The Two Vague Podcast

Mango the pod-cat, joins Ben this week to meow about his favorite word, his upcoming appearance in Andrew’s latest zine, and other assorted nonsense. Ben’s grasp of the feline language is a little rusty, but he does his best to keep up. After Mango gets bored of chatting, he provides a little ASMR-inspired purring to close out the show. *** 00:00:20 - Mee Meow Meow Meowcast introduction, meow-meow me…ow, and right meow 00:02:02 - Meow, meow, final meows, closing the show, and Mango’s ASMR outro *** Follow Two Vague on… Our website: https://www.twovaguepodcast.com On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/two_vague_podcast On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@twovaguepodcast On Substack: https://twovaguepodcast.substack.com/ On Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/twovaguepodcast.com For show appearance and other inquiries, contact us at: twovaguepodcast@gmail.com -AND-  …for all of your PRI and 2VP merch check out the Partly Robot Industries store at TEEPUBLIC! https://www.teepublic.com/user/partly-robot-industries *** References, Links, and Tags #Podbean #DIYPodcast #ApplePodcast #VideoGames #Trivia #Comedy #Talkshow #2VP #TwoVaguePodcast #PodernFamily #InterviewShow #GamersofThreads #Gamer #PartlyRobot #PartlyRobotIndustries #TeePublic #AprilFoolsDay #Meow

Autistic stand-up comedienne Holly Huff joins Ben this week to talk about her comedy club experiences, her future plans for utilizing her writing talents, and her thoughts on Batman movies. After an exchange of pleasantries and a discussion about Holly’s background and ambitions, they dig into the definition specifics and Ben’s favorite Google feature! Next, they take a brief detour through the subject of ice cream novelties before the video game shenanigans commence! Games discussed in this episode include Dispatch, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Kingdoms of Amalur Reckoning, and Rocksteady Studios’ Batman and Batman-adjacent games.  *** 00:00:20 - Meeting Andrew, career hopes, telling Holly about the show's origins, and comics 00:04:14 - Holly introduces herself, challenges of comedy on the spectrum, and burnout 00:07:05 - A sensory issue at a venue, hearing that smell, going off script, and improvisation 00:09:46 - Ben’s strategy for managing anxiety, personal growth, and trending standup routines Holly’s Grateful Dead stand-up bit - https://www.youtube.com/shorts/YsUG-80TQpE 00:12:07 - Holly’s focus, weird cartoon love, the ultimate goal, and the changing landscape 00:15:25 - No interest in being a humorist, first link, the definition, and THE four bodily fluids 00:18:31 - Ben brings it up... AGAIN, comedy mainstream, and the urge to make people laugh 00:21:11 - Authenticity, Zoltan Kaszas, laughing, a novelty ice cream truck, and soap flavoring 00:24:01 - Traveling for comedy, buyer's remorse, Telltale games, Batman tease, and licenses 00:28:31 - Holly’s Dispatch video thoughts, a gamer in denial, and your choices always matters 00:32:37 - Cheating at Choose Your Own Adventure, the nerdiest thing, and a fish out of water 00:34:19 - Using labels, autism things, dispelling the us vs. them mentality, and commonalities 00:40:28 - For example… Batman, it’s time for the feud, and Holly had some issues with Tenet 00:42:41 - Setting a higher bar, a different Ben gets snubbed, and multiple Batman universes 00:47:51 - Rocksteady Studios’ Batman, unwanted driving levels, and the Suicide Squad flop 00:51:29 - Urinating on The Flash, glitches can be funny, and Holly IS buying Skyrim 17 times 00:54:41 - Hilarious bits in serious games, no zombies for Holly, and an artist ruining horses 00:57:00 - Another pitch, reluctantly on TikTok, Gary Oldman, and a Christopher Nolan idea *** Follow Holly Huff on… On instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hollyhuffcomedy/ On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HollyHuffComedy On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/holly.huff.2025/ On TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hollyhuffcomedy?lang=en   Follow Two Vague on… Our website: https://www.twovaguepodcast.com On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/two_vague_podcast On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@twovaguepodcast On Substack: https://twovaguepodcast.substack.com/ On Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/twovaguepodcast.com   For show appearance and other inquiries, contact us at: twovaguepodcast@gmail.com -AND-  …for all of your PRI and 2VP merch, check out the Partly Robot Industries store at TEEPUBLIC! https://www.teepublic.com/user/partly-robot-industries *** References, Links, and Tags #Podbean #DIYPodcast #ApplePodcast #VideoGames #Trivia #Comedy #Talkshow #2VP #TwoVaguePodcast #PodernFamily #InterviewShow #GamersofThreads #Gamer #PartlyRobot #PartlyRobotIndustries #TeePublic #MicrocosmPublishing #HollyHuff 

Karen Morrison, program director of virtual events at the International Game Developers Association Foundation and narrative designer at Soda Den, joins Ben this week to talk about her adventures in Argentina and all of the wonderful things she and her peers do at IGDA and the IGDA-F to help passionate folks gain entry into the video games industry. After a quick Argentinian-flavored travelogue compliments of Karen, Ben talks about the game he’s been playing, ZOE Begone! Then it’s time to explore the endless expanse of the word and what it means—the sky’s the limit! To conclude the program, they discuss what IGDA and the IGDA Foundation do to grow and foster a diverse, welcoming community of video game industry professionals.  *** 00:00:20 - Needs more exuberance, a fellow “neato” person, way too swanky, and Argentina 00:02:52 - Anagrams, activities in foreign countries, Evita Perón’s grave, and pescatarianism 00:07:28 - Cool Hand Luke, not crying, the Broadway tie-in, and Ben is playing ZOE Begone! 00:11:41 - Arcade game energy, film editing mechanics, and playing Toem: A Photo Adventure 00:14:40 - The definition, another n-gram introduction, the aliens, and distracted by disco  00:17:18 - Word counter, science as a framework, endless creative pursuits, and robot dogs 00:21:50 - Rich person art, viewer and artist, synthesis and separation, and H.P. Lovecraft 00:25:53 - Becoming part of the zeitgeist, AI art impacts, and Mango’s spicy noodle interlude 00:30:12 - A Goldblum quote, paper plates collecting your information, and Arc Raiders’ AI use 00:34:15 - Slippery slopes, thoughts on "The Expert" short, and the value of design compromise "The Expert" - A Short by Lauris Beinerts https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKorP55Aqvg 00:40:04 - How Dad handled errors, politics in Ben’s throat, and Karen shares positive stories 00:43:54 - Misdirected passion, crunch definition, burnout, work/life balance, and permission  00:47:00 - Marginalized individuals, Karen’s IGDA origin story, and a cross-learning cohort 00:51:28 - Process improvement metaphors, the word “moist," and the local chapters of IGDA 00:55:02 - Events and mixers, being awkward in groups, networking, and upcoming events 00:59:28 - Ben’s game idea, Double Fine’s involvement, Tim Schafer, and devious reasons *** Follow Two Vague on… Our website: https://www.twovaguepodcast.com On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/two_vague_podcast On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@twovaguepodcast On Substack: https://twovaguepodcast.substack.com/ On Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/twovaguepodcast.com For show appearance and other inquiries, contact us at: twovaguepodcast@gmail.com -AND-  …for all of your PRI and 2VP merchandise, check out the Partly Robot Industries store at TEEPUBLIC! https://www.teepublic.com/user/partly-robot-industries *** References, Links, and Tags Learn more about IGDA and the IGDA Foundation https://igda.org/ https://www.igdafoundation.org/ Check out Soda Den on Steam https://store.steampowered.com/developer/sodaden Click the links below for additional information on Retchy Games’ ZOE Begone! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=779Iu4YBFmA https://store.steampowered.com/app/1266610/ZOE_Begone/ #Podbean #DIYPodcast #ApplePodcast #VideoGames #Trivia #Comedy #Talkshow #2VP #TwoVaguePodcast #PodernFamily #InterviewShow #GamersofThreads #Gamer #PartlyRobot #PartlyRobotIndustries #TeePublic #MicrocosmPublishing #IGDA #IGDAF #PMStudios #ZOEBegone #RetchyGames #SodaDen #TheExpert #LaurisBeinerts

