Video Game Book Club

It's March of 2026 and Buenale Games is BACK with another episode of Video Game Book Club!This month we played Cairn, a climbing centric video game where the task is simple: summit Mt. Kami. Along the way to accomplish this goal, we meet funny characters, climb some insane walls, and have our fair share introspective moments on the mountain. Listen in as we recap our full experience playing this game and we answer question submitted to us by our community!Join the club using the discord link below to stay up to date with Buenale Games and to play and discuss the game of the month alongside us every month. Join us again mid-way through April when we check in on our progress on the community's choice for April's game of the month: Control. Discord: https://discord.gg/P9aRB5wEBSTwitch: https://twitch.tv/buenalegamesInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/buenale.games/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@buenale.gamesSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0gfZQ8jttLntPF6dARadVa?si=7da802979ec749d5#videogamebookclub #gamingbookclub #cairn #climbing #gamingpodcast #gaming #videogames (00:00) Intro(01:35) What is Cairn?(07:25) Early Game(33:23) Mid Game(01:09:05) Late Game(01:36:25) Viewer Questions(02:17:58) Final Thoughts and Book Reports(02:23:27) April GOTM Announcement(02:26:52) Outro

It's the middle of March 2026 and that can only mean one thing: it's time to check in on this month's Game of the Month! We open talking about their time so far playing the March game of the month: Cairn. Ben is having a great, albeit stressful time trying not to fall off of the mountain, and meanwhile JP is still gathering the courage to leave the tutorial area...From there, we talk about this month's Short Story: Cocoon! We also talk about the other games we've been playing recently, both physical and virtual, and wrap up touching on a few recent news stories from the gaming industryJoin the club using the discord link below to stay up to date with Buenale Games and to play and discuss the game of the month alongside us! Join us again at the end of February for our full length discussion on this month's game: Cairn. Discord: https://discord.gg/P9aRB5wEBSTwitch: https://twitch.tv/buenalegamesInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/buenale.games/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@buenale.gamesSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0gfZQ8jttLntPF6dARadVa?si=7da802979ec749d5(0:00) Cold Open(01:27) Intro(02:25) Cairn Check-In(11:05) Short Story: Cocoon(24:30) Slay the Spire 2(31:50) Board Games(38:30) Gaming News(49:32) Outro#videogamebookclub #gamingbookclub #gamingpodcast #gaming #videogames #cairn #gameofthemonth

Video Game Book Club is back with another game of the month episode! Thank you to our community and listeners for playing AC6 alongside us and sending us questions and discussion prompts! In this episode Ben and JP discuss the ins and outs of Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon. This game exceeded our expectations tenfold and we felt so good gliding around in our mechs and delivering rubiconian handshakes to all those who opposed us. Ben performed some impressions of our most beloved characters in the game while JP finally spoke about who he would FMK between Carla, Walter and Ayre. Join the club using the discord link below to stay up to date with Buenale Games and to play and discuss the game of the month alongside us every month, and join us again in a month when we discuss the March 2026 game of the month, chosen by our own JP: Cairn. DiscordTwitchInstagramTikTokYouTube#videogamebookclub #gamingbookclub #armoredcore6 #armoredcorevifiresofrubicon #gamingpodcast #gaming #videogames (00:00) Intro - What is Ac6?(09:18) Story Premise and Early Game(37:12) Mid Game(1:10:13) Late Game & NG++ (1:35:06) Viewer Questions and Questions for Each Other(2:22:08) Final Thoughts and Letter Grades(2:26:00) March Game of the Month(2:30:30) Outro

It's the middle of February 2026 and that means it's time to check in on this month's Game of the Month! We open talking about their time so far playing the February game of the month: Armored Core 6. Spoiler alert: it rocks. From there, we talk about an extremely goofy show and this month's short story: Thank Goodness You're Here! We also talk about the other games we've been playing recently, and wrap up touching on a few recent news stories from the gaming industryJoin the club using the discord link below to stay up to date with Buenale Games and to play and discuss the game of the month alongside us! Join us again at the end of February for our full length discussion on this month's game: Armored Core 6. Discord: https://discord.gg/P9aRB5wEBSTwitch: https://twitch.tv/buenalegamesInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/buenale.games/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@buenale.gamesSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0gfZQ8jttLntPF6dARadVa?si=7da802979ec749d5(00:00) Intro(04:24) Checking in on Armored Core 6(18:35) Short Story: Thank Goodness You're Here!(32:38) What else we've been playing(45:30) Gaming News(56:18) Outro#videogamebookclub #gamingbookclub #gamingpodcast #gaming #videogames

