Girl Mode

This week, critic and essayist Autumn Wright joins Robin to talk about Lost Records: Bloom & Rage, a game about growing up as a queer woman that's just as messy as the real thing. We discuss how the game still works even when it's fraying at the edges and wonder whether the mid-budget talky game can survive even if Don't Nod doesn't.Timestamps:(00:20) Welcome Autumn!(24:50) Tape 1 ending spoilers(29:10) Tape 1 Spoilers end/Tape 2 spoilers begin(38:25) Tape 2 ending spoilers begin(1:17:05) Tape 2 spoilers end/Don't Nod and conversation games broadlyMusic:Street Food by FASSoundsMentioned this week:Autumn on Bloom and Rage Tape 1 and Tape 2Robin on Bloom and Rage Tape 1 and Tape 2Follow Autumn on BlueskyRead Autumn on UnwinnableTheWorstGarbage.onlineJoin The Worst Garbage Discord!Follow us and send us questions!Music Street Food by FASSoundsThings are bad right now, but you can help make them better. Please take some time to consider how you can help trans people, immigrants, and others targeted by our fascist government with this Big List Of Links. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we played a bunch of different games and now we're gonna talk about them. I don't know what else you want.Timestamps:(01:25) News we don't care about and jokes we do(03:00) Sunderfolk(21:10) Mandragora(29:30) Shadow of the Colossus(35:50) Metroid Prime(44:30) What have Willa and Robin been up to this week? (feat. Season of the Witch, The River Has Roots, Taco Bell Quarterly)Music:Street Food by FASSoundsMentioned this week:Sunderfolk Is An RPG Everyone Can Enjoy, But It Might Be Hard To LoveMandragora Is The Most Infuriating RPG I've Played This Year And I Can't Put It DownTheWorstGarbage.onlineJoin The Worst Garbage Discord!Follow us and send us questions!Music Street Food by FASSoundsThings are bad right now, but you can help make them better. Please take some time to consider how you can help trans people, immigrants, and others targeted by our fascist government with this Big List Of Links. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The worst February of our lives continues with the release of Hogwarts Legacy. We discuss how the media failed to take its significance seriously, why our reactions are about more than just a game, and why, yes, supporting it does make you a bad person. We cap off this week's fun-filled episode with a genuinely much cheerier segment recommending some great games by and about trans people that you should be playing instead.This episode touches on transphobia throughout. While there's no detailed discussion of any particular transphobic comments or acts, please proceed with caution.Timestamps:(00:00) Intro(04:40) The Flaco Report(07:35) Hogwarts Legacy or: Why your trans friends seem so mad lately(57:15) Robin tries and fails to recommend a game(1:00:00) Oh god no we're talking about Harry Potter again(1:03:40) Trans games you should play instead of Hogwarts Legacy(1:11:30) What have Willa and Robin been up to this week?Music:Street Food by FASSoundsMentioned this week:Five key takeaways from Supreme Court rulingUK Supreme Court Rules That Trans Women Aren't Women under the Equality Act 2010MermaidsGender IntelligenceStonewall Hogwarts Legacy does not deserve to be reviewed on its own merits - GamesHubThere Is No Magic in Hogwarts Legacy - WiredTrans Witches Are Witches bundleTrans game recommendationsTheWorstGarbage.onlineJoin The Worst Garbage Discord!Follow us and send us questions!Music Street Food by FASSoundsThings are bad right now, but you can help make them better. Please take some time to consider how you can help trans people, immigrants, and others targeted by our fascist government with this Big List Of Links. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Since we're sure you're not sick of hearing about the Switch 2, we're covering the Direct from a couple weeks ago before moving on to the Triple-i Initiative (featuring indie publisher Ubisoft) and a remake of The Talos Principle. Then, of course, Mets updates and baseball players who are “just roommates.”Timestamps(02:20) Switch 2 hardware(16:40) Switch 2 games(37:50) Triple-i Initiative(48:45) The Talos Principle(1:00:15) What else have Willa and Robin been up to this week? (feat. buying zines, Lagrange: The Flower of Rin-ne, and dotzip's Pale Dot episode)(1:09:00) The Mets/baseball players saying the f-slur updateMentioned this weekThe Triple-i InitiativeNeverwayInto the FireOpus: Prism PeakOver the HillA godawful Atlantic article we briefly make fun ofAlyssa Van HulleAmy LovvikKyle FewellNeve M.A.Teo SuzukiTuyetnhi P.Lagrange: The Flower of Rin-neExploring the Galaxy in Pale Dot - dotzipTheWorstGarbage.onlineJoin The Worst Garbage Discord!Follow us and send us questions!Music Street Food by FASSoundsThings are bad right now, but you can help make them better. Please take some time to consider how you can help trans people, immigrants, and others targeted by our fascist government with this Big List Of Links. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

While we take the week off, we're re-airing a 2023 interview with Rue Dickey, who's currently organizing the TTRPGs for Trans Right Ohio charity bundle on Itch.io. In the episode, Willa and Robin speak to Rue about a similar, very successful bundle they organized for trans charities in Florida two years ago.Listen in as we discuss the realities of fundraising, why tabletop games are so darn gay, what YOU can do to help queer people around you, and of course our mutual love of tieflings. Plus, Rue shares some of their personal picks from the 2023 bundle!Timestamps(00:10) What's going on this week(04:30) Our 2023 interview with RueMentioned this weekTTRPGs for Trans Rights - OhioKaleidoscope Youth CenterTransOhioA 2022 interview between Robin and RueRue's websiteZebra YouthTransinclusive GroupTheWorstGarbage.onlineJoin The Worst Garbage Discord!Follow us and send us questions!Music Street Food by FASSoundsThings are bad right now, but you can help make them better. Please take some time to consider how you can help trans people, immigrants, and others targeted by our fascist government with this Big List Of Links. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Nintendo sends off the Switch with one of the weirdest Directs ever and we're here to talk through the 30 percent of it that was actually interesting to us. Then, after a brainstorming session about Sabrina Carpenter and Xenoblade Chronicles, we half-heartedly predict what's coming at the Switch 2 Direct that you probably just watched.Timestamps(00:20) All of our beautiful boys are back(04:30) Sicko Direct(25:40) Our extremely noncommittal Switch 2 predictions(36:55) The only good games media news in the past two years(41:00) What else have Willa and Robin been up to this week? (feat. Xenoblade Chronicles X, Ice Cream Fever, Fringe)TheWorstGarbage.onlineJoin The Worst Garbage Discord!Follow us and send us questions!Music Street Food by FASSoundsThings are bad right now, but you can help make them better. Please take some time to consider how you can help trans people, immigrants, and others targeted by our fascist government with this Big List Of Links. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Willa and Robin are playing the game everyone is playing for the first and maybe last time this year. Then, a game where you kill God, and an awards show that doesn't make you want to kill the concept of video games.Timestamps(00:20) Assassin's Creed Shadows is pretty good for a AAA game(49:20) Light spoilers for one Assassin's Creed Shadows quest(51:30) Attacking and dethroning God in 33 Immortals(59:35) Sam Lake made me cry about video games at the GDC Awards(1:07:20) What else have Willa and Robin been up to this week? (feat. Expelled!, Deep Rock Galactic)Mentioned this weekIGF and GDC AwardsTheWorstGarbage.onlineJoin The Worst Garbage Discord!Follow us and send us questions!Music Street Food by FASSoundsThings are bad right now, but you can help make them better. Please take some time to consider how you can help trans people, immigrants, and others targeted by our fascist government with this Big List Of Links. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Willa and Robin have each played a big, anime-ass RPG, but only one turned out to be the right kind of boring.Timestamps(2:00) Atelier Yumia and the Bad Video Game Title(15:40) What does it mean to remake a game?