Edge Guard

This week, we play Otteretto, a puzzle game about making palindromes from colored tiles. We swap strategies, agree that puzzle mode is best, and take a closer look at some of the game's UI choices. Blake reminds us of a previous puzzle game we played for the podcast, and how a bug in the leaderboard fooled him into believing he had the world's highest score.   Find the game here: https://csklimowski.itch.io/otteretto  And follow the creator on Twitter: @csklimowski  

It's another Edge Guard Seminar special episode! This week, we take aim at the many Wordle clones that have taken the world by storm in recent months. We chat about what makes the original Wordle so popular, as well as what makes it so easy to clone. Then we discuss some of our favorites: a math Wordle, an adversarial Wordle, and more.   Links to games featured in this episode: https://qntm.org/files/absurdle/absurdle.html https://bigbag.itch.io/goblino https://nerdlegame.com/ https://zaratustra.itch.io/dordle https://www.lewdlegame.com/ https://quintessential.fun/ https://worldle.teuteuf.fr/  https://qntm.org/files/absurdle/absurdle.html 

This week, we play Bloodborne PSX, a “demake” of the original game in the style of a Playstation 1 game! We talk about the game's impressive fidelity to the PS1 era: everything from sound, to mechanics, to artificial loading screens. A discussion of the poison sewers prompts Blake tells us about Miyazaki's love of poison swamps.   Find the game here: https://b0tster.itch.io/bbpsx  And follow the creator on Twitter: @b0tster 

This week, we play Below the Ocean, an unusual take on the puzzle platformer genre that features an old-timey deep sea diver affixed to an oxygen tank. We talk about the game's “watery” physics, and Jordan provides game therapy to Blake.   Find the game here: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1663270/Below_The_Ocean/  And follow the creator on Twitter: @ishyrodriguez

This week, we play a series of Slovakian text adventure games from the late 80s, which were recently restored and translated as part of a cultural preservation project. The games are surprisingly fun, with a lot of charisma. We talk about their subversive sense of humor and how they manage to find interesting mechanics given their extreme technical limitations.   Find the games here: https://scd.sk/clanky/playable-english-localizations-of-slovak-digital-games-from-the-late-80s-period/ 

This week marks the debut of our new recurring segment: “From Jam to Gem,” an exploration of game jam games that later got a full release. For our first game, we play “Sacrifices Must Be Made,” a Ludum Dare 43 submission by Daniel Mullins that later became Inscryption. We compare the game to its predecessor and explore what the differences and similarities of the two versions tell us about the game's development process.   Find the game here: https://dmullinsgames.itch.io/sacrifices-must-be-made  And follow the creator on Twitter: @DMullinsGames

This week, we play Mot's Grand Prix, a retro pseudo-3D F1 racing game that hearkens back to classic racers from the 80s and 90s. The game is an impressive technical feat — built in PICO8! — and talk about game designers who like technical constraints. We also talk about 3D graphics and the culture of Formula One.   Find the game here: https://tommulgrew.itch.io/mots-grand-prix  And follow the creator on Twitter: @tommulgrew    This week, we play Mot's Grand Prix, a retro pseudo-3D F1 racing game that hearkens back to classic racers from the 80s and 90s. The game is an impressive technical feat — built in PICO8! — and talk about game designers who like technical constraints. We also talk about 3D graphics and the culture of Formula One.   Find the game here: https://tommulgrew.itch.io/mots-grand-prix  And follow the creator on Twitter: @tommulgrew    How Video Games Were Made Part 1: https://youtu.be/jqyC_S56B3k

This week, we talk about Courage: The Videogame, a game that purports to be built from the files of an unfinished PS1 game about Courage the Cowardly Dog. It's… quite something. Actually, saying anything else would be a spoiler. So… just check it out!   Check out the game here: https://neithernathan.itch.io/courage-the-video-game  And follow the creators on Twitter: @NeitherNathan, @Ciscookiess

This week, we explore “i wish you were not here,” a virtual art exhibition built inside Google Streetview. We discuss the creativity of the premise, as well as the dreamy, bizarre style of many of the exhibits. Jordan describes a sculpture as a “glassbown Cronenberg.” Find the game here: https://room69.fun/i-wish-you-were-not-here

