Podcasts about butwhythopodcast

In this episode of Carolyn Talks..., I spoke with Quebec writer and director Marilyn Cooke about her recently released narrative short film NO GHOSTS IN THE MORGUE, which shows an unconventional and unpredictable journey to finding a new path for medical student Keity.Follow me on Twitter and Instagram at: @CarrieCnh12Published work: https://authory.com/carolynhindsPodcasts - So Here's What Happened!, Beyond The Romance, Carolyn Talks...: ButWhyThoPodcast.com, Acast, iHeartRadio, Callin, and other podcast streaming platforms.Beyond The Romance RSS:Feedhttps://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/5f98cd3aa4e77f017fac3774 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Heellloooooooo! We're back from our fall break and you KNOW we had to bring y'all up to speed on everything God of War Ragnarök, the latest installment in the storied series and the direct sequel to Sony Santa Monica Studios' 2018 soft reboot of Kratos' epic coming of age-- even if that age is pushing 1,000. Join us as we revel in each lovingly crafted detail of this masterpiece, try not to cry, and predictably run out of time. Also, Spencer pets a giant isopod and Jamie masters the art of doggie dental health. SCROLL TO SEE TIMESTAMPS FOR SPOILER SECTIONNO SPOILERS BEFORE 1:04:183:41 - Catch up and annoucements!12:35 - Intro to God of War Ragnarök review and discussion15:25 - Nominations and really cool gameplay data insights30:18 - Gameplay and combat: because sometimes hitting stuff just hits41:10 - Spencer's ONE critique lol 45:02 - 3D sound design? Slaying48:45 - The animation? Breathtaking52:51 - The writing and performances? GIVING1:04:18 - SPOILERCAST DISCUSSION BEGINS HERESide Quest Transanta - transanta.com Right now, young trans people, particularly Black and Brown trans youth, are under attack across the country and around the world. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated unsafe conditions for trans youth who are houseless, in foster care, in detention, and in abusive or otherwise unsafe housing situations.We want to show trans young people that they are loved, supported, and have a family of people around the world who care about them and want them to succeed.Anyone can be a Santa, join us!About Pixel TherapyNew episodes every three weeks! Learn more at pixeltherapypod.com or follow us on social media @pixeltherapypod. We're proud members of the But Why Tho? Podcast Network: visit ButWhyThoPodcast.com for everything pop culture in an inclusive geek community! If you like what you hear, please take a moment to rate us, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts (or your listening app of choice) and subscribe! Want more? Unlock monthly bonus episodes for $2/mo at patreon.com/pixeltherapypod

In this episode of Carolyn Talks..., I chat with Cinematographer Alan Gwisdowski about filming two films, and three stories in one with his new project HONK FOR JESUS. SAVE YOUR SOUL the satire and faux documentary feature by Adamme Ebo, starring Regina Hall and Sterling K. Brown. The film is available for streaming on Peacock TV.Follow me on Twitter and Instagram at: @CarrieCnh12My live-tweet hashtags #DramasWithCarrie #SaturdayNightSciFi Published work: https://authory.com/CarolynHinds?mode=visitorPodcasts - So Here's What Happened!, Beyond The Romance, Carolyn Talks...: ButWhyThoPodcast.com, Acast, iHeartRadio, Callin, and other podcast streaming platforms.Beyond The Romance RSS:Feedhttps://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/5f98cd3aa4e77f017fac3774 Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to our 50th episode! Whaaaaat? Thanks for spending two years and countless hours talking games and being gay with us. This week, Spencer and Jamie dive into the delightfully devilish Cult of the Lamb from Massive Monster and Devolver Digital, an addicting mash-up of Hades and Animal Crossing with plenty of poop management. Then Wells Santo (he/she/they) an educator, researcher and activist on the societal implications of technology - especially artificial intelligence - joins to chat PhD life, the power, potential, and dangerous misconceptions of AI, the perfect Boba tea order, and how 2018's Florence brought Wells back to video games after a decade away! After this episode we'll be taking a short break for some Life Events and mysterious medical leave, so enjoy your spooky season and we'll catch you in November 2022! 10:15 - Jamie shows off her new STEAM DECK! 17:49 - Cult of the Lamb discussion 45:07 - Interview with Wells Santo Follow Wells on Twitter: https://twitter.com/WellsLucasSanto Side Quest https://linktr.ee/PBO PEOPLE'S PROGRAMS is an Oakland-based Black/New Afrikan organization dedicated to the liberation and unification of ALL Afrikan people through scientific socialism. We are governed by the ideologies, theories, principles, and practices of Revolutionary Nationalists and Pan-Africanists, and we are aiming to do our part to contribute to the New Afrikan Independence Movement. Volunteer/donate/sign up for mutual aid efforts/check out PBO's podcast Hella Black, and more! About Pixel Therapy New episodes every three weeks! Learn more at pixeltherapypod.com or follow us on social media (we're most active on Twitter!) @pixeltherapypod. We're proud members of the But Why Tho? Podcast Network: visit ButWhyThoPodcast.com for everything pop culture in an inclusive geek community! If you like what you hear, please take a moment to rate us, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts (or your listening app of choice) and subscribe! Want more? Unlock monthly bonus episodes for $2/mo at patreon.com/pixeltherapypod

Hey gamers! This week, Spencer and Jamie play everyone's favorite kitty cat game -- BlueTwelve and Annapurrna Interactive's blockbuster cat adventure platformer, STRAY! Also, because she's an overachiever, Jamie somehow finds some time to chat about INTERIOR/NIGHT and Xbox Game Studios' experimental interactive narrative game As Dusk Falls. Then we're joined by two of the fine folks at Achimostawinan Games: Art Lead and Character Designer Sadekaronhes Esquivel, and Founder, Owner, and Lead Game Designer Meagan Byrne! We loved our convo with Sade and Meagan on the world of their forthcoming game Hill Agency: PURITYdecay, and we're sure you will too! CORRECTION NOTE: This episode was recorded prior to the announcement that Hill Agency has been delayed to Fall 2022. The release date mentioned within the episode is no longer accurate. https://my.captivate.fm/8:27 (8:27) - Are y'all watching The Bear on Hulu? https://my.captivate.fm/14:18 (14:18) - Stray discussion https://my.captivate.fm/32:39 (32:39) - As Dusk Falls discussion https://my.captivate.fm/51:00 (51:00) - Interview with Achimo Games Follow Achimo Games: https://achimogames.ca/ Wishlist Hill Agency on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1358370/Hill_Agency_PURITYdecay/ Side Quest cats.org.uk/support-us/pawsome-players From humble beginnings in 1927, Cats Protection has grown to become the UK's leading cat charity. We help an estimated 166,000 cats and kittens a year through our national network which includes around 210 volunteer-run branches and 34 centres. At Cats Protection, we're working hard to improve the lives of cats. We offer cat adoption, rehoming and neutering assistance as well as help and advice to cat owners and cat lovers. As a leading animal welfare charity, our vision is a world where every cat is treated with kindness. You can visit their website to sign up to be a Pawsome Player and stream with the goal of raising money for homeless cats. If youre a first time streamer, no problem! Cats Protection will set you up with a fundraising pack, tips to support your event and great social media graphics via email to help with your fundraising. About Pixel Therapy New episodes every three weeks! Learn more at pixeltherapypod.com or follow us on social media (we're most active on Twitter!) @pixeltherapypod. We're proud members of the But Why Tho? Podcast Network: visit ButWhyThoPodcast.com for everything pop culture in an inclusive geek community! If you like what you hear, please take a moment to rate us, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts (or your listening app of choice) and subscribe! Want more? Unlock monthly bonus episodes for $2/mo at patreon.com/pixeltherapypod

Hey gamers! It's grab the Nintendo Switch and flop on the bed by the air conditioner weather, and we're ready to get in our feelings! After 90+ hours with just ONE storyline in Fire Emblem: Three Houses, Spencer is left with a new appreciation for tactical strategy RPGs; meanwhile, Jamie finally finds the time is right for 2016's The Last Guardian and its beautifully mysterious and heart-wrenching world. Then we're joined by Kayla Ancrum (she/her), author of The Wicker King, The Weight of the Stars, Darling, and more! Kayla chats her early days as a Gameboy girl, the enduring appeal of YA literature, regardless of age, graffiti artist skater teens resisting a totalitarian police state in Jet Set Radio Future, and more! 4:44 - Our impromptu Thor: Love and Thunder movie review lol 15:25 - Fire Emblem: Three Houses discussion 38:25 - The Last Guardian discussion 1:01:54 - Interview with Kayla Ancrum Follow Kayla on Twitter: https://twitter.com/KaylaAncrum Check out her work! https://kancrum.com/ Side Quest womenandchildrenfirst.com Women & Children First Bookstore believes in the transformative power of literature. As intersectional trans-inclusive feminists, we believe books are tools for liberation. Since 1979, we have celebrated and amplified underrepresented voices. In order for feminism to remain relevant, it must be forever evolving. Visit their website to learn more and donate to their Chicago Books to Women in Prison program! About Pixel Therapy New episodes every three weeks! Learn more at pixeltherapypod.com or follow us on social media (we're most active on Twitter!) @pixeltherapypod. We're proud members of the But Why Tho? Podcast Network: visit ButWhyThoPodcast.com for everything pop culture in an inclusive geek community! If you like what you hear, please take a moment to rate us, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts (or your listening app of choice) and subscribe! Want more? Unlock monthly bonus episodes for $2/mo at patreon.com/pixeltherapypod

Sup y'all, we're clinging to spots of joy in this burning world! This week, Spencer hosts tea parties and finds their footing as a magical warrior professor in Intelligent Systems and Koei Tecmo's Fire Emblem: Three Houses, while Jamie gets spooky (but not too scary) in Supermassive Games' The Quarry. Then we're joined by April Kit Walsh (she/her or gay/ghem), a kickass civil liberties lawyer at the Electronic Frontier Foundation as well as the designer behind Gay Spaceship Games -- and the Nebula Award-winning tabletop RPG Thirsty Sword Lesbians -- to chat about her early days as a modder, how her values shine through in her storytelling and game-making, not-so-literal swords, and so much more! PS: Humans have been around for about 300 generations! (This'll make sense in the interview) Follow April on Twitter https://twitter.com/prilkit Check out Thirsty Sword Lesbians https://evilhat.com/product/thirsty-sword-lesbians/ 8:26 - Fire Emblem: Three Houses discussion 23:08 - The Quarry discussion 47:47 - Interview with April Kit Walsh Side Quest translifeline.org Trans Lifeline is a grassroots hotline and microgrants 501(c)(3) non-profit organization offering direct emotional and financial support to trans people in crisis – for the trans community, by the trans community. Trans Lifeline connects trans people to the community support and resources we need to survive and thrive. About Pixel Therapy New episodes drop every other Tuesday. Learn more at pixeltherapypod.com or follow us on social media (we're most active on Twitter!) @pixeltherapypod. We're proud members of the But Why Tho? Podcast Network: visit ButWhyThoPodcast.com for everything pop culture in an inclusive geek community! If you like what you hear, please take a moment to rate us, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts (or your listening app of choice) and subscribe! Want more? Unlock monthly bonus episodes for $2/mo at patreon.com/pixeltherapypod

