Released every Thursday, The MinnMax Show features former Game Informer employees and beyond talking about the week's most exciting games or game industry news before reading feedback from the Patreon community found at patreon.com/minnmax.
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MinnMax Podcasts
Pew Pew Bang is a video game podcast where every episode is a slumber party. Four women from around the game industry talk games, stories, and life advice. This is part of the MinnMax podcast network.
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CrossFade is a dueling album review show about expanding your musical horizons hosted by Matt Helgeson. Released every two weeks, CrossFade has guests introduce one of their favorite albums of all time to Matt Helgeson (and vice versa) as they review the highlights, play clips, and compare each other's picks. On every episode, we answer questions from the community via MinnMax's Patreon page - https://www.patreon.com/minnmax
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What'll Dethrone Our Game Of The Year?
2:02:05
2:02:05
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2:02:05https://www.patreon.com/minnmax - Unlock a benefit and directly support independent games media MinnMax's Ben Hanson, Janet Garcia, Kyle Hilliard, and Jeff Marchiafava run through their current personal Game of the Year pick (and some runner-ups) before shifting over to the horizon and speculating about which upcoming 2025 game could claim the top …
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Let them cook! Kelsey Lewin, Haley Maclean, Janet Garcia, and Sarah Podzorski talk favorite cooking games (and weird Gordon Ramsay cooking games), share trusted cooking tips and recipe sources, and host their own Pew Pew Bang video game dinner party! This is our first episode with an ad, and it's a great one for https://lolablankets.com ! But if yo…
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Hollow Knight: Silksong, 007 First Light, Shinobi Rules
2:56:28
2:56:28
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2:56:28We'll DM you a Steam code for the great game Spilled if you support MinnMax on Patreon or upgrade your tier before Monday, September 8th. We'll post on Discord, Bluesky, and Instagram if we run out of codes. https://www.patreon.com/minnmax MinnMax's Ben Hanson, Jacob Geller, Jeff Marchiafava, and returning champion Suriel Vazquez share their early …
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The Wii Episode - Kelsey Lewin, Haley Maclean, Janet Garcia, and Sarah Podzorski reflect on the legacy of the Nintendo Wii, weighing lifelong family memories against swaths of rushed-to-market shovelware. They also Show & Tell about their favorite Miis and attempt to remember which Wii sound effect goes with what in Challenge Mode! To jump to a par…
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Metal Gear Solid Delta, Resident Evil Requiem, Best Of Gamescom
2:18:05
2:18:05
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2:18:05https://www.patreon.com/minnmax - Unlock a benefit and directly support independent games media MinnMax's Ben Hanson, Jacob Geller, and Kyle Hilliard are joined by the founder and studio director of Camouflaj Ryan Payton to unpack Konami's series revival with Metal Gear Solid Delta. Payton talks about his experience working inside of Kojima Product…
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Gamescom's Best Reveals, Sword of the Sea, Sakurai's Sassy Nintendo Direct
2:25:16
2:25:16
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2:25:16https://www.patreon.com/minnmax - We're now out of Steam codes for Sunderfolk, but you can still directly support MinnMax on Patreon to unlock other benefits! MinnMax's Ben Hanson, Haley MacLean, Kyle Hilliard, and Jacob Geller unpack the best moments and biggest reveals from Geoff Keighley's Gamescom Opening Night Live before unpacking the unusual…
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Hay is for… girls?? Kelsey Lewin, Haley Maclean, Janet Garcia, and Sarah Podzorski take on the least-fought animal in video games with a look at the most iconic horses in the genre while designing their own dream horses and putting their rider level to the test. To jump to a particular segment, check out the timestamps below... 00:00:00 - Intro: Ha…
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Mafia: The Old Country Review, Merge Maestro, Huber Returns
2:12:31
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2:12:31https://www.patreon.com/minnmax - Unlock a benefit and directly support independent games media MinnMax's Ben Hanson, Haley MacLean, and Jeff Marchiafava are joined by Michael Huber from Easy Allies to walk through our full review thoughts on Mafia: The Old Country from 2K and Hangar 13, Battlefield 6's successful open beta, JeffM's new Balatro-lik…
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Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound, Cronos Preview, A MinnMax Studio First