(19:40) Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition(43:05) Reignbreaker, briefly(45:20) Itch wildfire relief bundle roundup(51:25) What else have Willa and Robin been up to this week? (feat. Eternal Strands, OMEN, riding bikes)Mentioned this weekSuikoden I And II HD Remaster Improves The Style, But Not The Substance, Of Two Classic RPGsPlanescape Torment: Never meet other people's heroesAnother Code: Recollection Creates a False Memory of the PastYou Can't Buy Final Fantasy These Days*SerreFuzz DungeonSuper Lesbian Animal RPGI don't think I've walked this stretch of road beforeOrb TowerOMENTheWorstGarbage.onlineJoin The Worst Garbage Discord!Follow us and send us questions!Music Street Food by FASSoundsThings are bad right now, but you can help make them better. Please take some time to consider how you can help trans people, immigrants, and others targeted by our fascist government with this Big List Of Links. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, certified Girl Mode Fave™ Emily Price joins Robin to talk about a few more Next Fest demos, 15th century Catholicism, playing soccer as a child, falling off mountains, what words to use to describe music, and why you should make a website. Check the links below for where to follow Emily!Timestamps(0:20) OMG it's Emily Price!(02:15) Next Fest chat(5:20) Unpacking yourself from capitalism/you should start a blog(10:45) Angeline Era(19:00) Blue Prince(31:00) Cairn(38:20) Despelote(47:30) Misericorde(54:55) Wanderstop(1:15:10) What else have Emily and Robin been up to this week? (feat. Under A Star Called Sun, Bitsy, a bunch of music)Mentioned this weekUnwinnableEmily's websiteEmily on bluesky17776Katie DeyMarika HackmanMannequin PussyJulie ChristmasThe Dracu-LasTheWorstGarbage.onlineJoin The Worst Garbage Discord!Follow us and send us questions!Music Street Food by FASSoundsThings are bad right now, but you can help make them better. Please take some time to consider how you can help trans people, immigrants, and others targeted by our fascist government with this Big List Of Links. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After a brief but important look into the state of milfs in Pokémon, we dive into our favorite demos from this year's quarter's Steam Next Fest.Timestamps(1:15) Talking about not talking bout Pokemon(04:00) Next Fest (05:20) Skulker(08:35) Neo Junk City(12:20) Moves of the Diamond Hand(13:50) Robin's roguelike corner (As We Descend, Shuffle Tactics, Creepy Redneck Dinosaur Mansion 3, Kaamos)(19:05) Demon Tides(22:00) Haste(24:50) Despelote(27:00) Wheel World(31:20) Static Dread(34:50) Desert Angels(37:20) To a T(39:45) Out and About(44:30) Is This Seat Taken?(47:00) Jitter(50:20) Dolls Nest(53:10) Children of Saturn(57:50) What else have Willa and Robin been up to this week? (feat. How Do We Relationship?, Split Fiction)TheWorstGarbage.onlineJoin The Worst Garbage Discord!Follow us and send us questions!Music Street Food by FASSoundsThings are bad right now, but you can help make them better. Please take some time to consider how you can help trans people, immigrants, and others targeted by our fascist government with this Big List Of Links. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

CW: Mentions of alcoholism in the Cabernet discussion (specifically from around 34:45 to 38:20)This week we're discussing Cabernet, a game with a lot to say about the social construction of vampires, the cyclical nature of authoritarianism, and blood play.Editor's note: I cut out us deciding not to discuss a game because we haven't played enough but left a few vague mentions of it in. It's Cage of Roses, by one of our favorite VN developers, ebi-hime, so it's probably good. I could go back and clean up the edit but who has the time?Timestamps(02:00) Cabernet(13:30) More explicit story spoilers for Cabernet(40:30) Vampyr(47:00) Bloodlines(54:20) What else have Willa and Robin been up to this week? (feat. Avowed, a smorgasbord of vampire recommendations)Mentioned this week:Secrets of the Voice Acting Process in CabernetVAMPYR: A COVID-19 Pandemic PerspectiveTheWorstGarbage.onlineJoin The Worst Garbage Discord!Follow us and send us questions!Music Street Food by FASSoundsThings are bad right now, but you can help make them better. Please take some time to consider how you can help trans people, immigrants, and others targeted by our fascist government:Call your elected officials to oppose anti-trans, anti-immigrant policies. It's so easy, we promise!Three big lists of trans advocacy orgs you should donate to and volunteer withHow to protect yourself and your neighbors from ICEThe Trans Literature Preservation ProjectLots of resources from Critical DistanceFind local mutual aid groupsGet free masks and Covid-19 testsHuge spreadsheets of mutual aid, justice orgs, and moreHow to Change Your Legal Name and Gender 101LGBTQ+ Healthcare DirectoryLet us know what we should add to this list! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We've watched the State of Play and played a bunch of games this week, so naturally we start off with an update on the 2005 Fantastic Four movie before getting to any of that.Timestamps(01:05) We're a Fantastic Four podcast now(04:00) State of Play(08:20) The ones we're kind of excited about(26:05) The State of Play(ing Overwatch)(34:40) Stories from Sol: The Gun-Dog(39:50) Of the Devil(44:20) Lost Records(54:00) Possible extremely vague Lost Records spoilers(59:10) Slightly less vague Lost Records ending spoilers(1:02:30) End of Lost Records spoilers(1:03:20) What else have Willa and Robin been up to this week? (feat. Death Becomes Her, Moves of the Diamond Hand, Birds of Prey, Ted Lasso)TheWorstGarbage.onlineJoin The Worst Garbage Discord!Follow us and send us questions!Music Street Food by FASSoundsThings are bad right now, but you can help make them better. Please take some time to consider how you can help trans people, immigrants, and others targeted by our fascist government:Call your elected officials to oppose anti-trans, anti-immigrant policies. It's so easy, we promise!Three big lists of trans advocacy orgs you should donate to and volunteer withHow to protect yourself and your neighbors from ICEThe Trans Literature Preservation ProjectTrans Joy Game JamLA Mutual Aid Network fire resourcesLots of resources from Critical DistanceFind local mutual aid groupsGet free masks and Covid-19 testsHuge spreadsheets of mutual aid, justice orgs, and morePrisonculture shares a lot of good resources on BlueskyHow to Change Your Legal Name and Gender 101LGBTQ+ Healthcare DirectoryLet us know what we should add to this list! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we spend an unbelievable amount of time talking about the Fantastic Four before remembering we're supposed to be a video game podcast and pivoting to World of Warcraft and Final Fantasy XIV. Then, Sony said we're not allowed to play Elden Ring, so we talk about some indies we've played instead.Timestamps(00:20) An incredibly long tangent on the Fantastic Four(13:35) A shorter tangent on the Mets(15:25) MMO corner with WoW and FFXIV(30:55) Sony tells gamers to go touch grass(35:20) What else have Willa and Robin been up to this week? (feat. The Roottrees Are Dead, The Mountain Is As It Always Was, Monarch)Mentioned this week:The Fantastic Four trailer we talk so much aboutIt's weird that HERBIE is hereWoW housing newsChristine Mi on itchEmerging from the Loam in worm girlfriend dating simulator - dotzipTheWorstGarbage.onlineJoin The Worst Garbage Discord!Follow us and send us questions!Music Street Food by FASSoundsThings are bad right now, but you can help make them better. Please take some time to consider how you can help trans people, immigrants, and others targeted by our fascist governmentCall your elected officials to oppose anti-trans, anti-immigrant policiesThree big lists of trans advocacy orgs you should donate to and volunteer withHow to protect yourself and your neighbors from ICEThe Trans Literature Preservation ProjectTrans Joy Game JamLots of resources from Critical DistanceFind local mutual aid groupsGet free masks and Covid-19 testsHuge spreadsheets of mutual aid, justice orgs, and moreLGBTQ+ Healthcare DirectoryLet us know what we should add to this list! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

