Fire Escape Cast #122 (Part 1) - GAME OF THE YEAR

Summary

Fire Escape Cast #122 (Part 1) - GAME OF THE YEAR

Podcast: Fire Escape Cast
Hosts: Dan Ryckert, Mike Mahardy, Mary Kish
Date: December 8, 2025

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Episode Overview

The Fire Escape crew—Dan Ryckert, Mary Kish, and Mike Mahardy—assemble for their annual tradition: meticulously debating and awarding their official Game of the Year honors for 2025. Joined by recurring “cool judge” Jake Decker, they dive into 25 inventive categories, deliberate over nominees, and ultimately name winners and runners-up. This episode features smart, raucous, and often hilarious discussion, with passionate arguments for and against their picks. Categories range from the deeply serious (“Most Thinky Game,” “Best Feature”) to the gloriously ridiculous (“Best Balls,” “Worst Title”). The friendly chaos is real, judgments are sometimes brutal, and everyone tries to keep things on track before the next bar closes.

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Main Theme

Game of the Year Deliberations for 2025:
A sprawling, personality-driven debate and celebration of 2025’s video games, dissected through unique, often idiosyncratic categories.

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Key Segments & Highlights

1. Introduction & Format Explanation

Timestamp: 01:09–03:53

• The panel welcomes Judge Jake and jokes about his annual “cryo sleep.”
• They outline the structure: 25 categories (both silly and serious) with nominees in each; debates will determine winners and two runners-up.
• Categories will range from extremely unserious (“Best Balls”) to in-depth analytical (“Most Thinky Game”).
  Quote:

“We have some very serious categories. We take this really seriously around here.” – Mary Kish (03:31)

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2. Best Balls

Timestamp: 04:02–13:43

• A chaotic opening category debating which game featured the "best balls"—literal or conceptual.
• Nominees included: Ball X Pit, Rematch, Rosary Beads (Silk Song), Dune: The Dark Ages (ball-based boss fights), Katamari, Metroid Prime 4 Morph Ball, Rick (Kirby Air Riders), Ooh’s bomb caterpillar.
• Spirited nonsense about favorite ball-based gameplay, with many laughs about what constitutes a true “ball.”
• They eventually reframe the category as Mount Rushmore of Balls, joking about which “ball” is George Washington.
• Winner: Ball X Pit (as “George Washington” of balls)
• Runners-Up: Rick from Kirby Air Riders, Metroid Prime 4 Morph Ball, Rosary Beads
  Quotes:

“If this were a Mount Rushmore of balls, I think the Morph Ball might be George Washington.” – Dan Ryckert (11:26)
“You ever think about a Mount Rushmore of balls and what that would look like?” – Mike Mahardy (11:32)

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3. Most Dewy Game (Most About Just Doing Stuff)

Timestamp: 13:37–25:18

• “Dewy” games are games where you’re “just playing, just doing,” not mired in exposition, tutorials, or story—versus “thinky” (puzzles/strategy) or “talky” (lots of dialogue).
• They cut games with too many cutscenes or narrative interruptions.
• Fierce debate between Mega Bonk and Sectori for which is most purely, frictionlessly playable.
• Winner: Sectori
• Runners-Up: Mega Bonk, Donkey Kong Bonanza
  Quotes:

“The patron saint of this category is Vampire Survivors.” – Dan Ryckert (19:09)
“At this level, even text will not get you to the next level.” – Mary Kish (21:34)

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4. Most Thinky Game

Timestamp: 25:49–39:50

• Category for the most purely “thinky,” cerebral puzzle/strategy game of the year.
• Arguments over what makes a game truly “thinky,” with detailed breakdowns of nominees' logic/mechanical depth (“blueprints,” “Ooh,” “Monster Train 2”).
• Winner: Blueprints
• Runners-Up: Ooh, Monster Train 2
  Quotes:

“There are rooms that have puzzles in it that you don’t know about until another 20 hours in.” – Mary Kish (32:44)
“Blueprints is really thinky, and I absolutely love that game, and I’ll be bringing up every chance I can.” – Jake Decker (31:35)

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5. Most Talky Game

Timestamp: 42:36–52:20

• Nominees include: Dispatch, Hades 2, Kingdom Come Deliverance 2, Death Stranding 2, Split Fiction, Uma Musume (Horse Racing), Trails in the Sky, Metal Gear Solid Delta.
• Analysis of games with walls of dialogue (not always a compliment).
• The infamous “horse girl” gacha game Uma Musume is ultimately deemed the most relentlessly verbose.
• Winner: Uma Musume Horse Racing
• Runners-Up: Dispatch, Trails in the Sky
  Quotes:

“It is a toxicity of these horse. Horse girls. They talk a lot.” – Mary Kish (45:00)
“I did not like it. Like, I know we’re talking about the most talky, but these are all talky. Shouldn’t we get rid of ones that were like—‘I didn’t want to read all of this’?” – Mary Kish (48:12)

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6. Worst Title of the Year

Timestamp: 52:34–62:24

• A celebration of the absolute most overdesigned, baffling, or unreadable game titles of 2025.
• Honorable mentions for “Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon,” “Is it Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? Full Land of Water and Light,” but frustration boils over for a Nintendo special:

  “Kirby and the Forgotten Land – M dash Nintendo Switch 2 Edition Plus Star Crossed World”

• Winner: Kirby and the Forgotten Land – M—Nintendo Switch 2 Edition Plus Star Crossed World
• Runners-Up: Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon, Is it Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?
  Quotes:

“If someone can’t get through it, that is the worst title.” – Mary Kish (62:18)
(Reading out the Kirby title) “It’s exhausting.” – Mike Mahardy (60:02)

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7. Best Form of Attack

Timestamp: 62:41–74:20

• Not “Best Mechanic,” but the most viscerally satisfying way to do damage.
• Passionate advocates for notable attack methods: Hades II Mech Suit, Pipistrello Yo-Yo, Doom: The Dark Ages shield, Ball X Pit “balls from the back,” etc.
• Ultimately, Doom: The Dark Ages shield—offense AND defense, freshly “chainsaw” cool—takes the crown.
• Winner: The Shield in Doom: The Dark Ages
• Runners-Up: Pipistrello Yo-Yo, Sectori Strike Attack
  Quotes:

“It’s like if Captain America was actually cool... Like that’s what he would use.” – Jake Decker (74:14)

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8. Best Feature

Timestamp: 76:33–101:44

• Sponsored by “Wendy’s” (the hosts improv a fake ad and eat pretend tendies).
• Here, “best feature” means core system or mechanic that elevates a game—players debate destructible environments, crest systems, head tracking, “going up/going out” in Hades II, etc.
• Winner: Destructible Environments in Donkey Kong Bonanza
• Runners-Up: Crest System (Silksong), Hades II “Going Up/Going Out”
  Quotes:

“Games are meant to be fun. They’re meant to be whimsical and wild. The fact that in DK they just let you destroy everything is so integral.” – Mary Kish (98:58)

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9. Coziest Game

Timestamp: 101:58–112:11

• The warmest, most “curl-up-and-relax” game, as defined by Mary: soothing, non-demanding, and uplifting.
• Cast and Chill, a fishing game with relaxing feedback and a supportive dog, wins for being “the definition of cozy.”
• Winner: Cast and Chill
• Runners-Up: PowerWash Simulator 2, Spilled
  Quotes:

“Cast and Chill is a sedative. Like, if you play this, it’s going to relax you and calm you.” – Mary Kish (110:56)

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10. Best Playing Game (Best Game for Playing on a Plane)

Timestamp: 112:18–121:10

• Games that make time melt away while traveling, primarily on handheld/portable.
• The debate balances pure addictiveness, low stress, “easy to pick up and put down,” and accessibility.
• Winner: Mega Bonk
• Runners-Up: Hades 2, Ball X Pit
  Quotes:

“Mega Bonk is my ultimate time melting game because I don’t get stressed when I play it, but I do have fun when I play it... It requires the perfect amount of effort.” – Mary Kish (120:32)

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11. Games Game (Funniest Game)

Timestamp: 123:22–136:47

• Not “writing-driven” comedy, but games that spark genuine, memorable laughs, especially emergent, collaborative play.
• Arguments over what counts—design versus writing/intent. Peak, Repo, Arc Raiders, Are We There Yet highlighted for “friend slop” laughs.
• Winner: Repo
• Runners-Up: Peak, Arc Raiders
  Quotes:

“When Dan is the only person left, none of us are there... playing alone yelling, Jake! Jake!... You get a vase and you dink it and you’re just like...” – Mary Kish (128:17)

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12. New Game That Most Seems Like an Old Game

Timestamp: 136:51–144:10

• Nostalgia in design: which 2025 release most perfectly resurrected a bygone era’s feel?
• Winner: Luminous Arise
• Runners-Up: Ninja Gaiden 4, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond
  Quotes:

“If you put this down on a PSP in 2006, 2007 and told me it was just the sequel to Luminous...I wouldn’t bat an eye.” – Dan Ryckert (144:02)

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13. Most Up Its Own Ass

Timestamp: 144:36–161:47

• Glorious shade thrown at games and personalities for pretentiousness and self-importance.
• Discussion includes games (Blueprints, Split Fiction) and developers (Kojima, Joseph Fares, Team Cherry) AND... cohost Mike Mahardy—whose font size for his own pretension keeps getting increased on their Google Doc.
• Winner: Mike Mahardy
• Runners-Up: Hideo Kojima (Death Stranding 2), Joseph Fares (Split Fiction/It Takes Two)
  Quotes:

“Font got too big. I think we got to lock it. Most up its own ass is Mike Mahardy, runners up Hideo Kojima and Joseph Fares.” – Mike Mahardy (161:40)

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14. Lamest Tone

Timestamp: 162:02–173:16

• Mockery for the year’s lamest, most embarrassing writing or attitude.
• Borderlands 4, Dying Light: The Beast, Mega Bonk, Split Fiction, and Call of Duty Black Ops 7 all debated for awfully dated, grating, or painfully “millennial core” dialogue.
• Winner: Split Fiction
• Runners-Up: Borderlands 4, Dying Light: The Beast
  Quotes:

“It reminds me of It Takes Two—I don’t like hearing couples basically talk about their divorce through a six hour video game.” – Mary Kish (170:43)
“Their dialogue is poorly written to make them very different, but not nuanced or really appreciative or understanding.” – Mary Kish (169:56)

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15. Thing We Most Forgot Came Out This Year

Timestamp: 173:30–188:23

• A stacked lineup of games that launched into an abyss of player amnesia, with the ultimate winner being—a mystery, since the game everyone forgot always gets left off the list.
• The panel whittles nominees down to two—Eternal Strands and Frag Punk—with the actual winner deemed to be one they can’t even recall.
• "Winner:" Something We Forgot
• Runners-Up: Eternal Strands, Frag Punk
  Quotes:

“The winner is always going to be one we didn’t even think to put on here.” – Jake Decker (174:10)

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16. Best Play With Buds

Timestamp: 188:24–206:28

• The ultimate argument for excellence in multiplayer, party, and “friend slop” games.
• Big debate over LEGO Party (the Mario Party killer), PEAK (cooperative mountain climbing), RV There Yet (RV chaos simulator), Repo, and more.
• Winner: PEAK
• Runners-Up: RV There Yet, LEGO Party
  Quotes:

“There’s something so funny about Peak where...your friends, like, maybe a little ahead of you, and then all of a sudden, like, they’re making a jump and they just miss. And you watch them die and you’re like, okay, well, sorry, I got to keep going.” – Mike Mahardy (131:33)
“LEGO Party is just a snappier, better Mario Party in every single way.” – Dan Ryckert (197:24)

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Notable Episode Quotes

• “Is this game up its own ass or is it just people playing it and needing stuff to say on Blue Sky?” – Dan Ryckert (148:54)
• “This is the podcast where we talk about balls for 15 minutes...” – Dan Ryckert (13:32)
• “If this were a Mount Rushmore of balls...” – Dan Ryckert (11:26)
• “Cast and Chill is a sedative. Play it, it’s going to relax you.” – Mary Kish (110:56)

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Overall Tone

Playful, passionate, occasionally (lovingly) antagonistic, and deeply knowledgeable about both game mechanics and subculture humor. Heavy on banter and inside jokes, but attentive to serious design discussion.

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SUMMARY TABLE

| Category | Winner | Runners-Up | |---------------------------|---------------------------------------|-------------------------------| | Best Balls | Ball X Pit | Morph Ball, Rick, Rosary Beads| | Most Dewy | Sectori | Mega Bonk, DK Bonanza | | Most Thinky | Blueprints | Ooh, Monster Train 2 | | Most Talky | Uma Musume Horse Racing | Dispatch, Trails in the Sky | | Worst Title | Kirby & the Forgotten Land... | Tainted Grail, ...Pick Up Girls... | | Best Form of Attack | Doom: The Dark Ages Shield | Pipistrello Yo-Yo, Sectori Strike | | Best Feature | DK Bonanza Destructible Environments | Crest System, Hades 2 Up/Out | | Coziest Game | Cast and Chill | Power Wash Sim 2, Spilled | | Best Playing (Plane) | Mega Bonk | Hades 2, Ball Pit | | Game That Is Actually Funny| Repo | Peak, Arc Raiders | | New Game, Feels Old | Luminous Arise | Ninja Gaiden 4, Metroid Prime 4| | Most Up Its Own Ass | Mike Mahardy | Kojima, Joseph Fares | | Lamest Tone | Split Fiction | Borderlands 4, Dying Light | | Most Forgot Came Out | ??? (Something Not Listed) | Eternal Strands, Frag Punk | | Best Play With Buds | Peak | RV There Yet, LEGO Party |

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Final Thoughts

Part 1 of Fire Escape Cast #122 is a loud, laughter-filled, sometimes ruthless celebration (and roast) of 2025’s best, strangest, and worst gaming achievements. Every segment brims with insight, anecdotes, and the crew's irreplaceable chemistry—setting the stage for explosive Top 10 Game of the Year deliberations still to come.

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[End of Part 1 Summary]

This summary captures all key arguments, winners, moments, and fun—the perfect catch-up for both regular listeners and newcomers.

Transcript

[Dan]

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[Mike Mahardy]

Them something they'll use all year.

[Dan]

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[Dan]

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[Jake Decker]

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[Commercial/Ad Voice]

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[Mike Mahardy]

Let's Texas.

[Dan]

Bo. Hello. What?

[Jake Decker]

Mike, you made eye contact with me again while you.

[Dan]

I'm sorry. Yeah, that's the rule with Mike. You don't make eye contact. Hi, everyone. I'm Dan. We are Fire Escape. And by we, I mean me Dan. I mean Mike Mahardy. I mean Mary Kish.

[Mary Kish]

Yo.

[Dan]

We will explain this other entity in just a moment here. And it's Gizmo. Just walking around. No, that's Razor. Folks, we are here for Game of the year 2025. One of the best years in gaming. I think since we have started this podcast.

[Mary Kish]

It's a big one.

[Dan]

I think it's number one. This is. We were talking at dinner last night. I think this might be the Most unpredictable top 10, I think in the past. We've. Look, we got a lot to talk about, but first we definitely have to introduce the fourth member of Fire Escape. The coolest member of Fire Escape. It's that time of year, folks. It's cool. Judge Jake. Look at that guy there.

[Mike Mahardy]

He looking cooler than things on track here. No rants. If you talk too long, I'm gonna hit you in the head with my gavel.

[Dan]

Oh, we're just getting assault at this point now. Okay, great.

[Mike Mahardy]

This year.

[Dan]

Wow.

[Jake Decker]

Fresh out of cryo sleep where we keep him all year until we need.

[Dan]

Him for game of the year and then we wake him up to edit the podcast and social clips and stuff.

[Mary Kish]

Like that one dirty, dirty wig that.

[Mike Mahardy]

Shudder to think where it's been.

[Dan]

I think that's the. I think that's the Super Dan 64 wig that I wore when I was playing Superman 64. So it's just my bald Head. Not a lot of, you know, hair. There's no hair going on. So you're good folks. What are we doing? Oh, sorry. I made eye contact with.

[Jake Decker]

No, it's not that you can make eye contact. It was that when you. You did it twice. Went. Folks, looked right at me point blank.

[Mary Kish]

We're here.

[Jake Decker]

You want to explain, like the loose format?

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Yeah.

[Dan]

So if you have not seen our game of the year before. Are we on? Are we on here? Table cam now. Tablecam. Hello, everyone. Hi. This is the cam we'll be working with most of the time. We have 25 categories, you know, some favorites, some new. And then we will end with the top 10 games of the year ordered and we will be debating each and every one of these. We can see the nominees here. We will be having picture in picture for you folks watching the video version and we're going to whittle every one of these categories down to a winner and then two runners up. And if you're. Again, if you're watching the video version, you will see that. And if you're listening to the audio version, we will be going over all this stuff so you'll know exactly where we are at Any other housekeeping here. We're going to be here for a long time.

[Mary Kish]

We have. We have some very serious categories. We take this really seriously around here. So try and keep with us as we go through anywhere between 4 and 12 nominees per category. We will debate them and we're. And then we have a top 10 as well. So we actually have a lot to get through in this time.

[Mike Mahardy]

And first category is very serious too.

[Jake Decker]

Yeah.

[Dan]

Should we start like, you know, it is kind of a downer. It's kind of a serious one. You know, it's been a serious year.

Been a tough one. So we are going to start with Jake Decker. Cool judge. Jake, what is our first category?

[Mike Mahardy]

There's the list. People can see it now. First up, best balls.

[Dan]

First up, Ball X Pit, Rematch.

[Mary Kish]

Rosary Beads. The Hollow Knight, Sink Silk Song.

[Dan]

Have you played that? Have you seen this? Have you heard about this?

[Jake Decker]

I've heard about these beads doom the dark Ages. Just generally you use a couple balls when you're attacking them.

[Dan]

I have questions about that, but we'll get to it. I don't know. We'll get to that. Basically all the characters in Kirby Air Riders are balls. Specifically Rick Lolo and La La La Waddle Dee and Kirby.

[Mary Kish]

It's just like so much specificity doesn't make it more valuable. Like there's other ones. Like Rematch. That also doesn't.

[Dan]

Wow. It sounds like you're already insulting the judge because that was his entry. Wow. Hey, Judge.

[Mary Kish]

No use that or don't use it. Balls are in. Rematch. I don't need to ask where the balls are in.

[Dan]

It's a soccer game. I think it's pretty clear. Let's move on.

[Mary Kish]

Our next nominee is those robot Ark balls in Ark Raiders.

[Jake Decker]

Once Upon a Katamari Morph ball.

[Mary Kish]

Metroid Prime 4 bomb caterpillar in.

[Dan]

Ooh. Okay. Well, you know, rematch. It just. It has balls in it. It's a soccer game. I don't think there's anything extraordinary about these balls. I think we can cut. Rematch. Yeah.

[Jake Decker]

What balls? In Dune, the Dark Ages, who added?

[Dan]

Yeah.

[Mary Kish]

The boss fights are all ball based. They throw balls at you and you have to make sure that you avoid the red balls and get the green projectiles.

[Jake Decker]

Yeah. I mean, they're around.

[Dan]

They're spherical.

[Jake Decker]

They're projectiles and ball exit as well.

[Mary Kish]

Such a minor point, though, the idea that, like, in some places it's projectiles and some. But they're.

[Jake Decker]

They're like the bullet hell aspects. They use like round projectiles. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Mary Kish]

Truly balls.

[Jake Decker]

Robot arc balls. Those are the ones that. Oh, those.

[Dan]

They roll around. They set you on fire. They suck.

[Jake Decker]

I don't want them on this list. I hate them.

[Dan]

Oh, this is best balls.

[Jake Decker]

I know. I don't like them.

[Mike Mahardy]

Those are worst balls.

[Jake Decker]

Yeah.

[Dan]

Yeah. Let's cut the robot arc balls and rematch. Yeah. Okay.

[Jake Decker]

I actually don't think the robot arc balls are particularly interesting to fight even.

[Dan]

I hate them.

[Jake Decker]

Yeah, they're not. I don't. I don't like them.

[Dan]

Who wants to go to town for the bomb caterpillar in. Ooh.

[Mary Kish]

I mean, it's. I just started playing this in my first few hours of. Ooh. This is a really awesome concept of your caterpillar is made of bombs. It's a ball for a head. A ball bomb one and ball bomb two. And you use it to solve puzzles. They are absolutely balls. I don't know if.

[Mike Mahardy]

Well, hold on. I have a question. I'm going to cut you off. Are we. Is it the most spherical balls? Is it like. Is it a perfect ball?

[Jake Decker]

Best implementation of balls.

[Mike Mahardy]

Implementation of balls. I think that's something we need to clarify.

[Mary Kish]

These are all balls. We're at the point where you're no longer, you know, these are all great balls.

[Dan]

Well, okay. Judge honorably, with respect. The Kirby Air Riders being balls.

[Mike Mahardy]

I mean, every character is a ball. Have you seen there's a lot of spherical Kirby.

[Dan]

But they're lumpy balls. They've got, like, feet and little wing hands.

[Mike Mahardy]

Well, I mean, they're balling. Once. Once upon a Katamari. That's a lumpy ball too.

[Dan]

And it gets lumpier. That is true. Like we aren't saying. Yeah. The most perfectly geometrically spherical balls here.

[Jake Decker]

Maybe that's what he. That's what he was asking. Is it. Or is it best implementation? I think it's implementation. What we can agree on.

[Dan]

I was thinking it's our favorite balls.

[Jake Decker]

Okay.

[Dan]

Yeah.

[Jake Decker]

So favorite balls.

[Mary Kish]

Effectively, you know, I think.

[Jake Decker]

Yeah.

[Mike Mahardy]

But hold on. Have you guys seen Rick?

[Dan]

He's the hamster.

[Mike Mahardy]

He's the hamster. And he's a ball. Pretty much. And he runs.

[Dan]

His name's Rick. I do like that.

[Jake Decker]

Yeah.

[Dan]

I mean, you. You could have just put Rick on there.

[Mike Mahardy]

Yeah. Maybe it should have been more focused.

[Dan]

Can we do it? I mean, we can change it, right?

[Mary Kish]

Too thick.

[Jake Decker]

Just strike through everything except Rick.

[Dan]

Just. Just delete it and just put Rick Kirby. Air writers. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. Think that'll help?

[Jake Decker]

Once upon a time.

[Dan]

I don't know about this doom stuff. I. I will buy your thesis that they are balls now. I don't think they are best balls.

[Mary Kish]

I don't think they're the best balls. They are against you. You want to get the green balls. But I don't think it's going to win.

[Jake Decker]

So there's some stiff competition here.

[Dan]

Yeah.

[Mary Kish]

Yeah. I agree. Give me an argument for Ball X Pit.

[Jake Decker]

The whole game revolves around utilizing balls to overpower your Destroy demons.

[Mary Kish]

Whether or not it's got balls. I'm saying whether they're not. They're the best.

[Jake Decker]

You interrupted me while I was making my point. The whole game revolves around amplifying the power of your balls to do creative and magical things. To take out demons and skeletons and caterpillars.

[Dan]

There is new evolutions of your balls and stuff. Like there is the most, like, ball flexibility.

[Jake Decker]

Income from behind. And then also there's like the ball. Your characters kind of become balls when you're doing the town.

[Dan]

Become ball. Yeah.

[Jake Decker]

That's what he was talking about.

[Dan]

Yeah.

[Mary Kish]

That's interesting.

[Dan]

It is.

[Jake Decker]

Yeah.

[Dan]

Okay.

[Mary Kish]

Okay. We'll leave her alone.

[Dan]

I like Ball X Pit. Rosary beads are good, I think. Wait, can we cut Doom. The Dark Ages.

[Mary Kish]

Yes.

[Jake Decker]

That.

[Dan]

Katamari. You know, the judge is right. It is. It is a lumpy ball. It is. The whole game is based around that ball, though. It is like the whole Katamari is a ball based game.

[Mary Kish]

Yeah, but they can't all be ball winners. Some of these have to be ball losers. And Katamari is probably not going to beat Metroid Prime Ball or rosary Bead Ball or Rick Ball. Like.

[Jake Decker]

Or Ball X Pit.

[Mary Kish]

Let's be reasonable.

[Dan]

I noticed you didn't mention ooh. Are we thinking ooh is maybe on the cutting board.

[Mary Kish]

It's got great balls, but I'm. I'm eyeing it for like, things that I think it excels at even more than balls. I don't think balls is why this game is so amazing. I think bombs is why this is so amazing.

[Mike Mahardy]

Yeah, but what. What shape are bombs?

[Mary Kish]

Well, it has like a little nuble on it.

[Mike Mahardy]

So it's not like a perfect.

[Dan]

It's not best bombs either. This is best balls.

[Mary Kish]

I don't think it's.

[Jake Decker]

The best balls are beads balls.

[Mary Kish]

Yes.

[Jake Decker]

Yeah, they're pals. Are the bombs in. Video games are perfect.

[Dan]

There's not enough on the rosary beads.

[Jake Decker]

Well, if we're going on shape, then Katamari's out.

[Mary Kish]

Yep. I agree.

[Jake Decker]

That's just a conglomeration of random shit that you snowball with.

[Dan]

Yeah.

[Mike Mahardy]

You know what? We can cut Rick. I love Rick.

[Dan]

Okay, but very honorable of you, judge.

[Mary Kish]

All right, so we've cut Rick, Katamari and. Ooh.

[Dan]

Oh. So are we down to the three? Is it bollocks, Pit, rosary beads and Morphall pick.

[Mary Kish]

Who's the winner?

[Mike Mahardy]

Well, hold on. Rosary beads, really?

[Mary Kish]

It's the most important currency.

[Dan]

It is. And it's. It's terrible, actually.

[Mike Mahardy]

I. I kind of. I think I back the rosary beads. Only because when you break something, they fly everywhere and it's really annoying. They roll, but I kind of like that. That's the chasing it down. I feel like such a.

[Jake Decker]

They got. They got ball physics in there. I like it.

[Mary Kish]

Ball sound effects too. Yeah.

[Jake Decker]

That's a nice one.

[Mary Kish]

You know the noise that it makes when they crash on the ground? You're like, my balls. And you have to hurry up and grab them.

[Dan]

And because of their value, they are like some of the best balls to get in this list.

[Mary Kish]

They are the most coveted balls on this list, in my opinion.

[Dan]

No.

[Jake Decker]

Ball xpit is a game around. The balls themselves are the power of the projectile that takes out enemies. The beads are a currency with which to acquire more power. But the balls in Bollocks Pit are the power, are the chief attraction. That's why you're in that game.

[Dan]

I am not. Is it fair to say bomb caterpillar can go now.

[Jake Decker]

Oh, yeah.

[Dan]

I think we just got a lifetime achievement. You know, the more fall is still the more fall. It is tremendous. It looks great. It sounds great. You hop around and lay little bombs. It's a ball that makes other balls that explode. Yeah.

[Mary Kish]

Great.

[Dan]

It's fantastic. It's. Maybe if this were a Mount Rushmore of balls, I think the more fall might be George Washington.

[Mike Mahardy]

You ever think about a Mount Rushmore of balls and what that would look like?

[Dan]

You have no idea how much. Who. Wait.

[Jake Decker]

Would it be?

[Dan]

Four sets of balls. So it would be eight balls or two scrotums. Whoa, you're getting dirty.

[Jake Decker]

Four sets of balls. Because two scrums are really one entity.

[Dan]

That's true.

[Jake Decker]

Okay, can you write George Washington's lower.

[Mike Mahardy]

Like, beneath the mount or Mount Rushmore. You see him.

[Dan]

So actually, can you change this category from best balls to Mount Rushmore of balls?

[Jake Decker]

And then we got to put on our. What was the fourth?

[Mike Mahardy]

But then we need four.

[Dan]

I mean, I think I. Yeah, I think Rick. I would like to see Rick on a Mount Rushmore.

[Jake Decker]

Sure.

[Mary Kish]

I agree.

[Dan]

Can we just do that?

[Mary Kish]

Sure.

[Dan]

And then the George Washington Boy ball pit. You got a good argument for that, Mike? I don't know.

[Jake Decker]

It's a game about balls.

[Mary Kish]

It's in the title.

[Dan]

And you evolve the balls. The variety. Balls is insane. It's in the title.

[Mike Mahardy]

There's. There's electric balls. There's fireballs.

[Jake Decker]

There's ones that my favorite. The balls. Balls. The more they bounce, the more. The faster they go. And then you get them into one of the alcoves between enemies, and then they're just fucking.

[Dan]

I think we. I think we have a George Washington.

[Mike Mahardy]

Yeah, but who's the winner is.

[Dan]

I don't think it matters. All that matters, the George Washington.

[Mike Mahardy]

I think ball pit is George Washington.

[Dan]

Yeah.

[Mike Mahardy]

Therefore, the winner of.

[Dan]

Yeah, yeah, I agree.

[Mike Mahardy]

We're in ball pit.

[Dan]

All right. I think. Yeah. So I forget who officially announces the. The judge. All right, Judge.

[Mike Mahardy]

So the winner of the Mount Rushmore of balls is. Ball pit.

[Jake Decker]

Ball. Expit.

[Dan]

Excellent.

[Jake Decker]

Are you supposed to say ball pit? Have I been saying it wrong?

[Dan]

I think it's ball. I think it's like some songs.

[Jake Decker]

Cross pit.

[Dan]

Yeah, it looks like.

[Jake Decker]

I know a lot of JRPGs are supposed to say cross or. No fighting games are supposed to say cross.

[Mary Kish]

Ex is silent.

[Mike Mahardy]

Cross pit.

