Thank goodness you're here! We're ready to discuss this comedic indie game, but first, could you help us find some coffee? This one-shot / one-week game for August is absurd in some pretty wonderful ways, but what did we end up thinking about it? Listen to find out!

Oooooh, it's what you do to meeeee ~ Delilah and Henry are in some hot water over at their stations. Mysterious figures, recordings of their conversation, and a study on THEM?! What's going on?We cover where we left off (around Day 77) until we roll credits, in addition to our usual Pastry Case convos about what we're playing and watching outside of our monthly brew.

Sphere to Square. Red to Blue. Hair to Hair. We begin our playthrough discussing of 1000xRESIST by immersing ourselves in the world and trying to sort out: what even happened here? This is an incredibly rich and layered game, and we can't wait to play more! Also, we go through the top 5 games we've played so far in 2024: I'd love to know -- what have YOUR favorite games been (indie, AAA, and everything in between!)

Back and ready to complete our discussion of Hyper Light Drifter, Jenny and Joel are pumped... but a bit confused! For the Main Brew, we talk about what it means to play something we don't necessarily understand, and how that impacts our enjoyment (for better or worse). Summer Game Festivities, Steam Next Fest: June, and the recent IGN acquisition are also mentioned in The Pastry Case, as well as this week's upcoming indie launches!

We begin our May selection, Hyper Light Drifter, a game that's beautiful... but so far has left us with more questions than answers!

Want to join the club? Sign up at geeksandgrounds.com!

#indiegame #gamediscussion #hyperlightdrifter

Ready to finally escape from Arcadia? Jenny and Joel talk final thoughts about the finale of American Arcadia and their takeaways from the game.

This week, we have an interview with the developers from Out of the Blue Games! We talk about inspirations for American Arcadia, privacy and reality TV, and just how much work it took to make the Arcadian pop hit, "Don't Be A Fool" Be sure to follow them on Twitter and Instagram at @OutBlueGames and check out their recently announced game, The Vigilante Diaries on Steam.

Out of the frying pan and into the fire is the perfect summary for Trevor's escape at the moment. Jenny and Joel discuss chapters 4 - 6 of American Arcadia as well as the pervasive ways reality TV (and capitalism in general) tries to tell us our lives need to be commodifiable to be of value.

Want to join the conversation in other ways? Visit geeksandgrounds.com to find links to our community discord, sign up for the newsletter, and more!

We explore Hotel Cygnus and try to find Trevor a way out in this week's discussion of American Arcadia. We also discuss the recent BAFTA's "Video Game Icons" list and find we've got a few changes we'd like to make!

How do you feel about reality TV shows? Would you ever join one? For April's selection, we're going to be kicking off with a cinematic story of Trevor, a man escaping from the world's most popular reality TV show. We'll be discussing the Prologue and Chapter 1 for this episode -- and we'd love to hear from YOU! Visit geeksandgrounds.com to learn more how to join the conversation.

It's a busy month, so we've decided to finish our discussion of Gris in one jam-packed episode, due to a hectic March schedule for both of us. It is a heavier episode, so please make sure to utilize the resources at https://www.takethis.org/ if you need to!

Find Geeks & Grounds on Instagram @geeksandgrounds and visit geeksandgrounds.com to sign up for the newsletter!

It's March, so we're kicking off our discussion of Gris during today's podcast, exploring the ways the first area evokes the feeling of denial through it's visuals and mechanics. We also share our reactions and first impressions of this little known game that you MAY have heard of...Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth!

Hey there, Delilah, what's it like at Two Forks Tower? For August, we're discussing the indie classic, Firewatch! How does this 2016 indie game feel playing in 2024? And what ACTUALLY are the mysteries of Two Forks Tower and everyone around it? We cover the beginning of the game (Day 01) until the end of Day 63 (about halfway through), and also chat about the recent wave of layoffs in the industry, the video game strike, and what we've been playing! Want to join the discussion? Visit geeksandgrounds.com to get the links to the Discord, newsletter, and more!

The final antagonist arrives to the scene in Thirsty Suitors... and it's your grandma?! Joel and Jenny discuss the ending to this month's game as well as their feelings on remakes!

We dig into the video game crushes of Jenny and Joel's past as well as the current suitors -- Bruno and Andile -- that we face in our playthrough of Thirsty Suitors!

We are THIRSTY this week for Diya, one of the suitors we meet in Jala's journey. Jenny and Joel discuss chapters 2 and 3 of Thirsty Suitors, as well as some community Steam Next Fest demo recommendations!

This homecoming is NOT the ideal we'd hope for! We kick off playing Thirsty Suitors this week, and learn that not only has Jala returned home because of a bad breakup... but there's a lot of unfinished business left for her work through.

Do you think the Solstice update was a worthwhile addition to OneShot? We discuss that and more as we conclude our playthrough of OneShot this month!

We've gotten to the Tower in OneShot, and all I wanna know: what decision did YOU make? We chat all about why we chose the way we did, in addition to what it's like to play games as an adult!

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This Month's Brew: OneShot ☕

OneShot is a surreal top down Puzzle/Adventure game with unique gameplay capabilities. You are to guide a child through a mysterious world on a mission to restore its long-dead sun. The world knows you exist. https://store.steampowered.com/app/420530/OneShot/

A wildly spinning ram, Biblical parallels, and a continued mystery: all are part of today's OneShot discussion! We also talk about our goal of game journaling this year: what it looks like and how YOU can join us!

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This Month's Brew: OneShot is a surreal top down Puzzle/Adventure game with unique gameplay capabilities. You are to guide a child through a mysterious world on a mission to restore its long-dead sun. The world knows you exist. https://store.steampowered.com/app/420530/OneShot/

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Visit geeksandgrounds.com to join the discussion and learn about this video game club!

A decaying world. A sun. And a young messiah sent to save it all. We begin our discussion of OneShot in this episode of 2024! In addition to our weekly discussion, we also list games we're most excited for that're slated for this year.

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To sign up for the weekly newsletter and learn more about the club, visit geeksandgrounds.com

What's at the top of the tower? We discuss that this week in our final episode of 2023! We finish up our discussion on Jusant, celebrate even more top titles (and creative end of the year categories), and say goodbye to 2023!

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Enjoy meditative vibes in Jusant, an action-puzzle climbing game. Scale an immeasurably tall tower and ascend to new heights alongside your watery companion. Master your climbing tools, find your way up through diverse biomes, and piece together the tower’s past. https://store.steampowered.com/app/1977170/Jusant/

The mystery deepens, and we dive into vertical cities, the connection to nature, and how we think the game is doing in guiding us through the lore! Here's our second week of discussing Jusant!

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Enjoy meditative vibes in Jusant, an action-puzzle climbing game. Scale an immeasurably tall tower and ascend to new heights alongside your watery companion. Master your climbing tools, find your way up through diverse biomes, and piece together the tower’s past. https://store.steampowered.com/app/1977170/Jusant/

Our final episode covering Citizen Sleeper! Remember: we've got the community hangout on Saturday, July 27th at 3pm PST in the Discord. See you there (and next month for our game: Firewatch!)

00:00 Welcome to Geeks & Grounds 01:20 The Pastry Case: What we've been playing 11:40 Our Monthly Brew: 'Maywick' in Citizen Sleeper 01:03:10 Thanks for listening and watching -- we'll see you next month for our August game!

We begin our ascent, and learn that this tower holds far more secrets than initially let on! Jenny and Joel discuss their initial impressions of Jusant's mechanics and stories, and start to theorize on what'll be in store for the rest of the tale.

We must climb, but at least we will climb together! This month for Geeks & Grounds, we're playing Jusant -- hear all about this meditative game and why we're excited to talk about it together. 

