Post Games

Post Games for $1!! - The Early Bird, Not-Quite-Black Friday SaleRather than compete with Black Friday and Cyber Monday, I’m running my holiday deal early. Subscribe to the Patreon before 11/14 and get your first month for $1. Yes, you read that right. A buck gets you...Video episodes!Weekly bonus segments!5 deep dives on storytelling, reviews, and media!1 oral history of Street Fighter: The Movie!25 incredible interviews with the most fascinating people in video games!Expanded newsletters:Free game of the weekThe best video game stories of the weekWhat else I’m enjoyingAccess to community group chats!This episode is a bit unusual. I’m chatting with a talented game developer who also happens to be a friend. I’ve known Joel Burgess for many years, dating back to his time helping to design open-world RPGs for AAA studios.He currently serves as the Studio Head of the indie studio Soft Rains, which has been busy preparing the debut of its first game. Ambrosia Sky is a sci-fi immersive sim in which you play as a death cleaner. Picture Powerwash Simulator spliced with BioShock, and then add the NYTimes obituaries, and you’re not far off. This week, Ambrosia Sky: Act 1 hits Steam.What does it feel like to launch a video game, particularly as the head of a studio, responsible for not just the success of the game but the business? The stress. The joy. The mixed sense of finishing one race, and in the current age of DLC, updates, and additional acts, starting another marathon.This week on Post Games: what it’s actually like to release a video game in 2025.Act 1: The chaos of making a video game in the 2020sAct 2: The moments before pressing publishPatreon bonus: How Joel’s dog inspired the look and soul of Dogmeat in Fallout 4Act 3: News of the weekSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Get extra segments, video episodes, bonus episodes, and early access at patreon.com/postgamesGet full episode notes for free at post.gamesSure, spooky season is over. But listeners, the scary season has just begun at Post Games. To prepare you, I have invited one of my favorite horror critics, Ashley Bardhan, to explain the appeal of playing horror games – and how they might make your life less scary.This is one of my favorite (and most surprising) conversations yet!Act 1: The case for playing more horror gamesAct 2: Horror as therapyPatreon bonus: 5 horror games for the holiday seasonAct 3: The news of the weekSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Get video episodes, extra segments, bonus episodes, and early access at www.patreon.com/postgamesGet full show notes free at post.gamesFew video games achieve mainstream cultural relevance. Fewer still get labeled as "art." And only a handful of games that get through the culling manage to retain their relevance across decades. Shadow of the Colossus is the exception to the rules of video games.What makes it so unique? How has its place in gaming culture evolved? And why does it play a special part in the life of today's guest, video essayist and author Jacob Geller?Act 1: Why Shadow of the Colossus never lost its relevanceAct 2: How Shadow of the Colossus launched a critic’s careerPatreon bonus: The future of video essays about video gamesAct 3: News of the WeekArt by James BarehamTheme by Mark SparlingSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Get weekly bonus segments, Patreon exclusive episodes, and early access at patreon.com/postgamesGet the full show notes for free at www.post.gamesLast week, Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier explained how the too many games problem came to be. This week, we hear how game creators are adapting to make sure the best games reach you – rather than get lost at the bottom of an ever-growing pile. Today’s guest, Simon Carless, is an expert in helping game creators strike this balance between the artist’s vision and the audience's interests. Carless is a pioneer in the exponentially important research of “game discoverability."Act 1: The art of Game DiscoveryAct 2: Do endless sales help or hurt gaming?Patreon bonus: The strangest tricks and “hacks” to get a game seen Act 3: The news of the weekArt by James Bareham - Happicamp.comTheme by Mark SparlingSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Get bonus segments and episodes, plus early access, at Patreon.com/postgamesGet full show notes for free at www.post.gamesAt an unknowable point in the past five years, gamers were granted three wishes:I want more games to play than I could ever have time for.I want them to be cheap, if not free.And I want to be able to play them whenever and however I want.The result has been great for fans of the hobby, but a radiating headache for game creators. Over the next two episodes, we’ll learn why we’re suddenly drowning in video games (more than we could play in a lifetime) and what both players and game creators are doing to adapt.Today, we'll focus on how "too many games" became gaming's unusual dilemma. Bloomberg reporter and Triple Click host Jason Schreier joins me to explain how the video game business