BioWare is 30 years old and collapsing (relatable amirite) so we're talking about the legacy, decline, and doubtful future of a studio whose work we've both really enjoyed this week. Then, Willa has brainworms for a new anime movie and Robin has two certified sicko games to share with the class.Timestamps(01:45) Complaining/reminiscing about BioWare(33:50) Two quick, less depressing shoutouts for the Video Game History Foundation and Trans Joy Jam(39:00) What else have Willa and Robin been up to this week? (feat. The Colors Within, Eternal Strands, Techno Banter)Mentioned this week:BioWare Studio UpdateDigital Archive at VGHF LibraryArimia's blogTrans Joy Jam 2025TheWorstGarbage.onlineJoin The Worst Garbage Discord!Follow us and send us questions!Music Street Food by FASSoundsThings are bad right now, but you can help make them better. Please take some time to consider how you can help:Call your elected officials to oppose anti-trans, anti-immigrant policies. It's so easy, we promise!Three big lists of trans advocacy orgs you should donate to and volunteer withHow to protect yourself and your neighbors from ICEThe Trans Literature Preservation ProjectTrans Joy Game JamLots of resources from Critical DistanceFind local mutual aid groupsGet free masks and Covid-19 testsHuge spreadsheets of mutual aid, justice orgs, and morePrisonculture shares a lot of good resources on BlueskyHow to Change Your Legal Name and Gender 101LGBTQ+ Healthcare DirectoryLet us know what we should add to this list! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we played the sequel to one of our mutual favorite RPGs, and one of our most anticipated games of the year. Listen in to hear how that went, and be wary of spoilers! Check the timestamps! Take care, love you, bye.Timestamps(02:00) Non-spoiler Citizen Sleeper 2 thoughts(46:00) Citizen Sleeper 2 spoilers start here!!!(1:26:45) Citizen Sleeper 2 spoilers end here!!!(1:32:00) What else have Willa and Robin been up to this week?TheWorstGarbage.onlineJoin The Worst Garbage Discord!Follow us and send us questions!Music Street Food by FASSoundsThings are bad right now, but you can help make them better. Please take some time to consider how you can help trans people, immigrants, and others targeted by our fascist government:Call your elected officials to oppose anti-trans, anti-immigrant policies. It's so easy, we promise!Three big lists of trans advocacy orgs you should donate to and volunteer withHow to protect yourself and your neighbors from ICEThe Trans Literature Preservation ProjectTrans Joy Game JamLA Mutual Aid Network fire resourcesLots of resources from Critical DistanceFind local mutual aid groupsGet free masks and Covid-19 testsHuge spreadsheets of mutual aid, justice orgs, and morePrisonculture shares a lot of good resources on BlueskyHow to Change Your Legal Name and Gender 101LGBTQ+ Healthcare DirectoryLet us know what we should add to this list! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Since there's no big news from Nintendo or anything this week, we take this episode to go over last year's gaming predictions and try to correctly guess more than one thing that will happen in 2025. Then, as you could have predicted, Robin has no memory of the past week and Willa talks about yuri.Timestamps(01:15) Our great 2024 gaming predictions(19:00) Our hopefully better 2025 gaming predictions(35:20) What else have Willa and Robin been up to this week?Mentioned this weekThe Worst Game Jam 2025TheWorstGarbage.onlineJoin The Worst Garbage Discord!Follow us and send us questions!Music Street Food by FASSoundsThings are bad right now, but you can help make them better. Here are some links that can help you get started:LA Mutual Aid Network fire resourcesLots of resources from Critical DistanceFind local mutual aid groupsGet free masks and Covid-19 testsHuge spreadsheets of mutual aid, justice orgs, and morePrisonculture shares a lot of good resources on BlueskyHow to Change Your Legal Name and Gender 101LGBTQ+ Healthcare DirectoryLet us know what we should add to this list! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A new year is upon us, and everyone's decided to keep making video games. This week, we ease into 2025 by running down some of the games we're most excited about playing in the coming year.Timestamps(01:30) The Worst Garbage game jam announcement!!(05:30) Our 2025 most anticipated games(56:00) What else have Willa and Robin been up to this week?Mentioned this weekThe Worst Game Jam 2025Metroid Prime has been making gamers love reading since 2002TheWorstGarbage.onlineJoin The Worst Garbage Discord!Follow us and send us questions!Music Street Food by FASSoundsThings are bad right now, but you can help make them better. Here are some links that can help you get started:Lots of resources from Critical DistanceFind local mutual aid groupsGet free masks and Covid-19 testsHuge spreadsheets of mutual aid, justice orgs, and morePrisonculture shares a lot of good resources on BlueskyHow to Change Your Legal Name and Gender 101LGBTQ+ Healthcare DirectoryLet us know what we should add to this list! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's time once again for the most important and sincere awards show in all of gaming: The Girlies! Listen in as we hand out awards new and old, from Best Game That's Just Mid to Best Inanimate Object. Thanks to everyone who started listening or stuck with us in 2024! Happy New Year!!!Timestamps(00:30) What are we doing here?(02:40) The awards begin(1:39:45) GOTY discussionMentioned this weekThe thing they say they're mad at never actually mattersThe Way They Walk in LiberlUFO 50 review: the 8-bit era returns in this fantastic retro collectionSolace State and the Return of Bio-awareness in CyberpunkI Have No Mouth and I Must Scream: The Terror of TamagotchiGrief and Grace Along Route ZeroPlanescape Torment: Never meet other people's heroesAgeism in Games: Stop Calling Old Games Outdated: A Self-Review of AnodyneTheWorstGarbage.onlineJoin The Worst Garbage Discord!Follow us and send us questions!Music Street Food by FASSoundsThings are bad right now, but you can help make them better. Here are some links that can help you get started:Lots of resources from Critical DistanceFind local mutual aid groupsGet free masks and Covid-19 testsHuge spreadsheets of mutual aid, justice orgs, and morePrisonculture shares a lot of good resources on BlueskyHow to Change Your Legal Name and Gender 101LGBTQ+ Healthcare DirectoryLet us know what we should add to this list! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There's no way most of you little freaks ended up on the nice list this year, but we're bringing you a gift anyway. For this edition of our annual game swap, we're talking about 1000xResist and Lovely Lady RPG, two games with so little in common I can't even write a cute little quip comparing them here. Timestamps(02:30) 1000xResist(1:34:30) Fixer's Song by Alex Mah & A Sum(1:35:10) Lovely Lady RPG(2:37:20) Untitled by Lutzl & Digital Poppy(2:37:55) Willa and Robin haven't been up to anything else this weekMentioned this week1000xResist Lovely Lady RPGTalking for 5 Hours About 1000xResist - dotzipTheWorstGarbage.onlineJoin The Worst Garbage Discord!Follow us and send us questions!Music Street Food by FASSoundsThings are bad right now, but you can help make them better. Here are some links that can help you get started:Lots of resources from Critical DistanceFind local mutual aid groupsGet free masks and Covid-19 testsHuge spreadsheets of mutual aid, justice orgs, and morePrisonculture shares a lot of good resources on BlueskyHow to Change Your Legal Name and Gender 101LGBTQ+ Healthcare DirectoryLet us know what we should add to this list! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Game Awards found some exciting new ways to be disappointing this year, but Fumito Ueda also announced a game so who can really be that mad? We talk through this year's “awards show” then catch up with our mutual obsession, a game about fishing and wearing dresses.Timestamps(00:30) You do not have to hand it to Geoff(1:01:00) What else have Willa and Robin been up to? (feat. Infinity Nikki, Reverse 1999, Caves of Qud)Mentioned this weekThe Game Awards for Games Who Can't Afford the Game AwardsNext week we'll be discussing 1000xResist and Lovely Lady RPG!TheWorstGarbage.onlineJoin The Worst Garbage Discord!Follow us and send us questions!Music Street Food by FASSoundsThings are bad right now, but you can help make them better. Here are some links that can help you get started:Lots of resources from Critical DistanceFind local mutual aid groupsGet free masks and Covid-19 testsHuge spreadsheets of mutual aid, justice orgs, and morePrisonculture shares a lot of good resources on BlueskyHow to Change Your Legal Name and Gender 101LGBTQ+ Healthcare DirectoryLet us know what we should add to this list! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We watched the PC Gaming Show as an amuse-bouche for The Game Awards, and found a few games to pique our interest plus one to pique our anger. Then we talk through a handful of games we're either having fun with or anticipate doing so, and end by announcing our plans for the rest of the year, including what games we'll be discussing at length in the final episode of 2024!Timestamps(01:00) The ups and downs of the PC Gaming Show(26:10) Toem 2 & Prisma sure look cool(30:50) Dungeon crawling in Dungeon Antiqua (37:20) Having fun being nice in Infinity Nikki(46:20) Getting down to business (and announcing our annual game swap selections)(58:00) What else have Willa and Robin been up to? (feat. Sakura Quest, Girls Band Cry)Mentioned this weekIs it Wizardry? Is it Final Fantasy? No! It's Dungeon AntiquaKhara, Sunrise Animate Gundam GQuuuuuuX TV Series1000xResistLovely Lady RPGFinding the You Inside in Psychroma - dotzipTheWorstGarbage.onlineJoin The Worst Garbage Discord!Follow us and send us questions!Music Street Food by FASSoundsThings are bad right now, but you can help make them better. Here are some links that can help you get started:Lots of resources from Critical DistanceFind local mutual aid groupsGet free masks and Covid-19 testsHuge spreadsheets of mutual aid, justice orgs, and morePrisonculture shares a lot of good resources on BlueskyHow to Change Your Legal Name and Gender 101LGBTQ+ Healthcare DirectoryLet us know what we should add to this list! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're both sleepy from cooking and/or eating big meals this week, so we're meandering through a discussion of Fantasian Neo Dimension, Sony's latest bad idea, and Ewan McGregor's penis.Timestamps(00:40) Willa's gonna tell you a little bit about Thanksgiving(05:15) Fantasian Neo Dimension and Final Fantasy chat(22:55) Arcane Season 2 (is bad)(32:50) The PS5P(38:30) Slitterhead minute(41:00) What else have Willa and Robin been up to? (feat. The Golden Compass, Velvet Goldmine, Stonetop)Mentioned this weekJapanese RPGs are thriving this decade, so why isn't Final Fantasy?Listen to Mel StoneTheWorstGarbage.onlineJoin The Worst Garbage Discord!Follow us and send us questions!Music Street Food by FASSoundsThings are bad right now, but you can help make them better. Here are some links that can help you get started:Lots of resources from Critical DistanceFind local mutual aid groupsGet free masks and Covid-19 testsHuge spreadsheets of mutual aid, justice orgs, and morePrisonculture shares a lot of good resources on BlueskyHow to Change Your Legal Name and Gender 101LGBTQ+ Healthcare DirectoryLet us know what we should add to this list! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we're mainly talking about Final Fantasy XIV Mobile and The Game Awards. Guess which one we get really riled up about. Timestamps(01:50) FF14 Mobile (22:20) An incredibly cynical look at The Game Awards(52:40) The Indie Game Awards seem cool-ish(57:30) What else have Willa and Robin been up to? (feat. Threshold, Sudden Death, Neurokino Retrograde, Wicked)Mentioned this weekLiz Ryerson on The Indie Game AwardsThresholdSudden DeathNeurokino RetrogradeTheWorstGarbage.onlineJoin The Worst Garbage Discord!Follow us and send us questions!Music Street Food by FASSoundsThings are bad right now, but you can help make them better. Here are some links that can help you get started:Lots of resources from Critical DistanceFind local mutual aid groupsGet free masks and Covid-19 testsHuge spreadsheets of mutual aid, justice orgs, and morePrisonculture shares a lot of good resources on BlueskyHow to Change Your Legal Name and Gender 101LGBTQ+ Healthcare DirectoryLet us know what we should add to this list! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we're doing Game Awards discourse, playing a couple new and not-so-new games, and showing preferential treatment toward one listener with a return to our email pile.Timestamps(01:15) Who handles the fire in your relationship?(4:40) It's Game Awards discourse season!(23:00) Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is fine(27:10) Dragon Quest 3 (but not the one you're thinking of)(35:50) Sorry We're Closed looks better than it feels(42:35) Reading Ashley's email(1:05:30) What else have Willa and Robin been up to? (feat. Look Back, riding bikes, generic fantasy)Mentioned this weekStunning Anime Look Back Appreciates the Work of ArtWilla's blogTheWorstGarbage.onlineJoin The Worst Garbage Discord!Follow us and send us questions!Music Street Food by FASSoundsThings are bad right now, but you can help make them better. Here are some links that can help you get started:Lots of resources from Critical DistanceFind local mutual aid groupsGet free masks and Covid-19 testsHuge spreadsheets of mutual aid, justice orgs, and morePrisonculture shares a lot of good resources on BlueskyHow to Change Your Legal Name and Gender 101LGBTQ+ Healthcare DirectoryLet us know what we should add to this list! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Listen. We're not doing great and we suspect you're not either. After a brief chat about the election and Willa's recent layoff, we dive into Mouthwashing, an emotionally challenging game that made us both feel like shit and is undoubtedly one of the year's best. If you're looking for something positive to do with your energy after you've processed the results of the election, check the end of the shownotes for some hopefully helpful links.Timestamps(00:30) What a week it's been (derogatory)(01:20) Hey please take care of each other, things are pretty fucked(07:45) The second annual layoff spectacular(11:05) Cheering ourselves up with Mouthwashing, the saddest game ever made(25:20) Mouthwashing spoilers begin [CW: mentions of sexual assault, suicide, alcoholism](55:20) Spoilers for Silent Hill 2 and Signalis, somehow(1:04:00) The Mouthwashing scene that gave Robin a mental breakdown(1:11:30) What else have Willa and Robin been up to? (feat. Dungeon Inn, Witching Stone, Arcane season 2)Mentioned this weekTen Free Ebooks for Getting FreeThis post from Rowan ZeoliSome help changing your name and gender markerWilla's blogTheWorstGarbage.onlineJoin The Worst Garbage Discord!Follow us and send us questions!Music Street Food by FASSoundsThings are bad right now, but you can help make them better. Here are some links that can help you get started:Lots of resources from Critical DistanceFind local mutual aid groupsGet free masks and Covid-19 testsHuge spreadsheets of mutual aid, justice orgs, and morePrisonculture shares a lot of good resources on BlueskyHow to Change Your Legal Name and Gender 101LGBTQ+ Healthcare DirectoryLet us know what we should add to this list! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's our second anniversary AND our 100th episode, a scheduling feat you wouldn't believe was on purpose even if we tried to convince you it was. We take the time to answer some questions sent in by listeners over the past year, touching on our favorite games and inspirations, some podcasting inside baseball, and of course, the Mets.Thanks for listening!!Timestamps(03:45) First gaming loves and breaking our parents' rules(11:55) The Girl Mode canon(18:50) Sports games and comics(26:20) Our critical inspirations(32:50) X-Men by Girl Mode Studios(36:45) Fixing the video game timeline(44:00) Finding our podcasting voice/underdiscussed games/the Mets as RPG protagonists(56:10) Thanks for listening!(59:25) What else have Willa and Robin been up to? (feat. Dragon Age: The Veilguard, The Vampire Lovers, Late Night with the Devil)TheWorstGarbage.onlineJoin The Worst Garbage Discord!Follow us and send us questions!Music Street Food by FASSoundsWe stand for a free Palestine, and against the occupation, oppression, and genocide perpetrated against its people.Please consider donating or otherwise standing up to support Palestinians in the wake of Israel's attacks.Gaza FundseSims for GazaMedical Aid for PalestiniansPalestine Red Crescent SocietyPalestine Children's Relief FundDemand a ceasefire from your representativesGame Assist's "Gamers for Palestine" resource packetCartoonist Cooperative's e-SIM fundraiser Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With her parasocial World Series hopes dashed, Willa has returned to the podcast to talk shit about Overwatch and the U.S. Copyright Office and listen to Robin yap about Dragon Age and Webfishing. Timestamps(02:00) The final Mets update(07:50) Overwatch 2 wants to be Overwatch 1 (and it should)(13:35) All our homies hate the Entertainment Software Association(22:45) Dragon Age: The Veilguard is pretty alright(40:10) Dragon Age spoilers begin(55:15) Webfishing is the best game in the world(58:15) Masahiro Sakurai's video game school is closed(1:02:00) What else have Willa and Robin been up to? (feat. a whole bunch of vampire movies and The VVitch)Mentioned this weekFulfilling Our Promise in Signalis w/ Girl ModeCan an online library of classic video games ever be legal?What's New in Game History!Steam's Strange New Online Fishing Game Is Like Animal Crossing's Evil TwinWebfishing is the ultimate yapping gameMasahiro Sakurai on Creating Games: Finale SpecialTheWorstGarbage.onlineJoin The Worst Garbage Discord!Follow us and send us questions!Music Street Food by FASSoundsWe stand for a free Palestine, and against the occupation, oppression, and genocide perpetrated against its people.Please consider donating or otherwise standing up to support Palestinians in the wake of Israel's attacks.Gaza FundseSims for GazaMedical Aid for PalestiniansPalestine Red Crescent SocietyPalestine Children's Relief FundDemand a ceasefire from your representativesGame Assist's "Gamers for Palestine" resource packetCartoonist Cooperative's e-SIM fundraiser Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Willa has taken a vow of silence in honor of her beloved Mets, so this week Robin is joined by writer, editor, and podcaster Rachel Watts! Our giggly, tangent-filled conversation covers our favorite demos from the most recent Steam Next Fest, with lots of recommendations for promising upcoming indie games. Timestamps(00:30) Hello Rachel Watts!