Best Michael Mincks Podcasts (2025)

1
S4 E7 - 900 F*cking Nuts 3:09:26

3d ago3:09:26

3:09:26

With the release of the Nintendo Switch 2 on the horizon, the hosts take a look back at their experiences with the original Switch console. They go over how the platform affected their gaming and remember favorite titles, but also share criticisms and reasons why one might not have purchased a Switch at all. In addition to that, there are also tale…

1
S4 E6 - My Tip is: Uninstall 2:50:12

1M ago2:50:12

2:50:12

Your S4 hosts are back with another healthy dose of gamer chat! In this episode we share the games we chose for each other to play based on our backlogs, plus our memories of the best, worst, and the weird in licensed and media tie-in video games. Join us for bird games, soundtrack bangers, game hat tricks, sports tangents, a Kardashian or two, and…

1
S4 E5 - Victim of the Clown Hype Cycle 3:47:49

2M ago3:47:49

3:47:49

Between geese, red pandas, killer clowns, and diapers… This month’s episode contains an especially eclectic collection of games as we talk about the exciting and the frustrating titles that we’ve been playing recently. We also share our experience with tackling the dustiest game on our respective backlogs to see if it really deserved to rot away fo…

1
S4 E4 - Escape the Podcast Motel 2:37:57

3M ago2:37:57

2:37:57

Hosts Diallo, Lia, Matt, and Roy are back and ready to share the upcoming 2025 releases that have them excited, as well as discuss how they keep up with video game news! Tune in to hear their takes on disgusting garbage houses, video games about pop stars, and much, much more! HowLongToBeat forums - https://howlongtobeat.com/forum Discord – https:/…

1
S4 E3 - 2024 HLTB GotM Retrospective 2:24:57

4M ago2:24:57

2:24:57

On this special episode, we welcome back previous guest and thread master Knalb to look back with us at the "Game of the Month" titles that were chosen by the community throughout 2024 as part of one of the oldest traditions on HowLongToBeat. To top it all off, Knalb brought a bunch of interesting facts and numbers for a little trivia game about th…

1
S4 E2 - The Easy-Bake Oven for Dudes 2:29:06

5M ago2:29:06

2:29:06

Welcome the new year with a look back at the last games Diallo, Lia, Matt and Roy were able to squeeze through under the 2024 deadline. In this episode, the shiny newly minted hosts of the podcast go over the last games they have beaten, retired, and played before debating the pros and cons of the itchmas ’24 lineup. Get ready for escape rooms, for…

1
S4 E1 - Ruining the Legacy 3:43:35

6M ago3:43:35

3:43:35

A new beginning is upon us as Josh and Paula are ambushed by a set of new voices who are eager to carry the torch into season 4 of the How Long To Beat Podcast! In this extra big episode, members of the community Diallo, Lia, Matt and Roy begin the new season with a discussion of some games that shaped them as gamers over the years before going int…

1
S3 E52 - Hope 1:50:30

9M ago1:50:30

1:50:30

The end has come and the season finishes up with this final episode where Josh and Paula take a look to the future. What are they keen to finish? What’s been sitting on the backlog begging to be played? What new releases are they looking forward to in the future? Thanks to everyone who contributed and helped support season three and make it fun. It…

1
S3 E51 - I Bought It All 1:47:34

9M ago1:47:34

1:47:34

In this penultimate episode of season 3: Josh has been battling insane robotics, meditating with pixel art, and tweaking hardware in search of stability, while Paula continues to catch them all, and till the land in pursuit of abundance and anime. Then they have a special showdown to decide who really is the crowned champion of their guessing game.…

1
S3 E50 - They Will Have Your Money 1:47:00

10M ago1:47:00

1:47:00

The time has come! Paula’s tenure as educational administrator is at an end, but at what cost?! Has she done enough to justify the hard decisions and moist frogs that frequented the journey? Are we finally witnessing the liberation of indentured students?! Meanwhile Josh has made it to the end of his own journey, but even a murder case in court see…

