Shows
Edge Guard196 - OtterettoThis week, we play Otteretto, a puzzle game about making palindromes from colored tiles. We swap strategies, agree that puzzle mode is best, and take a closer look at some of the game’s UI choices. Blake reminds us of a previous puzzle game we played for the podcast, and how a bug in the leaderboard fooled him into believing he had the world’s highest score.
Find the game here: https://csklimowski.itch.io/otteretto
And follow the creator on Twitter: @csklimowski
2022-04-2039 minEdge Guard194 - Bloodborne PSXThis week, we play Bloodborne PSX, a “demake” of the original game in the style of a Playstation 1 game! We talk about the game’s impressive fidelity to the PS1 era: everything from sound, to mechanics, to artificial loading screens. A discussion of the poison sewers prompts Blake tells us about Miyazaki’s love of poison swamps.
Find the game here: https://b0tster.itch.io/bbpsx
And follow the creator on Twitter: @b0tster
2022-02-2739 minEdge Guard193 - Below the OceanThis week, we play Below the Ocean, an unusual take on the puzzle platformer genre that features an old-timey deep sea diver affixed to an oxygen tank. We talk about the game’s “watery” physics, and Jordan provides game therapy to Blake.
Find the game here: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1663270/Below_The_Ocean/
And follow the creator on Twitter: @ishyrodriguez
2022-02-2047 minEdge Guard182 - YNGLETIn this week’s episode, we talk about Ynglet, a platformer without platforms by Nifflas. It’s a fascinating game with a unique movement style that immediately captured our attention. We talk about why the game feels so good to play and we’re both impressed with how polished it is. Blake tries to determine whether or not the game takes place in Denmark.
Find the game here: https://triple-topping.itch.io/ynglet
And follow the creator on Twitter: @Nifflas
2021-07-2539 minEdge Guard180 - butterflowersWe play around in the “digital playground” of “butterflowers,” a surreal game about tending a digital garden that changes as you upload images from your computer. We try (perhaps futilely?) to make sense of its bizarre dreamscape and speculate about how it works. Blake explains why the game’s sound has strong Requiem for a Dream vibes.
Download the game here: https://funsworkings.itch.io/butterflowers
And follow the creators on Twitter: @funsworkings, @eastonself, @certain_lives
2021-06-1339 minEdge Guard179 - The Legend of Bear-Truck TruckerIn this episode, we play “The Legend of Bear-Truck Trucker,” a game about a bear/trucker buying and selling goods in post apocalyptic Idaho. We talk about what gives this game its charm, as well as go on an extended tangent about southern Idaho. Blake tells us about running over a goat.
Find the game here: https://captaingames.itch.io/bear-truck-trucker
And follow the creator on Twitter: @manbearcar
2021-05-2354 minEdge Guard177 - No Sidewalks in the Mushroom KingdomIn this week’s episode, we explored No Sidewalks in the Mushroom Kingdom, a game about walking around Mario Kart’s Moonview Highway (using the actual assets from the original game!). We talk about how the game creates an eerie mood and share which of the game’s hidden messages were our favorites. Blake reveals that he discovered many more messages than Jordan.
Find the game here: https://ergman.itch.io/no-sidewalks-in-the-mushroom-kingdom
And follow the creator on Twitter: @johnlee_erg
2021-04-2543 minEdge Guard174 - CasadastraIn this week’s episode, we play Casadastra, the newest game by Milosoft, the creator of Hissy Fight, which we played in a previous episode. It’s a thoughtful, surreal maze game about trying to navigate a space in the dark. We swap strategies, and Blake is impressed that Jordan did half the game without pen and paper.
Find the game here: https://milosoft.itch.io/casadastra
And follow the creator on Twitter: @milomilosoft
2021-03-0743 minEdge Guard173 - Grapple Hoops (Prototype)This week, we drop some sick dunks in Grapple Hoops, a game about grapple-based movement and slam dunks. The grapple mechanic prompts an extended discussion about swinging and grapple mechanics in games, and we talk about our favorites (Blake likes Spiderman, whereas Jordan is a Pathfinder main).
Download the game here: https://gamedevandrew.itch.io/grapple-hoops
And follow the creator on Twitter: @gamedevandrew
2021-02-1435 minEdge Guard172 - DivarrThis week, we played Divarr, a one-button game—literally just one—about splitting missiles, shooting bombs, and not shooting dudes (don’t shoot dudes, dude). We talk about why this game just “clicks,” as well as its clever sound design. Blake revels in his high score, arrogantly and in bad taste. No, I’m not bitter, why do you ask.
Play the game here: https://abagames.github.io/crisp-game-lib/?divarr
And follow the creator on Twitter: abagames
2021-01-3134 minEdge Guard171 - Only Cans: Thirst DateYep, you read that right. We play “OnlyCans: Thirst Date,” a, um, game about taking pictures of sexy cans. You might think cans can’t be sexy. You would be wrong. Oh, and Blake tells us a story about an unfortunate encounter with chocolate-flavored soda.
Find the game here: https://oxyoxspring.itch.io/onlycans
And follow the creators on Twitter: @OxyOxspring
2021-01-2441 minEdge Guard166 - LycanthornIn this week’s episode, we play BioDome II, a surreal game about a wormlike feral human who eats sandwiches and poops out gremlins that make him smarter. We talk about how the game manages to be simultaneously bizarre and cute, and Blake shares his attempt to gather all the collectibles. Jordan looks up the infamously-bad 1996 film that inspired the game.
Find the game here: https://glitchcityla.itch.io/keep-the-lights-on-a-glitch-city-fundraiser-and-bundle
And follow the creator on Twitter: @torahhorse, @buenothebear, @lasswithapen
2020-12-0633 minEdge Guard165 - Biodome IIIn this week’s episode, we play BioDome II, a surreal game about a wormlike feral human who eats sandwiches and poops out gremlins that make him smarter. We talk about how the game manages to be simultaneously bizarre and cute, and Blake shares his attempt to gather all the collectibles. Jordan looks up the infamously-bad 1996 film that inspired the game.
Find the game here: https://glitchcityla.itch.io/keep-the-lights-on-a-glitch-city-fundraiser-and-bundle
And follow the creator on Twitter: @torahhorse, @buenothebear, @lasswithapen
2020-11-2936 minEdge Guard163 - Lifespan CandleThis week, we play “Lifespan Candle,” a puzzle platformer about an animated candle slowly burning away. We talk about “emergent” mechanics in puzzle games, and Jordan speculates about whether this game is actually really dark. Blake talks about Spelunky, which he read an entire book about.
