Emotive Pixels Podcast

Follow Emotive Pixels Podcast
Share on
Copy link to clipboard

Each month we take some time to get some drinks and talk about games until our hearts' content.

Seattle Game Club


    • May 5, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • monthly NEW EPISODES
    • 1h 44m AVG DURATION
    • 100 EPISODES


    Search for episodes from Emotive Pixels Podcast with a specific topic:

    Latest episodes from Emotive Pixels Podcast

    Baldur's Gate 3 — Mile Wide, Inch Deep (AAA in 2025: Awards & Expectations)

    Play Episode Listen Later May 5, 2025 147:52


    We break the hearts of fandom as we are baffled by the rampaging success of Baldur's Gate 3, an interesting game made of many spectacular details that don't cohere for us into something that we like playing - a game whose reception and accolades led us to be very confused: "It's all informed by the next sentence you don't get to pick."Part 2 in our evolving series of wrestling with understanding the inherent appeal of all-consuming and frictional media objects.

    Cyberpunk 2077 — Singleplayer Live Services (AAA in 2025: Budget & Spectacle)

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 10, 2025 212:27


    We continue our investigation of what big-budget gaming means with one of the titans of AAA graphical fidelity, marred by a rocky launch. Yet, after 4 years, the game captivates us all. Was it all the dollars spent on Polish demoscene graphics programmers, fantastic voice acting, and Studio Trigger tie-ins?

    Pixel Array V (ft. UFO 50, Astro Bot, Home Safety Hotline, and more!)

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 3, 2025 120:55


    From Keighleys 2024 winners to Italian gamebook dozen-sellers. Craig: Lil' Gator Game, The Plucky Squire, Shadow Warrior 3, Road 96, Astro Bot Nate: Balatro on mobile updates, Another Crab's Treasure, 1000xResist, Final Fantasy XVI, Felvidek Pauly: 49 Keys, Home Safety Hotline, White Knuckle, NaissanceE

    Immortals of Aveum — Immoral Birds (AAA in 2025 Episode 1: What is AA?)

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 3, 2025 123:21


    Season 5 is all about AAA gaming in 2025, and in episode 1 we inspect the EA-published Immortals of Aveum, which was declared a commercial failure last year, with most of its studio laid off. What is going on in the game - can we find a reason for its lack of success? Is it actually an indie game in disguise, and is that what "AA" gaming is? Remap Radio interview with Bret Robbins

    Caravan SandWitch: French Touch

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 6, 2025 83:04


    We ride the cozy caravan into the storm in this charming open world. We ponder identity, coziness, and the differing texture between this and Sable.

    Still Wakes the Deep: Oil Rig Runaway

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 2, 2024 93:56


    We dive deep into the mind of a lekky on a crumbling North Shore oil rig as the otherworldly manifestation of our avoidance gives us a hard time.

    Silent Hill 2 Remake: Spoopy Szn '24

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 31, 2024 118:58


    We press through the fog of trauma.

    Pacific Drive: Rattle Royale

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 7, 2024 157:43


    We fall into the Olympic Peninsula trauma-bonded to a four-wheel Object of Power. Pacific Drive and the New Weird A Shell in the Pit's website Dear Dwery: Pacific Drive with Alexander Dracott

    Harold Halibut: Capitalism in Clay

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 2, 2024 140:34


    We probe the tender and potentially autistic-coded Harold Halibut, a German narrative game handmade with over 200kg of clay.

    Elden Ring: Neoliberal Dismay

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 5, 2024 160:29


    Three gamers absolutely fail to grok a cultural phenomenon that uniquely represents today's neoliberal world. Ordered map of Elden Ring Hustling Souls — Hard games and neoliberal catharsis Hollywood's Downfall Hidetaka Miyazaki on guides

    Indika: How not to be a nun

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 1, 2024 118:34


    We question the voice in our head during a surrealist existentialist Siberian adventure about faith and relationships, full of a lot of interesting and satisfying mechanics. This game has it all!