Andrew joins Ben this week to celebrate their penchants for approaching things from a different angle. Lack of perpendicularity aside, they discuss the abundant number of neurodiversity irons Andrew has in the proverbial fire, along with strategies to navigate creative blocks and coping skills for mental burnout. Before doing a deep dive into Andrew's ADHD Coping Skills deck and how they navigate their emotions, they pit Brian Eno’s Oblique Strategies deck against Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey. And OF COURSE, Ben will put on a perspective drawing clinic before describing (in excruciatingly painful detail) how 3D spaces are represented in various video games. Specific games mentioned this week include Ball X Pit, Arc Raiders, Dungeon Clawler, Abra-Cooking-Dabra, Arcane Eats, Marvel Cosmic Invasion, and Paperboy. *** 00:00:20 - Traffic on the 2s and 7s, Andrew’s cool stuff, and Ben is scheduling for the future 00:03:36 - Raiding arks, geometry adjacent, a pit of BALLS, and heavy ball propulsion variety 00:06:05 - Dungeon Clawler, CJ’s sleeping habits, maybe a baby carcass, and the pinkest pink 00:09:23 - Salvaging pegboard, concocting passive revenge strategies, and being a card cook 00:15:31 - Famous British cuisine, portable meats, not Ben’s cup of tea, and no Scrabble score 00:17:27 - The settee, lots of Geometry, grammatical cases, and Help for esteemed creators 00:24:01 - Three friends, usage in print, Brian Eno’s fault, script flipping, and Oblique Strategies  00:26:43 - Water, Ben counters with Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey, and more strategies  00:29:26 - Devo doesn’t need a reset, the ADHD coping skills deck, and usage instructions 00:32:06 - Circumventing patterns, performance metrics, requesting downtime, and tweaking 00:36:31 - Pigeonholing, different brains and conformity, an explanation, and openly autistic 00:40:28 - Talking Heads music, levels of impairment, and don’t be afraid to show empathy 00:42:38 - A Yoda quote, lessons learned, an autistic coping skills deck, and avoiding overload 00:46:01 - A new Shiny Shirt Ben appearance, breaking up tasks, and notes for Andrew’s agent 00:48:42 - Not bringing Steinbeck in, drafting memories, and perspective drawing nonsense  00:53:20 - THE one-way feud, a new Marvel-themed game, shadows and parallax scrolling 00:56:59 - Atari’s Paperboy, brief origin story, paper delivery experience, and Ebert over Siskel 01:00:15 - Transparencies, old presentation methods, cast changes for realism, and controls 01:03:28 - Buy my stuff, romancing the plant, getting sued by the N’s, and quit licking yourself *** Follow Andrew / Partly Robot Industries on… His website: https://partlyrobot.com/ On Instagram: https://instagram.com/partlyrobot On TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@partlyrobot On Substack: https://partlyrobot.substack.com/ On Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/partlyrobot.com On Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/partlyrobot On Microcosm Publishing: https://microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/artist/andrew-coltrin On Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/partlyrobot And his TREE o’ LINKS: http://linktr.ee/partlyrobot Follow Two Vague on… Our website: https://www.twovaguepodcast.com On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/two_vague_podcast On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@twovaguepodcast On Substack: https://twovaguepodcast.substack.com/ On Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/twovaguepodcast.com For show appearance and other inquiries, contact us at: twovaguepodcast@gmail.com -AND-  …for all of your PRI and 2VP merch, check out the Partly Robot Industries store at TEEPUBLIC! https://www.teepublic.com/user/partly-robot-industries *** References, Links, and Tags Ball X Pit - developed by Kenny Sun and published by Devolver Digital https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xU1voPpJkJA https://store.steampowered.com/app/2062430/BALL_x_PIT/ Abra-Cooking-Dabra - developed and published by Door 407 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5ytLD_sJO0 https://store.steampowered.com/app/3021530/AbraCookingDabra/ Arcane Eats - developed by Wonderbelly Games and published by Skystone Games https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFDxPvGfxmE https://store.steampowered.com/app/2640090/Arcane_Eats/ Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey https://deepthoughtsbyjackhandey.com/ #Podbean #DIYPodcast #ApplePodcast #VideoGames #Trivia #Comedy #Talkshow #2VP #TwoVaguePodcast #PodernFamily #InterviewShow #GamersofThreads #Gamer #PartlyRobot #PartlyRobotIndustries #TeePublic #MicrocosmPublishing #ADHD #ADHDCopingStrategies #BallXPit #KennySun #DevolverDigital #AbraCookingDabra #Door407 #ArcaneEats #WonderbellyGames #SkystoneGames #DeepThoughts #JackHandey 

Norah joins Ben this week to close out the last 4 games in our 2025 pile of review codes. These games revolve around a diverse assortment of actions: smithing, plundering, angling, and foraging. There’s sure to be a game to pique your interest here, so get cozy, sit back, and relax. *** Blades of Fire by MercurySteam SL - published by 505 Games 00:00:20 - Cozy game disclaimer, amazing details, and Ben says “system” instead of “steam.” 00:03:06 - Summary of the background story, Aran and Adso, and the blade-forging mechanics  00:07:33 - A mini-game critique, discovering resources, and engaging in combat with blades  00:11:02 - Mediocre narrative, becoming the circumference, resting respawns, and the acting 00:13:47 - Norah’s questions, chasing ravens, trouble with trolls, and a circling birds distraction 00:17:46 - Ben probably won’t find out, a suggestion, publisher “rankings,” and the closing    Trident’s Tale by 3D Clouds - self-published 00:20:36 - Pirates, Sea of Thieves, a bevy of licensed games, and lots of running and jumping  00:24:46 - No relation to Billy, the shortest distance, and a lackluster ship combat teaser  00:28:20 - That WAS a lot, underwhelming and generic, an annoying “puzzle,” and falling off 00:31:33 - Ship combat details, subpar voice acting, abrupt scene changes, and spoiled Ben 00:35:33 - Plain animations, connecting with novices, a benchmark, and a bone marrow idea Nice Day for Fishing by FusionPlay - published by Team 17  00:38:33 - Various husbands, Mango loves fish, catching fish in games, and Epic NPC Man 00:41:13 - Defining NPC for Norah, Baelin’s limited vocabulary, MMOs, and a DnD crossover 00:44:19 - RPG-inspired fishing mechanics, Norah’s trailer questions, and big boss fighting 00:48:29 - Character powers, the funny guys, perpetual hammer loss, and only horizontal 00:51:32 - Explaining DLC to Norah, Ben’s unexpected enjoyment, and the blind masters  Fruitbus by Krillbite Studio—published in conjunction with The Iterative Collective 00:55:17 - One of the two… or both, a food truck inheritance, talking to ashes, and picking 00:57:27 - Feeding tummies/souls, Norah is reminded of Donut County, and food prep realism  01:00:47 - Invitation-centric missions, children’s storybook style, buzzwords, and low stakes 01:03:47 - Angry customers, choppy animation, picking fruit with basketballs, and easy prep 01:06:02 - Favorite fruits, macerating peaches, no juicy bananas, and liking sweet veggies 01:08:44 - No animals were harmed, no more questions, and the price of this cozy experience  *** Follow Two Vague on… Our website: https://www.twovaguepodcast.com On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/two_vague_podcast On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@twovaguepodcast On Substack: https://twovaguepodcast.substack.com/ On Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/twovaguepodcast.com For show appearance and other inquiries, contact us at: twovaguepodcast@gmail.com -AND-  …for all of your PRI and 2VP merch, check out the Partly Robot Industries store at TEEPUBLIC! https://www.teepublic.com/user/partly-robot-industries *** References, Links, and Tags Blades of Fire - https://youtu.be/_U8TncLXi3A?si=JyEdQ19o172-mPkG https://bladesoffire.com/en/ Trident’s Tale - https://youtu.be/KlQ4vLuVFuM?si=3wpYpSsxypRmHEAR https://store.steampowered.com/app/2541780/Tridents_Tale/ Nice Day for Fishing - https://youtu.be/RSGZiufPEro?si=DSeLB-SjfstJD4ns https://store.steampowered.com/app/2393160/Nice_Day_for_Fishing/ …and check out Viva La Dirt League’s other content at https://vivaplus.tv/en-usd Fruitbus - https://youtu.be/-XWZiSJp2L4?si=iSH4mFmzIuqTz2-- https://www.krillbite.com/fruitbus https://store.steampowered.com/app/2484130/Fruitbus/ #Podbean #DIYPodcast #ApplePodcast #VideoGames #Trivia #Comedy #Talkshow #2VP #TwoVaguePodcast #PodernFamily #InterviewShow #GamersofThreads #Gamer #PartlyRobot #PartlyRobotIndustries #TeePublic #BladesOfFire #MercurySteamSL #505Games #TridentsTale #3DClouds #NiceDayForFishing #VivaLaDirtLeague #VLDL #VivaPlus #FusionPlay #Team17 #Fruitbus #Krillbite #KrillbiteStudio #TheIterativeCollective 

