Backstage Gaming

This week, we dive back into the world of Magic the Gathering's story-telling techniques, this time with the benefit of having an actual artist on the show! Our friend Dakota joins us to talk about illustration, the process of creating narrative art, and to dissect some interesting artwork. Also included: Parkour M. Bison; Sonic Finger Waggling Magic Backstage Gaming is a proud member of the HP Vi...

It's episode 50! How is that even possible? Regardless of the multitude of mistakes that has lead to us still doing this show, we're here to celebrate with a special take on our Writer's Room segment; this time, rather than examining a series or property, we decide, in our hubris, to tackle the question of how to turn the Rogue-Like, a style of game defined by constant failure and repetition, into...

This week, in our hubris, we decide to tackle a game neither of us has played, but darn-it, the discourse around Death Stranding had us both so riled up. We look at tedium as a narrative tool in games, talk about games that decide not to be fun, and think for a while about why that might not be such a bad thing. Backstage Gaming is a proud member of the HP Video Game Podcast Network Enjoy our show...

This week, we take a look at the thoughts of famously odd-ball theater theorist and playwright Bertolt Brecht. What did Brecht believe about storytelling, presentation, and how can we apply those thoughts to video games? How much more mileage can we get out of the Metal Gear series? Join us to find out! Backstage Gaming is a proud member of the HP Video Game Podcast Network Enjoy our show? Conside...

You know how the whole stick of this show is that we're actors? Well, what if we act for you? This week, we take turns, offering each other sides and direction in order to have a slightly more in-depth look at what exactly it is an actor does. We talk about our individual processes, offer some nuggets of advise for any actors who might be listening, and generally just have a good time reading scri...

This week, we ping-pong from game to game, looking at a common literary trope, and how it applies to video games: the unreliable narrator. We're joined for this episode by Alex, co-host of the Super GG Radio podcast! Check them out at anchor.fm/superggradio, or wherever fine podcasts are sold! Like the show? Support us on Patreon! Patreon.com/BSGPod Follow us on twitter @BSG_Cast Learn more about...

This week, we dive into re-castings in long-term series or ports and re-releases of beloved games. Why do they happen? How do people feel about them? And what do they add or change about the stories they tell? Also included: Port Mistakes and New Dylan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

*** Spoilers for Celeste *** This week, we talk about the recent indie platformer Celeste, it's story, and how it tells it. We look at the level-by-level challenges, the characters' arcs, and how this game ties itself together. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What is aesthetic? What is art? What is zombies? These questions have haunted thinkers since the dawn of time, and this week, two dweebs with a podcast are gonna answer them. Join us as we talk about what "aesthetic" actually means, and look at a few game franchises that have made unique use of their individual aesthetics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome to the loop-zone! Dylan's in Tech for a show, Chris has been recording a lot, and we both needed a nice, fun, breezy episode this week. Welcome back to Spot The Dud! Chris reads some review for games in the same general 1-10 ranking ballpark, and Dylan has to guess which one is the biggest stinker! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

**Spoiler Warning for Undertale, because we know that game is fresh and important to a lot of people** This week, we're here to talk about games that ask you to pull your punches. Whether it's an encounter that forces you to put aside the usual violent options, or a game with pacifism built into it's DNA, looking at how games approach non-violent storytelling in a usually violent medium is fascina...

This week, we've gotta go fast, but not in the way you'd expect! We hop back into our regular Writer's Room segment to talk about F-Zero, the Nintendo property known for it's speed and cartoonish characters, to try to figure out how we could best translate these unique strengths into another medium. We think we did a pretty ok job! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoic...

This week, we're all about games with multiple campaigns or perspectives. Whether you're choosing your side at the beginning, or the game shifts itself around to show you the different sides of the story, using perspective shifts and concurrent storytelling can add a unique twist to your game's story and how your audience approaches or replays it. Also included: Sonic "The" Hedgehog, Hehehehehehe....

This week, we take a break from looking at the more complex elements of game story telling, and instead look at the simpler building blocks: dialogue, narration, and cutscenes. Are they good? What are some games that use them interestingly? Are they necessary? Let's find out! Also included: Use Cake on Man, Dissociation Dylan, and Tim Cook: Podcast Warden. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit p...

This is one of those episode where we know *what* we want to talk about, but we're not entirely sure what's gonna happen when we do that. This week, we're talking about yet another medium-specific method of storytelling, but we kick video games to the curb in favor of trading card games. Come along as Chris rambles about Magic: The Gathering to a largely bemused Dylan! Also included: Off-Brand Hay...

This week, we’re joined by a close personal friend, Coop, of “Dude, You Remember Macross” fame, to join us in a conversation about all things weeby. We talk Dragon Quest, take a brief diversion into God of War (so Chris can contribute to the conversation), and then wrap by talking about our first impressions of the new Fire Emblem: Three Houses, particularly how it manages to meld its character an...

This week, we take a walk on the dark-side. We talk about what makes a good villain, a few things you should never do in creating a villain, and why sometimes you just need to rehydrate your villains. Also included: Papa-Dorf, "The Moan," and Dylan's Metal Gear Dissociation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, we were thrilled to be joined by our good friend Will Quam, a Chicago-based director, playwright, and the brain behind Brick of Chicago, an Instagram feed and tour company focused on the brickwork around the city of Chicago. With the help of his eye as a director and observer, we talk about all the little visual ways that games tell their stories. Also included: Fart. Please do check ou...

Do you have any games that changed how you think about games, or stories, or life? Well, we sure as heck do, and this week, we talk about a few of those flash-bulb games that have impacted us over the years. Also included: The Funny Sex Number, Warlock Daddy, Nasty SNES, and Relevant Seinfeld Humor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

All this talking about storytelling and narratives has gotten exhausting, and who has the energy for that in this summer heat? Instead, let’s take it easy, and not talk about story at all. In fact, let’s talk about some games with a very pointed lack of story, and see if we can riddle out how those work! Doesn’t that sound refreshing? Also included: TIME TO KILL, Funky Kong ASMR, Slimy Wilson, and...

Step into the wardrobe with us today as we talk about how the design of a character, and notably a redesign, can act as a useful shorthand for how we perceive of our favorite characters. It’s also another morning recording, and you know how those get! Also included: Plunge You Up, The Fall, and Mummy Love. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The big 3-0, eh? Join us on our traditional 10-episode trip to the Writer’s Room. On the chopping block this time? Only one of the longest-running and most beloved RPG franchises in the world, Final Fantasy! Can we succeed where three motion pictures and two anime adaptations failed? Let’s find out! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, we’ve got E3 Fever! We take some time to talk about games that spawned a lot of discussion, and how that discussion is EXACTLY what the industry wants. This whole thing is an elaborate constructed narrative, and we’re here to unravel that. Also included: Hunkendorf, Dank Basement Chris, and a Complete Mess at the End. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, we ease back into the recording process after our long tech-break by playing a game. Chris finds games with bad review scores; Dylan has to guess which one scored worst. It’s fun. We have fun here. Also included: FIFA Sex Tattoos, The Uno Fuck-Up, Twitter of the Past, and Sonic Boo. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We return from a long technical-difficulty-induced hiatus, and we’re back in rare form, frantically trying to build connections between a centuries-old form of Italian theatre and modern voice-acting and RPG game design. Buckle up, friends! Also included: Hive Queen Bezos, Make Clowns Happy 2019, The BSG Onsen Episode, Dylan’s Final Fantasy Hole, DadBook, and Using Every Part of the Artist Learn m...