
The Level
The Level is a podcast for people who love video games. It's a weekly roundtable hosted by friends and industry outsiders Kole Ross, Ben Merkel, Dennis Furia, David Moneysmith, and Jala Prendes. Every Friday, we discuss video game news, the games we've been playing, and listener mail.
Latest episodes

Jul 19, 2025 • 1h 49min
Episode 550: An Unwater Game
Kaye, Ben, Dennis, and Moxie talk about Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4, Chorus of Carcosa, The Alters, and much more!
The Grind:
Moxie: Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4. The Division 2. Dominion.
Kaye: Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4. Chorus of Carcosa.
Dennis: Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4. Trackmania. The Alters.
Ben: Twilight Imperium. City of Six Moons.
The Multiplayer:
What game sound effect or fanfare plays in your head when you accomplish something?
The End Boss:
SAG-AFTRA video game voice actors’ strike ends with good AI protections and pay increases.
Subnautica 2 development imperiled by executive bonus fuckery.
Neil Druckman won’t be part of the remaining Last of Us TV series episodes.
A song from the Minecraft movie made it into Minecraft the game.

Jul 5, 2025 • 2h 3min
Episode 549: Accidentally on Fire
Kaye, Dennis, Jala, and Moxie talk about the Alters, Songs of Conquest, Finity, and much more!
The Grind:
Jala: Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc. Nina Aquila: Legal Eagle Chapter IV: Sacred Feathers. Dagon. Songs of Conquest.
Dennis: The Alters. Finity.
Moxie: FBC: Firebreak. The Division 2.
Kaye: The Labyrinth of the Demon King.
The Multiplayer:
What’s your most beloved janky, broken game?
The End Boss:
11bit caught using AI in the creation of The Alters.
Game developers are being accused of using AI when they absolutely didn’t.
Relooted is a game about heisting back stolen artifacts from museums.
The Halo team is about to announce something, probably a new Halo thing.

Jun 27, 2025 • 1h 51min
Episode 548: Vinheim is Pronounced
Hosts dive into the latest gaming experiences, exploring titles like FBC: Firebreak and SplitGate 2. They discuss the relationship between video game adaptations and their cinematic portrayals, with a special focus on the Devil May Cry anime. Quirky gameplay mechanics take center stage, with humorous notes on challenges in gaming. The crew critiques the flawed design of the Switch 2 case and navigates the uncertain future of Nexus Mods. Amid light-hearted banter, they emphasize the importance of player engagement and industry accountability.

Jun 20, 2025 • 1h 33min
Episode 547: Looking at the Scenery, Screaming
Episode Description:
Kaye, Ben, and Jala talk about The Labyrinth of the Demon King, a shitload of Steam NextFest demos, and much more!
The Grind:
Kaye: Labyrinth of the Demon King.
Ben: Baby Steps (Demo). Frosthaven (Demo). We Harvest Shadows (Demo).
Jala: The Drifter (Demo). Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream (Demo). Davy x Jones (Demo). Gecko Gods (Demo). Thief’s Shelter (Demo). Dead as Disco (Demo). One-Eyed Likho (Demo). Priest Simulator: Heavy Duty (Demo). Mina the Hollower (Demo). Absolum (Demo).
The Multiplayer:
Free Play!
The End Boss:
They put on a Castlevania musical and it looks nuts.
Kojima says more weird stuff about Death Stranding 2 development.
The original Silent Hill is getting a remake by Bloober Team.

Jun 14, 2025 • 1h 54min
Episode 546: Bulletro
Kaye, Ben, Jala, and Moxie talk about Mario Kart World, KARMA: The Dark World, Skald: Against the Black Priory, and much more!
The Grind:
Jala: Without a Dawn. KARMA: The Dark World. Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls. Danganronpa S: Ultimate Summer Camp.
Kaye: Mario Kart World.
Moxie: The Division 2.
Ben: Skald: Against the Black Priory.
The Multiplayer:
Best trolls
The End Boss:
Resident Evil 9: Requiem announced.
They’re making a Phasmophobia movie.
VR game seeks to reverse nearsightedness.
Big Walk is a neat looking multiplayer game that uses positional voice chat well.

May 30, 2025 • 1h 30min
Episode 545: It’s Super Satisfying to Break Things
Kaye, Ben, Dennis, and Moxie talk about Parasocial, Pacific Drive, [SUBJECT], and much more!
The Grind:
Ben: Expedition 33: Clair Obscur. Pacific Drive.
Dennis: Smash Hit. What the Car. Doom: The Dark Ages.
Moxie: Fallen London. Borderlands 3.
Kaye: [SUBJECT]. Parasocial.
The Multiplayer:
What AAA game successfully avoided pandering to you?
The End Boss:
Alex Garland to write and direct the Elden Ring movie.
Neil Druckman ruins the ending of The Last of Us.
Switch 2 might have USB mouse support?

May 23, 2025 • 1h 39min
Episode 544: Scheming Across the Map
Kaye, Dennis, and Moxie talk about Doom: The Dark Ages, Lost Records: Bloom and Rage, Void Crew, and much more!
The Grind:
Kaye: Lost Records: Bloom & Rage. The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered. Rocksmith 2014 Remastered.
Dennis: Doom: The Dark Ages.
Moxie: Void Crew. Fallen London.
The Multiplayer:
Let’s talk about video games within video games!
The End Boss:
Epic creates Darth Vader chatbot, ethical minefield.
Sephiroth’s sword changes length, canonically.

May 17, 2025 • 1h 56min
Episode 543: A Burden Cage
Kaye, Dennis, Jala, and Moxie talk about Alterium Shift, Arkanoid vs. Space Invaders, Ace Attorney Investigations Collection, and much more!
The Grind:
Jala: Alterium Shift. Ace Attorney Investigations Collection. Venba. Of Bird and Cage.
Dennis: Hill Climb Racing. Arkanoid vs. Space Invaders.
Moxie: Void Crew. Dying Light 2. Fallen London.
Kaye: TankInfinity.
The Multiplayer:
What’s a game you can enjoy even when you’re not doing well at it?
The End Boss:
New Mafia game launching at $50, bucking trend of raising prices.
We’ve had to deal with the Leeroy Jenkins meme for 20 years.

May 9, 2025 • 1h 47min
Episode 542: They’ll Take Away Your Skin
Kaye, Ben, Dennis, and Moxie talk about Half Sword, Auridia, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, and much more!
The Grind:
Moxie: Fallen London. Borderlands 3.
Kaye: Auridia.
Dennis: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.
Ben: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Half Sword.
The Multiplayer:
What games do you need to play all the way to the end?
The End Boss:
Grand Theft Auto 6 delayed to 2026.
Xbox prices are going up.
Rogule.com is a neat daily roguelike generator.

May 3, 2025 • 1h 25min
Episode 541: I Don't Feel So Good, Monsieur Stark
Kaye, Ben, and Dennis talk about Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, The Last of Us Part II Remastered, The Blue Prince, and much more!
The Grind:
Dennis: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.
Ben: Clair Obscu: Expedition 33. The Blue Prince.
Kole: The Last of Us Part II Remastered.
The Multiplayer:
Let’s talk about when the story doesn’t match up with the play.
The End Boss:
Flapper Bird revival drops all of the scammy Web3 stuff.
Moldwasher is a very cute pixel art powerwashing game.