New year new Video Game Book Club season! And we're starting it off with a community pick; Lies of P won! Shout out to our awesome community who picked this absolute gem of a game for VGBC this month. Ben and I had an incredible time playing this souls-inspire Pinocchio story. The boss fights were epic, the NPCs were interesting, the story felt elevated, the design was pretty perfect, and the P-organ was pumping. Join the club using the discord link below to stay up to date with Buenale Games and to play the game of the month alongside us! It was Ben's turn to pick the game of the month and he chose Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon! If you like what we do, show us some love with the like button and in the comments and join the club!DiscordTwitchInstagramTikTokYouTube#videogamebookclub #gamingbookclub #soulsgame #soulslike #gamingpodcast #gaming #videogames #liesofp (00:00) Intro(02:06) What is Lies of P?(07:53) Premise and Early Game(52:00) Mid Game(01:19:45) Late Game(01:58:41) Viewer Questions(02:23:20) Final Review and Letter Grades(02:29:40) February Game of the Month(02:36:11) Outro

Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed members of Video Game Book Club.... welcome to the Buenale Games Awards! Ben and JP celebrate the 12 games they played for VGBC in 2025 alongside the Buenale Games community. They dish out more than a dozen different awards in different categories from "Best Gameplay" to "Best game to play on the toilet" to "most likely game to recommend."2025 was an incredible year in gaming, and it was an even more incredible year for Video Game Book Club. It was a joy to look back and reminisce on all the great moments that VGBC gave us and we are looking forward to replicating the same discussions, gaming moments, and banter in 2026. Thank you so much from the bottom of our hearts for listening and being a part of our community; we wouldn't be able to do it without you.Join the club using the discord link below to stay up to date with Buenale Games and to play and discuss the game of the month alongside us. Join us at the end of the month when we discuss the first 2026 game of the month, chosen by our own community: Lies of P. DiscordTwitchInstagramTikTokYouTube(00:00) Intro(3:30) Awards(01:07:35) Game of the Year(01:11:45) Short Stories(01:18:25) Ranking 2025's Games(01:33:30) Outro

Video Game Book Club has played their final game for 2025, Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo! This game is our indie darling of the 2025 season. It has incredibly crisp movement, very responsive and tight combat, lots of exploration, and interesting puzzles. JP could not put this game down and all Ben wanted to do was play more futbol at the Poultry FC stadium. Make sure to let us know what you think of our Pipistrello conversation!Join the club using the discord link below to stay up to date with Buenale Games and to play and discuss the game of the month alongside us every month, and join us again in a month when we discuss the first 2026 game of the month, chosen by our own community: Lies of P. DiscordTwitchInstagramTikTokYouTube(00:00) Intro(03:15) What is Pipistrello?(07:20) Story Premise and Early Game(34:23) Mid Game(49:39) Late Game(1:13:10) Viewer Questions and Questions for Each Other(1:43:50) Final Thoughts and Letter Grades(1:47:19) January Game of the Month(1:49:25) Outro

It's December of 2025 and it's time to Check In on this month's game of the month, everything we've been playing, and the biggest news and drama in the gaming sphere! While Ben is on his last legs crawling towards the end of the year, JP is hot off a vacation and feeling fresh.On this episode, the boys check in on December's Game of the Month, Pipistrello and the cursed YoYo, JP tells us about his short story, Despelote, and we talk all things The Game Awards!Discord: https://discord.gg/P9aRB5wEBSTwitch: https://twitch.tv/buenalegamesInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/buenale.games/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@buenale.gamesSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0gfZQ8jttLntPF6dARadVa?si=7da802979ec749d5#videogamebookclub #gamingbookclub #thegameawards #expedition33 #gamingpodcast #gaming #videogames #comedy #indiegame (00:00) Intro(08:10) PiPi Check-In(16:20) Short Story: Despelote(27:40) Deadlock and Dota 2(29:33) Dragon Quest XI(32:05) No Skin(34:40) The Game Awards(45:45) Trailer Reveals(55:00) The Buenale Game Awards(57:56) Outro

