We round out the second season of Bundle Buddies by reflecting on our favorite games and episodes, discussing  the best way to raise babies to be gamers, and musing on the future of the podcast. WE LOVE YOU, LISTENERS! See you in the next season!  -- Our cause is once again any abortion fund! However, this week we are donating to National Network of Abortion Funds Collective Power Fund. It will redistribute direct abortion funding to 28 member abortion funds across more than 20 states and is concentrated in the South and Midwest, where it’s often hardest to get an abortion. The Collective Power Fund supports: Cost of an abortion Transportation to a clinic Childcare Lodging Abortion doula support All dollars raised will be redirected to local abortion funds on the frontlines of abortion access. We’ve donated to them, if you donate and send us proof we will shout you out on the show.  

This week, Eric and a Covid-stricken Alex are joined by Malheurt, a drag queen finding the sublime in twitter jokes and fantasy tropes. They talk Pokémon, the ethics of looking up how to beat games on the internet, the majestic difficulty of Heroes of Might and Magic, and so much more.   Here’s what we played through this week: NIGHT OF THE CONSUMERS, by Germ Food Blast Rush, by Bipedal Dog Rusty Lake Hotel, by Rusty Lake Our cause is once again any abortion fund! However, this week we are donating to National Network of Abortion Funds Collective Power Fund. It will redistribute direct abortion funding to 28 member abortion funds across more than 20 states and is concentrated in the South and Midwest, where it’s often hardest to get an abortion. The Collective Power Fund supports: Cost of an abortion Transportation to a clinic Childcare Lodging Abortion doula support All dollars raised will be redirected to local abortion funds on the frontlines of abortion access. We’ve donated to them, if you donate and send us proof we will shout you out on the show.

Alex and Matt talk anime, the tragic beauty of owning dogs, and Steel Magnolias before diving deep into the must-play 20 Minutes Till Dawn, which you should definitely buy instead of avocado toast. The ethical gamer holds court. Matt has opinions about Metroid: Dread. Alex takes a detour from Xenosaga into arguably stranger territory. Our cause is once again any abortion fund! However, this week we are donating to National Network of Abortion Funds Collective Power Fund. It will redistribute direct abortion funding to 28 member abortion funds across more than 20 states and is concentrated in the South and Midwest, where it’s often hardest to get an abortion. The Collective Power Fund supports: Cost of an abortion Transportation to a clinic Childcare Lodging Abortion doula support All dollars raised will be redirected to local abortion funds on the frontlines of abortion access. We’ve donated to them, if you donate and send us proof we will shout you out on the show.

We welcome back 2nd time Bundleliber (Bundle Buddy) Andrew Heywood to the podcast! He and Eric have an in depth discussion on 2018 turn based strategy game Into The Breach. They touch on why JRPG's just don't cut the mustard nomo, chess puzzles, and loads of other things! Our cause is once again any abortion fund! However, this week we are donating to National Network of Abortion Funds Collective Power Fund. It will redistribute direct abortion funding to 28 member abortion funds across more than 20 states and is concentrated in the South and Midwest, where it’s often hardest to get an abortion. The Collective Power Fund supports: Cost of an abortion Transportation to a clinic Childcare Lodging Abortion doula support All dollars raised will be redirected to local abortion funds on the frontlines of abortion access. We’ve donated to them, if you donate and send us proof we will shout you out on the show  

This week, we explore the utopian potential of Broderbund's edutainment classic Zoombinis. Here's to our Beloved Little Guys! To learn more about the game's design process, check out this article, written by two of the game's developers: Zoombinis and the Art of Mathematical Play Our cause is once again any abortion fund. We’ve donated: if you donate and send us proof we will shout you out on the show.    

We have Joe Anderson and Tom Harrison, hosts of the hilarious Anime Sickos podcast, on to discuss all of the most important topics, including how terrible South Dakota is, how F-Zero GX isn't actually a racing game, and why Dragon Quest VI is better than Apex Legends. The pair also schools us on the true objective of their new favorite game, 20 Minutes Till Dawn. You don't want to miss this one, folks.  Here's what we played: Skuiggle, by MOKKA Macbat 64, by Siactro Quiet as a Stone, by Distant Lantern and Richard Whitelock Our cause is once again any abortion fund! However, this week we are donating to National Network of Abortion Funds Collective Power Fund. It will redistribute direct abortion funding to 28 member abortion funds across more than 20 states and is concentrated in the South and Midwest, where it’s often hardest to get an abortion. The Collective Power Fund supports: Cost of an abortion Transportation to a clinic Childcare Lodging Abortion doula support All dollars raised will be redirected to local abortion funds on the frontlines of abortion access. We’ve donated to them, if you donate and send us proof we will shout you out on the show.

