76 episodes
Pixel Therapy Pod Pixel Therapy Pod
-
- Leisure
-
-
4.8 • 36 Ratings
-
New perspectives on video game culture and current events, every other Tuesday. We have fun, we go deep, and we explore the love of games within a broader social and cultural context while challenging conventional notions of what it means to be a "gamer"— and who gets to call themselves one.
https://www.pixeltherapypod.com/
-
He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother(s Remake)!
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons, originally released in 2013 to critical and fan acclaim, transformed the way many people thought about what games could be and laid the groundwork for director Josef Fares' later explorations in cooperative mechanics (y'all may remember his title It Takes Two won Game of the Year in 2021!). Lovingly remade by Italian developer Avantgarden, critics have been torn on Brothers 2024 -- but we sure aren't! Join us as we re-traumatize ourselves on this heartbreaking adventure while Spencer recaps their experience at GDC 2024.
For real though: Content warning for discussions of gameplay involving depictions of attempted suicide and death.
0:58 - Patreon shoutouts
3:09 - Spencer went to GDC
34:58 - Brothers conversation begins
1:07:27 - Content Warning: Mention of Suicide
1:10:35 - End of Content Warning section
1:17:09 - SPOILERS for Brothers
1:35:10 - End of Spoilers
Side Quest
tinyurl.com/opolivebranch
Operation Olive Branch is a grassroots collective effort to amplify Palestinian voices and their GoFundMes – visit the link to learn more or visit their Instagram page at @operationolivebranch.
Watch the live recording of this episode on YouTube here: https://youtube.com/live/Etg-ZgICP-g
About Pixel Therapy
We're a podcast queering and transcending video games for all kinds of gamers and those who love them--get cozy with us! 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) and subscribe! Want more? Join for free or unlock monthly bonus episodes for $2/mo at patreon.com/pixeltherapypod -
Love, Death + Ghosties in Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden
Join us as we break down DON'T NOD's spiritual Vampyr successor, the doomed love story of ghost hunters Red and Antea in Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden.
0:45 - Patreon shoutouts
3:05 - Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
9:10 - Showtime's The Curse
16:51 - discussion of Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden begins
Side Quest
tinyurl.com/opolivebranch
Operation Olive Branch is a grassroots collective effort to amplify Palestinian voices and their GoFundMes – visit the link to learn more or visit their Instagram page at @operationolivebranch.
Watch the live recording of this episode on YouTube here: https://youtube.com/live/Cppl6h4hWh8
About Pixel Therapy
We're a podcast queering and transcending video games for all kinds of gamers and those who love them--get cozy with us! 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) and subscribe! Want more? Join for free or unlock monthly bonus episodes for $2/mo at patreon.com/pixeltherapypod -
Story Craft: A Conversation with In Stars and Time's Adrienne Bazir
This week, we're so excited to welcome cartoonist, animator, and game developer Adrienne Bazir (she/they) into the studio to talk about their 2023 timeloop RPG, In Stars and Time!
In Stars and Time is a turn-based RPG that follows a group of adventurers at the end of their journey to defeat a king slowly freezing the land in time. It's also a game about found family, snacks, cosmic indifference, and the power in knowing where you come from and embracing who you are. Safe to say it has us in a chokehold.
0:57 - patreon shoutouts
2:07 - introduction of adrienne
6:53 - discussion of In Stars and Time begins
Learn more about Adrienne and In Stars and Time:
https://www.insertdisc5.com/
https://www.instarsandtime.com/ - available now on Steam, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch!
Side Quest
https://www.instagram.com/anat.international/
Salma Shawa (@anat.international) is a content creator pushing followers to think critically about Palestine. Give her a follow on Instagram!
About Pixel Therapy
We're a podcast queering and transcending video games for all kinds of gamers and those who love them--get cozy with us! 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) and subscribe! Want more? Join for free or unlock monthly bonus episodes for $2/mo at patreon.com/pixeltherapypod -
Pixel Therapy's Games of the Year 2023
Welcome to our third annual totally unserious end of year review! Let's dive into some of the games that we were especially delighted, transported, and inspired by in 2023.
3:27 - thank you!
7:14 - 2023 in games - great games vs. terrible layoffs
17:04 - recapping our year in games
31:49 - our 2023 Top 5 games
1:41:58 - honorable mentions
1:48:32 - favorite character of the year
Articles Referenced
https://www.theverge.com/24009039/video-game-layoffs-2023
Side Quest
https://www.instagram.com/connectinghumanity_/
Connecting Humanity is a non-profit organization dedicated to connecting vulnerable people in conflict zones by distributing e-sims, digital sim cards allowing for connection to a cellular network, bringing vital communication to family, between medical providers and patients, and more in Gaza and beyond. Check them out on Instagram!
