game, but man, I don't know.
If it comes out, fine.
I meant acceptance. We're at denial. We're at denial.
Well, my last one is called Knife Hands.
The best game.
no ace i uh i eat member berries for like breakfast lunch and dinner man and like the old school days of fixed camera silent hill and resident evil with like the limited resources man that just that that tickles something in me that's uh that i that i miss a lot and games have largely moved away from that so this will probably be one that i check out for sure oh yeah i can't wait to just like try to run into a door and just run to the wall oh i've been doing man i
Last for the best? Yeah. Best for last.
Hey, attaboy, attaboy. My last one is a game that Josh actually is playing. He's playing the demo right now, and I think it's supposed to come out in a couple of weeks. So if anybody's itching for something to play, you know, kind of on the sooner end of things, RIP Silksong, is a game called Grit and Valor. And Grit and Valor... It looks like kind of like, I don't know.
there's like this weird situation where it just all becomes like the same. Like when the MCU was young, like each brand within it had its kind of own identity. And now like, dude, this was like a cut and paste movie. Like everything was so absolutely predictable. And then Sarah and I went and saw this little indie movie called Companion. And oh my God, what a breath of fresh air.
Again, I'm not quite clear on what the gameplay is at this point. I should probably download the... the, the, uh, the preview, the demo, but, but, uh, but what I can tell you is mechs and mechs are awesome. Like robots. Oh my God. I'm in no matter what. And, uh, I'm a big Warhammer, uh, big Warhammer geek. This looks like pulled straight out of the grim, dark, uh, future. And, uh, it looks great.
So, I mean, really, I don't have much to go by other than the aesthetics of the game at this point. And that, uh, The devs have been super cool to talk to. But this is one that's right around the corner. I haven't downloaded the demo because I'm going to be playing the game. But highly recommend it. Looks good.
Dude, I want to hit on that point. support your local indie gamers or game developers i just played a game called arise on my switch because switch is i've been moving and so that's like my primary console right now yeah and this game had just like a wonderful little pixar story attached to it two bucks two dollars i played for that game best two dollars i've spent all year
I think the thing that indies have... over the big budget studios is that the creators are like laser focused on the vision and the overall kind of like Ness universe of the, uh, the universe that they know exactly what they want out of it. And they still have the freedom to go. No, you, you stay in your own light.
And yeah, I want to piggyback on what you just said to Ryan. For anybody who's been listening to the last few weeks of content... you've probably noticed that there's been a theme of giving back to charities that, that mean a lot to us.
I think everybody here on staff at video gamers pod has a real soft spot for kids who are going through disadvantaged situations, whether they are, you know, in the pipeline for make a wish or they are in foster care displaced from their families. And, uh, we have all of us been a kid. Most of us started gaming when we were kids. And that's a magical time in your life.
And it's also a very vulnerable time in your life. And it has been really fortunate that we've been able to be in a position where we've been able to give back. And how you, the listener or the viewer, however you're consuming this podcast can help is please Follow the podcast on whatever platform you're consuming it. Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Instagram, etc. And leave us a review.
That helps us so much for being able to contribute to these awesome causes. And you get to be a part of it. You get to be a part of improving lives around the world, which is what we are all about here, one game at a time.
Thank you.
Yeah. Like out of all the games, I mean, I've been listening first time caller, long time listener guys. I've been listening to this show for quite some time. You guys have been like my workout buddies for a couple of years at this point.
and you have spoken so enthusiastically about this game that like it's always kind of been on my backlog but i've i don't know something just hasn't pushed me over the edge to go do it but a second one definitely is you know interesting for some reason i end up favoring the second game in most series so well they learned what they did wrong and they can make it better yeah exactly exactly
Yeah.
Let's go. Yeah, exactly.
Hey, everybody. Ryan, first of all, you should be thanking me for that. That is my number one most anticipated game of this year. And I think it's going to surprise you, dude.
Yeah. And we've even found that with like our outreach, like dude, the indie developers are like stoked to talk about their games. You know, it's not, it's not just numbers on a spreadsheet to them. There's like heart in it.
Okay. So for anybody who's been a part of the discord, I apologize in advance because I've been spamming this game for like the last, like three months, but my number one tie for number one, most anticipated game for this year is a game called re animal. It is made by Tarsier studios and they are the makers of the original little nightmares and little nightmares too.
And I'm going to just say Little Nightmares was a good game. Little Nightmares 2, in my opinion, is a masterpiece on just about every possible metric. And what they are doing with Re-Animal looks like they're leveling up in every possible way. Do yourselves a favor. Check out that trailer. It looks freaking incredible.
Yeah, yeah, you got it. That's what I meant.
Yeah, Josh said the same thing. Josh goes, okay, well, Nightmare Fuel. Great. Thank you.
Well, dude, and the best thing about them is like there's a lot of games now that like kind of like – over rely on the gore and the shock factor to the point where you almost get like numb to it. And like, man, little nightmares too, is the perfect example. They do so much with just the ambience and the sound design that like, it gives you, I'm actually getting chills, like just talking about it.
Well, in the event that you don't, I hope you have the courtesy to lie about it at least and don't hurt my feelings.
