With germ juice coursing through our veins, we hop back onto the mics to discover a world different than where we left it — Mario is dead, Pokémon cards are skyrocketing in value, and everyone’s playing viral sensation Together BnB. Beyond that, we memorialize the looming destruction of Yahoo Answers, mourn Deathloop’s prophesied delay, and return to the mean streets of Knockout City. Games include Dishonored 2, Magic: The Gathering Arena, Together BnB, Knockout City, and PAC-MAN 99. Got a question for the show? Join us on Discord or email us at contact@ward-games.com!

Wardcast

Episode 254: Taylor-Swycanthrope

We rise to the podcast occasion to talk about the one thing that matters most: superhero movi— wait, no… video games! When we’re not criticizing the Snyder Cut and other assorted superhero fare, we’re checking out the newest brothers of Smash, fighting ancient gods in the Doom Eternal DLC, reviewing our self-assigned walking sim homework, and oh so much more. In news: Squenix’s Balan Wonderworld seems to be in rough shape, and SIE CEO Jim Ryan thinks we shouldn’t worry ourselves about wanting to play old games, which is extremely distressing given the oncoming closure of the PS3, PSP, and PS Vita digital stores. But, hey, at least we’ll have these haunted PS1 demo discs to see us through. Games include Monster Hunter Rise; Super Smash Bros. Ultimate; Doom Eternal; Dr. Langeskov, The Tiger, and The Terribly Cursed Emerald: A Whirlwind Heist; What Remains of Edith Finch; Adios; Haunted PS1 Demo Disc 2021; Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury; and Super Mario Odyssey. Got a question for the show? Join us on Discord or email us at contact@ward-games.com!

Episode 253: Mr. Bean is a Gundam

This episode, Dylan and Alex start the show by taking their taste buds on a space-faring adventure with some Halo-branded snacks. We then touch back down on terrestrial soil as we uncover news of game devs investing in non-fungible tokens, the Anthem and Artifact reboots getting canceled, Google Stadia closing its internal studios, and DC’s Deathstroke apparently being a huge Halo fan? Checking into Alex’s adventures with World of Warcraft and the Monster Hunter movie, we get his impressions on both, while also taking the time to stroll through a variety of walking sims. Games include World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth; Fortnite; Minesweeper Effect; Wreckfest; What Remains of Edith Finch; Event Zero; and Dr. Langeskov, The Tiger, and The Terribly Cursed Emerald: A Whirlwind Heist. Got a question for the show? Join us on Discord or email us at contact@ward-games.com!

Episode 252: Corvids Corvids Corvids

Alex and Dylan are back at it again with a plethora of news and games as well as recording their live reactions of the long-awaited return of the Nintendo Direct. Listen in as we in realtime get disappointed by the latest Smash character reveal, become confused by Knockout City’s ad strategy, and argue about the relevancy of Splatoon. But wait, there’s more! Instead of a Summer of Games, 2021 is poised to deliver to us a Winter of Games. We grapple with the BlizzPros of BlizzCon, consider the state of PlayStation, and celebrate the House of Lightning Mouse’s 25th anniversary. Games include Knockout City, World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth, and Dinosaur Planet. Got a question for the show? Join us on Discord or email us at contact@ward-games.com!

Episode 251: Take Me Down to the Knockout City

On this, our semiquincentennial episode, we get down to brass tacks to discuss the most important topics: what’s up with all these musicians performing inside of video games, whose idea was it to try to resurrect an ill-conceived Iraq War game, what are the core Mario and Zelda games, and exactly how tall is Lady Dimitrescu? All these questions and more will be answered on this episode of the Wardcast! Games include Fortnite, The Pathless, Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury, and Resident Evil 7: Biohazard. Got a question for the show? Join us on Discord or email us at contact@ward-games.com!

