Gaming In The Wild - Video Game Reviews

2023 was a great year for games, and after three great guest episodes covering the big swings, hits, and misses of the year, it's time to share my own favourite games of 2023. The list has been laboured over, and feels a bit less critically tidy and a bit more personal than previous years. I hope you enjoy it – I truly loved all of these games. And as always — many thanks to the show’s 57 patrons! If you'd like to join them in supporting the show on Patreon, you can do so from $1 per month at http://patreon.com/gaminginthewild. Patrons get access to a catalogue of bonus episodes, and an invite to the show’s lovely Discord community. You can also send a one-off tip via Ko-Fi at http://ko-fi.com/gaminginthewild. All proceeds go into the podcast, covering things like equipment, games, music, editing apps, and so forth. I really appreciate the support, it helps make the show better. If you enjoy the show, you can come say hi on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Twitch - find all the links at http://gaminginthewild.com. And check out this Steam curator page made by podcast supporter DovetailTrue: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/43457463-Gaming-in-the-Wild-%2528unofficial%2529/   Thanks for listening! Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/gaming-in-the-wild-video-game-reviews/donations

This week's episode is a big one! It's the third in the 2023 Games of the Year series, with special guest Steve aka Blinkoom of the Indie Quest & Polykill podcasts. We run through Steve's game's of the year, before revealing the results of the Discord/patron GOTY vote. Here's where to find Steve: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Blinkoom Polykill: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1351234 Indie Quest: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/1425403 And many thanks to the show’s patrons! If you'd like to join them in supporting the show on Patreon, you can do so from $1 per month at http://patreon.com/gaminginthewild. Patrons get access to a catalogue of bonus episodes, and an invite to the show’s lovely Discord community. You can also send a one-off tip via Ko-Fi at http://ko-fi.com/gaminginthewild.  All proceeds go into the podcast, covering things like equipment, games, music, editing apps, and so forth. I really appreciate the support, it helps make the show better. If you enjoy the show, you can come say hi on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Twitch - find all the links at http://gaminginthewild.com. And check out this Steam curator page made by podcast supporter Dovetail: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/43457463-Gaming-in-the-Wild-%2528unofficial%2529/   Thanks for listening! Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/gaming-in-the-wild-video-game-reviews/donations

This week's GOTY special brings return guest Ciarán Daly to talk about his games of 2023, including Small Saga, DREDGE, Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, and more. We also talk about Lies of P, Remnant 2, Starfield, Wild Hearts, Assassin's Creed Mirage, Marvel's Midnight Suns, Hypnospace Outlaw, and more. Here's a link to BlockBusters!, a game jam game that's mentioned: https://dotbigbang.com/game/0c4038a5fe064711ba339b1e1c2bbd74/dbb-summer-jam-2023---blockbusters And many thanks to all the show’s patrons! If you'd like to join them in supporting the show on Patreon, you can do so from $1 per month at http://patreon.com/gaminginthewild. Patrons get access to a catalogue of bonus episodes, and an invite to the show’s lovely Discord community. You can also send a one-off tip via Ko-Fi at http://ko-fi.com/gaminginthewild.  All proceeds go into the podcast, covering things like equipment, games, music, editing apps, and so forth. I really appreciate the support, it helps make the show better. If you enjoy the show, you can come say hi on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Twitch - find all the links at http://gaminginthewild.com. And check out this Steam curator page made by podcast supporter DovetailTrue: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/43457463-Gaming-in-the-Wild-%2528unofficial%2529/   Thanks for listening! Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/gaming-in-the-wild-video-game-reviews/donations

It's GOTY season, and what better way to kick things off than with special guest and friend of the show Brad Gallaway, co-host of the So... Videogames Podcast. We went long and had a great conversation about everything from big hitters like Zelda, Starfield, and Cyberpunk 2077 2.0 to indie gems like Lamplighter's League, DREDGE, Birth, and many more. And as always, many thanks to all the show’s patrons! If you'd like to join them in supporting the podcast on Patreon, you can do so from $1 per month at http://patreon.com/gaminginthewild. Patrons get access to a catalogue of bonus episodes, and an invite to the show’s lovely Discord community. You can also come say hi on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Twitch - find all the links at http://gaminginthewild.com. And check out this Steam curator page made by podcast supporter DovetailTrue: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/43457463-Gaming-in-the-Wild-%2528unofficial%2529/   Thanks for listening! Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/gaming-in-the-wild-video-game-reviews/donations

This week's bumper episode runs through the big winners at The Game Awards 2024, with a rundown of my top 10 new game announcements, including Pony Island 2, Big Walk, Lost Records, and more. I also give in-progress reviews of three games I've been playing: Inkle's A Highland Song, Ubisoft's Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, and a viral Kickstarter hit called Backpack Hero. And many thanks to all the show’s patrons! If you'd like to join them in supporting the show on Patreon, you can do so from $1 per month at http://patreon.com/gaminginthewild. Patrons get access to a catalogue of bonus episodes, and an invite to the show’s lovely Discord community. You can also send a one-off tip via Ko-Fi at http://ko-fi.com/gaminginthewild.  All proceeds go into the podcast, covering things like equipment, games, music, editing apps, and so forth. I really appreciate the support, it helps make the show better. If you enjoy the show, you can come say hi on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Twitch - find all the links at http://gaminginthewild.com. And check out this Steam curator page made by podcast supporter DovetailTrue: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/43457463-Gaming-in-the-Wild-%2528unofficial%2529/   Thanks for listening! Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/gaming-in-the-wild-video-game-reviews/donations