Like it is, it is perfection in my opinion, in, uh, in game design. Plus they know, uh, how long the game should be. They don't go too long in the tooth. They're like these short little digestible games that you can probably finish in 10 hours, experience a bunch of new game mechanics in that short time and a wonderful encapsulated story that just sucks you in.
There's definitely a time and a place for it.
Yeah. I could, I could use a good nostalgia trip. I may be checking that out.
Dude, I don't think I've ever... I've never had a song that I've never actually heard stuck in my head, but...
We can start our own game. We're ready for the remake. Yeah, there you go.
Oh, you're one of those speed runner kinds.
I see how he is sleeping. Yeah.
Yeah, I got thrown in jail a lot because I was trying to go upstairs behind the cop like several times. And you have like a wanted meter. So like the first time he catches you, he'll just kick you down the stairs. You're like, okay, don't do it again. And then your wanted meter goes up a little bit and you do it again. He's like, all right, you're going to jail.
yeah that must have been what happened yeah because i stole the donut first and then he got it back and put it back on the table and i'm like fine i'll just go over here bro and i went to go up the steps and he came i thought i could outrun him and nope he caught right back up to me and grabbed me and then i i went to prison one of my one of my favorite things you can do in that game is uh if you can make it all the way at the top there's an hourglass you can push over that makes like a an updraft you can use that updraft to float up to the moon and the moon will suck you in
I thought this was a super unique game. I'd definitely say Sonic is the first thing that comes to mind, but it's in that genre of runner-style games where it's just run to the end of the level as fast as possible. Yeah. But it has so many unique mixes in there, like diving to go land at the perfect spot so you don't lose any momentum. And then you have the boost board to keep going.
It's the one I know the most about, too. This is a solo dev that the whole game started with that song you were singing in the beginning, and it became a game afterwards. That's so cool. There was no intention for a game initially. He was just like, I'm going to write a song. And then he was like, who's Mr. Sleepy Man? Let's find out.
I can't really think of any, honestly.
I mean, I hit a good bit of demos, but only so many of them really stood out as something special.
That one, it wasn't really...
And then the grapple hook to keep pulling on things to keep moving forward. And I was just like, this is so sick.
And it had this awesome, super unique thing too, where you were going, uh, when you entered the level, you were able to go down the tree. Like it was a roguelike basically. Oh, you got upgrades and things like that. And at the end there was a freaking boss. Like I was not expecting boss fights in my runner game, but here we are.
people like definitely keep an eye out for haste haste is a special game and i think that's the most played demo of next fest really i believe so that's pretty good and uh date on that what's that tba yeah that one's yeah i'm still to be determined uh most of these are to be announced we'll we'll see what happens but if they're if there's a next fest demo it probably is coming out this year at some point yeah definitely all right well you got uh you got another one for us heck yeah man
We're looking at a platformer this time called Demon Tides. And you played this one as well, but I'll go ahead and read the Steam description for Demon Tides here. Now, of course they would do this to me. Explore the open seas and uncover the kingdom's dark secrets as you expressively platform your way across dozens of locales, upgrading your gear every step of the way.
And to me, this one, Oh, go ahead. To me, this one felt like a mix of a super Mario odyssey and legend of Zelda, the wind waker.
Oh, yeah. They help so much because it's like... even going from island to island to get to the different like platforming segments, you could turn into a snake and basically water ski across the area at super speed. So you never felt like you were like struggling to get anywhere.
We're seeing a lot more indie developers tackle the platforming genre now. I think it's safe to say Astro Bot may have opened the floodgates in showing people that we're interested in platformers, again, 3D platformers like this.
It's super unique.
Hey, the results for that battle have still not been determined, all right? The poll never went up.
I've had enough. The guy who drafted Stardew Valley doesn't like cozy games. Oh, I don't know, man.
I think this one's super unique though. Like as for a cozy survival crafting game where you play as a squirrel and you can do things squirrels do, which is climb trees and things like that. But you can also play this with friends. It's a multiplayer game. And you could build a house in the trees and glide around like it's Breath of the Wild. And there's only one enemy.
And it's just a dog that does not want to let you have peace.
Hollow Knight will carry me to victory, I swear it.
I didn't think this would want to be for you. But I wanted to show that there is a variety of demos out there. Not just action games. Not just platformers.
yeah that one's doing pretty well as well so i recommend if you even think you like survival crafting cozy kind of games check out scrolled away just check out the demo if nothing else and if you hate it you know come tell me in the discord i'll listen yeah i take constructive criticism it wasn't me if you hate it so it's aced but uh awesome well we we got a few more to go over uh and we will do that right after this break
Yeah, dude, this is going to be dope. As you know, Steam Next Fest just kicked off, which means we get all sorts of new indie demos to check out, man.
Dude, this game is so unique. This is like so cool. It's a hand-drawn Metroidvania. I know, surprise, Ace picked a hand-drawn Metroidvania. I had a different one lined up. It didn't work out, but I won't slam it yet. but, uh, you fight with a freaking pillar instead of like a sword or an ax. It's a straight up like Coliseum pillar and you use it for platforming and for fighting.
