Gay for Play: A Video Game Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

Another year, another GOTY discussion! 

Though we haven't recorded as many episodes this year, we still found plenty of games to love this year (as well as plenty we missed, plenty of games from before 2025 that we tapped into for the first time this year, and lots more to yap about!)

Join us as we get into all of our faves, and crown Gay for Play's 2025 Game of the Year!

Games discussed (in no particular order) include: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, PEAK, Despelote, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, Consume Me, Kirby Air Riders, Dispatch, Mario Kart World, Donkey Kong: Bananza, Fortnite x The Simpsons, Ball x Pit, South of Midnight, Skate Story, Blue Prince, Hades II, Hollow Knight: Silksong, Pokémon Legends: Z-A, Like A Dragon Infinite Wealth, UFO 50, Tactical Breach Wizards, Batman: Arkham Shadow. 

What Else We're Gay for this Year

Theatre! - Paranormal Activity, Stereophonic,

Film! - Sinners, Weapons, Wake Up Dead Man,

Theatre/Film! - Merrily We Roll Along (the pro-shot of the Broadway revival production)

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Get in touch with us!

EMAIL US at gayforplaypodcast@gmail.com

FOLLOW G4P (& Message us on any of our socials for a link to our Discord!)

Instagram: @GayForPlayPod
Twitch: twitch.tv/gayforplaypod

Follow Eric's YouTube Channel: Getting There with Eric

Subscribe to Laurence's Substack

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CREDITS
Intro and outro music by Connor Marsh (@connorjmarshmallow)

Show art by Benny Kessler (@retro.spectacle.studio) 

After years of anticipation, HOLLOW KNIGHT: SILKSONG, one of the most anticipated games of the decade, is finally out, and we have been playing it non-stop! (No really, it was hard to pull time away to record, edit, and produce this episode because all we wanna do is keep playing more Silksong.)

It’s the first game in a hot minute that both of us have been simultaneously obsessed with, and so Pharloom’s silk has beckoned us to the microphones to sing our song* (*record our pod). 

Before we dive into this massive Metroidvania that has pogoed its way straight to the top of our GOTY contenders, we have a BIG ANNOUNCEMENT to make about the future of our podcasting careers. We’ve been cooking something new up and are excited to reveal it here in this episode!

Later in the episode, we discuss upcoming 2025 video games that we’re looking forward to (it’s a stacked last three months of the year y'all!) 

We also catch up on what we’ve been playing this summer: Laurence shares some thoughts on Donkey Kong: Bananza, while Eric has been filling in a blind spot by diving into the first 3 games of the Metal Gear Solid series.

WHAT ELSE WE'RE GAY FOR:

ERIC: Metal Gear Solid | Tate McRae’ VMA Performance

LAURENCE: Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky | Akira Kurosawa’s High and Low 

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Get in touch with us!

EMAIL US at gayforplaypodcast@gmail.com

FOLLOW G4P (& Message us on any of our socials for a link to our Discord!)

Twitter: @GayForPlayPod
Instagram: @GayForPlayPod
Twitch: twitch.tv/gayforplaypod

Follow Eric's YouTube Channel: Getting There with Eric

Subscribe to Laurence's Substack

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CREDITS
Intro and outro music by Connor Marsh (@connorjmarshmallow)

Show art by Benny Kessler (@retro.spectacle.studio) 

MUSIC THIS WEEK:

Cogwork Dancers by Christopher Larkin

Bonsoir! Bienvenue à PARIS!
This week we set aside video games in favor of OLYMPIC games, as we are joined by the lovely Gerry Tonella (Olympic gold medalist in the sport of "being Eric's cutie-patootie boyfriend") to discuss the games of the 33rd Summer Olympiad in Paris, France! Collectively we found it to be our favorite Olympic games of recent memory, with soooo much to discuss! From Gaga and Celine to the extinguishing of torch, we dive into a little bit of it all in this episode! 

