Epic Free Game Reviews

In this episode, we discuss the game that Epic gave away July 25 to August 2, 2019, the 2018 game Moonlighter, which we may describe as an Ebenezer Scrooge McDuck Simulator. The conversation allows us to consider music, nostalgia, capitalism, and the different ways that games are played now as opposed to the past. We also discuss some academic contexts, such as procedural rhetoric and persuasive play

In this episode, we discuss the game that Epic gave away from July 25 to August 2, 2019, This War of Mine. We cover what makes a good war film and game, the role of war as a theme, the ethics of using games to raise money, and food culture - what is acceptable and not acceptable to eat? (Spoiler alert - everything is fine, but not humans!). 

In this episode, we discuss the game that Epic gave away from July 11 to July 18, 2019, the 2009 dungeon crawler/Diablo-like Torchlight. In the conversation we cover the role of basic, non-offensive (but fun) games, the influence of Lord of the Rings on the fantasy tropes of games, and what we like about games that are like Diablo

In this episode, we explore the game that Epic gave away for free from July 4 to July 11, 2019, the 2016 cooking sim game Overcooked! We discuss real world cooking, being alone in a failed kitchen versus bothered in a successful one, multiplayer games, the evolution of gaming hardware, and how we feel about onions. 

In this episode, we discuss the game Epic gave away from June 27 to July 4, 2019, Last Day of June. We focus on the aesthetics and styles of games, life as a form of tragedy, and sound and music. The made up language used in the game also brings us to a tangent on the fact that...musicians like Katy Perry have recorded their songs in Simlish. Join us for this episode on a game that Ray calls the "Italian Final Destination"

In this episode we discuss Rebel Galaxy, which Epic gave away from June 20 to 27, 2019. We cover topics that range from the scope of games to the use of music and voiced dialogue. We also, because of the development history of the game, talk about toxicity in gaming and the hatred of the Epic Games Store. 

In this episode we discuss the 2016 game Ebter the Gungeon, which Epic gave for me free from June 13 to June 20, 2019. Through this game, we discuss repetition and progress in games, guns as symbolism, and what it means to be an "okay" game, among other topics. Also, circles and coughing skeletons, again! 

In this episode, we cover the game Epic gave away from June 6 to 13, 2019, the (what we describe as) anti-Civ game, Kingdom: New Lands. In the discussions we cover the American Dream, the city and civilization builder genre, and the economics of games (including a slight detour about Xbox's current problems)

In this episode, we discuss the dungeon crawler game City of Brass, which Epic gave away from May 30 to June 6, 2019. We discuss whether the game industry is oversaturated, the corporatization of the different components of gaming, and the politics behind game reviews.

In this episode, we talk about Rime, a 2017 puzzle adventure game that Epic gave away from May 23 to May 30, 2019. We both thoroughly enjoyed this game, although we do talk about motion sickness and 3D space. We also discuss the role of silence and voice in games, the omnipresence of circles, and the cute culture of games

In this episode, we discuss the twelfth game Epic gave away (from May 16 - May 30, 2019), the narrative adventure game Stories Untold. We discuss the literary elements of games, how we feel about horror as a genre, and moralizing in video games, among other conversations. 

This episode covers the 2008 puzzle game World of Goo, which Epic gave away from May 2 to May 16, 2019. This game allows us to re-consider the gendered politics of indie games, explore the boundaries between mobile and other games, and think back on the political climate that existed during its release (and unexpected comparisons to Bioshock emerge!)

In this episode, we discuss the puzzle game The Witness, which Epic gave away from April 4 to April 18, 2019. The conversation focuses on how we feel about puzzle games, the tensions between satire and seriousness in indie games, and the way puzzle games are designed (as full or mobile experiences).

In this episode, we explore our impressions of the graphic adventure game Oxenfree, which Epic gave away from March 21 to April 4, 2019. This leads to conversations about the use of history as allegory in games, horror as a genre, and the way characters make or break games. 

This episode explores the seventh game given away by Epic, Slime Rancher, a farm sim games about collecting and selling slime poop. The game was given by Epic from March 7 to March 21, 2019. The hosts discuss the mechanics of cozy and farming games, the use of nostalgia and references as a game design philosophy, and the way the "value" of indie games suggests the past, present, and future of the gaming industry

In this episode we discuss the sixth free Epic game, given away from Feb 21 to March 7, 2019, Thimbleweed Park. Through this game, we discuss point and click as a genre, the use of nostalgia and meta-narratives in games, and our feelings about games wasting a player's time.

The fifth Epic game, Axiom Verge (given free from Feb 7 to Feb 21, 2019), is our first jump into Metroidvanias for this podcast, a genre which neither of our hosts have much history with. We discuss retro-graphics and nostalgia in gaming, game difficulty, and the role of science fiction narratives in pop culture.