We have a combo episode for you this week centered around the amazing game StarVaders. In the introduction segment, Ben describes his game experiences to Norah and answers her questions. Spoiler alert: by the end of the conversation she is sold, so now she just needs to get a Steam Deck. In the second segment, Ben showers the StarVaders game designer Eddie with praise before getting into a fascinating discussion about a sandwich-centric philosophical debate on video game design and the odd assortment of definitions for the topic word. *** Pre-show discussion and review of StarVaders with Norah 00:00:20 - Norah’s trailer impressions, additional research, and previous deck-builder games  00:02:44 - Jumping the gun on describing game mechanics, and various trailer approaches  00:04:52 - StarVaders according to the Pengonauts website, and more details the game loop 00:06:54 - Mech types, an introduction to DOOM, junk cards, and a tremendous variety 00:10:23 - Norah’s question, the mysterious Overseer, level boss diversity, and the true ending 00:12:46 - The “grid,” Ben describes some boss encounters, Norah’s brain, and satisfaction 00:16:09 - Joystick Ventures, only on Steam for now, like playing chess, and LocalThunk teaser  Interview with Eddie, creator of StarVaders and all-around good guy 00:19:11 - Introducing game dev Eddie Kai, Ben loves StarVaders, and thanking LocalThunk 00:21:01 - Some Rogue Climber talk, unlocking the beach DLC, and getting great reviews 00:24:54 - On to the definition, sunbathing, not a baseball guy, and a couple of two-plankers 00:26:43 - Skis on ice, no memory of old media, packet of cards or narcotics, and decoration  00:28:25 - Old-timey verbs, origin mysteries, and a fictitious deli honors Eddie’s gaming legacy 00:31:40 - A sandwich called “The Burger,” rogue-like, defining a game, and playing burgers 00:35:48 - Definitions of food items, a Portal into game design, and the narrative condiments  00:38:41 - Dead authors, Ben’s burger discussion equivalent, and preferred genres of media 00:43:03 - Card collection and tabletop games, and Monopoly—deck builder or engine builder 00:47:01 - Extreme specificity, differences in instructional approaches, and being a blacksmith 00:49:54 - Art or product, traditional card games, the Star Wars bread, and changing rules 00:54:14 - Chopsticks, floating nausea malls, baseball haircuts, and Eddie’s final thoughts 00:56:49 - Literally, Parks and Recreation, Ben’s final thoughts, studio names, and Pengo  *** Follow Two Vague on… Our website: https://www.twovaguepodcast.com On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/two_vague_podcast On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@twovaguepodcast On Substack: https://twovaguepodcast.substack.com/ On Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/twovaguepodcast.com For show appearance and other inquiries, contact us at: twovaguepodcast@gmail.com -AND-  …for all of your PRI and 2VP merch check out the Partly Robot Industries store at TEEPUBLIC! https://www.teepublic.com/user/partly-robot-industries *** References, Links, and Tags Check out Pengonauts’ official page and StarVaders on Steam https://pengonauts.com/ https://star-vaders.com/ https://store.steampowered.com/app/2097570/StarVaders/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgEh9mWKrdo #Podbean #DIYPodcast #ApplePodcast #VideoGames #Trivia #Comedy #Talkshow #2VP #TwoVaguePodcast #PodernFamily #InterviewShow #GamersofThreads #Gamer #PartlyRobot #PartlyRobotIndustries #TeePublic #StarVaders #Pengonauts 

Ben has lots to say about his last day at PAX this year, from meeting an actual Larian Studios cosplaying brand ambassador on the streets of Seattle to another first-time purchase. He even conducted an interview that was so much fun, he forgot to press the record button! Ben also had a chance to talk with an assorted variety of folks: developers, PR specialists, CEOs, Twitch streamers, and a ghostwriter of mysteries turned game designer. To close out the program, Ben contemplates his plans for the show next year and provides another bonus game review for your external auditory meatuses!   ***   00:01:33 - Meeting Karlach (Autumn Ivy) on Pike Street on the way to the PAX venue https://autumnivyofficial.com/ https://autumnivy.com/ https://www.youtube.com/autumnivy 00:03:02 - Stopping at the Pahdo Labs booth to play Starlight Re:Volver booth and meet Anna  https://starlightrevolver.com/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMCOHUy3HQg https://store.steampowered.com/app/3201010/Starlight_ReVolver/ https://www.youtube.com/@imAnnaMolly 00:08:37 - Interview with Isael Huard, Co-Founder and CEO of Caldera Interactive about their game The Rabbit Haul https://calderainteractive.com/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GF7MV9Cjp08 https://store.steampowered.com/app/2514330/The_Rabbit_Haul/ 00:17:43 - A quick introduction to ALX Theory LLC’s game Swordai by Starfall PR CEO Pieter Van Hurst https://starfallpr.com/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VB4QoIEglQ https://store.steampowered.com/app/2321890/Swordai/ 00:20:33 - Memoria Wake - developed and published by Team Crescendo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTiSb1SEAAA https://store.steampowered.com/app/3240610/Memoria_Wake/ 00:23:02 - Fallen Tear: The Ascension, developed by Winter Crew Studios and published by CMD Studios https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJrElEyAOL0 https://store.steampowered.com/app/1446900/Fallen_Tear_The_Ascension/ 00:25:10 - Popping by the A Corgi’s Cozy Hike booth to say hello to Johnson Do and Daniel Scalise https://scalisco.com/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOugyq_-W_I https://store.steampowered.com/app/2321250/A_Corgis_Cozy_Hike/ 00:28:03 - Playing the Terrible Lizards demo brought to you by WDR Studios LLC https://www.terriblelizardsgame.com/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yv3AB6d1WC4 https://store.steampowered.com/app/2920220/Terrible_Lizards/ 00:31:19 - No Stone Unturned from Wise Monkey Entertainment https://www.wisemonkey.gg/nostoneunturned https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPu6cY9z8u4 https://store.steampowered.com/app/2453640/No_Stone_Unturned/ 00:35:17 - Numskull Designs’ Quarter Arcade Cabinets https://numskull.com/collections/quarter-arcades 00:37:46 - Bookending the show with another first… a Stylin’ Box purchase https://stylinboxes.com/ 00:39:40 - Meeting Twitch streamer Pedakin, and Ben’s postmortem and plans for next year https://linktr.ee/Pedakin https://www.twitch.tv/pedakin https://www.instagram.com/pedakin/ https://www.youtube.com/Pedakin   BONUS REVIEW 00:44:25 - A review of Copycat from Spoonful Of Wonder https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTkBuiiQZn4 https://store.steampowered.com/app/1622350/Copycat/   ***   Follow Two Vague on… Our website: https://www.twovaguepodcast.com On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/two_vague_podcast On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@twovaguepodcast On Substack: https://twovaguepodcast.substack.com/ On Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/twovaguepodcast.com   For show appearance and other inquiries, contact us at: twovaguepodcast@gmail.com -AND-  …for all of your PRI and 2VP merch, check out the Partly Robot Industries store at TEEPUBLIC! https://www.teepublic.com/user/partly-robot-industries   ***   References, Links, and Tags #Podbean #DIYPodcast #ApplePodcast #VideoGames #Trivia #Comedy #Talkshow #2VP #TwoVaguePodcast #PodernFamily #InterviewShow #GamersofThreads #Gamer #PartlyRobot #PartlyRobotIndustries #TeePublic #ImaginaryGameStudios #AutumnIvy #ImAnnaMolly #PahdoLabs #StarlightReVolver #CalderaInteractive #TheRabitHaul #ALXTheoryLLC #Swordai #StarfallPR #MemoriaWake #TeamCrescendo #FallenTearTheAscension #WinterCrewStudios #ACorgisCozyHike #Scalisco #WDRStudiosLLC #NoStoneUnturned #WiseMonkeyEntertainment #NumskullDesigns #QuarterArcade #StylinBox #Pedakin #Copycat #SpoonfulOfWonder 

If your question right now is, “Hey Ben, what did you see and do at PAX West on day 3?” then this show is for you! The short answer—he saw two of his favorite games of the entire four-day show and played a handful of others. Starting off the episode with the favorites, Ben describes his experiences playing the outrageously goofy meat-centric 3rd-person shooter SWAPMEAT and the skiing-themed rhythm game Fresh Tracks. Next, he moves on to the other games he played: Birdseed VR, Rebel Engine, Pax Autocratica, Arcane Eats, and Black Jacket. Finally, to put a bow on the show and phonetically into bonus, Ben reviews two additional titles: Chronicles of the Wolf and A Dream About Parking Lots. *** 00:00:48 - SWAPMEAT with creator, founder & COO of One More Game, Jamie Stormbreaker https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2MvcODkL-w https://www.onemoregame.com/about-us/ https://playswapmeat.com/ https://store.steampowered.com/app/2790700/SWAPMEAT/ - OUT NOW! 00:07:37 - The Buffalo Buffalo booth - https://www.buffalobuffalo.ca/ 00:07:51 - The virtual reality game Birdseed VR https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAqvvW4P-oA https://store.steampowered.com/app/3952540/Birdseed/ 00:10:30 - Fresh Tracks https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtBpN40Qtg4 https://store.steampowered.com/app/3202950/Fresh_Tracks/ 00:20:41 - Playing the Rebel Engine (formerly known as Payloaders Strike!) demo and a chat with Seven Leaf Clover game developer Gianluca Mascaro https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eITKXun635k https://store.steampowered.com/app/1977200/Rebel_Engine/ 00:23:34 - Pax Autocratica from game developer Multiverse https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9bREKlyMq4 https://store.steampowered.com/app/1067360/Pax_Autocratica/ 00:27:34 - The Skystone Games booth - https://www.skystone.games/ 00:30:44 - Arcane Eats - Developed by Wonderbelly Games https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_mZY7g4jVg https://store.steampowered.com/app/2640090/Arcane_Eats/ 00:33:21 - Black Jacket - Developed by Mi'pu'mi Games GmbH https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXQbTk6n5Dk https://store.steampowered.com/app/3100370/Black_Jacket/ BONUS REVIEWS: 00:36:48 - Chronicles of the Wolf developed by Migami Games https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFIS4hPx3F4 https://store.steampowered.com/app/2371890/Chronicles_of_the_Wolf/ 00:39:55 - A Dream About Parking Lots developed by Interactive Dreams https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zpkdr5imDfQ https://store.steampowered.com/app/3500340/A_Dream_About_Parking_Lots/ *** Follow Two Vague on… Our website: https://www.twovaguepodcast.com On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/two_vague_podcast On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@twovaguepodcast On Substack: https://twovaguepodcast.substack.com/ On Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/twovaguepodcast.com For show appearance and other inquiries, contact us at: twovaguepodcast@gmail.com -AND-  …for all of your PRI and 2VP merch check out the Partly Robot Industries store at TEEPUBLIC! https://www.teepublic.com/user/partly-robot-industries *** References, Links, and Tags #Podbean #DIYPodcast #ApplePodcast #VideoGames #Trivia #Comedy #Talkshow #2VP #TwoVaguePodcast #PodernFamily #InterviewShow #GamersofThreads #Gamer #PartlyRobot #PartlyRobotIndustries #TeePublic #OneMoreGame #Swapmeat #JamieStormbreaker #BuffaloBuffalo #BirdseedVR #FreshTracks #SevenLeafClover #RebelEngine #PaxAutocratica #Multiverse #SkystoneGames #ArcaneEats #WonderbellyGames #BlackJacket #MipumiGamesGmbH #ChroniclesOfTheWolf #MigamiGames #ADreamAboutParkingLots #InteractiveDreams #PAXWest #PAXWest2025

