Pixel Therapy Pod

Hi, everybody! This week, Spencer returns to the fold of Microsoft after a long hiatus (like, since the Xbox 360 in 2005!) and joins the rest of you gamers in the future with a brand-new Game Pass-installed Xbox Series S! Spencer and Jamie return to the island of Tsushima with the new Ghost Director's Cut (thank you Sucker Punch), and Jamie takes us on a tour of the short and bittersweet Necrobarista!

Then, we're joined by Anna Anthropy, video game and role-playing game designer, interactive fiction author, and the mind behind Rise of the Video Game Zinester: part manifesto, part critical essay, part DIY handbook encouraging "Freaks, Normals, Amateurs, Artists, Dreamers, Drop-outs, Queers, Housewives, and People Like You" to get out there and make some games! Anna has been thinking about, talking about, and making games for many years, and we were stoked to share this space with her to chat about fostering the next generation of game makers and democratizing game development.

Check out Anna's games and projects: https://w.itch.io/

Side Quest

THE ASTRAEA LESBIAN FOUNDATION FOR JUSTICE is the only philanthropic organization working exclusively to advance LGBTQI human rights around the globe. We support brilliant and brave grantee partners in the U.S and internationally who challenge oppression and seed change. We work for racial, economic, social, and gender justice, because we all deserve to live our lives freely, without fear, and with dignity.

Your support for Astraea’s Collective Care Response enables LBTQI- and people of color-led grassroots movements to boldly confront the impacts of COVID-19 across the globe now and for the long haul while building interconnected ecosystems of support and resilience. 

https://www.astraeafoundation.org/donate-collective-care-response/ 

About Pixel Therapy

New episodes drop every other Tuesday. Learn more at pixeltherapypod.com or follow us on social media @pixeltherapypod. We're proud members of the But Why Tho? Podcast Network: visit ButWhyThoPodcast.com for everything pop culture in an inclusive geek community! If you like what you hear, please take a moment to rate us, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts (or your listening app of choice) & subscribe! Want more? Unlock monthly bonus episodes for $2/mo and help us save up for streaming equipment at patreon.com/pixeltherapypod !

Can YOU nonchalantly say that LeVar Burton has been a steadfast friend to you? This week's guest can, and we're still recovering. But before we get to that, Jamie and Spencer kick things off by diving into two 10-hour visual novel-esque games that couldn't be more different in their content and execution: Kitfox Games' Boyfriend Dungeon and Modern Storyteller's The Forgotten City! Join us as we date weapons and sink our teeth into some queer subtext, and work to escape a time loop while evading avenging angels, respectively. Is humanity truly capable of taking responsibility for each other? Is a polyam queer utopia possible? Join us as we discuss all this and more!

Quick content note: Since we recorded this episode, Boyfriend Dungeon discourse has emerged around the role of content warnings in games. Our discussion didn't touch on the more challenging and/or possibly triggering aspects of the game, so if our episode inspires you to check it out, we just encourage you to do your own research before playing to make sure it's the right choice for you!

Then, we're joined by the incredibly delightful Swapna Krishna (she/her), a journalist who writes for outlets including SyFy Wire, The Verge, Engadget, and StarTrek[.]com at the intersection of technology, space, and pop culture. She’s also the co-editor of Sword Stone Table: Old Legends, New Voices, an anthology of inclusive retellings from the vast lore surrounding King Arthur, Camelot, and the Knights of the Round Table. AND she’s the co-host of the geek pop-news podcast Desi Geek Girls! We had so much fun with Swapna, covering everything from pandemic parenting, to gaming while anxious, to looking to the stars, gushing about Sir Patrick Stewart, and so much more. Join us to find out why Mass Effect (and other space stories) work so well at helping us see our best selves and get outside of our own heads.

