
Taking a closer look at games on the fringe
Episodes

Feb 11, 2018
Feb 11, 2018
48 min
Hear that? That's the sound of the men working on the chain gang! No, actually that’s just Jordan and Blake talking about music, prison, and music about prison with this week’s game, Pillow of Stone. The guys spend some time discussing the often tenuous relationship between interactive media and music, effective use of ‘Weenies’ (NOT boobies), and how “Chain Gang” is actually a really great song.
Be sure to give the game a shot over on itch.io: johnvanderhoef.itch.io/pillow-of-stone
And follow the game’s creator, John Vandehoef, on twitter: @johnvanderhoef

Feb 4, 2018
Feb 4, 2018
45 min
This week, Blake and Jordan play Storyseeker, an exploration game designed by Miles Äijälä. Our hosts speculate about probable causes for the ambiguous disasters that rocked the world of this game and wax poetic about the appeal of exploration games that let you sit quietly alone rather than bombarding you with content. And in a moment of inspired game design theory, Blake can’t remember a game design slang word and guesses “boobies.” He meant “weenies.”
Download Storyseeker here: https://qwertyprophecy.itch.io/storyseeker
And follow the creator here: @qwertyprophecy

Jan 28, 2018
Jan 28, 2018
47 min
On this week’s episode of Edge Guard, Blake and Jordan play Capsule Silence XXIV, a game that according to electronic band Anamanaguchi was the unfinished product of a collaboration they were working on with NHXmedia. Besides that… well, saying much more would ruin the fun, so this one you should just play for yourself. Make sure to tell F.R.U.G. we say “hi.”
Download the game here: http://www.mediafire.com/file/afga922p37fb27f/CS+guchi+3-28.zip
Twitter:
Anamanaguchi: @anamanaguchi
Ben Esposito (lead developer): @torahhorse

Jan 21, 2018
Jan 21, 2018
44 min
This #veryspecial episode of Edge Guard features something a little bit different: an interview with Cameron Kunzelman, designer of Skateboarder, which we played for an earlier episode. We ask Cameron a little bit about his inspiration and design process for the game, solve the mystery of the little boxes, and chat about our impressive hour-counts in PUBG.
If you haven’t already, make sure to follow Cameron on Twitter! @ckunzelman

Jan 14, 2018
Jan 14, 2018
50 min
This week, Blake and Jordan check out the pre-alpha build of Card Witch: First Draw, a cross between a deckbuilding game and a beat-em-up action game. Our hosts compare playstyles and share strategies, and Jordan attempts to break the meta.
Download the game here: https://a6productions.itch.io/card-witch
And follow the creators on Twitter:

Jan 7, 2018
Jan 7, 2018
43 min
Plug in your headphones and open your incognito browsers, because this week’s episode of Edge Guard is about porn! Or rather, it’s about You Must Be 18 or Older to Enter, a game about a kid in the 90s stealthily attempting to access porn on the early Internet while the parents aren’t home. For a game about porn, it’s surprisingly frightening—though not as frightening, perhaps, as the content policy that got this game removed from the Steam marketplace... #playmoreporngames
Download the game here: https://seeminglypointless.itch.io/18orolder
Follow the creators on Twitter: @seempoint

Dec 31, 2017
Dec 31, 2017
46 min
This week, we explore the ins and outs of the most important meal of the day: video games! Jordan and Blake go on a wild journey through first-person perspective puzzler Healthy Breakfast, discussing how games stray from the limitations of reality, lookin’ at stuff, and the importance of eating a balanced breakfast.
Find the game * FOR FREE* on itchio: https://boogieknights.itch.io/healthybreakfasthttps://boogieknights.itch.io/healthybreakfast
And be sure to stop by twitter and follow exactly one of its creators since the other two are too cool for tweets: @BarlesCharkley3

Dec 17, 2017
Dec 17, 2017
45 min
Today’s episode of Edge Guard features a brand-new arcade-style puzzle game from Max Krieger: CROSSNIQ. We talk about how strategy and skill play out in puzzle games like this one, and also learn that Blake knows a surprising (or, concerning?) amount about the Tetris meta-game.
Play the game here (it’s free!): https://maxkrieger.itch.io/crossniq
And follow the creator on Twitter: @MaxKriegerVG

Dec 10, 2017
Dec 10, 2017
44 min
Are you ready to get A E S T H E T I C? Because if that low-hanging meme was any indication, today’s episode of Edge Guard is about a vaporwave-themed game, a take on the bullet hell genre appropriately titled “Waves of Vapor.” Join our hosts for a discussion of the relationship between graphics and mechanics in video games, as well as a surprisingly-detailed dive into the musical history of the vaporwave genre.
Download the game here: https://melonodev.itch.io/waves-of-vapor
Find the creator on Twitter: @MelonoDev
Or Tumblr: https://melonodev.tumblr.com/

Dec 3, 2017
Dec 3, 2017
40 min
In this episode of Edge Guard, Blake and Jordan ride virtual skateboards in Cameron Kunzelman’s Skateboarder, a browser game about doing mad tricks, bro, but also about the slow deterioration of a professional skateboarder’s health, money, and happiness. The game prompts our hosts to reminisce about Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, Ebaum’s World, and the dubious legality of mid-2000s flash games.
Play the game here: https://ckunzelman.itch.io/skateboarder
And follow Cameron Kunzelman on Twitter: @ckunzelman