This week, we play (it's a mouthful)... “[fr0g] clan official server 24/7 zk map (for stranger),” a game designed by mkapolk for the 2018 Secret Santa at Glorious Trainwrecks. It's a devilishly difficult game about descending large structures in a Counter-Strike-esque game engine. We talk about why this game is so hard, swap strategies, and speculate about whether its levels were randomly generated.   Find the game here: https://www.glorioustrainwrecks.com/node/11388  And follow the creator on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarekKapolka 

This week, we debut the first episode of “Edge Guard Seminars,” where we take a look at a broader theme, mechanic, or idea trending in the indie game space. For this episode, we talk about the current popularity of photography games, inspired by a number of recent games featured on previous episodes. We talk about the history of picture-taking as a mechanic, as well as the different ways that games make use of the photo mode. We conclude that Umurangi Generation is the first photo game to be about taking pictures while still remaining very much a game.

In this week's episode, we talk about No Longer Home, a long-awaited narrative game about early-20s ennui, by Humble Grove. We talk about the game's surreal narrative style and share why we found the climax so poignant. Also, we talk about the new “special episode” format we'll be experimenting with - tune in next time to check it out!   Find the game here: https://store.steampowered.com/app/651490/No_Longer_Home/  And follow the creator on Twitter: @nolongerhome    *Sorry for Jordan's poor audio quality! It shouldn't be a persistent problem, it is NOT part of the new format.

It's that time of year again: the 4th annual Edgie Awards are here! Join us as we reminisce about the many wonderful games that we played in the past year, and grant totally sensible and not contrived awards to six of them. Awards are based on entirely objective criteria, such as whether or not they cause Jordan to scream like a tiny baby, and whether they shamelessly rip off assets from other media.

In this week's episode, we play Alien Death Mob, an intense twin stick shooter with bullet hell elements. We talk about some of the clever interface and gameplay elements that this game uses to assist the player in navigating the many on-screen elements, and trade opinions on the best strategies for success.    Find the game here: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1567490/Alien_Death_Mob/  And follow the creator on Twitter: @pugfuglygames  

In this week's episode, we talk about Ynglet, a platformer without platforms by Nifflas. It's a fascinating game with a unique movement style that immediately captured our attention. We talk about why the game feels so good to play and we're both impressed with how polished it is. Blake tries to determine whether or not the game takes place in Denmark.   Find the game here: https://triple-topping.itch.io/ynglet  And follow the creator on Twitter: @Nifflas

In this week's episode, we talk about Kristallijin, a short, surreal game about following a mysterious dancer through an abandoned warehouse lit by strobe lights. The game's aggressive, disorienting style prompts a discussion about sensation, surrealism, vision, and epilepsy. We compliment the game's discipline and try to make sense of how it achieves such a jarring, memorable experience.    Find the game here: https://glbs.itch.io/kristallijn  And follow the creator on Twitter: @gaelBourhis

We play around in the “digital playground” of “butterflowers,” a surreal game about tending a digital garden that changes as you upload images from your computer. We try (perhaps futilely?) to make sense of its bizarre dreamscape and speculate about how it works. Blake explains why the game's sound has strong Requiem for a Dream vibes.    Download the game here: https://funsworkings.itch.io/butterflowers And follow the creators on Twitter: @funsworkings, @eastonself, @certain_lives

In this episode, we play “The Legend of Bear-Truck Trucker,” a game about a bear/trucker buying and selling goods in post apocalyptic Idaho. We talk about what gives this game its charm, as well as go on an extended tangent about southern Idaho. Blake tells us about running over a goat.   Find the game here: https://captaingames.itch.io/bear-truck-trucker And follow the creator on Twitter: @manbearcar

In this week’s episode, we play the demo for Unbeatable: Arcade Mix, a rhythm game with fighting game elements. We talk about how this game does rhythm right, as well as what makes a good rhythm game in general. We inevitably wax nostalgic about the game industry fluke that was Guitar Hero.   Find the game here: https://dcellgames.itch.io/unbeatable-arcade-mix And follow the creators on Twitter: @dcellgames

In this week’s episode, we explored No Sidewalks in the Mushroom Kingdom, a game about walking around Mario Kart’s Moonview Highway (using the actual assets from the original game!). We talk about how the game creates an eerie mood and share which of the game’s hidden messages were our favorites. Blake reveals that he discovered many more messages than Jordan.    Find the game here: https://ergman.itch.io/no-sidewalks-in-the-mushroom-kingdom  And follow the creator on Twitter: @johnlee_erg

