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

The Nintendo Switch 2 got announced yesterday. However, we recorded this episode a day *before* that announcement. So instead we, as gay people, talked about a bad movie we are obsessed with. (Which is honestly the best thing one can do for themselves sometimes in times of crisis! It's been a rough week for us amidst the LA wildfires, the impending incoming presidential administration, etc.)

The bad movie in question being Emilia Pérez, the controversial musical melodrama that beat out Wicked at the Golden Globes for Best Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical. It's a movie that is not particularly good, and arguably downright offensive to both the Mexican and Trans community, but did leave us with plenty of worms in our brains to warrant hopping on the mic and making it our main discussion topic this week.

Later in the episode, we share our predictions for the Switch 2 (topical!), our gaming resolutions for 2025, Eric's foray into VR gaming, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, RHOSLC, The Traitors S3, and more!

A few links to help support the victims of the Palisades and Altadena Wildfires:
United American Indian Involvement
Altadena Girls
GiveDirectly

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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

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

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

For our last episode of 2024, we share our thoughts on The Game Awards and then have a good ol' fashioned GOTY chat on our favorite games of 2024!

Listen... if we're being real, we honestly didn't play *too* many games released this calendar year, but the ones we did play were bangers nevertheless! Including an undisputed choice for our joint Game of the Year. Join us as we give the girls their flowers and talk about what vibed with us the most.

Thanks for sticking with us through another year of G4P! We'll be back in your ears in 2025!

What Else We're Gay For this week:
Eric: Hundreds of Beavers (dir. Mike Cheslik) 
Laurence: Doechii's Tiny Desk Concert, Gracie Abrams "That's So True", Kurt Vonnegut on Making Art
 
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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

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

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

MUSIC THIS WEEK:
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth -  Salmon's Theme (Bow Wow Wow) by Masashi Hamauzu and Mitsuto Suzuki
I Am Astro Bot (ASTRO BOT Remix) by Kenneth C M Young

"The GOTYs, said to portend... untold slayage, and the end of the *year*~"

2023 is over! And we find ourselves at the end of a truly landmark year for gaming.
On this episode we discuss some of our favorite games of 2023. We each pick 5 games from our personal lists that we want to highlight, then culminate the show with 3 "joint slays": games that made both of our lists that we want to celebrate together, the last of which we are considering to be our official pick for 2023 Game of the Year.
Join us as we celebrate these games, a whole lot of honorable (& dishonorable) mentions, games we didn't play but plan to in the future, and a whole lot more!

What Else We're Gay For:
Laurence: The Steam Deck OLED
Eric: Tokyo Godfathers (2003) dir. Satoshi Kon

YouTube link mentioned in the show: MyHouse.WAD - Inside Doom's Most Terrifying Mod
================
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 (Spoilers kinda):

Ochette, the Hunter - Octopath Traveler 2 - by Yasunori Nishiki
Thulludhadi Valasu - Venba - by Alpha Something ft. Kaber Vasuki, Ramya Ramachandran
Title Theme - Pikmin 4 - by Kenta Nagata, Asuka Hayazaki, & Soshi Abe
Main Theme - The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom - by Manaka Kataoka & Masato Ohashi

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!

This week Eric & Laurence invite you to grab your skateboards & tarot cards and take a journey with us across the cosmos as they discuss the 2019 indie darling, SAYONARA WILD HEARTS! We discuss everything from the game's psychedelic (& very queer) visuals, its heartwarming narrative, how the game works as a "video game pop album", and why The Gays love pop music so much!

All that and more on this week's Gay for Play!

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:
Sayonara Wild Heart by Daniel Olśen

Claire de Lune by Daniel Olsén (and Debussy)

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FOLLOW GAY FOR PLAY!

Twitter: @GayForPlayPod

Instagram: @GayForPlayPod

EMAIL US at gayforplaypodcast@gmail.com!

Our intrepid gaymers, Eric and Laurence, take you on a tour of all that is good and gay in the world of Animal Crossing on what is this, our pilot episode from way back in May! 

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:
Animal Crossing New Horizons - Prologue (Phase 7) by Yasuaki Iwata, Yumi Takahashi, Shinobu Nagata, Sayako Doi, Masato Ohashi

Animal Crossing: New Horizons Soundtrack - 6PM by Yasuaki Iwata, Yumi Takahashi, Shinobu Nagata, Sayako Doi, Masato Ohashi

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FOLLOW GAY FOR PLAY!

Twitter: @GayForPlayPod

Instagram: @GayForPlayPod

EMAIL US at gayforplaypodcast@gmail.com!

Laurence and Eric give you, the listener, a rousing introduction to ourselves, the podcast, and two special games that they consider foundational to their identity as queer gamers. All that, plus lots more on the inaugural episode of Gay For Play!

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:
Hikari (Simple and Clean) by Hikaru Utada

Pokémon Red & Blue Opening Theme by Junichi Masuda

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FOLLOW GAY FOR PLAY!

Twitter: @GayForPlayPod

Instagram: @GayForPlayPod

EMAIL US at gayforplaypodcast@gmail.com!

We back y'all. This week Eric and Laurence hop back on the mics after a much needed break & discuss gaming ruts, our teacher-eras, the end of the actor's strike, AI, some light predictions for the Game Awards (we recorded this episode 2 days before the ceremony) and of course, gaaaaaames!

Games discussed include: Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty (a slay), Alan Wake (the first one), Super Mario Wonder (wowie-zowie!), Overwatch 2 (fun and for the gays), Baldur's Gate 3 (which recently added ball-jiggle physics), Sea of Stars (also a slay!), and more.

Later in the show we catch up on a couple movies and TV shows we've been watching including The Boy and the Heron, The Marvels, The Hunger Games: Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Neon Genesis Evangelion, and Jujutsu Kaisen S2.

What Else We're Gay For This Week:

LAURENCE: The Devil's Plan (Netflix)
ERIC: When the makers of Pokémon Go and Sleep No More tried to reinvent theater

It's been over 3 years since we first launched this show. Thanks so much to everyone who has stuck with us, we love y'all for listening and can't wait to bring you more in the future! <3

================
Get in touch with us!

EMAIL US at gayforplaypodcast@gmail.com

FOLLOW G4P 

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

Support the Show & Unlock Bonus Episodes on our PATREON

========
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:
"Piranha Plants On Parade" by Koji Kondo, Shiho Fujii, Sayako Doi, Chisaki Shimazu

Autumn has officially begun, and with it, massive Role-Playing Games have arisen as some of hottest games of the season. We're leaning into this genre trend this week and discussing 4 games we've been playing!
-First we have the stellar new RPG Baldur's Gate 3, a colossal Dungeons & Dragons-based adventure where dialog choices & character interactions massively impact the story (and also all your party members are super gay and horny for you),
- A stellar new flop in Starfield from Bethesda, a space exploration RPG from the creators of Skyrim and Fallout that unfortunately feels dated and limiting in comparison to some of the other games in the spotlight right now.
-A "Drag Race All-Stars"-level comeback from Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty (the new DLC expansion and 2.0 update from CD Projekt RED's 2020 open-world action RPG that had a famously rocky launch),
-And finally 2019's Disco Elysium, A gorgeously-written murder-mystery/noire RPG  that has been in our backlog for ages and kinda fits in perfectly in comparison to the other games on this list in different ways. We've had so many people recommend this game to us and this felt like a perfect time to dig into it, and oh are we so glad we did!

What Else We're Gay For:

LAURENCE: Sea of Stars
ERIC: Rotting in the Sun (now streaming exclusively on MUBI)

================
Get in touch with us!

EMAIL US at gayforplaypodcast@gmail.com

FOLLOW G4P 

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

Support the Show & Unlock Bonus Episodes on our PATREON

========
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:
"Martinaise District Theme 1" by Sea Power

It's Virgo('s Groove) Season and we have been blessed by the queen! Beyoncé Knowles (female pop vocalist) Carter brought her record-breaking, epic, indelible Renaissance World Tour to Los Angeles, California earlier this month, and we were there to witness it! (well, 2/3rds of us were, but Eric has watched multiple YouTube recordings of the tour, so he was with us in spirit).

Our friend Eriel Brown joins us to talk about why Beyoncé is, without question, our greatest living performer. We talk the Renaissance album, her birthday show, the tour as a whole and its myriad cultural inspirations, how it pays homage to Black queerness and Black femmes, our mixed feelings on the special guests/openers at the LA leg of the tour, Blue Ivy being an absolute star, and finally, we try to answer a question that has become a topic of HEATED debate that has been ALL UP IN OUR MINDs for months now, which is:
"Brechtyoncé: Was the Renaissance Tour a piece of dialectical theatre akin to the works of 20th Century German playwright Bertolt Brecht?"
(spoiler alert, our answer is: "well,,, sorta kinda!")

So get COZY and enjoy the ENERGY we bring to this long-awaited episode dedicated entirely to Queen Bey!


What Else We're Gay For:

ERIEL: Reneé Rapp's debut album Snow Angel
LAURENCE: Satoshi Kon's Perfect Blue (1997)
ERIC: Halloween Horror Nights 2023 @ Universal Studios Hollywood

================
Get in touch with us!

EMAIL US at gayforplaypodcast@gmail.com

FOLLOW G4P 

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

Support the Show & Unlock Bonus Episodes on our PATREON

========
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:
HEATED - Squidward Tentacles