(03:45) Citizen Sleeper 2(08:15) *computer voice* Wormhole(14:25) Great God Grove(21:20) 30 Birds(27:20) Scarlet Deer Inn(34:15) Proverbs(38:20) Keep Driving(45:50) Touch Type Tale(50:55) Sorry We're Closed(56:50) Mainframes (59:50) Is This Game Trying to Kill Me?(1:08:00) Trip (1:13:30) Spilled!(1:18:05) What else have Rachel and Robin been up to? (feat. touching grass and Barbarian)Mentioned this weekRick Lane's Demo DiscRachel and Robin's demo listsFollow Rachel on Twitter and BlueskyListen to IndieventureTheWorstGarbage.onlineJoin The Worst Garbage Discord!Follow us and send us questions!Music Street Food by FASSoundsWe stand for a free Palestine, and against the occupation, oppression, and genocide perpetrated against its people.Please consider donating or otherwise standing up to support Palestinians in the wake of Israel's attacks.Gaza FundseSims for GazaMedical Aid for PalestiniansPalestine Red Crescent SocietyPalestine Children's Relief FundDemand a ceasefire from your representativesGame Assist's "Gamers for Palestine" resource packetCartoonist Cooperative's e-SIM fundraiser Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We got to play one of our mutual most anticipated games of the year this week and were apparently the only people not won over by its big sad wolf. We also talk about how fucking good Citizen Sleeper still is, and cover a new tabletop-inspired tactics game that's very fun but maybe a little misguided.Timestamps(1:00) Let's continue going Mets (5:20) Neva didn't make us cry, it just make us bored(25:00) Neva spoilers begin(31:25) Neva spoilers end(39:30) I can't believe Citizen Sleeper 2 is good(1:00:30) Sunderfolk is fun, but who is it for?(1:29:10) What else have Willa and Robin been up to this week? (feat. Joker: Folie à deux, Birds of Prey, Rings of Power, As We Descend)Mentioned this weekRobin on Neva and SunderfolkWilla on Neva and SunderfolkTheWorstGarbage.onlineJoin The Worst Garbage Discord!Follow us and send us questions!Music Street Food by FASSoundsWe stand for a free Palestine, and against the occupation, oppression, and genocide perpetrated against its people.Please consider donating or otherwise standing up to support Palestinians in the wake of Israel's attacks.Gaza FundseSims for GazaMedical Aid for PalestiniansPalestine Red Crescent SocietyPalestine Children's Relief FundDemand a ceasefire from your representativesGame Assist's "Gamers for Palestine" resource packetCartoonist Cooperative's e-SIM fundraiser Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we've both played some games but none of the same ones, so we're telling each other about Echoes of Wisdom, Metaphor: Refantazio, UFO 50, and (extremely briefly) Diablo 4. And yes, we also talk about the Mets.Timestamps(01:05) The Mets are getting close (to the world series)(09:40) Echoes of Wisdom(30:20) Metaphor: Refantazio(56:00) UFO 50 (1:10:40) One minute of Diablo 4(1:12:20) What else have Willa and Robin been up to this week? (feat. More Than a Married Couple But Not Lovers, Horimiya, We Had No Rules, Will & Harper)TheWorstGarbage.onlineJoin The Worst Garbage Discord!Follow us and send us questions!Music Street Food by FASSoundsWe stand for a free Palestine, and against the occupation, oppression, and genocide perpetrated against its people.Please consider donating or otherwise standing up to support Palestinians in the wake of Israel's attacks.Gaza FundseSims for GazaMedical Aid for PalestiniansPalestine Red Crescent SocietyPalestine Children's Relief FundDemand a ceasefire from your representativesGame Assist's "Gamers for Palestine" resource packetCartoonist Cooperative's e-SIM fundraiser Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A runtime this long can only mean one thing. Our X-Men series continues this week as Willa and Robin examine the comics of noted shithead Joss Whedon. You can follow along with this week's visual learning material here.If you're new to the show (hi, hello, so glad you're here), you may want to listen to the rest of our X-Men history lessons here before diving in!Episode 26: Giant-Size Girl-Mode #1Episode 38: The Sisterhood of Evil PodcastersEpisode 56: Castle of LesbianismEpisode 72: Goin' Down to Mutant TownTheWorstGarbage.onlineJoin The Worst Garbage Discord!Follow us and send us questions!Music Street Food by FASSoundsWe stand for a free Palestine, and against the occupation, oppression, and genocide perpetrated against its people.Please consider donating or otherwise standing up to support Palestinians in the wake of Israel's attacks.Gaza FundseSims for GazaMedical Aid for PalestiniansPalestine Red Crescent SocietyPalestine Children's Relief FundDemand a ceasefire from your representativesGame Assist's "Gamers for Palestine" resource packetCartoonist Cooperative's e-SIM fundraiser Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Robin and Willa have both played The Plucky Squire, a kids' game with some questionable puzzle design that we're both pretty fond of nonetheless. Then we talk about some things we're considerably less fond of, namely, just about every decision PlayStation has made recently (except a beautiful new controller).Timestamps(00:50) More Mets news(04:20) The main event (The Plucky Squire)(25:20) Plucky Squire spoilers begin(32:20) Plucky Squire spoilers end(42:10) Sony being Sony (releasing unnecessary remasters)(48:25) We will stop complaining about Astro Bot when Sony sends us PlayStation anniversary controllers(52:10) What else have Willa and Robin been up to this week? (feat. The People's Joker, Steam Deck x PlayStation Remote Play)Mentioned this weekThe Plucky Squire: The Kotaku ReviewUFO 50 review: the 8-bit era returns in this fantastic retro collectionPirate Kart Dot ComIndiepocalypseHorizon Zero Dawn and Freedom Wars Remasters Show the Ups and Downs of the Remake TrendTheWorstGarbage.onlineJoin The Worst Garbage Discord!Follow us and send us questions!Music Street Food by FASSoundsWe stand for a free Palestine, and against the occupation, oppression, and genocide perpetrated against its people.Please consider donating or otherwise standing up to support Palestinians in the wake of Israel's attacks.Gaza FundseSims for GazaMedical Aid for PalestiniansPalestine Red Crescent SocietyPalestine Children's Relief FundDemand a ceasefire from your representativesGame Assist's "Gamers for Palestine" resource packetCartoonist Cooperative's e-SIM fundraiser Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we played Astro Bot, a cheerful platformer/Sony commercial that everyone loves. After predictably finding a lot not to love about it, we run through the rest of our week, careening wildly from Chappell Roan to Flappy Bird and more.Timestamps(00:20) Hello new listeners(06:25) Let's go Mets!