Ben’s schedule on the second day of PAX West was packed with game demos, time loops, interviews, and… time loops. Ben talks about playing a large assortment of demos, including Fractured Blooms, Project ATOM, ATMOSFAR, Bakudo, OPUS: Prism Peak, Anthem#9, Unyielder, and Aether and Iron. Other conversations he had on Day 2 of the show were with Hank: Drowning on Dry Land game director Jakub Lisinski from My Next Games, Blocks for Babies designers/developers Noah Ritz and Dan Rock from BunkSoft Interactive LLC, and Karen Morrison from the International Game Developers Association (IGDA) Foundation, a global charitable organization serving underrepresented and marginalized developers and individuals interested in a career within the gaming industry. Ben ends the show with a pair of game reviews—Death Kid and Rusty Rangers *** 00:00:44 - Fractured Blooms - Serenity Forge  https://serenityforge.com/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3D6GyPbcE7U https://store.steampowered.com/app/3730310/Fractured_Blooms/ 00:03:22 - Project ATOM - JNG Studio  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6SfB7NRYdE https://store.steampowered.com/app/3897280/Project_ATOM/ 00:05:21 - Blocks for Babies - BunkSoft Interactive LLC https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGaCvsgLPC4 https://www.bunksoft.net/ https://store.steampowered.com/app/2776770/Blocks_for_Babies/ 00:06:33 - Hank: Drowning on Dry Land - My Next Games  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCKsVyxM1eI https://www.mynextgames.com/ https://store.steampowered.com/app/1937880/Hank_Drowning_On_Dry_Land/ 00:09:52 - The Shueisha Games booth with Zo https://shueisha-games.com/en/ https://www.youtube.com/@shueishagames6941 00:10:42 - ATMOSFAR - Apog Labs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ua2rB4GbGQs https://store.steampowered.com/app/1798230/ATMOSFAR/ 00:12:29 - Bakudo - Sayil Games https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFpngdvQtTs https://store.steampowered.com/app/2275860/BAKUDO/ 00:14:11 - OPUS: Prism Peak - Sigono Inc. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QwEGBhQwmU https://store.steampowered.com/app/1947910/OPUS_Prism_Peak/ 00:15:41 - Anthem#9 - Korda https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uO_l7aCR9I https://store.steampowered.com/app/2656490/ANTHEM9/ 00:17:43 - Unyielder - TrueWorld Studios https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=be3oC1BKviU https://store.steampowered.com/app/789940/UNYIELDER/ 00:20:37 - An interview with Karen Morrison, Program Director: Virtual Events for the International Game Developers Association Foundation  https://www.igdafoundation.org/ 00:45:34 - Aether & Iron - Seismic Squirrel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UM6iYGdeuw4 https://store.steampowered.com/app/1836560/Aether__Iron/ BONUS REVIEWS 00:49:15 - Death Kid - developed by Crooked Games and published in conjunction with Take IT Studio! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTPLvj1IG2g https://store.steampowered.com/app/3456970/Death_Kid/ 00:51:37 - Rusty Rangers - developed and published by Fantastica! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXR61yHqWwE https://store.steampowered.com/app/1599420/Rusty_Rangers/   *** Follow Two Vague on… Our website: https://www.twovaguepodcast.com On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/two_vague_podcast On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@twovaguepodcast On Substack: https://twovaguepodcast.substack.com/ On Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/twovaguepodcast.com For show appearance and other inquiries, contact us at: twovaguepodcast@gmail.com -AND-  …for all of your PRI and 2VP merch check out the Partly Robot Industries store at TEEPUBLIC! https://www.teepublic.com/user/partly-robot-industries *** References, Links, and Tags #Podbean #DIYPodcast #ApplePodcast #VideoGames #Trivia #Comedy #Talkshow #2VP #TwoVaguePodcast #PodernFamily #InterviewShow #GamersofThreads #Gamer #PartlyRobot #PartlyRobotIndustries #TeePublic #PAXWest #PAXWest2025 #SerenityForge #FracturedBlooms #ProjectATOM #ATOMProject #JNGStudio #BlocksForBabies #BunkSoftInteractiveLLC #MyNextGames #HANKDrowningOnDryLand #CinnamonBand #ShueishaGames #ATMOSFAR #ApogLabs #Bakudo #SayilGames #OPUSPrismPeak #SigonoInc #AnthemNo9 #Korda #Unyielder #TrueWorldStudios #KarenMorrison #InternationalGameDevelopersAssociationFoundation #IGDAFoundation #AetherAndIron #SeismicSquirrel #DeathKid #CrookedGames #TakeITStudio #RustyRangers #Fantastica

Ben went to the Penny Arcade Expo in Seattle this year and has a ton of stuff to share, so much so, in fact, that we had to split the episode up into four parts! In this episode, Ben talks about escaping his first room or whatever (Tomb Raider themed, of course), chatting with artist extraordinaire Dan Paladin, trying out the latest demo of friend of the pod Christian’s Rogue Climber, experiencing the incredibly nostalgic “martian death race” style game Ascent: Rivals, being gifted some sweet spatial gaming earbuds from SAN Sound, taking a quick peek at the free-to-play turn-based strategy game Starcade FACTIONS, speaking with Indigo Doyle whose life experiences in a small town (along with her likeness) are chronicled in the casual inline skating game Rollergirl, and playing the eagerly anticipated Borderlands 4! As an added bonus to wrap up the episode, Ben reviews a pair of turn-based strategy games—one from the past and one from the present. 00:00:28 - The Tomb Raider Experience Seattle https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjqKao7sobQ&t=1s https://tombraiderseattle.com/ 00:04:48 - Talking to The Behemoth’s Dan Paladin about the olden days and game prototyping https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OYpEUMQhz8 https://www.thebehemoth.com/ 00:08:45 - 2VP tee shirt deliveries for previous guests Aron, Christian, and Erik https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYrirK8hKuQ https://www.jofsoft.com/ https://store.steampowered.com/app/2475010/Pizza_Bandit/ 00:09:16 - The latest demo of Imaginary Game Studios’ Rogue Climber https://youtu.be/UZNKnpAoKO0?si=t0DcSsuzSFcP6kWV https://www.imaginarygamestudios.com/ https://store.steampowered.com/app/2673440/Rogue_Climber/ 00:10:39 - Ascent: Rivals by GENUN Games and Ben remembers Red Planet https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQkBSUMFlnk https://www.ascentrivals.com/ https://store.steampowered.com/app/2748420/Ascent_Rivals/ Red Planet Training Video - https://youtu.be/DIPMK4L_Qv4?si=nVPsC2l_GxglJfe4 00:13:36 - A demonstration and a promotional gift of SAN Sound’s SANWEAR Quantum earbuds - https://sansound.com/ 00:15:37 - A quick demo of Starcade FACTIONS  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSEAwC6pWmY https://www.starcadearcade.com/factions 00:17:04 - Chatting with Indigo Doyle and playing Pushing Vertices’ game Rollergirl https://youtu.be/yVktbRw21Kw?si=BEY2f6LiXwWIBo-Q https://indiecup.net/canada/participants/rollergirl/ https://store.steampowered.com/app/2828540/RollerGirl/ 00:19:37 - Borderlands 4 BONUS REVIEWS 00:21:47 - Worms Armageddon: Anniversary Edition - Team 17 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hqggv16JDI 00:24:11 - Wargroove 2: Pocket Edition - developed by Robotality and Chucklefish  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6piDvESOPg *** Follow Two Vague on… Our website: https://www.twovaguepodcast.com On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/two_vague_podcast On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@twovaguepodcast On Substack: https://twovaguepodcast.substack.com/ On Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/twovaguepodcast.com For show appearance and other inquiries, contact us at: twovaguepodcast@gmail.com -AND-  …for all of your PRI and 2VP merch check out the Partly Robot Industries store at TEEPUBLIC! https://www.teepublic.com/user/partly-robot-industries *** References, Links, and Tags For more information about Escape Hotel in Hollywood… https://www.escapehotelhollywood.com/ #Podbean #DIYPodcast #ApplePodcast #VideoGames #Trivia #Comedy #Talkshow #2VP #TwoVaguePodcast #PodernFamily #InterviewShow #GamersofThreads #Gamer #PartlyRobot #PartlyRobotIndustries #TeePublic #PAXWest2025 #PAXWest #DanPaladin #TheBehemoth #CastleCrashers #PainterbossParadise #ImaginaryGameStudios #RogueClimber #JOFSOFT #PizzaBandit #AscentRivals #RedPlanet #GENUNGames #SANSound #SANWEARQuantum #StarcadeArcade #StarcadeFACTIONS #PushingVertices #Rollergirl #Borderlands4 #Team17 #WormsArmageddon #WormsArmageddonAnniversaryEdition #Robotality #Chucklefish #Wargroove2 #Wargroove2PocketEdition #EscapeHotelHollywood