    Red Dead Redemption 2, Chess for Idiots, Star Trucker, The Thaumaturge — Pixel Array IV

    Play Episode Listen Later May 28, 2024 112:20


    We slay a major white whale. Pauly: Future Racer 2000/Silkbulb Test, Chess For Idiots, Asphalt Legends 9, Mullet Mad Jack, Star Trucker, racing sim updates Nate: Night Runners Prologue, 20 Small Mazes, Sheepy: A Short Adventure, Exophobia, NASCAR Heat 4 (bad), Exit 8, The Thaumaturge Craig: Cuccchi, Super Mario Maker 2, Super Mario Brothers Wonder, God of War Ragnarök: Valhalla, Red Dead Redemption 2

    Balatro: Solitaire-y Runs

    Play Episode Listen Later May 13, 2024 108:02


    We are gripped by poker-solitaire fever. Playing Balatro is Like Being Elon Musk on Ketamine

    VR DJing, racing sims, Persona 5, Jett: The Far Shore, Foam Stars — Pixel Array III

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 1, 2024 126:59


    The gang's all here! We cover racing sims, VR DJing, visual novels, aspirational Unity jank, and splatterfests. Automobilista 2, Assetto Corsa, Hotshot Racing, Vampire Survivors, Windy Meadow - a Roadwarden Tale, Slay the Princess, Jett: The Far Shore + Given Time, Foam Stars, Persona 5, virtual reality DJing feat. Vinyl Reality and Tribe XR, Killer Frequency Pauly Mallwear's Necrowave Nightmare DJ setThe Playdate PodcastMKBHD's podcast interview with Teenage Engineering

    The Talos Principle 2: Megastructures and Philosophy

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 18, 2024 160:15


    We regale in the deep philosophy and fantastic Yugoslav architecture of the Talos Principle 2.

    Forza Motorsport: Criticism Chicane

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 5, 2024 115:43


    We aim to hit the best line through Forza Motorsport, but end up off-track.

    Pixel Array II (ft. Playdate & 2023 GOTYs)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 3, 2024 107:52


    A celebration of the Playdate, as well as some retrospectives on 2023. We take a new approach to reviewing the year, with 6 categories of highlights and a look to the year ahead. Some of what we mentioned: Saturday Edition, Crankin's Time Travel Adventure, Forza Motorsport, Talos Principle 2, Chants of Sennaar, Marvel's Spider-Man 2, Tinykin, Super Mario Brothers Wonder, Jusant, Red Dead Redemption 2, Cities Skylines 2, and Baldur's Gate 3.

    Alan Wake 2: Postmodernism 101

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 5, 2023 152:31


    We attempt to fit Alan Wake 2 in the Alan-Wake-2-shaped-hole in Nate's heart labeled "POSTMODERN MEDIA THEORY".

    Dead Space Remake: Glen Schofield's Delight & Despair (ft. The Callisto Protocol)

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 6, 2023 125:37


    We remove all the limbs, and are not triggered by any of it. In a bonus segment, we also fail to escape prison.

    Oxenfree II: Confused about Parentage

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 2, 2023 99:30


    We visit Mortimer Goth's digs while creating a gorgeous but confusing [Loading...] bridge to the undead and time-warped.

    Pixel Array I (ft. Stranger of Paradise, Cult of the Lamb, and more!)

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 4, 2023 98:01


    A smattering of minisodes. We cover: Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin, Cult of the Lamb, Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores, and also, more quickly: Dear Esther, Resident Evil Village (demo), Venba, Madison Karrh's "Birth", The Master's Pupil, Terra Nil, Suzerain, Roadwarden, Dave the Diver (speculative), Inscryption, Haven, Deathloop, Star Wars Jedi Survivor, Viewfinder, Forza Horizon 5 & Rally Mexico/Hot Wheels DLCs, and Ace Attorney Chronicles. (Whew!

    Humanity: Mizuguchi's genre-morphing puzzler

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 7, 2023 88:51


    Craig has a blast being a dog.

    Alan Wake: Quantifying dickishness

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 3, 2023 110:35


    We gather to flesh out exactly how much of a jerk Alan Wake is - and to what ends. Alan Wake from the Control universe

    Hi-Fi Rush: The ultimate rhythm game

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 3, 2023 98:38


    Nate, Pauly, and Craig tango their way through the tensions between Finance and R&D.

    Pentiment: A historical, theological perspective

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 13, 2023 90:59


    We explore the historical and theological sides of Josh Sawyer's Pentiment with an enjoyer of all things Lutheran.

