Tales from the Backlog

Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog For some, the halcyon days of PC gaming involved D&D-based RPGs with unwieldy UI and gauntlet-shaped mouse cursors, and that is precisely what SKALD: Against the Black Priory (High North Studios, Raw Fury, 2024) is calling back to with its mix of sword-and-sorcery fa...

Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog Everyone's got that game, book, movie, etc that a longtime friend has been recommending for years, decades or more and you just haven't quite gotten around to it. One of those for me and one of my oldest friends was Telltale's series of games based on The Walking Dead. F...

Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog Games gather reputations for a variety of reasons, but one of the most unique among those are the games that are so hard to purchase that above all, they have a reputation for being expensive. Panzer Dragoon Saga (Team Andromeda, Sega, 1998) is one of the top examples of...

Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog One of these days it was bound to happen, the remake announcement solidified it- it's time to give The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Nintendo, 1998) the Tales from the Backlog treatment. This was Dave's favorite game for decades and is still by far one of the most in...

Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog When we talk about older games, we often use phrases like "this holds up!" or "this hasn't aged well!", but what do we mean when we say stuff like that? What do they hold up against? What aspects age well or poorly? Are there better ways to convey our thoughts? To help m...

Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog What's the worst game you've ever played? That's the question of the day, and a fairly common answer to that question for a long time has been Quest 64 (Imagineer, 1998). But does Quest deserve to be in that conversation? What is it actually like as a game, outside of th...

Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog After the breakout success of The Stanley Parable, Davey Wreden's next game is a bit darker and a lot more personal. The Beginner's Guide (Everything Unlimited Ltd, 2015) examines a lot of things, but at the forefront is the relationships we have with others and some com...

Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog It's not every day you revisit a favorite game from your teenage years, but today is that day as special guest Rebekah Valentine (Kotaku) joins me to discuss Golden Sun, one of the most beloved Game Boy Advance games. Camelot and Nintendo ended up splitting the game into...

Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog Join Dave and special guest Gen Moonen ("Fun" and Games) as they discuss Konami's 2006 entry in the Castlevania franchise, Portrait of Ruin. By this point, the series had largely moved past dual-screen and touchscreen gimmicks, settling on putting the menus and map on th...

Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog Join Dave and special guest Andre (Fine Time, Neo Geo Go!, The Silent Discographer) as they discuss Square Enix's latest entry in the main Dragon Quest series, Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age. For a certain style of RPG (that Dragon Quest arguably pioneered), i...

Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog Join Dave and special guest Luis Aguasvivas as they discuss Arco (Franek, Max Cahill, Bibiki and Fayer, 2024). Arco blends tactical turn-based combat with a revenge story spanning multiple protagonists. It's an ambitious game that coalesces in some magical ways, but fall...

Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog Join Dave and special guest Emily Merritt (No Small Games) as they do their best to unpack AP Thompson's Titanium Court. Even AP Thompson's simplified description of "a match-3 tower defense game for people who like to read" still hides a mountain of detail, so this was...

Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog Join Dave and special guest Jared Moss (Play Along Podcast) as they take over the land in Pokémon Conquest. This crossover between Pokémon and Nobunaga's Ambition puts the familiar monsters in tactical grid-based combat, with satisfying (if slow) progression. It's a fun...

Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog Join Dave and special guests Rick Firestone (Pixel Project Radio) and Charlie Young for an introductory lesson about how to listen to and discuss video game music in more effective ways. The episode starts with some terminology and examples, then moves to a "close listen...

Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog Join Dave and special guest Matt aka Stormageddon ("Fun" and Games, Reignite podcasts) as they discuss Yacht Club Games' long-awaited action adventure game, Mina the Hollower. Blending several influences from The Legend of Zelda, Castlevania, FromSoftware's catalogue and...

Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog Join Dave and special guest Roger Reichardt of Gamerheads Podcast as they discuss Soulgame Stuidio's 2024 top-down twin-stick shooting adventure, Minishoot' Adventures. The weird apostrophe will catch your attention, but the fantastic controls and satisfying gameplay wil...

Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog Join Dave and special guest AJ Fillari as they discuss Pyre (Supergiant Games, 2017). As your crew makes their way through their underworld hellprison, you take part in competitive rites with the goal of earning your freedom. The game explores the rhythms of sport and co...

Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog Join Dave and special guest IdolismJ as they tackle Drakengard (Cavia, Square Enix, 2003). Drakengard has a reputation for being bad, unplayable, interesting and edgelordy to a certain extent, and we can confirm that some, but not all of those, are correct. Drakengard ch...

Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog Join Dave and special guest Claire as they deep dive Fire Emblem: Three Houses (Intelligent Systems, Kou Shibusawa, Nintendo, 2019). They discuss the life sim and battle elements, how they tie together to make you fear permadeath even more, the four playthroughs, and muc...

Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog Join Dave and special guest Flora Merigold (Epilogue Gaming, Left Behind Game Club) as they discuss Many Nights a Whisper (Deconstructeam, Selkie Harbour, 2025). Many Nights a Whisper puts you in a high-pressure situation and asks you to make tough choices that will have...

Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog Join Dave and special guest Jesse Guarascia (noclip, noclip_2 and more) as they strengthen their block-pushing muscles for a deep dive into Isles of Sea and Sky (Cicada Games, 2024). They discuss its rich world full of secrets, why Sokoban-style puzzles feel like a great...

Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog Join Dave and special guest Leah Haydu (Cane and Rinse, Character Issues) as they discuss Kingdom Hearts (Square Enix, 2001). Leah is a longtime fan and Dave just played for the first time, and that led to a great conversation about the infamous story, the Disney and Fin...

Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog Join Dave and special guest Rachel Watts (Thinky Games, Indieventure podcast) as they discuss Cairn (The Game Bakers, 2026). Cairn is a meticulous, thoughtful climbing game that takes you into the mind of an elite athlete as she attempts a climb that has never been done...

Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog Join Dave and returning guest Scott Danielson as they dive into the third and final entry in the Hitman: World of Assassination Trilogy (IO Interactive), as well as its roguelike mode, Freelancer. This whole package is an absolute treat, and this also brings the Tales fr...

Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog Join Dave and special guest Brian Edwards as they dive into one of 2025's most acclaimed games, The Séance of Blake Manor (Spooky Doorway, Raw Fury, 2025). It's a captivating mystery set in an Irish countryside manor-turned-hotel, full of both literal and figurative ghos...