Jamie Stormbreaker from One More Game joins Ben this week to discuss game design philosophy and the amazingly zany and fun game SWAPMEAT—a third-person shooter featuring a unique part-switching mechanic. Jamie and his team are very excited to share their full “out of early access” version of the cooperative-focused roguelite with the world on June 17th, so there is a LOT of juicy conversational MEAT to consume. As a perfectly marbled audio morsel, no additional gravy is required or encouraged. *** 00:00:58 - Lawyer input, industry to independent, Saros is a seven, THAC0, and for all ten of us00:07:00 - Swapping origins, Steam verification, meat quote despair, and the Pounding Fathers00:15:19 - Beyond early access, listening to and engaging the community, and planet renaming00:17:51 - In-office consoles, Alpha-driven development, and building games in public view00:24:55 - Expectation reset, thoughts on sequels, RTS games, and playing with vs. versus00:32:00 - Multiplayer roguelite challenges, talking to players early, and don’t roast Jamie00:35:42 - Ben’s thought path, revisiting games as a dev, and balancing difficulty with empathy00:40:51 - How loot is distributed in SWAPMEAT to minimize competition, and playful banter00:43:34 - Solo play, early access perks, the definition of independent, and institutional support00:48:30 - Fresh ideas, end-to-end enjoyment, Indies are the innovators, and taking risks00:51:15 - AI concerns, no joy in average, automation, art is made by humans, and breaking art *** Follow Two Vague on…Our website: https://www.twovaguepodcast.comOn Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/two_vague_podcastOn YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@twovaguepodcastOn Substack: https://twovaguepodcast.substack.com/On Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/twovaguepodcast.com For show appearances and other inquiries, contact us at [email protected] …for all of your PRI and 2VP merch, check out the Partly Robot Industries store at TEEPUBLIC!https://www.teepublic.com/user/partly-robot-industries Follow Andrew / Partly Robot Industries on…His website: https://partlyrobot.com/On Instagram: https://instagram.com/partlyrobotOn TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@partlyrobotOn Substack: https://partlyrobot.substack.com/On Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/partlyrobot.comOn Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/partlyrobotOn Microcosm Publishing: https://microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/artist/andrew-coltrinOn Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/partlyrobotAnd his TREE o’ LINKS: http://linktr.ee/partlyrobot Please consider helping Andrew out with a pledge for Nerd Emergencies...And Other Misunderstandings: A Comix Showcase of Neurodivergent Perspectives, his latest zine offering featuring the creative comic musings of dozens of neurodivergent artists and allies: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/partlyrobot/nerd-emergencies  *** References, Links, and Tags For more information on SWAPMEAT and One More Game shenanigans…https://www.playswapmeat.com/https://www.onemoregame.com/games/https://store.steampowered.com/app/2790700/SWAPMEAT/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCKk5i2zueIhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tGNHwQQljc #Podbean #DIYPodcast #ApplePodcast #VideoGames #Trivia #Comedy #Talkshow #2VP #TwoVaguePodcast #PodernFamily #InterviewShow #GamersofThreads #Gamer #PartlyRobot #PartlyRobotIndustries #TeePublic #MicrocosmPublishing #NerdEmergencies #SWAPMEAT #OneMoreGame #JamieStormbreaker

Norah is visiting Tucson this week, so she has stopped by the studio to procure some Mango affection (via bribery) and make an appearance on the podcast! They were planning on doing a different word initially, but they are keeping it in the same wheelhouse to make a distinction between the two words—often used as synonyms. After a quick introduction where Ben talks about the game review code he received for the recent port of the N64 game Glover, Norah and Ben discuss their thoughts on the differences between retro and vintage, antique and vintage collections or items, and educational techniques that aren’t keeping pace with technological advancements. To close out the show, they share their Disneyland and Disney World experiences and critique a blog post about some historical