    Half-Life Alyx: Headcrab VR

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 6, 2023 135:47


    We journey deep into City 17 in true first person mode, and discover who employs the G-Man.

    Need For Speed Unbound: Unexpected politics

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 20, 2023 83:46


    We explore a procedural Chicago, in which we were twice joined by an open-hearted A$AP Rocky.

    God of War Duology: Walkthrough, thoughts, and Microsoft versus Sony in 2023

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 14, 2023 130:03


    We debrief both of the recent God of War games, with Craig thoroughly describing their plots, the context of their reemergence within Sony, and his (positive) feelings on an arc of gaming extending back to 2005 - all to a Sony outsider, Nate. We then examine Microsoft's attempts to mimic Sony's AAA successes.

    Disco Elysium: Bridging games and literature

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 1, 2022 182:29


    We journey to the hopeless glittering land of Revachol, where tides of history wash over citizens in ways we are unaccustomed to.

    Immortality: Interpretations & analysis

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 20, 2022 99:31


    We reconvene after giving Immortality some time, and ingesting some thinkpieces.

    Immortality: What happened?

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 27, 2022 82:21


    We gather and process all the stuff we absorbed in Sam Barlow's film fragment exploration game Immortality. In this episode, we explore the plot of each of the three films, posit some theories about what might be going on beneath the surface that connects them, and discuss how we felt about this experience as a game. In the next episode, we'll be armed with internet analyses for a deeper dive into the game and its cultural context.

    Final Fantasy VII Remake & Intergrade: The ultimate fandom's delight

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 17, 2022 106:03


    Join us as Will blows first-timer Craig's mind with just how much is going on in the Final Fantasy VII Remake part 1 and INTERmission Intergrade. Referenced pictures: one, and two

    In Space With Markiplier: Fun, exuberant, and maybe not a ‘game'

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 6, 2022 63:48


    We explore the limits of what is and is not a game with Sweet Radiant Markiplier's YouTube Originals series "In Space With Markiplier". In Space With Markiplier, part 1 In Space With Markiplier, part 2 Bloopers & Behind-the-scenes Corridor Crew + Markiplier Favorite Channels: Craig: Noclip, People Make Games, Writing On Games, Game Maker's Toolkit, MKBHD, Johnny Harris, Binging With Babish, Luke Thomas, Kinda Funny Nate: Regular Car Reviews ("Mr. Regular"), Numberphile, VHS Rallies Pauly: Pat Finnerty, StoneMountain64 and F.A.S.T Squad, CodeMiko (Vtuber), Paul's Hardware Will: Philip DeFranco, Corridor Crew, Jazza, Magnus Midtbø, Anton Fomenko, Crooked Media, Adam Savage

    Psychonauts 2: Turning the art dial on mental health to 11

    Play Episode Listen Later May 25, 2022 122:24


    We dive into the headspace of Tim Schafer as we stand divided over the Gruloat-ness (oof) of Psychonauts 2.

    Return of the Obra Dinn: Disappointing Lucas Pope

    Play Episode Listen Later May 7, 2022 95:49


    Will, Nate, and Craig fail to live up to Lucas Pope's hopes in his artsy and ambitious supernatural high seas detective followup to Papers Please.

    Paradise Killer: Vaporwave-adjacent murder whodunit

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 10, 2022 113:36


    Join Nate, Pauly, and Craig as we debrief the vaporwave-adjacent platform-walking simulator murder-mystery visual novel Paradise Killer, developed by Kaizen Game Works and released in September 2020. Road to IGF: Inside the fantastic murder-mystery design of Paradise KillerXGM Radio Episode 70 w/ Composer Barry "Epoch" ToppingMaking the Music of Paradise KillerInterview with Kaizen Game Works, Creators of Paradise KillerLudoNarracon livestream with Kaizen Game Works

    What Remains of Edith Finch: Exploring death in a potential walking simulator

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 4, 2021 94:03


    We process the deaths of 150 years in a labyrinthine house in Friday Harbor, Washington. Shall We Play a Game? podcast episode with Ian Dallas What's Good Games podcast episode, also with Ian Dallas Ólafur Arnalds, Icelandic musician. Pauly and Nate refer casually to his 2018 album re:member, a beautiful modern classical album performed with his software Stratos that uses generative algorithms to play secondary and tertiary accompanying pianos alongside his compositions.

