Leisure

Side Story

Side Story is a bi-weekly podcast about games and the stories we tell about them, presented by Friends at the Table and supported by our patrons at friendsatthetable.cash.

Latest Episodes:

14: Melancholic Murder Bug Oct 07, 2025

Show notes

The ocean is draining. Where is it going? Is there a drain down there? Is someone drinking it? Wouldn't they be getting very thirsty? I guess there are lizardly astrologists and coral-covered automatons, so maybe there is someone who can drink the sea. Hard to say. Hard to say.

This show wouldn't be possible without your support. Please consider supporting us at https://www.patreon.com/friends_table.

Show Notes

Endless Legend 2 UI/UX Next Steps

Endless Legend 1 Screenshots

Endless Legend 2 Screenshots

Janine's Comparisons

Keith's Edit

Skill Trees

Additional Notes

Media Club Plus

Run Button Metal Gear Solid Let's Play

Chapters

00:00 Introduction 03:28 Endless Legend 2 01:04:10 Break (On the Nature of Time) 01:09:16 Civilization Revolution 01:11:08 Longest Played Demos 01:15:44 Lorelei and the Laser Eyes 01:20:27 The JRPG Zone: Star Ocean: The Second Story R, the Octopath Series, and Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter 01:28:17 The Coin Zone: Unfair Flips and Q-Up 01:30:39 Phantasy Star Online 01:40:18 The Outro Begins

Featuring Austin Walker, Andrew Lee Swan, and Keith Carberry

Produced by Austin Walker

Cover Art by A Liang Chan

Music by Jack de Quidt

13: The Validity of the Scorpion Sep 23, 2025

Show notes

Take a deep breath in. Can you smell it? That's right, the summer is finally behind us, and we can turn to the finer things of the autumn: Genetic splicing, cursed relics, and hobby-kit helicopters. Make a warm drink and settle in. The crisp air of the fall is going to take us many places.

Show Notes

The Making of Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion No Man's Sky: Oasis Island

Chapters

00:00 Introduction 08:30 The Saboteur 11:31 Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion 01:03:23 Strange Antiquities 01:29:44 No Man's Sky: Voyagers 01:39:30 Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter 01:49:03 Hollow Knight: Silksong

Featuring Austin Walker, Jack de Quidt, and Sylvi Bullet

Produced by Austin Walker

Cover Art by A Liang Chan

Music by Jack de Quidt

12: The Succulent Strawberry, or: Make Turnip Grow and Pet Cow Sep 02, 2025

Show notes

This week in a special double-part episode, Ali, Dre, and Janine retun from the windy climes of Zephyr Town to tell us about the highs and lows of running a weekend produce market in Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar. Then, with the sort of clarity that only comes in the immediate aftermath of COVID recovery, Austin descends into the strange, probabalistic dungeons of Sol Cesto only to find Jack with a mouth full of strange, cursed teeth.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction 00:39 Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar 57:15 Sol Cesto

Featuring Austin Walker, Ali Acampora, Andrew Lee Swan, Janine Hawkins, and Jack de Quidt

Produced by Austin Walker

Cover Art by A Liang Chan

Music by Jack de Quidt

11: Sweet Pounding Hammer Aug 19, 2025

Show notes

After a long week of moving apartments, Austin breaks in his new podcasting setup. Finally, he and Janine get to talk about Popucom, the colorful co-op action-puzzle game that we've run out of time for in the last few episodes. Plus, Sylvi regales us with tales of her cyberpunk exploits in the New Boston dystopia of Cyber Knights: Flashpoint.

Show Notes

The Creators of This New Co-Op Game Don't Care If Kids Cheat Death While Trying to Have Fun | Crossplay

A little Info on POPUCOM's color blindness options

Chapters

00:00 Introduction 00:37 Leaks Are Poison to All Creation 07:43 Punirunes Update 09:30 POPUCOM 33:49 Cyber Knights: Flashpoint

Featuring Austin Walker, Sylvi Bullet, and Janine Hawkins

Produced by Austin Walker

Cover Art by A Liang Chan

Music by Jack de Quidt

10: This Is Your Slime Aug 05, 2025

Show notes

Ali returns to the show to lead Janine and Austin in an exploration of contemporary Tamagotchi culture, focusing on the recent Tamagotchi Uni and brand new Tamagotchi Paradise releases, before diving headfirst into one of the clearest ways that gambling/gacha culture is spreading into the mainstream: The Pop Mart Hint System.

Also: You can put your finger into it and touch the slimy button.

Show Notes

Further Info on How and Why to Call Payment Processors Someone Did Surgery to a Tamagotchi Paradise Official Punirunes Quick Start Guide — here's how to play! Parasocial Relationships in Social Contexts: Why do Players View a Game Character as Their Child? (Re: Travel Frog familial status)

Chapters00:00 Introduction 03:51 The World of Contemporary Tamagotchi 55:51 Pop Mart and the Labubu Culture 01:40:44 Punirunes: The Slimy Virtual Pet You Must Touch 01:52:22 Call the Payment Processors!

Featuring Austin Walker, Janine Hawkins, and Ali Acampora

Produced by Austin Walker

Cover Art by A Liang Chan

Music by Jack de Quidt

09: Denied Your Clocks Again Jul 22, 2025

Show notes

After a few episodes of exclusively appearing in the Outward Let's Play (available to $10 Patrons right here!), Jack and Janine return to Side Story proper. And oh what a trek it has been. They've crawled the the shadowy woods of a vague gothic forest. They've traversed the craggy slopes of the Australian outback. They've had to fend of both bats and BTs. And Austin? Seated comfortably in front of the microphone, Austin has many questions.

