Canada’s #1 video game book club podcast! We tackle games large & small, new & old while keeping it informative, funny and (mostly) positive. Hosted by Jacob McCourt, Mike Ruffolo, Moe Murtadi, Katie Lesperance, Flora Merigold and Travis Colenutt. After almost 6 years of twice-monthly shows, we now publish new shows when we have something to say! Looking for a good place to start? Download an episode for a game that you really love and hit play. Looking for suggestions? Consider our episodes on The Last of Us, Undertale, Firewatch, What Remains of Edith Finch episodes or our Hitman, Wolf Among Us or Kentucky Route Zero series!
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On this special bonus episode of the show, Jacob is here to talk all about What the Car? in time for its release on Steam.
To kick off the show, we have an interview with Sarah Sander, Triband's Community Manager. Then, Jacob will give you his impressions of the game after completing its first nine episodes. Thanks to Triband for providing us with a code for review.
SHOW NOTES:
0:00 Intro
1:20 Interview with Sarah Sander from Triband
8:00 Jacob's Impressions about the Game
14:20 Outro
Developer: Triband | Publisher: Triband | Initial Release: May 4, 2023 (Apple Arcade)
Players: Jacob McCourt (@JacobMcCourt)
Web: LeftBehindGame.Club | Twitter: @LeftBehindClub | Instagram: @LeftBehindGameClub
DISCORD: The Left Behind Game Club is a monthly game club podcast focusing on positivity & community.
RESOURCES:
Our Favorite Games of PAX West 2024 from Crossplay Conversations
188: PAX West 2024 Mega Show
Season 1 · Episode 188
Wednesday, September 18, 2024 • Duration 02:22:15
Jacob and special guests Asa Greenriver & Darren Simmons Jr. build the list of our favourite games from PAX West 2024.
Technical note: Asa's had a little bit of mic crackle throughout and Darren's computer exploded at about 1:39:00, so bear through the occasional mic issue!
PLAYERS:
Jacob McCourt (@JacobMcCourt)
SPECIAL GUEST:
Asa Greenriver (@agreenriver07) | Borderline Entertainment
Darren Simmons Jr. (@XxShadowokamixX) | Rusty Rupees on Twitch, Twitter, YouTube and TikTok
Web: LeftBehindGame.Club | Twitter: @LeftBehindClub | Instagram: @LeftBehindGameClub
SHOW NOTES:
0:00 Intro
2:00 Our PAX Experiences
4:00 Darren & Asa's Projects
8:00 Interview with Hayden Kane with the Cookie Brigade
12:30 Our Top 12 Games of PAX West 2024
13:15 Tears of Metal
16:50 Cricket: Jae's Really Peculiar Game
24:00 Time Flies
24:50 Time Flies Interview ft. Michael Frei and Raphaël Munoz
32:55 Antonblast
38:25 ENDER MAGNOLIA: Bloom in the Mist
44:10 Everdeep Aurora
48:15 despelote
58:25 Tethergeist
1:01:30 LOVE ETERNAL
1:02:50 LOVE ETERNAL Interview with Toby Alden
1:11:20 Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers: Rita’s Rewind
1:18:40 Monster Hunter: Wilds
1:26:05 While Waiting
1:28:00 Lightning Round
1:28:10 All Systems Dance
1:29:45 oneway.exe
1:30:30 oneway.exe interview with Bugs and Spider
1:36:50 Rugrats: Adventures in Gameland
1:38:10 Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster
1:39:00 Ravenwood Academy: A Wizard101 Story
1:40:30 Feltopia
1:42:45 Video Game Trivia Panel
1:45:45 Outro
DISCORD: The Left Behind Game Club is a monthly game club podcast focusing on positivity & community. To talk to members of the community, join our Discord server!
RESOURCES:
Crossplay Conversations' Favourite Games of PAX West 2024 Special
Super Video Game Trivia: PAX West 2024 Edition
179: Marvel’s Spider-Man (2018)
Season 1 · Episode 178
Thursday, March 21, 2024 • Duration 01:40:49
We swing around the city in Marvel's Spider-Man.