Episode 250: Post-Post Malone

We begin our eleventh month of quarantine talking about the things we know best. For starters: personal investing and stock market manipulation! After we dance on the graves of a couple of hedge funds, we move on to eulogize the passing of Flash, use LEGO bricks as a conduit to learning about game dev, return to talking about stars and the wars therein, and hit some mans in the latest release from IO Interactive. Games include Stinkoman 20X6, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, Star Wars Battlefront II, and Hitman 3. Got a question for the show? Join us on Discord or email us at contact@ward-games.com!

Episode 249: That Dogecoin Came from the Moon

With 2020 solidly in the rearview, we embrace 2021 and everything that comes with it: Hollywood cannibals, bean dads, Alex’s addiction to segues, and yet another disappointing chat about The Game Awards. But that’s not all! We also take the time to discuss the One-Winged Angel coming to Smash, the rebirth of Lucasfilm Games, and the Cyberpunk 2077 saga of labor issues, problematic representation, and unstable software. Games include Monster Hunter Rise, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Cyberpunk 2077, and Doom Eternal. Got a question for the show? Join us on Discord or email us at contact@ward-games.com!

Episode 248: The Adventures of Will Continue

After a long and arduous year, we’ve finally made it to Best Games Played! We simplified and streamlined to make our end-of-the-year recording responsibilities a little simpler, and as such, we still got some games to discuss before we get to the final countdown We talk PlayStation 5 ownership and a new world of haptic feedback, who will be the Lord of the Sweetieflies on Snaktooth Island, one final update to Blaseball, and so much more. So join us for one final journey as we sojourn through our Best Games Played awards and sail into 2021! Games include Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Marvel’s Spider-Man, Bugsnax, Blaseball, Ghost of Tsushima, Astro’s Playroom, Forza Horizon 4, Phasmophobia, Superliminal, Star Wars: Squadrons, Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy’s Edge, Demon’s Souls, Ring Fit Adventure, Titanfall 2, Deep Rock Galactic, and The Last of Us Part II. Awards include Greatest Debates, Warmest Neighborhood, Oddest Ball, Best Game Show, Boldest Myth, Best Archive, Best Playground, Greatest Responsibility, Best Shared Screams, and Most Balanced. Got a question for the show? Join us on Discord or email us at contact@ward-games.com!

Episode 247: Best Games Played 2020

With two Smashers down and four left to go for the seemingly final DLC pack for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Dylan, Alex, and Nelson gather together to debate and discuss who will be lucky enough to ascend to such vaunted a station. Theories abound: maybe another Microsoft representative, maybe a yet-to-be-fully-acknowledged Nintendo rival, or maybe someone from the company’s retro past? Who’s to say! We consider the realistic, the reaching, and the ramshackle possibilities on this, our second round of the Smash Ultimate Prediction Pool. Games include The Wonderful 101: Remastered. Got a question for the show? Join us on Discord or email us at contact@ward-games.com!

Episode 246: The Smash Ultimate Prediction Pool, Round 2

As we roll through the sleepy days of autumn, the games industry continues to keep us on our toes. First up, we have multiple video game movies to contend with, with the release of the first full Monster Hunter trailer and the first photos of Tom Holland as Nathan Drake. But autumn means one other thing: that’s right, it’s Spooky Season! So we contend with games both scary and macabre as we ponder the nature of consciousness in SOMA, fend off Mr. X in Resident Evil 2, investigate a murder in Paradise Killers, and explore the afterlife in I Am Dead. And once we’re done spooking ourselves through games, there are other horrors to contend with: Facebook’s total absorption of Oculus, lackluster Mario Royale successors, Steve losing his meat, content creators paying license fees to play games, and the American election. Games include SOMA, Resident Evil 2, Genshin Impact, Paradise Killer, I Am Dead, Disc Room, Star Wars Squadrons, Super Mario 3D All-Stars, Super Mario Bros. 35, Soviet Jump Game, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and Grand Theft Auto V. Got a question for the show? Join us on Discord or email us at contact@ward-games.com!

Episode 245: Paradise Killer, qu’est-ce que c’est?

