Pages of Play

Between the Lines (BTL) is a sub-series of the Pages of Play podcast where we explore hidden gem indie games. In this episode, Erik interviews his children about the game, Stray, a 2022 adventure game developed by BlueTwelve Studio and published by Annapurna Interactive. The kids (6 and 3 years old) recap the story of the game, share their favorite moments, and explain why the narrative was so compelling. I had such a blast recording this episode because I had no idea what my kids were going to say on-air. They certainly kept me on my toes! I hope you find this episode as precious as my little ones are to me. The wonderful music in this episode comes from the Jusant soundtrack by Guillaume Ferran. Check it out here.Contents:(00:00) Intro(03:45) Interview(29:07) Closing

Off the Shelf is an interview format of the Pages of Play Podcast where we bring a guest on the show to talk about the following scenario: “Imagine you have a library full of books that represent to you the greatest video game narratives. If I were to pull 5 books at random off of those shelves, what would I find? How did each book earn a spot on your shelf?”This week, I am joined by Jason, the editor and chief of So Many Games. Below you will find a link to the So Many Game website as well as the developer interview that Jason mentions on the show. So Many GamesHorace InterviewThe discussion of each game contains spoilers, so please refer to the timestamps below to avoid those as needed.(00:00) Introduction & Spoiler Policy(09:16) The Alters(26:10) Horace(37:57) Journey(50:23) Spiritfarer(01:04:10) Citizen Sleeper 2(01:23:48) Closing CommentsIf you enjoy the show please join our discord to stay up to date on the podcast. Thanks for listening!

David, Caleb, and Erik point-and-click their way through one of the best game narratives of 2025. Pages of Play podcast is a book club for gaming narratives, where the hosts discuss their personal experience with a game and its story via book club style discussion questions submitted by listeners. Please join our discord so that you can chat with the amazing Pages of Play community and ask discussion questions to be featured on our next episode!The wonderful music in this episode comes from the Jusant soundtrack by Guillaume Ferran. Check it out here.Contents:(00:00) Intro(06:19) Q1(14:20) Q2(28:25) Q3(39:54) Spoiler Wall: Story Recap(44:54) Q4(58:22) Q5(01:10:29) Q6(01:24:49) ClosingReferences from the show:Sally Beaumont inteview on So Many Games podcast

Between the Lines (BTL) is a sub-series of the Pages of Play podcast where we explore hidden gem indie games. In this episode, Erik and Caleb shine a spotlight on an incredibly talented indie game developer, Interactive Dreams, and a few of their games. This episode is a combination of two game reviews and a discussion about the studio that made them. We hope this format helps more people discover the developer, which you can learn more about via the links below. Special thanks to Luis León for reaching out to me (Erik) and sharing his game dev story.We hope you enjoy the show! Interactive Dreams websiteInteractive Dreams itch.io pageA Dream About Parking Lots on SteamSwann's Song on Steam

Off the Shelf is an interview format where we bring a guest on the show to talk about the following scenario: “Imagine you have a library full of books that represent to you the greatest video game narratives. If I were to pull 5 books at random off of those shelves, what would I find? How did each book earn a spot on your shelf?”This week, I was joined by Rick from the Pixel Project Radio podcast. Below you will find the linktree for that show.Pixel Project Radio LinktreeThe discussion of each game contains spoilers, so please refer to the timestamps below to avoid those as needed.(00:00) Introduction & Spoiler Policy(06:51) Disco Elysium(24:21) Lisa the Painful(35:20) Outer Wilds(50:39) Xenosaga(01:05:41) Pentiment(01:21:14) Closing CommentsIf you enjoy the show please join our patreon to stay up to date on the podcast. Thanks for listening!

