BAD END is a videogame podcast brought to you by videogame critics and videogame makers. Each episode we talk about what we've been playing, and then dive in on a specific game, new or old.
The Side Quest video gaming podcast is based on a simple concept. The group picks a game, plays it, then gets together to talk about it. Think "book club for games"! General spoiler alert on all episodes. We'll play anything from mobile games, console games, PC games, MMORPGs, FPS, MOBAs, RPGs, action, adventure, tactical, RTS, you name it. We'd love for you to come be a part of selecting the game for our next episode! Join us in discord to discuss and help us choose our next game! http://si ...
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Loop Hero, Monster Hunter Rise, FFXII The Zodiac Age, FFVIIR
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1:49:39
We're back on our Normal Episode beat this week, talking about videogame core loops of all kinds - some peaceful, some way too complex for their own good, some infuriating. We're talking about Loop Hero, the new indie hotness that's taken the idle roguelike world by storm, the new demo for Monster Hunter Rise, and FFXII the Zodiac Age, an old class…
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MTG, feat. DIIV's Cole Smith and Storefront Church's Lukas Frank
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1:46:22
This week, we're joined by Lukas Frank (Storefront Church) and Cole Smith (DIIV) to talk about Thoughtseize Interviews, a new show where they interview artists and gaming personalities while playing Magic the Gathering. We talk about community-building, the value of art in an increasingly-monetized world, the crossover between music and games, tast…
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In Other Waters, ft. Gareth Damian Martin
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Today we're joined by game creator and critic Gareth Damian Martin about In Other Waters, their new sci-fi exploration game. We discuss the interplay between game criticism and game design, the game development process as seen through the eyes of an outsider, and the discipline of architecture as it applies (and doesn't apply) to videogames. We als…
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Valheim, Hitman 3, Gunfire Reborn, One Step From Eden
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1:26:20
Now that we've been quarantined for almost a year, we're actually playing through our backlogs. We have a lot of games to talk about, including the new Steam bestseller Valheim, the weird beautiful stealth of Hitman 3, the mindless carnage of Gunfire Reborn, and more! We're also talking about videogame patents, and arguing whether or not stealth ga…
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Disc Room, Hades, Cyberpunk 2077, ft. Mukqs
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1:43:32
This week, we're joined by music label founder and musician Maxwell Allison AKA Mukqs to talk about videogame music, DIY and experimental spaces for music and games, a 2020 arcade-style game called Disc Room, and the inherent value of videogames (if there's any to be had). BAD END is proud to be part of SUPERCULTURE, a network of podcasts and websi…
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AI: The Somnium Files, Promesa, Cyberpunk 2077, ft. Natalie Flores
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1:22:08
This week, we're joined by Fanbyte contributor and The Game Awards Future Class member Natalie Flores (@heartimecia) to talk about Cyberpunk 2077's best character, an incredible 45-minute indie game called Promesa, the anime detective game AI: The Somnium Files, and maybe even a little K-pop... BAD END is proud to be part of SUPERCULTURE, a network…
BAD END's long-awaited GOTY awards are here to conclude 2020. We're hashing out our favorite picks, recapping the trends that defined the year, and making way for the videogame landscapes yet to come. So lean in real close, keep your voice down to a whisper, and make sure the coast is clear. 2020 is finally gone, and we've got some crap to talk. BA…
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Cyberpunk 2077 (REAL review), Spiritfarer, Oxygen Not Included
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The year's biggest game - Cyberpunk 2077 - is officially out, and we're doing our best to avoid crashes so that we can actually talk about it. We're also discussing recent backlash against the game's developer CDProjektRED, as well as a sweet little game about death called Spiritfarer. BAD END is proud to be part of SUPERCULTURE, a network of podca…
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Cyberpunk 2077 Pre-Review, Paper Mario Origami King, Aim Lab, feat. Roy Graham
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1:43:05
This week we're joined by narrative designer, writer, and long-time friend Roy Graham. Get ready, because we're greasing up your cyberchips and dusting off our 20-barrel plasma guns to do an ADVANCE REVIEW of Cyberpunk 2077! It is satire so please dont get mad at us. We didn't actually play the game. We're also talking about the quietly brilliant n…
