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48 Free Episodes, Happy Halloween! And thanks so much to all our patrons who've supported us. As we haven't used Patreon in some time making these public for everyone this Halloween just felt appropriate. Thanks so much and Keep it Strange!   https://www.patreon.com/13thfloor

James of The Thirteenth Floor talks with Danielle, a gamified keynote speaker, AI developer, and fractional CMO who is also a longtime horror-game fan. They compare favorite horror and story-driven games, explore how play can teach strategy and help build brands, and discuss why indie developers may be driving a creative revival in horror gaming. keywordshorror games, indie horror games, gamification, video game strategy, horror gaming industry, Resident Evil Requiem, Silent Hill, South of Midnight, indie game development key topics Danielle describes her horror-game tastes: psychological thrills, gore, whimsy, strategy, and mythical elements. They discuss Resident Evil Requiem’s balance of action and horror through alternating character chapters, and Danielle’s mixed response to Silent Hill. Danielle praises South of Midnight for its Southern Gothic atmosphere, soundtrack, spiritual themes, and story. She traces her early gaming memories to Doom and describes how horror-game preferences vary across generations in her family. Danielle says her six-year-old learned colors and numbers through Uno, and frames play as a way to teach strategy and “level up in life.” She introduces The Playbook, her prompt journal that uses RPG-style character maps and skill trees to help build a brand. The conversation considers indie horror’s creative momentum, public-domain characters, and the appeal of fresh ideas over established formulas. Danielle shares a parent’s perspective on young people’s creativity and game development, while both speakers consider AI and industry change. guest nameDanielle key frameworks RPG-style character maps and skill trees for brand building in The Playbook Using games and tabletop play to teach strategy and “level up in life” action items Sound Bites "gaming is a form of exercise for them." "the little indie that could" "We need new ideas. We need new blood." Danielle's Book: Here Chapters 00:00Meet Danielle: gamified speaker and horror-game fan 02:36Silent Hill’s atmosphere and a slower storyline 06:11Danielle’s horror-game recipe: whimsy, thrills, and gore 07:07From Doom to different generations of horror players 09:36Using games to teach strategy and life skills 10:37The Playbook: building a brand with RPG mechanics 11:32How indie developers are reshaping horror gaming 14:28Public-domain characters and fresh creative blood 16:50New ideas, senior developers, and AI in gaming 18:23A possible horror-game renaissance

Defense of Demons explains why the word “demon” has carried meanings far beyond the modern image of a purely evil spirit. The host contrasts the speaker’s account of Semitic traditions and Greek-derived terminology with examples from ancient and Asian religions, arguing for a more culturally nuanced view of demons and inspiration. keywordsmeaning of demons, demon etymology, ancient mythology, religious history, demonology, cultural beliefs, inspiration and creativity key topics Why the host looks below the camera and considers placing a visual cue above the lens. The host frames the episode as a defense of demons, challenging the common Western association with absolute evil. The speaker distinguishes the modern idea of a demon from the Semitic term he renders as “divik,” describing it as linked to opposed or competing deities as well as possession traditions. Baal Zebub is discussed as a deity whose name the host interprets as “Lord of the Flies,” later associated with the devil. Pazuzu is presented as a protective figure associated with infants in older traditions, in contrast to his portrayal in The Exorcist. The host connects the Greek-derived word “demon” with “genius,” describing an ancient concept of inspiration, guidance, or a muse-like influence. Creative insight, dreams, and songwriting are offered as examples of experiences ancient people might attribute to a demon. The discussion broadens to Hindu devas, Norse traditions, and beings such as oni and yokai, emphasizing that roles and meanings vary across cultures. takeaways “demons are they exist in every culture just about, but they vary in nature tremendously.” “in the West, particularly in the United States, particularly in Protestant circles, when people hear demon, they think of personified evil.” “The reason why they're called that is because they exist and they're considered sort of competition.” “Pazuzu was actually the guy who guarded Sumerian women against SIDS and other, you know, infant problems.” “demon and genius have the same etymological origin.” “your demon, which was kind of more like a guardian angel or a muse figure, had inspired them.” “where does insight come from?” “The part of you that's so deep, so far away from your conscious mind, from your cognition, that it almost feels like a foreign entity.” “they're not inherently evil.” “demon are not the same thing.” key frameworks The speaker’s contrast between Semitic “divik” and the Greek-derived concept of “demon” Demon as a muse-like or genius-associated source of inspiration action items Study demon traditions across cultures rather than relying only on modern horror portrayals. Consider how different cultures explain inspiration, insight, and creative experiences. Sound Bites "This is a defense of demons." "where do songs come from?" "they're not inherently evil."

