Backstage Gaming

This week, in what may be the first of two shows about maps, we take a look at level select maps, overworld maps, and the narrative power that a map can hold. Are they strictly utilitarian? Can they be more? Jump in and find out! Backstage Gaming is a proud member of the HP Video Game Podcast Network (@hpvgpodnetwork on Twitter) Enjoy our show? Consider supporting us on Patreon! (patreon.com/bsgpod) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, we chat about series and genres that we aren't typically into and what changes that. Whether it's a great trailer or a tie-in with something we already love, sometimes it just takes a little push to get us to try something new. Backstage Gaming is a proud member of the HP Video Game Podcast Network (@hpvgpodnetwork on Twitter) Enjoy our show? Consider supporting us on Patreon! (patreon.com/bsgpod) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, we're looking at the new fighting game, Footsies, a one-button game and teaching tool designed to improve your fighting game basics, and we dive into the other areas of game design that could benefit from the same approach. Have a listen! Backstage Gaming is a proud member of the HP Video Game Podcast Network (@hpvgpodnetwork on Twitter) Enjoy our show? Consider supporting us on Patreon! (patreon.com/bsgpod) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, we take a look at games that treat a story as a reward in-and-of-itself. Whether it's the capstone to a sidequest or a facet of how the game is presented, sometimes a bit of narrative is every bit as rewarding as a gameplay improvement. Backstage Gaming is a proud member of the HP Video Game Podcast Network (@hpvgpodnetwork on Twitter) Enjoy our show? Consider supporting us on Patreon! (patreon.com/bsgpod) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, we talk about combat. Again. But this time, we talk combat aesthetic, abstraction, and how all of that comes together to help a game become what it is! Backstage Gaming is a proud member of the HP Video Game Podcast Network (@hpvgpodnetwork on Twitter) Enjoy our show? Consider supporting us on Patreon! (patreon.com/bsgpod) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, we dive into one of the most often debated tools for storytelling: the voiceover narration. When can it be useful? When is it a crutch? Why does it matter?? All that and more! Backstage Gaming is a proud member of the HP Video Game Podcast Network (@hpvgpodnetwork on Twitter) Enjoy our show? Consider supporting us on Patreon! (patreon.com/bsgpod) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, Dylan surprises Chris with a discussion of Alien Soldier and games that take a unique and front-loaded approach to telling ABSOLUTELY WILD stories. Backstage Gaming is a proud member of the HP Video Game Podcast Network (@hpvgpodnetwork on Twitter) Enjoy our show? Consider supporting us on Patreon! (patreon.com/bsgpod) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, we go on a tour of game series that let their canons get out of hand. Whether it's split across dozens of entries in different media, or just changes a lot, there are some games that have gotten decidedly more complex than you'd expect. Backstage Gaming is a proud member of the HP Video Game Podcast Network (@hpvgpodnetwork on Twitter) Enjoy our show? Consider supporting us on Patreon! (patreon.com/bsgpod) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Not every game's biggest appeal is the story or challenge. Sometimes, you find a game that you just like to spend time in. This week, we chat about comfortable games, what makes them so fun to chill in, and why this is such a pleasant element of gaming. Backstage Gaming is a proud member of the HP Video Game Podcast Network (@hpvgpodnetwork on Twitter) Enjoy our show? Consider supporting us on Patreon! (patreon.com/bsgpod) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, we take some time to talk about games that might not need their combat system. Whether it's a game that brings enough to the table that the combat is irrelevant, or a combat system that feels tedious, we look at some offenders and offer some alternatives. Backstage Gaming is a proud member of the HP Video Game Podcast Network (@hpvgpodnetwork on Twitter) Enjoy our show? Consider supporting us on Patreon! (patreon.com/bsgpod) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices