Idle Weekend

It’s been a little while since we Idle Weekended, but for good reason! Your fearless hosts have been going through some *life stuff* and playing games that help us cope. Get ready for some talk about comfort games, the place of challenge and difficulty, and getting our brains into better spaces. Welcome back to the weekend! Discussed: Into the Breach, World of Warcraft, Total War, mental health, Sonic Mania, Animal Crossing, health, Assassin’s Creed: Origins, State of Decay 2, Dishonored 2, The Americans, The Last Jedi, Blade Runner 2049, biases in media, New Girl, Party Down, GLOW

We consider a favorite archetype of ours in sci-fi: the sensitive badass! Rob and Danielle talk gender in sci-fi, the ways in which Farscape and the Expanse rock our socks, and why Thor is a whole lot more awesome than Guardians of the Galaxy. Discussed: The Expanse, John Wick, Farscape, Thor: Ragnarok, Thor, Guardians of the Galaxy volume 2, Black Panther, Edge of Tomorrow, Sicario, Uncharted series, Uncharted 2, Uncharted: Lost Legacy, Hitman, Ghost Recon: Wildlands, Star Wars: The Last Jedi

It’s been too long, friends. But we have a solid, meaty Idle Weekend for you, ripe with discussions of long-running franchises we have a long relationship with, our trials in not ruining games for ourselves, and the utterly bananas part time work experiences gained by working for weirdos. It’s Idle Weekend all right! Discussed: Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze, Total War Saga: Thrones of Britannia, Total War Rome II, Total War: Medieval, Into the Breach, The Evil Within 2, Kitchen Confidential, SuperStore

On this belated episode of Idle Weekend (Danielle is sorry for the wait), we discuss the things that really just do it for us—and the alternative, the games that leave us cold. It’s a very hot and cold weekend here, just like real life! Sort of! Discussed: The Division, Surviving Mars, Black Maps: The American Landscape and the Apocalyptic Sublime, Into the Breach, The Martian, Tropico, Star Trek, Dude Watching with the Brontes - Hark, a Vagrant!, Daniel Ortberg’s Texts from Jane Eyre, The Muppet Christmas Carol, Goodfellas, The Punisher, Bringing Out the Dead, Legion

Rob and Danielle take some time from playing the latest and greatest to do things they enjoy even more: play old games that actually scratch the right itches. It’s like 2007 all over again in here! Discussed: BioShock, BioShock 2, BioShock Infinite, Warcraft 3, The Hour, War Thunder, Don’t Starve, The Hour, Mindhunter

Rob and Danielle regale one another with tales of TV shows (and movies, and books, and games!) that they weren't too keen on at first, but those frowns turned upside down with a little persistence. Discussed: Brooklyn 99, Crazy Ex Girlfriend, Altered Carbon, Game of Thrones, Tombs of Atuan, The Expanse novels, The 100, 2312, Rubicon, All Our Asias

This week, we welcome freelance writer Dia Lacina to the Idle Weekend world in order to discuss lesser entries in franchises or series that everyone shits on, but we love them. There’s a whole lot of Star Trek Talk in this one, a serious appreciation for Michael Mann’s Manhunter, and a slew of delicious trashcan eclairs. Discussed: Star Trek Voyager, Star Trek: Enterprise, The Bourne Legacy, Manhunter, Banjo-Tooie, BioShock 2, Dark Souls 2, Jupiter Ascending, Guardians of the Galaxy, Legend of Galactic Heroes, Bloodborne, Forever Knight, The City in the City by China Mieville, Dark Matter