(08:30) Astro Bot, brought to you by Sony(41:00) News grab bag (fun edition)(46:00) Robin played some cool indie games (feat. Pyrene, Caravan Sandwitch)(52:00) News grab bag (bad edition)(57:40) What else have Willa and Robin been up to this week? (feat. Hayao Miyazaki and the Heron, Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves)Mentioned this weekAstro Bot is a Colorful Playground Built on Top of Studios Sony CrushedCheck Out This Amazing Paintbrush Controller Someone Made For FF14's Brush-Wielding PictomancersPyrene Combines Two Popular Genres to Build Something Totally UniqueCaravan SandWitch Is A Slow-Paced Journey I'd Gladly Take AgainAnnapurna Video-Game Team Resigns, Leaving Partners ScramblingFlappy Bird Is Back But This Time It SucksTheWorstGarbage.onlineJoin The Worst Garbage Discord!Follow us and send us questions!Music Street Food by FASSoundsWe stand for a free Palestine, and against the occupation, oppression, and genocide perpetrated against its people.Please consider donating or otherwise standing up to support Palestinians in the wake of Israel's attacks.Gaza FundseSims for GazaMedical Aid for PalestiniansPalestine Red Crescent SocietyPalestine Children's Relief FundDemand a ceasefire from your representativesGame Assist's "Gamers for Palestine" resource packetCartoonist Cooperative's e-SIM fundraiser Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After an exciting announcement about the podcast, we have a wide-ranging show this week, covering the return of sword discourse, two recent PlayStation games we feel weird about, and some brief thoughts on a whole bunch of news that broke this week. Timestamps(00:30) We're officially garbage(04:30) Echoes of Wisdom and the return of sword discourse(19:50) RIP Concord(27:50) Astro Bot looks like a cheerful nightmare(33:20) Willa's gone space fishing(36:00) FFXIV players get weird about a trans woman(40:00) Arcane season 2 looks good as hell(42:40) What is Dragon Age: The Veilguard is good?(52:30) What else have Willa and Robin been up to this week? (feat. Rings of Power, Twin Peaks)Mentioned this weekNintendo Needs a Reason for the Girl to be the HeroConcord's rocky launch is less complicated than you thinkAstro Bot - Bot On Melancholy HillHow Apex Legends made its first trans woman more than “the transition story”TheWorstGarbage.onlineJoin The Worst Garbage Discord!Follow us and send us questions!Music Street Food by FASSoundsWe stand for a free Palestine, and against the occupation, oppression, and genocide perpetrated against its people.Please consider donating or otherwise standing up to support Palestinians in the wake of Israel's attacks.Gaza FundseSims for GazaMedical Aid for PalestiniansPalestine Red Crescent SocietyPalestine Children's Relief FundDemand a ceasefire from your representativesGame Assist's "Gamers for Palestine" resource packetCartoonist Cooperative's e-SIM fundraiser Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today's episode, we're feeling normal about last week's sicko-centric Nintendo Direct double feature. We cover a surprisingly stacked set of announcements, revisit the dating sim discourse that will never die, and predictably have different reactions to a re-release of a certified Old Person Game.Timestamps(01:30) Two normal people talk about the Indie World Showcase(14:00) Date Everything and the return of dating sim discourse(23:50) Nintendo Direct: Dorks and Losers Edition(49:20) What else have Willa and Robin been up to this week? (feat. Alien: Romulus, dotzip's 1000xResist episode, The Rings of Power, and Star Wars Outlaws)Mentioned this weekdotzip talks for five hours about 1000xResistFollow us and send us questions!Music Street Food by FASSoundsWe stand for a free Palestine, and against the occupation, oppression, and genocide perpetrated against its people.Please consider donating or otherwise standing up to support Palestinians in the wake of Israel's attacks.Gaza FundseSims for GazaMedical Aid for PalestianiansPalestine Red Crescent SocietyPalestine Children's Relief FundDemand a ceasefire from your representativesGame Assist's "Gamers for Palestine" resource packetCartoonist Cooperative's e-SIM fundraiser Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Willa makes her triumphant return and we celebrate by talking about everything we liked and mostly didn't from Gamescom Opening Night Live. We cover takes both good and bad, commit to playing yet another game we definitely don't have the time for, and run through the best (and in one case worst) of what we've been playing, watching, and eating this week.Timestamps(02:40) Gamescom sure did happen(05:40) We love shorter(ish) games(11:30) Secret Levels looks whatever(25:50) Peter Molynieux please never change(29:00) This time for sure for real we will play Monster Hunter(31:20) Misc. Gamescom(41:20) Willa's plane games (feat. A Highland Song, Arranger)(47:00) The duality of Square Enix (feat. Visions of Mana, Final Fantasy Tactics Advance)(57:20) What else have Willa and Robin been up to this week? (feat. Christopher Nolan's entire filmography, Forever by Charly Bliss, and a baking revelation)Mentioned this weekShorter standalones like Dying Light: The Beast are "the future of games"A List Of Every Game Featured In Amazon's Promising ‘Secret Level' ShowSo yeah, since we recorded this, Wizards of the Coast walked back its most recent idiotic move. Here's a great explainer from Ash Parrish on the whole debacle: D&D publisher walks back controversial changes to online toolsVideo game lawyer Haley Maclean explains copyright lawMonument Valley 3 Looks So Good You Might Actually Remember Netflix Games ExistsFollow us and send us questions!Music Street Food by FASSoundsWe stand for a free Palestine, and against the occupation, oppression, and genocide perpetrated against its people.Please consider donating or otherwise standing up to support Palestinians in the wake of Israel's attacks.Gaza FundseSims for GazaMedical Aid for PalestianiansPalestine Red Crescent SocietyPalestine Children's Relief FundDemand a ceasefire from your representativesGame Assist's "Gamers for Palestine" resource packetCartoonist Cooperative's e-SIM fundraiser Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With Willa fleeing the country for reasons I can't disclose here, Into the Aether cohost Brendon Bigley stopped by to chat this week! We cover Shy Guy Surfing, Brendon's most formative childhood game, the surprising 2024 release he can't stand, and of course, where the key grips stand on Star Trek: The Next Generation.Timestamps(00:30) What's your deal, man?(16:00) Shy Guy Surfing and other actual games(20:30) The game that made Brendon(33:00) Shit-talk corner(40:00) The Deadlock Saga(54:00) What else have Brendon and Robin been playing/doing? (feat. a game I don't want to spoil, Fields of Mistria, Man I Just Wanna Go Home, and Minishoot Adventures)Mentioned this weekWe played Valve's secret new shooter, DeadlockThe Bright Sword is a Radiant Reimagining of Arthurian Legend Brendon's blog, Wavelengths.onlineListen to Into the Aether!Follow us and send us questions!Music Street Food by FASSoundsWe stand for a free Palestine, and against the occupation, oppression, and genocide perpetrated against its people.Please consider donating or otherwise standing up to support Palestinians in the wake of Israel's attacks.Gaza FundseSims for GazaMedical Aid for PalestianiansPalestine Red Crescent SocietyPalestine Children's Relief FundDemand a ceasefire from your representativesGame Assist's "Gamers for Palestine" resource packetCartoonist Cooperative's e-SIM fundraiser Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Borderlands the movie is out and we couldn't be more excited to hear about how terrible it is. After that, we realize that a sequel to The Order 1886 would be the best game ever, get cautiously excited about two newly announced spiritual sequels, and talk about a couple of new games we actually liked.Timestamps(01:30) A vault full of disappointing bullshit(15:00) The Order 1986(24:00) ONE BTN BOSSES(27:30) Creatures of Ava(35:00) Dishonored 3, kind of(40:30) Is this Terranigma 2?(45:20) What else have Willa and Robin been up to this week?Follow us and send us questions!Music Street Food by FASSoundsWe stand for a free Palestine, and against the occupation, oppression, and genocide perpetrated against its people.Please consider donating or otherwise standing up to support Palestinians in the wake of Israel's attacks.Gaza FundseSims for GazaMedical Aid for PalestianiansPalestine Red Crescent SocietyPalestine Children's Relief FundDemand a ceasefire from your representativesGame Assist's "Gamers for Palestine" resource packetCartoonist Cooperative's e-SIM fundraiser Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Shockingly, the news remains bad, so we're keeping it short this week for the good of all of our mental health. We cover the Olympics, Star Wars Outlaws, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon, and another awful week for the games industry and games media.Timestamps (01:00) I guess this is a sports podcast now(11:50) Maybe Star Wars Outlaws will be good?