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This week's episode is a short one about two short touchscreen games: the Game Awards winning If Found... and the Apple Arcade's miniature feel-good RPG Guildlings.  Also touched upon: Linelight, Reigns, Necrobarista, Red Colony, Yakuza 0 and Resogun. You can come say hi and follow the show on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Twitch via http://linktr.ee/gaminginthewild.  You can also support the show on Patreon to get exclusive episodes, sale recommendations, and an invite to the show’s Discord community via http://patreon.com/gaminginthewild.  Support also appreciated via Ko-Fi, if that's your preferred platform: https://ko-fi.com/gaminginthewild. As always, thanks for listening!

New year, new series! The first episode in season 2 of Gaming in the Wild is a banger, featuring three games I played during the winter break - the beautiful Spiritfarer, the bonkers WATTAM, and the adrenalised Nex Machina. Also featured: aurora sightings, things I’ve gotten in the mail recently, and how to deal with game frustration. You can come say hi and follow the show on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Twitch via http://linktr.ee/gaminginthewild. You can also support the show on Patreon to get exclusive episodes, sale recommendations, and an invite to the show’s Discord community via http://patreon.com/gaminginthewild. As always, thanks for listening!

In the final of three GOTY 2020 episodes, this week’s guest is gamer, streamer, and brand new dog owner Dani aka Girl With Box. Dani brings a fresh multiplayer selection that helped her stay sane in the year that was. You can follow Dani at https://twitter.com/girlwithbox. (Note, Dog With Box, aka Muncy, does a bit of background gnawing at the start - if it bothers you, jump in at minute 17 and you’re safe from there. The game under discussion is Just Dance.) You can come say hi and follow the show on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Twitch via http://linktr.ee/gaminginthewild. You can also support the show on Patreon to get exclusive episodes, sale recommendations, and an invite to the show’s Discord community via http://patreon.com/gaminginthewild. And as always, thanks for listening!

My second Games of the Year guest is Louis, co-host of the excellent Time Played 3hr podcast, who dropped by to talk about the history of rally driving, in-game photography, turning horses into glue, Cyberpunk 2077, and much more besides. It was a really fun chat, be sure to check out Time Plays 3hr, streaming now on all reputable podcast services.   Games discussed: 12:01 Umurangi Generation 18:35 The Pathless 30:40 Wide Ocean Big Jacket 36:00 In Other Waters 43:40 Animal Farm 56:00 A Short Hike 64:44 Art of Rally 72:36 The Last Of Us Pt. II 93:03 Cyberpunk 2077 106:07 Kentucky Route Zero 118:50 Wandersong 119:41 Manifold Garden You can find the article Louis mentioned about Last Of Us Pt. II here: https://www.vice.com/amp/en/article/bv8da4/the-not-so-hidden-israeli-politics-of-the-last-of-us-part-ii -- And you can find the great video games e-zine I referenced called Heterotopias here: http://www.heterotopiaszine.com and the Adam Robinson-Yu Short Hike lecture here: https://youtu.be/ZW8gWgpptI8. Follow the show on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Twitch via http://linktr.ee/gaminginthewild . You can also support the show on Patreon to get exclusive episodes, sale recommendations, and an invite to the show’s Discord community via http://patreon.com/gaminginthewild . The music in this show is by Ben Babbitt, from Kentucky Route Zero. As always, thanks for listening!

On this week’s episode I welcome special guest Ciaran Daly to the show. He's one of the people behind the Radical Art Review magazine (and kind of my “gaming mentor”). We each talked about five games we loved playing this year. It’s not all about 2020 releases - some of them are from last year, or earlier - but it was a really fun chat about games as diverse as Mario All-Stars, Dreams, Disco Elysium, Kentucky Route Zero, Hollow Knight, Death Stranding, The Last of Us Pt. II, Outer Wilds, and more. The next few shows will feature other guests talking through their year in games. Check out Radical Art Review online at http://www.radicalartreview.org. Follow the show on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Twitch via http://linktr.ee/gaminginthewild. You can also support the show on Patreon to get exclusive episodes, sale recommendations, and an invite to the show’s Discord community via http://patreon.com/gaminginthewild. As always, thanks for listening! (Music by Ben Babbitt, from Kentucky Route Zero)

This week’s episode is a roundup of some true show favourites that have recently had updates. Remedy’s Control has added much-needed difficulty options and two new episodes; No Man’s Sky has continued to grow and improve with the 2020 Desolation and Origins updates. I also share some thoughts on recent sale buys Gato Roboto, The Alto Collection, and Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch. You can come say hi and follow the show on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Twitch via http://linktr.ee/gaminginthewild. I'm also very grateful to my listeners who support the show via Patreon, and in return get exclusive episodes, weekly sale recommendations, and an invite to the show’s Discord community. Join the gang via http://patreon.com/gaminginthewild for as little as $1 a month! And as always, thanks for listening.

This week's game is the third polished gem in the Supergiant Games roster. After escaping from Hades last episode, this time I traverse the Downside in the high-fantasy visual novel–RPG–sports game Pyre. It's an inventive and aesthetically stunning one-off game that's  like nothing else I've played. (There's a spoiler break half way through, so you can hear about it safely if you wanna play it yourself, or hear some late-game thoughts if you've played it already.) You can come say hi and follow the show on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Twitch via http://linktr.ee/gaminginthewild. You can also support the show on Patreon to get exclusive episodes, sale recommendations, and an invite to the show’s Discord community via http://patreon.com/gaminginthewild. As always, thanks for listening!

This week’s show is about Hades, an all-action roguelike dungeon crawler set in the Greek underworld. It’s not my usual genre, but it's by the acclaimed Supergiant studio who made Transistor, Pyre and Bastion, which bodes well for any game. It took a bit of a journey to understand the mechanics, but it's a supremely entertaining game that earned my admiration by the end. It’s out now for Nintendo Switch, Windows and Mac. You can come say hi and follow the show on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Twitch via http://linktr.ee/gaminginthewild, and support the show on Patreon to get exclusive episodes, sale recommendations, and an invite to our Discord community: http://patreon.com/gaminginthewild. And as always, thanks for listening!

This week I played an extraordinary new action-adventure game called The Pathless by Giant Squid, the studio behind ABZU. With fluid gameplay, brilliant music and a fascinating game world, fans of Journey, Breath of the Wild, Shadow of the Colossus and Hyper Light Drifter will find something to love here. The game also touches interestingly on some contemporary themes, which are explored after the spoiler break. There’s a 2xVinyl version of the fantastic soundtrack by Austin Wintory available via I Am 8 Bit, along with a physical edition of the game. It’s also  available digitally for Playstation 4 & 5, Apple Arcade and PC.  You can also support the show on Patreon to get patron-exclusive episodes, game recommendations, and an invite to the show’s Discord community via http://patreon.com/gaminginthewild. Also, you can share your thoughts on the game and follow the show via Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Twitch via http://linktr.ee/gaminginthewild.

This week's episode takes us to a far-flung Hebridean island to kick through the seaweed and hike over the hills of melancholic 'walking simulator' Dear Esther. Fans of more recent games like Gone Home and What Became of Edith Finch? will find something to enjoy here. Having finally finished one story strand of the mammoth Spartan saga Assassin's Creed Odyssey, it’s also time to revisit that game and dare to ask: can open world games be too big?  You can follow the show on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Twitch via http://linktr.ee/gaminginthewild. You can also support the show on Patreon to get exclusive episodes, sale recommendations and an invite to the show’s Discord community via http://patreon.com/gaminginthewild. And as always, thanks for listening!

The truth is out there... maybe? This episode I played two Halloweeny games: the bizarre fractured narrative of 45 minute indie-horror game Paratopic, and the surprisingly wholesome Speed Dating For Ghosts. Both are available for just a couple of units of your favourite currency on Steam, Itch and Nintendo Switch. You can follow the show on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Twitch via http://linktr.ee/gaminginthewild. Also, whether you're a brand new arrival or a regular listener, you can support the show from just $1 a month at http://patreon.com/gaminginthewild. Thanks for listening, and happy halloween!

This week’s show covers one of the most acclaimed (and best-selling) games of all time – the stunning Western epic, Red Dead Redemption 2. Now 25 hours in, I’ve been breathing the mountain air, learning the dead-eye, and coming to grips with the radical freedom that this stunning outlaw simulation has to offer. I also chat a bit about Fallout 76, and about how I’m recording in the middle of an audible windstorm. Hope it doesn’t become distracting! You can say hi on social media, and follow the show for updates on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Twitch via http://linktr.ee.com/gaminginthewild.  Support the show on Patreon to get exclusive episodes and articles via http://patreon.com/gaminginthewild. And as always, thanks for listening!

Is INSIDE a horror game? Find out this episode, when I delve into Playdead's LIMBO follow-up (and conduct a Twitter poll about whether this qualifies as a Halloween episode). Also featured: the oddities of playing as a child protagonist, the enjoyment of piecing together narratives from environmental cues and clues, the game's stunning sound design, and more. (Note: story spoilers are behind a well-demarcated break, so you can listen to most of it without fear if you're yet to play it yourself). If you enjoy the episode, you can support the show on Patreon to get patron-only episodes and other fun benefits at http://patreon.com/gaminginthewild.  You can follow the show on Twitch, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram via http://linktr.ee/gamingintehwild. And as always, thanks for listening!