We start with breaking down the breathtaking opening ceremony that took place along the Seine River, featuring Lady Gaga, a parade of athletes on boats, a dazzling display of French culture, a drag queen bacchanal, and a performance from the one and only CELINE DION (which is maybe *the* cultural moment of the year? decade even? We gagged over every second of it.)

Then, sports gays rejoice, we get into our favorite sporting events of the games: talking gymnastics, skateboarding, tennis, artistic swimming, and a whole lot more. We highlight some of the achievements from the record 193 openly LGBTQ+ athletes that competed this year, and discuss some controversies around the Olympics this year, from the lighthearted (big d*ck pole vault man) to the not so fun (the transphobic misinformation campaign around cisgender female boxer [and 2024 GOLD medalist mind you] Imane Khelif of Algeria.)

Lastly, with the Olympic flag now passed along to our neck of the woods in Los Angeles, California, we share our hopes and predictions for the 2028 games. (IOC/NBC Universal, hire us!) Plus, Gerry and Eric give us a little addendum to discuss thoughts on the Closing Ceremony!

WHAT ELSE WE'RE GAY FOR

ERIC: M. Night Shyamalan's Trap (2024)
LAUR: The Boyfriend - Netflix Reality Series
GERRY: The Wicked movie promo and LUSH collab, & the best summer floral
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Get in touch with us!

EMAIL US at gayforplaypodcast@gmail.com

FOLLOW G4P (& Message us on any of our socials for a link to our Discord!)

Twitter: @GayForPlayPod
Instagram: @GayForPlayPod
Twitch: twitch.tv/gayforplaypod

Support the Show & Unlock Bonus Episodes on our PATREON

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CREDITS
Intro and outro music by Connor Marsh (@connorjmarshmallow)

Show art by Benny Kessler (@retro.spectacle.studio)

Special thanks to our patrons: Blueberri Mary,  Elijah Punzal,  Trevor McTavish,<3

MUSIC THIS WEEK:
Mon Truc En Plumes - Performed by Lady Gaga
Hymne à L’amour - Performed by Celine Dion

Greetings traveler! Rest by the campfire and look up at the stars with us for a bit, won’t you? This week, we launch into orbit and talk about Outer Wilds, an open-world space exploration game where the only objective is to follow your own curiosity as you unravel the secrets of a little alien solar system that has "met with a terrible fate, hasn't it?"

We chat about alien gender identities, space colonialism, how the Straights have monopolized time, the inevitable end of all things, & plenty of other *fun*, light topics.

So grab some marshmallows, try not to experience too much cosmic dread, and settle in as we take y'all on a loop this episode. (a time loooop!)

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FOLLOW GAY FOR PLAY!

Twitter: @GayForPlayPod

Instagram: @GayForPlayPod 

EMAIL US at gayforplaypodcast@gmail.com

FIND US!

Eric Solis: @eric_of_the_sun on Instagram & Twitter 

Laurence Turner-Cordova: @afroman76 on Instagram & Twitter 

Intro and outro music by Connor Marsh (@connorjmarshmallow)

Show art by Nick Adams (@stickartams) 

MUSIC THIS WEEK:

Outer Wilds by Andrew Prahlow

Morning by Andrew Prahlow

End Times by Andrew Prahlow

There is no escape y’all; we’re finally here to talk about a game we’ve been obsessed with for months: HADES by Supergiant Games! We tackle this roguelike action RPG by talking about our *supergiant* crushes on these hot Greek gods, portrayals of queerness in Greek mythology & how it’s represented in this game, and explore why this super addicting game took a spot as one of our 2020 Games of the Year. We also gab on new years rezzie progress (or lack thereof, lol. There was a coup, ok???), THAT rat TikTok musical, speedrun couture, and Real Housewife tangents, because of course. It's hot as hell on Gay For Play this week, let's get to werk! 

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FOLLOW GAY FOR PLAY!

Twitter: @GayForPlayPod

Instagram: @GayForPlayPod

EMAIL US at gayforplaypodcast@gmail.com

FIND US!