Media Discussed

In Stars and Time: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1677310/In_Stars_And_Time/

Suika Game: https://www.suikagame.com

Find Geeks & Grounds social channels and the newsletter sign-up at GeeksAndGrounds.com

Thanks for listening!

We get a bit chaotic as we delve into each of the community game nominations for next year's community selections in this special episode of Geeks & Grounds!

00:00 Welcome to Geeks & Grounds

02:34 The Pastry Case: SAG-AFTRA victories, Revenant Hill updates, and The Game Awards nominations.

25:40 This Month's Brew: Talking through the 16 community nominated titles for next year!

01:14:38 See you next time!

Want to place your votes for what to play? Head over here: https://app.rankedvote.co/rv/u9ur5a651ak4zfw8v8/vote

What happens when you put one universe into another? That's what happens in Cocoon, the indie game we discuss (spoilers ahoy!) in this episode of Geeks & Grounds.

00:00 Welcome to Geeks & Grounds

02:30 The Pastry Case: Devolver Digital Acquires System Era, Co-op Titles, Metacritic Scores, Slay the Princess, and more. 

37:13 This Month's Brew: Cocoon Spoiler Discussion

01:13:49  Last housekeeping (remember to vote!) and see you next time!

Show Notes: https://plump-goldenrod-77e.notion.site/Nov-6-2023-Cocoon-Spoilercast-4b094b134ca145828427dad8cc9b2de8?pvs=4

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From Jeppe Carlsen, the lead gameplay designer of LIMBO and INSIDE — COCOON takes you on an adventure across worlds within worlds. Master world-leaping mechanics and solve intricate puzzles to unravel a cosmic mystery.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1497440/COCOON/

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Hear the buzz about the game we’re playing this November, along with the first in what may be a future Geeks & Grounds community tradition: voting on next year's titles! 

**Time Stamps**

00:00 Welcome to Geeks & Grounds

03:50 Special November Event: Voting for Next Year’s Games!

11:01 The Pastry Case: Hozier, The Fall of House of Usher, and more.

29:34 This Month’s Brew: Cocoon

**Pastry Case Links:**

Hozier’s New Album: https://hozier.com/

The Fall of the House of Usher: https://www.netflix.com/title/81414665

The Wheel of Time: https://www.amazon.com/Wheel-Time-Season-1/dp/B09F59CZ7R

Gen V: https://www.amazon.com/Gen-V-Season-1/dp/B0CBFTRGPZ

Enter the Dadlands: https://maximumfun.org/episodes/adventure-zone/the-adventure-zone-dadlands/

Jusant: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1977170/Jusant/

Getting Over it With Bennett Foddy: https://store.steampowered.com/app/240720/Getting_Over_It_with_Bennett_Foddy/

The final section of Bramble: The Mountain King is a rough one with both highs and lows. Listen to find out what we love about this finale -- and how did we decided the game should be re-written!

00:00 Welcome to Geeks & Grounds

06:22 The Pastry Case: What's an indie game and does it matter? Plus, Sufjan Stevens, Paramore, and Fourth Wing.

38:53 This Month's Brew: The final Bramble discussion, from the Swamp Witch to the End Credits. Spoilers galore!

01:58:12 See you next time!

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This Month's Brew

Bramble The Mountain King is a grim adventure set in a world inspired by dark, Nordic fables. Explore the beautiful yet dangerous and twisted land of Bramble in your endeavour to rescue your sister. Traverse a wondrous landscape and survive deadly encounters with Bramble's many hideous creatures.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1623940/Bramble_The_Mountain_King/

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Links &  Resources Mentioned:

Article: "Does It Matter If Dave The Diver Is An Indie Game Or Not?"

