Low Five Gaming

Luke and Alex Talk Jusant . Step into the enigmatic world of Jusant , a game that blends action and puzzle elements with a serene yet challenging climbing adventure. Developed by Don't Nod , Jusant offers gamers a unique, meditative journey to the top of a mysterious tower, filled with flora, fauna, and a peaceful soundtrack. Released in 2024, it stands out for its innovative climbing mechani...

Alex and Luke talk Gris. Gris is a visually stunning and emotionally evocative platformer game developed by Nomada Studio and published by Devolver Digital . In this game, players explore a serene yet melancholic world, unfolding a narrative about personal growth and overcoming hardship. Released in December 2018, Gris has been celebrated for its breathtaking artwork, poignant storytelling, and in...

Luke and Alex talk Sea of Stars. Prepare to be transported back to the golden era of turn-based games with Sea of Stars from Sabotage Studios . This episode, we’re diving into this modern classic that pays homage to the JRPGs we all loved. With its captivating art style, a roster of formidable enemies, and dynamic game mechanics, Sea of Stars is more than just a game; it’s a journey through nostal...

Ever wonder why some people are so passionate about collecting physical media? Join me as I share my personal journey from collecting vinyl records, cassettes, and CDs during my childhood to eventually finding my true passion – video game collecting – in 2018. Discover how working three jobs to save up for a ring for my wife led me to dive deep into the world of game collecting and the joy I find...

Alex and Luke Talk Donkey Kong Country. Donkey Kong Country is a groundbreaking platformer developed by Rare and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. In this iconic title, players take on the roles of Donkey Kong and his sidekick Diddy Kong, embarking on a quest to recover their stolen banana hoard from the villainous King K. Rool and his army of Kremlings. Originally...

Luke and Alex Talk Dredge . Dredge is a chilling indie fishing video game developed by New Zealand-based studio Black Salt Games and published by Team17 . The game introduces players to an unnamed fisherman who, as he delves deeper into the expansive open-world archipelago, confronts increasingly Lovecraftian marine creatures, making each fishing venture a dive into the abyss. The highly anticipat...

Alex and Luke Talk Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins . Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins is a platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy. The player takes control of the protagonist Mario, whose main objective is to reclaim his personal island, Mario Land, from the antagonist Wario, who has seized control while Mario was away in the events of the first Super Mario Land. S...

In this spoiler-free episode, hosts Alex and Luke dive into the expansive world of " The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom ," the eagerly-awaited sequel to "Breath of the Wild." Despite Luke's 50-hour gameplay journey, he's yet to progress the storyline past the Wind Temple, which allows us to keep the major plot points under wraps. Developed and published by Nint...

Luke and Alex dive into the infinity loop of "Loop Hero," a uniquely designed endless RPG by the ingenious minds at Russian studio Four Quarters , and brought to life by Devolver Digital . Set in a post-apocalyptic world that's been wiped out by an evil lich, you, the hero, are on a mission to reconstruct your reality. You're not alone though – you'll encounter survivors w...

Alex and Luke talk Inscryption . Inscryption is a psychological horror, rouguelike deck-building game that has been praised for its unique blend of genres and captivating storytelling. Developed by Daniel Mullins Games and published by Devolver Digital , the game takes players on a dark and twisted journey through a mysterious forest. Along the way, players must gather cards, build a deck, and use...

Luke and Alex talk The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt . The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is an action role-playing game developed and published by CD Projekt Red . The game takes place in a fictional fantasy world based on Slavic mythology. You control Geralt of Rivia, a monster slayer for hire known as a Witcher, and search for his adopted daughter Ciri who is on the run from the otherworldly Wild Hunt. Players ba...

Alex and Luke Talk Celeste . Celeste is a platform game developed and published by indie developer Matt Makes Games . The player controls Madeline, a protagonist with anxiety and depression who aims to climb Celeste Mountain. During their climb, Madeline encounters several characters, including a personification of her self-doubt known as Badeline, who attempts to stop her from climbing the mounta...