[Jake Decker]

Oh, I just came back from France, so I should understand that.

[Mary Kish]

Bollocks. Pit.

[Dan]

Mike did fly here directly from France. What. What region of France?

[Jake Decker]

The south.

[Dan]

What's the best vineyard this time of year in the south region of France.

[Jake Decker]

This time of year. None of the vineyards are good. Bozo. But.

[Mike Mahardy]

It'S balsh Pete.

[Dan]

All right. Yeah. I think we have a winner. Great.

[Mike Mahardy]

All right, next category is.

Most dewy game of the year.

[Jake Decker]

Nice.

[Dan]

Nominees are Mega Bonk, Donkey Kong Bonanza Keeper Kirby, Air Riders, Ball Pit, Shinobi.

[Jake Decker]

Tower Dominion, Ninja Gaiden 4, Mario Kart World. Once Upon a Katamari, A game about.

[Dan]

Digging a hole Sector. Ooh, I knew he was gonna do something weird with that. And Power Wash Simulator 2. It's Power Wash Simulator. Too cozy, too laid back to be. Like, when I think Dewey, I. I do think just like, hey, we're just going. We're going. You know, like, there's like a thing where you go back to a hub and you're taking missions and stuff. There's things that aren't just like, ah, spraying.

[Mike Mahardy]

Don't you also, like, put down furniture and stuff? That seems a little too interfacey.

[Dan]

I would say we cut Power Wash.

[Jake Decker]

Are there any games here that, like. There's a bunch of games here that you literally don't even get an intro cutscene. You're just playing immediately.

[Dan]

I. Sectory is like Sector Megabonkori. Almost, like, intentionally doesn't give you any kind of tutorial. Megabunk is also right. I think those are two extremely strong contenders.

[Jake Decker]

I believe Ball Pit. You're also right in it right when it starts.

[Dan]

Yeah.

[Jake Decker]

My point being, are there any obvious ones we can cut? Because they literally start with a cut scene.

[Dan]

I mean, like, Ninja Gaiden 4. I actually, Ninja Gaiden 4 does drop you right into like a train fight with a billion dudes. But there are a lot of cutscenes and stuff in ninja gaiden 4. Dewy ass ninja game. But it's got a lot of cut scenes in it.

[Mike Mahardy]

We're agreed.

[Dan]

Yeah, I think we cut Ninja Gaiden 4. I think Donkey Kong is doing is.

[Jake Decker]

A very dewy game. But it does start with some, I.

[Dan]

Don'T think immediately punching. That's the thing. It's immediately dewy there. Like, I don't think a cutscene or occasional cutscenes disqualify as something.

[Mary Kish]

Well, let's think about other things. Like, is there text in the game ever?

[Dan]

I mean, all of these are gonna have some text.

[Mike Mahardy]

I mean, no keeper. No text.

[Jake Decker]

I don't think. Ooh, had any text.

[Dan]

Did it?

[Mary Kish]

Ooh, has no text.

[Jake Decker]

Ooh. You start off and you gotta squeeze.

[Mary Kish]

Out of the Ground Keeper has no text. Say, like, game about digging a hole. There's menus you have to read.

[Mike Mahardy]

Oh, you have to buy things.

[Jake Decker]

Let's come.

[Dan]

Digging a hole.

[Jake Decker]

Yeah. I mean, for anybody who's new, because I know this is like, fire escape parlance most. Dewey, should we.

[Dan]

Yeah, we're talking about, like, we like.

The star.

[Mike Mahardy]

Dewey.

[Dan]

Games are just games where you're just doing stuff. Thinky games are we, like, thinking and doing puzzles. And then there's talkie. There's Dewey thinky and talkie.

[Jake Decker]

Dewey's the opposite of talkie. There's really. There's not a ton of exposition. It's not like stopping for cut scenes every five minutes. You're just playing the game. You're in the shift.

[Dan]

I think of, like, old arcade games, like an Asteroids or a Galaga, where it's like, we're just playing. We're going. Yeah. Shinobi is extremely dewy. I think cut it for the same reasons as there's a story and stuff.

[Mary Kish]

There's a story tower dominion. There's a lot of text I actually.

[Dan]

Bounced off because, like, there's a decent amount tutorial and stuff there too.

[Jake Decker]

Oh, yeah, for sure.

[Dan]

Um, I think Katamari has got a story. We can cut that. What?

[Mary Kish]

I think just, like, very unprecious about these.

[Jake Decker]

Well, okay, then cut Donkey Kong Bonanza, which has a story. There are villains. There's a rogues gallery of villains that you have to get to know.

[Dan]

But like, that. The actual just playing that game. That is just such a fucking Dewey game.

[Jake Decker]

Well, so is Katamari, isn't it? Once you're actually in it, Katamari has.

[Dan]

Like, a decent amount of, like, listening to the king.

[Jake Decker]

The scale or the extent of the story.

[Mary Kish]

Yeah.

[Dan]

And it's like you're so rarely getting interrupted in Bonanza and Katamari. It is like these levels are kind of short. In between each one of them, you are going to go back to, like, kind of a hub world. Then you're going to go in and talk to the guy. And in the middle of doing sometimes.

[Mary Kish]

His fucking head, talk to the guy.

[Dan]

Yes. I'm saying. I'm arguing we should cut this.

[Jake Decker]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Which one?

[Dan]

Katamari.

[Jake Decker]

Oh, got.

[Mary Kish]

Talk to the guy.

[Mike Mahardy]

I would say.

[Jake Decker]

Bollocks.

[Mike Mahardy]

Pit. There's some management going on in between.

[Jake Decker]

Runs that you're reading a decent amount because you're.

[Dan]

Yeah.

[Jake Decker]

You're strategizing your town. There's a lot of downtime where you're not exactly even like the town.

[Mike Mahardy]

Minigame you don't actually. I mean, you line them up, but then they. It Auto run. I guess that's kind of the game, though. But yeah.

[Dan]

Yeah, I think we can cut. Cut that. You know, Ooh. Is very Dewey from what we just saw it. Like, Jake has played it before, but we just saw it today. That seemed really cool. But it's. I think it's almost more thinky than Dewey.

[Mike Mahardy]

I think I put it in thinky. I probably shouldn't have put it in both, but.

[Jake Decker]

Yeah, I was going to argue though, this. It's really, really not a talking. You literally. It's not. There's no tutorial. You're figuring it out through the mechanics the whole time. Like, they don't tell you anything. Like, sector actually has text telling you how certain things work up front.

[Dan]

Okay.

[Jake Decker]

Not that that's the only metric. I just wanted to point that out because they're right next to each other. And I saw the comparison, but I'm fine with let's cut.

[Dan]

Ooh. Ooh.

[Jake Decker]

Not being there.

[Dan]

Mario Kart World. I mean, it's a racing game. It's. Dewey. There's downtime, lobbies, open world stuff. I think we got Mario Kart. All right. I out of the Nintendo racing games. I think Kirby Air Riders is like, that is just so Dewey Dooey. Dooey in your case, like Dewey to.

[Mike Mahardy]

Eleven, where it's too Dewey.

[Dan]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay, now we're good. Someone defend Keeper staying on this list.

[Mike Mahardy]

I mean, the reason I put. Did you put Keeper? One of us put on it. But the reason I think it makes sense for this list is because there is no tec. There is a story, but it is mostly just told through the environment.

[Dan]

And the second, like a limbo type thing, kind of the second you pick.

[Mike Mahardy]

Up the controller, you're, like, wiggling to break free with the lighthouse. And there's lots of different ways you do y things in it without spoiling too much.

[Mary Kish]

There's no here's how you do it. They just throw you in there and you have to figure it out with environmental trial and error, which I also really like. It reminds me of Ooh in that way. Which is just like, at no point does the game stop you and say, this is a new system for you to learn. It's just. It's shows you. Doesn't tell you.

[Dan]

It seems dewy for sure. But I think in the face of games that are just like, almost like Vampire Survivors, like, I think Vampire Survivors is like the patron saint of this, you know, category. And Keeper seems like more of a.

[Jake Decker]

Mellow Donkey Kong banan's. A pause for a while to show me who this teenage girl was, who I was, like, helping out from now on in the journey and telling. Setting up the stakes of her journey and how it aligns with Donkey. Donkey Kongs.

[Dan]

Jesus Christ. I love this game so much. Like, who's a teenage girl? What are you talking about?

[Jake Decker]

Oh, right.

[Dan]

Pauline, the character that's with you the entire time.

[Jake Decker]

And I love this game. I don't know. It's tough to say because the. The heart of that game is literally just DK smashing everything possible to get bananas, which is as Dewey as you can be.

[Mike Mahardy]

Yeah, I think. I think I would cut Kirby Air Riders over Donkey Kong Banana. I think just because there is some menuing in Kirby Air Riders and you might be tweaking your machine customers, a.

[Dan]

Lot of tutorial stuff. There's a decent amount of, like, learning and going through a million different modes and stuff. So let's cut Keeper and Kirby.

[Mike Mahardy]

Oh, hold on.

[Jake Decker]

Oh, wait, Keeper, you just trying to.

[Mike Mahardy]

Sneak that in there?

[Dan]

I thought your manipulation is so smooth. I wasn't even intending to.

[Jake Decker]

Well, it's when, like, politicians sneak something into a bill and then it gets voted.

[Dan]

I literally was like, oh, yeah, it sounds Dewey, but it's like. It's not like a Vampire Survivors type thing where things are happening all the time. It's kind of more of a mellow thing. That was me basically saying, I think we. We should cut it without saying we should cut it. Now I'm saying we should cut it.

[Jake Decker]

Just to be clear. It's exactly what I'm doing. Just try.

[Dan]

It wasn't intentional.

[Jake Decker]

I just tried being underhanded about it for a second.

[Dan]

I wasn't intending to, but I do think we should cut it.

[Jake Decker]

We're getting down to. Okay, so the lat. The next. The next one we cut. The remaining ones will be the top three.

[Dan]

Yeah, we just have to set a winner. So, like, we're down to Mega Bonk, Donkey Kong Bonanza, Keeper for now, and Sector.

[Jake Decker]

I do think.

We haven't really talked about its pros for this category, but is there any knocks against Megabunk? I don't see any.

[Dan]

No.

[Mary Kish]

It seems like it's probably one of the most I think it would games of the year ever.

[Jake Decker]

Yeah, I mean, you're a few.

[Mary Kish]

You just start.

[Jake Decker]

You read menus like for a half second at a time because it tells you, oh, you can jump 60% higher and you have dual sniper rifles now.

[Dan]

Yeah, and like Donkey Kong. I don't think it's disqualifying to occasionally have text or something, you know, like.

[Mary Kish]

It's not disqualifying. It's just. We're past disqualifying. What we're saying is, is it's the most Dewey. It's not the best game. That's Dewey. It's the most dewy.

[Dan]

Yes.

[Mary Kish]

So at this level, what I'm saying is, is that even text will not get you to the next level.

[Dan]

I see.

[Mary Kish]

Because it's not Dewey.

[Dan]

I feel like Lighthouse is moving pretty slow, right? I think Dewey. I think speed. Who. Why are you also precious about fucking?

[Jake Decker]

I have not played it.

[Mary Kish]

I just haven't played it. You can't.

[Jake Decker]

I was looking at you. I was like, I don't think he's playing.

[Dan]

Played it.

[Jake Decker]

But he seems very against it.

[Dan]

It just seems like, oh, it's a little tale of a little lighthouse walking around, you know, like.

[Mike Mahardy]

Well, that is very naive of you to think that there's a lot more to that game than meets the eye.

[Dan]

Well, it's a. It's a double fine game. So I'm sure it's very charming and not fun to play. Wow.

Like every game they've ever made not called Psychonauts 2.

[Mike Mahardy]

So we're cutting Banana.

[Mary Kish]

Bonanza has some weak points.

[Dan]

What?

[Mike Mahardy]

Oh, Bonanza. You gotta get into a menu and pick your skills. There's a skill tree in that game.

[Dan]

Yeah, Donkey Kong is a skill tree.

[Mary Kish]

It's awesome to pause the game. I mean.

[Jake Decker]

Yeah, I love that game. It's very high up my personal top 10 list. But I think compared to these other ones, I haven't played Keeper. But from what they're saying, it sounds like.

[Dan]

Sounds super dewy.

[Mary Kish]

In sick. Tori. When you want to upgrade, you have to do it mentally while you're playing the game. Yeah.

[Dan]

You can barely move. You don't have time to move your eyes.

[Mary Kish]

And sometimes you forget to upgrade. That comes into play with the way that they've built this game where you'll be like, oh, shit, I forgot to do shield because I'm so in the zone. Yeah, that's Dewey. When you get to pause a game to think about how you're going to upgrade your character. Now you're into thinky territory. Now you're into strategizing. I mean, it's not just Dewey.

[Dan]

Oh, yeah.

[Jake Decker]

And also Sector I. Unless I'm missing a whole lot of it, they don't bother to set up why you're a triangle shooting at squares. And stuff like, no, that shit doesn't matter. They say it's about like attaining a higher sense of consciousness, but then they're done for the next 12 hours.

[Dan]

They like the strike mechanic lines mean you can do the charge thing, but they intentionally don't explain a lot of stuff in Sector just to get you doing.

[Jake Decker]

Oh, it took me a while to figure out how I was like, I. I took me. It took me a while to figure out how they're kind of forcing you to either bank points to climb up the ladder in value of the upgrade, the stack upgrades, the blaster being the most valuable in there in. In that progression.

[Dan]

We'll talk about that later. In a different category here, but in terms of just like, Dewey, I mean, look, sectori it doesn't really get much.

[Jake Decker]

I haven't played Keeper, but like the heart of the categories between Sector. Mega Bonk.

[Dan]

Yeah, I agree. I think.

[Jake Decker]

And I think Sector.

[Dan]

I think it's great to have Donkey Kong on there as number three, but. Yeah.

[Jake Decker]

So do we all agree on the top two?

[Dan]

I think we got the top three.

[Mary Kish]

Oh, we got.

[Dan]

Oh, God. Oh God.

[Mike Mahardy]

Donkey Kong Bonanza gets cut.

[Dan]

That's insane. With respect, Judge, that's insane.

[Mike Mahardy]

I'm gonna mute you.

[Dan]

He has that power too.

[Mary Kish]

If only you had played the games that you could have a better argument.

[Dan]

Donkey Kong Keeper. Oh, Keeper.

[Mike Mahardy]

Okay. I will say though, it's definitely between Megabunk and sectori. I don't think Keeper would. Would hang between those.

[Jake Decker]

I. I would say Sector is the number one. Megabunk is two.

[Dan]

I haven't played like Megabunk is. The thing is like Megabonk, you can almost like kind of zone out and just kind of walk around and kind of like auto shoots like vampire Survivors. It is so dewy. And your brain is also like, has to be extremely locked in on what's happening at all times you are doing and deciding.

[Jake Decker]

And like, I disagree that you can just zone out during Megabunk if you truly want to do well. However, I agree with your point that Sector definitely requires way, way less. Yeah, I said it earlier. It's like that flow state.

[Mary Kish]

There's also a lot of menus in Mega Bonk where you have to be like, oh, right, this one is a double upgrade. So it's better to do early on because I want to get more points early on. I'll upgrade faster.

[Jake Decker]

This is all Sector has, the upgrade tier list. It's paused, but it's not. While it's paused, you're still like in the Shit.

[Dan]

While it's.

[Jake Decker]

While you're kind of making the choice.

[Mike Mahardy]

Yeah.

[Dan]

It's got to be Sectori, Right?

[Mary Kish]

Sector.

[Dan]

All right.

[Mike Mahardy]

The most dewy game of 2025 is sectori.

[Jake Decker]

Kudos to Dan for telling us all to play it, like, a week or two ago.

[Dan]

I think it was Grubs that got me onto it.

[Mike Mahardy]

How Smart people.

[Jake Decker]

So, like, you kind of know what you're getting into.

[Dan]

Geometry wars and Housemark and, like, some vampire survivors. I mean, it's got a lot going on.

[Jake Decker]

The Auto Shooter, the Gathering, except Exper. Experience, like Glints, whatever they call them.

[Dan]

That game Glimmer.

[Mike Mahardy]

Yeah.

[Dan]

It is the game that once this is all done, you guys go home tomorrow. Like, that is the game I can't wait to get back to.

[Jake Decker]

Yeah.

[Dan]

I love that game. All right, so that is. Well, I guess. All right, I'm sorry.

[Mike Mahardy]

Next category is most thinky game.

[Dan]

Thought he was gonna announce the winner. That's what I was.

[Mike Mahardy]

Oh, I already did announce winner.

[Jake Decker]

I hit my hammer, remember?

[Dan]

Yeah. Your honor. Yes. I apologize. Thank you.

[Jake Decker]

Oh, wait. Can you. Can Honorably. Can you hold the. Like the. The. What is the thing you hit the little. Can you hold that and then hit that in the air? As long as it's not on the table.

[Dan]

Yeah, yeah.

[Jake Decker]

Like, honorably.

[Dan]

Like, it's not getting a lot. Like a cowbell.

[Jake Decker]

I'm not getting a lot of gravity.

[Mike Mahardy]

I wasn't sure, you know, it was.

[Dan]

No, no, that's good.

[Jake Decker]

Oh, that was better. That's what I needed.

[Dan]

That's the good stuff.

[Jake Decker]

Oh, if it peaked, then it's fine.

[Mike Mahardy]

I'll be. I'll be lighter. Next category is most thinky game of 2025.

[Dan]

Nominees are.

[Jake Decker]

Blueprints.

[Mary Kish]

Monster Train 2, Expedition 33.

[Jake Decker]

Bionic Bay.

[Dan]

Is this seat taken?

[Jake Decker]

Seance of Blake Manor.

[Dan]

Lego Voyagers.

[Mary Kish]

The Altars.

[Dan]

I would like to offer up. I do like this game a lot. What?

[Mary Kish]

Nothing.

[Dan]

What?

[Mike Mahardy]

He's gonna offer up one of your picks.

[Mary Kish]

Just a little politician.

[Dan]

I'm offering one of mine. I. I like Bionic Bay a lot.

[Jake Decker]

Crossing the aisle.

[Dan]

I like Bionic Bay.

[Mary Kish]

A One of yours. I put it in here.

[Dan]

I think I played it first.

[Jake Decker]

He's offering up one that wasn't in his nomination.

[Mary Kish]

Bigger person. This is my game that Mary put in.

[Jake Decker]

I want to offer up someone else's passion.

[Dan]

I just want to say, as someone who likes this game, I think it's almost more dewy than it is thinky. I mean, there are puzzles, but, like, it's a lot of platforming It's. It is a platforming heavy game.

[Jake Decker]

Why the am I blanking on bio?

[Dan]

It's the one where it's all.

[Mary Kish]

It reminds me of lim combo. It's like a. A silhouette based game and you have to like avoid machines and if you make a mistake, you get like killed.

[Jake Decker]

Oh, you die a lot.

[Mary Kish]

I probably saw this point but it is completely puzzle based. Will be like, how do I get past these lasers? I guess I'll die six times to your point. I think there's probably more puzzling.

[Dan]

Take it back.

[Jake Decker]

Don't finish that sentence here.

[Mary Kish]

But I think like, I don't think it's going to be a top three, but I do think it is a. It was worthy of being nominated.

[Mike Mahardy]

So it's gone.

[Mary Kish]

I don't think anyone's gonna fight for it. And I think I know that and.

[Dan]

It'S one of mine. So I'm fine seeing it go.

[Jake Decker]

I can.

[Dan]

I'll.

[Jake Decker]

I will offer up a game I suggested seance of Blake Manor. I think there's some cool stuff going on. I have not finished this. People recommended it. It's sort of in like the return of the Obra Dinn style vein of puzzle game. Like 1860s Ireland Castle Murder mystery. However, there's large swaths of that from my like 5 hours I played where you're not really doing any critical. You've kind of stopped thinking a lot and you're just trying to find what the next thing you're supposed to do is. Which again, if it's. It's a game where you're supposed to be exploring this castle. I think it works in that context. But within the context of this category, I think I would say we can cut it.

[Mary Kish]

I'm gonna toss out. Is this sea taken total puzzle game. I didn't think it was that hard.

[Dan]

It's not about how hard it is though. I mean to me that is. It's a lot. It's purely a logic game. So like I would not cut that before. Like for instance, something like Expedition 33. I. I think is the seat taken is a much thinkier game than Expedition 33. I mean sure you have. There's the picto system in the loon.

[Mary Kish]

I think we should cut both of them.

[Jake Decker]

Yeah.

[Mary Kish]

Because I don't think they're exemplary of this category.

[Jake Decker]

Clear obscure is going to come up throughout the entire night in many categories. But I also think there's large stretches of that game where like you can get away with having the same Kratos lineup for like 30 minutes.

[Dan]

I honestly didn't think about it much at all.

[Mary Kish]

I think they're in the same category of, like, they're not going to make it. So.

[Jake Decker]

Yeah, like this.

[Mike Mahardy]

Before we cut that, I was going to throw out Lego Voyagers because I think I was the one who added that. That is a thinky puzzle game, but I feel like more of it is based around puzzle platforming and working together cooperatively. So I think that one. And I'm the only one who played it, so I think that's one pretty safe to cut.

[Dan]

That's very big of you, your honor. That's a very big.

[Jake Decker]

Also, is this Taken is kind of like puzzle game meets cozy game in a really nice way. I think it's a fun game, but, like, I also. Yeah, I don't know that. That I would also say we could cut. Is the sea taken and expedited?

[Mike Mahardy]

Are we just gonna cut them both?

[Jake Decker]

I think we should cut both of.

[Mary Kish]

Them because I don't think that they're the most exemplary.

If we know they're not gonna make it, like, we know they're not gonna make it. I'd like to hear arguments for the altars.

[Mike Mahardy]

Was I the only one who played the alters? The alters was too thinky for me. I fell off. It's very thinky. I feel like it's Mike's kind of game.

[Jake Decker]

Like Loreleiing her laser eyes, which I have definitely placed.

[Mike Mahardy]

She's kind of thinky because Alters is very resource management heavy and you've got a time crunch and that is too stressful for me. But I had to think a lot. Too much. Not the thinking I like doing. So I stopped. It's very good game, but that's fine. I think we can cut that.

[Jake Decker]

We have our top three.

[Mike Mahardy]

We've got our top three. They are blueprints. Monster Train.

[Dan]

And.

I think these are strong through. We haven't really mentioned Monster Train 2, but it is a. It's a really great. Just kind of. I don't say card battler. It's. It's a roguelite in the vein of a Slay the Spire. If you haven't played it, it's just like multi tiered train. I don't need to go into the whole explanation of the game, but basically it's a lot of thinking of theory.

[Jake Decker]

Crafting some really cool synergies between cards and, like deciding what to throw out, what to keep, where to position them, how you can exploit. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Dan]

Yep.

[Jake Decker]

It's great game. Fucking incredible game. High up my list. It's thinky. I will say.

There'S sometimes you can get to a point where you've just set up your faction so well that you need to stop, but I guess you still had to think pretty critically about the mechanics to get there. So I'd say if it wasn't for blueprints, that would be my front runner here. Blueprints, though, is like.

[Dan]

Blueprints is, like, one of the thinkiest games ever.

[Jake Decker]

I think blueprints is really thinky, and I absolutely love that game, and I'll be bringing up every chance I can. I think there are stretches, though, early on where.

There'S some parts in that game where it's absolutely genius and, like, completely recontextualizing certain kinds of rooms and resources and, like, we can, like. It's to the point where we can kind of, like, talk spoilery right now. I'm not gonna spoil blueprints, but I'm saying, like, there's. There's parts where you realize it's not just the mansion that you're rebuilding, and there's a lot more going on. On in this. In the.

[Dan]

There's layers upon layers upon layers of even, like, the thinking. There's the initial thing where it's like, oh, just get to this room, and there's enough thinking involved for that. But then it's like, if you want to go beyond that and beyond credits and stuff like that, there's just the amount you have to be, like, reading books about the lore of a kingdom and stuff like that.

[Mary Kish]

The pipes and the water and the steam systems and the art on the walls, everything is also a puzzle. And I think that in itself shows the layers of thoughtfulness in every space. There are rooms that have puzzles in it that you don't know about until another 20 hours in. And that is very special.

[Mike Mahardy]

Yeah, I'm gonna throw something out there, though. Mary, when we were playing Ooh, you had a moment, and you had said, I hate it when you know the answer to a puzzle game or to a puzzle, and you can't actually do it.

[Jake Decker]

And.

[Mike Mahardy]

And that's my core issue with blueprints, is, you know, the solution to a puzzle. But you are so reliant. I mean, you can manipulate it at some point, but that RNG is such a progress blocker.

[Dan]

It is.

[Mike Mahardy]

And I know you get to a point where, like, there are so many puzzles happening at once that you can pursue different ones, but I would say early on in particular, I found the puzzling very unsatisfying because of that, I'm not saying it shouldn't be the pick, because I think. But. But for me, that I think the roguelite stuff kind of.

It feels.

It gets in the way of the puzzling. The thinkiness, in my opinion.

[Jake Decker]

Yeah. Because I feel like the most. I think I liked blueprints the most in like the mid game, when the puzzle aspects and the roguelite aspects were matching up in the most compelling way early on. It's like, I want this to be more of a roguelite. And I was just trying to figure out what the hell all these things were for. And to Mary's points, like, I think the game is absolutely brilliant in recontextualizing so much to the point where you didn't even realize things were puzzles, like a la the witness from 2017 or whatever it was later in blueprints. I agree. When it became way more of a puzzle, I feel like the roguelite elements were kind of getting in the way.

[Dan]

Well, okay. I think we're onto some interesting stuff here because I think everything you're saying is right about blueprints. One we haven't really talked about much is, ooh. And that is the one Jake has played. And just, you know, we had a, like a hour and a half or so this afternoon where it's like, oh, we could actually kind of check this out. I watched Mary play for a while and it's like, it seems like a very pure thinky game.

[Mary Kish]

I think it's pure thinky and I know you have a lot to say about it, but because it's so fresh in my head, because I played it today for about two hours.

I'm ready to go. This game is so interesting because I would come across spaces that I couldn't get past and I was like, oh, this must be a Metroidvania where I'll get a skill later. And you said, maybe. And I kept playing the game and I learned how to do things. My character didn't get any stronger or better. And I realized that I was actually able to solve puzzles from the very beginning of the game. I just didn't know how.

[Mike Mahardy]

The only exception is the second bomb. But like, other than that, Outer Wilds.

[Jake Decker]

Is more knowledge based.

[Mary Kish]

You can be in a space, maybe like, let's say there's like a gap and you're like. There's like spikes and you're like, oh, I guess I can't get past here. I'll come back. You can do it. That's how smart this game is.

[Mike Mahardy]

I think that's the thing for me that I love about it is pretty much every new level you get to, there's two paths to take, and one path.

Seems impossible to solve. You're like, I don't know. And then you take the other path, and it slowly teaches you those mechanics through simpler puzzles, so you can go back. So in theory, except for that second bomb you get, you can mainline that game just by doing those puzzles, which.

[Dan]

I think is going to be very interesting because I probably watched you play about a half hour of it today. And just in that half hour, there were some aha moments. Oh, you can do this. I want to play this game now. And now that I know even just a couple of these mechanics, now just the knowledge is going to make my playthrough a little different.

[Mike Mahardy]

Though. The highs of blueprints, I thought were so highs of.

[Dan]

You feel like a genius.

[Mike Mahardy]

Well, like. Well, I'd say always, consistently, like, for two to three hours, it is just like, bang, bang. Yep, yep, I'm a genius. I'm getting through this. But like, man, when you push through a puzzle in blueprints and just the whole manor opens up to you, and you're like, oh, my God, if I can get these two rooms next to each other and if I'm able get the garden over here and I have this, then I can do this. And it's like those moments really make high.

[Dan]

Yeah. Again, most talk, most thinky, not best thinky. So you're right. And I think that's why something like blueprints will probably go higher on, like, a top 10 of the year. But is it more thinky than ooh?

[Jake Decker]

I would say ooh. Though I will point out, Mary, there was a few times when you're like, I don't feel like this is how I'm supposed to solve this puzzle. Like, you were kind of like inching across that poison lava pit.

[Mike Mahardy]

Like, that was the only time other.

[Mary Kish]

Than that, I might have cheesed a coup.

[Jake Decker]

Yeah. I just. I. I work. Yeah.

[Dan]

How about this? Because with. Ooh. I feel like the type of thinking is like, all right, how am I going to use the abilities at my disposal to get across this thing or pass this thing? Whereas blueprints, if it's most thinky, the different types, the variety of thinking you.

[Jake Decker]

Have to do, there's Resident Evil, there's little Resident Evil puzzles where there's like, the black box is a lie, the white is truth, and then the other one, there's always one lie. There's the math puzzles there, the generators to turn on the power. And then there's like. But, like, again, one of my favorite moments in every video. Any video game I've ever played, as much up its ass as the Witness is when you realize that there are actually puzzles in the world and you have not been seeing.

[Dan]

I never realized that game and did not realize that, like, blueprints, to me.

[Mike Mahardy]

Is, like, even when you beat the game, it's just these puzzles stack and stack and stack and stack and stack.

[Jake Decker]

Blueprints is like, I'm thinking about this individual puzzle, and then you're thinking about how to manage resources, and then you're kind of mapping out the mansion in your head and making sure you can get back to a certain room with the footsteps you have left. Footsteps, slash, energy. Whatever you want to call it. Thank you. The different layers of. On which you have to think about blueprints. I don't think I've seen that in a game before. Like, aside from the Witness, Loreline, the laser eyes, I haven't played the AD. I need to.