1:52:58
1:52:58
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1:52:58We'll DM you a Steam code for Creepy Redneck Dinosaur Mansion 3 from Strange Scaffold if you support MinnMax on Patreon before 8/11/25, you can also upgrade your tier to get the game. https://www.patreon.com/c/minnmax MinnMax's Ben Hanson, Janet Garcia, Kelsey Lewin, and Jacob Geller assemble for the first time together in the MinnMax Studio! We ta…
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Kelsey Lewin, Haley Maclean, Janet Garcia, and Sarah Podzorski catch up on their summer break games (most of which are played in the pool) and sort out their future summer plans both real and imaginary in the UNCENSORED season two premiere of Pew Pew Bang! To jump to a particular segment, check out the timestamps below... 00:00:00 - Intro 00:04:33 …
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Battlefield 6 Preview, Nintendo Direct Reveals, Wildgate
2:29:48
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2:29:48Get a Steam code for Lumines Remastered (overwhelmingly positive reviews) by supporting MinnMax at even the $2 tier on Patreon before 8/4/25. https://www.patreon.com/minnmax MinnMax's Ben Hanson, Leo Vader, Haley MacLean, and guest cohort Kyle Bosman unpack the biggest Nintendo Switch 2 reveals from the Nintendo Direct Partner Showcase, Ben talks a…
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Unleashing Thoughts On Donkey Kong Bananza
2:32:40
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2:32:40Win Donkey Kong Bananza, Xenoblade Chronicles X, or Squeakross! Subscribe to The MinnMax Show and review us on Apple Podcasts (including your social media handle), we're randomly choosing three winners on Monday, July 28th. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-minnmax-show/id1484599827 MinnMax's Ben Hanson, Kyle Hilliard, Kelsey Lewin, Janet G…
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Debating The Top 5 3D Platformers Of All Time
2:38:10
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2:38:10MinnMax's Ben Hanson, Janet Garcia, Kyle Hilliard, and guest cohort Kyle Bosman debate the 5 greatest 3D platformers of all time. Which five games will we let into the club? Will any of them be hit by a poison shuriken? As we prepare to dive into Donkey Kong Bananza on the Nintendo Switch 2, we look back on the classics like Super Mario 64, Astro B…
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The Game Of The Summer 2025: On The Beach
2:29:48
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2:29:48Get a PS5 code for the great game Despelote if you support MinnMax on Patreon (or upgrade your tier) before Monday, July 14th. We have 50 PS5 codes, North America only. We'll post on all social channels if we run out. https://www.patreon.com/c/minnmax MinnMax's Ben Hanson, Kelsey Lewin, Sarah Podzorski, and guest cohort Kyle Bosman share their pick…
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2025 Release Calendar Six-Shooter Duel (With Kyle Bosman!)
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3:12:06https://www.patreon.com/minnmax - We'll DM you a Steam code for the excellent Despelote if you support MinnMax on Patreon at any tier before July 7th, 2025. 200 Steam codes available, we'll post on social media if we run out. MinnMax's Ben Hanson, Jacob Geller, Janet Garcia, and Haley MacLean are joined by MinnMax's guest cohort for the month of Ju…
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Death Stranding 2 Review, Peak, 300th Episode!
2:23:54
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2:23:54https://www.patreon.com/minnmax - Support MinnMax on Patreon to keep The MinnMax Show going for another 300 episodes and to unlock the early and ad-free version of the show! We've hit 300 episodes of The MinnMax Show and cannot thank you enough for sharing the show! MinnMax's Ben Hanson is joined by Kyle Hilliard, Jacob Geller, and Haley MacLean to…
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For the season one finale of Pew Pew Bang, Kelsey Lewin, Haley Maclean, and Janet Garcia indulge Sarah Podzorski in her secret podcast goal: getting the gang to play girlie pop Dungeons & Dragons. They’re joined by DM Charles Harte who takes them on a magical princess adventure full of the same chaotic slumber party vibes you know and love. It’s so…
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The Alters Review, Donkey Kong Bananza, Switch 2's Final Verdict
2:37:16
2:37:16
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2:37:16https://www.patreon.com/minnmax - Unlock the ad-free, early version of this show and directly support independent games media MinnMax's Ben Hanson, Jeff Marchiafava, Leo Vader, Haley MacLean, and Kyle Hilliard unpack all of the fun details revealed in the Nintendo Direct all about Donkey Kong Bananza and his new best bud Pauline before we talk abou…