Find the game here: https://havana24.itch.io/lifespan-candle
And follow the creator on Twitter: @hav24
2020-11-1430 minEdge Guard160 - PromesaIn this week’s episode, we play Promesa, a haunting game about memory, inspired by a conversation the creator had with his grandfather. It’s a beautiful game, with stunning visuals and a unique approach to storytelling and representation. We share some of our favorite moments, discuss some of the really clever things the game does with light, and (as is tradition) Blake gives us his spiel on the game’s sound design.
Find the game here: https://julian-palacios.itch.io/promesa
And follow the creator on Twitter: @yulele_palacios
2020-10-2549 minEdge Guard159 - LooperIn this episode, we play the deviously-tricky “Looper,” a game about moving with or against the “flow” of looping strings. We talk about how circular, looping movement upends our intuitions about game controls, and we speculate about whether this game would be easier for people who have played fewer games. Blake compares this game to Super Hexagon, and Jordan gives us his spiel about why he loves game jams.
Find the game here: https://short-bread.itch.io/looper
And follow the creator on Twitter: @_shortbread
2020-10-1848 minEdge Guard153 - The Third Annual Edgy AwardsIt’s that special time of the year again - this week is the third annual Edgies! Jordan and Blake get together to reflect on all of the games they’ve played over the course of the last year of podcasting, and grant them weird awards such as “Best Simulated Museum” and “Raddest Use of Slow Motion”. As always, your hosts find plenty to discuss in the last year of games, and agree that indeed, videogames are good.
2020-09-121h 18Edge Guard150 - MixolumiaIn this week’s episode, we play Mixolumia, a take on the block-clearing arcade puzzler by Dave Makes. We talk about how the game’s primary innovation upends the logic of Tetris, as well as how it disrupts our sense of space. Jordan raves about one song in particular.
Find the game here: https://davemakes.itch.io/mixolumia
And follow the creator on Twitter: @davemakes
2020-08-1635 minEdge Guard149 - BlaseballThis week, we talk about the absurd and wonderful world of Blaseball, an absurdist fake baseball league by The Game Band. The game’s truly unique format and very timely sense of humor prompts a discussion about ARGs, role-playing games, fandoms, obsessive data miners, and the Blaseball commissioner (who is doing a great job). Blake gives us a play-by-play description of one of the most notorious moments in the league’s three-week history.
You can join in the fun here: https://blaseball.com/
And follow the creators on Twitter: @thegameband
2020-08-091h 07Edge Guard148 - Lithium CityThis week, we play Lithium City, a stunning isometric (!) action game by Nico Tuason. In Blake’s words, it’s the game that you get if Hotline Miami, Hyperlight Drifter, and Titanfall 2 had a baby. High praise! Jordan attempts to play a game about multidimensional movement with a keyboard, like an idiot.
You can buy the game here: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1210610/Lithium_City/
And follow the creator on Twitter: @nicotuason
2020-08-021h 04Edge Guard147 - HordeThis week, we play Horde, a physics-based zombie horde simulator by bl4st, a.k.a Paul Berne. It’s an incredibly fun and surprising mechanic, one that involves controlling an almost liquid-like horde of walking corpses—or, as Jordan puts it, an “undulating morass,” much to Blake’s amusement. The game prompts a discussion about physics simulation, flocking algorithms, and real-time strategy games of the late 90s.
Find the game here: https://bl4st.itch.io/horde
And follow the creator on Twitter: @Hardcore_c4sual
2020-07-1940 minEdge Guard146 - Starstruck: PrologueThis week, we play the Prologue to Starstruck, a wild roleplaying rhythm game by Createdelic. It’s a surreal, imaginative game about helping some claymation kids play guitar and avert the end of the world. We talk about rhythm games, the game’s surprising music quality, and its “toy-like” aesthetics. Blake is surprised to learn that Jordan plays the violin.
Find the game here: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1297720/Starstruck_Prologue/
And follow the creators on Twitter: @playstarstruck
2020-07-1246 minEdge Guard144 - Tony Hawk's Existential NightmareIn this week’s episode, we play Tony Hawk’s Existential Nightmare, a narrative/rhythm game based on, well, a meme. It manages to be a strangely sincere game about the cost of ambition, despite its meme origins. The game prompts a discussion about pro-skating, growing up, and the relationship of sincerity to humor. Jordan tells us where he recognizes the music in this game from. It’s a deep cut.
Find the game here: https://black-vein-productions.itch.io/tony-hawks-existential-nightmare
And follow the creators on Twitter: @BlackVeinPro
2020-06-2839 minEdge Guard143 - High RiseIn this week’s episode, we play High Rise, a mobile puzzle game about stacking blocks to make buildings. We talk about how this game innovates on the puzzle formula of games like 2048 and Threes, as well as speculate about the optimal strategy. Blake is very happy to have achieved the higher score. Jordan tells us about the time he played the entirety of Knights of the Old Republic on a phone.
Find the game on the app store/Google Play: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/high-rise-a-puzzle-cityscape/id1479215827
https://play.google.com/stor...2020-06-1449 minEdge Guard138 - Soon Only the Ocean (Part 2)This week’s episode is the second of two episodes on Soon Only the Ocean, a real-time game about climate change by Max Myers. In our conclusion to the episode, we talk about real-time events, Peter Molyneux, and climate change. Blake changes the time and date settings of his computer on-air in an attempt to break the game.
You can find the game here (though it’s now technically over): https://mjm.itch.io/soto
And follow the creator on Twitter: @ApparentRaisin
2020-05-0833 minEdge Guard137 - The Online Museum of Multiplayer ArtThis week, we play the experimental “post-post-net art” game The Online Museum of Multiplayer Art, by Like Like Arcade. We talk about the museum’s many text games and our encounters with random people in the game. Blake reveals a startling betrayal. Turns out Jordan is a rube.
Play the game in-browser here: http://omoma.glitch.me/?room=likelikeOutside
And follow the creators on Twitter: @likelikearcade
2020-05-0340 minEdge Guard136 - Let's Go Build a _____This week, we enjoy the miniature lego simulation “Let’s Go Build a ______” by David King. We reminisce about the Lego of our youth and Blake shares his, uh, considerable knowledge on the subject. We also try to guess the prompt for each others’ creations (see Twitter for screenshots!).