For this week’s episode, we play Dear Future, a cryptic exploration game about taking pictures of an abandoned city. We talk about the strange allure of this game’s world, as well as discuss the strengths and weaknesses of its central crowdsourced premise. Though we were skeptical of some aspects of the game at first, in an epilogue recorded later, we revise our judgements in light of the game’s ending.    Find the game here: https://dearfuture.itch.io/dear-future   

This week, we play Kendra: Heavily Pregnant Defender of Earth, a charming game about Kendra, a woman 8-months pregnant who saves the planet from an army of invading aliens. We talk about why the game is so charming, and realize that the narrative is even more clever than we had thought. Jordan coins the term “Chekhov’s pre-natal vitamins.”    Download the game here: https://gophergames.itch.io/kendra-heavily-pregnant-defender-of-earth And check out the creator’s other games: https://gophergames.itch.io/ 

In this week’s episode, we play Casadastra, the newest game by Milosoft, the creator of Hissy Fight, which we played in a previous episode. It’s a thoughtful, surreal maze game about trying to navigate a space in the dark. We swap strategies, and Blake is impressed that Jordan did half the game without pen and paper.    Find the game here: https://milosoft.itch.io/casadastra And follow the creator on Twitter: @milomilosoft

This week, we drop some sick dunks in Grapple Hoops, a game about grapple-based movement and slam dunks. The grapple mechanic prompts an extended discussion about swinging and grapple mechanics in games, and we talk about our favorites (Blake likes Spiderman, whereas Jordan is a Pathfinder main).   Download the game here: https://gamedevandrew.itch.io/grapple-hoops  And follow the creator on Twitter: @gamedevandrew 

This week, we played Divarr, a one-button game—literally just one—about splitting missiles, shooting bombs, and not shooting dudes (don’t shoot dudes, dude). We talk about why this game just “clicks,” as well as its clever sound design. Blake revels in his high score, arrogantly and in bad taste. No, I’m not bitter, why do you ask.   Play the game here: https://abagames.github.io/crisp-game-lib/?divarr And follow the creator on Twitter: abagames

Yep, you read that right. We play “OnlyCans: Thirst Date,” a, um, game about taking pictures of sexy cans. You might think cans can’t be sexy. You would be wrong. Oh, and Blake tells us a story about an unfortunate encounter with chocolate-flavored soda.    Find the game here: https://oxyoxspring.itch.io/onlycans And follow the creators on Twitter: @OxyOxspring

Things get a little spooky in Veinless Property, a horror game with a visual style inspired by Junji Ito. We applaud the game’s attention to detail, and talk about why horror games are so much scarier than horror films. Jordan confesses that he was unable to finish the game, and had to just watch his girlfriend play it instead. What a weenie.    Download the game here: https://tenkaiyo.itch.io/veinless-property  And follow the creator on Twitter: @Tenkaiyo

For this episode, we explore The Anything Gallery, a procedurally-generated museum that displays Google and YouTube searches as works of art. We talk about our respective journeys into the depths of the Internet, and share some of the strangest galleries we came up with. Highlights include three men talking (at length) about how to please women sexually and bad sketch comedy about school buses.    Download the game here: https://jan-malitschek.itch.io/the-anything-gallery And follow the creator on Twitter: @malitschek

For this week, we play Teenage Blob, a zine-like music game by Team Lazeream and The Superweaks. We talk about the game’s charming weirdness, the overlap of indie gaming and zine culture, sick boots, and, uh, naked… blobs. I dunno dude, just play the game yourself (it’s good!).   Find the game on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1096060/Teenage_Blob/ And follow the creators on Twitter: @teamlazerbeam, @thesuperweaks

This week, we play the… game(?) MENU NEW GAME +, an experimental fiction about exploring four menus for fictional games. It’s a unique game, surprisingly funny, about everything that happens in a game before you even start playing. We talk about which of these games we most want to play, and discover that the patch notes for one of the games were generated via neural network.   Play the game here: https://spelafort.itch.io/menu-new-game-plus And follow the creator on Twitter: @steven_sych

