Best Psx Podcasts (2025)

1
Initial Thoughts on Dispatch and Metroid Prime 4 56:51

Play Pause

12d ago56:51

56:51

Tonight on GeekNights, we share our early thoughts on Dispatch and Metroid Prime 4: Beyond. In the news, Frankfurt's Christmas market is lit, and the Netflix x Warner Brothers Discovery situation is even more dangerous than the baseline danger of capitalist consolidation of media. Related Links Forum Thread Initial Thoughts on Dispatch and Metroid …

1
23 Knives 1:01:33

20d ago1:01:33

1:01:33

Tonight on GeekNights we review the historical and topical 23 Knives (2025). It's worth playing, and Rym is probably going to buy it. In the news, PAX Unplugged 2025 was smooth as butter, Doodle Puzzle is a good idea that's hard to make work, Gingham is more vicious than it appears, and Scott surprisingly is enjoying Octopath Traveler. Related Link…

1
Messing Up the Rules 1:09:00

2M ago1:09:00

1:09:00

Tonight on GeekNights, we talk about when one messes up the rules in games. In the news, EA is being aquired by Trump-linked private equity, and VRChat has recaptured some of the magic of the Old Internet. Related Links Forum Thread Messing Up the Rules Discord Chat Messing Up the Rules Bluesky Post Messing Up the Rules Things of the Day Rym - Proj…

1
The Gang 57:48

3M ago57:48

57:48

Tonight on GeekNights, we review The Gang, a fantastic cooperative tabletop game about pulling bank heists by ranking poker hands. In the news, there's lots to say about the Nintendo Direct, Borderlands 4 has angered gamers with its poor performance and Gearbox isn't handling it super well. 'Pitchford told people to “code your own engine and show u…

1
Donkey Kong Bananza 1:01:07

4M ago1:01:07

1:01:07

Tonight on GeekNights, we share our thoughts on Donkey Kong Bananza. In the news, Gamescom happened, PAX West badges aren't sold out, and you should see The Relationship Between Game Design and Art Direction with Naoki Yoshida and Hiroshi Minagawa. Related Links Forum Thread Donkey Kong Bananza Discord Chat Donkey Kong Bananza Bluesky Post Donkey K…

1
Tower Defense Games 1:04:19

5M ago1:04:19

1:04:19

Tonight on GeekNights, we consider Tower Defense games like the famous Desktop Tower Defense (2007). In the news, Ozzy Osbourne made it to 76, the PS5 Store is full of AI slop, Steam is caught up in the war on "pornography", and Deltarune is fantastic. Rym's solo version of Every Game is the Same Game from Zenkaikon is live! Related Links Forum Thr…

1
Auction and Bidding Mechanics 1:10:33

6M ago1:10:33

1:10:33

Tonight on GeekNights, we consider auction and bidding mechanics in games. In the news, DriveThruRPG chose cowardice, and Microsoft lays of 9,000 people. GeekNights will be live at PAX West with an all new lecture on the same topic as this show! Our talk The Everlasting Game from PAX East is on youtube! Related Links Forum Thread Auction and Biddin…

1
Nintendo Switch 2: Day One 55:44

7M ago55:44

55:44

Tonight on GeekNights, we consider day one of having a Nintendo Switch 2. In the news, Fortnite on the Switch 2 will support objectively superior FPS controls, REMATCH might do what Scott has always wanted, the Blades '68 playtest is done and you will soon be able to play Blades '68! The Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour is actually worth buying, and …

1
Flip 7, Krakel Orakel, and Context 1:00:03

6M ago1:00:03

1:00:03

Tonight on GeekNights, we review two Spiel des Jahres 2025 nominees — Flip 7 and Krakel Orakel — plus Context, a game that's harder the smarter you are. In the news, Rym has been diving deep into VRchat's true value, Shadow Labyrinth's mazes are revealed, Capcom Fighting Collection 2 dropped roll cancels from Capcom vs SNK 2, and Apple bought the c…