2 Video Game 2 Book Club is back with Hades 2! With the November 2025 pick our own Ben "Tizzle" Toups has chosen the sequel to JP's favorite game of all time, Hades, as the game of the month! Hades II gave us everything that Hades did and SO MUCH MORE. But was it too much? Is too much of a good thing good if the good thing is the same good thing you've already had? Ben has opinions on this, but so does JP. Join the club using the discord link below to stay up to date with Buenale Games and to play and discuss the game of the month alongside us every month, and join us again in a month when we discuss November's game of the month: Pipistrello and the Cursed YoyoDiscordTwitchInstagram TikTokYouTube#videogamebookclub #gamingbookclub #hades #hades2 #gamingpodcast #gaming #videogames #comedy #indiegame 00:00 Intro11:25 Early game recap55:40 Mid game recap01:21:18 End Game recap01:46:55 Post Game recap02:01:15 Viewer Questions02:28:05 Final Thoughts and Letter Grades02:35:20 December Game of the Month Announcement02:40:00 Outro

It's the middle of November 2025 which means that its time to Check In on all things Buenale Games! We start out talking about gamer injuries sustained while cooking paella, and our progress in November's Game of the Month, Hades II (spoiler alert: we're both done already, for better or for worse). From there, Ben talks about his video game hiatus, and JP takes us through a Short Story on The Dark Queen of Mortholme. We wrap up talking about gaming news, including our predictions for the game awards game of the year nominees as well as valve's surprise hardware drop.Join the Club by joining our Discord server and following us on all of our socials, and be on the lookout for our full Video Game Book Club episode on Hades II at the end of the month!Discord: https://discord.gg/P9aRB5wEBSTwitch: https://twitch.tv/buenalegamesInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/buenale.games/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@buenale.gamesSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0gfZQ8jttLntPF6dARadVa?si=7da802979ec749d5#videogames #gamingpodcast #thegameawards #hades #silksong #gaming (00:00) Intro and Gamer Injuries(02:08) Hades II Check-in(10:12) Burn-out(14:30) JP's comfort games(17:07) Short Story - The Dark Queen of Mortholme(26:41) Game of the Year Predictions(36:46) Valve's Surprise Hardware Drop(45:45) BLOPS 7 and AI Slop(55:20) Outro

Video Game Book Club is BACK with our October spooktacular, and this month we played the winner of our Discord community vote, Lorelei and the Laser Eyes. This game is a twisting and winding exploration of art and narcissism that had the boys struggling through puzzles and questioning the very nature of reality. Do NOT mention the word piano to JP.Join the club using the discord link below to stay up to date with Buenale Games and to play and discuss the game of the month alongside us every month, and join us again in a month when we discuss November's game of the month: Hades II.Discord: https://discord.gg/P9aRB5wEBSTwitch: https://twitch.tv/buenalegamesInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/buenale.games/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@buenale.gamesSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0gfZQ8jttLntPF6dARadVa?si=7da802979ec749d5#videogamebookclub #gamingbookclub #puzzlegames #puzzles #gamingpodcast #gaming #videogames #comedy #spookyseason (00:00) Intro(11:25) Main Recap(01:43:15) Viewer Questions(02:15:45) Final Thoughts and Letter Grades(02:19:18) November Game of the Month Announcement(02:22:15) Outro

It's the middle of October 2025 and that means it's time to check in on all things Buenale Games! We start out talking about October's game of the month for Video Game Book Club, Lorelei and the Laser Eyes. Ben is already done with the game, this dude overachieves left and right! JP has a long way to go as usual... We follow that with a Short Story / MINI VGBC, courtesy of JP, as he describes an incredibly disturbing story from Mouthwashing. Then we discuss our favorite and least favorite video game genres! And finally, we hit up some gaming news surrounding Xbox mostly.Join the Club by joining our Discord server and following us on all of our socials, and be on the lookout for our full Video Game Book Club episode on Lorelei and the Laser Eyes at the end of the month!DiscordTwitchInstagramTikTokYouTube(00:00) Intro(05:00) Lorelei Check in(14:39) Short Story: Mouthwashing(29:50) Silksong(33:43) Hades II(41:50) Favorite Genres(51:10) Podcast Lessons Learned(01:01:12) Gaming News(01:09:03) Outro#gaming #videogames #gamingpodcast #silksong #hades #nintendo #mouthwashing