'Sup, gaymers and theymers? This week, Spencer and Jamie dust off their Nintendo Switches and kick off Wrath Month! Join us as we explore Spencer's extremely late arrival to Sid Meier's Civilization VI and Jamie's dive into Triangle Strategy's SALTY political intrigue. Then we're joined by Ace (they/she), aka @A_TypicalQueer: a content creator, activist working with Equality New York and NEW Pride Agenda, and Director of DEI Consulting at Qweerty Gamers! We talked with Ace about using games to hold space for important conversations, thriving on other people's bullshit, and how they approach activism for marginalized LGBTQIA+ folks! 10:02 - Civilization 6 discussion 27:56 - Triangle Strategy discussion 51:21 - Interview with Ace, @A_TypicalQueer 1:23:56 - CONTENT WARNING - Reference to suicide and suicidal thoughts 1:25:18 - END OF CONTENT WARNING 'Civilization and Strategy Games' Progress Delusion' by Gabriel Soares (2019): https://www.vice.com/en/article/4aggzm/civilization-and-strategy-games-progress-delusion (https://www.vice.com/en/article/4aggzm/civilization-and-strategy-games-progress-delusion) Follow Ace: https://twitter.com/a_typicalqueer Side Quest Metahealth.gg Per Gayming Mag: “Meta by Sinai Health Foundation is a dynamic and diverse online gaming community whose mission is to fundraise and support the game-changing research and services at Sinai Health, including vital programs directly serving the LGBTQ2S+ community. This Pride, Meta is gathering gamers and creators together to support young people between the ages of 16 and 29 who visit Mount Sinai Hospital's Emergency Department in need of timely and inclusive mental healthcare.” About Pixel Therapy New episodes drop every other Tuesday. Learn more at pixeltherapypod.com or follow us on social media (we're most active on Twitter!) @pixeltherapypod. We're proud members of the But Why Tho? Podcast Network: visit ButWhyThoPodcast.com for everything pop culture in an inclusive geek community! If you like what you hear, please take a moment to rate us, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts (or your listening app of choice) and subscribe! Want more? Unlock monthly bonus episodes for $2/mo at patreon.com/pixeltherapypod

This week, Spencer toils in a mine for fun and lives to tell the tale - and rolls merrily along in Lovable Hat Cult's Journey of the Broken Circle. Then Jamie shares her experiences with Lego Builder's Journey, a surprisingly deep and incredibly satisfying puzzler that's inspired her to engage with a new IRL hobby as well! Then we welcome our first-ever return guest, social psychologist, professor, and author Devon Price! Devon joins to chat about his new book Unmasking Autism, why Link is a trans king, how autistic folks invented fandom, what Katamari Damacy has to teach us about life, and so much more. Follow Devon: https://twitter.com/drdevonprice https://www.instagram.com/drdevonprice https://www.tiktok.com/@drdemonprince Side Quest National Black Trans Advocacy Coalition Blacktrans.org  Established in 2011, The National Black Trans Advocacy Coalition is the only social justice organization led by black trans people to collectively address the inequities faced in the black transgender human experience. About Pixel Therapy New episodes drop every other Tuesday. Learn more at pixeltherapypod.com or follow us on social media (we're most active on Twitter!) @pixeltherapypod. We're proud members of the But Why Tho? Podcast Network: visit ButWhyThoPodcast.com for everything pop culture in an inclusive geek community! If you like what you hear, please take a moment to rate us, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts (or your listening app of choice) and subscribe! Want more? Unlock monthly bonus episodes for $2/mo at patreon.com/pixeltherapypod

"You're the man now dog!" And with those words, Sean Connery launched a thousand memes.  This week, we're talking about 2000's Finding Forrester. Joined by the immensely talented Carolyn Hinds (So Here's What Happened) to talk about the very white gaze of the film, that opening rap, If Gus Van Sant has ever seen basketball, and Sean Connery as magical negro.  Carolyn is doing sooooo much, so be sure to support! You can find her on Twitter at @Carriecnh12 to follow #saturdaynightscifi and watch along, listen to the So Here's What Happened podcast with LaNeysha C. and catch her write ups for Butwhythopodcast.com As always, follow us at @white_pod for more behind the scenes and caucacity. And if you enjoy the show, rate, review, and subscribe wherever you podcast!  You can also write to us at whitepeoplewontsaveyoupod@gmail.com  Until next week dogs! 

It's time to find your place in space and join the big, beautiful, worker-owned rotating city in the sky! We're talking about developer Jump Over the Age's Citizen Sleeper of course, a cyberpunk narrative RPG centered on an escaped worker's efforts to evade their corporate would-be captors and maybe build a little life for themself -- if they can find a way to outwit the "planned obsolescence" of their company-provided synthetic body. Then we're joined by Kortney Terry (aka Sparklykiss), a tabletop actual play performer, community manager for Miscellaneum Studios, and freelance diversity consultant and sensitivity reader to chat about being a bouncer for your community, their decade-plus relationship with Earthbound, PNGtubing, which Pokemon they would eat, and more! 4:46 - Impromptu Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness review 13:03 - Citizen Sleeper discussion 39:54 - Interview with Kortney Terry Follow Kortney on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Sparklykiss Side Quest https://www.blackgamedevs.com/ Here they are. Hire them. Buy their stuff. About Pixel Therapy New episodes drop every other Tuesday. Learn more at pixeltherapypod.com or follow us on social media (we're most active on Twitter!) @pixeltherapypod. We're proud members of the But Why Tho? Podcast Network: visit ButWhyThoPodcast.com for everything pop culture in an inclusive geek community! If you like what you hear, please take a moment to rate us, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts (or your listening app of choice) and subscribe! Want more? Unlock monthly bonus episodes for $2/mo at patreon.com/pixeltherapypod

Welcome to the first official Pixel Therapy Spoilercast! Join us as we dive into every aspect of Horizon Forbidden West that we didn't or couldn't cover in our normal episodes! 0:54 - Intro 10:12 - Story breakdown and themes 24:30 - On Nemesis as a villain 31:20 - Tilda Van der Meer and unfortunate tropes 41:39 - On final boss battles and the underutilization of Sylens 50:59 - On Beta and healing from childhood trauma 1:00:03 - On Varl and that wild ending 1:12:22 - Identifying with Aloy and closing thoughts About Pixel Therapy New episodes drop every other Tuesday. Learn more at pixeltherapypod.com or follow us on social media (we're most active on Twitter!) @pixeltherapypod. We're proud members of the But Why Tho? Podcast Network: visit ButWhyThoPodcast.com for everything pop culture in an inclusive geek community! If you like what you hear, please take a moment to rate us, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts (or your listening app of choice) and subscribe! Want more? Unlock monthly bonus episodes for $2/mo at patreon.com/pixeltherapypod

NORCO: It's the game you can smell! Join us as we wade into the murky waters of Geography of Robots' completely singular Southern Gothic sci-fi point-and-click detective adventure, set among the billowing smokestacks and sinister twilight of a futuristic New Orleans. If you have about 10 hours to spare, it's absolutely a game you'll want to put on your must-play list this year. We can say for sure that Elijah Wood loved it. Then we're joined by Vaneet Mehta (he/him), a software engineer, writer, and public speaker working to advocate for bisexual visibility and equitable representation. We loved chatting with Vaneet about the significance of the gaming community in his own coming out story, “playersexuality,”  what games get wrong when they make queer representation and content optional, and more! 9:35 - NORCO Discussion 51:04 - Very light NORCO story spoilers, if that matters to you 56:24 - Interview with Vaneet Mehta Follow Vaneet on Twitter: https://twitter.com/nintendomad888 Check out Alexis Ong's piece on NORCO: https://www.pcgamer.com/this-stunning-deep-south-fable-isnt-the-next-kentucky-route-zeroits-the-first-norco/ Side Quest IGL Foundation is a New Orleans-based nonprofit organization whose mission is to bring people together to learn, compete, and play by providing opportunities for students in the areas of technology, gaming, and the digital arts that are both enriching and entertaining. While using the portal of alternate dimensional experiences, we use gaming as the gateway to building networks and communities through social competitions and mental athletic training to build bonds with our students. To learn more, get involved, and donate, visit https://iglfoundation.org/ About Pixel Therapy New episodes drop every other Tuesday. Learn more at pixeltherapypod.com or follow us on social media (we're most active on Twitter!) @pixeltherapypod. We're proud members of the But Why Tho? Podcast Network: visit ButWhyThoPodcast.com for everything pop culture in an inclusive geek community! If you like what you hear, please take a moment to rate us, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts (or your listening app of choice) and subscribe! Want more? Unlock monthly bonus episodes for $2/mo at patreon.com/pixeltherapypod

This week, a game so nice we had to cover it twice: Horizon Forbidden West! Now that your cohosts have each had 60+ hours with Aloy, join us as we take a closer look at human and machine battle mechanics, analyze the VIBES coming off of NPCs that possess so much repressed longing they should star in their own Bridgerton spinoff, and dream about the day we get some confirmation on Aloy's asexuality! Then Twitch streamer, content creator, and community builder Queerlybee (they/them) joins us in the virtual studio to chat about video games as vehicles for important conversations, how they create sensory-friendly, accessible streams where neurodivergent folks can engage in virtual parallel play, and more! Follow Queerlybee on Twitter: https://twitter.com/QueerlyBee and Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/queerlybee Side Quest https://www.twocc.us/donate/ The Trans Women of Color Collective (TWOCC) was created to cultivate economic opportunities and affirming spaces for trans people of color and our families, to foster kinship, build community engage in healing and restorative justice through arts, culture, media, advocacy and activism. About Pixel Therapy New episodes drop every other Tuesday. Learn more at pixeltherapypod.com or follow us on social media (we're most active on Twitter!) @pixeltherapypod. We're proud members of the But Why Tho? Podcast Network: visit ButWhyThoPodcast.com for everything pop culture in an inclusive geek community! If you like what you hear, please take a moment to rate us, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts (or your listening app of choice) and subscribe! Want more? Unlock monthly bonus episodes for $2/mo at patreon.com/pixeltherapypod

Note: Spoilers for A Musical Story from 57:51 - 1:09:37! It's March, and ALL OF THE GAMES are out. Spencer and Jamie have barely scratched the surface of Horizon Forbidden West's truly epic proportions, but with 30 hours of playtime under their belts, have plenty of feelings to share on what's changed - and what's stayed the same, for better or worse. But that's not all! It's a Double Stuf'd episode this week, as your cohorts also manage to squeeze in a spirited discussion of Glee-Cheese Studio's indie rhythmic adventure, the aptly-titled A Musical Story. Then we're joined by Raccine Malcolm (any pronouns), a freelance community builder and DEI consultant in the gaming and tech space! Raccine shares what drives her to curate communities, how her own "rough entry" into the gaming industry inspired her to make the transition friendlier for other new folks entering in the future, and how her upbringing in Jamaica led to an abiding love of PC games -- plus so much more! Follow Raccine on Twitter: https://twitter.com/fibonaccirecoil Side Quest https://www.insight-ukraine.org/en/join-donate/ On 24 February 2022, Russia launched a full-scale military invasion into Ukraine. For the past days, cities have been bombed and civilian infrastructures destroyed. The number of civilian victims, including children, continues to rise. LGBTQIA+ Ukrainians are also facing additional stress as they try to navigate this emergency. Insight Ukraine is starting an urgent donation campaign to collect funds for LGBTQI+ people, to provide emergency shelter, relocation assistance, food, and basic needs.  About Pixel Therapy New episodes drop every other Tuesday. Learn more at pixeltherapypod.com or follow us on social media (we're most active on Twitter!) @pixeltherapypod. We're proud members of the But Why Tho? Podcast Network: visit ButWhyThoPodcast.com for everything pop culture in an inclusive geek community! If you like what you hear, please take a moment to rate us, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts (or your listening app of choice) and subscribe! Want more? Unlock monthly bonus episodes for $2/mo at patreon.com/pixeltherapypod

