Gay for Play: A Video Game Podcast
137 episodes - English - Latest episode: 20 days ago - ★★★★★ - 18 ratingsWelcome to Gay for Play! A podcast about all things queer in the world of video games, pop culture, and beyond.👾🏳️🌈🎮💖 ~ Hosted by Eric Solis & Laurence Turner-Cordova ~ In each episode we take a video game or gaming topic and look at it through a queer lens—discussing LGBTQ+ representation, queer themes, cultural significance, and what the games we love have to tell us about the LGBTQIA+ experience at large. Whether you're a lifelong gamer or have even just a passing interest in gaming, join us each episode as we kiki over our favorite games!
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Episodes
Ep. 17: Straight For Play! (w/ Larry & Erick)
April 01, 2021 13:00 - 40 minutes - 28 MBLaurence and Eric are out this week, but fortunately they’ve entrusted the show to their (totally real) friends Larry and Erick, who are here to talk to you, dear listener, about video games from a what? HETEROSEXUAL perspective. We know you usually come to this show for queer, diverse perspectives on video games, but the thing is: Straight voices these days are so often overlooked (& even silenced!) in the worlds of gaming and podcasting. So Laurence & Eric, as fierce allies of the Hetero...
Ep. 16: Games that Got Us THROUGH the Past Year (w/ Connor Marsh)
March 25, 2021 14:00 - 1 hour - 62 MBY'all, it's been a whole year since we first locked down in our homes last March with nothing but Animal Crossing to keep us company. It's been a tough couple of weeks, & we're all feeling some type of way about this Panniversary, so we decided to take things a bit more casual this week. Instead of focusing on one game, we're joined by our good friend: actor & composer Connor Marsh (he/him) to kiki with us on some game news and take a retrospective look at this past year in Gaming Culture &...
Ep. 16 Games that Got Us THROUGH the Past Year (w/ Connor Marsh)
March 25, 2021 14:00 - 1 hour - 62 MBY'all, it's been a whole year since we first locked down in our homes last March with nothing but Animal Crossing to keep us company. It's been a tough couple of weeks, & we're all feeling some type of way about this Panniversary, so we decided to take things a bit more casual this week. Instead of focusing on one game, we're joined by our good friend: actor & composer Connor Marsh (he/him) to kiki with us on some game news and take a retrospective look at this past year in Gaming Culture &...
Ep. 14: "Nature is Healing, WE are The Last of Us" (TLOU Pt.1 w/ Becca Rowland)
March 18, 2021 13:00 - 1 hour - 69.6 MBCraft your med-kits and molotov cocktails, because we’re tackling a big game on our list this week! We’re joined by our dear friend, Chicago-based actress Becca Rowland, to talk about Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us (Part 1!) Widely considered by many to be one of the best video game narratives of all time, this post-apocalyptic action-adventure game explores the relationship between Joel & Ellie, two strangers who become surrogate father/daughter figures for each other as they journey across ...
Ep. 15: "Nature is Healing, WE are The Last of Us" (TLOU Pt.1 w/ Becca Rowland)
March 18, 2021 13:00 - 1 hour - 69.6 MBCraft your med-kits and molotov cocktails, because we’re tackling a big game on our list this week! We’re joined by our dear friend, Chicago-based actress Becca Rowland, to talk about Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us (Part 1!) Widely considered by many to be one of the best video game narratives of all time, this post-apocalyptic action-adventure game explores the relationship between Joel & Ellie, two strangers who become surrogate father/daughter figures for each other as they journey across ...
Ep. 15: "Nature is Healing, WE are The Last of Us" (TLOU Part I w/ Becca Rowland)
March 18, 2021 13:00 - 1 hour - 69.6 MBCraft your med-kits and molotov cocktails, because we’re tackling a big game on our list this week! We’re joined by our dear friend, Chicago-based actress Becca Rowland, to talk about Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us (Part 1!) Widely considered by many to be one of the best video game narratives of all time, this post-apocalyptic action-adventure game explores the relationship between Joel & Ellie, two strangers who become surrogate father/daughter figures for each other as they journey across ...
Gay for PATREON!
March 14, 2021 13:00 - 13 minutes - 9.24 MBOur Patreon page is finally here!!! You can support us at www.patreon.com/gayforplaypod at our $1, $3, or $5 tiers Please indulge us for 10 minutes as we explain to you why you should consider giving us your money! (if you can & want to, obvi. truly super chill if you don't! we still luv u <3) If you *do* subscribe, we'll have bonus content, a Discord server, and some more cool perks for ya! In any case, thank you SO much for supporting the show! We're excited to bring you more Gay for ...