menu items served at the parks. *** 00:00:20 - Hand gestures, cats with false teeth, nephews and book fairs, and Norah on-brand00:03:15 - A line-segment of proofreaders, balls and gloves, and refurbishing “antique” games00:07:08 - An unfortunate distinction, ball metamorphosis, a platformer relic, and ideas of fun00:10:55 - Clash of the Titans, games out of time, Norah’s surprise, and everyone’s favorite ox00:13:31 - Rifles in Indiana, items of high quality, wine diagrams, and hipsters or vino snobs00:16:25 - Sommeliers, roasty coffee, Merriam-Webster chaser, and pondering the differences00:20:41 - Literal organic word growth, the quality debate, art is neither, and Norah is an astute 00:25:52 - Coffins and ashes, collecting heirlooms, hobbies versus investments, and hipsters00:29:16 - Antique educational methods, vaccines (NOT leeches), other ideas, and typewriters00:34:04 - Vintage foods, impossible pies, Disney anecdotes, Ben’s favorite ride, and Epcot00:38:34 - Listing food items, an historic chili cook-off, making Norah sick, and futuristic pies00:42:53 - Not very pirate-ish, sea chicken sandwiches, an ill-advised pun, and unsurprising00:45:34 - ACTUAL vintage foods, mincemeat pie, Spam dishes, arcade cabinets, and Pong00:49:32 - Atari impact, do not eat the aunt, misgendered Mango, and inspired to be difficult  *** Follow Andrew / Partly Robot Industries on…His website: https://partlyrobot.com/On Instagram: https://instagram.com/partlyrobotOn TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@partlyrobotOn Substack: https://partlyrobot.substack.com/On Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/partlyrobot.comOn Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/partlyrobotOn Microcosm Publishing: https://microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/artist/andrew-coltrinOn Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/partlyrobotAnd his TREE o’ LINKS: http://linktr.ee/partlyrobot Follow Two Vague on…Our website: https://www.twovaguepodcast.comOn Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/two_vague_podcastOn YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@twovaguepodcastOn Substack: https://twovaguepodcast.substack.com/On Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/twovaguepodcast.com For show appearance and other inquiries, contact us at: [email protected] For all of your PRI and 2VP merch, check out the Partly Robot Industries store at TEEPUBLIC!https://www.teepublic.com/user/partly-robot-industries Please consider helping Andrew out with a pledge for Nerd Emergencies... And Other Misunderstandings: A Comix Showcase of Neurodivergent Perspectives, his latest zine offering featuring the creative comic musings of dozens of neurodivergent artists and allies: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/partlyrobot/nerd-emergencies  *** References, Links, and Tags Check out all of the vintage console game offerings (including Glover) at the Piko Interactive website: https://www.pikointeractive.com/home/PIKO-Online-Store-c33087521Glover (QUByte Classics) trailer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26WM8bODn8g #Podbean #DIYPodcast #ApplePodcast #VideoGames #Trivia #Comedy #Talkshow #2VP #TwoVaguePodcast #PodernFamily #InterviewShow #GamersofThreads #Gamer #PartlyRobot #PartlyRobotIndustries #TeePublic #MicrocosmPublishing #Kickstarter #NerdEmergencies

Cheyenne joins Ben this week to talk about the myriad changes they both have been going through since his last appearance on the show. After a little bit of work-centric catch-up, they switch it up by front-loading the program with the video game chat a little earlier than usual. Cheyenne has been playing Fields of Mistria, Ben has been playing HAMSTERMIND, and they both have thoughts they are eager to share about these titles. Then by way of the definition, they TRANSITION into a more philosophical and anecdote-filled discussion about life, learning, the rise of PC usage, and current communication trends before closing the show with their final thoughts.    ***   00:00:20 - Big life changes, a fanfic magnum opus, and Cheyenne is a fancy-pants manager 00:04:11 - Ben needs a stock split, reflecting upon the year, and learning about management 00:07:14 - You can’t lead with vibes, monkey-cymbals moments, and taking accountability 00:11:30 - Espresso shot math, branded graduated cylinders, and the donut hole paradox 00:14:56 - Knighting ceremonies, boring frameworks, one-leg jeans, and Ben the fashionista  00:18:21 - Fields of Mistria, marry the pink cow, teaching humanoids to love, and bigamy-free 00:24:41 - Florists and bakers, the combat, HAMSTERMIND, trailer impressions, and no hints 00:33:02 - Catherine, a member of the media, using the Googles, and critiquing the definition 00:36:24 - Boy juice, Ben’s nitpicking, gender-affirming care for everyone, and a politicization  00:40:54 - Particle physics, Fermilab, 20-something and clueless, and discrete dating logic 00:45:09 - A rehash of the nouns, on the upswing, asking Jeeves, and more accessible PCs 00:50:14 - Users getting GUI, the Y2K scare, panic fatigue, and the next communication trend 00:54:46 - Relationship status, dating apps, removing chemistry, and making new connections 00:58:46 - Recognizing generational patterns, engaging curiosity, and healthy feedback loops 01:01:55 - Courtesy and friendliness, being judgmental, and pondering sociocultural shifts 01:06:35 - College words and phrases, the favorite part of the colon, and PowerPoint PARTIES 01:10:39 - Ben’s PowerPoint prejudice, keeping it spicy, that chipmunk song, and a new phase   ***   Follow Two Vague on… Our website: https://www.twovaguepodcast.com On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/two_vague_podcast On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@twovaguepodcast On Substack: https://twovaguepodcast.substack.com/ On Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/twovaguepodcast.com   For show appearance and other inquiries, contact us at: [email protected] -AND-  …for all of your PRI and 2VP merch, check out the Partly Robot Industries store at TEEPUBLIC! https://www.teepublic.com/user/partly-robot-industries   ***   References, Links, and Tags   Fields of Mistria - Developed and published by NPC Studio  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQ41ud74zB4 https://www.fieldsofmistria.com/ https://store.steampowered.com/app/2142790/Fields_of_Mistria/   HAMSTERMIND - Developed and published by Righteous Tree Studio https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bo-iKwf79bU https://righteoustreestudio.com/ https://store.steampowered.com/app/3555520/HAMSTERMIND/   #Podbean #DIYPodcast #ApplePodcast #VideoGames #Trivia #Comedy #Talkshow #2VP #TwoVaguePodcast #PodernFamily #InterviewShow #GamersofThreads #Gamer #PartlyRobot #PartlyRobotIndustries #TeePublic #FieldsOfMistria #NPCStudio #HAMSTERMIND #RighteousTreeStudio

We have double the guests for you this week for a show so special that it inspired a new and spicy 2VP T-shirt design—available on Andrew’s TeePublic storefront! In the first segment, Ben sits down with a visiting “aunt of the pod,” Norah, to discuss her first impressions from playing the demo of Black Jacket on the Steam Deck. The second segment features Jakub, the associate producer of this wonderful offering from Mi’Pu’Mi Games. The hosts have a discussion about the development of the game, Jakub’s role at Mi’Pu’Mi’ Games, the importance of variety as it relates to game development, and an assortment of other ramblings.  *** Black Jacket Demo First Impressions With Norah00:00:20 - THE Norah is IN, preliminary thoughts on the demo, and Ben wants a larger font00:02:53 - A wrinkled card game, story and game mechanics, and comparing it to other games00:06:02 - Norah betting badly, happy to take all her money, and how Ben does introductions00:09:51 - Too early to do stars, real voice actors, an explanation of next segment, and thanks  The Announcement Trailer for Black Jackethttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zC4Mtfz0YN8 A Conversation With Jakub from Mi’Pu’Mi’ Games00:12:04 - Jukub introduces himself, a tradition of puns, going to PAX, and a demo experience00:15:02 - Black Jacket development timeline, oozing in a good way, and differences in demos00:19:02 - Not spoiling the boss count, Mi’Pu’Mi’s focus, and the three pillars of the business00:22:26 - A little James bondage, Barbara Broccoli, Jakub’s choice, and learning from variety00:26:56 - Fully independent, Ben’s new management buzz phrase, and ignorant Americans00:29:58 - A technical hiccup, radio face, the definition according to Ox Ford, and consistency00:33:50 - Gameplay variety, games with too much stuff, maintaining balance, and Warframe00:39:24 - Live-service games, barriers to entry, smorgasbords, and a Star Wars