Backstage Gaming

We're here to do our legally obligated Baldur's Gate 3 episode, but don't worry about spoilers. We're much more interested in why this game has exploded in the way that it has, and what its surge in popularity (and other games' like it) can tell us about how we engage with games as a community. Backstage Gaming is a proud member of the HP Video Game Podcast Network (@hpvgpodnetwork on Twitter) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, we work a little differently and talk through an episode we recorded for a different show! We recorded a Patreon-exclusive episode for the Unexplored Places in which we played Together Among the Stars by Takuma Okada, and we had such a good time that we needed to break down what made this game so special. Check out the Unexplored Places at unexploredcast.llibsyn.com, and take a look at Takuma Okada's work at noroadhome.itch.io Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, we're back to run out the second half of 2023 strong! Dylan and Chris get into the weeds of why it can be Really Fun to engage with games in suboptimal ways, and the surprising discoveries that can come out of that. Backstage Gaming is a proud member of the HP Video Game Podcast Network (@hpvgpodnetwork on Twitter) Enjoy our show? Consider supporting us on Patreon! (patreon.com/bsgpod) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This one is Very Short, but we wanted you all to know that we are alive and that the podcast has not been fully abandoned. We'll be back in force soon, with some new ideas and some new projects in the tank! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, we're more on our artsy bull than ever! We set out to talk about additions to remakes and re-releases of games that leave something to be desired, before RAPIDLY shifting into a discussion of the value of limitation, the interesting choices that come out of necessity, and how it feels to leave those things behind when they're no longer necessary. Backstage Gaming is a proud member of the HP Video Game Podcast Network (@hpvgpodnetwork on Twitter) Enjoy our show? Consider supporting us on Patreon! (patreon.com/bsgpod) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, we dive into an even-more-naval-gazey-than-usual discussion of bygone genres of games. Or, perhaps, ways games ask us to engage with them less often these days. Or maybe... it gets a little rambly, but we promise it's a good time! Backstage Gaming is a proud member of the HP Video Game Podcast Network (@hpvgpodnetwork on Twitter) Enjoy our show? Consider supporting us on Patreon! (patreon.com/bsgpod) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, we delivery a slightly smaller episode on a slightly smaller topic: games with compact worlds that you spend a lot of time in. From RPGs to Adventure Games to menu systems, we talk about how much of an impact a small, intimate space can have on a game's presentation! Backstage Gaming is a proud member of the HP Video Game Podcast Network (@hpvgpodnetwork on Twitter) Enjoy our show? Consider supporting us on Patreon! (patreon.com/bsgpod) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We return to the topic from a couple episodes ago, but from Chris's point-of-view this time. We go over the games and realizations that made Chris into the consumer of games that he is today, and wax a little poetic along the way! Backstage Gaming is a proud member of the HP Video Game Podcast Network (@hpvgpodnetwork on Twitter) Enjoy our show? Consider supporting us on Patreon! (patreon.com/bsgpod) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Here we come, screaming back into the foreground to promise to do better about uploading regularly! For real this time! As we get back into the swing of things, we're naval gazey as ever, discussing how to best judge games as "finished products" in an era of patches, DLC, and continual games-as-service models, and we look at a few examples of games that purposefully don't follow those new ways. Backstage Gaming is a proud member of the HP Video Game Podcast Network (@hpvgpodnetwork on Twitter) Enjoy our show? Consider supporting us on Patreon! (patreon.com/bsgpod) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, we kick off a two-week series and a new broad conversation starter: the games that made Dylan. We take a walk through games that had an impact on Dylan, his relationship with games, and the perspective he brings to the show. Come give a listen! Backstage Gaming is a proud member of the HP Video Game Podcast Network (@hpvgpodnetwork on Twitter) Enjoy our show? Consider supporting us on Patreon! (patreon.com/bsgpod) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, we tackle another big-picture topic with a couple of narrow dives: crossovers in games, how they relate to aesthetic and vibe, and how designing them well looks. To help us out, we do a couple of deep looks into Kingdom Hearts and Magic the Gathering. Come along! Backstage Gaming is a proud member of the HP Video Game Podcast Network (@hpvgpodnetwork on Twitter) Enjoy our show? Consider supporting us on Patreon! (patreon.com/bsgpod) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week (or, more accurately, a few weeks ago, oops) we take a look at how games use puzzles of varying difficulties to draw us in, make us think, and tell their stories. Backstage Gaming is a proud member of the HP Video Game Podcast Network (@hpvgpodnetwork on Twitter) Enjoy our show? Consider supporting us on Patreon! (patreon.com/bsgpod) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, we return to proper, naval-gazey form for a rambling look at what makes us return to games over and