(15:40) Let's get sad! (RIP Game Informer, fuck GameStop forever)(21:20) We're transitioning into Pokémon(29:50) Let's get sad again (RIP a bunch of Bungie staff, fuck Pete Parsons forever)(32:40) What else have Willa and Robin been up to this week? (feat. SteamWorld Heist II, Babel by R.F. Kuang)Follow us and send us questions!Music Street Food by FASSoundsWe stand for a free Palestine, and against the occupation, oppression, and genocide perpetrated against its people.Please consider donating or otherwise standing up to support Palestinians in the wake of Israel's attacks.Gaza FundseSims for GazaMedical Aid for PalestianiansPalestine Red Crescent SocietyPalestine Children's Relief FundDemand a ceasefire from your representativesGame Assist's "Gamers for Palestine" resource packetCartoonist Cooperative's e-SIM fundraiser Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Like most weeks, there's a lot of bad news this week, as we talk through the death by restructuring of Humble Games and Ubisoft making everything worse by both-sidesing racism. Then we pull out of a nosedive with a SAG-AFTRA strike and the formation of a massive game dev union at Blizzard, complete with a little union 101 session courtesy of a listener's questions and quotes from World of Warcraft senior producer Samuel Cooper!TimestampsThis is already coming in late so no timestamps, sorry!Mentioned this weekAssassin's Creed Developers Didn't Have To Explain Their GameKazuma Hashimoto on Ubisoft bullshitHumble Games Lays Off All Employees, Carries On In Name OnlyHumble Games ‘Restructuring' Shows There's No Easy Answer to Gaming's Layoff CrisisWorld of Warcraft Devs Form Blizzard's First Wall-to-Wall Union 3 Years After WalkoutFive Years Later, Fire Emblem: Three Houses' Best Character Is Still EdelgardFollow us and send us questions!Music Street Food by FASSoundsWe stand for a free Palestine, and against the occupation, oppression, and genocide perpetrated against its people.Please consider donating or otherwise standing up to support Palestinians in the wake of Israel's attacks.Gaza FundseSims for GazaMedical Aid for PalestianiansPalestine Red Crescent SocietyPalestine Children's Relief FundDemand a ceasefire from your representativesGame Assist's "Gamers for Palestine" resource packetCartoonist Cooperative's e-SIM fundraiser Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're running through some news updates first this week, from alarming details about the death of one of the best game studios ever to Overwatch's latest attempt to convince us it's good again. Then we talk through some recent games we've been getting into, and by recent we mean some of them are 20 years old.Timestamps(00:20) The Mets are not doing great(03:20) Spooky scary bag head man update(8:20) Japan Studio you will live forever in our hearts(13:00) Congrats Bethesda *The Internationale begins playing*(16:00) Juno came from space to make Willa play Overwatch again(21:30) Recent games roundup (feat. Riven, The Star Named Eos, Jeanne d'Arc, Cataclismo, Diablo 2, Nobody Wants to Die)(49:00) What else have Willa and Robin been up to this week? (feat. Spy x Family, Mayonaka Punch, Interview With A Vampire, An Education in Malice)Mentioned this weekOverwatch 2's new space girl healer takes the throne as one of the most strategically satisfying heroes in the game.45 Parabellum Bloodhound TrailerParasite Eve-Inspired Cyberpunk Game Announced, Looks Cool As HellFollow us and send us questions!Music Street Food by FASSoundsWe stand for a free Palestine, and against the occupation, oppression, and genocide perpetrated against its people.Please consider donating or otherwise standing up to support Palestinians in the wake of Israel's attacks.Gaza FundseSims for GazaMedical Aid for PalestianiansPalestine Red Crescent SocietyPalestine Children's Relief FundDemand a ceasefire from your representativesGame Assist's "Gamers for Palestine" resource packetCartoonist Cooperative's e-SIM fundraiser Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There's lots of news to cover this week, so we're spending half an hour talking about Endwalker instead. Also the Mets missed their shot this week and we're bummed about it.Timestamps(00:30) Having a non-apocalyptic one(01:30) Mets update(04:00) Spooky scary bag head man(07:00) Xbox Game Pass sucks now(16:40) Jeanne d'Arc hive rise up(19:00) Willa finished Endwalker/Tons of FFXIV spoilers(45:20) What else have Willa and Robin been up to this week? (feat. Flock, Spy x Family, Assassins)(57:00) Mets update updateMentioned this weekIs Xbox Game Pass really worth it anymore?Final Fantasy 14's Post-Endwalker Story Feels Like A Mini-Expansion In The Best WayFlock Is A Delightfully Chill Birdwatching Game I Can't Stop PlayingFollow us and send us questions!Music Street Food by FASSoundsWe stand for a free Palestine, and against the occupation, oppression, and genocide perpetrated against its people.Please consider donating or otherwise standing up to support Palestinians in the wake of Israel's attacks.Gaza FundseSims for GazaMedical Aid for PalestianiansPalestine Red Crescent SocietyPalestine Children's Relief FundDemand a ceasefire from your representativesGame Assist's "Gamers for Palestine" resource packetCartoonist Cooperative's e-SIM fundraiser Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're halfway through 2024, so this week we're running through our GOTFHOTY (Game of the First Half of the Year) picks and of course talking shit on this year's most beloved games that we don't like.Timestamps(00:30) Copious table setting(03:30) Six months of being haters (the worst game of the year)(19:00) Games we need to go back to(24:00) Underrated games(26:20) Surprise Mets break(28:00) Back to 1000xResist (and more underrated games)(34:00) Lots of Hoyoverse talk(46:00) What we're looking forward to in the next six months(51:20) What else have Willa and Robin been up to this week?Mentioned this week"Rapid-Onset Gender Dysphoria" Part 1: The Cooties Theory of Transgender Identity‘The Bear' Season 3 review: Carmy bears down on success, with uneven resultsThe Bear Season 3 Premiere is A Messy Amuse-BoucheFollow us and send us questions!Music Street Food by FASSoundsWe stand for a free Palestine, and against the occupation, oppression, and genocide perpetrated against its people.Please consider donating or otherwise standing up to support Palestinians in the wake of Israel's attacks.Gaza FundseSims for GazaMedical Aid for PalestianiansPalestine Red Crescent SocietyPalestine Children's Relief FundDemand a ceasefire from your representativesGame Assist's "Gamers for Palestine" resource packetCartoonist Cooperative's e-SIM fundraiser Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As usual, we kick things off this week with Willa's thoughts on the Mets, then move into Willa's thoughts on Endwalker (which she likes less than the Mets). After an Alan Wake detour, we then dive into the excruciating but still funny Shadow of the Erdtree difficulty discourse and other meandering thoughts about Elden Ring. Let's go Mets!Timestamps(00:30) Willa is here to talk about the Mets(11:30) Endwalker is generally bad, but also good (or vice versa)(29:40) Night Springs is also good(35:50) *sigh* Elden Ring difficulty discourse(56:50) Baseball loreMentioned this weekFinal Fantasy XIV: Endwalker Was A Flawed Finale I'll Never ForgetIf Shadow of the Erdtree Feels Too Hard, Try Playing Like Hidetaka MiyazakiElden Ring balance update makes the first half of the DLC easier, so you don't have to be as good as games journalistsJose Iglesias singing OMG!Elden Ring streamers Robin has been watching: Alyska, elliejoypanic, ohlindsey, skyytea, wraffFollow us and send us questions!Music Street Food by FASSoundsWe stand for a free Palestine, and against the occupation, oppression, and genocide perpetrated against its people.Please consider donating or otherwise standing up to support Palestinians in the wake of Israel's attacks.Gaza FundseSims for GazaMedical Aid for PalestianiansPalestine Red Crescent SocietyPalestine Children's Relief FundDemand a ceasefire from your representativesGame Assist's "Gamers for Palestine" resource packetCartoonist Cooperative's e-SIM fundraiser Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We survived the game showcase gauntlet and our reward is one more game showcase — but good this time! This week is a Nintendo Direct spectacular covering everything from the Apple Arcade jailbreak to the surprisingly controversial Legend of Zelda game where we finally get to fucking play as Zelda.Timestamps(01:00) Nintendogz, Catgirl Simulators, and the Nintendo Direct(04:10) Mario and Luigi: Brothership(09:00) Fantasian and Hello Kitty escape Apple Arcade (plus “other stupid announcements”)(19:00) Dragon Quest trilogy(32:00) Metroid Prime 4 and the Nintendo Switcheroo(36:20) Put some respect on Zelda's name(59:50) What else have Willa and Robin been up to? (feat. Metroid Prime and Arcane)Mentioned this weekPrincess Zelda Doesn't Need A Sword to Be A Hero In The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of WisdomSend us questions!Music Street Food by FASSoundsWe stand for a free Palestine, and against the occupation, oppression, and genocide perpetrated against its people.Please consider donating or otherwise standing up to support Palestinians in the wake of Israel's attacks.Gaza FundseSims for GazaMedical Aid for PalestianiansPalestine Red Crescent SocietyPalestine Children's Relief FundDemand a ceasefire from your representativesGame Assist's "Gamers for Palestine" resource packetCartoonist Cooperative's e-SIM fundraiser Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fresh off SGF, we're covering even more showcases this week, with Ubisoft Forward and Willa's takes on the Tribeca games selection. We're also running down some great Steam demos for games that should be on our radar. And if that's not enough for you, Into the Aether invited us to be guest hosts this week (for some reason) along with Emily Price, Tamoor Hussain, and AJ Fillari, so please check it out!!!Timestamps(00:40) We're on Into the Aether baybeee!