1
S3 E49 - I Don’t Remember That 1:35:00

10M ago1:35:00

1:35:00

Is it a myth? Is it real? Can you actually do that amazing thing in that popular game? This week we’re talking about the rumours and myths that make up gaming folklore. Has the internet taken away the mystery? Or are there still exciting surprises to be had? We raise some questions, but do we manage to answer them? Plus, Paula continues her spiral …

1
S3 E48 - The Bad Tide 1:55:28

10M ago1:55:28

1:55:28

Welcome to the shortest episode description ever, because Josh is tired and the words aren’t working. This week the talk is all about games, and videogame preservation. Enjoy! HowLongToBeat forums - https://howlongtobeat.com/forum Discord – https://discord.gg/v5F26Dk Email - [email protected] Music – Ian Edward (intro/outro) and Abatage (incide…

1
S3 E47 - Back In My Day 2:04:32

10M ago2:04:32

2:04:32

Come sail the seven seas this week as gaming piracy is up for discussion, with all its swashbuckling and spicy takes. Is there a moral imperative to bend the rules from time to time? Or is it simply misguided righteousness in this topsy-turvy world of easily obtained loot and booty? Before that though, Josh and Paula work through a short list of ga…

1
S3 E46 - Kids Get Very Thirsty 1:47:34

11M ago1:47:34

1:47:34

Yes, the hot rumours are true and the end of Season 3 has now been set to sometime in the next couple of months. While there are still a good handful of episodes left, the hosts would love to hear from anyone who may be interested in hosting the podcast into Season 4. So get in touch at [email protected]. Meanwhile, Paula is continuing her educ…

1
S3 E45 - Child Labour 1:58:27

11M ago1:58:27

1:58:27

In this episode: Paula brings back an out-dated form of employment, while satiating her power-hungry need for order and conformity. Josh dies repeatedly on alien planets, and dives deep into the lore of weird cults and relics that leave bodies in their wake. Then the discussion turns to open world games, which was totally not a suggested subject th…

1
S3 E44 - Irrelevant Ducks 1:47:45

11M ago1:47:45

1:47:45

It’s all about games, games, and more games this episode as Paula and Josh have been playing, retiring, and completing a bunch of different titles. For some reason though, there seems to have been a lot of cats involved… which has to be a good thing, right? Plus, it’s Steam sale time, so they both reveal the bargains they picked up and perhaps a fe…

1
S3 E43 - I Had Issues 2:20:26

11M ago2:20:26

2:20:26

This week Josh has been spending most of his time scavenging parts from derelict ships, laughing at renaissance absurdity, and sticking his nose into a new criminal case. While Paula returned to the conflict of world domination, continued to catch them all, solved puzzles with bricks, and went rogue at the start of an epic adventure. If that wasn’t…

1
S3 E42 - War Against The Frog People 2:17:36

12M ago2:17:36

2:17:36

After a little break Josh and Paula are back and they’ve been playing a bunch of games since the last mainline episode. Josh has finally defeated the big boss at the end of his epic adventure, made friends with underwater aliens, and lost his way in the 40K universe. Meanwhile Paula has been chasing cats through time, stuffing dogs into boxes, and …

1
NG+ - Why This Game Is So Good 1:02:16

12M ago1:02:16

1:02:16

This week it gets personal with a special bonus episode within which Josh and Paula get to talk about one of their favourite games of all time. Except these games are perhaps not the most celebrated titles for various reasons, but they love them all the same. Maybe they can pique your interest as well? HowLongToBeat forums - https://howlongtobeat.c…

1
S3 E41 - I Could Be Playing Anything Else Right Now 1:52:02

12M ago1:52:02

1:52:02

Sometimes a game can be so compelling that you can’t help but fire up the passion and go ham on everything you have to say. So it is with Paula’s current otome obsession, bringing an exclusive rant in today’s episode. There’s no discussion topic, there’s no time! Not when there are things that need to be said and stories that need to be told. Meanw…