What dark depths lie under bright futures we like to imagine? That, and other lofty questions, are addressed on this episode, where we look at the authoritarian side of the sci-fi we love, the colonialism of games we’re enjoying, and the very difficult question of what on earth to do with David Cage Games. Quick content warning: this episode contains discussion of sexual harassment and abuse in media. Discussed: They are Billions, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Roadside Picnic, Battlestar Galactica, Dark Matter, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Black Mirror, Cory Doctorow’s Piece on Cold Equations and Moral Hazards, Quantic Dream and David Cage, Louie CK, James Franco, Person of Interest, Thimbleweed Park

with copy! Idle Weekend 1/21/18 It’s Back, Baby! This weekend, we talk about what it takes to make a game come back into the conversation, even if it’s just our little corner of the internet. It’s because we have a little Bloodborne on the brain, and a little Darkest Dungeon in the hands. And Strangers Things afoot. Note! Rob’s audio is a little funky in this episode, but he’ll have his proper mic back next week. Discussed: Bloodborne, Dark Souls, Darkest Dungeon, Stardew Valley, LA Noire, Night in the Woods, GTA V, BioShock: Infinite, Life is Strange: Before the Storm, Quantic Dream, Battlestar Galactica (with spoilers!), Counting Crows, Star Wars, Blade Runner: 2049, Stranger Things, The Shape of Water

This weekend, we extol the virtues of consoles and games that change our relationship to games, in honor of Rob’s newfound love of the Nintendo Switch. We also get into some good questions about gender stereotypes and game preferences, and profess a deep love of 20s gangster period pieces. Discussed: Nintendo Switch, Breath of the Wild, Stardew Valley, LA Noire, Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle, Peaky Blinders, Boardwalk Empire

In the extreme(ly bad) weather, it’s important to note one thing: we all have to work together to survive. Hence, we recount our favorite games and movies with extreme weather, from the comfort of our snowed-in houses. Discussed: Max Payne, The Grey, The Long Dark, Kona, The Division, Super Mario 3D World, Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Nightwing, Grayson, In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex

The Idle Weekenders bid this crappy year adieu with the help of friend and colleague Cameron Kunzelman. They talk home settings in games, from the cozy confines of Stardew Valley’s quaint town, to the too-millennial aspirations of later Sims, to the much wackier ways in which horror games set family life. Then, we talk some serious trash about White Christmas and other fabulous trashcan eclairs. Like Dark Matter. Discussed: Stardew Valley, Zelda: Breath of the Wild, The Quiet Year, Crusader Kings, Animal Crossing, Wolfenstein: The New Colossus, Resident Evil 7, Tacoma, Hyper Light Drifter, Playerunknown's Battlegrounds, White Christmas, Dark Matter

Rob and Danielle survived a truly, comically terrible fall to podcast again! We chat about the too-realness of Night in the Woods, going home for the holidays, and the games and movies that have made the last few months vaguely tolerable. Merry Holiday time to you all! (Mild content warning for discussion of domestic abuse in I, Tonya) Discussed: Night in the Woods, Dishonored: Death of the Outsider, Tacoma, Prey, I, Tonya, Thor: Ragnorok, A Christmas Gift

Danielle and Rob are here, in Idle Weekend-land, a very good place, to discuss... The Good Place (spoilers abound), and many other games, shows, and movies that do twists well. Discussed: The Good Place, Mad Men, The Visit, Blade Runner, Momento, The Prestige, Westworld, BioShock, BioShock Infinite, Prey, Edith Finch, SOMA, Dishonored: Death of the Outsider, Mass Effect 3, Forza 7, Valor, Hidden Agenda

Rob and Danielle both had delightful woodland experiences to recount this weekend, as well as stories about gaming happy places (like Prey) and a beloved movie—Blade Runner. The first one. Don't worry, we'll talk about the new Blade Runner soon! Discussed: F1 2017, Game of Thrones (the board game), Prey, Blade Runner: The Final Cut, Blade Runner: The Director's Cut

Sometimes, you have to pay to play. Danielle returns from glorious Scotland to regale Rob with tales of sightseeing, martial arts, and Mario Vs. Rabbids, while Rob has many vacation tales of his own, including the time he was too tall to ride Space Mountain. Both Weekenders learn of childhoods similarly spent in gay seaside resort towns, and everyone is interested in good sitcoms. It's a very idle weekend indeed! Discussed: Saugatuck MI, Ogunquit ME, Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle, Forza 7, Warhammer: Total War, A Link to the Past, Link's Awakening, Half-Life 2, X-com (original game), Dishonored, The Good Place, Father Ted