Christmas 00:43:18 - Variety shows in the EU, in Polish, attitudes on diversity, and similar worldly norms00:47:34 - Traveling to and from Vienna, driving stereotypes, and riding two-wheeled vehicles00:49:45 - Losing Jakub, Ben’s final thoughts, he’s back, and we covered a variety of topics *** Follow Andrew / Partly Robot Industries on…His website: https://partlyrobot.com/On Instagram: https://instagram.com/partlyrobotOn TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@partlyrobotOn Substack: https://partlyrobot.substack.com/On Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/partlyrobot.comOn Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/partlyrobotAnd his TREE o’ LINKS: http://linktr.ee/partlyrobot Follow Two Vague on…Our website: https://www.twovaguepodcast.comOn Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/two_vague_podcastOn YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@twovaguepodcastOn Substack: https://twovaguepodcast.substack.com/On Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/twovaguepodcast.com For show appearance and other inquiries, contact us at: [email protected] …for all of your PRI and 2VP merch check out the Partly Robot Industries store at TEEPUBLIC!https://www.teepublic.com/user/partly-robot-industries To add to Partly Robot Industries’ coffers and enhance Ben’s graphic design ego, pick up a “SPICY,” episode-inspired, Two Vague Podcast T-shirt here!https://www.teepublic.com/t-shirt/90605584-two-vague-spice-blend *** References, Links, and Tags For more information on Mi’Pu’Mi Games and Black Jacket…https://www.mipumi.com/https://store.steampowered.com/app/3100370/Black_Jacket/ #Podbean #DIYPodcast #ApplePodcast #VideoGames #Trivia #Comedy #Talkshow #2VP #TwoVaguePodcast #PodernFamily #InterviewShow #GamersofThreads #Gamer #PartlyRobot #PartlyRobotIndustries #TeePublic #MiPuMiGames #BlackJacket

Mango the pod-cat, joins Ben this week to meow about his favorite word, his upcoming appearance in Andrew’s latest zine, and other assorted nonsense. Ben’s grasp of the feline language is a little rusty, but he does his best to keep up. After Mango gets bored of chatting, he provides a little ASMR-inspired purring to close out the show. *** 00:00:20 - Mee Meow Meow Meowcast introduction, meow-meow me…ow, and right meow00:02:02 - Meow, meow, final meows, closing the show, and Mango’s ASMR outro *** Follow Two Vague on…Our website: https://www.twovaguepodcast.comOn Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/two_vague_podcastOn YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@twovaguepodcastOn Substack: https://twovaguepodcast.substack.com/On Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/twovaguepodcast.com For show appearance and other inquiries, contact us at: [email protected] …for all of your PRI and 2VP merch check out the Partly Robot Industries store at TEEPUBLIC!https://www.teepublic.com/user/partly-robot-industries *** References, Links, and Tags #Podbean #DIYPodcast #ApplePodcast #VideoGames #Trivia #Comedy #Talkshow #2VP #TwoVaguePodcast #PodernFamily #InterviewShow #GamersofThreads #Gamer #PartlyRobot #PartlyRobotIndustries #TeePublic #AprilFoolsDay #Meow

Autistic stand-up comedienne Holly Huff joins Ben this week to talk about her comedy club experiences, her future plans for utilizing her writing talents, and her thoughts on Batman movies. After an exchange of pleasantries and a discussion about Holly’s background and ambitions, they dig into the definition specifics and Ben’s favorite Google feature! Next, they take a brief detour through the subject of ice cream novelties before the video game shenanigans commence! Games discussed in this episode include Dispatch, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Kingdoms of Amalur Reckoning, and Rocksteady Studios’ Batman and Batman-adjacent games.  *** 00:00:20 - Meeting Andrew, career hopes, telling Holly about the show's origins, and comics 00:04:14 - Holly introduces herself, challenges of comedy on the spectrum, and burnout 00:07:05 - A sensory issue at a venue, hearing that smell, going off script, and improvisation 00:09:46 - Ben’s strategy for managing anxiety, personal growth, and trending standup routines Holly’s Grateful Dead stand-up bit - https://www.youtube.com/shorts/YsUG-80TQpE 00:12:07 - Holly’s focus, weird cartoon love, the ultimate goal, and the changing landscape 00:15:25 - No interest in being a humorist, first link, the definition, and THE four bodily fluids 00:18:31 - Ben brings it up... AGAIN, comedy mainstream, and the urge to make people laugh 00:21:11 - Authenticity, Zoltan Kaszas, laughing, a novelty ice cream truck, and soap flavoring 00:24:01 - Traveling for comedy, buyer's remorse, Telltale games, Batman tease, and licenses 00:28:31 - Holly’s Dispatch video thoughts, a gamer in denial, and your choices always matters 00:32:37 - Cheating at Choose Your Own Adventure, the nerdiest thing, and a fish out of water 00:34:19 - Using labels, autism things, dispelling the us vs. them mentality, and commonalities 00:40:28 - For example… Batman, it’s time for the feud, and Holly had some issues with Tenet 00:42:41 - Setting a higher bar, a different Ben gets snubbed, and multiple Batman universes 00:47:51 - Rocksteady Studios’ Batman, unwanted driving levels, and the Suicide Squad flop 00:51:29 - Urinating on The Flash, glitches can be funny, and Holly IS buying Skyrim 17 times 00:54:41 - Hilarious bits in serious games, no zombies for Holly, and an artist ruining horses 00:57:00 - Another pitch, reluctantly on TikTok, Gary Oldman, and a Christopher Nolan idea *** Follow Holly Huff on… On instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hollyhuffcomedy/ On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HollyHuffComedy On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/holly.huff.2025/ On TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hollyhuffcomedy?lang=en   Follow Two Vague on… Our website: https://www.twovaguepodcast.com On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/two_vague_podcast On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@twovaguepodcast On Substack: https://twovaguepodcast.substack.com/ On Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/twovaguepodcast.com   For show appearance and other inquiries, contact us at: [email protected] -AND-  …for all of your PRI and 2VP merch, check out the Partly Robot Industries store at TEEPUBLIC! https://www.teepublic.com/user/partly-robot-industries *** References, Links, and Tags #Podbean #DIYPodcast #ApplePodcast #VideoGames #Trivia #Comedy #Talkshow #2VP #TwoVaguePodcast #PodernFamily #InterviewShow #GamersofThreads #Gamer #PartlyRobot #PartlyRobotIndustries #TeePublic #MicrocosmPublishing #HollyHuff

Karen Morrison, program director of virtual events at the International Game Developers Association Foundation and narrative designer at Soda Den, joins Ben this week to talk about her adventures in Argentina and all of the wonderful things she and her peers do at IGDA and the IGDA-F to help passionate folks gain entry into the video games industry. After a quick Argentinian-flavored travelogue compliments of Karen, Ben talks about the game he’s been playing, ZOE Begone! Then it’s time to explore the endless expanse of the word and what it means—the sky’s the limit! To conclude the program, they discuss what IGDA and the IGDA Foundation do to grow and foster a diverse, welcoming community of video game industry professionals.  *** 00:00:20 - Needs more exuberance, a fellow “neato” person, way too swanky, and Argentina00:02:52 - Anagrams, activities in foreign countries, Evita Perón’s grave, and pescatarianism00:07:28 - Cool Hand Luke, not crying, the Broadway tie-in, and Ben is playing ZOE Begone!00:11:41 - Arcade game energy, film editing mechanics, and playing Toem: A Photo Adventure00:14:40 - The definition, another n-gram introduction, the aliens, and distracted by disco 00:17:18 - Word counter, science as a framework, endless creative pursuits, and robot dogs00:21:50 - Rich person art, viewer and artist, synthesis and separation, and H.P. Lovecraft00:25:53 - Becoming part of the zeitgeist, AI art impacts, and Mango’s spicy noodle interlude00:30:12 - A Goldblum quote, paper plates collecting your information, and Arc Raiders’ AI use00:34:15 - Slippery slopes, thoughts on "The Expert" short, and the value of design compromise "The Expert" - A Short by Lauris Beinertshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKorP55Aqvg 00:40:04 - How Dad handled errors, politics in Ben’s throat, and Karen shares positive stories00:43:54 - Misdirected passion, crunch definition, burnout, work/life balance, and permission 00:47:00 - Marginalized individuals, Karen’s IGDA origin story, and a cross-learning cohort00:51:28 - Process improvement metaphors, the word “moist," and the local chapters of IGDA00:55:02 - Events and mixers, being awkward in groups, networking, and upcoming events00:59:28 - Ben’s game idea, Double Fine’s involvement, Tim Schafer, and devious reasons *** Follow Two Vague on…Our website: https://www.twovaguepodcast.comOn Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/two_vague_podcastOn YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@twovaguepodcastOn Substack: https://twovaguepodcast.substack.com/On Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/twovaguepodcast.com For show appearance and other inquiries, contact us at: [email protected] …for all of your PRI and 2VP merchandise, check out the Partly Robot Industries store at TEEPUBLIC!https://www.teepublic.com/user/partly-robot-industries *** References, Links, and Tags Learn more about IGDA and the IGDA Foundationhttps://igda.org/https://www.igdafoundation.org/ Check out Soda Den on Steamhttps://store.steampowered.com/developer/sodaden Click the links below for additional information on Retchy Games’ ZOE Begone!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=779Iu4YBFmAhttps://store.steampowered.com/app/1266610/ZOE_Begone/ #Podbean #DIYPodcast #ApplePodcast #VideoGames #Trivia #Comedy #Talkshow #2VP #TwoVaguePodcast #PodernFamily #InterviewShow #GamersofThreads #Gamer #PartlyRobot #PartlyRobotIndustries #TeePublic #MicrocosmPublishing #IGDA #IGDAF #PMStudios #ZOEBegone #RetchyGames #SodaDen #TheExpert #LaurisBeinerts

Andrew joins Ben this week to celebrate their penchants for approaching things from a different angle. Lack of perpendicularity aside, they discuss the abundant number of neurodiversity irons Andrew has in the proverbial fire, along with strategies to navigate creative blocks and coping skills for mental burnout. Before doing a deep dive into Andrew's ADHD Coping Skills deck and how they navigate their emotions, they pit Brian Eno’s Oblique Strategies deck against Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey. And OF COURSE, Ben will put on a perspective drawing clinic before describing (in excruciatingly painful detail) how 3D spaces are represented in various video games. Specific games mentioned this week include Ball X Pit, Arc Raiders, Dungeon Clawler, Abra-Cooking-Dabra, Arcane Eats, Marvel Cosmic Invasion, and Paperboy. *** 00:00:20 - Traffic on the 2s and 7s, Andrew’s cool stuff, and Ben is scheduling for the future00:03:36 - Raiding arks, geometry adjacent, a pit of BALLS, and heavy ball propulsion variety00:06:05 - Dungeon Clawler, CJ’s sleeping habits, maybe a baby carcass, and the pinkest pink00:09:23 - Salvaging pegboard, concocting passive revenge strategies, and being a card cook00:15:31 - Famous British cuisine, portable meats, not Ben’s cup of tea, and no Scrabble score00:17:27 - The settee, lots of Geometry, grammatical cases, and Help for esteemed creators00:24:01 - Three friends, usage in print, Brian Eno’s fault, script flipping, and Oblique Strategies 00:26:43 - Water, Ben counters with Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey, and more strategies 00:29:26 - Devo doesn’t need a reset, the ADHD coping skills deck, and usage instructions00:32:06 - Circumventing patterns, performance metrics, requesting downtime, and tweaking00:36:31 - Pigeonholing, different brains and conformity, an explanation, and openly autistic00:40:28 - Talking Heads music, levels of impairment, and don’t be afraid to show empathy00:42:38 - A Yoda quote, lessons learned, an autistic coping skills deck, and avoiding overload00:46:01 - A new Shiny Shirt Ben appearance, breaking up tasks, and notes for Andrew’s agent00:48:42 - Not bringing Steinbeck in, drafting memories, and perspective drawing nonsense 00:53:20 - THE one-way feud, a new Marvel-themed game, shadows and parallax scrolling00:56:59 - Atari’s Paperboy, brief origin story, paper delivery experience, and Ebert over Siskel01:00:15 - Transparencies, old presentation methods, cast changes for realism, and controls01:03:28 - Buy my stuff, romancing the plant, getting sued by the N’s, and quit licking yourself *** Follow Andrew / Partly Robot Industries on…His website: https://partlyrobot.com/On Instagram: https://instagram.com/partlyrobotOn TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@partlyrobotOn Substack: https://partlyrobot.substack.com/On Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/partlyrobot.comOn Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/partlyrobotOn