Edge Guard

166 - Lycanthorn

In this week’s episode, we play BioDome II, a surreal game about a wormlike feral human who eats sandwiches and poops out gremlins that make him smarter. We talk about how the game manages to be simultaneously bizarre and cute, and Blake shares his attempt to gather all the collectibles. Jordan looks up the infamously-bad 1996 film that inspired the game.

 

Find the game here: https://glitchcityla.itch.io/keep-the-lights-on-a-glitch-city-fundraiser-and-bundle 

 

And follow the creator on Twitter: @torahhorse, @buenothebear, @lasswithapen

165 - Biodome II

In this week’s episode, we play BioDome II, a surreal game about a wormlike feral human who eats sandwiches and poops out gremlins that make him smarter. We talk about how the game manages to be simultaneously bizarre and cute, and Blake shares his attempt to gather all the collectibles. Jordan looks up the infamously-bad 1996 film that inspired the game.

 

Find the game here: https://glitchcityla.itch.io/keep-the-lights-on-a-glitch-city-fundraiser-and-bundle 

 

And follow the creator on Twitter: @torahhorse, @buenothebear, @lasswithapen

164 - Shell Song

In this week’s episode, we explore Shell Song, an interactive narrative game about computer voice generation, surveillance, and ghosts. It’s a fascinating game, and perhaps the most well-researched game we’ve played for the podcast. The game prompts a broad conversation about digital ethics, deepfake pornography, and gendered voice presentation.

 

Play the game in-browser here: http://warpdoor.com/2020/11/11/shell-song/ 

And follow the creator on Twitter: @everestpipkin

163 - Lifespan Candle

This week, we play “Lifespan Candle,” a puzzle platformer about an animated candle slowly burning away. We talk about “emergent” mechanics in puzzle games, and Jordan speculates about whether this game is actually really dark. Blake talks about Spelunky, which he read an entire book about.

 

Find the game here: https://havana24.itch.io/lifespan-candle

And follow the creator on Twitter: @hav24

162 - Spot the Troll

In this episode, we play an educational game by the name of “Spot the Troll,” about social media disinformation campaigns. We talk about how the game uses a tutorial-like structure, and then go on an extended discussion about truth on the Internet why we’re dissatisfied with the concept of online “trolls.”

 

Play the game here: https://spotthetroll.org/about 

161 - Perfect Vermin

In this week’s episode, we talk about Perfect Vermin, an unsettling first person game about using  a sledgehammer to smash creatures disguised as office furniture. It’s a creepy game (just in time for Halloween) but also strangely engaging. We talk about the game’s visual style, the object-destruction animation, and the challenge of talking about mass violence in videogames.

 

Find the game here: https://itsthemaceo.itch.io/perfect-vermin

And follow the creators on Twitter: @ItsTheMaceo

160 - Promesa

In this week’s episode, we play Promesa, a haunting game about memory, inspired by a conversation the creator had with his grandfather. It’s a beautiful game, with stunning visuals and a unique approach to storytelling and representation. We share some of our favorite moments, discuss some of the really clever things the game does with light, and (as is tradition) Blake gives us his spiel on the game’s sound design.

 

Find the game here: https://julian-palacios.itch.io/promesa

And follow the creator on Twitter: @yulele_palacios

159 - Looper

In this episode, we play the deviously-tricky “Looper,” a game about moving with or against the “flow” of looping strings. We talk about how circular, looping movement upends our intuitions about game controls, and we speculate about whether this game would be easier for people who have played fewer games. Blake compares this game to Super Hexagon, and Jordan gives us his spiel about why he loves game jams. 

 

Find the game here: https://short-bread.itch.io/looper

And follow the creator on Twitter: @_shortbread

158 - Hexcraft: Eventide Sigil

In this week’s episode, we talk about Hexcraft: Eventide Sigil, an “experimental first person permadeath adventure” by Oleander Garden. It’s a bizarre game about Arthurian knights and incel terrorists, complete with complex AI and agent-based simulations. We talk about why this game is so inscrutable (and perhaps frustrating), as well as the online community that has sprung up around it to solve its mysteries. 

 

Find the game here: https://oleandergarden.itch.io/sigil 

And follow the creator on Twitter: @void_hyacinth

157 - Moving Jigsaw Puzzles

In this week’s episode, we play “Moving Jigsaw Puzzles,” a game about, well… jigsaw puzzles that move! We talk about how adding motion changes puzzle-solving strategy, and brainstorm locales that would make a good moving jigsaw puzzle. Jordan confesses that his weak constitution couldn’t handle some of the dizzier puzzles in this game.

 

Find the game here: https://samgames.itch.io/moving-jigsaw-puzzles

And follow the creator on Twitter: @made_by_sam