Geeks & Grounds is an asynchronous, monthly game club where we play video games and brew good conversation, together! โ Each week, receive a newsletter with a reflection question and curated materials meant to help you thoughtfully connect with the games we play.
It Doesn't Have to Be A Dream โ [Geeks & Grounds #079]
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In todayโs newsletter:
podcast recap ๐ง
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First off: welcome to all the new subscribers! <3 We have a bunch of new folks here, so I wanted to quickly say welcome and thank you for joining the club ~ please feel free to message me here, say hi, and let me know if you've got any questions! ^_^โ
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"Your choices don't matter". Ah. The first "lesson" we're supposed to learn in Deltarune.
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Particularly in the wider context of society, it can feel like our choices don't really matter. As individuals, we can't do things like stop the climate crisis or end war. And it can feel very easy to want to find solace in things that bring us comfort, security, and joy. Things like board games, or the internet. And that's what we see more clearly emerging as a theme in Chapter 2 of Deltarune: the pattern of escaping into various Dark Worlds, each created as a representation of something people use to escape reality.
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โAs a side note: I don't believe that the game is actually telling us our choices don't matter. Similar to Undertale, where "it's kill or be killed", I believe there's more here than meets the eye. But that's perhaps a topic for our community hangout and discussion next week!โ
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โI LOVED the podcast discussion we had about Chapter 2, as Joel's theories have completely reframed the way I've thought about the story and the character, Kris, in particular. Especially considering this theme of escapism, the darker observations and notes that Joel presents (I think) are ones that I'll continue to mull over as it's changed the way I see the game and the potential direction the story can take.
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Check out the playthrough guide for our general schedule for playing Control:
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If you poke around, you'll see the framework for the major website update and overhaul I'm working on ~ thanks to Alannah and Delaney at DNA Creative for working Notion WIZARDRY to help me get it set up! Anticipate the new and improved version of the website releasing in 2025!โ
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A reminder that our monthly hangout is on Saturday, December 21st at 3 pm PT in Discord. We'll discuss December's game, Deltarune Chapter 1 & 2, chat through the community selections and G&G 2025 plans, talk about favorite games we've played this year, and generally just chill together for a bit ahead of our holiday break. ๐ Hope to see you there!
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๐ฅโ the pastry case (show links)
โwhat we're reading/watching/listening to outside of the monthly brew.
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Jenny
- โWicked wicked wicked wicked wicked wicked wicked (I loved Wicked)
- wind and truth and wind and truth and wind and truth and (I'm loving Wind and Truth)
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Joel
- You already know Iโm deep in the new Sanderson Book Wind and Truth! Itโs like every page he is rewarding his readers by tying together mysteries weโve been speculating about for ages!
- The new Star Wars show Skeleton Crew has been an absolute joy so far. I miss the days when we had zany adventures with kids who dealt with bullying and feeling insecure. This is scratching that itch!
- I went to see the old romcom The Holiday in theaters this weekend and Iโm worried Iโve crafted my entire personality by merging Jack Black, Jude Law, and Cameron Diaz.
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๐ ๐ฎnotable indie releases this week
โgames to keep an eye on if you're looking for more to play.
next week's brew โ
โtime to reveal our top games of 2024 -- and hear about yours!
For the final episode of the year, we'll take a little time to reflect on the games that impacted us the most: Joel and I will share our top 10 games of 2024! And, no, we're not including ONLY the games released in 2024 -- anything we played this year is fair to discuss.
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Of course, please continue to take this week to finish up your time with Deltarune -- I've already restarted Chapter 1 to try and capture a few details I missed the first time around.
Now, for the FINAL reflection question of the year ~
reflection question ๐ญโ
โreflect on what we're playing/considering this week and share your thoughts.
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โLโeave a voicemail sharing your thoughts and we can include it in the podcast discussion!
If you'd prefer to respond via email (by replying to this message) that's great too!
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โPlease be sure to submit your response by Dec 15th to be included in the upcoming podcast.
pour over โโ
โsift through and savor these additional resources + media as you play this month's game.
- โMโollystar's Device Theory: A big thank you to Shadow of Roserade who highlighted this VERY in-depth series in their comment as an exploration of how Deltarune uses the 4th wall to further its message and themes. (psst, also check out Shadow's channel for an excellent and reflective breakdown of escapism, violence, and detachment in Deltarune, featuring the object, the knife. Content notes: discussion of self-harm; spoilers for Undertale, Deltarune, Yume Nikki, and Omori).
- โChapter 2 OST: One of my favorite game soundtracks -- now that we've played, it may be fun to explore the song titles and see if there are any nuggets of info to glean for story theories ๐
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!
โThanks for visiting our digital cafรฉ this week -- talk soon!
Jenny
Jenny | Geeks & Grounds
Geeks & Grounds is an asynchronous, monthly game club where we play video games and brew good conversation, together! โ Each week, receive a newsletter with a reflection question and curated materials meant to help you thoughtfully connect with the games we play.
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