TheBesties posts
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Besties Battle Bracket: Best Couch Co-op Game
CupheadOne of the purest joys in video games is lounging on a couch with friends, chomping on junk food, and playing co-op video games. A great co-op mode can make a mediocre campaign transform into something unforgettable. This month, we use the Besties Battle Bracket to pick our favorite.Rubric:Which game allows both players to have equal amounts of funWhich game is more approachable for people with varying skill levelsWhich game is most improved by playing co-op?Streets of Rage 4The contenders:Castle CrashersStreets of Rage 4The Binding of I...
Tony Hawk's Nostalgia Bomb 2025
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 & 4 tries to recapture a simpler time in video games. Can it succeed? Plus, we've been playing so many cool indie games that we could barely fit them all in this episode.Want an indie Borderlands? A Japanese assembly line design simulator? A Vampire Survivors/Pac-Man mishmash? We've got all that and more!Games discussed:Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 & 4MycopunkKaizen: A Factory StoryTeardown: The Greenwash GambitDyebreakerMaze MiceMovies discussed:Sleuth (1972)Kingdom of Heaven: Director’s Cut
21 games we can't wait to play before 2026
More great video games have been released in 2025 than any one person can play, and we still have half of the year to go. To love video games is to drink from the fire hose. Not that we're complaining. To make the rest of the year slightly more manageable, the Resties have curated a list of the most anticipated upcoming releases. Friends, you can expect nearly one promising new game per week. And that's without us knowing what to expect for most of November and December!Games discussed:July 17 - Donkey Kong BananzaJuly 18 - Shadow Laby...
Besties Battle Bracket: Most Wanted Reboot
Each year, video game publishers flood the market with sequels. And yet, so many franchises remain dormant (or desperate for a fresh start). This month, The Besties uncover the game series most in need of a reboot.Rubric:Which brings the most personal joyWhat would be the bigger hit commerciallyWhich one has been dormant the longestThe contendersHalf-Life (2020)Timesplitters (2005)Dino Crisis (2003)Parasite Eve (2011)NFL Blitz (2012)The Adventures of Bayou Billy (1988)Kingdom Hearts (2020)Golden Sun (2010)Stuntman (2007)Tomb Raider (2018)M.A.G....
Scheduling update
Hey everybody. Due to some scheduling issues, this week's Besties Battle Bracket will arrive a few days late. It should be live Thursday at the latest, though hopefully sooner. Thank you for your patience!
BONUS: The case of Dunkey vs. Death Stranding
Hey Besties Patreon supporters, it’s Plante! Normally, this feed is limited to The Besties and The Resties, but today (just this once) I’m uploading a bonus episode. Don’t worry, you’ll still get your guaranteed Besties and Resties content this month too – this is just a little something extra.You have probably already heard that I have a new podcast. Post Games is a weekly audio magazine, each episode mixing essays and interviews to explore an interesting corner of video games. What’s up with all those porn games on Steam? What hap...
A fishing game that's as chill as actual fishing
Just like going fishing in real ife, Cast n Chill can be as stressful or relaxing as you'd like it to be. Want a challenge? Spend hours wrestling with big fish in deep waters, and barely catch a few walleye without snapping a line. Want something soothing? Turn on idle mode and watch the game play itself as you read a book or clean up your inbox. Of course, these options raise a question: when does a game stop being a game?In the back half: Plante finally played Stellar Blade thanks to its recent release on Steam.Games discussed:Cast n Chil...
Let's fill the Resties mailbag!
We need fresh questions for upcoming episodes. Drop them in the comments!
The 2025 GotY frontrunners (and the dark horses)
We're nearly halfway through 2025. Now's an opportune time to reflect on the best games so far. Plante and Frushtick share the games they expect to be frontrunners in the broader game of the year conversation by December, along with some darkhorses that could sneak into the race. Plus, we read a fantastic collection of listener-recommended games. How can developers release so many great games every month???Games discussed:Fantasy LifeDespeloteBlue PrinceClair Obscur: Expedition 33Kingdom Come Deliverance 2Monster Hunter WildsEnder Magno...
Besties Battle Bracket: Worst employer
Editor's note: Sorry for the delay! I scheduled the episode for the usual time, but it didn't publish. Still, I'm going to assume this was somehow human error, so again, my apologies! ~PlanteIn this Besties Battle Bracket, we dig into the top listener-voted topic: the worst in-game company to work for. Against five other options, the bracket won a staggering 33% of the vote! For the comments: Which video game character would you like to be your boss?Rubric:Which day-to-day would be worseWhich has worse benefitsWhich would be worse o...
