Side Story – Details, episodes & analysis

Around these parts, it isn't April Fools Day, it's April Truths Day, and today's big truth: Friends at the Table has a new podcast for you. It's about games and the stories they make us tell. It's that simple. It's hosted by Austin, with guests from the rest of the main show's cast.  It's going to come out every two weeks, probably on Mondays. Today was an exception. Because of the holiday. 

Oh, and for $10 Patrons, it means the beginning of an exclusive Let's Play, the first episode of which is available right now (and hey, we'll put this one out for free). 

Wanna know a little more? Check out this post on our Patreon page for a little more into the creation of Side Story!

show notes 

Valnet Blues: How Online Porn Pioneer Hassan Youssef Built a Digital Media ‘Sweatshop’

CWA games union

Media Club Plus

Cover art by A Liang Chan

Soul Frame Preludes 9 notes

explosions update repo

Support us on Patreon!

Featuring Austin Walker, Janine Hawkins, and Jack de Quidt

Produced by Austin Walker

Cover Art by A Liang Chan 

Music by Jack de Quidt

What would you do if you were a little digital guy, running around in a Tron or Reboot style game world? Would you solve puzzles and investigate the myserious of the mansion-that-would-be-your-inheritence? Would you stalk the bogs of Britain, evading authoritarian robots and hunting for giant batteries? Or perhaps you would commit yourself to the noblest of goals, God's One True Task: Repeatedly raising and lowering all four windows of your Hyundai IONIQ 5, one at a time, while repeatedly taking selfies...

Games Discussed this episode: Blue Prince, InZOI, Closer the Distance, Orwell, Atomfall

show notes

Inzoi's 'Smart Zoi' AI system sounds great on paper but seeing it in a live demo didn't exactly wow me by Christopher Livingston

BDS Calls for a Boycott of Xbox Due to Microsoft’s Partnership with Israel

Side Story only exists because of support from listeners like you. Go to friendsatthetable.cash to support us! 

Featuring Austin Walker, Janine Hawkins, and Jack de Quidt

Produced by Austin Walker

Cover Art by A Liang Chan 

Music by Jack de Quidt

Would you leave an NPC so broken hearted that they just clam up for the rest of the game? Would you trade the AAA flash of 2025 for the animated FMV flair of 1992? Would you get upset if you engaged in hijinks so chaotic that you ended up slipping on a banana peel you put on the ground to begin with? Or would you understand that sometimes, the player getting what they want looks a little bit like the player not getting what they want? These questions and more answered on this episode of Side Story...   

Side Story only exists because of support from listeners like you. Go to friendsatthetable.cash to support us! 

Timestamps
00:00 Introduction
05:24 Fields of Mistria
01:02:49 Skin Deep
01:30:21 LUNAR Remastered Collection
01:43:55 Upcoming Farm/Life Sims (Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma, Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar, Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time)

Featuring Austin Walker, Janine Hawkins, and Ali Acampora

Produced by Austin Walker

Cover Art by A Liang Chan 

Music by Jack de Quidt

Look, over there, at that tower. What sort of secrets could it hold? Perhaps some terrible Multiplayer Activities to waste your time. Or, no, wait, maybe it's one of the good towers, the kind you can zipline down or hover-grapple your way up,  the kind with an loot... or even better, an agility orb on the top! No... no, wait, what's that number on the front?? Why is it counting down? And why does this whole thing smack of the French?

Side Story only exists because of support from listeners like you. Go to friendsatthetable.cash to support us! 

Timestamps

00:00 Introduction
02:40 Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
56:14 Echo Point Nova
01:18:32 Infinty Nikki Boycott & Multiplayer Update
01:28:43 Arc Raiders
01:42:08 Despelote
01:47:13 Questions

Featuring Austin Walker, Janine Hawkins, and Sylvi Bullet

Produced by Austin Walker

Cover Art by A Liang Chan 

Music by Jack de Quidt

Today we dive deep into the mysterious manor of Mt. Holly as Austin, Sylvi, and (for the first time on Side Story) Keith talk at length about Blue Prince, the first-person puzzle game by Dogubom. We talk favorite puzzles, end-game secrets, and the strengths and weaknesses of the game's narrative about familial affection, political intrigue, and spending your childhood getting lost in big houses.

Side Story only exists because of support from listeners like you. Go to friendsatthetable.cash to support us! 

Show Notes

Betrayal at House on the Hill

Clue: The Great Museum Caper

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Heist

'Does Blue Prince Never End?' by Chris Person

Bluff City Season 1 on Patreon

Bluff City Season 1 on YouTube

Featuring Austin Walker, Sylvi Bullet, and Keith Carberry

Produced by Austin Walker

Cover Art by A Liang Chan 

Music by Jack de Quidt

After promising not to talk about the Summer Games Fest for too long, Janine, Keith, and Austin spend a full hour chatting about the event's resonance with various ongoing malaises and maladies affecting games culture. Then, finally, they dig into Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time. Has she also stolen their hearts, or is their dream game just a fantasy?