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Teardown, Ghostrunner, Phasmophobia, new consoles, feat. Emma Kidwell
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New consoles are out! Exciting new games are... potentially on the horizon! Joined by writer and game maker Emma Kidwell, we talk about a few recent games of interest and the inflated appeal of new videogame systems in these strange pandemic times. BAD END is proud to be part of SUPERCULTURE, a network of podcasts and websites dedicated to the unde…
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Amnesia Rebirth, Paradise Killer, Cyberpunk 2077, feat. Yussef Cole
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1:46:45
This week, we're joined by videogame critic Yussef Cole to discuss the motherly horror of the new Amnesia game, the compelling aesthetic mishmash of Paradise Killer, and the upcoming (?) "event" game Cyberpunk 2077. We also delve into the declining appeal of graphical fidelity, and the gradual fall of realism in mainstream gaming. BAD END is proud …
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Genshin Impact, Hades, Mortal Kombat 11, ft. Yung Skrrt
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1:17:29
Promise yourself not to spend too much cash as we discuss Genshin Impact, the latest anime gacha craze, with producer/viral artist/streamer Yung Skrrt. We're also diving into the Mortal Kombat 11 scene, our inability to understand the appeal of "lying games," and the exhausting, lucrative world of Twitch streaming. BAD END is proud to be part of SU…
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Caty's last episode. Hades, Spelunky 2
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Caty is off to bigger and better things, so this is her final episode. To stave off the debilitating grief, we send her off with love from our listeners and some good ol' gamer talk. We're discussing a new all-time great roguelike/dungeon runner in the form of Hades, and Spelunky 2 - the sequel to one of the former best roguelikes ever. BAD END is …
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Among Us, 13 Sentinels, Superliminal, Due Process, A Monster's Expedition
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1:49:44
Another week of quarantine, another multiplayer meme game to stave off debilitating loneliness. This week it's the social deception game Among Us, but we're also playing a VN/RTS with beautiful art, a tactical shooter that everyone seems really good at, and a puzzle game that might just be better than Portal (insert incredulous gasp here). BAD END …
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Moon, Crusader Kings 3, Red Dead Redemption, ft. Matt Margini
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This week, we're joined by Matt Margini, author of a new Boss Fight Book about Rockstar Games' now-classic Red Dead Redemption. We discuss the overwhelming complexity of Crusader Kings 3, the ahead-of-its-time '90s RPG moon, and the legacy of RDR. Read an excerpt of the book at Kotaku and pick it up at Boss Fight Books. It's also available digitall…
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Fall Guys, Valorant, Anime, CoD Warzone
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We usually play the Small Games but this week we have been playin' pretty much nothing but the Big Games. We talk about the new "casual battle royale" of Fall Guys and whether that's a self-contradicting concept. We talk about the tonal disconnect of online multiplayer shooters like CoD Warzone. We talk about the match structure and beautiful styli…
Between following an internet league sport, getting yelled at by teens for not aiming well, and sticking aliens with plasma grenades, it feels like we're going back to high school in episode 79 of BAD END podcast. We talk about the imaginative fandom that drives Blaseball, the beautifully-designed meathead shooting in Valorant, and the merry-go-rou…
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Ghost of Tsushima, Necrobarista (ft. Matt Kim and Emma Kidwell)
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Ghost of Tsushima is out, and we're joined by Matt Kim (IGN) and Emma Kidwell (Gamasutra) to talk about the game ~~as Asian Americans~~. Join us as we wrestle with ideas on representation, intersectionality, appropriation, and Asian-American identity, all while answering the most important question: is the game fun and/or worth 60 bucks? We're also…
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TLOUII (spoiler-free), Summer gaming, Twitch streaming, CoD Warzone
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We're not gonna lie, we spent a chunk of this episode talking about TLOU2 again. But it's spoiler-free! And on top of that, we're answering listener questions about summer gaming and talking about a bunch of other miscellaneous quarantine gaming stuff. So sit back, put a lil paper umbrella into your can of Monster Energy Drink (not a BAD END sponso…
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The Last of Us Part II (ft. Emma Kidwell)
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1:51:44