over. From mechanics to vibes, we go over some of our favorite replays and what keeps us coming back. Backstage Gaming is a proud member of the HP Video Game Podcast Network (@hpvgpodnetwork on Twitter) Enjoy our show? Consider supporting us on Patreon! (patreon.com/bsgpod) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, we're oddly topical once again as we dive into an overview of Tunic, a new isometric, Zelda-inspired adventure game with a LOT going on under the hood. From the game's presentation to avant-garde gaming in general, turns out there's a lot to break down in this little indie darling. Backstage Gaming is a proud member of the HP Video Game Podcast Network (@hpvgpodnetwork on Twitter) Enjoy our show? Consider supporting us on Patreon! (patreon.com/bsgpod) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, for the second time in a row, our topic is weirdly topical (at first). We chat about Elden Ring, its strange blending of genres, and why it feels so darn good to just explore, then veer off the rails into discussions of other strange instances of open-world game design. Backstage Gaming is a proud member of the HP Video Game Podcast Network (@hpvgpodnetwork on Twitter) Enjoy our show? Consider supporting us on Patreon! (patreon.com/bsgpod) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, for something a little different, we talk about a couple new games that have dropped that are very much in our wheelhouses: King of Fighters 15 and Sifu. We talk engagement, aesthetic, presentation, and generally just chat about some new cool stuff. Backstage Gaming is a proud member of the HP Video Game Podcast Network (@hpvgpodnetwork on Twitter) Enjoy our show? Consider supporting us on Patreon! (patreon.com/bsgpod) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, Chris & Dylan take it easy and do a little talking about the recent Bidoof's Big Stand Pokemon short. Why does it work, what does it say, and what does it point towards? Find out today! Backstage Gaming is a proud member of the HP Video Game Podcast Network (@hpvgpodnetwork on Twitter) Enjoy our show? Consider supporting us on Patreon! (patreon.com/bsgpod) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As long-time listeners may remember, we spent our first (and so far only, thanks pandemic) live show talking about weird and wild game advertisement campaigns from back in the day. Today, with a similarly wild energy but without a crowd laughing and eating up time, we go back to the topic to look at how ads have changed over time. Backstage Gaming is a proud member of the HP Video Game Podcast Network (@hpvgpodnetwork on Twitter) Enjoy our show? Consider supporting us on Patreon! (patreon.com/bsgpod) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, we use one of Chris' growing passions to do a thorough overview of how principles of fight choreography and stunt design influence the kinds of games we play. From over the top to highly grounded, the way that games present their violence to the player does a lot of heavy lifting. Backstage Gaming is a proud member of the HP Video Game Podcast Network (@hpvgpodnetwork on Twitter) Enjoy our show? Consider supporting us on Patreon! (patreon.com/bsgpod) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, we take a long look at two related genres that we've been dabbling in recently: Metroid-vanias and Souls-likes. We get in deep about pacing, exploration, navigation, and how all of that comes together to influence how a story is told. Backstage Gaming is a proud member of the HP Video Game Podcast Network (@hpvgpodnetwork on Twitter) Enjoy our show? Consider supporting us on Patreon! (patreon.com/bsgpod) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, Dylan and Chris dive into a discussion of McGuffins; what they are, how they're used, and how adding them to game stories can be a little more complicated than it first seems! Backstage Gaming is a proud member of the HP Video Game Podcast Network (@hpvgpodnetwork on Twitter) Enjoy our show? Consider supporting us on Patreon! (patreon.com/bsgpod) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Happy Day After Halloween! For this week's festivities, we return to our old favorite of "Spot The Dud," where it's up to Dylan to guess the numerical ranking of a number of game reviews (and he does SHOCKINGLY well). Backstage Gaming is a proud member of the HP Video Game Podcast Network (@hpvgpodnetwork on Twitter) Enjoy our show? Consider supporting us on Patreon! (patreon.com/bsgpod) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, we return from a long hiatus to chat about attract modes: those splashy trailers and snippets of gameplay that pop on when you've let a game idle on the title screen for too long. We talk about their arcade origins and the different ways they can impact how we think about the games we play. Backstage Gaming is a proud member of the HP Video Game Podcast Network (@hpvgpodnetwork on Twitter) Enjoy our show? Consider supporting us on Patreon! (patreon.com/bsgpod) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, we're thrilled to once again have our friend Dakota Curry on to talk about concept art, illustration, and all the ways that artists put their minds to creating the games we love. Also, Chris enters a fugue state trying to succinctly summarize the rules of Magic the Gathering. Enjoy! Backstage Gaming is a proud member of the HP Video Game Podcast Network (@hpvgpodnetwork on Twitter) Enjoy our show? Consider supporting us on Patreon! (patreon.com/bsgpod) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, we kick off a two part special looking at the visual design aspect of games. Today, we take a look