1
S3 E40 - The Best Wing Man 2:08:40

1y ago2:08:40

2:08:40

This week Josh and Paula are making connections, building relationships, and hopefully growing into better human beings all round. As Paula continues to adventure in the kitchens of hell, Josh has been reconciling with relatives, bridging cultures, and bringing justice to paper cut-out animals. Never fret though, as the weird and wonderful keeps on…

1
S3 E39 - You’re Not My Brother Anymore 1:58:29

1y ago1:58:29

1:58:29

Nothing beaten, nothing retired, this week has been all about progress. Paula continues to work her way through the layers and kitchens of hell, while Josh figures out strange languages, explores an underwater city, fights vampires, and rolls race cars. Then the discussion turns to those pieces of plastic that promise a new world of gaming and an e…

1
S3 E38 - A Little Bit Of Game On My Mods 1:49:04

1y ago1:49:04

1:49:04

The theme and topic this week is what makes a game worth the time and money it takes to experience whatever it has to offer. Is it as simple as a dollar-per-hour equation? Or are there other factors that come into play? Spoiler: of course there are! Meanwhile Josh has been fighting the jank of large late-game instability, while Paula gets into the …

1
S3 E37 - I Heard This Very Recently 1:46:18

1y ago1:46:18

1:46:18

This week Paula and Josh are having some fun and have put together a little game-soundtrack-themed quiz to play. Will they be able to identify the game based on a short clip of music? Or will Josh fail to remember anything at all and maintain his idiocy?! Oh, and there’s the usual games they’ve been playing and the weekly guessing game as well… enj…

1
NG+ - Our Top 10 2:03:23

1y ago2:03:23

2:03:23

Every week Josh and Paula talk about the games they’ve been playing and what’s new in their gaming world, but in this special bonus episode, they get to talk about their favourite games of all time. Strap in for some spicy picks and discover some pure gems! HowLongToBeat forums - ⁠https://howlongtobeat.com/forum⁠ Discord – ⁠https://discord.gg/v5F26…

1
S3 E36 - They’ve Patched My DNA 2:18:19

1y ago2:18:19

2:18:19

A new week is upon us and a new episode has landed! Find out about Paula’s return to some of the more toxic corners of gaming on the internet, along with the wholesome conclusion to an excellent little cultural masterpiece. Witness Josh’s insufferable unwillingness to figure out who developed what in the deep mud trucking game series that he’s been…

1
S3 E35 - Driving A Cat 2:03:27

1y ago2:03:27

2:03:27

It’s been a long week of gaming and Josh has managed to finish off a few titles that he’s been working through for a while. On the other hand, Paula is still chipping away at a few core games that have been getting better and better as she continues to dive into strange worlds and traffic control systems. The topic for discussion this week is the A…

1
S3 E34 - A Good Game Will Let The Dumb-asses Have Fun 1:59:59

1y ago1:59:59

1:59:59

Have you ever reached that point in a game where you find yourself wading through pages and pages of instructional wikis, in an attempt to discover some indication of how to make some kind of progress? This week Paula and Josh are talking about so-called “wiki games” that keep their cards a little too close to their chest. Before that though, Paula…

1
S3 E33 - Japan Is Next 2:04:13

1y ago2:04:13

2:04:13

All hail the great leader! Paula has been on a rampage, conquering the world and gaining power until every other nation pledges their loyalty at her feet. Also, Josh retired another game and has been messing about with his PC hardware like a big nerd thanks to some over the top clock speeds heating things up to the point of no return. This week the…

1
S3 E32 - Money Makes The Monkey Dance 2:10:45

1y ago2:10:45

2:10:45

The streak has been broken, as Josh finally retired a game this week! There’s still a lot to talk about as he and Paula have been beating and playing a bunch of other titles, including one that they played together along with some friends from HLTB. Then get settled in because this week the discussion focuses on what it’s like to be a gamer from th…

