

The Level
Duckfeed.tv
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.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Apr 17, 2015 • 1h 53min
101: Putting Him on Breeze
Kole, Ben, Dennis, and David talk about Guitar Hero Live, Spirits of Spring, and we ask you which game characters are cutest/creepiest.
The Brief:
Guitar Hero Live.
Hearthstone comes to iPhone and Android.
Grand Theft Auto biopic details emerge.
Telltale's Game of Thrones
Multiplayer
Creepiest video game character? Cutest video game character?
The Brief:
Ben: Alien: Isolation.
David: Bloodborne.
Dennis: Papo y Yo. Spirits of Spring.
Kole: Majora's Mask 3D.

Apr 10, 2015 • 2h 31min
100: The Night is Infinite
Kole, Ben, Dennis, David, and Jala celebrate the one hundredth episode of The Level by talking about games as medicine, Titan Souls, and we ask you which games have had the biggest effect on your life.
THE BRIEF:
Minecraft Pac Man.
Five Nights at Freddy's movie.
Akili is a game made to treat attention disorders.
Titanfall 2 announced, has a campaign mode, is multiplatform.
NBA 2K14 loses online support.
MULTIPLAYER:
What game has had the biggest effect on your life.
THE GRIND:
Dennis: Card Crawl. Papo y Yo.
David: Bloodborne.
Jala: Sorcery! 2. 80 Days. Dungeon Defenders 2.
Ben: Alien: Isolation.
Kole: Titan Souls. Super Mario 3D World.
The music used in the intro is an arrangement of "Popcorn", originally composed by Hot Butter.

Apr 4, 2015 • 2h 7min
99: Tipless Daddy
Kole, Ben, David, and Jala talk about Bloodborne, Google Maps Pac Man, and we ask you where you stand on collector's editions.
The Brief
Google Maps Pac Man.
National Game Museum in England.
Nintendo delays Zelda to 2016.
Batman: Arkham Knight special edition PS4 revealed.
Multiplayer
What's the deal with Collectors Editions?
The Grind:
Jala: Sorcery!. LongStory. Tablut.
Ben: X-COM. Helldivers. Alien: Isolation.
David: Bloodborne.
Kole: Bayonetta.

Mar 20, 2015 • 1h 56min
98: A Last Syllable Decision
Kole, Ben, Dennis, and David talk about Nintendo's bizarre mobile announcement, Saint's Row 4: Gat out of Hell, and we ask you about stealth in games.
The Brief:
Nintendo is breaking into mobile.
New Nintendo console codenamed "The NX" announced.
New Walking Dead game by Starbreeze announced.
Echo Night released on PSN.
Multiplayer:
Favorite/Worst examples of stealth in games?
The Grind:
David: Destiny.
Ben: Saints Row: Gat Out of Hell.
Kole: Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number. Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright.
Dennis: A whole bunch a' nothin'. Powers.

Mar 13, 2015 • 2h 1min
97: The Mad Scientists Must Be Crazy
Kole, Ben, Dennis, and Jala talk about Hotline Miami 2, the changes they made to the DmC Remastered edition, and we ask you which games need to be played all the way to the end.
The Brief:
Texas incentivizes game development.
This War of Mine charity DLC.
Uncomfortable line dropped from DmC Remastered.
Batman Arkham Knight is rated M for blood.
Multiplayer:
What games do people need to play all the way through to the end?
The Grind:
Jala: A Story About My Uncle.
Ben: 80 Days. Monument Valley.
Dennis: OlliOlli 2. Dungeon Defenders.
Kole: The New 3DS. Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number.

Mar 6, 2015 • 1h 51min
96: Swoopcast Engage
Kole, Ben, Dennis, and David talk about Valve's GDC announcements, a whole bevy of older games, and we ask you which lost or ignored gaming gems you wish would come back.
The Brief
Steam Link and Steam Controller dated, priced.
Vive Headset details emerge.
Source 2 engine announced.
Batman: Arkham Underground.
Multiplayer
What lost/ignored gaming gem do you wish would come back?
The Grind:
Dennis: SSX.
Kole: OlliOlli 2. Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright.
David: Destiny.
Ben: X-COM: Enemy Unknown.

Feb 28, 2015 • 1h 56min
95: The Silent Sir
Kole, Ben, Dennis, and David talk about Valve's GDC rumors, Kick and Fennick, and we ask you what's the deal with sports games?
The Brief:
A new Guitar Hero might be on the way.
Kanye is making a game.
Valve is doing VR?
Multiplayer:
What's the deal with sports games?
The Grind:
Dennis: Kick and Fennick. Contraption Maker.
Ben: The Order: 1886. XCOM: The Board Game.
David: Destiny.
Kole: Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright.

Feb 20, 2015 • 2h 16min
94: Molyneux What Molydo
Kole, Ben, and David talk about the Peter Molyneux interview, Sunless Sea, and we hold a Free Play Multiplayer.
Kole, Ben, and David talk about the Peter Molyneux interview, Sunless Sea, and we hold a Free Play Multiplayer.
The Brief
The Order: 1886 is really, really, short.
The Last Guardian trademark expires.
Peter Molyneux is in trouble again.
Multiplayer
Free play.
The Grind
Ben: Dragon Age: Inquisition. 80 Days.
David: Sunless Sea. Transistor.
Kole: Steamworld: Dig.

Feb 13, 2015 • 1h 56min
93: Playing Chicken With Dental Torture
Kole, Ben, Dennis, and David talk about that crazy Asteroids movie, Delver, and we ask you about your gaming screwups.
The Brief:
Asteroids: Outpost.
Battlefield: Hardline reload animations.
Bethesda is appearing at E3 this year.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. might come back.
What the Fuck is My Quest.com.
Multiplayer
What's your biggest in-game screwup?
The Grind:
David: Yakuza 4.
Dennis: X-COM Board Game. Delver.
Ben: Dragon Age: Inquisition.
Kole: Gods Will Be Watching.

Feb 6, 2015 • 1h 42min
92: The Summer of Ben
Kole, Ben, Dennis, and Jala talk about PAX South stories, Attack of the Friday Monsters, and we ask you about your favorite game titles.
The Brief:
Dennis is doing XCOM Let's Plays now.
PAX South stories.
Just Cause 3 screenshots leaked.
Spooky Selfie.
Star Wars Humble Bundle.
Sony Online Entertainment Sold.
Multiplayer:
What's your favorite game title?
The Grind:
Jala: Jazzpunk. Brawlhalla.
Ben: Dragon Age: Inquisition.
Dennis: XCOM: Enemy Within. Framed. Hive.
Kole: Sunburn! Attack of the Friday Monsters.