In today’s newsletter:

• revealing 2025's community selections
• sharing our top games of 2024
• new releases to close out the year

podcast recap 🎧
​our podcast discussion + other media we've gotten into over the last week.

It's that time of year again, time to wind down our to-do's (hopefully) and bring up our top 10s! ​
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I love the tradition of creating lists, especially with the games I've played over the year. For me, it's not just about figuring out which games were "the best"— games are an art form, not just products, so while we can talk all we want about scores and ratings, it's about what we take away from our experience playing. Making these lists allows me to reflect on the games and what I enjoyed along with the memories associated with those games. The things happening in my life while I was playing, who I chatted with, what we found most exciting, and what else I experienced AROUND playing. I will always remember finishing 1000xRESIST while visiting Toronto for the first time (I was unable to stop playing and crying into the wee hours of the night, and spent the next day teaching a workshop with a wonderfully puffy face 😅). Fields of Mistria is forever tied to a summer road trip to a lake house rental with friends. The games we play are woven into our lives.

In this episode, Joel and I share our top games of 2024, and I hope it encourages you to take a bit of time and reflect on what you played this year (or read or watched or did).

A reminder that our monthly hangout is on Saturday, December 21st at 3 pm PT in Discord. We'll discuss December's game, Deltarune Chapters 1 & 2, chat through the community selections and G&G 2025 plans, discuss favorite games of 2024,, and chill together before the holidays. 😊 Hope to see you there!​
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🥐☕ revealing the 2025 community selections!
​the games you voted to play together next year

Thank you to everyone who voted for next year's games. The nominees, for the most part, were quite close in the rankings, except for the number one pick: Control! Below is the full list of games you voted in for next year, in alphabetical order. While I'll be on my holiday break starting next week, I'll be taking time to update the website with the games (and do a lot of general housekeeping) so keep an eye out for that!

• Chants of Sennar
• Control
• Final Fantasy X
• I Was A Teenage Exocolonist
• Lost Records: Bloom & Rage
• Return of the Obra Dinn

We'll be kicking off our 2025 by playing Control in January, and I'll reveal the placement of all the other titles in the new year.

Astute readers may be wondering: what will the other games be? Those are titles I'll be selecting based on games I think would be fun to discuss -- whether older titles that we can revisit, new titles that don't yet have a release date (ngl, I'm really looking at you, Deltarune Chapters 3 & 4), and random games that I discover that I feel shouldn't be missed.

We've got additional content and surprises in store for next year -- I can't wait to share them with you! And thanks so much to everyone who's participated in Geeks & Grounds, whether via this newsletter, in Discord, or by listening/watching the videos and podcast.

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👀 🎮notable indie releases this week
​games to keep an eye on if you're looking for more to play.

Pine | 13​ ​Emotional Short Alone in the forest glade he shared with his wife, a woodworker struggles to accept her passing. Help him hold on to cherished memories of their life together as he struggles to care for himself and his now empty home. Pine is a single-serving game focused on telling a beautiful, emotional tale.

On Your Tail| 16​ ​​Detective Life Sim A cozy detective adventure where you play as a vacation-bound writer who stumbles upon an idyllic town plagued by an enigmatic thief. Crack the case in this charming seaside town, build relationships, and unravel secrets in a world full of quirky characters and heartwarming stories.

next week's year's brew ☕
​ready to enter the oldest house?

While we won't officially start our playthrough of Control until January 1st (with the first discussion episode dropping on Jan 7th), if you'd like to get started, it IS our first game of 2025!

I haven't yet played Control, and while I remember playing Alan Wake VERY vaguely when it was originally released, that was over a decade ago, so I really wouldn't count myself as familiar with the wider universe the game exists in. Joel, on the other hand? LOVES the franchise and has played before, so we'll have a fun time comparing and contrasting experiences based on whether you've played before or if it's your first time with the game.

Stay in the loop -- listen to the weekly podcast on Spotify and Apple, hang with the community in Discord, and find us on Instagram and Bluesky!

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I think a lot about how we engage with media. How we can build knowledge, understanding, and emotional literacy through experiencing -- and then critically examining -- the games, books, and movies we engage with. I also think about the memories, fun, and friends I've made, simply because I love talking about games...and I've found other people who have the same niche interest and love to delve into that interest with me week after week (Hekki grace, y'all).

Geeks & Grounds is what I hope to foster more of in 2025: spaces where we can share in the love of games, and allow ourselves to be both silly AND serious when we do so. Thanks for being part of the ride so far (in January, Geeks & Grounds turns THREE?! WHAT THE HECK), and I can't wait for another awesome year with you all.
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Thanks for visiting our digital café this week -- hope you have some delicious snacks over the holiday, play lots of games, and I'll see you next year (hehe).

Jenny