Idle Thumbs

Idle Thumbs 313: Takeless Jake by Idle Thumbs

Nels and Jesse make some unorthdox predictions about Worlds 2017 and invite you to do the same, for fame, glory and prizes!

Important If True 35: Hammacher, Schlemmer, and You by Idle Thumbs

It's time for a racing and hockey double-header as Rob, Michael, and Troy "My favorite movie is 1992's The Cutting Edge" Goodfellow talk about sports management sims. The beginning of a new NHL season is a darn good reason to examine Out of the Park Development's Franchise Hockey Manager 4. The crew also discusses Motorsport Manager, a sports sim game that may be the entry point needed for a non-s...

Important If True 34: This is Celebrity Explainer by Idle Thumbs

It's an ancients kind of week as Rob, Rowan, and Troy "I'm so good with the elephants my mates call me 'Elephant Man'" Goodfellow talk about Field of Glory II by Byzantine Games. FoG II started as tabletop system that was ported to the PC in the original Field of Glory and its Asian counterpart, Sengoku Jidai. The sequel improves the formula in almost every way and presents an extremely capable en...

Idle Thumbs Ruination: October 2017 by Idle Thumbs

Rob and Danielle both had delightful woodland experiences to recount this weekend, as well as stories about gaming happy places (like Prey) and a beloved movie—Blade Runner. The first one. Don't worry, we'll talk about the new Blade Runner soon! Discussed: F1 2017, Game of Thrones (the board game), Prey, Blade Runner: The Final Cut, Blade Runner: The Director's Cut

Important If True 33: The Meme Scream by Idle Thumbs

Idle Thumbs 312: Hashtag Nick Nod by Idle Thumbs

Important If True 32: A Wish Upon a Star by Idle Thumbs

In this episode, Soren interviews independent game developer Asher Vollmer, best known as the designer of Puzzlejuice and Threes. They discuss why paper prototypes don’t always translate well into video games, whether a game should take up 100% of your brain, and how he feels about the Threes clone 2048. Games discussed: The Secret of Monkey Island, Leisure Suit Larry, Jedi Knight 2: Jedi Outcast,...

The world changed and, this time, the game did too. Not content to simply shake up the game with rotation, Netrunner now also has a Banned/Restricted list. And the episode was recorded *after* the news this time! The Bloo Moose is blown, Aaron is axed, Faust is forbidden ... what are Runners and Corps to do in this new world? Join Nels and Jesse as they try to find out, because they aren't sure ye...

Tooth and Tail has turned out to be a game of note for several reasons. First, it deftly executes the short-form RTS genre while providing lucious artwork and pleasing visuals. Next, it provides a challenging and thought-provoking story that explores narratives in socioeconomics and societal structures. Finally, it appears to be a game that everyone on the show appears to enjoy. Rob, Rowan, Fraser...

Idle Thumbs Ruination: September 2017 by Idle Thumbs

Sometimes, you have to pay to play. Danielle returns from glorious Scotland to regale Rob with tales of sightseeing, martial arts, and Mario Vs. Rabbids, while Rob has many vacation tales of his own, including the time he was too tall to ride Space Mountain. Both Weekenders learn of childhoods similarly spent in gay seaside resort towns, and everyone is interested in good sitcoms. It's a very idle...

Important If True 31: The Illusion of Control by Idle Thumbs

Terminal7's final broadcast from Mars arrives, bearing news of Crimson Dust and their machinations. There's quite the broadcast lag from Mars, but certainly not much has changed since the transmission was sent ... right?

Tarou was awake and alert despite the chill and the early hour. Normally, drawing last watch was one of the worst tasks imaginable: a tortuous eight hours of mind-numbing circuits and bitter cold. Tonight was more tolerable, however, for Tarou knew that it was his last night as a guard for the malicious warlord. No more would he risk his life by showing small kindnesses to the prisoners, no more w...

Important If True 30: The Octopus Affair by Idle Thumbs

Rob, Rowan, and Kotaku's Luke Plunkett pull up a space chair and talk about Battlestar Galactica Deadlock. In addition to the admirable lack of colons in the title, Deadlock manages to take a licensed IP and turn it into a faithful and satisfying gaming experience. If the term "broadsides in space" gets your solar sails at half mast, this may be an episode for you.

Nels and Jesse are joined by Run Last Click to discuss the Revised Core and wrap up rotation conversation. Come October 1st, the world will be changed ... again.

Twin Peaks Rewatch 54: Wrap-up Mailbag by Idle Thumbs

After a long hiatus (sorry!), Nels and Jesse return to discuss the penultimate pack in the Red Sands cycle, Free Mars. Also, this was recorded before the announcement of the Revised Core, so please ignore all the bits that were made obsolete/inaccurate less than twelve hours after this episode was recorded. FFG, you scamps!

Idle Weekend is back! After a too-long lapse where PAX happened and we all worked too much, Rob and Danielle return to what they know best: talking about Star Trek, Farscape, and immersive sims. After a riveting discussion of criminally under-utilized licenses in games and the new Dishonored, they open a heavy mailbag and an especially exciting discussion of weekend projects. Discussed: Battlestar...