at some fighting games near and dear to our hearts to figure out all the little ways that the designs of their characters make a difference to the feel of the game. And next time? Well... you'll just have to tune in and see! Backstage Gaming is a proud member of the HP Video Game Podcast Network (@hpvgpodnetwork on Twitter) Enjoy our show? Consider supporting us on Patreon! (patreon.com/bsgpod) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, we talk about what happens after the credits role; content that's unlocked or context that's expanded after you have "finished" a game. The energy on this one is also... let's say 'unique.' Give a listen! Backstage Gaming is a proud member of the HP Video Game Podcast Network (@hpvgpodnetwork on Twitter) Enjoy our show? Consider supporting us on Patreon! (patreon.com/bsgpod) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, we take a deep dive into a small, goofy scene from the classic PC stealth game, Thief. Sometimes, the best scenes are the ones you just sort of walk through. Anyway, you shoulda seen the bears in my day. Backstage Gaming is a proud member of the HP Video Game Podcast Network (@hpvgpodnetwork on Twitter) Enjoy our show? Consider supporting us on Patreon! (patreon.com/bsgpod) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We made it to episode 100! Thanks to all of you for your support and for coming along for the ride. To celebrate, we headed back to the Writer's Room to try taking Street Fighter in our own direction and synthesizing all of the adaptations that have come before. A tall order, it turns out! Backstage Gaming is a proud member of the HP Video Game Podcast Network (@hpvgpodnetwork on Twitter) Enjoy our show? Consider supporting us on Patreon! (patreon.com/bsgpod) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we hunker down and get into our core competency: acting! We take a scene from Vagrant Story, one of Dylan's favorite games, give it a read through, and help direct each other to better and more nuanced performances to give you a glimpse into the real work we do as performers. Come give a listen! Backstage Gaming is a proud member of the HP Video Game Podcast Network (@hpvgpodnetwork on Twitter) Enjoy our show? Consider supporting us on Patreon! (patreon.com/bsgpod) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, we discuss some games with weird design choices. Whether it's a control scheme that chooses not to use established rules or cameras that behave strangely, we dig into designs that have been maligned and ask if they may have something else to offer. Backstage Gaming is a proud member of the HP Video Game Podcast Network (@hpvgpodnetwork on Twitter) Enjoy our show? Consider supporting us on Patreon! (patreon.com/bsgpod) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A shorter episode this week as we vent about what we see as a general lack of... willingness to play, let's say. We look at silent protags and RPG characters as examples of how to mine out intent from characterization. Come along! Backstage Gaming is a proud member of the HP Video Game Podcast Network (@hpvgpodnetwork on Twitter) Enjoy our show? Consider supporting us on Patreon! (patreon.com/bsgpod) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week's topic is a niche one, but we dive into a few examples of games that really put their themes out there to be seen. Come along as we take a look at these uniquely up-front games! Backstage Gaming is a proud member of the HP Video Game Podcast Network (@hpvgpodnetwork on Twitter) Enjoy our show? Consider supporting us on Patreon! (patreon.com/bsgpod) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week we wax super philosophical about the nature of acting, art, pursuing a craft, and shonen anime. Come along for the ride, won't you! Backstage Gaming is a proud member of the HP Video Game Podcast Network (@hpvgpodnetwork on Twitter) Enjoy our show? Consider supporting us on Patreon! (patreon.com/bsgpod) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, we dive into the world of online games, talking through what makes them so fun, and how so many great stories can come out of them! Backstage Gaming is a proud member of the HP Video Game Podcast Network (@hpvgpodnetwork on Twitter) Enjoy our show? Consider supporting us on Patreon! (patreon.com/bsgpod) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, we return to our fun mini-game, Spot the Dud! We read through some game reviews, talk about how they talk about games, and try to figure out which one got the lower score. It's fun! Come listen! Backstage Gaming is a proud member of the HP Video Game Podcast Network (@hpvgpodnetwork on Twitter) Enjoy our show? Consider supporting us on Patreon! (patreon.com/bsgpod) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, we offer an overview of how games bring people together, even if they aren't *technically playing together. From couch co-op to Twitch streaming to live performance, the ways we interact with each other because of games are as varied and interesting as the games themselves. Backstage Gaming is a proud member of the HP Video Game Podcast Network (@hpvgpodnetwork on Twitter) Enjoy our show? Consider supporting us on Patreon! (patreon.com/bsgpod) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Games are complex things that take time to figure out, and how we learn their systems varies wildly from game to game. How we go about that learning can say a lot about the games we're playing, and us as players! Backstage Gaming is a proud member of the HP Video Game Podcast Network (@hpvgpodnetwork on Twitter) Enjoy our show? Consider supporting us on Patreon! (patreon.com/bsgpod)