[Mike Mahardy]

Best game of the last 10 years.

[Jake Decker]

And outer Wilds. Outer Wilds is up there with blueprints in terms of games. Like, you have to think about it in so many different levels. Levels, that it's the fact that they kind of.

[Mary Kish]

The scale. The scale of Thinky is. Is on another level with blueprints. I was really impressed by.

[Jake Decker]

Ooh.

[Mary Kish]

I'm really glad I played it. I hope people listening to us were like, I've never even heard that game.

[Dan]

I had.

[Mary Kish]

This is a great puzzle game, and you should play it.

[Mike Mahardy]

And it's super short.

[Mary Kish]

Blue is the most challenging game of the year. That feels the most rewarding. It challenged me math. It challenged me spatially. It challenged me with linguistic puzzles. There are. There are, like, hundreds of different types of puzzles in blueprints, and I think it is the most thinky game of the year. I just.

[Mike Mahardy]

They could have cut the math, but, you know, oh, man.

[Dan]

After, like, 50 times of doing that, I'm like, come on, I don't need another fucking symbol.

[Mary Kish]

Yeah, it does get harder each time. And what's really interesting is you probably got this, but there's one thing that you can unlock that will make the math puzzles really easy if you unlock it. So there's.

[Dan]

I got something to make the logic puzzles easy, like the keybox.

[Mary Kish]

Right. So maybe you chose.

[Dan]

Because I was pretty good at the math, and the logic ones, like, were always just kind of like, it would stop me in my tracks.

[Mary Kish]

You could get two keys. So that Your lockbox. You'd get a second attempt. You were wrong. Which is really interesting. So it they had ways to make it easier, but those math puzzles were crazy to put in there. I, I, I think. Unless anyone's like, no, I got something to say about it. I think we probably all agree blueprints is the right one.

[Dan]

Most thinky and like, one of the best thinky games of all time.

[Mary Kish]

God, it's crazy. What? Crazy good.

[Mike Mahardy]

Not as good as Loreline Laser Eyes, but, you know, not much is.

[Dan]

We didn't do the this year. The. Oh, sorry. Go ahead and yeah, sorry.

[Mike Mahardy]

The most stinky game of 2025 is. Or, sorry, fire escapes. Most thinking game of 2025 is blueprints.

[Dan]

Yes. All right.

[Mary Kish]

Very dainty.

[Mike Mahardy]

I don't want to blow out people's eardrums. I think I'm already going to do it, though, if Dan hasn't already.

[Dan]

Oh, sure. Am I yelling.

[Mary Kish]

Every time we try and cut Donkey Kong Bonanza? He almost.

[Dan]

Folks. What? I don't sound like that judge.

[Mary Kish]

Judge, you're wrong.

[Jake Decker]

Honorably.

[Dan]

Honorably. I would not tell the judge he's wrong. He's delightful.

[Mike Mahardy]

All right, roll back the tape.

[Mary Kish]

Even if he said you're wrong.

[Dan]

No, you said.

[Jake Decker]

You didn't say he was wrong. You said, I think that's crazy.

[Dan]

That's not wrong.

[Mary Kish]

Crazy.

[Jake Decker]

Okay, look.

[Dan]

He BB at LEGO party today. I'm Matt.

[Jake Decker]

This is Matt Rogers from Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang. This is Bowen Yang from Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang.

[Dan]

Hey, Bowen. It's gift season.

[Jake Decker]

Ugh. Stressing me out. Why are the people I love so hard to shop for?

[Dan]

Probably because they only make boring gift guides that are totally uninspired. Except for the guide we made in.

[Jake Decker]

Partnership with Marshalls, where premium gifts meet incredible value. It's giving gifts with categories like Best gifts for the mom whose idea of a sensible walking shoe is a stiletto. Or Best gifts for me that were so thoughtful I really shouldn't have. Check out the guide on marshalls.com and gift the good stuff at Marshalls.

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[Mike Mahardy]

Next category is most talky Game of the Year.

[Dan]

Nominees are Dispatch Hades 2, Kingdom Come.

[Mary Kish]

Deliverance 2, Death Stranding 2 Split Fiction, Huma Musume. Horse Racing. I'm not saying Uma Musume Trails in the Sky.

[Dan]

First Chapter, Metal Gear Solid Delta, Snake Eater. Yeah.

[Mike Mahardy]

Not to, not to throw things off a little, but I was thinking the game I've, I've talked the most in is Arc Raiders. That is a very talky game if you think about it.

[Dan]

I don't want to throw you talking is.

[Jake Decker]

Yeah.

[Mary Kish]

How dare you. The nominees are who they are.

[Jake Decker]

He's a letter of the law kind of guy. He's doing his job. He's just keeping everything fair. Judge, I think you're doing a great job.

[Mary Kish]

You should have brought it up.

[Jake Decker]

Job.

[Dan]

Yeah.

[Jake Decker]

All, you.

Know, nominees we've done it just did that.

[Mike Mahardy]

Let's do them again for me.

[Jake Decker]

Okay.

[Dan]

I, I don't like the idea of like Metal Year because, yes, it's talky as fucks, one of the talkiest series of all time, but it is just a. It is a like word for word remake, you know, surprise.

[Mike Mahardy]

You weren't like, I'm going to offer up one. I added here.

[Dan]

I mean, I'm. I think I did add this.

[Mike Mahardy]

No, but you didn't like, make fanfare about it.

[Dan]

I'm going to be a hero.

[Mike Mahardy]

There you go.

[Dan]

And I would like to cut Metal Gear Solid Delta Snake. Thank You. Yes, yes.

Hades too. You can skip all that and just play the game.

[Mike Mahardy]

Yeah. That's what I did.

[Dan]

That's the way to go with that game.

[Mike Mahardy]

It is a talk game.

[Jake Decker]

It doesn't have to be.

[Dan]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. It was not a talking game to me.

[Mary Kish]

Not to me.

[Dan]

No. I was pressing a lot of buttons.

[Mike Mahardy]

Uma Matsume. I don't. I haven't played this. I know it's the horse racing game, but how talky is that?

[Mary Kish]

I think it is. I don't think it's. It was not a game for me. So very clearly not the best talkie game. What I want to express is the amount of communication because this is a game about understanding the nuances of the horse. The you are trying to uplevel and grow. Takes an outrageous amount of dialogue. You are listening to these girls yap on and on and on about what they need to make faster and faster, faster. They will not be quiet. It is a very talky, talky game. But I don't. I don't love this game. So like, I'm not going to fight for it. I just want to let you guys know. It is a toxicity of these horse. Horse girls. They talk a lot. Oh God.

[Jake Decker]

Did they talk Quest.

[Mike Mahardy]

Just. Just for. For people, it is the best talky game or the. It is most talking. But it means.

[Jake Decker]

Does it.

[Mike Mahardy]

Do we want it to be a good like game people like, or is it.

[Dan]

I don't think it's like an honor to win this. I think it's just a statement of fact. Okay.

[Jake Decker]

It can be an honor, but not necessarily.

[Mike Mahardy]

But I would say if it's like a talkie game, but that talking is engaging and exciting.

[Dan]

It can be pretty good or bad.

[Mike Mahardy]

I would.

[Jake Decker]

I would cut Death Stranding too from this.

[Dan]

It's pretty dewy, actually.

[Jake Decker]

The first game was very, very talky. The second game, it's not long before you're playing like a triple A open world game.

[Dan]

It's like right away.

[Jake Decker]

Yeah. And I will also say there's long stretches. That game where it's very solitary and you don't. You don't see anybody.

[Dan]

There's more time.

[Jake Decker]

The best moments in that game are when it's long stretches. When Kojima is kind of just like, we'll talk about.

[Dan]

I don't know. I don't know.

[Mike Mahardy]

I mean, in the same vein, then I would say Kingdom come, Deliverance2 probably shouldn't be on here. There's like a lot of cutscenes at front loads that story. But I feel like, once you get into it, once you're exploring, like, it.

[Jake Decker]

Is you and you.

[Mike Mahardy]

You're fighting that world like you mentioned, but you're fighting that world right when it kind of starts.

[Jake Decker]

I'm. I know where I should be going because the places I'm not supposed to be, I get my ass kicked. And that's very dewy to me. And like, to Bianca's point, like, you can kind of pick a. Like a vocation almost in that game. Like, she's saying she just spends all her time making potions. Like, it's pretty complex.

[Mike Mahardy]

It is like an interaction active. I mean, you're still hitting. But it is. I think I. I think it.

[Dan]

It goes. Yeah.

[Mike Mahardy]

Did anyone play Dispatch?

[Dan]

Absolutely.

[Jake Decker]

A little bit.

[Dan]

I cannot imagine.

[Mike Mahardy]

I played Dispatch.

[Jake Decker]

Played.

[Mike Mahardy]

I feel bad.

[Jake Decker]

I played the first episode.

[Mike Mahardy]

That game should stay because it is. Yeah, it is just talking. It is even more talking, which is Telltale Game.

[Jake Decker]

Let me get this out now, because I don't want to be talking about this the rest of the night. There's such a cool fucking kernel of a game in this game in that you are literally just deciding where to dispatch, whether it be superheroes or like spec ops squads across a city. Like, that's in itself an amazing strategy game idea. And I feel like the fact that it's. I came to it hoping there'd be more of that, probably foolishly, because it's the X, it's the Wolf among us devs, and that's. Those are like, Telltale games are the talkiest things ever. I agree with. You should stay. Because it's. I was wading through a lot of cutscenes and that's my fault for not knowing what it was. But it's talkiest shit.

[Mike Mahardy]

What about Split Fiction?

[Dan]

They talk way too fucking much in that game.

[Jake Decker]

But you're doing stuff while there are.

[Dan]

Some, like, cut scenes of them.

[Mary Kish]

Just like, dude, even when your pigs flying around, they're talking to each other the whole time. You know, I'm from the city and I don't know anything about pigs. And it's just like, shut up.

[Jake Decker]

I forgot my cigarettes.

[Mary Kish]

If I'm saying shut up in a game a lot, it's gotta be time.

[Dan]

They're not likable characters. It's like, yeah, okay. It's the most unwanted talking.

[Mary Kish]

Tell me about Trails in the Sky.

[Mike Mahardy]

Trails in the sky is a. I think it's like a 60, 80 hour JRPG. And there is just yap, yap, yap, yap, yap, yap, yap, yap. I think it's a good game.

[Jake Decker]

However you sold me.

[Mike Mahardy]

There is. You know, it does that sin where like the first five hours are just like cutscene. You walk 10 steps. Cut scene, you walk into there.

[Mary Kish]

Do you like it?

[Mike Mahardy]

Yes, I like it.

[Mary Kish]

Okay, then I'm gonna.

[Mike Mahardy]

But it is talky.

[Mary Kish]

I'm gonna throw out Uma Musume because I didn't like it.

Like, I know we're talking about the most talky, but at this point, these are all talky. Shouldn't we get rid of ones that were like. I didn't want to read all of this.

[Jake Decker]

Yeah. And to me, that's what. That's what I was trying to say. I guess I worded it poorly. With Split Fiction, at least there is some good implementation of action. And like, there's some like.

[Mike Mahardy]

Because, like, don't the mechanics change pretty regularly?

[Jake Decker]

Yeah.

[Mike Mahardy]

Doing different.

[Jake Decker]

Compared to Dispatch, which you're literally just like. It's. You're interacting with other characters and it's. It's. It's almost like being on the bridge of the Normandy. And that's the whole game.

[Dan]

Oh, God.

[Mike Mahardy]

I think there are other.

[Dan]

Oh, you.

[Jake Decker]

Dan. Dispatch is like anathema.

[Dan]

They. They told me I should play it for the Giant Bomb game of their discussions. It's like I'm gonna do everyone a favor. And not because I will be insufferable. The game made to make me.

[Jake Decker]

Oh, yeah.

[Dan]

No, but like superheroes and talking and telltale. Great. All of my least favorite things in one game.

[Jake Decker]

To be clear. I think some of the writings, like actually really solid writing. I don't think it's at what it's trying to do. I think it's a good game.

[Dan]

It's.

[Jake Decker]

It's never anything I would even try to get past people on this podcast.

[Dan]

Yeah.

[Jake Decker]

And that's why I didn't recommend you play it when I played it. But it's. So then it's talky as shit.

[Mike Mahardy]

Should we just not have. I mean, I guess you've played Dispatch because I'm the only one.

[Jake Decker]

The first episode.

[Mike Mahardy]

That's it. So it should stay then.

[Jake Decker]

Yes.

[Dan]

Yeah.

[Jake Decker]

I'm saying like. Because I didn't play Uma Musume or Trails in the sky, but I think for me, between Dispatch and Split Fiction.

[Mike Mahardy]

The way you described Umatsume, I don't think we could cut that either because that sounds outrageous.

[Jake Decker]

And they're horse girls, no less.

[Dan]

As much as I don't like the talking in Split Fiction, there is a lot of really good dewy stuff. It's a dewy ass game.

[Jake Decker]

It's like there is stuff that gets my go. It's like Disney adults, horse girls and I don't. Sorry, you were saying?

[Dan]

God, Mike Knotty and Janet Choa are great people.

[Jake Decker]

I. I love both of them.

[Dan]

Yes. You describe both of them. I'd say we cut split fiction. Split fiction. I think.

[Mike Mahardy]

Yeah.

[Jake Decker]

Yes. That's what I was trying to convey.

[Dan]

Yes.

[Mary Kish]

Were you poorly?

[Dan]

Boy, it sounds like Dispatch is the winner to me.

[Jake Decker]

I mean, has anybody played all three of these?

[Mike Mahardy]

Definition?

[Dan]

I don't play any of these.

[Mike Mahardy]

I mean, I haven't played.

[Jake Decker]

Yeah, sorry. Has anybody besides Dan played all three of these?

[Mike Mahardy]

I have either played Dispatch and Trails. I haven't played Uma Mutsume.

[Jake Decker]

And you played Uma Musume.

[Mary Kish]

I've played Uma Musume.

[Mike Mahardy]

We're all pronouncing it differently too.

[Dan]

The weird horse girl thing.

[Mike Mahardy]

Oh, yeah. I. I think for me it's got to be Dispatcher. What Mary's. Do you even, like, race?

[Mary Kish]

Do they actually do race?

[Mike Mahardy]

Yeah, but do you do anything or do they just race?

[Mary Kish]

No, it's an auto.

[Dan]

Oh.

[Mike Mahardy]

I honestly think Umatsume might be the. Just from what I hear about it.

[Mary Kish]

Because at least dispatch, like, be like run fast.

[Jake Decker]

Dispatch. You're actually sort of playing dispatcher at.

[Mike Mahardy]

A certain point where you're like sending people out.

[Dan]

And I love that part.

[Jake Decker]

And I'm like, I want that game to be this, but that doesn't matter.

[Mary Kish]

So, like, the only thing you do is read about the horses and then you level them up on things that they need. Like, maybe one of them is too shy and it's like, okay, I'm gonna work on your, like, you know, your self esteem.

[Jake Decker]

You need to be outgoing to win races.

[Mary Kish]

Well, you need to have guts. And then like, there's other ones and you get carrots. And the, you know, the carrots are a currency. The carrots are their money. And you, you get them to be stronger, but they also need endurance. If you make them too strong, then maybe they like run out of the gate really fast. But then they don't win because they run out of stamina. So it's. It's all about knowing all of the logistics of the game and picking the right things. Did I love it? No. Did it talk forever? Yes.

[Jake Decker]

That's fine by me if that's it. Because like, Dispatch had these. Dispatch has stretches where you're actually sort of doing stuff and strategizing. Also, like, I would watch a three hour Netflix show of a single Camera on Dan while we explain games like this to him.

[Dan]

It's just we're doomed as an industry if these are popular.

[Mike Mahardy]

Are we. Are we agreed then? Uma Mitsume Horse Racing shit is the most talking.

[Jake Decker]

Why is that? Is that what it's called?

[Dan]

No.

[Mary Kish]

Why is shit added shit? No one said.

[Dan]

It's the weird horse pervert game.

[Jake Decker]

Yeah.

[Mike Mahardy]

Okay. Is it?

[Mary Kish]

Well, it's our winner.

[Dan]

Sure.

[Mary Kish]

Most Talking Game.

[Mike Mahardy]

Most talking game 2025 UMA Massume Horse Racing Shit.

[Jake Decker]

All right.

[Dan]

Oh, a favorite.

[Mike Mahardy]

All right, next up is worst title of the year.

[Dan]

The nominees are Dreamy Syrup, Bad cheese.

[Mary Kish]

Death Stranding 2 on the beach, Tayutama.

[Jake Decker]

Kiss On My Deity.

[Dan]

Tainted Grail, the Fall of Avalon.

[Jake Decker]

That's fucking cool. Okay, I'll get to it.

[Mary Kish]

Fantasy Life. The Girl who Steals Time.

[Jake Decker]

Magica Magia.

[Dan]

No, Start over. Do you gotta say the colon too?

[Jake Decker]

Important question is this. What. What language is this game?

[Dan]

I assumed it was just weird magic. I assumed this was, like, not an actual language.

[Jake Decker]

It's the first word. Looks Spanish. Like Puerto. Does anybody know? I think it's Japanese.

[Mary Kish]

Do your best.

[Jake Decker]

Tweller, Maji, Madoka, Magica Magic, etc.

[Dan]

Kirby and the Forgotten Land. M Dash, Nintendo Switch 2 Edition Plus.

[Mary Kish]

Star Crossed World, the Hungry Lamb, Colon Traveling in the Late Ming Dynasty Dynamic.

[Jake Decker]

Chord Featuring Bracket, Reveparfe, Bracket and Bracket Remaster Edition.

[Dan]

Is it wrong to try to pick up girls in a dungeon full land of Water and Light?

[Mary Kish]

One of my favorite categories. We do every year. There's some real trash here. I have to say, while I'm glad that you put them on because I like reading them, I think Bad Cheese isn't that bad of a name.

[Jake Decker]

I actually kind of like Cheese. I'm very curious what kind of game it is.

[Mary Kish]

I want to know about it.

[Jake Decker]

I'm about to Google it when we are on a break.

[Dan]

All right. Yeah, cut it somewhere.

[Jake Decker]

Dreamy Syrup. Like, yeah, what's your syrup? What the is going on? Is that a person?

[Mary Kish]

It could be anything.

[Mike Mahardy]

Well, I put Tainted Grail, the Fall of Avalon because I thought that was most generic fantasy name ever. I might seem to like it, but.

[Dan]

I can only hear it in, like, Conan o' Brien's nerd voice. Tainted Grail, the Fall of Avalon. Sounds like the nerdiest possible game. Yeah.

[Jake Decker]

No, I mean, I. I can keep it on here, but Dreamy Syrup, I'm so curious what it is. Yes, it makes me want to know. Like, go check the game out.

[Mary Kish]

Dreamy Syrup should go. It's a. It's a decent name. Is it a good game? No, is.

[Jake Decker]

I'll offer up my nomination earlier today, which is Death Straining two on the Beach. As a Die Hard fan of that series, I like the first game a bit more, but I still love to.

It. I still just think Death Stranding is a stupid name, but like, it kind of is.

[Dan]

So is Metal Gear Solid when you think about it.

[Jake Decker]

I know, but Metal Gear Solid's got some like.

[Dan]

It's cool.

[Mary Kish]

Metal Gear Solid sounds cool.

[Dan]

Yeah. It doesn't mean anything.

[Mary Kish]

I don't think Death Stranding actually stranding just that cool.

[Jake Decker]

Sounds like he saw a few things in a room. What was the Naked Gun?

[Dan]

Oh, I miss Cherry. Jerry Roosevelt Bat Bozo Chowing Spaghetti. That'd be a good game name.

[Mary Kish]

Yeah.

[Jake Decker]

I. I would say we could take desk training two on the Beach Out. At least it's like it evokes some sort of mystery.

[Dan]

Well, since we didn't even know, maybe this is just another language. I think. Puela, magi, Madoka, magica, maggia. Etc. It's kind of fun to say, actually.

[Jake Decker]

Yeah.

[Dan]

Maybe we just take that off then.

[Mary Kish]

It's a bit of a tongue twister and I just like don't.

[Mike Mahardy]

I don't want to have to announce that as the winner.

[Jake Decker]

Right.

[Dan]

Yeah. Let's cut it. Yeah. Mary, what's the deal with Fantasy Life?

[Mike Mahardy]

Oh, I put that one.

[Dan]

Oh. Why is there an eye in there? Why is there a lowercase I?

[Jake Decker]

I don't know.

[Dan]

What's the deal?

[Mary Kish]

5 is it?

[Dan]

It's a DSI Wear game.

[Mike Mahardy]

It's my I in Roman numerals.

[Mary Kish]

I was doing my Roman numerals.

[Mike Mahardy]

There's a bunch of them.

[Mary Kish]

Is it Final Fantasy 1 and Rocky 4?

[Dan]

Adrian for Vengeance or 7?

[Mike Mahardy]

Yeah, I don't know. I put it in there because I was like, I don't know what the.

[Dan]

Eye is all about.

[Mary Kish]

Why would you assume I put it in there?

[Dan]

I thought you put this on something else. A cozy game or something.

[Mike Mahardy]

I put it on Cozy game.

[Jake Decker]

Oh, just Jake. Both times.

[Dan]

Okay. Yeah. Yeah. What's up with that eye? I don't know.

[Jake Decker]

Jake's sleeper agent for Fantasy Life.

[Mike Mahardy]

I didn't finish it, so maybe if I finished it, they would have explained the eye.

[Jake Decker]

Oh, wait. Actually, if we're doing that, put Silent Hill F on here.

[Dan]

Nobody knows Lowercase F. They didn't know.

[Jake Decker]

If you. If you Google it or talk to anybody, they cannot figure out what. What it's for.

[Mike Mahardy]

I. I would. No, I don't think Silent Hill F should Be on here. But I think this because also the girl who steals time. What does that mean?

[Jake Decker]

That sounds cool.

[Dan]

Time.

[Jake Decker]

You can't.

[Mary Kish]

You can't fight city hall.

[Jake Decker]

You can't travel in the late Ming Dynasty anymore, I would hope. You can't try to pick up a girl in a dungeon.

[Dan]

Okay. We're just talking like weird choices as far as punctuation and capitalization stuff, I think Dynamic chord feature, revy parade, whatever is. There's way more egregious stuff going on there than just a lowercase.

[Mary Kish]

I. I agree.

[Mike Mahardy]

Y.

[Mary Kish]

Get rid of fantasy life. It's not that bad.

[Jake Decker]

God. Yeah, now that you say it. Tainted growl. The fall of Avalon really is just generic. Like you put. You put name a fantasy video game into ChatGPT.

[Dan]

It's like NCIS had an episode about a video game that doesn't exist and they just thought that sounded like a video game. Yeah. Yeah.

[Mary Kish]

I also think, okay, I'm going to go after the Hungry Lamb. That in itself, not bad. Yes, they added too much, but the Hungry Lamb is fun.

[Dan]

Yeah, yeah, I'm with you. I'm kind of curious.

[Mike Mahardy]

I want to know what the Hungry Lamb is doing while traveling in the late Ming Dynasty.

[Mary Kish]

I agree.

[Mike Mahardy]

I like the specificity of the late Ming Dynasty.

[Jake Decker]

It evokes an image.

[Dan]

It evokes an image. Let's cut it. Hungry Lamb. Yeah, I think we should for now keep Kirby, because I do think Jake, you were mentioning too, like, Every Nintendo Switch 2 Edition now has a plastered on the title. This is just an extremely egregious example of Nintendo being very specific with their titling of stuff.

[Jake Decker]

Well, yeah, like, also, I don't. If a game title is hard to parse what the fuck I'm about to buy. I think that makes it terrible. Like, okay, fucking Mario Party. Just Kirby in the Forgotten land. Nintendo Switch 2 Edition. I get it. But the fact that Star Cross World is listed after the Nintendo Switch to Edition, I'm like, wait a minute, is this not a Switch 2 edition? Like, what is.

[Dan]

And I get that it's a dlc. It's just like, yeah, if you weren't like, following by the game and it.

[Mike Mahardy]

Says that so do Kirby in the.

[Jake Decker]

Forgotten Land Nintendo Switch to Edition and then be like, like DLC included or something. I don't like that's. That's almost like the Grand Theft Auto trilogy with the M Dash in the title.

[Mary Kish]

Such a mistake to do that.

[Dan]

I don't like it. I don't like this.

[Mary Kish]

These are all losers. But I will say like, is it wrong to try and pick up girls in a dungeon? You wouldn't know that's a game in a million years.

[Dan]

No.

[Mary Kish]

Who names their game as a question?

[Dan]

And I wrote this down. So it's. It's colon, full, Land of Water and light. Now full. And there are three Ls in a row there. That is not a typo on my part. I looked at that several times. The. It's full.

[Mike Mahardy]

And the question mark colon also does not.

[Dan]

Yeah, right before full land is question mark, colon. And why are we picking up girls in a dungeon? I don't like anything going on in this title.

[Mike Mahardy]

What about Taytuma Kissing my deities kind of there.

[Mary Kish]

Because that's so up.

[Dan]

Kiss on my deity.

[Mary Kish]

Kiss on my deity.

[Jake Decker]

I mean, gets.

[Mary Kish]

Yeah, you're googling it.

[Jake Decker]

I mean, I'm Googling that. I'm getting. I'm loading up my VPN and I'm googling that game.

[Mary Kish]

That's insane.

[Jake Decker]

I'm going into private mode and I'm checking out Kiss on my deity.

[Mary Kish]

Do not Google image search Kiss on my deity.

[Dan]

We're down to five here. Let's just say them all out loud again. Let's just go.

[Mike Mahardy]

Let's do mouth feel test.

[Dan]

Let's do different ones. Like, who said Tatuyama last time?

[Jake Decker]

Tayutama.

[Dan]

I did. Okay, then I'll start with okay. Tayutama. Kiss on my deity.

[Mary Kish]

Tainted Grail. The Fall of Avalon gets worse every.

[Jake Decker]

Time we hear it. Oh, God.

[Mike Mahardy]

Kirby and the Forgotten Land. M dash Nintendo Switch 2 Edition Plus Star Crossed World. It's exhausting.

[Jake Decker]

That's the worst one here. No, that's the winner in my opinion. Dynamic Chord featuring Bracket Reve Parfait and Bracket Remaster Edition.

[Dan]

Is it wrong to try to pick up girls in a dungeon? Fl of Water and Light.

[Jake Decker]

I really, really hate the construction of Kirby and the Forgotten Land. It's exhausting to even read without saying out loud at least. Is it wrong to try to pick up girls in a dungeon? I like. I get the. The. The person's point of view, like, sentence.

[Dan]

Itself is like, I don't like what it's even like. Like, Kirby is just a bunch of Nintendo bullshit. Is it wrong to try to pick up girls in a dungeon? It's like, I super don't want to play that game. Yeah, I think that's the worst title.

[Jake Decker]

You know, it's a game because you're on, like, Steam or the Eshop or whatever.

[Mike Mahardy]

Well, we got to cut some. We've got five.

[Dan]

Tyutama. Yeah.

[Jake Decker]

Okay, that's a cool title. Let's also can.

[Mary Kish]

We likes it. He's buying.

[Commercial/Ad Voice]

It.

[Jake Decker]

Prompts curiosity at least. Tainted Grail's really bad.

[Dan]

Yeah.

[Jake Decker]

Like, as soon as you said the Conan thing, I'm like, yeah, it's something he would make fun of Aaron for playing.

[Dan]

What do we cut here? These are all terrible.

[Mary Kish]

So again, if you take out all the other crap. Dynamic chord. Not so bad.

[Dan]

Right? It's the. Featuring Rev Parfait. Remaster. Oh, you know what it says? Remaster Edition. I. That's probably just a remake of a shorter title. So maybe we just take that one out. Because Remaster Edition.

[Mike Mahardy]

I also know the brackets we should add this to. Best remake. Remaster.

[Dan]

Exactly.

[Jake Decker]

I know brackets also are often, like, almost always a translation thing. It does not for English speakers. Always.

[Dan]

Okay.

[Jake Decker]

A lot of these are translation things.

[Dan]

Okay.

[Mike Mahardy]

So we are down to three now.

[Mary Kish]

Oh, great.

[Mike Mahardy]

Tainted Grail. The Fall of Avalon, Kirby and the For. I'm not saying it again. Is it wrong to pick up girls in attention?

[Dan]

I think that's a winner. Say it.

[Jake Decker]

It's exhausting.

[Dan]

It requires.

[Jake Decker]

You need a new turn of Grail.

[Mike Mahardy]

So I announced this.

[Dan]

I don't have to say it again.

[Jake Decker]

I think.

[Mary Kish]

Do you know how, like, sometimes when we do games we forgot that came out this year and the one that wins is the one we forgot to put on the nominees.

[Jake Decker]

The one that wins is the only thing mentions or. Yeah, yeah.

[Mary Kish]

I think if someone can't get through it, that is the worst title.

[Dan]

I. I do think Kirby wins this. I think. Yeah.

[Mike Mahardy]

All right. Worst title of the year is Kirby in the Forgotten Land. M dash Nintendo Switch 2 Edition plus Star Cross World.

[Dan]

That's a bad title.

[Mary Kish]

I ain't saying all that.

[Dan]

All right.

[Mike Mahardy]

Okay. This is a new category that we're going to.

[Dan]

I like this.

[Mike Mahardy]

Best form of Attack.

[Mary Kish]

We need to discuss this.

[Jake Decker]

Yeah. Do we want to tell people? Like. So we initially had Best Mechanic.

