Geeks & Grounds is an asynchronous, monthly game club where we play video games and brew good conversation, together! β Each week, receive a newsletter with a reflection question and curated materials meant to help you thoughtfully connect with the games we play.
Final Fantasy X - Part 02 [Geeks & Grounds #103]
this week's brew π§β
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π Mark your calendars for December 20th at 3 pm PT for the final hangout of 2025! |
In today's podcast ~
- Dave Jackson, host of Tales from the Backlog, returns to share his thoughts on the second half of Final Fantasy X!
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The Pastry Case: Our grab-bag of news + media we're engaging with outside of our game of the month:
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2026 Geeks & Grounds Selections are here! You voted, and six (of the twelve) games we'll play next year have been selected: Look Outside, The Outer Wilds, Kentucky Route Zero, Unbeatable, Yakuza: Like A Dragon, The Roottrees are Dead.
- Looking for a deal? Pick up titles during sales (like the Steam Winter Sale kicking off on December 18th) to get titles at a discount.
- Budget is tight but you'd still love to participate? Please reach out by emailing me! Occasionally I'll have limited funds and/or keys that I can provide to anyone who wants to play and discuss, but isn't able to pick up a game at the moment.
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What We're Excited About
- Jenny: Playing Bits & Bops, watching Pluribus, finishing my Undertale cross-stitch (and now starting a Howl's Moving Castle piece).
- Dave: Playing Dragon Quest 11 and Ghost Trick; cancelling Spotify and listening to Trigg & Gusset, reading Gardens of the Moon and The Road.
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2026 Geeks & Grounds Selections are here! You voted, and six (of the twelve) games we'll play next year have been selected: Look Outside, The Outer Wilds, Kentucky Route Zero, Unbeatable, Yakuza: Like A Dragon, The Roottrees are Dead.
- Discussion: Final Fantasy X! We've arrived to Zanarkand, and it's time to conclude our pilgrimage. The group's faith has been tested, and it's time to see if they're able to defeat Sin once and for all.
Listen to the episode on YouTube, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts!
2026 Geeks & Grounds Community Selections β
βHere are six of the games we'll be playing next year, selected by you!
As I mentioned above, the six titles you've selected via ranked choice voting as a community are (in no particular order):
- βLook Outsideβ
- βThe Outer Wildsβ
- βKentucky Route Zeroβ
- βUnbeatableβ
- βYakuza: Like A Dragonβ
- βThe Roottrees are Deadβ
I'm still determining the order for the year as a whole -- and reaching out to potential guests -- so I'll be able to share more details when we kick off 2026 properly, but my goal in letting you know these titles sooner is so you can start plan out your 2026. Which games will you chose to pick up? Are there any titles you'll need some extra time to beat? And if you're extra excited: perhaps there are games you want to hop into already!
Part of the fun for me is that through Geeks & Grounds, we get about half the titles from you and the other half I get to select specifically. The extra fun challenge this year, I think, will be to make sure to supplement what are some pretty beefy games (I'm looking at you, Yakuza) with games that have shorter run-times to help make sure we have some variety and avoid "long-game fatigue". Tbh? The hardest part is narrowing down my ideas. π
While I'm still finalizing my own picks for next year, and will probably leave at least one month as a "wild card" for a bit of flexibility, I can share the first three titles of 2026 to help you sort out your Q1 of Geeks & Grounds, including my first curated selection which will kick off January:
- βGas Station Story (January)
- βKentucky Route Zero (February)
- βThe Roottrees are Dead (March)
If you'd like to get started during our break, you can, but also: no rush! I'll be officially introducing Gas Station Story -- it's context, the playthrough guide, and kick-off reflection question -- when we return with our January 6th episode, and you can absolutely start playing then and still be on track.
For now? I hope you all have an incredible holiday season! I can't believe that we've just concluded Year Three (ahhh!! π) of Geeks & Grounds! I feel so fortunate and thankful that you all continue to show up, share, and get excited about games in this space, and I can't wait for all the discussions we'll be having next year.
Now, it's time for one final reflection question of 2026 ~ let me know by responding to this email or by sharing your thoughts in the Discord!
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Reflection
Today's question is for you to enjoy reflecting on what you played this year! I'd love to see your response, whether via email or by sharing in the Discord. If you don't tell me, consider sharing with a friend!
- What was YOUR favorite game to play this year, and why? It doesnβt have to be a Geeks & Grounds brew (although if it is, wonderful!) and it doesnβt have to have been released this year. Iβd just love to hear what title made an impact on you and why!
Stay in the loop -- listen to the weekly podcast on Spotify and Apple, hang with the community in Discord, and find us on Instagram!
βHappy Holidays β Stay warm, stay safe, and I'll see you all in 2026!
Jenny
Jenny | Geeks & Grounds
Geeks & Grounds is an asynchronous, monthly game club where we play video games and brew good conversation, together! β Each week, receive a newsletter with a reflection question and curated materials meant to help you thoughtfully connect with the games we play.
this week's brew π§Deep diving Kentucky Route Zero Listen to the latest discussion, out now on YouTube and wherever you listen to your podcasts! Katie and I had an absolute blast talking about Kentucky Route Zero -- it honestly felt like a slumber party, chock full of giggles, jaw-dropping realizations, and shared stories. I hope you have fun listening to it as much as we had recording. We begin with how KRZ draws from the tradition of the katabasis: stories that take you through an underworld...
this week's brew π§what we discussed in this week's episode! This month, we're joined by Katie to talk about Kentucky Route Zero! Before I hop into the usual newsletter musings ~ I just wanted to say thanks to everyone for your patience and flexibility. The end of January and this first half of February has been a particularly challenging one, with the loss of a friend and then of my dear cat, Rosie (who many of you have seen over the last years on videos, streams, and even in this...
this week's brew π§what we discussed in this week's episode! The Pastry Case: Our grab-bag of news + media we're engaging with outside of our game of the month. Introducing Chris! Every month, we're joined with another voice from the industry, and this January, we've got the incredible Chris (they/them) of Honest Indies adding their insights to the games to keep an eye on for 2026 as well as their reflections on Gas Station Story. (Some of our) Most Anticipated Games of 2026: We talk through...