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Resident Evil Requiem, Mixtape, SGF's Game Of The Show
2:23:21
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2:23:21https://www.patreon.com/minnmax - Unlock a benefit and directly support independent games media MinnMax's Ben Hanson, Kelsey Lewin, Janet Garcia, and Jacob Geller share their full thoughts on Summer Game Fest 2025 and share their picks for the "Game of the Show". They got to experience behind-closed-doors gameplay demos for things like Resident Evi…
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The Smart People Video Games Episode
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3:21:22On the penultimate episode of Pew Pew Bang season one, Kelsey Lewin, Haley Maclean, Janet Garcia, and Sarah Podzorski are finally talking about smart people games which is weird it took so long because they are so smart. They talk favorite smarty games like Lorelei and Papers Please, but also challenge the notion that anyone who cares so much about…
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Switch 2 Launch, State Of Play Highlights, Fantasy Life i
2:19:09
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2:19:09We'll DM you a Steam code for the excellent Star of Providence (overwhelmingly positive reviews) if you support MinnMax at the $5 tier on Patreon! Offer ends 6/9/25, we'll post on all social media if we run out of codes. https://www.patreon.com/minnmax On this episode of The MinnMax Show, Ben Hanson, Sarah Podzorski, Leo Vader, and Jeff Marchiafava…
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Elden Ring Nightreign Review, SGF Predictions, Black Panther Canceled
2:24:22
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2:24:22MinnMax's Ben Hanson, Jacob Geller, and Kyle Hilliard, are joined by GameSpot's managing editor Tamoor Hussain to talk about Summer Game Fest as we share our biggest predictions for the summer reveal season. Then Tamoor and Kyle talk about playing From Software's Elden Ring Nightreign and we unpack the unfortunate cancelation of EA's Black Panther …
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The Friendships And Video Games Episode
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4:25:57On this week's Pew Pew Bang, Kelsey Lewin, Haley Maclean, Janet Garcia, and Sarah Podzorski talk all about the games that build connections for a lifetime, sharing favorite co-op titles in Show & Tell and even playing an actual real video game with each other in Challenge Mode! To jump to a particular segment, check out the timestamps below... 00:0…
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The Best Hidden Gems Of 2025 (So Far)
2:16:37
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2:16:37https://www.patreon.com/minnmax - We'll DM you a Steam code for Spirit Swap: Lo-Fi Beats to Match-3 To if you support MinnMax on Patreon or upgrade your tier before 5/26/25. 200 Steam codes to give away, we'll post on social media if we run out. MinnMax's Ben Hanson, Jacob Geller, Janet Garcia, Kyle Hilliard, and Jeff Marchiafava share some hidden …
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Doom: The Dark Ages, Control's Spin-Off, Despelote
2:33:05
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2:33:05We'll DM you a Steam code for the great game Tchia if you support MinnMax at the $10 Backstage Pass tier before 5/19/25 - 100 codes available, check social media for availability. https://www.patreon.com/minnmax MinnMax's Ben Hanson, Janet Garcia, Haley MacLean, Jacob Geller, Leo Vader, and special guest Charles Harte talk about Remedy's new co-op …
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On this week's Pew Pew Bang, Kelsey Lewin, Haley Maclean, Janet Garcia, and Sarah Podzorski serve never-before-seen looks while talking their favorite cosmetics in games and competing to see who can identify iconic character makeup in another challenging Challenge Mode! To jump to a particular segment, check out the timestamps below... 00:00:00 - I…
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GTA VI, Giant Bomb And Polygon Gutted, Deep Rock Galactic Survivor
2:56:40
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2:56:40MinnMax's Ben Hanson is joined by the huge crew of Kelsey Lewin, Haley MacLean, Leo Vader, Jacob Geller, Jeff Marchiafava and returning champion Ana Diaz to talk about Grand Theft Auto VI's new trailer, Polygon, Giant Bomb, and the state of games media, indie publishing agreements, and good new games like Deep Rock Galactic Survivor and Revenge of …
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Top 5 Switch Games Bloodbath, Skin Deep, Arc Raiders
2:36:48
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2:36:48https://www.patreon.com/minnmax - Unlock a benefit and directly support independent games media Delayed Input's @KyleBosman rolls in as guest host this week to turn MinnMax's Kyle Hilliard, Janet Garcia, Haley MacLean and Leo Vader against each other with a violent debate on the top five Switch 1 games of all time. Then, Leo fundamentally disagrees…