Find the game here: https://dr-d-king.itch.io/lets-go-build-a
And follow the creator on Twitter: @dr_d_king
2020-04-2636 minEdge Guard133 - Oh SnakeThis week, we play “Oh, Snake!” by Henning Koczy, an interesting take on the endless runner genre, with a snake-inspired twist. We talk about how the mechanics of this game promote a new and different playstyle for the genre.. Blake reminisces about endless runners of yore.
Find the game here: https://anomalina.itch.io/ohsnake
And follow the creator on Twitter: @statelycoach
2020-04-0536 minEdge Guard132 - Terminal 64Oh, man. I don’t even know where to start with this one. We play Terminal 64, a wild ride through Mario’s psyche by Big Bag. Yes, that Mario. We talk about what this game might be about, if anything, and also copyright law. Blake demonstrates his impeccable ability to identity to the source of references to things. Jordan coins the term “memepunk.”
You can find the game(?) here: https://bigbag.itch.io/terminal-64
And follow the creators on Twitter: @bigbagco
2020-03-2933 minEdge Guard130 - Haunted PS1 Demo Disc 2020This week, we play the Haunted PS1 Demo Disc 2020, a collection of games by various creators that evoke the PS1 era. It’s an impressively diverse collection of games, featuring killer bees, clockwork gods, psychedelic cats, and Finnish sauna-men. The experience prompts Blake to wax nostalgic about demo discs of yore.
Find the game(s) here: https://hauntedps1.itch.io/demodisc2020
2020-03-0846 minEdge Guard128 - Tales from Off-Peak City Vol. 1This week, we play “Tales from Off-Peak City, Vol. 1,” the newest game from Cosmo D. Like all his games, it’s weird-- in the best way possible. We talk about the music, Cosmo D’s vision, anti-capitalist games, deindustrialization, consumerism, sex noises, and horrible pizza toppings. Blake says that the game reminds him of a film, which Jordan successfully guesses on the first try. Not sure what that says about us.
Find the game here: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1129920/Tales_From_OffPeak_City_Vol_1/
And follow the creator on Twitter: @cosmoddd
2020-02-231h 07Edge Guard127 - RemnantsThis week, we play Remnants, a melancholy exploration game about an abandoned world by June Flower. We talk about how the game plays with genre and tone, as well as its impressive background art, which was drawn from the ground up, pixel-by-pixel. We baselessly speculate about background lore. Blake spots a Dark Souls reference.
Download the game here: https://june-flower.itch.io/remnants
And follow the creator on Twitter: @juneflowa
2020-02-1636 minEdge Guard126 - Wide Ocean Big JacketThis week, we play Wide Ocean Big Jacket, the new game by Turnfollow, a.k.a. Carter Lodwick and Ian Endsley, the game-design duo that we interviewed in an earlier episode. Not to spoil too much, but it’s just. so. good. We talk about the game’s many strengths, from visual design to comedic timing, and how it manages to do more with less. We agree that it nails the “vibe” of camping. Blake explains how character design tells stories. Jordan applauds a bilingual innuendo.
Find the game on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/11980...2020-02-091h 02Edge Guard124 - Museum of the Saved ImageIn this week’s episode, we play Museum of the Saved Image, an explorable museum of desktop clutter by itch.io user “flan.” The game takes us on a tour of all the saved images from the creator’s desktop over one period of time: Facebook conversations, memes, photos with friends, and pictures of lemons. We talk about characterization, senses of humor, and ARGs. Blake reminisces about funnyjunk.com.
Find the game here: https://flan.itch.io/museum-of-the-saved-image
And follow their itch.io account: https://flan.itch.io/
2020-01-2640 minEdge Guard120 - Dead SectorThis week we play Dead Sector, a student game that Blake describes as the “Dark Souls of Deadspace.” We talk about how it combines ideas from both games, as well as which ideas complement each other and which ones feel more dissonant. We admire the game’s art and animations. Diegetic interfaces are complemented. Blake says he “loves to hand ass.”
Download the demo here: https://deadsector.itch.io/deadsector
And follow the creators on Twitter: @TheDeadSector
2019-12-1542 minEdge Guard119 - AmpereThis week, we play Ampere, a puzzle game about connecting wires by game design students Mathieu Hentschel, Johannes Knop, and Laura Brosi. We talk about this game’s beautiful art, rope physics, Unity, the definition of “circuit,” and the strange fascination that puzzle games have with abandoned factories. Blake breaks the game.
Download the game here: https://laurabdev.itch.io/ampere
And follow the creators on Twitter: @laurabdev
2019-12-0836 minEdge Guard117 - Hissy FightThis week, we play Hissy Fight, a wild, zany first-person shooter about killing snakes, by MiloSoft. It’s a wicked hard game with a distinct visual aesthetic and narrative charm. We talk about Doom 2016, game music, juice (both game and cranberry), Devil Daggers, and the impressively vibrant indie game dev scene in Australia. Jordan has an unhealthy relationship with game difficulty and Blake takes the easy way out.
You can find the game here: https://milosoft.itch.io/hissyfight
Follow the creator on Twitter: @milomilosoft
2019-11-1739 minEdge Guard114 - Outside the BOXThis week, we talk about a new Ludum Dare game: Outside the Box, by IcyLavah. It’s a puzzle game about moving a box around obstacles and outside a bigger box. We talk about the elegant design of this simple game, from its intuitive tutorial to its subtle screen transitions. Jordan tells everybody what a mise en abyme is. Blake discovers a secret speedrun strat.
Find the game here: https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/45/outside-the-box
And follow the creator on Twitter: @icylavah
2019-10-2736 minEdge Guard113 - Tetromino SlideThis week, we play Tetromino Slide, a rage-inducing (that’s a compliment, don’t worry) browser game by Stephen Lavelle that combines Tetris with the puzzle game Threes. We talk about how the game radically upends everything you think you know about Tetris, and also we curse a lot. We go on a long digression about the place of Tetris in game history, and Blake explains the Tetris block-selection algorithm.