Developer: Insomniac Games | Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment | Initial Release: September 7, 2018
Jacob, Flora and special guest Setobox begrudgingly sneak around as MJ, look up to a couple of bad fake dads and scroll Spider-Man's social media feeds.
PLAYERS:
Jacob McCourt (@JacobMcCourt)
Flora Merigold (@LudonarrativeFM)
SPECIAL GUEST:
Setobox aka Ella (@Setobox) | Twitter | YouTube
Web: LeftBehindGame.Club | Twitter: @LeftBehindClub | Instagram: @LeftBehindGameClub
SHOW NOTES:
0:00 Start
1:20 Intro to Setobox
2:30 The Gauntlet
11:10 The Fast Pitch for Marvel's Spider-Man
12:40 How Did You Play?
15:20 Our History with Insomniac/Spider-Man
21:10 Setup for Marvel's Spider-Man
23:55 Peter Loves Cops
28:50 F.E.A.S.T. & Smaller Settings
35:50 Norman Osborn
40:10 Miles Morales
42:30 The Mary Jane Sections
46:40 Combat and Gadgets
53:10 Traversal
58:30 Story Spoiler Wall
58:45 Fave Story Moments
1:13:10 Sinister Six
1:20:50 Last Fight & Aunt May
1:29:55 Andrew, Toby or Tom
1:31:00 Teases
1:32:15 Reviews & Final Thoughts
1:36:45 Outro
RESOURCES:
Couples Therapy and ‘Marvel’s Spider-Man 2’ by Flora Merigold for Epilogue Gaming
DISCORD: The Left Behind Game Club is a monthly game club podcast focusing on positivity & community. To talk to members of the community, join our Discord server!
095: Florence
Season 1 · Episode 95
Wednesday, July 22, 2020 • Duration 54:05
We meet cute in Florence.
Developer: Mountains | Publisher: Annapurna Interactive | Initial Release: February 14, 2018
Jacob and special guests Jessica Fantauzzo, Katie Lesperance and Travis Colenutt listen to beautiful (yellow) cello music, learn more about ourselves and spitefully cry.
Player: Jacob McCourt (@JacobMcCourt)
Special Guests: Jessica Fantauzzo (@jfant), Travis Colenutt (@TravisColenutt) & Katie Lesperance (@lesperak)
Web: LeftBehindGame.Club | Twitter: @LeftBehindClub | Instagram: @LeftBehindGameClub
SHOW NOTES:
2:25 What is your fastpitch on Florence?
3:05 How did you play Florence?
4:20 We set up the beginning of the game
9:20 We enter the spoiler room starting here; Florence meets Krish?
13:00 A burgeoning relationship and we explain the dialogue system
17:00 Moving In
21:45 Jacob brings up "spite" and everyone turns on him
27:20 Harvard's Science of Being Happy course and interpreting the game
29:25 Erosion
33:40 Letting Go
35:25 Self-discovery
38:20 Question from @StoryEverPod on Twitter about us crying
40:30 How the game ends
43:50 Final thoughts
45:40 The Left Behind Game Show
51:00 The Recommendation Machine
NEXT SHOWS:
August 5, 2020 - Kentucky Route Zero (Act IV) feat. Jacob, Mike and special guest Adam Iannetta
August 12, 2020 - Kentucky Route Zero (Un Pueblo de Nada) feat. Jacob, Mike and special guest Adam Iannetta
August 19, 2020 - A Way Out feat. Jacob, Mike, Moe and special guest Kevin Reaburn
September 9, 2020 - Kentucky Route Zero (Act V) feat. Jacob, Mike and special guest Adam Iannetta
September 16, 2020 - Our 100th Anniversary Spectacular feat. Jacob, Mike and Moe
September 23, 2020 - Kentucky Route Zero (Death of a Hired Man) feat. Jacob, Mike and special guest Adam Iannetta
DISCORD: The Left Behind Game Club is a monthly game club podcast with a focus on positivity & community. To talk to members of the community, join our Discord server!