Show Notes

The Fort-Da Game IS in Death Stranding!

Chapters

00:00 Introduction 02:02 V Rising 01:02:18 Death Stranding 2

Side Story only exists because of support from listeners like you. Go to friendsatthetable.cash to support us!

Featuring Austin Walker, Janine Hawkins, and Jack de Quidt

Produced by Austin Walker

Cover Art by A Liang Chan

Music by Jack de Quidt

08: My Horse Books Jul 09, 2025

Show notes

Despite our audio editing software totally devouring Austin's file and corrupting nearly a fully produced episode file, this week's episode of Side Story could not be stopped. Not by the ups-and-downs of gacha horsegirl racing. Not by the whims of the Pokemon League. Not even by actual, real life athletic leagues and the many games they inspire. Catching a theme? Thats right, this week Austin, Keith, Dre, and first time guest Art Martinez-Tebbel dig into everyone's favorite subject: Sports.

Show Notes

How I Won a Tournament with the Hardest Strategy

Run Button Let's Play Silent Hill Homecoming - Part 17 - This One Is About Baseball

Soulcalibur IV playthrough - Arcade mode - Yoda

Adam Dunn had the weirdest career in MLB history | Dorktown

"When I Point At You, You Speak" | Moneyball | CineClips | With Captions

Remap: THE RETURN OF OBERHOF RACING STARTS NOW!

Kofie on YouTube

How to Change Rules in NBA2K!

Quote Origin: When He Turned Out the Light He Was in Bed Before the Room Was Dark

The Ghost of McCoy: The death of professional baseball in Rhode Island

Overview on Microsoft BDS Boycott

Chapters

00:00 Introduction 02:39 Uma Musume Pretty Derby 29:51 Pokemon: Scarlet and Violet 01:14:59 What Makes Sports Games Interesting 01:21:11 Baseball Is The Best Sport, or Keith: The Sports Hater 01:42:10 NBA2K, Franchise and MyCareer Modes, and the Sports Gacha 01:50:46 Interesting Weird Sports Things Happening 02:18:47 MLB: The Show's Storylines Mode 02:28:01 Lootboxes, Large Language Models, and Layoffs

Featuring Austin Walker, Keith Carberry, Andrew Lee Swan, and Art Martinez-Tebbel

Produced by Austin Walker

Cover Art by A Liang Chan

Music by Jack de Quidt

(Brief additional music from Run Button Podcast theme, Statikz ft J Arthur Keenes - Let's Go To Tokyo)

07: The Judgmental Gamer Jun 24, 2025

Show notes

With Austin and Keith itching to talk about Elden Ring: Nightreign, they bring Dre--who carried the group to their first win--on for their for their first appearance on the show. Plus, some mid-game impressions of the town management, relationships, and V-Tuber-esque character design of Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma.

Show Notes

DBFZ: GO1 Vs Leffen GREATEST SET EVER!!! CEO 2018

Digmon the Movie Soundtrack

What's Wrong With You Guys? - PokeMMO | streamed 4-11-25

Stephen A. Smith foils assassination attempt (General Hospital)

Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma Characters

Light No Fire Announcement Trailer

Chapters

00:00 Introduction 03:58 Dragon Ball FighterZ and Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero 17:50 Elden Ring: Nightreign 1:06:08 Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma 1:37:20 No Man's Sky

Featuring Austin Walker, Keith Carberry, and Andrew Lee Swan

Produced by Austin Walker

Cover Art by A Liang Chan

Music by Jack de Quidt

06: The i Stands for 'I'm the Gamer?' Jun 10, 2025

Show notes

After promising not to talk about the Summer Games Fest for too long, Janine, Keith, and Austin spend a full hour chatting about the event's resonance with various ongoing malaises and maladies affecting games culture. Then, finally, they dig into Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time. Has she also stolen their hearts, or is their dream game just a fantasy?

Show Notes

Unearthed Treasure Room Showcase

New Virtual Influencer Is Unbelievably Bad - Jarvis Johnson (Anna Indiana context)

Janine's Fantasy Life Witching Hour LP Playlist

Chapters

00:00 Introduction 01:40 Summer Games Fest & the Green Games Showcase 01:09:46 Break 01:09:52 FANTASY LIFE i: The Girl Who Steals Time 02:07:08 Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma 02:10:15 Elden Ring: Nightreign

Featuring Austin Walker, Janine Hawkins, and Keith Carberry

Produced by Austin Walker

Cover Art by A Liang Chan

Music by Jack de Quidt

05: Blue Prince Spoilercast May 27, 2025

Show notes

Today we dive deep into the mysterious manor of Mt. Holly as Austin, Sylvi, and (for the first time on Side Story) Keith talk at length about Blue Prince, the first-person puzzle game by Dogubom. We talk favorite puzzles, end-game secrets, and the strengths and weaknesses of the game's narrative about familial affection, political intrigue, and spending your childhood getting lost in big houses.

Side Story only exists because of support from listeners like you. Go to friendsatthetable.cash to support us!

Show Notes

Betrayal at House on the Hill

Clue: The Great Museum Caper

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Heist

'Does Blue Prince Never End?' by Chris Person

Bluff City Season 1 on Patreon

Bluff City Season 1 on YouTube

Featuring Austin Walker, Sylvi Bullet, and Keith Carberry

Produced by Austin Walker

Cover Art by A Liang Chan

Music by Jack de Quidt