Happy Tuesday, and thanks for tearing yourself away from Horizon Forbidden West long enough to get cozy and chat games with us! This week Spencer and Jamie kick things off with GoodbyeWorld Games' Before Your Eyes, a breathtaking journey through the memories of a spirit approaching judgment in the afterlife -- controlled completely through eye movements and blinking. But that description doesn't do it justice! There are also talking foxes, a mysterious gatekeeper, meditations on what truly makes a great life, and what it means to leave a legacy...come join us, then go play it! Then we're joined by Erin Parisi (she/her), a Colorado-based mountaineer who is on track to become the first openly trans woman to climb all seven of the world's highest peaks. She's completed five of the seven so far, with her sights set on Mt. Denali and Mt. Everest! We had an amazing time chatting with Erin about everything from her love of Samus Aran to her many shared qualities with another red-haired, strawberry-loving mountain climber -- as well as her dream of uplifting the trans community and flipping the script on trans narratives that so often dominate headlines. Check out Erin's org TranSending: https://www.transending7.org/ Follow Erin on IG: https://www.instagram.com/erinsends7/ Side Quest TranSending is a 501c3 designated non-profit dedicated to the advancement of transgender rights throughout all aspects of society by promoting athletics as a platform of transgender awareness and inclusion. Through targeted athletic projects, we seek to create a welcoming environment of understanding and assurance that all persons can partake in the learning and growth that come with inclusion in sports related activities, regardless of gender identity. Our goal is to promote rising transgender athletes and help them gain access to athletic programs, with the goal of increasing awareness from team administration, coaches and team staff, trans athletes, fellow athletes, and the audiences who support these great sports. You (or your organization) can also become a Sponsor!: https://www.transending7.org/becomesponsor/ About Pixel Therapy New episodes drop every other Tuesday. Learn more at pixeltherapypod.com or follow us on social media (we're most active on Twitter!) @pixeltherapypod. We're proud members of the But Why Tho? Podcast Network: visit ButWhyThoPodcast.com for everything pop culture in an inclusive geek community! If you like what you hear, please take a moment to rate us, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts (or your listening app of choice) and subscribe! Want more? Unlock monthly bonus episodes for $2/mo at patreon.com/pixeltherapypod

Happy love month, Gamentines! That works, right? No? Well, moving on. This week Spencer is super late to the party - Night School Studio's 2019 Afterparty, to be specific: a neon-soaked bar hop through hell with besties Milo and Lola. Meanwhile, Jamie enjoys the little things in Something We Made's greyscale photography adventure Toem. Then we're joined by Diego Argüello (he/him), Editor-in-Chief of Into the Spine and featured contributor at Fanbyte! Diego shares the journey and growth of Into the Spine from an international cohort of writers looking to break into games journalism to a thriving community built upon mutual support and a genuine desire to foster diverse talent -- and how it relates to his relationship with Atlus' Persona 5. Check out Into the Spine: https://intothespine.com/ Follow Diego on Twitter: https://twitter.com/diegoarguello66 Side Quest https://nbjc.org/ Since 2003, the National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC) has been America's leading national civil rights organization dedicated to the empowerment of Black lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer+, and same gender loving (LGBTQ+/SGL) people, including people living with HIV/AIDS through coalition building, federal policy change, research, and education. Our mission is to end racism, homophobia, and LGBTQ+/SGL bias and stigma. NBJC supports Black individuals, families, and communities in strengthening the bonds and bridging the gaps between the movements for racial justice and LGBTQ+/SGL equity. About Pixel Therapy New episodes drop every other Tuesday. Learn more at pixeltherapypod.com or follow us on social media (we're most active on Twitter!) @pixeltherapypod. We're proud members of the But Why Tho? Podcast Network: visit ButWhyThoPodcast.com for everything pop culture in an inclusive geek community! If you like what you hear, please take a moment to rate us, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts (or your listening app of choice) and subscribe! Want more? Unlock monthly bonus episodes for $2/mo at patreon.com/pixeltherapypod

Now is the winter of our gaming discontent, it seems, but so many exciting things are happening and will continue to happen, friends! Why, just now Spencer's willingly playing a hack-and-slash dungeon crawler for the first time in their life and having a blast thanks to Drinkbox's clever and irreverent Nobody Saves the World. Meanwhile, we never thought Jamie would become a League of Legends player - yet she's gotten totally sucked into Ruined King, developer Airship Syndicate's spin-off LoL turn-based RPG! Then we're joined by Ty Galiz-Rowe (he/they), writer, podcaster, and the editor in chief of Uppercut Crit - a games and media site devoted to 'punching up' through high-quality content that focuses on highlighting marginalized voices -- and great criticism. We chatted with Ty about Uppercut's homespun growth, how their "hangriness" spurs them to avoid homogeneity and boredom in mainstream gaming, and the inexplicable allure of Dontnod's mechanically rich yet narratively obtuse Vampyr. Follow Ty: https://twitter.com/owoathkeeper Check out Uppercut Crit: https://uppercutcrit.com/ Side Quest Support independent games journalism - check out Uppercut Crit's Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/uppercutcrit About Pixel Therapy New episodes drop every other Tuesday. Learn more at pixeltherapypod.com or follow us on social media (we're most active on Twitter!) @pixeltherapypod. We're proud members of the But Why Tho? Podcast Network: visit ButWhyThoPodcast.com for everything pop culture in an inclusive geek community! If you like what you hear, please take a moment to rate us, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts (or your listening app of choice) and subscribe! Want more? Unlock monthly bonus episodes for $2/mo at patreon.com/pixeltherapypod Support this podcast

We're back from our little winter break and ready to talk games! To kick things off, Spencer shares their begrudging enjoyment of Netflix's The Witcher (in no small part thanks to Henry Cavill's gruffly charming Geralt of Rivia) while Jamie gets hype on Arcane, the dynamic and gorgeous animated action-adventure series chronicling the origins of two League of Legends characters - as someone who knows next to nothing about League! Then we take up our burning swords and explore Bandai Namco's over-the-top epic JRPG Tales of Arise - and how it makes space for surprisingly nuanced conversations on unpacking racism and dismantling oppressive ideas and systems. Then we're joined in the virtual studio by Lindsay Rollins (she/her), a game developer, visual artist, writer and co-founder of indie studio Rocket Adrift! Their Toronto-based team is responsible for surreal dad sim Order A Pizza: A Visual Novel and the iconic, vibe-filled Raptor Boyfriend: A High School Romance. Join us as we go deep on Doki Doki Literature Club, hot cryptids, the enduring allure of coming of age tales, and more! Follow Lindsay on Twitter: https://twitter.com/LinRocketAdrift Play Rocket Adrift's games: https://rocketadrift.com/ Side Quest Dames Making Games - https://dmg.to/ DMG is a not-for-profit videogame arts organization that creates space for marginalized creators to make, play and critique videogames within a cultural context. We teach computing skills for artistic expression, offer production and exhibition facilities, and provide community support for the creation of new artworks. Our space and community is a platform and playground for artists working in games, engaging the public with the expressive potential of this medium.  About Pixel Therapy New episodes drop every other Tuesday. Learn more at pixeltherapypod.com or follow us on social media (we're most active on Twitter!) @pixeltherapypod. We're proud members of the But Why Tho? Podcast Network: visit ButWhyThoPodcast.com for everything pop culture in an inclusive geek community! If you like what you hear, please take a moment to rate us, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts (or your listening app of choice) and subscribe! Want more? Unlock monthly bonus episodes for $2/mo at patreon.com/pixeltherapypod Support this podcast

Thanks for another great year of sharing stories, leveling up, and discovering ourselves in games! Spencer and Jamie cap the year with a new crop of completely unofficial awards, from Jamie's Game That Was Too Damn Smart for Me recipient to Spencer's Late to the Party pick, there's something here for everyone. Halo fans, we apologize in advance. Happy holidays everyone! We're taking a three-week break to recharge and binge play Tales of Arise, so we'll see you when our first episode of 2022 drops on January 11th! Side Quest The ABK (Activision-Blizzard-King) Strike Fund: https://www.gofundme.com/f/abk-strike-fund Jessica Gonzalez is a founding member of the ABK Worker's Alliance, and a prominent voice in the fight to end abuse in the gaming industry. She organized this fundraiser with a committee of ABK workers dedicated to ensuring the funds get to the workers who need them. About Pixel Therapy New episodes drop every other Tuesday. Learn more at pixeltherapypod.com or follow us on social media (we're most active on Twitter!) @pixeltherapypod. We're proud members of the But Why Tho? Podcast Network: visit ButWhyThoPodcast.com for everything pop culture in an inclusive geek community! If you like what you hear, please take a moment to rate us, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts (or your listening app of choice) and subscribe! Want more? Unlock monthly bonus episodes for $2/mo at patreon.com/pixeltherapypod Support this podcast

Good...morning? Night? Who knows, it's dark when we wake up and dark before the workday is over. Perfect weather for gaming though, wouldn't you say? Spencer and Jamie kick things off by hopping on our hoverbikes and gliding across the vast expanse of Sable, an open-world exploration game about a modest, mysterious desert society and finding one's place in the world. Sable was developed by Shedworks and published by Raw Fury, and it's available now on Steam and Game Pass! Then we're joined by Marcela Huerta (she/her), community manager for worker-owned game studio KO_OP's upcoming apocalyptic coming-of-age dinosaur love story, Goodbye Volcano High! Join us as we learn all about a different kind of working culture that KO_OP is working to normalize, then go deep on the surprisingly emotional heft of this fall's cozy breakout hit, Witch Beam's Unpacking. Follow Marty on Twitter: https://twitter.com/marsmella Check out KO_OP Mode and get hype for Goodbye Volcano High: https://www.ko-opmode.com/ Listen to Spencer's favorite Stardew Valley Lofi Beats to Study To: https://youtu.be/scRoJCsy6dA Side Quests Black Healing Fund is a growing, volunteer-run initiative that exists to provide low-income Black folks in the Tio'tia:ke / Montreal area with discretionary funding and resources that contribute to mental health and wellness. blackhealingfund.com/donate Resilience Montreal is a non-profit day shelter offering food, a place to sleep, clean clothes, and support to anyone in need, with the goal of giving people a safe, supportive environment to spend their time. To donate, email resilience.volunteer@gmail.com and check out their website at resiliencemontreal.com  About Pixel Therapy New episodes drop every other Tuesday. Learn more at pixeltherapypod.com or follow us on social media (we're most active on Twitter!) @pixeltherapypod. We're proud members of the But Why Tho? Podcast Network: visit ButWhyThoPodcast.com for everything pop culture in an inclusive geek community! If you like what you hear, please take a moment to rate us, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts (or your listening app of choice) and subscribe! Want more? Unlock monthly bonus episodes for $2/mo at patreon.com/pixeltherapypod Support this podcast

