Mythic Mind Games

To the Moon offers a dying man the life he wished for by rewriting the one he actually lived. The wish feels like consolation until you notice the reconciliation was never real, and romantic fantasy has nothing solid left to stand on. In this fellowship conversation, Dr. Andrew Snyder and guests Michael, Sam, and David dig into Freebird Games' 2011 RPG Maker story: Sigmund Corporation's memory rew...

Watch the video: https://mythicmindfellowship.com/is-choosing-from-a-script-still-freedom-the-stanley-parable-mythic-mind-games-ep-55/ The Stanley Parable offers you freedom, then shows you that every path was already built for you. But a script you did not write is not necessarily a prison: meaning can be discovered rather than invented, and real freedom needs limits to push against. In this fell...

Watch the video: https://youtu.be/Jlc-KB1Oa2k Video games do not merely distract from sorrow. Through time spent with characters, player agency, and participation in sub-creation, they can become a unique art form for facing grief, mortality, and what loss teaches the soul. In this fellowship conversation, Dr. Andrew Snyder and guests ask why games are especially suited to sorrow: long attachment...

Watch the video: https://youtu.be/ynV50tCh6oc Red Dead Redemption 2's Arthur Morgan and Tolstoy's Ivan Ilyich both teach memento mori: facing death can renew how you live. After Arthur's tuberculosis diagnosis he turns from outlaw vanity toward an honorable redemption; after Ivan's fatal illness he sees that a respectable career and middle-class image were a false life. In this Mythic Mind Games s...

Video games are not only amusement. They are structured existential experiences: forks that press agency, anxiety, identity, desire, and failure on a real self, whether the world on screen is "primary" or secondary. In this Mythic Mind Games season opener for Exploring the Psyche, Dr. Andrew Snyder (professor of philosophy and theology) makes the case for approaching games with seriousness and dis...

Watch the video: https://youtu.be/Qi0kgEKEEmg Final Fantasy VII Rebirth asks whether Remake's defiance of fate was ever real freedom: after killing the arbiter of fate, the path still narrows, some outcomes stay locked, and Sephiroth bends the Whispers to set himself up as a new master of fate across timelines. Aerith still dies as fate decreed, yet the remake path saturates her arc with forebodin...

Take some time to dilly dally shilly shally with us as we discuss Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children. As a long-time fan of the original game, I finally got around to watching the film. This is a visually engaging project with the potential for great psychological exploration. Even if that potential is mostly untapped, Advent Children is definitely worth your time if you are a fan of the franchise...

In this episode, we discuss the 2020 remake/reimagining/sequel of the iconic 1997 JRPG. As a fan of the original game for nearly 30 years, I enjoyed the opportunity to discuss this new take with Micah. Watch the video for this episode and subscribe to my YouTube channel here: https://youtu.be/GpBsTGBtTZY Become a patron at patreon.com/mythicmind Listen to all THREE Mythic Mind podcasts: Mythic Min...

Join Andrew, David, Micah, and Josh as we discuss Final Fantasy VII, which likely is the most iconic in the franchise and certainly is one of my all-time favorite games. Focusing on the main characters, we discuss the heavy themes that make this such a lasting title, both broadly and personally. Watch the video for this episode and subscribe to my YouTube channel here: https://youtu.be/A_AOv8Jso04...

In this episode, I am joined by Michael and Micah to discuss what Outer Wilds demonstrates about the stories we tell and the music we make in the face of our mortal fate. Watch the video for this episode and subscribe to my YouTube channel here:https://youtu.be/ahKy2pWEFMI Become a patron at patreon.com/mythicmind Listen to all THREE Mythic Mind podcasts: Mythic Mind Mythic Mind Games Mythic Mind...

“What looks like politics, and imagines itself to be political, will one day unmask itself as a religious movement.” -Søren Kierkegaard In this episode, I discuss what Final Fantasy tactics has to say about justice, class warfare, and the demonic influences that may lurk beneath the political movements of our day. Watch the video for this episode and subscribe to my YouTube channel here: https://y...

Our originally planned discussion of Outer Wilds was delayed, so I instead took this opportunity to reflect on my experience and renewed appreciation of video games. As we approach a year of this podcast, I also looked back at some of the places we have been up to this point. Watch the video for this episode and subscribe to my YouTube channel here: https://youtu.be/LaDAEZcs1AU Become a patron at...

The Mythic Mind Fellowship discusses the philosophy and artistry of Chrono Trigger, a fan favorite of the SNES RPG era that still holds up as a true work of art. Watch the video for this episode and subscribe to my YouTube channel here: https://youtu.be/FZ0OQjWFkb4 Become a patron at patreon.com/mythicmind Listen to all THREE Mythic Mind podcasts: Mythic Mind Mythic Mind Games Mythic Mind Movies &...

