JK! Games!

Latest Episodes:

VGBC: Titanfall 2 – Part 2 | Review + Deep Dive | JK! Games! Podcast Sep 23, 2025

Show notes

In this episode of JK! Games!, we're falling with our titans. Jerica, Kayla, Koleman, and Josh (aka HighScoreWeekly) return to finish our Titanfall 2 Video Game Book Club playthrough and deliver a deep-dive review of the campaign.
We start with a Titan loadout icebreaker game, reflect on what made this campaign hit hard in 2016 and now, and discuss traversal mechanics, boss fights and emotional beats.
Timecodes:
00:00:00 – Start
00:03:57 – Icebreaker Game: Build Your Titan Loadout
00:28:15 – Easy Mode: What We’ve Been Playing
00:39:08 – Normal Mode: Spoiler-Free Titanfall 2 Review
00:48:40 – Expert Mode: Titanfall 2 Deep Dive
• Cooper & BT’s emotional arc
• Time travel mechanics
• Story beats, villains & mission design
• Should there be a Titanfall 3?
01:23:40 – Wrap-Up & Next Game Teas

Support the show

JK! Games! is a weekly gaming podcast where we bring you the news and reviews we actually care about.

Our recurring play-along series — One More Game — is our version of a video game book club. We choose one title, set checkpoints, and break it down over multiple episodes. Currently Dave the Diver!

You can:
• Play at your own pace
• Stay spoiler-light
• Or dive deep with us

Whether you’re Easy Mode or Expert, you belong in the conversation.

Join our Discord to play along and share your theories each week.

Want to show us some love? Click Me!

VGBC: Titanfall 2 – Part 1 | First Impressions & A Brief History | JK! Games! Podcast Sep 16, 2025

Show notes

This week, we officially kick off our next Video Game Book Club title: Titanfall 2. Jerica, Kayla, and Koleman suit up for a deep dive into this critically beloved FPS — from its fast-paced movement and emotional storytelling to its unexpected ties to Apex Legends.
We also rewind to the original Titanfall to explain why we're starting with the sequel, touch on Respawn’s development choices, and unpack how this world became one of the most celebrated sci-fi shooter settings of the last decade.
Whether you're playing along for the first time or revisiting your BT memories, this episode is all about appreciating the details — from gunplay to skyboxes.
Timecodes:
00:00:00 – Start
00:19:17 – Listener Fanfare: Titanfall 2 Love Letters
00:22:24 – Easy Mode: What We’ve Been Playing + Koleman’s Icebreaker
00:35:11 – Normal Mode: Titanfall 1 History & Why We're Starting With 2
00:49:13 – Expert Mode: Titanfall 2 First Impressions
We’re JK! Games! Podcast!
We bring you the gaming news and reviews we care about — and right now we’re playing through one game at a time with our official Video Game Book Club.
We pick a game, break it down week by week, and talk about everything from mechanics to heart-wrenching narratives — all through the lens of a book club… but with video games. And don’t worry, you don’t have to read anything (until there’s a dialogue wheel).
Easy Mode or Expert, you belong in the conversation.

Support the show

JK! Games! is a weekly gaming podcast where we bring you the news and reviews we actually care about.

You can:
• Play at your own pace
• Stay spoiler-light
• Or dive deep with us

Whether you’re Easy Mode or Expert, you belong in the conversation.

Join our Discord to play along and share your theories each week.

Want to show us some love? Click Me!

Can Cozy Games Be Dark? - JK! Games! Podcast Sep 09, 2025

Show notes

This week on JK! Games! Jerica is joined by guest host Josh aka HighScoreWeekly for a deep dive into Whisper of the House — a cozy-but-creepy pixel art game that raised questions about where the line is drawn in the cozy genre.
We review the game’s atmosphere, story, and standout mechanics, then dive into a bigger conversation about "dark cozy" games: Can a game be cozy if it explores heavy topics like grief or death? Should content warnings be required? And does the genre need its own category like “cozy horror”?

Timecodes:
00:00:00 – Start
00:12:22 – Listener Question of the Week
00:18:46 – Easy Mode: Jerica & Silksong
00:30:50 – A Chao Garden Inspired Game?
00:34:00 – Normal Mode: Whisper of the House Review
00:57:20 – Expert Mode: Can Cozy Be Dark?

JK! Games! is a gaming podcast where we bring you the news and reviews we care about — and with our Video Game Book Club (VGBC), we dive deep into one game at a time. Whether you’re chasing every side quest or just here for the vibes, you belong in the conversation.
Join the Club:
Discord → https://discord.gg/sNEXGr3H
Watch live Mondays at 9PM EST → https://twitch.tv/jkgamespodcast
Follow us everywhere → @JKGamesPodcast

Support the show

JK! Games! is a weekly gaming podcast where we bring you the news and reviews we actually care about.