And it's, it's a super unique concept. And the, uh, did you get to the overworld map? I did not. So the overworld map, it works like a legend of Zelda two where you're crossing it and you'll run into enemies. And now you have to walk through a level to get to the end to get back to the map again, or beat all the enemies in the level to get back to the map again.
Okay. Just so you can progress.
I think it's going to be really good, man. I really do. I played almost everything the demo had to offer, and I was still like, I hope there's more. Ace wanting more from a Metroidvania? What? But it was a super cool Metroidvania, especially just like the different art styles for the different areas and things like that. And I don't really know how you describe this art style.
I will say the dialogue wasn't my thing, but other than that, it was very cheesy dialogue. Yeah. It seemed to be they always are. They always go a little too far with the dialogue. Yeah.
the combat kind of compares to some of the other metroidvanias you know that you played so far it's uh it's very simplistic you only have the one move at least in the demo yeah but being able to maneuver around with the pillar like throw it down so you can jump over enemy attacks and then call the pillar back to you to hit the enemy and stun them or whatever was super cool and i could see it uh
in the full game, like having more combos with that. Like I picked up a special thing that let me throw down the pillar, but then if I have this like badge equipped, I can kick the pillar at an enemy to do extra damage.
Well, I'm going to preface this way. This was not a Next Fest demo. This was a Next Fest demo from like two years ago. But the game is promised to come out this year. So I wanted to talk about it.
Yeah. There you go. Smooth jazz there. Yeah.
This is a little game called Mr. Sleepy man. And I'll go ahead and you got to throw that in there too. Yeah. Oh yeah. I will. But I'll go ahead and read the Steam description for this one. In Mr. Sleepy Man, you play as a sleepy guy who's up way past his bedtime and out of control.
Make a mess of everything you find and turn Bedtime Town against you in this sandbox adventure filled with comical hijinks, outrageous characters, and platforming action.
Dude, this is a super unique 3D platformer. It's kind of got like N64 style graphics. And it has the same kind of humor from those N64 games like Banjo-Kazooie or Conker's Bad Fur Day, things like that. Yeah. And he just has so much attention to detail in the little things you can do.
Oh, yeah. No, if you don't get that emotional connection with it, like within the first hour, you're not going to go anywhere with it. Because the whole point of it is not to fight monsters and level up. It's to be human and show humanity and see what happens. Yeah.
Oh, yeah. It's this great little game where you fly through space and you just happen to be stuck in a time loop and the sun is exploding.
No, you don't think so?
You wouldn't do that to me, Ace. That's too bad. I'm taking Subnautica anyways.
I did. You did.
No, are you kidding me? This will be light work. I mean, come on. Oh, here we go. YouTube, indie games. Yeah, sure.
Man, I love Subnautica, but it gives me anxiety when I get deep down there and it's dark and I'm all by myself.
I played it once on Nintendo switch and never touched it again. No.
I've got to confess, you guys, I had no idea Rocket League was an indie. I thought it was an Epic Games thing.
We'll see. Yeah, we'll see.
It is one of the most incredible 3D roguelikes. And it's multiplayer, so you can play with friends. Yeah. Come on!
There it goes. I figured it would. Yeah.
I got to be true to myself. I hinted at it earlier.
Oh, I have a bad feeling.
That's awesome.
Just do it.
That wasn't on my list.
Welcome to the other 2%. I'm not a fan.
It's an absolute giant in the indie scene. I mean, you can't go anywhere without someone knowing what Stardew Valley is.
Yeah. Solo dev, too, which is incredible. Which is insane, dude.
Concerned 8. And he's already working on his next game.
You know... Don't mess it up, man. I've been drafting in the name of the people this whole time, but I think it's time I chose some of the ones closer to my own heart. And specifically, this guy, I spent $100 to have you play his game.
My good buddy, Shovel Knight.
Celeste may be one of the greatest platformers of all the indie genre, but Shovel Knight's a close second, man, with just how much variety in the gameplay there is.
Yeah. Don't do that. You make it so much harder on yourself. You get an achievement for it if you do it, but I don't recommend it. No. Poor Paul.
All right. Your last pick. This is it. This is rounding out your top five list of best indie games of all time, man. Well, you know, y'all let me have it, so I'm going to take it. And that's Ender Magnolia. It is going to be my game of the year, and it's easily one of the greatest games I've ever played in my entire life. I love it so much.
And it's not even recency bias anymore because it's been a while.
Oh, yeah, you know it. Here we have a five-star review that's titled The Office of Podcast by... Oh, my God, how do you read that?
Yeah, we pointed that out before. That's what really works for them, I think. It's what keeps people there when they don't have the great graphics to go along with it sometimes. Or they can't afford the hand-drawn graphics. It's like, oh man, this soundtrack's killer. I'm going to keep playing this level.
I'm just glad I had a backup platformer.
Ryan, this is your last pick.
Good luck, Ace. Jadibi. Jadibi. We'll call you Jadibi.