Norah’s back to assist Ben with reducing his game review backlog before he heads out to Seattle for PAX West 2025. The games discussed this week are Antro by Gatera Studio, The Precinct by Fallen Tree Games, and Revenge of the Savage Planet by Raccoon Logic.    ***   Antro trailer - https://youtu.be/wjgHmfYvA6g?si=DgqE4EDU6643M7eo   00:00:20 - Running with rhythm, the promotional materials description, and what drill music is 00:03:35 - Don’t stop listening, catching El Salvador, and just a nice guy delivering for FedEx 00:06:47 - Translated rap tracks, atmospherically appropriate, and pushing buttons to the beat 00:10:53 - Needed a little more polish, getting gassed, platform puzzles, and closing the show    The Precinct trailer - https://youtu.be/FjZVlnMJhRI?si=SLvjRFV1XOweiTc5   00:14:28 - The origin of Cop Rock and other facts, Bob Iger is responsible, and reverse GTA 00:19:40 - Officer Norah, a memorable quote, gaining experience, and many negative spaces 00:22:06 - The daily gameplay loop, helicopter segments, and calling in backup officer support 00:25:39 - A decent variety of crimes to stop, the gangs of Averno, and advancing the narrative  00:28:03 - Informants hung out to dry, random safes in the city, street racing, and a bland story 00:30:06 - What a sandbox is/isn’t, non-linear progression, and overlap with open world games   00:35:57 - An arcade-like experience, Frank Bullitt, licensed 80s music, and if you like cops…   Revenge of the Savage Planet trailers - https://youtu.be/P2YZ1jvDrjI?si=4fyzX_WkSgwn2JqG and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOmRqeMtY4A   00:38:35 - Not talking about our own planet, a sequel, and the promotional material description 00:41:39 - Norah has many questions, the cartoon comedy, and a pile of bodies in the desert 00:45:16 - Throwing lava, orange goo, perpetual trailer deaths, and anti-consumerism adverts 00:49:27 - Entertained to death, a Google game development incident, and trouble with Stadia 00:52:46 - Enjoyable platform-style exploration, experiment bait, and using hoses and lassos 00:54:14 - The trailer told Norah nothing about the game, another trailer, and other mechanics 00:56:32 - Trailer composition preferences, minimalist base decoration, and Ben’s final verdict   ***   Follow Two Vague on… Our website: https://www.twovaguepodcast.com On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/two_vague_podcast On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@twovaguepodcast On Substack: https://twovaguepodcast.substack.com/ On Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/twovaguepodcast.com For show appearance and other inquiries, contact us at: twovaguepodcast@gmail.com -AND-  …for all of your 2VP merch needs, check out the Partly Robot Industries store at TEEPUBLIC! https://www.teepublic.com/user/partly-robot-industries   *** References, Links, and Tags For more information about Antro by Gatera Studio… https://gaterastudio.com/eng/ https://store.steampowered.com/app/1861250/Antro/ For more information about The Precinct by Fallen Tree Games https://fallentreegames.com/ https://store.steampowered.com/app/490110/The_Precinct/ For more information about Revenge of the Savage Planet by Raccoon Logic https://www.raccoonlogic.com/ https://store.steampowered.com/app/2787320/Revenge_of_the_Savage_Planet/ #Podbean #DIYPodcast #ApplePodcast #VideoGames #Trivia #Comedy #Talkshow #2VP #TwoVaguePodcast #PodernFamily #InterviewShow #GamersOfThreads #Gamer #PartlyRobot #PartlyRobotIndustries #TeePublic #GateraStudio #Antro #ThePrecinct #FallenTreeGames #RevengeOfTheSavagePlanet #RaccoonLogic 

In an episode inspired by a game review code we received, Andrew returns alongside Ben, who’s been buying a single movie multiple times for SOME reason. Ben has given up on “Sucky Assassin's Creed” for now, but he sees promise in an “FRPG” game he’s been playing recently. Andrew has been doing something incredibly constructive with his pent-up frustration from the consistent misrepresentation of autism by the Department of Health and Human Services; he’s also been working on constructing a companion deck of cards for his ADHD book. Next, they think about their oddly numerous and influential puppetry-related experiences in their lifetimes. Finally, Ben talks about a game he has been playing called Once Upon a Puppet. *** 00:00:20 - The AZ digestive system, sending zines to members of congress, and taking action 00:04:27 - Stretch goals, Ben is proud of Andrew, training suggestion, and a diplomatic mission 00:08:37 - A cabal of billionaires, some ADHD cards, a tough question, and Faith Harper’s help 00:10:44 - ANDREW WATCHED TENET, driving backwards really fast, and Andrew’s thoughts 00:14:16 - Temporal pincer movement, letting it go, not a vampire, and likable characters 00:17:54 - Dissing Brooks Brothers, the evil scale, just buy a popcorn, and square televisions 00:22:29 - Three times the Brainstorm, Clair Obscure: Expedition 33, and colloquially known as   00:26:34 - Game segment teaser, a simple definition, and a Señor Wences’ Parkay commercial https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLd8xPbc54I   00:30:12 - Fred Rogers’ puppets, Morgan Fairchild, riding the bus, and a friend of Kevin Smith 00:33:10 - Jon Favreau, near and dear to Andrew’s heart, and Disney acquires the Muppets  00:36:57 - David Jones wasn’t a puppet, Farscape, and what would make this podcast better 00:38:52 - The Curious Creations of Christine McConnell, Edgar Bergen, and Charlie McCarthy  00:43:20 - Jeff Dunham, explicit Peter Jackson puppetry, Daedalus, and descriptive buzzwords Once Upon a Puppet trailer - https://youtu.be/Oso4ykJmyqw?si=fGEaXSTRpd-R5E7r 00:48:06 - Under the stage, Drev and Nieve, prop moving puzzles, and weaving new outfits    00:51:11 - Falling, a satisfying conclusion, and nonviolent crisis intervention online training 00:55:09 - Craft magazine marionettes, puppet fights, kabuki puppet theater, and the hands 00:58:48 - Stop-motion animation, puppets as costumes, and antenna getting all the laughs 01:01:28 - Congo, motion capture, terrible is cheap, Andrew’s hygienic tip, and… s'alright *** Follow Andrew / Partly Robot Industries on… His website: https://partlyrobot.com/ On Instagram: https://instagram.com/partlyrobot On TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@partlyrobot On Substack: https://partlyrobot.substack.com/ On Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/partlyrobot.com On Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/partlyrobot And his TREE o’ LINKS: http://linktr.ee/partlyrobot Follow Two Vague on… Our website: https://www.twovaguepodcast.com On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/two_vague_podcast On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@twovaguepodcast On Substack: https://twovaguepodcast.substack.com/ On Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/twovaguepodcast.com For show appearance and other inquiries, contact us at: twovaguepodcast@gmail.com -AND-  …for all of your PRI and 2VP merch check out the Partly Robot Industries store at TEEPUBLIC! https://www.teepublic.com/user/partly-robot-industries *** References, Links, and Tags For more information about Once Upon a Puppet presented by Flatter Than Earth… https://www.flatterthanearth.com/   #Podbean #DIYPodcast #ApplePodcast #VideoGames #Trivia #Comedy #Talkshow #2VP #TwoVaguePodcast #PodernFamily #InterviewShow #GamersofThreads #Gamer #PartlyRobot #PartlyRobotIndustries #TeePublic #OnceUponAPuppet #FlatterThanEarth #DaedalicEntertainment 

