In this episode Nate and Samantha set out to recap and wrap up our summer series on games, childhood, and nostalgia, and end up…somewhere else. We cover all the deep questions, like, “Does nostalgia have to be melancholic?”; “Are console generations a marketing lie, just like other generational divides?”; “Do any of us leave childhood unscathed?”; and, “Isn’t Assassin’s Creed just Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoons?”

In this episode, Nate interviews NikkiJay, developer of the just-released "plotformer" Quantum Witch. Come for the in-depth discussion about cults, conditioning, and choices - stay for the impromptu ukelele concert.

These are definitely times in which many of us could use...a break. Also, it's fall. So get that comfy sweater on and hear us debate the definition of video game coziness. Enjoy our wishful thinking about Tom Nook's lending practices, throwing apples at Pikachu, and those infamous Stardew Valley rabbit feet.

Friends! We are still living, still playing, still podcasting onwards. Nate, Don, and Christian go on an epic journey through the eldritch void in this one, starting with Don’s take on World of Horror: a guy in a red is going around chopping off some feet. Christian’s been playing Spider-Man 2, answering the question on everyone’s mind: “Does Venom eat the lobsters?” Nate and Christian play Super Mario Wonder and argue about talking flowers; Don rides the Mario Kart ride. We can’t reach consensus about the Mario movie, but we do agree that Diablo IV is TV. Take note, gentle reader, that the episode is not called Butt Echoes… but it could have been.

Friends! We are still living, still playing, still podcasting onwards. Nate, Don, and Christian go on an epic journey through the eldritch void in this one, starting with Don’s take on World of Horror: a guy in a red is going around chopping off some feet. Christian’s been playing Spider-Man 2, answering the question on everyone’s mind: “Does Venom eat the lobsters?” Nate and Christian play Super Mario Wonder and argue about talking flowers; Don rides the Mario Kart ride. We can’t reach consensus about the Mario movie, but we do agree that Diablo IV is TV. Take note, gentle reader, that the episode is not called Butt Echoes… but it could have been.

In a blast from the past (and by that, we mean early 2023), this episode of the Gamers with Glasses Show features Don as he delights in the pure semiotics of Akka Arrh. Christian plays Season, “non-dystopian, post-apocalyptic bicycle scrapbook game” in which anxiety over the future doesn’t necessarily have to mean panic. We talk about Dredge and reminisce on fishing minigames of times gone by, because fishing is golf. We offer some predictions about what Tears of the Kingdom will be like, because it wasn’t out yet. All our predictions were 100% correct, of course. Roger talks Dead Cells and Castlevania, Nate complains about the Unbearable Lightness of Mario, and we all get to share our favorite long falls in video games. Don wins the podcast: “If Cuphead and Flamehead got together, they could make Crème-brûlée-head.”

Join us for a very special episode of the Gamers with Glasses Show featuring Caroline Delbert and Taylor McCue, organizers of the Queer Games Bundle 2023. Tune in to learn about ways to support the queer games community (including but not limited to buying the bundle!) and for game recommendations from the bundle organizers. Conversation topics range from game bundles as wealth redistribution, to teddy bears who really want you to like strapons, to butthole physics. Speaking of, if you would like a reference to this episode’s title, stay tuned at the 40 minute mark. This is one of our favorite episodes we've done so far, but be aware that it is recorded with adult ears in mind.

In this episode, Roger starts a cult, and nobody even tries to stop him. It is totally his own original idea and has nothing to do with Cult of the Lamb. Don ruminates on the universe inside Kirby’s stomach in his sub-podcast, “Don Plays All the Kirby Games in a Year.” Someone has the gall to talk about a game called Sin and Punishment in Nate’s absence. Christian leaves JoyCon drift behind to get on the Steam Deck’s memory bus, and savors a few moments of Immortality. Google launches Stadia into the sun. Roger closes the episode with some words of wisdom which, trust us, you are (not) going (to want) to miss.

In this episode, we let loose about Square-Enix business practices, tell tales about bosses in Elden Ring, discuss the brilliance and limitations of the cyborg space noir game Citizen Sleeper, gush over the pleasures of Lego games (especially Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga), make knock knock jokes (sorry!), get behind the wheel of Gran Turismo 7, and recommend some weird novels and Sailor Moon. And so much more! If you enjoy our show, please take a minute to write us a review!

We recorded an episode on Elden Ring forever ago, and here it is! What’s the difference between Elden Ring and Dark Souls? Who is George R.R. Martin, and what has he done to Miyazaki? Did FromSoftware invent a new IP for narrative reasons, or is it just a marketing move? How approachable and how accessible is Elden Ring? Why shouldn’t a horse have a double jump? Is FromSoft the Arcade Fire of videogames? Is Arcade Fire the T.S. Eliot of music? Also, you get to hear Don’s best NPR voice - it’s very soothing! - and Nate rants about Sony’s multiplayer paywall (also known as PlayStation Plus). (And Christian is wrong - the world didn’t collectively bounce off Elden Ring - Nate is right, and someone has to drink a bottle of ketchup.) (And Christian is wrong - the world didn’t collectively bounce off Elden Ring - Nate is right, and someone has to drink a bottle of ketchup.)

We interview game designer Jason Cordova, creator of the tabletop roleplaying games Brindlewood Bay and The Between, founder of The Gauntlet, and editor of the RPG magazine Codex. Jason’s games combine open-ended mysteries with horror and adventure. On the podcast, we discuss the difficulties of making a mystery-driven RPG, the Kickstarter for the print edition of Brindlewood Bay, fifth edition D & D and the indie RPG scene, The Gauntlet as a creative community, Codex as a great place to get started designing your own games, the publication of Trophy, and much more. Jason also drops some words of wisdom from Ru Paul! Brindlewood Bay is currently on Kickstarter, funding its print edition. You can also find the zine edition at DriveThruRPG, which is currently pay what you want. The Between is also available on DriveThruRPG.

We interview game developer Johnnemann Nordhagen (Dim Bulb Games, Where the Water Tastes Like Wine) about his Museum of Mechanics, “a browsable, playable collection of lockpicking mechanics from various games.” He talks about the origin of the project in a conversation about fishing mini-games; how lockpicking mini-games compare to conversation and fishing mini-games; how games are like folktales; why games like to make us do things we don't normally do everyday (Johnnemann Nordhagen has picked a lock in real life); the function of these kinds of mini-games from a developer's standpoint; how this project differs from game preservation; and much more!

In Episode 19 of The Gamers with Glasses Show, we talk about how long we’re willing to grapple with puzzles, when we use walkthroughs/strategy guides, different kinds of open world games, and much more. Games covered include Death’s Gambit and its Afterlife expansion, Cozy Grove, Lost Judgment, Amnesia: Rebirth, Lake, and Inscryption. We also discuss the Snowpiercer franchise, Station Eleven, and The Wheel of Time.

We interview Noio (Thomas van den Berg) about his recent game Cloud Gardens, his history in game development, the success of Kingdom, and his next big project! Thomas tells us how Cloud Gardens emerged from his attempt to make an MMO. He describes his personal history in game development, from high school up to the present. He even tells us about his new project, a collaboration with a surprising indie developer! This is a great conversation that ranges from general philosophical questions like what it means to be an indie game developer to business matters like dealing with Steam and handling IP sales. For more on Cloud Gardens, read Christian Haines’ “Growth Through Letting Go.”