You’re not going to believe it but Video Game Book Club is BACK in September of 2025. This month was JP’s turn to choose and he picked Cassette Beast, a monster taming and battling game that takes heavy inspiration from others in the genre and attempts to iterate on the classic. Listen to this month’s episode to hear all about JP and Ben’s favorite beasts and bosses (or lack thereof) and their adventures in the goofy, yet eerie world of New Wirral.Join the Club by joining the VGBC Discord with the link below where you can play each month's game alongside us and interact with our community. Also, follow us on our socials to stay up to date with all things VGBC. Stay tuned for next month's episode where we'll be talking about Lorelai and the Laser Eyes!Discord: https://discord.gg/P9aRB5wEBSTwitch: https://twitch.tv/buenalegamesInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/buenale.games/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@buenale.gamesSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0gfZQ8jttLntPF6dARadVa?si=7da802979ec749d5#videogamebookclub #gamingbookclub #cassettebeasts #pokemon #gamingpodcast #gaming #videogames #comedy #indiegames(00:00) Intro(01:05) What is Cassette Beasts?(04:45) Main Recap(01:22:50) Listener Questions(1:47:17) Final Thoughts and Book Reports(01:52:54) October Community Vote Recap and Results(2:00:27) Outro

It's the middle of September 2025 and that means it's time to check in on all things Buenale Games! We start out talking about September's game of the month, Cassette Beasts, including some of our favorite beasts, how the game has been so far, and what we're looking forward to as the game goes on. We follow that with a MINI VGBC, courtesy of JP, as he walks us through his experience playing the short, but sweet, Fly Knight. Finally, we discuss recent news in gaming including lots of new games teased in the recent Nintendo direct, Nintendo's recent patents, and all of the new releases since we last talked.Join the Club by joining our Discord server and following us on all of our socials, and be on the lookout for our full Video Game Book Club episode on Hellblade at the end of the month!Discord: https://discord.gg/P9aRB5wEBSTwitch: https://twitch.tv/buenalegamesInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/buenale.games/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@buenale.gamesSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0gfZQ8jttLntPF6dARadVa?si=7da802979ec749d5(00:00) Intro(02:20) Cassette Beasts Check-In(14:55) Split-Fiction(22:36) Mini-VGBC: Fly Knight(39:53) Nintendo Direct(50:35) Nintendo's Patent Spree(01:00:15) Hades 2 Release Date Announced!(01:03:05) SilkSong has Released!(01:12:36) Outro#gaming #videogames #gamingpodcast #silksong #hades #nintendo

Summer is technically over, but Video Game Book Club is coming in HOT with our latest episode. This past month, the VGBC community played Rain World, a brutally difficult but extremely rewarding 2D metroidvania game. Join JP and Ben as they recap their experiences with this cult classic. We recap our full playthroughs, we talk about the lore of the game, and our favorite moments!Join the Club by joining the VGBC Discord with the link below where you can play each month's game alongside us and interact with our community. Also, follow us on our socials to stay up to date with all things VGBC. Stay tuned for next month's episode where we'll be talking about Cassette Beasts!DiscordInstagramTikTokYouTube#videogamebookclub #gamingbookclub #rainworld #metroidvania #gamingpodcast #gaming #videogames #comedy 00:00 What is Rain World?06:15 Story Recap1:22:00 Ending Thoughts1:27:30 Lore Recap1:36:43 Listener Questions2:09:15 Final Thoughts/Letter Grades2:13:40 Announcing Next Month's Game2:16:11 Outro