TIP JAR: If you’re feeling generous and love the show, we have a PayPal tip jar! Any funds raised will go towards hosting our site and paying for games and equipment as we look to bring you higher quality content every month.
094: Kentucky Route Zero (Here and There Along the Echo)
Season 1 · Episode 94
Wednesday, July 8, 2020 • Duration 27:01
We play with old telephones in Kentucky Route Zero (Here and There Along the Echo).
Developer: Cardboard Computer | Publisher: Annapurna Interactive | Initial Release: October 30, 2014
Jacob, Mike and special guest Adam Iannetta dial (270) 301-5797, listen to a series of messages (and broadcasts) and receive phone calls?
Players: Jacob McCourt (@JacobMcCourt) & Mike Ruffolo (@ruffolom)
Special Guest: Adam Iannetta (@DMAIannetta) | Website: adamiannetta.ca
Web: LeftBehindGame.Club | Twitter: @LeftBehindClub | Instagram: @LeftBehindGameClub
SHOW NOTES:
1:00 An introduction to this interlude
2:30 This interlude's different telephone models
4:30 Numbers stations
10:10 Do we like this interlude?
13:00 Wait... REAL PHONES AND A REAL NUMBER?
17:25 Our favourite branches (speaking bat, great music
25:15 What happens when you find the LBGC Numbers Station
NEXT SHOWS:
July 22, 2020 - Florence feat. Jacob with special guests Travis Colenutt, Katie Lesperance and Jessica Fantauzzo
August 5, 2020 - Kentucky Route Zero (Act IV) feat. Jacob, Mike and special guest Adam Iannetta
August 12, 2020 - Kentucky Route Zero (Un Pueblo de Nada) feat. Jacob, Mike and special guest Adam Iannetta
August 19, 2020 - A Way Out feat. Jacob, Mike, Moe and special guest Kevin Reaburn
DISCORD: The Left Behind Game Club is a monthly game club podcast with a focus on positivity & community. To talk to members of the community, join our Discord server!
TIP JAR: If you’re feeling generous and love the show, we have a PayPal tip jar! Any funds raised will go towards hosting our site and paying for games and equipment as we look to bring you higher quality content every month.
093: Kentucky Route Zero (Act 3)
Season 1 · Episode 93
Wednesday, July 1, 2020 • Duration 01:05:49
We occupy Pepe Silvia's galaxy brain in Kentucky Route Zero, Act 3.
Developer: Cardboard Computer | Publisher: Annapurna Interactive | Initial Release: May 6, 2014
Jacob, Mike and special guest Adam Iannetta experience a haunting musical performance, degauss old CRTs and scream about debt.
Players: Jacob McCourt (@JacobMcCourt) & Mike Ruffolo (@ruffolom)
Special Guest: Adam Iannetta (@DMAIannetta) | Website: adamiannetta.ca
Web: LeftBehindGame.Club | Twitter: @LeftBehindClub | Instagram: @LeftBehindGameClub
Additional Music: Ice Cider (Cider Time Variation) by Lifeformed | Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0
SHOW NOTES:
0:00 Previously on Act 2 of Kentucky Route Zero
2:00 "Where my leg?"
5:10 Was the first scene a hallucination?
8:00 Hey, this game is about debt, right?