Host James York welcomes Fay to share stories from Octagon Hall, a historic house in Simpson County, Kentucky, near Bowling Green. Against its Civil War history, Alix recounts reports of a ghost girl, a black mist, a shadow figure, a closet that seemed to latch by itself, and a wounded soldier apparition. keywordsOctagon Hall, Kentucky ghosts, Simpson County, Civil War hauntings, paranormal stories, Mary Elizabeth ghost key topics Fay sets the scene at Octagon Hall, an octagonal house in Simpson County near Bowling Green, built during the Civil War era. The region shifted between Union and Confederate control, and the house was reportedly used as a hospital during the war. Caretaker Billy Bird shared stories of Mary Elizabeth, a ghost girl he said he saw and heard around the property. Fay recalls hearing EVPs at the house, including one that Billy described as Spanish-language audio. On a later visit, she saw a swirling black mist on the stairs and felt it seemed to notice her; she later saw a photograph of a similar shape in the same room. During a candlelit tour, Fay saw a solid-black, man-shaped figure beside a visitor, who appeared to react to it too. A woman working a Halloween haunted-house event said an unseen force shut and latched her closet door for roughly 30 seconds to a minute. A costumed state trooper portraying a wounded soldier said he saw and heard another soldier appear and ask him for help. Fay and host James York consider whether the reported activity suggests conscious spirits or a replay of past events. takeaways “as soon as you pull onto the property, you feel it.” “it felt like it saw me.” “it felt like making eye contact with somebody.” “They locked me in the closet.” “He said it was everything he could do to stand there.” “I was like, Nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope.” key frameworks James York considers the idea that ghost activity could be “a dent in time” or a “memory of a place,” contrasting that with spirits acting consciously. Sound Bites "I see something standing next to him." "Some it looked like a man, but it wasn't." "They locked me in the closet." Chapters 00:00 Fay introduces Octagon Hall and its Civil War setting 03:17Meeting caretaker Billy Bird and hearing the house’s stories 05:26Mary Elizabeth, reported EVPs, and everyday ghost lore 09:30Octagon Hall’s history as a Civil War hospital 11:15 The black mist on the stairs 13:24 A photograph of a similar mist in the same room 15:08 Three unsettling events during a candlelit Halloween tour 17:06 The closet door that reportedly latched from outside 19:26 A wounded soldier encounters another soldier 20:57 A medium’s visit and the pull of Octagon Hall

A solo explainer introduces what defines arachnids, then focuses on spider anatomy, feeding, silk, classification, and reproduction. The episode clears up common misconceptions about venom, webs, and sexual cannibalism while showing how spider adaptations work together. keywordsspiders, arachnids, spider anatomy, spider silk, spider venom, spider reproduction, sexual cannibalism, tarantulas key topics Defines arachnids within the arthropods and distinguishes them from insects and crustaceans by features including chelicerae, eight legs, two body sections, and simple eyes. Explains that spiders use venom to liquefy prey before consuming it, clarifying the difference between venomous and poisonous. Describes silk's varied roles: building webs, sensing vibrations, leaving trails, creating safety lines, and supporting reproduction. Compares araneomorphs, or true spiders, with mygalomorphs such as tarantulas, including differences in fang orientation and web use. Shows how pedipalps help distinguish male and female spiders and how males use sperm webs and specialized palps to transfer sperm. Challenges the idea that sexual cannibalism is universal, explaining its possible reproductive value and noting that it varies across species. takeaways All spiders are venomous. They all eat by injecting venom into their prey, which liquefies the prey and then they suck it up. All spiders make webs. They use silk, but they don't make webs to capture prey. Bottom line, the real thing to take home here silk has a lot of uses with spiders. If they look like they're wearing boxing gloves, then it's a male spider. Sexual cannibalism is not super, super common to spiders, but it's obviously more common than humans. key frameworks action items Sound Bites "Venom and poison aren't the same thing." "All spiders make webs. They use silk." "Silk has a lot of uses with spiders." Chapters 00:00Arachnids, arthropods, and the traits that distinguish them 01:56Spider anatomy and the difference between venom and poison 03:25How spiders feed and the unusual vegetarian supplement 04:24Silk's many functions beyond catching prey 06:23True spiders versus tarantulas and other mygalomorphs 08:22Silk trails, safety lines, and spider movement 10:10Using pedipalps to identify male and female spiders 11:39Sperm webs, mating signals, and sperm storage 13:07Why sexual cannibalism happens - and how often