is battling with its own abundance.Act 1: Heaven for gamersAct 2: Hell for game makersPatreon bonus: A big chat about mainstream media and gamingAct 3: News of the weekSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Get video episodes, weekly bonus content, and early access at Patreon.com/postgamesGet the full episode notes for free at www.post.gamesThis week, you get two podcasts for the price of one.First: the Nintendo mailbag. Listeners sent in a U-Haul's worth of questions about Nintendo. What's up with the unusually "usual" approach to the Switch 2 release? Why can the publisher do whatever it likes without the fandom going into revolt?Second: I complete our NSFW video game interviews. In previous episodes, we spoke with an NSFW game designer and an NSFW game academic. Today, you’ll meet Annie, the host of Sex Positive Gaming, an NSFW gaming YouTube channel. How does a YouTube channel dedicated to games that break the YouTube terms of service exist? You’ll get the answer to that question and many more!This week on Post Games, a double-episode I'm dubbing "Mario's Nipples."Act 1: Making sense of modern NintendoPatreon bonus: Why Nintendo ignores some of its biggest franchisesAct 2: Life as an NSFW game YouTuberAct 3: News of the WeekSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Subscribe to the Patreon for bonus content at patreon.com/postgamesSubscribe to the free newsletter for full show notes at www.post.gamesA few months ago, NSFW games appeared to be thriving. Then came the censorship campaign. To help us understand what shifted in the culture over the summer, and where NSFW games go from here, I needed an expert on media censorship, video games, pornography, feminism, and the history of sex labor activism.Today’s guest is that unicorn. Jean Ketterling is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Studies – Women’s and Gender Studies Program at the University of Saskatchewan.Act 1: The summer sexy games got bannedAct 2: The future fight against game censorshipPatreon Bonus: The gooner contingency and NSFW game recsAct 3: News of the weekPatreon Bonus: What I saw at SEGASee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Get bonus segments and episodes for $5 at Patreon.com/postgamesGet full show notes in the free newsletter at post.gamesThis week on Post Games: How did Xbox get here?Former VP of Xbox Game Studios Shannon Loftis takes us on a guided tour of Microsoft's gaming ambitions, from the days before Windows 95 to Xbox's ambitious bet on the future of entertainment.Patreon bonus prologue: The case for having funAct 1: Microsoft’s first tiny team of game makersAct 2: Xbox before the acquisitionsAct 3: News of the weekArt by James BarehamTheme by Mark SparlingSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Get bonus content in every episode at patreon.com/postgamesGet full show notes in the free newsletter at www.post.gamesWhat's it like to pursue a degree in video games? And what's life like as a video game professor?This week, my guest is Aaron Trammell, a professor at the University of California, Irvine, who teaches undergraduate and graduate students about games, ranging from video games to tabletop games, the craft of design to the critique of play. Act 1: Life as a video game student Act 2: Life as a video game professor Patreon bonus: 5 new video game books to read this fall Act 3: The news of the week (Audio note: There's a little bit of audio level imbalance with my guest's recording in this episode. I was able to fix most of the issues, but it sounds just a little strange, that's why. This should be a one-off issue. Thanks for your patience!)Find episode notes and more at www.post.games. Subscribe to the Patreon for early access to episodes, additional segments, and bonus materials at patreon.com/postgames. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Get full episode notes at post.gamesGet bonus segments and episodes for $5 at patreon.com/postgamesThis week on Post Games: Act 1: The story of a video game studio in 2025 Act 2: Behind-the-scenes of A Life Well Wasted Patreon Bonus: Games and perverts Act 3: The news of the Week Find episode notes and more at www.post.games. Subscribe to the Patreon for early access to episodes, additional segments, and bonus materials at patreon.com/postgames. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Listen to the full audiobook at patreon.com/postgames.Find episode notes and more at www.post.games. Subscribe to the Patreon for early access to episodes, additional segments, and bonus materials at patreon.com/postgames. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Subscribe for $5 to get bonus segments and episodes at Patreon.com/postgamesGet the newsletter with full show notes and links for free at www.post.gamesThis September, following a successful run on the experimental gaming handheld Playdate, Blippo+ will release on Nintendo Switch and Steam. The game, created in collaboration with an iconic indie band, attempts to reproduce the feeling of channel surfing in the early days of cable television.Its graphics aren’t graphics at all, but full-motion video. Actors bounced around shows that resemble episodes of Pee-wee Herman, the concerts of Klaus Nomi, and the “I can’t believe they made this for kids” programming of early Nickelodeon and MTV.As I played Blippo+, flipping through the channels, I felt a deep nostalgia for something I'd nearly forgotten. And then I wondered: what inspires artists to try to recreate not just a show or a TV channel’s slate, but the entire TV experience. To find out, I spoke with rockstar, journalist, and Blippo+ writer Claire Evans!This week on Post Games: Act 1: From Rockstar to Game Maker Act 2: The Birth of Blippo Patreon Bonus: A Guide to Metal Gear Solid: Delta Act 3: News of the Week Find episode notes and more at www.post.games. Subscribe to the Patreon for early access to episodes, additional segments, and bonus materials at patreon.com/postgames. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Get full episode notes at www.patreon.com/postgames and www.post.gamesVideo game adaptations threaten to replace superhero movies as Hollywood's favorite fad. How did Mario and friends evolve from box office poison into some of the most valuable IPS in movie history? Today on Post Games: an extended interview with filmmaker and video essayist Patrick H. Willems, in which we make sense of 30 years and five distinct eras of video game adaptations. Act 1: The Doomed Decades Act 2: The Hollywood Hits A Patreon bonus: The Future of Video Game Movies. Patrick sticks around to speculate on the future of video game adaptations – including no fewer than 46 movies in active development Act 3: The News of the Week You can now watch Post Games shorts on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. Like the show? Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify!Find episode notes and more at www.post.games. Subscribe to the Patreon for early access to episodes, additional segments, and bonus materials at patreon.com/postgames. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Get full show notes at www.post.gamesSubscribe for bonus segments and episodes, plus everything is ad-free! www.patreon.com/postgamesHeads up! You can now watch Post Games shorts on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok.Today's guest is musical composer, orchestrator, lyricist, conductor, and musician Mike Pettry, who climbed the rungs of the theater world and now performs in the orchestras of award-winning Broadway shows. His performances have accompanied artists like Ben Platt and Idina Menzel.But as his Broadway career blossomed, Pettry began to fantasize about something else entirely: making a musical… video game.A murder mystery musical video game, to be precise. Murder at the Birch Tree Theater is a deduction game, in the style of Return of the Obra Dinn and The Case of the Golden Idol. Set across many years at a small community theater, it tells a story of intrigue, small-time fame, and, as the title promises, murder.I talk with Pettry about juggling his two dreams on the world's biggest stage. Or under it. He plays in the orchestra after all. Act 1: A gamer in the Broadway pit Act 2: Fine-tuning a musical murder mystery game Patreon-bonus: Three original songs based on retro gaming classics, created by Mike Pettry and his longtime collaborator Eli Bolin The two previously wrote and orchestrated songs for John Mulaney’s Sack Lunch Bunch and Documentary Now! Act 3: The news of the week Like the show? Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify!Find episode notes and more at www.post.games. Subscribe to the Patreon for early access to episodes, additional segments, and bonus materials at patreon.com/postgames. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Get full episode notes for free at www.post.gamesGet bonus content, early episodes, and extended episode notes for $5 a month at www.patreon.com/postgamesThis week on Post Games, I'm answering your questions about the future of games. Plus, an extended conversation with video game podcaster, YouTuber, and content creator Brendon Bigley about his long-running series Into the Aether and his new gaming news publication, Wavelengths.  Act 1: A Q&A about the future of video games Bonus for Patreon: The nitty-gritty bits of gaming’s future, from AI to Act 2: How to launch a new video games media brand w/ Brendon Bigley Bonus for Patreon: The trick to creating a successful podcast Act 3: The news of the week You can now watch Post Games shorts on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok.Like the show? Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify!Find episode notes and more at www.post.games. Subscribe to the Patreon for early access to episodes, additional segments, and bonus materials at patreon.com/postgames. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Two options for full show notes, including links to stories, games, and related topics! Subscribe to the Patreon at www.patreon.com/postgames Subscribe to the free newsletter at www.post.games Next week: For the mailbag, send voice notes to postgamesmailbag (at) gmail. Please keep them under 90 seconds and include your name and pronouns.This week on Post GamesCountless video games depict death, but few ask us to contemplate our mortality. Thank goodness. Mario wouldn’t be nearly as fun if we had to attend every goomba’s funeral.And yet, as I approach 40 and my death anxieties find new ways to keep me awake, I wonder if video games could be uniquely equipped to help us emotionally grapple with the big question that has no answer: what comes next?So, I called an expert. Video game writer and narrative director Kaitlin Tremblay has written three games exploring the many sides of death: A Mortician’s Tale, Seasonala Cemetery, and the upcoming Ambrosia Sky.Don't let the topic fool you. This is an uplifting conversation. And hey, if you're listening to this episode, then I can guarantee one thing: you're alive.Act 1: A life of making games about deathAct 2: How death in games can help usPatreon Bonus: Why I keep playing this tiny game about dyingAct 3: News of the WeekFind episode notes and more at www.post.games. Subscribe to the Patreon for early access to episodes, additional segments, and bonus materials at patreon.com/postgames. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Get the full episode notes at www.post.gamesSubscribe to the Patreon for bonus content and early releases at www.patreon.com/postgamesGaming historian Jeremy Parish joins me for the entire episode to tell the story of gaming’s most famous primate.Act 1: How Donkey Kong saved NintendoAct 2: Donkey Kong’s long journey back to the topPatreon Bonus: The Top 5 Donkey Kong games – and the #1 strangestAct 3: The news of the weekFind episode notes and more at www.post.games. Subscribe to the Patreon for early access to episodes, additional segments, and bonus materials at patreon.com/postgames. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Get the full episode notes with links at www.post.gamesSubscribe to the Patreon for early access, bonus segments, and a monthly video series at patreon.com/postgamesThis week on Post Game: Late-night comedy writer Mike Drucker and Tactical Breach Wizards director Tom Francis explain how they make video games funny and find the humor in loving video games.Patreon bonus prologue: What it's like to write jokes for NintendoAct 1: Adapting a life of video games into a comedic memoirAct 2: The cheats to make your video game funnyAct 3: The news of the weekBonus book excerpt: Good Game, No Rematch - "The StarCraft Conspiracy"Find episode notes and more at www.post.games. Subscribe to the Patreon for early access to episodes, additional segments, and bonus materials at patreon.com/postgames. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Get full show notes for free at https://postgame.substack.com/Get bonus segments, early and ad-free episodes, and a monthly video series at https://www.patreon.com/c/PostGamesThis week on Post Games, Atari CEO Wade Rosen joins me to discuss gaming’s ship of Theseus. While everyone remembers Atari at its height, most folks ignored the company's struggles following the games industry crash of 1983. Understandably! For forty years, Atari has been a brand in search of a purpose.Rosen is determined to change that, making Atari relevant for the first time in forty years. And he wants to do so while having a sense of humor and respect for the brand's long, long journey. Who doesn't love a comeback story? Patreon bonus prologue: A history of Atari and its lost decades Act 1: Why Atari can’t die, an extended conversation with Atari CEO Wade Rosen Act 2: What is a “modern” Atari game Act 3: The news of the week Find episode notes and more at www.post.games. Subscribe to the Patreon for early access to episodes, additional segments, and bonus materials at patreon.com/postgames. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Get full episode notes, links, and related materials for free at www.post.gamesGet extra-long episodes, bonus content, monthly videos, and more (plus, no ads!) at patreon.com/postgamesWelcome to Post Game’s first annual physical, in which a special guest joins me to assess the health and stability of gaming, from the creators to the players, the industry to the culture. I’ve invited one of the smartest, analytical, and forward-thinking minds in video – writer, developer, publisher, critic, analyst, and occasional voice actor Xalavier Nelson Jr. – to give video games a thorough workupBonus Patreon Prologue: The state of games 10, 20, and 30 years agoAct 1: The best of times - Why 2025 could be the golden age of video gamesAct 2: The worst of times - Why video games feel doomedBonus Patreon interview segment: Xalavier on gaming’s past, present, and futureAct 3: The news of the week, including the ghoulish mass layoffs at XboxToday's episode's act-interstitials feature music from the games of Strange Scaffold!Find episode notes and more at www.post.games. Subscribe to the Patreon for early access to episodes, additional segments, and bonus materials at patreon.com/postgames. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.