https://www.thegamer.com/dave-the-diver-indie-game-mintrocket-nexon/

Album: Jufjan Stevens, Javelin

https://javelin.sufjan.com/

Album: Paramore, RE: This is Why

https://www.paramore.net/autoplay=true

Book: Max Fixher, The Chaos Machine

https://www.amazon.com/Chaos-Machine-Inside-Social-Rewired/dp/031670332X

Book: Fourth Wing

https://www.amazon.com/Fourth-Wing-Empyrean-Rebecca-Yarros/dp/1649374046

Anime: Good Night, World

https://www.netflix.com/title/81340213

Article: "We Should Retire the Word 'Terrorism'"

https://www.hamiltonnolan.com/p/retire-the-word-terrorism?r=f8dvm&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

Book: Brandon Sanderson, Yumi and the Nightmare Painter

https://www.dragonsteelbooks.com/products/yumi-and-the-nightmare-painter-premium-hardcover-book

Game: Black Tabby Studios, Slay the Princess

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1989270/Slay_the_Princess/

Game: Winters Group Estate, Moonlight in Garland

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1441770/Moonlight_In_Garland/

Game: Volcano Bean, Battlecakes

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1062860/BattleCakes/

Interview: NPR, "Game Mode Gets Cozy" 

https://www.npr.org/2023/10/10/1198908423/1a-draft-10-10-2023

Article: "We Should Retire the Word 'Terrorism'"

https://www.hamiltonnolan.com/p/retire-the-word-terrorism

The  woods become a place of highs and lows, true beauty and horror for Olle in this week's discussion of Bramble: The Mountain the King. We discuss the second and third major bosses of the game, the Nacken and the Karraxuh, and the context of both.

Want to join the club? Visit geeksandgrounds.com to sign up and receive the newsletter in your inboxes!

This week, Joel and I ponder if memes are modern-day folklore, we share our love of Mineko's Night Market (despite some rough areas), and head into the woods for our first official discussion on Bramble! Gather your gnomes, keep an eye out  for trolls, and enjoy!  

Visit GeeksAndGrounds.com to sign-up for the weekly newsletter and join the community!

This month, we're delving into a ~horror~ game, while exploring the folklore that inspired it! It's time to announce our October brew for Geeks & Grounds!

#indiegame #horrorgaming #bramblethemountainking

Content Notes & Warnings: 

Throughout the game, you will meet and defeat monsters in the form of bosses. These scenes will be violent and bloody. Some of the monsters may have human traits, but all are monsters/creatures in Nordic folklore. In addition, you will be able to see dead creatures or animals in magical forests, these create storytelling around the trolls' everyday life. Some fantasy creatures have bodies that resemble the human shape, sometimes they appear semi-nude or wearing revealing clothing.

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Bramble The Mountain King is a grim adventure set in a world inspired by dark, Nordic fables. Explore the beautiful yet dangerous and twisted land of Bramble in your endeavour to rescue your sister. Traverse a wondrous landscape and survive deadly encounters with Bramble's many hideous creatures.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1623940/Bramble_The_Mountain_King/

Our finale and full spoilercast of The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood! Jenny and Joel share what each of their endings entailed and their final feelings about the game. They also talk fun recent events like Portland Snackfest and the continuing allure of playing Baldur's Gate 3!

00:00 Welcome to Geeks & Grounds

02:11 The Pastry Case: Baldur's Gate 3, Fae Farm, Snackfest, Unity Updates, and More!

24:48 The Monthly Brew: The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood - Chapters 5, 6, and 7! Full spoilercast ahead!

01:22:17 Quick Content Warning Note Re: Simulated Car Accidents in Schools/Churches used as "Education" 

01:25:34 Skipping ahead to the rest of The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood Spoilercast

01:38:52 Thanks for joining us!

