Gaming In The Wild - Video Game Reviews

This week's episode is a an indie horror roundup, with mini-reviews of Buckshot Roulette and Clover Pit — the child (and grandchild) of Inscryption. The featured review is of Mouthwashing: a slowly unravelling space crew nightmare that's essential, but not for the faint of heart. Then finally, we have the community Next Fest roundup!Support on Patreon: http://patreon.com/gaminginthewild.Recent videos mentioned in the show:Indie Horror: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DpBOmKk_BGgNext Fest: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2N5vpuyTs5gFollow on Bluesky, Insta, etc: http://linktr.ee/gaminginthewildSteam Curator page: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/43457463-Gaming-in-the-Wild-%2528unofficial%2529/Thanks for listening!

BALL X PIT is close to perfect. It mixes diverse influences, from '80s arcade games, to '90s twin-stick shooters, bullet heavens, Balatro-likes, and the very best of the 2020s roguelike trend — all of which results in a compelling, addictive, and satisfyingly contemporary shoot ‘em up experience that stands shoulder to shoulder with its influences.In the roundup: Next Fest community event, Hades 2, Ghost of Yotei, JS AUX Ally accessories.Please do hop in to support this podcast if you can afford $1 a month! You get some extra bonus stuff: http://patreon.com/gaminginthewild.See the videos: http://youtube.com/gaminginthewild.Find the show on social media: http://gaminginthewild.com. Check out this Steam curator page made by podcast supporter Dovetail: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/43457463-Gaming-in-the-Wild-%2528unofficial%2529/  And thanks for listening!

Explore the exciting world of Hades II, where thrilling combat and captivating storytelling await. Delve into the charming visuals and tactical mechanics of Wander Stars, a delightful turn-based battler. Get the latest scoop from the Tokyo Game Show, including highlights from Nintendo, Xbox, and Sony, along with accessory reviews for the upcoming Switch 2. Plus, uncover the layered complexities and storytelling of Death Stranding 2, as well as its stunning traversal mechanics and critiques of its surreal narrative.

Hollow Knight: Silksong is here! Join me as I recount my fraught and torrid journey through the kingdom of Pharloom. It's a wondrous place — immersive, vast, absorbing — but it's held within a game that's ruthlessly difficult, and trolls the player in a way that I've found difficult to enjoy.In the roundup: Time Flies, Lumines Remastered, Snakebyte Switch 2 accessories.Support the show on Patreon: http://patreon.com/gaminginthewildRead the Myrkur article: https://grapevine.is/mag/2025/09/15/echoes-of-the-end-inside-the-biggest-icelandic-video-game-of-2025/Read the VGC Silksong review: https://www.videogameschronicle.com/review/hollow-knight-silksong/Follow the show on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GamingInTheWildFollow on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/gaminginthewild.bsky.socialFollow the Steam curator page: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/43457463-Gaming-in-the-Wild-%2528unofficial%2529/And thanks for listening!

Herdling is another vibey journey through a forlorn world from the young Okomotive studio. The shepherding gameplay is alternatively fun, clumsy, endearing, and frustrating, but overall, it’s a three-hour journey that is a must for indie game fans.In the roundup: Hollow Knight, and Silksong pre-game!Support the show on Patreon: http://patreon.com/gaminginthewildFollow the show on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GamingInTheWildFollow on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/gaminginthewild.bsky.socialFollow the Steam curator page: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/43457463-Gaming-in-the-Wild-%2528unofficial%2529/And thanks for listening!

Sword of the Sea is like playable dream. It combines the simplicity and wonder of Journey, the oceanic splendour of ABZU, and the searing speed of The Pathless into a mesmerising new form — it's the apotheosis of the Matt Nava formula.Support the show: http://patreon.com/gaminginthewildFollow the show on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GamingInTheWildFollow on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/gaminginthewild.bsky.socialFollow the Steam curator page: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/43457463-Gaming-in-the-Wild-%2528unofficial%2529/And thanks for listening!

Wheel World is a free-flowing cycling game that's met with a surprisingly mixed reception, given the demo hype. It starts off well, but it's a game of two halves, in quite an unusual way.In the roundup: Haste, Cipher Zero, Artis Impact, Ovis Loop, Heistgeist, Donkey Kong Bananza, Death Stranding 2: On The Beach, and more.See the videos: https://www.youtube.com/@GamingInTheWild Support this show: http://patreon.com/gaminginthewildFind the Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/gaminginthewild.bsky.socialRead my recent articles: https://grapevine.is/author/john-rogers/Steam curator page: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/43457463-Gaming-in-the-Wild-%2528unofficial%2529/Thanks for listening!

Word Play is an ingenious new puzzle-roguelike that crosses the streams of Balatro and Scrabble. The result is a compelling little game with big potential.In the roundup: Cipher Zero, Haste, Driftwood, Ritual of Raven, Time Flies, Death Standing 2, Wheel World, and more.Here's that video of the Word Play dev talking about making his game: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHKRWmfcMBwHere's the Ludocene site (best used in a phone browser): https://www.ludocene.comJoin the Patreon for bonus episodes: http://patreon.com/gaminginthewildSub to the YouTube channel for more stuff: https://www.youtube.com/@GamingInTheWildFind my on Bluesky, Insta, Steam, etc: http://gaminginthewild.comHere's my Medium page where I post article I write: https://medium.com/@johnbrnlvrogersThanks for listening!

It's the Year of Kong! Nintendo's first "proper" (don't @ me, Mario Kart fans) Switch 2 blockbuster is here, and it's one for the books. Donkey Kong is now a fully realised modern Nintendo mascot as he smashes, dances, and chomps his way through a series of wonderfully designed, multi-layered levels that are simply a joy to experience. A couple of minor-ish quibbles stop it from being an unreserved 10/10, for me at least — but that doesn’t detract from the headline: it truly is Donkey Kong’s time. In the roundup: Cipher Zero, Wildwood Down, Wheel World, Fretless: The Wrath of Riffson, The Drifter, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora.Indie Quest guest appearance: https://indiequest.buzzsprout.com/1425403/episodes/17508234-episode-115-keep-on-questin-indie-people-with-john-of-gaming-in-the-wildSupport the show on Patreon to get a load of bonus episodes, a Discord invite, a thank you on the pod, and more: http://patreon.com/gaminginthewild.Get more Gaming In The Wild stuff on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GamingInTheWild.Follow me on Bluesky, Insta, Steam, etc: http://gaminginthewild.com.Thanks to boss tier patrons KingChamp and ShyGuy — and thanks for listening!

This week's pod is a roundup episode featuring Blade Chimera, Midtris, and Death Stranding 2. In the roundup: Tron Catalyst, Tiny Garden, Preserve, Wheel World.I also talk about moving the podcast's hosting away from Spotify, given the unforgivable actions of the CEO, and discuss removing GITW from Spotify completely. For the record — Pocketcasts does it just as well; and YouTube Music has you covered if you have a YT Premium subscription.Links mentioned: My Grapevine cover story: https://grapevine.is/mag/feature/2025/07/04/the-summer-ring-road-around-iceland-in-12-days.The latest Gaming In The Wild YouTube videos: http://youtube.com/gaminginthewild.Support me on Patreon for bonus episodes, Discord, blogs, and more: http://patreon.com/gaminginthewild.Find the BlueSky, Instagram, Steam curator page, etc: http://gaminginthewild.com.Thanks for listening!