[Dan]

Right.

[Jake Decker]

As a big category, and then we.

[Dan]

Actually broke it up into this and the next category. We were describing different things here.

[Mary Kish]

I think we had to be more specific because we found that a lot of times we were saying something was great mechanically. What we were actually talking about was a very specific type of attack that we enjoyed doing. And so we decided to split them. And this is Best form of Attack. Specifically best is like, what is the best way to.

[Dan]

It's like a satisfying damage. Yeah.

[Mary Kish]

Satisfying offense.

[Dan]

Yeah.

[Mary Kish]

Nice way to put it. All right, let's go.

[Jake Decker]

Nominees are Soap and Power Wash Simulator.

[Dan]

2, Hades 2 Mech Suit.

[Mary Kish]

The YO yo in Pipistrello.

[Jake Decker]

The Shield in Doom. The Dark Ages.

[Dan]

Ghost of Yote Chain Assassinations.

[Mary Kish]

The Strike Attack in Sectori Pizza do.

[Jake Decker]

In Death Stranding 2 and balls from.

[Dan]

The Back in what in Ball Pit. Ball X Pit.

[Mary Kish]

I don't know if soap is truly, like, the craziest form of attack.

[Dan]

You were taking offense on dirt.

[Mary Kish]

Yes. I. I'm not saying it's not attack. That would make it not a nominee. And Stupid Killing germs not a winner.

[Dan]

Yeah, it's.

[Jake Decker]

Yeah.

[Dan]

I don't know if it's gonna win here, but it is. Like, I was watching the way Bonk plays this game, and she, like, covers the entire object in soap before she even turns on a power washer. And it's like, oh, man, that's. It's like weakening a boss before you attack it. You know, it's. It's cool. And it did add that, like, there was soap in the original, but it was like, you had to buy it and it was finite and stuff like this. And this was like. I like the so better in Power Wash Simulator 2.

[Mary Kish]

I think it's an improvement of Power Wash Sim 1. And that's cool and definitely worthy of a nom. I don't think it's gonna be the best.

[Dan]

I agree. I agree. We can cut it.

[Mike Mahardy]

So we're cutting.

[Dan]

Yeah.

[Mike Mahardy]

So I was gonna say Ghosts of Yotei Chain Assassinations. I think these are cool, but it's. It's pretty much the same one.

[Jake Decker]

Yeah. I would say, specifically for me, to.

[Mike Mahardy]

Be fair, it doesn't get, like, way less cool each time, but it is like. I wish there was one other animation, maybe.

[Dan]

I'm happy every time I see it when it's like, oh, those guys are close enough. And I leveled it up, so it's like, yeah, I can do, like, three of them. Like, that's awesome.

[Jake Decker]

The thing that goes to Yotei thing that sets apart. I probably should have nominated this. It doesn't matter. I like when the wolf is involved in yote because then the wolf is actually helping you assassinate. But I also. I agree there's cooler stuff here.

[Dan]

We can cut it.

[Mary Kish]

Okay.

[Jake Decker]

Hades to mech suit specifically, that's. That's almost less a form of attack and more a suite of attacks, isn't it?

[Dan]

Well, I mean, there's, like, weapons, so it's. Yeah. The ax. You get this. And the last, like, weapon you unlock is the mech suit, basically. So. You're right, though. It is a sweet.

[Jake Decker]

And I'M not saying remove.

[Dan]

It's a punch. It's, you know, the missiles and stuff. But, yeah, you're right. It is an assortment of attacks.

Let's keep that for now. The Yo Yo. I think you might have played the most pipestrello.

[Mary Kish]

Let's discuss the yo yo please.

[Jake Decker]

Yes.

[Mary Kish]

So the reason I like it is because it has, like, eight different functions. This is a Metroidvania, where the yo yo improves over time. It ends up being something that you can dog walk across water. It becomes something that you can spin around. There's like, a bunch of different use cases for this yo yo at the end. It makes it an extremely powerful tool. And I just think it's a really neat how they were able to expand on a Yo yo in so many ways. You can float, you can fly, you can stab. You can do a surrounding attack. You can do a lot with this Yo Yo. By the end of the game, I would put it with the mech suit. As you scale your character build, this becomes, like, the ultimate mecha that everyone would talk about. And it's just a Yo Yo. I think it's really neat how they imagined all of these things that you could do with a toy that we've all had for our whole lives. But, man, they use it as, like, such a cool weapon in this game.

[Dan]

I think that's worth keeping. I. I agree. That's cool. They get so much versatility out of one item.

[Mary Kish]

It's a very versatile weapon.

[Dan]

I'm. I'm gonna be a hero again. You know, Pizza dough is. All right.

[Jake Decker]

We'll call it a pizza dough.

[Dan]

Sorry. It's funny.

[Mike Mahardy]

No, you don't need to say it. We'll cut it.

[Dan]

I had very thoughtful things to say.

[Mike Mahardy]

All right, continue.

[Jake Decker]

Tell them what it is. For anybody who has.

[Dan]

There is a Pizza chef that you fight, and as you bring stuff to him, he. We'll get into the Pizza Chef later. He teaches you pizza dough, which is, like, you know, different. It's like a psycho crusher, like a. Like a spin attack thing, or a roundhouse kick with pizza dough and stuff. The thing is, it's funny. I think it's funny that it's in there. It's very desktraining. It's not something that's like. I think this category should be like, oh, this feels good to do. I like, like, it's not like, oh, I unlocked pizza dough. Now I'm playing this game totally different. It's just. It's a funny gimmick.

[Mary Kish]

Sure.

[Dan]

You know? Yeah. So I think as a hero, I think I cut it.

[Jake Decker]

Yes. It's a gimmick.

[Dan]

Yeah.

[Mary Kish]

I think it was me who put the shield as Doom. Somebody else can step in if it was them, but I think it was me.

[Dan]

You were talking about doom and yeah, it was you.

[Mary Kish]

The shield is sick because obviously people, it's defensive, but you can also hurl it at enemies and kill them with their.

[Dan]

And the parrying and all that.

[Mary Kish]

It's fun to parry. Indeed. Doom. I think that they've really.

[Jake Decker]

Can I. Is it the. No.

[Dan]

I'm so sorry.

[Jake Decker]

Couldn't continue. I have something else that builds on that. I mean, I was gonna say, like, I am like the skull gun that you're crushing.

That'S maybe the coolest gun in any shooter ever. When you're putting skulls into a thing and it's grinding them, you're shooting out the shark.

[Dan]

It's awesome.

[Mary Kish]

I think that's sick too.

[Jake Decker]

The shield's super cool too.

[Mary Kish]

When I was reading shield, I was thinking like, man, that, that bone shard.

[Jake Decker]

Gun is so cool.

[Mary Kish]

I think it's more cool visually than mechanically. And this used to be mechanic, so I think going back to your original point, the reason I put shield is because originally this was mechanic and mechanically, a shield that does a shit ton of damage. It's innovative. It's interesting to me and we can discuss this. I think this is going to come up best form of attack also means the evolution of attack. If it's something I've seen before, that's not as interesting to me.

[Dan]

And it was something that is just new to. If you played Doom 2016 or Doom Eternal, it kind of changed. Changes up the whole way combat works in a Doom game because, like, it becomes more of a Perry focused thing. And it's very satisfying. Like, it's got. It's got a bit of a. A generous window. It's not like a bloodborne type thing where it's like you got to be framed perfect. It's like you see a green thing coming out. Yeah. You hit it roughly in that window, you're gonna do a cool thing and parry back. And that's all the shield. Yeah.

[Mike Mahardy]

You know when you like heat up those metal shields and then you throw it and then everything blows up.

[Dan]

It feels cool as hell.

[Mary Kish]

This shield's sick. And I. I think it. I think it has a. A point to stay here.

[Dan]

I think so too.

[Mary Kish]

I'm gonna say something risky, like balls from the back. It's funny to say I didn't nominate this. You Did. I think we did because we thought it was funny to say.

[Jake Decker]

I didn't say that.

[Dan]

Oh, okay.

[Jake Decker]

No, I have a point against that. Oh, okay. For some characters in that game, balls from the back do not work. There are certain characters. No, no, I know the character builds in that game. There are a lot of characters. You fuck yourself if you get the ball from the back. Upgrade. There's one. There's one character where the ball's from the back. That's their default. But you want to build on that by getting the like, oh, you can. You go through the backs of enemies, but you don't go through the front. Like, it doesn't always work all that well.

[Mary Kish]

Yeah, balls from the front is a better tactic most of the time in that game. All right, goodbye.

[Dan]

Okay, see ya.

[Jake Decker]

I think I mentioned Ball X Pit. I was like, there's a few in there. And then I think someone else mentioned.

[Dan]

I think we can cut the mech suit. I think. I think the fact that it is kind of like. I guess you could argue that the shield and Doom is kind of a suite of abilities and stuff too, but I think that is a better version of this than the. The mech suit. The mech suit'? Awesome.

[Jake Decker]

Yeah.

[Dan]

The shield is more interesting.

[Mike Mahardy]

As cool as the mech suit is, it's still not my go to when I play.

[Dan]

Oh, yeah.

[Mike Mahardy]

I'm always using the axe of the.

[Dan]

Daggers, you know, like, me too. Yeah.

[Mike Mahardy]

I did the mech suit once and I'm like, it was cool. And then I never touched it again.

[Jake Decker]

Oh, man.

[Dan]

I'm.

[Jake Decker]

I'm a. I'm a torch guy.

[Dan]

So we're down to three with the yo yo and Pipistrello, the shield and Doom, the Dark Ages and the strike attack and Sectori, which we have not talked about. So this is like such a critical part of Sectori where it's like, it is basically any of the triggers or bumper. Bumpers will do this. And it's just the way that like whenever there's a power up or something on the field, that is the way you dash into it and it does this shockwave. It is offense and it's defense because when you dash in, it does the shock wave. That kills a bunch of things. But it's also, you're like, oh, get out of jail free card thing. When you're like backed into a corner and you're like, you. You got like invincibility frames. You go through it. It's also your way of getting a ton of like, score and stuff. Like that getting the strike combo.

[Jake Decker]

If you see clumps of. Even if you're not trying to escape something, if you see a huge clump of enemies, I go right to them with that because then it just pops them all.

[Dan]

It's very satisfying. And it is just so core to, like, if you've played it. It takes a little bit to kind of get what's going on in sector, but once you kind of get it, you realize that, like, the strike attack is kind of like. That is the core of what you're doing here is timing that right.

[Mary Kish]

It's not my main. You told me it was, like, the main way that you play, and I think that's really cool that, like, you found something that works really well for you. I'm. I'm really into the missiles is the way. Yeah, missiles are mine because it's an auto. And I. I'm not saying think it's. It's not important. I think the strike attack is important, but to me, it is not core to how I play. And I will also add. I don't think it's super innovative that there's a dash attack.

[Dan]

No, I. That's the thing. It's like. It's not just a dash attack. I think it is core to. It's not just. This is more satisfying than the blaster of the missiles. It is that the whole system. If you start playing that at a high level, where you want to start, like, getting on the, like, leaderboard and stuff, you can't do it without going after the strike so much because that is how you get that combo up. Like, blaster is great. Missile's great. Getting those upgrades, awesome. And feels good and everything. But it's not changing the way that you, like, attack the leaderboards and things like that. The strike attack is, again, offense, defense, and scoreboard. It is just objectively the most important thing you can do in that game.

[Jake Decker]

The shield is offense and defense as well.

[Mary Kish]

And it's my favorite thing to do.

[Dan]

I can do.

[Mary Kish]

I can play this game and focus on other things to do. But in she and in, like, Doom, I get so freaking excited to throw that shield around. It's like one of the best parts of that entire game.

[Dan]

It definitely is. Yeah. I honestly think it is my favorite part of Doom the Dark Ages.

[Jake Decker]

I don't disagree with anything you said about the strike attack.

[Mary Kish]

I agree. I don't think it's. I don't. I think it's a fantastic attack, but when I think about the best form of attack, when we Played Doom, which is a reimagining of Doom. Again, very interesting game that they've tried new things with. The shield is, like, the coolest part, in my opinion.

[Mike Mahardy]

Would you say more so than the Yo Yo? Only because the way you described the Yo Yo, I was kind of sold. I was like, how it evolves and stuff. That sounds pretty cool.

[Mary Kish]

The yo yo is sick. I mean, I don't. I didn't think that the yo yo had a chance because you get a good sell.

[Dan]

You sold it. Well, I played a little bit.

[Mike Mahardy]

I didn't see how it ramps up because I didn't get to.

[Mary Kish]

No, it's very important towards the end, again, like, the yo yo is everything in that game, and I do really encourage people to play it as a Metroidvania. It's super fun to watch how it scales. It's such a different thing to compare to with these other options. But, yeah, the yo yo is. It is thrilling to be able to have such a variety of attacks with one object, but use it in such a incredible amount of ways. And it is also traversal and attack and defense. It's every. It's everything that you're talking about. It's all in one. Is this. Is this Yo Yo. But it's not an attack. It's the type of attack. Does that make sense? It's the entity. It's not the type of attack.

[Dan]

Yeah, Yeah. I mean, it sounds like shield.

[Mary Kish]

I mean, that's Shield is so cool.

[Dan]

That is. That is the thing with that.

[Jake Decker]

And when you first get in, he like, does the bump and the spikes come out on the chainsaw? It's a chainsaw shield.

[Dan]

Yeah.

[Mike Mahardy]

I was like, it's a chainsaw shield.

[Jake Decker]

It's fucking.

[Dan]

Yeah, yeah. Let's put it down.

[Jake Decker]

It's like if Captain America was actually cool.

[Dan]

Yes.

[Jake Decker]

Like, that's what he would use.

[Mary Kish]

He wishes.

[Jake Decker]

Yeah.

[Dan]

Yeah.

[Jake Decker]

All right.

[Mike Mahardy]

Best form of attack in 2025 is the shield from the dark Ages.

[Jake Decker]

Nice. This is Matt Rogers from Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang. This is Bowen Yang from Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang.

[Dan]

Hey, Bowen. It's gift season.

[Jake Decker]

Ugh. Stressing me out. Why are the people I love so hard to shop for?

[Dan]

Probably because they only make boring gift guides that are totally uninspired. Except for the guide we made in.

[Jake Decker]

Partnership with Marshalls, where premium gifts meet incredible value. It's giving gifts with categories, like best gifts for the mom whose idea of a sensible walking shoe is a stiletto, or Best gifts for me that were so thoughtful I really shouldn't have. Check out the guide on marshalls.com and gift the good stuff at Marshalls.

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[Mike Mahardy]

All right, we have another new category here and it is Best feature.

[Dan]

That is right and Best feature this year brought to you by Wendy's. New Wendy's Chicken Tenders are here. Crispy juicy dippable down for new dips.

[Jake Decker]

Sauce is so good we won't blame you for double dipping. Wendy's Signature Scorching Hot Sweet Chili Creamy Ranch Honey Barbecue and don't forget Honey Mustard.

[Mike Mahardy]

Play our new game in app daily for a chance to win a trip to 2026 Fox College Football game of your choice. Inclusive of a meet and greet with talent and a behind the scenes tour. Plus earn rewards points and in app offers.

[Dan]

That's right. Mary, what time is it?

[Jake Decker]

Thank you.

[Dan]

Excellent. Thank you Wendy's for sponsoring Best Feature. Give me some of those tendies.

[Jake Decker]

What sauces do you want? I got a bunch.

[Mike Mahardy]

All right. Okay, we gotta get on to the nomination.

[Jake Decker]

Pass them over, please.

[Dan]

Yeah. There we go.

[Jake Decker]

Thank you.

[Dan]

The nominees are.

[Jake Decker]

Mary, pass that to Jake, please. Judge Jake. Sorry, Hon. I got some sauces, I got honey mustard and I got honey barbecue.

[Dan]

Take some of the barbecue Sponsor nominees are.

[Jake Decker]

The Crest System from Silksong.

[Dan]

Going up or going out in Hades too?

[Mary Kish]

Destructible Environments, DK Bonanza, Prox Chat from.

[Dan]

Arc Raiders, Head Tracking and Goodnight Universe.

[Mary Kish]

Mary, why are these warm.

Europe play as two characters?

[Jake Decker]

Ball X Pit it Stack upgrades from.

[Dan]

Sectori pictos in Expedition 33.

[Mary Kish]

Burst mode.

[Dan]

Lumines arise Cannibalism in peak and bombs and Ooh. All right. Thank you, Wendy's. Let's go with. Okay. Mary, I believe with Going up and going out, you were not sure why that belonged to.

[Mary Kish]

I need you to come back.

[Jake Decker]

I.

[Mary Kish]

What?

[Dan]

I like the Hades thing a lot. I think going up and going out is. I think it adds a lot of variety not.

[Jake Decker]

Not to jump an argument for Hades later in the show.

I'm hesitant to bring up a knock against Hades 2 that many people often bring up. And I feel like going up and going out is kind of the anti argument. I think going up and going out is for me what. What separates it from the first game the most. Almost like structurally in terms of format. I think it's like, oh, you've got a bunch of new weapons, your character plays very differently, you've got new characters, there's new resources, there are new ways to upgrade your weapons. The overall structure of the game, to me, I think is. Is what makes it very special and more than just more Hades one.

[Dan]

I think it's great at mixing things up. I think it is the thing that in one, I never did the full 10 runs or whatever to beat the game because it is just kind of the same thing over and over again. As good as that is, at least with this it's like, what? Mike.

You okay? Mike?

[Mike Mahardy]

Joking on attendee.

[Jake Decker]

Sorry.

[Dan]

Okay.

[Commercial/Ad Voice]

Yeah.

[Dan]

All right. It's not the tendency's fault. I think being able to mix it up is critical.

[Jake Decker]

The Prox Chat.

[Mary Kish]

I don't understand.

Why didn't I get a card.

[Jake Decker]

The Prox Chat.

The Prox Chat and Arc Raiders is truly like.

Defines that game for me.

[Mike Mahardy]

It's what makes that game.

[Jake Decker]

I mean, if you watch the UPF with Kayla.

[Dan]

Yeah.

[Jake Decker]

The fact that you can actually like the sociology of it that you can actually scare, like convince other players that you yourself, the person behind the avatar in the game is a psycho and ready to fuck people up. The fact that you can use your own personality to drive them away or bring them in. And then we saw what I did. Like, we gained that one dude's trust. And then I used a code word that he himself heard. The last thing he heard before he got killed was, oh, maybe that's why my butt itches. And like, that is amazing to me. And also, like, I think that without that, arc raiders would not be this amazing entry point into extraction shooters. I think the prox chat is the key that unlocks the whole. The brilliance of that game.

[Dan]

Here's the question I have as someone who's not played any extraction shooter prior to this, is that, like, are other games in this genre, have they utilized it, like, you know, Tarkov and stuff like that? Like, is that. I think.

[Mike Mahardy]

Yeah.

[Dan]

Yeah. Right.

[Mike Mahardy]

So answer that. So other games definitely have used this, but I think think the threat of the machines kind of forces you to work together in arc raiders. And that's where that prox chat kind of comes in handy. But there's still that question that always lingers, right?

[Dan]

Yeah.

[Mike Mahardy]

Where it's like, is this player friendly? Do they want to help me hunt robots or are they going to shoot on site?

[Dan]

Yeah, but. Okay, so the other ones didn't have the PvPv E?

[Mike Mahardy]

No, they.

[Jake Decker]

No, they did.

[Mike Mahardy]

Like, the whole point was to fight other players pretty much.

[Dan]

That's not the point here.

[Jake Decker]

I would say Escape from Tarkov, you can team up with other players, but I'd say of the times you see other players, it's probably closer to like 85%. You're going to automatically assume they're going to try to kill you and you kill them. I would say arc raiders is reversed. It's like you kind of assume.

Maybe it's 50, 50, but the odds that someone's actually going to try to work with you is a bit higher.

[Dan]

I mean, it is the thing I love about arc raiders. I think, to me, it is the most interesting thing about that game. But, you know, I am just new to the genre. So, yeah, I've just been hesitant to be, like, well, revolutionary, because I just don't know if it's. Yeah.

[Jake Decker]

Can I suggest a cut?

[Mike Mahardy]

Yeah.

[Jake Decker]

Pictos in Expedition 33. I think I love the variety. I love how many options there are to synergize them. I love the way that you can. You're basically. As opposed to a system like skyrim where you're using a skill in order to learn it. You learn these, but then you're basically using them in order to be Able to lock them in without having them equipped. Equipped which allows you to over like it can overpower a character while they try out new stuff. However, I think one of my only knocks against that game is it gives you Pictos at such a rapid pace. Yeah, I stopped caring about them for a while, which there's nothing. I could have cared more about them and been theory crafting more with the characters. But like, I don't think they were essential to progressing until a certain point. And then at a certain point it's like I really need to min max these different characters and their strengths.

[Dan]

But like, I would argue you don't even really need to because I think it was a cool system, but I really didn't spend any time. I know if you wanted to min max and really go deep on it and make this unbelievably killer build and stuff, you could do that. But you can absolutely just go through this game and enjoy it and not really have to think about it.

I would say cut it.

[Jake Decker]

I would as well.

[Mike Mahardy]

Jacob.

[Jake Decker]

Mary, do you have thoughts on the Pictos?

[Mary Kish]

I just don't think.

We'Ve covered a lot of ground.

The is going on.

[Dan]

Best feature.

[Jake Decker]

Yeah, we're talking about the best features. We remember we. They were originally best mechanic, but we thought it'd be better to split it into form of attack and features.

[Mary Kish]

All right.

I'm like, I'm losing my mind.

What do you guys want me to talk about?

[Dan]

Any.

[Jake Decker]

You have any thoughts at all?

[Dan]

Unlocked Mary Stunlock by Tendies Never happened before.

[Mike Mahardy]

Get stunlocked.

[Mary Kish]

I understand.

[Jake Decker]

First AD read over here. My gosh.

[Dan]

Delicious. Yeah.

[Mary Kish]

Is destructible environments a feature?

[Dan]

I mean, yeah, I think in Bonanza it is a core. Like, there are certain games that I will think about the destructible environments before I think about anything else. Red Faction Battlefield, Bad Company and DK Bonanza, where it's like, that is the core of that game. It is a feature that has done so well from just how satisfying it is to break through all that stuff to the way, like, it's actually kind of readable and even like the camera stuff. You're going through these mountains. And because the way it uses silhouettes and things like that, you can actually, like, you never really feel lost. So, like, I think it is a core feature of Donkey Kong Bonanza and it is the thing that most differentiates it from other like 3D platformers. Like, it's the Odyssey team that made it. Bonanza feels completely different than Odyssey because of this feature. And it is so satisfying throughout.

[Jake Decker]

They're also not afraid to let you. We were talking about, like, solving stuff in.

[Dan]

Ooh.

[Jake Decker]

In an unintended way. There's so many times in Donkey Kong where I'm just bashing my way through a fucking, like, cliff face, and then all of a sudden I stumble into this. This room where you could tell by the title of the banana, when I collect it, that was not how they, quote, unquote, intended me to get it. And then I actually go back out the way that it would have if I hadn't used the destructible environment. Like, oh, I was supposed to do this, like, platforming challenge. Instead, they were. Were confident enough in the game design to just say, like, sure, let them. Let Donkey Kong just bash his way into this antechamber and grab it if they are just, you know, chewing through this rock.

[Dan]

It is satisfying to do and it is critical. Unlike, you know, we cut the Pictos from Expedition 33 because it's like, oh, it's a cool idea that really, you don't have to pay that much attention to. You're not playing Donkey Kong Bonanza if you're not constantly destroying the environment in a million different ways to a million different ends. You know, it is. It is what that game is, you.

[Mike Mahardy]

Know, for a potential cut. What about going up, going out, HADES two? I know we kind of talked about this briefly, but.

It'S cool. But, like, it's just another area, you know, I guess.

[Dan]

Yeah. I mean, it does a lot.

[Mike Mahardy]

To me, those areas are interesting.

[Dan]

It adds a lot of variety. But, I mean, I guess I do also like that the ones when you go out are a little more linear, a little more like the first Hades. And going up is like, man, they're very different. You know, that first area where you get to like. Like to pick which ones you want to go to from that hub world, and then you're on the ship that's going from station to station. Like, there is. It just does a lot to make Hades. It is the main thing. I think that makes Hades 2 much better than the first game.

[Jake Decker]

So why.

[Dan]

Why?

[Jake Decker]

I'm just.

[Dan]

Or I. I don't.

[Jake Decker]

No, I. I think it. I like it.

[Dan]

I like it. I would cut. I love Sector. I don't think the stack upgrade system is the thing that makes that such a special.

[Mary Kish]

I think it makes it dewy. I don't think it makes it like.

[Jake Decker]

Like the best feature, like a clever risk reward.

[Dan]

It's a cool way to do it. It. It helps, yeah, but it I don't think it hangs here.

I'll cut Verse mode. Luminous Rise. I'm a big Luminous guy. It is the main thing that separates it from the original Luminous and it's really cool. And it's really satisfying the way it kind of like almost creates this like black hole of sorts of like, you know, one of the types of blocks and it clears up so much of the the field and it causes the other ones to kind of rain down and you clean those up easier. It's very, very satisfying. I don't think it hangs.

[Jake Decker]

I'll also say I nominated this. I'd say despite the fact that playing as two characters in Ball Cross Pit, whatever we're calling it, there's a certain point in the game where you basically get a building that you can put in your town that allows you to combine two separate characters. And if you played it, you know, there is a character that is already like a la. The Ice Climbers, a single character, but it's two entities. You can combine those with a third. In that case. I love that. From then on you're not just thinking how am I gonna amplify this one character's abilities? You are thinking how do I amplify both these characters abilities? How do they work in concert in a way that's gonna help me destroy these demons? But like the only reason I would suggest cutting is because there's like four I like more than that here.

[Mary Kish]

Speaking of things I would cut because there's things I like more. Cannibalism and pique is really funny. The idea that you can kill one of your. Well, one of your friends dies, you can die of hunger in that game. So eating them to sustain yourself is very funny. It kind of revitalized that game for a second round. It's really. It's a great addition, but I don't think it's the best feature of a game. But it's very funny.

[Dan]

The bombs in Ooh. I mean it seems like it is like the core mechanic, but is there anything particularly.

[Mike Mahardy]

I mean I think the way you have to manipulate the bombs and learn how to work with the bombs and what they can do is very satisfying. And like that is the main feature of the game. But I guess I don't really see it as like a feature feature feature. You know, like it doesn't. It's not like I think of like the Crest system in Silksong. That is sick. Like that changes how you play. It changes everything in the bombs and oo like I think that can go.

[Mary Kish]

I think we've pushed Ooh as far as it can go. It's not going to have the most incredible mechanic. I would also say we compared OO to Animal well earlier in this way where it's like, oh my God, I didn't know I could do all this stuff. That's really cool. But in Animal well, it's one device that can do lots of different things. It's just bombs. Yes. You can use it for different maneuverability, but it doesn't make you fly or anything. It's just bombs that push you a certain direction. That's it.

[Dan]

That we'll cut that. I agree.

[Mike Mahardy]

Good night Tracking. Goodnight Universe is something we haven't mentioned.

[Mary Kish]

Yeah, I mean, I think it's going to be a tough one to get through. But I will make an argument that this is the same devs that did.

Before your eyes before your eyes, which is the eye tracking game. And every time you blinked, time passed in the game. In Good Night Universe, it tracks your entire face. When you smile, the baby laughs. When you frown, the baby cries. And when you turn your head and you have to close your eyes, you become a radio signal. And so you hear this.

Wiry noise as if like you're looking for a radio station and you literally turn your head left and right to find the right station and lock in. I just think it's very immersive and it's. Again, it's very innovative. I've never seen a game that tracks your head do that.

[Dan]

Continue.

[Mary Kish]

And I think.

I think that's about it.

[Dan]

I'll argue this. I think that is. That sounds really cool and that is just like. Like I was talking about Bonanza and how it's a feature that is the core of that game. It sounds like that's the core of Good night Universe is that head tracking. So I would. I.

[Jake Decker]

Bombs and new are the core of that game too though.

[Dan]

That's true. But. But I mean this is more novel. I think the destructible environments, the head tracking is a little more novel. I love Hollow Knight Silksong. I will say I didn't mess with the Crest system. I liked the first one. I like the diagonal down attack.

[Mike Mahardy]

Well, you missed out.

[Dan]

I know there's more stuff you can do. I know people love the pogo one and all that stuff. I unlocked every one of them. I looked at them for a second. I was like, okay, maybe try it out on a boss I'm having trouble with. Always just went back to that first one. So like, to me that's like the pictos in Expedition 33, where it's like, cool idea, not really critical to the experience. You don't have to do it to enjoy and play through this whole game.

[Mike Mahardy]

You know, I think the defense I have against that is. Were there any bosses in particular that you had trouble on?

[Dan]

Yeah.

[Mike Mahardy]

Did you ever experiment with crests to kind of.

[Dan]

I would do the Reaper one and stuff like that. I'm like, okay, this attack is a little better for those.

[Mike Mahardy]

For me, it was especially like when I started playthrough two is when I really started to mess around with those crests. And I think that's when you realize how much thought has gone into those different mechanics and how you can do an entire run with just one and be totally fine. But there are ones that like, kind of. I don't want to be too hyperbolic and say fundamentally change how you play, but they can really tweak your build in a way that I think is not even tweak. I'd say it's more than tweak, but they can do a lot, I think, to make that game interesting. Change up combat scenarios, change how you think about enemies. Like, I think there's a lot of cool stuff going on.