Idle Weekend is back! After a too-long lapse where PAX happened and we all worked too much, Rob and Danielle return to what they know best: talking about Star Trek, Farscape, and immersive sims. After a riveting discussion of criminally under-utilized licenses in games and the new Dishonored, they open a heavy mailbag and an especially exciting discussion of weekend projects. Discussed: Battlestar Galactica Deadlock, Battlestar Galactica, Star Trek (TOS), Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek Voyager: Elite Force, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Farscape, Dishonored: Death of the Outsider, Guy Fieri, Wonder Woman, Vienna Blood: A Max Lieberman novel, The Sheriff of Babylon, Starfighter (comic)

In this fine installment of Idle Weekend, we get really excited about (GOTY) Prey, the finest damned immersive sim this side of the solar system. Rob has finished it, and we spoil the hell out of the ending. We also talk about fun sleepover games: the games of our younger years that we enjoyed on an all-night basis with buddies. It's a very happy episode of idle Weekend! Prey Spoilers! Discussed: D&D, Donkey Kong Country, Perfect Dark, Sonic 3, Prey, BioShock 2, Kingsman: The Secret Service, The Dark Knight Rises, Jane the Virgin, WWE, Lucha Libre, Dunkirk, Atomic Blonde, On the Move (autobiography by Oliver Sacks)

In honor of the Mooch, we go through our gaming torrid affairs: games we had a very brief, very intense love affair with. Sometimes, these things just don't work out. Discussed: Kingdom, No Man's Sky, Empire: Total War, Mass Effect 3, What Remains of Edith Finch, Ruse, 10 Cloverfield Lane, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets

This weekend, we wade into the game engine kerfuffle with opinions, context, and that characteristic Idle Weekend spice. Then, we go hard into a discussion of weekend projects, with action movies, professional wrestling, and combat sports. Like you do on a gaming podcast! Apologies this episode went up late, and double apologies for a missing episode last week. More Idle Weekend is on the way! Discussed: game engines, Mass Effect Andromeda, Ultimate General: Civil War, John Wick 2, Kingsman: the secret service, GLOW, Game of Thrones, WWE, Lucha Underground, Japan Pro

Rob and Danielle meet for an overdue weekend after a Rob's cross-country move. Rob's been getting re-acclimated by playing a lot of MLB The Show 17 and discovers it's like watching baseball with a cool, knowledgeable friend. But a discussion of sports leads to a discussion of Boston sports and their deserved reputation for racism. But somehow, Xander Cage makes it all okay. Discussed: MLB The Show 17, Animal Crossing, Boston sports

We survived E3! That's reason enough to do a horror-themed episode this weekend, thanks to a nifty demo for Distrust. We take a lovely tour through some of our favorite, terrifying game experiences, with a light sprinkling of film. Then, we move on to our mailbox and dig into two very exciting weekend projects. Note: we had some slight mic issues this episode. Discussed: Distrust, Alien: Isolation, It Follows, Alien, Lost, The Babadook, Prey, System Shock 2, Alan Wake, Soma, Her Story, Doom III, Gabriel Knight II, Xena: Warrior Princess, 24 Hours of Le Mans, Orange is the New Black

This weekend, we're all about going really fast in pretty places. We discuss our favorite racing games, spurned on by a couple of recent humdingers, Dirt 4 and Wipeout Omega Collection, and Rob's love of F1. Discussed: Wipeout Omega Collection, Dirt 4, Codemasters' Formula 1 series, Dirt 2, Dirt 3, Split/Second, Road Redemption, Mario Kart, Diddy Kong Racing, Sonic and Sega All Stars Racing, Rad Racer, Side Effects, LadyKiller in a Bind, Anna Anthropy's Triad, Lip Service, The Hunger, American Gods, Michael Chabon, Farscape, The Americans, The Good Wife, Turn, Wonder Woman.

