Explore every episode of the podcast GeekNights
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| E-Bikes, E-Scooters, et al. | 24 Aug 2026 | 01:18:51 | |
Tonight on GeekNights, we consider e-bikes, e-scooters, monowheels, and all the assorted electric conveyances that aren't cares and that are becoming more and more popular everywhere there are people. E.g., what are the "classes" of ebikes? In the news, streamers are suing Twitch and Amazon for their opt-out AI model training, 404 tracked down the "rare book" AI training story, and the Steam Frame might finally be coming. Related LinksForum ThreadDiscord ChatBluesky PostThings of the Day | |||
| Board Game Night | 19 Aug 2026 | 01:15:19 | |
Tonight on GeekNights, we consider the humble Board Game Night. Many of you host (or try to host) them. Some of them are public. Many are haunted by that guy. In the news, Big Walk is out, you can play The Old Prince at 18xx.games right now, and Rockstar Games is an evil union-busting company and it's going to court soon. Related LinksForum ThreadDiscord ChatBluesky PostThings of the Day | |||
| Data Centers | 11 Aug 2026 | 01:13:02 | |
Tonight on GeekNights, we discuss data centers. Once as positive thing, they have become a blight on the Earth in the ever-growing wake of the AI bubble. Rym and Emily are back from Cedar Point and will have a couple of special episodes about it in the near future, and also have a secret VR project that's slightly less secret than it was before. In the news, the AI slop factory wants help flagging AI slop, and ZGM is an open source gaming mouse firmware. Related LinksForum ThreadDiscord ChatBluesky PostThings of the Day
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| The Ghost in the Shell (2026) | 16 Jul 2026 | 00:59:35 | |
Tonight on GeekNights, we review The Ghost in the Shell (2026) animated by Science Saru. It's the original manga faithfully animated with a lot of style. In the news, The Last Blossom (HOUSENKA) will be in North American theaters for two nights, and Crunchyroll is destroying their own store (RIP Right Stuf). Related LinksForum ThreadDiscord ChatBluesky PostThings of the Day | |||
| Intentionally Retro Technology | 13 Jul 2026 | 01:10:51 | |
Tonight on GeekNights, we consider the growing trend of seeking retro technology. From the Charmera to flip phones to audio cassettes, it's part aesthetic and part anti-consumerist anti-capitalist pushback to the ravages of modernity. In the news, Mamdani announces new Click-to-Cancel rule for New York City, workers in Acklam discover Medlar fruit trees (also known as dog's arse), and no technology is going to make exercising effectively take less time. Also, we did it. Related LinksForum ThreadDiscord ChatBluesky PostThings of the Day
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| Ice Cream | 09 Jul 2026 | 01:11:42 | |
Tonight on GeekNights, we consider ice cream. In the news, DUNC 3 has a trailer, ICE appears to have covered up another brazen murder this time in Houston Texas, and the situation in Russia is destabilizing in a way that evokes 1917. Related LinksForum ThreadDiscord ChatBluesky PostThings of the Day
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| Association Football | 08 Jul 2026 | 01:29:23 | |
Tonight on GeekNights, we consider the game of Association Football. More commonly known as soccer, it's a game of high drama, clever play, and FIFA corruption that is cemented in societal and cultural history. In the news, a Manhattan skyscraper is collapsing, XBOX is collapsing, YOASOBI x Overwatch slaps, and the new Ghost in the Shell slaps. Related LinksForum ThreadDiscord ChatBluesky PostThings of the Day | |||
| Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake | 02 Jul 2026 | 00:55:27 | |
Tonight on GeekNights, we consider Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake. It's a fantastic continuation of Adventure Time, which we reviewed in 2013, reviewed again in 2014, shared our final thoughts in 2019, reviewed Distant Lands - BMO in 2020, and Distant Lands - Obsidian also in 2020. It's also deeply metacontextual. In the news, Science Saru is bringing us Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia, the Lefebrvistes are schisming over Vatican II (again), and two people climbed to the top of the Empire State Building today. Related LinksForum ThreadDiscord ChatBluesky PostThings of the Day | |||