1
Quacks (of Quedlinburg) 53:20

7M ago53:20

53:20

Tonight on GeekNights, we review Quacks, previously released as The Quacks of Quedlinburg in 2018. It's a push your luck game that is fun, but just short of greatness. (That's rare praise from GeekNights). In the news, Greater Than Games is forced to reduce staff in light America's ridiculous tariff war, and tabletop companies are suing our preside…

1
Getting a New Game Console 45:37

8M ago45:37

45:37

Tonight on GeekNights, we consider the acquisition of new gaming consoles. In the news, Overwatch competitive mode adds hero bans, the fourth of the old scrolls are remastered, and Scott has Hemorrhoids. The GeekNights content you crave. Related Links Forum Thread Getting a New Game Console Discord Chat Getting a New Game Console Bluesky Post Getti…

1
Heat: Pedal to the Metal (2022) 1:03:00

9M ago1:03:00

1:03:00

Tonight on GeekNights, we review Heat: Pedal to the Metal (2022). It's a car racing game with well-tuned push-your-luck mechanics that is definitely worth a play. It's even better over multiple races. In the news, Cory Booker heroically and historically holds the Senate floor for over 24 hours in a powerful rebuke of Donald Trump's fascism (beating…

1
Power Grid: Outpost 1:06:17

9M ago1:06:17

1:06:17

Tonight on GeekNights, we review Friedemann Friese's sequel to Power Grid titled Power Grid: Outpost. We highly recommend reading the second page of the rulebook closely. In the news, Pokémon Go (and all your location data) were sold to Scopely, there's something to this nemesis system, and this is the most important thing you can pay attention to …

1
Shogun (1986) 1:07:19

10M ago1:07:19

1:07:19

Tonight on GeekNights we review Shogun, released as part of the Milton Bradley Gamemaster series that we reviewed back in 2006. Renamed to Samurai Swords and then to Ikusa, we revisited it with pro tabletop players this past weekend. We're a lot wiser about game mechanics and game design here in 2025, and this game holds up surprisingly well except…

1
Moorland (2023) 43:46

12M ago43:46

43:46

Tonight on GeekNights we review Moorland (2023). We played it twice at PAX Unplugged and it's a solid game with two novel mechanics. In the news, New York's congestion relief pricing is already fantastic, Valve makes insane money per employee, and two Gundam tabletop games are coming. Related Links Discord Chat Moorland (2023) Forum Thread Moorland…

1
PAX Unplugged 2024 1:01:27

1y ago1:01:27

1:01:27

Tonight on GeekNights, we consider PAX Unplugged 2024. It was a top tier PAX. In the news, the Rangers aren't doing well, Marvel Overwatch is exactly what it looks like, and Fortnite has to pay back the kids it ripped off. Related Links Forum Thread PAX Unplugged 2024 Discord Chat PAX Unplugged 2024 Bluesky Post PAX Unplugged 2024 Things of the Day…

1
Obelus (2024) 45:10

1y ago45:10

45:10

Tonight on GeekNights, we review Obelus. A re-implementation of Dark Spires designed by Chris A. Williams, it's a quick abstract two-player game that's worth having in your bag. In the news, The Magic Commander Format, recently embroiled in capitalist drama, is getting a digital version, and the itch.io Creator Day sale is this Friday! Related Link…

1
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom 55:21

1y ago55:21

55:21

Tonight on GeekNights, we review The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom. It's a Zelda game and you probably should play it. In the news, the big Nintendo leak isn't that exciting and Reiner Knizia’s SHOCKING Confession. Related Links Forum Thread The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom Discord Chat The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom Things of the D…

1
Friends vs Friends 48:36

1y ago48:36

48:36

Tonight on GeekNights, we review Friends vs Friends. It's a fantastic quick arena-duel FPS with cards. It evokes the feeling of playing weird mods against your friends online in 1998. In the news, PAX Unplugged is December 6-8, the keynote speaker is Elizabeth Hargrave (of Wingspan fame), "hard mode" is a great way to frame handicapping in games, M…