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This week on Pew Pew Bang, Kelsey Lewin, Haley Maclean, Janet Garcia, and Sarah Podzorski gather for a massive celebration of a tiny console: the Game Boy Advance. They talk favorite games and memories with the system, as well as debate Shadow the Hedgehog’s age and whether it’s ethical to complain when a hair stylist ruins your life. To jump to a …
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Clair Obscur Review, Oblivion Remaster, Onimusha 2
2:07:10
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2:07:10https://www.patreon.com/minnmax - Unlock a benefit and directly support independent games media MinnMax's Ben Hanson, Kyle Hilliard, Jacob Geller, and Jeff Marchiafava rave about the new RPG Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (join The Deepest Dive!) and unpack their nostalgic memories with the surprising release of the remaster for The Elder Scrolls IV: …
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Switch 2 Hands-On, Mario Kart World, Rematch
2:49:03
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2:49:03MinnMax's Ben Hanson, Leo Vader, Janet Garcia, and Kyle Hilliard unpack the highlights and hot takes from the new Nintendo Direct covering Mario Kart World before we share our biggest surprises from playing the Nintendo Switch 2 at a recent event in LA. Then we leave Nintendo world behind and Leo Vader gushes about Rematch from the developers of Si…
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Video game merch: we know it can be bad, but can it be good, too? Also, what is a Labubu? Is this even related? This week on Pew Pew Bang, Kelsey Lewin, Haley Maclean, Janet Garcia, and Sarah Podzorski talk about some of the weirdest and most unhinged merchandise to come out of the gaming world, and pitch some new PPB Products. We also introduce a …
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2025's Best Game And Biggest Game (So Far)
2:35:00
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2:35:00https://www.patreon.com/minnmax - Directly support independent games media and unlock a benefit, like an ad-free and day-early version of The MinnMax Show. MinnMax's Ben Hanson, Sarah Podzorski, Jeff Marchiafava, and Leo Vader get together in the MinnMax Studio for a fun episode unpacking our spoiler-free thoughts on Blue Prince, a review of Xbox's…
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Switch 2 Direct, Donkey Kong Bananza, From Software's Duskbloods
2:07:20
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2:07:20We'll DM you a Steam code for Lorelei and the Laser Eyes if you support MinnMax at the $5 tier before 4/7/25! We'll post on social if we run out of codes. https://www.patreon.com/c/minnmax MinnMax's Ben Hanson, Kelsey Lewin, Janet Garcia, Jacob Geller, and Leo Vader unpack all of their thoughts and emotions on the big Nintendo Direct all about the …
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Sometimes the most challenging thing you can do is admit your weaknesses. Well, the second-most challenging thing (after parrying). This week on Pew Pew Bang, Kelsey Lewin, Haley Maclean, Janet Garcia, and Sarah Podzorski are talking all about the most difficult gaming challenges they have and haven't overcome, as well as attempting to conquer a to…
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Game Informer Revived, PlayStation's New FPS, Wildgate Revealed
2:36:17
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2:36:17MinnMax's Ben Hanson, Leo Vader, Haley MacLean, and Kyle Hilliard talk about the miraculous revival of Game Informer magazine and Kyle's return as its executive editor, the PlayStation-published new first-person party shooter called Midnight Murder Club, more thoughts on Assassin's Creed Shadows, and former Blizzard developers getting together to c…
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Assassin's Creed Shadows, Atomfall, GDC's Best Games
2:29:37
2:29:37
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2:29:37MinnMax's Ben Hanson, Jeff Marchiafava, Leo Vader, and special guest Charles Harte share their full thoughts on Ubisoft's incredibly important release of Assassin's Creed Shadows before we unpack Rebellion's new IP Atomfall and more. Then Sarah Podzorski and Haley MacLean join to share highlights from GDC 2025, including Sarah's panel about marketi…
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We’re talking Girl Games, in all its meanings! Haley Maclean, Janet Garcia, Kelsey Lewin, and Sarah Podzorski talk girl games: looking into what girl games are historically, which we played growing up, and what makes a game “for girls” today. This week, we're Challenged to make random games girl games, we Show-and-Tell our girliest video game item,…
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Death Stranding 2, Wanderstop, Suriel Made A Game!