| Bicycle Technology | 30 Jun 2026 | 01:15:58 | |
Tonight on GeekNights, we consider the current state and evolution of bicycle technology. Not all advancement in modernity is "good" advancement. In the news, delivery robots are a menace, the illegitimate and fully compromised Supreme Court's broken clock was correct on geofence warrants, climate change is killing us, and AI slop music should be demonetized. Related LinksForum ThreadDiscord ChatBluesky PostThings of the Day
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| Mina the Hollower (2026) | 24 Jun 2026 | 01:23:45 | |
Tonight on GeekNights, we review Mina the Hollower (2026). It's fantastic, evoking the feeling of old NES games but with modern design sensibilities. In the news, the Steam Machine is actually here and still a reasonable price (considering the unreasonable pressure the AI bubble is putting on computer components), Civ VII added hotseat multiplayer, and Deltarune chapter 5 drops TOMORROW. Related LinksForum ThreadDiscord ChatBluesky PostThings of the Day | |||
| Company Devices | 16 Jun 2026 | 01:05:48 | |
Tonight on GeekNights, we consider the challenge of company-managed devices. In the news, Britain has banned the kids from all social media, Nvidia is issuing $25 Billion in corporate bonds, and Verizon screwed a guy over with MDM. Related LinksForum ThreadDiscord ChatBluesky PostThings of the Day
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| Museums | 12 Jun 2026 | 01:05:49 | |
Tonight on GeekNights, we consider museums we've been to. In the news, XBOX is in trouble, and the GOP's incompetence killed FISA. Also the MoMA Design Store (not an ad). Related LinksForum ThreadDiscord ChatBluesky PostThings of the Day
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| Chasing the Meta | 10 Jun 2026 | 00:55:58 | |
Tonight on GeekNights, we consider what happens when one chases the meta. This is especially a problem when competitive and casual players mix and is the topic of several GeekNights lectures. In the news, Furality was phenomenal this year, and the Nintendo Direct was underwhelming. Related LinksForum ThreadDiscord ChatBluesky PostThings of the Day | |||
| The Evil Cameras All Around Us | 02 Jun 2026 | 00:53:53 | |
Tonight on GeekNights, we consider the evil cameras all around us. In the news, Nvidia introduces an underwhelming chip to make underwhelming PCs, the US gestapo are trying to buy advertiser datasets in a dangerous escalation of the police state, and Furality is this weekend! Related LinksForum ThreadDiscord ChatBluesky PostThings of the Day
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| Cinema | 29 May 2026 | 01:05:25 | |
Tonight on GeekNights we consider cinema. We both love movies, and have for our entire lives. In the news, the K-shaped economy means the Steam Deck is expensive and also sold out, chemical disasters are occurring in the US, Hawaii is using state power to fight back against the disastrous Citizens United ruling, and Delaware is doing the literal opposite. Related LinksForum ThreadDiscord ChatBluesky PostThings of the Day | |||
| Games where the numbers go up | 27 May 2026 | 01:02:18 | |
Tonight on GeekNights, we consider games where the numbers go up. Like Balatro or Slay the Spire or 9 Kings or Vampire Survivors. These games might intersect with deeper societal problems related to the signifier and the signified and the trap of hyperreality. In the news, the NAACP calls for a boycott of southern public school athletics due to their extreme gutting of voting rights, Ferrari launches the Luce, and nobody is booking rooms for the World Cup. Related LinksForum ThreadDiscord ChatBluesky PostThings of the Day
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| The Mountain in the Sea | 22 May 2026 | 01:12:46 | |
Tonight on the GeekNights Book Club, we discuss Ray Nayler's The Mountain in the Sea. Recommended by the staff at LIC Book Culture it's a cyberpunk novel about minds and consciousness (among other things). It's worth a read. Related LinksForum ThreadDiscord ChatBluesky PostThings of the Day
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| Spam in 2026 | 19 May 2026 | 01:09:54 | |
Tonight on GeekNights, we consider the problem of spam in the current era. We last talked about spam in 2007. (Note that spam is distinct from slop. In the news, Rym is back from Hong Kong, supply chain attacks remain a major threat, the kids are booing AI people at graduations, Musk lost his lawsuit against OpenAI, deepfake software is getting better, and Meta is laying off 10% of its entire workforce. Related LinksForum ThreadDiscord ChatBluesky PostThings of the Day | |||
| The Running Man (2025) | 07 May 2026 | 00:54:31 | |
Tonight on GeekNights, we review The Running Man (2025) directed by Edgar Wright. This completes our full tour of the Runnings Man, as we previously reviewed the original Running Man novel from 1982 and the 1987 Arnold Schwarzenegger Running Man. There are no more men to run. Also look at the difference in mood between the 1987 ending credits and the 2025 ending credits. The latter seem like they're saying something, but I can't quite put my finger on it... In the news, The American World Cup transit situation is a disaster, and the new Steam Controller sold out once already. Related LinksForum ThreadDiscord ChatBluesky PostThings of the Day
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| Tech News Roundup May 2026 | 05 May 2026 | 01:18:04 | |
Tonight on GeekNights, it's a Tech News Roundup! Madison Square Garden's insane surveillance machine, Github's ongoing collapse, Mac minis being hit by the ongoing RAM crisis, Ask.com is dead, a trivial-to-exploit Linux vulnerability, OpenAI won't stop talking about goblins, Apple fixes a notification vulnerability with Signal, iOS finally adds end-to-end encryption to RCS, AI slop podcasts are spreading, Roblox can't make money if kids can't sign up, and Tim Apple is replaced by John Apple. Related LinksForum ThreadDiscord ChatBluesky PostThings of the Day | |||
| Notable Anime in Various Categories | 23 Apr 2026 | 01:09:20 | |
Tonight on GeekNights, we consider a bunch of anime that struck us in some way. In the news, Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse" is coming, new Ghost in the Shell is coming, and Coyote vs. Acme is coming. Also we're back! Related LinksForum ThreadDiscord ChatBluesky PostThings of the Day
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| Games we played at PAX East 2026 | 01 Apr 2026 | 00:59:42 | |
Tonight on GeekNights, we talk about the games we played at PAX East 2026, including Spokes, Magical Athlete, The Third Man, Take Time, Tezuma Trick, Big Wave, QE, Catch the Moon, Robokraft, False Kingdom, Juggernaut, Peanuts Talent Show, and John Company 2.0. In the news, there's a Halloween game (not that one, and there's another Mario movie. Related LinksForum ThreadDiscord ChatBluesky PostThings of the Day
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| Tax the Rich | 20 Mar 2026 | 01:17:32 | |
Tonight on GeekNights, we consider how you must tax the rich if you wish to have a society. In the news, Mayor Mamdani ends those ridiculous criminal summonses for cyclists, BTS returns, and America's war against Iran endangers the world. Related LinksForum ThreadDiscord ChatBluesky PostThings of the Day
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| Assessing Risk | 13 Mar 2026 | 01:13:06 | |
Tonight on GeekNights, we consider the assessment of risk. Apropos of nothing Rym talks about his broken arm. In the news, Washington state moves forward on taxing rich people, and New York City moves forward on banning foie gras. Related LinksForum ThreadDiscord ChatBluesky PostThings of the Day | |||
| Puzzles in Games | 11 Mar 2026 | 01:01:30 | |
Tonight on GeekNights, we consider puzzles in games. In the news, New York is suing Valve over illegal gambling, Valve's new hardware release timeline is heavily impacted by the RAM crisis but might still come in 2026, Blades 68 is launching (Rym was in the playtest), and Nintendo is suing the United States over our president's illegal tariffs. Related LinksForum ThreadDiscord ChatBluesky PostThings of the Day
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| Age Verification on the Internet | 24 Feb 2026 | 01:02:23 | |