1
S3 E31 - What’s The Deal With The Dogs? 1:40:40

1y ago1:40:40

1:40:40

While Paula has stuck to a couple of longer-term adventures, this week Josh has been completing a bunch of shorter games and demos, while dipping a toe into the zombie apocalypse of the old west. Then it’s Game of the Month time again the discussion turns to Return of the Obra Dinn, which is ultimately a chance to raise Paula’s interest in playing …

1
S3 E30 - Before We Get Too Tissy 2:16:01

1y ago2:16:01

2:16:01

This week Josh and Paula have been travelling through the same Rusty Lake game, while exploring other strange worlds and stretching their brains into recursive logic and world-wide disease manipulation. It’s been a bit of a week. However, all that is nothing compared to HLTB meeting an impressive milestone and prompting a discussion about how our h…

1
S3 E29 - Looks Kinda Crunchy & It’s Slow 2:04:27

1y ago2:04:27

2:04:27

The nostalgia is strong again this week as Josh and Paula continue their trip down memory lane and discuss a number of games that may or may not hold up by today’s standards. Plus, they attempt to determine which elements might hold a game back, and why others manage to stay timeless and strong forever. Of course, they also have a good chat about t…

1
S3 E28 - The Liver Fights Back 2:19:40

1+ y ago2:19:40

2:19:40

This week Paula has been beating all the games and playing even more, while Josh continues to work through the same old titles, plus a couple of new ones. There are clubs and deportations, cowboys and bears, even some angry organs and walls made of flesh. Then they get all “back in my day” and discuss some of the big changes that have happened over…

1
S3 E27 - Playing Around With The Clouds 2:02:36

1+ y ago2:02:36

2:02:36

In this episode Paula and Josh have been spreading their wings and trying out a bunch of different games. Paula has been surviving through different world’s that may or may not be trying to kill her, while Josh has been moseying down memory lane and getting a bit retro and nostalgic. Quite the contrast to our topic of the week, which is the recent …

1
S3 E26 - She Looked Dead, So I Killed Her 2:09:02

1+ y ago2:09:02

2:09:02

This week we get all romantic and have a big chat about everything Otome, Romance, and Valentine-related in video games, but not before we delve into everything we’ve been playing. Paula has levelled up her football skills while dealing with VIP clients and Pokemon Banks. At the same time Josh fought a giant foot, a tall ghost woman, and was swept …

1
S3 E25 - It Grabbed Me 1:33:11

1+ y ago1:33:11

1:33:11

Josh has been drooling over some smooth animations this week, while puzzling in three dimensions and fighting for justice! Paula has spent her time investigating crime and appearing in court, before playing bouncer and turning children away from British clubs and pubs. They follow it all up with a weekly topic, focusing on physical gaming and the e…

1
S3 E24 - Memories I Remember 2:03:46

1+ y ago2:03:46

2:03:46

This week we’re talking about some Kickstarter and crowd-funding stories from the past and Josh gets quite fired up over a few specific examples; so strap yourself in for a rant a half. Meanwhile Paula has been reliving some glory days in the courtroom and Josh has been jumping between classic point-and-click adventures, Netflix mobile games, and a…

1
S3 E23 - I Happily Retired Hatred 1:56:02

1+ y ago1:56:02

1:56:02

We’re back to regular programming again this week as Paula tackles another series of Otome routes, while Josh gets stuck into a couple of mysteries and some point and click adventures. With only one retirement and a few more on the go, it’s time for the winner of our guessing game to pick a title for the other to play, before kicking off a new roun…

1
S3 E22 - 2023 HLTB GotM Retrospective 2:46:21

1+ y ago2:46:21

2:46:21

For this special episode, Josh and Paula are joined by Knalb, the Lord of the Threads, to discuss the HLTB Game of the Month games that featured in 2023. We discuss the highs and the lows, the good and the bad, and the long and the short, as we delve into the last twelve months of communal gaming experiences. Then we draw 2023 to a close with a qui…