1
Slay the Princess 55:51

1+ y ago55:51

55:51

Tonight on GeekNights, Rym and Emily review Slay the Princess. It's a graphic novel philosophical horror game in a sense. It'll give you a lot to chew on and it's definitely worth playing! From Black Tabby Games, you may recognize Abby Howard from Penny Arcade's Strip Search! Related Links Things of the Day Forum Thread Slay the Princess Discord Ch…

1
The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords 46:23

1+ y ago46:23

46:23

Tonight on GeekNights, we review Four Swords, which was released in 2002 on the GBA as The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and Four Swords. It's basically a tech demo/proof of concept for the real game released on the Gamecube which we reviewed back in 2009. You can play it online with friends on the Switch, and you probably should. In the news…

1
Beach Games 49:57

1+ y ago49:57

49:57

Tonight on GeekNights, we consider the games one can play at the beach. We've previously talked about the beach, and also Yard Games, so now we bring an intersection of the two. Also Beach Soccer and Terraforming Mars. In the news, the Nintendo Direct had some good stuff (especially the long awaited Metroid Prime 4) and you don't need an Xbox to pl…

1
Bosses (in videogames) 49:46

1+ y ago49:46

49:46

Tonight on GeekNights, we consider the concept of bosses in videogames. In the news, the Panthers win the Stanley Cup in the longest season in NHL history, Connor McDavid is awarded the Conn Smythe trophy but doesn't come out to claim it, and Founders of Reyvick might someday come. Related Links Forum Thread Bosses (in videogames) Discord Chat Boss…

1
Animal Well (2024) 51:13

1+ y ago51:13

51:13

Tonight on GeekNights, we review Animal Well. It's a beautiful and well made metroidvania. In the news, Civilization 7 is coming and Blades in the Dark is fantastic from session zero to terminal endgame. Related Links Forum Thread Animal Well (2024) Discord Chat Animal Well (2024) Things of the Day Rym - Don't touch AM transmitter towers Scott - Pr…

1
Don't Make a Game, Make a Store 58:35

1+ y ago58:35

58:35

Tonight on GeekNights, in light of one of many Helldivers 2 kerfuffles, we consider yet another way that late capitalism is ruining the games industry: the stores make more money than the games. In the news, a Roblox game's attempt to fix its in-game economy causes a bunch of gamers to lose their minds, Sportsnet streams have freaky noises, and Ani…

1
How to ruin your competitive card game 1:08:26

1+ y ago1:08:26

1:08:26

Tonight on GeekNights, we consider how to ruin your competitive card game. Scott shares the original Sins of CCG design. This is all in the context of Marvel SNAP. In the news, the Rangers sweep the Capitals, Square Enix reported extraordinary losses, Dave & Buster's introduces real money gambling, and Fallout games don't work on modern PCs. Relate…

1
Klask 1:01:18

1+ y ago1:01:18

1:01:18

Tonight on GeekNights, we review Klask. It's a well-designed extremely fun tabletop sport adjacent to but significantly distinct from Air Hockey. In the news, the Rangers are number one in the NHL, the Coyotes are moving to Salt Lake City, and Visions of Mana has quite the trailer. Also if you ever need to help out an injured pigeon in New York Cit…

1
Balatro (2024) 58:16

1+ y ago58:16

58:16

Tonight on GeekNights, we review Balatro (2024). From LocalThunk and published by Playstack, it's a roguelike deckbuilder in the vein of Slay the Spire, but in Video Poker. It's good. In the news, PAX East was all right but it's still a ghost town when the expo hall closes, the Rangers are top of the NHL coming into the playoffs, and you may not ha…

1
Anti-Cheat 1:01:17

2y ago1:01:17

1:01:17

Tonight on GeekNights, having previously talked about Cheating we now consider Anti-Cheat. How do you prevent cheating? In the news, the Nintendo Direct is Feb 21 but the Switch 2 is likely 2025, and Helldivers 2's ugly anti-cheat in a PvE game leaves a bad taste in our mouths. Related Links Forum Thread Anti-Cheat Discord Chat Anti-Cheat Things of…

