The Two Vague Podcast

This week Ben recounts his second-day experiences at PAX West this year. Along with a pair of wonderful interview segments, this episode features a video game-centric soliloquy about aardvark heroes, video pinball games and simulators, a bevy of facts about foreign and domestic mechanical pinball machines, Eric Sloane’s illustrated works, and living off the land in nature with a talking campfire. *** 00:00:29 - Nerder She Wrote, Cubicorn Games, Super Cucumber, and Steam page deets 00:04:25 - An interview with Dustin about Cubicorn’s latest game Super Cucumber 00:19:51 - Pinball-inspired video games, lots of Zaccaria trivia, and video pinball thoughts 00:25:30 - Generations of tables, feels like a money grab, and Ben’s favorite simulators  00:29:05 - Current manufacturers, meeting the Stern creative team, and table tier breakdown 00:32:36 - An interview with Keith Elwin, the designer of the Fallout pinball machine by Stern 00:42:06 - Little Buffalo Studios, Eric Sloane art memories, and an Akiiwan game summary 00:46:27 - Fin *** 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 appearances and other inquiries, contact us at [email protected] -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 Super Cucumber by Cubicorn Games and marketed by Nerder She Wrote https://www.nerdershewrote.com/ https://cubicorngames.com/Default.aspx https://store.steampowered.com/app/522290/Super_Cucumber/ https://youtu.be/xaHBX25uFNc?si=2QJaOTsKsyK3dYrs The Fallout pinball machine by Stern Pinball https://www.sternpinball.com/game/fallout/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDKsGeBKF94 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SquqtbOZRw Akiiwan: Relaxing Survival by Little Buffalo Studios https://littlebuffalostudios.com/ https://store.steampowered.com/app/3673960/Akiiwan_Relaxing_Survival/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tISMFb-mqaY   #Podbean #DIYPodcast #ApplePodcast #VideoGames #Trivia #Comedy #Talkshow #2VP #TwoVaguePodcast #InterviewShow #Gamer #PartlyRobot #PartlyRobotIndustries #CubicornGames #SuperCucumber #SternPinball #AkiiwanRelaxingSurvival #LittleBuffaloStudios #PAXWest #PAXWest2026

This week Ben recounts his first-day experiences at PAX West this year. Along with a pair of wonderful interview segments, this episode features a video game-centric soliloquy about team soccer, raising a child playing with blocks from twisted reality, a classically animated point-and-click adventure, a gaggle of clowns, and film noir-ish adventures in a floating 30s-era New York City.  *** 00:00:29 - An introduction, finding a museum, and exploring the Seattle Pinball Museum 00:03:48 - FreeStyle Football 2, a friendly face, a nostalgic booth, a large gift, and a description 00:09:07 - FreeStyle Football 2 interviews with Chan, Jay, and Brian 00:23:23 - Blocks for Babies, combined styles, meeting Dan and Noah, and a Steam summary  00:26:49 - War of the Western Deep, tickling brains, playing the demo, and Alex’s word ideas 00:31:00 - Clowntown, reluctant enjoyment, in the company of strangers, and joining a circus 00:35:36 - Aether & Iron, brief game details, and straight into the interviews  00:37:13 - Aether & Iron interviews with Jay, Gary, and Josh from Seismic Squirrel 01:04:37 - Fin *** 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 appearances and other inquiries, contact us at [email protected] -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 Seattle Pinball Museum https://seattlepinballmuseum.com/ FreeStyle Football 2 developed by Woore and published by Joycity https://store.steampowered.com/app/4004820/FreeStyle_Football_2/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_2nidtlWZ0 Blocks for Babies by BunkSoft Interactive LLC https://store.steampowered.com/app/2776770/Blocks_for_Babies/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVhTiO8xdXo War of the Western Deep by Sunsgrove Studios https://sunsgrove.games/war-of-the-western-deep https://store.steampowered.com/app/2976440/War_of_the_Western_Deep/ https://youtu.be/fbnTH5nK6tU?si=h7KwLMPRM2hCrqIW Clowntown from Batterystaple Games