This weekend, we decided to talk about hard-stops in games. The things that make us look a game in the face, in disbelief or exasperation, and break up with them on the spot. We also dig in on music we love in games, sexism in sports and action movies, and two films we are feeling hot and cold on, often at the same time! Discussed: Endless Space 2, The Witness, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, Demon's Souls, Dark Souls 3, The Longest Journey, Yooka-Laylee, Prey, Wolfenstein: The New Order, Max Payne, Mission: Impossible 2, Godzilla (2014), Alien: Covenant, Prometheus

This weekend, we are still obsessed with Prey, the Immersive Sim in Space that could. We also chat about other fine games: like Dishonored 2 and Deus Ex, and we close out with a discussion of TV shows we're not 100% sure we like—it sure is an Idle Weekend, folks! Discussed: Prey, Dishonored 2, Xcom 2, Fallout, Civilization, Zelda: Breath of the Wild, The Crew, Perfect Dark, Deus Ex, Alpha Centauri, Transmetropolitan, Children of Men, Space Hulk, Disney Afternoon Collection, Privateer, Riverdale, Fargo, Apocalypse Now

This episode is either really early, or really late, and either way, you can place the blame entirely on Prey for being so goddamned awesome. We talk Prey, space lesbians, immersive sims in general, and, a little more about problematic media! Content warning for mentions of partner abuse in The Witcher 3, and a reference to sexual assault in Ghost Recon: Wildlands. Discussed: Prey, The Witcher 3, Ghost Recon: Wildlands, American Gods, Side Effects

This weekend, we're talking about games that are old... but despite our approaching them with the trepidation befitting older, jankier software, they hold up like a dream. Elsewhere, we talk about difficult media (again, with a content warning for the mention of movies that depict sexual assault), and really, REALLY enjoy our weekend projects. Discussed: Alpha Centauri, The Last Express, Brutal Legend, System Shock, Tex Murphy, Mass Effect: Andromeda, Assassin's Creed, LA Noire, Persona 5, sexism at E3, Dawn of War 3, Cloud Atlas, Jessica Jones, GNOG

This weekend, we are exploring our other selves. Our gaming selves, silly, not some Jungian archetype business. When is role-playing not even really role-playing, but... something else entirely? Discussed:Expedition: Viking, Bloodborne, Dishonored, Mass Effect, BioShock, Fallout, Zelda: Breath of the Wild, The Eagle's Heir, The Witcher 3, Firewatch, Gone Home, Sunless Sea, Agents of Shield, The Dialogue Box Podcast

How much do game players know? Do they know things? Let's find out! We wade into a minor kerfuffle online about how much devs like to disclose about tech, and then, we dip into some serious territory in the weekend correspondence and projects. Please note! There is some fairly heavy talk about sexual assault and rape in movies and TV in this episode. Discussed: Horizon Zero Dawn, Mass Effect: Andromeda, The Dialogue Box podcast, Idle Thumbs, Containers, Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Wildlands, Eminem, Roman Polanski, Crimes and Misdemeanors, Chapelle's Show, Remember the Night, The Thing, The Fall, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, Say Anything, Notting Hill, Blade Runner, Billions, Colony, Occupied

This weekend, we get good and mad about genres that just happen to be from the decade when we were kids/teens, that get stomped all over. Genres like the 3D platformer and the FMV. Why? Because some people on the internet are besmirching the good name of our dearest Banjo and/or Tex. Don't worry, we have plenty to say about newer games as well! Discussed: Yooka-Laylee, Super Mario 64, Banjo-Kazooie, Banjo-Tooie, Conker's Bad Fur Day, Psychonauts, FMV Adventure, Tex Murphy, Gabriel Knight 2: The Beast Within, Wing Commander 3, Contradiction: Spot the Liar, C&C: Red Alert 3, Mass Effect: Andromeda, Uncharted 2, Nier: Automata, Life is Strange, The Uncle Who Works at Nintendo, Caprica

Yes, this is something of a make-up episode, since we have been tardy lately. Comically so! But that won't stop us from discussing things that we stick with, even if we don't think they're super great. Related: we appreciate that YOU stick with us, even when we aren't super great about being on schedule. Discussed: Caprica, Snake Pass, Battlestar Galactica, The Bridge (FX series), Jay Cutler of the Chicago Bears, The Young Pope, Nier, Nier: Automata, The Last Express, Ashes (comic), The paintings of Mark Tansey at the Broad Museum