12:50 The writing and the direction is so great (and continues to get better)
14:00 Meeting Junebug and Johnny
19:00 Taking in a show
25:35 We set up Junebug and Johnny's beautiful performance
32:45 The Hall of the Mountain King & Xanadu
39:30 Jacob's galaxy brain moment (and really beautiful death) with Xanadu
44:00 Going to a creepy graveyard
47:25 The Hard Times Whiskey Distillery
58:00 Jacob is ready to "wring this game's neck" and we explain why
1:03:45 Wrap-up
NEXT SHOWS:
July 8, 2020 - Kentucky Route Zero (Here And There Along The Echo) feat. Jacob, Mike and special guest Adam Iannetta
July 22, 2020 - Florence feat. Jacob with special guests Travis Colenutt, Katie Lesperance and Jessica Fantauzzo
August 5, 2020 - Kentucky Route Zero (Act IV) feat. Jacob, Mike and special guest Adam Iannetta
August 12, 2020 - Kentucky Route Zero (Un Pueblo de Nada) feat. Jacob, Mike and special guest Adam Iannetta
August 19, 2020 - A Way Out feat. Jacob, Mike, Moe and special guest Kevin Reaburn
DISCORD: The Left Behind Game Club is a monthly game club podcast with a focus on positivity & community. To talk to members of the community, join our Discord server!
TIP JAR: If you’re feeling generous and love the show, we have a PayPal tip jar! Any funds raised will go towards hosting our site and paying for games and equipment as we look to bring you higher quality content every month.
092: Shovel Knight (Shovel of Hope)
Season 1 · Episode 92
Wednesday, June 24, 2020 • Duration 01:07:07
We trade in our virtual guns for a shovel in Shovel Knight.
Developer: Yacht Club Games | Publisher: Yacht Club Games | Initial Release: June 26, 2014
Jacob, Moe and special guest Nathan Norman Brandt talk about the Wii U and Amiibos, get confused about game naming and stan Tinker Knight hard.
Players: Jacob McCourt (@JacobMcCourt) & Moe Murtadi (@mmurtadi)
Special Guest: Nathan Brandt (@TwoHeadedGiant) The NES Pod: Website | Apple Podcasts | Spotify
Web: LeftBehindGame.Club | Twitter: @LeftBehindClub | Instagram: @LeftBehindGameClub
SHOW NOTES:
1:30 Nathan talks about his show, the New Entertainment System Podcast
3:10 Our "Fast Pitch" about Shovel Knight
4:05 What's your personal history with Shovel Knight?
6:05 Nathan is a Wii U apologist
6:45 Wait... what is Shovel of Hope? What is the Treasure Trove? I'm confused... please help. Also, information on Yacht Club Games and their Kickstarter.
12:45 Moe played on a keyboard, what was that like?
13:10 What does Shovel Knight feel like (after this podcast, you should watch this video from GameSpot: 7 Forgotten Ideas That Inspired Shovel Knight)
16:25 The story of the game
18:00 The structure of the game and the Tinker Knight appreciation zone
21:30 Nathan's favourite boss battles: Tinker Knight, Treasure Knight and The Enchantress
24:35 Jacob's qualms about final boss battles strike again
26:40 Some of the boss battles that we struggled with
30:45 Relic and armour talk
35:50 Is Shovel Knight a cute character + Nathan's Amiibo Corner
40:25 Jake Kaufman's soundtrack (complete with leitmotifs)
43:40 Integrating story into the gameplay
48:40 A quick taste of Shovel Knight's other campaigns and prequels (Game Maker's Toolkit did a great video about them)
50:25 Vomiting unicorns and propeller people
54:40 A brand new segment... The Recommendation Machine!
59:15 Final thoughts with a setup from @TheKamdyman on Twitter
NEXT SHOWS:
July 1, 2020 - Kentucky Route Zero (Act III) feat. Jacob, Mike and special guest Adam Iannetta
July 8, 2020 - Kentucky Route Zero (Here And There Along The Echo) feat. Jacob, Mike and special guest Adam Iannetta
July 22, 2020 - Florence feat. Jacob with special guests Travis Colenutt, Katie Lesperance and Jessica Fantauzzo
August 5, 2020 - Kentucky Route Zero (Act IV) feat. Jacob, Mike and special guest Adam Iannetta
August 12, 2020 - Kentucky Route Zero (Un Pueblo de Nada) feat. Jacob, Mike and special guest Adam Iannetta
August 19, 2020 - A Way Out feat. Jacob, Mike, Moe and special guest Kevin Reaburn
DISCORD: The Left Behind Game Club is a monthly game club podcast with a focus on positivity & community. To talk to members of the community, join our Discord server!