Share your GOTY 2025 dark horses
Hey y'all! Next Tuesday, the Resties will be taking a mid-year look at the games of 2025. What's hit? What hasn't? What have we missed? And what's still waiting in the wings?We'd love to include your dark horse candidates for the best game of 2025. Share why you love the game and why other listeners should give it a try!
How do you finish a game with 100 endings?
This week, The Resties share two great new games and revisit a AAA monstrosity that has been refined into something interesting.Frushtick talks about The Midnight Walk, a beautiful, moody first-person stealth adventure resembling playable claymation classics. Plante champions The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy, a visual novel/tactics RPG that has 100 unique endings and captures the modern feeling of informational overload. Plante also shares his thoughts on the updated Star Wars: Outlaws, and speculates on what its lifecycle says about how ...
The rise of the autobiographical game – and also shotguns
This week, The Resties visit the furthest ends of the indie game spectrum. On one end, despelote: a sneeze and you break it autobiographical adventure about childhood, family, life in the arts, and how the "beautiful game" can be bigger than all of us.On the other, Shotgun Cop Man: a game about a cop with a shotgun, man! Bonus recs:The ShroudsLa Haine
Besties Battle Bracket: Grunts
In this Besties Battle Bracket, your favorite four friendly fellows select the best bumbling beings built for blasting. Yes, that's right: it's time to choose the best grunt in the history of video games!Rubric:Which is less scary?Which is more iconic?Which seems more loyal to its head honcho?Contenders:Goomba (Mario)Headcrab (Half-Life)Grunt (Halo)Moblin (Zelda)Waddle Dee (Kirby)Slime (Dragon Quest)Motobug (Sonic)Met (Mega Man)Zombie (Resident Evil)Zombie (Minecraft)Psycho (Borderlands)Draugr (Skyrim)Soldier Guy (Metal Gear)Team Rock...
Two indie games that couldn't have less in common
This week, we chat about two games plopped at the furthest ends of the indie game spectrum. First, Frush shares Mandragora: Whispers of the Witch Tree, a story-heavy blend of Metroidvania and Souls-like built by a studio full of designers, coders, artists, and storytellers. After that, Plante shares his feelings on Consume Me, the latest winner of the Independent Game Festival's Seamus McNally Grand Prize. Over the past seven years, a team of two made most of this biographical mini-game collection.Both games have beautiful art and take big ...
Help us pick the future Besties Battle Brackets
For May, the Besties Battle Bracket returns to pick the best enemy grunt. But what about the months after that? We need your help! Vote in the Besties Battle Bracket poll. We'll turn the top vote-getters into episodes!
Switch 2 BTS & the forgotten history of the Wii
This week, Frushtick went hands-on with the Nintendo Switch 2 at an NYC event. We're saving our opinions of Nintendo's announcements for Friday's Besties episode, but Frushtick couldn't wait to share his behind-the-scenes experience of the event with our Patreon subscribers!In the back half, Plante reports the history of the Nintendo Wii's launch. Because we wouldn't be getting the Switch 2 without Nintendo's massively popular, oddly overlooked motion-controlled console. Honorable mentions:Parking Garage Rally Circu...
Besties Battle Bracket: Grappling Hook
Finally, an episode you can latch onto! The Besties swing into action this month, selecting the greatest grappling hook. Will Batman bust the bracket? Will Plante explain why publicists sent him an unmarked box of rancid meat? The answer is yes to at least one of those questions!Thank you all for keeping this Patreon active and fun! We truly couldn't do it without your support!The ContendersThe Legend of Zelda: Twilight PrincessRatchet and Clank: Rift ApartCall of Duty Advanced WarfareTitanfall 2Just Cause 3BulletstormSekiroInfamous 2Dying ...
Resties Mailbag: Director's Cut
For whatever reason, Patreon's upload corrupted our audio file so that this week's Resties episode skipped from the 47-minute mark to the 1-hour mark. We're re-uploading the episode again here. Sorry for the double post and thanks for your patience!
If you were stuck alone with one video game...
This week, The Resties talk about the value of the Game Developers Conference and hike up a mountain of questions. One example? This question from Bestlies/Resties listener Emily:If you were going to be stuck alone for one year with just one offline video game, what game would it be? You have all your basic needs met, but you can’t go outside or talk to others, and there’s nothing else to do.We answer that Q and many more. Some silly and some existential!Some of the games discussed:BalatroEasy Come, Easy GolfChainsaw Juice King: Idle ShopSl...