https://store.steampowered.com/app/3680200/Clowntown/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwtlgTF55-0 Aether & Iron by Seismic Squirrel  https://store.steampowered.com/app/1836560/Aether__Iron/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYkoQo3lJPE #Podbean #DIYPodcast #ApplePodcast #VideoGames #Trivia #Comedy #Talkshow #2VP #TwoVaguePodcast #InterviewShow #GamersofThreads #Gamer #PartlyRobot #PartlyRobotIndustries #SeattlePinballMuseum #FreeStyleFootball2 #Woore #Joycity #BlocksForBabies #BunkSoftInteractiveLLC #WarOfTheWesternDeep #SunsgroveStudios #Clowntown #BatterystapleGames #AetherAndIron SeismicSquirrel #PAXWest #PAXWest2026

Zine maker and brand new friend of the pod Sully (aka Kaiju Cabal on the socials) joins the program this week for a wrap-up of Ben’s PAX West 2026 attendance shenanigans! It’s rather serendipitous that Sully keeps a list of words, loves to pick things apart, is genuinely curious, and has tons of questions about stuff. After an introduction to Sully focusing on their late-age autism diagnosis and their chosen artistic medium, they explore the stacks of Polaroid photographs and piles of tchotchkes Ben collected for each day of PAX this year.  *** 00:00:20 - An introduction to Sully from the hotel studio, wet spiders, and a mom draws a line 00:04:05 - Diagnosed as autistic, food and spoons, invitations to engage, and Andrew’s project  00:11:14 - Sometimes making connections takes work, curious brains, and humble PAX origins 00:14:54 - Piles of stuff, Polaroid photographs, weirdly shaped potatoes, and pictures of dinner 00:17:57 - Clowntown time traveling, wanting to punch someone, and going on a no-fun run 00:21:56 - Appreciating the concept, fun allergies, Jackbox inspirations, and being whimsical 00:25:36 - Pandemic party game popularity, required skillsets, and feeding the hippopotamus  00:29:30 - Let’s talk about thumb drives, taking down the RIGHT system, and a miscalculation 00:34:18 - Ben’s audible, Blocks for Babies summary, some CPS concerns, and the Cenobites 00:40:07 - EpiPen for fun, War of the Western Deep, the Don Bluth style, and player choices 00:43:03 - Ether or Aether, Car Wars combat, Ben’s delayed answer, and meeting the team 00:52:40 - Reviewing day 2 materials, misidentifying an olive, and meeting some game legends 00:56:32 - Pinball legality, Dr. Pepper story, sailboat pinball, and niche Halloween costumes 01:01:06 - Super Cucumber, a husband and wife duo, collaborations, and being the arbiter 01:04:31 - The Fallout pinball machine, watching the show, the art, and testing the mechanics 01:09:44 - That never happens, not Mannequin, the Pinball 2000 concept, and George Gomez 01:12:52 - Intrigued by cult paraffinalia, Ladder Lad trailer impressions, and ladders on stairs 01:17:29 - Johnson and Dan, a BYOCRT console, and teasing the best business card winner 01:21:49 - Verb names, Sully’s description of Ty’s business card, and working-class symbols 01:23:55 - DESOLUS, architecture and portals, a layman’s trailer critique, and angel accuracy 01:26:59 - Flamecraft, Monster Couch’s focus, cute artisan dragons, and you had me at cats *** 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 appearances and other inquiries, contact us at [email protected] -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 Clowntown from Batterystaple Games https://store.steampowered.com/app/3680200/Clowntown/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwtlgTF55-0 Blocks for Babies by BunkSoft Interactive LLC https://store.steampowered.com/app/2776770/Blocks_for_Babies/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVhTiO8xdXo War of the Western Deep by Sunsgrove Studios https://store.steampowered.com/app/2976440/War_of_the_Western_Deep/ https://youtu.be/fbnTH5nK6tU?si=h7KwLMPRM2hCrqIW Aether & Iron by Seismic Squirrel  https://store.steampowered.com/app/1836560/Aether__Iron/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYkoQo3lJPE Super Cucumber by Cubicorn Games https://store.steampowered.com/app/522290/Super_Cucumber/ https://youtu.be/xaHBX25uFNc?si=XJBf7EK5egZzk3Na The Fallout pinball machine by Stern Pinball