After a one-episode hiatus, we're joined by friend of the show Emma Kidwell in a full-length episode where we ONLY discuss The Last of Us Part II. Sprinkled in there we've also got some discussion of single player AAA's role in 2020, diversity, new consoles, and ~~stuff that's going on~~ in the world today. BAD END is proud to be part of SUPERCULTU…
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Umurangi Generation, Twitch Streaming, Call of Duty Warzone (ft. Bijan Stephen)
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We're joined by critic/streamer/podcaster Bijan Stephen to talk about streaming on Twitch, the trials of the videogame press, battle royale games, and the future of games criticism. BAD END is proud to be part of SUPERCULTURE, a network of podcasts and websites dedicated to the underobserved. Tweet us @superculturenet Special thanks to our Patreon …
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Streets of Rage 4, Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition, CoD, Reader Mail
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1:27:00
Hope you're all doing well during lockdown, cuz we're trying to find games to keep us entertained that aren't CoD or ACNH. This week, Caty played a bit of the (still mostly embargoed) Xenoblade Chronicles remaster, while Josh tried out the new Streets of Rage joint. Then we dig through a pile of listener questions, diving into games vs film, annoyi…
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Tabletop Simulator, Anno 1800, FFVII Remake
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Take a break from taking a break and join us as we discuss all the biggest games of the season. We're taking a deeper dive into FF7 Remake from a FF7 newcomer's perspective, Call of Duty Warzone, more ACNH, board games, and Anno 1800, which is way better than the screenshots would ever have you believe. We're also answering listener questions about…
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Final Fantasy VII Remake, ACNH, Horizon's Gate (ft. Austin Walker)
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We break quarantine to hang out with Austin Walker (Waypoint Radio, Friends at the Table) and discuss some of the biggest games of the month - Final Fantasy VII Remake, which captures at least some of the magic of the original, and Animal Crossing New Horizons, which has been softening our brains into mush for almost a month now. We wrap up with so…
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Animal Crossing New Horizons Quarantine Special
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We are on lockdown and we are obsessed with Animal Crossing, just like you are (perhaps). Here's us talking about it for an hour and a half. We try to keep the spoilers to a minimum, and do our best to give you a little warning when we're gonna drop the names of objects and functions we've acquired. BAD END is proud to be part of SUPERCULTURE, a ne…
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Animal Crossing New Horizons, Call of Duty Warzone, Ori and the Will of the Wisps
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1:27:20
Take a load off from your days of isolation and come hang with the BAD END crew as we talk about the new Call of Duty, Ori, and CoD. We're also delving into the specifics of taste and our perspective on videogame crit. BAD END is proud to be part of SUPERCULTURE, a network of podcasts and websites dedicated to the underobserved. Tweet us @supercult…
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PAX East, Moonlighter, Hollow Knight, Scourgebringer, Noita
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One of us went to PAX East, one of us is playing a game under embargo, and one of us played a bunch of beloved games that are no longer protected by the sheen of newness. We discuss the Metroidvania frustrations of Hollow Knight, the woes of min-maxing in Noita, and Animal Crossing's influence. BAD END is proud to be part of SUPERCULTURE, a network…
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Dragonball Z Kakarot, Scourgebringer, Slay the Spire, Ori, TiPZ
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With one co-host gone this week, the remaining two end up shooting the breeze for like 2 hours straight in this one. We discuss the new Dragonball Z game, we rag on Ori and the Blind Forest, we talk about Slay The Spire and the concept of "perfunctory" game mechanics, and we answer a very, very long list of listener questions. We've also got a fun …
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Kentucky Route Zero, Legends of Runeterra, The Beach, puzzle boxes
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dramatic voice Wherein lies the magic of videogames? Is it in the understated brilliance of Kentucky Route Zero? Is it in the schoolyard fantasies of Magic: The Gathering brought to digital life? Is it on The Beach being snatched up by the beak of a seagull? Or is it somewhere else? Join us on BAD END 67 as we attempt to find the answer in an unlik…
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FFVII, Quadrilateral Cowboy, The Witcher 3, AGDQ, influence in videogames