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Immerse yourself in an enchanting narrative experience as Fortuna, a fortune-teller Witch condemned to exile on her asteroid home. Craft your own Tarot deck, regain your freedom, and shape the fate of the cosmic Witch society.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1340480/The_Cosmic_Wheel_Sisterhood/

Are we thriving or surviving as we build a new life on the Eye? And what's the deal with this Hardin fellow? Join us as we continue our episodic discussion and playthrough of Citizen Sleeper. Today, we'll go from the end of the 'Hunted' cycle click to the end of 'Ethan's Tab' (ish). In addition, we talk about the Spotify Effect, Gamepass, and the sustainability of monthly subscription models for games and other industries! #geeksandgrounds #gamediscussion #citizensleeper #cozygames #narrativegames #indiegames 00:00 Welcome to Geeks & Grounds 04:15 The Pastry Case: The Spotify Effect and Gamepass, Dancing for the Devil, The Imaginary, and more! 47:05 Notable Indie Game Releases for July 17th - 23rd 49:33 Our Monthly Brew: 'Ethan's Tab' in Citizen Sleeper 01:56:44 Next week's brew: What section are we playing? 01:58:18 Thanks for listening and watching -- do YOU trust any group (or individual) in this game? Who? And why?

Jenny and Joel discuss Chapter 4 of The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood! In addition to honing in on the platforms of each witch in the coven, we also take time to share our feelings on pumpkin spice and enjoy the fact that we may be One Piece stans now?!

#geeksandgrounds #thecosmicwheelsisterhood #indiegame 

00:00 Welcome to Geeks & Grounds

04:27 The Pastry Case: Are we One Piece stans now?! Also, Unity bringing devs together... in their dislike of Unity.

16:38 This Month's Brew: Chapter 4 Discussion - How do you know when to build bridges or burn them?

43:11 Community Questions & Comments

51:36 Thanks for joining us!

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Immerse yourself in an enchanting narrative experience as Fortuna, a fortune-teller Witch condemned to exile on her asteroid home. Craft your own Tarot deck, regain your freedom, and shape the fate of the cosmic Witch society.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1340480/The_Cosmic_Wheel_Sisterhood/

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Introducing our new *weekly* format, Jenny and Joel dive into the first three chapters of The  Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood, and hone in on their mechanical impressions as well as the focus on solitude in the first section of the game. "The Pastry Case" -- the new catch-all segment -- is also introduced!

Ready to shape destiny? And is it REALLY destiny if you're the one doing the shaping? We're going to dive into these questions and more in this month's brew  for Geeks & Grounds - The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood (by Deconstructeam and Devolver Digital). 

In this intro episode, Joel and Jenny talk initial reactions, what  they're excited to discuss, and the start of a small shift to the podcast format!

In this bonus dev interview with the lead behind A Taste of the Past, we'll talk all about how Emily is taking the game industry by storm!

Topics include the inspirations behind her game, A Taste of the Past; why specificity can still leave room for universal truths; and the secret to writing emotional scenes that hit you right in the gut! 

Be sure to follow Emily on TikTok and Instagram:  @sonderingemily  

Play A Taste of the Past now (FOR FREE!) on Steam and Itch.io

Ready to head to the crystal caverns? Joel and Jenny spend this week's episode delving into Mr. Saitou and the connections they made while playing. 

This episode includes discussions of work life balance, quality community building, elders in media, and the meaning of life! Not to mention lots of llamaworm and minimori hype. 💖

Be sure to find Geeks & Grounds at geeksandgrounds.com or @geeksandgrounds on social media!

Ready for a work happy hour? Nah? How about a hangout in the (minimori) cafe with Jenny, Joel, and this week's guest, Laura Shigihara! 🌻

We chat with Laura all about developing Mr. Saitou, the themes of the game, how it compared to Rakuen, and what it was like creating a game with lots of (joyful) community input! 

Thanks to Laura for joining: please be sure to follow her on Twitch where she streams music regularly! It's an absolute treat! https://www.twitch.tv/supershigi

When you peer into a rock pool...the rock pool peers back. And thus begins our deep dive into the June selection for Geeks & Grounds: Queer Man Peering into a Rock Pool.jpg! 

Joel and Jenny discuss the game and how it made them consider solitude, loneliness and joy; how creators draw from other media to make their own works; and what the HECK happened at the end of this game! 

