Epic Free Game Reviews

Episode 14: City of Brass - No Utopias Here (Where are the Turkeys?)

In this episode, we discuss the dungeon crawler game City of Brass, which Epic gave away from May 30 to June 6, 2019. We discuss whether the game industry is oversaturated, the corporatization of the different components of gaming, and the politics behind game reviews.

Episode 13: Rime - It All Goes Back to Poop

In this episode, we talk about Rime, a 2017 puzzle adventure game that Epic gave away from May 23 to May 30, 2019. We both thoroughly enjoyed this game, although we do talk about motion sickness and 3D space. We also discuss the role of silence and voice in games, the omnipresence of circles, and the cute culture of games

Episode 12: Stories Untold - Bring Back Knobs!

In this episode, we discuss the twelfth game Epic gave away (from May 16 - May 30, 2019), the narrative adventure game Stories Untold. We discuss the literary elements of games, how we feel about horror as a genre, and moralizing in video games, among other conversations. 

Episode 11: World of Goo - Be Goo(d) to Mom

This episode covers the 2008 puzzle game World of Goo, which Epic gave away from May 2 to May 16, 2019. This game allows us to re-consider the gendered politics of indie games, explore the boundaries between mobile and other games, and think back on the political climate that existed during its release (and unexpected comparisons to Bioshock emerge!)

Episode 10: Transistor - Eat the Rich

In this episode we discuss Transistor, which Epic gave away from April 18 to May 2, 2019. We focus on defining the boundaries of the RPG genre, discussing how 2014 was an important moment in the history of gaming more broadly, and comparing Transistor to other Supergiant games. Since both of us have also played Transistor years ago, we also consider the role memory and aging have on how we approach games. Trigger warning: due to the nature of the game's themes, we do discuss suicide in this episode. 

Episode 9: The Witness - Die, Candleman!

In this episode, we discuss the puzzle game The Witness, which Epic gave away from April 4 to April 18, 2019. The conversation focuses on how we feel about puzzle games, the tensions between satire and seriousness in indie games, and the way puzzle games are designed (as full or mobile experiences).

Episode 8: Oxenfree - Triangles Triangulating FDR

In this episode, we explore our impressions of the graphic adventure game Oxenfree, which Epic gave away from March 21 to April 4, 2019. This leads to conversations about the use of history as allegory in games, horror as a genre, and the way characters make or break games. 

Episode 7: Slime Rancher - Chicken Abuse

This episode explores the seventh game given away by Epic, Slime Rancher, a farm sim games about collecting and selling slime poop. The game was given by Epic from March 7 to March 21, 2019. The hosts discuss the mechanics of cozy and farming games, the use of nostalgia and references as a game design philosophy, and the way the "value" of indie games suggests the past, present, and future of the gaming industry

Episode 6: Thimbleweed Park - Don't Send in the Clowns a-reno

In this episode we discuss the sixth free Epic game, given away from Feb 21 to March 7, 2019, Thimbleweed Park. Through this game, we discuss point and click as a genre, the use of nostalgia and meta-narratives in games, and our feelings about games wasting a player's time.

Episode 5: Axiom Verge - ET phone...YouTube Walkthroughs

The fifth Epic game, Axiom Verge (given free from Feb 7 to Feb 21, 2019), is our first jump into Metroidvanias for this podcast, a genre which neither of our hosts have much history with. We discuss retro-graphics and nostalgia in gaming, game difficulty, and the role of science fiction narratives in pop culture.