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A thought: maybe "influential" is not a net positive when assessing a game's quality! We talk about the idea while discussing AGDQ and digging through our backlogs. Kyle enjoys The Witcher 3 despite living in a post-Disco Elysium world, Caty is surprised at how well FFVII holds up, and Josh finally gets to unleash his inner hacker with Quadrilatera…
To wrap up the decade, we're joined by Ben Pack of Giant Bomb and talking about our favorite games of the 2010s. Listen for our thoughts on some all-time heavy hitters like Dark Souls, The Witcher 3, Mass Effect 2, Breath of the Wild, and more. BAD END is proud to be part of SUPERCULTURE, a network of podcasts and websites dedicated to the underobs…
It's the end of the year, and we're celebrating with our annual awards ceremony that includes crowd favorite "Oh Yeah, That Came Out" and "Dope, But Not For Me." We also discuss our top picks of the year. We don't really spoil specific plot points in this episode, but we sometimes discuss *things certain games do* that might be considered spoilers …
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The Decade in Tim Rogers, ft. Tim Rogers
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1:52:14
You might know Tim Rogers as any number of things: a pioneer of "New Videogame Journalism," a prolific game developer, a video personality, an industry consultant, a friend of Suda51, Mr. Rogers' relative, a CPA. He is all of those things, and that's why he's uniquely qualified to talk about all of the videogame-related things that happened this de…
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The Decade in Indie, ft. Emily Rose
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Indie games have come a long way from their roots as a way to spite Roger Ebert (kidding!), and we've teamed up with rebind.io founder Emily Rose (@caravanmalice) to discuss the decade in indie, from "AA" hits to powerful "micro-indies." We explore the impact of influencers, the birth/death/resurrection of indie game journalism, the importance of p…
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Pokemon Sword & Shield, Death Stranding, Half-Life: Alyx
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A new Pokemon game is out, so we're asking the question that everyone asks when a new Pokemon game comes out: Is it the Pokemon game I've always dreamed about? We also discuss the weird lack of hype surrounding Half-Life: Alyx, which when you think about it, should be the most hyped game of the decade. Finally, we wrap our conversation on Death Str…
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Death Stranding, Blizzcon, Air, Land & Sea, Remembering Apple Arcade
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It's here. The new Kojima game. Death Stranding. Secure your cargo straps, crack open your Monster Energies, slap that blood bag, and come along as we delve deep into this ~generational phenomenon~ of a game. Then we've got a grab bag - the new Hearthstone game mode and how terrible we are for playing it, some snazzy new board games, Guitar Hero vs…
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Disco Elysium, Outer Worlds, Modern Warfare, Qube 2
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Outer Worlds. Modern Warfare. Disco Elysium. It's Big Game season, folks, and this week we've got some of the heaviest hitters of the year. Listen to us talk about why Disco Elysium is awesome, why Outer Worlds is the videogame equivalent of a limp pool noodle, and why Modern Warfare is at least a 7.5. Special thanks to our Patreon subscribers, and…
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Hearthstone controversy, food vs. videogame crit with Soleil Ho, MTG:A, What the Golf
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This week, BAD END is joined by a special guest - San Francisco Chronicle food critic Soleil Ho (@hooleil). As a fellow gamer, Soleil talks to us about the parallels between food and videogame consumption and criticism, her love for Harvest Moon, and the importance of evaluating games and food in their social contexts. After that, we discuss the in…
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Untitled Goose Game, Sayonara Wild Hearts, Destiny, Bloodstained, Eliza, What the Golf
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1:40:41
Usually we have a few games to play between episodes of BAD END, but this week we had more than 50 thrust upon us with the launch of Apple Arcade. We talk about some of the highlights, like the rhythmless rhythm game Sayonara Wild Hearts and the hilarious What the Golf. We're also talkin' Goose Game, Bloodstained, Apex, and Destiny. Special thanks …
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Gears 5, Overland, Borderlands 3, Creature in the Well, PAX, Apple Arcade
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1:26:19
So there’s a bunch of new games coming out and we’re doing our best to play them all, but sometimes you don’t have time to tack a Borderlands 3 onto your massive game log. That being said, we’re playing the crap out of Overland, Creature in the Well, and Gears 5 (sorta). We also talk about Apple Arcade, Disco Elysium hype, board game store ecosyste…