Hi, all! Been a while! We're back, and 2021 we're going to be CONSISTENT again. To shake off the rust, we take a look at the gaming landscape of 2020 and wax a bit poetic about "what it all means." Nothing like staying on brand. Backstage Gaming is a proud member of the HP Video Game Podcast Network (@hpvgpodnetwork on Twitter) Enjoy our show? Consider supporting us on Patreon! (patreon.com/bsgpod)

This week is short and rambly, but we give a brief overview of the inherent dramatic mechanics of sports, and how eSports tap into those ideas in their own unique ways. Chris also learns about his new favorite thing of all time. Backstage Gaming is a proud member of the HP Video Game Podcast Network (@hpvgpodnetwork on Twitter) Enjoy our show? Consider supporting us on Patreon! (patreon.com/bsgpod)

This week, we finish our discussion of maps in games by looking at the other end of the topic: map-making and exploration. From the flavorful side of well-crafter, diegetic maps to the actual in-game mechanics of cartography, how a game chooses to reveal its world can have a huge impact on the feel of the experience. Backstage Gaming is a proud member of the HP Video Game Podcast Network (@hpvgpodnetwork on Twitter) Enjoy our show? Consider supporting us on Patreon! (patreon.com/bsgpod)

This week, in what may be the first of two shows about maps, we take a look at level select maps, overworld maps, and the narrative power that a map can hold. Are they strictly utilitarian? Can they be more? Jump in and find out! Backstage Gaming is a proud member of the HP Video Game Podcast Network (@hpvgpodnetwork on Twitter) Enjoy our show? Consider supporting us on Patreon! (patreon.com/bsgpod)