(02:50) Half of Girl Mode is excited for Star Wars Outlaws(10:45) Both of us are intrigued by Assassin's Creed Shadows(19:20) Some of our favorite Next Fest demos! (feat. Tormenture, One Button Bosses, Dice & Fold, Whimel Academy(36:30) Willa's field report from Tribeca Festival(1:06:45) What else have Willa and Robin been up to? (feat. Ring Fit Adventure and Valorant on console)Mentioned this weekListen to us on Into the Aether!Willa previews darkwebSTREAMER, Neva, and Skate StorySend us questions!Music Street Food by FASSoundsWe stand for a free Palestine, and against the occupation, oppression, and genocide perpetrated against its people.Please consider donating or otherwise standing up to support Palestinians in the wake of Israel's attacks.Gaza FundseSims for GazaMedical Aid for PalestianiansPalestine Red Crescent SocietyPalestine Children's Relief FundDemand a ceasefire from your representativesGame Assist's "Gamers for Palestine" resource packetCartoonist Cooperative's e-SIM fundraiser Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're rounding up some of last weekend's game showcases, and mostly focusing on what we actually liked there for once! Despite Geoff Keighley's dire warnings, SGF was pretty good this year, at least according to Robin who's typing this right now. Then, Willa walks us through her demo of Citizen Sleeper 2, which Robin is definitely not envious of, before Joanna Dark barges in.Timestamps(00:40) Welcome to Keigh3(02:00) How to watch (and not watch) games showcases(11:00) Games we liked at SGF (feat. Neva, Blumhouse games, Alan Wake, Outersloth, and more)(30:30) Games we liked at Day of the Devs (feat. basically everything at Day of the Devs)(44:30) Picking a bone with Devolver (48:20) Honorable mention for Ebitapes(52:50) What else have Willa and Robin been up to this week? (Willa's Citizen Sleeper 2 preview)(1:07:20) The Perfect Dark interruption (not in real time because there was a lot of dead air)(1:10:55) What else have Willa and Robin been up to this week? (Robin played some demos)Mentioned this weekCitizen Sleeper 2 Ups The Ante With A Bigger And More Dangerous WorldHow the fight for bodily autonomy shaped 2022's most fascinating video gameSend us questions!Music Street Food by FASSoundsWe stand for a free Palestine, and against the occupation, oppression, and genocide perpetrated against its people.Please consider donating or otherwise standing up to support Palestinians in the wake of Israel's attacks.Gaza FundsMedical Aid for PalestianiansPalestine Red Crescent SocietyPalestine Children's Relief FundDemand a ceasefire from your representativesGame Assist's "Gamers for Palestine" resource packetCartoonist Cooperative's e-SIM fundraiser Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

OK, this episode is very late so I'm posting it without show notes or you'd have to wait even longer. We talked about Summer Game Fest and how Geoff Keighley wants you to calm down about it, State of Play and how we wish someone would have warned us it would be bad ahead of time, and an inexplicable amount of baseball. Enjoy!Watch Drawfee's charity stream June 8 at 2 p.m. EasternSend us questions!Music Street Food by FASSoundsWe stand for a free Palestine, and against the occupation, oppression, and genocide perpetrated against its people.Please consider donating or otherwise standing up to support Palestinians in the wake of Israel's attacks.Gaza FundsMedical Aid for PalestianiansPalestine Red Crescent SocietyPalestine Children's Relief FundDemand a ceasefire from your representativesGame Assist's "Gamers for Palestine" resource packetCartoonist Cooperative's e-SIM fundraiser Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Robin had too much coffee and she's here to YELL. Fortunately, there's plenty to YELL about, from Neil Druckmann (again) to AI (again) to layoffs (again). After lots of shouting, we finally talk about a whole bunch of things we actually liked this week to prove that we're not haters 100% of the time.Timestamps(1:10) More like Neil Suckmann am I right(11:20) The Hellblade 2 detour(22:40) And one more thing about Neil Druckmann(29:00) The Minecraft detour(32:00) IGN, what the fuck are you doing?(45:00) Games you should and shouldn't play (feat. Paper Trail, Duck Detective, The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles, and The Rogue Prince of Persia [I keep saying Evil Twin when I mean Evil Empire])(1:08:00) What else have Willa and Robin been up to this week? (feat. the spy thriller genre, Jenny Nicholson, and I Saw the TV Glow)Mentioned this weekFollow Alice Bell and Brendan SinclairThat very bad Neil Druckmann interview (lmao they pulled this down, here's our annotated version)Druckmann's unedited transcriptThe Spectacular Failure of the Star Wars HotelThe Buzzy A24 Film Making Trans and Queer Viewers Feel SeenA very good review of I Saw the TV Glow I found after recordingAnd an interview with Jane Schoenbrun on Gender RevealFollow us and send us questions!Music Street Food by FASSoundsWe stand for a free Palestine, and against the occupation, oppression, and genocide perpetrated against its people.Please consider donating or otherwise standing up to support Palestinians in the wake of Israel's attacks.Medical Aid for PalestianiansPalestine Red Crescent SocietyPalestine Children's Relief FundDemand a ceasefire from your representativesGame Assist's "Gamers for Palestine" resource packetCartoonist Cooperative's e-SIM fundraiser Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We spent this week playing some great demos at Ludonarracon so we're running down a few of the best that you should have on your list! Then, we check in on some disappointing changes and Mountain Dew-flavored events coming to Final Fantasy XIV!Timestamps(1:20) Our favorite Ludonarracon (not Next Fest) demos(42:30) FFXIV Live Letter, RIP Astrologians(1:04:30) Reminder: Lorelei and the Laser Eyes is very good(1:08:00) What else have Willa and Robin been up to this week?Mentioned this week9 Demos You Need To Play During Steam's LudoNarraCon 2024Uh-oh, I Already Hate What Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail Is Doing To This JobSend us questions!Music Street Food by FASSoundsWe stand for a free Palestine, and against the occupation, oppression, and genocide perpetrated against its people.Please consider donating or otherwise standing up to support Palestinians in the wake of Israel's attacks.Medical Aid for PalestianiansPalestine Red Crescent SocietyPalestine Children's Relief FundDemand a ceasefire from your representativesGame Assist's "Gamers for Palestine" resource packetCartoonist Cooperative's e-SIM fundraiser Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're starting the week with bad news, including some pretty shocking layoffs at Microsoft, but it gets better from there. We move next through some of the best indie releases of the week before ending with the best indie game of the year, Lorelei and the Laser Eyes.Timestamps(1:00) Somehow, Stray Gods returned(4:00) Microsoft fucked up(19:00) A fantastic week for indie games(35:00) We're seeing it all through Laser EyesMentioned this weekLorelei and the Laser Eyes reviews from Robin and Willamaybe you'll find me by theydevilSend us questions!Music Street Food by FASSoundsWe stand for a free Palestine, and against the occupation, oppression, and genocide perpetrated against its people.Please consider donating or otherwise standing up to support Palestinians in the wake of Israel's attacks.Medical Aid for PalestianiansPalestine Red Crescent SocietyPalestine Children's Relief FundDemand a ceasefire from your representativesGame Assist's "Gamers for Palestine" resource packetCartoonist Cooperative's e-SIM fundraiser Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.