Find us at geeksandgrounds.com for more info on the weekly game club newsletter, and join the conversation! 

Nothing like a day peering into rock pools to uncover your unconscious! We get a chance to talk with the duo behind Fuzzy Ghost games - Pete and Scott in today's episode. Just like the chunkies in each rock pool of the game, our conversation manifests in some interesting ways, from changing industries and work mid-career, creating what we want to see in the world, and how Animal Crossing AND Evangelion were BOTH inspirations for Queer Man Peering into a Rock Pool.jpg. 

Pick up Queer Man Peering into a Rock Pool.jpg now on Steam and Itch.io and wishlist their upcoming title - Janet Demornay is a Slumlord (and a witch) - now on Steam! 

Queer Man Peering: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1711420/Queer_Man_Peering_Into_A_Rock_Pooljpg/

JDS: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2168480/Janet_DeMornay_Is_A_Slumlord_and_a_witch/

Wake up, Sleeper! And wake up, Geeks & Grounds! We've just arrived to the Eye, and life in the future is...unfortunately looking a lot like life in the present.

Join us as we begin our episodic discussion and playthrough of Citizen Sleeper. Today, we'll go from the beginning through the 'Hunted' cycle. In addition to that, we share about the recent Games for Change event, additional studio layoffs, and what Joel thinks of the new Elden Ring DLC!

00:00 Welcome to Geeks & Grounds

03:24 The Pastry Case: Games for Change, Studio Layoffs, Elden Ring's DLC (and more)

40:45 Notable Indie Game Releases for July 9 - 16th

45:30 Our Monthly Brew: 'Hunted' in Citizen Sleeper 01:46:10 How do you feel when you play this game (so far)?

01:53:32 Next week's brew: What're we playing?

01:54:55 Thanks for listening and watching -- how is YOUR playthrough going so far?

Hear the whispers in the darkness?  It's time to set our panic aside for a full-game discussion of Dredge! Joel and Jenny detail the VERY different ways they enjoyed the game, their thoughts on fishing blending with horror, and how the game's suprising twist provides an interesting look at the ways we grieve. 

Be sure to follow @GeeksAndGrounds for more on Twitter and Instagram, sign up for the free weekly newsletter at GeeksAndGrounds.com, and if you enjoy the podcast, leave a review! 

New jobs can be rough -- but your new job as the fisherman of The Marrows (and beyond) turns out to be more than you may have anticipated. In Dredge, a single-player fishing adventure, you'll dive deep in to a world with a sinister undercurrent. Fortunately, we have the developers of Dredge - the team at Black Salt Games - to talk us through what it's been like making the game, and provide some insight as to how they hope the horror comes alive for you as you play. 

Find out more about Dredge by visiting the official website: dredge.game

Find out more about Geeks & Grounds by visiting geeksandgrounds.com and finding us on Twitter and Instagram @geeksandgrounds ! 

You're on a path in the woods, and at the end of that path is a cabin. And in the basement of that cabin is a Princess. You're here to slay her. If you don't, it will be the end of the world. Joel and Jenny get to chat with Abby and Tony of Black Tabby Games to see exactly what inspired the incredible premise of Slay the Princess, as well as where the game may go from it's wild demo chapters! 

 Slay the Princess Steam Page: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1989270/Slay_the_Princess/

Scarlet Hollow Steam Page: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1609230/Scarlet_Hollow/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/blacktabbygames 

Discord:  discord.gg/blacktabbygames 

Some of Abby's Comics!

The Crossroads at Midnight: https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-crossroads-at-midnight-abby-howard/14123688

The Last Halloween: https://www.last-halloween.com/posts/1  

Bugsnax. A game about an island with sentient snacks that change you as you eat. A story of a community driven apart but then brought back together. A wild blend of Pokemon Snap, Adventure Time, and Lost. It's all of those and more: listen as we deep dive our April selection for Geeks & Grounds. Time to make connections between Bugsnax and our lives! Let's brew some good conversation.