Genre Blender

Life had other plans this month. Kris and Rian ditch the episode notes and lean into the chaos, using their own unplanned episode as a jumping-off point to talk about what happens when you're a chronic planner and 2026 just won't slow down. In between, there's a detailed Read Watch Play (Rian miraculously finished a book, and there’s a farming sim that's eating Kris's soul), so...

Kris and Rian talk about one of gaming’s most beloved formats: open-world games. What makes them so immersive? Why do they often feel overwhelming? And why is it that sometimes the best thing a game can do is gently pretend it's not telling you what to do? It's a big conversation with plenty of opinions, and a healthy dose of Bethesda jank appreciation. Plus: our Read Watch Play lists, Com...

💬 Join our Discord community! https://genreblender.net/discord 🌐 Reviews, essays, and more on our website: https://www.genreblender.net Kris and Rian are back with a packed episode after a hectic few weeks. This month, we deep dive into the topic of re-reading : why we do it (or don’t), what we gain from returning to a book years later as a different person, and whether there’s still value in re...

💬 Join our Discord community! https://genreblender.net/discord 🌐 Reviews, essays, and more on our website: https://www.genreblender.net We're back! After a month off, Kris and Rian return to talk about why handheld gaming is having such a major moment right now. From the Steam Deck to the Switch 2, from retro emulation handhelds to PC gaming on-the-go, we explore what makes portable gaming s...

💬 Join our Discord community! https://genreblender.net/discord 🌐 Reviews, essays, and more on our website: https://www.genreblender.net At least one of your favourite podcast hosts has been keeping a consistent writing schedule, so in this episode we share our writing habits and routines, current projects, writing environments, and tips and tricks to stay motivated and make real progress towards...

Join our Discord community! http://discord.genreblender.net Sign up for more free content on our website: https://www.genreblender.net In this special start-of-the-year episode, Kris and Rian deep-dive into their personal and creative themes, goals, and projects for 2026. They also cover a few big news items that happened over the last month, and discuss the books, movies, TV shows, and games that...

A wolf-PACKED episode to celebrate the launch of Kris’s debut novel ALPHA with a spoiler-free interview with the author himself about writing, world-building, and the journey to becoming a published author. We also sift through a ton of gaming news to discuss a few of the biggest stories. Plus our Read Watch Play lists, what’s Coming Right Up, and the spin wheels are back for Backlog Roulette. ALP...

Be one of the first to join our Discord community! http://discord.genreblender.net Sign up for more free content on our website: https://www.genreblender.net The Genre Blender podcast has a new format, and Kris and Rian are excited to tell you all about it. The duo share their Read-Watch-Play updates and discuss some news after a hectic month. Stick around to the very end to see a brand new segmen...

Kris and Rian get a healthy dose of nostalgia in this gaming-focused episode with a discussion about retro gaming, emulation, and gaming handhelds. Be one of the first to join our Discord community! http://discord.genreblender.net Check out our website: https://www.genreblender.net 00:00 Intro and announcement 02:27 Read Watch Play 14:32 Intro to main topic: retro gaming 14:54 What is retro gaming...

What’s better than curling up with a good book on a chilly day? Why, becoming a bookseller and moving to the seaside with your tiny bookshop, of course! Kris and Rian played several hours of the latest cozy gaming phenomenon and, as usual, they have some thoughts. Be one of the first to join our Discord community! http://discord.genreblender.net Check out our website: https://www.genreblender.net...

Rian reads Kris’s current favourite classic book, The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, and the pair go on a meandering deep-dive discussion about its themes, which are fascinatingly prescient. 00:00 Intro 01:52 Read Watch Play 15:05 The Picture of Dorian Gray - First Impressions 21:23 Synopsis 23:29 Core themes 38:45 Lord Henry 52:15 Art for art’s sake The Picture of Dorian Gray - https://ap...

Happy Birthday to us! Genre Blender turns one year old, so Kris and Rian celebrate with a cold beverage or two while taking a look back over the past year, and forwards into the upcoming year. 00:00 Intro 01:53 Read Watch Play 14:48 Intro to the birthday tag 16:05 How many years are you celebrating? 18:12 What has kept you motivated to continue making episodes? 21:29 What are three of your favouri...

KPop Demon Hunters has become a worldwide phenomenon, and Kris and Rian—with returning special guests Jack and Michael—hold a roundtable discussion to find out what makes this animated action musical film so special. 00:00 Intro 01:35 Read Watch Play 13:55 Intro to KPop Demon Hunters 16:40 Initial impressions 23:55 Story, characters, and themes 41:39 Music and soundtrack 48:19 Art style and animat...