This week, we chat about series and genres that we aren't typically into and what changes that. Whether it's a great trailer or a tie-in with something we already love, sometimes it just takes a little push to get us to try something new. Backstage Gaming is a proud member of the HP Video Game Podcast Network (@hpvgpodnetwork on Twitter) Enjoy our show? Consider supporting us on Patreon! (patreon.com/bsgpod)

This week, we're looking at the new fighting game, Footsies, a one-button game and teaching tool designed to improve your fighting game basics, and we dive into the other areas of game design that could benefit from the same approach. Have a listen! Backstage Gaming is a proud member of the HP Video Game Podcast Network (@hpvgpodnetwork on Twitter) Enjoy our show? Consider supporting us on Patreon! (patreon.com/bsgpod)

This week, we take a look at games that treat a story as a reward in-and-of-itself. Whether it's the capstone to a sidequest or a facet of how the game is presented, sometimes a bit of narrative is every bit as rewarding as a gameplay improvement. Backstage Gaming is a proud member of the HP Video Game Podcast Network (@hpvgpodnetwork on Twitter) Enjoy our show? Consider supporting us on Patreon! (patreon.com/bsgpod)

This week, we talk about combat. Again. But this time, we talk combat aesthetic, abstraction, and how all of that comes together to help a game become what it is! Backstage Gaming is a proud member of the HP Video Game Podcast Network (@hpvgpodnetwork on Twitter) Enjoy our show? Consider supporting us on Patreon! (patreon.com/bsgpod)

This week, we dive into one of the most often debated tools for storytelling: the voiceover narration. When can it be useful? When is it a crutch? Why does it matter?? All that and more! Backstage Gaming is a proud member of the HP Video Game Podcast Network (@hpvgpodnetwork on Twitter) Enjoy our show? Consider supporting us on Patreon! (patreon.com/bsgpod)

This week, Dylan surprises Chris with a discussion of Alien Soldier and games that take a unique and front-loaded approach to telling ABSOLUTELY WILD stories. Backstage Gaming is a proud member of the HP Video Game Podcast Network (@hpvgpodnetwork on Twitter) Enjoy our show? Consider supporting us on Patreon! (patreon.com/bsgpod)

This week, we go on a tour of game series that let their canons get out of hand. Whether it's split across dozens of entries in different media, or just changes a lot, there are some games that have gotten decidedly more complex than you'd expect. Backstage Gaming is a proud member of the HP Video Game Podcast Network (@hpvgpodnetwork on Twitter) Enjoy our show? Consider supporting us on Patreon! (patreon.com/bsgpod)

Not every game's biggest appeal is the story or challenge. Sometimes, you find a game that you just like to spend time in. This week, we chat about comfortable games, what makes them so fun to chill in, and why this is such a pleasant element of gaming. Backstage Gaming is a proud member of the HP Video Game Podcast Network (@hpvgpodnetwork on Twitter) Enjoy our show? Consider supporting us on Patreon! (patreon.com/bsgpod)

This week, we take some time to talk about games that might not need their combat system. Whether it's a game that brings enough to the table that the combat is irrelevant, or a combat system that feels tedious, we look at some offenders and offer some alternatives. Backstage Gaming is a proud member of the HP Video Game Podcast Network (@hpvgpodnetwork on Twitter) Enjoy our show? Consider supporting us on Patreon! (patreon.com/bsgpod)

After a much longer than anticipated hiatus, we're BACK, baybee! We do a bit of recapping what we've been up to in the last couple months, and lay some groundwork for some future episodes! Thanks for your patience, we're back and ready to roll! Backstage Gaming is a proud member of the HP Video Game Podcast Network (@hpvgpodnetwork on Twitter) Enjoy our show? Consider supporting us on Patreon! (patreon.com/bsgpod)