Literate Gamer
297 episodes - English - Latest episode: 12 months ago - ★★★★ - 77 ratingsOctopusPark's Literate Gamer: a discussion of games, their meaning, and their impact on people and art.
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Episodes
Marvel's Avengers and other Live Services
August 22, 2021 21:39 - 1 hour - 60.3 MBJonathan and Nick discuss Marvel's Avengers, Read Dead Online, and other live service games. In each are some successes, some failures, noble attempts, and bad behavior. A few rays of hope pierce the gloom.
Platformer Short: Heave Ho
August 10, 2021 21:34 - 4 minutes - 4.46 MBJonathan gushes about the hilarious platformer by Le Cartel "Heave Ho". Great for couch co-op, great for the family. This game is an absolute delight, laughs and fun from start to finish.
MineCraft
August 03, 2021 22:27 - 45 minutes - 41.5 MBJonathan and Nick reminisce about a decade of MineCraft, from alpha survival to bedrock goats, this game continues to improve, bringing wondrous joy, pleasant solitude, and immortal, cave-dwelling madmen.
Platformer Short: Inquisitor - Martyr
July 28, 2021 00:24 - 10 minutes - 9.45 MBJonathan recounts his experience with the diablo-esque overhead action game in the Warhammer 40K universe "Inquisitor: Martyr". Great for when you just need to mow down some chaos scum and pointy aliens.
Story of Seasons
July 20, 2021 20:44 - 37 minutes - 34.5 MBNick tells Jonathan about Story of Seasons, the zen art of butter and cheese, and they discuss the calming, ephemeral city-builder puzzle-esque game Islanders.
Castlevania Anniversary and on Netflix
July 13, 2021 22:51 - 8 minutes - 7.48 MBJonathan recounts a wonderful experience with the Castlevania Netflix show, and the collection Castlevania Anniversary. I got it for $5 on the Switch store, though it may have been on sale. Even for the full price of $20, it's a great collection. https://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/castlevania-anniversary-collection-switch/
For the King
July 10, 2021 22:00 - 31 minutes - 28.7 MBJonathan and Nick discuss the light romp 'For the King'. A turn-based RPG where you don't have to think, good for those new to role-playing, or just for relaxation. Fun by yourself, more fun with friends or family.
Platformer Short: Portal 2
June 29, 2021 22:11 - 6 minutes - 6.25 MBJonathan Recounts the excellent sequel Portal 2, more test chambers, more robots, more story, and all still excellent. A required experience.
DragonRuby with Amir Rajan
June 24, 2021 20:51 - 1 hour - 67.8 MBAmir tells Jonathan and Nick about DragonRuby, his experiences with making games, playing them, and wondrous digressions. http://amirrajan.net/7-lessons-from-7-years-of-indie-game-dev/ http://dragonruby.org/ Dragon Ruby Game Toolkit Performance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuY7CWdvyWM https://yzcroshaw.itch.io/the-life-of-erich-zann Perception game documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29kCOc6LjnY https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryan_C._Gordon
Dragon Ruby with Amir Rajan
June 24, 2021 20:51 - 1 hour - 67.8 MBAmir tells Jonathan and Nick about Dragon Ruby, his experiences with making games, playing them, and wondrous digressions. http://amirrajan.net/7-lessons-from-7-years-of-indie-game-dev/ http://dragonruby.org/ Dragon Ruby Game Toolkit Performance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuY7CWdvyWM https://yzcroshaw.itch.io/the-life-of-erich-zann Perception game documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29kCOc6LjnY https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryan_C._Gordon
Platformer Short: Portal
June 15, 2021 23:31 - 7 minutes - 6.96 MBJonathan gushes about Portal, a must-play classic, a masterpiece of gameplay and story, fun for everyone, completely accessible at only a few hours length, dynamite from start to finish.
Resident Evil 8 Village
June 10, 2021 02:41 - 40 minutes - 37.5 MBNick tells Jonathan all about Resident Evil 8 Village, another in a classic horror franchise with ups and downs, but returning quality and occasional innovation.
Platformer Short: Hades
June 02, 2021 00:08 - 11 minutes - 10.3 MBJonathan recounts the experience of Hades, an action rogue-like from SuperGiant games, brimming with character and mechanically interesting. I heartily recommend it.
Outriders
May 26, 2021 01:48 - 53 minutes - 49.5 MBJonathan and Nick discuss Outriders, a first-person shooter with rough edges and a good heart. The story is badly edited, but contains some real pathos, and the gameplay is phenomenal.
Platformer Short: Dandara: Trials of Fear Edition
May 19, 2021 01:47 - 10 minutes - 9.21 MBJonathan recounts his experience with a weird little game: Dandara: Trials of Fear edition, a novel take on the platformer genre, impenetrable to me, though perhaps not to others.
Cyberpunk 2077
May 11, 2021 21:27 - 41 minutes - 38.6 MBNick tells Jonathan about his experiences with Cyberpunk 2077, followed by a discussion of hype, industry pitfalls, and the dangers of scope creep.