In this episode, we discuss John Marston, Arthur Morgan, and the themes of honor, vengeance, and redemption that make these games so compelling.  Watch the video for this episode and subscribe to my YouTube channel here: https://youtu.be/cqrr3_p1hmw Become a patron at patreon.com/mythicmind Listen to all THREE Mythic Mind podcasts: Mythic Mind Mythic Mind Games Mythic Mind Movies & Shows (Or b...

David and Andrew discuss The Forgotten City, a heavily philosophical game that is doing something very interesting, even if it is doing it with fairly amateur philosophical thought. During this discussion, we discuss ethics, truth, the reality of religious claims, and more. Watch the video for this episode and subscribe to my YouTube channel here: https://youtu.be/Er726BVgQ5M Become a patron at pa...

As we discuss Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, we touch on various topics, including: What is the artistic value of video games? What is the artistic value of this game in particular? Where does it direct us? What is the "best" ending? How do we rank value in sub-created worlds? How does the game frame the relationship between art and grief? What does a healthy relationship look like? What light can T...

In this final (for now) episode of The Elder Scrolls and Philosophy, we discuss Skyrim's DLC: Dawnguard and Dragonborn. We discuss plots, vampires, Boethius, Faustian bargains, and much more across this nearly two hour conversation. I also share where the Games podcast is going next! Watch the video for this episode and subscribe to my YouTube channel here: https://youtu.be/BRyGEMc2I58 Become a pa...

The stories of Dawnguard and Dragonborn, prepared for our Elder Scrolls and Philosophy study. Watch the videos for this episode and subscribe to my YouTube channel here:  Dawnguard - https://youtu.be/k-FEFvAcT44 Dragonborn - https://youtu.be/3wKIrE8yjLU Become a patron at patreon.com/mythicmind Listen to all THREE Mythic Mind podcasts: Mythic Mind Mythic Mind Games Mythic Mind Movies & Shows (...

This is our general conversation on Skyrim, recorded for The Elder Scrolls & Philosophy. Watch the video for this episode and subscribe to my YouTube channel here: https://youtu.be/JKbtu8VYciE Become a patron at patreon.com/mythicmind Listen to all THREE Mythic Mind podcasts: Mythic Mind Mythic Mind Games Mythic Mind Movies & Shows (Or become a patron and get all three shows early and ad-f...

This is our general conversation on The Shivering Isles, recorded for The Elder Scrolls & Philosophy. (I forgot to post this before moving on to the Skyrim material.) Watch the video for this episode and subscribe to my YouTube channel here: https://youtu.be/fns-nZoOs0A Become a patron at patreon.com/mythicmind Listen to all THREE Mythic Mind podcasts: Mythic Mind Mythic Mind Games Mythic Mind...

In this presentation, originally made for my Elder Scrolls & Philosophy study, I discuss some of the northern mythological inspirations for Skyrim. Watch the video for this episode and subscribe to my YouTube channel here: https://youtu.be/C907wJJN8l8 Tolkien and the Long Defeat: https://youtu.be/zQZuCpAd8t8?si=A8w-Mu_k4IXpz657 Beowulf & Boethius Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?...

This is my short presentation of the story of Skyrim for the Elder Scrolls and Philosophy study. Watch the video for this episode and subscribe to my YouTube channel here: https://youtu.be/1dPXdcZxzm8 Become a patron at patreon.com/mythicmind Listen to all THREE Mythic Mind podcasts: Mythic Mind Mythic Mind Games Mythic Mind Movies & Shows (Or become a patron and get all three shows early and...

In this presentation, originally made for my Elder Scrolls & Philosophy study, I discuss the concepts of mania and dementia expressed in Oblivion: Shivering isles through the lens of Kierkegaard's The Sickness unto Death . Watch the video for this episode and subscribe to my YouTube channel here: https://youtu.be/BZUgEUzaBXU Become a patron at patreon.com/mythicmind Listen to all THREE Mythic...

This is my short presentation of the story of Shivering Isles for the Elder Scrolls and Philosophy study. Watch the video for this episode and subscribe to my YouTube channel here: https://youtu.be/96XxCjhOkCQ Become a patron at patreon.com/mythicmind Listen to all THREE Mythic Mind podcasts: Mythic Mind Mythic Mind Games Mythic Mind Movies & Shows (Or become a patron and get all three shows e...

Ben Shapiro recently reviewed some of the music from Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. In this episode, which I initially posted to YouTube, I critique his review, arguing that he is not approaching it from the right framework. I would love to hear your thoughts! Comment on the YouTube page, e-mail me at mythicmindpodcast@gmail.com, or comment on X @mythicmgames. Watch the video for this episode and su...