It’s the middle of the year! That means it’s time for Kris and Rian to do a check-in for their book, video game and movie plans and goals. Find out just how much our hosts are freaking out throughout the 13 questions for this tag. 00:00 Introduction 03:45 Read Watch Play 13:09 Intro to the Mid-Year Freak Out Tag 14:34 Q1. Best book you’ve read so far this year 18:38 Q2. Best sequel you've read...

Michael joins the podcast to talk about the state of physical media across all our favourite types of entertainment, from movies to games to books, and what the future might hold as digital-only inevitably takes over. The film cartridge Michael mentioned https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/110_film And the camera to go with it (Lomomatic 110) https://petapixel.com/2024/03/28/lomography-lomomatic-110-rev...

Part two of our Pride month episodes! Kris and Rian share the LGBTQIA+ characters from books and video games that have stuck with them the most. Chapters: 00:00 Intro 01:00 Read Watch Play 12:43 Memorable queer characters 1:07:18 Podcast info and links TV Shows: The Legend of Korra https://www.themoviedb.org/tv/33880-the-legend-of-korra Torchwood https://www.themoviedb.org/tv/424-torchwood Books:...

Happy Pride Month! 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ To celebrate, Kris and Rian talk about their favourite and most memorable queer and LGBTQIA+ characters in TV shows over the years. This is part one of two-part series. 00:00 Intro 02:08 News  04:12 Read Watch Play 18:06 Memorable queer characters in TV 1:15:18 Wrap-up TV Shows with LGBTQIA+ characters mentioned Murderbot https://www.themoviedb.org/tv/241554-murderbot...

Kris and Rian get inspired (thanks, Jack!) to talk about arthouse and auteur cinema. After some hazy definitions, the duo discuss why these styles of film-making are important, and share some of their favourites. 00:00 Intro 01:56 News 05:52 Read Watch Play 18:28 Intro to arthouse and auteur films 27:11 Why are these films important? 36:29 Our frustrations with mainstream films 40:52 Celebrating a...

Jack, our resident movie expert, joins the podcast for this special episode. Rian picks Jack’s brain about favourite and underrated movies, filmmakers, adaptations, and what makes storytelling in films so unique, followed by a lightning round of questions just for fun. 00:00 Intro 01:18 Jack’s introduction 03:19 Read Watch Play 15:36 Topic intro: Let’s talk movies 16:41 Jack’s movie-a-day project...

Kris and Rian are hyped over some recent video game news and rumours. Rian actually finished some video games this week, Kris surprises Rian with a classic book he enjoyed, and the pair discuss how they immerse themselves in stories for escapism. 00:00 Intro 02:07 News 13:03 Read Watch Play 25:37 Stories for escapism 45:33 Writing for escapism 52:38 Our tips for being mental health conscious Read:...

No matter how you spell it, there’s something to be said for curling up with a cozy game, book, TV show or movie. Kris and Rian dive into some of their favourites, and discuss the role that cozy stories (in their many forms) play in their lives. 00:00 Intro 03:29 Read Watch Play 23:35 Tangent: Gaming handhelds 25:58 Tangent: Witchbrook announcement 28:47 Defining ‘cozy’ games and books 43:32 Reaso...

Kris and Rian often talk about all the books and games they love and are currently reading or playing, but in this episode it’s all about the stuff they won’t be reading/playing, don’t like, or find problematic—all in good fun, of course. The Anti-TBR/TBP Tag: A popular book/game EVERYONE loves that you have no interest in reading/playing? A classic book/game (or author/developer) you don’t have a...

Kris is joined by author Shayla Morgansen to explore the world of fanfiction! Kris and Shayla discuss their introductions to fanfiction, and the relationship between fanfiction, fandoms, and publishing. Stay tuned for the giveaway! 00:00 Welcome Shayla! 02:05 Giveaway and intro to Mythos Unbound 11:55 Read Watch Play 18:26 Shayla’s smooth segue into the main topic: Fanfiction! 39:18 Fanfiction and...

Kris and Rian take on Taylor's Personal Canon Tag and talk about the books, TV shows, movies, and games that shaped them throughout their lives. Chapters 00:00 Intro to the Personal Canon Tag 02:07 Read Watch Play updates 06:37 Early childhood 16:37 Childhood 28:09 Early adolescence 40:27 Adolescence 51:32 Young adulthood 1:05:50 Adulthood 1:18:17 Links and next episode preview Books:  The Hou...

It's no secret that life can get in the way of things we enjoy! This week Rian and Kris take you on their journeys of how their physical and mental health sometimes interferes with their favourite hobbies. Join the free (and only) tier of our Patreon for members-only content and access to our private Discord server. Chapters 00:00 Intro  00:47 Read Watch Play updates 12:57 Main topic: How phys...