Ben STILL has too many review codes, so Aunt Norah is back to help him get through the backlog. Norah watches the trailer, Ben plays the game, and they discuss their impressions. This episode contains three conversations themed around the games Ben has been playing for review purposes. Topics and games covered this week include the following: the impact of vector graphics featuring Stratogun, the nostalgia of GBA-style adventure games with Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo, and exploring the dating sim concept in Date Everything! *** PART 1 - Vector graphics in the game Stratogun Horsefly Games’ Stratogun trailer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdO3LJmYVqc 00:00:20 - Norah’s maths, Asteroids on sphere, and the difference between vectors and pixels 00:03:26 - Ben wanted a Vectrex, Norah’s thoughts on the trailer, and game mechanics in brief 00:08:13 - Too frantic for Norah, thoughts on an unnecessary mechanic, and the endorphins 00:10:24 - The first vector graphics game designed by a woman, and problems with signing  00:12:24 - Atari’s reimagined classics, Ben’s gets even more nostalgic, and vector pinball? PART 2 - The joy of handheld game systems and yo-yos in Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo Pocket Trap’s Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo trailer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRd-fEJFeuk 00:15:14 - Pipi Longstocking, pronouncing cursed, Super DodgeBall arcade, and pastrami  00:17:28 - The power of roses, your mission, and Norah appreciates the aunt-heavy narrative  00:19:05 - The other aunt, Norah’s question about the retro game aesthetic, and game difficulty  00:23:35 - Norah’s question about the story, from a certain point of view, and money motives? 00:25:56 - Console availability, special editions, difficulty options, and badges and contracts 00:30:17 - Using a REAL yo-yo, the old timey name, being fancily dressed, and a trivia nugget PART 3 - Thoughts on traditional dating simulators and the game Date Everything! Sassy Chap Games’ Date Everything! - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2Rv9zX3K24 00:32:24 - Dating objects in your home, trailer assessment, and not for general audiences 00:35:02 - Dating a joke gift, three relationship labels, pods and pins, and your end goal 00:37:47 - In-game “warnings,” questions, in the kitchen, NO SPORK, and some weirder ones 00:42:07 - Over 100 credited voice actors… https://www.imdb.com/title/tt33039855/fullcredits/ 00:43:55 - Daily conversations, the sandbox descriptor, and some bugs that Ben encountered 00:49:34 - “80s movie” summaries, Ben’s final verdict, and an encyclopedia sized experience 00:52:42 - Ticking the weird box, it needs more balance, and working around the monotony  00:55:13 - Another bug, a dating fail, the evolution of dating sims, and making fun of the genre *** Follow Two Vague on… Our website: https://www.twovaguepodcast.com On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/two_vague_podcast On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@twovaguepodcast On Substack: https://twovaguepodcast.substack.com/ On Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/twovaguepodcast.com For show appearance and other inquiries, contact us at: twovaguepodcast@gmail.com -AND-  …for all of your PRI and 2VP merch check out the Partly Robot Industries store at TEEPUBLIC! https://www.teepublic.com/user/partly-robot-industries *** References, Links, and Tags For more information on Stratogun… https://horsefly.games/ https://numskullgames.com/ https://store.steampowered.com/app/3088430/Stratogun/ For more information on Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo…  https://pocket-trap.com/ https://www.pm-studios.com/ https://store.steampowered.com/app/2870350/Pipistrello_and_the_Cursed_Yoyo/ For more information on Date Everything!… https://dateeverything.com/ https://www.team17.com/ https://store.steampowered.com/app/2201320/Date_Everything/ #Podbean #DIYPodcast #ApplePodcast #VideoGames #Trivia #Comedy #Talkshow #2VP #TwoVaguePodcast #PodernFamily #InterviewShow #GamersofThreads #Gamer #PartlyRobot #PartlyRobotIndustries #TeePublic #DateEverything #SassyChapGames #Team17  #PipistrelloandtheCursedYoyo #PocketTrap #PMStudios #Stratogun #HorseflyGames #NumskullGames

Christian from Imaginary Game Studios joins Ben this week to talk about a word that is very dear to him. In addition to being a component in the name of Christian’s game development company, imagination is something that both of the hosts love to use in their day-to-day lives and in all of their creative endeavors because it brings them so much joy. As one would expect from the topic of imagination, the conversation goes many fascinating places—cooking, mixology, childhood toys and games, and imaginary friends… to name a few. In the video games-focused segment, they engage in a little brainstorming session about a couple of video game ideas Ben has had over his lifetime. Finally, they "put a bow on it" with a question from Christian about Ben’s most impactful gaming moment.   ***  00:00:20 - Actively supremo, Spaghetti-Os, youthful eating habits, and prison fruit rollups 00:03:20 - Rogue Climber development, an announcer voice, and other show considerations 00:05:26 - Attending virtually, advice on attending the Tokyo Game Show, and proper nouns 00:08:58 - A Scottish themed suggestion, Legos and other toys of our youth, and the FRPG 00:15:29 - Don’t forget your globe, hitting Christian with the definition, and Christian hits back 00:18:03 - Visualization, cooking with Christian, pungent, creative mixology, and Sex on a Bus 00:24:15 - The imagination game, sandboxes, Kenshi, and when Activision was cutting edge 00:29:40 - Ben is left speechless, creating strategies, and getting into the weeds of “the meta” 00:35:05 - The imaginary friends of your childhood… TODAY, and the death of unique premises 00:38:45 - Skyfall …finger, Double Fine games, Ben starts pitching game ideas, and mimes 00:41:37 - Roger Rabbit, noir meets buddy cops, cost cutting measures, and Seth MacFarlane 00:47:06 - Side-scrolling beat ‘em up dates, diversity perspectives, and making infinity money 00:52:02 - Product versus art, Ben’s struggle with reviews, and Christian’s least favorite game 00:56:59 - Leveling the playfield with consoles, marketing moves, and Ben’s most meaningful 01:02:46 - Creating sharable experiences with game design, and Christian convinces Ben *** Follow all the shenanigans of Imaginary Game Studios here… On their website: https://www.imaginarygamestudios.com/  On their Discord: https://discord.gg/YyDD7ECtdJ  On their YouTube channel - they post all sorts of stuff from gaming news, to gaming podcasts, to game jams, to the occasional cooking video: https://www.youtube.com/@caxtnova Follow Two Vague on… Our website: https://www.twovaguepodcast.com On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/two_vague_podcast On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@twovaguepodcast On Substack: https://twovaguepodcast.substack.com/ On Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/twovaguepodcast.com For show appearance and other inquiries, contact us at: twovaguepodcast@gmail.com -AND-  …for all of your PRI and 2VP merch check out the Partly Robot Industries store at TEEPUBLIC! https://www.teepublic.com/user/partly-robot-industries *** References, Links, and Tags Imaginary Game Studios GAMES on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2673440/Rogue_Climber/ https://store.steampowered.com/app/2175790/Meticulous/ #Podbean #DIYPodcast #ApplePodcast #VideoGames #Trivia #Comedy #Talkshow #2VP #TwoVaguePodcast #PodernFamily #InterviewShow #GamersofThreads #Gamer #PartlyRobot #PartlyRobotIndustries #TeePublic #RogueClimber #Meticulous #ImaginaryGameStudios #Caxtnova 

Ben has TOO MANY game codes, so Aunt Norah is here to help! This back to back episodes… episode contains two conversations themed around the games Ben has been playing for review purposes. In the top half, they talk about the representations of the mental ailments in the games Next of Kin and RATSHAKER™. In the latter half, they talk about the handling of the animal protagonist in Spirit of the North 2.  *** PART 1 - The portrayal of mental fitness topics in and opinions about Next of Kin and RATSHAKER™ 00:00:20 - Going global-ish and an explanation of the next batch of Norah episodes Next of Kin by Spelkväll Games - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmMrdlVPC4M 00:02:23 - Story description and the trailer, and Norah’s thoughts on the trailer…text box speed  00:05:27 - Her interest was piqued, solving the mystery, in-game trigger warnings, and not light  00:07:40 - Mental disorders, differences between dementia and schizophrenia, and trivializing 00:10:00 - Excellent mental health focused games, and generational perspectives on sharing 00:15:27 - Life experiences with schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s disease, and the garden hose RATSHAKER™ by Sunscorched Studios - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIrYRaWOdt8 00:18:07 - A horror experiences, trademarked, and trying to be clever with the description 00:20:25 - The controls and game mechanics, a schizophrenia simulation, and the trailer  00:23:38 - Effective scares, cracking the rat for a light source, and it’s normal for horror  00:26:47 - Final thoughts on the importance of mental health awareness and empathy  *** PART 2 - Telling a story with a silent animal protagonist and opinions on Spirit of the North 2  00:30:43 - Welcome, figuring out the topic, and an appetizer for the word folklore Spirit of the North 2 by Infuse Studio - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UK3x3bmaWQA 00:31:34 - Being a fox in Iceland, similarities to Stray, and Norah’s thoughts on the game trailer 00:33:37 - The technical trailer, a disagreement on feedback, and complaining in social media 00:37:15 - Finnish folklore, Icelandic settings, a fox’s mental faculties, and game description  00:40:11 - Customizing your fox, and Ben gets excited about… VIKING HELMETS ON CATS?! 00:43:00 - Boss fights, waiting for the giant bird in the coliseum, and lots of running around 00:45:42 - Not an observant animal, a silent protagonist, and no connection to other foxes 00:49:14 - Zen and the art of being a fox, from a previous generation, and total playtime hours 00:51:21 - No detectable side-quests, de rigueur, the perspective, and some camera problems  00:53:58 - The delicate balance of game design, thoughts on adding a narrator, and beauty 00:56:00 - The internal monologue of animals, cozy camping does not exist, and show closing  *** Follow Two Vague on… Our website: https://www.twovaguepodcast.com On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/two_vague_podcast On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@twovaguepodcast On Substack: https://twovaguepodcast.substack.com/ On Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/twovaguepodcast.com For show appearance and other inquiries, contact us at: twovaguepodcast@gmail.com -AND-  …for all of your PRI and 2VP merch check out the Partly Robot Industries store at TEEPUBLIC! https://www.teepublic.com/user/partly-robot-industries *** References, Links, and Tags For more information about Next of Kin from Spelkväll Games… https://store.steampowered.com/app/3027980/Next_of_Kin/ For more information about RATSHAKER™ from Sunscorched Studios… https://sunscorchedstudios.co.uk/ratshaker https://sunscorchedstudios.co.uk/ For more Information about Spirit of the North 2 from Infuse Studio… https://www.playspiritofthenorth.com/ https://infusedstudio.com/ #Podbean #DIYPodcast #ApplePodcast #VideoGames #Trivia #Comedy #Talkshow #2VP #TwoVaguePodcast #PodernFamily #InterviewShow #GamersofThreads #Gamer #PartlyRobot #PartlyRobotIndustries #TeePublic #NextofKin #NextOfKinGame #SpelkvällGames #RATSHAKER™ #SunscorchedStudios #SpiritOfTheNorth2 #InfuseStudio 

