Castle Couch Podcast

We’ve talked an enormous amount about walking in games this year. A lot of games have been frantically criticized for how they handle walking, like The Order: 1886 or Beyond Eyes, but really this award is sort’ve a Gone Home-spirit award, or best walking simulator category. We’re talking about osmosis of plot through movement. Enjoy! Runners-upCradle “You unravel the mystery yourself [by] poking and prodding.” — Raphael SOMA “Every step can fill you with absolute terror, [just] inching forward can be very very scary.” — Andrew Sunset “What has moved and what hasn’t moved tells as much of a story as narration.”

A bit more boilerplate as far as categories go, but we wanted to talk about the year’s great comedies. And no, *we* can't win the award. Enjoy our discussion! Runners-upPlug & Play “About plugging things and then when you plug’em together they start to play ... probably sex. ” — Raphael Quiplash “I can have my humour. You can use yours. We can all have fun together!” — Olivier “Wow. That is game mechanics, that is hilarious, it’s increadibly well done. ” — Raphael Undertale “Filled with warm, endearing dad jokes” — Andrew “So loveably comedic all the time

Mechanics as metaphor is the concept that a game’s literal gameplay systems can help explore or emphasize a theme or story beat in a game. Enjoy the podcast! Runners-upBloodborne “In tune with Lovecraftian horror” — Raphael Helldivers “You shoot your friend. It’s going to be messy. You’re going to feel the stress going up.” — Olivier Stick Shift “I finished multiple times” — Andrew “Spoilers!” — Olivier Sunset “If the date is a waste of time, then that

11:15 - The Game Awards22:20 - Just Cause 331:40 - Little Alchemy34:25 - Beyond Good and Evil HD36:35 - Dr. Langeskov, The Tiger and The Terribly Cursed Emerald: A Whirlwind Heist40:05 - Emily Is Away41:35 - Disney Infinity 3.043:30 - Screamride A direct link to the iTunes page.We'd love to read your emails! Send us questions at podcast@castlecouch.comMany thanks to our friends The JEM for letting us use their music in the show. More info on The JEM can be found on their website: http://www.thejemband.comDONATE TO CASTLE COUCHPlease consider donating to Castle Couch. All of our content is handmade with real love — we couldn't do it without you.

High Density Sleeping Apparatus13:25 - Yo-Kai Watch16:30 - Cradle18:20 - Dropsy22:30 - Rise of the Tomb Raider23:25 - Fallout 424:30 - Xbox One Backwards Compatibility Games27:05 - The Beginner's Guide28:40 - Grow Home31:50 - Knight Squad34:20 - Bloodborne: The Old Hunters37:45 - Tales from the Borderlands39:55 - Spy Chameleon42:10 - Everybody's Gone to the Rapture44:30 - Sunset47:10 - Turbo Pug A direct link to the iTunes page.We'd love to read your emails! Send us questions at podcast@castlecouch.comMany thanks to our friends The JEM for letting us use their music in the show. More info on The JEM can be found on their website: http://www.thejemband.comDONATE TO CASTLE COUCHPlease consider donating to Castle Couch. All of our content is handmade with real love — we couldn't do it without you.

34:10 - Plug & Play35:45 - Fallout 438:20 - Rise of the Tomb Raider45:30 - Undertale50:20 - Yo-Kai Watch58:35 - Bad Blood65:30 - Puzzle Craft 270:20 - Discussion: Linkle A direct link to the iTunes page.We'd love to read your emails! Send us questions at podcast@castlecouch.comMany thanks to our friends The JEM for letting us use their music in the show. More info on The JEM can be found on their website: http://www.thejemband.comDONATE TO CASTLE COUCHPlease consider donating to Castle Couch. All of our content is handmade with real love — we couldn't do it without you.

Fragmentation Grenade Bugfixes13:50 - Yoshi's Wooly World15:20 - Undertale19:25 - FFXIV: Heavensward Update 3.122:40 - Rise of the Tomb Raider28:30 - Tales from the Borderlands Episode 329:40 - NXOE: New Xbox One Experience33:05 - Cradle37:00 - Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China40:40 - Fallout 4 A direct link to the iTunes page.We'd love to read your emails! Send us questions at podcast@castlecouch.comMany thanks to our friends The JEM for letting us use their music in the show. More info on The JEM can be found on their website: http://www.thejemband.comDONATE TO CASTLE COUCHPlease consider donating to Castle Couch. All of our content is handmade with real love — we couldn't do it without you.