The Checkpoint is back! It's August of 2025 and the boys are struggling as JP is toiling away on the nightshift and Ben is delirious from waking up at 5:30am. Nevertheless, we catch up about our progress (or lack thereof) on the game of the month, Rain World, and talk about other games we've been playing, including some unconventional ones....Join the Club by joining our Discord server and following us on all of our socials, and be on the lookout for our full Video Game Book Club episode on Hellblade at the end of the month!Discord: https://discord.gg/P9aRB5wEBSTwitch: https://twitch.tv/buenalegamesInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/buenale.games/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@buenale.gamesSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0gfZQ8jttLntPF6dARadVa?si=7da802979ec749d500:00 Intro, 02:20 Rain World Check In, 15:00 Chained Together, 19:24 Merge Maestro, 24:50 The Crossword, 30:12 JP's Mystery Game, 33:24 Fly Knight, 36:12 Legend of Zelda Live Action, 39:28 Visuals in the Age of UE5, 48:53 Payment Processor Censorship, 56:20 Outro#gaming #videogames #gamingpodcast #videogamebookclub #rainworld

We have never been more back with another episode of Video Game Book Club!! This month, JP and Ben are discussing Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice - a journey full of growth, grotesque monsters, scary enemies, and lots of voices in our heads. JP was absolutely focused on getting every single lorestone statue in the game. He couldn't stop checking every single corner of the world for them. Ben was handling every boss like they were chumps with his insane gaming abilities. This month's game was chosen by our community! The best way to join the VGBC community is to be involved in our discord, where we talked in depth about the game of the month, other video games we've been playing, and more! Join the club!00:00 Intro01:30 What is Hellblade?05:45 Story Recap1:18:45 Listener Questions1:55:45 Final Thoughts/Letter Grade2:01:30 New Game Announcement2:11:45 OutroDiscord: discord.gg/P9aRB5wEBSOther socials: beacons.ai/buenalegames

The Checkpoint is back! This month for Video Game Book Club we're playing Hellblade: Sennua's Sacrifice, and we start the show checking in on our progress and how we're enjoying the game so far (spoiler alert: JP has definitely played so much of it). We also talk about our experience with Peak, Elden Ring: Nightreign, and Chrono Trigger.As always, JP hosts a mini VGBC. This month's game was Before Your Eyes. A beautiful and tragic narrative game played with.... your eyes??Join the Club by joining our Discord server and following us on all of our socials, and be on the lookout for our full Video Game Book Club episode on Hellblade at the end of the month!DiscordInstagramTikTokYouTube00:00 Intro02:00 Hellblade Check In06:08 Peak17:05 Mini VGBC - Before Your Eyes28:30 Elden Ring: Nightreign36:30 Chrono Trigger37:55 Gaming Announcements and News58:43 Outro#gaming #videogames #gamingpodcast #videogamebookclub

Video Game Book Club is absolutely back with another episode, and this month we're talking about June's game of the month: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. This game has swept the gaming sphere and we would be doing a disservice to us and our community if we didn't play it. And it did not disappoint! Ben and JP absolutely fell in love with this masterpiece and could not stop playing it.Join the Club by joining our discord (link below) where you can chat with us about all things gaming, play each month's game alongside us, and submit viewer question to be featured on the show! Be on the lookout for our mid-July episode of The Checkpoint, and keep a lookout for the next episode of VGBC on July's game of the month: Hellblade: Sennua's Sacrifice!Discord: https://discord.gg/P9aRB5wEBSInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/buenale.games/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@buenale.gamesYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BuenaleGames#videogamebookclub #gamingbookclub #clairobscur #clairobscurexpedition33 #indiegames #gaming #gamingpodcast 00:00 Intro01:14 Expedition33 Love06:21 Story Recap01:41:45 Viewer Questions02:16:30 Final Thoughts and Letter Grades02:19:18 July Game of the Month Announcement!02:21:53 Outro

The Checkpoint is back in June of 2025! This month for Video Game Book Club we're playing Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, and we start the show checking in on our progress and how we're enjoying the game so far (spoiler alert: it's a lot). We also talk about our top 5 games of all time after lot's of discussion around that in the discord this month, talk about other games we've been playing lately, and go over some gaming news!Join the Club by joining our Discord server and following us on all of our socials, and be on the lookout for our full Video Game Book Club episode on Expedition 33 at the end of the month!Discord: https://discord.gg/P9aRB5wEBSInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/buenale.games/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@buenale.gamesYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BuenaleGames00:00 Intro02:11 Expedition 33 Check In09:54 Our Top 5 Games29:25 A Short Hike36:30 Elden Ring: Nightreign44:43 Drop Duchy48:00 Gaming Announcements and News53:00 Outro#gaming #videogames #gamingpodcast #videogamebookclub