Side Story

Welcome to the inaugural Main Story Awards, a week long showcase where we make up awards to give the games and topics that really took center stage for us this year, and which we felt like deserved a little more attention than they already got on the show this year. It's not a traditional game of the year, but we did try to restrain ourselves to a single game or topic each, which means that there...

Side Story only exists because of support from listeners like you. Go to  friendsatthetable.cash to support us!  Today we explore a bevvy of different worlds: 2.5D fantasy realms, alien FMV planets, and a land of climate apocalypse and raw nerve paranoia. Wait, that last one is... it's kind of sounding familiar. Oh well, get in, buckle up, and make sure to bring your favorite childhood food, becau...

Mysterious internet occurances abound this week on Side Story. Mysteries like "What is the dark secret of the famed Roottree family, Pittsburghian candy magnates" and "Why did Austin's connection totally fall apart before we could reach the second half of the podcast?" Like all good mysteries, the twists and turns are just as exciting as the answer, as a stunning second segment appears, drawing th...

Between the barter system and the coin, there were other currencies. Cyrus the Great's Achaemenid Empire, which would one day stretchout from the Iranian plateau as far west as Egypt and north as the Aral Sea, used silver bullion when this-for-that wasn't an efficient enough means of trade. Could you decide who's paying for lunch on a flipped silver bar? Unsure. Perhaps, slightly later, the 'knife...

This episode contains an extended conversation about the death of a pet. See the chapters below for time stamps. What makes a city good? Is it walkability? A wide variety of dining options? A good chance that while you're on your way to work, you'll bump into between five and seven little creatures, teaming with elemental power? Well if it's that last one, we've got the city for you. Rent may be h...

The ocean is draining. Where is it going? Is there a drain down there? Is someone drinking it? Wouldn't they be getting very thirsty? I guess there are lizardly astrologists and coral-covered automatons, so maybe there is someone who can drink the sea. Hard to say. Hard to say. This show wouldn't be possible without your support. Please consider supporting us at https://www.patreon.com/friends_tab...

Take a deep breath in. Can you smell it? That's right, the summer is finally behind us, and we can turn to the finer things of the autumn: Genetic splicing, cursed relics, and hobby-kit helicopters. Make a warm drink and settle in. The crisp air of the fall is going to take us many places.   Show Notes The Making of Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion   No Man's Sky: Oasis Island   Chapters 00:00 Intr...

This week in a special double-part episode, Ali, Dre, and Janine retun from the windy climes of Zephyr Town to tell us about the highs and lows of running a weekend produce market in Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar. Then, with the sort of clarity that only comes in the immediate aftermath of COVID recovery, Austin descends into the strange, probabalistic dungeons of Sol Cesto only to find Jack with...

After a long week of moving apartments, Austin breaks in his new podcasting setup. Finally, he and Janine get to talk about Popucom, the colorful co-op action-puzzle game that we've run out of time for in the last few episodes. Plus, Sylvi regales us with tales of her cyberpunk exploits in the New Boston dystopia of Cyber Knights: Flashpoint. Show Notes The Creators of This New Co-Op Game Don't Ca...

Ali returns to the show to lead Janine and Austin in an exploration of contemporary Tamagotchi culture, focusing on the recent Tamagotchi Uni and brand new Tamagotchi Paradise releases, before diving headfirst into one of the clearest ways that gambling/gacha culture is spreading into the mainstream: The Pop Mart Hint System. Also: You can put your finger into it and touch the slimy button.  Show...

After a few episodes of exclusively appearing in the Outward Let's Play ( available to $10 Patrons right here !), Jack and Janine return to Side Story proper. And oh what a trek it has been. They've crawled the the shadowy woods of a vague gothic forest. They've traversed the craggy slopes of the Australian outback. They've had to fend of both bats and BTs. And Austin? Seated comfortably in front...

Despite our audio editing software totally devouring Austin's file and corrupting nearly a fully produced episode file, this week's episode of Side Story could not be stopped. Not by the ups-and-downs of gacha horsegirl racing. Not by the whims of the Pokemon League. Not even by actual, real life athletic leagues and the many games they inspire. Catching a theme? Thats right, this week Austin, Kei...

With Austin and Keith itching to talk about Elden Ring: Nightreign, they bring Dre--who carried the group to their first win--on for their for their first appearance on the show. Plus, some mid-game impressions of the town management, relationships, and V-Tuber-esque character design of Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma. Show Notes DBFZ: GO1 Vs Leffen GREATEST SET EVER!!! CEO 2018 Digmon the Movie...

After promising not to talk about the Summer Games Fest for too long, Janine, Keith, and Austin spend a full hour chatting about the event's resonance with various ongoing malaises and maladies affecting games culture. Then, finally, they dig into Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time. Has she also stolen their hearts, or is their dream game just a fantasy? Show Notes Unearthed Treasure Room Sh...

Today we dive deep into the mysterious manor of Mt. Holly as Austin, Sylvi, and (for the first time on Side Story) Keith talk at length about Blue Prince, the first-person puzzle game by Dogubom. We talk favorite puzzles, end-game secrets, and the strengths and weaknesses of the game's narrative about familial affection, political intrigue, and spending your childhood getting lost in big houses. S...

Look, over there, at that tower. What sort of secrets could it hold? Perhaps some terrible Multiplayer Activities to waste your time. Or, no, wait, maybe it's one of the good towers, the kind you can zipline down or hover-grapple your way up,  the kind with an loot... or even better, an agility orb  on the top! No... no, wait, what's that number on the front?? Why is it counting down? And why does...

Would you leave an NPC so broken hearted that they just clam up for the rest of the game? Would you trade the AAA flash of 2025 for the animated FMV flair of 1992? Would you get upset if you engaged in hijinks so chaotic that you ended up slipping on a banana peel you put on the ground to begin with? Or would you understand that sometimes, the player getting what they want looks a little bit like...

What would you do if you were a little digital guy, running around in a Tron or Reboot style game world? Would you solve puzzles and investigate the myserious of the mansion-that-would-be-your-inheritence? Would you stalk the bogs of Britain, evading authoritarian robots and hunting for giant batteries? Or perhaps you would commit yourself to the noblest of goals, God's One True Task: Repeatedly r...

Around these parts, it isn't April Fools Day, it's April Truths Day, and today's big truth: Friends at the Table has a new podcast for you. It's about games and the stories they make us tell. It's that simple. It's hosted by Austin, with guests from the rest of the main show's cast.  It's going to come out every two weeks, probably on Mondays. Today was an exception. Because of the holiday.  Oh, a...