You can play the game here: https://www.increpare.com/game/tetromino-slide-tetromino-rutsch.html
And find the creator on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/i...2019-10-2041 minEdge Guard110 - Kind WordsThis week, your intrepid hosts go where no game has gone before - into the wild world of internet sincerity. The game of the hour is Kind Words (by PopCannibal), a relaxing and welcoming space for players to express their woes to others, ask for help, and dish out some of their own advice. This prompts Jordan and Blake to discuss the shortage of safe places on the internet for expressing sincerity, as well as the positive impact of such spaces existing, and in this case, flourishing.
Be sure to check out the game on Steam: https...2019-09-2940 minEdge Guard108 - caged bird don’t fly caught in a wire sing like a good canary come when calledThe title of this week’s game is quite a mouthful: “caged bird don’t fly caught in a wire sing like a good canary come when called”... by Tyler Swietanski. It’s a short but entrancing exploration game that resists description. We agree that the game does a great job of creating a distinct impression without text or an easily definable narrative, and call out the many little touches that have been added to the game to really hammer home that impression. Blake gives some obligatory praise to the music.
Find the game here: https://just...2019-09-1535 minEdge Guard105 - AssimilationThis week, we play “Assimilation” a game with no genre listed but which Jordan describes as a “stealth platformer with survival horror vibes” (Blake is skeptical at first of the “stealth designation,” but he comes around). We talk about the many pop cultural reference points of this games machine dystopia, including Blade Runner, Robocop, Inception, and Star Trek. We also talk about how the game combines mechanics from different game genres, with varied results: platforming and stealth, collection and survival, and so on. Also, Jordan breaks the game.
Follow the creators on Twitter: @jestersheepy
Play the ga...2019-08-2535 minEdge Guard102 - Over the CloudsIn this week’s episode, we play Over the Clouds, a puzzle/exploration game by WASD Productions, a group of game design students in Barcelona. After an opening digression about nepotism and Zeus, we talk about first-person puzzlers, common tricks in platformer design, the definition of a button, the “Unreal Engine” look, and how we both love the way the level design of this game uses recontextualization. We also discover that Blake and Jordan have different strategies for playing puzzle games.
Download the game here: https://wasdproductions.itch.io/over-the-clouds
And follow the creators...2019-08-0434 minEdge Guard101 - Au Fil de L'eauIn this episode, we play Au fil de l’eau (Blake gives a noble attempt at correct pronunciation), a game about a river trip by Samson Auroux. We both love the way that it makes use of comic book panelling in order to tell a story, and remark that it manages to use fixed-point cameras successfully. Some of the controls are a work-in-progress, but we base our evaluations on the game as it is going to be, not on the game as it is right now.
Download the game here: https://samson-auroux.itch.io/au-fil-de-leau
2019-07-2838 minEdge Guard100 - Wibbly WitchesThis week, Jordan and Blake got together IN THE SAME ROOM to record a very special 100th episode. The game of the hour was Owen Senior's "Wibbly Witches" - a couch competitive platform shooter where witches zip around the stage casting spells to defeat their opponents. Your hosts discuss playing the game head-to-head, as well as the various strategies that they used to take each other down. Be sure to stay until the end of the episode to hear some trash-talk audio that was recorded during the play session!
Find the game on itch: https://owensenior.itch.i...2019-07-2150 minEdge Guard99 - PlasticityThis week, Jordan and Blake dive into the ecological disaster puzzle platforming game “Plasticity”. This leads to yet another conversation about the concerning condition of our planet and the potentially dark future ahead if changes aren’t made. However, the game takes a hopeful stance on these issues, and your hosts...Try to do the same. Also, for some reason, Blake teaches Jordan about how the band Gorillaz is actually a virtual band, which he somehow didn’t know!
Be sure to checkout the game on steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1069360/Plasticity/
And b...2019-07-1435 minEdge Guard98 - Neon BoostIn this episode, we play Neon Boost, a speed-based parkour game built around wall running and rocket jumping. We talk a bit about the nature of rocket jumping as a mechanic, and why it might produce some mechanical dissonance by its very nature. We also talk about how much we appreciate the, uh, “wonky shit,” to use Blake’s technical term, that the game allows you do. The episode ends with the revelation that our hosts disagree about whether “videogame” is one word or two.
Find the game on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1057850/Neon_Boost/2019-07-0740 minEdge Guard93 - Islanders
In this week’s episode, we check out Islanders, a minimalist city management game by Grizzly Games Co, the developers behind Superflight. We talk about how this game seems to use systems to express ideas about urban politics, as well as how it tinkers with the city building formula in a way that makes your cities feel more organic and unplanned. Blake is very proud of his city. And his seaweed farms.
Find the game here: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1046030/ISLANDERS/
And follow the creators on Twitter: @_grizzlygames
2019-06-0252 minEdge Guard88 - Paint AndyFor this week’s episode, we talk about Paint Andy, a game by Andrew Brophy about playing around with different paint effects. Blake tells us in detail about his enthusiasm for playing this game with music, and the game’s strangeness prompts a discussion about how obtuseness can be a good thing in game design.
Download the game here: https://andrewbrophy.itch.io/paintandy
And follow the creator on Twitter: @andrewbrophy
2019-04-2841 minEdge Guard87 - Type DreamsThis week, we check out a new game by Richard Hofmeier (designer of Cart Life): Type Dreams, a game about typing as quickly as you can. As it turns out, typing fast can be extremely hard (Blake calls it “the Dark Souls of typing games”). The game prompts a discussion about the history of print, game controllers, Warren G. Harding’s naughty letters, world record type speeds, and the reasons for Steampunk’s appeal.
Find the game here: https://hofmeier.itch.io/type-dreams
And follow the creator on Twitter: @RichardHofmeier
2019-04-2149 minEdge Guard85 - The City HazeIn this episode, we check out The City Haze, a game about musing on city life by Kristian Torgard. The game prompts discussion about how people relate to the cities they live in, and an extended digression about cities in videogames. We also get a great demonstration of co-host telepathy when Jordan totally guesses something Blake wrote just based on a hunch.
Follow the creator on Twitter: @AergiaGame
You can download the game here: https://aergia.itch.io/the-city-haze
2019-04-0747 minEdge Guard80 - The Norwood SuiteThis week, we check out another game from Cosmo D, whose game Off Peak we awarded an Edgie to last year: The Norwood Suite, a musical exploration game about the titular Hotel Norwood and its many strange inhabitants. We talk about how this game’s surreal level design makes you feel lost even as the charm of the characters somehow makes you feel at home. Jordan encounters a puzzle that puts his tone deafness to the test. Blake explains why the connection between the game’s music and its dialogue is incredibly rad.
