Explore every episode of the podcast Side Story
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01: It’s All About the Bird | 01 Apr 2025 | 02:18:51 | |
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’
Featuring Austin Walker, Janine Hawkins, and Jack de Quidt Produced by Austin Walker
| |||
| 02: Tim Rabbit, The British Bugs Bunny | 15 Apr 2025 | 02:07:44 | |
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 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 | |||
| 03: What Does the i Stand For? | 29 Apr 2025 | 02:08:50 | |
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 Featuring Austin Walker, Janine Hawkins, and Ali Acampora Produced by Austin Walker | |||
| 04: Get Ready to Learn Heaven, Buddy | 13 May 2025 | 02:11:38 | |
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 Featuring Austin Walker, Janine Hawkins, and Sylvi Bullet Produced by Austin Walker | |||
| 05: Blue Prince Spoilercast | 27 May 2025 | 02:22:54 | |
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 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 | |||
| 06: The i Stands for 'I'm the Gamer?' | 10 Jun 2025 | 02:20:53 | |
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 Featuring Austin Walker, Janine Hawkins, and Keith Carberry Produced by Austin Walker | |||
| 07: The Judgmental Gamer | 24 Jun 2025 | 01:49:32 | |
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 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 Featuring Austin Walker, Keith Carberry, and Andrew Lee Swan Produced by Austin Walker | |||
| 08: My Horse Books | 09 Jul 2025 | 02:45:32 | |
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! 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 Featuring Austin Walker, Keith Carberry, Andrew Lee Swan, and Art Martinez-Tebbel Produced by Austin Walker (Brief additional music from Run Button Podcast theme, Statikz ft J Arthur Keenes - Let's Go To Tokyo) | |||
| 09: Denied Your Clocks Again | 22 Jul 2025 | 02:13:00 | |
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 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 | |||
| 11: Sweet Pounding Hammer | 19 Aug 2025 | 01:11:26 | |
After a long week of moving apartments, Austin breaks in his new podcasting setup. Finally, he and Janine get to talk about Popucom, the colorful co-op action-puzzle game that we've run out of time for in the last few episodes. Plus, Sylvi regales us with tales of her cyberpunk exploits in the New Boston dystopia of Cyber Knights: Flashpoint. Show Notes A little Info on POPUCOM's color blindness options
Chapters 00:00 Introduction Featuring Austin Walker, Sylvi Bullet, and Janine Hawkins Produced by Austin Walker | |||
| 10: This Is Your Slime | 05 Aug 2025 | 02:00:23 | |
Ali returns to the show to lead Janine and Austin in an exploration of contemporary Tamagotchi culture, focusing on the recent Tamagotchi Uni and brand new Tamagotchi Paradise releases, before diving headfirst into one of the clearest ways that gambling/gacha culture is spreading into the mainstream: The Pop Mart Hint System. Also: You can put your finger into it and touch the slimy button. Show Notes Further Info on How and Why to Call Payment Processors Someone Did Surgery to a Tamagotchi Paradise Official Punirunes Quick Start Guide — here’s how to play! Parasocial Relationships in Social Contexts: Why do Players View a Game Character as Their Child? (Re: Travel Frog familial status)Chapters Featuring Austin Walker, Janine Hawkins, and Ali Acampora Produced by Austin Walker | |||
| 12: The Succulent Strawberry, or: Make Turnip Grow and Pet Cow | 02 Sep 2025 | 02:00:24 | |
This week in a special double-part episode, Ali, Dre, and Janine retun from the windy climes of Zephyr Town to tell us about the highs and lows of running a weekend produce market in Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar. Then, with the sort of clarity that only comes in the immediate aftermath of COVID recovery, Austin descends into the strange, probabalistic dungeons of Sol Cesto only to find Jack with a mouth full of strange, cursed teeth. Chapters 00:00 Introduction Featuring Austin Walker, Ali Acampora, Andrew Lee Swan, Janine Hawkins, and Jack de Quidt Produced by Austin Walker | |||
| 13: The Validity of the Scorpion | 23 Sep 2025 | 02:06:54 | |
Take a deep breath in. Can you smell it? That's right, the summer is finally behind us, and we can turn to the finer things of the autumn: Genetic splicing, cursed relics, and hobby-kit helicopters. Make a warm drink and settle in. The crisp air of the fall is going to take us many places. Show Notes The Making of Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion No Man's Sky: Oasis IslandChapters 00:00 Introduction Featuring Austin Walker, Jack de Quidt, and Sylvi Bullet Produced by Austin Walker | |||
| 14: Melancholic Murder Bug | 07 Oct 2025 | 01:56:09 | |
The ocean is draining. Where is it going? Is there a drain down there? Is someone drinking it? Wouldn't they be getting very thirsty? I guess there are lizardly astrologists and coral-covered automatons, so maybe there is someone who can drink the sea. Hard to say. Hard to say. This show wouldn't be possible without your support. Please consider supporting us at https://www.patreon.com/friends_table. Show Notes Endless Legend 2 UI/UX Next Steps Endless Legend 1 Screenshots Endless Legend 2 Screenshots
Janine's Comparisons Keith's Edit Skill Trees Additional Notes Run Button Metal Gear Solid Let's Play Chapters 00:00 Introduction Featuring Austin Walker, Andrew Lee Swan, and Keith Carberry Produced by Austin Walker | |||
| 15: The Mama Button | 21 Oct 2025 | 02:36:05 | |
This episode contains an extended conversation about the death of a pet. See the chapters below for time stamps. What makes a city good? Is it walkability? A wide variety of dining options? A good chance that while you're on your way to work, you'll bump into between five and seven little creatures, teaming with elemental power? Well if it's that last one, we've got the city for you. Rent may be high, but so are the Pidgeys. Show Notes Skyehoppers' Pokemon video essays: Pokémon Black & White Asks the Impossible and Pokémon's Riskiest Game Chapters 00:00 Introduction Featuring Austin Walker, Andrew Lee Swan, and Keith Carberry Produced by Austin Walker | |||