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dotzip — Leisure
dotzip

A show about big games in small packages! Join AJ, Kim, Robin, and Chase every week to talk about short video games, indie tabletop games, and maybe other stuff!
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Visit us online at https://dotzip.online
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Art by Tara Crawford
Music by _amaranthine
Additional sounds by Boqeh
Produced and Edited by AJ Fillari

Copyright: © 2024 dotzip

Latest Episodes:

The Demon Isn't a Metaphor in The Life We've Chosen Sep 21, 2026

Show notes

I'm going on vacation and frankly I can't focus enough to come up with a joke. C ya l8r - AJ

Today we're talking about The Life We've Chosen by Cryoslight! A game about being depressed and chatting with your demon friend.

Get The Life We've Chosen on itch.io!!! Follow Cryoslight's work on their itch page!

Discussed in the episode:

Shark Tombstone in Pittsburgh on Atlas Obscura

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Support us on Ko-fi!

Visit our website!

Follow us on YouTube!

Follow the show on Bluesky!

Check out The Worst Garbage Online!

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Art by Tara Crawford

Theme music by _amaranthine

Additional sounds by Boqeh

Produced and edited by AJ Fillari

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Timecodes:

(00:00) - Another Pittsburgh cemetary landmark
(01:31) - Sorry Robin
(02:26) - What is The Life We've Chosen?
(04:07) - AJ finds the Auto button
(05:02) - Generally
(06:20) - It's a visual novel so it's all spoilers sorry lol
(06:52) - Visiting the spoiler demon
(06:59) - Preconceptions about the story
(09:59) - A better place to start
(16:14) - The relationship with Ella
(21:50) - Going deeper into the endings
(27:22) - The flip at the end
(28:41) - Big Takeaways
(28:51) - AJ's Big Takeaway
(31:51) - Robin's Big Takeaway
(34:54) - That's the video game.
(35:09) - Thank you for listening!!!

★ Support this podcast ★

Feeling the Spectrum of Human Emotion in Bitsy Games Sep 14, 2026

Show notes

Strap in. It's gonna be a bitsy ride.

Today we're talking about 10 Bitsy games by 8 developers! Games about love, and life, and death, and rats, and birds, and making a cake for your girlfriend!

Check out the bitsy tag in itch.io!

Games we talked about (all on itch):

Discussed in the episode:

Celestial Coffee Quest by Wavey Games on itch
Our episode on Grow Light
Grow Light by danielle taphanel on itch
Three Lesbians in a Winter Special by Digital Poppy on itch

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Support us on Ko-fi!

Visit our website!

Follow us on YouTube!

Follow the show on Bluesky!

Check out The Worst Garbage Online!

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Art by Tara Crawford

Theme music by _amaranthine

Additional sounds by Boqeh

Produced and edited by AJ Fillari

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Timecodes:

(00:00) - Asking for Robin's Kalita Wave recipe
(01:19) - Celestial Coffee Chronicles (thank you TK for the suggestion)
(02:05) - What are Bitsy games??
(06:08) - 10 Bitsy games!
(07:01) - Endless Scroll by Cecile Richard
(14:35) - Under a Star Called Sun by Cecile Richard
(23:39) - novena by Cecile Richard
(27:44) - Cowgirl Boots by shrimptoastie
(33:54) - the mountain is as it always was by christine mi
(41:47) - The "hey wow neat!" Showcase
(42:02) - The SnakeMother • Le Serpent-Mère by Adebreg
(43:54) - The Museum Of Mid 2000s Forum Signatures by Niandra!
(47:46) - Cloverheart by rowan tobias
(50:26) - i had another dream about you last night by caanti
(55:43) - MEDUSA by Ether, Hidden Vale
(01:00:31) - That's the last one!
(01:00:36) - Big Takeaways???
(01:00:49) - AJ's Big Takeaway
(01:01:19) - Robin's Big Takeaway
(01:02:32) - Everybody should make a Bitsy game!!!
(01:03:26) - Thanks for listening!!!

★ Support this podcast ★

Talking Weird Art with AJ Gonzalez (Official Electric, RUIN: Chapter 0) Sep 04, 2026

Show notes

🚨CONTENT WARNING: There is a lengthy description of a psychotic episode from about 45:56 to 57:52. Nothing bad happens and no one is harmed, but there are descriptions of hallucinations and delusions🚨

AJ and Kim had the pleasure of talking to AJ Gonzalez of Official Electric (developer of RUIN: Chapter 0) about how he got started in games, how to get to the point in art and games, and why the Official Electric merch is so damn good.