Yeah.
remember during the pandemic people streamed like 1 billion minutes of the office that's because that's what felt like when you were watching with old friends and it was comfort in hard times this is exactly the same thing for game nerds keep it up well thank you that's super kind of you dude i'm sorry anybody that refers to us as the office yeah the same vein as the office i'm in high praise brothers high praise
I really do. So Bellatro is like alcohol. It's pretty addictive to a lot of people, man.
Y'all really like that one, huh? Oh, dude, it's so good.
What is this support? I've never felt this in my life.
Yeah, that's a pretty great fail pick if you remember that one.
I've got a few to say.
Let me just open my dictionary of Indians.
Yeah, that one's so good, man. Lethal Company is an all-timer. It really is. And it's a shame it couldn't make my list because it is really that good. Well, I got a few. We've already drafted a few of the roguelikes from the genre, but one of the biggest ones I would say is Enter the Gungeon.
I mean, they're these bullet hell heck games where you're basically like you go into a dungeon, you gather as much material as you can and try to fight the boss to move up to the next floor like any other roguelike. But there's so much synergy with everything you pick up. And it's each of them have their own unique style.
And Gungeon just does it so well, especially because it has like a secret story hidden in there as well. But on top of that, I would also want to mention Amnesia the Dark Descent.
It's not going to win. It is super good.
Oh, man. It is not going to win any rewards, but it definitely... It definitely redefined horror for a while there. I think it really changed the way we see this psychological horror in games and things like that. Like Outlast definitely came from inspirations of amnesia. I don't know if that's like sacrilegious to say or something.
And just to keep it short, the last one I'll mention is Liza P. It was hard not to draft Liza P. Yeah, dude.
I can't believe you sniped Celeste for me.
Oh, yeah. My list is one of a kind. What do you mean?
We've all played this game before. I'm picking Hollow Knight. The ultimate revival of Metroidvanias within our lifetime.
Yeah.
Vote for me. Peace out. See ya.
You weren't getting Hollow Knight if I got first pick.
I feel like at this point it's been so long. If it's not, there will be riots.
Oh yeah, no. If it doesn't at least live up to the hype of base game Hollow Knight before all the content got added to it. Yeah. Massive letdown.
I'll record you a Let's Play and leave it there for you.
Yeah, exactly.
It doesn't mean it's good.
I don't want to admit it, but that's a great pick. With Jack Black as the lead role.
It does not look good to me. It looks like garbage.
I played it recently. It is an incredible game and it's an experience like you can't get anywhere else. Even though it lacks like direct action, you never feel bored or like you're not doing anything.
Sworn is super close. I will say, I'm not trying to give any spoilers on Sworn yet, but Sworn is as close as I've seen someone get to perfecting that almost Hades bar. Because Hades absolutely raised the bar for what people expect out of a top-down roguelike like that. Like, it is absurd the quality.
I just didn't think Ryan, of all people, would take Celeste.
I love this so much.
Do you even know the protagonist's name in Celeste? I have no idea.
It is. It's Madeline. The mountain's name is Celeste, if you wanted to know.
I genuinely thought I got it past you guys when Josh didn't take it as second pick. I was like, oh, yeah, I've got this. Ryan doesn't even know what Celeste is.
This is one I know might be on your list, but you know nothing about. It is a pixel art turn-based RPG that took the world by storm when it came out and kind of revived the indie genre from where it was. And that is a little game called Undertale.
Oh, especially with our community.
There's always someone down to play, man.
And then you'll hear me scream.
So in Headliners, you play as reporters who are going into a quarantine city that's been basically taken over by aliens. There's an alien invasion going on and you need to get the news out to the public ASAP. So you're going to go in with your friends with cameras and flashlights for the start. At least you will lose the flashlights.
I'm sorry, but you're going to go with your friends and you're going to try to get pictures of these aliens without getting horribly dismembered or killed. And if you're like Ryan, you're going to get kicked in the face with a car by a giant alien. Yeah.
And you can knock your friends down with their own arms.
Absolutely. I mean, these are basically the new party game to me. Like, you just boot this up. It's like, hey, everyone want to play? Yeah.
Oh, this game is so trippy.
So A Midnight Walk is a survival horror game done with claymation in real life, like IRL claymation done by the developers, by these artists. And you get to walk through and experience that. Oh, did I mention it's VR? It's PSVR. Oh. No. And I do not know the story.
I imagine they're keeping the story a secret for a good reason, but it's this incredible little game where you're walking around this horrifying world made of clay all by yourself. And I don't really know what it's going to be, but it looks incredible. I mean, Ryan, you like survival horror games, right?
Oh, this is one of those games they're going to consider art later down the line. They're going to be like, they made this and it's pure art. Even if the gameplay isn't like amazing, just the visuals and hopefully the story will just carry it forward. But like these claymation, I'm always impressed by that. So I'm already down.
I'm very excited for that one too.
It's interesting and intriguing and it pulls you in. So it's doing its job. Yeah.
Yeah, I think it's Ichiban.
What a crossover.
No, but I think I have an understanding of what they are. They're basically adult versions of the Persona games, whereas instead of playing as teenagers, you play as middle-aged adults who worked in the Yakuza.
It's gotta be like a pirate.
We're going right into it. Give it to me.