Skateboarding Seniors: The Danny DeVito Story11:35 - Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes16:20 - Mini Metro21:05 - Rise of the Tomb Raider24:40 - Halo 5: Guardians27:35 - Yoshi's Wooly World34:45 - Undertale A direct link to the iTunes page.We'd love to read your emails! Send us questions at podcast@castlecouch.comMany thanks to our friends The JEM for letting us use their music in the show. More info on The JEM can be found on their website: http://www.thejemband.comDONATE TO CASTLE COUCHPlease consider donating to Castle Couch. All of our content is handmade with real love — we couldn't do it without you.

11:40 - Xbox One Elite Controller20:20 - Cibele32:10 - Assassin's Creed Syndicate39:35 - The Legend of Zelda: Triforce Heroes44:20 - The Beginner's Guide54:30 - Nancy Drew: Trail of the Twister55:10 - Nancy Drew: Shadow at the Water's Edge57:25 - Halo 5: Guardians67:00 - Mystery Game: Tell Tale's Minecraft Story Mode Episode 174:25 - Spoiler Alert: Life is Strange Roundtable A direct link to the iTunes page.We'd love to read your emails! Send us questions at podcast@castlecouch.comMany thanks to our friends The JEM for letting us use their music in the show. More info on The JEM can be found on their website: http://www.thejemband.comDONATE TO CASTLE COUCHPlease consider donating to Castle Couch. All of our content is handmade with real love — we couldn't do it without you.

20:05 - Tales From the Borderlands23:15 - Life is Strange26:20 - Steam Link and Steam Controller Hardware31:00 - Nancy Drew: Trail of the Twister37:10 - Super Mario Maker37:35 - Conker's Big Reunion42:10 - Guitar Hero Live43:30 - Downwell43:55 - Yoshi's Wooly World A direct link to the iTunes page.We'd love to read your emails! Send us questions at podcast@castlecouch.comMany thanks to our friends The JEM for letting us use their music in the show. More info on The JEM can be found on their website: http://www.thejemband.comDONATE TO CASTLE COUCHPlease consider donating to Castle Couch. All of our content is handmade with real love — we couldn't do it without you.

Andrew is off exploring the great Canadian west coast, while Anna, Olivier, and Raph batten down the hatches. Enjoy an extended conversation about Everybody's Gone to the Rapture -- the whole Castle Couch cast will be back together for next week.12:02 - Steam Controller23:41 - Lifeline 225:56 - Hocust26:48 - Downwell29:15 - Rock Band 432:45 - Everybody's Gone to the Rapture A direct link to the iTunes page.We'd love to read your emails! Send us questions at podcast@castlecouch.comMany thanks to our friends The JEM for letting us use their music in the show. More info on The JEM can be found on their website: http://www.thejemband.comDONATE TO CASTLE COUCHPlease consider donating to Castle Couch. All of our content is handmade with real love — we couldn't do it without you.

23:20 - Discussion: Video Games Portrayed in Movies and Television30:20 - Rock Band 437:10 - Super Meat Boy39:25 - Contradiction43:40 - SOMA45:00 - Tales From The Borderlands: Episodes 3 and 448:20 - SPL-T A direct link to the iTunes page.We'd love to read your emails! Send us questions at podcast@castlecouch.comMany thanks to our friends The JEM for letting us use their music in the show. More info on The JEM can be found on their website: http://www.thejemband.comDONATE TO CASTLE COUCHPlease consider donating to Castle Couch. All of our content is handmade with real love — we couldn't do it without you.

28:55 - SOMA38:50 - Destiny: The Taken King39:30 - Kalimba DLC: The Dark Void40:05 - Lovers in a Dangerous Space Time41:00 - Until Dawn42:30 - Disney Infinity 3.044:15 - Calvino Noir47:20 - Everybody's Gone to the Rapture48:55 - Discussion: Transactional Issues A direct link to the iTunes page.We'd love to read your emails! Send us questions at podcast@castlecouch.comMany thanks to our friends The JEM for letting us use their music in the show. More info on The JEM can be found on their website: http://www.thejemband.comDONATE TO CASTLE COUCHPlease consider donating to Castle Couch. All of our content is handmade with real love — we couldn't do it without you.

26:35 - Destiny: The Taken King39:40 - Else Heart.Break()46:05 - Helldivers47:05 - Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain53:15 - Tearaway: Unfolded56:45 - Discussion: Changing the Rules A direct link to the iTunes page.We'd love to read your emails! Send us questions at podcast@castlecouch.comMany thanks to our friends The JEM for letting us use their music in the show. More info on The JEM can be found on their website: http://www.thejemband.comDONATE TO CASTLE COUCHPlease consider donating to Castle Couch. All of our content is handmade with real love — we couldn't do it without you.