https://www.sternpinball.com/game/fallout/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SquqtbOZRw Ladder Lad by BUCK Games and Antfood https://store.steampowered.com/app/3871300/Ladder_Lad/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYoFajn-T00 A Corgi’s Cozy Hike by Scalisco  https://scalisco.com/ https://steamcommunity.com/app/2321250 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOugyq_-W_I DESOLUS by Mark J. Mayres  https://www.desolus.com/ https://store.steampowered.com/app/1003460/DESOLUS/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39KXUVp9U4M Flamecraft by Monster Couch  https://www.monstercouch.com/ https://store.steampowered.com/app/3201730/Flamecraft/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c74E9d4LvKo #Podbean #DIYPodcast #ApplePodcast #VideoGames #Trivia #Comedy #Talkshow #2VP #TwoVaguePodcast #PodernFamily #InterviewShow #GamersofThreads #Gamer #PartlyRobot #PartlyRobotIndustries #TeePublic #MicrocosmPublishing #PAXWest #MonsterCouch #Flamecraft #MarkMayres #DESOLUS #Scalisco #ACorgisCozyHike #BUCKGames #Antfood #LadderLad #FalloutPinball #SternPinball #SuperCucumber #CubicornGames #AretherAndIron #SesmicSquirrel #WarOfTheWesternDeep #SunsgroveStudios #BunkSoftInteractiveLLC #BlocksForBabies #Clowntown #BatterystapleGames

How’s it going, eh? Prepare yourself mentally and physically for Andrew and Ben to drop a lot of movie quotes this episode. You have been warned! After a little improvisational bit where they channel their inner Bob and Doug McKenzie, Andrew fills us in about his latest creative efforts and the recent suspension of his feud with Christopher Nolan, which he commemorated using a delivery of bark mulch to cover the former location of a rat-infested shed. Next, Ben talks about two very different games that he completed recently: Pragmata and Mixtape. When they FINALLY get into the word, they talk about the movie Strange Brew and how the story was inspired by a particular Shakespearean tragedy. To close the show, they reminisce about their former jobs at local and not-so-local coffee shops before Ben talks about playing the pumpkin spice latte-inspired game Strange Brew, developed by Electric Monk Media. *** 00:00:19 - Thrown by the buddy, all the bowling alleys, 24 hrs of productivity, and funding news 00:02:59 - The PAX octagon, Elvis Costello, finishing the anthology, and a guy has a meat hand 00:06:48 - A suspended feud, a little slapdash, wrangling snakes, on a list, and The Odyssey 00:09:53 - Palindromes in film, Robert Patterson, and the Christopher Nolan Feud Memorial 00:12:52 - Helen of Troy, sleepy noise, poems, stop yelling, and Andrew’s late rat shed update 00:18:04 - Ben finished Pragmata, pregnancy trends, and how video game electricity works  00:25:32 - Mixtape thoughts, internet opinions, an uninteresting trailer, and coming of age 00:32:47 - The Artful Escape, to a lesser extent, masquerading as nostalgia, and an impression 00:36:48 - Andrew tops off, Ben bought an electric kettle, grits, and a beer book for Andrew 00:38:56 - False expectations, fractions of caffeination, Cheyenne cheers, and Google changes 00:41:52 - Straight to Merriam-Webster, take that robots, and fomenting or contriving coffee 00:43:37 - Possibly offensive to verbs, generationally appropriate songs, and the theater kids 00:47:16 - As if, vending machine coffee, Ngram theories, amazing tees, and Strange Brew 00:53:25 - Percent Canadian, Clif and Marty’s Talking Pondo, and Shakespearean connections 00:59:53 - Using all the drinking water in Utah, the Claude AI incident, and meat-body bound 01:03:16 - Enough with the steeping, brew bros, Rosencrantz & Guildenstern, and Mel Blanc 01:06:45 - The electric monk, a particular coffee place, and sometimes it’s just a mermaid 01:09:03 - Barista stories from Cuppuccinos, all the vaccines, the MacGuffin, and reasonable  01:15:08 - Andrew’s thoughts on the trailer, customer service, and pumpkin spice zombies 01:17:38 - Perpetuating your apathy, Andrew’s favorite game right now, and gamification 01:20:55 - Rolling dice in day-to-day life, the tea tannins, final quotes, and the joy of Biscoff 01:25:22 - More positive jazz numbers, Uncle John, and a baby