Oh, dude, Overture looks incredible. For one thing, it's a DLC that takes place before the whole puppet frenzy thing where all the bad stuff's happening and all the puppets have turned evil and stuff. And it seems like it's a good bit back in the past since, like, the cat that usually pets a kitten. And then they showed off some incredible new weapons, too. Yeah. There's like Wolverine claws.
I was just going to say, give me the Wolverine claws, man. That was the number one weapon. And there was a sword that was also a gun. Like, come on. That's got to get you a little bit, Ryan. Like, come on.
And it plays so smooth, man. You would think FromSoft made this game with how smooth the gameplay is and how responsive. And if they had made it, it would be a top 10 game for everyone.
Oh, sword gun again. Like, come on. I mean, the biggest thing is Liza P is a souls like with a story that you can follow. It is not hidden behind everything. You can follow the story and it's really interesting.
Oh, Tito.
I thought it was fantastic. And Josh, you and I played this demo before...
once once before and uh this new version came out and it's so incredible the difference is night and day from what we played like if you told me this was the same game wouldn't believe it it's so polished okay so i didn't i never played the original like demo that you guys must have played then so so to me it felt it felt awesome it felt like a really true crisp platformer that that i i
It's so good. You can tell there's so much passion behind this game because comparing it to the first demo we saw, it was still great in the first demo. And now you get this and like, I feel like I'm playing a whole new polished game just for me made with love. Family love.
I'm going to jump over the roof and get to you guys. Don't worry.
Or hospitals, you know, if you're talking Silent Hill. That's another one. Dude, the more rooms you have, the more likely you are to get invaded by zombies. We just discovered something here.
Slightly. So, Ace, one thing that you did mention is this is a solo dev for this game. That's impressive to me, man.
And I will say, as a graphics snob, this game does not look bad. The graphics are very serviceable in this game, and so to be able to put together a game and the graphics... and the sound, and the gameplay as a solo dev is absolutely something that I think as gamers that we should check out. If nothing else, watch the trailer for this game to see if it's up your alley.
What's the dev's name on this one, Ace?
texa okay well kudos texa for what you've made um i hope i get a chance to actually try this one out at some point but again that game is called the mute house and it is actually out now so you can uh you can go pick that up 12.99 on steam and it's sitting currently at an 86 steam rating that's good which is i mean for an indie solo dev game that is you know a an homage to resident evil that's pretty good man that says something's going on there for sure
Hello, fellow gamers, and welcome to the Video Gamers Podcast. On this indie-focused episode, we'll be taking a look at the recent release of Tales of Iron 2, taking a look at a hilarious-looking game called Headliners, taking a tour of the Mute House, and talking about a very good-looking game called Sworn that looks like Hades with the art style of Darkest Dungeon and its multiplayer...
It's kind of nice to know, like it's probably going to be $25, you know? And if it's more than that, that means they're confident enough in this, that they're like a little more.
Yeah, absolutely. Um, speaking of quality, I found this game. I was doing some searching the other day and I found this game guys.
Oh my goodness. I don't know, dude. So Ace, I mean, you got me and Ryan hyped. We're probably getting everybody hyped, but tell us about Sworn. Give people the rundown on this and then why they should be very excited with us.
Yeah, dude, if you'd like Hades, okay, which I love Hades, Ace, I know you loved Hades. Ryan has not played Hades, but Ryan did play Endless Dungeon, which is, you know, they are very different, but I kind of get the whole like, hey, it's the kind of isometric view. You're fighting like hordes of guys. You're kind of having to dash around and it's that kind of fast paced gameplay.
That's a good question. What is premium indie game price? I'm going to say $40.
But look, this game is straight up Hades, right? But it legitimately does have that kind of dark, gritty, angular style that Darkest Dungeon has. And I am a big fan of Darkest Dungeon. I loved the art style in that game. Not only that, but this focuses on the kind of, I don't want to say mythology, but Camelot.
So this is the premise of Camelot and the Knights of the Round Table and King Arthur's Court, which I love. And so that's kind of the basis instead of like the Greek Pantheon with Hades, you're getting like Camelot and the Knights and some of the mythology there. And it's multiplayer, dude.
I feel like $40 is like the... We've got something special here. We're still an Indy company, so we're going to charge the most we can charge. And I feel like $40 is that high point.
oh yes i'm so happy to hear that we're in i am i oh yes yeah um you know and this is one of those things too where you know i've played a lot like when hades came out i fell in love with hades i played it but then we
kind of started to get some like knockoff type games where it's like oh let's try to capitalize on this and it's this isometric view and it's fast-paced combat and i tried a couple of those and i'll be honest like none of them got the pacing right none of them got the progression right um there is something about sworn that just clicks instantly for like, for my brain.
