Latest Mindgames Podcast Episodes
MindGames - Bonus Ep 15: Our Festive Favourites 2021
The MindGames Podcast - December 24, 2021 18:34 - 1 hourSurprise! It's that time of year again! The MindGames crew is together discussing our Festive Favourites. So join us as we gush over the games which we loved playing most this year. Today's Games (in order of appearance): Final Fantasy XIV (Square Enix) Conan Exiles (Funcom) It Takes Two...
Season 3 Ep 6: Animals and Pets
The MindGames Podcast - August 01, 2021 21:41 - 58 minutesPreamble Hello, and welcome to MindGames! In this month's episode we're activating beast mode: we're talking animals and pets! What sort of animals are represented in games, and how do games explore human-animal relationships? Why do people feel such a strong affinity for animal companions o...
Season 3 Ep 5: Home
The MindGames Podcast - July 04, 2021 15:12 - 51 minutesPreamble Hello, and welcome to MindGames! In this month's episode we discuss a topic everyone has some idea of, “Home”. How do peoples ideas of home bleed into their work? How do games tug on our heartstrings and make us feel at home? And just why is Steve reading about preserved mutton and ...
Season 3 Ep 4: Accessibility in Games
The MindGames Podcast - May 07, 2021 21:01 - 1 hourPreamble Hello, and welcome to MindGames! In this month's episode, we discuss accessibility in games. How have games responded to the different needs and abilities of their players, and how have they represented these types of people in their worlds? Join us as we explore issues such as colo...
Season 3 Ep 3: Playing Music
The MindGames Podcast - April 01, 2021 22:12 - 1 hourPreamble Welcome to this month's MindGames! In this episode, we immerse ourselves in the audio world of games. We ask why soundtracks are such a big part of games, and what role music plays in the games we love. We are lucky to be joined this month by Rachel, a very special guest who last ap...
Season 3 Ep 2: Games of the Age
The MindGames Podcast - March 01, 2021 10:06 - 1 hourPreamble Welcome, young listener, to the wise and venerable MindGames podcast! In this month's episode, we discuss ageing, both in terms of growth ('coming of age') and decline ('senescence'). This month, we tackle big questions around how games have 'come of age' over the past 40 years; do ...
Season 3 Ep 1: Wargames
The MindGames Podcast - January 31, 2021 21:02 - 1 hourWelcome to Season 3 of the MindGames podcast! War, huh? What is it good for? Turns out it's podcasting! In this month's episode we reflect on how games have tackled the politics, drama and desperation of war. Why does war excite so many works of art, and can an interactive medium truly capture...
Bonus Ep 14: Our Festive Favourites 2020
The MindGames Podcast - December 23, 2020 13:59 - 57 minutesChristmas may be cancelled for millions in the UK, but the MindGames team are here for you! In this final bonus episode, we'll be topping off an awful year with some lovely chat about some lovely games. Sit back, relax, and enjoy. ~~~ Our 2020 Festive Favourites: Steve: Ghost of Tsushima (...
Bonus Ep 13: Neopets - Tales from Neopia
The MindGames Podcast - November 30, 2020 22:03 - 41 minutesKeep yourself warm this November with the soft glow of Nostalgia. Milos and Sophie talk about Neopets. Its crazy economy, its links to Scientology and the lost plush of a paintbrush for Sophie's pet. For some of Sophie's work: https://www.instagram.com/dragonet_girl/ Email us about your...
Bonus Ep 12: Our US election breakdown (US Election 2020)
The MindGames Podcast - November 05, 2020 23:47 - 52 minutesThe UK isn't the only place to see fireworks this bonfire night, as the Trump v Biden election continues to sizzle and spark with tension. Trump has already tried to falsely claim victory, armed protesters are on the streets, and meanwhile millions of people across the USA are still awaiting the...
Bonus Ep 11: Playing Politics (US Election 2020)
The MindGames Podcast - October 23, 2020 11:46 - 1 hourWith the US election around the corner, we take a look at an innovative research project that has used games to predict the outcome of Trump v Biden. Ever wondered how on earth Trump will get out of this? It's a real rollercoaster, this one. Protests, sabotage and even a secession crisis. Oh, ...
Season 3 Announcement
The MindGames Podcast - September 08, 2020 19:31 - 2 minutesHi everyone. Two quick updates for you regarding the MindGames podcast. 1) We’re now entering our long overdue summer break period. We’re really happy with our progress in Season 2: we introduced a new format, tackled some massive topics, and even interviewed some real-life game designers and ...
Bonus Ep 10: Disco Elysium Deep Dive
The MindGames Podcast - September 08, 2020 19:29 - 1 hourIn this bonus episode of the MindGames podcast, we take a long look into the mirror of our souls with a deep dive discussion of Disco Elysium. We talk about the world, its history and its technicolour characters. Massive spoilers for anyone who hasn't played this unique game. We hope you enjoy. ...
Season 2 Episode 9: Grind Games
The MindGames Podcast - August 18, 2020 18:45 - 1 hourThis month we talk about THE GRIND, the bizarrely commonplace aspect of games that is a repetitive chore. Why are games uniquely susceptible to grind? Can grind be... good? And finally, what can the existence of grind in games tell us about the world that creates them? We'll be discussing all th...
Season 2 Ep 8: Power Gaming, ft. Bez & Tiz (Part 2)
The MindGames Podcast - July 09, 2020 14:54 - 41 minutesJoin us for the second part of our discussion of power in games. We talk power fantasies, the philosophy of game balance, and we even get a little bit political with a discussion of the UK's Clap for Carers/Boo for Boris. Stick around for our first ever Super Special Guest MindGames Game - it's ...