In this week’s episode, we play BioDome II, a surreal game about a wormlike feral human who eats sandwiches and poops out gremlins that make him smarter. We talk about how the game manages to be simultaneously bizarre and cute, and Blake shares his attempt to gather all the collectibles. Jordan looks up the infamously-bad 1996 film that inspired the game.   Find the game here: https://glitchcityla.itch.io/keep-the-lights-on-a-glitch-city-fundraiser-and-bundle    And follow the creator on Twitter: @torahhorse, @buenothebear, @lasswithapen

In this week’s episode, we play BioDome II, a surreal game about a wormlike feral human who eats sandwiches and poops out gremlins that make him smarter. We talk about how the game manages to be simultaneously bizarre and cute, and Blake shares his attempt to gather all the collectibles. Jordan looks up the infamously-bad 1996 film that inspired the game.   Find the game here: https://glitchcityla.itch.io/keep-the-lights-on-a-glitch-city-fundraiser-and-bundle    And follow the creator on Twitter: @torahhorse, @buenothebear, @lasswithapen

In this week’s episode, we explore Shell Song, an interactive narrative game about computer voice generation, surveillance, and ghosts. It’s a fascinating game, and perhaps the most well-researched game we’ve played for the podcast. The game prompts a broad conversation about digital ethics, deepfake pornography, and gendered voice presentation.   Play the game in-browser here: http://warpdoor.com/2020/11/11/shell-song/  And follow the creator on Twitter: @everestpipkin

This week, we play “Lifespan Candle,” a puzzle platformer about an animated candle slowly burning away. We talk about “emergent” mechanics in puzzle games, and Jordan speculates about whether this game is actually really dark. Blake talks about Spelunky, which he read an entire book about.   Find the game here: https://havana24.itch.io/lifespan-candle And follow the creator on Twitter: @hav24

In this episode, we play an educational game by the name of “Spot the Troll,” about social media disinformation campaigns. We talk about how the game uses a tutorial-like structure, and then go on an extended discussion about truth on the Internet why we’re dissatisfied with the concept of online “trolls.”   Play the game here: https://spotthetroll.org/about 

In this week’s episode, we talk about Perfect Vermin, an unsettling first person game about using  a sledgehammer to smash creatures disguised as office furniture. It’s a creepy game (just in time for Halloween) but also strangely engaging. We talk about the game’s visual style, the object-destruction animation, and the challenge of talking about mass violence in videogames. Find the game here: https://itsthemaceo.itch.io/perfect-verminAnd follow the creators on Twitter: @ItsTheMaceo

In this week’s episode, we play Promesa, a haunting game about memory, inspired by a conversation the creator had with his grandfather. It’s a beautiful game, with stunning visuals and a unique approach to storytelling and representation. We share some of our favorite moments, discuss some of the really clever things the game does with light, and (as is tradition) Blake gives us his spiel on the game’s sound design. Find the game here: https://julian-palacios.itch.io/promesaAnd follow the creator on Twitter: @yulele_palacios

In this episode, we play the deviously-tricky “Looper,” a game about moving with or against the “flow” of looping strings. We talk about how circular, looping movement upends our intuitions about game controls, and we speculate about whether this game would be easier for people who have played fewer games. Blake compares this game to Super Hexagon, and Jordan gives us his spiel about why he loves game jams.  Find the game here: https://short-bread.itch.io/looperAnd follow the creator on Twitter: @_shortbread

In this week’s episode, we talk about Hexcraft: Eventide Sigil, an “experimental first person permadeath adventure” by Oleander Garden. It’s a bizarre game about Arthurian knights and incel terrorists, complete with complex AI and agent-based simulations. We talk about why this game is so inscrutable (and perhaps frustrating), as well as the online community that has sprung up around it to solve its mysteries.  Find the game here: https://oleandergarden.itch.io/sigil And follow the creator on Twitter: @void_hyacinth

In this week’s episode, we play “Moving Jigsaw Puzzles,” a game about, well… jigsaw puzzles that move! We talk about how adding motion changes puzzle-solving strategy, and brainstorm locales that would make a good moving jigsaw puzzle. Jordan confesses that his weak constitution couldn’t handle some of the dizzier puzzles in this game.   Find the game here: https://samgames.itch.io/moving-jigsaw-puzzles And follow the creator on Twitter: @made_by_sam