Ep. 14: "Masc-Top Charizard" (Pokémon 25th Anniversary!)
March 04, 2021 14:00 - 1 hour - 54.4 MBHappy 25th Anniversary, Pokémon Trainers! Can you believe it's been a whole quarter century of catching-them-all? This week we're taking a deep dive on one of the most beloved video game franchises of all time (well, for one of our hosts at least.) We discuss all of the Pokémon-related news from the last week including the surprisingly delightful Pokémon Post Malone Virtual Concert and the new video game announcements: Pokémon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl (remakes of Laurence's favori...
Ep. 14: "Masc-Top Charizard" (Pokémon 25th Anniversary!)
March 04, 2021 14:00 - 1 hour - 54.4 MBHappy 25th Anniversary, Pokémon Trainers! Can you believe it's been a whole quarter century of catching-them-all? This week we're taking a deep dive on one of the most beloved video game franchises of all time (well, for one of our hosts at least.) We discuss all of the Pokémon-related news from the last week including the surprisingly delightful Pokémon Post Malone Virtual Concert and the new video game announcements: Pokémon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl (remakes of Laurence's favori...
Ep.14: "Masc-Top Charizard" (Pokémon 25th Anniversary!)
March 04, 2021 14:00 - 1 hour - 54.4 MBHappy 25th Anniversary, Pokémon Trainers! Can you believe it's been a whole quarter century of catching-them-all? This week we're taking a deep dive on one of the most beloved video game franchises of all time (well, for one of our hosts at least.) We discuss all of the Pokémon-related news from the last week including the surprisingly delightful Pokémon Post Malone Virtual Concert and the new video game announcements: Pokémon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl (remakes of Laurence's favori...
Ep. 13: "Hey Kitty Girl, It's Your 3D World!" (Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury)
February 25, 2021 14:00 - 1 hour - 44.3 MBHey all you cool cats and kittens! It’s just us (Super Mario) bros this week, coming at y’all with a super Nintendo-centric episode. We’re sharing our thoughts on last week’s Nintendo Direct announcements, talking about Animal Crossing theatre-making, and then warp-piping right into our game of the week: SUPER MARIO 3D WORLD + BOWSER’S FURY! This latest Mario outing on the Switch is a polished-up port of the underappreciated Wii U game of the same name, packaged in with BOWSER’S FURY, an a...
Ep. 12: Doki Doki Dream Daddies (Dating Sims w/ Carlos-Zenen Trujillo)
February 18, 2021 14:00 - 1 hour - 60.5 MBYou feeling the love in the air? It's probs because THIS week, we’re joined by playwright, actor, and self-identifying weeb Carlos-Zenen Trujillo (they/them) to dive deep into the world of DATING SIMULATORS! A game genre we've *flirted* with multiple times on the show before that we've now decided to go steady with for a whole episode. We take a look at why these simple, innocuous visual novels resonate so deeply with queer gamers like us, and how the genre has evolved from its heteronormati...
Ep. 12: "Doki Doki Dream Daddies!!!" (Dating Sims w/ Carlos-Zenen Trujillo)
February 18, 2021 14:00 - 1 hour - 60.5 MBYou feeling the love in the air? It's probs because THIS week, we’re joined by playwright, actor, and self-identifying weeb Carlos-Zenen Trujillo (they/them) to dive deep into the world of DATING SIMULATORS! A game genre we've *flirted* with multiple times on the show before that we've now decided to go steady with for a whole episode. We take a look at why these simple, innocuous visual novels resonate so deeply with queer gamers like us, and how the genre has evolved from its heteronormati...
Ep.11: "We Love A Himbo Redemption Arc" (The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword w/ Hannah Berg)
February 11, 2021 14:00 - 1 hour - 56.5 MBHey! Listen! This week, we are joined by actress, gamer, and delightful friend of the pod Hannah Berg (she/her) as we cover our first (but certainly not our last) Legend of Zelda game on G4P! We’re talking 2011’s The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword for the Nintendo Wii! Despite its reputation as the “black sheep” of 3D Zelda games, we discuss our fondness for it as we reflect on how it still succeeds as one of the most charming and character-driven Zelda adventures, with a gorgeous art style...
Ep. 11: "We Love A Himbo Redemption Arc" (The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword w/ Hannah Berg)
February 11, 2021 14:00 - 1 hour - 56.5 MBHey! Listen! This week, we are joined by actress, gamer, and delightful friend of the pod Hannah Berg (she/her) as we cover our first (but certainly not our last) Legend of Zelda game on G4P! We’re talking 2011’s The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword for the Nintendo Wii! Despite its reputation as the “black sheep” of 3D Zelda games, we discuss our fondness for it as we reflect on how it still succeeds as one of the most charming and character-driven Zelda adventures, with a gorgeous art style...