Season 2 Ep 8: Power Gaming, ft. Bez & Tiz (Part 1)
The MindGames Podcast - June 05, 2020 17:04 - 1 hourYou're in for a real treat in this month's jumbo, jam-packed double bill episode of MindGames, where we take on power dynamics in games. Together, we discuss limitations and possibilities around play. How do games tackle power? What do the power dynamics we create in games tell us about power in...
Season 2 Ep 7: Lockdown Leisure
The MindGames Podcast - May 13, 2020 09:11 - 1 hourIn this month's bumper episode of MindGames, we bring you our Coronavirus lockdown favourites. Join us for a look at how these extraordinary times have changed the way we play, the games we play, and how we look at the world around us. As a special treat, this episode brings you not one but tw...
Season 2 Ep 6: Going Viral
The MindGames Podcast - April 02, 2020 12:58 - 1 hourThis month, the MindGames team get down with the sickness. It's disease in games! Please enjoy our group therapy session produced under nationwide self-isolation. Make sure you keep your ears peeled for Milos' epic monologue about Pathologic 2 in our Weird Games segment. None of us realised at t...
Season 2 Ep 5: Dead Games
The MindGames Podcast - March 06, 2020 12:17 - 1 hourThis month, the MindGames team are dying to tackle the biggest topic of our lives. It's death in games! Join us as we journey into gaming's underworld. We investigate deaths of all flavours to find out how our relationship with life's greatest mystery has changed through the history of the mediu...
Season 2 Ep 5: The Death of Games
The MindGames Podcast - March 06, 2020 12:17 - 1 hourThis month, the MindGames team are dying to tackle the biggest topic of our lives. It's death in games! Join us as we journey into gaming's underworld. We investigate deaths of all flavours to find out how our relationship with life's greatest mystery has changed through the history of the medium...
Season 2 Ep 4: Playing God
The MindGames Podcast - February 01, 2020 13:01 - 1 hourIn this month's episode, we tackle god games. We come to the genre with a whole range of questions; - How do we define a god game? - What is the relationship between a god-player and their world, and how does this reflect our real-world understanding of the roles of gods? - And finally, why do p...
Season 2 Ep 3: Our Festive Favourites 2019
The MindGames Podcast - January 02, 2020 15:46 - 1 hourThe weather outside is frightful, but the gaming is so delightful! This month we take stock of our favourite games of 2019. Stay tuned for Old Man Steve's Grinch List, Milos' bizarrely dark, post-apocalyptic Favourite Game of All Time, and Pix's agony in this month's MindGames game. Today's Ga...
Season 2 Ep 2: Drinking Games
The MindGames Podcast - December 01, 2019 21:06 - 1 hourDrink! Drink! ...think? In this month's episode, we discuss representations of beer in games: the good, the bad, and the vomit-y. Join us as we ponder how designers can possibly represent the diversity of inebriated experiences in a mechanical framework. If you've ever wondered whether Milos wou...
Season 2 Ep 2: Beer in Games
The MindGames Podcast - December 01, 2019 21:06 - 1 hourDrink! Drink! ...think? In this month's episode, we discuss representations of beer in games: the good, the bad, and the vomit-y. Join us as we ponder how designers can possibly represent the diversity of inebriated experiences in a mechanical framework. If you've ever wondered whether Milos wou...
Season 2 Ep 1: A Hostile Climate
The MindGames Podcast - September 30, 2019 20:00 - 1 hourThe MindGames team are back for a second season of musings on life, love, religion, politics... and games! In this episode, we discuss how games reflect and reinforce our understanding of the natural world. Come with us as we explore how games have modelled dystopian post-nuclear futures, the ...
Podcast #1: A Hostile Climate
The MindGames Podcast - September 30, 2019 20:00 - 1 hourThe MindGames team are back for a second season of musings on life, love, religion, politics... and games! In this episode, we discuss how games reflect and reinforce our understanding of the natural world. Come with us as we explore how games have modelled dystopian post-nuclear futures, the fa...
Mind Games - Summer Break
The MindGames Podcast - August 17, 2019 14:31 - 1 minuteHello everyone! You may have noticed that we have not uploaded a new episode this month. Well, it's because we’re on a bit of a summer break. All of our lives have gotten a bit hectic this summer for various reasons. Instead of compromising on our research or the quality of the episodes we've de...
Season 1 Ep 11: A Currency Exchange
The MindGames Podcast - June 30, 2019 21:59 - 1 hourCan war be a vital and healthy tool to balance hyperinflation? Can you live off gold farming when your country's economy has collapsed? When you can sell your items for real money, is banning your account theft? (Spoiler alert, the law is still working on that) In this episode Milos and Steve ta...
Podcast #11: A Currency Exchange
The MindGames Podcast - June 30, 2019 21:59 - 1 hourCan war be a vital and healthy tool to balance hyperinflation? Can you live off gold farming when your country's economy has collapsed? When you can sell your items for real money, is banning your account theft? (Spoiler alert, the law is still working on that) In this episode Milos and Steve ta...
Season 1 Ep 10: Propaganda Games
The MindGames Podcast - May 26, 2019 10:24 - 1 hourToday we dive into the swamp of propaganda games throughout history, including games produced by fascist & communist regimes, white supremacists... and western democracies. Includes some irreverent discussion of racist, fundamentalist views. Today's references (in order of appearance): Ethic...
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