In this week’s episode, we take a wild ride through the Harry Potter franchise in Pottergame, by Kate Barrett. It’s a bizarre, hilarious game about Harry Potter, British pop culture, and J.K. Rowling’s problematic opinions about trans people. All this prompts a discussion about early 2000s media and Jordan’s age-14 disillusionment with the Potter franchise.    Download the game here: https://www.glorioustrainwrecks.com/node/11931 And follow the creator on Twitter: @thewaether

In this episode, we play the precision platformer OCDA, about a… potato who dashes through octagons. We talk about how the use of a spatially-constrained dash mechanic produces new ideas in a familiar genre, as well as why the visual design of this game is so good. We also try to figure out the meaning of the name OCDA, before realizing that it is very obvious, and we are dumb.   Find the game here: https://kirstu.itch.io/ocda And follow the creator on Twitter: @kirstu__

In this week’s episode, we play “Million Ant Moving Company,” a zany swarm-simulator about ants that run a moving company. We talk about what makes the physics of this game funny, as well as swap strategies for ant movement. Jordan explains why cartoon ants are cute and charming rather than disgusting.   Find the game here: https://andyman404.itch.io/ants And follow the creator on Twitter: @andyman404

It’s that special time of the year again - this week is the third annual Edgies! Jordan and Blake get together to reflect on all of the games they’ve played  over the course of the last year of podcasting, and grant them weird awards such as “Best Simulated Museum” and “Raddest  Use of Slow Motion”. As always, your hosts find plenty to discuss in the last year of games, and agree that indeed, videogames are good.

In this week’s episode, we talk about Blast Flock, a swarm-based, bullet-hell-esque flying game by Remy Devaux. The premise is intriguing, and we talk about what makes it fun and what makes its premise somewhat contradictory. Jordan falls for the dev’s trolling.   Find the game here: https://trasevol-dog.itch.io/blast-flock And follow the creator on Twitter:@TRASEVOL_DOG

This week, we “play” a “game” called the Museum of Mechanics: Lockpicking, an essay about lockpicking mechanics in game form. It’s a wonderfully unique idea, part game and part essay. We talk about the strengths and weaknesses of different lockpicking mechanics—but I think we can all agree that Oblivion’s is the worst.   Find the game here: https://dimbulbgames.itch.io/museum-of-mechanics-lockpicking/devlog/170395/update-02 And follow the creator on Twitter: @dimbulbgames  

In this week’s episode, we play Mixolumia, a take on the block-clearing arcade puzzler by Dave Makes. We talk about how the game’s primary innovation upends the logic of Tetris, as well as how it disrupts our sense of space. Jordan raves about one song in particular.   Find the game here: https://davemakes.itch.io/mixolumia And follow the creator on Twitter: @davemakes

This week, we talk about the absurd and wonderful world of Blaseball, an absurdist fake baseball league by The Game Band. The game’s truly unique format and very timely sense of humor prompts a discussion about ARGs, role-playing games, fandoms, obsessive data miners, and the Blaseball commissioner (who is doing a great job). Blake gives us a play-by-play description of one of the most notorious moments in the league’s three-week history.    You can join in the fun here: https://blaseball.com/ And follow the creators on Twitter: @thegameband

This week, we play Lithium City, a stunning isometric (!) action game by Nico Tuason. In Blake’s words, it’s the game that you get if Hotline Miami, Hyperlight Drifter, and Titanfall 2 had a baby. High praise! Jordan attempts to play a game about multidimensional movement with a keyboard, like an idiot.    You can buy the game here: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1210610/Lithium_City/ And follow the creator on Twitter: @nicotuason

This week, we play Horde, a physics-based zombie horde simulator by bl4st, a.k.a Paul Berne. It’s an incredibly fun and surprising mechanic, one that involves controlling an almost liquid-like horde of walking corpses—or, as Jordan puts it, an “undulating morass,” much to Blake’s amusement. The game prompts a discussion about physics simulation, flocking algorithms, and real-time strategy games of the late 90s.   Find the game here: https://bl4st.itch.io/horde And follow the creator on Twitter: @Hardcore_c4sual

This week, we play the Prologue to Starstruck, a wild roleplaying rhythm game by Createdelic. It’s a surreal, imaginative game about helping some claymation kids play guitar and avert the end of the world. We talk about rhythm games, the game’s surprising music quality, and its “toy-like” aesthetics. Blake is surprised to learn that Jordan plays the violin.   Find the game here: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1297720/Starstruck_Prologue/ And follow the creators on Twitter: @playstarstruck