You can buy t...2019-03-0357 minEdge Guard77 - Black RoomThis week, we explore “Black Room,” a dreamlike exploration game by Cassie McQuater about trying to use an old trick you learned from your mother to help you fall asleep. We talk about the way this game uses the browser itself as a game mechanic, as well as the history of gender representation in videogames. Blake claims that he doesn’t know what the meaning of “pop-up” is anymore.
Find the game here: https://cass.itch.io/blackroom
And follow the creator on Twitter: @cassiemcquater
2019-02-1047 minEdge Guard75 - Kaiju Super DatetechThis week, we play about Kaiju Super Datetech, a game about building a giant robot to go on a date with Godzilla. We talk about tactics for building the best Kaiju-love-machines, as well as how the platformer format makes the shape of your robot inevitably comical and childish. Blake tells us about Lego magazine.
Download the game here: https://powerhoof.itch.io/kaiju-super-datetech
And follow the creators on Twitter: @powerhoof
2019-01-2738 minEdge Guard70 - Don't TripIn this episode, we play “Don’t Trip,” a mobile “walking simulator” (but not in the way you think). We talk a little bit about the affordances and limitations of mobile gaming controls, and speculate about what makes the strange world of mobile gaming tick. Also, Blake gives us a taste of his best “trailer voice.”
You can find the game here: http://www.noodlecake.com/games/dont-trip/
And follow the creators on Twitter: @noodlecakegames
2018-12-1639 minEdge Guard69 - Throw Away Game: GOTY EditionWhat happens to a first-person shooter if you take away the bullets? We play a game that answers just this question: Throw Away Game GOTY Edition, a GMTK 2018 Game Jam game designed by Seth Johnson and Jason Ty Hall. We talk about the intrinsic fun of goofy physics simulations, as well as why failing is almost as fun as succeeding in this game. Also, Blake becomes a human slide whistle.
Download the game here: https://chefseth.itch.io/throwawaygame
And follow the creators on Twitter: @Chef__Seth, @Jason_Ty_Hall
2018-12-0934 minEdge Guard67 - One Hour One Life (Revisited)This week, we revisit Jason Rohrer’s multiplayer civilization-building game and Edgy Award Winner One Hour, One Life. We wanted to revisit the game some months after launch and see how far its players had managed to progress during that time. Unfortunately, we discover that not much has changed, and we speculate as to which of the structural limitations of the game might be responsible. But the game still creates great emergent stories, and we share a few from our latest playthroughs. In one, Blake destroys a village food supply by overcooking an omelette.
Download the...2018-11-2551 minEdge Guard65 - Rave and ClawWe play Rave and Claw, a game about shooting a grappling hook and slamming into enemies, made by Owen Senior for the 2018 GMTK Game Jam. As it’s a pretty juicey game, it prompts us to talk a bit about “game feel,” which naturally leads Blake to once again talk about his favorite Jan Willem Nijman instructional lecture. Also, Jordan shares a theory of game feel that he heard at a party.
Download the game here: https://ostsenior.itch.io/rave-and-claw-full
And follow the creator on Twitter: @OSTsenior
2018-11-1148 minEdge Guard64 - TomscapeRunescape? No, TOMscape! That’s right, we play Tomscape, a Sokpop Collective game designed as an homage to the Runescape days of old. We wax nostalgic about playing the classic browser game as youths, and talk about the various ways that this game manages to recreate the classic feel. Turns out we have some great Runescape stories, too: in one, Blake narrowly avoids getting swindled, and in another, Jordan discovers capitalism.
Download the game here: https://sokpop.itch.io/tomscape
And follow the creators on Twitter: @sokpopco
2018-11-0441 minEdge Guard63 - Player Known BattlegroundIt’s time for Player KNOWN Battlegrounds (haha), a game about a tour guide at the Gettysburg Memorial. The game prompts us to wildly speculate about the history of American wars, and for some reason also about folk music. Which means you get to hear Blake marvelously sing “The Battle of New Orleans.”
Download the game here: https://gamejolt.com/games/playerknownbattlegrounds/335232
And follow the creators on Twitter: @StevenJHarmon1, @zeldatsi
2018-10-2834 minEdge Guard61 - Hot PotThis week, we play Hot Pot, a game about an animated pot that steals food in order to feed hungry passers-by. We discuss what makes the avatar of this game intrinsically fun to control, and then transition to a conversation about “A Game By Its Cover,” the game jam for which this game was designed. Also, Blake can’t think of the word “objective.”
Download the game here: https://t.co/aR1qDosv1C
And follow the creators on Twitter: @Zugai89, @raisedbywoes
2018-10-1437 minEdge Guard56 - Tiny TownsSimCity meets Stephen’s Sausage Roll in “Tiny Towns,” a Ludum Dare puzzle game by designer “Bearish” about balancing the happiness of residents in a town to their material needs. We chat a bit about how the the puzzle genre and the management sim genre interact (and maybe conflict), and Blake talks about his, uh, intense Stardew Valley strats.
Play the game here: https://bearish.itch.io/tiny-towns
And follow the creator on Twitter: @Beariish
2018-09-0941 minEdge Guard54 - Magic SabotageThis week we solve our way through Magic Sabotage, a physics puzzle game by Burgundy Unit, a team of student designers at the School 4 Games in Berlin. We talk about the fun “Rube-Goldberg-iness” of the puzzles in this game, as well as dive a bit into the technical nitty-gritty of how good puzzle design works in general. And, yes, Blake beat Jordan once again.
Download the game here: http://magicsabotage.school4games.net/
2018-08-2640 minEdge Guard52 - Micro AcesThis week, a love letter to Micro-Machines games of yore: Grooly's Micro Aces! Blake is better than Jordan again! Controls are Squrrielly (but in a meaningful way)! Being tiny in a normal-sized world is intrinsically fun! Video Games are in effect!
Also: sorry about Blake's poor audio quality, this will be rememdied next episode!