TIP JAR: If you’re feeling generous and love the show, we have a PayPal tip jar! Any funds raised will go towards hosting our site and paying for games and equipment as we look to bring you higher quality content every month.
091: Kentucky Route Zero (The Entertainment)
Season 1 · Episode 91
Wednesday, June 17, 2020 • Duration 33:00
We try to eat a brick sandwich in Kentucky Route Zero: The Entertainment.
Developer: Cardboard Computer | Publisher: Annapurna Interactive | Initial Release: November 22, 2013
Jacob, Mike and special guest Adam Iannetta contemplate "the American Dream", catch a play and try to drink for free.
Players: Jacob McCourt (@JacobMcCourt) & Mike Ruffolo (@ruffolom)
Special Guest: Adam Iannetta (@DMAIannetta) | Website: adamiannetta.ca
Web: LeftBehindGame.Club | Twitter: @LeftBehindClub | Instagram: @LeftBehindGameClub
SHOW NOTES:
1:35 An introduction to The Entertainment
6:00 Our resident "dumb-dumb entertainment boy" loved this one
7:55 How is this interlude different from a gameplay perspective?
12:25 What happens in the play?
22:30 The end reveal
29:15 Final thoughts and wrap-up
NEXT SHOWS:
June 17, 2020 - Shovel Knight feat. Jacob, Mike, Moe and special guest Nathan Brandt
July 1, 2020 - Kentucky Route Zero (Act III) feat. Jacob, Mike and special guest Adam Iannetta
July 8, 2020 - Kentucky Route Zero (Here And There Along The Echo) feat. Jacob, Mike and special guest Adam Iannetta
July 22, 2020 - Florence feat. Jacob with special guests Travis Colenutt, Katie Lesperance and Jessica Fantauzzo
DISCORD: The Left Behind Game Club is a monthly game club podcast with a focus on positivity & community. To talk to members of the community, join our Discord server!
TIP JAR: If you’re feeling generous and love the show, we have a PayPal tip jar! Any funds raised will go towards hosting our site and paying for games and equipment as we look to bring you higher quality content every month.
090: Kentucky Route Zero (Act 2)
Season 1 · Episode 90
Wednesday, June 10, 2020 • Duration 43:18
We grin and bear the comedy of bureaucracy in Kentucky Route Zero, Act 2.
Developer: Cardboard Computer | Publisher: Annapurna Interactive | Initial Release: May 31, 2013
Jacob, Mike and special guest Adam Iannetta take a trip to an office park, a storage park, a trailer park and a park? Also, bears. And eagles?
Players: Jacob McCourt (@JacobMcCourt) & Mike Ruffolo (@ruffolom)
Special Guest: Adam Iannetta (@DMAIannetta) | Website: adamiannetta.ca
Web: LeftBehindGame.Club | Twitter: @LeftBehindClub | Instagram: @LeftBehindGameClub
Additional Music: Ice Cider (Cider Time Variation) by Lifeformed | Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0
SHOW NOTES:
0:00 Previously on Act 1 of Kentucky Route Zero
2:00 Entering the Bureau of Reclaimed of Spaces and the comedy of bureaucracy (Scene I)
13:00 Getting back on the road to 5 Dogwood Drive and Dr. Truman
17:00 Jacob dials a long-distance phone number that he found in the game
20:20 Random Access Self Storage/Saint Thomas Church (Scene II/III)
24:25 The Museum of Dwellings (Scene IV)
28:00 Meeting Ezra and Julian
31:05 Taking flight and exploring the forest (Scene V)
37:30 Finding Dr. Truman
41:40 Wrap-up
NEXT SHOWS:
June 10, 2020 - Kentucky Route Zero (The Entertainment) feat. Jacob, Mike and special guest Adam Iannetta
June 17, 2020 - Shovel Knight feat. Jacob, Mike, Moe and special guest Nathan Brandt
July 1, 2020 - Kentucky Route Zero (Act III) feat. Jacob, Mike and special guest Adam Iannetta
July 8, 2020 - Kentucky Route Zero (Here And There Along The Echo) feat. Jacob, Mike and special guest Adam Iannetta
DISCORD: The Left Behind Game Club is a monthly game club podcast with a focus on positivity & community. To talk to members of the community, join our Discord server!