29:11 - SPOILERS for Inscryption start 47:53 - End SPOILERS for Inscryption We foolishly thought this year in gaming was winding to a close. We were boarding up our Xboxes, winterizing our PCs, putting the Playstation to bed. (Jk idk what any of that means lmao.) Then Inscryption entered the chat and completely blew our minds, beckoning us to break through the inky-black intrigue of this rogue-like deck-building escape room adventure to find deeper understandings of ourselves as gamers and new outlooks on game creation as a whole. NBD! No but seriously, go play Inscryption. THEN we're joined by Aiden Strawhun (they/them), a news and features writer who focuses on the culture, innovation and advancement of the gaming and tech community as well as a Creator Relations Specialist at Ubisoft! Aiden's passion for nurturing and lifting up content creators in the gaming space was a joy to witness, and we had a lovely time chatting with them about trauma-informed journalism, the power and responsibility of choice in games-- and the collective idea, the shared dream, the fountain of joy and infinite possibility that is Hatsune Miku: the collaboratively constructed cyber idol and singing voice synthesizer featured in over 100,000 songs released around the world and the center of an ever-growing community. Follow Aiden on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AStraww PLAY INSCRYPTION OMG: https://www.inscryption.com/ Side Quest Can I Play That? works to share stories that influence game updates, inform disabled players, educate and entertain players and developers, and provide a voice for one of the largest player bases in the industry. Learn more, read some articles, and maybe pitch one of your own at https://caniplaythat.com/ About Pixel Therapy New episodes drop every other Tuesday. Learn more at pixeltherapypod.com or follow us on social media (we're most active on Twitter!) @pixeltherapypod. We're proud members of the But Why Tho? Podcast Network: visit ButWhyThoPodcast.com for everything pop culture in an inclusive geek community! If you like what you hear, please take a moment to rate us, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts (or your listening app of choice) and subscribe! Want more? Unlock monthly bonus episodes for $2/mo at patreon.com/pixeltherapypod Support this podcast

Mix up your mulled cider and grab a fuzzy blanket - it's time to get cozy and grab your bi-weekly dose of Pixel Therapy! This week, Spencer takes their maiden voyage with their new gaming computer and joins Jamie in playing Witch Beam's brain massaging masterpiece Unpacking - a little game about the familiar experience of pulling possessions out of boxes and fitting them into a new home. Then Jamie explores the unexpectedly heartwarming and wholly entertaining new Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy from Square Enix -- the mashup you never knew you needed. This week we're also excited to be joined by Yup'ik and Sāmoan Columbia University student and Native rights advocate Charitie Ropati (she/they)! A film buff and iconic tweeter, Charitie is also known for their work in public education honoring the resilience and diversity of Alaska Native culture with decolonized history curricula that's since been adopted in her home of Anchorage. We had an awesome time with Charitie diving deep on Upper One Games' and E-Line Media's Never Alone (Kisima Inŋitchuŋa), a puzzle-platformer adventure game about a young Iñupiat girl and an arctic fox that was developed in collaboration with 30+ Iñupiat elders, storytellers and community members. Follow Charitie on Twitter: https://twitter.com/charitieropati Daniel Starkey's Never Alone review: https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-11-20-never-alone Side Quest The Center for Native American Youth (CNAY) at the Aspen Institute is a national education and advocacy organization that works alongside Native youth—ages 24 and under—on reservations, in rural villages and urban spaces across the country to improve their health, safety, and overall well- being. All Native youth deserve to lead full and healthy lives, have equal access to opportunity, draw strength from Native culture, and inspire one another. At CNAY, this is achieved through empowerment and culturally-competent methodologies that include leadership, youth-led policy agenda, and youth-led narrative. They're also hiring right now! Learn more about this important organization and donate at cnay.org/ ! About Pixel Therapy New episodes drop every other Tuesday. Learn more at pixeltherapypod.com or follow us on social media @pixeltherapypod. We're proud members of the But Why Tho? Podcast Network: visit ButWhyThoPodcast.com for everything pop culture in an inclusive geek community! If you like what you hear, please take a moment to rate us, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts (or your listening app of choice) & subscribe! Want more? Unlock monthly bonus episodes for $2/mo at patreon.com/pixeltherapypod ! Support this podcast

Note: This episode contains some light spoilers for To The Moon starting around 01:09:00! Happy Halloween, gamers!! Pick out your favorite candy from the pile and join us around the pixelated fire as Spencer plays their scariest game yet in Bloober Team's eerie and atmospheric The Medium, while Jamie takes to the stars in Outer Wilds' new expansion-slash-sequel-within-a-game, Echoes of the Eye! Then we're joined by the delightfully insightful Laura Kate Dale, video game butt reviewer, games journalist, and author of Uncomfortable Labels, Things I Learned From Mario's Butt, and the forthcoming Who Hunts The Whale- a satirical novel set in the exploitative world of big-budget game development! We had an amazing time hanging out with Laura, chatting about everything from the meaning and construction of bodies in games to choosing optimism in the face of the uglier sides of the industry. Finally, we go deep on Freebird Games' unforgettable narrative adventure To the Moon, and the way it not only made Laura feel seen in a new way, but changed the way she wanted to approach thinking and writing about games. Follow Laura on Twitter: twitter.com/LaurakBuzz Check out Who Hunts the Whale: unbound.com/books/whale/ Austin Walker's Outer Wilds review: vice.com/en/article/mb8p7y/outer-wilds-is-a-captivating-sci-fi-mystery-about-the-end-of-the-world Side Quest Deaf Rainbow UK First a Facebook group, then a website, now a community-run organization offering trainings, consultations, and surveys aimed at building a better world for Deaf LGBTQIA+ people in the UK and around the world, Deaf Rainbow UK provides information and resources for deaf queer folks, bringing attention to the lived experiences of folks who fall within this intersection of marginalization. To learn more, access resources, volunteer, and/or donate, visit deafrainbowuk.org.uk ! About Pixel Therapy New episodes drop every other Tuesday. Learn more at pixeltherapypod.com or follow us on social media @pixeltherapypod. We're proud members of the But Why Tho? Podcast Network: visit ButWhyThoPodcast.com for everything pop culture in an inclusive geek community! If you like what you hear, please take a moment to rate us, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts (or your listening app of choice) & subscribe! Want more? Unlock monthly bonus episodes for $2/mo at patreon.com/pixeltherapypod ! Support this podcast

Happy SpOoKy SeAsOn!! Spencer has orange hair and Jamie wants a 12-foot tall skeleton! We're on theme with the games this week, too: join us as we dive into the bleak, unsettling-yet-sweet visual novel Little Misfortune from Killmonday Games, and the vibrant, gorgeous, decaying world of action-adventure debut Kena: Bridge of Spirits from Ember Lab. Then we're thrilled to be joined by Kotaku staff writer Isaiah Colbert (he/they)! We had an absolutely lovely time chatting with Isaiah on writing about games as experiences rather than products, striving to make space for seeking solutions in the industry, jumping into games journalism as a self-proclaimed filthy casual who plays Tetris every day, becoming emotionally ready to receive media, and how Geralt of Rivia awoke a new appreciation for fantasy inside of them - with some smooth JoJo references sprinkled in along the way. Follow Isaiah on Twitter: https://twitter.com/EyeZehUhh Patricia Hernandez' piece referenced ~1:05: https://kotaku.com/hello-kotaku-its-me-your-new-eic-1847192727 GIANT SKELETON: https://ebay.to/3oSGCIh Side Quest Support Black Streamers! Here are a few of our faves: https://www.twitch.tv/ctrlaltquin https://www.twitch.tv/cypheroftyr https://www.twitch.tv/gameonysus https://www.twitch.tv/chrislaawrence https://www.twitch.tv/iambrandon Supporting Twitch streamers with Amazon Prime: https://help.twitch.tv/s/article/how-to-subscribe?language=en_US#Prime About Pixel Therapy New episodes drop every other Tuesday. Learn more at pixeltherapypod.com or follow us on social media @pixeltherapypod. We're proud members of the But Why Tho? Podcast Network: visit ButWhyThoPodcast.com for everything pop culture in an inclusive geek community! If you like what you hear, please take a moment to rate us, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts (or your listening app of choice) & subscribe! Want more? Unlock monthly bonus episodes for $2/mo and help us save up for streaming equipment at patreon.com/pixeltherapypod ! Support this podcast

Do you feel that fresh, crisp mountain breeze? Catch the light scent of weed smoke lilting jauntily in the air? This week, Spencer and Jamie kick things off from the sun-soaked roof deck of Alex Chen, resident empath detective of Haven Springs, Colorado and the heroine of Life is Strange: True Colors from Deck Nine and published by Square Enix. Join us as we explore the game's stacked emotional toolkit and expressive nuance that, dare we say, sets a new standard in games. Then we take a beat to jump in the guest seat and share our experiences with games that have had significant impacts on our own lives: Guerilla's Horizon Zero Dawn and Supergiant's Transistor! P.S., TIL that marking significant events in your life and giving yourself moments to PROCESS is really important for fighting off burnout! Thanks Jamie! With that in mind, your co-hosts take some time to marvel at the fact that we've been doing this for a whole year - and don't worry, we have no plans of slowing down. Thank you for joining us on this wild ride and for downloading us 50,000+ times! Here's to Year 2! Side Quest Buckle Bunnies Fund https://www.bucklebunnies.org/ (https://www.bucklebunnies.org/) Our organization came to be in April of 2020, when Texas temporarily banned abortions at the beginning of COVID-19. A group of young queer folks who were passionate about Reproductive Justice knew that we had the power to mobilize across Texas and help people get the abortions they needed. After seeing the momentum that we started, we knew we needed to make ourselves a permanent fixture in abortion funding. Our work is done by unpaid volunteers who are dedicated to the autonomy of abortion seekers, not just in Texas, but everywhere. We are explicitly pro-abortion and believe that abortion is freedom, absolutely no shame or stigma allowed here. We will continue to harness our beautiful rage into our work until every person everywhere is able to access abortion freely, safely, and on demand. About Pixel Therapy New episodes drop every other Tuesday. Learn more at pixeltherapypod.com or follow us on social media @pixeltherapypod. We're proud members of the But Why Tho? Podcast Network: visit ButWhyThoPodcast.com for everything pop culture in an inclusive geek community! If you like what you hear, please take a moment to rate us, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts (or your listening app of choice) & subscribe! Want more? Unlock monthly bonus episodes for $2/mo and help us grow the show at patreon.com/pixeltherapypod ! Support this podcast