Check out the game on itch: https://grooly.itch.io/microaces
2018-08-1239 minEdge Guard51 - The SynchronistBlake and Jordan make the stars align—or, at least, some letters and shapes—in The Synchronist, a puzzle game about moving sliders made for Minimalist Jam 3 by Gregory Beal. Our hosts talk about why removing the instructions from any machine interface instantly creates a puzzle, “futzing” with sliders, and Blake is proud to finally defeat Jordan at a game. Jordan uses motion sickness as an excuse.
Play the game here: https://elgregos.itch.io/synchronist
And follow the creator on Twitter: @GregosEl
2018-08-0540 minEdge Guard50 - Rhythm OverdriveWe get a little funky in Rhythm Overdrive, a shoot ‘em up game with rhythmic elements. Jordan mistakes his own love of a good beat with an actual game mechanic, Blake tells the people about the concept of game “juice,” and the two of us also talk a bit about why game players tend to over-value visual polish as a metric for overall game quality.
Download the game here: https://diblow.itch.io/rhythm-overdrive
And follow the creators on Twitter:
@valet_louis
@Thomas_Polfliet
2018-07-2937 minEdge Guard49 - Dream HardBlake and Jordan return to the podcast’s roots for another game by Robert Yang: “Dream Hard,” a queer action game about defending a club in NYC from oncoming fascists. Our hosts talk about how this game, like much of Robert Yang’s work, has a really fun and joyous attitude towards sexuality, and also jam out to the game’s playfully vulgar soundtrack.
Download the game here: https://radiatoryang.itch.io/dreamhard
And follow Robert Yang on Twitter: @radiatoryang
2018-07-2242 minEdge Guard48 - Off PeakOur hosts play Off Peak, a surreal exploration game about the labor that makes art possible, and people whose lives have temporarily been put on hold. Blake and Jordan talk about why this game somehow feels sincere without being hokey, and also why the music is so rad.
Download the game on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/467360/OffPeak/
Follow the creator on Twitter: @cosmoddd
And Check out the OST on Bandcamp: https://archiepelago.bandcamp.com/album/off-peak-ost
2018-07-1552 minEdge Guard45 - Quarantine CircularThis week, the boys are going deep on Quarantine Circular, Bithell Games’ follow-up to last year’s Subsurface Circular. They spend some time comparing and contrasting Quarantine and Subsurface, discussing their use of communication and puzzles and how each game treats these differently. Additionally, the game sparks a conversation about science fiction tropes and the manner in which they are employed. Also, despite his insistence that he won’t stumble over his words, Blake absolutely does. Jordan makes him pay dearly for his mistake.
If you are interested in following the creators on twitter, check out @mi...2018-06-2455 minEdge Guard42 - PalmysteryBlake and Jordan get a little ~handsy~ in this week’s game: Palmystery! A surrealist exploration game that involves moving through animated hand-based landscapes. Yeah… you have to play it to really understand. We talk about what separates interesting weird from bad weird, and why this game is the interesting kind. Also, somehow we don’t realize that one of the many puns of the title is “palmistry,” or fortune telling with hand lines. Whoops!
Download the game here: https://palgal.itch.io/palmystery
And follow the creator on Twitter: @palomadawkins
2018-06-0338 minEdge Guard40 - Warehouse PanicThis week, Blake and Jordan play “Warehouse Panic,” a 3-player game about covering as many tiles as possible with squares, while preventing your opponents from doing the same. It’s a bit of a change for the podcast, since we actually played it together (Jordan still won, though). The game prompts us to go on a long digression about Tetris: its history, the psychological phenomena named after it, and the impressive/frightening amount that Blake knows about it.
Play the game in-browser here: https://warehousepanic.io/
And follow the creator on Twitter: @rezoner
2018-05-2038 minEdge Guard39 - Lieve OmaThis week sees Blake and Jordan playing “Lieve Oma,” a tender game about the relationship between a grandmother and a grandchild. The game prompts us to reminisce about our relationships with our own grandparents, as well as talk about the creative ways we’ve seen indie developers work around their resource limitations in games like this one.
Download the game here: https://vltmn.itch.io/lieve-oma
And follow the creator on Twitter: @FlorianVltmn
2018-05-1335 minEdge GuardEpisode 38 - LevedadBlake and Jordan check out “Levedad,” the newest project by Julian Cordero (who we first met in episode #2, with TREEEEEEES), a game about time and long exposure photography. We check out other players’ photos, talk about this game’s “vibey” vibe, and just generally appreciate the interesting things with light that this game lets you do. Really, it’s quite cool.
Download the game here: https://solimporta.itch.io/levedad
And follow Julian Cordero on Twitter: @solimporta
2018-05-0638 minEdge GuardEpisode 37 - DognessThis week, Blake and Jordan team up with an authoritarian “dogmagogue” to create the perfect dog in the newest game by Molleindustria, “Dogness.” A satirical simulation game, “Dogness” is about the misconceptions about genetics shared by dog breeders and 19th century racist pseudo-scientists. Yikes! This explicitly political game leads us to have a discussion about the utility (and limitations) of games as rhetorical arguments—oh, and Blake finally beats Jordan at a game, for once.
Download the game here: https://molleindustria.itch.io/dogness
And follow the creator on Twitter: @molleindustria
2018-04-2945 minEdge GuardEpisode 36 - ParatopicStartling encounters, body horror, and Cronenberg-ian themes, oh my! This week Blake and Jordan play Paratopic, a narrative game about smuggled VHS tapes, beings from another reality, and just feeling kind of uneasy for 40 minutes. We talk about why this game is so effective at unsettling you and lament that more games don’t use retro, PS1-style graphics.
Download the game here: paratopicteam.itch.io/paratopic
And follow the creators on Twitter:
@oysterFAKE
@ForgetAmnesia
@Lazarus_Audio
2018-04-2251 minEdge GuardEpisode 33 - One Hour One LifeBlake and Jordan play Jason Rohrer’s newest game, titled One Hour, One Life. Certainly one of the most original and inventive games we’ve played for the podcast, Rohrer’s multiplayer game is an experiment in collective world-building: dependent on other real people players for gameplay, you play as one human being in a civilization vastly more complicated than what you could create alone. We talk about how remarkable it is that players have been cooperating as much as they have been, and Blake tells the oddly touching story of one of his most meaningful in-game lives.
