Watch Out for Fireballs!

Latest Episodes:

WOFF 354 Preview: Deathloop Apr 21, 2022

Show notes

Kill everyone on Reddit Island Fyrefest! Using superpowers and time travel. What a pitch!

It's no secret we're big fans of Arkane, which makes Deathloop exceedingly interesting in both it's triumphs and failures. The apotheosis of density in level design saddled with awkward invasion mechanics from Dark Souls. A timeloop element that works wonderfully in terms of narrative but hampers the pace of play. Deathloop is a game with incredibly high highs but also low lows. Take and listen and see.

This is the preview version of this episode. If you'd like to hear the entire thing, join us on Patreon! Patreon.com/duckfeedtv

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

353: Chuck E. Cheese's / Showbiz Pizza Apr 14, 2022

Show notes

Gather 'round the stage birthday boys and girls! It's time for a special episode about what for some will be a fond childhood memory, and for others will be a resounding horror: Chuck E. Cheese and Showbiz Pizza. A product of the arcade boom in the late 70s, these combination pizza parlor / arcade / entertainment centers were a place where childhood could be embraced. We look at the history of the dueling companies, clown on the characters, and share our own memories of the place.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

352: The Shrouded Isle Apr 07, 2022

Show notes

Thank you Randall! Check out Crashcoral.com! (pw: crashcoral).

Oh, a cult simulator/management game with heavy lovecraftian elements, striking minimalist art, and a roguelike structure. Did someone leave this under a box with a stick tied to a string, trying to trap both Gary and Kole?

Not so fast. The Shrouded Isle has some potential and some genuinely good aesthetics, but the game is so barebones and numbers based as to pose an existential question: how much flavor, depth, and context do games actually need to be successful?

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Dispatch: Prescriptive vs. Permissive Games Mar 31, 2022

Show notes

This week we talk about a new spectrum on which we can analyze games: is it prescriptive, or is it permissive? Does it force you to conform to its demands, or does it say "yes" to the way you try to meet its challenges? This has been bubbling up for a while, and it was satisfying to talk about it.

We also answer your questions and read your responses to March's games.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

WOFF 351 Preview: Until Dawn Mar 24, 2022

Show notes

TEENS! TEENS! TEENS!

No, it's not some sort of horrible chant, it's what we're killin. Hop in.

Until Dawn showed how you can take steady principles of narrative adventure games such as The Walking Dead, or, shudder, Indigo Prophecy, and evolve them into something new and fun on its own. Very fun performances, a twisty plot, and appropriate interactivity make this one of, if not the, best "interactive movie" in games. Give it a listen!

Thank you to Dr. When!

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

350: King's Bounty Mar 17, 2022

Show notes

Quest Questingson conquers all of the continents of Continentia in this foundational strategy game. The king's sceptre has gone missing, and as a result both he and the kingdom itself are falling into ruin. It's up to you to track down all of the villains who conspired to steal the sceptre, recover the artifact itself, and save the day. This is a very basic strategy game, which is reflective of the time that it came out, but there are charms to its gameplay loop, and you can't help but smile at all of the Monster Dance Parties you destroy.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

349: Ultimate NES Remix Mar 10, 2022

Show notes

Nintendo is a company that is sometimes too in love with it's own history. But sometimes, that love bears beautiful results. This creative lil nugget functions as a reader's digest version of some of the best games on the NES, as well as a fun meta toy, where elements are mixed and matched. Underrated gem!

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Episode 348: Inscryption Mar 03, 2022

Show notes

You wake up in a cabin and you're playing a dangerous game. Sacrifices must be made. And the only way forward is to play your cards right. That's about all we can say about Inscryption, an ambitious and wide-ranging card game by Daniel Mullins, the creator of Pony Island. If we gave too much detail right now we would spoil it, which we don't want to do, since it's a great introduction to deck building games, even if there are some... inconsistencies.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Dispatch: GOTY Discourse Feb 24, 2022

Show notes

We answer your questions, discuss GOTY discourse, read your responses to February's games and announce April's docket.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

347 Preview: State of Decay Feb 17, 2022

Show notes

The world's gone to shit, and the only way to stay alive is to work together. You start State of Decay playing a man named Marcus, but very quickly you gain access to a whole settlement full of simulated survivors, and are given the goal of building and stocking a home by breaking, entering, and scavenging... all while fighting off hordes of the undead. The management sim elements are a little too light, and the story is rushed and unfinished, but this is still the consummate B-game and we recommend you give it a shot.

This is a preview of the full episode. To hear the rest, just back us at our Patreon. You get access to all of the other premium episodes, plus a whole bunch of other shows too!

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Watch Out for Fireballs!

Related Podcasts

1

2

3

4

5

6