We sit down with prolific indie game champion Andrew, AKA Pizza Pranks, the creator and curator behind the video game bundle zine Indiepocalypse. We talk Sesame Street video games, what's missing with charity bundles, and games as the mid-step between activity and art before diving into his process for putting the zine together every month, using the fourth issue as an example. Our cause is once again any abortion fund! However, this week we are donating to National Network of Abortion Funds Collective Power Fund. It will redistribute direct abortion funding to 28 member abortion funds across more than 20 states and is concentrated in the South and Midwest, where it’s often hardest to get an abortion. The Collective Power Fund supports: Cost of an abortion Transportation to a clinic Childcare Lodging Abortion doula support All dollars raised will be redirected to local abortion funds on the frontlines of abortion access. We’ve donated to them, if you donate and send us proof we will shout you out on the show

This week, we have artist, educator, parent, and justice-seeker Alisha Maynoush Mernick on the podcast. She regales us about a recent series of unfortunate events with a freemium mobile game, sings the praises of some little-known app called "Tik-Tok", and updates us on gaming as a parent. She also absolutely ROASTS Alex in Eric's stead.  Here's what we played this week: Catlandia: Crisis at Fort Pawprint, by Polar Tabby DON'T WAKE THE NIGHT, by Brujería At Werk Soft Underbelly, by atelier✦zorra Our cause this week is Plan C. Plan C is an information campaign, started by a small but mighty team of veteran public health advocates, researchers, social justice activists and digital strategists. Plan C transforms access to abortion in the US by normalizing the self-directed option of abortion pills by mail. Check out their website for more information about this extremely pressing cause. We've donated to Plan C -- we encourage you to do the same. If you let us know, we will shout you out on a future episode.

This week the buddies are joined by the delightful Sebastian Quack. Sebastian is a founding member of the Invisible Playground network, co-director of Trust in Play, the European School of Urban Game design, and co-organizer of Drift Club. Since 2021, Sebastian has also directed Now Play This, a Festival of Experimental Game Design in London. We talk the potential of games as a medium, blurring immersion, and finding the edges of reality via high-tech and low-tech means. Here's what we checked out this week: Akuto: Showdown, by Hut 90 The Search, by Jason Godbey Animal Lover, by Trainwreck Studios Once again, this weeks cause is ANY Abortion fund in the united states. Donate to one, send us proof. We’ll shout you out. Check out twitter for more details.

We lost him to civilization:    This was a crazy one, folks. Here's what we're reviewing:  Buck Up And Drive!., by Fabio Fantes Welcome to Elk, by Triple Topping The Wratch's Den, by PUNKCAKE Délicieux Once again our cause is any abortion fund in the United States. Donate what you can and we will shout you out in a future episode.

Armand from Just a Hobby Games reached out to us with a purpose: to educate our dumb asses about the wonderful world of indie RPGs. Okay, he was much more polite about it, but we know our place. A creator and aficionado, he gives us a crash course and all of the amazing things going on outside of the D&D Megaplex, notably the incredible Powered by the Apocalypse system. Eric is hungover and full of Tommy's chili. Alex has no excuse whatsoever. It's a fun episode! This week's lineup: WATER'S FINE by owch Quest of Graal DX by pixel-boy Infini by Barnacue This week's cause is once again ANY Abortion fund in the United States. Donate to one, send us proof, and we’ll shout you out in a future episode.  

It's a SOLO ERIC ADVENTURE! He's got on previous guest and very good guy Greg Karber as they delve into the mind bending multiverse of MURDER MYSTERY'S! They chat about Greg's burgeoning career as a Mystery author (www.gtkmysteries.com), his game Murdle and A.I. applications in the genre! Our cause this week is the Missouri Abortion Fund (MoAF)The games played... Home - A Unique Horror Adventure by @bancycoMurder at the Cat Show by @ShonteWrites2000:1: A Space Felony by @NIPresents

Our guest this week is Natalie Clayton, the designer and developer behind bundle classic Can Androids Pray, and some other awesome experimental games worth checking out. They also write for  a little website called PC Gamer and have a lot of interesting things to say about the craft of video game making. We talk mechs, white-whale peripherals, and how joining a cult seems like a bad idea. But mostly, we talk about mechs, because mechs are extremely cool and we all want one. Can anyone help us get a Bundle Buddies mech? Here's what we played this week: Zepball Deluxe, by blainekyle Sagebrush, by Redact Games Out for Delivery, by Yuxan Gao This week's cause is once again ANY Abortion fund in the United States. Donate to one, send us proof, and we’ll shout you out in a future episode.

We are joined by Jackbox Games writer/director, improv comedian, and one-time jug band member Brooke Breit for a conversation about everything you need to do to make playing video games important professional research. We discuss her humble beginnings, cheating at Track & Field for the NES and getting lost in Myst, to what it's like to watch your idea blossom into an actual, real Jaxbox Party Pack game. Also: is Cuphead an effective way to teach your child about persistence? Do we still love talking about Inscryption? Is there a "there, there" to There is No Game? ANSWERS IN THIS WEEK'S EPISODE! Kind of. Mostly it's just goofs.  This week's VICTIMS: Stophat, by Problematicar J.U.L.I.A.: Among the Stars, by CBESoftware RESPITE 2.0, by Modus Interactive Our cause this week is, again, any pro-abortion charity fighting the good fight during this historically bogus juncture. Send us proof of a donation, and we will shout you out in a future episode.