Tonight on GeekNights, we talk about the dangers of trying to mandate age verification on the Internet. In the news, Discord embarks on a disastrous age verification scheme, Anthropic is mad that other "AI" companies are using their product, and Goldman Sachs launches an AI-free index. Related LinksForum ThreadDiscord ChatBluesky PostThings of the Day | |||
| The Muppets | 20 Feb 2026 | 01:04:51 | |
Tonight on GeekNights, we talk about The Muppets. They were formative in the youth of our generation, and they are timeless. In the news, Ryan Dancey found out how little gamers like generative AI, the US president is about to attack Iran to distract from the Epstein files, and the Democrats have rightly denied the DHS funding until it reigns in ICE. Write your senators every day with a simple message: "abolish ICE." Related LinksForum ThreadDiscord ChatBluesky PostThings of the Day | |||
| Paris Connection | 18 Feb 2026 | 00:51:40 | |
Tonight on GeekNights, we review Paris Connection, also known as SNCF: France & Germany. It's no 1817, but it's a distilled real train game that's worth playing. In the news, Overwatch 1 is back and Diablo 2 is back. Related LinksForum ThreadDiscord ChatBluesky PostThings of the Day
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| Our Morning Routines | 06 Feb 2026 | 00:58:55 | |
Tonight on GeekNights, we discuss our respective morning routines. How do you spend your mornings? In the news, skyrocketing RAM prices delay the Valve Steam Machine (along with the controller, and Steam Frame), NVIDIA isn't releasing new videocards for the same reason, bitcoin is (finally) collapsing, and someone left Horatio at the Goodwill. Related LinksForum ThreadDiscord ChatBluesky PostThings of the Day
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| 9 Kings (early access) | 04 Feb 2026 | 01:12:37 | |
Tonight on GeekNights, we review the early access version of 9 Kings. It's got some good things going on. In the news, the Switch is now the highest selling Nintendo console and the Switch 2 is the fastest selling Nintendo console. Swords Without Master is launching more broadly, and Scott is considering running a game. Also Congress has a chance to dismantle ICE: Call your senators. Related LinksForum ThreadDiscord ChatBluesky PostThings of the Day
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| Webcams | 27 Jan 2026 | 00:58:01 | |
Tonight on GeekNights, we discuss webcams. In the news, ICE murdered another person in broad daylight with video and witnesses, and Senate Democrats are willing to shut the government down over continued funding of ICE. Call your senators today. No funds for ICE: abolish, dismantle, and prosecute. | |||
| The Running Man (1987 Arnold Version) | 23 Jan 2026 | 00:55:07 | |
Tonight on GeekNights we review The Running Man (1987 film) starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Richard Dawson. In the news, the Minneapolis Regional Labor Federation, AFL-CIO along with regional bodies throughout the state have called for statewide labor action in Minnesota over the brutality of ICE. The crazy house we rented once in Wildwood NJ is for sale, and the New York Sirens are on the verge of selling out MSG despite drawing tiny crowds in New Jersey (proving once again that few want to go to New Jersey on purpose). Related LinksForum ThreadDiscord ChatBluesky PostThings of the Day | |||
| Big Shot (2001) | 21 Jan 2026 | 00:55:52 | |
Tonight on GeekNights, we review Big Shot (2001). If you want some vicious auctions this is the game for you. In the news, the United States is in extreme crisis threatening to invade Greenland, invade Minnesota, terrorize the city of Minneapolis, and end the global world order as we know it. Also Mothership has good videogame journalism. Call your reps to tell them to defund ICE. Related LinksForum ThreadDiscord ChatBluesky PostThings of the Day | |||
| Magic: The Gathering (1993) | 24 Dec 2025 | 01:11:06 | |
Tonight on GeekNights, we review a card game called Magic: The Gathering. It's 32 years old, so you may not have heard of it. In the news, gamers don't like generative AI and The Game Awards happened. Rym posted his [video editing process](https://community.frontrowcrew.com/t/the-geeknights-lecture-video-process/3683 for producing GeekNights panel and lecture videos. We will be live at Super MAGFest 2026! Related LinksForum ThreadDiscord ChatBluesky PostThings of the Day