Show Notes

Unearthed Treasure Room Showcase

New Virtual Influencer Is Unbelievably Bad - Jarvis Johnson (Anna Indiana context)

Janine's Fantasy Life Witching Hour LP Playlist

Chapters

00:00 Introduction
01:40 Summer Games Fest & the Green Games Showcase
01:09:46 Break
01:09:52 FANTASY LIFE i: The Girl Who Steals Time
02:07:08 Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma
02:10:15 Elden Ring: Nightreign

Featuring Austin Walker, Janine Hawkins, and Keith Carberry

Produced by Austin Walker

Cover Art by A Liang Chan 

Music by Jack de Quidt

With Austin and Keith itching to talk about Elden Ring: Nightreign, they bring Dre--who carried the group to their first win--on for their for their first appearance on the show. Plus, some mid-game impressions of the town management, relationships, and V-Tuber-esque character design of Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma.

Show Notes

DBFZ: GO1 Vs Leffen GREATEST SET EVER!!! CEO 2018

Digmon the Movie Soundtrack

What's Wrong With You Guys? - PokeMMO | streamed 4-11-25

Stephen A. Smith foils assassination attempt (General Hospital)

Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma Characters

Light No Fire Announcement Trailer

Chapters

00:00 Introduction
03:58 Dragon Ball FighterZ and Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero
17:50 Elden Ring: Nightreign
1:06:08 Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma
1:37:20 No Man's Sky

Featuring Austin Walker, Keith Carberry, and Andrew Lee Swan

Produced by Austin Walker

Cover Art by A Liang Chan 

Music by Jack de Quidt

Despite our audio editing software totally devouring Austin's file and corrupting nearly a fully produced episode file, this week's episode of Side Story could not be stopped. Not by the ups-and-downs of gacha horsegirl racing. Not by the whims of the Pokemon League. Not even by actual, real life athletic leagues and the many games they inspire. Catching a theme? Thats right, this week Austin, Keith, Dre, and first time guest Art Martinez-Tebbel dig into everyone's favorite subject: Sports.

Show Notes

How I Won a Tournament with the Hardest Strategy

Run Button Let's Play Silent Hill Homecoming - Part 17 - This One Is About Baseball

Soulcalibur IV playthrough - Arcade mode - Yoda

Adam Dunn had the weirdest career in MLB history | Dorktown

"When I Point At You, You Speak" | Moneyball | CineClips | With Captions

Remap: THE RETURN OF OBERHOF RACING STARTS NOW!

Kofie on YouTube

How to Change Rules in NBA2K!

Quote Origin: When He Turned Out the Light He Was in Bed Before the Room Was Dark

The Ghost of McCoy: The death of professional baseball in Rhode Island

Overview on Microsoft BDS Boycott

Chapters

00:00 Introduction
02:39 Uma Musume Pretty Derby
29:51 Pokemon: Scarlet and Violet
01:14:59 What Makes Sports Games Interesting
01:21:11 Baseball Is The Best Sport, or Keith: The Sports Hater
01:42:10 NBA2K, Franchise and MyCareer Modes, and the Sports Gacha
01:50:46 Interesting Weird Sports Things Happening
02:18:47 MLB: The Show's Storylines Mode
02:28:01 Lootboxes, Large Language Models, and Layoffs

Featuring Austin Walker, Keith Carberry, Andrew Lee Swan, and Art Martinez-Tebbel

Produced by Austin Walker

Cover Art by A Liang Chan 

Music by Jack de Quidt

(Brief additional music from Run Button Podcast theme, Statikz ft J Arthur Keenes - Let's Go To Tokyo)

After a few episodes of exclusively appearing in the Outward Let's Play (available to $10 Patrons right here!), Jack and Janine return to Side Story proper. And oh what a trek it has been. They've crawled the the shadowy woods of a vague gothic forest. They've traversed the craggy slopes of the Australian outback. They've had to fend of both bats and BTs. And Austin? Seated comfortably in front of the microphone, Austin has many questions.

Show Notes

The Fort-Da Game IS in Death Stranding!

Chapters

00:00 Introduction
02:02 V Rising
01:02:18 Death Stranding 2

Side Story only exists because of support from listeners like you. Go to friendsatthetable.cash to support us! 

Featuring Austin Walker, Janine Hawkins, and Jack de Quidt

Produced by Austin Walker

Cover Art by A Liang Chan 

Music by Jack de Quidt