Eric Solis:
Instagram @eric_of_the_sun
Twitter @eric_of_the_sun

Laurence Turner-Cordova:
Instagram @afroman76
Twitter @afroman76 

Intro and outro music by Connor Marsh (@connorjmarshmallow)
Show art by Nick Adams (@stickartams)

MUSIC THIS WEEK:
No Escape by Darren Korb
On The Coast by Darren Korb

Howdy farmers, we're BACK with our first episode of 2021!!
This week, we're joined by our dear friend, Aurelia Grierson (they/them), here to chat with us about the holidays, virtual theatre-making, and Stardew Valley! This beloved Harvest Moon-inspired farming simulator has captured our hearts & cemented itself as one of the most prolific indie games of the past decade.

...Sure, it's mainly a game about cute virtual farming, but naturally, we spend most of our time discussing our antics with the game's robust bisexual dating sim elements.  Join us as we dissect our self-constructed Stardew dating drama, psychoanalyze what our romance choices say about us, & reflect on the importance of keeping a lucky rabbit’s foot around your multiple lovers (or whatever that play is called).

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

LISTEN to Aurelia’s podcast: That Do It For Ya? on iTunes and Spotify!!

Follow Aurelia on Instagram and Twitter, and check out their newly launched theatre company website, thejuveniliacollective.com!

Click Here to check out the Diverse Stardew Valley Mod

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FOLLOW GAY FOR PLAY!

Twitter: @GayForPlayPod

Instagram: @GayForPlayPod

EMAIL US at gayforplaypodcast@gmail.com

FIND US!

Eric Solis:
Instagram @eric_of_the_sun
Twitter @eric_of_the_sun

Laurence Turner-Cordova:
Instagram @afroman76
Twitter @afroman76 

Intro and outro music by Connor Marsh (@connorjmarshmallow)
Show art by Nick Adams (@stickartams)

MUSIC THIS WEEK:
Stardew Valley Overture by ConcernedApe

Fall (Ghost Synth) by ConcernedApe

As Nina Bo'nina Brown once said, "Well, it’s over!"

Happy New Year y’all. Before we skedaddle on out of 2020 and never look back, Laurence and Eric sit down and talk about their favorite (and gayest) video games they played this year! (turns out there were a lot of good ones this year, despite... you know, *gestures broadly*)

Join us as we discuss our honorable mentions, our favorite non-2020 video games that we played this year, and then find out which games reign supreme & made our personal top 5 lists here on Gay for Play's 1st annual GOTYE!! (Game of the Year Edition)

EMAIL US at gayforplaypodcast@gmail.com

(Tell us about your favorite games of 2020 and your hopes for video games in 2021!)

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FOLLOW GAY FOR PLAY!

Twitter: @GayForPlayPod

Instagram: @GayForPlayPod

FIND US!

Eric Solis:
Instagram @eric_of_the_sun
Twitter @eric_of_the_sun

Laurence Turner-Cordova:
Instagram @afroman76
Twitter @afroman76 

Intro and outro music by Connor Marsh (@connorjmarshmallow)
Show art by Nick Adams (@stickartams)

MUSIC THIS WEEK:
Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games by Sega Sound Team

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays dear listeners! This week, in lieu of a regular episode, we've got a special holiday surprise for you!

We sit down with the dashing Grant Leucke (@grantstabletopworkshop) to chat about his 3D-Printing/Tabletop Miniature business, and we announce a giveaway***  of 3 of his gorgeous mini-figures! We wanted to give y'all a little thank-you present for all of the love and support you've given us over the past month since we launched, so big thanks to Grant for agreeing to help us spread some cheer!

Then, of course, we would be remiss if we didn't talk about THEE biggest gaming drama of the season.
Grant joins the gorls as we talk about CYBERPUNK 2077. Specifically, all the tea regarding its botched launch and contentious development cycle, Laurence's early impressions of the game, its rocky handling of queer subject matter, and our hopes for the game going forward as CDPR (hopefully) fixes ha UP!