    Death Stranding: Kojima's AAA walking simulator

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 14, 2021 78:08


    Craig and Nate attempt to break down Death Stranding, Kojima's spectacular big-budget walking simulator.

    GeoGuessr vs. Microsoft Flight Simulator: Processing 2020's vicarious travel experiences

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 24, 2021 63:22


    New host Robbie joins Nate and discusses the emotional impacts of two large presences in our year of Covid. Join us as we attempt to not only compare and contrast these two almost-games, but also philosophize and attempt to process why the experience of playing these two games felt somehow transcendant in a year of isolation, loneliness, confusion, and a void of travel. GeoGuessr, a free to play online gamified Google Maps Street View gameastronaut.io, a website that randomly serves unseen YouTube videos and somehow strikes a similar chord to GeoGuessr

    Kentucky Route Zero: The messy heart of American recession

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 26, 2021 159:55


    Join us as we sit down and debrief after Nate finally, finally gets his cohosts to play his utterly favorite game, Kentucky Route Zero. We talk about our perception of the themes and designers' intents in this labyrinthine surreal art of 5 acts, conceived and released over a decade in the wake of American recession. WEVP's Un Pueblo de Nada broadcast, also WEVP's broadcast history Tamas Kemenczy, GDC '14: The Scenography of Kentucky Route Zero Junebug's solo album Eggplant's 'Into the Depths' series on KRZ Justin Clark's tremendous GameSpot review Deep, moving, and critical reflections: Blake Hester: A Kentuckian ex-alcoholic's deep reflections on Kentucky as seen through Kentucky Route Zero; GameInformer, 11/25/2020 Amanda Hudgins: The anger, pain, and disgust of Kentucky Route Zero being the primary game experience about Kentucky, written by outsiders; Bullet Points Monthly, February 2020 (also see the other 3 articles in February 2020's edition) Nicholas O'Brien: On the themes of Kentucky Route Zero; Critical Distance, September 2019 (an analysis of the 4+ main themes of Kentucky Route Zero, with many journalism links supporting each) Carolyn Petit: Revisiting Acts I-IV while Desperately Looking for Work; Medium, January 2020

    SnowRunner: Beautiful vistas, large trucks, dramatic development

    Play Episode Listen Later May 23, 2021 63:24


    On our first episode recorded since 2017, we gather to discuss Snowrunner and its predecessors, off-roading games about driving trucks through miserably gorgeous terrain.Check out the Story Break episode proposing a movie based on Snowrunner! Naturally, it's a Tarkovsky flick.

    The Talos Principle (2014) vs. The Witness (2016)

    Play Episode Listen Later May 8, 2021 162:26


    This week we have a very interesting one, wherein we get deeply philosophical and compare J. Blow's own original The Witness and Croteam's somewhat less original The Talos Principle. If you're interested in some conversation about truly genius puzzles and truly genius game design from a questionable man, or Croatian developers absolutely sending it in terminal-based philosophy that it's apparently possible to not even read, then this is a great one.

    Need For Speed (2015)

    Play Episode Listen Later May 1, 2021 135:55


    This week, we take to the streets in 2015's return to form for a gigantic franchise that got so damn lost it even had a movie before examining its roots -- that's right, it's time for Need For Speed. They haven't added a 'the' out front yet, but they're close, folks.The theme this week is "Duck Wings Going Down in Smoke and Flames" by Duck Boy, a free album download from chipmusic.org off of his new album Unknown Command.

    Fallout 4 (2015)

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 24, 2021 134:22


    It's a trash heap of a game of things to collect today as we examine Fallout 4 and inevitably compare it to 3.

    Horizon Zero Dawn (2017)

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 17, 2021 118:26


    Horizon: Zero Dawn is Sony/Guerilla Games' triumphant return to... mascot platforming in the PS4 generation? Infinite cosplay generation? Just a darn good open world game with a great story and fiddly inventory, is the answer the intrepid crew this week settled upon. With great depth and a very interesting temporal setting, settle in with us as we discuss this wonderful game.