It's an exciting time to be a Playstation fan, or a Sony pony, as Jamie always says! Fresh off of the forthcoming God of War: Ragnarok trailer that debuted at Sony's Playstation Showcase 2021, we kick things off with some excited speculation about the new characters that were introduced: Tyr, Thor, and Angrboda! Then, Jamie takes us on a ride through the sun-drenched, small-town roads of Providence Oaks in Gamious' new mailperson simulator/slice of life drama, Lake. But the fun doesn't stop there! This week we're joined by dancer, musician, vocalist, and voice-over artist for Kena: Bridge of Spirits' titular heroine: Dewa Ayu Dewi Larassanti! We chat all about her unexpected but absolutely joyful experience bringing Kena to life after the game's developer, Ember Lab, reached out to her family's organization Gamelan Çudamani for help in bringing Balinese music into its score and atmosphere-- and ended up contributing to the fabric of the game in more ways than one! Kena: Bridge of Spirits is a Playstation exclusive coming out on September 21st, 2021 - learn more about Ember Lab here: https://www.emberlab.com/ Side Quest Trash Hero Indonesia https://trashhero.org/donations/ (https://trashhero.org/donations/) Trash Hero mobilises thousands of people around the world to take action on waste in their communities, change their everyday behaviour and reduce their dependency on single-use plastic. We rely on your help to do this. About Pixel Therapy New episodes drop every other Tuesday. Learn more at pixeltherapypod.com or follow us on social media @pixeltherapypod. We're proud members of the But Why Tho? Podcast Network: visit ButWhyThoPodcast.com for everything pop culture in an inclusive geek community! If you like what you hear, please take a moment to rate us, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts (or your listening app of choice) & subscribe! Want more? Unlock monthly bonus episodes for $2/mo and help us save up for streaming equipment at patreon.com/pixeltherapypod ! Support this podcast

Hi, everybody! This week, Spencer returns to the fold of Microsoft after a long hiatus (like, since the Xbox 360 in 2005!) and joins the rest of you gamers in the future with a brand-new Game Pass-installed Xbox Series S! Spencer and Jamie return to the island of Tsushima with the new Ghost Director's Cut (thank you Sucker Punch), and Jamie takes us on a tour of the short and bittersweet Necrobarista! Then, we're joined by Anna Anthropy, video game and role-playing game designer, interactive fiction author, and the mind behind Rise of the Video Game Zinester: part manifesto, part critical essay, part DIY handbook encouraging "Freaks, Normals, Amateurs, Artists, Dreamers, Drop-outs, Queers, Housewives, and People Like You" to get out there and make some games! Anna has been thinking about, talking about, and making games for many years, and we were stoked to share this space with her to chat about fostering the next generation of game makers and democratizing game development. Check out Anna's games and projects: https://w.itch.io/ Side Quest THE ASTRAEA LESBIAN FOUNDATION FOR JUSTICE is the only philanthropic organization working exclusively to advance LGBTQI human rights around the globe. We support brilliant and brave grantee partners in the U.S and internationally who challenge oppression and seed change. We work for racial, economic, social, and gender justice, because we all deserve to live our lives freely, without fear, and with dignity. Your support for Astraea's Collective Care Response enables LBTQI- and people of color-led grassroots movements to boldly confront the impacts of COVID-19 across the globe now and for the long haul while building interconnected ecosystems of support and resilience.  https://www.astraeafoundation.org/donate-collective-care-response/  About Pixel Therapy New episodes drop every other Tuesday. Learn more at pixeltherapypod.com or follow us on social media @pixeltherapypod. We're proud members of the But Why Tho? Podcast Network: visit ButWhyThoPodcast.com for everything pop culture in an inclusive geek community! If you like what you hear, please take a moment to rate us, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts (or your listening app of choice) & subscribe! Want more? Unlock monthly bonus episodes for $2/mo and help us save up for streaming equipment at patreon.com/pixeltherapypod ! Support this podcast

Can YOU nonchalantly say that LeVar Burton has been a steadfast friend to you? This week's guest can, and we're still recovering. But before we get to that, Jamie and Spencer kick things off by diving into two 10-hour visual novel-esque games that couldn't be more different in their content and execution: Kitfox Games' Boyfriend Dungeon and Modern Storyteller's The Forgotten City! Join us as we date weapons and sink our teeth into some queer subtext, and work to escape a time loop while evading avenging angels, respectively. Is humanity truly capable of taking responsibility for each other? Is a polyam queer utopia possible? Join us as we discuss all this and more! Quick content note: Since we recorded this episode, Boyfriend Dungeon discourse has emerged around the role of content warnings in games. Our discussion didn't touch on the more challenging and/or possibly triggering aspects of the game, so if our episode inspires you to check it out, we just encourage you to do your own research before playing to make sure it's the right choice for you! Then, we're joined by the incredibly delightful Swapna Krishna (she/her), a journalist who writes for outlets including SyFy Wire, The Verge, Engadget, and StarTrek[.]com at the intersection of technology, space, and pop culture. She's also the co-editor of Sword Stone Table: Old Legends, New Voices, an anthology of inclusive retellings from the vast lore surrounding King Arthur, Camelot, and the Knights of the Round Table. AND she's the co-host of the geek pop-news podcast Desi Geek Girls! We had so much fun with Swapna, covering everything from pandemic parenting, to gaming while anxious, to looking to the stars, gushing about Sir Patrick Stewart, and so much more. Join us to find out why Mass Effect (and other space stories) work so well at helping us see our best selves and get outside of our own heads. Learn more about Swapna: https://www.swapnakrishna.com/ Check out Sword Stone Table: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/634028/sword-stone-table-by-edited-by-swapna-krishna-and-jenn-northington/ Side Quest "In response to the alarming escalation in xenophobia and bigotry resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council (A3PCON), Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA), and the Asian American Studies Department of San Francisco State University launched the Stop AAPI Hate coalition on March 19, 2020. The coalition tracks and responds to incidents of hate, violence, harassment, discrimination, shunning, and child bullying against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States." Learn more and donate at https://stopaapihate.org/ About Pixel Therapy New episodes drop every other Tuesday. Learn more at pixeltherapypod.com or follow us on social media @pixeltherapypod. We're proud members of the But Why Tho? Podcast Network: visit ButWhyThoPodcast.com for everything pop culture in an inclusive geek community! If you like what you hear, please take a moment to rate us, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts (or your listening app of choice) & subscribe! Want more? Unlock monthly bonus episodes for $2/mo and help us save up for streaming equipment at patreon.com/pixeltherapypod ! Support this podcast

Sup y'all! August already?! Spencer kicks things off this week by hurling baseless accusations at Jamie for not vocally praising Ratchet and Clank: A Rift Apart enough (which has dimensionated itself right into Spencer's heart and the top of their totally unofficial Games of the Year list), while Jamie shares a peek into Death's Door and the life and times of a soul-reaping crow. Then we continue the totally unintentional animal friend theme, as apiarist aka BEEKEEPER and co-founder of They Keep Bees, Ang Roell (they/them) joins us in the studio to talk bees, queens, community, and embracing change. Also, someone definitely needs to make a video game about beekeeping - if that someone is you, let's talk! Follow Ang (They Keep Bees): https://www.instagram.com/theykeepbees/ Side Quest "The SUSU commUNITY Farm is a Afro-Indigenous stewarded farm and land-based healing center in Southern Vermont that elevates Vermont's land and foodways. We do this by co-creating a life-affirming and culturally relevant platform for Black, Indigenous, People of color, youth, under-resourced folx, and allies to thrive and experience safety and connection while beginning to develop the tools and agency to heal from the trauma of colonization."  Learn more and donate: https://www.susucommunityfarm.org/ About Pixel Therapy New episodes drop every other Tuesday. Learn more at pixeltherapypod.com or follow us on social media @pixeltherapypod. We're proud members of the But Why Tho? Podcast Network: visit ButWhyThoPodcast.com for everything pop culture in an inclusive geek community! If you like what you hear, please take a moment to rate us, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts (or your listening app of choice) & subscribe! Want more? Unlock monthly bonus episodes for $2/mo and help us save up for streaming equipment at patreon.com/pixeltherapypod ! Support this podcast

Note: This episode includes discussions of sexuality, with some references to BDSM and kink. Howdy, y'all! Spencer and Jamie kick things off this week with a little HOT, SPICY, and SPIRITED debate (for us) on Armature Games' new surreal narrative adventure: Where the Heart Leads! Tumble into the time sinkhole with us as we delve into this 600,000-word everyday epic about a family man who finds himself reliving the formative moments of his life, including his present and even his future- and gains the ability to change them. Then we're joined by the wonderful Ana Valens, a writer and adult game developer who, in her words, "specializes in the intersection of sexuality and video games and what the two have to say about the other." UMM, how cool is that?! We unpack the capacity for games to engage with sexuality beyond providing titillation, from education, to self-expression, to helping us gain deeper understandings of our own desires and providing safe places to explore them. We interviewed Ana during Pride Month, so we also touch a bit on the last few decades of U.S. LGBTQ+ history and the importance of honoring and understanding kink's place in queer culture! It's truly an action-packed episode so thanks for reading this far but please stop and press play! Check out Ana's queer adult games: https://acvalens.itch.io/ Follow Ana on Twitter (private, but listeners can request access): https://twitter.com/acvalens Check out Ana's book, Tumblr Porn: http://www.instarbooks.com/books/tumblr-porn.html Side Quest Red Canary Song Originally founded in 2017 to provide legal and healthcare support to the family of massage worker Yang Song who was killed during a police raid, Red Canary Song is today a grassroots massage worker coalition in the U.S. and organizes transnationally with Asian sex workers across the diaspora in Toronto, Paris, and Hong Kong. To learn more and support their work, please check out: https://www.redcanarysong.net/ About Pixel Therapy New episodes drop every other Tuesday. Learn more at pixeltherapypod.com or follow us on social media @pixeltherapypod. We're proud members of the But Why Tho? Podcast Network: visit ButWhyThoPodcast.com for everything pop culture in an inclusive geek community! If you like what you hear, please take a moment to rate us, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts (or your listening app of choice) & subscribe! Want more? Unlock monthly bonus episodes for $2/mo and help us save up for streaming equipment at patreon.com/pixeltherapypod ! Support this podcast

We're so excited to kick things off this week by gushing about a brand-new masterpiece called Chicory: A Colorful Tale by Greg Lobanov, Lena Raine, Em Halberstadt, Alexis Dean-Jones, and Madeline Berger. This adorable, irreverent painting adventure manages to hit on so many levels- it's an ode to artmaking and what it means to be someone, wrapped up in a disarmingly cute world of food-named animals and self-aware humor. Then, we're joined by gaming QA analyst and indie developer Courtland Messam to talk about cult favorite visual novel Danganronpa, and everything it has to teach us about surviving life and understanding privilege. Check out Chicory: https://chicorygame.com/ Check out Courtland's games: https://itch.io/profile/courtlandmessam Side Quest The Black Trans Travel Fund Donated funds are redistributed directly to Black trans women in need, who can then have the autonomy to purchase private car ride services, purchase gas for their own vehicles, pay family or friends for a ride, or other alternatives of their choosing that best suit their comfort and needs. https://www.blacktranstravelfund.com/donate About Pixel Therapy New episodes drop every other Tuesday. Learn more at pixeltherapypod.com or follow us on social media @pixeltherapypod. We're proud members of the But Why Tho? Podcast Network: visit ButWhyThoPodcast.com for everything pop culture in an inclusive geek community! If you like what you hear, please take a moment to rate us, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts (or your listening app of choice) & subscribe! Want more? Unlock monthly bonus episodes for $2/mo and help us save up for streaming equipment at patreon.com/pixeltherapypod ! Support this podcast