CJ cuteness sign-off *** 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 Check out Andrew’s latest book and supplemental card deck here… The ADHD FAQ: Understand and Embrace Your Brain, from Diagnosis to Everyday Life - https://microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/books/62918 ADHD Coping Skills Deck - https://microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/decks/69501 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: [email protected] -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 friends of the pod, Talking Pondo… but specifically, the episode that Ben and Andrew appeared on where they talked about the movies Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead and Strange Brew https://www.buzzsprout.com/2030901 https://www.buzzsprout.com/2030901/episodes/19420748-strange-brew-and-rosencrantz-guildenstern-are-dead-talking-shakespeare For more information about Strange Brew, developed and published by Electric Monk Media… https://www.strangebrewthegame.com/ https://store.steampowered.com/app/3499670/Strange_Brew/ https://youtu.be/QeRAidGynCY?si=CTeBKB9anQd7EzSC #Podbean #DIYPodcast #ApplePodcast #VideoGames #Trivia #Comedy #Talkshow #2VP #TwoVaguePodcast #PodernFamily #InterviewShow #GamersofThreads #Gamer #PartlyRobot #PartlyRobotIndustries #TeePublic #MicrocosmPublishing #TheADHDFAQ #ADHDCopingSkills #NerdEmergencies #TalkingPondo #StrangeBrew #StrangeBrewGame #ElectricMonkMedia

Faith joins Ben this week to discuss the premise of the latest book she has been writing, which involves a pandemic-era social media scrolling phenomenon. The two Gen Xers talk about her origins in an assortment of social need-based therapy disciplines, her career development and research activities, and how she is working with Microcosm Publishing to help amplify neurodiverse voices and perspectives. They wrap up the episode with an exploration of the game Ultimate Grandma Simulator, a quick chat about how games have the potential to subtly teach in addition to providing entertainment, and a couple book recommendations. *** 00:00:20 - Twelve-year-old boy humor, Faith’s introduction, promises made, and promises kept 00:04:34 - Back when we funded things, conversion, community services potpourri, and books 00:09:46 - Connecting with Andrew, lived experience, ragtag band, and focus of the new book 00:12:43 - Moral injury forms, betrayal, indigenous ancestral origin, and liberation psychology 00:17:49 - Supporting community as a coping strategy, and focusing on what you can change 00:21:04 - The Intimacy Doctor, reframing shadow work, and keeping San Antonio quietly cool 00:26:25 - Dictionary choices, airplane fears unlocked, the 90s were amazing, and ticket costs 00:33:09 - Echo and the Bunnymen, angry philosophers, and the nuclear war fear of the 1980s 00:40:43 - Finding hope, piles of books & cats, and does doom get better or worse with age?  00:45:06 - A fond memory of critical thinking, simulating grandmothers, and avoiding vacuums  00:48:34 - Therapist feedback, a joke in a joke, learning from games, and a book suggestion 00:52:44 - Fiction is lying, Ben remembers, there IS cussing, people know, and a BONUS bit *** 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: [email protected] -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 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 *** References, Links, and Tags For more information about Faith Harper and her wonderful books (wherein she isn’t afraid to drop an f-bomb or twelve)… https://www.faithgharper.com/ https://microcosmpublishing.com/ For more information about Ultimate Grandma Simulator, developed by Circo and PlumPointTwo and published by We Don't Have A Studio…  https://store.steampowered.com/app/3511870/Ultimate_Grandma_Simulator/ https://youtu.be/A8fKlNNy_vM?si=ewSwZAcf8ARopOG9 #Podbean #DIYPodcast #ApplePodcast #VideoGames #Trivia #Comedy #Talkshow #2VP #TwoVaguePodcast #PodernFamily #InterviewShow #GamersofThreads #Gamer #PartlyRobot #PartlyRobotIndustries #TeePublic #MicrocosmPublishing #TheIntimacyDoctor #FaithGHarper #UltimateGrandmaSimulator #Circo #PlumPointTwo #WeDontHaveAStudio