Microcosm Publishing: https://microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/artist/andrew-coltrinOn Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/partlyrobotAnd his TREE o’ LINKS: http://linktr.ee/partlyrobot Follow Two Vague on…Our website: https://www.twovaguepodcast.comOn Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/two_vague_podcastOn YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@twovaguepodcastOn Substack: https://twovaguepodcast.substack.com/On Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/twovaguepodcast.com For show appearance and other inquiries, contact us at: [email protected] …for all of your PRI and 2VP merch, check out the Partly Robot Industries store at TEEPUBLIC!https://www.teepublic.com/user/partly-robot-industries *** References, Links, and Tags Ball X Pit - developed by Kenny Sun and published by Devolver Digitalhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xU1voPpJkJAhttps://store.steampowered.com/app/2062430/BALL_x_PIT/ Abra-Cooking-Dabra - developed and published by Door 407https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5ytLD_sJO0https://store.steampowered.com/app/3021530/AbraCookingDabra/ Arcane Eats - developed by Wonderbelly Ga

Norah joins Ben this week to close out the last 4 games in our 2025 pile of review codes. These games revolve around a diverse assortment of actions: smithing, plundering, angling, and foraging. There’s sure to be a game to pique your interest here, so get cozy, sit back, and relax. *** Blades of Fire by MercurySteam SL - published by 505 Games 00:00:20 - Cozy game disclaimer, amazing details, and Ben says “system” instead of “steam.” 00:03:06 - Summary of the background story, Aran and Adso, and the blade-forging mechanics  00:07:33 - A mini-game critique, discovering resources, and engaging in combat with blades  00:11:02 - Mediocre narrative, becoming the circumference, resting respawns, and the acting 00:13:47 - Norah’s questions, chasing ravens, trouble with trolls, and a circling birds distraction 00:17:46 - Ben probably won’t find out, a suggestion, publisher “rankings,” and the closing    Trident’s Tale by 3D Clouds - self-published 00:20:36 - Pirates, Sea of Thieves, a bevy of licensed games, and lots of running and jumping  00:24:46 - No relation to Billy, the shortest distance, and a lackluster ship combat teaser  00:28:20 - That WAS a lot, underwhelming and generic, an annoying “puzzle,” and falling off 00:31:33 - Ship combat details, subpar voice acting, abrupt scene changes, and spoiled Ben 00:35:33 - Plain animations, connecting with novices, a benchmark, and a bone marrow idea Nice Day for Fishing by FusionPlay - published by Team 17  00:38:33 - Various husbands, Mango loves fish, catching fish in games, and Epic NPC Man 00:41:13 - Defining NPC for Norah, Baelin’s limited vocabulary, MMOs, and a DnD crossover 00:44:19 - RPG-inspired fishing mechanics, Norah’s trailer questions, and big boss fighting 00:48:29 - Character powers, the funny guys, perpetual hammer loss, and only horizontal 00:51:32 - Explaining DLC to Norah, Ben’s unexpected enjoyment, and the blind masters  Fruitbus by Krillbite Studio—published in conjunction with The Iterative Collective 00:55:17 - One of the two… or both, a food truck inheritance, talking to ashes, and picking 00:57:27 - Feeding tummies/souls, Norah is reminded of Donut County, and food prep realism  01:00:47 - Invitation-centric missions, children’s storybook style, buzzwords, and low stakes 01:03:47 - Angry customers, choppy animation, picking fruit with basketballs, and easy prep 01:06:02 - Favorite fruits, macerating peaches, no juicy bananas, and liking sweet veggies 01:08:44 - No animals were harmed, no more questions, and the price of this cozy experience  *** Follow Two Vague on… Our website: https://www.twovaguepodcast.com On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/two_vague_podcast On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@twovaguepodcast On Substack: https://twovaguepodcast.substack.com/ On Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/twovaguepodcast.com For show appearance and other inquiries, contact us at: [email protected] -AND-  …for all of your PRI and 2VP merch, check out the Partly Robot Industries store at TEEPUBLIC! https://www.teepublic.com/user/partly-robot-industries *** References, Links, and