2:26:48
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2:26:48https://www.patreon.com/minnmax - Unlock a benefit and directly support independent games media MinnMax's Ben Hanson, Kyle Hilliard, Jeff Marchiafava, and Jacob Geller are joined by former cohort Suriel Vazquez to talk about the new trailer for Death Stranding 2: On The Beach, Wanderstop, and the game Suriel just shipped as the narrative lead: Merc…
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Split Fiction Review, Kingdom Come II, Tony Hawk 3 + 4
2:36:22
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2:36:22MinnMax's Ben Hanson, Leo Vader, Jacob Geller, Haley MacLean, Janet Garcia, and Jeff Marchiafava share their full thoughts on Hazelight's co-op follow-up to It Takes Two called Split Fiction, which has two authors platforming through the sci-fi and fantasy world from their books. Then we finally weigh in on the early hours of Kingdom Come: Delivera…
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The gamers are going outside! Kind of! Haley Maclean, Janet Garcia, Kelsey Lewin, and Sarah Podzorski talk gaming conventions (E3 (RIP), GDC, PAX, PRGE, and more!). This week, we're Challenged to breakdown our convention outfits, share what's in our bags, and wear every lanyard we own. We Show-and-Tell our favorite thing we've bought at a con. And …
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Monster Hunter Wilds, Yakuza Pirate, WB's Studio Slaughter
2:22:39
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2:22:39MinnMax's Ben Hanson, Kelsey Lewin, Jacob Geller, Jeff Marchiafava, and Sarah Podzorski talk about the huge release of Capcom's Monster Hunter Wild, follow-up on the fun to be had in Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, and finally rave about The Roottrees Are Dead. Then we answer questions submitted on Patreon by the community and award the iam…
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https://www.patreon.com/minnmax - Unlock a benefit and directly support independent games media. MinnMax's Ben Hanson is joined by Jeff Marchiafava, Janet Garcia, and Kyle Hilliard to look back at our predictions from last year and make bold, new predictions about games in 2025. From GTA 6 to the Nintendo Switch 2, we predict it all. Game Over. The…
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Avowed Review, State Of Play Highlights, Saros Revealed
2:20:28
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2:20:28https://www.patreon.com/c/minnmax Subscribe to MinnMax's channel or unlock the podcast version and we'll DM you a Steam code for Cryptmaster if you support MinnMax on Patreon before 2/17/25, we're out of codes when we hit 5,700 paid supporters. MinnMax's Ben Hanson, Jeff Marchiafava, Leo Vader, Kyle Hilliard, and Haley MacLean rave about Obsidian's…
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Introducing a new bi-weekly show called Pew Pew Bang! Kelsey Lewin, alongside Janet Garcia, Sarah Podzorski, and Haley Maclean are hosting a brand new podcast every other week. We think you’ll get the gist from the first 10 minutes or so, but here’s the basic pitch: evergreen video game content, but with slumber party vibes. The four of us have cov…
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https://www.patreon.com/minnmax - Directly support independent games media AND we'll DM you a Steam code for Tetris Forever if you support before 2/10/25, we run out of codes when we hit 5,600 paid supporters and we'll message that we're out on all social media. MinnMax's Ben Hanson, Kelsey Lewin, Jacob Geller, and Haley MacLean run down their most…
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Assassin's Creed Shadows, 2025's First Reviews, Goodbye Alanah
2:45:13
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2:45:13https://www.patreon.com/minnmax - Unlock a benefit and directly support independent games media On this big episode of The MinnMax Show, Ben Hanson and guest cohort Alanah Pearce rotate through a full crew of Kyle Hilliard, Jacob Geller, Leo Vader, Jeff Marchiafava, and Janet Garcia to talk about some of the great new games released so far in 2025 …
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Ninja Gaiden 4, Xbox's 2025 Reveals, Citizen Sleeper 2
2:24:46
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2:24:46MinnMax's Ben Hanson, Jacob Geller, Sarah Podzorski, and special guest cohort for the month Alanah Pearce break down the highlights from Microsoft's big Xbox Developer Direct with the big reveal of Ninja Gaiden 4 and a ton of information on Doom: The Dark Ages from id, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, and South of Midnight. Then Jacob shares his though…
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Switch 2 Reveal, Ubisoft In Peril, Welcome Alanah Pearce
2:07:05
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2:07:05MinnMax's Ben Hanson, Kyle Hilliard, Janet Garcia, and Haley MacLean are joined by the new Guest Cohort (surprise!) for a month Alanah Pearce! Her journey through IGN, Funhaus, Sony Santa Monica, and the narrative on her new game Layers Deep has made her incredibly insightful on the game industry and we're honored to have her join us on content for…
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Top 20 Games Of 2024, Indiana Jones’ Revenge, Our Holiday Break Games
2:11:52
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2:11:52See of all our personal top 10 favorite games of 2024 here - https://www.patreon.com/posts/everybodys-top-118319548 MinnMax's Ben Hanson, Haley MacLean, Jacob Geller, and Leo Vader get together to talk about what they played over the holiday break, give Indiana Jones and the Great Circle the follow-up conversation it deserves, and run down the Minn…
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