New Dad Gaming

We did it: our once-a-year in-person episode! Trevor and Jeff awkwardly remember how to record without Zoom, swap Toronto trip stories, and dive into dad-mode gaming topics: Hades II’s launch, whether it breaks our “no new games” pact, accessibility/difficulty debates (Hollow Knight: Silksong, Elden Ring), letting a 15-year-old buy games on Steam, and the most dad-brained Fortnite setup ever (Xbox cloud streaming, Moo...

Welcome to New Dad Gaming, the show where Trevor and Jeff prove that becoming a dad doesn’t mean game over. 🎮👨‍👧‍👦

This week, the dads dive into:

• Broken controllers & kid chaos – how one “dad-only” controller didn’t survive.

• No Man’s Sky resurgence – the dads revisit the galaxy, ship-building, and VR.

• Hard root be...

Kids back in school, dads back in space. This week on New Dad Gaming, Trevor and Jeff swap school drop-off war stories, crack seasonal beers, dive into No Man’s Sky “Voyagers” (ship interiors! group missions! biomes!), pine for Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, and—dad confession—Trevor actually buys a Fortnite skin.

If you’re a gaming parent balancing family life with your backlog, you’re in...

Being a dad isn’t about engineering your kids’ every move—it’s about shepherding them through life’s adventures.

In this episode of New Dad Gaming, Trevor and Jeff dive into Dr. Russell Barkley’s powerful advice on parenting: guiding your kids like a shepherd instead of trying to engineer who they’ll become.

The dads also share:

This week on New Dad Gaming, Trevor and Jeff cover the highs and lows of fatherhood and gaming life. From fan mail about homebrewing beer, to kids pitching in for a PS5, to the latest controversy with Roblox knockoffs, it’s another hilarious and heartfelt episode for gaming dads everywhere.

Topics this week include: 🍺 Homebrewing adventures — is it the ultimate dad hobby? 🎮 Splitting the cost of a PS5 with your kids (and why th...

Dogs, digital gardens, and dopamine loops—oh my!

In this jam-packed episode of New Dad Gaming, Trevor and Jeff dive into:

• 🐶 Puppy problems and the very real debate: Do we get a dog or keep our freedom?

• 🍺 Dad beers of the week, including Party Dad IPA and an Irish red ale from Smithwick’s.

• 🌱 The Roblox takeover: Why Grow a Garden has kids (and potentially parents) addicted and how it's become one of the biggest gaming p...

Summer vibes, card battles, and dad dilemmas collide!

In this episode of New Dad Gaming, Trevor and Jeff pour a couple of beverages (from microbreweries and grocery store seltzers), reflect on their infamous “No New Games” challenge, and dive deep into the growing obsession with trading card games — specifically the One Piece TCG that's taking teens (and wallets) by storm.

📦 Topics Covered:

• 💸 Tears of the Planet TCG and how...

This week on New Dad Gaming, Trevor shares his new dad gaming cubby setup, complete with a Switch Lite gifted by his nephews and an ingenious use of the Quest 3 as a giant PS4 screen. Jeff returns to Death Stranding to prep for its sequel, and the dads compare small cozy games vs. massive open-world grinds.

Also discussed:

• A beautiful dad poem about painted nails and princess parties

• Dad Beers of Summer featuring Zywiec and...

What happens when exams meet DLC drops? This week on New Dad Gaming, Trevor and Jeff discuss using video games as parenting bribes—and whether it’s genius or dangerous.

Jeff negotiates with his teen over a Hunter: Call of the Wild DLC, while Trevor deals with non-activated V-Bucks chaos after a birthday gone slightly wrong. We also revisit Jeff’s miraculously repaired Switch, uncover a save file survival guide, and share Father’s D...

A surprise Switch 2 drop, a blue screen of death, and Father’s Day gift loopholes - this episode has it all.

Trevor barely escapes the clutches of buying a brand-new Switch 2… but just barely. Meanwhile, Jeff’s aging Switch kicks the bucket in spectacular fashion, sparking a desperate race against time to recover lost Pokémon and Zelda saves. With Father's Day around the corner, could a little gaming “gift” be the loophole that let...

This week, Trevor and Jeff face their greatest challenge yet: resisting the urge to break their no-new-games vow. With the Elden Ring Nightreign expansion stealing the spotlight and rumors of a Nintendo Switch 2 release buzzing, the temptation is real.

Meanwhile, one dad's teen dives headfirst into Dungeons & Dragons, sparking memories and hopes of future family campaigns. Plus: Elden Ring co-op fails, Fortnite struggles on old...

After a brief break (no disasters—just dad life), Trevor and Jeff are back to talk about holding strong in their no new games challenge—sort of. Jeff’s been tearing up the zombie roads in Days Gone, teaching his kids how to shop smart with Goat Simulator 3, and even… dabbling in Magic: The Gathering for the first time ever (blame the Final Fantasy crossover). Trevor manages to resist Oblivion Remastered and the eternal temptation o...

This week on New Dad Gaming, Trevor and Jeff hold a special session of Dad Court to determine if their backlog challenge has been broken—or if there’s still hope for their gaming honor. Spoiler: Jeff may have withheld some crucial evidence…

Jeff confesses to a near-miss after buying (and refunding) Elite Dangerous over a cockpit color mod—but later drops the bomb that he bought the Oblivion Remaster. Can the court forgive a purchas...

This week on New Dad Gaming, Jeff and Trevor trade parenting war stories as they navigate teenage moods, missed school projects, and the absolute chaos of Minecraft movie culture. From last-minute movie plans to self-imposed consequences, the dads explore how to discipline with empathy—and hold the line when games are on the line.

Jeff recounts how a missed project turned into a teachable moment (and a canceled Minecraft movie trip...

This week on New Dad Gaming, it’s all about the Nintendo Switch 2. Trevor and Jeff dive into Nintendo’s massive announcement, breaking down the upgraded hardware, surprising launch titles, and some truly unexpected exclusives—including Dusk Blood, a spiritual successor to Elden Ring that’s only coming to Switch 2 (!). Has Nintendo officially won over the dad gamers?

The new Mario Kart World gets a lot of love too, with an open-worl...

This week on New Dad Gaming, the dads are back in the saddle after a run of sickness, vacation, and dad exhaustion. Trevor returns to Elden Ring—this time without cheats—and finds himself rediscovering the magic of adventure, danger, and dumb deaths in FromSoftware’s punishing open world. But with limited dad time, he turns to an unexpected ally: AI game coaching. Using ChatGPT with a custom prompt, he gets real-time build advice, ...

This week on New Dad Gaming, Jeff barely makes it back from the brink after being taken down by the dreaded dad plague—but thanks to the Steam Deck, he managed to game his way through recovery. Trevor and Jeff discuss how portable gaming is perfect for sick days, and why handheld gaming may be entering a new golden age.

Speaking of challenges, Jeff officially steps into League of Legends ...

This week on New Dad Gaming, Trevor and Jeff welcome a new gaming dad into the Steam Deck Brigade! A listener writes in about choosing between a gaming PC and a Steam Deck—did they make the right choice? Jeff shares his insights on why the Steam Deck continues to be a fantastic option for dads on the go.

Meanwhile, V-Bucks have officially entered Trevor’s household—but not without some classic gaming dad negotiation. Did bribery fi...