Tales from the Backlog

Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog Dave recaps 13 indie games that he played on the PAX East 2026 show floor. TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Intro 0:25 The Secret of Weepstone 2:05 Throwback! Jai-Alai Heroes 2:59 Canvas City 3:51 DREADMOOR 5:03 Fractured Blooms 6:20 GNAW 7:31 Valor Mortis 8:32 Well Dweller 9:39 Never's End 11:17 ZWAARD 12:15 Project Lexa 13:37 Backyard Baseball 15:20 Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon 16:31 Wrap-Up 17:06 More Indie Game Coverage! 17:52 Outro and How to Support Game links: The Secret of Weepstone- https://store.steampowered.com/app/3702100/The_Secret_of_Weepstone/ Throwback! Jai-Alai Heroes- https://www.astrocrow.com/throwback Canvas City https://store.steampowered.com/app/3226830/Canvas_City/ DREADMOOR https://store.steampowered.com/app/3629430/DREADMOOR/ Fractured Blooms https://store.steampowered.com/app/3730310/Fractured_Blooms/ GNAW https://store.steampowered.com/app/2306490/GNAW/ Valor Mortis https://store.steampowered.com/app/2828710/Valor_Mortis/ Well Dweller https://store.steampowered.com/app/3699590/Well_Dweller/ Never's End https://store.steampowered.com/app/1999930/Nevers_End/ ZWAARD https://store.steampowered.com/app/2251170/ZWAARD/ Project Lexa https://store.steampowered.com/app/3162890/Project_Lexa/ Backyard Baseball https://store.steampowered.com/app/3935020/Backyard_Baseball/ Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon https://store.steampowered.com/app/1466060/Tainted_Grail_The_Fall_of_Avalon/ Music used: High Above the Land (The Flying Machine)- Jake Kaufman (Shovel Knight) Various tracks from The 16-Bit Starter Pack, composed by Bert Cole [bitbybitsound.com](bitbybitsound.com) For more PAX and indie game coverage, check out: https://theindieinformer.com/ https://www.sixoneindie.com/ https://nosmallgames.com/ https://funandgames.libsyn.com/ https://youtube.com/@crossplayconvos https://youtube.com/@danomak https://leftbehindgame.club/ https://youtube.com@NOLAnerdcast https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/pixelspectrum/ https://www.gamesandwich.com/ https://www.buzzsprout.com/747596 https://kzum.org/podcasts/underplayed/ https://youtube.com@CGDannyB https://youtube.com@Kimchica https://bossrush.net/ https://passthecontroller.io/ https://www.gamerheadspodcast.com/ https://www.youtube.com/@PSTrophyRoom https://datewithuspodcast.podbean.com/ https://epiloguegaming.com/ https://somanygames.co.uk/ https://dotzip.online/ https://skyboxcritics.com/ https://www.quitthebuild.com/1h1d Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures

Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog Join Dave and guest Travis Colenutt on their language-learning journey up the tower in Chants of Sennaar (Rundisc, Focus Entertainment, 2023). What do our languages say about our culture, and how can learning another language change the way we see the world? All of this and more in the discussion! Guest info: Travis Colenutt (he/him) Check out Left Behind Game Club https://leftbehindgame.club/ Follow on Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/traviscolenutt.bsky.social TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Title Card 0:21 Introductions 4:53 Why Did We Play Chants of Sennaar? 9:50 Top-Level Thoughts About Chants of Sennaar 16:06 Story and Language Learning Setup 28:00 Using Language to Make Progress 33:40 Learning About Culture Via Languages 39:04 Making Connections Via Languages 48:02 Stealth In My Puzzle Game? 53:58 Visuals, Music and Sound 1:08:31 Do We Recommend? 1:11:17 Left Behind Game Club 1:15:10 Spoiler Wall & Patron Thank-Yous 1:17:34 Spoilers- The Devotees & Warriors 1:40:05 Spoilers- The Bards & Alchemists 1:55:32 Spoilers- The Anchorites & Ending Music used in the episode is credited to Thomas Brunet. Tracks used: The Call, Out of the Cavern and into the Light, Catch Me!, Envers, Bonds Reforged Catch Dave on Nostalgium Arcanum talking about Rocky https://nostalgiumarcanum.fireside.fm/ Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures

Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog Join Dave and guest Bryan Skursha as they deep dive Death Howl (The Outer Zone, 11 Bit Studios, 2025) on their journey through the underworld to find out what the hell a soulslike deckbuilder even is. Brutal turn-based combat, a story about grieving and a mother's love, and all the fucked up guys a gamer could ask for. Listen in to find out more! Guest info: Bryan Skursha (he/him) Check out Pixelated Playgrounds https://www.pixelatedplaygrounds.com/ Follow on BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/bsushi.bsky.social TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Title Card 0:18 Introductions 5:39 Our Histories with Death Howl 10:50 Top-Level Thoughts 15:42 Story Setup 23:58 Dreamy, Hazy Visuals and Sound 40:01 Combat Basics and Deckbuilding Strategy 54:58 Is It Soulslike? 1:05:00 Open-Ended Structure and Side Quests 1:10:22 Combat Depth 1:16:40 Who Should Play Death Howl? 1:19:00 Pixelated Playgrounds 1:22:55 Spoiler Wall & Patron Thank-Yous 1:24:58 Spoilers- Favorite Areas, Bosses, Decks 1:41:00 Spoilers- Final Area and Final Bosses 1:55:46 Spoilers- Story Discussion Music used in the episode is credited to Chris Bjørumslet & Malte Burup. Tracks used: Death Howl, Olvi, Shadows of Rot, Cantharsis, Meadows of Delusion, Moon Eel, Ever Since Your Heart Stopped Beating Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures

Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog Join Dave and special guest Josh Leslie as they discuss Skate Story, developed by Sam Eng and published by Devolver Digital in 2025. How does the skating compare to touchstone games like Tony Hawk's Pro Skater or skate.? How does its poetic storytelling land? How do the aesthetics enhance other aspects of the game? All this and more- enjoy! Guest info: Josh Leslie (he/him) Check out IndieQuest podcast https://indiequest.buzzsprout.com/ Check out The Monthly Mishap podcast https://monthlymishap.buzzsprout.com/ TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Title Card 0:21 Introductions 5:00 Our Histories with Skate Story 9:05 Top-Level Thoughts 16:00 Story Setup and Poetic Storytelling 23:42 Open Zones and City Life 27:58 Visuals and Music 41:00 Skating and Downhill Sections 50:48 Boss Encounters and Challenges 59:43 Plan and Perform 1:03:30 Recommendations 1:07:13 Josh's Work- IndieQuest and The Monthly Mishap 1:11:34 Spoiler Wall & Patron Thank-Yous 1:13:21 Spoilers- Eating the Moons 1:31:08 Spoilers- Emotional Arc & Interpretations 1:50:20 Spoilers- Final Boss and Ending 1:56:32 Spoilers- We Still Exist Music used in the episode: Collapsing, Like Clouds Into Smoke (Blood Cultures), Where the City Can't See (Blood Cultures), Redvoid (John Fio), Lyceum (John Fio), Alcian Blue (Blood Cultures), Hole in the Sun (Blood Cultures), Godhook (John Fio) Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures

Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog Bioshock is a title that carries weight, nearly 20 years after its 2007 release by 2K Boston and 2K Australia, and it feels like one that every gaming podcast eventually talks about. And hey, it's our turn this time- Bioshock has long been a favorite of mine that I've revisited through the years. But when put under the Tales from the Backlog microscope, does it hold up under pressure or does it spring a leak? Listen in to find out. Guest info: Joseph Hooper (he/him) Check out Crossplay Conversations https://www.youtube.com/@crossplayconvos Check out Can't Pause on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@cantpause Check out Player Player https://playerplayerpod.com/ TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Title Card 0:26 Introductions 5:25 Our Histories with Bioshock 9:20 Top-Level Thoughts 14:25 Story Setup 21:30 Learning Backstory Via Audio Logs 26:40 Rapture and Ideology 35:18 Big Daddies, Little Sisters and Moral Choices 44:24 Combat Mechanics 54:00 Some Immersive Sim DNA 1:03:29 Combat Balance & Difficulty 1:13:26 Visual Design and Music/Sound 1:22:27 Who Do We Recommend Bioshock To? 1:24:38 Joseph's Podcasts and YouTube Channel 1:28:26 Spoiler Wall and Patron Thank-Yous 1:30:13 Spoilers- Would You Kindly? and Fontaine 1:44:48 Spoilers- Rapture's Downfall 2:01:37 Spoilers- Other Major Players 2:14:00 Spoilers- Big Daddy and Endings Music used in the episode is credited to Garry Schyman unless otherwise noted. Tracks used: Under the Sea (Bobby Darin), Welcome to Rapture, Mr. Bubbles - Little Sister, Dancers on a String (Reprise), Through the Docks, Cohen's Masterpiece, Leaving Rapture Gameplay footage used with permission from World of Longplays on YouTube, gameplay by Spazbo4. www.longplays.org Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures

Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog I always tend to take note when a game from previous generations gets a remaster and the general consensus is "hell yeah, finally!", which just so happened to be the case when Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective (Capcom, 2010) got the HD treatment in 2023. The DS is a real blind spot for me, as are the works of ShuTakumi, so this has been on my backlog list for a while now. Listen in to find out how my guest and I felt about it! Guest info: Steve aka Blinkoom (he/him) Check out IndieQuest podcast https://polymedianetwork.com/indiequest Check out Polykill podcast https://polymedianetwork.com/podcast Check out Steve's YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@Blinkoom Follow Steve on Twitch https://www.twitch.tv/blinkoom TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Title Card 0:21 Introductions 5:37 Our Histories with Ghost Trick 9:20 Top-Level Thoughts About Ghost Trick 13:26 Story Setup 19:11 Ghost Tricks and Puzzles 37:16 Where Does the Charm Come From? 49:35 Handheld Console Pacing 55:09 Closing Thoughts and Recommendations 1:01:10 Steve's Work 1:04:54 Spoiler Wall and Patron Thank-Yous 1:06:38 Spoilers- Favorite Levels/Puzzles 1:22:50 Spoilers- More Story Thoughts 1:34:15 Spoilers- Big Mysteries and Reveals 1:43:21 Spoilers- Ending Music used in the episode is credited to Masakazu Sugimori. Tracks used: Ghost Trick, Prologue, Cabanela, Lynn ~ A Targeted Redhead, 4 Minutes Before Death, The Last Desperate Struggle, Epilogue ~ The End of the "Night" Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures

Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog Ghost of Tsushima (2020) was one of my favorite games of that year, and happens to be episode 2(!!) of this podcast, an early game that screamed to me "you should talk about this into a microphone for 2+ hours). That being the case, Sucker Punch's follow-up, Ghost of Yotei, was an instant day-one buy. And while the things I expected to impress were great, there were certain aspects of the game that felt worse to me than Tsushima's version. Did I change over the past five years? Did the game adjust to industry trends? A secret third answer? All of this is part of the discussion, so I hope you enjoy it! Guest info: Jacob Price (he/him) Check out The Pre-Order Bonus podcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/747596 Check out Jake's reviews at So Many Games https://somanygames.co.uk/ Follow on Twitch https://www.twitch.tv/chipdip18 Follow on BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/chipdip.bsky.social TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Title Card 0:23 Introductions 5:18 Our Histories With This Series/Game 9:24 Opening Thoughts About Ghost of Yotei 18:50 Story Setup, Atsu and Revenge Stories 26:59 Presentation and Comparisons to Westerns 35:24 A Well-Made Known Commodity and Further Worldbuilding 49:51 Open World Design and Reward Structure 1:10:23 Stealth and Clearing Camps 1:16:33 Duels and Boss Fights 1:31:45 Closing Thoughts 1:37:34 The Pre-Order Bonus and So Many Games 1:42:12 Spoiler Wall and Patron Thank-Yous 1:44:02 Spoiler Section- The Onryo and Ghost Connections 1:57:56 The Snake, The Oni and The Kitsune 2:14:46 The Spider, The Dragon and Saito Music used in the episode is credited to Toma Otowa: Ghost of Yotei, The Yotei Six, The Wrath of the Ghost, The Wilds of Ezo, Battle No.3, Battle No.1, Atsu's Theme Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures

Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog The Pokémon franchise got a long-awaited shakeup with 2022's Legends: Arceus, changing the game structure, catching and battling mechanics and setting. But now that Legends has become its own subseries with 2025's Legends: Z-A, all eyes were on its own innovations and changes, such as the new real-time battle system and one-city setting. Check out the discussion for our thoughts on all of it! Guest info: Kenneth Shepard (he/him) Check out Ken's work at Kotaku https://kotaku.com/author/kennethshepard Check out Normandy FM podcast https://soundcloud.com/normandyfm Follow on BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/shepardcdr.bsky.social TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Title Card 0:22 Introductions 4:15 Our Histories with Pokémon 7:10 Opening Thoughts about Pokémon Legends Z-A 16:56 Story Setup & Connections to X&Y 21:29 Our Starter Pokémon, Wild Zones & Lumiose City 43:04 New Battle System, Mega Battles and Battle Zones 1:02:47 Ken's Work at Kotaku and Normandy FM 1:05:52 Spoiler Wall and Patron Thank-Yous 1:08:26 Spoiler Section- Our Final Teams & Connections to Certain Pokémon 1:13:52 Dungeons and Story Chat 1:29:57 Endgame and Ending Music used in the episode has a large ensemble of composers and no individualized credits at this time. All credits to Game Freak and The Pokémon Company. Tracks used: Lumiose City (Day), Battle Zone, Trainer Battle, Lumiose City (Night), Hotel Z, Battle! Vs Trainer (Z-A Royale) Check out Dave on Pages of Play for "The Meeting of the Makers"- https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mom-the-meeting-of-makers/id1755937349?i=1000749250884 Chekc out Dave on Underplayed for Hollow Knight: Silksong- https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/underplayed/id1606954029 Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures

Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog Goodnight Universe had a lot to live up to as the spiritual successor to Before Your Eyes, utilizing the same innovative webcam-based gameplay mechanics to tell a story...about a psychic baby? Well, the premise sounded weird but these creators had earned my trust, and it turns out that this might be the perfect way to play as a baby in a video game. Goodnight Universe turned out to be interesting, if not great, and won me over in a few key ways. Check out the discussion for more! Guest info: Jill Grodt (she/her) Read Jill's work at The Indie Informer https://the-indie-in-former.com/ Find The Indie Council podcast here https://www.youtube.com/@theindieinformer TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Title Card 0:30 Introductions 8:01 Our Histories with Goodnight Universe 11:51 Opening Thoughts About Goodnight Universe 17:49 Story Setup, Characters and "The Cave" 31:28 Camera Tracking Tech & Gameplay 41:06 What Didn't Work? 52:28 Closing Thoughts and Recommendations 55:36 The Indie Informer 59:27 Spoiler Wall and Patron Thank-Yous 1:01:00 Spoiler Section- Big Reveals 1:27:35 Spoiler Section- The Family Music used in the episode is credited to Oliver Lewin. Tracks used: Homecoming, A New Channel, Normal Boy, Being Orson, Your Room Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures

Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog In the eyes of many football fans, 2004 was the greatest year for football games. It also happened to be the last year before EA secured the exclusive rights to the NFL license, leaving many fans wishing we could go back to the way things were back then, and we were left with two games that many consider to be some of the best sports games ever made- Madden 2005 (EA Tiburon) and ESPN NFL 2K5 (Visual Concepts). 20+ years later, which game stands on top? That's what we aim to decide in this episode! Guest info: Chris Coplien (he/him) and Adam Gumbert (he/him) Check out Chris on all things Retro Hangover https://linktr.ee/retrohangover Check out Adam on The Tier List: A Video Game Podcast https://www.youtube.com/@AdamGumby Check out Adam on Respawn, Aim, Fire https://www.youtube.com/@respawnaimfire TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Title Card 0:16 Introductions 4:22 Personal Histories 12:51 Our Real-Life Football Fandom 24:15 Head-to-Head: Gameplay 48:40 Head-to-Head: Gameday Presentation 1:05:24 Head-to-Head: Game Modes 1:22:50 The Final Decision 1:33:28 Respawn Aim Fire, The Tier List: A Video Game Podcast, Retro Hangover 1:38:37 Patron Thank-Yous Social Media: BlueSky- https://bsky.app/profile/tftblpod.bsky.social Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/talesfromthebacklog/ Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures

Want more Dark Souls 2 podcasts? Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog Every beloved series has its black sheep- Mario has Sunshine, Zelda has the DS games, and Dark Souls has Dark Souls 2. But to me, the things that make Dark Souls 2 divisive are the things that make it interesting. Not every new decision is a home run, but they're all ripe for discussion. And hey, good thing we have this podcast! And it's episode 200! Guest info: Ryan Batie (they/them) Check out the Pitch Drop Network https://pitchdrop.net/ Get bonus Pitch Drop shows via their Patreon https://www.patreon.com/c/pitchdrop TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Title Card 0:15 Introductions 7:18 Our Histories with Dark Souls 11:19 Opening Thoughts about Dark Souls 2 18:51 Story and Themes Setup- Memory, Hollowing, World Design 30:26 More Theme Setup 35:51 Vibes, Atmosphere and Music 43:37 Examining Gameplay Changes 1:22:18 DLCs, Multiplayer and Comedy 1:31:42 Closing Thoughts and Recommendations 1:34:25 Lightning Strikes Thrice Podcast & Pitch Drop Network 1:39:33 Spoiler Wall and Patron Thank-Yous 1:41:18 Spoiler Section- Trouble Areas 1:52:00 Spoiler Section- Vendrick's Story and Connections to Dark Souls 2:11:59 Spoiler Section- Aldia and The First Sin 2:21:56 Lucatiel and the Giants Music used in the episode is credited to Motoi Sakuraba, unless otherwise noted. Tracks used: Main Menu, Majula, Ruins Sentinel (Yuka Kitamura), Milfanito, Fire Keepers, Fume Knight, Remains Social Media: BlueSky- https://bsky.app/profile/tftblpod.bsky.social Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/talesfromthebacklog/ Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures

Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog Very few games have ever had the hype cycle that Hollow Knight: Silksong (Team Cherry, 2025) had, so the question remained once the game was finally released- did it live up to the hype? Clown masks and Nintendo Direct comment section explosions quickly gave way to Discourse surrounding Silksong's difficulty and sometimes anti-QoL approach. So was the juice worth the squeeze? Listen in to find out. Guest info: Jenny Windom (she/her) Check out Geeks & Grounds podcast https://www.geeksandgrounds.com/ Check out Jenny's YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/kimchica TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Title Card 0:13 Introductions 9:06 Our Histories with Hollow Knight and Silksong 12:45 Opening Thoughts about Silksong 18:26 Difficulty and Accessibility 23:19 Story Setup and Visuals 27:31 The Pilgrimage, Characters and Voice Acting 36:25 The Pilgrimage and Anti-QoL Design 48:29 Challenge Ramp-Up and Difficulty Curve 57:53 Silksong- A Good Teacher & Overcoming Challenge 1:05:47 Metroidvania Design, Visuals and Music 1:14:18 Boss Fights, Combat Challenges and Runbacks 1:33:42 Crests, Tools, Customization 1:40:40 Closing Thoughts/Recommendations 1:45:54 Geeks & Grounds and Jenny's Other Work 1:51:22 Spoiler Wall and Patron Thank-Yous 1:53:13 Spoiler Section- Favorite Boss Fights 2:18:22 Spoiler Section- The Citadel and Faith 2:27:46 Spoiler Section- Hornet's Growth, Sherma and Community 2:45:23 Spoiler Section- Motherhood and Endings Music used in the episode is credited to Christopher Larkin. Tracks used: Silksong, Bone Bottom, Trobbio, Cogwork Dancers, Bilewater, Far Fields, Lost Lace, Fleatopia Social Media: BlueSky- https://bsky.app/profile/tftblpod.bsky.social Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/talesfromthebacklog/ Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures

Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog In the midst of so many games and podcasts with heavy story themes, sometimes it's nice to just play a video game-ass video game. And so here we have Crazy Taxi (Sega, 2000), plowing through a bunch of mailboxes on its way to the podcast schedule. This is a seminal game, especially for Dreamcast owners and arcade-goers, that I had somehow never played before. So what was it like playing for the first time in 2025? Listen in to find out! Guest info: Darren Hupke (he/him) Find all of Darren's work https://pixelsandpolygons.net/ Follow on BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/darrenhupke.bsky.social TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Title Card 0:11 Introductions 4:05 Our Histories with Crazy Taxi 9:56 Opening Thoughts About Crazy Taxi 13:50 Game Setup 23:34 Crazy Box Mode and Advanced Maneuvers 31:26 Sense of Humor, Future Crazy Taxis and Soundtrack 43:39 Real Life Crazy Taxis and Product Placement 49:40 Closing Thoughts and Recommendations 55:00 Darren's Books and Pixels & Polygons 1:00:31 Announcements and Patron Thank-Yous Music used in the episode: All I Want (The Offspring), Ten in 2010 (Bad Religion), Change the World (The Offspring) Social Media: BlueSky- https://bsky.app/profile/tftblpod.bsky.social Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/talesfromthebacklog/ Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures

Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server and make your own resolutions!- https://discord.gg/kAqSBb6jH2 Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog For the past few years, we've been making "backlog resolutions" each year- choosing a list of games from our libraries that we keep telling ourselves "I'm gonna play that someday" and....playing them! What a concept! Well, we're playing most of them. In what's becoming a yearly tradition, I'm joined by some friends to discuss our experience throughout the year. Guest info: CtrlAltNoob (she/her)- find her work at https://ctrlaltnoob.com/ and follow on BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/ctrlaltnoob.bsky.social Taylor/Athunderheart (she/they)- Follow on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/athunderheart/ and BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/athunderheart.bsky.social Soccr (any/all)- Follow on BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/soccr.bsky.social TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Title Card 0:11 Introductions 4:45 Stats from 2025's Resolutions 7:11 General Thoughts and Experiences 21:31 Resolutions Success Stories 53:33 Patron Thank-Yous 55:37 Why Didn't We Play Them All? 1:25:57 Lessons & Strategies for 2026 1:40:59 Sneak Peek at Our 2026 Lists 1:59:40 Closing Thoughts 2:10:37 Guest Plugs Music used in the episode: Bless My Stars (Akitaka Tohyama - Beautiful Katamari OST) a forty-six story motel (RJ Lake - El Paso, Elsewhere OST) Mortol (Gameplay) (Eirik Suhrke - UFO 50 OST) Bionic Bay (Francisco Javier Pérez - Bionic Bay OST) Check out Dave talking about NieR: Automata on Pixel Project Radio https://linktr.ee/pixelprojectradio Check out the King of Games 1999 FINALE on Retro Hangover https://linktr.ee/retrohangover Social Media: BlueSky- https://bsky.app/profile/tftblpod.bsky.social Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/talesfromthebacklog/ Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures

Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog All paid patrons can listen to a bonus episode about our favorite non-2025 games that we played this year! https://www.patreon.com/posts/our-favorite-non-146887020 It's that time! End of the year time! Games of the year time! This year I polled Discord and Patreon members on their favorites of the year, tallied them up, and here are the results! Then, I close out the show with my own top 10 and some other thoughts as we bring the 2025th year to a close. Please enjoy! TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Title Card and Introduction 4:50 Community Honorable Mentions 10:10 Community Top 10 28:31 Dave's Honorable Mentions 30:02 Dave's #10 32:14 Dave's #9 35:06 Dave's #8 38:21 Dave's #7 41:43 Dave's #6 46:05 Dave's #5 49:12 Dave's #4 54:18 Dave's #3 57:58 Dave's #2 1:04:27 Dave's #1 1:14:34 Closing Thoughts 1:21:50 Patron Thank-Yous Music used in the episode: Your Host for Tonight (Chipzel- Dicey Dungeons OST) Beginner's Luck (Chipzel- Dicey Dungeons OST) Polarity (Francisco Javier Pérez- Bionic Bay OST) Monoco (Lorien Testard- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 OST) Gestral Beach- Is It a Gestral or a Volleyball (Lorien Testard- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 OST) Lumiose City (Day) (Shota Kageyama, Carlos Eiene- Pokemon Legends Z-A OST) Story of All Manor (Trigg & Gusset- Blue Prince OST) Manor- Our Painted Home (Lorien Testard- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 OST) Lumiose City (Night) (Shota Kageyama, Carlos Eiene- Pokemon Legends Z-A OST) The Storm (Olivier Deriviere- South of Midnight OST) Mysterious Swamps (Olivier Deriviere- South of Midnight OST) Enter Sektori (Tommy Baynen- Sektori OST) The Beauty of Nature (Miwako Chinone- Monster Hunter Wilds OST) Many Nights a Whisper (fingerspit- Many Nights a Whisper OST) Ten Years Ago You Were Chosen (fingerspit- Many Nights a Whisper OST) Signalchaser (Amos Roddy- Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector OST) Suncatchers (Amos Roddy- Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector OST) Introduction (C418- Wanderstop OST) Simon's Theme (Trigg & Gusset- Blue Prince OST) Bilewater (Christopher Larkin- Hollow Knight: Silksong OST) Bellhart (Christopher Larkin- Hollow Knight: Silksong OST) Une vie à t'aimer (Lorien Testard, Alice Duport-Percier, Victor Borba- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 OST) Gestral Beach- I'd Rather Play Petanque (Lorien Testard, Alice Duport-Percier, Victor Borba- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 OST) Battle Theme No. 1 (Toma Otowa- Ghost of Yotei OST) Raise the Sails (Saori Yoshida- Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii OST) Social Media: BlueSky- https://bsky.app/profile/tftblpod.bsky.social Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/talesfromthebacklog/ Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures

Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server- https://discord.gg/kAqSBb6jH2 Buy me a coffee on Ko-fi- https://ko-fi.com/realdavejackson With the world being the way it is, it's a rare treat to play a game that's just pure joy from start to finish, and that is exactly what Astro Bot (Team Asobi, Sony, 2024) brings. From the opening cutscene to the final boss, Astro Bot is both one of the greatest platformers ever made and a joyous celebration of 30 years of Playstation history. I treasure a game like this as a player, and almost even moreso as a critic. I hope you enjoy the discussion! Guest info: Josh Covel (he/him) Check out Still Loading Podcast https://www.stillloadingpodcast.com/ TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Title Card 0:33 Introductions 6:11 Our Histories with Astro Bot 9:42 Opening Thoughts 13:06 Game Setup and Playstation History 23:08 Criticisms of The Playstation Tie-Ins 39:34 Gameplay & Powerups 49:20 Complexity and Difficulty 1:00:19 Collectibles and Secrets 1:08:15 Music and Sound Design 1:23:55 Closing Thoughts and Recommendations 1:29:13 Still Loading Podcast 1:34:58 Spoiler Wall and Patron Thank-Yous 1:37:34 Spoiler Section- Playstation Themed Levels 2:01:43 Final Level and Miscellaneous Favorite Things Music used in the episode is credited to Kenneth C M Young. Tracks used: I Am Astro Bot (ASTRO BOT Remix), Disco Tree, Big Wave, You Know What You've Got To Do, Drake's BOTtune, Bot of War Social Media: BlueSky- https://bsky.app/profile/tftblpod.bsky.social Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/talesfromthebacklog/ Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures

Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server- https://discord.gg/kAqSBb6jH2 Buy me a coffee on Ko-fi- https://ko-fi.com/realdavejackson There is a certain type of atmospheric (usually) indie game that gets praised for its tone, vibes and emotional impact, but sometimes criticized for underbaked or limited gameplay mechanics. Walking sims used to get the brunt of this, but the same could also be said for games like Sword of the Sea director Matt Nava's most famous works, Journey and Abzu. Sword of the Sea may not be an intentional response to those criticisms, but it does add more "involved" gameplay into the fold, incorporating sand surfing and tricks into your verb set. It then begs the discussion- on paper, adding more involved gameplay is good, right? But is that always the case? Guest info: AndresPlays (he/him) Twitch, Writing and More https://linktr.ee/andresplays93 Follow on BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/andresplays.bsky.social TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Title Card 0:19 Introductions 4:50 Our Histories With Matt Nava's Games and Sword of the Sea 7:43 Opening Thoughts About Sword of the Sea 14:35 Game Setup and Visual Presentation 20:00 Speed and Sand Surfing 36:16 Music and Visual Presentation 39:54 Lack of Punch and Impact 56:01 Top-Level Story Thoughts 1:01:05 Closing Thoughts and Recommendations 1:06:24 AndresPlays- Writing, Streaming and Little Victories 1:11:37 Spoiler Wall & Patron Thank-Yous 1:14:28 Spoiler Section- Story Interpretations 1:28:05 Hype Moments and Ending Music used in the episode is credited to Austin Wintory. Tracks used: From a drop, a flame, One drop remained, Unpredictable and joyous, Swimming in the sky, Sacred River, A city where none live Check out Dave on Geeks & Grounds analyzing Final Fantasy X https://www.geeksandgrounds.com/ Check out Dave on Pixel Project Radio analyzing NieR: Automata https://linktr.ee/pixelprojectradio Check out Dave on the King of Games 1999 https://linktr.ee/retrohangover Social Media: BlueSky- https://bsky.app/profile/tftblpod.bsky.social Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/talesfromthebacklog/ Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures

Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server- https://discord.gg/kAqSBb6jH2 Buy me a coffee on Ko-fi- https://ko-fi.com/realdavejackson One of the best things about the thriving indie game scene is that dead genres come back to life, and nothing exemplifies that more than the return of the blobber/first-person dungeon crawler with Almost Human's Legend of Grimrock series. Combining the thrill of exploration in those old school games with modern sensibilities, Legend of Grimrock 2 is one of the best RPGs I've ever played, and I couldn't wait to discuss it on the show. Guest info: Shane Selterre (he/him) Check out everything Retro Hangover! https://linktr.ee/retrohangover TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Title Card 0:24 Introductions 5:02 Our Histories with Legend of Grimrock 2 13:03 Opening Thoughts about Legend of Grimrock 2 17:04 Story Setup 21:18 Dungeon Crawling...Outside? 25:58 Party Creation and the Combat Dance 37:00 Situational Awareness 45:18 Exploration and Inventory 52:31 Puzzles and Traps 1:03:18 Character Building 1:27:19 Music and Sound Design 1:33:13 Closing Thoughts and Recommendations 1:37:49 Retro Hangover Podcast 1:42:54 Spoiler Wall and Patron Thank-Yous 1:45:37 Spoiler Section- Favorite Stuff 2:02:29 Spoiler Section- Final Bosses and Endings Music used in the episode is credited to Scoring Helsinki: Main Theme, Prologue (The Isle), Battle Is On Pt. 1, Master and the Apprentice, Credits Theme Check out Dave on Geeks & Grounds https://www.geeksandgrounds.com/ Check out Dave on Pixel Project Radio https://linktr.ee/pixelprojectradio Check out the King of Games 1999 https://retrohangover.captivate.fm/episode/king-of-games-99-round-4-match-1-silent-hill-vs-tony-hawks-pro-skater Social Media: BlueSky- https://bsky.app/profile/tftblpod.bsky.social Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/talesfromthebacklog/ Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures

Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog What could Nintendo possibly do to follow up the game that "saved gaming" for me? Well, they simply iterated on and evolved everything about Breath of the Wild to make one of the most creativity and freedom-focused games ever. It's simple, really- why don't more people think of this? Sarcasm aside, Tears of the Kingdom is an absolute wonder, and we're lucky to have it. Hope you enjoy the discussion! Guest info: Michael Berger (he/him) Check out Bits of Time on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@bitsoftimemedia Check out the Bits of Time podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bits-of-time/id1616941089 Check out everything else Michael is doing https://campsite.bio/matterofmichael TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Title Card 0:21 Introductions 5:35 Our Histories with Zelda and Tears of the Kingdom 8:49 Opening Thoughts About Tears of the Kingdom 16:39 Story Setup 20:26 Storytelling and Nonlinear Design 25:34 Emergent Story and the Adventure 29:52 Link's New Toys 48:58 Emergent Gameplay and the Magic of Scrounging 57:18 Dungeons and Boss Fights 1:03:15 Enemy and Boss Variety 1:08:07 The Depths and Exploration 1:16:33 Art Design and Music 1:23:20 Final Thoughts and Recommendations 1:31:31 Bits of Time 1:36:11 Spoiler Wall and Patron Thank-Yous 1:38:25 Spoiler Section- Favorite Temples and Backstory 2:03:11 Final Boss and Ending Music used in the episode is credited to Hajime Wakai, Manaka Kataoka, Maasa Miyoshi, Masato Ohashi and Tsukasa Usui. Tracks used: Title, Hyrule Castle - Upheaval, Shrine Battle, Seized Construct Battle, Skydive, Lookout Landing, Ganondorf's Theme, Final Dive Check out Dave on Geeks & Grounds https://www.geeksandgrounds.com/ Check out Dave on Pixels & Polygons https://rss.com/podcasts/pixelspolygons/ Social Media: BlueSky- https://bsky.app/profile/tftblpod.bsky.social Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/talesfromthebacklog/ Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures

Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server- https://discord.gg/kAqSBb6jH2 Buy me a coffee on Ko-fi- https://ko-fi.com/realdavejackson Some games just stand out from the pack, and with its episodic anime structure, QTE-heavy cutscenes and South Asian religious inspirations, there is nothing quite like Asura's Wrath (CyberConnect2, Capcom, 2012). A quintessential flawed game that everyone should try, Asura's Wrath overcomes its bad combat and dated approach to player engagement by just simply being cooler and more hype than basically every other game. Listen in to find out more! Guest info: Nick (he/him) and Will (he/him) of Friday Night Gamecast Check out Friday Night Gamecast https://fridaynightgamecast.buzzsprout.com/ Follow on BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/fngcpod.bsky.social Follow on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/fridaynightgamecast/ TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Title Card 0:27 Introductions 5:17 Our Histories with Asura's Wrath 11:16 Top-Level Thoughts 19:44 Story Setup and Worldbuilding 28:47 Episodic Anime Structure 37:03 Presentation and Spectacle 43:48 More QTEs Than You Can Shake a Stick At 51:33 Action Gameplay 1:14:00 Closing Thoughts and Recommendations 1:17:26 Friday Night Gamecast 1:20:28 Spoiler Wall & Patron Thank-Yous 1:22:32 Spoiler Section- Hype Moments, The Gohma and the Demigods 1:46:55 Spoiler Section- Asura's Revenge & Epilogue Music used in the episode is credited to Chikayo Fukuda. Tracks used: Main Theme, Furious, Orphan Wolf Legend - Fang, One Who Spins Ideas, Option, Asura's Wrath, In Your Belief, Trembling Belief Catch Dave on Geeks & Grounds all of November and December for a deep dive into Final Fantasy X: https://www.geeksandgrounds.com/ Social Media: BlueSky- https://bsky.app/profile/tftblpod.bsky.social Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/talesfromthebacklog/ Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures