Lore & Order: A Gaming Podcast

Why do so many of us spend hours decorating houses, planting virtual gardens, and arranging furniture in games that no one else will ever see? This week on Lore & Order, we're exploring one of gaming's most universal habits: creating virtual spaces that feel like home. From building painstakingly elaborate Minecraft bases, curating Animal Crossing islands, and transforming Stardew Valley farms...

What happens when players stop asking, "How am I supposed to play this game?" and start asking, "How else could I play it?". In this episode of Lore & Order, we explore one of the gaming communities most fascinating quirks: our tendency to ignore the rules we've been given and invent entirely new ones. From Pokémon Nuzlockes, Ironman runs, pacifist playthroughs and speedrunning, some of gaming...

When was the last time you played a game outside of your house? On the train. At the airport. During your lunch break. Maybe even during a cheeky work poo. Gaming used to be something we did in a specific place. You sat down in front of a TV, turned on the console, and entered another world. Today, those worlds live inside our pockets. In this episode, we explore how gaming escaped the lounge room...

Have you ever finished an incredible game, and instead of feeling a sense of accomplishment, you felt sadness? The music swells. The credits roll. Only to be left with this strange emptiness. You wanted to reach the ending. You spent dozens (sometimes hundreds) of hours building towards it, but when it finally arrived...you almost wish it hadn’t. In this episode of Lore & Order , we explore th...

When life gets overwhelming, many of us instinctively reach for a controller. Whether it's before a big job interview, during a stressful week, while recovering from an illness, or simply after a rough day, games have a unique ability to quiet the noise and give our minds somewhere else to focus. In this episode of Lore & Order, we explore why games are such powerful tools for coping with stre...

When you play a game, are you supposed to feel like yourself? Or are you supposed to feel like someone else? From silent heroes like Link and Pokémon trainers to iconic voiced characters like Geralt, Lara Croft, Kratos, and Commander Shepard, video games immerse us in very different ways depending on who we're controlling. In this episode of Lore & Order , we explore one of gaming's most fasci...

Do you remember hearing rumours about secret characters, hidden endings, or Easter eggs in games, and not knowing if they were real? Before guides, datamining, YouTube breakdowns, and social media spoilers, mystery in gaming felt different. Secrets spread through school yards, fringe forums, and word of mouth. If you wanted answers, you had to explore, experiment, and get creative. In this episode...

Does hearing an old game soundtrack instantly transport you back in time? Can a loading screen, menu sound, or familiar world make you feel comforted, reminiscent...or even a little sad? In this episode of Lore & Order , we explore the power of nostalgia in gaming. Why certain games stay with us for decades, why revisiting them feels so meaningful, and what those experiences reveal about who w...

Can video games actually make us more empathetic? For decades, games - especially violent ones - have been accused of making people more aggressive, isolated, and emotionally disconnected. But what if we’ve been looking at games the wrong way? In this episode of Lore & Order , we explore how video games can become powerful empathy building machines: helping us understand other perspectives, co...

What if every game we’ve ever played has been quietly training us to solve real-life problems? In this episode of Lore & Order , we explore how video games shape the way we think. How they teach us to analyse challenges, adapt quickly, and find solutions under pressure. From puzzle solving, strategising, and fast-paced decision-making, games constantly put us in situations where failure isn’t...

Have you ever stuck with a game you weren’t enjoying just because everyone else said it was incredible? In this episode of Lore & Order , we unpack the quiet pressure to play what’s popular, and why so many of us push through games that simply aren’t for us. From 'Game of the Year' hype to viral gaming moments, modern gaming is more connected than ever. But that connection comes with a trade-o...

Modern video games are bigger, more detailed, and more ambitious than ever before. But that ambition comes at a cost. In this episode of Lore & Order , we explore how game development has stretched from quick, iterative cycles into decade-long productions - and how that shift has quietly changed our relationship with games. We reflect on growing up in an era where entire trilogies released wit...

In this episode of Lore & Order , we explore a strange phenomenon. Why we often struggle with failure in real life, but when it comes to games...we kind of enjoy it? From Dark Souls bosses to repeated deaths in punishing platformers, failure is a constant in gaming, yet we keep coming back for more of it. We break down what makes failure in games feel so different from real life. From fast fee...

In this episode of Lore & Order , we explore the games we didn’t just play, but shared. From late-night FIFA sessions and Halo co-op chaos, to passing the controller on Crash Bandicoot, couch gaming has always been about more than just winning. It’s about connection. We break down why playing games in the same room hits differently. From what's happening to our brain chemistry, to the shared e...

What happens when a game gives you the freedom to be evil, and you just can’t do it? In this episode of Lore & Order , we explore morality in video games , and why so many players (ourselves included) struggle to commit to the “evil” playthrough. From obliterating Megaton in Fallout 3 to sabotaging the Genophage in Mass Effect 2, the option is there… so why do we so rarely take it? We dive int...

What is it about video games that makes us feel a sense of wonder? In this first episode of Lore & Order , we explore the idea of wanderlust in gaming. That irresistible pull to explore, discover, and get lost in virtual worlds. From sprawling open-world adventures to quiet, unexpected moments of beauty, games have a unique ability to tap into our natural human curiosity. But as we get older a...