1
S3 E21 - The First One To Catch Him WIns 2:05:16

1+ y ago2:05:16

2:05:16

Back with a long list of games played over the New Year/ Xmas break, Paula and Josh get stuck into some highs and lows of their gaming lives of recent times. Then they have a chat about Special and Limited Edition games that come with all those fun collectibles, or disappointing tat. Finally, Paula puts Josh to the test and we find out who has mana…

1
NG+ - Gaming For Non-Gamers 1:28:08

1+ y ago1:28:08

1:28:08

In this bonus episode, Paula and Josh discuss what it’s like to enter the world of gaming as a brand new gamer. What kind of barriers exist and what do developers assume players already know? What kinds of experiences are a good way to introduce someone to a brand new concept? Would you give that game to your child? All this and some extra tangents…

1
S3 E20 - The 2023 GOTY Extravaganza 3:47:11

1+ y ago3:47:11

3:47:11

The year is ending, so we’re going big and rolling out our Game of the Year Extravaganza! Featuring a bunch of our friends from the HLTB community who happened to wander by and offer their own perspectives on the year that’s been 2023. To everyone listening, we wish you a happy new year and hope that 2024 is an awesome time for all. Strap yourself …

1
S3 E19 - The Night Before Christmas 2:02:37

1+ y ago2:02:37

2:02:37

It’s the night before Christmas and we have a delightfully packed holiday themed episode for you today. Josh has finished off a few games, and been thrown in the deep end of running a galactic empire, with dubious results. While Paula has been solving cases and getting close to some pigeons with ulterior motives. Thankfully though, all is saved whe…

1
S3 E18 - Bull-Shittery 1:21:32

1+ y ago1:21:32

1:21:32

As itchmas comes to a close, Josh has been playing more little itch.io games, along with the usual adventures that never seem to end. Meanwhile Paula has completed a few games that she’s been working on for a while now, and getting back into others that were finished long ago. Plus, it’s Game of the Month time again and the classic FPS Half-Life is…

1
S3 E17 - You Can’t Buy All The Games 1:55:37

1+ y ago1:55:37

1:55:37

As the end of the year draws ever closer, we have a look whether we succeeded with our gaming goals for 2023, as well as setting new ones for 2024. Meanwhile, Paula has been on an emotional rollercoaster while laser focused on her latest Otome. In contrast, Josh has played a whole heap of different games, including some Itchmas in July titles and s…

1
S3 E16 - I Gave It Half An Hour 1:21:15

1+ y ago1:21:15

1:21:15

This week Paula and Josh have completed the same cat-themed time-travelling hidden-object game, but not a lot else. Once again they’ve avoided retiring anything, but Paula has been playing with clones, while Josh skated his way through some sentimental adventures in growing up. Finally, with the end of the year closing in, we have a chat about the …

1
S3 E15 - Bash Them With My Iron Lizard 1:43:17

1+ y ago1:43:17

1:43:17

Glory to Paula, as she deals with suspect documentation and terrorist cells at the border; while Josh hacks his way into some kid’s chat logs, and fights no good darn dirty soviet robots. Then they both get stuck into the undeniable impact Undertale has had on gaming…along with their own thoughts and hot takes on this Game of the Month. Finally, ca…

1
S3 E14 - When You Kill Him, He’s Dead 1:48:57

1+ y ago1:48:57

1:48:57

As Josh fumbles around with PC hardware and cobbles together this edit, Paula has been expanding her horizons and trying new things in the world of gaming. Meanwhile Josh actually finished a few short adventures, a pretty bad racing game, and a brand new climb to the top of a very nice mountain. Back in the real world, Paula has been enjoying a sym…

1
S3 E13 - Put Some Extra Sprinkles On Top 1:40:54

1+ y ago1:40:54

1:40:54

This week Paula’s been getting deeper in mafia business and repeatedly dying while trying to survive the apocalypse. Meanwhile Josh has been finishing off a co-op adventure and taking the time to tidy things up before falling further into the Rusty Lake universe. What really matters though, are the comfort games we hold dear to our heart, so we hav…

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Michael Mincks Podcasts

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