Content warning: This episode contains discussion between Spencer and our guests about some of our personal experiences navigating our biracial identities, which have been painful at times. This week's episode is all about the brand-new four-part QTBIPOC-led solarpunk detective visual novel series and debut video game by award-winning 4615 Theatre Company, DARK CITY! Your co-hosts sit down with the game's director and writer Gregory Keng Strasser (he/him), as well as artist and designer Sara Eskandari (they/she) to dive into this thrilling, urgently present story tackling big themes, from complicity in systemic oppression, to the threat colonialism poses to Indigenous stewardship of the earth, to imagining a future that prioritizes sustainability and communion with nature-- all packaged within a gorgeously rendered and thoughtfully cast (and voiced!) game whose birth at the hands of theatremakers and artists is beautifully felt. Plus: Tales of Symphonia, capturing the spirit of theatricality, Phoenix Wright, and more! We're so excited to share this one with you, and hope you enjoy it as much as we did! Play DARK CITY: https://4615theatreco.itch.io/ P.S. - Spencer mentioned a "book" by Loretta Todd, but it's an essay- "Aboriginal Narratives in Cyberspace" (1996). Side Quest The Arts Commission of Greater Toledo's Young Artists at Work (YAAW) program https://theartscommission.org/support Since 1994, Young Artists at Work (YAAW) has offered paid summer apprenticeships to area teens to learn creative skills and job skills alike and to connect to community through the creation of public art and salable works. Each year more than 40 teens from diverse neighborhoods and communities in and around Toledo come together to find a completely unique summer employment opportunity and access to an experience designed to impact for a lifetime. About Pixel Therapy New episodes drop every other Tuesday. Learn more at pixeltherapypod.com or follow us on social media @pixeltherapypod. We're proud members of the But Why Tho? Podcast Network: visit ButWhyThoPodcast.com for everything pop culture in an inclusive geek community! If you like what you hear, please take a moment to rate us, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts (or your listening app of choice) & subscribe! Want more? Unlock monthly bonus episodes for $2/mo and help us save up for streaming equipment at patreon.com/pixeltherapypod ! Support this podcast

Our little break behind us, we're so happy to be back! This week Spencer and Jamie kick things off with a deep dive into the mysterious island of Die Gute Fabrik's Mutazione -- a breathtaking game about friendly mutants, small-town gossip, chosen family, and redefining our relationship to the earth. Omg, just typing this has me in my feels all over again. Then we're joined by the hilarious and effortlessly awesome Esha Todd, a writer and artist drawing on her experiences working with Apple, Makerbot, and Oculus to imagine the future of gaming and help people embrace emerging technology. Esha currently works for Sugar Gamers, a content creation hub and community founded in 2009 by Keisha Howard as a platform for women gamers that has since evolved into a diverse group of trendsetters and aficionados within the worlds of technology, gaming, and the arts. We chat about the power of immersion, how living in VR isn't THAT far off from how we operate today, and how Grand Theft Auto V helped Esha process and move through her trauma with driving! Plus: That time Spencer became a tree, Mass Effect: Legendary Edition, mixed martial arts, and more! Follow Esha: https://twitter.com/eshaknows_ Side Quest https://www.gofundme.com/f/rebuild-gazas-samir-mansour-book-store "Gaza's largest and most beloved book shop and library was destroyed by air strikes. The two-story Samir Mansour book store was built 21 years ago and served as a community centre and book shop for the local Gaza community and Palestinian school children. Tens of thousands of books were destroyed. All of the heart, creativity and talent poured into this magical place is gone. As a result of the complete siege on Gaza Strip, construction supplies are in extreme short supply and heavily inflated. Please donate generously and help Palestinians get books back. All funds will be given directly to Samir Mansour to rent new space and rebuild a new library and book shop. This fundraiser is managed by human rights lawyers Mahvish Rukhsana and Clive Stafford Smith." About Pixel Therapy New episodes drop every other Tuesday. Learn more at pixeltherapypod.com or follow us on social media @pixeltherapypod. We're proud members of the But Why Tho? Podcast Network: visit ButWhyThoPodcast.com for everything pop culture in an inclusive geek community! If you like what you hear, please take a moment to rate us, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts (or your listening app of choice) & subscribe! Want more? Unlock monthly bonus episodes for $2/mo and help us save up for streaming equipment at patreon.com/pixeltherapypod ! Support this podcast

Hey y'all! Your co-hosts both have some stuff going on: big house moves for both of us, and an opportunity to see family after over more than a year for Jamie! With that in mind, in lieu of introducing you to a new guest this week, we're sharing our first-ever live episode! This was originally recorded in February during UPLINK 2021- the largest gaming conference celebrating gaming history and retro games. Join us as we chat about making the show, gaming through the pandemic, and dive into some research from Jane McGonigal (SuperBetter, Reality is Broken) on the links between gaming and managing depression! Thank you so much for supporting us - we'll be back with our regularly scheduled programming in two weeks! About Pixel Therapy New episodes drop every other Tuesday. Learn more at pixeltherapypod.com or follow us on social media @pixeltherapypod. We're proud members of the But Why Tho? Podcast Network: visit ButWhyThoPodcast.com for everything pop culture in an inclusive geek community! If you like what you hear, please take a moment to rate us, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts (or your listening app of choice) & subscribe! Want more? Unlock monthly bonus episodes for $2/mo and help us save up for streaming equipment at patreon.com/pixeltherapypod ! Support this podcast

OMG y'all, why's everyone keep talking about "return to work" when we never stopped working? Not just in places like jobs, but literally working to emotionally, physically, and mentally survive a literal pandemic? This week, Spencer and Jamie kick things off by chatting through the feelings of overwhelm and tiredness that a lot of folks seem to be able to relate to right now, especially as technology continues to blur the boundary between work and life. You are not alone! Capitalism just wants you to think you are! And who better to break it all down than Dr. Devon Price, nonbinary icon, social psychologist, and author of Laziness Does Not Exist! This convo was absolutely electric, as Devon helps us see how the "laziness lie" and our society's obsession with productivity is hurting all of us, traces its origins to white supremacy, and shows us how playing video games (and other activities often seen as "lazy") are actually really, really good for us. And you know we couldn't let them leave the studio without sharing their transmasculine reading of Ico!! Plus: Returnal's mixed accessibility reviews, Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion, Emily is Away

Spring has sprung and our backlogs are already piling up! Spencer kicks things off by spotlighting a few under-hyped indie titles that have come out recently: Studio Seufz's 9,600hr long idle adventure The Longing, Captilight's charming puzzler Path of Kami (https://www.captilight.com/pathofkami), and 4615 Theatre Company's QTBIPOC-led solar punk visual novel DARK CITY (https://www.4615theatre.com/dark-city) -- the latter two are both free to download on itch.io (but by all means support these indie devs if you're able)! Meanwhile, Jamie shares the view from her haunted island in Cozy Grove, a charming new life sim that's like Animal Crossing-meets-Spiritfarer, plus bears. Then we're joined by writer, poet, and connector Angbeen Saleem! Angbeen works as a digital communications coordinator for North Star Fund, a social justice org based in New York. We chat about their previous life working in social impact for MTV, how games teach Angbeen to write poetry, and how Breath of the Wild provides a safe space to practice failure-- and why that's something we need. Get 20% off TomToc's Nintendo Switch Lite case with promo code "pixeltherapy" using our affiliate link!: https://amzn.to/31miLnj Check out Angbeen's work and writing: https://www.angbeensaleem.com/ Side Quest The Let Us Breathe Fund is the only NYC-based fund led by and for Black activists organizing around police reform and building Black liberation. Learn more and donate at https://northstarfund.org/ About Pixel Therapy New episodes drop every other Tuesday. Learn more at pixeltherapypod.com or follow us on social media @pixeltherapypod. We're proud members of the But Why Tho? Podcast Network: visit ButWhyThoPodcast.com for everything pop culture in an inclusive geek community! If you like what you hear, please take a moment to rate us, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts (or your listening app of choice) & subscribe! Want more? Join our little community over on Patreon! Support this podcast

Hello, and welcome to the debut podcast for Bear Punch Media, Massively Affected, where I, Josh Silverman, bring on a guest and ask them a not-so-simple question: Why Mass Effect? On this brand new weekly retrospective show, I'll be talking to a new guest each week about their personal experiences with Mass Effect, whether it be the trilogy, Andromeda, the comics, books, that one animated movie, fanfiction, or anything else in the universe of Mass Effect. This is a show is made to be listened to by people new to the franchise and those who have been here since the beginning, and yes, most every episode will have spoilers. Season One will feature: Matt Storm, host of Reignite, Screen Snarks, and more Sylvi Needham, my Constantly Calibrating co-founder Aiden Swank, a luminous being of love and affection Trevor Starkey, founder of That Nerdy Site Stephanie Brunea, an amazing artist, streamer, voice actor and more Justin Stanley, my Bear Punch Media co-founder Kelsie Mhoon, game industry writer and narrative designer Kenneth Shepard, news writer for Fanbyte & host of Normandy FM Eric Van Allen, senior news reporter for Destructoid & co-host of Normandy FM Greg Haynes, Lead Games User Researcher for AbleGamers Kate Sanchez, editor in chief of But Why Tho & host of But Why Tho and Did you Have To podcasts. The entire first season of Massively Affected will be featured on But Why Tho's website at ButWhyThoPodcast.com starting Tuesday, May 11 with TWO episodes dropping, and then one episode releasing weekly through July 13.