Learn more about Swapna: https://www.swapnakrishna.com/

Check out Sword Stone Table: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/634028/sword-stone-table-by-edited-by-swapna-krishna-and-jenn-northington/

Side Quest

"In response to the alarming escalation in xenophobia and bigotry resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council (A3PCON), Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA), and the Asian American Studies Department of San Francisco State University launched the Stop AAPI Hate coalition on March 19, 2020. The coalition tracks and responds to incidents of hate, violence, harassment, discrimination, shunning, and child bullying against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States."

Learn more and donate at https://stopaapihate.org/

About Pixel Therapy

New episodes drop every other Tuesday. Learn more at pixeltherapypod.com or follow us on social media @pixeltherapypod. We're proud members of the But Why Tho? Podcast Network: visit ButWhyThoPodcast.com for everything pop culture in an inclusive geek community! If you like what you hear, please take a moment to rate us, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts (or your listening app of choice) & subscribe! Want more? Unlock monthly bonus episodes for $2/mo and help us save up for streaming equipment at patreon.com/pixeltherapypod !

Sup y'all! August already?! Spencer kicks things off this week by hurling baseless accusations at Jamie for not vocally praising Ratchet and Clank: A Rift Apart enough (which has dimensionated itself right into Spencer's heart and the top of their totally unofficial Games of the Year list), while Jamie shares a peek into Death's Door and the life and times of a soul-reaping crow.

Then we continue the totally unintentional animal friend theme, as apiarist aka BEEKEEPER and co-founder of They Keep Bees, Ang Roell (they/them) joins us in the studio to talk bees, queens, community, and embracing change. Also, someone definitely needs to make a video game about beekeeping - if that someone is you, let's talk!

Follow Ang (They Keep Bees): https://www.instagram.com/theykeepbees/

Side Quest

"The SUSU commUNITY Farm is a Afro-Indigenous stewarded farm and land-based healing center in Southern Vermont that elevates Vermont’s land and foodways. We do this by co-creating a life-affirming and culturally relevant platform for Black, Indigenous, People of color, youth, under-resourced folx, and allies to thrive and experience safety and connection while beginning to develop the tools and agency to heal from the trauma of colonization."

 Learn more and donate: https://www.susucommunityfarm.org/

About Pixel Therapy

New episodes drop every other Tuesday. Learn more at pixeltherapypod.com or follow us on social media @pixeltherapypod. We're proud members of the But Why Tho? Podcast Network: visit ButWhyThoPodcast.com for everything pop culture in an inclusive geek community! If you like what you hear, please take a moment to rate us, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts (or your listening app of choice) & subscribe! Want more? Unlock monthly bonus episodes for $2/mo and help us save up for streaming equipment at patreon.com/pixeltherapypod !

Note: This episode includes discussions of sexuality, with some references to BDSM and kink.

Howdy, y'all! Spencer and Jamie kick things off this week with a little HOT, SPICY, and SPIRITED debate (for us) on Armature Games' new surreal narrative adventure: Where the Heart Leads! Tumble into the time sinkhole with us as we delve into this 600,000-word everyday epic about a family man who finds himself reliving the formative moments of his life, including his present and even his future- and gains the ability to change them.

Then we're joined by the wonderful Ana Valens, a writer and adult game developer who, in her words, "specializes in the intersection of sexuality and video games and what the two have to say about the other." UMM, how cool is that?! We unpack the capacity for games to engage with sexuality beyond providing titillation, from education, to self-expression, to helping us gain deeper understandings of our own desires and providing safe places to explore them. We interviewed Ana during Pride Month, so we also touch a bit on the last few decades of U.S. LGBTQ+ history and the importance of honoring and understanding kink's place in queer culture! It's truly an action-packed episode so thanks for reading this far but please stop and press play!

