2025's scariest game recreates the site of a real tragedy (Piotr Surmacz)
Get extra segments, video episodes, bonus episodes, and early access at patreon.com/postgamesGet full episode notes for free at post.gamesI was stunned when I first saw Cave Crave, a VR game in which the player squeezes through dark tunnels, the gaps so tight that the character must hold their breath, causing red light to pulse. As your virtual lungs empty, you see the blood vessels in your eyesTo my surprise, the dark, suffocating caves of Cave Crave were just the beginning of both its terror and its depth.This week on Post Games: A trip into a real cave that became a tombAct 1: The game that traps you in a dark, tight holeAct 2: Recreating the infamous Nutty Putty CavePatreon Bonus: A history of the Steam Machine and the “living room” PCAct 3: News of the weekSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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What it's actually like to release a game in 2025 (Joel Burgess)
Post Games for $1!! - The Early Bird, Not-Quite-Black Friday SaleRather than compete with Black Friday and Cyber Monday, I’m running my holiday deal early. Subscribe to the Patreon before 11/14 and get your first month for $1. Yes, you read that right. A buck gets you...Video episodes!Weekly bonus segments!5 deep dives on storytelling, reviews, and media!1 oral history of Street Fighter: The Movie!25 incredible interviews with the most fascinating people in video games!Expanded newsletters:Free game of the weekThe best video game stories of the weekWhat else I’m enjoyingAccess to community group chats!This episode is a bit unusual. I’m chatting with a talented game developer who also happens to be a friend. I’ve known Joel Burgess for many years, dating back to his time helping to design open-world RPGs for AAA studios.He currently serves as the Studio Head of the indie studio Soft Rains, which has been busy preparing the debut of its first game. Ambrosia Sky is a sci-fi immersive sim in which you play as a death cleaner. Picture Powerwash Simulator spliced with BioShock, and then add the NYTimes obituaries, and you’re not far off. This week, Ambrosia Sky: Act 1 hits Steam.What does it feel like to launch a video game, particularly as the head of a studio, responsible for not just the success of the game but the business? The stress. The joy. The mixed sense of finishing one race, and in the current age of DLC, updates, and additional acts, starting another marathon.This week on Post Games: what it’s actually like to release a video game in 2025.Act 1: The chaos of making a video game in the 2020sAct 2: The moments before pressing publishPatreon bonus: How Joel’s dog inspired the look and soul of Dogmeat in Fallout 4Act 3: News of the weekSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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Why people play games that scare them (Ashley Bardhan)
Get extra segments, video episodes, bonus episodes, and early access at patreon.com/postgamesGet full episode notes for free at post.gamesSure, spooky season is over. But listeners, the scary season has just begun at Post Games. To prepare you, I have invited one of my favorite horror critics, Ashley Bardhan, to explain the appeal of playing horror games – and how they might make your life less scary.This is one of my favorite (and most surprising) conversations yet!Act 1: The case for playing more horror gamesAct 2: Horror as therapyPatreon bonus: 5 horror games for the holiday seasonAct 3: The news of the weekSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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20 years later, Shadow of the Colossus still matters (Jacob Geller)
Get video episodes, extra segments, bonus episodes, and early access at www.patreon.com/postgamesGet full show notes free at post.gamesFew video games achieve mainstream cultural relevance. Fewer still get labeled as "art." And only a handful of games that get through the culling manage to retain their relevance across decades. Shadow of the Colossus is the exception to the rules of video games.What makes it so unique? How has its place in gaming culture evolved? And why does it play a special part in the life of today's guest, video essayist and author Jacob Geller?Act 1: Why Shadow of the Colossus never lost its relevanceAct 2: How Shadow of the Colossus launched a critic’s careerPatreon bonus: The future of video essays about video gamesAct 3: News of the WeekArt by James BarehamTheme by Mark SparlingSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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Why Great Games Sometimes Flop (Simon Carless)
Get weekly bonus segments, Patreon exclusive episodes, and early access at patreon.com/postgamesGet the full show notes for free at www.post.gamesLast week, Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier explained how the too many games problem came to be. This week, we hear how game creators are adapting to make sure the best games reach you – rather than get lost at the bottom of an ever-growing pile. Today’s guest, Simon Carless, is an expert in helping game creators strike this balance between the artist’s vision and the audience's interests. Carless is a pioneer in the exponentially important research of “game discoverability."Act 1: The art of Game DiscoveryAct 2: Do endless sales help or hurt gaming?Patreon bonus: The strangest tricks and “hacks” to get a game seen Act 3: The news of the weekArt by James Bareham - Happicamp.comTheme by Mark SparlingSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Post Games is a listener-supported podcast about how and why we love video games. Each week, host Chris Plante reports on a new, overlooked, or underappreciated topic in gaming culture. Where did all the new porn games come from? What’s it like to be the AI that destroys the world? How has one award turned tiny indie game makers into big-name millionaires? With original interviews, writing, and a traditional audio-magazine structure, Plante keeps things entertaining, informative, and always under 90 minutes. Because Post Games is meant to be listened to, not buried in a backlog. Learn more at www.post.games. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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