Ladies and gentlemen, put your hands together for a Bundle Buddies black-tie, gala event: the 200th game episode! That's right -- we've played through a whopping 200 games from the bundles, and we are celebrating in style. We're joined on the red carpet by producer Matt, who for some reason decided to record this episode in VR. Remember: we will be your dancin' hall, baby. Here's what we played to commemorate the milestone: They Bleed Pixels, by Spooky Squid Games Backbone, by Raw Fury Baba is You, by Hempuli These are harrowing times. Do your part by donating to any pro-choice charity, send us proof, and we will shout you out on a future episode.

We have an awesome pair of guests on the show this week. Katy Conroy is a Los Angeles-based comedian, writer, and stylist, and Camille Campbell is a screenwriter, also based in LA. If their names seem somehow *familiar* it's because they also happen to be Alex and Eric's better-halves. That's right folks -- we are talking that Camille and that Katy! We are entering the sacred realm of vow-taking and sacrament-making and really testing the meddle of these relationships this week on Bundle Buddies. We manage to keep things more chatty than spatty on an episode that truly takes a walk down the proverbial aisle. Katy describes the sultry and fantasy-realizing side of The Sims, Camille tries her best to guess what "Slappers Only" is, and the crew provides a scathing review of the 2011 film The Lincoln Lawyer. Turns out it doesn't hold up! If you've ever wondered what it's like to be married to either of the bundle buddies -- and who hasn't! -- you've come to the right place! Here are the games we played this week: 1,000 Heads Among the Trees, by Aaron Oldenburg Augma II Arc I, by Kamigigana GourMelee, by Anthony Tesija Our cause this week is NARAL Pro-Choice America. NARAL Pro-Choice America fights to protect and expand reproductive freedom for *every* body. If you donate to any pro-choice organization and send us proof, we will give you a shout-out on the show

We have established Bundleieber Kate O'Conner on the podcast this week, and it's like an absolute delight. Or it is an absolute delight. We talk about the difference between similes and metaphors, baby games like Dragon Quest XI, and Eric finally learns what a companion is. The gang gets deep into Elden Ring, too -- bimbo builds, the game's cryptic lore, and what its ascension as a cultural oddity has in common with Final Fantasy VII's.  Here's this week's completely randomized lineup of bundle games:  Inverness Nights, by kitsubasa Future Unfolding, by Spaces of Play NOISE1, by ChevyRay Our cause this week is The LA Food Bank. Their mission is to mobilize resources to fight hunger in the Los Angeles area. Read more about them on their website and please, consider donating to this fantastic cause!

Brian Rodriguez-McGovern, or the notorious BRM, is on for a RECORD-BREAKING fourth time. He's the "winningest BB in Bundle Buddies history," but "a hard guest to please," so we ask any game developers out there to take his vitriol with a boulder of salt. Eric gets to the bottom of whether or not anyone is a true gamer with a mind-melting Buzzfeed-style quiz, we get into the weeds on Earthworm Jim, and Matt struggles to remember the name of a certain Jazz Jackrabbit. Terrible gamer-themed parodies of Killers chart-toppers abound, but all in good fun, we promise! Here's this week's lineup:  Destruction Rocks, by eleanorjmorel Crescent Loom, by Olive An American Werewolf in LA, by PlayMedusa This week, our cause is Ktown for All. Ktown for All is a volunteer-led grassroots organization serving Koreatown’s homeless community members through direct aid and political advocacy. Their goal is to make Koreatown a more inclusive and vibrant community by working with and advocating for our homeless neighbors. Homelessness in Koreatown and Los Angeles more broadly is a crisis. They seek to ameliorate the suffering it causes in their neighborhood and advocate for policies that respect the rights, dignity, and needs of the unhoused.

We dip our little piggies (toes) deeper into the Bundle for Ukraine with Matt & Alex's old chum Donovan Lampa. We talk College Days, Ninja Turtles, High School Ska Bands, Counter Strike and (of course) Magic the Gathering arena. Hypnagogia 無限の夢 Boundless Dreams by sodaraptor Wandersong by banov ZeroRanger by system_erasure Our cause this week is, once again the Hoosier Abortion Fund Fund-a-Thon, which kicked off on April 1st. All-Options is looking to raise $35k for this crucial cause, so let's do what we can to help them get there. More information about how to contribute and participate is available at the campaign webpage. 

Here's the thing: this episode is, like, very interesting. We have been working on the way we express ourselves, and, the way I see it, we're doing, um, a very good job. It is as though we are getting very good at this, indeed. We play through some games from The Bundle for Ukraine with producer Matt. We focus a little bit too much on our language. Eric asks some Q's. Everyone provides some A's. Alex tallies up every time someone says like and, in the edit, Matt tries to hold him accountable but finds the enterprise just a smidge too pedantic.  Here's what we played this week: SkateBIRD, by glassbottommeg GunHouse, by NecroSoft (thank you for putting the bundle together!) Promesa, by Julian Palacios   Our cause this week is, once again the Hoosier Abortion Fund Fund-a-Thon, which kicked off on April 1st. All-Options is looking to raise $35k for this crucial cause, so let's do what we can to help them get there. More information about how to contribute and participate is available at the campaign webpage.