Check out Official Electric on their website or on itch.io!

Discussed in the episode:

Our RUIN episode
JUNK? by Official Electric
Nothing Gallery (get all 35 film collectibles to get the PDF that we talk about!)
RUIN Ch.O Suite on Bandcamp

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Support us on Ko-fi!

Visit our website!

Follow us on YouTube!

Follow the show on Bluesky!

Check out The Worst Garbage Online!

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Art by Tara Crawford

Theme music by _amaranthine

Additional sounds by Boqeh

Produced and edited by AJ Fillari

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Timecodes:

(00:00) - Welcome!!!
(01:32) - Who is AJ Gonzalez?
(11:43) - Normal games and weird art
(16:07) - Getting to the point
(19:38) - Who is this for?
(21:16) - When did Official Electric come about?
(26:03) - Performance art?
(28:15) - Are these games about games?
(32:06) - The Cigarette Break
(37:30) - The PDF
(45:56) - [CW: LENGTHY DESCRIPTION OF A PSYCHOTIC EPISODE] The purpose of disorientation
(57:52) - Does RUIN feel like catharsis?
(59:02) - The future of Official Electric
(01:00:50) - Check out AJ's work!

★ Support this podcast ★

Hearing the Songs of the Universe in Asterism Aug 31, 2026

Show notes

Still can't believe that actual Neptune is in this game lmao

Today we're talking about Asterism by Claire Morwood! A game about uncovering the origins of a mysterious space signal and doing it yourself.

Get Asterism on itch.io or Steam!!! Follow Claire Morwood's work on her website!

Discussed in the episode:

Asterism Devlogs
Asterism OST on bandcamp
It's been done before, but not by YOU. by Nneka Julia on YouTube

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Support us on Ko-fi!

Visit our website!

Follow us on YouTube!

Follow the show on Bluesky!

Check out The Worst Garbage Online!

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Art by Tara Crawford

Theme music by _amaranthine

Additional sounds by Boqeh

Produced and edited by AJ Fillari

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Timecodes:

(00:00) - dirt.pig
(01:22) - Welcome to oink.zip
(02:27) - The end of Moon Summer
(03:29) - What is Asterism?
(05:10) - The artstyles are SICK
(13:04) - The pacing
(19:52) - Spoilers
(20:02) - Favorite levels
(27:09) - Touching on the narrative
(32:08) - We did cry at the end
(33:09) - Big Takeaways
(33:43) - AJ's Big Takeaway
(37:32) - Chase's Big Takeaway
(40:19) - Robin's Big Takeaway
(46:35) - Games can be anything!!!
(47:23) - Thanks for listening!

★ Support this podcast ★

Documenting The End in Umurangi Generation (+ Macro DLC) Aug 24, 2026

Show notes

I'm having a hard time getting the Cheerwine and the portrait of the personification of existential dread in the same shot with the telephoto lens.

Today we're talking about Umurangi Generatoin by ORIGAME DIGITAL! A game about taking photos and choosing how to live.

Get Umurangi Generation on Steam or Switch!!! Follow ORIGAME DIGITAL's work on their website!

Discussed in the episode:

The Cheerwine Official Store
The Article Where I Talk About Umurangi Generation In Full Detail (Total F*ckin Spoilers Ahead), Part One by Kaile Hultner on No Escape
Interview: Naphtali Faulkner on developing indie smash 'Umurangi Generation' by Jonathan Peltz on inverse
5 Years Ago, One Of The Most Brilliant Photography Games Perfectly Captured The Present Moment by Robin Bea on inverse

Additional links:

The Umurangi Generation is Asking You To Care by Celia Lewis for Vista Magazine on Medium
What a video game about a futuristic Tauranga can tell us about our present by Dan Taipua for The Spinoff

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Support us on Ko-fi!

Visit our website!

Follow us on YouTube!

Follow the show on Bluesky!

Check out The Worst Garbage Online!

---

Art by Tara Crawford

Theme music by _amaranthine

Additional sounds by Boqeh

Produced and edited by AJ Fillari

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Timecodes:

(00:00) - Picklesburgh and Kielbasafest
(01:21) - Welcome back to penn.dot
(02:17) - What is Unmurangi Generation?
(03:50) - This game is About Stuff
(05:12) - The photography is fun
(15:51) - The way the mechanics aid the story
(17:41) - All photography has a bias!
(21:35) - The soundtrack!!! The art!!!
(24:02) - Spoilers!
(25:08) - Speeding through the narrative
(30:07) - What the Macro DLC focuses on
(39:59) - Big Takeaways
(40:26) - Robin's Big Takeaway
(43:42) - AJ's Big Takeaway
(45:51) - The game is amazing!!!!!!
(46:52) - Thanks for listening!