Check out Ana's queer adult games: https://acvalens.itch.io/

Follow Ana on Twitter (private, but listeners can request access): https://twitter.com/acvalens

Check out Ana's book, Tumblr Porn: http://www.instarbooks.com/books/tumblr-porn.html

Side Quest

Red Canary Song

Originally founded in 2017 to provide legal and healthcare support to the family of massage worker Yang Song who was killed during a police raid, Red Canary Song is today a grassroots massage worker coalition in the U.S. and organizes transnationally with Asian sex workers across the diaspora in Toronto, Paris, and Hong Kong. To learn more and support their work, please check out:

https://www.redcanarysong.net/

About Pixel Therapy

New episodes drop every other Tuesday. Learn more at pixeltherapypod.com or follow us on social media @pixeltherapypod. We're proud members of the But Why Tho? Podcast Network: visit ButWhyThoPodcast.com for everything pop culture in an inclusive geek community! If you like what you hear, please take a moment to rate us, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts (or your listening app of choice) & subscribe! Want more? Unlock monthly bonus episodes for $2/mo and help us save up for streaming equipment at patreon.com/pixeltherapypod !

We're so excited to kick things off this week by gushing about a brand-new masterpiece called Chicory: A Colorful Tale by Greg Lobanov, Lena Raine, Em Halberstadt, Alexis Dean-Jones, and Madeline Berger. This adorable, irreverent painting adventure manages to hit on so many levels- it's an ode to artmaking and what it means to be someone, wrapped up in a disarmingly cute world of food-named animals and self-aware humor.

Then, we're joined by gaming QA analyst and indie developer Courtland Messam to talk about cult favorite visual novel Danganronpa, and everything it has to teach us about surviving life and understanding privilege.

Check out Chicory: https://chicorygame.com/

Check out Courtland's games: https://itch.io/profile/courtlandmessam

Side Quest

The Black Trans Travel Fund

Donated funds are redistributed directly to Black trans women in need, who can then have the autonomy to purchase private car ride services, purchase gas for their own vehicles, pay family or friends for a ride, or other alternatives of their choosing that best suit their comfort and needs.

https://www.blacktranstravelfund.com/donate

About Pixel Therapy

New episodes drop every other Tuesday. Learn more at pixeltherapypod.com or follow us on social media @pixeltherapypod. We're proud members of the But Why Tho? Podcast Network: visit ButWhyThoPodcast.com for everything pop culture in an inclusive geek community! If you like what you hear, please take a moment to rate us, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts (or your listening app of choice) & subscribe! Want more? Unlock monthly bonus episodes for $2/mo and help us save up for streaming equipment at patreon.com/pixeltherapypod !

Content warning: This episode contains discussion between Spencer and our guests about some of our personal experiences navigating our biracial identities, which have been painful at times.

This week's episode is all about the brand-new four-part QTBIPOC-led solarpunk detective visual novel series and debut video game by award-winning 4615 Theatre Company, DARK CITY! Your co-hosts sit down with the game's director and writer Gregory Keng Strasser (he/him), as well as artist and designer Sara Eskandari (they/she) to dive into this thrilling, urgently present story tackling big themes, from complicity in systemic oppression, to the threat colonialism poses to Indigenous stewardship of the earth, to imagining a future that prioritizes sustainability and communion with nature-- all packaged within a gorgeously rendered and thoughtfully cast (and voiced!) game whose birth at the hands of theatremakers and artists is beautifully felt.

Plus: Tales of Symphonia, capturing the spirit of theatricality, Phoenix Wright, and more! We're so excited to share this one with you, and hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Play DARK CITY: https://4615theatreco.itch.io/

P.S. - Spencer mentioned a "book" by Loretta Todd, but it's an essay- "Aboriginal Narratives in Cyberspace" (1996).

Side Quest

The Arts Commission of Greater Toledo's Young Artists at Work (YAAW) program

https://theartscommission.org/support

Since 1994, Young Artists at Work (YAAW) has offered paid summer apprenticeships to area teens to learn creative skills and job skills alike and to connect to community through the creation of public art and salable works. Each year more than 40 teens from diverse neighborhoods and communities in and around Toledo come together to find a completely unique summer employment opportunity and access to an experience designed to impact for a lifetime.