TIP JAR: If you’re feeling generous and love the show, we have a PayPal tip jar! Any funds raised will go towards hosting our site and paying for games and equipment as we look to bring you higher quality content every month.
089: Firewatch
Season 1 · Episode 89
Wednesday, May 20, 2020 • Duration 01:19:23
We venture to the forests of Wyoming to watch for fires in Firewatch.
Developer: Campo Santo | Publisher: Campo Santo and Panic, Inc. | Initial Release: February 9, 2016
Jacob, Mike, Moe and special guest Dan from the Greatest Story Ever Played Podcast enjoy some knock-off peanut butter, tell stories about their Boy Scout days and complain about not having firearms.
Players: Jacob McCourt (@JacobMcCourt), Mike Ruffolo (@ruffolom) and Moe Murtadi (@mmurtadi)
Special Guest: Dan from the Greatest Story Ever Played Podcast | Podcast: https://thegreateststoryeverplayed.com | Twitter: @StoryEverPod
Special Thanks: Jarrett McCourt for his voice on the cold open | Website: http://jarrettmccourt.com/
Web: LeftBehindGame.Club | Twitter: @LeftBehindClub | Instagram: @LeftBehindGameClub
SHOW NOTES:
2:00 Dan talks about The Greatest Story Ever Played Podcast
3:00 The "Fast Pitch" on Firewatch
3:40 What is Firewatch + our admiration for Campo Santo's members (Idle Thumbs, Walking Dead S1, Bioshock 2: Minerva's Den, Half-Life: Alyx and In the Valley of the Gods)
8:50 How did we play Firewatch?
10:50 The look of Firewatch (and some Ford misappropriation)
16:00 Wildlife and firearms
18:10 Okay, describe Firewatch in detail!
21:00 Now we get to the opening of the game's story
28:25 How did we play our Hanks?
30:05 Voice acting in the game (Cissy Jones & Rich Sommer)
31:50 An incident with some terrible teens (aka what did we do with their boombox)
36:40 Are we good with maps? Jacob, the ex-Scout, is bad with maps and fire.
40:15 Firewatch's mystery begins to unravel with a broken window, a communications line that has been cut and a wrecked campsite
46:10 Unravelling the mystery
51:45 The final sequence of the game
1:01:10 Question from @ThoughtsFromP1 on Twitter: "did you find the ending was a satisfying conclusion to the story?"
1:05:35 Question from @CtrlAltNoob on Twitter: "I see this recommended as one of the best Walking Sims a lot, what is it that makes this stand out more as oppose to others in the genre?"
1:10:05 Question from @CommanderNici on Twitter: "would you take a job as a fire watcher and if so, how would you keep yourself entertained?"
1:13:20 Our final thoughts and Dan talks about his podcast in detail
NEXT SHOWS
June 3, 2020 - Kentucky Route Zero, Act 2 feat. Jacob, Mike and special guest Adam Iannetta
June 10, 2020 - Kentucky Route Zero (The Entertainment) feat. Jacob, Mike and special guest Adam Iannetta
June 17, 2020 - Shovel Knight feat. Jacob, Mike, Moe and special guest Nathan Brandt
DISCORD: The Left Behind Game Club is a monthly game club podcast with a focus on positivity & community. To talk to members of the community, join our Discord server!
TIP JAR: If you’re feeling generous and love the show, we have a PayPal tip jar! Any funds raised will go towards hosting our site and paying for games and equipment as we look to bring you higher quality content every month.