Sludge Life 2 is an extremely welcome sequel that gives us more of the original’s winning formula. It’s an improbably enjoyable game that mixes high-speed first-person parkour with tagging, urban exploration, puerile humour, a wavy soundtrack, and a bleak world full of hilarious NPCs just trying to get through life. In the roundup: Jingle Jam 2023, A Highland Song, December releases, Backpack Hero, and more. And many thanks to the show’s 59 patrons! If you'd like to join them in supporting the show on Patreon, you can do so from $1 per month at http://patreon.com/gaminginthewild. Patrons get access to a catalogue of bonus episodes, and an invite to the show’s lovely Discord community. You can also send a one-off tip via Ko-Fi at http://ko-fi.com/gaminginthewild.  All proceeds go into the podcast, covering things like equipment, games, music, editing apps, and so forth. I really appreciate the support, it helps make the show better. If you enjoy the show, you can come say hi on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Twitch - find all the links at http://gaminginthewild.com. And check out this Steam curator page made by podcast supporter DovetailTrue: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/43457463-Gaming-in-the-Wild-%2528unofficial%2529/   Thanks for listening! Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/gaming-in-the-wild-video-game-reviews/donations

This week's show is a little grab bag of demos and new releases, including Teardown, Coral Island, Wordless – and a super intriguing sci-fi mystery game called 1000xRESIST. In the roundup: Sludge Life 2. And many thanks to Steve, the show’s new patron! If you'd like to join them in supporting the show on Patreon, you can do so from $1 per month at http://patreon.com/gaminginthewild. Patrons get access to a catalogue of bonus episodes, and an invite to the show’s friendly Discord community. You can also send a one-off tip via Ko-Fi at http://ko-fi.com/gaminginthewild.  All proceeds go into the podcast, covering things like equipment, games, music, editing apps, and so forth. I really appreciate the support, it helps make the show better. If you enjoy the show, you can come say hi on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Twitch - find all the links at http://gaminginthewild.com. And check out this Steam curator page made by podcast supporter DovetailTrue: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/43457463-Gaming-in-the-Wild-%2528unofficial%2529/   Thanks for listening! Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/gaming-in-the-wild-video-game-reviews/donations

Goodbye Volcano High is a lushly produced visual novel about a high-school band at the end of the world. Playing as a hot goth dino called Fang, we navigate crushes, fallouts, band practice, and roleplaying sessions, all via dialogue choices & light rhythm gameplay. It’s an absorbing story game lit up by sparkling writing, sensuous art, and a dreamy guitar-pop soundtrack.  Also: The Game Awards nominees – Starfield SNUBBED! :') And many thanks to the show’s 56 patrons! If you'd like to join them in supporting the show on Patreon, you can do so from $1 per month at http://patreon.com/gaminginthewild. Patrons get access to a catalogue of bonus episodes, and an invite to the show’s lovely Discord community. You can also send a one-off tip via Ko-Fi at http://ko-fi.com/gaminginthewild.  All proceeds go into the podcast, covering things like equipment, games, music, editing apps, and so forth. I really appreciate the support, it helps make the show better. If you enjoy the show, you can come say hi on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Twitch - find all the links at http://gaminginthewild.com. And check out this Steam curator page made by podcast supporter DovetailTrue: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/43457463-Gaming-in-the-Wild-%2528unofficial%2529/   Thanks for listening! Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/gaming-in-the-wild-video-game-reviews/donations

A blockbuster sequel long in the offing, Alan Wake II offers an original, cutting-edge audio-visual presentation. But its ambition as a showpiece and a spectacle is mirrored by a surprising lack of creativity in other areas, that makes it a uniformly dull – and sometimes frustratingly illegible – gameplay experience. In the roundup: Goodbye Volcano High, Thirsty Suitors, November release. And many thanks to the show’s 56 patrons! If you'd like to join them in supporting the show on Patreon, you can do so from $1 per month at http://patreon.com/gaminginthewild. Patrons get access to a catalogue of bonus episodes, and an invite to the show’s lovely Discord community. You can also send a one-off tip via Ko-Fi at http://ko-fi.com/gaminginthewild.  All proceeds go into the podcast, covering things like equipment, games, music, editing apps, and so forth. I really appreciate the support, it helps make the show better. If you enjoy the show, you can come say hi on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Twitch - find all the links at http://gaminginthewild.com. And check out this Steam curator page made by podcast supporter DovetailTrue: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/43457463-Gaming-in-the-Wild-%2528unofficial%2529/   Thanks for listening! Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/gaming-in-the-wild-video-game-reviews/donations

Jusant is a chill, mechanically innovative climbing game, in which a nameless protagonist climbs a huge rock tower in a dry, deserted word. The wordless story adds some intrigue, and the methodical, tactile, handhold-by-handold climbing really shines. Also: first thoughts on Remedy's Alan Wake II. And many thanks to the show’s 53 patrons! If you'd like to join them in supporting the show on Patreon, you can do so from $1 per month at http://patreon.com/gaminginthewild. Patrons get access to a catalogue of bonus episodes, and an invite to the show’s lovely Discord community. You can also send a one-off tip via Ko-Fi at http://ko-fi.com/gaminginthewild.  All proceeds go into the podcast, covering things like equipment, games, music, editing apps, and so forth. I really appreciate the support, it helps make the show better. If you enjoy the show, you can come say hi on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Twitch - find all the links at http://gaminginthewild.com. And check out this Steam curator page made by podcast supporter DovetailTrue: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/43457463-Gaming-in-the-Wild-%2528unofficial%2529/   Thanks for listening! Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/gaming-in-the-wild-video-game-reviews/donations