Here's what's coming up on Tales from the Backlog in June! A nice mix of of games with these great guests: @floramerigold.bsky.social @claireafterall.bsky.social @idolismj.yase.world @ajfillari.bsky.social I loved how these discussions turned out, so please look forward to them!

SO excited for y’all to hear the convo i had with Dave about Pyre. that game rules!!!!!!!!!

Here's what's coming up on Tales from the Backlog in June! A nice mix of of games with these great guests: @floramerigold.bsky.social @claireafterall.bsky.social @idolismj.yase.world @ajfillari.bsky.social I loved how these discussions turned out, so please look forward to them!

King's Field IV (PS2, 2001)

A "breather" episode is nice now and then. I've always loved learning about the people behind the work I like, so I decided to do an episode "about me"—an audio version of those "About Me" video game templates that go around every so often. Please enjoy! www.spreaker.com/episode/the-...

oh good bc if there’s anyone i trust to treat the delicate sociopolitical issue of a divided korea with the nuance it requires it’s definitely the people who make call of duty www.ign.com/articles/act...

I wish for more games set in Korea because I like playing games set in familiar places, and the monkey's paw curls

New on the podcast- @jesseguarascia.com joined me for an episode about Isles of Sea and Sky by @cicadagames.bsky.social! Another awesome Sokoban-like layered with secrets, but as always, no spoilers for a while- enjoy! LISTEN: talesfromthebacklog.fireside.fm/216 WATCH: youtu.be/zawmNr1xNNk

I've been traveling for the past few weeks and haven't had a ton of time to play Mina the Hollower, but I DID just play for 5 straight hours on the plane home. It's awesome! Here are some thoughts after ~10 hours of play. Thanks to @yachtclubgames.bsky.social for the review code!

Yo I sat down with @realdavejackson.bsky.social to talk about a really great Sokoban adventure game, Isles of Sea & Sky. There's a revelation at one point where we both figure out why this puzzle sub-genre keeps leading to mind-bending rules based experiences that was pretty funny. Check it out! ⬇️⬇️⬇️

New on the podcast- @jesseguarascia.com joined me for an episode about Isles of Sea and Sky by @cicadagames.bsky.social! Another awesome Sokoban-like layered with secrets, but as always, no spoilers for a while- enjoy! LISTEN: talesfromthebacklog.fireside.fm/216 WATCH: youtu.be/zawmNr1xNNk

Mina The Hollower is as close to perfect as a game can be, and shouldn’t be missed. My review ⤵️⤵️

I've been traveling for the past few weeks and haven't had a ton of time to play Mina the Hollower, but I DID just play for 5 straight hours on the plane home. It's awesome! Here are some thoughts after ~10 hours of play. Thanks to @yachtclubgames.bsky.social for the review code!

One in every 72528484736262929282 baseball cards should be a nude

You give yourself away piece by piece and before you even realize it, you’re gone.

NEW EPISODE: There go our heroes as we fight foo revisiting #FooFighters with guests @djstormageddon.com of the @funandgamespod.bsky.social and @realdavejackson.bsky.social of Tales From The Backlog. We talk about it and carry on at the link below. share.fireside.fm/episode/gEYr...

New on Tales from the Backlog- after I played Kingdom Hearts for the first time, @itsleah.bsky.social of @caneandrinse.com and @characterissues.bsky.social joined me to discuss! As always, no spoilers for a while- enjoy! LISTEN: talesfromthebacklog.fireside.fm/215 WATCH: youtu.be/W9rTwXC9kK8

This was a really fun recording and I tried very hard to be cool and not like some weirdo who can’t be trusted on other people’s shows

Two of my favorite podcasters talking about one of my favorite games. What's not to love?

New on Tales from the Backlog- after I played Kingdom Hearts for the first time, @itsleah.bsky.social of @caneandrinse.com and @characterissues.bsky.social joined me to discuss! As always, no spoilers for a while- enjoy! LISTEN: talesfromthebacklog.fireside.fm/215 WATCH: youtu.be/W9rTwXC9kK8

Another day of sumo!

I haven't been gaming much while in Tokyo but I HAVE been watching live sumo.

The year is 1994. Your first day of 6th grade. You’re in P.E. class behind a kid with a rat-tail named Brandon. His shirt says: “𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐀𝐖𝐆🐶 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝗕𝗜𝗚𝗚𝗘𝗦𝗧🦴 👅 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔪𝔬𝔰𝔱 🐈” You learn to square dance.

I haven't been gaming much while in Tokyo but I HAVE been watching live sumo.

NEW STUFF ALERT! The giant A4-sized deluxe edition of 32 Bit Library Greatest Hits Volume 1 is in stock and ready to ship out TODAY! Limited quantities available, so be sure to grab this giant coffee table book and relive some classic PlayStation memories. pixelsandpolygons.net/products/32-...