    Virginia (2016)

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 10, 2021 60:27


    Join Craig and Nate live and raw around an iPhone as they lavish Virginia with criticism and praise both immediately after finishing it. There will be fun times and sad times as they each respond with their most visceral, unprocessed responses to a fresh playthrough of Variable State's indie darling Virginia. (Editor's note: My (Nate's) opinions are very dumb in this episode. Oh, to be 5 years younger...)

    iphone variable state
    Uncharted 4: A Thief's End (2016)

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 3, 2021 171:24


    Conclude Nathan Drake's (and one arc of Emotive Pixels') journeys here with a long, rambley discussion of the best in the series, deserving a lower score than Uncharted 2.

    Never Alone/Kisima Inŋitchuŋa (2014)

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 27, 2021 130:15


    This is a 2021 release of a podcast from 2015, and in some ways has aged a little bit. Nate is our host this week, and he is so invested in the success of this game, he tends to override the other guests present on a couple key points. That being said, Never Alone is a 2014 game that features the traditional Iñupiaq tale "Kunuuksaayuka" as produced by Upper One Games, a for-profit studio underneath the nonprofit Cook Inlet Tribal Council. It won a BAFTA for "Game with the Best Impact", and we all have thoughts about just that - the impact of the gorgeous documentary mini-shorts as juxtaposed with the experience of playing the game. Join us in 2021 to look back at how novel this game felt in 2015! This podcast has minor spoilers for the following: Spec Ops: The Line Harry Potter book 7 Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons A Lil' Wayne song (almost) Final Fantasy 11 You have been warned! (You should have played Brothers before now anyway.)

    Castlevania: Lords of Shadow (2010)

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 20, 2021 121:28


    This episode of Emotive Pixels sees us, like so many others in the doldrums of 2020+, return to things left unfinished in our past. In this fine week from years past, we discuss Pauly favorite game Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, from 2010. Many things are said, it's unclear why Nate was here, and Craig loves God of War. Pauly leads the show this week with some discussions into the mechanics of this game, how it relates to other Castlevanias, and a very impressive award he bestows upon the game. Will brings interesting questions like the inspirations bordering on homages peppered throughout this game from design doc to architecture.

    Firewatch (2016)

    Play Episode Listen Later May 17, 2017 105:53


    Let's get back to nature with someone fresh from the cast of Mad Men.Relevant links!From "Irritable Heart" to "Shellshock": How Post-traumatic Stress Became a Disease (via Gizmodo)The theme this week is Linker, by our very own Pauly!

    The Beginner's Guide (2015)

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 13, 2017 86:46


    Join us for a discussion of The Beginner's Guide. This game is so complicated and so deep and so oddly emotional - whether funny or brutally devastating is really up to you, apparently - that we bring in a psychiatrist to help us sift through the experience. I'm having a hard time deciding exactly what to type here about this game; it's almost a divine experience certainly without parallel in the gaming space, an opinion I hold to the level of that for Kentucky Route Zero. The Beginner's Guide is not as much all about videogames as The Stanley Parable, but instead it's a game all about the making of games, the sustaining of the creative forces required to make such inhumanly exhausting projects that are such pieces of the creators' soul(s). I don't want to spoil this experience for any of you (spoiling is what listening to our podcast is for, after all), but take it from me: this is a game you should play if you've ever even considered the humans behind your games.We recommend listening to our The Stanley Parable podcast beforehand, the spiritual precursor to this game, also by Davey Wreden.Relevant links!Check out our own musician Pauly, whose song Unravishing is featured in this episode!Galactic Cafe: Davey Wreden's blog post about The Stanley ParableThe Artist is Absent: Davey Wreden and The Beginner's Guide - a truly amazing analysis video of The Beginner's Guide by Innuendo Studios on YouTube (33m)Errant Signal: The Beginner's Guide - another awesome breakdown analysis from the YouTube channel Errant Signal (20m) - watch this if you suspect Coda might be a real personThe theme this week is "The Func" by VCMG, a free download from chipmusic.org.The Will's Quiz Minute(tm) theme is Linker, also by beloved Pauly!

    Claim Emotive Pixels Podcast

    In order to claim this podcast we'll send an email to with a verification link. Simply click the link and you will be able to edit tags, request a refresh, and other features to take control of your podcast page!

    Claim Cancel