[Mary Kish]

Reaper is a game changer. If you're struggling on an enemy and want to do more damage more quickly and essentially say, I don't care about healing anymore. I'm gonna just be an attack person. I think, like, I agree, yes, you can get through with one. But what makes Silksong so interesting is the amount of ways that they have allowed you to alter your character. Your playstyle can change so dramatically. My build is probably really different than Jake's build. It's probably really different than your build. And they're each catered to your Each unique individual style. And that is such a rad upgrade for a game like this.

[Mike Mahardy]

And I think, like, layering on how cool the equipment and items are in that game and how I do have some problems with that system. I think we'll get into it at some point, but I think, like, the way you can kind of not even exploit those items, but like the combinations you have between them. And there's like some really cool stuff you can do there.

[Dan]

This is tough. All five of these are kind of like actual game changers and core to the experience. I mean, Prox chat, like, without that. I don't know if I. Yeah, I don't know if I play nearly as much Arc Raider as I did without Proc Chat.

[Jake Decker]

Yeah, it's. I Feel like it's coming down to. We have to distinguish between is it integral to the game or is it the best feature on the list? Because, like, I was going to suggest Proc Chat, I think that is still like the Inte. The key feature in Arc Raiders.

[Dan]

But Destructible Environments is the key feature for that game, you know.

[Jake Decker]

Yeah, but I would say, like.

Destructible environments on that scale in a 3D platformer are almost unprecedented. I don't know that Proximity Chat is totally. Is Proximity Chat isn't as much as Proximity. They found like a good rep. They. The Proximity Chat is put to very, very good use there. I would. I would say, like, that's probably.

[Dan]

I could see a ping time, but.

[Jake Decker]

I would say that and Hades too. Much as I like the going up, going out and the variety it adds to the overall format of the game.

I would also say the Crest system, at a certain point, like trying to remember which one it was, that actually felt like it spurred me onto my next.

Few hours of really strong momentum. I think the Crest system is a very. Almost like Pictos. I think there are long stretches where you don't think about it, or at least where I didn't think about it. Maybe if I did another playthrough like you mentioned, I would. But it's like destructible environments. The head tracking. I didn't play Goodnight Universe. I loved the eye tracking in before your Eyes, though. That was genuinely innovative.

[Mary Kish]

I think they're both good. I mean, if I would have to cut one of them. Head tracking is really cool. There's parts where you don't need it. It's one of multiple features in that game. There's also. There's different types of innovation in that game.

Which are also really cool. But the one I'm specifically talking about. Yeah. Is like the way that you move. It's not completely isolated to you. So there's an area where you're trying to scare your babysitter's boyfriend because you don't like him. And I was trying to see if I could do it differently than someone else. But essentially when you close your eyes, something happens to the environment to scare him. I didn't get to alter what happens or how it happens. I'm closing my eyes and the game is like, cool. Go to that cutscene. So very cool. Really glad that they did it. It helps immerse me, but it is a controlled space. Does that make sense? It doesn't allow me to have a unique experience in that game. Whereas the Crest system now I get to cater that game to my style. I get to fine tune it to the way I want to play a game. Which is why we play games, right? It's because you get to play it your way. You get to do what you want. And that's why I think that's a way better version of what a feature is meant to be.

[Dan]

I mean, am I hearing that, like. Probably the two clearest cuts to me would be proc chat and head tracking?

[Mike Mahardy]

I think that makes sense to me.

[Dan]

Yeah. Okay, let's do it. That would mean our three finalists are the Crest system and Silksong. Going up and going out in Hades 2 in destructible environments in DK Bonanza. I'll just say my mine is the DK.

That's what that game is to me.

[Jake Decker]

Yeah, it's.

I told Dan I got the switch too. And I was like, well, we talked about Bonanza a couple episodes ago and I actually feel like it should be considered more of a system seller because that I love Mario Odyssey. And I don't know that I would get close to saying this game is better than Mario Odyssey. However, the destructible environments and the freedom you're given to just fuck up the level in a genre that historically is one of the hardest genres to craft. Like the level design in 3D platformers, I feel like is just so Difficult and good 3D platformer level design is just unrivaled. The fact that they put these amazing levels together and then just let you just tear through them and is. It's bananas to me.

[Dan]

Talk about fucking bananas.

[Jake Decker]

It really, it really is like. I don't want to say it's a game changer because no one else is gonna even attempt that ever. I don't think it really, truly is. Just. I'm continually astonished. I'm at the forest layer, the eighth one or whatever it is. So I'm not fully done with the game. But the more and more I play that game, the more I'm like, they really are just letting me get in there.

[Dan]

Put it this way, when you first saw the reveal of DK Bonanza, it is a feature that is so striking and instantly recognizable and fun looking. That that was the takeaway in just a trailer. It's like that is the star of like, oh my God, you can break through anything. It's not like when people were first seeing Expedition 33. It's like, oh, picked this menus level up system or this Crest system or whatever. You know, these are all very good systems. But it's not a thing that, like, upon first glance at the game, be like, whoa, that's crazy. You can do that, you know? And it's not just a gimmick. It is, like, it is so much fun. And it's pulled off so well, too. I think they easily could have done this poorly.

[Jake Decker]

And then there are boss fights later on where they're making use of that. When I was like, oh, these are the boss fights I want to see in this game. When you actually kind of have to use the indestructible environments and not just like a platform where you're fighting a boss.

[Dan]

I mean, that's my pick, for sure.

[Mike Mahardy]

Mary, how are you feeling about Destructible Environments versus Crest System?

[Mary Kish]

I'm in support of Destructible environments for this very specific feature. I will still argue. I think the Crest System is incredible and so nuanced and so important to the intricacy of what makes games games, because it allows you to play things differently at the same time. Games are meant to be fun. They're meant to be whimsical and wild. And the fact that it's. And dk, it's very important that this is specifically for Donkey Kong. If this was a different game, I'd be like, who cares? Why is that so integral? Donkey Kong destroys things. That's what he does. They took a character and they said, how do we min. Max this? How do we dial him up to 11? And the way you do that is you make him be able to destroy every fucking thing onto the planet. And they did it well.

[Dan]

And even to your point of doing things differently, like, as you mentioned with Hollow Knight, like, Mike said, it allowed him to get to objectives and get bananas and stuff in totally different ways because of that freedom of what it allows you to do.

[Mary Kish]

So, yeah, I mean, I think there's a world in which, for this very specific thing, you can argue for destructible environments. So I'm not like, I don't think I'm going to fight this too much. I think Destructible Environments is a fair. Like, it's an incredible feature. I think, like, my last argument here is, like, the Crest system was built on top of an existing system. Hollow Knight already had had badges that were meant to allow you to customize your character. And there was an obvious reason that players gravitated towards this because it's so neat that maybe I have an ex. I have an extended nail, but you have something that allows you to have a couple extra bubbles that give you more health. And so you could play more defensively and I can play more aggressively. And I think that's such a. It's such a unique use of a system that allows you to play in individual ways. And the developer said, let's do that also times 10. Right. Like, let's, like, make that such a huge concept in the next game. So the Crest system is truly built to allow you to customize how you play. I hope that more games duplicate this in the future and allow you to play more defensively. Me to play more aggressively, you to play and mix it up. Based on what? There's no punishment. You can just change your crest. You have to spend money.

[Jake Decker]

I will say, though, it just sounds like you're also describing how Elden Ring works as an entire game. Like, yeah.

[Mike Mahardy]

I mean, like, how does that.

[Jake Decker]

How is that different from, like, any of. From software's games where you can tailor your character?

[Mike Mahardy]

Especially Element system actually changes mechanics in the game. Okay, well, like, from software, like, yeah.

[Mary Kish]

You'Re stronger in certain ways.

[Dan]

You're stronger.

[Mike Mahardy]

So I guess different weapons can kind of change mechanics, but it's still like, there's a rhythm. I would say to Hollow Knight that changes depending on the Crest that I guess Elden Ring does too.

[Mary Kish]

Let me. Let me say this. Elden Ring isn't a platformer. This game is a platformer. And then there's certain platforming spaces that you need different crests in order to execute much easier. There are certain crests that have you dive at an angle, which makes platforming more difficult. And then there's crests that let you essentially pogo vertical down, which makes platforming a lot easier. So when I'm platforming, I would change crests to make those easier, and then I would change. So it's like, I don't think FromSoftware has platforming in the same capacity that they needed to.

[Mike Mahardy]

They do, but it's infuriating.

[Jake Decker]

Yeah, you're right. It's the thing they need to get rid of in their games. Yeah.

[Dan]

Yeah.

[Mike Mahardy]

Okay. I. So Destructible Environments kind of seems like that's where it's swaying.

[Mary Kish]

Yeah.

[Jake Decker]

I don't.

[Mary Kish]

I don't think I have a problem with that. I think it's a great feature. I think it's really cool what they did.

[Dan]

Okay.

[Mike Mahardy]

Best feature 2025 is destructible environments.

[Dan]

Thank you to Wendy's.

[Jake Decker]

Thank you.

[Dan]

All right, next up.

[Mike Mahardy]

Next category is coziest game of the Year.

[Dan]

Your nominees are Fantasy Life I, the.

[Jake Decker]

Girl who Steals Time Power Wash Simulator 2 cast in Chill A Game about digging a hole.

[Dan]

Wheel world, Time flies.

[Mike Mahardy]

There's no agent world.

[Jake Decker]

Why did you.

[Dan]

Sorry. Brad Shoemaker. That. Sorry. Spill. Henry Halfhead. Who needs a beer?

[Mary Kish]

I do. Henry Halfhead. Isn't that cozy? I actually thought it was a little annoying.

[Dan]

I thought it was annoying because it was a little too cozy, kid. Oh. Henry loves using his crib and now he wants to go play with his blocks. I just thought it was a little too baby cozy.

[Mary Kish]

You know, it's too much talkie for me to be cozy. I actually think my most coziest games don't talk to me at all. They allow me to just do a task and do it well.

[Mike Mahardy]

So that seems like an easy cut right out of the gate.

[Mary Kish]

Yeah.

[Mike Mahardy]

I mean, I put in fantasy life. I. I don't think anyone else played it. But this is a life sim. Except sim. Not really a sim, but you know what I mean? Except you can pick a vocation and there's different stories around each vocation. It's kind of like an RP if Animal Crossing was an rpg. And I think this is a very cool, cozy game. But I think, to Mary's point.

[Mary Kish]

Thanks, bud.

[Mike Mahardy]

The game is talking at you a lot. You know, it's like sometimes it can be hard to get into that cozy flow state because you're just like going through dialogue, watching cutscene. There's a story. It kind of guides you, I think, a little too much for a cozy game. And I imagine no one's gonna. I can cut that.

[Mary Kish]

Your call, bud.

[Mike Mahardy]

Yeah, I know it's gone.

[Dan]

Okay.

[Jake Decker]

I've only played a couple of these.

[Mary Kish]

But I know I played all of them, but I welcome anyone to chime in and then I'll. Oh, I have a lot of opinions. Obviously, it's kind of my.

[Mike Mahardy]

I can ask you a question, then go for it.

[Dan]

Would.

[Mike Mahardy]

Why would. I mean, maybe this is for Dan because I think he added it. But why is power Wash Simulator 2 considered a cozy game? Is it because you can get into like a flow state state and just kind of zone out?

[Dan]

But. But it's. It's like the opposite of a flow state of like a sector, where it's like. Sector is something where it's like. Yeah, we talk about like flow state and stuff, but that is like requiring 100 of your attention. Power Wash is a different type of. Just like that is the game, like, I would say nine out of 10 games. If I'm playing it, I'm focusing entirely on the game. I don't have something on in the background. I'm not listening to something or watching something. Power Wash Simulator 2 is the best. Like, ah, I'll put on this. Aw. Pay per view and I'll, you know, mainly be watching that and I'll just have this on my Steam deck or whatever kind of. Exactly. It's a podcast game. It's like, it's just a very cozy. Like, I'm just going to spray this stuff for a while. There's no time limit. There's no fail state. There's just like, it is just satisfaction. That's it.

[Mike Mahardy]

The question I have is, does that like, is a podcast game a cozy game?

[Dan]

That's a good question. And I guess that is two different things. A podcast game is one you don't really have to pay that much attention to and you can do other things. And a cozy game is, I think, a lot of like, I don't know, like, what is. What is the. Like animal crossing. A stardew, you know, an unsettling.

[Mary Kish]

A game that's meant to relax and calm you. You could be like in a really.

[Mike Mahardy]

I guess it sounds like power.

[Dan]

It kind of does. I mean, that's a good. Also a good playing game for me, but that's a whole different. That's the next category, man. I. It's not cozy in the way that, like, the aesthetics are not cozy. It's not teddy bears and pastel colors and stuff like that. I mean, it's not like, it's harsh. I mean, it's just like, I don't know, I'm just gonna clean up this doghouse, you know, like, it's, It's. I'm. It's. It's relaxed.

[Mary Kish]

Yeah.

[Dan]

I don't know if that equals cozy. I mean, I, I look at you as.

[Mary Kish]

Okay, it does. I think it absolutely belongs. And I, I don't think we have to remove it yet.

[Dan]

It's.

[Mary Kish]

It. It remains a cozy game. Absolutely. I'm gonna challenge a game about digging a hole because while digging the hole is really cozy, the ending is not cozy. And anyone who's actually finished this game would tell you it's not a cozy game.

[Mike Mahardy]

I didn't think the hole had a bottom.

[Mary Kish]

You're gonna blow your mind. And I'm gonna try. I don't need to spoil it. If we all are in agreement, it's. It ain't cozy at the end.

[Dan]

Oh, the end is not. No, no.

[Jake Decker]

I never got the bottom or play the game.

[Mary Kish]

It's. It's a really cool game. I hope people play it. But the ending is Like a surprise. And it's not cozy.

[Mike Mahardy]

So cutting that. So we have a few other games I think Mary added. One that I've seen I haven't played is Cast and Chill. And that game looks cozy as hell.

[Mary Kish]

This game is like the definition of cozy. You're a guy on a boat. You choose where your boat is left and right, you choose to cast, and then hopefully fish catches your line. You have a couple buttons to try and pull the fish up. Much like fishing. It's just so zen. And then you use the money from the fish that you catch to upgrade your fishing line, your boat, your hook, your pole. So you're just being able to catch fish that are deeper, stronger fish. The first time you catch a salmon, it's like, nice try. Like, it can get away. After you upgrade your line enough, you can catch like a.

[Jake Decker]

The.

[Mary Kish]

The most crazy fish in the lake. And your dog is sleeping in the boat with you. And every time you catch a fish, he. He's just like, you're amazing. You're so good. And the dog gives you a little heart. It's so cozy. Nothing really bad happens to this game. It's extremely relaxing.

[Dan]

That sounds kind of hard to beat.

[Jake Decker]

I was gonna say I love Wheel World, but there's some like, it's. It's fairly. It's not high stakes, but there's some racing involved. I can never be cozy when I'm racing.

[Dan]

Did you get to the second one? World?

[Jake Decker]

Yeah, yeah.

[Dan]

It just becomes like industrial hellscape, corporate.

[Jake Decker]

You know, I like that game a lot.

[Mary Kish]

World isn't cozy. I think my biggest issue with this game, we talked about this when we covered it, is I find it almost shocking that this second area is so unattractive.

[Dan]

It's bad. Yeah, I. I just thought it was going to be that first. Yeah, I thought it was gonna be this nice biking island. And then it's like, oh, wait, the game's not over. Oh, wait, this is where I'm at. And honestly, that's where I fell off the game. And it's.

[Mary Kish]

You're like fighting oil. Yeah.

[Jake Decker]

I just barons. Yeah.

[Dan]

If credits rolled when I finished that first island, I would have been like, what a great little indie game.

[Mary Kish]

I agree.

[Dan]

And then it went into that second thing and I played it for like 30, 45 minutes or something. I don't think I want to play this anymore.

[Mary Kish]

Very good.

[Dan]

But yeah, yeah, it's great, but okay. Time flies. Is that cozy?

[Mary Kish]

It might be more of a thinker, which I should have added to the incomes category. Upon reflection, I think it's easy to play and pick up. You are just a little fly and you do these little puzzles. I think it's whimsical in the sense that it's punny. So maybe the puzzle will.

Become a musician. And so you come across a guitar and as a fly, you just fly across the strings of the guitar, it plays the guitar, and thus you've checked off, learned to become a musician. I think that's very sweet. It made me really happy. There's something that's not very cozy in it, which is.

The life expectancy of your fly is you choose it based on the country that you're in and it's actual data. So if the average lifespan in Argentina is 72 years, then your life expectancy as your fly is 72 seconds. And so there's certain countries where your fly's life expectancy is like 50 seconds because their life expectancy of the country is 50.

[Dan]

And I was like, that's kind of dark.

[Jake Decker]

Pretty dark.

[Dan]

Yeah.

[Mary Kish]

I don't think that's very cozy at all.

[Jake Decker]

Do we have our top three then? If we're.

[Dan]

I think we might.

[Mike Mahardy]

If we're willing to cut time flies.

[Dan]

And we've got our top, I think so. Then yeah.

[Mike Mahardy]

So we are left with power wash simulator 2, cast and chill and Spilled. We haven't heard anything about Spilled.

[Mary Kish]

Spilled is very cozy. You are. This is an indie ass. Indie game. I should. I should start with because. Sorry, chairs. These chair. These, these Wrestlemania chairs are really squeaky.

So Spilled is an indie game made by one person. You are a boat and you are cleaning up the rivers and the lakes that have oil spills in them. Every time you clean up a space, animals come back. So you'll see fish and otters and birds and it's so cute. And then the money that you get from all the stuff you're cleaning up upgrades your machine. You become faster, you have a wider arc to pick up trash, and you can even like, like send people onto islands and different things to upgrade in different ways. Again, it's a very basic game. So I just want to say it's like it's limited because this is a one person game. It's not super intricate, but it sets off to what it does very well. And it's extremely calming and thoughtful with environmentalism and cleaning up the environment in a sweet and simple way.

[Dan]

Boy, God. I feel like this is a category that Mary votes should count for three in. But I will say, for what it's worth, just hearing you Describe it, Boy. Cast and Chill sounds like exactly what this category is.

[Mary Kish]

You know, this game is a sedative. I think, like, if you play this, it's going to relax you and calm you. So I think that or Power Wash Simulator does the job.

[Dan]

I mean, I. I know Power Simulator is. Is my pick and stuff. Not even my pick. I just. It's the one I played. I haven't played the other. But your description of Cast and Chill sounds like I would. I would put my vote in for that, you know. Yeah.

[Mary Kish]

It's so zen. So, yeah, I think they're both good. And I think depending on this is what I would say too. Just for people who are listening, it's not just about who wins. It's, like, about the game that will appeal to you the most. Power West Simulator has a lot more to do. There's dirty, Dirty environment. These places are dirty and you have a lot to do. So there's a lot of time that you get to spend cleaning these environments. Cast and Chill is only what I said. Said you're fishing. That's it. So if you're like, that's, you know, I wish there was more. I wish there was more gameplay. This is going to be really limiting for you. That's all you do. You fish and that's it. So I will just say, like, that for how limiting it is. Power Wash Simulator. But you get to upgrade all sorts of different ways and.

[Dan]

Yeah.

[Mary Kish]

And do different things.

[Dan]

I vote for Cast and Chill.

[Mary Kish]

All right.

[Mike Mahardy]

All right. I'm cool with that. Cast and Chill.

[Dan]

All right.

[Mike Mahardy]

Fire Escape's coziest game of the year is Cast and Chill.

[Dan]

All right, next up.

[Mike Mahardy]

All right, next category is Best playing Game.

[Dan]

Nominees are Hades 2 Ball Pit, Mega.

[Mary Kish]

Bonk Sector, Luminous Arise, Pipistrello, and the Yo Yo Thing.

[Jake Decker]

Once Upon a Katamari, Hollow Knight, Silk.

[Mary Kish]

Song, Monster Train 2.

[Jake Decker]

Can I nominate one right now?

[Dan]

Yeah, I.

[Jake Decker]

This is. I think Hollow Knight is an amazing handheld game. It's great for Steenbeck.

[Dan]

Yep.

[Jake Decker]

That's not what we're talking about.

[Dan]

I was going to say the exact same thing.

[Jake Decker]

Do not want to play that game on a. In a place I already hate being.

[Dan]

Yeah.

[Mike Mahardy]

The first 20 hours of that game, I played on a plane.

[Mary Kish]

Yeah.

[Mike Mahardy]

And I agree because I even just like. Not even like, how long was the flight? Well, I flew there, which was ten.

[Jake Decker]

Hours, and then I flew back, which.

[Mike Mahardy]

Was another ten hours.

[Jake Decker]

Okay, gotcha.

[Mike Mahardy]

Not contiguous. And. Yeah. I mean, I think the thing is, is, like, first of all, I like it here because it absolutely. Like, that flight flew by.

[Dan]

Oh, sure.

[Mike Mahardy]

But I wish I had a controller the entire time. Like, I wish I was playing on a proper controller with a proper D pad. You know, playing on Steam Deck, it.

[Mary Kish]

Can make your thumb sore.

[Mike Mahardy]

Eventually played on Switch 2. Like, my wrist still hurts. This is going to sound very stupid, but like.

[Mary Kish]

Like.

[Mike Mahardy]

Cause I was playing it on a plane and like, I don't know, I was like, holding it a certain way. That hurt my wrist because I was so tensed up.

[Dan]

Oh, that's not what you want on a plane.

[Mike Mahardy]

And like, I. I love this game. I adore this game. But I wish I could have played the first 20 hours. Not on a plane is kind of.

[Dan]

I think we're a mess.

[Mike Mahardy]

I know you played a lot on the. On a plane too.

[Mary Kish]

I played the shiz game on. And in fact, I played it on the way here as well because I was taking down another boss on the way to this conversation. And it's funny you say this. I played this game a lot on a plane, so it's on here for a reason. It does belong on here. But I was playing it hunched over also because I wasn't using a controller. And then when the plane landed, I was like, oh, I should straighten up. And my back, like, cracked and I went, oh, my God. Like, it was too. The game is so tense that I was like hunched over, really focused playing. In my opinion, the best plane game is actually something that's not too insane that you have to be that locked in. It should make time melt. That is the key thing, I think.

[Dan]

Yes.

[Mary Kish]

But you also shouldn't be so stressed that you're upset that you, like, have to shift in your seat, that you're uncomfortable. There's like a. A nice middle ground here.

[Mike Mahardy]

I was doing bio water on the flight and I was losing my. Because I couldn't look anything up too, because I was on a plane. And I don't know if you know biowater. I don't know because I think it's an optional area. I know. I'm sure you've been to biowater.

[Dan]

Oh, yeah.

[Jake Decker]

But.

[Mike Mahardy]

Oh my God, I was getting so angry.

[Dan]

I. I would say cut it because of everything, but I also would almost say Sectori. Now, I have not played Sectori on a plane yet. I probably will in about a week. But I. I find myself just down at my computer. Like, if I die in a stupid way, like, oh, I had four shields, but I died because I was on the red triangles. Whatever. I am involuntary, like, you know, like I'm like, I don't want that feeling on a plane. I'm sure it's again, deck game.

[Jake Decker]

Yeah, I played a lot of it on the plane yesterday.

It. I thought it was great on plane.

[Mike Mahardy]

It is.

[Jake Decker]

It can be frustrating in a way that I was. I would not. Yeah, I don't want to subject other people to that. I think. I still think it was amazing on the plane because, like, you can sort of tune out for a bit if you want to beat, like, the first boss in that game. You don't have to think too hard. But then again, later on, it requires, like, a state of tension that is not conducive to, like, you know, killing time.

[Dan]

SECTORI yeah, let's cut that.

[Mike Mahardy]

Yeah, I also was gonna, like. I actually played a lot of Hades 2 on planes as well. And while I think it does fulfill that, like. Like, it would just burn flights, you know, I wouldn't even realize it. Like, you know, they'd be like 30 minutes till landing. I'd be like, enough time for a run. And then next thing I knew, I'd be landing. However, once again playing. When I finally, like, played it docked at home, I was like, oh, man, this art really pops.

[Jake Decker]

Like.

[Mike Mahardy]

Like the. The set, like, hearing it and. And like, it is kind of twitchy too. Not as twitchy as something like Hollow Knight. But I do think, like, that game is not best experienced handheld.

[Mary Kish]

I agree it's not the best way to play Hades.

[Dan]

It's interesting because, like, Hades 1 and 2, I probably played 90 to 95% of that on a handheld, whether it was Switch or. I guess I don't think it's a.

[Mike Mahardy]

Bad way to play it, but I.

[Dan]

Do think, like, it's better on a screen with a D pad.

[Mary Kish]

The. All the stuff flying at you and all the. Visually, the game is very busy. It's very saturated. And so on a small screen, sometimes I got hit and I didn't know why. And I think if I was on a bigger screen, I would have seen the projectile. I would have seen the thing that I needed to do a little bit better. Again, it's incredible. We're going to talk about it more. But for a plane, you want something that. Where the graphics are functional. For a small screen, Megabunk is like, I don't know why we're even doing this. Like, Megabunk is like, I'm gonna run around and throw bananas at people.

[Jake Decker]

The most you have to think is like, where's the next jar I can open? Or like, shrine I can Charge or chest I can unlock while you're just automatically shooting things. I will, I will say we should cut Monster Train 2. That's one of my favorite games of the year. On a small screen. There's a lot of text. There's some complex mechanics that, like, even the first faction you have, you need to get across. I played a lot of it.

[Dan]

I did play. I played all of Monster Train 2 on handheld, but I've seen it on a TV, and it's like, there is a lot of text that if you're sitting kind of far away from a tv, it's almost kind of hard to.

[Jake Decker]

Put it on my PC, like, right there.

[Dan]

That's why.

[Jake Decker]

And it doesn't disqualify from being. I love it in handheld still, but.

[Mike Mahardy]

I just kind of went ahead and cut it. But it sounds like maybe not if.

[Jake Decker]

You disagree while you were talking.

[Mike Mahardy]

Well, I didn't know Dan had. I knew Mike played a lot of it. That's why I was like, you know.

[Dan]

I played a decent amount of it. Boy, I, I didn't mind the, the small text thing on the screen.

[Mike Mahardy]

How about, how about question for you, then? Did you enjoy playing Monster Monster Train two more on a plane or Hades? I didn't cut Hades.

[Dan]

Hades.

[Mike Mahardy]

It seemed like some people had a case for it.

[Dan]

I'd rather keep Hades.

[Mary Kish]

Okay, we have to start cutting.

[Dan]

Yeah. So, Pipestrello, is there anything. Is that a time melts away and you don't even realize that I played.

[Mary Kish]

It it on a plane a lot. Here's my argument to cut it.

[Mike Mahardy]

Oh, okay.

[Mary Kish]

Sometimes I was like, what am I supposed to do right now?

[Dan]

Oh. Oh, okay.

[Mary Kish]

If you're picking it up randomly, to me, a perfect plane game means you didn't have to, like, remember where you were last.

[Dan]

Sure.

[Mike Mahardy]

Yeah.

[Mary Kish]

You don't have to remember anything. You can just try it, pick it up, and play it again. Ball pit. Mega bunk. You don't have to be like, where was I in this game? There were times in Pip Estrella where I was like, what was I?

[Jake Decker]

What am I doing?

[Mike Mahardy]

Yeah.

[Mary Kish]

So anyway, a great game, but it can get cut.

[Dan]

I will cut Katamari. I think I've almost exclusively played it on planes, but there's nothing about Katamari that makes, you know, time necessarily melt away or anything. It's just. Just an easy game to play on a plane. It's. Yeah, it's. But it's. There's much better on here. I, I, I think Mega Bonk is kind of the one to beat here. But yeah, I guess we still need.

[Mike Mahardy]

To cut one more and what we're left with that we haven't really talked about is Lumines Arise. So I guess my question is Luminous.

[Dan]

Luminous.

[Mike Mahardy]

Luminous. Arise. So I guess my question is, does that seem like more of a playing game than Hades? Because Hades is kind of on the fringe.

[Mary Kish]

Yeah. Hades is the game to be.

[Dan]

You know what? I would say Hades might be better because Hades is one where you more frequently get kind of break points where, like, you know, whether it's in between areas or even better between runs, you can end it. Whereas, like, Luminous. I like playing Luminous when, like there's this journey mode, like if you played Tetris effect, it's similar, which is just kind of flows from one thing to the next. And like, I want to be able to like, just keep going through that journey as long as possible. And so I, I think there's less natural. Just like, oh, here's a little break in this Hades 2 thing. It's easier to just kind of stop Hades 2 pause or something, you know, talk to the, you know, get a drink or whatever. And then like, you know, Luminous is kind of like you're in it for a while, you know. So I think I would rather have Hades 2 on a plan plane.

But my pick for a winner would be Mega Bonk. I mean, for reasons we said, it.

[Jake Decker]

Was like seven hours yesterday on a nine and a half hour flight. I. It was. By the time I looked up, I was like, oh my God, we have two hours left in the flight. This is amazing.

[Mary Kish]

Megabunk is my ultimate time melting game because I don't get stressed when I play it, but I do have fun when I play it. And I don't need to know shit before I play it.

[Jake Decker]

Requires the perfect amount of effort.

[Mike Mahardy]

Again.

[Dan]

Yeah, brilliant. And also, if you want to listen to a podcast, it's great for that too too. So podcast game playing game.

[Mary Kish]

I honestly think second is Ball Pit. I think it's. It's very, very good for.

[Dan]

It's great for that. Yeah. These are three great playing games.