Ep. 10: "Jazz IS Persona Vibes" (Persona 5 Royal w/ Sara Brown)
February 04, 2021 14:00 - 1 hour - 62.4 MBHey oomfs and besties!! This week we're joined by Super Dating Simulator's Sara Brown to talk about PERSONA 5 ROYAL: Atlus's critically-lauded JRPG about living the life of a Tokyo high schooler who moonlights as a monster-fighting "phantom thief" crusading against injustice. (It's very anime.) It's a game all 3 of us love dearly... even though it misses the mark pretty heavily in terms of positive LGBTQ+ representation. So we get *into* it! We chat about why high school teachers dating the...
Ep. 9: “Time is a Heteronormative Construct” (Outer Wilds)
January 28, 2021 14:00 - 1 hour - 46.1 MBGreetings traveler! Rest by the campfire and look up at the stars with us for a bit, won’t you? This week, we launch into orbit and talk about Outer Wilds, an open-world space exploration game where the only objective is to follow your own curiosity as you unravel the secrets of a little alien solar system that has "met with a terrible fate, hasn't it?" We chat about alien gender identities, space colonialism, how the Straights have monopolized time, the inevitable end of all things, & plen...
Ep. 9: “Time is a Heteronormative Construct” (Outer Wilds)
January 28, 2021 14:00 - 1 hour - 46.1 MBGreetings traveler! Rest by the campfire and look up at the stars with us for a bit, won’t you? This week, we launch into orbit and talk about Outer Wilds, an open-world space exploration game where the only objective is to follow your own curiosity as you unravel the secrets of a little alien solar system that has "met with a terrible fate, hasn't it?" We chat about alien gender identities, space colonialism, how the Straights have monopolized time, the inevitable end of all things, & plen...
Ep. 8: "Running Up That Hell (A Deal With Gods)" (Hades)
January 21, 2021 14:00 - 1 hour - 47.8 MBThere is no escape y’all; we’re finally here to talk about a game we’ve been obsessed with for months: HADES by Supergiant Games! We tackle this roguelike action RPG by talking about our *supergiant* crushes on these hot Greek gods, portrayals of queerness in Greek mythology & how it’s represented in this game, and explore why this super addicting game took a spot as one of our 2020 Games of the Year. We also gab on new years rezzie progress (or lack thereof, lol. There was a coup, ok???), T...
Ep. 7: "Stardew You Believe In Life After Love?" (Stardew Valley w/ Aurelia Grierson)
January 14, 2021 15:00 - 1 hour - 53.2 MBHowdy farmers, we're BACK with our first episode of 2021!! This week, we're joined by our dear friend, Aurelia Grierson (they/them), here to chat with us about the holidays, virtual theatre-making, and Stardew Valley! This beloved Harvest Moon-inspired farming simulator has captured our hearts & cemented itself as one of the most prolific indie games of the past decade. ...Sure, it's mainly a game about cute virtual farming, but naturally, we spend most of our time discussing our antics wit...
Ep. 7: Stardew You Believe In Life After Love? (Stardew Valley w/ Aurelia Grierson)
January 14, 2021 15:00 - 1 hour - 53.2 MBHowdy farmers, we're BACK with our first episode of 2021!! This week, we're joined by our dear friend, Aurelia Grierson (they/them), here to chat with us about the holidays, virtual theatre-making, and Stardew Valley! This beloved Harvest Moon-inspired farming simulator has captured our hearts & cemented itself as one of the most prolific indie games of the past decade. ...Sure, it's mainly a game about cute virtual farming, but naturally, we spend most of our time discussing our antics wit...
Ep. 6: "Time For the GOTYs, Girlies!" (Our 2020 Games of the Year)
December 31, 2020 15:00 - 1 hour - 76.1 MBAs Nina Bo'nina Brown once said, "Well, it’s over!" Happy New Year y’all. Before we skedaddle on out of 2020 and never look back, Laurence and Eric sit down and talk about their favorite (and gayest) video games they played this year! (turns out there were a lot of good ones this year, despite... you know, *gestures broadly*) Join us as we discuss our honorable mentions, our favorite non-2020 video games that we played this year, and then find out which games reign supreme & made our pers...