Danielle would like to apologize for the tardiness of this episode. But! There is a lot of good stuff here, as we discuss games that have made us fall in love with the format all over again. It’s an all-gaming Idle Weekend! You can find Norco: Faraway Lights (one of our Weekend Projects) here: yutsi.itch.io/norcodemo Discussed: Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Nier: Automata, Afghanistan 11, Dead Space, Persona 4, Norco: Faraway Lights

Both Rob and Danielle are playing a LOT of games: so many that there aren't even any letters in this episode. This week features a freewheeling discussion of Ghost Recon: Wildlands, genre-jumping in long-running franchises like Resident Evil and Zelda, and open-world design. We only barely mention The Witcher 3 in this one! Discussed: Ghost Recon: Wildlands, Resident Evil, Dead Space, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Kona, The Campaigns of Napoleon by David G. Chandler, They Can't Kill Us All by Wesley Lowry

It's a very special Idle Weekend, because, not only is Danielle at PAX, but Rob is finishing his first week as an editor at Waypoint! We talk PAX, open-world solutions and games that deal with death in this special, blitz-edition of the show. Note: please don't yell at Danielle for her somewhat crappier-than-usual audio, her travel mic isn't as amazing as her home mic. Discussed: PAX, Final Fantasy X, Final Fantasy VIII, Life is Strange, The Witcher 3, Zelda: Breath of the Wild, The Americans, The Expanse, Olen Steinhauer's mysteries

Today, we are joined by Waypoint Editor in Chief, mech enthusiast and friend of the show Austin Walker, for a whopping 2+ hour idle weekend extravaganza. We talk deconstruction in games, Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and The Wire, amongst other things. Stay tuned for a *VERY SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT* at the end of the show!

This weekend, we welcome special guest Evan Narcisse to the show, to talk comics, games and books. We're especially interested in conflict in games and comics that *doesn't* come from cartoon bad guys, but instead, a slightly more realistic—and complex worldview. There's a lot of Archie in this one. Also! Here's the link Evan talks about when we discuss one very special episode of The Expanse Season 2: http://io9.gizmodo.com/the-expanses-executive-producer-tells-us-everything-tha-1792685368 Discussed: Archie Comics, Riverdale, The Lego Batman Movie, Dishonored 2, Life is Strange, Horizon Zero Dawn, Get Out, Legion, The Expanse

This weekend, we talk about our fatal flaws in gaming: sometimes, we need to learn to just use our goddamn BFGs. In other media, we're both digging Legion, and the violent stylings of one John Wick. Discussed: Hearts of Iron IV, Doom, Dark Souls III, Alien: Isolation, Prey, terrible childhood fables, fitness, agile development, Batman: Arkham Origins, Batman '66, Batman (1989), Batman Returns, Batman v. Superman, Legion, John Wick Chapter 2

This weekend, we get too real about aging, athleticism, and the brutal pain of stat decay, in games and in real life. But don't worry, we manage to have some fun too. And we apologize for the lower-than-usual sound quality—to make up for it, there's a post-episode mini-gush about how much we want to wear cowboy hats and watch Westerns together. Discussed: Punch Club, Pitch, Sid Meier's Pirates, Overwatch, A Normal Lost Phone, Emily is Away, Tombstone, What I Talk About When I Talk About Running

It's time to talk Batman! Well, sort of. Rob is having second thoughts about Batman: Arkham Origins, which prompts a discussion on games that give a very particular kind of feedback during play. Also, Superman Returns is an underrated movie. Discussed: Batman: Arkham Origins, Batman: Arkham Asylum, Batman: Arkham City, Street Fighter V, Metal Gear Solid IV, GTR, Crazy Taxi, BioShock, BioShock 2, Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy X, Mafia 3, Papers Please, Superman Returns, Avatar: The Last Airbender

Rob is protesting the unlawful executive order on travelers from Muslim countries, so I'm doing a short mailbag episode centered on self-care and giving yourself the space you need to get through the damned day. Keep Weekending, friends. Discussed: Kingdom Hearts, self-care, The Witcher 3