★ Support this podcast ★

Digging for Information in Lost Wiki: Kozlovka with Rachel Watts (Indieventure, Draknek & Friends) Aug 17, 2026

Show notes

I found these weird looking mushrooms foraging around in the forest, wanna make dinner with them? Surely there's nothing nefarious about them.

Today we're joined by Rachel Watts from the Indieventure podcast and Draknek & Friends to talk about Lost Wiki: Kozlovka by yattytheman! A game about haunted(?) mushrooms and clunky computer sounds.

Get Lost Wiki: Kozlovka on Steam!!! Follow yattytheman's work on his website!

Discussed in the episode:

ABBA Voyage Official Website
Our episode on No Case Should Remain Unsolved with Lex!
Cocoon: Design Works written by Rachel on Lost in Cult
AJ once again brought up The Worst Puzzle of All Time by Design Delve for Second Wind on YouTube

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Support us on Ko-fi!

Visit our website!

Follow us on YouTube!

Follow the show on Bluesky!

Check out The Worst Garbage Online!

---

Art by Tara Crawford

Theme music by _amaranthine

Additional sounds by Boqeh

Produced and edited by AJ Fillari

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Timecodes:

(00:00) - A song that is about defining the relationship
(01:05) - VERY SPECIAL GUEST RACHEL WATTS
(02:22) - Who is Rachel Watts?
(04:10) - What is Lost Wiki: Kozlovka
(08:52) - Story setup
(14:46) - How the puzzles are presented
(20:09) - Not holding back surprises
(24:14) - Shoutout to the flow chart
(27:07) - The shifting in tense
(29:09) - Heading into spoilers
(30:12) - Symbiotic Ergot
(30:48) - Kim tries not to say the name of a TV show for 3 minutes
(33:56) - The juice
(43:36) - The ending
(48:19) - Big Takeaways
(48:29) - AJ's Big Takeaway
(50:01) - Kim's Big Takeaway
(54:53) - Chase's Big Takeaway
(01:02:08) - Robin's Big Takeaway
(01:05:14) - Rachel's Big Takeaway
(01:09:44) - Lost Wiki COLON
(01:10:15) - Check the game out!!
(01:10:34) - Find Rachel!!!!
(01:11:59) - Thanks for listening!

★ Support this podcast ★

Meeting New People in Enjoy the Diner Aug 10, 2026

Show notes

You gooootta try the penguin soda dude.

Today we're talking about Enjoy the Diner by Monthly Wetland and Studio Dragonet! A game about the moon and drinking soda. This game was suggested by Kate of No Small Games! If you'd like to suggest a game head over to our website!

Get Enjoy the Diner on Steam, Switch, or in Japanese on itch.io and Switch!!! Follow Monthly Wetland's work on their website and Bluesky!

Discussed in the episode:

Enjoy the Diner: Sound Track on Steam

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Support us on Ko-fi!

Visit our website!

Follow us on YouTube!

Follow the show on Bluesky!

Check out The Worst Garbage Online!

---

Art by Tara Crawford

Theme music by _amaranthine

Additional sounds by Boqeh

Produced and edited by AJ Fillari

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Timecodes:

(00:00) - cat.nip
(02:22) - Naming the duo
(03:32) - What is Enjoy the Diner
(07:52) - The conversation mechanic
(10:35) - A bit about the characters
(13:01) - Check out the game!
(13:23) - SPOILERS
(13:29) - You have an exam tomorrow!!!
(14:05) - The world is cool
(18:19) - Favorite moments?
(24:54) - The endings
(30:47) - The Box
(33:55) - Some more moments
(42:20) - Big Takeaways
(42:40) - AJ's Big Takeaway
(45:03) - Robin's Big Takeaway
(47:46) - Shoutout penguin soda
(48:38) - Thanks for listening!

★ Support this podcast ★

Experiencing Poetry in Game Poems — Issue #1: First Moves Aug 03, 2026

Show notes

Games can be anything, but do they really need to be anything more than Snake??

Today we're talking about Game Poems — Issue #1: First Moves by so many people!!! A game about learning what a game poem is and playing Snake.

Read/play Game Poems — Issue #1: First Moves on itch.io or the Game Poems website!!! Follow Game Poems on their website!

Discussed in the episode:

Game Poems Magazine - Resources

Support us on Ko-fi!

Visit our website!

Follow us on YouTube!

Follow the show on Bluesky!

Check out The Worst Garbage Online!