Tags Blades of Fire - https://youtu.be/_U8TncLXi3A?si=JyEdQ19o172-mPkG https://bladesoffire.com/en/ Trident’s Tale - https://youtu.be/KlQ4vLuVFuM?si=3wpYpSsxypRmHEAR https://store.steampowered.com/app/2541780/Tridents_Tale/ Nice Day for Fishing - https://youtu.be/RSGZiufPEro?si=DSeLB-SjfstJD4ns https://store.steampowered.com/app/2393160/Nice_Day_for_Fishing/ …and check out Viva La Dirt League’s other content at https://vivaplus.tv/en-usd Fruitbus - https://youtu.be/-XWZiSJp2L4?si=iSH4mFmzIuqTz2-- https://www.krillbite.com/fruitbus https://store.steampowered.com/app/2484130/Fruitbus/ #Podbean #DIYPodcast #ApplePodcast #VideoGames #Trivia #Comedy #Talkshow #2VP #TwoVaguePodcast #PodernFamily #InterviewShow #GamersofThreads #Gamer #PartlyRobot #PartlyRobotIndustries #TeePublic #BladesOfFire #MercurySteamSL #505Games #TridentsTale #3DClouds #NiceDayForFishing #VivaLaD

We have a combo episode for you this week centered around the amazing game StarVaders. In the introduction segment, Ben describes his game experiences to Norah and answers her questions. Spoiler alert: by the end of the conversation she is sold, so now she just needs to get a Steam Deck. In the second segment, Ben showers the StarVaders game designer Eddie with praise before getting into a fascinating discussion about a sandwich-centric philosophical debate on video game design and the odd assortment of definitions for the topic word. *** Pre-show discussion and review of StarVaders with Norah 00:00:20 - Norah’s trailer impressions, additional research, and previous deck-builder games  00:02:44 - Jumping the gun on describing game mechanics, and various trailer approaches  00:04:52 - StarVaders according to the Pengonauts website, and more details the game loop 00:06:54 - Mech types, an introduction to DOOM, junk cards, and a tremendous variety 00:10:23 - Norah’s question, the mysterious Overseer, level boss diversity, and the true ending 00:12:46 - The “grid,” Ben describes some boss encounters, Norah’s brain, and satisfaction 00:16:09 - Joystick Ventures, only on Steam for now, like playing chess, and LocalThunk teaser  Interview with Eddie, creator of StarVaders and all-around good guy 00:19:11 - Introducing game dev Eddie Kai, Ben loves StarVaders, and thanking LocalThunk 00:21:01 - Some Rogue Climber talk, unlocking the beach DLC, and getting great reviews 00:24:54 - On to the definition, sunbathing, not a baseball guy, and a couple of two-plankers 00:26:43 - Skis on ice, no memory of old media, packet of cards or narcotics, and decoration  00:28:25 - Old-timey verbs, origin mysteries, and a fictitious deli honors Eddie’s gaming legacy 00:31:40 - A sandwich called “The Burger,” rogue-like, defining a game, and playing burgers 00:35:48 - Definitions of food items, a Portal into game design, and the narrative condiments  00:38:41 - Dead authors, Ben’s burger discussion equivalent, and preferred genres of media 00:43:03 - Card collection and tabletop games, and Monopoly—deck builder or engine builder 00:47:01 - Extreme specificity, differences in instructional approaches, and being a blacksmith 00:49:54 - Art or product, traditional card games, the Star Wars bread, and changing rules 00:54:14 - Chopsticks, floating nausea malls, baseball haircuts, and Eddie’s final thoughts 00:56:49 - Literally, Parks and Recreation, Ben’s final thoughts, studio names, and Pengo  *** Follow Two Vague on… Our website: https://www.twovaguepodcast.com On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/two_vague_podcast On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@twovaguepodcast On Substack: https://twovaguepodcast.substack.com/ On Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/twovaguepodcast.com For show appearance and other inquiries, contact us at: [email protected] -AND-  …for all of your PRI and 2VP merch check out the Partly Robot Industries store at TEEPUBLIC! https://www.teepublic.com/user/partly-robot-industries *** References, Links, and Tags Check out Pengonauts’ official page and StarVaders on Steam https://pengonauts.com/ https://star-vaders.com/ https://store.steampowered.com/app/2097570/StarVaders/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgEh9mWKrdo #Podbean #DIYPodcast #ApplePodcast #VideoGames #Trivia #Comedy #Talkshow #2VP #TwoVaguePodcast #PodernFamily #InterviewShow #GamersofThreads #Gamer #PartlyRobot #PartlyRobotIndustries #TeePublic #StarVaders #Pengonauts