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Control, Telling Lies, Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey
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It's Bad End 55, and this episode we're talking about Control, the new game from Remedy that's incredible - but with a few caveats we can't quite get over. Then we discuss Telling Lies, that new FMV joint from Sam Barlow (Her Story) - a game whose main character might be a little too good at acting pissed off. Finally, Caty goes deep on Ancestors: …
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Dragon Quest Builders 2, Project Winter, MTG. ft. Cameron Kunzelman
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This week, we're joined by videogame critic/journalist Cameron Kunzelman of Vice Games, Paste, and Kotaku (among many others). We pick apart Dragon Quest Builders 2 and the still-beating heart of crafting games, the 8-person multiplayer game Project Winter, and the lizard-brain capitalist appeal of card games. From there, we take a deep dive into c…
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Feat. Mike Rugnetta: Fire Emblem Three Houses, Oxygen Not Included, Ooblets controversy
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WHAT is UP everyone it's Bad End podcast episode 53, this time featuring the academically-minded internet personality Mike Rugnetta (@mikerugnetta on Twitter). You might know him from PBS Idea Channel, Reasonably Sound, or as a producer behind the Longreads Podcast and CrashCourse. We talk about the new Fire Emblem game, tabletop gaming as artistic…
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Bad End 52: Wolfenstein Youngblood, Mario Maker 2, Teamfight Tactics
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Bad End 52. We've got that new Wolfenstein: Youngblood joint, where you play co-op as BJ's daughters to kill nazis in the 80s. Then we're talking Mario Maker 2 and the joys of playing through a theoretically-infinite number of new Mario levels (even if it doesn't work out that way in practice.) Finally, we're meditating more on Teamfight Tactics, w…
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Bad End 51, Feat. Luke Winkie: Teamfight Tactics, Void Bastards, Surviving Mars, Apex Legends
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Now wise and grizzled in the aftermath of our 50th episode, BAD END is back, and this time we're joined by intrepid reporter Luke Winkie (@luke_winkie on Twitter) to talk about Autochess games, The Metroidvania Discourse, Apex Legends, and whether or not it's a good idea to colonize mars. Special thanks to our Patreon subscribers, and shout out to …
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Bad End 50th Episode Extravaganza: Void Bastards, Videogame Journalism, 50 listener questions
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It's BAD END's 50th episode, and for this episode we're doing something special: thanks to our listeners, we've got 50 questions and we're answering EVERY SINGLE ONE. Join us as we discuss our most extreme gaming moments, the seedy underbelly of games journalism, the rise and "fall" of indie games, fast food, anime, and the story of how this lil' o…
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Bad End 49: E3 2019, Cyberpunk 2077, New Zelda, Animal Crossing, Outer Wilds, Observation
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It's Gamer's Time. E3. 2019. We're talking about all the highlights of the show floor, and giving you all the scoop on the seedy underbelly of Gaming's Biggest Show. New Zelda, Cyberpunk 2077 release date, new Pokemon, Animal Crossing New Horizons, Xbox Game Pass for PC - we've got it all. Then, after the break, we discuss two of our newest frontru…
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Bad End 48: Katana Zero, Steamworld Quest, Oculus Quest, Phantom: Covert Ops, Playdate
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We're back as a trio, and this week we're serving up the latest in gaming drama: a new little handheld console called Playdate that lit the indie community on fire this past week. We're also talking about Oculus Quest, which is awesome, Katana Zero, which is dope, and Steamworld Quest, which... meh. Special thanks to our Patreon subscribers, and sh…
Caty is out for the week, and last time this happened, we recorded an episode of the show called "BOYS TIME." But we've grown up a lot since then. We're no longer the immature whippersnappers we were in that ep. So now, it's MEN'S TIME - we're talking about the things "gamer men" love. Buckle up, whip out the Ray-Bans, fire up the oldies radio, and…
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Bad End 46: Risk of Rain 2, Ape Out, Anno 1800, crunch and content
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Hi everyone, Bad End Podcast has coined a new term called "Jerky Games" and you heard it here first. Where in the episode, though? When we're talking about the chill city building vibes of Anno 1800? When we're talking about Roguelikes and Risk of Rain 2? Or when we have a conversation about style vs. substance in Ape Out? Listen and find out. Spec…