Overthinking Games

Video Game Preservation The copyright duration for a video game is up to 120 years long…what does that mean for the preservation of video games? Are video games an art form worthy of preservation, in the same vein as literature and film? Join us as we discuss video game preservation in this week’s episode! Are video games art? How would you decide what to keep and what to allow to be lost to time?...

This week the trio discusses the relationship between gamers and the gaming news cycle. How does hype impact how we respond to games? Does it matter if our news sources are biased if we know that they’re biased? We get into these questions and more! Share your thoughts at: overthinkinggamespodcast@gmail.com Find us on: Apple Podcasts Spotify Instagram/Tik Tok Theme music is copyright free and from...

This week, we explore God of War, masculinity, and fatherhood. We are joined by very special guest, Joshua, from The Gamers Drink, a Tik-Tok channel where he pairs drinks, cocktails and mocktails with videogames for a grown up cozy vibe.  Did you feel seen when you played God of War? Do you think we’re reading too much into it? Are you completely convinced to play this 2018 gem? Follow Joshua here...

Continuing our spooky theme, Seth brings us into the fascinating realm of existential and cosmic horror, Katie learns what both of those things are, and Dempsey thinks out of the box when it comes to titles that give us that special, awful feeling of being infinitesimal in an infinite universe. Share the games that remind you of being a drop in the ocean, your favorite eldritch horror, or whatever...

TW: body horror, infant death (talking about fears) Spooky season is upon us! This week, Seth is out sick, and we’re joined by Nick from Smashing Game Time for a conversation about horror games and what they can teach us about ourselves, and society as a whole. Listen to Nick and his brothers, Josh and Jake, every week on Smashing Game Time wherever you get your podcasts, and you can find Nick’s g...

This week, we got listener mail asking us to keep making fun of Dempsey, which is, fortunately, one of our favorite segments on the show. Then join us as we dive into multiplayer gaming in its myriad forms: play-and-watch, co-op, competitive multiplayer, and the gaming community as a whole. Why IS Call of Duty so toxic, and Deep Rock Galactic so wholesome? We might not have all the answers, but we...

Normally Katies writes these but this week I have to... soo... um... We talk about skill checks. It's a good episode. Got something to share? Have an idea for who we should interview next or a topic we should cover? Let us know at: overthinkinggamespodcast@gmail.com Find us on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify Instagram/Tik Tok Katie’s Twitch: https://twitch.tv/overthinkinggames_k8 Theme music is copy...

Designing Achievements With Smart Goals  This week, Seth, our resident achievement hunter, leads the discussion on achievements! What’s the difference between a game you would 100% and one you turn off when the credits roll? What can we learn from video games about SMART goals? Listen to the episode, and you may just find out! Also discussed: Dempsey recommends Vampire Survivors documentary from N...

Violence in Video Games  On this week’s episode, we wade into some philosophical quandaries- Is violence portrayed in video games ever a question of morality? Why is combat so closely tied to video games? What makes something “too violent,” or are you like Seth and nothing bothers you? Join us as we jump in to separate “combat” from “violence,” and discuss violence in video games. Also discussed:...

This week, Dempsey talks with classical guitarist and video game enthusiast, Josh Garofolo, about music in video games, and his personal passion for creating incredible arrangements of video game music for the classical guitar on his YouTube channel, Josh Garofolo Guitar. Got something to share? Have an idea for who we should interview next or a topic we should cover? Let us know at: overthinkingg...

Interview with Pat Naoum This week, Dempsey has the chance to interview Pat Naoum, the solo developer of The Master’s Pupil. A puzzle platformer, The Master’s Pupil combines smooth platforming, clever puzzle mechanics and incredible environments, painstakingly painted by hand over the course of years, to create a beautiful and unique experience. Also discussed: How excited we are about The Master’...

This week, we take a break from our more scholarly content to talk about what games we like to play on the go.  To determine the best portable games, it helps to know why you want them portable: Seth likes strategy games he can pick up, put down, ruminate upon, and then make his move. Dempsey wants something he can play for 5-10 minutes in between Uber jobs. Katie just wants to be able to play in...

This week, the crew tackle what games can teach us about thinking. We deep dive into different kinds of thinking, and how they’re built into games. From linear puzzle solving in Resident Evil 4, to the lateral thinking needed for speed running, there’s a lot to think about when it comes to thinking! Also discussed: Seth’s power supply bit the dust, Katie is still playing Planet Zoo, and Dempsey st...

The Beginner’s Guide In this week’s episode, we seriously overthink The Beginner’s Guide, a masterpiece of video game narrative. Spoiler Warning: YOU NEED TO PLAY THIS GAME FIRST, we fully spoil the game! Order of operations: Listen until 19:40, then go play The Beginner’s Guide, then finish the episode, then email us your thoughts on The Beginner’s Guide! Also discussed: Dempsey is oddly fascinat...

In this episode, we dive into 5th grade literacy standards, and examples of games we think are great at meeting those standards. Dempsey talks about Florence and inferencing, Katie talks about Dangonronpa and summarizing with details from the text, and Seth talks about Game Jams as a way to compare and contrast similar topics and themes. Also discussed: Seth and Dempsey are obsessed with Tears of...

In this episode, we talk about video game music and what it means to us. Dempsey loves some good space banjo in Outer Wilds, Katie hates nostalgia but loves The Last of Us, Seth has curated a playlist that equates to the timeline of his childhood, and we all really love the Hollow Knight OST. Also discussed: Tears of the Kingdom and how much Dempsey just wants to keep playing it, Seth is running o...

In today’s episode, we talk about personal strengths, Persona 5, and valuing differing abilities in the classroom. Dempsey loves project based learning, Seth gives perspective on different kinds of intelligence, and Katie talks about different methods of expressing understanding. Also discussed: Dicordian Gods, made by elkniodaphs, a Switch exclusive 2D RPG found on the Switch’s RPG Maker MV playe...

In this episode of Overthinking Games, we delve into Darkest Dungeon to discuss failure, and what we can learn from it. Also discussed: Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn, Jenny LeClue: Detectivu, Celeste, Nuclear Throne, and our own personal failures. We are taking listener questions, so please feel free to email us at: overthinkinggamespodcast@homesickproductions.com Find us on Apple Podcast, Spotify and...

Overthinking Games is a podcast about what video games can teach us.  In our first episode, we introduce the premise of our podcast and talk about what games can teach us, using Bloom’s Taxonomy as our jumping off point.  Also discussed: Games we’ve been enjoying lately (Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance, Nuclear Throne, and Resident Evil 4 Remake, to name a few), as well as whether or not it’s actual...