Ep. 6: Time For the GOTYs, Girlies! (Our 2020 Games of the Year)
December 31, 2020 15:00 - 1 hour - 76.1 MBAs Nina Bo'nina Brown once said, "Well, it’s over!" Happy New Year y’all. Before we skedaddle on out of 2020 and never look back, Laurence and Eric sit down and talk about their favorite (and gayest) video games they played this year! (turns out there were a lot of good ones this year, despite... you know, *gestures broadly*) Join us as we discuss our honorable mentions, our favorite non-2020 video games that we played this year, and then find out which games reign supreme & made our pers...
Ep. 5: "The Cyberpunk of It All" w/ Grant Luecke (X-mas Special!)
December 24, 2020 15:00 - 47 minutes - 32.6 MBMerry Christmas and Happy Holidays dear listeners! This week, in lieu of a regular episode, we've got a special holiday surprise for you! We sit down with the dashing Grant Leucke (@grantstabletopworkshop) to chat about his 3D-Printing/Tabletop Miniature business, and we announce a giveaway*** of 3 of his gorgeous mini-figures! We wanted to give y'all a little thank-you present for all of the love and support you've given us over the past month since we launched, so big thanks to Grant for...
Ep. 5: The Cyberpunk of It All" w/ Grant Luecke (X-mas Special!)
December 24, 2020 15:00 - 47 minutes - 32.6 MBMerry Christmas and Happy Holidays dear listeners! This week, in lieu of a regular episode, we've got a special holiday surprise for you! We sit down with the dashing Grant Leucke (@grantstabletopworkshop) to chat about his 3D-Printing/Tabletop Miniature business, and we announce a giveaway*** of 3 of his gorgeous mini-figures! We wanted to give y'all a little thank-you present for all of the love and support you've given us over the past month since we launched, so big thanks to Grant for...
Ep. 5: XMAS GIVEAWAY SPECIAL w/ Grant Luecke (feat. Cyberpunk 2077)
December 24, 2020 15:00 - 47 minutes - 32.6 MBMerry Christmas and Happy Holidays dear listeners! This week, in lieu of a regular episode, we've got a special holiday surprise for you! We sit down with the dashing Grant Leucke (@grantstabletopworkshop) to chat about his 3D-Printing/Tabletop Miniature business, and we announce a giveaway*** of 3 of his gorgeous mini-figures! We wanted to give y'all a little thank-you present for all of the love and support you've given us over the past month since we launched, so big thanks to Grant for...
Ep. 5 XMAS GIVEAWAY SPECIAL w/ Grant Luecke (feat. Cyberpunk 2077)
December 24, 2020 15:00 - 47 minutes - 32.6 MBMerry Christmas and Happy Holidays dear listeners! This week, in lieu of a regular episode, we've got a special holiday surprise for you! We sit down with the dashing Grant Leucke (@grantstabletopworkshop) to chat about his 3D-Printing/Tabletop Miniature business, and we announce a giveaway*** of 3 of his gorgeous mini-figures! We wanted to give y'all a little thank-you present for all of the love and support you've given us over the past month since we launched, so big thanks to Grant for...
Ep. 5: The Cyberpunk of It All (X-mas Special! w/ Grant Luecke)
December 24, 2020 15:00 - 47 minutes - 32.6 MBMerry Christmas and Happy Holidays dear listeners! This week, in lieu of a regular episode, we've got a special holiday surprise for you! We sit down with the dashing Grant Leucke (@grantstabletopworkshop) to chat about his 3D-Printing/Tabletop Miniature business, and we announce a giveaway*** of 3 of his gorgeous mini-figures! We wanted to give y'all a little thank-you present for all of the love and support you've given us over the past month since we launched, so big thanks to Grant for...
Ep. 4 "Miss Cloud is Giving Us FINAL Fantasy!" (Final Fantasy VII Remake)
December 17, 2020 15:00 - 1 hour - 55.2 MBWhew y'all, this week is a BIG one! We're discussing one of our favorite games of the year: Final Fantasy VII Remake -- a massive, ambitious RPG that endeavors to recreate one of the most beloved video games of all time. We talk about the game's beautiful world, music, and characters, how it reckons with it's own dated & problematic past (looking at YOU, HoneyBee Inn), Cloud Strife's drag moment, and of course, the sexy sexy eco-terrorists of AVALANCHE. Aside from one scene from the middl...
Ep. 4: "Miss Cloud is Giving Us FINAL Fantasy!" (Final Fantasy VII Remake)
December 17, 2020 15:00 - 1 hour - 55.2 MBWhew y'all, this week is a BIG one! We're discussing one of our favorite games of the year: Final Fantasy VII Remake -- a massive, ambitious RPG that endeavors to recreate one of the most beloved video games of all time. We talk about the game's beautiful world, music, and characters, how it reckons with it's own dated & problematic past (looking at YOU, HoneyBee Inn), Cloud Strife's drag moment, and of course, the sexy sexy eco-terrorists of AVALANCHE. Aside from one scene from the middl...