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| Book Club: I Who Have Never Known Men | 19 Dec 2025 | 00:48:18 | |
Tonight on the GeekNights Book Club, we discuss Jacqueline Harpman's phenomenal I Who Have Never Known Men. I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman is a dystopian sci-fi novel. It was originally written in French and published in 1995. It was not very well known until recently it surged in popularity. This renewed interest in the book is not unfounded. Although it is only thirty years old, I was convinced it was at least twenty years older. It reads much like the foundational dystopian sci-fi novels like 1984, Fahrenheit 451, or Brave New World. It tells the story of a woman who has lived her entire life in a prison. She has no memory of anything else. In the prison cell are only women. The other women do remember life before the prison, but nothing else. They don’t know why they are there, and assume they will never be let out. From that point, various events begin to unfold. Related LinksForum ThreadDiscord ChatBluesky Post | |||
| Initial Thoughts on Dispatch and Metroid Prime 4 | 10 Dec 2025 | 00:56:51 | |
Tonight on GeekNights, we share our early thoughts on Dispatch and Metroid Prime 4: Beyond. In the news, Frankfurt's Christmas market is lit, and the Netflix x Warner Brothers Discovery situation is even more dangerous than the baseline danger of capitalist consolidation of media. Related LinksForum ThreadDiscord ChatBluesky PostThings of the Day
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| 23 Knives | 26 Nov 2025 | 01:01:33 | |
Tonight on GeekNights we review the historical and topical 23 Knives (2025). It's worth playing, and Rym is probably going to buy it. In the news, PAX Unplugged 2025 was smooth as butter, Doodle Puzzle is a good idea that's hard to make work, Gingham is more vicious than it appears, and Scott surprisingly is enjoying Octopath Traveler. Related LinksForum ThreadDiscord ChatBluesky PostThings of the Day | |||
| Arco (2025) | 20 Nov 2025 | 00:48:47 | |
Tonight on GeekNights we review Ugo Bienvenu's Arco (2025). Set in the future and the far future, it's a very French Science Fiction animated feature that's definitely worth seeing. In the news, we'll be at PAX Unplugged this weekend, as will the Night Market, and the Internet relies too much on one service. Related LinksForum ThreadDiscord ChatBluesky PostThings of the Day
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| Anti-Intellectualism | 14 Nov 2025 | 01:15:02 | |
Tonight on GeekNights, we consider anti-intellectualism. In the news, Valve has new hardware including a new VR headset Rym is going to get, and you should learn about the 1981 Air Traffic Controller strike. We will be live at PAX Unplugged 2025! Related LinksForum ThreadDiscord ChatBluesky PostThings of the Day | |||
| Wake Up Dead Man (2025) | 07 Nov 2025 | 01:06:33 | |
Tonight on GeekNights, we review (without spoilers) the third installment in the Knives Out Mysteries: Wake Up Dead Man. Benoit Blanc is a character for the ages, and it's worth seeing. In the news, Zohran Mamdani is the next mayor of New York and his victory speech is worth a watch. Democrats overwhelmingly vote to fight for democracy. Kodak quietly begins selling film again. Related LinksForum ThreadDiscord ChatBluesky PostThings of the Day
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| GeekNights 20th Anniversary Special! | 01 Nov 2025 | 01:38:57 | |
Tonight is a very special GeekNights. This is our 20th anniversary stream. GeekNights began on October 31 2005 and has continued for 20 years with no real breaks. We did a series of "beta" episodes even earlier to work out the show format and learn how to podcast. We've done 317 talks at conventions. We had a massive forum which we replaced with a smaller forum. And somehow we're still going! Related LinksForum ThreadDiscord ChatBluesky PostThings of the Day
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| Messing Up the Rules | 29 Oct 2025 | 01:09:00 | |
Tonight on GeekNights, we talk about when one messes up the rules in games. In the news, EA is being aquired by Trump-linked private equity, and VRChat has recaptured some of the magic of the Old Internet. Related LinksForum ThreadDiscord ChatBluesky PostThings of the Day | |||