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Art by Tara Crawford

Theme music by _amaranthine

Additional sounds by Boqeh

Produced and edited by AJ Fillari

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Timecodes:

(00:00) - Modern Major Child
(03:23) - Game Poems Issue #1: First Moves
(05:26) - The philosophy of game poems
(15:55) - It's over when...
(18:49) - Find the game in the show notes!!
(19:57) - Stand outs
(20:12) - Like I Never Moved at All by Adam Pype and Victor Kraus
(23:33) - SNAKISMS 2: Snakes We Live By, Volume 1: A-M by Pippin Barr
(28:25) - [começar coisas terminadas] by Isaques Sanchez
(33:59) - Asunder by Ash Rezvani, Brittany Westlund, Kate Lloyd
(37:26) - Firsts by Geoffrey Mugford
(43:12) - Gambit by Caitlin DeRosa
(44:58) - On Second Thought by Tereza Kotěšovcová
(47:01) - A look of glass stops you. by Brendan Allen
(50:33) - Big Takeaways
(51:00) - Kim's Big Takeaway
(52:41) - AJ's Big Takeaway
(54:33) - Chase's Big Takeaway
(57:26) - Closing the magazine
(01:00:24) - Kim tells a story

★ Support this podcast ★

Prequel by Glyphtide Games feat. Frey, Tony, Scout, Jill, and Andy!!! Jul 31, 2026

Show notes

☕Become a member for more RAMs, special episodes, and behind-the-scenes stuff at https://ko-fi.com/dotzip!☕

This week AJ sat down with one of their TTRPG groups to discuss the group's recent playthrough of the WONDERFUL game Prequel by Glyphtide Games! A game about overcoming the evil, and your inevitable demise!
Get Prequel digitally or physically on Glyphtide Games' website!

If you want to see how we organized our game you can explore the spreadsheet we played on!
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Follow the guests!

Listen to Jill and Scout on Paws and Clause or In Sequence
Hear AJ talk about Triangle Agency on In Sequence
Check out MCDM's game, Draw Steel!
If you're in the Detroit Metro area check out Pandemonium Games and Hobbies
Read Frey's blog On the Table
Check out Andy's art for Arkham Con
Support Scout and see her blogging occasionally on her Ko-Fi page or check out her work on her website!

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Support us on Ko-fi!

Visit our website!

Follow us on YouTube!

Follow the show on Bluesky!

Check out The Worst Garbage Online!

---

Art by Tara Crawford

Theme music by Boqeh

Produced and edited by AJ Fillari

---

Timecodes:

(00:00) - Intro
(02:01) - We've all played Prequel!
(02:21) - What is Prequel?
(04:03) - Starting at the beginning (kind of)
(05:12) - The Evil
(06:53) - The Heroes
(27:11) - Player agency and the tactical side of the game
(36:58) - Everyone is equal and narrative transparency
(41:12) - Investment in the world and storytelling
(46:34) - The playtime
(54:02) - Good lookin' book!!!
(55:55) - This game sticks with you
(01:00:00) - Follow my wonderful friends!!!
(01:06:06) - Thank you for your support!!!!

★ Support this podcast ★

Moon's Haunted in Moonrot Jul 27, 2026

Show notes

Captain's Log 420 (nice): Space... it's always night here... why isn't anyone talking about this?

Today we're talking about Moonrot by Bee Braun! A game about driving around the moon and soaking up the sun.

Get Moonrot on itch.io or Steam!!! Follow Bee Braun's work on their (very good) website!

Discussed in the episode:

Frogsong by Bee Braun on Steam
PROXIMATE on Steam

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Support us on Ko-fi!

Visit our website!

Follow us on YouTube!

Follow the show on Bluesky!

Check out The Worst Garbage Online!

---

Art by Tara Crawford

Theme music by _amaranthine

Additional sounds by Boqeh

Produced and edited by AJ Fillari

---

Timecodes:

(00:00) - Hey Girl Mode is a good podcast
(00:47) - Podcast debuff
(01:21) - You may know this dev!!
(03:10) - What is Moonrot?
(07:25) - This IS a horror game
(12:33) - Finding the bright spots
(14:11) - A faulty rover
(16:33) - Use of sound
(18:40) - Spoilers!
(18:45) - Progression of the horror
(27:15) - Going around the lake
(28:21) - The ending
(29:11) - Big Takeaways
(29:21) - AJ's Big Takeaway
(31:26) - Robin's Big Takeaway
(34:00) - Hey read the show notes
(35:16) - Thank you for listening!

★ Support this podcast ★

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