The Resties mailbox is now open
The Resties will be answering your questions in the upcoming episode — along with talking about why the annual Game Developers Conference matters to the average gamer.Drop your questions in the comments below!
Six killer free game demos
Don't get us wrong, we've enjoyed swimming in the flash flood of big-budget games. But after sinking dozens of hours into not one, but two massive RPGs inspired by marine biology, it's a relief to splash about in something smaller. Shorter. Free-er.Steam Next Fest arrived at the perfect time. And though the thrice-a-year demo drop is technically complete, most of its best demos remain on Steam. We chat about six favorites, including a new trend in tower defense, a love letter to early '00s open-worlds, and a local multiplayer ri...
Besties Battle Bracket: Easter Eggs
How do you define avideo game Easter egg? Sometimes, it's the video game equivalent of graffiti, a designer leaving a permanent mark inside their creation, defying corporate policies that would otherwise erase their involvement. Other times, an Easter egg is an expression of fandom, reminding us that the artists we admire have inspirations too. Inone iconic case, an Easter egg is a random name that has puzzled game historians for decades.Some will say it's impossible to rank the best Easter eggs, that it's like comparing apples, ora...
Take a road trip through the eyes of a Millenial
This week, The Resties hit the highway with Keep Driving, a road trip adventure that blends roguelikes, deckbuilders, and resource management RPGs. Get cozy in your gamer chair and take a virtual cross-country journey in a dumpy car loaded with trash and tchotchkes. The setting, the music, and the ambient economic anxiety make this one of the most distinctly Millenial games we've ever played.In the back half, Frushtick talks about Star of Providence. Originally released in 2017, the shmup-roguelike is getting a second chance at the spotli...
The awesome spiritual sequel to Castle Crashers
In 2008, indie studio The Behemoth released Castle Crashers,one of the greatest beat 'em up video games of all time. Fans have been pleading for a sequel to the colorful, scatological medical fantasy ever since, while the designers have focused on a variety of remasters and fascinating genre experiments. Unsurprisingly, another developer has attempted to fill the void. Exalted Studio's Big Helmet Heroesfeels a LOT like a 3D, Unreal Engine reimagining of Castle Crashers. Though with far fewer poop goofs. The Resties share their thoughts ...
Besties Battle Bracket: Weirdo Nintendo Failure
What's Nintendo's secret to success? Its leadership isn't afraid to greenlight a big, risky, weird project. For every Nintendo Wii and Nintendo DS, we get a Virtual Boy and Nintendo Cereal System. Turn out you can't make a revolutionary video game brand without breaking a few eggs.In this month's Besties Battle Bracket, we select the best weirdo Nintendo Failure. Share your personal favorites in the comments!Rubric:Which was more "fun"Which was more WEIRDWhich was the bigger risk for NintendoThe contenders:LaboNinten...
A chill, snowy game to play this winter
The Resties talk about what makes Lonely Mountains: Snow Riders-- the spiritual sequel to a mountain biking game -- such a tasty treat this season. In the back half, Frushtick and Plante pour the mailbag on the floor and answer your questions!Games discussed:Hades 2Fields of MistriaGloomwoodMovies discussed:Infernal AffairsWoman in the Dunes
Resties mailbag questions?
Next week, The Resties will be talking about a couple of the early video game surprises of 2025. We'll also make time to answer some of your questions about games! Drop your burning Qs in the comments and we'll answer some in this episode and other episodes this year.
The rise of the Rage Game -- and our 2025 gaming resolutions
In Get to Work, an aspiring businessman straps rollerblades to his hands and feet and zips up a tower of precarious ramps, hoping to land a new job that waits at the top. It's a punishing game that routinely sends its hero toppling hundreds of feet, daring the player to try again. Is this sort of thing fun?Get to Workis the latest in the exponentially expanding genre of Rage Games, a.k.a. Foddian games. In this episode, The Resties dig into this game and the genre. And explain why, for many of our listeners, Get to Workis best enjoyed via T...
Besties Battle Bracket: Best Open World Game Worlds
The Besties strive to challenge themselves with each new Besties Bracket. Sure, for this month we could have done something safe and familiar like "Best open world game." But you can find the answer to that question on your video game publication of choice.We craved something bigger. Bolder. Nearly impossible to answer. We looked inward and dared to ask, "What is the best open world games world?"Did we fly too close to the sun? Are our wings melting as we fall to the open world world beneath us? Listener, it's up to you to d...