About Pixel Therapy

New episodes drop every other Tuesday. Learn more at pixeltherapypod.com or follow us on social media @pixeltherapypod. We're proud members of the But Why Tho? Podcast Network: visit ButWhyThoPodcast.com for everything pop culture in an inclusive geek community! If you like what you hear, please take a moment to rate us, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts (or your listening app of choice) & subscribe! Want more? Unlock monthly bonus episodes for $2/mo and help us save up for streaming equipment at patreon.com/pixeltherapypod !

Our little break behind us, we're so happy to be back! This week Spencer and Jamie kick things off with a deep dive into the mysterious island of Die Gute Fabrik's Mutazione -- a breathtaking game about friendly mutants, small-town gossip, chosen family, and redefining our relationship to the earth. Omg, just typing this has me in my feels all over again.

Then we're joined by the hilarious and effortlessly awesome Esha Todd, a writer and artist drawing on her experiences working with Apple, Makerbot, and Oculus to imagine the future of gaming and help people embrace emerging technology. Esha currently works for Sugar Gamers, a content creation hub and community founded in 2009 by Keisha Howard as a platform for women gamers that has since evolved into a diverse group of trendsetters and aficionados within the worlds of technology, gaming, and the arts. We chat about the power of immersion, how living in VR isn't THAT far off from how we operate today, and how Grand Theft Auto V helped Esha process and move through her trauma with driving!

Plus: That time Spencer became a tree, Mass Effect: Legendary Edition, mixed martial arts, and more!

Follow Esha: https://twitter.com/eshaknows_

Side Quest

https://www.gofundme.com/f/rebuild-gazas-samir-mansour-book-store

"Gaza’s largest and most beloved book shop and library was destroyed by air strikes. The two-story Samir Mansour book store was built 21 years ago and served as a community centre and book shop for the local Gaza community and Palestinian school children. Tens of thousands of books were destroyed. All of the heart, creativity and talent poured into this magical place is gone. As a result of the complete siege on Gaza Strip, construction supplies are in extreme short supply and heavily inflated. Please donate generously and help Palestinians get books back. All funds will be given directly to Samir Mansour to rent new space and rebuild a new library and book shop. This fundraiser is managed by human rights lawyers Mahvish Rukhsana and Clive Stafford Smith."

About Pixel Therapy

New episodes drop every other Tuesday. Learn more at pixeltherapypod.com or follow us on social media @pixeltherapypod. We're proud members of the But Why Tho? Podcast Network: visit ButWhyThoPodcast.com for everything pop culture in an inclusive geek community! If you like what you hear, please take a moment to rate us, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts (or your listening app of choice) & subscribe! Want more? Unlock monthly bonus episodes for $2/mo and help us save up for streaming equipment at patreon.com/pixeltherapypod !

Our little break behind us, we're so happy to be back! This week Spencer and Jamie kick things off with a deep dive into the mysterious island of Die Gute Fabrik's Mutazione -- a breathtaking game about friendly mutants, small-town gossip, chosen family, and redefining our relationship to the earth. Omg, just typing this has me in my feels all over again.

Then we're joined by the hilarious and effortlessly awesome Esha Todd, a writer and artist drawing on her experiences working with Apple, Makerbot, and Oculus to imagine the future of gaming and help people embrace emerging technology. Esha currently works for Sugar Gamers, a content creation hub and community founded in 2009 by Keisha Howard as a platform for women gamers that has since evolved into a diverse group of trendsetters and aficionados within the worlds of technology, gaming, and the arts. We chat about the power of immersion, how living in VR isn't THAT far off from how we operate today, and how Grand Theft Auto V helped Esha process and move through her trauma with driving!

Plus: That time Spencer became a tree, Mass Effect: Legendary Edition, mixed martial arts, and more!