1
All Games are the Same Game 59:45

2y ago59:45

59:45

Tonight on GeekNights, we riff on some of the ideas we're exploring for our new talk for PAX East 2024: All Games are the Same Game. Turns out you can factorize games into other games. Also we're back after Rym was gone skiing for a week. In the news, the Logitech G PRO X wireless headset is all right, it turns out US presidents aren't immune to al…

1
The Games of MAGFest 2024 1:06:39

2y ago1:06:39

1:06:39

Tonight on GeekNights, we discuss the extremely good games we played at MAGFest 2024, which itself was possibly the best MAGFest that has ever happened to date. Particularly, the MAGFest Indie Videogame Showcase (MIVS) and a shout-out to Nothing Good Can Come of This. In the news, Palworld surged onto the scene with massive sales and weird controve…

1
Whale Street (2023) 1:01:41

2y ago1:01:41

1:01:41

Tonight on GeekNights, we review Whale Street. It is a solid concept, combining the stock/operating round structure of an 18xx game with poker hand mechanics, but it doesn't quite stick the landing on execution. In the news, Wizards of the Coast has an AI art problem, and Free to Play games like Overwatch and Marvel Snap have a new card/character p…

1
Lethal Company (2023) 54:07

2y ago54:07

54:07

Tonight on GeekNights, we review Lethal Company from Zeekerss. Rym tried out that Zelda 2 remix. In the news, Nintendo killed the Wii U and 3DS servers early, and Valve banned people who deserved it in a fantastic way. Related Links Forum Thread Lethal Company (2023) Discord Chat Lethal Company (2023) Things of the Day Rym - Disco Elysium | Pixel A…

1
Ahoy (2022) 1:01:30

2y ago1:01:30

1:01:30

Tonight on GeekNights we review Ahoy (2022). In the news, kids want Robux for Christmas, ByteDance is restructuring Nuverse in a "retreat" from gaming, and Nintendo has to make an 18+ version of the N64 app. Related Links Forum Thread Ahoy (2022) Discord Chat Ahoy (2022) Things of the Day Rym - 2017 Ohio State Drum Major Tryouts Scott - No-Bullshit…

1
Cobalt Core 1:06:20

2y ago1:06:20

1:06:20

Tonight on GeekNights, we review Cobalt Core. It's a cross between Slay the Spire and FTL, taking the best aspects of both. It's also super cute. In the news, the Pickleball people are facing increasing drama, and it's good to "cheat" at Pokémon. We also make fun of AMD for a while. Related Links Forum Thread Cobalt Core Discord Chat Cobalt Core Th…

1
The Jackbox Party Pack 10 1:06:50

2y ago1:06:50

1:06:50

Tonight on the 18th anniversary of the first episode of GeekNights, we review The Jackbox Party Pack 10. It's got the streamlined TKO 2 and a trivia game that's like the ones we like. In the news, Rym keeps playing Overwatch, Super Mario Wonder is good fun, and Deltarune 3 and 4 will come out sooner than anticipated. Related Links Forum Thread The …

1
Counter-Strike 2

2y ago

—

Tonight on GeekNights, we review Counter-Strike 2. We have been playing some form of Counter-Strike since 2000... We reviewed Counter-Strike in 2006 and Counter-Strike GO in 2012. In news that is as little as it is late, Unity backs down on much of their new monetization model, Epic lays off 16% of its staff, and Scott GeekBites Heretic's Fork. Rel…

1
PAX West 2023

2+ y ago

—

Tonight on GeekNights, we review and discuss PAX West 2023. The new venue is fantastic and it felt a lot like PAXes from the golden age of PAX. In the news, Scott suffered Airport Adventures yet made it to Chicaco, Steam (and our Steam accounts) are 20 years old, and the Unity game engine destroys itself with an actively hostile monetization model …

1
Quake 2 Remastered

2+ y ago

—

Tonight on GeekNights, having somehow never talked about Quake (except for Quake Live in 2009, we discuss Quake 2 and the Quake 2 Remaster. In the news, the Atari 7800 is back legit, Charles Martinet is moving on, and Marvel Snap is paying people to watch Twitch streams with .pngs in their app. Related Links Forum Thread Quake 2 Remastered Things o…

1
PitchCar (1995)

2+ y ago

—

Tonight on GeekNights, we review PitchCar (1995). It's a flicking game. It's a sport. It's pretty fun. In the news, a livestreamer guy caused a riot in New York for which he is facing charges, Gen Con continues to live up to its reputation with a disaster over unmanaged Lorcana lines (remember Lorcana is the subject of a lawsuit from Upper Deck) an…

1
Can't Stop and All My Diamonds

2+ y ago

—

Tonight on GeekNights, we review two games by the legendary Sid Sackson: Can't Stop (1980) and All My Diamonds (1969). They're both worth playing, but for different reasons. In the news, Overwatch League is in deep trouble along with much of the global esports ecosystem. Related Links Things of the Day Rym - German Community Gardens (Schrebergarten…

1
Game Mechanics: Worker Placement

2+ y ago

—

Tonight on GeekNights, we discuss worker placement as a game mechanic. We intend to turn this into a series of shows and panels following on from Mastering Game Mechanics as presented at PAX East 2013. In the news, Marvel Snap's Conquest mode is fantastic, and Valve is dropping Battle Passes for Dota 2 because "nobody buys them." Related Links Foru…

1
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

2+ y ago

—

Tonight on GeekNights, we review The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. It's one of the best pieces of entertainment software ever made. 11/10. S-Tier. A case study in good game design. Just go play it if you aren't already. In the news, Overwatch 2 is banning 5,000 cheaters a week, Street Fighter 6's control modes are looking pretty good, and …

1
Lore

2+ y ago

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Tonight on GeekNights, we consider lore in games. You know, all that text you didn't read in the tooltips of the inventory. Or what characters told you in Half Life while you tried to clip out of the room. In the news, the Rangers begin their first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog is a real game, SGDQ 2023 is immi…

1
Cat in the Box (2022)

2+ y ago

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Tonight on GeekNights, we review Muneyuki Yokouchi's fantastic Cat in the Box. This is an S-tier trick taking game. A must-own. It takes about two minutes to teach (three if the player is unfamiliar with trick taking games) and we've had a blast with it so far. In the news, the world is safer today as Finland formally joins NATO, a Florida man is i…

1
Stacklands (2022)

3y ago

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Tonight on GeekNights, we review Stacklands (2022). In the news, Counter-Strike 2 is likely coming, Disco Elysium gets a collage mode, and DPReview falls victim to Amazon layoffs and capitalism. Related Links Thing of the Day Rym - Masami Okui - Live in Hibiya 13 - Toki ni Ai wa (ITARU ver.).mpgBy Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew

1
Gaming Furniture

3y ago

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Tonight on GeekNights, we discuss gamer furniture of the non-chair variety. In the news, Nintendo adds Game Boy and Game Boy Advance games to Switch Online, Microsoft adds Call of Duty to Nintendo, and Magic: The Gathering adds Lord of the Rings. We also streamed this show live on the Discord Stage in the official GeekNights Discord! Related Links …

1
Mostly Dead Games

3y ago

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Tonight on GeekNights, we discuss games that are not fully dead, but are mostly dead. Dance Dance Revolution (at home), the resurrected Netrunner, The Realm, Steel Battalion, and whatever game you're mad we didn't include in this short list just now. In the news, The Last Rockstars have debuted, Rym has a high opinion of the L-TEK EX PRO 2 DDR pad,…

1
Playing on Teams

3y ago

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Tonight on GeekNights, we consider teams. Playing on teams, forming teams, team sports, team games. All that team stuff. In the news, Dwarf Fortress with graphics is here (recall we interviewed Tarn Adams on GeekNights back in 2008), the FTC sues to block Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard, Blizzard will need someone new to offer World …

1
Comms in Games

3y ago

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Tonight on GeekNights, we discuss comms in games. Text chat, voice chat, open versus restricted, and the like. In the news, Pentiment is available, and Rym is obsessed with Disco Elysium. Related Links Forum Thread GeekNights Tuesday - Comms in Games Things of the Day Rym - Digital database documents vital infrastructure created by the New Deal Sco…