Games are fun to play and all, but watching—that's where it's at. At least, for some games. This weekend, we're all about the spectator sports, from speedrunning to Hitmanning to eSporting. Discussed: StarCraft, Overwatch, League of Legends, MMA, Hitman (2016), Final Fantasy VIII, Lady Killer in a Bind, Revolutionary Girl Uetena, Far Cry 2, Neptune's Inferno James, Hidden Figures

There's a lot of existential dread in the world right now, and I think we're all feeling it. It even seeps into our favorite escape, in the form of choice paralysis and gaming guilt. Things get REAL in this episode, about our lives, the place of games, fear of mortality and over-exertion. But don't worry, we also get to fun synth-singing, our favorite games, and our mutual love of sports in other media. Discussed: The Witcher 3, Mafia 3, Battlefield 1, Star Wars, Yowamushi Pedal, The Natural, Pitch, Creed, Halt and Catch Fire, Hadyn

This weekend, we chatted about the worst—and best—frustrations we've experienced in games, inspired by recent explorations of the great-but-so-unpolished The Last Guardian. Control schemes, systems running beneath the hood, and talk of movies loved and hated round out our weekend projects. So watch where you point that camera, bub. Discussed: The Last Guardian, Black and White, Resident Evil, Dishonored 2, Thief, Myth, Overwatch, Harry Potter, John Wick, La La Land

This weekend, we're talking about self-care games: what we play when we need to chill out, ease our anxieties and have a breather. So what do we like best? Catching em' all, shooting zombies, and just taking off in a beautiful car, man.

The Weekenders are here to wish you a very merry Whatever You Celebrate! And also, to count down their most favorite games of 2016. Enjoy! Discussed: Homeworld: Deserts of Karak, Pokemon Sun and Moon, Dishonored 2, Overwatch, Hearts of Iron IV, Commander: Great War, Even The Ocean, Total War: Warhammer, Event[0], Darkest Dungeon, Mafia 3, Doom, Quadrilateral Cowboy, Banner Saga 2, Rise of the Tomb Raider, Twilight Struggle, Firewatch, Battlefield 1

Danielle apologizes for making this episode more of an Idle Monday than an Idle Weekend. Even though we're late, we have an exciting episode for you, as we examine the constant reinterpretation of popular characters in our own modern mythologies. There is Star Wars talk! Star Trek talk! And we manage to not even talk about The Witcher, somehow. Warning: there are spoilers for Star Trek Beyond, if you are afraid of hearing about the (totally stupid) reveal at the end of the movie.

It's a ridiculous holiday season, which means Danielle is doing a dip into the ol' mailbag before going on her merry way. Don't worry, Rob will be back next weekend for more adventures! A quick note: Audio quality isn't up to our usual standards this week, thanks to heavy travel. Our apologies!

This weekend, we're talking about the pleasure and queasy terror of games that make us want to find every last drop of #content. Based on our Dishonored 2 and Mafia 3 experiences, and the horrible FOMO feelings that we carry, we need a little help.

It's a holiday weekend! Which means we're finally getting to catch up with our beloved games, including Dishonored 2, which everyone is currently enjoying like a fine Karcannan Plantain, heaped upon a golden plate. We're also ready to feast upon a plentiful mailbag, and enjoy a bunch of smaller leftovers. Happy Dishonored Thanksgiving Weekend, everyone! The Good Bundle, discussed in the episode, is available here: https://itch.io/b/149/a-good-bundle

Hey listeners! This was the first Idle Weekend episode we recorded after the 2016 presidential election, and we talk about politics, a lot. But, instead of cutting bits and pieces, we elected (ha!) to keep it all in, to give you an open, honest conversation between friends. Also, we played some games and watched some movies and TV! So join us, friends. We promise to always try to give you thoughtful, honest, from-the-heart conversation, no matter what happens to the world around us.

We recorded this weekend's episode before the election, so there is little talk of presidential politics and despair this time around. But we do talk about games that we really love, and want to advocate for. It's a healing salve for things that ail us on this dreary week.