Ep.3: "Gone Homo" (Gone Home)
December 10, 2020 15:00 - 47 minutes - 32.4 MBThis week, Laurence & Eric share their thoughts on Gone Home! One of the most beloved indie games of the last decade, this 2013 “walking simulator” made waves across the gaming world by revolutionizing how stories in games are told, what *kind* of stories games dare to tell, and how it helped legitimize an entire genre of video games in the process. We discuss Gone Home’s lovely queer coming-of-age story disguised as a spooky haunted-house adventure, reflect on young queer romance, and h...
Ep. 3: "Gone Homo" (Gone Home)
December 10, 2020 15:00 - 47 minutes - 32.4 MBThis week, Laurence & Eric share their thoughts on Gone Home! One of the most beloved indie games of the last decade, this 2013 “walking simulator” made waves across the gaming world by revolutionizing how stories in games are told, what *kind* of stories games dare to tell, and how it helped legitimize an entire genre of video games in the process. We discuss Gone Home’s lovely queer coming-of-age story disguised as a spooky haunted-house adventure, reflect on young queer romance, and h...
Ep. 3: Gone Homo (Gone Home)
December 10, 2020 15:00 - 47 minutes - 32.4 MBThis week, Laurence & Eric share their thoughts on Gone Home! One of the most beloved indie games of the last decade, this 2013 “walking simulator” made waves across the gaming world by revolutionizing how stories in games are told, what *kind* of stories games dare to tell, and how it helped legitimize an entire genre of video games in the process. We discuss Gone Home’s lovely queer coming-of-age story disguised as a spooky haunted-house adventure, reflect on young queer romance, and h...
Ep. 2: "A Bi-Pride Flag On Acid" (Sayonara Wild Hearts)
December 03, 2020 15:00 - 44 minutes - 31 MBThis week Eric & Laurence invite you to grab your skateboards & tarot cards and take a journey with us across the cosmos as they discuss the 2019 indie darling, SAYONARA WILD HEARTS! We discuss everything from the game's psychedelic (& very queer) visuals, its heartwarming narrative, how the game works as a "video game pop album", and why The Gays love pop music so much! All that and more on this week's Gay for Play! FIND US! Eric Solis: Instagram @eric_of_the_sun Twitter @eric_of_the_sun...
Ep. 1: "Death of the Otter" (Animal Crossing: New Horizons)
November 26, 2020 16:00 - 57 minutes - 39.3 MBOur intrepid gaymers, Eric and Laurence, take you on a tour of all that is good and gay in the world of Animal Crossing on what is this, our pilot episode from way back in May! FIND US! Eric Solis: Instagram @eric_of_the_sun Twitter @eric_of_the_sun Laurence Turner-Cordova: Instagram @afroman76 Twitter @afroman76 Intro and outro music by Connor Marsh (@connorjmarshmallow) Show art by Nick Adams (@stickartams) MUSIC THIS WEEK: Animal Crossing New Horizons - Prologue (Phase 7) by Yasuak...
Ep. 0: "We're Here! We're Doin' It!" (Queer Games of Our Youth)
November 25, 2020 23:00 - 42 minutes - 29 MBLaurence and Eric give you, the listener, a rousing introduction to ourselves, the podcast, and two special games that they consider foundational to their identity as queer gamers. All that, plus lots more on the inaugural episode of Gay For Play! FIND US! Eric Solis: Instagram @eric_of_the_sun Twitter @eric_of_the_sun Laurence Turner-Cordova: Instagram @afroman76 Twitter @afroman76 Intro and outro music by Connor Marsh (@connorjmarshmallow) Show art by Nick Adams (@stickartams) MUSIC ...
Ep 0: "We're Here! We're Doin' It!" (Queer Games of Our Youth)
November 25, 2020 23:00 - 42 minutes - 29 MBLaurence and Eric give you, the listener, a rousing introduction to ourselves, the podcast, and two special games that they consider foundational to their identity as queer gamers. All that, plus lots more on the inaugural episode of Gay For Play! FIND US! Eric Solis: Instagram @eric_of_the_sun Twitter @eric_of_the_sun Laurence Turner-Cordova: Instagram @afroman76 Twitter @afroman76 Intro and outro music by Connor Marsh (@connorjmarshmallow) Show art by Nick Adams (@stickartams) MUSIC ...