[Mary Kish]

Outrageous. It's just so fun.

[Mike Mahardy]

All right, so Fire Escape's best playing game of 2025 is Mega Bonk.

[Dan]

Yeah, I guess we start saying the runners up too, like. And runners up.

[Mike Mahardy]

Runners up are Hades 2 and Bollocks Pit.

[Dan]

Excellent.

[Jake Decker]

Been two hours. Do you want to do a break or you want to do a.

[Dan]

We could do a. A break here. Yeah, might as well.

[Jake Decker]

This is Matt Rogers from Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers. And Bowen Yang. This is Bowen Yang from Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang.

[Dan]

Hey Bowen, it's gift season.

[Jake Decker]

Ugh, stressing me out. Why are the people I love so hard to shop for?

[Dan]

Probably because they only make boring gift guides that are totally uninspired. Except for the guide we made in.

[Jake Decker]

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[Dan]

All right, we are back and our next category is Games Game.

[Mike Mahardy]

That is actually funny. Sorry I can't read.

[Jake Decker]

First nominee is Peak Repo RV there.

[Dan]

Yet Arc Raiders Deliver at all Costs.

[Mary Kish]

King oh kingdom come deliverance two two.

[Dan]

Claire obscure expedition 33 death stranding two on the beach.

[Mary Kish]

Baby steps.

[Dan]

Now this is interesting because I think there's a breakdown like the. The first few on here or actually first four are not about comedy writing. They're about kind of emergent gameplay and humor. Friend slop type stuff. Well, not Arc Raiders, but you know what I mean. It's emergent stuff. And then the other ones are largely writing, although I don't really know Kingdom Come. Deliverance two. Jake, what is the. Is it.

[Mike Mahardy]

I think Mike and I kind of talked about this when we were setting up, but I just think the simulation aspects of that game can put you into some very funny situations. If you don't shower, people will smell you and that can lead to consequences because you stink. So it's. You end up in situations that you didn't necessarily plan for because of the world and how it reacts to the player, which I think makes it funny. I don't know if it's laugh out loud funny the way that like maybe some of this other stuff is, but I do think it says a lot about the game design and how those instances can be very interesting and tailored to the player. They're stories that you kind of create yourself through how you're playing the game rather than like writing.

[Jake Decker]

It's systems driven humor in the way that like Hitman can be.

[Dan]

Or like a Red Dead 2. I feel like I keep hearing about Red Dead 2 when this game's talked about.

[Jake Decker]

Oh, yeah, kind of. Yeah, yeah. Similarly, I would say there's. For this list, I think there's a clear break between games where the developers give you the tools to make the comedy and ones that are written with the express purpose of being funny. I would say clear, obscure. Expedition 33. I don't think of that largely as a funny game. I think there are funny moments. Certain characters are funny.

[Mary Kish]

Who's the chubby guy?

[Dan]

Monaco or. No, not Monaco. The big balloon man.

[Mary Kish]

Yeah, he's funny.

[Mike Mahardy]

He is funny.

[Jake Decker]

Yeah, he's funny. And he sounds like Javier Bardem.

[Dan]

Spooky. What was his name?

[Mike Mahardy]

Spooky.

[Dan]

Y.

[Mike Mahardy]

That's his name.

[Dan]

We're going with Spooky. Okay. Yeah, so Spooky's pretty funny.

[Jake Decker]

I don't know where that is.

[Mary Kish]

And he's. He's made of wine. I.

[Dan]

That game just makes sense.

[Mike Mahardy]

Weird.

[Dan]

The gesturals and stuff are very funny.

[Jake Decker]

I think the gestures are hilarious.

[Mike Mahardy]

The.

[Jake Decker]

The. The big mechs that they're making to defend the village. I'm pretty sure the translation sacapata just means sack of potatoes, which is very funny. I could be very wrong. There's probably French speakers who are like.

[Dan]

This is what it means I thought it was really funny. I say let's keep that for now. One that I put on there just because I didn't know where else it would even be mentioned is Deliver at All Costs. This is a weird thing where it's like Konami. I feel like, you know, we've talked about this year a bit because like, wow, they're kind of back with like, you know, Silent Hill 2 and Metal Gear Delta and Silent Hill F. They're kind of like, wow, they're making games again. They also made this original game Deliver at All Costs that I think it was based on like a demo or something. But it's just a goofy ass isometric delivery game. And it's just like, oh, I gotta spray paint these watermelons and you know, resell them because they were rotting. And so it's a lot of like very goofy scenarios where it's like I've got. I'm strapping a swordfish that's alive to my truck and I have to drive it and keep it alive and have it like drive through crates of fish on the way to have it eat so it doesn't die. And it's situationally, you know, very funny stuff it. There's too much story in this game for what it is. But I did like this game a lot. I didn't know where else to mention it. I don't think it's going to be in the top three here. I'm fine cutting it. Okay, it's gone. Cool.

Oh man. Destroying two.

[Mike Mahardy]

So I mean looking at this, I think both Peak and Repo are funny games but I think Peak is funnier and those. I don't know not to. I'm tired of the friend slob term and everything and I think that kind of reduces what some of these games are, but I feel like like they are kind of related in a way. And the comedy I had in Peak I think is so much funnier than they're close.

[Dan]

I mean Repo was. Weren't we doing the Patreon thing and like it changes your voice and stuff, your controls.

[Jake Decker]

Slow motion was so fun.

[Dan]

Everywhere and like it's pretty funny.

[Jake Decker]

Yeah, that's funny. We talk about proximity chat with our creators but didn't mention it with Repo because they use the Prox chat for the slow motion.

[Mary Kish]

I don't think we should compare similar genres and be like it's one that's the funniest. I think the. I think that it's possible Friend Slop will be the killer for this Genre because it is so funny. What happens in repo even when you're not trying to be funny. Everything in there has a price. And if you. Even if you dink it on a wall, you lose like 20 bucks. It's so funny when like Dan is the only person left. None of us are there.

[Mike Mahardy]

He doesn't know.

[Mary Kish]

Playing alone.

[Dan]

Yeah.

[Mike Mahardy]

Running around yelling, jake, Jake.

[Dan]

Hello.

[Mary Kish]

You get a vase and you dink it and you're just like, yeah.

[Jake Decker]

While he has slow motion.

[Mike Mahardy]

I spoke too soon.

[Dan]

If you were not a patron of the video tier. We did play this game and put it up on our Patreon. So check it out. That was a fun time.

[Jake Decker]

Thank you.

[Dan]

I'd say keep it. So if we're just talking like there's four prox chat games on here. Peak, Repeat depot, are we there yet? And arc Raiders. I would say cut arc raiders. There are definitely funny things that happen in that game.

[Jake Decker]

It's just because it was like.

[Mike Mahardy]

I think that's what makes it funny is it's so serious. You have the stupidest like. Like the. I think the. I mean I guess I should re watch the repo thing to see how funny it was. But that thing, that clip we took out of Mike with the.

[Dan]

I don't endorse what he did. I think that was bad.

[Mike Mahardy]

Hilarious.

[Dan]

Well, I do turn burned. Yeah. I was mercy killing him. Yeah. We already riddled him with bullet holes. Another patreon video we did.

[Jake Decker]

Funny.

[Dan]

It's. I did see some comments to be like, you guys are ruining this game. This is what streamers.

[Jake Decker]

Off they gave it. That's without any uncivility. There cannot. The civility cannot shine through. I need to be the. The darkness that the light needs.

[Dan]

With your anti morality.

[Mike Mahardy]

I teamed up with some random players and we're working. I'm like, hey, have you guys killed a leaper before? And they're like, no. I'm like, let's kill a leaper. I'm like, okay. So we're like on a building and they're thinking they're safe and it jumps up and they scream into proximity chat. One guy falls off the thing, hits the wall, tumbles down, everyone scatters and we're screaming. We don't know who's friendly or not.

[Mary Kish]

Very funny.

[Mike Mahardy]

There is something special about it. And I think for me why I love love the proximity chat in that game is because that's what makes it funny in my opinion.

[Dan]

I mean, yeah.

[Mike Mahardy]

These interactions. I will say though, there are some really awful people that you might run into that just kind of suck. And it's not funny at all.

[Dan]

I do think some of the funniest moments I've seen get, like when I was playing on Giant Bomb with my sister Kayla, and she scared off the entire team just by, like, berating them into the mic. It's like, that's one of the funniest things I've seen definitely this year in games. And it's like they give you, like. I do think it's that dissonance between, like, how serious the game is like you mentioned, and how, like, just funny these situations are.

[Mike Mahardy]

Random players too, right? You know, with Peak and Repo RV there yet, it's Friends. So I think that adds an element of unpredictability into, like, how they're going to react.

[Dan]

What do we cut here?

[Mary Kish]

I know it's hard. I mean, I think we have to just think about, like, how funny these games are. I will. I will volunteer one. I think that RV there yet is so fucking funny. And watching your friends smoke cigs while they're, like, trying to figure out how to get an RV through these mud pits is so. This game is so funny, you guys. And I put it on this list for a reason. I adore this game. I remember one of my friends being like, I'm gonna go scout ahead, running back from the woods, going, bear, bear, bear, bear, bear. Like a bear just rips them apart. This game is so, so good. These all can't freaking win. And I don't think RV there yet is as funny. I will fight to the death. I think Peak is one of the funniest goddamn games I've played all year. I had the best memories of. Of, like, my life this year, playing Peak with my friends, like, that is so important to me. That one I will fight for, but I can't fight for all of these.

[Mike Mahardy]

There's something so funny about Peak where it's just like, you know, your friends, like, maybe a little ahead of you, and then all of a sudden, like, they're making a jump and they just miss. And you watch them die and you're like, okay, well, sorry, I got to keep going. And they're, like, bleeding out down there.

[Mary Kish]

Talk about proximity chat. It's so funny hearing someone and go.

[Dan]

And then.

[Mike Mahardy]

And then you, like, the person ahead and they're just like. They're just like, hey, have you seen so and so?

[Mary Kish]

Like, oh, they're dead.

[Dan]

Do we cut? Baby steps.

[Jake Decker]

I was going to say, like, I think that game's frustrations start getting in the way in the comedy real quick.

[Dan]

No, I, I, I do think that like the actual way they recorded the dialogue and everything, like when Bennett FY shows up and like some of that dialogue is like awkward in a way and kind of realistic in a way. The games writing typically is, isn't. It's just weird and abstract in a way that made me laugh quite a bit. But I don't know, the game itself I didn't like enough to keep playing.

[Mary Kish]

So like, it's very funny. The idea of like this person being like, are you sure you don't want this map? The game would be a lot easier. And the guy's like, I don't want it. And he's like, are you sure? And I, the player, I'm like, please give me this now.

[Dan]

Why are you turning this down?

[Mary Kish]

Please give it to me. I think that's funny. Having the camera be like kind of ass focused and it's just this sweaty ass.

[Dan]

Yeah.

[Mary Kish]

Sweaty fat ass trying to get through these things. It's a very funny game. But I think collectively we probably all agree we didn't love playing this game. And for me there are games that I would fight for more. So it wasn't, I think it's, it was meant to be extremely funny and it works for so many people. I don't like playing it, but I like watching other people play. Play it.

[Mike Mahardy]

Okay. I also like, I think Kingdom Come, Deliverance can probably go.

[Mary Kish]

Can I just say though, like, I mean, I know you're gonna cut it, but like, I, I would just say, like the idea that we have we're cutting baby steps and like, are we sure we're gonna cut it before death stranding?

[Dan]

No, I was just gonna like, yeah.

[Mary Kish]

Baby Steps is funnier than those games.

[Dan]

I don't know, like, Death Stranding 2 is really filled with that kind of very weird Kojima humor that I always have been a sucker for. Like Doll Man's funny. Like, I think I've told the story before about how like the little things they program in where it's like he was mid sentence and I started getting waist high in water and he's hanging off my belt and all of a sudden his voice like, hey, Sam, you should go. That I, I like started laughing at this preview event in Japan playing. They're like, God, that's so funny.

[Mary Kish]

Yeah, I think laughing out loud is something we should talk about. Like I, I, I thought there were funny jokes in Claire. Obscure. It's not very often that I laughed out loud and was like, that Hurts my sides. There are games on this list where I was crying because I was laughing so hard. And I think if it didn't do that, then we have to start. We have to start taking an axe to it.

[Mike Mahardy]

I think Kingdom come, Deliverance 2 falls in the same category where it's like, you're in a lot of funny situations, but I'm not like, belly laughing. But I didn't play a whole lot of it either. So maybe that's like a. I would cut it.

[Jake Decker]

I would cut both of those. They have funny moments for sure.

[Dan]

But, but.

[Mike Mahardy]

So we're down.

[Dan]

I think we can cut baby steps, right?

[Mary Kish]

I think we, I think we should cut death stranding, too. I don't think it's that, like, splitting sides funny. I don't.

[Dan]

How much did you play of it?

[Mary Kish]

Not a lot.

[Mike Mahardy]

I played 60 hours and I didn't laugh.

[Jake Decker]

That's right. Yeah, I, I, I agree with Dan. There's many moments where I was like, this. That's really fucking funny. And also, like, the pizza dough stuff is initially, I'm like, that's funny. But then the more I saw it, the more I'm like, this is actually stupid. Stupid. And like, this is just cutting room floor the game. Like, you know, in a.

[Dan]

You try telling Hideo Kojima to cut something.

[Jake Decker]

I'm not blaming the people who have, like, I just don't think it's as.

I think the real humor in games for this year for me was the game. The, the games where we had the tools to be funny as people, and then they were just kind of amplifying that.

[Dan]

I'm fine cutting this training, too. Like, yeah, this, this was a hell of a year for prox check bad. And Mary, your judgment on this, I very much value because I know you've played the most of these.

[Mary Kish]

The idea of, like, your side splitting, you're losing your mind because you're laughing so much. That happened to me in Ark. Repo and Peak. These are the funniest goddamn games of the year. Like, bar none, I, I will die on this hill. I think that these are all winners, and they're winners in different ways. Repo is designed to make you laugh. It is designed to. You have a funny. There's a duck that looks cute.

[Dan]

Yeah.

[Mary Kish]

And then grows giant teeth and eats you. These things are meant to elicit funny responses from your friends.

[Dan]

Yeah, I think, I think Repo. Okay. I think Peak might be a better game. Yeah. I think Repo might be funnier.

[Jake Decker]

Yeah. It's when, when, when everybody Else is dead. And we're all watching Mary like hiding under a table as the ducks are circling.

[Dan]

Oh, my God.

[Mike Mahardy]

Please, somebody. Is anybody there tracking too with the.

[Dan]

Flappy Terrence and Phillip heads and stuff.

[Jake Decker]

That's supposed to be funny in a way. Arc Raiders is, I don't think is.

[Mary Kish]

Intentionally funny intending to be funny.

[Jake Decker]

It's funny because we're funny people. Like, I'm the funniest person I know. That's why Arc Raiders is funny to me. But like Peak and Repo, I think. I think repo is definitely design. Yeah.

[Mike Mahardy]

All right, well, Fire escape's game that is actually funny is repo. And the runner ups were Peak and Arc Raiders.

[Dan]

Excellent. And the next category is.

[Jake Decker]

New game.

[Mike Mahardy]

That most seems like an old game.

[Dan]

It's an important distinction there. It's not best game that seems like an old game. This is New game that most seems like an old game.

[Jake Decker]

Yeah. If you watched last year or if you watched all of our game of the years, we changed the wording there because it was getting a bit imply.

[Dan]

That like we picked one. It's like, well, we're saying that that's better like that kind of. Yeah. Anyway.

[Mary Kish]

And all of these are good. This is about embracing an old game.

[Dan]

Bringing the feeling back of an older game and reviving nostalgia.

[Mary Kish]

The good good. Go ahead.

[Jake Decker]

Nominees Ninja Guide and Rage Bound.

[Mary Kish]

Ninja Guiding Four Tainted Grail. The Fall of Avalon.

[Jake Decker]

Shinobi. Art of Vengeance.

[Dan]

Luminous Arise.

[Mary Kish]

Once Upon a Katamari.

[Jake Decker]

Metroid Prime 4 Beyond Lego party.

[Mary Kish]

Luminous Rise. Didn't we have that on there? Kirby Air Rider.

[Dan]

Oh, boy.

[Mary Kish]

Does Kirby Air Riders look like an old game?

[Dan]

No, this most seems like an old game. Yeah. So it's the one that like feels most like you remember an old game feeling.

[Mike Mahardy]

I think the weird thing about Kirby Air Riders is like, it is very similar to that original, but.

Every once.

[Jake Decker]

In a while I kind of really see him again. Yeah, he's talking.

[Mike Mahardy]

But I think no other game has really done what Kirby era has done since then. So it's like, I don't know, it just feels like Kirby Air Riders, I guess, or Kirby Air Ride, but it's more polished.

[Dan]

I mean, does it feel like how you remember playing the old GameCube game?

[Mike Mahardy]

Yes, but I mean, it feels better. Like it is a more complete better. Like it is. It has that Sakurai polish that I guess was in the original, but like, it feels like a follow up to Smash Bros. I. It makes sense to be in this category, but I don't know if we'd cut it right away. But I think if it's coming down to it, I think that could be one that might make sense.

[Dan]

I think an easy cut. And I also think it might be the best game on this list is Shinobi, because it's using the ip, but it's like, it is just too polished and modern feeling. And it's like. It is kind of Shinobi in name only. And the fact that you're a ninja, you know, it's.

[Jake Decker]

It's also like, just gorgeous in a way that, like, I don't think reminds me of anything old. It actually looks like a new.

[Dan]

Yeah, it doesn't feel like a Genesis game by any means, so I think we can cut that.

[Jake Decker]

But, yeah, it's one of the better games on this list.

[Dan]

Same with Raidbound, I would say. Same with Ragebound.

[Mary Kish]

I don't know. Ragebound feels classic.

[Dan]

That sprite art is very modern sprite art. I mean, maybe like, Saturn had some detailed stuff like that, but like, the old Ninja Gaiden games certainly didn't look or feel like in the same way. As I was saying, Shinobi. It just kind of feels modern, like some of those mechanics and definitely the sprite art, it feels more modern to me.

[Mary Kish]

What about Ninja Gaiden 4?

[Dan]

That I think feels a lot like. I remember those who the Xbox Ninja Gaiden's feeling because everything just has that weird, like, action figure, plastic kind of slick. Everything just looks wet and plastic in a way that I remember like playing that 2004 one. Mike. Okay, Mike got really excited. Yeah.

And the way it feels, it. It feels like just one of those, you know, the stylish action genre as we used to call it, a game informer. Like it straight from the mid 2000s. It doesn't really feel like they added a lot. There are new mechanics and stuff in it, like that weird Blood Raven mode or whatever. But, like, that feels like something that could have been in a Ninja Gaiden game in 2006, 2007, or whatever, you know, So I wouldn't cut that quite yet.

[Mike Mahardy]

I. Tainted Grail can probably. That's one I put in. But it is like a they sky. They basically did what Bethesda did, but made it. I hesitate to say better, but it's probably a more interesting game because we've seen Skyrim so many times, but I think I'm the only one who played it, and I didn't play a whole lot of it, but it scratches that Skyrim itch in a way that I'M like, yeah, I recognize this.

[Dan]

I think an interesting way to think about this is if one of these games had been released least ERA appropriate and you're playing back on a CRT or like Luminous, if you're playing on a psp, would you even bat an eye, you know? Or does it just feel like it is from that era that it's kind of going back to? You know what I mean? Whereas like LEGO Party, I think I would cut because Lego Party feels like a modern Mario Party. It feels snappier. It feels like there's quality of life and stuff that the Mario Party series never had.

[Mary Kish]

It's fair.

[Dan]

We'll see about that. I don't know. Not sure about that. I think we can feels it's too good to feel like an old Mario Party game.

[Jake Decker]

Yeah.

[Dan]

Whereas like. Yeah, think about like Kirby writers like, you know, Jake, if we travel back in time to you in a couple years after the first Kirby a writers came out and gave that to you on a GameCube disc, would you be like this seems like it's from the future. Or would it seem like.

[Mike Mahardy]

No, it would. It would be like, oh, wow, they made a sequel to Kirby Air Riders.

[Dan]

Exactly. Yeah. It feels ERA appropriate. Yeah. Yeah.

That's why I would say cut Ragebound, I think. I mean, if you go back to the days of 2D Ninja Gaiden, that would feel weird.

[Mike Mahardy]

What about. So this is one that I think only you have really played, Dan. I've played a couple hours, But Metroid Prime 4 Beyond, I see that here.

[Dan]

It feels a lot like it could have been a sequel to Metroid prime one. I do think.

[Mary Kish]

Is this the right category for it?

[Dan]

I don't think it is. There's a.

Such a weird one because graphically it kind of looks the way I remember Metroid Prime 1 looking back then. Even though I know it's a lot higher fidelity, but nothing about the design of it is anything that couldn't have been done on the GameCube. You know.

I would cut Katamari for him over Metroid. I think so. Katamari's got these online features and co op and stuff that the old ones like. It adds stuff like the Hub. Yeah, it's got like co op modes and stuff. It doesn't. It's added stuff that like PS2 games didn't have.

[Mike Mahardy]

We've got. We need to cut one. We've got Ninja Gaiden 4, Luminous Arise, Metroid Prime 4 Beyond, and Kirby Air Riders. I did say. I think Kirby Air Riders Is probably like on a. On the chopping block. If really, if it comes down to.

[Mary Kish]

It, I think I would fight for Ninja Gaiden 4. I think it's a good fit for. For this category. It belongs here. I think it's up there.

[Mike Mahardy]

Okay.

[Dan]

I think Luminous is very much like again, that could have come out on the PSP and do we think it's 2006?

[Jake Decker]

It could be in this category too.

[Mike Mahardy]

Do you think it's between prime and.

[Mary Kish]

Air Riders for that's what I'm trying to say. Yeah. It's like we know there are ones to cut. Well, I'm saying these are two that are locks, so they're not up for discussion. But we have to cut one.

[Dan]

I think Kirby Air Riders has a lot of stuff like, you know, the online City Trials mode.

[Mike Mahardy]

The online, I think is a good example of like they didn't do that. You know, like that was. I. Yeah, I think that's. Yeah, I think Kirby are writers.

[Dan]

I kind of think the one I would pick to win this would be Luminous Arise. Because it's like, obviously the resolution is much better. But like if you put this down on a PSP in 2006, 2007 and told me it was just the sequel to Luminous and took it back to me in college, I'd be like, sweet. I wouldn't bat an eye.

[Mike Mahardy]

I mean, I think you're the only one who's played all three of these, so.

[Dan]

So I would say Luminous.

[Mary Kish]

Okay.

[Dan]

Luminous.

[Mike Mahardy]

All right. The runner ups are Ninja Gaiden 4 and Metroid Prime 4. Beyond New Game that most Seems like an old game. Winner is Luminous Arise.

[Mary Kish]

All right, wait, the runner up. Did you say the runner ups?

[Mike Mahardy]

I did, yeah. I'm figuring out the format here.

[Mary Kish]

How I want to runner's up first.

[Mike Mahardy]

Like three hours into the show is the best time.

[Dan]

It's a living document.

[Mary Kish]

We have it on lock.

[Dan]

Next category. Oh, I'm looking forward to this.

[Mike Mahardy]

Most up its own ass.

[Dan]

Your nominees are Blueprints, Baby steps, Split.

[Jake Decker]

Fiction, Wander, Stop Dispatch.

[Mary Kish]

Mike Maharti.

[Dan]

You just want to give it to Mike and move on.

[Jake Decker]

Yeah.

[Mary Kish]

I mean he's a shoe in. But I think we can talk about why we think some of these are up their own ass.

[Jake Decker]

We put me on here specifically because there's a game called called El Gigante and I Jake said like Gigante.

[Mary Kish]

Gigante.

[Jake Decker]

We're like, I think it's Gigante.

[Mary Kish]

Gigante.

[Jake Decker]

Oh, I'm just speaking for 43 million Americans. Sorry, but. And then I also said Theta level Thinking at some point to describe close.

[Dan]

That's not it. There are hundreds more.

[Jake Decker]

I know that was the two today that Dan's like, should we have Mike to this? Actually, Dan was the winner last year.

[Dan]

Last year, it's like, that was me. Somehow.

[Mary Kish]

Somehow Dan won. I. I think there's a lot that we can say for so many of these, and we should get into it a little bit. I think they all have reasons to be on here. Blueprints has an arrogance to it. It just really.

[Mike Mahardy]

Yes.

[Dan]

I feel like it's kind of earned.

[Jake Decker]

Charming and like. Yeah, I felt like it was charming in earnest. Like, yeah, the beginning. It's like, thank you so much for coming home. You inherited the mansion. There's a lot you'll learn about it. And then past that, I was like. It always felt very, very cozy to me almost in the storytelling.

[Dan]

And I think it's tonally fitting for just kind of this mystery and the backstory of this, like, you know, kingdom and things like that and the house itself. And, like, I don't know, to me, it all just kind of fit. It felt right, you know? Yeah.

[Mary Kish]

I think there's more aggressors on here, but I think there. There were times when I felt like that game smelled its own farts.

[Jake Decker]

Yeah.

[Dan]

I don't know. I like this, and I'm kind of with Mary here. Yeah.

[Mike Mahardy]

I think it gets a bit up its own ass, but I don't know know if it's further up its own ass than some of these other.

[Mary Kish]

There's worse contenders, and I would actually even say it can be deleted. I'm just saying I think it deserved to be on here, but I think there are ones that are.

[Jake Decker]

Should have put Silk song on here more clear. Like, the more I hear everybody talk, Silk song should be on this list.

[Mary Kish]

It wasn't on here. You had a chance.

[Dan]

I know. I'm just putting it out there.

[Jake Decker]

Just we can. I'm just putting it out there.

Yeah. Blueprint sometimes was full of itself, but I think it earned it.

[Dan]

I think so too.

[Mary Kish]

Okay.

[Jake Decker]

I would agree. I think we could strike that.

[Mary Kish]

Okay.

[Dan]

I want to hear the argument for.

[Jake Decker]

Baby steps to stay on or to get.

[Dan]

For why it's up its own ass because it's not my favorite game. But, like, I was more just kind of, like, laughing at it than, like, when I think of, like, up its own ass, I think of, like, pretentious. I'm kind of rolling my eyes.

[Jake Decker]

I think it was when Chris Plant described baby steps that I started thinking it Was pretentious. It might not be the game.

[Mary Kish]

What did he say?

[Jake Decker]

No, I was just.

[Commercial/Ad Voice]

No.

[Jake Decker]

Chris Plant always has a way of, like, describing a game in a way I haven't thought of it before. So I think that was just maybe why?

[Mike Mahardy]

And you're like, new ideas. Pretentious.

[Jake Decker]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, exactly.

I don't. I haven't played enough of babysitters.

[Dan]

I feel like I've heard some people talk about, like, there's that final, like, man breaker thing where it's like, here's this crazy mountain that you have to climb, and it's just this stupid thing you got to beat your head against time and time again and you fall down everything. But then the game gives you, like, an easy staircase you can use to get to the top. And I. I feel like I saw some, like, Blue sky chatter. Like, wow, this is, like, a real meta commentary on gaming and how, like, should we take the easy route? And it also extends to, like, life choices. Like, do we take the easy. We're so quick to take the easy route.

[Jake Decker]

There's this staircase right there. Just accept help and go up it. Don't make it harder.

[Dan]

I don't know. You're a guy in a onesie. Do you want to climb the mountain or do you want to go up.

[Mary Kish]

The stairs looking up his butt this whole time?

[Jake Decker]

Which is why, yeah, it balances out, I think. I think in a way that at least for the two hours I tried the game, it worked. I just didn't.

[Dan]

Is the game up its own ass or is it just people playing it and needing stuff to say on Blue?

[Mary Kish]

Stuff that's connected. Because if you're interpreting art as this, like, unbelievable existential experience, but ultimately you're just this, like, dude who keeps falling downstairs into wet, wet mud. I question.

Genuinely how much you extrapolated from that experience and how much you put your own thoughts into it and said, this is a really deep experience.

[Dan]

And that's what I think is. I think it is a lot of people that just wanted stuff to say on Blue sky or whatever.

[Jake Decker]

Cool. That I can, like, speak to people in that way. So I don't know that it makes the game up its own ass, though.

[Dan]

That's the thing. Yeah, I'm arguing that, like, I don't know, it's not my favorite game this year, but, like, I didn't think of it as pretentious, you know?

[Mike Mahardy]

Yeah, Yeah.

[Dan]

I think of. Maybe some people in Blue sky are pretentious, but, yeah, so it goes.

[Mary Kish]

Are we cutting it or should we talk about the other ones first.

[Dan]

I think we could cut that. What the fuck is Wonder Wander? Stop.

[Mary Kish]

Wonder Stop is the game where you make tea.

[Jake Decker]

Okay.

[Mary Kish]

That's all I said. There's so much more.

[Dan]

No, actually, I know what you're talking about now. And it actually did seem to have a really good aesthetic and everything.

[Mary Kish]

I really wanted to like this game. I really like the concept of meeting people, and they're like, I need to be. I'm stressed, so I need to be relaxed, but I also need to be able to process serious thought. And so I'm like, okay, I need a tea that relaxes you but also allows you to process this difficult thinking. What does that. Is you. To find herbs. There's a book where you, like, find what herbs would suit them. Mike, you and I played this game ages ago where we, like, had to concoct specific herbs into.

[Jake Decker]

Oh, strange. Horticulture.

[Mary Kish]

Yeah.

[Jake Decker]

Or, no, it was the. It was the same year.