Wedding bells are ringing out at Wardcast Manor, as two of our hosts prepare for holy matrimony, but before they can spend life eternal with their significant others, they have to take their vows: Do you, Alex, take this Breath of the Wild gacha game, in good rolls and in bad, to be a decent enough successor to the seminal Zelda game? To valiantly defend Super Mario 64 even though it may not be the best entry in 3D All-Stars, and to always find Project Winter to be vastly superior to Among Us? And do you, Nelson, promise to always ensure that we have a five-stack in Valorant, whether in competitive or unranked? To always find Zagreus in Hades drop-dead sexy, and to find Final Fantasy VII Remake a frustratingly lacking game, as long as it is sold on shelves? Games include Genshin Impact, Valorant, Halo: The Master Chief Collection, Hades, Super Mario 3D All-Stars, Among Us, Project Winter, and Final Fantasy VII Remake. Got a question for the show? Join us on Discord or email us at contact@ward-games.com!

Episode 244: Minimoons

It’s a powdery fresh Wardcast as Dylan, Nelson, and Alex discuss the ever-changing gaming landscape. We got acquisitions galore as Red Ventures steps in to acquire CNET Media and all its associated brands while Microsoft makes a big play by purchasing Bethesda parent Zenimax Media for a whopping $7.5 billion. All the while, the next gen of consoles hangs heavy on the horizon, as we discuss the rise of the prosumers, question the point of 4K, and wonder who the heck is buying a console this holiday, anyways? Games include The Sims 4; Wide Ocean, Big Jacket; Night in the Woods; Boku no Natsuyasumi; Disco Elysium; and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2. Got a question for the show? Join us on Discord or email us at contact@ward-games.com!

Episode 243: I Would Fight Goofy

This week on the Wardcast, Dylan and Nelson are joined by Abby Russell, content producer at Giant Bomb! The duo talks to Abby about her work at the site, including the balancing act of being an informer, entertainer, and a (sometimes) critic of games, as well as understanding the parasocial relationship between herself and the audience. We also tackle the big questions: is the state of Virginia technically in “the South”? And who are video games’ hottest characters? Games include The Sims 4, Fortnite, Titanfall 2, and Marvel’s Avengers. Got a question for the show? Join us on Discord or email us at contact@ward-games.com!

Episode 242: Country is a State of Mind

For the inaugural PAX Online, we join together with our friends and colleagues to talk about acquiring funding for your indie game! Joining Dylan for this discussion is Finji’s Bekah Saltsman, Kickstarter’s Anya Combs, Kowloon Nights’ Callum Underwood, and Devolver Digital’s Nigel Lowrie! The gang discusses everything about funding partners, including what to have prepared for your preliminary meeting with a potential partner, what your expectations should be for your first collaboration, and more! From the panel description: Finding funding for your game’s development can sometimes feel like a forbidden art — discussed only in hushed tones in hidden rooms. We’re here to demystify that search and equip you with the knowledge and preparation needed to approach a financial stakeholder — whether it’s a publisher, a crowdfunding platform, a funding collective, or some alternate partnership. Listen in on this discussion between publishers, crowdfunding representatives, and other industry professionals about the ins and outs of funding your game. Got a question for the show? Join us on Discord or email us at contact@ward-games.com!

Episode 241: How to Fund Your Video Game, PAX Online 2020

It’s a two man show this episode as Dylan and Nelson sit down to talk about a handful of games, coincidentally all starring the same voice talent. We follow up with Nelson’s foreshadowing last episode about how he might not like Marvel’s Avengers, only to discover that he, in fact, does not like Marvel’s Avengers! And Dylan finally played The Last of Us and leads us through a discussion on how the game holds up seven years on, especially in comparison with the release of Part II. Games include Marvel’s Avengers, The Last of Us Remastered, Fall Guys, and The Last of Us Part II. Got a question for the show? Join us on Discord or email us at contact@ward-games.com!

Episode 240: Nolan North Jr.

Join Ward Games on their journey to build the next great indie game studio. Listen in as they bring on guests from the local indie game dev scene in Richmond, Virginia, and from around the world to discuss game development, entrepreneurship, and more.