22:45 - Discussion: Video Game Movies31:15 - Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain40:05 - Forza 643:10 - Destiny: The Taken King53:25 - Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime56:25 - We Know The Devil61:30 - Flywrench62:35 - Life is Strange A direct link to the iTunes page.We'd love to read your emails! Send us questions at podcast@castlecouch.comMany thanks to our friends The JEM for letting us use their music in the show. More info on The JEM can be found on their website: http://www.thejemband.comDONATE TO CASTLE COUCHPlease consider donating to Castle Couch. All of our content is handmade with real love — we couldn't do it without you.

13:50 - Whispering Willows17:35 - Mystery Game: The Deer God22:35 - Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime26:15 - Until Dawn34:45 - Forza 639:05 - Tearaway: Unfolded41:45 - Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain A direct link to the iTunes page.We'd love to read your emails! Send us questions at podcast@castlecouch.comMany thanks to our friends The JEM for letting us use their music in the show. More info on The JEM can be found on their website: http://www.thejemband.comDONATE TO CASTLE COUCHPlease consider donating to Castle Couch. All of our content is handmade with real love — we couldn't do it without you.

09:35 - Lara Croft GO10:05 - Forza 620:45 - Her Story24:55 - Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward27:50 - Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain56:55 - Bucket List: Final Fantasy IX A direct link to the iTunes page.We'd love to read your emails! Send us questions at podcast@castlecouch.comMany thanks to our friends The JEM for letting us use their music in the show. More info on The JEM can be found on their website: http://www.thejemband.com Donate to Castle Couch Please consider donating to Castle Couch. All of our content is handmade with real love — we couldn't do it without you.

This week the Castle Couch gang relishes in their social lives. Amid bowling and museum outings, laser quest events and nights spent in writing essays - looms a shadow. The onslaught of triple-A games is coming, and we are not ready. Anna tells us of her 'last meal' of giant wiener pretzels and Andrew has a five course Peking Duck adventure in Chinatown. The whole gang casually jokes about Gears of War and the smaller games explored this week but we all know Metal Gear is coming, and with it a slew of titles filled endless adventures and exploration that will keep us inside 'working' hard until Christmas-time. Sympathies can be sent via email (podcast@castlecouch.com) or twitter (@castlecouch). Thanks for listening and sharing us with your own social circle. 18:50 - Cliffy-B News24:55 - Guild Wars 2 Free to Play26:35 - So Many Me29:10 - Lara Croft GO32:40 - [Tangent] 'Jynx' and Illusions35:55 - Gears of War Ultimate Edition46:10 - Volume46:40 - Everybody's Gone to the Rapture48:18 - Flywrench53:10

Buckle up girls and guys as Castle Couch takes you on a tour of games to come. This week Andrew and Raph have the absolute pleasure of talking about the Microsoft X15 exhibit as they traveled the distance of Toronto for the event. Notepads loaded with questions and business cards in tow, we looked into some of the most exciting games that should be out by year-end or early next year. Other notable events this week include another cottage weekend and Anna's foray into the mysterious world of live (read: naked) drawing. Thanks for tuning in and sharing us with your friends. Additionally, thank you to our incredibly accommodating hosts in Toronto for putting us up and for listening to us excitedly ramble about the event long into the night.7:30 - X15 Toronto11:05 - [X15] Rise of the Tomb Raider15:40 - [X15] Cuphead20:45 - [X15] Halo 5: Guardians24:10 - [X15] Below25:50 - [X15] Dark Souls 329:55 - [X15] Plants Vs Zombies: Garden Warfare 230:20 - [X15] Rainbow Six: Siege31:55 - [X15] Forza 634:50 - [X15] Just Cau

Prepare for a hot sweaty mess as the Castle Couch crew battens down the hatches and turns off noisy air conditioning units to prepare for another recording session. The season is ripe with summertime lovin'; Andrew's latest Hot-or-Not Tinder binge isn't doing anything to keep things cool as he ventures into the sexy world of phone-dating. Raphael, on the other hand, prepares his podcasting smock such that he can appear to be wearing clothes while still allowing a calm breeze to tickle his backside. Anna bravely ventures the deserts of Montreal to bring us a tale of real-life escape games full of suspense and franco-anglo coexistence. Through it all, Olivier looks out over the city, swirling his glass of whiskey and cackling at the street peasants below. Their tears trickle down and join their sweaty lips in a cocktail of despair and longing for the chilled ivory tower in which he resides. Alright, alright, alright, it's another podcast! Share us with a cold beverage and friends! Thanks for listening.29:00 -