This latest episode covers the fabulous, original, challenging sci-fi exploration game Outer Wilds. It's dizzyingly ambitious, and can be both glorious and maddening. It's a true original.  This spoiler-free episode covers the gameplay and the first passage of play, with a spoiler break to talk about some of the central concepts and late-game stuff, so you can listen safely if you're yet to play. And I stress that this is a game best experienced with as little advance info as possible. Don't even watch the trailer or read the Wiki!  If you enjoy the episode, you can support the show on Patreon for as little as $3 a month, and get access to Patron-exclusive episodes and more fun perks. I really appreciate it! http://patreon.com/gaminginthewild  You can also say hi on Twitter, or come join the party at Twitch, Instagram and YouTube via http://linktr.ee/gaminginthewild. And as always, thanks for listening!

The Stanley Parable and The Beginner’s Guide are two deeply unusual games by US developer Davey Wreden. This week's show takes a dive into the alternately surprising, hilarious and disturbing waters of their bizarre metafictional stories. Also covered: the troubled release of Lost Ember, and some first thoughts on Ori & The Blind Forest and Ori & The Will Of The Wisps. You can join the Gaming In The Wild Discord community – and help fund the show – for as little as $3 per month via our new Patreon page. Find out more at http://patreon.com/gaminginthewild.  I always love to hear from listeners - you can find the show on Twitter, Youtube, Instagram and Twitch via http://linktr.ee/gaminginthewild. The music on this episode is from the featured games, by Yiannis Ioannides (The Stanley Parable) and Ryan Roth (The Beginner's Guide). The outro music is from Night In The Woods. Thanks for listening!

Many games are described as cinematic, but few have gone as far in that direction as Virginia. A BAFTA-winning 2016 narrative 'walking simulator', it's a surreal and fascinating game that recalls Silence of the Lambs as much as Firewatch, and it's the featured game of this week's episode. Also covered: the launch of the Gaming In The Wild Patreon (which you can join at http://www.patreon.com/gaminginthewild if you so desire!), a northern lights sighting as Iceland's dark season arrives, a difficult experience playing Ori & The Blind Forest, the latest No Man's Sky update, and more. You can follow the show on Twitter, Instagram, Twitch and YouTube via http://linktre.ee/gaminginthewild.  And, as always, thanks for listening! Articles mentioned in the episode: MCVUK interview: https://www.mcvuk.com/business-news/media-pr/variable-state-on-the-making-of-virginia/ One of Virginia's directors interviewed: http://playingcatchup.co.uk/interview-jonathan-burroughs-of-variable-state/

This week’s show has the novelty of being about actual new games! First, we dive into the forlorn underground of The Last Campfire, before engaging in some optical illusion trickery in the Portal-influenced Superliminal. Finally, there’s some chat about the PS5 and X-Box price reveals, and the ensuing Twitter flop-off from fans of each console. Find the show on Twitter, YouTube, Twitch and Instagram to let me know if you have any game suggestions, or dis/liked these games: http://linktr.ee/gaminginthewild. Hear The Last Campfire soundtrack by Paul Weir at: https://hellogames.bandcamp.com/album/the-last-campfire-soundtrack Find the lo-fi mix of the Superliminal soundtrack at: https://2mellomakes.bandcamp.com/album/superliminal-the-lo-fi-mix And thanks, as always, for listening!

This episode is about three games that all share a sense of wonder and fairytale mystery. First is The Unfinished Swan, a celebrated 2012 PS3 title that has just been released for iOS and Steam. Next up is Fujii, a mellow, nature-oriented VR journey. Then it's time for enigmatic dimension-shifting 2D puzzle game Gorogoa. We round things off with some chat about The Secret of Dank Mountain and Sky: Children of Light. Feel free to come say hi or find additional content relating to the show on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Twitch via http://linktr.ee/gaminginthewild. Find The Unfinished Swan soundtrack at: https://store.playstation.com/en-us/product/UP9000-NPUA30116_00-098202SNDTRACK01 Find the Fujii soundtrack at: https://normanbambi.bandcamp.com/album/fujii Find the Gorogoa soundtrack at https://store.steampowered.com/app/745160/Gorogoa__Original_Soundtrack/

This episode centres coincidentally on games featuring Chinese food: indie visual novel and family saga Road To Guangdong, and brawler-puzzler-anime-story Battle Chef Brigade. Also covered: surreal visual novel Far From Noise, and finally, easy going tactile puzzle game One Line Coloring. Follow the show on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube and Instagram via http://linktr.ee/gaminginthewild. Thanks to Switch Indie Fix for providing a review copy of Road To Guangdong: look out for my review there soon. More thanks to Mythic Owl for providing a copy of One Line Coloring. And, as always, thanks to you, for listening.

This episode begins with two wonderful indie games: the BAFTA-winning minimalist platformer Thomas Was Alone, and jelly-legged capitalism dismantlement simulator Pikuniku. Then, it's a trip to Ancient Greece for big-budget blockbuster Assassin's Creed Odyssey, with a segment about how the game is being used as a communication tool by modern day historians. Finally, I run through some essential bargains in the current Nintendo Switch eShop sale.  You can also follow the show and see additional content on YouTube, Twitter, Instagram and Twitch via http://linktr.ee/gaminginthewild.  And as always, thanks for listening.