About Pixel Therapy
We're a podcast queering and transcending video games for all kinds of gamers and those who love them--get cozy with us! 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) and subscribe! Want more? Join for free or unlock monthly bonus episodes for $2/mo at patreon.com/pixeltherapypod -
In Jusant and Chants of Sennaar, It's the Climb
As we close out a difficult year, two great games with interesting parallels remind us to keep it pushing -- with profound meditations on what happens when we look away from the world and from each other. In Rundisc's Chants of Sennaar, a hooded protagonist strives to reach the top of a mysterious tower while decoding language barriers that have kept its inhabitants isolated for generations. In Don't Nod's Jusant, a young climber scales an abandoned mountain in a treacherous journey to restore balance to a planet trapped in limbo. And they both slap!!!!
1:51 - Patreon shoutouts! Thank you all!
4:09 - Casual home disaster chat (thanks for your patience as we've rescheduled lately!)
6:27 - We both finished Sea of Stars!
17:23 - Jusant and Chants of Sennaar conversation
Article referenced:
https://www.polygon.com/reviews/23864920/chants-of-sennaar-review-puzzles-stealth
Side Quest
https://www.antipoliceterrorproject.org/
The Anti Police-Terror Project is a Black-led, multi-racial, intergenerational coalition that seeks to build a replicable and sustainable model to eradicate police terror in communities of color. We support families surviving police terror in their fight for justice, documenting police abuses and connecting impacted families and community members with resources, legal referrals, and opportunities for healing.
About Pixel Therapy
We're a podcast queering and transcending video games for all kinds of gamers and those who love them--get cozy with us! 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) and subscribe! Want more? Join for free or unlock monthly bonus episodes for $2/mo at patreon.com/pixeltherapypod -
In Thirsty Suitors, Maximalism Meets Emotional Maturity
Jala Jayaratne is a bisexual mess! In Outerloop Games' Thirsty Suitors (published by Annapurna Interactive), she skates, cooks, and battles her way through emotionally intense psychodrama encounters with her exes on the path towards accountability and redemption. You know, your classic visit home. Join us as we gush over this absolutely gorgeous game and dive into its endearing emotional depth and celebration of queer truth!
Remember to subscribe to our YouTube channel and check out our upcoming streams!
Tue, Nov 28 @ 8PM ETThu, Nov 30 @ 8PM ET
Article referenced:
https://www.wired.com/review/thirsty-suitors-review/
Side Quest
https://ceasefiretoday.com/
This is an international collection of resources designed to help you demand a ceasefire in Gaza from your local representatives, spread awareness in your social networks, and donate to humanitarian causes on the ground who are working tirelessly to provide lifesaving medical aid to children and other vulnerable civilians.
About Pixel Therapy
We're a podcast queering and transcending video games for all kinds of gamers and those who love them--get cozy with us! 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) and subscribe! Want more? Join for free or unlock monthly bonus episodes for $2/mo at patreon.com/pixeltherapypod
Customer Reviews
The Podcast That Made Me Rediscover What Gaming Can Do For Us
As someone who has been playing video games since they were only 5, they were actually kind of a big part of who I was, until one day I sort of put down the controller and never picked it back up — it just sort of faded away as a hobby, I guess.
Recently, I played a story-based, AAA video game (just like the ones I mainly used to play) for the first time in years, and I remembered why I used to be a “gamer”. I liked the feeling of getting lost in something but also having the control to decide exactly how to get lost in it.
My partner has been playing a lot of video games — nothing super crazy but definitely more than he normally would. Today he came to me and told me that he was struggling and the reason he was playing so often was because it was something else to focus on that gave him an opportunity to stop ruminating on the things that were difficult. Partially because of this podcast, and partially because of my own experiences, I was able to tell him I completely understood.
I love the insightful yet slightly controversial recurring question of “do you identify as a gamer?” to guests — always prompts a reaction! I always find myself laughing with Spencer and Jamie — I can hear their friendship through the speakers 😌
Came here from Cozy Robot :)
Love this pod. I can’t stop listening!
Much Needed Diverse Voices In Gaming
I heard about this podcast through The Cozy Robot Show and I love what I’m hearing. In this realm that is rampant with white male stereotypes, it’s a breath of fresh air to hear from other voices about the gaming industry, games, and the impact these games have today. Being a white straight male, I’m looking forward to learning and growing through the stories shared here so we can make gaming more inclusive and accepting. Thank you for this podcast!