David, Caleb, and Erik take a virtual trip to Quito, Ecuador for a nostalgic conversation about the autobiographical game, Despelote.Pages of Play podcast is a book club for gaming narratives, where the hosts discuss their personal experience with a game and its story via book club style discussion questions submitted by listeners. Please join our discord so that you can chat with the amazing Pages of Play community and ask discussion questions to be featured on our next episode!The wonderful music in this episode comes form the Jusant soundtrack by Guillaume Ferran. Check it out here.Contents:(00:00) Intro(03:53) Q1(21:46) Q2(39:40) Q3(53:05) Q4(01:06:36) Spoiler Wall(01:07:19) Story Recap(01:09:40) Q5(01:17:30) Q6(01:29:57) Q7(01:34:31) Q8(01:47:20) ClosingReferences from the show:GameDeveloper.com Article

Setting aside classic narrative structures, Caleb and Lydia explore the incredible ability of video games to tell a story through experience while discussing the 1980 Atari hit Missile Command.  Caleb geeks out about environmental storytelling and meta-narrative, Lydia marvels at game cabinet design, and the two reflect on how this game played a role with one another in building a common language of game design.Dusting off the Cover is a subseries of the Pages of Play podcast where the hosts look back at older titles in the canon of video games to revisit, relive, and re-delight in game narratives from years past. Feel free to submit your ideas for future episodes at pagesofplay@gmail.comThe opening music is the track “Magic Tales” and the closing music is the track “The Call” by Kim Lightyear/Lightyeartraxx used with permission under the Pixabay license.  Find these and others at Pixabay and YouTube.Contents: (00:00) Intro(03:51) First Time Playing(05:56) Narrative Recap(07:13) Innovations(10:46) Influences(13:43) Narrative Through Play(18:04) What Makes This Game Worth Playing?(23:25) Closing

Off the Shelf is an interview format where we bring a guest on the show to talk about the following scenario: “Imagine you have a library full of books that represent to you the greatest video game narratives. If I were to pull 5 books at random off of those shelves, what would I find? How did each book earn a spot on your shelf?”This week, I was joined by Michael from the Tiny Game Chronicles Podcast. Below you will find links to that wonderful show. Please check it out, especially if you love short video games! BlueskySpotifyApple PodcastsThe discussion of each game contains spoilers, so please refer to the timestamps below to avoid those as needed. (00:00) Introduction & Spoiler Policy(07:25) Myst(34:30) The Witcher 2(53:49) Uncharted 2(01:13:45) Octopath Traveler 2(01:28:34) Clair Obscur: Expedition 33(01:44:02) Closing CommentsIf you enjoy the show please join our discord to stay up to date on the podcast. Thanks for listening!

David, Caleb, and Erik take a breather to discuss burnout in Wanderstop, a whimiscal yet surprisingly vulnerable tea-shop management sim by Ivy Road studio. Pages of Play podcast is a book club for gaming narratives, where the hosts discuss their personal experience with a game and its story via book club style discussion questions submitted by listeners. Please join our discord (https://discord.com/invite/jMzR6WdpTR) so that you can chat with the amazing Pages of Play community and ask discussion questions to be featured on our next episode!The wonderful music in this episode comes form the Jusant soundtrack by Guillaume Ferran. Check it out ⁠⁠here⁠⁠.Contents:(00:00) Intro(04:50) Q1(08:20) Q2(16:28) Q3(27:30) Spoiler Wall(28:56) Story Recap(32:06) Q4(34:32) Q5(43:29) Q6(01:05:16) Q7(01:12:15) Q8(01:17:10) Q9(01:26:25) Q10(01:32:04) Q11(01:34:44) ClosingReferences from the show:Erik's Wanderstop ReviewPC Gamer ArticleDavey Wreden Presentation

Dive into an engaging conversation about the emotional depth in gaming narratives! Explore the character-driven storytelling of 'The Last of Us' and the whimsical journey in 'A Short Hike.' Discover the intricate artistry of 'Kentucky Route Zero' and the thematic layers in 'Citizen Sleeper' as it navigates identity and survival. Fascinating insights into RPG mechanics and the power of player choice add to the richness. The discussion balances heavier narratives with lighter themes, showcasing the spectrum of gaming experiences.