Please be sure to CHECK OUT AND FOLLOW Grant's Tabletop Workshop on Instagram and support his store on Etsy!

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Next week is our GAME OF THE YEAR episode, so if you haven't already, be sure to EMAIL US at gayforplaypodcast@gmail.com & tell us about your favorite games of 2020! We'd love to read your thoughts out on the show~

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FOLLOW GAY FOR PLAY!

Twitter: @GayForPlayPod

Instagram: @GayForPlayPod

FIND US!

Eric Solis:
Instagram @eric_of_the_sun
Twitter @eric_of_the_sun

Laurence Turner-Cordova:
Instagram @afroman76
Twitter @afroman76 

Intro and outro music by Connor Marsh (@connorjmarshmallow)
Show art by Nick Adams (@stickartams)

Music this week:
Freezeezy Peak - Banjo Kazooie by Grant Kirkhope

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***This Xmas Giveaway will run from the release of this episode (12/24) until the end of the year (12/31/20, 11:59PM PST). Listen to the episode / Check our IG (@GayForPlayPod) for full details on how to enter and win!

Whew y'all, this week is a BIG one! We're discussing one of our favorite games of the year: Final Fantasy VII Remake -- a massive, ambitious RPG that endeavors to recreate one of the most beloved video games of all time. 

We talk about the game's beautiful world, music, and characters, how it reckons with it's own dated & problematic past (looking at YOU, HoneyBee Inn), Cloud Strife's drag moment, and of course, the sexy sexy eco-terrorists of AVALANCHE.

Aside from one scene from the middle of the game which we talk about at length (the gayest scene, obviously) we keep it **spoiler-free** this week! So whether you have or haven't played this game, only played the original, or have never touched a Final Fantasy game in your life, we hope to provide some insight into what makes this game such an iconic part of the video game canon.

In addition to ALL of that, we talk about upcoming TV/movie adaptations of video games, Universal Studios' Super Nintendo World, and our plans for our upcoming GAME OF THE YEAR podcast.

EMAIL US at gayforplaypodcast@gmail.com
(Tell us about your favorite games of 2020!)
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FOLLOW GAY FOR PLAY!

Twitter: @GayForPlayPod

Instagram: @GayForPlayPod

FIND US!

Eric Solis:
Instagram @eric_of_the_sun
Twitter @eric_of_the_sun

Laurence Turner-Cordova:
Instagram @afroman76
Twitter @afroman76 

Intro and outro music by Connor Marsh (@connorjmarshmallow)
Show art by Nick Adams (@stickartams)

This week, Laurence & Eric share their thoughts on Gone Home! 

One of the most beloved indie games of the last decade, this 2013 “walking simulator” made waves across the gaming world by revolutionizing how stories in games are told, what *kind* of stories games dare to tell, and how it helped legitimize an entire genre of video games in the process. 

We discuss Gone Home’s lovely queer coming-of-age story disguised as a spooky haunted-house adventure, reflect on young queer romance, and how the game uses its environment and setting (An empty manor in rural Oregon, summer of 1995) to its utmost advantage.

Also! Before that, we talk about the (then) news of Cyberpunk 2077’s final delay (as of the release of this episode today, it’s finally out!) as well as the nominees of The Game Awards (which are *also* happening today!). All that, plus our thoughts on the new next-gen consoles, and so much more!

FIND US!

Eric Solis:
Instagram @eric_of_the_sun
Twitter @eric_of_the_sun

Laurence Turner-Cordova:
Instagram @afroman76
Twitter @afroman76 

Intro and outro music by Connor Marsh (@connorjmarshmallow)
Show art by Nick Adams (@stickartams)

MUSIC THIS WEEK:
Gone Home Soundtrack: At The New House by Chris Remo

Gone Home Soundtrack: Life Moves On by Chris Remo

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FOLLOW GAY FOR PLAY!

Twitter: @GayForPlayPod

Instagram: @GayForPlayPod

EMAIL US at gayforplaypodcast@gmail.com!