Hey, y'all! This week we're so excited to welcome the_juliancito to hang with us in the virtual studio! Juliancito is a queer, trans, Puerto Rican, and Jewish Twitch streamer who is a member of Radically Kind Gamers (a stream team founded by our Episode 1 guest, ZombaeKillz). He has also been a super vocal advocate for the inclusion of a trans tag on Twitch - and why it matters to have one for the trans community that's separate from the LGBTQIA+ tag that already exists. We'll let him tell you more about why, as well as about his lifelong love for Pokemon. Meanwhile, Spencer shares their Theyfriend Review of Red Dead Online, and Jamie talks about Narita Boy and hypes up some cool recent Xbox news! Game Pass looks like it's creating really interesting opportunities for indie games to get noticed and devs to get their coin. Among the titles coming to the Netflix-like gaming service are Backbone (shoutout to Alex, our Ep 15 guest!), Boyfriend Dungeon, and She Dreams Elsewhere, plus so many more! Follow the_juliancito: https://www.twitch.tv/the_juliancito Side Quest The Deaf Queer Resource Center (DQRC) is a national nonprofit that works to support, inform, empower, and bring more visibility to and awareness about marginalized Deaf LGBTQ communities through events, fundraisers, and advocacy.  Their new website is under development at deafqueer.org, but you can also find them on Facebook and Twitter @deafqueer! About Pixel Therapy New episodes drop every other Tuesday. Learn more at pixeltherapypod.com or follow us on social media @pixeltherapypod. We're proud members of the But Why Tho? Podcast Network: visit ButWhyThoPodcast.com for everything pop culture in an inclusive geek community! If you like what you hear, please take a moment to rate us, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts (or your listening app of choice) & subscribe! Want more? Join our little community over on Patreon! Support this podcast

CW/TW: Since this is a space where we hold our pain as well as our joy, we just wanted to note that Spencer takes a moment [3:44 - 9:49] to share some feelings about the recent rise of anti-Asian violence in America, which may be triggering for some. Thanks for being here with us. On a lighter note, Spencer concludes Firewatch (no spoilers) despite being too gay to read a map, and Jamie breaks down the recently released folksy narrative card game, Signs of the Sojourner, where encounters are conversations instead of combat. Also, our incredible Episode 9 guest Sisi Jiang contributed to the narrative design of this game! Omg! If you've made it this far with us, you know we firmly believe video games are art. Our guest this week, Lexington, Kentucky-based alternative controls designer and Unwinnable editor Amanda Hudgins (they/them), enthusiastically agrees. When they're not pushing the boundaries of the physical forms video games can take and wow-ing crowds at museums and galleries, their day job is at SuperSoul, an indie game studio. We love how Amanda approaches games as a highly tactile experience, and we hope it will TOUCH you as much as it did us. (Sorry lol) Follow Amanda on Twitter: https://twitter.com/barelyconcealed Side Quest Donate to Stop AAPI Hate, an organization collecting data on the recent rise of anti-Asian hate crimes in the US and providing critical community resources: https://stopaapihate.org/ About Pixel Therapy New episodes drop every other Tuesday. Learn more at pixeltherapypod.com or follow us on social media @pixeltherapypod. We're proud members of the But Why Tho? Podcast Network: visit ButWhyThoPodcast.com for everything pop culture in an inclusive geek community! If you like what you hear, please take a moment to rate us, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts (or your listening app of choice) & subscribe! Want more? Join our little community over on Patreon! Support this podcast

Note: Major plot spoilers for 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim from 38:15 to 50:00. We recently hit 10k downloads - thank you so much! This week, Jamie concludes her journey with the sprawling, 2019 sci-fi epic 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim - and you know we have some insights to excavate together! Meanwhile, Spencer's started the spooky walking simulator Firewatch; we muse over its themes of isolation, grief, and emotional trauma as an appropriate parallel to our current reality as we come upon the anniversary of the coronavirus pandemic. Then we're joined by Janet Garcia (Gameonysus, Game Industry Guides), a game critic, content creator, Twitch streamer, podcaster, Youtuber, and former IGN Guides editor! We go IN on the somewhat-surreal shared fever dream we call Super Mario 64, binge-watching our favorite comfort shows, glowing up, and so much more. As our eponymous plumber would say, LET'S-A GO! Follow Janet on Twitter: https://twitter.com/gameonysus Gameonysus on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Gameonysus Side Quest Donate to The Black Resilience Fund, an emergency fund dedicated to fostering healing and resilience by providing immediate resources to Black Portlanders: https://www.blackresiliencefund.com/ About Pixel Therapy New episodes drop every other Tuesday. Learn more at pixeltherapypod.com or follow us on social media @pixeltherapypod. We're proud members of the But Why Tho? Podcast Network: visit ButWhyThoPodcast.com for everything pop culture in an inclusive geek community! If you like what you hear, please take a moment to rate us, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts (or your listening app of choice) & subscribe! Want more? Join our little community over on Patreon! Support this podcast

We got tea to spill this week! Turns out Troy Leavitt, the lead developer of Hogwarts Legacy (an upcoming open-world Harry Potter RPG), is a far-right conspiracy theorist with the YouTube receipts to prove it. And this is on top of JK Rowling already outing herself as a TERF (trans-exclusionary radical feminist), which makes things complicated for her queer and trans fans to contend with. Yikes! Meanwhile, Pokemon turns 25 this year with some exciting announcements for Nintendo fans. Spencer and Jamie break it down for you with some of our own hot takes and muse on the complexities of engaging with popular media when you're a member of one or more marginalized groups.  Then we're joined by the whip-smart and incisively funny Alex Korabelnikova, a narrative designer and co-founder of EggNut, a fully decentralized indie game studio. Their upcoming game Backbone, a Noir roleplaying adventure about a raccoon detective in a dystopian Vancouver, absolutely CANNOT be missed. We get into Disco Elysium, Planescape Torment, and what it means to be a person. Nbd!    Check out Backbone on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/865610/Backbone/ Follow Alex on Twitter: https://twitter.com/almightyplate Side Quest Donate to the Sisters Center, a Moscow-based non-governmental, non-profit helping survivors of sexual violence: sisters-help.ru/donation_eng.html Our February Patreon-Exclusive Co-Op Mode episode is out now. Visit patreon.com/pixeltherapypod to unlock bonus episodes for $2/mo! About Pixel Therapy New episodes drop every other Tuesday. Learn more at pixeltherapypod.com or follow us on social media @pixeltherapypod. We're proud members of the But Why Tho? Podcast Network: visit ButWhyThoPodcast.com for everything pop culture in an inclusive geek community! If you like what you hear, please take a moment to rate us, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts (or your listening app of choice) & subscribe! Want more? Join our little community over on Patreon! Support this podcast

This week Joel and Ben welcome Carlos Oville to the podcast. Carlos is a fellow long time Game Fanatic (TheGameFanatics.com) and a film reviewer/contributor over at ButWhyThoPodcast.com. Topics covered this week include: -HBO's The Last of Us based on the video game from Naughty Dog studios casts its Joel and Ellie. -Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart gets a new release date. -CD Projekt Red gets hacked and receives ransom demands. -E3 Online shows its not so hopeful face. Games We Played: Destiny 2 Season of the Chosen, Dark Souls, AFK Arena, Star Tropics, Apex Legends, Resident Evil Revelations, Resident Evil 5, MLB The Show 21 and Control. Final Checkpoint is a video game news podcast recorded weekly and distributed on many podcast services. Please follow and subscribe to the links below! Stitcher – https://bit.ly/2Vjiazd Google Play Music – https://bit.ly/2OoIiXP Spotify – https://spoti.fi/35apnGf Apple Podcasts – https://apple.co/35dGGWG Live Podcast Recordings Sundays at 8:00 PM PST on Twitch.tv/loadlastcheckpoint. Follow Joel on Twitter @TheJoelness Follow Ben on Twitter @BenRunnings Follow the podcast @FinalCheckpod Intro Music from Bensounds.com

Y'all been hitting that pandemic wall lately? Us too. Spencer's coping by working through half the Assassin's Creed series, which just HAPPENED to be super on sale in the Playstation Store, and getting elbow-deep in the lore. Meanwhile, Jamie's cleansing her palate from 200+ hours of Persona 5 with Aegis Rim: 13 Sentinels, a reality-altering JRPG starring high schoolers jumping into another reality for turn-based fights-- wait a minute. Here's a follow-up article on the Ubisoft diversity debacle Jamie mentioned from 2020: https://kotaku.com/head-of-ubisoft-announces-plans-to-shakeup-the-company-1844252024 Then we're joined by Jamiere Leslie, a counselor based in Massachusetts's south shore who's rediscovered her love of gaming during the pandemic. How can you tell if you have a gaming addiction? Can Animal Crossing cure depression? What's the deal with therapy? All this and more awaits you. Follow Jamiere on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JayTeeEll17. Looking for a therapist in MA? Check out Northeast Health Services: https://www.northeasthealthservices.com/. SIDE QUEST Support the global organization working to end white supremacy and creating space for Black imagination and innovation, and centering Black joy: https://blacklivesmatter.com/ Our February Patreon-Exclusive Co-Op Mode episode is out now. Visit patreon.com/pixeltherapypod to unlock bonus episodes for $2/mo! We're also going to be LIVE at Uplink 2021 on February 20th, 2021, at 6-7 pm EST! If you're interested in the convention, get your tickets on our website: pixeltherapypod.com. This episode is sponsored by the following Patreon supporters: Yinka Araromi About Pixel Therapy New episodes drop every other Tuesday. Learn more at pixeltherapypod.com or follow us on social media @pixeltherapypod. We're proud members of the But Why Tho? Podcast Network: visit ButWhyThoPodcast.com for everything pop culture in an inclusive geek community! If you like what you hear, please take a moment to rate us, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts (or your listening app of choice) & subscribe! Want more? Join our little community over on Patreon! Support this podcast

We're joined by Keridwen Luis (she/her) and Jude McLaughlin (they/them) this week, a queer power couple who share decades of experience making games, running games, teaching on the intersections of queer theory and fandom, writing Lambda Literary Award-nominated science fiction and fantasy, and still managing to find time to sit with us and chat about fandoms, queer bodies, representation, and how Final Fantasy VII is basically a microcosm of their relationship's early years. Meanwhile, Spencer breaks down the whole GameStop situation that's been all over the news this week and talks about a new multiplayer game they've been playing called Knights & Bikes, while Jamie shares the view from the top of the mountain of completing Persona 5: Royal. Buy Kerey's book Herlands: https://www.amazon.com/Herlands-Exploring-Womens-Movement-United/dp/0816698252 Learn more about Glitter Collective: https://www.glittercollective.com/ Side Quest Help secure the future of the Quileute tribe by moving the at-risk community to the safe zone where their culture and heritage can continue to thrive for generations to come: https://mthg.org/ This episode is sponsored by the following Patreon supporters: Yinka Araromi About Pixel Therapy New episodes drop every other Tuesday. Learn more at pixeltherapypod.com or follow us on social media @pixeltherapypod. We're proud members of the But Why Tho? Podcast Network: visit ButWhyThoPodcast.com for everything pop culture in an inclusive geek community! If you like what you hear, please take a moment to rate us, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts (or your listening app of choice) & subscribe! Want more? Join our little community over on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/pixeltherapypod l6mrHP2gHVxLrZMFBbp0 Support this podcast

THIS WEEK: Charlie & Nicky are joined by Kate Sánchez (ButWhyThoPodcast) to discuss the rumoured Lando Disney+ show and representation in Star Wars. ALSO: BABY YODITO! Contact Us: Tweet us @impsenatepod or e-mail us at imperialsenatepodcast@gmail.com. Website: www.imperialsenatepodcast.com Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/TheImperialSenatePodcast Join us on Discord: discordapp.com/invite/sB4PRu9

Check out the latest writings from Kate and the rest of the staff at But Why Tho at butwhythopodcast.com (https://butwhythopodcast.com/) and follow Kate on Twitter @OhMyMithrandir (https://twitter.com/OhMyMithrandir) Follow the guys on Twitter @mynamejong (https://twitter.com/mynamejong) , @ProducerMike975 (https://twitter.com/ProducerMike975?lang=en) , & @gachodominguez (https://twitter.com/gachodominguez) Submit a question or topic to the Comicast Sack by emailing the guys at comicastpod@gmail.com Check out the latest writings from the guys at comicastpod.com (https://comicastpod.com/) Comicast Shirts Available Now! (https://www.etsy.com/listing/697757058/comicast-podcast-on-a-short-sleeve?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=comicast&ref=sr_gallery-1-1&organic_search_click=1&frs=1&col=1) Join the Comicast Fantasy Movie League here (https://fantasymovieleague.com/league/29763) , the password is thanksdc