Luke and Alex talk High on Life . High on Life is a comedic first-person shooter game with action-adventure and Metroidvania elements. It takes place in a science fiction world which features talking guns called Gatlians. The game was published by Squanch Games and was released on December 13, 2022 for Windows, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S. As of publication, the Xbox Series X version of the game...

Alex and Luke talk their Greatest Games of All Time! GGoATs! Luke has a running bit where he gives Alex a hard time for declaring any game he enjoyed as deserving of a spot in his top ten best games of all time. Well, the two finally sat down and declared their official lists. There are some spicy takes! Send us a Voice Message. You may even be featured on our next episode! Support the show ​ ​Vis...

Alex and Luke talk Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon . Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon is a 2018 platform game developed and published by Inti Creates. It is a companion title to developer ArtPlay's 2019 game Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night and was conceived to fulfill the promise for a retro-style accompaniment to Ritual of the Night after its Kickstarter campaign exceeded crowdfunding goals...

Luke and Alex talk Super Mario World. Super Mario World is a platform video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). It was released in Japan in 1990, North America in 1991 and Europe and Australia in 1992. Nintendo Entertainment Analysis & Development developed the game, led by director Takashi Tezuka and producer and series creator Shigeru...

Alex and Luke talk Portal and Portal 2. Portal is a 2007 puzzle-platform game developed and published by Valve. It was released in a bundle, The Orange Box, for Windows, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, and has been since ported to other systems, including Mac OS X, Linux, Android (via Nvidia Shield), and Nintendo Switch. The game consists of a series of puzzles that must be solved by teleporting the p...

Alex and guest hosts Isiah and Nick talk Stray. Stray is an adventure platformer puzzler developed by Blue Twelve Studio and published by Annapurna Interactive. The story follows a stray cat who falls into a walled city populated by robots, machines, and mutant bacteria, and sets out to return to the surface with the help of a drone companion called B-12. Stray was announced in 2020 and became hig...

Luke and Alex talk about using video games to inspire students into following career paths. Work work work. In this companion podcast for the Low five Education Project, Alex and Luke go into further detail of Luke’s article on epistemic gaming and using video games to model jobs. Each brother goes over their experience with career modeling and/or inspiration from their experiences within schoolin...

Luke and Alex discuss identity learning through video games. There are countless ways in which our identity shapes the way we view the world and how the world views us, but Alex and Luke only have so much time and focus! In this companion podcast to the Low Five Education Project, the focus is going into more depth on each of Luke’s two articles on identity learning in video games . Connections to...

Luke and Alex talk about semiotic domains and learning from video games. In our first companion podcast, Alex and Luke talk about Luke’s Low Five Education Project article on semiotic domains in further detail. A brief history and bio of author James Paul Gee is given before explaining his concept of semiotic domains and the active learning that takes place when playing video games. Although Gee’s...

Luke and Alex talk Cities: Skylines. Cities: Skylines is a city-building game developed by Colossal Order and published by Paradox Interactive. The game is a single-player open-ended city-building simulation. Players engage in urban planning by controlling zoning, road placement, taxation, public services, and public transportation of an area. They also work to manage various elements of the city,...

Alex and Luke talk Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge is a beat 'em up game developed by Tribute Games and published by Dotemu. It's based on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise and is inspired by the 1987 Turtles animated series. The game borrows stylistically from the arcade and home console games develope...

Luke and Alex talk Red Dead Redemption 2 . Red Dead Redemption 2 is a 2018 action-adventure game developed and published by Rockstar Games. The game is the third entry in the Red Dead series and a prequel to the 2010 game Red Dead Redemption . The story is set in 1899 and follows the exploits of outlaw Arthur Morgan, a member of the Van der Linde gang, in a fictionalized representation of the West...

Alex and Luke talk Half-Life and Black Mesa. Half-Life is a 1998 first-person shooter game developed by Valve and published by Sierra Studios for Windows. It was Valve's debut product and the first game in the Half-Life series. Players assume the role of Gordon Freeman, a scientist who must escape the Black Mesa Research Facility after it is invaded by aliens. The gameplay consists of combat,...