2018-04-011h 12Edge GuardEpisode 32 - -c-i-t-y-This week, Blake and Jordan try out their #masterhacker skills in -c-i-t-y-, a game by Aran Koning, another member of our favorite videogame commune, Sokpop Collective. It’s a resource management game about powering a city, but it comes with a twist: the entire game interface is a command line. If you play the game, here’s an exclusive cheat code from Aran himself: try typing “sokpop” into the command line.
Download the game here: https://arankoning.itch.io/-c-i-t-y-
Follow Aran on Twitter: @AranKoning
2018-03-2532 minEdge GuardEpisode 31 - RaftBlake and Jordan play Raft, a survival game by Redbeet Interactive in which you play as a hapless schmuck stranded on a raft trying to scrounge for resources and avoid getting eaten by sharks. It’s a game with a surprising amount of depth, despite its simple surface: even though you are stranded in the ocean, you can cook fish, grow potatoes, farm palm trees, and even build extra levels on your raft (Jordan’s raft had 4 floors, while Blake’s had a measly 2). Amazingly, we were able to get through this whole episode without making a single “Wilson from Cas...2018-03-1841 minEdge GuardEpisode 30 - FlorenceOur hosts play the mobile game Florence, the new release from the succinctly-named Australian studio “Mountains.” This lovely narrative game really breaks new ground when it comes to using mechanics to express emotion and plot, including a very clever use of puzzle pieces as a conversation mechanic. Really though: we feel like this could be the birth of a new genre, which Blake has dubbed “feelioware.” You heard it here first, folks!
The game’s website is here: http://florencegame.com/
And follow the creators on Twitter: @mountainsgames
2018-03-1149 minEdge GuardEpisode 29 - Alien CasenoThe aliens are here! In their brief encounter with humanity, they fell in love with casinos and decided to recreate the experience as best they could on a comet. The result is a charming game by Grace Bruxner, descriptively titled Alien Caseno, which Blake and Jordan played for this week’s episode.
Download the game here: https://fisho.itch.io/alien
And follow the creator on Twitter: @gracebruxner
2018-03-0435 minEdge GuardEpisode 28 - Special Guests Carter Lodwick and Ian EndsleyAnother interview episode! Blake and Jordan are joined by Carter Lodwick and Ian Endsley of Turnfollow, the game design duo behind a game we played in an earlier episode: the verbosely-titled Packing Up The Rest of Your Things on the Last Day at Your Old Apartment. Ian and Carter talk a little bit about their own experiences moving and how that informed the game’s design process, plus reveal that the way one of us played it was not even an intended feature of the game (talk about emergent gameplay!). Stay tuned until the very end for a brief sn...2018-02-2559 minEdge GuardEpisode 27 - RoyalsOur two illustrious hosts attempt to transcend their lives as lowly peasants and become kings of all the realm in Royals, a strategy rogue-like management sim* by Asher Vollmer, who you may know as the designer of the iOS game Threes. Blake and Jordan discuss this game’s surprising union of the rogue-like and turn-based strategy genres, but unfortunately only Jordan is able to claim the throne.
Ith.io: https://old.audacityteam.org/help/faq_i18n?s=install&i=lame-mp3
Asher Vollmer on Twitter: @ AsherVo
*genre name copyright Blake Beck...2018-02-1849 minEdge GuardEpisode 26 - Pillow of StoneHear that? That's the sound of the men working on the chain gang! No, actually that’s just Jordan and Blake talking about music, prison, and music about prison with this week’s game, Pillow of Stone. The guys spend some time discussing the often tenuous relationship between interactive media and music, effective use of ‘Weenies’ (NOT boobies), and how “Chain Gang” is actually a really great song.
Be sure to give the game a shot over on itch.io: johnvanderhoef.itch.io/pillow-of-stone
And follow the game’s creator, John Vandehoef, on twitter: @johnv2018-02-1148 minEdge GuardEpisode 25 - StoryseekerThis week, Blake and Jordan play Storyseeker, an exploration game designed by Miles Äijälä. Our hosts speculate about probable causes for the ambiguous disasters that rocked the world of this game and wax poetic about the appeal of exploration games that let you sit quietly alone rather than bombarding you with content. And in a moment of inspired game design theory, Blake can’t remember a game design slang word and guesses “boobies.” He meant “weenies.”
Download Storyseeker here: https://qwertyprophecy.itch.io/storyseeker
And follow the creator here: @qwertyprophecy
2018-02-0445 minEdge GuardEpisode 24 - Capsule Silence XXIVOn this week’s episode of Edge Guard, Blake and Jordan play Capsule Silence XXIV, a game that according to electronic band Anamanaguchi was the unfinished product of a collaboration they were working on with NHXmedia. Besides that… well, saying much more would ruin the fun, so this one you should just play for yourself. Make sure to tell F.R.U.G. we say “hi.”
Download the game here: http://www.mediafire.com/file/afga922p37fb27f/CS+guchi+3-28.zip
Twitter:
Anamanaguchi: @anamanaguchi
Ben Esposito...2018-01-2847 minEdge GuardEpisode 22: Card Witch: First DrawThis week, Blake and Jordan check out the pre-alpha build of Card Witch: First Draw, a cross between a deckbuilding game and a beat-em-up action game. Our hosts compare playstyles and share strategies, and Jordan attempts to break the meta.
Download the game here: https://a6productions.itch.io/card-witch
And follow the creators on Twitter:
@bloodyhoney_
@CHARLENEMAXIMUM
@SuperBlizzard
@ghoulpowder
2018-01-1450 minEdge GuardEpisode 20 - Healthy BreakfastThis week, we explore the ins and outs of the most important meal of the day: video games! Jordan and Blake go on a wild journey through first-person perspective puzzler Healthy Breakfast, discussing how games stray from the limitations of reality, lookin’ at stuff, and the importance of eating a balanced breakfast.
Find the game * FOR FREE* on itchio: https://boogieknights.itch.io/healthybreakfasthttps://boogieknights.itch.io/healthybreakfast
And be sure to stop by twitter and follow exactly one of its creators since the other two are too cool for tweets: @Barles...2017-12-3146 minEdge GuardEpisode 19 - CROSSNIQToday’s episode of Edge Guard features a brand-new arcade-style puzzle game from Max Krieger: CROSSNIQ. We talk about how strategy and skill play out in puzzle games like this one, and also learn that Blake knows a surprising (or, concerning?) amount about the Tetris meta-game.