Follow Esha: https://twitter.com/eshaknows_

Side Quest

https://www.gofundme.com/f/rebuild-gazas-samir-mansour-book-store

"Gaza’s largest and most beloved book shop and library was destroyed by air strikes. The two-story Samir Mansour book store was built 21 years ago and served as a community centre and book shop for the local Gaza community and Palestinian school children. Tens of thousands of books were destroyed. All of the heart, creativity and talent poured into this magical place is gone. As a result of the complete siege on Gaza Strip, construction supplies are in extreme short supply and heavily inflated. Please donate generously and help Palestinians get books back. All funds will be given directly to Samir Mansour to rent new space and rebuild a new library and book shop. This fundraiser is managed by human rights lawyers Mahvish Rukhsana and Clive Stafford Smith."

About Pixel Therapy

New episodes drop every other Tuesday. Learn more at pixeltherapypod.com or follow us on social media @pixeltherapypod. We're proud members of the But Why Tho? Podcast Network: visit ButWhyThoPodcast.com for everything pop culture in an inclusive geek community! If you like what you hear, please take a moment to rate us, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts (or your listening app of choice) & subscribe! Want more? Unlock monthly bonus episodes for $2/mo and help us save up for streaming equipment at patreon.com/pixeltherapypod !

Hey y'all! Your co-hosts both have some stuff going on: big house moves for both of us, and an opportunity to see family after over more than a year for Jamie! With that in mind, in lieu of introducing you to a new guest this week, we're sharing our first-ever live episode! This was originally recorded in February during UPLINK 2021- the largest gaming conference celebrating gaming history and retro games.

Join us as we chat about making the show, gaming through the pandemic, and dive into some research from Jane McGonigal (SuperBetter, Reality is Broken) on the links between gaming and managing depression!

Thank you so much for supporting us - we'll be back with our regularly scheduled programming in two weeks!

About Pixel Therapy

New episodes drop every other Tuesday. Learn more at pixeltherapypod.com or follow us on social media @pixeltherapypod. We're proud members of the But Why Tho? Podcast Network: visit ButWhyThoPodcast.com for everything pop culture in an inclusive geek community! If you like what you hear, please take a moment to rate us, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts (or your listening app of choice) & subscribe! Want more? Unlock monthly bonus episodes for $2/mo and help us save up for streaming equipment at patreon.com/pixeltherapypod !

OMG y'all, why's everyone keep talking about "return to work" when we never stopped working? Not just in places like jobs, but literally working to emotionally, physically, and mentally survive a literal pandemic? This week, Spencer and Jamie kick things off by chatting through the feelings of overwhelm and tiredness that a lot of folks seem to be able to relate to right now, especially as technology continues to blur the boundary between work and life. You are not alone! Capitalism just wants you to think you are! And who better to break it all down than Dr. Devon Price, nonbinary icon, social psychologist, and author of Laziness Does Not Exist! This convo was absolutely electric, as Devon helps us see how the "laziness lie" and our society's obsession with productivity is hurting all of us, traces its origins to white supremacy, and shows us how playing video games (and other activities often seen as "lazy") are actually really, really good for us. And you know we couldn't let them leave the studio without sharing their transmasculine reading of Ico!!

Plus: Returnal's mixed accessibility reviews, Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion, Emily is Away <3, Mad Men?!, and more!!!

Check out Steve Saylor's work and perspective on Returnal: https://stevesaylor.net/

Read Devon's book: https://bookshop.org/books/laziness-does-not-exist/9781982140106

Follow Devon: https://twitter.com/drdevonprice

Side Quest

https://www.lightfoundchi.org/

The Lighthouse Foundation invests in Black LGBTQ+ liberation internally by developing Black Queer Leaders: a cohort that builds community, sets goals, and creates public programming for Black Queer people in Chicagoland.

About Pixel Therapy

New episodes drop every other Tuesday. Learn more at pixeltherapypod.com or follow us on social media @pixeltherapypod. We're proud members of the But Why Tho? Podcast Network: visit ButWhyThoPodcast.com for everything pop culture in an inclusive geek community! If you like what you hear, please take a moment to rate us, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts (or your listening app of choice) & subscribe! Want more? Unlock monthly bonus episodes for $2/mo and help us save up for streaming equipment at patreon.com/pixeltherapypod !