Platformer Short: Subnautica - Below Zero
May 04, 2021 21:34 - 10 minutes - 9.8 MBJonathan recounts his experiences with Subnautica: Below Zero, another crafting first-person swimming experience in the Subnautica universe, just as good as the first, with a few quality of life improvements over the first one. I highly recommend it.
Ancestors: the Humankind Odyssey
April 27, 2021 22:05 - 42 minutes - 38.9 MBJonathan and Nick discuss "Ancestors: the Humankind Odyssey", a singular experience, unlike any other game, or type of game, that you might experience these days. It's odd, compelling, and absolutely novel.
Platformer Short: Dicey Dungeons
April 21, 2021 01:37 - 8 minutes - 7.4 MBJonathan talks about Dicey Dungeons, a fun, little mechanics-heavy-yet-light-overall rogue-lite, great for a short diversion from time to time.
Valheim
April 14, 2021 01:21 - 53 minutes - 49.1 MBValheim! A 3rd-person, crafting, survival game, with viking style and a vast world. If you can host a server, or find a friend who can, or can keep your computer online, up to 10 people can be on at once, for a Viking town of your own! This game oozes style and soul, more than enough to overcome some low-rez textures. And it's still in early access!
Platformer Short: Bionic Commando
April 07, 2021 01:32 - 11 minutes - 10.7 MBJonathan recounts the joys of brachiating in Bionic Commando: a classic platformer with unique mechanics and quality style and story.
Genshin Impact
March 30, 2021 22:56 - 51 minutes - 47.5 MBJonathan and Nick discuss Genshin Impact, a beautiful, open-world, gacha game with unique style, interesting environments, and an aggressive release schedule, created by miHoYo. There's a bit of grind, and some loot-box mechanics to be wary of, but you can still get everything through play alone. I'm still playing after several months, and love the characters. Nick less so, but no one's perfect. :P
Platformer Short: Ghosts 'N Goblins Resurrection
March 23, 2021 22:02 - 17 minutes - 15.8 MBJonathan recounts the wonderful experience of Ghosts 'N Goblins Resurrection, an update to a classic platformer, with all the latest quality of (un)life improvements and art updates, while completely staying faithful to the style and difficulty of the original, should you so choose. If you love platformers, you owe it to yourself to get it.
Control
March 16, 2021 16:15 - 33 minutes - 30.5 MBNick recounts his experiences with Control, mind-bending action brought to you by Remedy Games. A bizarre experience of reality-warping dystopia.
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow
March 13, 2021 13:21 - 9 minutes - 8.8 MBJonathan recounts Castlevania: Lords of shadow, a linear experience with a few too many QTEs, but a wonderful dive into the mythos. They bring a new dark story brimming with classic Castlevania atmosphere.
Dishonored
February 24, 2021 03:27 - 1 hour - 59.7 MBNick and Trevor regale Jonathan with the rich setting, action, and strange history of Dishonored, a first-person immersive assassin sim. They discuss the franchise and its spiritual genealogy and surrounding hamlets, fascinating and rich. Also Check out Trevor's podcast 'Silicon Vets Gaming'.
Platformer Short: Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night
February 17, 2021 02:46 - 10 minutes - 9.34 MBJonathan examines Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, a loyal spiritual successor to Castlevania: Symphony of the night, and the DS Castlevania games. If you need another hit of Castlevania, this is the game for you, even if it's not official.
The Wind and Wilting Blossom
February 13, 2021 03:49 - 50 minutes - 46.2 MBJonathan and Nick speak with the creators of The Wind and Wilting Blossom, by PickleFeet games: Tyler Monroe and Thomas Spradling. Think Heroes of Might and Magic meets GloomHaven. You can see the artistic vision and feel the love they put into this one. @picklefeetgames discord: http://bit.ly/39GoQwB steam: http://bit.ly/2lIpKWb http://picklefeetgames.com
Platformer Short: The Pedestrian
February 02, 2021 23:29 - 8 minutes - 7.6 MBJonathan discusses The Pedestrian, a fun little platformer puzzle game, light and bite-size, reminiscent of Framed, and available now on Steam.
Yakuza: Like a Dragon
January 27, 2021 00:13 - 1 hour - 55.3 MBNick regales Jonathan on the truly weird world of the Yakuza franchise, a bizarre labor of love that has consumed countless hours of playtime, as much weird fascination as fun.
Platformer Short: Mega Man X 3
January 20, 2021 01:35 - 17 minutes - 16.4 MBJonathan recounts the Mega Man X 3 experience. A good game, in a great franchise, with a side order of design rant.
Blaseball
January 13, 2021 02:24 - 55 minutes - 50.9 MBJonathan and Nick speak with Joel Clark and Stephen Bell about their creation Blaseball, a real game about fake players playing fake games in a fake league, with real heart and real fun. This goofy nonsensical circus of a game season is the oddest and compelling thing I've seen for a long time. Also, it's all free. Blaseball.com Patreon.com/blaseball https://discord.gg/3uFgJhu
Platformer Short: Carrion
January 06, 2021 02:34 - 8 minutes - 7.92 MBJonathan discusses Carrion, a novel game where you are the tentacled monster, escaping from a facility of pesky humans, determined to prevent your escape.
Assassin's Creed Valhalla, Origins
December 29, 2020 23:11 - 50 minutes - 46.4 MBNick regales Jonathan with the current progress of the Assassin's Creed franchise, ups and downs, progress and pitfalls.
Writing Workshop: Art, Depression, and Functional Habits
December 22, 2020 21:55 - 1 hour - 65.4 MBJonathan and fellow author and professional journalist Casey discuss writing, normally and during times of depression. Listen for some tips on good habits, and good mental health while still making good art.
Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor and War
December 19, 2020 03:50 - 52 minutes - 48.5 MBJonathan and Nick discuss Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor and Middle Earth: Shadow of War, the games that gave birth to the nemesis system, a brilliant generator of emergent gameplay, which must not be missed.
Platformer Short: The Textorcist
December 16, 2020 01:30 - 10 minutes - 9.47 MBJonathan discusses The Textorcist, a bizarre, irreverant anti-hero priest who fights demons and the possessed with the power of words... Type for your life!
Ghost of Tsushima: Legends
December 03, 2020 02:15 - 31 minutes - 29.1 MBJonathan and Nick discuss Ghost of Tsushima: Legends, the free multiplayer content recently added to the game. All this and a cherry on top for no extra cost?
Platformer Short: Mega Man X 2
November 29, 2020 20:53 - 10 minutes - 9.17 MBJonathan recounts the experience of Mega Man X 2, from the Nintendo Switch's Mega Man X legacy collection.
Hidden Strike: American Revolution
November 17, 2020 23:27 - 40 minutes - 36.9 MBJonathan and Nick speak with Dorian Richard, co-designer of Hidden Strike: American Revolution, a cooperative or competitive game of high-level war and history. You can feel the love the makers have for both game design and the historical period. Available for preorder here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1456271622/hidden-strike-american-revolution?ref=nav_search&result=project&term=hidden%20strike%20american%20revolut or on the Worthington site: https://www.worthingtonpublishing.co...
Prince of Persia: Two Thrones
November 10, 2020 22:31 - 10 minutes - 9.34 MBJonathan recounts the wonders of Prince of Persia: Two Thrones, third game and a fantastic finisher to this trilogy. They manage to expand upon the mechanics and have a story-line nearly as good as the first game, for a wonderful experience. Don't bother with the second game, just play Sands of Time and this one.
X-COM: Chimera Squad
November 04, 2020 21:38 - 42 minutes - 39 MBJonathan and Nick talk Chimera Squad, a great little game sprouting off the X-COM franchise, nourishing for those jonesing for another hit of the good stuff. It's not as long as a full game, but at this price, that's more than worth it!
Prince of Persia: Sands of Time
October 28, 2020 23:43 - 10 minutes - 9.78 MBJonathan recounts the wonder of Prince of Persia: Sands of time, a groundbreaking play and story experience that left a permanent mark on the 3D platformer genre. In addition to this episode, there is a well-thought-out examination of it here: https://youtu.be/T5o0utE1ZuM
Sea of Thieves
October 21, 2020 01:03 - 55 minutes - 50.6 MBJonathan and Nick talk with Eli Belmont, expert Sea of Thieves pirate and streamer. It's not an action game, it's a pirate simulator with all the action and swashbuckling that entails. This one is a novel take on multiplayer, and a real blast! Find him here https://www.twitch.tv/elibelmont and join the discord for pirate action.
Platformer Short: God's Trigger
October 13, 2020 20:45 - 12 minutes - 11.9 MBJonathan recounts God's Trigger, a top-down, instant-kill, bullet-hell shooter with a lot of attitude.
WarFrame
October 07, 2020 09:53 - 47 minutes - 43.2 MBNick and Jonathan discuss WarFrame, the third-person, quasi-massive-online, immortal robot, horde-fighting, action game. It was this game before Destiny was this game. More #ThornCars, and yet less.
Platformer Short: Ring Fit Adventure
October 01, 2020 01:12 - 9 minutes - 9.07 MBJonathan recounts working out with the Switch peripheral title Ring Fit Adventure, another of Nintendo's ingenious uses of the joycon, more than a bit clever, and surprisingly effective.
Vampyr
September 24, 2020 01:46 - 43 minutes - 39.6 MBJonathan and Nick discuss Vampyr, a step forward into new territory of story and morality, more than just some sort of simple good and evil mechanic, and certainly enough to overcome a few rough mechanical edges. A fascinating gem amidst a sea of higher-budget games.
Platformer Short: Alto
September 15, 2020 22:18 - 6 minutes - 5.71 MBJonathan discusses Alto: a light, fun, relaxing romp of a one-button, 2D platformer.
Code Vein
September 08, 2020 22:16 - 35 minutes - 32.3 MBJonathan and Nick discuss Code Vein, a Japanese souls-like that represents the expansion of the mechanical genre into new setting genres. Your move, Atlas.