Play the game here (it’s free!): https://maxkrieger.itch.io/crossniq
And follow the creator on Twitter: @MaxKriegerVG
2017-12-1745 minEdge GuardEpisode 17 - SkateboarderIn this episode of Edge Guard, Blake and Jordan ride virtual skateboards in Cameron Kunzelman’s Skateboarder, a browser game about doing mad tricks, bro, but also about the slow deterioration of a professional skateboarder’s health, money, and happiness. The game prompts our hosts to reminisce about Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, Ebaum’s World, and the dubious legality of mid-2000s flash games.
Play the game here: https://ckunzelman.itch.io/skateboarder
And follow Cameron Kunzelman on Twitter: @ckunzelman
2017-12-0340 minEdge GuardEpisode 13 - Where the Goats AreShhh, listen! What’s that, rustling in the grass? Could it be? It is! Another episode of Edge Guard is here! This week Blake and Jordan discuss Where the goats are, a quiet, “meditative” game about raising goats in the midst of a catastrophe. Our hosts touch on topics as wide-ranging as the strange appeal of farming simulator games and the meaning of the word “meditative.” Come for the goats, stay for the hard-hitting games journalism.
2017-11-0542 minEdge GuardEpisode 12 - Packing Up the Rest of Your Stuff on the Last Day at Your Old ApartmentIn this week’s episode, Jordan and Blake talk about moving! More specifically, they discuss Turnfollow’s
Packing Up The Rest of Your Stuff on the Last Day at Your Old Apartment. This includes discussion of nostalgic calculus, inventory tetris, and overly long (but incredibly descriptive) game titles. Then the guys wax nostalgic about all the cool places they lived in college and get all sappy about the fun times they had. Yuck!
Be sure to check out the game on itch: https://turnfollow.itch.io/packingup
And follow the devs o...2017-10-2943 minEdge GuardEpisode 11 - A(s)centuryQuick, charge your devices, bust out those headphones, and procrastinate your obligations: another episode of Edge Guard is here! This week, Blake and Jordan unpack a cyberpunk Twine game designed by Austin Walker (of Waypoint and Giant Bomb fame), cleverly titled A(s)century. Topics on the table include cyberpunk naming conventions, the function of choice in text games, corporate satire, and Mark Zuckerberg’s thoughts about dying squirrels. Also: Kevin O’Leary is probably a robot.
Check out the game: https://thecalcutec.itch.io/ascentury
And follow Austin Walker on Twitte...2017-10-2251 minEdge GuardEpisode 9 - WindowframeOn today’s episode, Blake and Jordan talk about the first game on the show that caused both of them to rage quit: Daniel Linssen’s Windowframe. The guys discuss the nature or frames in games, contrast that with frames in film, and delve into the fetishization of difficulty in the post-Dark Souls era.
Find the game on itch: https://managore.itch.io/windowframe
And be sure to follow Daniel Linssen (@managore) on twitter to see what he is working on.
2017-10-0842 minEdge GuardEpisode 8 - Like Roots in the SoilBehold! Another podcast! Blake is ramming all sorts of words together, Jordan is a hack (but an honest one), and we played “Like Roots in the Soil” by Italian Devs The Space Backyard. We discuss the limits of what makes something a game, games working with two closely related timelines, and the irrevocable march of time.
Find the game here: https://spacebackyard.itch.io/like-roots-in-the-soil
And find the devs on Twitter: @SpaceBackyard
2017-10-0141 minEdge GuardEpisode 7 - Subsurface CircularJoin us today for a discussion of Subsurface Circular, a recent text adventur/puzzle game from Bithell Games about a future society driven by automation. Blake and Jordan discuss what makes a puzzle satisfying, detective fiction, and fully-automated luxury robot communism.
Check out the game on Steam: http://store.steampowered.com/app/676820/Subsurface_Circular/
And follow Mike Bithell on Twitter: @mikeBithell
Next week: Like roots in the soil: https://spacebackyard.itch.io/like-roots-in-the-soil
2017-09-241h 12Edge GuardEpisode 6 - PokkieThe boys are back and ready to talk to you about Pokkie (by returning dev Tijmen Tio). Jordan and Blake talk about the state of permadeath in games, the implicit trust that players place in PC developers, and the way that devs can violate that trust for exciting (or malicious) reasons. Also, the guys almost ruin the game by being lured into its greatest trap - Flappy Bird.
Play the game here: https://tijmentio.itch.io/pokkie.
Follow Tijmen Tio on twitter @tijmentio.
Next week, Subsurface Circular: http://store.st...2017-09-1737 minEdge GuardEpisode 5 - FarbenspielToday’s game is Farbenspiel, a first-person arena shooter about mixing primary colors to match the color of enemies. Jordan and Blake discuss the significance of using color as a game mechanic, the movement for accessibility in video games, and Jordan’s weak-ass inner ear.
Be sure to check out the game on itchio: https://figjig.itch.io/farbenspiel
And follow the creators on Twitter: @MustDeath, @DanniSquiggles, @noodles4life__
Next week, Pokkie: https://tijmentio.itch.io/pokkie
2017-09-1044 minEdge GuardEpisode 4 - Bamboo HeartAs promised, this week is about a game that focuses on mechanics rather than message: Bamboo Heart, a side-scrolling sword-fighting game by Tijmen Tio and the Sokpop Collective. Blake and Jordan swap sword-fighting strategies, talk about what it means to say a game “feels good,” and Jordan is appalled to hear that Blake ran to the left in a sidescroller.
Be sure to check out the game on itchio: https://sokpop.itch.io/bamboo-ep
Or Steam: http://store.steampowered.com/app/561190/Bamboo_EP/
And follow @TijmenTio and @sokpopco on Twitter to hear...2017-09-0351 minEdge GuardEpisode 2 - TREEEEEEESTREEEEEEES (that's 7 E's) is on the docket today, prompting Jordan and Blake to discuss video games as performance art, the value of absurdity, and whether or not the creators are fucking with us.
Be sure to play the game for yourself at www.treeeeeees.com
and support the creators, @solimporta and @waiwha_.
2017-08-2342 minEdge GuardEpisode 0 - Welcome to Edge GuardThis week, Hosts Blake Beckett and Jordan Pruett introduce themselves, talk about their backgrounds, and discuss some of their favorite games.
If you enjoy this episode, be sure to check out our other episodes, where we discuss a specific fringe game each week!
2017-08-231h 04