[Mary Kish]

There's two of them that were really similar.

[Jake Decker]

Alchemist or potion?

[Mike Mahardy]

Potion.

[Jake Decker]

Potion.

[Mary Kish]

Alchemist, whatever. And so you had to brew these potions to solve issues, and I love games like that. So I was like, I can't. I can't wait to play this. But this game is very talky, and you would go through 10 pages of dialogue about how this person was, like, going through all this drama in their life, and they've really lost touch with their sister, but they, like, do love their mom, and they. They also would like a sweet tea that has jasmine, and it's just like, all right, like, what am I doing here? And I found that I was spending so much more time listening to people and determining their trauma and trying to solve. Solve very serious issues. And this game makes an effort to say, hey, we're solving serious issues. But ultimately, I'm. I'm. I'm just a. I'm just a tea brewer here. Like, I. I can't solve all this stuff. I didn't feel sold that I had agency to fix these things. I felt like I was just giving them a cup of tea, and then they were like, I am back, baby. And then ran out the door. And I was like, I don't know if it earned that. I don't know if it earned it. I don't know if they. I needed all this backstory. Your own character as well, and this is why I put it on the list. Your own character has your own trauma.

[Jake Decker]

You.

[Mary Kish]

You're like a warrior, but you don't want to fight anymore, so you're making Tea. And it gave. It gives you these options as a character. When someone says, do you like. You know, do you like what you're doing here? And, like, making tea? And your three options would be something like, no, I don't like it because I want to be a warrior. It would be like, yes, but I miss being a warrior. And the third one would be like, I have so much trauma, but tea is fine. And I'm like, all of these are awful, and none of these give me identity. That's different. They're all you. You forced me to be a sad person that wishes that they were a warrior and. And has to now make tea. So anyway, I. I feel like it belongs here because it didn't allow me to grow. It didn't allow me to express myself, and it didn't allow me to solve any of these problems. I. I felt like I was on a. I felt like I was on a train. I did not want to be on you guys, and I could not get off, so I quit.

[Mike Mahardy]

I like how you say. Said it's about tea, and immediately like, okay, I should be on there.

No, but it was good to hear. That's good context. Because now I'm like, okay, yeah, you.

[Dan]

Know, But I feel there is a certain. Like, you could have described a game where you make tea and it's like the most merry shit ever and you love it. So I think the fact that it rubbed you the wrong way is kind of damning of maybe the tone of it.

[Mike Mahardy]

One thing that I think we can cut is dispatch. I know, Dan, you suggested it. Go on here. Because it's three things you don't like.

[Dan]

But I don't know if I even suggested this. I just think I. This. That's the game I would most hate, for sure. This, I think.

[Mike Mahardy]

Yeah, I think you most hate it.

[Dan]

But it is.

[Mike Mahardy]

I mean, there's like, dick jokes almost immediately.

[Dan]

Okay.

[Mike Mahardy]

Like, it is a very, like, come. Like, there's a lot of, like, humor that.

[Dan]

Is it Marvel type humor?

[Jake Decker]

No, no, no.

[Dan]

It's not humor.

[Jake Decker]

First episode, at least. And that's not even snarky.

[Commercial/Ad Voice]

It's.

[Jake Decker]

I think the writing is really good in this game, but, like, it's not up its own ass. I think they're aware of.

[Dan]

They're.

[Jake Decker]

They're. They're doing the whole, like, superhero thing without being annoying about it. And also. But they're also tearing down the superhero thing without being like, oh, we're going to dissect superhero fiction. But, like, they kind of are in a very Grounded way, which I appreciate. I don't give a shit about superheroes. And they. I think they know that it's. It's reached its last legs. But I don't know. That team's still really good at writing a lot of stuff and I think they distance themselves from the material enough.

[Mike Mahardy]

But even I'd say compared to some of the Telltale games that I have played, it felt like those games were trying to answer much bigger questions than this. And with the Telltale games, I think it was pretty hit or miss. Sometimes I was like, okay, you came to. This is interesting. But I think dispatch kind of knows what it is and it tells that story. And you may look at it and think it sucks, but I don't think it get.

[Dan]

It doesn't.

[Mike Mahardy]

It doesn't scream up its own ass to me.

[Dan]

Then I think we can cut it.

[Mike Mahardy]

Yeah, I did add one here.

[Jake Decker]

Okay.

[Dan]

And I'll fight against this. I want to hear your argument.

[Jake Decker]

We're adding that. Can we add Hollow Knight Silk Song if we're already adding one? I think there needs to be the one that's like the most up its own.

[Mary Kish]

Can we increase the font on Mike?

[Dan]

Marty, let's hear him out.

[Jake Decker]

A Silk Song or do you want to talk about Destin?

[Dan]

I think. I think we're going to add Silk Song, but I want to hear Jake's argument for destroying winning first.

[Mike Mahardy]

Did you play the same game I did? Oh my.

[Dan]

Here's the thing. I think it is significantly less up its own ass than the first game. The first game took itself way more seriously. This is the one where it's like, like we're gonna talk a little bit of spoilers and stuff. It's like it's ending with like guitar battles against, you know, Troy Baker Joker while a giant baby comes out of the sky and farts and eats you or whatever. It's just like it is. There's a little doll man that's on like it is a goofy game. This is a silly of game that is reveling in its goofiness. Sure, it definitely has its like Kojima, you know, just kind of like Ponderous, you know. Oh, I'm saying really deep stuff right now. Like it's got moments of that where it's like, all right, settle down Kojima. But overall I think it is more fun than it is up its own ass, you know, with even like story wise.

[Mike Mahardy]

I don't know if I have a good because I. I played 60 hours that game and I. I don't remember much of it. So, like, I just. I don't know. Kojima. I'm tired of Kojima's writing, I think is kind of where I'm at. But, you know.

[Dan]

Yeah, I just think. I just remember thinking it was silly more than it was pretentious, you know, and it definitely can get pretentious, but the first one was a much bigger offender.

[Jake Decker]

I think you could be silly and still up your own ass, though. Like. Yeah, no, I mean, I think that game is up its own ass because, like. Agreed. Try being the person that tells Kojima not to put something in a game. I don't. I think it's less death Straining two is. And it's more. The people who made it sure. Are up their own ass. Like, oh, so like, there are editors for a reason. And like, that game is the cutting room floor of video games to me. And I love this. I love this game. This is in my top. It almost is in my top 10. Like, I like it quite a bit. But like. Like, I don't. I just don't think silly and pretentious are mutually.

[Dan]

They're not.

[Mary Kish]

Yeah. It doesn't prevent you from being up your own.

[Dan]

It doesn't. I think ultimately, though, speaking of, you know, pretentious, I think it's. It's the American dream writ large. I think it's the white picket fence.

[Jake Decker]

Yeah.

[Dan]

For those that don't know, read Mike Bahardi's Polygon review of Death Stranding, which maybe this is the point for Mike Mahardi on this list. You want to make that font a little bigger. Make that font a little bigger every.

[Mary Kish]

Time he says something pretentious.

[Dan]

Yeah. Let's talk split. Split picture.

[Mike Mahardy]

Yeah. Mary, I think you were the one who.

[Jake Decker]

Is it pretentious or lame?

[Dan]

I think it's pretty lame.

[Mary Kish]

That comes up too. And we have to separate those two. But like, most up its own ass is something that is kind of insisting that it's really good.

[Dan]

And that's a Joseph Ferris thing.

[Mary Kish]

Obvious that we're supposed to really like it. I sometimes am always shocked by how much when I play these games, these co op games. I feel like it's telling me, wow, this is so inventive. It's so incredible. And I'm like. But a lot of these are really basic principles that you're applying. It is awesome to play a game with another person. And I. I've enjoyed playing split fiction with a co op person and going through it, but so often I'm like, this is a really basic mechanic. This is a really Simplified system and you've dolled it up or you've made the pigs fart rainbows. And so I'm supposed to be like, ha ha ha.

[Dan]

This is so funny. I'm a hot dog random.

[Mary Kish]

A lot of times I'm actually like, oh, I didn't think that was that innovative or interesting. I. I'm trying not to be like too down on it. I just didn't, I didn't buy what it was selling a lot.

[Dan]

I think those games, I think those studios is. That studio is incredible at making mechanically impressive, very imaginative co op games. But the way I don't want to paint the whole studio with a brush. It's Joseph Ferris. The way he talks about this stuff is like he's acting like he's creating the greatest video games of all time. He did an interview with Ben Hansen where he was basically saying like, I would basically say this is as good super Metroid. And it's like, oh, dude, come on.

[Jake Decker]

Like, it's just like, yeah, I think.

[Dan]

He is extremely up his own ass. But I don't want to paint the whole. But the game itself is just like. It insists upon itself in a way where I think it thinks it's punching above its. I. I think it thinks it's more important and more innovative than it is. They're very good co op.

[Mary Kish]

Sometimes the dialogue as well, like the two girls will be like, you know what's really the problem? It's this corporation and they're taking her ideas, man.

[Dan]

Wow, what a crazy idea.

[Mary Kish]

Yeah, yeah, it's not that innovative, but they really, it's such a simplified concept that they focus on is like very important.

[Dan]

So yeah, the story is just so. Just like black and white. Like, oh, here's a corporation. They're stealing our ideas and we're the authors now we're gonna play through our creations. It's like, all right, I understand this is like a children's book level of like totally.

[Mary Kish]

And that's fine. Maybe it is for children in that regard. And in that case I would respect it as like, I see what, you know, what your audience is, but I'm actually not confident that I know who split fiction's audience is. It's usually like person and others. The audience, they're trying to make it as broad as possible.

[Jake Decker]

I think all four of us here don't necessarily get into the family game genre. I know a lot anecdotally, I know a lot of people who find those games this. And.

[Dan]

It Takes Two.

[Jake Decker]

It Takes Two being very valuable for Playing with partners who don't play video games or playing with children or. I'm not taking. Saying that makes it. What's that?

[Dan]

Who cares about, like, kids? We don't. That's not our.

[Jake Decker]

I know. I'm just putting it out there. I'm just saying that's. You said you don't know who it's for. I was like, it's not for this podcast, but I do think there is an audience, right?

[Dan]

Yeah. I mean, I get it. I get why there's an audience. I get why they're successful and stuff like that. I don't really get why it's ever.

[Jake Decker]

Back to the table camp. Oh, boy, he's about to go back.

[Dan]

We got. We got a cat for the audio listeners. We.

We have a major cat situation happening for the audio listener. Yeah.

[Mary Kish]

Yeah.

[Dan]

I don't know. I like split fiction. I might like split fiction more than anyone at this table, but I also kind of am annoyed by the whole deal us.

[Jake Decker]

This is more important. Sorry.

[Dan]

Audio listening. Cat's entire head.

[Jake Decker]

There's a cat on the boss.

[Mike Mahardy]

All right, so we need to cut one. I am okay just cutting Death Training because I did add it last minute.

[Dan]

I would like to cut it.

[Mike Mahardy]

I will say. Did you guys see that story where Death Straining was getting too good of Metacritic?

[Dan]

No. It was the preview. The early preview. Things were like, people like this too much. It needs to be more polarizing.

[Jake Decker]

Like, yes.

[Dan]

I don't know. That is absolutely pretentious. But it's also that. That I love about Kojima. It's like, oh, bless you for this.

[Jake Decker]

Like, yeah, but like, you, like, Yosafaris goes on about it and you're.

[Dan]

If I have a mark for anything, it is Hideo Kojima. People act like I'm a Nintendo mark. And sure, I love Nintendo stuff, but like, Kojima is kind of the one guy where it's like, he will do objectively annoying things. I'll be like, ah, that guy's great.

[Mary Kish]

Maybe we should change Death Stranding 2 to Kojima. And maybe we should change Split Fiction to Joseph Ferris.

[Dan]

Just people. We're just going to change all these to people. I like this. Yes. Let's do it. Just take out Split Fiction, put Joseph Ferris and then the Day, and we.

[Mary Kish]

Can take out Wonder Stop, because it has its moments, but it wasn't that annoying.

[Dan]

All right, so it has turned into who is most up their own ass. Joseph Ferris, Mike Mahardi or Hideo Kojima? Mike. Marty.

[Mary Kish]

Mike. Marty.

[Jake Decker]

Can I make a case for striking?

[Dan]

I don't I don't know. I feel like we have a vote going on here.

[Mary Kish]

Unfortunately, the crowd has spoken.

[Dan]

Yeah.

[Mike Mahardy]

Yeah, it's gotten pretty big. I don't know how that happened, but I think I just can't read.

[Dan]

Wow. Yeah, the font got too big. I think we got to lock it.

[Mike Mahardy]

In most of its is Mike Mahardi and runner up Sir Kojima and Joseph Ferris.

[Jake Decker]

Congrats and Team Cherry. This is Matt Rogers from Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang. This is Bowen Yang from Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang.

[Dan]

Hey Bowen, it's gift season.

[Jake Decker]

Ugh. Stressing me out. Why are the people I love so hard to shop for?

[Dan]

Probably because they only make boring gift guides that are totally uninspired. Except for the guide we made in.

[Jake Decker]

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[Dan]

Everywhere.

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[Dan]

All right, next up. Oh, yeah, Team Terry.

[Jake Decker]

Yeah, it should have been on there. It's too late.

[Mary Kish]

We've moved on.

[Mike Mahardy]

Next category is. Is Lamest Tone.

[Dan]

Your nominees are Borderlands 4, Dying Light the Beast, Megabunk Split Fiction, and Call of duty black ops 7.

[Mary Kish]

I'm gonna start. I think we all know why we put Mega Bunk on here, which is that it says stuff like when you lose, it says stuff like maybe skill issue.

[Dan]

Lol.

[Mary Kish]

Yeah, it has Internet humor that doesn't land. And I actually really don't like when memes are in games like that. But the game is so damn good, I am willing to let it go.

[Jake Decker]

I would go a step further. I also think it should be cut and I'm not. I like the humor. I think there's a reason it's in this game, which this game was designed. It like, I. There's a very real sense that they are making a, like, very bad looking, like, almost memeable game in a way that, like, again, I don't laugh at that game. I love that game. But the game is so good and it's easy to overlook. I do think there's a purpose for putting it in there. I would rather it not be there, but I think it's a game where like, again, you're flying through the air with like dual revolvers and sniper rifles and your jump is like 600% and.

[Dan]

It'S just a skateboarding skeleton.

[Jake Decker]

A skateboarding skeleton. It's like, it's already like the. The rapping is so meaningless. And I think they acknowledge that. I don't. I don't know why. Like, I'm not saying that's the reason they did it for me. It like kind of fits.

[Dan]

They're kind of clever with it. Like, it's like the. The Chad character. His name is Chad and he's just like a beefy guy. His. His skill is aura and it's just like.

[Jake Decker]

Like, I don't like that humor at all. I hate it. But I think there's like, it. There's a. It's intentional here.

[Dan]

Yeah.

[Mike Mahardy]

Parodying.

[Jake Decker]

It's not just there for. Forspoken to connect with the kids. It's not Steve Buscemi with the skateboard. It is like, we know what kind of game we're making and we know it's actually really intelligent under the hood.

[Dan]

Yeah.

[Jake Decker]

But on the surface, it's a really fudgeing dumb game. And I think they lean into that in a way that it's like the humor almost just, just it's, it's part and parcel with Chad and the, the skateboarding skeleton and.

A bush with a sniper rifle sticking out of it with googly eyes.

[Dan]

I, I honestly, I do kind of like it. Like I, I like it so much more the way it is than I would if it was just like generic fantasy trope. Like, here's the knight, here's the wizard, here's the.

[Mary Kish]

You know, like it gets a pass.

[Dan]

Yeah, I'd say we take it off. Okay. Yeah, I thought I would hate it way more than I did.

[Mary Kish]

Very.

[Jake Decker]

And also I like forget it's there until I die. It's like him dying dead, maybe. Skill issue. I'm like, yeah, I'm tapping through it.

[Dan]

I don't know, man. Black Ops 7 is lame, but it's lame in kind of that just a little worse version of the Stay Frosty who. Like that type of.

[Mike Mahardy]

It's not fun to talk about how lame it is. You know, it's just like.

[Dan]

Yeah, it's just like it's a bad Call of Duty. It's. It's not anything we haven't seen before, you know. Whereas like, I think if we're talking that type of lame tone. Dying like the Beast, I don't know how much you've seen of that, but even like the name of the main character and what this guy looks like, I think it's like Kyle Crane or, or something. And he's just the most like, just like just generic looking, angry protagonist dude. And just the whole tone is just this very Eastern European, this badass. Dudes. Yeah, we're getting like, it's just like no sense of, like there's no sense of self awareness of it. You feel like people, the people making it were just kind of like, this is a badass, man. You know? And it's like, oh God, you just watched this and it's just the lamest.

[Mary Kish]

Like that's a bummer because Dying Lights a sick game.

[Jake Decker]

The first never like the first game. The first game was good.

[Mary Kish]

The first game is good.

[Jake Decker]

The second game started dipping its toes into this kind of storytelling. And I've tried so hard to like to many, many times. The Beast I did not play, but.

[Dan]

I sat through SGF like one hour demo of this and I was like, oh boy, this is, this is just a real lame tone. Bummer.

[Mike Mahardy]

I haven't played it. Just keep in mind that whatever we cut like Then it's just not.

[Jake Decker]

Yeah, it's our.

[Mike Mahardy]

It's our runner up.

[Dan]

I would cut out of these because I think Dying Light and Call of Duty, Black Ops 7, we are talking about two different games with the same type of just like military tone or whatever. I think Black Ops 7 is. We've seen this before.

[Mary Kish]

Before you do that. We have not discussed Borderlands 4.

[Dan]

I think that is lamer and, like, it is toned down. It is certainly toned down from like, Borderlands 3, you know, humor or whatever, but it still feels like a relic, you know. It definitely feels more modern than three did in a lot of ways, from gameplay to Open World and all that stuff.

[Jake Decker]

And the villains are not streamers.

[Dan]

Yeah, that's thing.

[Mike Mahardy]

It is less lame.

[Dan]

It's maybe 50% as lame as Borderlands 3, but Borderlands 3 is, like, short list, like, lamest game of all time, I would say.

[Jake Decker]

Borderlands 4 also is very, very contingent upon which character you're playing, as there are certain characters that use more of that. That kind of humor.

[Dan]

But. But it still does it, like, even at the beginning when it's doing the very Borderlands, like, freeze frame. Here's this person. Here's her. She's a fucking witch. And it's just like, oh, shut up. Like, it's just so. It still has enough of that where I'm like, Like, I think I'm, like, audibly, like, like sighing as I'm playing this, you know?

[Mary Kish]

Yeah, yeah, that's where it's like.

[Dan]

Call of Duty is like, man, whatever, stupid, you know?

[Mike Mahardy]

Yeah.

[Mary Kish]

Okay.

[Mike Mahardy]

So is Call of Duty. We think.

[Dan]

I think we cut Call of Duty. Yeah. Which would mean Mary, Mike.

[Mary Kish]

Yeah, I'm okay with it as long as Split Fiction stays.

[Dan]

All right.

[Mike Mahardy]

Mary, Should Split Fiction be the language tone game of the year?

[Mary Kish]

Do you want to watch it? I mean, based on what Dan is saying, it's really hard because. Sounds like Dying Light was really obnoxious. I think my problem with the tone in Split Fiction is that both of the women are really irritating to be around. And it's hard to have two people that are both the protagonists and not like either of them and have them both have some such.

[Mike Mahardy]

You can't trouble a different character. Like in Borderlands.

[Mary Kish]

I can't do anything about it. I just have to deal with their. Their dialogue. One's a city girl and one is.

[Dan]

You know, a little bit country, a little bit rock and roll country.

[Mary Kish]

They. I don't. I don't think I really understand their nuances, and I don't think they're fair to each other. I think their dialogue is poorly written to make them very different, but not make them nuanced or really appreciative or understand each other. They're just.

Staunchly opposed to each other until they decide the corporation is truly the real evil. And I don't think that that is earned.

[Jake Decker]

So capitalism is the real enemy.

[Mary Kish]

Yeah, that's right. I don't think that that game earns what they're trying to do. So I just have to suffer through them constantly saying negative things about each other. It does remind me of It Takes Two. I don't like hearing couples basically talk about their divorce through a, you know, six hour video game.

[Dan]

And it was a lot longer than that. That was one of my main complaints. It was way too long. Yeah, I wish it was six hours.

[Mike Mahardy]

Actually two hours of it. And I had to stop because of this, the chatter. I just didn't. Yeah, it was very millennial core, I guess, to the point where it was.

[Jake Decker]

Kind of like my favorite yosafares game is still Brothers.

[Mary Kish]

Oh, it's oh yeah.

[Jake Decker]

So underrated and elegant. Oh God, so good.

[Mary Kish]

No dialogue.

[Dan]

Weird.

[Jake Decker]

In fact, no co op. It's just one person playing two characters and then when you can't play both of them, it's fuck. Oh shit.

[Mary Kish]

I will concede that there are times in Split Fiction when I thought, oh, mechanically I understand what you're trying to do here. You're making us talk to each other and work together. And there are elements, not as many as I would have liked, but there are times in Split fiction where I will respect the game mechanics that they put in for getting us to work together cooperatively and communicate effectively. And I think that is actually wonderful that they were able to do that. There is almost no redeeming dialogue in that game.

[Dan]

No.

[Mary Kish]

And so it is such a bummer that they made me listen to those hens gawk at each other for as long as they did so that I could make us jump through hoops at the same time.

[Dan]

I think I really like that argument. Yeah, I, I, I, I do think Split Fiction is maybe a front runner here. Like I, I guess Dying Lights tone was so bad in that like hour demo I saw. It's like I'm never playing that Split fiction. I did play the entirety of and everything Mary just said, she just said it beautifully. It is, it takes what should just be a fun co op experience and it's just non stop just annoying you. And yeah, the tone is terrible.

[Jake Decker]

No, I, I Don't disagree. I would say the. I think the thing that's hardest with Split Fiction and with It Takes Two is like I love the fact that there is a studio that's like single handedly just trying to make compelling couch co op games still in 2025. So I think it's like a byproduct of us wanting for me at least it's a byproduct of wanting the quality of the dialogue and storytelling to line up with the quality of the gameplay and what they're trying to do because it's really cool and I want them to keep going.

[Mary Kish]

It's just like genre is untamed, tapped. Make more of these games and make them better. This is.

[Mike Mahardy]

And less talking.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Yeah.

[Dan]

I mean it's just this studio kept making those games without dialogue. It's like Split Fiction is a good game and there's stuff especially at the end of that, like the last, you know, hour or so, it's doing remarkable stuff and I'm a big couch co op guy. I. I love their games. I hate their tone.

[Jake Decker]

Yeah.

[Mike Mahardy]

So I think we're kind of all in agreement then that.

Yeah, that sigh I think was it. Okay. Lamest tone. Honorable mentions are Borderlands 4 and Dying Light the Beast. But the winner is Split Fiction.

[Dan]

All right, next category.

[Mike Mahardy]

Moving along here, this is a fun one. And the winner will be one that we forgot. But this is things we. The things we most forgot came out this year.

[Dan]

The nominees are Monster Hunter Wilds, Assassin's Creed Shadows, Borderlands 4 Mafia, the Old Country, Elden Ring Night Rain, Civ 7, Battlefield 6, FBC Firebreak, Eternal Strands, the.

[Jake Decker]

Nintendo developed and published wheelchair basketball game for Switch 2.

[Dan]

Still weird.

[Mary Kish]

Frag Punk, south of Midnight and The.

[Jake Decker]

Outer Worlds 2 2. Can I make a suggestion for this category?

[Dan]

Yeah.

[Jake Decker]

How about we pick two from this list. Those are the runners up because again the winner is always going to be one we didn't even think to put.

[Dan]

Okay, so we're just going to whittle it down to two and it'll be a mis.

[Jake Decker]

The winner will be something that chat.

[Dan]

Will be like, okay.

[Jake Decker]

Every single year the. The comments are like, you guys forgot this. And I'm like, we did.

[Dan]

All right, so we'll whittle it down to two. Okay, that sounds good.

[Mike Mahardy]

Whoever put Elden Ring Night Rain on here, I got a problem.

[Dan]

And I'll just be honest. It's because I never played it.

[Mike Mahardy]

Well, sounds like a you.

[Dan]

Elden Rings, one of the best games of all time. There's memorable I want to play a multiplayer one.

[Jake Decker]

Night Rain has memorable stuff in it.

[Mike Mahardy]

I feel like you need people to play with because I played the. It's my most played game.

[Dan]

I don't want to put.

[Jake Decker]

It's got some cool going on.

[Dan]

That was just me, like, all right. I made an Elden Ring multiplayer thing.

[Jake Decker]

I would say Battlefield six. I did not forget that came out this year. I had some very fun multiplayer sessions of that game. I mean, I don't think it's my favorite Battlefield, but I think it is getting back to what made like three one of my favorites in the series. And I think like the emerging gameplay of the different class and your friends. I had some memorable moments of that game.

[Mike Mahardy]

I definitely get why we added it there though, because what it came out and then Call of Duty came out and then Arc Raiders came out and.

[Dan]

Like, it was just like weird timing.

[Mike Mahardy]

One after the other. But I did play a lot of Battlefield 6.

[Dan]

How interesting is it that there was a time like maybe 2011, 2012 where it's like that November timeframe where it's like, man, it's going to be between Battlefield and Call of Duty for that November weekend. These are the two big heavy hitters. And now Battlefield and Call of Duty this year are just like. And we're not. No one's fucking talking about those two games. I mean, maybe Battlefield more than Battlefield.

[Jake Decker]

Battlefield broke the record for current players on Steam.

[Mary Kish]

Actually.

[Dan]

Battlefield more than Call of Duty. Like a lot. Yeah. And I guess I just don't know a lot of people that play Battlefield, so maybe that's why I'm not hearing about it much.

[Jake Decker]

Yeah, no, I'm.

Not that. That's the criteria for this category. A fuck ton of people played that game.

[Dan]

But if it's the ones we forgot.

[Jake Decker]

Right? Right.

[Dan]

Either you like it.

[Jake Decker]

I was paying attention to. To it a lot for various reasons, but I definitely, after it was released, I played it a good deal. I had some memorable. I'd say that's like hovering around my number 10 game of the year. Personally. Like, I had some fun, Very, very fun nights.

[Dan]

Cool. Cool.

[Mary Kish]

Sorry. Assassin's Creed Shadows. I did not forget.

[Jake Decker]

I didn't either.

[Dan]

Because you know what?

[Mary Kish]

I actually liked it.

[Dan]

I do not like that series. And this is one I was like, I'm kind of. I kind of see what they're doing here.

[Mary Kish]

I liked it. I liked the lady. I. I think it was a fun game. Is it like the thing I'm gonna really fight hard for at the end? Probably not, but I Remember it? I remember that game.

[Jake Decker]

There's some. I also like the fact that. Oh, my God, it's. It's so funny when you play Yotei, how similar the setup and the story is.

[Dan]

So much better.

[Jake Decker]

You're getting. You're. Yeah. You're getting revenge against like Kill Bill style. Against these. This cast that killed. Is it your dad in both games? I forget whole family.

In Yotei. Like family. And. Yeah, I just. I. I think the reason that people might see that as being forgotten is because Yote came out and kind of ate its lunch in the similar. Very, very different time periods.

[Mike Mahardy]

But, yeah, also like Assassin's Creed was just because it came out in February.

[Jake Decker]

Right.

[Dan]

January.

[Mike Mahardy]

End of January or something.

[Dan]

It's been a long time.

[Jake Decker]

I played a lot of that game.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

I.

[Dan]

Did anyone play FBC Firebreak?

[Mike Mahardy]

I played a little. I did not like it.

[Jake Decker]

Not after it.

No, not really.

[Mary Kish]

Did you forget it?

[Mike Mahardy]

I forgot about it until I think you added it because I mentioned, oh, we got to add FPC Firebreaking. Like, I already put it there and.

[Jake Decker]

I was like, oh, I do think Remedy itself did not. Super.

I don't. I don't know how to phrase this. I don't think Remedy itself is putting that game on their resume. So I think once it came out and kind of fizzled, I think like, even like the people behind it were.

[Mike Mahardy]

Like, they've done some updates to, like, try to fix it. But yeah, I think you're right for the most part.

[Dan]

I think we can cut Monster Hunter. I mean, that's. I remember just because it's like it was built up to be. I remember Monster Hunter world was such a success, and it was the one that kind of got me to understand Monster Hunter for the first time. And then it was like it was like the big one more thing, like the TGAs or something a year or two ago. And so it's like there was a lot of hype to it and I played it and I was excited about it and I was kind of like, I don't really, really like this approach to it, so. But I do remember being excited for it, playing it a bit and everything and falling off quickly. But I remember that, you know, the.

[Mike Mahardy]

The thing with Wilds is that, like, it's not that people forgot about it, it's that people are still frustrated about it. Yeah, I think people still. Because, like, I played a lot of it and haven't thought about it since, but then I see a bunch of people online complaining about it still. So it's like, okay.

[Dan]

People are still talking about it.

[Jake Decker]

Like, yeah, I didn't forget it came out. I just didn't love it.

[Mary Kish]

That's different.

[Dan]

Yeah.

[Mary Kish]

And Borderlands 4. I don't think people forgot either.

[Jake Decker]

Yeah, I have.

[Mary Kish]

There are a lot of people I know that play this game religiously. Yes. I think it's still popular.

[Jake Decker]

And there's people that don't care about the writing in that game. Like, they. They just get on Discord their friends and like, they figure out grind for Shiny. We used to system link with that or we used to play online with like two often. And then same thing with three. We played like this.