And I don't know if it's the pacing where it looks almost identical to Hades, where I'm like, Oh dude, like if I didn't know better, I would say this is like Hades two in a way, you know, where it's like, it almost looks like it is made by the same people. Um,
But I mean, you get different classes, you get different skills, like they showed the upgrade path where it's like, you know, when you beat a room or you get the whatever the thing is in this game where it like lets you choose an upgrade to where you are getting that true roguelike nature out of it as well. The monsters look good. I mean, you know, there's dodge rolling. There's
like, you know, ranged attacks, there's melee attacks, like everything in this just screams. This is a top notch game that you can actually play with your friends at that point. Um, yeah, I am, I am a hundred percent in, in on sworn man. Um, the only downside to this game is it's releasing an early access. It's not fully releasing, but, They claim they have a lot of content on this one.
Like that's... Man, $40 for an Indy... Currently Googling audacious?
I mean, if you go to their Steam page, which you absolutely should go to their Steam page and check this one out. But it does say, hey, we've been developing this game for over two years now. It does have a pretty good bit of content, but early access really does suit us because we want to make sure this game is as good as it can be. And, you know, I get that that's probably helpful.
This game looks really good. Number one, I pick on you, Ace, but I'm super glad that you found this because I did not know this game existed. And I'm sure a lot of our listeners don't know this game exists. That's why we do this.
Yeah, I'm the same way. So this actually releases the day after this episode. So if we have gotten you hyped, which I know we're hyped, and we want this game to be as good as it looks. I mean, again, we don't know. We don't know what the early access is going to be like, but it legitimately releases tomorrow. If you're listening to this, it releases tomorrow. We don't know the price on it. It
It really does look good. It would not surprise me if the price comes out and it's $25, but it actually looks like it's probably worth that as well. But yeah, go check out sworn. I think you're going to see why we're really hyped for this game. This is honestly, this is one of the best looking indie games I think I've seen in a while.
Like as far as like just shooting up my hype meter, like instantly. Yeah. Um, so yeah, go check that out. Um, all right. And then ACE man, I kind of, we were talking about this game before we started recording and you said, did you, did you watch this trailer? And I kind of went, no, it looked ugly to me. And I listen, I, I, I admit it. Okay. Like I, I, I started watching this trailer.
Okay. So we just also realized that Ryan's the cheap one out of the three of us. Ryan does not.
I think I watched about 30 seconds of it and I kind of went, yeah, no. Um, And then we started talking about it, and you were like, dude, this game's getting some serious hype right now. And then I kind of went, well, dang it. Maybe I should take a look at this again. And so I started watching the trailer, and I watched about 30 seconds of it, and I went, yeah, no. Let me skip ahead a little bit.
And so I skipped ahead, and then I kind of went like, oh, wait a minute now. This game actually looks like it could be pretty cool. And so this is a game called Fly Night.
Tell us a little bit about Fly Night Ace. What does this game look like? It's getting a ton of hype. I mean, the Steam reviews are off the charts for this thing, but why is this kind of on your radar? And it's hard to ignore this kind of hype. When you start seeing a game that's getting insanely good reviews, even if the graphics kind of look eh, there's probably something there.
All right, Jigglepuff. Kudos to Jigglepuff.
I was going to say, minimum requirements, potato.
Yeah. Man, we have a lot to talk about. Ace, you being our indie wizard here, honestly, you found all of these games that we're going to talk about today. And I'm actually kind of hyped for all of these, man. So why don't we start off with the Tales of Iron 2? Now, this is a game that you were insanely hyped for.
I'm kind of reminded of abiotic factor in a way. And I'll say this, like the graphics and abiotic factor, I think are better, but it is, it is one of those things where when you watch a trailer for abiotic factor, you kind of go, this doesn't look like anything special.
Like, you know, how many survival crafting games have we had and how many games are kind of made in the art style of half-life and why should I play this? But then you kind of get the whispers of like, guys, have you heard about this game? Have you played it? You know, and Ace, you and I. Oh, yeah. We kind of went like, hey, Abiotic Factor is getting a ton of hype. Should we check it out?
We both kind of went, yeah, let's check it out, man. Yeah, why not? Two weeks later, you and I have beaten all of the content in Abiotic Factor. I mean, we're hopping on Doodoo Play. Yeah, and it is awesome.
It was great.
probably has something there i think it's got that magic i think it does kind of think it might man so i mean for for me this looks like a it's almost like a throwback to like an old school dungeon crawler type game where it's like you know you're underground you're kind of moving slowly you can see the enemies kind of off in the distance in front of you uh you know they don't aggro right away so it's kind of like hey let me run up to this guy and bash him over the head
One of the cool things that I didn't realize, and when you watch the trailer, I don't know if this is evident, maybe it is and I'm just a dummy, but this game actually has targeted limb damage and stuff like that. So you can attack the limbs and then that will disarm them, literally and figuratively disarm them.
Right. Yeah. You know, and so or you can bash him in the head and then that kind of takes their senses away. So maybe they can't see you or sense you as well or something like that, which I think is a really neat aspect. The co-op nature of this game, I think, is probably going to lend itself to a lot of fun with a buddy. I mean, you know, they have swords, they have range.
I think at one point I saw him casting a spell if I remember right. So it looks like there's various ways that you can play like these classes or something like that. There is exploration. This is a crafted experience. So it's not like procedurally generated levels. They even say, Hey, we've kind of handcrafted all of this. Um,
The more I watch of the trailer, the more this game kind of goes like, I think this might be kind of like the next abiotic factor where I think it's going to gain a lot of traction that it may not be readily apparent. But I mean, so this game is fully released, by the way. I don't know. It came out January 31st. Yep. It is currently sitting at an overwhelmingly positive score.