Erik joins Ben this week to chew the fat about… math? NOPE! We’ll just insert THAT version of the definition into the title graphic instead, thank you (sorry, Norah)! However, the fellas ARE going to discuss how the word "derivative" is used in positive and negative contexts, but first a warmup—talking about their “glory days” and high school experiences. In the obligatory “What Have They Been Up To" intro, Erik shares details about what’s going on in the development of Rogue Climber, and Ben offers details and opinions about the games Spacepunk Survival and Polterguys: Possession Party. FINALLY… they move on to the definition and etymology of the word, namedrop some video games and game designers, talk about Ben’s favorite movie, and engage in other assorted conversational shenanigans. In the bonus clip, Ben tells the story of the time he said something objectively strange in a job interview.  *** 00:00:20 - Sleepy spelling, parents trying too hard, verbs and a past participle, and high school  00:03:31 - Erik’s lunchtime cartography skills, book exchange story, and not for consumption 00:07:30 - High school emulation, going to shopping malls, and game release midnight events 00:12:23 - A coffee shop stock owner, and what’s new in the world of Imaginary Game Studios 00:16:43 - Belonging in the “think tank,” opinions on Severance, and Ben likes happy endings 00:18:47 - Thoughts on relatable characters, the Coen brothers, and Erik’s watch-along idea 00:26:34 - A couple of mini-reviews—starting with Ben’s thoughts on Spacepunk Survival  00:28:34 - Fundamental insights from Sid Meier, visual novels, and reflections on PAX feedback  00:31:56 - Ben’s spit and plosive-ridden thoughts on Polterguys: Possession Party  00:33:03 - Inverse Fall Guys on a smaller scale, Ben has a powerful mouth, and final verdict 00:35:50 - A math free definition of derivative, Ben probably wouldn’t notice, and the origins 00:39:23 - Practical Creativity at the GDC, fighting games, professional critics, and perspective 00:41:42 - cynical gamers, People Can Fly games, stakes not steaks, and Cyberpunk: 2077 00:47:02 - The “brain dance” game mechanic, Ben sells the movie Brainstorm, and the lore 00:53:24 - The futures market, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, and a Cameron Frye callback 00:58:08 - Mediocre game experiences, clones, percolating, inspiration, and happy accidents 01:01:00 - The messy board, Ben’s final plea, Andrew’s one-sided feud, and the cooking show BONUS 01:03:26 - Don’t try this at home kids—Ben’s job interview story… made entirely of butter  *** Follow all the shenanigans of Imaginary Game Studios here… On their website: https://www.imaginarygamestudios.com/  On their Discord: https://discord.gg/YyDD7ECtdJ  On their YouTube channel - they post all sorts of stuff from gaming news, to gaming podcasts, to game jams, to the occasional cooking video: https://www.youtube.com/@caxtnova Follow Two Vague on… Our website: https://www.twovaguepodcast.com On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/two_vague_podcast On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@twovaguepodcast On Substack: https://twovaguepodcast.substack.com/ On Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/twovaguepodcast.com For show appearance and other inquiries, contact us at: twovaguepodcast@gmail.com -AND-  …for all of your PRI and 2VP merch check out the Partly Robot Industries store at TEEPUBLIC! https://www.teepublic.com/user/partly-robot-industries *** References, Links, and Tags Imaginary Game Studios GAMES on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2673440/Rogue_Climber/  <—- WISHLIST ME NOW!!! https://store.steampowered.com/app/2175790/Meticulous/ For information about Polterguys: Possession Party… https://www.polterguysgame.com/ For information on Spacepunk Survival… https://nejcraft.cz/games/spacepunk-survival/ #Podbean #DIYPodcast #ApplePodcast #VideoGames #Trivia #Comedy #Talkshow #2VP #TwoVaguePodcast #PodernFamily #InterviewShow #GamersofThreads #Gamer #PartlyRobot #PartlyRobotIndustries #TeePublic #ImaginaryGameStudios #SpacepunkSurvival #PolterguysPossessionParty #TavernTaleStudio #Nejcraft #Madorium #AmplifiedGames

Ben’s long time friend Jen joins the podcast this week to talk about her bread making business called Worth Her Salt Sourdough, the challenges of understanding and navigating social media as a Generation X-er, her experiences teaching from primary school to community college, how video game culture has changed in the last 50 years, and the assorted video games her four daughters played in the 90s and 2000s.  *** 00:00:20 - Jen’s business, cooking school, pirates, and showing your value… through baking 00:04:39 - Post-layoff experiences, first jobs, the DQ Q, and the Subway vs. Dairy Queen feud  00:07:32 - Pop-up sales and pickups, family help for the farmer’s markets, and hobby bakers 00:11:49 - Establishing credibility, TikTok mysteries, doomscrolling, and the cute winter boots 00:16:31 - Social media uses, Ben’s uses the wrong word, the definition, and complex origins 00:20:45 - Boy George, the sourdough starter class, and committing bacterial cultural genocide   00:23:48 - Brewing beer, kefir, the puke juice, food fermentation, and atmospheric sensitivity  00:28:48 - Inclusions, flavor and texture, managing the variables, practicing, and bulk baking 00:32:02 - Patience and precision, loaves now and then, focus on one recipe, and repetition 00:34:40 - Maintaining multiple cultures, ancient grains, waking up the starter, and bacteria  00:38:15 - Understanding the science, utilizing teaching experience, and creating the class 00:41:41 - Students sharing results, protecting the workbook, and feeding or teaching people  00:44:14 - Thoughts on doing what you love for a living, and a monetizing hobbies push segue  00:48:47 - That time pinball was illegal in Chicago—where most pinball machines were made  00:50:36 - Leave it to John E. Cassidy, TV theme songs, illegal free games, and back to Neil    00:53:27 - Crystal Lake is partially to blame, arcade player gender divides, and console culture  00:56:26 - The industry becoming more inclusive, not just for nerds anymore, and streamers  00:58:58 - Webkinz, Cooking Mama, Animal Crossing, and the Easy-Bake Kitchen PC Playset 01:03:04 - YOU HAVE DIED OF DYSENTERY, Skylanders, and getting two talkers together  01:05:39 - Final thoughts, exploring the old ways, War lyrics fact check, and be open learning   *** Follow Jen / Worth Her Salt Sourdough on… Her website: https://worthhersaltsourdough.com/ On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/worthhersalt_sourdough/ OnFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Worth-Her-Salt-Sourdough-61560240098268/ Follow Two Vague on… Our website: https://www.twovaguepodcast.com On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/two_vague_podcast On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@twovaguepodcast On Substack: https://twovaguepodcast.substack.com/ On Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/twovaguepodcast.com For show appearance and other inquiries, contact us at: twovaguepodcast@gmail.com -AND-  …for all of your PRI and 2VP merch check out the Partly Robot Industries store at TEEPUBLIC! https://www.teepublic.com/user/partly-robot-industries *** References, Links, and Tags #Podbean #DIYPodcast #ApplePodcast #VideoGames #Trivia #Comedy #Talkshow #2VP #TwoVaguePodcast #PodernFamily #InterviewShow #GamersofThreads #Gamer #TeePublic #WorthHerSaltSourdough 

Sky, one of the hosts of a men’s mental health podcast called Hey Man; It’s Ok, joins Ben this week to have a discussion about the word growth. After talking about the games they have been playing recently, they each open up a little bit and share their experiences with managing various mental health challenges and utilizing therapy. Next, they shift their focus to an exploration of how growing is handled in video games. Finally, they wrap it all up with some parting words of advice. Games mentioned by the hosts in the episode include Star Wars: Outlaws, Ghost of Tsushima, Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist, the Assassin’s Creed franchise, Baldur’s Gate 3, Split Fiction, Odin Sphere: Leifthrasir, 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim, Katamari Damacy, DORONKO WANKO, and the GROW series of Flash games. *** 00:00:20 - Cheyenne’s sibling, electric ukuleles, Hey Man; It’s OK guests, and a feline spoiler 00:04:38 - Personality Tests, Ben’s personality type, “Sucky Assassin’s Creed,” and climbing 00:10:07 - An empty open world, laser-proof animals, and playing Binary Haze’s masterpiece  00:13:12 - Sky the multi-tasking gamer, Kessel Sabacc, console exclusives, and more games 00:17:00 - Getting into the definition, Ben’s Arnold Schwarzenegger impression, and maturing  00:20:31 - Not the gross one, Sky’s connection, navigating the negatives, and processing 00:22:33 - Mostly mental, panic and anxiety, Ben’s gaggle of therapists, and new perspectives 00:25:11 - Therapy relationship dynamics, testing the connection, and a seeker of knowledge  00:28:51 - The importance of research, the relationship between Sky and math, and learning  00:30:50 - Ideas, more on personality tests, being a helper, discovering, complexity, and love 00:34:35 - Growth mechanics, Ben’s exploration, adding by subtraction, and point reallocation 00:38:01 - The re-spectre, experience points from eating food, video game logic, and the right 00:41:53 - Balls of stuff, making constellations, earworm theme song, and game experiments  00:43:52 - The spirit of clumping, Namco student development, and finding nostalgic novelty  00:45:52 - Literally in the title, Flash games from the past, growing your brain, and final words *** Follow Hey Man; It's Ok on… Their website: https://heymanitsok.com/ And their TREE o’ LINKS: https://linktr.ee/heymanitsok Follow Two Vague on… Our website: https://www.twovaguepodcast.com On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/two_vague_podcast On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@twovaguepodcast On Substack: https://twovaguepodcast.substack.com/ On Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/twovaguepodcast.com For show appearance and other inquiries, contact us at: twovaguepodcast@gmail.com -AND-  …for all of your PRI and 2VP merch check out the Partly Robot Industries store at TEEPUBLIC! https://www.teepublic.com/user/partly-robot-industries *** References, Links, and Tags Check out the The ART of Growth website to learn about Enneagrams… https://www.theartofgrowth.org/ For information on Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist, follow the link below! http://www.endermagnolia.com/en/ Find out about the amazing games from Binary Haze Interactive here… https://bhaze.com/ Check out the GROW series of games on… eyezmaze.com #Podbean #DIYPodcast #ApplePodcast #VideoGames #Trivia #Comedy #Talkshow #2VP #TwoVaguePodcast #PodernFamily #InterviewShow #GamersofThreads #Gamer #PartlyRobot #PartlyRobotIndustries #TeePublic #HeyManItsOK #TheArtofGrowth BinaryHazeInteractive #EnderMagnolia #EnderMagnoliaBloomintheMist 

