Mind Controllers

I'm a bit under the weather and have a flight to catch tomorrow. So wasn't able to make this episode happen this week, and I'll be in Europe next week. So I will see you all again in 2 weeks! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brandon is back and he is here to tell you all about Summer Game Fest! It was his first time there, so we take you behind the scenes! What does SGF look like from the press? How do you navigate it all? What’s the swag like? All of this and more in today’s episode! If you leave a review of the podcast on an app, screenshot it and send it to me via DM on any of the socials, I’ll enter your name into...

Back to back interviews! I had the pleasure of speaking with Salaar, a lifetime game developer and co-founder of CAGE studios who left Sony Santa Monica Studios to pursue their dream. We chat all about Gunstoppable, CAGE Studio's upcoming FPS rogue-lite focused on breakneck speeds, gun combinations, and a strong narrative about family. You don't want to miss this one! Welcome Salaar! - 01:19 Salaa...

I was lucky enough to sit down with Jake Rabinowitz, the solo developer of HAE Stack, a game about Surveillance Capitalism with a bold message. Join us as we chat about the inspiration behind the game, how this is game is reflective of real world technologies, and how our phones are spying on us. This chat was so fascinating so I hope you enjoy it too! Interview - 00:49 Game Summary - 07:51 Why Re...

*Heavy Story Spoilers for Pragmata* Joe and Brandon reunite for the spoiler heavy discussion of Pragmata, a game both of them loved! Then we wrap it up with some discussion of what games we're next looking forward to playing. Come hang out with us as it's been a while! If you leave a review of the podcast on an app, screenshot it and send it to me via DM on any of the socials, I’ll enter your name...

Slight Story Spoilers: Mixtape Brandon and Tim reunite to talk about the nostalgia-filled game: Mixtape ! And the past is the theme of today’s episode as we chat about all of the retro consoles/games and try to answer the question: Why do we care about nostalgia? And I have another post credit surprise, courtesy of Tim. It’s a fun one! If you leave a review of the podcast on an app, screenshot it...

Been a busy week and we will be back next week for more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slight Story Spoilers: Saros Brandon and Courture are at it again, ranting way too much about our home city! Brandon tells us all about his time with Saros, the latest bullet-hell from Housemarque. Then Courture chats about his expertise in Digging based Roguelike games. We wrap it up with a quick Star Fox trailer check-in. No Article of the Week this week. Come hang out with us! If you leave a re...

Craw and Tim reunite to discuss at length the genre evolution of video games thanks to this week’s article! Then we talk about Titanium Court, the latest genre-blending game by AP Thompson. Don’t forget to pay your goats folks! If you leave a review of the podcast on an app, screenshot it and send it to me via DM on any of the socials, I’ll enter your name into the Pizza Raffle! One lucky winner e...

Note: Listen to after the outro song for a little post credit stinger :) Craw, Courture, and Tim gather to chat about … sea shanties?! We start it off with not one but two articles of the week! Then we chat about our time with Windrose , but we kind of got sidetracked and spoke a lot about pirates throughout all of media. Come plunder the seas with us!! If you leave a review of the podcast on an a...

Tim and Brandon work through a dilemma that came up in Slay the Spire 2. Also, Pragmata is out and Brandon got to review it!! He talks about his thoughts on the game, what it got right, and how this genre mashup is perfect.  If you leave a review of the podcast on an app, screenshot it and send it to me via DM on any of the socials, I’ll enter your name into the Pizza Raffle! One lucky winner...

Note: Discord audio was used for Courture and Tim We are going deep into our roguelike deckbuilding love with Slay the Spire 2! Tim and Courture teach Brandon all about what it means to climb the spire, while also discussing what makes this game click so well for us. Then we do a quick Crimson Desert chat before ending the night. Come hang! If you leave a review of the podcast on an app, screensho...

Sorry for not having a new episode this week! Everyone is okay, but it's been a really challenging week. So I appreciate you and your patience! We will be back together again next week. Take care of yourself!! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s Brandon and Tim, here to talk to you about video games in the classroom? We dive deep into an article that encourages teachers to use video games to help learning, then we get right back into Marathon as Tim has been really into the lore! If you leave a review of the podcast on an app, screenshot it and send it to me via DM on any of the socials, I’ll enter your name into the Pizza Raffle! On...

Brandon is joined by Joe and Nico as they get into Capcom Cup and their experiences with fighting games, how we really feel about Marathon, and one of the hardest platformers we’ve played: Love Eternal. Note: Joe and Nico's audio is through discord, so it might sound a bit wonky at times. If you leave a review of the podcast on an app, screenshot it and send it to me via DM on any of the socials,...

Everyone say Hi to Nico! I’m joined by a long time friend for her first time on the podcast as we chat about video games as a form of performance instead of narrative? And later we try to process how we feel about a game Brandon enjoyed that was influenced by something that was created by Generative AI. It’s a doozy! If you leave a review of the podcast on an app, screenshot it and send it to me v...

Slight Spoilers for: Silent Hill f It’s the Brandon and Tim show this week as we dive deep into Horror! What makes us drawn to horror? Why do we like being scared? All of this and more, plus we chat a bit about Resident Evil Requiem at the end! Also, new idea: If you leave a review on an app, screenshot it and send it to me via DM on any of the socials, I’ll enter your name into the Pizza Raffle!...

Jordan returns to chat with Brandon, Courture, and Tim as we digest all the insanity going on in the gaming industry now. Then we do a quick Mewgenics chat before a rapid fire Steam Next Fest discussion. Article of the Week - 01:02 Xbox - 12:27 Discord and Moderation - 21:24 Steam - 27:43 Pokemon - 35:32 Yearly Releases - 39:46 Bluepoint RIP - 46:40 All These Closures - 51:12 Games Industry Compar...

Joe returns for another episode as Brandon finds an article about Indie Games and mental health. We chat about Mewgenics , Joes love for Kingdom Hearts 1 and the fun of diving into Helldivers 2 for the first time, and then close it with Demon Tides , a brand new 3d platformer that has a lot of charm. Come hang out with us! Article of the Week - 03:29 Mewgenics - 10:49 Kingdom Hearts - 27:16 Helldi...

WARNING: This episode deals heavily with loss, and mentions of death, grief, and suicide ideation. Please take care of yourselves as you are listening through. Slight Spoilers for: Ghost of Yotei We get fully in our feels this week as Tim joins us to chat about grief in video games! We go for a full mask off discussion of how video games have affected our lives, in both good and bad. I’d love for...

We have a new guest this week, so please welcome Jordan Fanaris! Jordan tells us all about how he became a level designer, his previous work making the popular Black Mesa mod, his time at Heart Machine (makers of Hyper Light Breaker), and the state of the industry now! We then close it with a bit of Space Warlord Baby Trading Simulator, a new game by Strange Scaffold and Xalavier Nelson Jr. Games...

It’s the Brandons again! Here with the article of the week about co-op gameplay, hot takes on Highguard, a fusion of SCP and Half-Life, and an interesting new Metroidvania. It’s been wild out there, so come have a seat with us. Games we talked about this week: Popucom, Highguard, Abiotic Factor, Idle Champions of the Forgotten Realms, Nocturnal 2 Check out https://www.startmenu.co.uk/ , an awesome...

Tim joins us for his first pod of the year as we chat about an interesting game study on the use of touch and smell in VR, Tim’s obsession with Battletech, and more! It was a great pod, so I hope you hang out with us as we go down this weird rabbit hole! Games we talked about this week: Battletech, Ghost of Yotei Check out https://www.startmenu.co.uk/ , an awesome site Brandon is now writing for!...

Sorry, it's been a busy week. There are a lot of exciting things coming up with us, so please stay tuned! I appreciate you all! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slight Spoilers for:  It’s the attack of the Brandons, coming at you for the first Scatterbrained of 2026! We briefly discuss the article of the week, recap Fantasy Critic from last year, and then dive into what we picked up and played over the Winter Break! Join us as we leap into the New Year! Games we talked about this week:Ghost of Yotei, Megabonk, Kingdom Come Deliverance 2, Abiotic Fact...