In case you missed it, @rachelwatts.bsky.social and I gave Cairn a proper deep dive, and my favorite parts of the conversation focused on Aava- why she is the way she is, what kind of mindset it takes to be a pro athlete, comparisons to the main character in Firewatch, and much more- check it out!

Live look inside my head after 24 hours of plane travel and a night of jet lagged sleep

61 indies. 93 minutes. The Six One Indie Showcase returns May 21st, airing on IGN, GameSpot, and our YouTube channel! Kick off summer showcase season with never-before-seen world premieres, showcase debuts, and exclusive looks from independent developers around the globe. ➡️ youtu.be/l2b6H2dyUsw

Today on the podcast, @rachelwatts.bsky.social joins me as we make our way up Mount Kami and discuss Cairn, by @thegamebakers.com! Lots to discuss here, so this is a long one. As always, no spoilers for a while- enjoy! LISTEN: talesfromthebacklog.fireside.fm/214 WATCH: youtu.be/iCj7HVJmffs

Huge thank you to @realdavejackson.bsky.social for inviting me on Tales from the Backlog! We really got in deep taking about Cairn! Please give the episode a listen✨️

Two icons talking about an iconic game, let’s go!!

Today on the podcast, @rachelwatts.bsky.social joins me as we make our way up Mount Kami and discuss Cairn, by @thegamebakers.com! Lots to discuss here, so this is a long one. As always, no spoilers for a while- enjoy! LISTEN: talesfromthebacklog.fireside.fm/214 WATCH: youtu.be/iCj7HVJmffs

An all-time great video game moment. I'll be thinking about this for years. It's right up there with surviving Hell in Spelunky, one-shotting O&S in Dark Souls, and beating @danryckert.com's disgusting Mario Maker creations.

Hey! Looking for a guest for your video game podcast? That could be me! I’m nice, I’ve been around a long while, I can hold a conversation, so I check all the boxes.

I just want to work. I just want to work!! Even fake job listings are drying up again and I'm no less burnt out. I feel disgusting. I'll keep chasing work and I'll keep fighting for a place to stand, but until that day comes, unfortunately we still very much need your help. I'm so, so sorry.

i am not opening this thread dawg

Xenoblade Chronicles 2 achieves its ideal form completely outside itself. The story becomes easiest to love once nobody is actually playing it anymore. WE ARE ALL BECOMING MORE THICK: jakesteinberg.substack.com/p/we-are-all...

7 months to go

The definitive millennial song is clearly legend_of_zelda_System_of_a_down(1).mp3

there's like six billion games released every day and i'll be the first to admit that algorithms on steam and youtube incentivise a certain Market Cynicism but i promise you. whatever niche you're into. there's always passionate people making Real Shit. just go find it. you're embarassing yourself

Now that I've looked up who John Hughes is, I'm ready to wade into Mixtape discourse

In case you missed it- a big ol' five-layer discussion about Hitman 3 and Freelancer mode! We talk about the new levels, the surprisingly engaging story, the evolutionary step between Hitman and 007, and a lot more. Also, how 47 would eliminate two podcasters.

On this week's RAM, AJ is joined by Kate (@katerblossom.bsky.social) and Phil (@phil.70percentcomplete.com) to talk about the Neverway Prologue by @coldbloodinc.studio! ✨Listen here! - share.transistor.fm/s/7ed2f310 ☕Hear the full convo on our member feed! - ko-fi.com/dotzip

🎉 Yes, it's true! Thinky Direct is returning for 2026, with a whole new line-up of exclusive trailers and reveals for the most amazing thinky games. Keep an eye out for more info very soon! Puzzle sicko content creators and journalists, reach out! More info below 👇

me, editing: why does no one just write a sentence with a period at the end. stop it with the semi colons. simple clauses are elegant and easy to parse. me, writing: writing is so easy--you just keep writing a sentence (and then never finish it; i wonder how long i can keep this going?).

The winner was Quest 64! Now is a perfect time to play it, and get ready for an episode in the summer!

It's time to bust out those pitons, folks, Episode 63 is live! ⛰️🧗 We got to talk with THE one and only @adamgumby.bsky.social about the beautiful and formidable survival climbing game Cairn! Listen below or wherever you get your pods 🎧 nosmallgames.com/2026/05/ep-6...

It's tempting to leave this review with a mic drop after a few triumpiant words because you deserve to discover everything about Mixtape for yourself.

Banger show on a banger game

Welcome to Tales from the Backlog, 47. Your targets, Dave Jackson and Scott Danielson, are busy discussing Hitman 3 and Freelancer mode- now is the perfect time to strike. And as always, don't spoil things for a while. LISTEN: talesfromthebacklog.fireside.fm/213 WATCH: youtu.be/_UR1fxJUbSQ