| Tech Bubbles | 21 Oct 2025 | 01:09:08 | |
Tonight on GeekNights, we discuss tech bubbles like the Dot-com bubble. Unrelatedly here's a video by Hank Green titled The State of the AI Industry is Freaking Me Out, and a video by Adam Conover titled Sora Proves the AI Bubble Is Going to Burst So Hard. In the news, nearly 7 million Americans marched in defense of democracy, Amazon AWS went down Sunday night reminding us how fragile the Internet has become, and the end of Windows 10 shouldn't be ignored. Related LinksForum ThreadDiscord ChatBluesky PostThings of the Day
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| Book Club: The Running Man (1982) | 17 Oct 2025 | 00:52:38 | |
Tonight on the GeekNights Book Club, we discuss Stephen King's Richard Bachman's The Running Man (1982). In 2025, the world's economy is in shambles, and America has become a totalitarian dystopia. The better-known Arnold movie is loosely based on it, though thematically it was spot-on. The 2025 Edgar Wright film will be much closer to the original. In the news, No Kings Day is October 18th: find the march nearest you! The next GeekNights book club book will be I Who Have Never Known Men. Related LinksForum ThreadDiscord ChatBluesky PostThings of the Day | |||
| Fitness Tech | 23 Sep 2025 | 01:02:23 | |
Tonight on GeekNights, we discuss fitness tech like heart rate monitors and Strava and Dance Dance Revolution. In the news, Tik Tok has a dubious deal to keep operating in the US and the regime has plans for the algorithm. Also go see Perfect Blue remastered while you can. And read The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay. Related LinksForum ThreadDiscord ChatBluesky PostThings of the Day
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| The Gang | 17 Sep 2025 | 00:57:48 | |
Tonight on GeekNights, we review The Gang, a fantastic cooperative tabletop game about pulling bank heists by ranking poker hands. In the news, there's lots to say about the Nintendo Direct, Borderlands 4 has angered gamers with its poor performance and Gearbox isn't handling it super well. 'Pitchford told people to “code your own engine and show us how it’s done, please,” and declared Borderlands 4 “a premium game made for premium gamers” whatever that means. Related LinksForum ThreadDiscord ChatBluesky PostThings of the Day | |||
| Specific Mice | 09 Sep 2025 | 01:02:25 | |
Tonight on GeekNights, we talk about specific mice. Mice we've used over the years, since the days of balls. In the news, Google dodges consequences in the US but not in the EU, Google is sued yet again for their advertising monopoly, and Google is looking to flood the phone lines of tiny businesses. Related LinksForum ThreadDiscord ChatBluesky PostThings of the Day | |||
| Video Chat and Teleconferencing | 26 Aug 2025 | 01:01:54 | |
Tonight on GeekNights, we talk about the modern marvel that is video chat. In the news, Perplexity is using undeclared crawlers to scrape content, Samsung has a crazy Micro LED TV, real life ad block is possible, and Trump is forming the American SS. The next GeekNights Book Club book will be The Running Man, by Richard Backman, who you may know better as Stephen King. Related LinksForum ThreadDiscord ChatBluesky PostThings of the Day | |||
| Donkey Kong Bananza | 20 Aug 2025 | 01:01:07 | |
Tonight on GeekNights, we share our thoughts on Donkey Kong Bananza. In the news, Gamescom happened, PAX West badges aren't sold out, and you should see The Relationship Between Game Design and Art Direction with Naoki Yoshida and Hiroshi Minagawa. Related LinksForum ThreadDiscord ChatBluesky PostThings of the Day
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| Computer Audio Interfaces | 12 Aug 2025 | 01:09:44 | |
Tonight on GeekNights, we discuss audio interfaces. Rym uses a PreSonus Studio 1810c to record GeekNights, and as his general purpose "sound card" in the studio. In the news, the CEO of GitHub steps down, you can consider Forgejo if that worries you, Reddit will block the Internet Archive, and Trump illegally forces the National Guard to deploy to the streets of Washington DC. Related LinksForum ThreadDiscord ChatBluesky PostThings of the Day
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