You can:
• Play at your own pace
• Stay spoiler-light
• Or dive deep with us

Whether you’re Easy Mode or Expert, you belong in the conversation.

Join our Discord to play along and share your theories each week.

Want to show us some love? Click Me!

VGBC: Tiny Bookshop – Our Official Review | JK! Games! Podcast Aug 26, 2025

Show notes

In this episode of JK! Games!, we’re wrapping up our playthrough of Tiny Bookshop with our official Video Game Book Club review.

Jerica and Kayla break down the story, characters, shopkeeping systems, cozy atmosphere, and whether this indie delivers as a must-play for management game fans. We share our final verdicts, listener responses, and reveal our next Book Club pick.

Timecodes:
00:00:00 – Start
00:10:58 – Listener Question of the Week (Favorite Cozy/Management Game)
00:22:00 – Jerica on Silksong
00:33:30 – Normal Mode: Setting the Stage for Tiny Bookshop Review
00:44:20 – Expert Mode: Tiny Bookshop Review

Listener Question of the Week:
What cozy or management game has been your favorite and why?

Next Game:
Our next Video Game Book Club pick is Titanfall 2 — join us in Discord to play along!

Support the show

JK! Games! is a weekly gaming podcast where we bring you the news and reviews we actually care about.

You can:
• Play at your own pace
• Stay spoiler-light
• Or dive deep with us

Whether you’re Easy Mode or Expert, you belong in the conversation.

Join our Discord to play along and share your theories each week.

Want to show us some love? Click Me!

Tiny Bookshop Early Impressions and Backlog of Doom Update! Aug 19, 2025

Show notes

This week on JK! Games! we’re catching up on what we’ve been playing, talk about Gamescom, and diving into our very first impressions of Tiny Bookshop. Jerica and Kayla also talk about what games have been added to their backlogs of DOOM.

Timecodes:
00:00:00 – Start
00:05:52 – Let’s Play a Game
00:30:39 – Backlog of Doom
00:41:54 – Normal Mode: Gamescom Predictions
00:52:24 – Expert Mode: Tiny Bookshop First Impressions

Support the show

JK! Games! is a weekly gaming podcast where we bring you the news and reviews we actually care about.

You can:
• Play at your own pace
• Stay spoiler-light
• Or dive deep with us

Whether you’re Easy Mode or Expert, you belong in the conversation.

Join our Discord to play along and share your theories each week.

Want to show us some love? Click Me!

VGBC: Tears of the Kingdom – Part 6: Let’s End This | JK! Games! Podcast Aug 12, 2025

Show notes

In Part 6 of our Tears of the Kingdom Video Game Book Club, we’ve reached the end of our Hyrule adventure — We got close. Kayla’s still on her journey, but that won’t stop us from talking about the game’s biggest moments, how the final stretch plays out, and whether it all lands as a satisfying payoff.
We kick things off with our Emoji Game in Easy Mode before reading your answers to this week’s listener question: What’s a game that had the perfect payoff for you — whether it was a moment, a mission, or the entire ending? Then, we dig into our spoiler-friendly finale discussion, touching on emotional beats, standout gameplay, and the most surprising discoveries from our time in TOTK.
About JK! Games!
JK! Games! is the gaming podcast where we bring you the news and reviews we care about — and our signature Video Game Book Club (VGBC), where we pick one game to play together over several episodes. Whether you’re here for deep dives, casual vibes, or just to follow along at your own pace, you belong in our conversation.
Timecodes:
00:00:00 – Start
00:16:00 – Emoji Game
00:33:54 – Easy Mode
00:45:58 – Listener Question of the Week
00:58:30 – Expert Mode: TOTK Finale Discussion
01:22:00 – Wrap-Up & Farewell to TOTK
Next Game:
Tiny Bookshop
Join the club and play along with us:
Discord → https://discord.gg/P3NaGwQh
Watch live Mondays at 9PM EST → https://twitch.tv/jkgamespodcast
Follow us everywhere → @JKGamesPodcast

Support the show

JK! Games! is a weekly gaming podcast where we bring you the news and reviews we actually care about.

You can:
• Play at your own pace
• Stay spoiler-light
• Or dive deep with us

Whether you’re Easy Mode or Expert, you belong in the conversation.

Join our Discord to play along and share your theories each week.

Want to show us some love? Click Me!