Follow Elizabeth on Twitter @lizzylynngarcia (https://twitter.com/lizzylynngarcia) and check out some of her latest articles (https://butwhythopodcast.com/author/lizzylynngarcia/) on ButWhyThoPodcast.com (https://butwhythopodcast.com/) Follow Michael on Twitter @ProducerMike975 (https://twitter.com/ProducerMike975) Submit a question or topic to the Comicast Sack by emailing the guys at comicastpod@gmail.com Check out the latest writings from the guys at comicastpod.com (https://comicastpod.com/) Comicast Shirts Available Now! (https://www.etsy.com/listing/697757058/comicast-podcast-on-a-short-sleeve?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=comicast&ref=sr_gallery-1-1&organic_search_click=1&frs=1&col=1) Join the Comicast Fantasy Movie League here (https://fantasymovieleague.com/league/29763) , the password is thanksdc

Bonus issue of the podcast this week! It's a special Comicast One-Shot of David Does Comics with David Ramon jumping back on after a brief hiatus. David and Michael go over some of the latest comics hitting shelves this week including [War of Realms Journey Into Mystery #1](https://comicstore.marvel.com/War-Of-The-Realms-Journey-Into-Mystery-2019-1-of-5/digital-comic/51203), [The Batman Who Laughs #4](https://www.dccomics.com/comics/the-batman-who-laughs-2018/the-batman-who-laughs-4), [Detective Comics #1001](https://www.dccomics.com/comics/detective-comics-2016/detective-comics-1001), [Web of Venom: Cult of Carnage #1](https://comicstore.marvel.com/Web-Of-Venom-Cult-Of-Carnage-2019-1/digital-comic/51107), [Faithless #1](https://shop.boom-studios.com/comics/detail/9397/faithless-1-(of-5)-main-cvr-pope-(mr)), and more! Plus David and Michael discuss [James Gunn's comic inspiration](https://revengeofthefans.com/2019/04/10/the-suicide-squad-gunn-seems-to-confirm-inspiration-fuels-bronze-tiger-rumors-for-idris-elba/) behind the new Suicide Squad film in development and what that could mean for who Idris Elba might be playing.   Check out the written reviews referenced in this issue, [The Batman Who Laughs](https://butwhythopodcast.com/2019/04/10/review-the-batman-who-laughs-issue-4/) and [Detective Comics 1001](https://butwhythopodcast.com/2019/04/10/review-detective-comics-issue-1001/), over at [ButWhyThoPodcast.com](https://butwhythopodcast.com/)! Read what friend of the show [Elizabeth Garcia](https://butwhythopodcast.com/author/lizzylynngarcia/) had to say about these comics and more! Plus you can also check out a review of Faithless #1 from Kate Sanchez over at ButWhyThoPodcast.com right now... so do it! All the cool kids are doing it! If you have a question or topic for Jong and Michael that you'd like them to answer or discuss, email them to comicastpod@gmail.com or follow them on Twitter [@mynamejong](https://twitter.com/mynamejong) and [@ProducerMike975](https://twitter.com/ProducerMike975). Get your latest sports, comic, or Gundam talk from David Ramon on Twitter as well, by following him [@gachodominguez](https://twitter.com/gachodominguez)! While you're on your podcast platform of choice leave a rating or review! The more you do, the more people get to enjoy Jong and Michael's ramblings and screw ups... I mean takes and insight. More content coming to [comicastpod.com](https://comicastpod.com/) soon!

Well today we have the longest issue ever of Comicast, get comfortable because it's a long one. On this edition of the podcast, Jong gives his non-spoiler thoughts of Jordan Peele's new movie Us. Plus Jong and Michael discuss the latest trailers for [Stranger Things](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEG3bmU_WaI), [John Wick Chapter 3](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pU8-7BX9uxs), [Toy Story 4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmiIUN-7qhE), and [Once Upon A Time in Hollywood](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Scf8nIJCvs4). Then the guys are joined by Kate Sanchez of [ButWhyThoPodcast.com](https://butwhythopodcast.com/)! Kate recaps SXSW 2019, discusses going to the event for the first time as a member of the media, [her thoughts on Us](https://butwhythopodcast.com/2019/03/22/review-us-is-a-horrific-masterpiece/), why it's a horror masterpiece, and more! Plus the guys discuss with Kate [Pet Sematary](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VllcgXSIJkE), [The Curse of La Llorona](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOV-xMYQ7sk), [Little Monsters](https://butwhythopodcast.com/2019/03/19/review-unreserved-comedic-horror-little-monsters-is-a-must-see/), and more! Then finally David Ramon joins the podcast for another edition of David Does Comics! David and Michael highlights some of the top comics of the week and try not to get distracted by March Madness... spoiler they do.  Since this was a long one, here are the time codes for the 3 major sections of the podcast. Us/New Trailer discussion (1:25), Kate Sanchez joins the show (37:30), and David Does Comics with David Ramon (1:29:32).  Follow Kate on Twitter [@OhMyMithrandir](https://twitter.com/OhMyMithrandir). You can also check out the latest reviews and articles from Kate and her team or checkout the latest episodes hitting the But Why Tho Podcast Network by visiting [ButWhyThoPodcast.com](https://butwhythopodcast.com/). Follow them on social media as well, just search But Why Tho Podcast.  If you have a question or topic for Jong and Michael that you'd like them to answer or discuss, email them to comicastpod@gmail.com or follow them on Twitter [@mynamejong](https://twitter.com/mynamejong) and [@ProducerMike975](https://twitter.com/ProducerMike975). Get your latest sports, comic, or Gundam talk from David Ramon on Twitter as well, by following him [@gachodominguez](https://twitter.com/gachodominguez)! While you're on your podcast platform of choice leave a rating or review! The more you do, the more people get to enjoy Jong and Michael's ramblings and screw ups... I mean takes and insight.  More content coming to [comicastpod.com](https://comicastpod.com/) soon!

It's Friday which means... wait a minute, we never do issues on a Friday... oh that's right we're doing one because today is a special Comicast One-Shot! During the normal Tuesday/Thursday issues of the podcast the guys go through multiple headlines in the news but during the One-Shots the focus is set on one specific topic or movie/show/game/etc. In this issue it's a special extended edition of David Does Comics with frequent contributor David Ramon. During this extended version of David Does Comics Michael and David are joined by Elizabeth Garcia of [ButWhyThoPodcast.com](https://butwhythopodcast.com/) to discuss some of the highlights in comics this week and the top comics for the month of February. Plus the guys learn about Elizabeth's comic book background, and the But Why Tho Podcast community!  You can follow Elizabeth on twitter [@lizzylynngarcia](https://twitter.com/lizzylynngarcia) and check her [latest articles on ButWhyThoPodcast.com](https://butwhythopodcast.com/author/lizzylynngarcia/). You can follow Michael and David on twitter [@ProducerMike975](https://twitter.com/ProducerMike975) and [@gachodominguez](https://twitter.com/gachodominguez) respectively.  If you enjoyed this Comicast One-Shot, email Jong and Michael suggestions for more one-shot topics at comicastpod@gmail.com. Also checkout the new website for Comicast at [comicastpod.com](https://comicastpod.com/), it's in early development but expect to see more content from the guys soon!

Thanks for tuning into for another episode of So Here’s What Happened!On this episode, LaNeysha and Carolyn chat about their top 3 picks for the month of July.Spoiler Warning: The ladies discuss Marvel's Ant-Man & The Wasp and Sorry To Bother You.Be sure to follow us on Twitter @SHWH_Pod to be a part of the #SHWHPod community and share your recs and reviews with us too!AnnouncementsCarolyn's going to the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF)!We've got a new segment called “Carolyn Talks…”!Get all the details and information on our announcements on our latest blog post on ButWhyThoPodcast.com!Carolyn's PicksRead:To All The Boys I've Loved Before — Written by award-winning author Jenny Han, "To All The Boys I've Loved Before", is a YA novel centered around Lara Jean Song Cover, a sixteen-year-old Korean-American high school student struggling with family, school and the minefield the emotional minefield that is teenage love. When Lara Jean's love letters to her crushes are mailed to them, she is forced to confront feelings that she's kept hidden from them. The feature film adaptation of "To All The Boys..." will be available for streaming on Netflix August 17, 2018, watch the official trailer here.Watched (Film):Sorry To Bother You — Directed By Boots Riley and starring Lakeith Stanfield, Tessa Thompson, Steven Yuen and Armie Hammer, Sorry To Bother is an interesting and at times very blunt look at how capitalism intersects with race, gender and sex. Using interesting and at times shockingly absurd visuals, Riley provides viewers with a social commentary discourse unlike anything seen before.LaNeysha's Picks Read - Tomo-chan wa Onna no Ko!/Tomo-chan Is a Girl/Tomo Aizawa successfully confessed to her crush Junichirou Kubota. There is only one problem: He still only sees her as his buddy. Not to mention he thought that she was a boy until they went to middle school together. So, no Tomo's struggle for for Jun to see her as woman begins.Watched TV - Kim’s ConvenienceWhile running a convenience store in Toronto, members of a Korean-Canadian family deal with customers, each other and the evolving world around them.Watched Movie - Ant-man & WaspScott Lang is dealing with the consequences of his choices as both a superhero and a father. Approached by Hope van Dyne and Dr. Hank Pym, Lang must once again put on the Ant-Man suit and fight alongside the Wasp. This new mission soon leads to secret revelations from the past as the dynamic duo finds itself in an epic battle against a powerful new enemy.You can email us at SHWHPod@gmail.com, and follow the ladies on social media at @CarrieCnh12 and @La_Ney_Sha to keep but be warned, we tweet a lot. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Thanks for tuning into the first official episode of So Here's What Happened!On this episode the ladies kick things off by talking about the various books, films, and TV shows they've watched over the month of May!Carolyn recommends some great sci-fi and romance books, including one where the main character is a time traveling Black woman! While LaNeysha recommends a dark fantasy manga talk that has a shocking twist. And that's just few things, there's still much more in store. So if you've been looking for a good book rec or want to hear some honest film and TV reviews this is the show for you!So Here What Happened is proudly a part of the But Why Tho Podcast community! You can find more in depth content from us and other great nerds too! Check them out at ButWhyThoPodcast.com and follow them at @ButWhyThoPC on Twitter.Spoiler Warning: some spoilers for Steven Universe and Attack on Titan manga, you've been warned. Skip over if you don't want to know.Be sure to follow us on Twitter @SHWH_Pod to be a part of the #SHWHPod community and share your recs and reviews with us too!Carolyn's Picks Read: Kindred by Octavia E. Butler The Expanse: Babylon's Ashes Amazon Kindle Romance Books:Merry Inkmas & A Girl Like Her by Talia HibbertWrapped by Rebekah WeatherspoonWatchedThe ExpanseDear White People season 2Black & Saimdan on Netflix starring Song Seung-HeonLaNeysha's PicksRead:Mister Miracle The Promised Neverland Attack on TitanWatched:Deadpool 2Steven Universe Craig of the CreekPreacher - Season 1 See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.