That tells you something right there. And this is out of 1,400 reviews. So for being a game that I've never heard of before, there is obviously something there with Flyknight.
Yeah. Did we mention this game is five whole dollars? No.
I mean, yeah.
Oh man. Yeah. So between fly night, the mute house sworn, the fun that headliners could be, we're going to dive further into tales of iron two on an actual deep dive so we can get the full story from ace on that one. Um, Man, this is a good-looking list you have put together, Ace. And so for everybody that's listening, support your indie devs. Check these games out.
I mean, I feel like almost daily you were just posting videos for Tales of Iron 2, tagging Ryan and I and, you know, a lot of people in the Discord server. And then it finally released. And I know that you have played it. I know that. Have you beaten it yet?
If nothing else, just go watch the trailers for them. If you think it looks good, remember that wishlisting on Steam is very, very helpful for indie devs as well. And yeah, I mean, dude... These games look fun to me. And so that means these indie devs are doing exactly what they're trying to do. So yeah, make sure you support them. Make sure you check these out. That's it for this episode, fellas.
Ace! Thank you. Uh, my pocketbook hates you, but when we're all playing sworn together or fly night and diving into that, you know, I'll take it all back. Yeah. I'll take it all back at that point. So, but awesome. Listen, we hope you enjoy these indie episodes. Um, thank you so much for joining us for this ACE. Thank you for putting all of this together.
You know, Ace is the driving factor on these, by the way. I know I'm doing a lot of talking on these, but Ace is the guy that found all these. He's the one that kind of gets us hyped for him, explains them, puts them on our radar, puts them on your radar. And so, you know, thank you for doing that. And we're going to keep doing this, man. These indie episodes are going around, man. Yeah.
We got a huge response to the first one that we did. We're not leaving.
Yeah.
So listen, that'll do it for this episode. Remember to follow the show. If you have not done that already, take a second in your podcast app to hit that plus button, hit that follow button. And while you're at it, Tap that five-star button if you enjoyed this. That tells us that you want more like this. You want more indie content. Tell us what we're doing right in that regard.
Tell a friend also, man. That's honestly one of the absolute best things that people can do is tell your gaming buddies, dude, have you guys ever checked out the Video Gamers Podcast? And they're going to say, what? And then just tell them. Tell them how awesome it is. Tell them how awesome our community is. It is really the absolute best place on the planet for gaming.
This sounds kind of hokey, but I didn't know gamers could be this cool to each other, man. Dude, it's wild.
You have 100%ed Tales of Iron 2. Oh, here we go. Okay. I mean, I don't know what that says, but, but the game did release. So let's, without spoiling your thoughts on this case, cause we are going to do a deep dive on this. Um, what do you like, you know, the game has kind of come out to, I don't, is it fair to say like mid reception?
And it's one of those things like, you know, we talk about sworn and it being multiplayer. And I know there's somebody listening. That's like, dude, that game sounds awesome. I watched the trailer, but I don't have friends to play with. We'll play. We're your friends.
I mean, I guarantee you, you'll find people that want to play. Yeah.
So come join the community. The link is in the episode description for our discord server there as well. That's it for this one. Thank you everybody for joining us and until next time, happy gaming.
See ya!
Now, I saw 15 hours to beat. Does that sound about right?
Okay. So maybe a little bit less for somebody that is familiar.
Okay. Okay. I mean, it's $24.99. It's like 12 hours worth of entertainment. That's still good value. Two tickets.
Two tickets to go see a movie is going to cost you $25, if not more. And that's if you don't get any popcorn or drinks or anything. So it's like you can get two hours of entertainment out of a movie with somebody else, or you can get 12 hours of entertainment out of a game for $24.99.
this is one of those things I don't really understand with gamers, man, is it's like break it down to the, like the dollar per hour, like breakdown, you know? And it's like, if you're getting 12 hours worth of entertainment for 24 99, that seems like a good deal to me.
I feel like that's the truth, dude. Like, honestly, I don't know if it's just that they're like they go for the artistic thing or it's like, hey, if we have a really rocking soundtrack, this is really going to enhance the game kind of thing. Um, I mean, you know, it's kind of hard when you have like Skyrim and God of War and some of the music that goes along with those types of games.
But yeah, I'm with you, man. I think some of like the music and indies is like really, really well done. And I'd be very curious to kind of like hear about that. You know, it's like, is this a focus? Is this like a main thing where it's like, Hey, we're indie. We really want to nail like the soundtrack for this too. Yeah.
Plus more. But before we get into that, some introductions are in order. I am your host, Josh. And joining me, he's currently running for his life from some monstrous invader, but he's got his camera filling. Oh, oh, nope, nope. He just got ripped in half. It's Ryan. My guts, my guts.