VGBC: Tears of the Kingdom – Part 5: Is the Story Broken? – JK! Games! Podcast Aug 05, 2025

Show notes

In Part 5 of our Tears of the Kingdom Book Club, we’re deep enough into the game to start asking the tough questions… like, is this story actually working?
Kayla and Jerica catch up on their progress and explore how the game’s environmental design shapes the way you play. Then, we dive into a thoughtful — and maybe spicy — conversation about how the narrative is structured, whether it lands, and how non-linear storytelling might be doing more harm than good.
00:00:00 Start
00:16:00 Last Week’s Checkpoint
00:23:30 Easy Mode
00:34:00 TOTK Traversal and Environments
00:45:53 Story Flawed?
Checkpoint Completed:
– A third Sage companion
– 4+ more shrines (12+ total)
– Another Dragon Tear memory
– Bonus: Depths exploration begins
Listener Question of the Week:
“What is more important to you: gameplay or story — and why?”
We read your answers and unpack where we stand.
Next Checkpoint (Part 6):
Finish the game. No pressure.

Support the show

JK! Games! is a weekly gaming podcast where we bring you the news and reviews we actually care about.

You can:
• Play at your own pace
• Stay spoiler-light
• Or dive deep with us

Whether you’re Easy Mode or Expert, you belong in the conversation.

Join our Discord to play along and share your theories each week.

Want to show us some love? Click Me!

VGBC: Tears of the Kingdom – Part 4: Open World Burnout? – JK! Games! Podcast Jul 29, 2025

Show notes

In Part 4 of our Tears of the Kingdom Book Club, we wrapped up a second Regional Phenomena and brought another Sage into the squad. Kayla’s sharpening her combat skills, and Jerica dives deeper into what makes this open world experience truly stand out from the rest.

Timecodes:
00:00 Start
08:40 Easy Mode
34:15 Normal Mode
58:00 Expert Mode

Checkpoint Completed:
– Another Sage companion
– 4+ more shrines
– Another Dragon Tear memory
Next Checkpoint (Part 5):
– A third Sage companion
– 4+ additional shrines
– One more Dragon Tear memory
– Bonus: Try to buy a house and… Jerica is definitely going to catch the biggest horse in the game. Not kill. Definitely not kill.
Join the club and play along with us:
Discord

Support the show

JK! Games! is a weekly gaming podcast where we bring you the news and reviews we actually care about.

You can:
• Play at your own pace
• Stay spoiler-light
• Or dive deep with us

Whether you’re Easy Mode or Expert, you belong in the conversation.

Join our Discord to play along and share your theories each week.

Want to show us some love? Click Me!

VGBC: Tears of the Kingdom – Part 3: our first Regional Phenomena - JK! Games! Podcast Jul 22, 2025

Show notes

In Part 3 of our Tears of the Kingdom Video Game Book Club, we reached our first Regional Phenomena, recruited a Sage companion, knocked out a handful of shrines, and uncovered our first Dragon Tear memory.

This week we dig into what makes combat in TOTK actually feel good, the magic behind its environmental storytelling, and how the game keeps surprising us. Kayla got zapped by lightning. Jerica may or may not be preparing to slay a dragon. Spiritually. Maybe literally.

Checkpoint Completed:
– First Regional Phenomena
– One Sage companion
– 4–8 shrines
– One Dragon Tear memory

Next Checkpoint (Part 4):
– Another Sage companion
– 4+ more shrines
– Another Dragon Tear memory

Support the show

JK! Games! is a weekly gaming podcast where we bring you the news and reviews we actually care about.

You can:
• Play at your own pace
• Stay spoiler-light
• Or dive deep with us

Whether you’re Easy Mode or Expert, you belong in the conversation.

Join our Discord to play along and share your theories each week.

Want to show us some love? Click Me!

VGBC Tears of the Kingdom - Part 2 Lookout Landing Checkpoint - JK! Games! Podcast Jul 15, 2025

Show notes

We’ve landed. In this episode of JK! Games! Book Club, we’ve officially completed our first checkpoint in Tears of the Kingdom — and Hyrule is opening it's butthole wide for us.
We discuss reaching Lookout Landing, unlocking the Skyview Tower, getting the Paraglider, and choosing our first steps in the open world. We also share our reactions to returning characters like Purah and Robbie, how this sequel builds on Breath of the Wild, and what new mechanics and mysteries have already hooked us.
This episode sets the stage for the real adventure ahead, and we announce next week’s checkpoint — tackling our first Regional Phenomena (Rito, Zora, Goron, or Gerudo). Pick your path and play along with us!
Checkpoint just completed:
Finish the Great Sky Island
Reach Lookout Landing
Unlock the Skyview Tower + Paraglider
Talk to Purah and Robbie
Next week’s checkpoints:
1. Complete one of the four Regional Phenomena questlines
2. Complete 8 Shrines
3. Find a Dragon Tear memory

Support the show

JK! Games! is a weekly gaming podcast where we bring you the news and reviews we actually care about.

You can:
• Play at your own pace
• Stay spoiler-light
• Or dive deep with us

Whether you’re Easy Mode or Expert, you belong in the conversation.

Join our Discord to play along and share your theories each week.

Want to show us some love? Click Me!