VR and tabletop game designer from Small Rice Studios, Doug joins Ben this week to talk about the recently released cozy card game ROAST, which he designed along with his brother Nick (who Ben had the pleasure of meeting at PAX West 2024). Ben had some questions about the design, development, and testing of ROAST—all of which Doug is more than happy to elaborate on and discuss. They also spend some time reminiscing about the board, card, arcade, and video games of their youth. And don’t forget to stay tuned after the interview for an outtake followed by Ben’s review of Rendering Ranger: R² [Rewind]! *** 00:00:50 - Doug introduces himself and their first published game, and what is coming next 00:02:31 - Collaboration with a sibling, Doug’s love of games, and the times before UNO  The UNO was originally developed in 1971 by professional barber Merle Robbins in Reading, Ohio. The Robbins’ family raised the money to have 5,000 copies of the game made, which he sold from his barbershop. Merle Robbins later sold the rights to UNO to a group of friends headed by Robert Tezak, a funeral parlor owner in Joliet, Illinois. Tezak formed International Games, Inc., to market Uno until company was purchased by Mattel in 1992. 00:05:04 - The ROAST design idea, living off the grid, connections, and roasting marshmallows 00:06:55 - Testing tabletop games, getting constructive feedback, and finding the best strategy 00:09:50 - Micromanaging your math, opinions of Balatro, and variety is the spice of something 00:12:15 - Remembering Magic the Gathering, from chess to golf, and more about frame-rates 00:18:23 - Pinball machine legality, real-time strategy games, and it’s more than a full-time job   00:24:32 - Learning about game players, and the art of community building—online AND offline 00:26:18 - Becoming more comfortable, and donating sales to the National Park Foundation  00:27:55 - Pets doing things with intent, reconnecting with others, and climates are changing  00:32:26 - Being productive and constructive, Ben babbles, and cardboard costumes in SoCal 00:36:03 - Being a card, being odd, Democrats ruined weird, and Doug’s parting sales pitch 00:38:30 - Curated social spaces, break out the ban-hammer, THE Dug, and names as verbs  BONUS material 00:41:09 - The Marshall Mathers outtake  00:41:55 - Ben’s review of Rendering Ranger: R² [Rewind] Ben’s FINAL VERDICT for Rendering Ranger: R² [Rewind] DO BUY if… ...you want a health dose of smoothly animated, SuperNintendo nostalgia ...you want an incredibly challenging experience with excessively long levels DON’T BUY if… you’re looking for a casual, arcade style experience *** Follow Small Rice Studios and Doug on… On their website: https://www.roast-game.com On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smallricestudios On Discord: https://discord.com/invite/GSyxdBN2A7 On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DougSmallRay On YouTube: https://youtube.com/@smallricestudios And their TREE o’ LINKS: https://linktr.ee/smallricestudios Follow Two Vague on… Our website: https://www.twovaguepodcast.com On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/two_vague_podcast On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@twovaguepodcast On Substack: https://twovaguepodcast.substack.com/ On Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/twovaguepodcast.com For show appearance and other inquiries, contact us at: twovaguepodcast@gmail.com -AND-  …for all of your PRI and 2VP merch check out the Partly Robot Industries store at TEEPUBLIC! https://www.teepublic.com/user/partly-robot-industries *** References, Links, and Tags For more information about the classic Super Famicom / SNES port of the Manfred Trenz designed game Rendering Ranger: R² [Rewind] from Ziggurat Interactive, follow the link below. https://www.ziggurat.games/game/rendering-ranger-r2 #Podbean #DIYPodcast #ApplePodcast #VideoGames #Trivia #Comedy #Talkshow #2VP #TwoVaguePodcast #PodernFamily #InterviewShow #GamersofThreads #Gamer #PartlyRobot #PartlyRobotIndustries #TeePublic #SmallRiceStudios #RenderingRangerR2Rewind #ZigguratInteractiveInc #ManfredTrenz

Andrew joins Ben this week for a discussion about a particular mythical beast, cultural symbol, and imaginary icon. One in the POÄNG and one in the pandemic chair—the guys fill us in on what they have been doing lately. Andrew has been thinking about his gardening hobby, researching a method for aging stainless steel, and creating all sorts of artsy things for his Advanced Dungeons Have Dragons pin Crowdfundr campaign. Ben has been pondering what he’s going to do for the April Fools' Day episode this year and playing Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist (compliments of Binary Haze Interactive). Once they have concluded with the pleasantries, they enter… THE DRAGON! Together, they offer up a smorgasbord of pop culture ramblings and video game nonsense, including how their AD&D experiences shaped their creative natures. Then they navigate through a movie and music pop-culture-ridden obstacle course until they arrive at their video game destination. Andrew talks about Adventure for the Atari 2600, and Ben talks about one of the first laserdisc arcade games created in part by a former Disney artist and animator.  *** 00:00:20 - A welcoming, the new threats, invest in leach farms, and Behind the Bastards 00:03:13 - Andrew left speechless on sadistics, Senator astronauts, and making it non-binary  00:07:33 - Stickers on Cybertrucks, rusting solutions for planters, and no library garlic this year 00:09:51 - The best kind of orchids, pro tips, the introduction is dragging, and the ADHD pin 00:12:58 - An ADHD Valentines Day, test printing for coffee mugs, and the AD&D pickup line 00:15:20 - Color printing wheels, and Ben has been playing Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist 00:18:02 - Not from Altoona, Mango is a Flerken, attention… dragons, and the ADHD pin origin 00:21:35 - Ben offends bowlers, no calisthenics before bowling, and "Trogdor the Burninator" Strong Bad Email #58 - Dragon - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90X5NJleYJQ 00:23:50 - Another derogatory definition, Blair and the kaiju, and the word use blame game 00:28:07 - Taking back weird, tabletop lore, playing alone, and D&D method acting connections 00:32:29 - AARP Drews, rigorous screening, dragon drawing, and Pete’s cost cutting measures 00:35:37 - Ariel is NOT dragon, movie audio n’ picture books, H.R. Pufnstuf, and more puppets 00:39:13 - Reign of Fire, the power of friendship, Eric’s movie list, and they aren’t all Zardoz 00:42:38 - Urge Overkill’s “last” album, Andrew takes Ben’s word for it, and Dragon & Tennille 00:46:45 - Imagine dragons bowling again, the Hot Hail button, and Andrew’s game Adventure 00:50:05 - The 2600 difficulty switch, Double Dragon, and Ben’s oblique perspective art lesson 00:52:40 - The laserdisc game Dragon’s Lair, Ben’s encounters, and bully shutdown techniques 00:56:10 - Brainstorm trivia, cautionary tales, Kai Winn, Don Bluth, and chicken-fried steak *** Follow Andrew / Partly Robot Industries on… His website: https://partlyrobot.com/ On Instagram: https://instagram.com/partlyrobot On TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@partlyrobot On Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/partlyrobot.com On Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/partlyrobot And his TREE o’ LINKS: http://linktr.ee/partlyrobot Andrew’s latest Crowdfundr campaign has concluded, but please check out his assorted storefronts listed in his LinkTree above and his Partly Robot Industries store at TEEPUBLIC! https://www.teepublic.com/user/partly-robot-industries Follow Two Vague on… Our website: https://www.twovaguepodcast.com On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/two_vague_podcast On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@twovaguepodcast On Substack: https://substack.com/@twovaguepodcast On Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/twovaguepodcast.com For show appearance and other inquiries, contact us at: twovaguepodcast@gmail.com *** References, Links, and Tags For information on Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist, follow the link below! http://www.endermagnolia.com/en/ Find out about the amazing games from Binary Haze Interactive here… https://bhaze.com/ #Podbean #DIYPodcast #ApplePodcast #VideoGames #Trivia #Comedy #Talkshow #2VP #TwoVaguePodcast #PodernFamily #InterviewShow #GamersofThreads #Gamer #PartlyRobot #PartlyRobotIndustries #ADHD #Autism #AdvancedDungeonsHaveDragons #TeePublic #BinaryHazeInteractive #EnderMagnolia #EnderMagnoliaBloomintheMist #StrongBadEmail #Crowdfundr