this week's brew 🎧what we played this week + supplementary materials to help you dig deeper. We've got to talk about the 'rage' in Bloom & Rage. I find it very compelling that the friendship of the four girls in Lost Records is founded on the act of them defending Swann from a form of masculine rage - misogynistic harassment and verbal threats from Corey. While the highlight of the girl's summer are the adventures and bonds they create together, I feel like their comradery goes deeper. In...
8 days ago • 3 min read
this week's brew 🎧what we played this week + supplementary materials to help you dig deeper. Listen to the latest episode on Spotify and YouTube! The 90s are alive and well this month for Geeks & Grounds ~ we're playing Lost Records: Bloom & Rage! This game oscillates between memories of summer for high schooler, Swann, and her present day reunion with those friends. Of course, this isn't a simple reunion: there seems to be a mystery surrounding the events of that fateful summer of 1995, and...
22 days ago • 2 min read
this week's brew 🎧what we played this week + supplementary materials to help you dig deeper. Listen now on Spotify, Apple, or YouTube. We're taking next week off (and I'm technically out of office already visiting family in Korea!) but before we touch some grass and eat some snacks, I wanted to be sure to close out our official time with Arco. Joel and I had a blast chatting with Fáyer, the one of the writers and programmers for Arco. His influence was a primary factor in the game moving from...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
this week's brew 🎧what we played this week + supplementary materials to help you dig deeper. Latest episode out now on Spotify, Apple, and YouTube The conclusion of Arco is filled with smoke, blood, oil...but perhaps you were able to find a little hope as well. Our discussion this week digs into the final act of the game, the results we got, and how we felt as concluded this epic tale. While our discussion focuses on the our main characters and the journey they've taken, a surprised character...
about 1 month ago • 3 min read
this week's brew 🎧what we played this week + supplementary materials to help you dig deeper. I am normally not a fan of Westerns. Cowboys, gunslingers, and lots of dust and sand? It just rarely appeals to me. And yet, playing Arco has provided me with a rare occasion to appreciate the genre. We have all the tropes that you may envision when you think of the genre: lone wanderers seeking retribution and justice in a harsh environment, a sense of isolation in a expansive world, and a growing...
about 2 months ago • 4 min read
this week's brew 🎧what we played this week + supplementary materials to help you dig deeper. To be in a relationship with someone requires change and the ability to accept change. Moving from the vast majority of games where romantic pursuits are clear-cut, both in how you foster relationships as well as who you want to pursue. Characters have their specific likes, dislikes, and personalities, and are (largely) predictable to interact with. A game that was this compellingly messy with it's...
3 months ago • 3 min read
this month's brew 🎧what we'll be playing for February + supplementary materials to help you dig deeper. First discussion episode drops Feb 4th! We had a great hangout concluding our playthrough time with Control -- thanks for everyone who made it! It's now time to introduce our February selection, a game that has taken over my mind in a lot of (wonderful) ways:By a la mode games, Sorry We're Closed is a nostalgic, single-player survival horror game with rich lore, deep characters and multiple...
3 months ago • 2 min read
this week's brew 🎧our discussion of Control this week + supplementary materials to help you dig deeper. Watch and listen now on YouTube, Spotify, iTunes, and wherever you find your podcasts! Okay, I’ll admit it. I hit my first (Hiss) wall at the very start of the Old Boys’ Club mission last week, but after that, it was smooth sailing - and flying! - through the halls of the Bureau. This week’s podcast is all about our descent into truly dangerous areas of the Oldest House, like the aptly...
4 months ago • 4 min read
In today’s newsletter: the first g&g episode of the year! some of our 'most anticipated' titles for 2025 a writing challenge this week's brew ☕our discussion on what we played over the last week + next week's focus. Happy New Year! We’ll start the year with a new job title: Director of the Federal Bureau of Control. Time to figure out what exactly that means!In this episode, we delve into our first impressions as we start Control: while Joel has played before, this is my first time, and I've...
4 months ago • 4 min read