[Mary Kish]

This isn't worst game. This is game genuinely. We're like, what? I totally forgot that there was an Outer Worlds too.

[Dan]

Did any of us play it?

[Jake Decker]

Yeah, I played a little bit.

[Mary Kish]

I still. Sometimes I'm like, oh, my God, there's an Outer Wilds too.

[Dan]

Oh, no.

[Jake Decker]

Oh, I wish there was an Outer Wilds too. I don't think I forget that.

[Dan]

The thing is, I. I liked the. The first one. I thought it was a good one of those. And then I remember being excited for this one because I love about early this year. I thought it was fantastic and I was like, oh, man, can't wait to see it. You know, in like kind of the space vibe, you know, if Obsidian's kind of leveling up in this way. And then it came out and I feel like no one was really like, this game is fantastic. You got to play this one. And it was at a time when there were like a million other games that I was playing. So it's like, all right, this is going to be like a fairly lengthy game that people don't seem super hot on. On. If there's one game I need to just like, it doesn't seem like I need to prioritize this. It's that one. But like, I remember came out, but no one seemed to care.

[Mary Kish]

Nobody talked about it. I think that stays.

[Mike Mahardy]

Do you guys know what the Nintendo game. I added that I literally could not remember the name of this game.

[Jake Decker]

Drag.

[Dan]

Is it Drag X Drive? It might be.

[Mike Mahardy]

That sounds right. I was about to look it up and I was like, this is kind of proves my point a little.

[Dan]

Where I could not remember name.

[Mary Kish]

I forgot got the point.

[Dan]

It's such a baffling game. It's like, if it was fun, it's like, okay, it's like, this is like a wacky motion thing. Like, it's. I still remember being at that Nintendo Switch 2 reveal event in New York City and had all these kiosks set up. It was the first time that the Switch 2 was playable. And I mean, everyone was lined up to play everything. Obviously, there's a million Bonanza kiosks, there's a bunch of Mario Kart world kiosks. And everyone's super excited, lining up for all this stuff. People are even lining up to like play like Cyberpunk and just like Switch to editions of games that have been out for years. And then there were like six kiosks for Dragon Drive and there were just these poor Nintendo hired people or whatever. Hey, guys, want to play this? Like, trying to get people because it's a six player game. And so they were just trying desperately to get anyone to play this new Switch 2 game that just got revealed. And everyone just kind of walked by like, I'm going to go play, yeah, Mario Kart or something. No one cared. It just wasn't good. It's not like people didn't play it.

[Mary Kish]

It's just that it's so forgotten. I think that stays. I think we can get rid of south of Midnight. I do remember that game.

It is a nice game.

[Dan]

Yeah. Wow.

[Mary Kish]

It did its best.

[Jake Decker]

I would say we should get rid of Civ 7. I think I remember it came out, but also the conversation around that game is not within the strategy game 4x community. It's not. I forgot that game came out. It's like, oh, my God, I want that game to be better in so many ways. And they're working toward it. And Firaxis is famous for expansions kind of pushing a game to its full potential. Although Firaxis had quite a few layoffs this year. So I don't know that they have the same bandwidth as they did with six. But like Civ 7, I absolutely remember it came out. I just sounds like a Monster Hunter.

[Mike Mahardy]

Wild sort of situation.

[Jake Decker]

Yeah, it was like. I think it was like the same week.

I had problems that game. I had stuff I liked, but I did not.

[Mary Kish]

You didn't forget it.

[Dan]

Let me describe my thoughts on Eternal Strands and you guys tell me if it's more of an argument for it staying or going. So internal Strands came out early this year. January, February, I want to say at a time when there wasn't a lot of stuff going on. And I. I heard, I think, you know, a couple people had told me about it. I was like, oh, that sounds kind of interesting. And I hop in and I remember having a really good time with it. It had like an interesting Kind of like gear leveling up system. And it had this like almost Breath of the Wild and Shadow of the Colossus and like a lot of different obvious influences it was wearing on its sleeve. Like kind of a fun magic system and we're having a really fun time with it. And then, like, something came out. I stopped playing it. And then when we were putting this list together, I was like, what the fuck was that game? There was a game, I swear to God, I can picture it in my head. And I was fighting kind of Shadow the Colossus things. And like, I. It almost seemed like a dream. I was half remembering, but I was like, no, I know I played this game. And I had to like, Google, like, Shadow of the Colossus magic Breath of the Wild game. And it took me like, googling to find out what the fuck it was. Not. Not a great title anyway. But, like, is that more reason to stay or go? If it's like, because I do remember to stay.

[Jake Decker]

If you played it and forgot it, then that's.

[Dan]

I couldn't remember the name of it. I couldn't. I just like, again, it felt like a dream.

[Jake Decker]

I think it's a reason to stay if you actually put your hands on and played it.

[Dan]

And I think it was fun. Like, that's the thing. A lot of these games I think are, like, kind of bad.

[Mary Kish]

What's Frag Punk?

[Dan]

I think that's perfect.

[Jake Decker]

Oh, yeah, yeah. Frag Punk is what, the, like, Hero arena shooter with very colorful cast.

[Mike Mahardy]

Yeah. I remember getting, like, press emails about it, but I don't think I actually.

[Dan]

I'm guessing if any one of us played it, it would have been on Lane. Lamest tone. It's called Frag Punk. There's no way. It's not lame.

[Mary Kish]

It's.

[Jake Decker]

I want to say, like, to me, it struck me as the Fine. The Finals meets Overwatch meets.

What was the. What was the. The game that Cliff Bleszinski Law Breakers, Radical Heights or.

[Mike Mahardy]

Yeah, Heights. Oh, my God.

[Dan]

Yeah. Yeah.

Man.

[Mike Mahardy]

What about Mafia the Old country did. Because I. I guess I did play this, but, like, it definitely was like a game that I finished and I'm.

[Dan]

Like, okay, I enjoyed.

[Mike Mahardy]

And then I just like, got.

[Jake Decker]

I didn't play it. That one's tough because, like.

Yeah, I feel like that game came and went.

[Mike Mahardy]

And I think there's stiffer competition here than Mafia the Old Country.

[Mary Kish]

Okay, I think we should start. I do think we should start cutting. We don't need all of these. Like, if you didn't truly Forget it.

[Dan]

Drag X Drive is so weird. I don't think I'm going to forget that Nintendo made a weird wheelchair basketball game for the launch of the Switch 2. That's weird enough to be memorable.

[Jake Decker]

What about it is weird that Nintendo.

[Dan]

Made a wheelchair basketball game for the launch of Nintendo Switch 2? Like, that's a fucking weird.

[Mike Mahardy]

It is a similar situation that you had with Eternal Strands.

[Jake Decker]

Right.

[Mike Mahardy]

Where it's like, you remember playing this game. I remember seeing this game. Couldn't remember the name for the life of me, you know, But I guess.

[Mary Kish]

But you couldn't remember the name. You had to put Weird Nintendo Wheelchair Game.

[Jake Decker]

Yeah.

[Mary Kish]

Which I think is like.

[Dan]

It's like memorable that, like, people will remember this, I think five or ten years from now. Way people remember. Like Arms. Like Arms is this weird springy arm game at the launch of the Switch, you know, they.

[Mike Mahardy]

But Arms was kind of good. But I mean, this is bad, though. But maybe that makes it more memorable.

[Dan]

It's just a bad thing for Nintendo to do when Nintendo was like, killing it on so many fronts lately. And now it's like, what the are they doing with this?

[Jake Decker]

You guys. You guys are talking about it more, like, with more memories than a lot of these other games.

[Dan]

That's what I'm saying. I think we cut.

[Jake Decker]

I'm not saying. Oh, yeah, yeah.

[Dan]

I will remember Dragon Drive more than I remember anything else on this list.

[Jake Decker]

Of the old country. Like, I haven't played. I was at least looking forward to it to the point where I was like, aware it was coming out this year. I don't love that series, but I still play them.

[Mike Mahardy]

There's. There's a lot of wine in it.

[Dan]

I didn't know that. Is Outer Worlds two just a thing? Is it just a victim of, like, poor timing and the fact that we didn't really play it?

[Jake Decker]

Probably poor timing.

[Dan]

I mean, I'm sure it's a pretty good game. Like, I'm sure. I'm sure it's a 7.5.

[Mike Mahardy]

You know.

Played enough of it.

[Mary Kish]

You can't just give a game a C. Yeah, I can.

[Dan]

No, no, I'm sure it's pretty good.

I think that was just a victim of. We just had a lot of games we were playing at the time. I don't know if it's necessarily the.

[Jake Decker]

Games I still want to play it forgot about it.

[Dan]

If there was a drought, you know, like, early next year, I could see myself playing that.

[Jake Decker]

I love that, like, triple or double A level Elder scroll scrolls in the vein of Avowed.

[Dan]

Avowed might be in my top 10 this year, you know.

[Jake Decker]

Yeah. Mafia and Outer Worlds to me are. I could. I would see cutting.

[Dan]

Yeah.

[Mike Mahardy]

Still need to cut one more because Mystery game, right?

[Dan]

Oh, right, right.

[Mike Mahardy]

Is the winner.

[Dan]

God.

I think within three months I will forget Eternal Strands ever existed. Even though I played a lot for.

[Jake Decker]

Me, I remember FBC Firebreak because it's so funny. Remedy can make some of my. Alan Wake 2 might be in my top 5 games of all time. They're capable of making such singular, unique, groundbreaking games they also get attached to. So, like this, the way their studio operates. They get attached to so many different partnerships that they end up making these things that become fascinating to me. I didn't forget that game came out this year because I was so fascinated that they were making a live service co op session based shooter in the control world.

[Dan]

Yeah.

[Jake Decker]

Which when they said that to me, I was like, I'll probably play the shit out of that then.

[Dan]

I didn't.

[Jake Decker]

But I still, like, didn't forget it came out.

[Dan]

I think there is a high enough profile to the fact that it's Remedy and it's in the control universe that people will remember that it exists. I think Eternal Strands and Frag Punk you bring up now even much less a year now we're like, what the fuck was that?

[Jake Decker]

There's. There's like a. There's a sense of. People have written stories about FBC and its failure as well. I don't. I haven't seen nearly as much about Eternal Strands or Frag Punk. Like I could see FBC being the subject of one of those like, what went wrong kind of features down the road.

[Dan]

Yeah.

[Jake Decker]

I can't for the other ones then.

[Mike Mahardy]

We've got our list then.

[Dan]

Yeah.

[Mike Mahardy]

Yeah. If you were happy with what I just cut based on those conversations.

[Dan]

Sounds great.

[Mike Mahardy]

Got Eternal Strands, Frag Punk. But the thing we most forgot came out this year is something we forgot.

[Dan]

You tell us. I don't know.

Excellent. Next category is Best Play With Buds. Your nominees Play With Buds.

[Jake Decker]

Nominees are Peak Repo arc Raiders, Battlefield.

[Dan]

6, Elden, Ring Night Rain, LEGO Part Absalom, Are We There Yet?

[Mary Kish]

Mario Kart World and Fortnite.

[Dan]

I think a lot of this we've talked a lot about. Peak Repo Arc Raiders, Are We There Yet?

Boy, there's a lot of friend slop on here. Which again, I don't say that derisively at all. I think it's a great thing.

Then there's some more traditional ones. Mario Kart World. Fortnite.

[Mary Kish]

I don't think you need to play Mario Kart World with buds. I don't think that that is the peak of this category.

[Dan]

Also, it's a fun one to like. It's got that stuff that Mario Kart 8 Deluxe had where you can just make a room with a code and like, you know, for totally Ice Dream. And it's a really nice one to like, oh, at the end of the night, like, let's all do a knockout tour or something like that. Like, that's, that's a lot of fun. And it's got like the camera mode stuff. If you're playing like, you know, locally with friends and stuff, like, it's, it's Mario Kart. It's always gonna be fun to play with friends. But, like, outside of Knockout Tour, there's not a whole lot of like, like, wow, this is a whole new experience. You know, like, it's, it's Mario Kart.

[Mary Kish]

I don't think it's going to hold a candle to these other friend slop games. I don't think Night Rain is either. You can make an argument.

[Dan]

I heard it was forgettable.

[Jake Decker]

Night Rain. Night Rain. I played quite a bit of co op that was.

[Mike Mahardy]

I, I. There's a reason why I love Night Rain as much as I do. I don't think the main reason I like that is be like that game so much is because of the co op. The co op is definitely like the main draw of it, but I think it's how they design those runs in a way that kind of plays on expectations of fromsoftware games that makes it super interesting. And co op is a part of it. But yeah, to like, other people's point, I look at some of these other games and it's like.

What makes these games so much fun are the buds that you're playing with, you know?

But I do think there's something to be said about like, struggling with friends in order to overcome become a competition. But I guess you could say that.

[Jake Decker]

About a lot of these other games.

[Dan]

Yeah. Like, I think Peak does an incredible job of that. On top of being hilarious, like we.

[Mary Kish]

Talked about, it's also like a core mechanic, like lifting someone up who couldn't climb unless you took their hands.

[Dan]

Yeah. And the idea of, like, if you got your friend group that you play these games with regularly, the fact that they kind of change the mountain out, what, every week or so, that's just such a cool thing. If you had a friend group, it's like, let's Play.

[Mary Kish]

Oh, it's every day, every 24 hours.

[Dan]

Oh, wow.

[Jake Decker]

Wow.

[Dan]

I think that's so smart. And again, it's funny and it's just a really well designed multiplayer experience. Yeah, I think it's a better multiplayer game than Repo. I think we said earlier Repo's funnier. Peak's a better game.

[Mary Kish]

Repo is funnier. I think Peak is designed to have a good experience with your friends, and its entire mechanics are about helping each other, hurting each other. There's a banana in that game that makes other people slip. Throwing it at somebody is a really brutal thing to do. Everything is designed to play with other people in a sandbox. That's its entire purpose. It's ultimate at playing with buds. I think you probably also make an argument for Arc Raiders because Arc Raiders is so much more fun, in my opinion. When you're playing with other people and they're yelling at you or they're guiding you or you're trying to. Trying to do something together, I think it's. It's just incredible.

[Dan]

I. I know a online multiplayer game is good if, like, I am getting people together off work hours and putting on a. This is a game that, like, I dug out my, like, PlayStation headset stuff for that I like, never ever use. And we're having. These aren't even synced. We don't like. It's like, we gotta do. Me and Bianca, Kayla, we're gonna get together, we're gonna do our creators and stuff. Like, not for. Not for content, not for giants.

[Mary Kish]

You want to play together.

[Dan]

It's just super. Seems like a really fun experience. Arc Raiders is one of the very, very few games that does that.

[Mary Kish]

Yeah, I agree.

[Mike Mahardy]

I will say with Arc Raiders, though, the experience is very different solo. And it's almost. I like Joy now. I don't know if I'd say more enjoyable, but there is. There is value in playing it solo. Like, I don't think.

[Jake Decker]

I don't know if that's more tense. I like. I like it. So I don't know that I prefer it solo, but. But it's more tense.

[Mike Mahardy]

More cooperation too, I feel like, because people are more willing to. To work together.

[Jake Decker]

Yeah.

[Mike Mahardy]

Because you need other people to help you make it interesting. That's not to take away the fact of what you said and how much fun it is to play with buds, but I do think, like, there is something to be said about, like, our creators. It's a game I play by myself, you know, Peak. I have to play with people. Like, I Think I did a run once by myself and I'm like, this is fine. But like, I want, you know, co op.

[Dan]

Yeah. And I think the winner of this category is one that like, really shines when it's multiplayer. And like, for instance, I'll maybe cut one of mine here. Absolum. It's a game Grub and I are playing on Giant Bomb. It is a rogue. Light, beat him up with this, like, beautiful art style. It's a very fun two player rog. Light, beat him up. But I've also heard you can play the whole thing. Gizmos snoring. Okay. Oh, sorry we're boring you, Gizmo.

[Jake Decker]

This category sucks. Move on.

[Dan]

But I. I've talked to friends who just got obsessed with the planet solo and everything. Like, Absol is just a really good game. I don't think it's one where it's like, oh, this needs to be like a multiplayer experience again. I think it's not required for this category, but I think the winners should be like, this is a multiplayer thing.

[Mary Kish]

I think that's true. I think we should cut arc. I think we should. I think that even, like you were telling me, like, Bonk likes to play it solo, I think this is like a great game. I don't think it's perfect for this category.

[Dan]

Yeah. If it's like the best game to play with buds and we're saying, well, Arc Raiders is good to play solo. That's not an argument for keeping it.

[Mary Kish]

Yeah.

[Dan]

Here, you know, like, can we cut Fortnite first, though? Yeah, yeah, let's. Yeah, let's cut it. I think the only reason, for the.

[Mary Kish]

Sake of cutting it, let's cut it first.

[Dan]

I guess the only reason I want to play is like. Or I wanted to mention it was that the Simpsons thing came out this year. It was like, maybe one of the best, if not the best, like, IP integrations in a live game I've ever seen. And you know, back home for the holidays and online and stuff, I was playing with Kayla and you know, it's just like, oh, this is grind out this battle pass. We got to get Homer. And I just was reminded of how much fun Fortnite is to just kind of like party up. Like, it's a perfect amount of like, you need to pay enough attention to kind of like coordinate and do stuff, but you can also just kind of goof around and chat and catch up and stuff like that. So, like, Kayla and I, I think I had like two nights up till like 4am over Thanksgiving just, like, trying to, like, get Homer, and it's like, man, this is a great time, you know? So Fortnite continues to impress me. I haven't played it much at all since, like, last time. We talked about it during Game of the Year. The Simpsons thing super got me back in, and I was reminded, like, oh, Fortnite's fucking good.

[Mary Kish]

Yeah, that's a really great IP for it to.

[Dan]

Oh, they killed it. Yeah.

So we cut an arc.

[Mary Kish]

We should.

[Dan]

Okay.

So we got friend Slops doing pretty strong here.

[Jake Decker]

Battlefield 6, I had some really fun sessions with friends. I also played a decent amount of it solo and just played on team because I was going for challenges that I did not need people to be there for.

[Dan]

Well, I heard the campaign's where it shines.

[Jake Decker]

I.

Say what you will about the campaign, I'm just talking about the co op and the multiplayer. Yeah, I enjoyed playing Battlefield 6 by myself as well, multiplayer, because I wanted to pursue challenges or unlock new weapons or, you know, upgrade classes, etc. So I don't know that that's necessarily. Those were my. That was my most memorable multiple multiplayer game.

[Dan]

So we can cut that. And I think we're down to peak repo, Lego Party and RV there yet now we. You guys have not played Lego Party before. You guys know my history with Mario Party and everything and how strongly I feel about those. Like, I do think as. As, like, the Mario Party experience is like, there is something about that format of a game, a board game, party game, mini game game, that is, like, to me, the number one way to play multiplayer, where it's like, look, I'm sure if I had three friends that were super into competitive Smash brothers, and I knew what I was doing in the. That game, though, that would be amazing. But I feel like Mario Party. Yeah.

Like, to me, Mario Party is.

[Mary Kish]

You imagine playing Lego Party by yourself.

[Dan]

Absolutely not. Or Mario, but that's an insane thing to do. Yeah. But, like, I think it's so perfect for, like, you know, my memories of Mario Party. And now Lego Party, it's kind of turned to. Is like, you got two in my family, me and Kayla, that play games all the time, and we love it. But then Katie, my sister. Sister, Kayla's twin, who doesn't really play many games, but she loved Mario Party, you know, it's not. It doesn't require, like, you don't have to play games to understand, like, they're all like, hit a. And move a stick and stuff like that and moving it forward real quick to Lego Party. It. Everything that's ever been good about Mario Party is in Lego Party and they've just made it all better and snappier and I'll probably talk about it more later, but. And even like bonk.

Hatred. Hatred my wife has for Mario Party runs so deep. I've never seen her more unhappy.

[Mary Kish]

It's just someone, you know, grew that inside.

[Dan]

No, no, this wasn't the thing that she's been subjected. This is from like the moment she played it the first time. She's like, this sucks.

[Jake Decker]

Oh, she mean. You mean the games are just bad. And she recognized it as someone with good taste.

[Dan]

She does have great things.

[Jake Decker]

I will say it was real fun to today. The one match we played to over Dan and we all. He came in fourth. I think out of all of us.

[Dan]

There's no way to know. There's no documentation, there's no document.

[Jake Decker]

Total Banana Boys and their monkeys.

[Dan]

We'll talk. We'll talk about the Banana Boys later.

Okay. You.

[Jake Decker]

Yes, Yes. I. I felt looking at the map, planning my. That is the most I've ever thought of a multiplayer party board game genre entry.

[Dan]

Instead of just like a battle of attrition, like just needing to get through it. It's not bad.

[Jake Decker]

I actually, I was. I was strategizing. It was nice to strategize and be like, well, fuck if Jake. If Jake.

[Mike Mahardy]

The points across though.

[Jake Decker]

If Jake reverses this quadrant, then I'm fucked. But oh, if I win this minigame, I'll go before him and then I'll get out of it. And then we could fuck Dan. And then I'll get to the Banana.

[Dan]

Banana Burglars. Is that Banana Boys? I don't know what they're actually called, but yeah.

[Jake Decker]

And then if I get to the Banana Thief Thirst first, they'll then rotate around and that'll put them even more out of Dan's reach. There was more intentionality or they allowed for more agency on my part in a way that much as I love Nintendo and I'm just. I'm really just, you know, dogging on you because I actually have had a lot of fun with Mario Party before. I do often like there. It always sets in halfway through a Mario Party match where I'm like, it kind of doesn't matter. There's some blue shell esque thing that's gonna happen.

[Dan]

Exactly. Like in Mario Party you get annoyed if you're playing with someone that's taking time to like go to the map and plan it out. Because in your head you're like Nothing matters.

[Jake Decker]

We all step back and like let people strategize because we're like there's you can actually do that in this game. Would I rather go for those can.

[Dan]

Turn in a turn?

[Mike Mahardy]

Yeah, yeah.

[Dan]

And the, and the act of just doing it like just going to the map looking at thing like there's just so many like oh it tells me exactly how many need to get to this. And like the map is very readable and easy. There's not a lot of just slowing down and talking to 14 different shop vendors on every roll. It's just a snappier, better Mario party in every single way.

[Jake Decker]

Yeah. I I one thing from the one match we played today, I do think the mini games kind of lean very heavily on like qte stuff. I I, you know we, we only.

[Dan]

Did 12 so we did a 12 round game and like I do remember you were giving it a little bit of. Because there were, there was like 50 mini games in it and not a lot of them are the like we got a Y B X A Y.

[Jake Decker]

B and I say we got three.

[Dan]

The.

The one where it's all like in a line and you have to.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Do it or whatever.

[Jake Decker]

Some really creative ones. The ones where you're trying to balance the, the unicycle very tall race. That was fun.

[Dan]

There's the like dart, there's the I.

[Jake Decker]

I literally stood up off the couch cuz I was clo Me and Mary were neck and neck and then Mary fell across with her head at the end.

[Dan]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Mary Kish]

I had to tell Jake to stop locking in cuz he kept leaning into my view of the TV because he was trying to win. I, I think that there's good mini games with it and I, I have some reservations about just the, the caliber of games in it but it is, it is fun to play. I want to say I feel like I'm the person who played RV there yet. This game is so built to play with people and maybe someone who's not a gamer. We talked about that a lot with split fiction. But what's amazing with RV there yet is like let's say three of you guys are solid gamers and one of you is like I don't know guys, like I'm not that good. Good news. An RV has three seats in one driver. You get to sit and enjoy the game. You can play. You can be the cook that makes the burgers smoke. You can smoke and, and judge people. You do need cooperation because somebody has to take the wet winch. The winch and Connect it to a tree and then there's a separate remote device to use the winch. So you need cooperation. This game, you can't. You should not play this game alone. You should play it with others. But I love the fact that it is inclusive of someone who's like, I just want to be here. You have room for that person.

[Dan]

On that point though, like, let's say you have someone who's like, not a big game or whatever, they're casual or whatever. This is just the game that's on PC, right?

[Mary Kish]

Yes.

[Dan]

So think about this too. The thing about LEGO Party as well is it is cross platform. So it's like, I've got everything I'm gonna play on PC. Kayla never touches a PC game ever. She's gonna play on PlayStation or Switch. And then Katie, my casual gamer sister, she's just got a switch. That's the only thing she has. And we can still all play together if we wanted to play online. So it is very conducive to that, like the idea of like a casual gamer or someone that doesn't really play games. They don't know what Steam is, you know, but they have a Switch. Probably they might, you know. So like, I do think Lego Party is just like this is the like, whether it's on a couch, whether it's online, it's. It's just, it's kind of made for multiplayer in a way and there's less.

[Mary Kish]

Barriers, you know, I think it's more accessible. If I had three people say, do you want to play a game tonight? I would choose RV there yet. More than Lego Party, I would prefer to play RV there yet.

[Mike Mahardy]

I think I agree with you, but.

[Jake Decker]

I can't tell who you're looking at.

[Mary Kish]

You have sunglasses on, sir.

[Jake Decker]

In our general direction, I'm like, that's the point.

[Mike Mahardy]

Okay, so Mary's made a pretty good case for RV there yet. Dan, you've made a good case for Lego Party. We in Peak seems like immovable, I'd.

[Mary Kish]

Say I think is the winner for me. I wouldn't. I don't. It's really hard for me to say any other game is better to play this year with Buds than Peak.

[Dan]

If there's one argument I will say against the friend slop stuff, which again, I love all these, these games is that there is kind of a one note thing to this like Peak. You are kind of just. You're trying to climb that mountain. Repo, you're trying to put stuff in a cart. Are we there?

[Mary Kish]

Lego, you're Trying to get bricks.

[Dan]

Well, right. But there is, there's a lot more variety within that. You know, there is strategy, there is a board. There's numerous different board games. There's 50 different mini games. There is, like, different strategies, stuffing, do and everything. Like Peak Repo. Are we there yet? It's just kind of like, got to get up there, got to get this stuff, got to move this rv.

[Mary Kish]

You're hurting yourself. Lego Party. You're just trying to get bricks and you're just trying to get money, and you're doing anything you can can to do the very simplest things. I cannot tell you how many times we were playing today. We were like, how many steps am I away from buying this thing with $50? Like, that's not that innovative or interesting. But in peak, the items you get are randomized. I cannot get up the mountain the same way ever. Even if we try again and again and again. And this mountain, the algorithm changes of every design and Every level every 24 hours. This game is 100% different. But even when I play the Same Mountain, not 100.

[Jake Decker]

Yeah. I mean, it's still the same. You're making a good argument.

[Mary Kish]

But, like, they're changing even, like the level variety and the size because they have different biomes. So you might different items.

[Jake Decker]

You could pick right at the beginning, right?

[Mary Kish]

Yes. And they're also randomized, so you don't know if you're going to get a lot more lollipops or if you're going to get the cannon or if you're going to get a bunch of ropes that completely changes how you're going to climb.

[Dan]

Let me offer some something here. I want to get Lego Party on the top three, because right now it's Lego Party and three friend slop games. Three very good friend slap games.

[Mary Kish]

Yeah.

[Dan]

I will argue that of the three Friend slop, Repo is maybe the weakest game. So I would offer, take Repo off, put Lego Party on, and LEGO Party doesn't have to win. Pete can win.

[Jake Decker]

I don't. I, I, I played do my job for me. I played Lego Party today. I played Repo and I played Peak. I've not played RV there yet, and everything I hear about it, I want to play Repo. I had a very fun night with you guys, and then I played with a couple friends, and I'm like, all right. I, I had more longevity with Lethal Company and way more with Phasmophobia, and I feel like it's in that same camp. It's like, enter this area and it's hilarious. And extract some stuff for the various values. But I also, I really feel like that ran out of juice quickly.

[Dan]

And when there is the surprise of like, you know, as much as we laughed at like oh my God, I'm vomiting or oh, this thing is like reverse my controls. That's hilarious. The first time it happens, you don't know what's going on. If you're really playing that game more than a couple times it's how quickly is it going to turn into like, oh, I got this thing. I got to. Here's how I get past there. Okay, now I just need to it reverse my controls. Whatever. Like it loses the novelty haha factor. And it's more just another thing that happens. You know, I think.

Oh, we're going.

[Mike Mahardy]

To cut repo and peek is going to be the best game to play with buds.

[Mary Kish]

Okay, I'll take it.

[Dan]

I'll take it. I'll take it. That's a fair judgment. That's a fair judgment.

[Jake Decker]

Thank you, your honor.

[Dan]

Thank you, your honor.

[Mike Mahardy]

Yes, say it again.

[Dan]

Thank you, your honor. Mary, it's tendy time.

[Mary Kish]

Thank you, your honor.

[Dan]

Thank you.

That's fair. That's fair. That feels fair.

[Jake Decker]

Yeah.

[Dan]

That feels good. That feels good. All right.

[Mike Mahardy]

Best game to play with buds. The runner ups are RV there yet and Lego party. But the winner is peak.

[Dan]

Yeah, that feel, that feels right.

[Mary Kish]

I feel. I prefer repo, but I think Lego party is tired, tired, tired. I said what I said.

[Jake Decker]

You I.

[Mike Mahardy]

There was a look of glee on.

[Mary Kish]

Your face when Dan lost.

[Jake Decker]

I was when those monkeys did their thing.

[Dan]

We'll get to the monkeys.

[Mary Kish]

Classic day.

[Jake Decker]

Literally.

[Dan]

Have at it.

[Jake Decker]

Yeah. Yeah. Okay.

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