Yeah. So, yeah, Ace, I mean, it's sitting at 80% on Steam right now. I don't want you to spoil your thoughts on this. You know, this is a game that you were very, very hyped for. Yeah. We're going to do the deep dive. So it's like, man, I'm kind of dying to know your thoughts on this, but I don't want to spoil the deep dive either. Is there anything that you can say about this game?
How about this? Are you disappointed? No. We'll leave it at that. No.
Okay, I think that's a fair thing to say, to get a lay of the land on. Ryan, I mean, for you and me, I know as much as Ace has tried to sell us on this game, I'm not sure that they... I don't know that I'll ever play it. Now, I do know that John has actually been playing this, and I think he said he's about 10 hours into it at this point. And he said he's quite enjoying it.
Yeah, we're going to do a full deep dive on Tales of Iron 2. It is out. There is a lot to like about this game. I mean, if you read some of the reviews, people really do appreciate the combat seems kind of hard. Now, Ace, is the combat harder than the first game? Because I think you did mention that.
Oh, okay. So they kind of improved over the first game then?
All right. Nice. Nice. All right. Well, we got to avoid spoilers. No more. No more.
All right. Now, this is a game that I had actually heard of and you found this, but I hadn't actually seen any trailers or anything for it. And that's headliner. So why don't you kind of give us the rundown on what headliners is like the type of game it is and what makes this kind of on your radar, I guess.
Yeah. Oh, that's awesome. The trailer for this game is pretty hilarious. And I mean, I kind of joked in the intro is you are absolutely seeing your teammates just getting ripped in half. You know, a guy like some tentacle shoots out of the ground and like grab somebody and is flinging them around all over the place and slamming them up against the wall.
And it's like your buddies are filming it because I guess it's like you're trying to get... extra like creditors that was good footage of your friend getting dismembered man that's a bonus points yeah but i mean that's kind of what this game seems like it is like if your friend dies gloriously and you get that footage like that's a good thing in the game it seems like
If you're willing to go into the monsters next.
We may wind up trying this one just because this game's cheap, man. It's $6 right now. It literally just released a few days ago, and so they're doing that new release 10% off deal. It's $6, man. I mean, for $6, dude, for you and a couple buddies to jump into this and have some laughs seems like it's just a no-brainer to me. I can't afford not to play.
i mean it looks like honestly i pay six dollars to have a night of just laughter and shenanigans even literally one night will pay for itself like six bucks oh yeah that's easily that's penance you know that's nothing yeah like like legitimately i don't this is one of those things like this i'll be honest like i think this game looks like it's going to be a blast i'm not sure that you're playing this game for like two or three weeks kind of thing
Again, you know, lethal company content warning, uh, now headliners, I, this very much fits in that lane of very simple game, very simple premise, but because it's open to the things that can happen to you or your party members, you know, your buddies, I think it's absolutely that kind of game where you are going to have a good time. You are going to laugh.
Like something terrible is going to happen at the worst time and people are going to
end up cracking up and that will alone make it worth the price of admission to me somebody's getting disemboweled somewhere and then it'll be hilarious yeah i tried to convince my kid to get this game because she really likes like she just played content warning like like two days ago with some of her friends and it's like i told her about headliners and she was like oh i have to look into that so it's like i almost wanted her to be the guinea pig you know it's like hey play this game and let me know if it's any good but
Yeah, I can see picking this up on like a Friday or Saturday night and we all just hop in and give it a try and, you know, see how good this thing really is. Yeah. I mean, I can see it now. Let's take a quick break. And then we've actually got a few more games to talk about here because you've put together a pretty good list, Ace. And man, Sworn. Oh, my goodness. I really want to talk about Sworn.
Wait, wait. All right. We'll be right back after this break. All right. Well, let's talk about sworn after we talk about this game. Cause I'm actually pretty excited for this one too. I did not know this game existed. Ace, you found this game called the mute house. Um, and I I'll be honest when I started watching the trailer, it kind of caught my attention.
Like this looks like a throwback to the old resident evil type, uh, Like the old Resident Evil games where it was very much more of the atmosphere and the horror than it was the action and the shooting and stuff like that. This game looked pretty creepy to me. So give us kind of the rundown on the Mute House.
I don't like you, Ace. I like you, but I don't like you because you did your video for Dredge the other day, and I showed it to my wife, and she's like, well, this game looks great. So you cost me $30, then you put Sworn in front of us, and it's like, I don't know how much this game's going to be. I'm guessing $25, and now you cost me $25, Ace. You're getting expensive, buddy.
Oh really?
Oh no. I am a reload addict, man. Two bullets and I'm reloading. I would always be out of ammo at that point. And then I'm just going to be running in this house, just screaming by trying to not die. Um,
Oh, lovely. I love the kind of atmosphere that they build on this one. Because if you watch the trailer on this, the trailer is pretty creepy, man. There's like a lady. I guess she's a cop. She's standing at the entrance to this giant house. She's talking to somebody over the radio. But then you get these really weird kind of audio things in the background that are creeping me out.
It's always a mansion.
Do zombies not like small houses? It's always a mansion.
So this just made me realize that rich people are much more a high risk for zombie invasions than just the common folk. Zombies aren't breaking into my two-bedroom house, man.
Have you ever played a Resident Evil game?