The GROGPOD Roguelike Podcast is a bi-weekly show about four friends talking about a featured Roguelike game. We cover the full spectrum of titles, from the more modern, action-oriented games like Binding of Isaac and Hades to the traditonal roguelike designs of games like Cogmind and Caves of Qud. Join us each episode as we unpack what makes a roguelike game fun (or not) and then rank it against the compendium we've compiled thus far. http://grogpod.zone/ en Scott V. Burger grogpodzone@gmail.com roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite,indie games,game reviews,gaming podcast,dungeon crawler,permadeath,procedural generation,turn based,RPG,game analysis,video game discussion yes Play forever! It’s time to climb one of the most ambitious game releases in recent memory by dusting off UFO 50: the collection of games from the fictional LX Systems console of the 1980s. With some titles being very small, and others being very huge, we focus on just 7 that are the most rogue-ish: Bug Hunter, Velgress, Planet Zoldath, Waldorf’s Journey, Party House, Overbold, and Campanella 2! Will we be able to squash the eggs before they hatch? How many times will our hot pink spacecraft be graffito-tagged while hunting for precious treasure? We’ll share stories on our own Wild Buddy experiences as we search for our imprisoned little brother as well. They’re coming for your TEEETH! Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 1:56 - Game stats 6:17 - One sentence description 8:56 - Who is UFO 50’s target audience? 23:15 - UFO 50 intro sequence 26:45 - Variety of the 50 games in general 33:26 - Bug Hunter 46:57 - Velgress 1:03:30 - Planet Zoldath 1:16:43 - Waldorf’s Journey 1:30:10 - Party House 1:50:18 - Overbold 2:03:44 - Campanella 2 2:28:38 - UFO 50 general discussion 2:41:10 - Rankings & final thoughts 2:56:35 - Similar podcast: Eggplant Presents a Year of UFO 50 2:58:21 - Similar games & show wind down Next episode: Warhammer 40,000: Darktide Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: GROGPOD Theme 1 by Balatro composer LouisF - https://louisfmusic.com/ Outro music: Eirik Surhke - Big Party / Infinity Fri, 08 May 2026 00:00:00 +0100 http://grogpod.zone/2026-05-08-ufo-50/ http://grogpod.zone/2026-05-08-ufo-50/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite, ufo 50, bug hunter, velgress, planet zoldath, waldorfs journey, party house, overbold, campanella 2, derek yu, jon perry, eirik suhrke, paul hubans, tyriq plummer, ojiro fumoto 3:06:19 (Hacker voice) I’m in. We’re pentesting the mainfraime this week with 868-HACK! A small-scope puzzle-y rogue-y game by one Michael Brough: multi award-nominated IGF game designer of other similarly overlooked titles like Imbroglio, Cinco Paus, and Zaga-33. Michael’s games were originally designed for iOS mobile devices back in the hallowed days of the early 2010s, in that bubbling time when roguelites were just getting their foothold. Listen in as we isolate the nodes, jack the creds, warp some viruses and dump them on the other side of the router. Think you got what it takes to hack the big leagues, kid, or are you one siphon short of getting point-attacked in the NCIS firewall? Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 1:08 - Game stats 6:51 - One sentence description 8:28 - Platform Origins: iOS First, PC Port, No Android 12:21 - Hacking Aesthetic, Art Style & Tutorial Walkthrough 17:24 - Points as Primary Goal Debate 22:27 - Run Scoring Systems 26:24 - Difficulty Escalation 33:23 - Gameplay debates 39:09 - Progs & Ability Combos 45:04 - Sound Design & Aesthetic 47:40 - 868-BACK Sequel 52:50 - Movie Hacking 1:00:34 - Plan B DLC Mechanics & Harder Starting Conditions 1:04:08 - Awards, Critical Acclaim & Eric Dolphy Jazz Analogy 1:10:30 - Rankings & final thoughts 1:24:06 - Similar games & show wind-down Next episode: UFO 50 Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: GROGPOD Theme 1 by Balatro composer LouisF - https://louisfmusic.com/ Outro music: 868-HACK background music and 868-BACK background music Wed, 22 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0100 http://grogpod.zone/2026-04-22-868-hack/ http://grogpod.zone/2026-04-22-868-hack/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite, michael brough, broughlike, 868-hack, cinco paus, imbroglio 1:32:14 It’s not a bug, its a feature! This week we crack open the most meme-filled game of 2025 with Megabonk: the first game by (very likely) youtuber game developer Danidev in over 4 years. Is your Megachad’s aura farming going to crash out or is your drip fire enough to hit different? Just how long can a skateboarding skeleton with sunglasses last against Anubruh or … sigh … Scorpionussy? We can always return to Monke, fellow kids! 😱↪️⭕ Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 1:23 - Game stats 4:38 - One sentence description 5:21 - How do you do, fellow memers? 13:34 - Danidev deep dive 17:01 - Initial Impressions: Vampire Survivors Meets Risk of Rain 2 19:28 - Shrines Mechanic 23:28 - Weapon Upgrade System 26:13 - Characters 36:39 - Items & Weapons 40:54 - Skeleton Skateboarding 51:13 - Maps, Stage Tiers & Boss Variety Complaints 1:14:00 - Rankings & final thoughts 1:27:20 - Similar games & show wind-down Next episode: 868-HACK Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: GROGPOD Theme 1 by Balatro composer LouisF - https://louisfmusic.com/ Outro music: Miguelangell960 - She Mega On My Bonk (All Night Long) Wed, 08 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0100 http://grogpod.zone/2026-04-08-megabonk/ http://grogpod.zone/2026-04-08-megabonk/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite, megabonk, vedinad, danidev, karlson, muck, dani 1:36:40 Rise… champion… again! The Spire returns to be slain once more, in the biggest roguelike launch of all time! Our top rated game of the podcast now has a sequel, but how will its early access evaluation period hold up? How sly will our ratings of the new characters be? Will we DEMAND to visit a more exciting planet? Will our souls be eternally bound to a tooth-filled grimoire? What about Osty? Is he safe? Is he alright? Who is this mysterious Architect who sits atop the new Spire with a bunch of deflated hearts and bronze automotons?? Finally it arrives! We also finally welcome a new theme for the podcast after 4 years! Developed as part of a suite of multiple recordings, it’s a tune that will evolve over time, so keep an ear out and don’t immediately skip that first 30 seconds of random jazz music I’ve been posting previously! You can find more about Louis’ work on his website here Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 1:02 - New intro theme by Balatro composer LouisF! 2:41 - Game stats 4:40 - One sentence description 5:37 - Early Access Disclaimer & Future Revisit Discussion 7:50 - Comparing Sequels 10:42 - Major New Features 12:23 - Art, Animation & Dynamic Music Integration 14:06 - New NPCs, Story Beats & Lore Progression 21:04 - Unlock Systems & Achievement Design Discussion 30:25 - Infinite Builds, Balance Patches & Review Bombs 32:45 - 4-Player Co-op Mechanics & Board Game Origins 45:30 - The Regent & Necrobinder 1:09:02 - Card Enchantment System 1:19:01 - Art & Animation Improvements 1:29:30 - Rankings & final thoughts 1:44:49 - Similar games & show wind-down Next episode: Megabonk Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: GROGPOD Theme 1 by Balatro composer LouisF - https://louisfmusic.com/ Outro music: Clark Aboud - Ceremonial Beast Sat, 28 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000 http://grogpod.zone/2026-03-28-slay-the-spire-2/ http://grogpod.zone/2026-03-28-slay-the-spire-2/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite, monster train 1:54:29 This Is Part Of! … the roguelike pantheon of short games! A beloved mobile game classic, we hop in to Hoplite this week: the Greek underworld dungeon crawling chess tactics inspired puzzle game of spear-chucking, shield-bashing, and hoppin! Featuring at seemingly simple 16-floor dungeon that can go on infinitely should you so desire, the game also boasts a seemingly bottomless pit of bespoke puzzles. So get swipin and swipe on that play button either for the pod or the game, they’re both good! Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 1:39 - Game stats 4:55 - One sentence description 8:19 - Mobile gaming on the go 9:45 - Tutorial & Mechanics 19:26 - Quest for the Golden Fleece 21:30 - Enemy Types & Elegance of Game Design 22:05 - Filler Games vs. Epic Games: Scope & Value Discussion 31:31 - Altar of Apollo Upgrades & Upgrade System 37:44 - Challenge Modes, Daily Puzzles & Bonus Dungeons 41:51 - Sound & Music 1:01:15 - Rankings & final thoughts 1:09:15 - Similar games & show wind-down Next episode: Slay the Spire 2 Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Stolen Momens - Orballo Jazz Cuartet Outro music: Hoplite Main Theme Wed, 11 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000 http://grogpod.zone/2026-03-11-hoplite/ http://grogpod.zone/2026-03-11-hoplite/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite, hoplite, ios, android, mobile game 1:20:37 Brains! Brains! This week in “yes we know it’s not a roguelike”, we venture into the heart of Kentucky for some country-fried human flesh with Project Zomboid. The zeds have spread and you have one goal: survive as long as possible. Do you loot the local school for backpacks and safety scissors, or the police station for pistols and shotguns? Do you dare risk alerting the manic hordes with your car as you break windows in your desperate search for prescription painkillers? …in the game, I mean… allegedly, Your Honor… Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 1:34 - Game stats 4:16 - One sentence description 5:50 - Roguelike arugments from the Zomboid community 12:00 - Actual gameplay 14:22 - Zombies as Environmental Hazard vs. Villain 27:47 - Tutorial Design & Quality Praise 30:43 - Character Creation, Occupations & Traits 32:30 - Map Size, Starting Location & Open World Scope 36:00 - Lack of Win Condition & Sandbox Design 49:19 - Combat Mechanics, Difficulty & Stealth 1:00:01 - Defining a Winning Run & End-Game Goals 1:20:00 - Rankings & final thoughts 1:38:32 - Similar games & show wind-down Next episode: Hoplite Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Jimmy Greene - Last Summer Outro music: Project Zomboid OST - Maybe We Can Win This Wed, 25 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000 http://grogpod.zone/2026-02-25-project-zomboid/ http://grogpod.zone/2026-02-25-project-zomboid/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite, project zomboid 1:46:19 Muscle up your game buddy! This week we dust off the 500 year old robot action FPS Roboquest: something like a “Doom Eternal for kids”, the electrobeats of synthwave send you hungering for more and more of those delicious green health orbs. Infiltrate a gigantic city of bad robots, rescuing good robots along the way, and unlock all sorts of wacky movement gadgets, character classes, and more hidden secrets than you can shake a pogo stick at. Always check behind those waterfalls! Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 1:42 - Game stats 4:04 - One sentence description 07:21 - Opening comic book sequence & story setup 12:08 - Movement mechanics & speed discussion 17:45 - Weapon variety & upgrade systems 24:32 - Biome diversity & level design quality 31:18 - Co-op gameplay & multiplayer features 38:05 - Enemy design & AI behavior patterns 44:52 - Difficulty scaling & progression balance 51:39 - Boss fights & challenge variety 58:26 - Audio design & soundtrack 1:08:30 - Rankings & final thoughts 1:16:57 - Similar games & show wind-down Next episode: Project Zomboid Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Lady Iris B. - Dexter Gordon Outro music: Final Metal Hero - Noisecream Wed, 11 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000 http://grogpod.zone/2026-02-11-roboquest/ http://grogpod.zone/2026-02-11-roboquest/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite, monster train 1:25:36 Angels and demons all over the world, join hands and start a Monster Train sequel! One of our highest rated deckbuilder rogues arrives at GROGPOD station once again, featuring some interesting twists on the established formula. As we’ll explore more in this season, we’ll be looking closely at what makes for a good sequel while trying to make as many obnoxious monster moaning sounds at turbo speed as hum- … as monster-ly possible. Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 2:00 - Game stats 5:30 - One sentence description 07:36 - Good sequel mechanics & previous coverage comparison 11:23 - First impressions & visual improvements discussion 17:45 - Clan mechanics & faction system changes 24:31 - Card synergies & build complexity analysis 31:18 - Champions system & upgrade mechanics 38:05 - Boss battles & difficulty scaling discussion 44:52 - Art style evolution & presentation quality 58:35 - Rankings & final thoughts 1:06:03 - Similar games & show wind-down Next episode: Roboquest Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Blue Mitchell Quintet - March on Selma Outro music: Monster Train 2 OST - Stryx & Hallow Wed, 28 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000 http://grogpod.zone/2026-01-28-monster-train-2/ http://grogpod.zone/2026-01-28-monster-train-2/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite, monster train 1:14:05 Yoom-taah! To kick off season 4 of the podcast, we choose you: Pokemon Mystery Dungeon Blue Rescue Team! Joined again by our expert guest on the sub-genre with Helen, we revisit nostalgia and fresh experiences for a 20+ year old spinoff roguelike…lite…game? Hopefully the listeners don’t also brand us as fugitives, focing us to traverse the Great Canyon of JRPG menu systems to the high peaks of Friendship Mountain, while eating jelly bean-based IQ boosters we find on the dirty ground. Can we overcome Team Meanies’ quest for world domination? Can we find our lost sense of gratitude in the depths of murky caverns? Were we the true meanies after all? Time to take charge of our destiny and find out! Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 3:03 - Game stats 5:59 - One sentence description 6:56 - Is PMD a roguelike? 12:20 - Our experiences with Pokemon growing up 23:00 - Gameplay mechanics 36:40 - The personality quiz 44:30 - Saving Caterpie, Thunderwave Cave, Mt Steel 49:00 - Friend areas 52:00 - Team ACT, the dream, Team Meanies, Silent Chasm, Mt Thunder 1:11:15 - The Ninetales legend, Gengar’s muckraking, the hunt begins! 1:16:58 - Mt Blaze, Frosty Forest, Mt Freeze 1:24:00 - Return to town 1:27:50 - Magma Cavern, Sky Tower 1:41:50 - Postgame content 1:55:55 - Rankings & final thoughts 2:07:37 - Similar games & show wind-down Next episode: Monster Train 2 Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Pokemon Theme Saxy Style - The 8-Bit Big Band featuring Grace Kelly and Leo P Outro music: Blue Rescue Team OST - Sky Tower Wed, 14 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000 http://grogpod.zone/2026-01-14-pokemon-mystery-dungeon-blue/ http://grogpod.zone/2026-01-14-pokemon-mystery-dungeon-blue/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite, pokemon, mystery dungeon, blue rescue team, nintendo ds, rescue team dx 2:19:48 If the weather outside is frightful, then curl up in front of the fireplace with your favorite roguelike gaming podcast! That’s how the song goes, right? Well in order to find those new favorite permadeath games, Scott travelled back in time to August for the Penny Arcade Expo in downtown Seattle. With only one day’s worth of ticket time this year, we had to cram as much into one recording as possible before familial duties took precedence. Check the timestamps below for interviews with friends of all sorts and their games and studios! Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 3:09 - Live on the streets! 6:10 - Jacob from Better Publishing showcasing Don’t Wake the Beast, Void Dungeon, and Order Automatica 11:07 - Holly, Jack, and Quinn showcasing White Knuckle 16:58 - Hasban showcasing Rogue Eclipse 21:28 - Andrea and Bob showcasing Arcane Eats 30:12 - Shiv showcasing Pax Autocratica 35:12 - Special message from the Roguepod Litecast! and a note about Master of Piece 42:04 - Pax Panel Q&A with the folks from Being and Older Content Creator Doesn’t Have to Suck 47:24 - Risk of Rain 2 Tournament, Swap Meat 49:56 - Show wind down Next episode: Season 4 kicks off with Pokemon Mystery Dungeon Blue Recue Team! Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Barbara Dennerlein - Let It Snow Outro music: Pokemon Mystery Dungeon Blue Rescue Team OST - Title Theme Wed, 31 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000 http://grogpod.zone/2025-12-31-winter-special3/ http://grogpod.zone/2025-12-31-winter-special3/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite, pax 54:30 Season 3 concludes with some of the heaveist hitter games we’ve ever covered for the podcast! From titans of tradtitional roguelikes like Path of Achra and Caves of Qud, to titans of real-time explosiveness like Noita and Hades, this is sure to be an Omegabowl for the ages. We have a great array of listener letters, co-host bickering, and wacky coin flips to make sure everyone is as equally mad as possible. So fire up those spacetime vortices and pray you don’t run out of footsteps before reaching Room 46 of the end of year recap tournament! Our finalists include: Blue Prince Caves of Qud Deadzone: Rogue Elden Ring Nightreign Hades Halls of Torment Hero’s Hour Noita Path of Achra Rift Wizard Spiritfall The King is Watching There can be only ONE to hoist the Trophy of Yendor! ! The full tournament bracket with spoiled results can be found here Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 0:50 - Intro 3:04 - Tournament plan, categories, and games 10:02 - Wildcard 1: Halls of Torment vs Rift Wizard 20:21 - Wildcard 2: Elden Ring Nightreign vs Hero’s Hour 33:44 - Wildcard 3: Spiritfall vs Deadzone: Rogue 46:14 - Wildcard 4: The King is Watching vs Path of Achra 53:10 - Division 1: Caves of Qud vs ??? 1:02:58 - Division 2: Blue Prince vs ??? 1:13:19 - Division 3: Hades vs ??? 1:15:50 - Division 4: Noita vs ??? 1:21:36 - Semi-finals 1 1:28:58 - Semi-finals 2 1:39:08 - Grand finals 1:59:56 - Show wind down Next episode: Roguelike developer interviews from PAX West 2025! Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: John Williams - Wide Reciever Outro music: Craig Hamilton - Onward (Kitfox recording) Wed, 17 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000 http://grogpod.zone/2025-12-17-omegabowl3/ http://grogpod.zone/2025-12-17-omegabowl3/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite 2:07:23 The agony and terror of season 3 of the podcast comes to a close with the Survivor-like, Diablo-lite game Halls of Torment! Hear the demonic horns and twisted drums that lay down the epic background music, feast your eyes on the gorgeous low poly, highly pixelated 90’s inspired spritework! Collect those soul stones, find the artifacts and items from the demonic lord’s hallowed halls and see firsthand the horrors of greed! Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 1:29 - Game stats 3:07 - One sentence description 06:48 - Comparison to Vampire Survivors 10:05 - Difficulty progression & enemy density 15:42 - Character classes & abilities overview 22:18 - Quest system & progression mechanics 29:03 - Item system & build variety 35:47 - Boss fights & challenge mechanics 42:31 - Movement mechanics & gameplay strategy 49:15 - Accessibility & difficulty options debate 55:58 - Art style praise & technical performance 1:02:44 - Endgame content & replayability 1:27:24 - Rankings & final thoughts 1:36:39 - Similar games & show wind-down Next episode: Omegabowl 3 Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Cyrus Chestnut - Precious Lord Outro music: Halls of Torment OST - Chambers of Dissonance Wed, 03 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000 http://grogpod.zone/2025-12-03-halls-of-torment/ http://grogpod.zone/2025-12-03-halls-of-torment/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite, halls of torment, survivorlike, vampire survivors, diablo 1:49:10 Stay a while and listen! The sanctity of this podcast has been fouled as we turn back the clock to cover the 1997 groundbreaking procedural action RPG: Diablo. From humble origins as an Angband clone, to global standardbearer for game design polish, this titan of the horror genre greets us with a few haunting guitar chords and a cathedral of the damned. Join our descent into terror as we encounter vegetable hating butchers, skeleton kings, multiplayer friends running ahead and leaving us behind, sultry winged demons, poorly-aged game mechanics, and many more devlish delights! Perhaps there you will find answers. Or perhaps, salvation! Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 2:35 - Game stats 5:44 - One sentence description 07:17 - Original turn-based design & real-time conversion 10:04 - Berlin interpretation & roguelike elements debate 19:48 - Character classes overview (Warrior, Rogue, Sorcerer) 29:35 - Town mechanics & NPC interactions 39:21 - Dungeon structure & difficulty progression 49:08 - Loot system & item identification mechanics 58:54 - Combat feel & clicking gameplay 1:08:40 - Multiplayer experience 1:18:27 - Soundtrack praise & atmosphere creation 1:28:13 - Hellfire expansion & cut content discussion 1:38:32 - Rankings & final thoughts 1:52:02 - Similar games & show wind-down Next episode: Halls of Torment Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Nat Adderley Jr. - Old Devil Moon Outro music: Diablo OST - Tristram Wed, 19 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000 http://grogpod.zone/2025-11-19-diablo/ http://grogpod.zone/2025-11-19-diablo/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite, diablo, hack and slash, loot, action RPG, blizzard 2:06:16 O Glorious Shekhinah! To conclude our two-part special on Caves of Qud, we turn our focus from the epic storyline to the deep gameplay mechanics and systems from the Salt Dunes of the west to the Deep Jungle in the east. Join us for a water ritual on how to negotiate with camel merchants before we clone them, managing our reputation with fuedal fungal lords, and how to navigate the differences between mutated humans, psychic warriors, and just straight-up cyborgs. Get those schematics ready as we disassemble one of the densest and deepest “traditional” “roguelike” games out there. Part 1 of our Qud Qoverage focusing on the story and soundtrack can be found here You can find the in depth tutorial series we did with BigSimple to learn this massive game here! Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 3:44 - Game stats 7:47 - One sentence description 08:09 - Gamma World tabletop RPG comparison 10:08 - Initial bouncing off & polish improvements 14:23 - Tutorial mode & learning curve discussion 19:31 - Character creation & mutation systems 24:48 - Story structure & main quest overview 29:17 - Death mechanics & permadeath options 34:52 - Open world exploration & procedural generation 40:15 - Village generation & faction systems 45:38 - Combat mechanics & weapon variety 51:22 - Skill tree & ability customization 56:47 - Water economy & trade systems 1:02:08 - Equipment & artifact identification 1:07:45 - Mutation system depth & combinations 1:13:31 - Enemy variety & creature encounters 1:19:03 - Interface improvements & accessibility features 1:24:38 - Save system exploits discussion 1:30:15 - Community & modding ecosystem 1:35:52 - Writing quality & atmospheric storytelling 1:41:27 - Endgame content & difficulty scaling 2:07:27 - Rankings & final thoughts 2:25:15 - Similar games & show wind-down Next episode: Diablo Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Caves of Qud OST - Soundscape I Outro music: Caves of Qud OST - Onward Romantique / Live and Drink Wed, 05 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000 http://grogpod.zone/2025-11-05-caves-of-qud-gameplay/ http://grogpod.zone/2025-11-05-caves-of-qud-gameplay/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite, caves of qud, kitfox, gamma world 2:38:52 Live and Drink! In this extra-special two-part episode, we first examine the deep story, lore, and soundrack to Caves of Qud. Winner of the 2025 Hugo Award for Best Game or Interactive Work, as well as the 2025 Independent Games Festival for Excellence in Narrative, it only made sense for us to break this absolutely massive game out into two parts. We are also joined by special guest and Qud streamer BigSimple! Listen in as we set the stage via the incredible soundtrack brought to us by Craig Hamilton. While there will be heavy spoilers up to a certain point (don’t worry, the ending is safe), simply hearing the story can’t prepare you for experiencing it first hand. Part 2 will be the usual GROGPOD format, focusing more on the gameplay and systems in Caves of Qud, and also back to our closer to 90 minute length. Until then, strap into that ejector seat and get ready to inject some Eater’s nectar! Find the soundtrack on Steam here Part 2 focusing on the gameplay mechanics and systems can be found here! You can find the in depth tutorial series we did with BigSimple to learn this massive game here! Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 00:00 - Pilgrim’s Path (guest intro, title screen) 11:11 - Mehmet’s Morning (Joppa, Resheph, the gyre plagues, the signal) 26:30 - Overworld (Meeting the Barathrumites) 37:30 - Golgotha (First dungeon) 47:30 - Stoic Porridge (Acceptance into the order, the Baetyl) 56:40 - Lazarus (Bethesda Susa, the trolls, Saad Amus the Sky-Bear, Temple of The Rock) 1:12:30 - Onward (Ezra, Mayor Haddas, Sixshrew, Yla Haj, Zothom the Penitent, Rebekah’s grave, the Earl of Omonporch) 1:26:11 - Imminent II (Ereskigal the sentient computer, the Putus Templar) 1:33:10 - Attack on Grit Gate (Qud tower defense, NPC permadeath) 1:40:40 - Barathrum’s Study (Leader of the order, the mystery of the signal, the Spindle) 1:44:00 - Substrate (Rainbow Wood, scroll bound by a strand of kelp, Pax Klanq, Barathrum’s gamble) 1:59:34 - Among the Tomb of the Eaters (Qud crypts) 2:09:10 - Deeper Eaters (Sultan crypts, Resheph’s sarcophogus, Herododicus, entombment) 2:16:12 - Attenuated Signals, Fractals (Brightsheol, Rainwater Shomer, the Seraph’s dream, the golem) 2:23:20 - Moonstair (Eyn Roj, Ayog-No-Longer) 2:36:10 - Arrival of the Official Party (Final battle with Putus Templar, Girsh Nephilim, ascension) 2:49:10 - Similar stories 2:54:23 - Arrival (Part 1 wind down, preview for part 2) Next episode: Caves of Qud Part 2: Gameplay and Mechanics Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Caves of Qud OST - Pilgrim’s Path Outro music: Caves of Qud OST - Arrival Wed, 29 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000 http://grogpod.zone/2025-10-29-caves-of-qud-story/ http://grogpod.zone/2025-10-29-caves-of-qud-story/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite, caves of qud, kitfox, gamma world, story, audiobook 2:56:42 The Age of Men is over. The Time of the Orc has come! The long-lived and highly rated franchise of Orcs Must Die! comes to the rogue world for the first time with its 2025 release of Deathtrap. A game OMD players have waited 4 years to see a sequel finally arrives featuring 4-player co-op maze-building character-quipping action. Join the team of sassy teen #1, wrench arm boy, sassy teen #2, murderous cat, and big lovable bear man to stop the Orcs from getting into those precious portal for… reasons… Look, the special brownies are right over there, just one more mission and they’ll finally kick in, okay? Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 1:42 - Game stats 2:43 - One sentence description 4:08 - Game release history & series background discussion 9:27 - Tower defense meets action gameplay hybrid explanation 15:42 - Tutorial experience & new player onboarding critique 22:18 - Trap variety & strategic placement mechanics 28:35 - Hero abilities & character progression systems 35:47 - Multiplayer coordination & Co-op gameplay experiences 42:13 - Map design quality & replayability concerns 49:26 - Difficulty scaling & enemy variety analysis 1:03:18 - Comparison to previous Orcs Must Die games 1:09:36 - Rankings & final thoughts 1:24:40 - Similar games & show wind-down Next episode: Caves of Qud part 1: soundtrack and story Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Marcus Miller - Trip Trap Outro music: Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap OST - Order Wisdom Wed, 22 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0100 http://grogpod.zone/2025-10-22-orcs-must-die-deathtrap/ http://grogpod.zone/2025-10-22-orcs-must-die-deathtrap/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite, tribes, starsiege, deadzone 1:37:03 Get in the zone! This week is a game with one wild journey from starting out as Starsiege: Tribes-themed extraction shooter to an original roguelite experience - it’s Deadzone: Rogue, of course! Awaken on a ship to shoot through piles of robots and uncover the mysteries that an unhinged space program influencer billionaire promises folks who sign up for a Mars cruise. What dangers might we face? Or NOT face? Maybe we are all just brains in a vat, if you think about it. Actually… you don’t want to think about it. You’d rather try to find some matcha on this ship instead. What you do you mean there’s no matcha on board? Oh that’s a big drill you have there… Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 1:21 - Game stats 2:55 - One sentence description 4:47 - Tribes universe connection & extraction shooter origins 13:05 - Pivot from Star Siege to roguelike format 18:55 - First impressions & new player experience criticism 21:16 - Weapon choices, perks, & augment systems discussion 28:12 - Meta progression concerns & upgrade system critique 34:29 - Difficulty options & enemy health scaling problems 38:56 - Enemy AI behavior complaints & tactical shooter debate 53:10 - Protagonist voice acting & narrative setup 56:42 - Act One story reveal 1:08:01 - Act Three body horror & final boss fight 1:14:50 - Ending choice: self-destruct or escape decision 1:26:42 - Rankings & final thoughts 1:38:40 - Similar games & show wind-down Next episode: Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Alexa Tarantino - My Ship Outro music: Deadzone Rogue OST - Luggage Tag Wed, 08 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0100 http://grogpod.zone/2025-10-08-deadzone-rogue/ http://grogpod.zone/2025-10-08-deadzone-rogue/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite, tribes, starsiege, deadzone 1:45:46 Zyzz up! This week we eXplore, eXpand, eXploit and eXterminate all sorts of fantasy monsters in huge army blobs with Hero’s Hour! A hobby project by a Danish psychologist, we look deep into the psyche of tutorialization, 4X games as roguelikes, battles rivaling the Pelennor Fields, and cute horsies. Spears shall be shaken! Shields shall be splintered! And your capital will be taken over in 5 turns by a wizard on a pony! Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 1:28 - Game stats 3:35 - One sentence description 8:09 - Roguelike classification debate & 4X game genre discussion 15:08 - Tutorial experience criticism & new player onboarding 22:17 - Combat mechanics & auto-battler system explanation 25:22 - Dominant strategies & bodyguard champion meta 33:27 - Puzzle solving nature & replayability concerns 40:44 - Hero recruitment & army management strategies 48:14 - Faction variety & DLC content discussion 53:35 - Developer interview about missing campaign mode 58:12 - Art style & music quality appreciation 1:01:50 - Rankings & final thoughts 1:10:04 - Similar games & show wind-down Next episode: Deadzone: Rogue Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Wes Montgomery - A Day In The Life Outro music: Hero’s Hour OST - Decay Wed, 24 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0100 http://grogpod.zone/2025-09-24-heros-hour/ http://grogpod.zone/2025-09-24-heros-hour/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite, hero's hour, 4x, heroes of might and magic 1:22:15 Eye see you! This week we gaze upon the wonder of The King is Watching: the kingdom management and goblin horde bashing simulator with a twist - your workers are only productive when you’re watching them. Kind of like being in the office and having your boss fly by your desk twice a day… An artistic feast with a deep level of meta-progression, try to survive wave after wave of horrid beasts and giant horrors from attacking your peaceful castle through the use of magic spells, special king-based powers, and however many magic unicorns you can summon to your defense. Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 1:43 - Game stats 3:33 - One sentence description 7:55 - First impressions & tutorial system discussion 11:52 - Advisor Gustav & art design appreciation 17:13 - Prophecy system & wave difficulty selection mechanics 22:29 - Meta progression & strategy optimization criticism 26:59 - Unit types & army composition limitations 33:31 - King vision patterns & strategic differences 39:10 - Building upgrade systems & RNG concerns 45:35 - Battlefield mechanics & spell interactions 55:14 - Spell system effectiveness & boss strategies 58:29 - Meta progression pacing & king unlock issues 1:05:54 - UI problems & upgrade tree navigation confusion 1:15:45 - Music quality & overall game polish 1:14:54 - Rankings and final thoughts 1:20:49 - Similar games and show wind-down Next episode: Hero’s Hour Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Gene Ammons - Someone to Watch Over Me Outro music: The King is Watching OST - 002B Village A Wed, 10 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0100 http://grogpod.zone/2025-09-10-king-is-watching/ http://grogpod.zone/2025-09-10-king-is-watching/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite 1:30:28 Praise the Sun! The Nightlords have invaded the world of Elden Ring and it’s up to you and your trusty co-op Nightfarers to stop them. The biggest roguelike game of 2025 so far, lauded developer FromSoftware’s latest entry takes a stark departure from previous games in the Dark Souls series at a blistering pace. Featuring gigantic bird-man, big-hat sorceress, acrobatic bow boy, yelling drunken pirate, angry Sekiro dog-man, sassy child, French fencer, and John Nightreign himself toting a grappling hook and arm cannon, Elden Ring Nightreign drops you into a wild hybrid of Soulsbourne combat with bosses and enemies drawn from across the series. Listen in as we drop into Limveld from our bird-based battle busses. “Don’t give up, skeleton!” “At last, Fort…Night!” Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 1:40 - Game stats 4:44 - One sentence description 6:22 - Hosts’ backgrounds with Dark Souls games 11:13 - Nightreign as departure from traditional Souls formula 21:21 - Game announcement reactions & initial confusion 25:26 - Launch reception & Steam review progression 31:59 - Tutorial walkthrough & first boss encounter 39:26 - Multiverse concept & boss selection choices 43:10 - Round Table Hold hub world navigation 44:16 - Character classes & special abilities overview 54:50 - Remembrance quest system mechanics & issues 1:05:44 - Relic system & meta progression discussion 1:18:45 - Map exploration & routing strategies 1:28:49 - Castle exploration & difficulty scaling 1:41:17 - Boss fights & Nightlord encounters 1:56:01 - Upcoming “Deep of the Night” DLC details 2:06:46 - Rankings and final thoughts 2:22:55 - Similar games and show wind-down Next episode: The King Is Watching Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: In the Still of the Night - Oscar Peterson Outro music: Caligo, Miasma of Night - Nightreign OST Wed, 27 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0100 http://grogpod.zone/2025-08-27-elden-ring-nightreign/ http://grogpod.zone/2025-08-27-elden-ring-nightreign/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite, elden ring, nightreign, dark souls, soulslike 2:39:02 It belongs in a museum! For our listener request week and the landmark 75th episode, we cover one of the foundational early roguelikes with Spelunky! Released in 2012 on the Xbox Live Arcade as a full-scale HD remaster of the 2008 freeware hit, Spelunky marked the watershed moment of stealing fire from the Berlin Roguelike gods and applying it to platformers. It’s undeniable legacy looms large, but does the nostalgia factor still stand strong? Will the hosts go hollow trying to make THIS one THE run? I mean, even the great Liz Mutton had to fall on a spike or two, right? Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 1:10 - game stats 4:35 - one sentence description 6:14 - Thesis about Spelunky as definitive video game 8:14 - Historical context of roguelike games pre-Spelunky 11:20 - Game difficulty and bounce-off rates discussion 16:14 - Comparing Spelunky difficulty to Dark Souls games 19:35 - Standard run walkthrough and tutorial explanation 28:47 - Controls mastery and engagement requirements 36:25 - Biome progression and level design philosophy 43:07 - Shopkeeper mechanics and vindictive AI behavior 54:02 - Olmec boss fight and final temple challenges 1:06:53 - Hell runs and eggplant challenge explanation 1:28:57 - Spelunky 2 comparison and sequel discussion 1:31:30 - Community feedback and player perspectives 1:41:11 - rankings and final thoughts 1:53:06 - similar games Next episode: Elden Ring Nightreign Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Herbie Hancock - Thieves in the Temple Outro music: Eirik Suhrke - Temple A Wed, 13 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0100 http://grogpod.zone/2025-08-13-spelunky/ http://grogpod.zone/2025-08-13-spelunky/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite, spelunky, platformer, derek yu 2:00:41 My kingdom for a horse! This week we play the minimalist, yet deceptively deep tower defense strategy roguelite Kingdom: New Lands. This one-dimensional game is anything but as we dive deep into advanced peasant managing strategy not seen since Warcraft. You have crash landed on an island and must lead it to survival against greedy forest dwelling goblins. Your royal rule by hurling coins at downtrodden beggars is the only thing that stands between you and sailing off into the sunset with your pet wolf and whatever knights you may have paid handsomely to protect you. What else awaits your majesty on the wavey shores to come? Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 1:20 - game stats 3:02 - one sentence description 5:17 - Basic gameplay mechanics and controls explanation 8:40 - Game’s origins as Flash project for horse animations 11:25 - Tutorial experience and early game confusion 17:27 - Death mechanics and learning curve discussion 24:56 - Attack patterns and timing strategies 29:25 - Frustration with long run times and restarts 36:29 - Wiki usage debate and game inscrutability 44:10 - Blood moon mechanics and visual/audio cues 54:27 - Farming mechanics and builder management confusion 59:03 - Game’s difficulty scaling and strategic depth 1:07:48 - Portal mechanics and teleportation discovery 1:15:20 - rankings and final thoughts 1:25:03 - similar games Next episode: Spelunky Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Harold Land - Lands End Outro music: Amos Roddy - Meadow Tue, 29 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0100 http://grogpod.zone/2025-07-29-kingdom-new-lands/ http://grogpod.zone/2025-07-29-kingdom-new-lands/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite, kingdom new lands, rts 1:33:06 Jammin! Summer jammin, that is. Our mid-year summer break featuring the best of roguelike and roguelite music returns featuring some really old games and some really big budget scores. Featuring artists ranging from Makeup & Vanity Set, Noisestorm, Mili, OC Remixers, and shirtless indie devs weilding spears and axes, you have 2 hours of solid roguelike tunes to blast on the UE4 rendered crab rave beach. We’ll turn the clocks backward (as well as our baseball hats) and revisit some certified classics while also shredding and shedding some light on some lesser known titles. A talking-free version of all the tracks featured today can be found on our youtube playlist here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-ShOmyMvd4iiH7UO17MilF87AkzdDG2a Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 00:00 - Azure Dreams GBC - Title Theme 04:08 - Cave Noire - Combat Dungeon 09:49 - Toejam & Earl - Toejam Jammin’ 17:12 - Fatal Labyrinth - Floors 1-9 21:29 - Tangledeep - Mysteries of Time 30:10 - Moonring - Angels 37:33 - UnReal World - Outro Theme 45:45 - Noita - Beat of the Kosmos 51:18 - Diablo - Tristram 1:02:14 - Shogun Showdown - Hibiku Wastelands 1:08:34 - AK-xolotl - Sakura Pink Inferno 1:13:02 - Quasimorph - Storm of the Formorians 1:19:46 - Roboquest - Metal Hero 1:24:48 - Crypt of the Necrodancer - Mausoleum Mash 1:31:46 - Brigador - Solo Nobre Must Fall 1:38:55 - Synthetik - Hypernoma 1:44:37 - Crab Champions - Ace 1:49:33 - Library of Ruina - String Theocracy 1:56:45 - Slay the Spire - Battle with the Champ 2:03:51 - Show wind down and next episode preview mystery track! Next episode: Clues in the final outro song for this! Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Fri, 18 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0100 http://grogpod.zone/2025-07-18-music-fest-2/ http://grogpod.zone/2025-07-18-music-fest-2/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite, soundtrack, ost, music, mili, oc remix, noisestorm, makeup and vanity set 2:07:03 The pen is mightier than the sword! This week we crack open that new book smell with a first edition copy of Vellum: the third-person literary hack-and-slash game. We navigate the maze-like stacks, pet some colorful wolf friends, and talk about how many puns is TOO many for understanding a game properly. Don’t be quick to judge a book by it’s steam store page! There’s plenty of spells and quills and swords, but remember: A game a lone a last a loved a long the- Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 1:22 - game stats 2:50 - one sentence description 6:47 - Hub world complexity and literary theming commitment 12:37 - Overly complex terminology and ability descriptions 19:04 - Enemy design and literary theme implementation 25:33 - “One more run” phenomenon and replay motivation 29:17 - Positive aspects including UI and visual effects 33:00 - Inscription system and meta progression mechanics 38:26 - Vignette encounters and their effectiveness debate 42:54 - Tome selection system and special level rules 48:07 - Progression gating and attunement level complaints 55:39 - End game content and endless mode discussion 1:01:29 - Boss strategy discovery and magical lamp exploit 1:14:13 - rankings and final thoughts 1:22:08 - similar games 1:24:50 - listener correspondence: does the GROGPOD need a public discord channel? Next episode: 2025 Summer Music Fest Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: My Little Brown Book - Duke Ellington, John Coltrane Outro music: Vellum OST - Boss Battle Wed, 02 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0100 http://grogpod.zone/2025-07-02-vellum/ http://grogpod.zone/2025-07-02-vellum/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite, vellum, james joyce, library, hack and slash 1:31:55 Dat ain’t Falco! This week we wavedash into Spiritfall: the platformer beat-em-up with strong influence from the Super Smash Brothers series as well as Hades. The Blight has taken over the lands and your mysterious animal gods have tasked you, the Omenforged, to beat them back. With an array of weapons ranging from an axe-hammer to a scythe that transforms into a baseball bat, join us as we down-smash, L-cancel, and neutral-air our way across deserts, jungles, frozen wastelands, and all the way up to the source of the Blight itself! No Johns in this episode, we promise. Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 2:04 - game stats 3:16 - one sentence description 5:57 Story Overview 8:58 Controls & Tutorial Complexity 12:46 Smash Bros Experience & Wave Dashing 18:10 Combat Mechanics & Arena Types 25:44 Generic Terminology & Art Style 32:38 Comparison to Dead Cells & Boss Fights 39:31 Map Navigation & Decision Making 50:39 Story Completion & Meta Progression 57:28 Hypothetical Smash Bros Crossover 1:22:39 - rankings and final thoughts 1:34:52 - similar games Next episode: Vellum (for real this time) Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Charles Mingus - Mood Indigo Outro music: Spiritfall OST - The Frigid Veil Fri, 20 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0100 http://grogpod.zone/2025-06-20-spiritfall/ http://grogpod.zone/2025-06-20-spiritfall/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite 1:43:41 Day 967… This week we unlock the enigmatic puzzle adventure / drunken architect simulator Blue Prince! Your wealthy great uncle has left you his strange estate for you to claim as your own, only if you can unravel the mysteries that lie within. I see a black cat with a red flag… pawns among bishops… ChatGPT solving wild word puzzles… IQ bending logical mysteries and more! Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 1:04 - game stats 2:33 - one sentence description 4:07 - Spoiler-Free Initial Impressions 9:00 - Multi-Brain Gaming & Spoiler Transition 10:37 - Puzzle Spoilers & Game Mechanics 16:11 - Story Setup & Opening Cinematics 22:13 - Room Drawing Mechanics & RNG 29:05 - Foundation Room & Basement Mechanics 34:13 - Puzzle Solutions & External Help 40:43 - Digital Journal Critique & Comparison to Other Games 50:35 - Board Game vs Video Game Format 55:27 - Specific Gameplay Elements 1:03:02 - Game Design Analysis & Improvements 1:20:26 - listener letter on game pricing 1:29:00 - rankings and final thoughts 1:41:26 - similar games Next episode: Spiritfall (due to last second schedule change after the recording) Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Dave Brubeck Quartet - Someday My Prince Will Come Outro music: Trigg & Gusset - Bequest Wed, 04 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0100 http://grogpod.zone/2025-06-04-blue-prince/ http://grogpod.zone/2025-06-04-blue-prince/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite 1:54:46 Draw! This week we go akimbo with two high-caliber games between the college project wild west themed deckbuilding hit Forty-Five and an Estonian Eurotrance solo dev effort in Buckshot Roulette! We’ll spin the barrel on what makes a free game good, if board games are roguelites (because what isn’t at this rate?) and whether or not we fired six shots, or only five. Are you feeling lucky enough to go double or nothing? Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 1:38 - Forty-Five game stats 4:46 - Forty-Five in one sentence 5:40 - Forty-Five general discussion 8:22 - Developer Critique & Student Project Context 10:37 - Visual Design & Art Style Discussion 20:20 - Core Cylinder Mechanic Explanation 24:24 - UI Issues & Game Feel Problems 31:01 - Bullet Combinations & Game Potential 34:17 - Western Theme & Story Elements 39:30 - Buckshot Roulette Introduction & Sales Success 47:42 - Buckshot Mechanics & Atmosphere 52:56 - Single Player vs Multiplayer Experience 1:00:11 - Board Game Comparison Discussion 1:08:29 - Game Ratings & Reviews 1:17:56 - Similar Games Recommendations 1:21:38 - Next Episode Teaser & Blueprints Preview Next episode: Blue Prince Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Mark Lewis - Ghost of a Chance Outro music: Mike Klubnika - General Release Wed, 21 May 2025 00:00:00 +0100 http://grogpod.zone/2025-05-21-buckshot/ http://grogpod.zone/2025-05-21-buckshot/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite 1:25:45 O, glorious roguelikes! Listener request week returns with a recent hit in the traditional rogue sphere: Path of Achra. A Bronze-Age, Zoroastrian-inspired synergy simulator of brutal combat and Conan-like mythological flavor, Path of Achra brings us a menagerie of unique themes and playstyles ranging from dancing swordsmen, to telporting dreamer mages, to giant stone tank warriors, and of course: brutal naked apes. Escape the rising tides to The Obelisk and seek the stars, O Pilgrim! Struggler of the trench of slaughter. Praise Humbaba! Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 1:45 - game stats 2:32 - one sentence description from the community 5:08 - Game mechanics explanation: turn-based grid combat system 8:38 - Tab key automation and streamlined controls discussion 14:06 - Spell synergy systems and trigger mechanics comparison 19:02 - Music and atmospheric soundtrack appreciation 23:28 - Developer background and sequel development plans 28:05 - Story fragments and world-building elements 32:14 - Difficulty cycles and progression scaling systems 38:49 - Path selection and arena design mechanics 47:26 - Character creation: cultures, classes, and religions 59:01 - Event log issues and quality of life concerns 1:04:28 - Arena design limitations and movement mechanics 1:13:51 - Slay the Spire comparisons and boss fight critiques 1:17:56 - Final ratings discussion begins 1:27:50 - similar games 1:31:13 - Podcast wrap-up and next episode preview Next episode: Forty-Five Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Theo Croker - Imperishable Star Outro music: Path of Achra OST Wed, 07 May 2025 00:00:00 +0100 http://grogpod.zone/2025-05-07-path-of-achra/ http://grogpod.zone/2025-05-07-path-of-achra/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite 1:37:43 Can you imagine a dystopian world where overlords are oppressing you through communication networks? Where your friends skitter in the shadows to sell you trinkets and spikes erupt through the floor to maim you? We’re talking Reignbreaker this week, not your average trip downtown in 2025. The recently released Hades-inspired action game puts you in control of muscle mommy Clef as she seeks to break the reign of the Queen of Keys. An interesting blend of javelin throwing, fist punching mayhem, join us as we each try as strained of a Cockney accent we can muster and free our dear rat friends. Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 1:10 - game stats 3:25 - one sentence description 5:47 - Developer studio closure and unfinished game discussion 8:20 - Voice acting quality critique and comparison issues 15:12 - Game feels unfinished despite potential quality elements 19:08 - Bold aesthetic choices and punk theme discussion 24:21 - Character design and muscle mommy protagonist analysis 29:28 - our story begins 32:16 - Development team size surprise 40:25 - Combat mechanics comparison to Hades gameplay differences 48:43 - Enemy variety limitations and single biome problem 56:25 - Dungeon crawl elements versus arena-based combat design 1:00:45 - Story issues and final boss disappointment 1:08:03 - “So bad it’s good” games discussion 1:10:55 - rankings and final thoughts 1:17:54 - similar games 1:21:23 - Next episode preview: Path of Achra listener request Next episode: Path of Achra Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Pat Metheny - Calvin’s Keys Outro music: Djerv - Reignbreaker Wed, 23 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0100 http://grogpod.zone/2025-04-23-reignbreaker/ http://grogpod.zone/2025-04-23-reignbreaker/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite 1:25:36 Ordo ab Cubo! It’s a mad, mad, mad, mad world out there so what better way to celebrate than with Cube Chaos? The solo-dev effort of thousands of different units, synergies, and mayhem all warring in a hybrid RTS auto-battler filled with arena destruction, lasers, ants, stomach acid, warrior plants, snow knights, and yes repli-crabs. A truly unique experience, come listen to how its maybe was TOO unique for some of us, while the others frantically battle waves of clay anomalies and curious moils! Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 1:23 - game stats 2:14 - one sentence description 5:44 - Cognitive load comparison 8:08 - Steam Deck performance and Java runtime discussion 12:18 - Synergy mechanics and verbosity versus cognitive complexity 23:20 - our story begins… actually what IS this game? 28:01 - Different playstyles and time scaling strategies discussion 32:25 - Character classes and species combinations variety 38:32 - Art style critique and charming pixel aesthetics 50:09 - Story absence and lack of thematic elements 55:40 - AI-generated art improvement suggestions and visual discussion 1:07:16 - Boss fights and music quality feedback 1:11:20 - Community feedback and player experiences sharing 1:15:16 - rankings and final thoughts 1:25:32 - similar games 1:28:19 - listener letter and listener request week! Next episode: Reignbreaker Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Dave Brubeck - Autumn in Washington Square Outro music: Cube Chaos OST Wed, 09 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0100 http://grogpod.zone/2025-04-09-cube-chaos/ http://grogpod.zone/2025-04-09-cube-chaos/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite 1:34:52 The club of overwhelmingly positive roguelike deckbuilders is a small one, but bolstered with Diceomancer! The late 2024 release features a unique mechanic of allowing you to re-roll any number you see on the screen. Just imagine being able to re-roll your podcast subscriber amount from 6 to 14! The possibilities are limitless in this Cozy Vibes(tm) aesthetic where you can finally exact your revenge on all those geese that have hissed at you on the park bench with an infinitely reloading crossbow. Exactly what those noodle neck monsters deserve for delaying your fishing trip! Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 1:49 - game stats 3:30 - one sentence description 7:04 - Art style appreciation and Studio Ghibli comparisons 12:25 - Tutorial walkthrough and cozy fairy tale atmosphere 13:26 - our story and tutorial begins 17:41 - Purple mist storyline and corruption mechanics explanation 23:59 - FTL-style map comparison and purple mist criticism 30:27 - Translation quality and suggestive enemy names discussion 35:18 - Cognitive load comparison to other deck builders 42:04 - One dice mechanic discovery and randomness mitigation 50:32 - Class system critique and color archetype limitations 57:33 - City level enemies and weird creature designs 1:05:39 - Gateway game recommendations for new deck builder players 1:16:23 - Final ratings discussion begins 1:22:36 - similar games Next episode: Cube Chaos Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Sun Ra - Purple Night Blues Outro music: Diceomancer OST - The Woods Wed, 26 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000 http://grogpod.zone/2025-03-26-diceomancer/ http://grogpod.zone/2025-03-26-diceomancer/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite 1:23:33 You have angered the gods! Listener request week returns with a Holy Mountain of Finnish roguelike games - Noita: the platformer where every pixel is either on fire, radioactive, glowing with mana, or doused in whiskey. Developed by an Avengers-level collection of devs from Crayon Physics Deluxe, The Swapper, Baba Is You, and others, Noita starts with a bang. Be it the bangs from the exploding environment, banging your head against the wand and spell system, or the banging soundtrack, this one is certain to polymorph you into a fan. Or a sheep with devil wings, which is taxonomically the same thing. Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 1:41 - game stats 4:02 - one sentence description 9:14 - Core gameplay mechanics: side-scrolling physics and levitation controls 14:33 - Pixel physics simulation and “every pixel is simulated” tagline 18:26 - Spell descriptions and experimentation philosophy discussion 24:02 - Story elements: Finnish creation myth intro cinematic 31:04 - Learning curve criticism and lack of tutorial guidance 36:57 - Spell crafting system: 422 spells and wand programming 44:22 - Wand building mechanics and shuffle versus non-shuffle wands 51:00 - Biome progression: mines through temple of the art 1:06:52 - End game content and multiple endings spoiler discussion 1:12:26 - Favorite perks discussion: spider legs and unlimited spells 1:20:32 - Modding scene overview: spell lab and accessibility mods 1:24:32 - Final ratings 1:33:04 - similar games 1:38:34 - Next episode preview: Diceomancer Next episode: Diceomancer Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: The Five Corners Quintet - The Devil Kicks Outro music: Noita OST - Daddy Long-Leg’s Surprise Wed, 12 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000 http://grogpod.zone/2025-03-12-noita/ http://grogpod.zone/2025-03-12-noita/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite 1:41:10 Ah… I can see into your mind… So you like mystery dungeons? You like obscure JRPGs don’t you? Psycho Mantis can see that you enjoy Konami games, which is why we’re talking Azure Dreams! A 1990’s monster collecting game that was maybe too ahead of its time for its own good, we talk town building, relationship drama, the extreme price of eggs, and just what awaits us at the top of a 40-story monster tower. Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 1:52 - game stats 6:42 - one sentence description 7:36 - Nostalgia discussion: would hosts have liked it in 1997? 14:28 - PlayStation One emulation setup and controller experiences 30:45 - Story introduction: monster tower and town of Monsbaya 38:42 - Gameplay tutorial with Kewne and dungeon mechanics 52:18 - Town building and dating simulation elements comparison to Hades 1:06:38 - !!spoiler alert!! top of the monster tower and ending 1:11:55 - Spoiler warning and detailed ending sequence analysis 1:22:18 - Game Boy Color version and active community discussion 1:27:04 - Hypothetical reskinning discussion: cyberpunk aesthetic alternative 1:34:08 - community correspondence 1:42:57 - rankings and final thoughts 1:54:49 - similar games (thumbnail art by dhbs90) Next episode: Noita Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Cannonball Adderley - One Man’s Dream Outro music: Azure Dreams OST - Tower Theme No.1 Wed, 26 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000 http://grogpod.zone/2025-02-26-azure-dreams/ http://grogpod.zone/2025-02-26-azure-dreams/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite 2:03:28 This week in “wait, that’s not a roguelike!” we tackle the Souls-like shooter Remnant: From the Ashes! A lot of high-budget games that aren’t rogue-first have been coming out with rogue modes and Remnant is no exception with it’s DLC-based mode: Survival. Join us to complain about getting bodied by bosses, watching out for archers, and trying to figure out just how much chocolate you need in a cake before you call it a chocolate cake. Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 2:18 - game stats 3:54 - one sentence description 8:28 - Roguelike elements debate and randomization requirements 11:04 - Story mode experience and memorable narrative moments 13:29 - our story begins 19:12 - Hub world design and Ward 13 underground base 24:22 - Solo gameplay experience and earth biome exploration 30:07 - Base game vs roguelike classification discussion 34:14 - Story progression through different biomes and bosses 39:39 - Survival mode introduction and DLC content discussion 42:56 - Solo vs co-op gameplay balance and design 48:21 - Trait system and loot mechanics in survival 1:03:11 - Community feedback and souls-like accessibility discussion 1:07:55 - community correspondence 1:16:04 - rankings and final thoughts 1:25:25 - similar games Next episode: Azure Dreams Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Kenny Dorham - I Had The Craziest Dream Outro music: Remnant OST - Black Wolf and Bloodshed Wed, 12 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000 http://grogpod.zone/2025-02-12-remnant-from-the-ashes/ http://grogpod.zone/2025-02-12-remnant-from-the-ashes/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite 1:35:27 Welcome back Wizard, to the ruins of the universe! This week we pick up the coffeebreak hit of the traditional roguelike space Rift Wizard: a solo-dev effort by Dylan White, in which we skitter about pondering orbs of memory and battling all sorts of spritely monsters and mages. Armed with a spellbook a mile long and wild passive skills to boot, we will finally exact our revenge on the evil red wizard Mordred for waking us up from our nap. Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 2:46 - game stats 3:48 - one sentence description 4:50 - Graphics philosophy and infernal bargain of visuals vs depth 8:35 - Spellbook complexity and 157 individual spells breakdown 12:46 - UI problems and overwhelming spell selection criticism 16:11 - Information management issues and upgrade visibility problems 23:25 - Spell synergies and Python code accessibility discussion 31:14 - our story begins and spoiler alert warning 41:19 - Enemy variety and creative monster design analysis 50:22 - Final boss Mordred fight mechanics and phases 57:03 - Music discussion and dungeon synth soundtrack evaluation 1:05:13 - Rift Wizard 2 improvements and sequel features 1:07:25 - Controls praise and mouse support excellence 1:12:04 - rankings and final thoughts 1:21:09 - similar games Scott’s source code dump of all the Rift Wizard spells and skills google sheet can be found here. Next episode: Remnant from the Ashes Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Jerry Granelli - I Put a Spell on You Outro music: K. Hoops - Rift Wizard main menu theme Wed, 29 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000 http://grogpod.zone/2025-01-29-rift-wizard/ http://grogpod.zone/2025-01-29-rift-wizard/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite 1:27:20 Season 3 is here and we’re turning up the heat levels with the infernal hack-n-slash / visual novel / dating sim Hades! The crown jewel of indie darling developer Supergiant Games, we follow Prince Zagreus and his journey to fight out of the Greek Underworld with the aid all your favorite characters from Greek mythos including a wise-cracking skeleton, a timid snake head housekeeper, an ever-happy smiling boulder, a zombie boat man, among many others! Oh and I suppose there are Olympian gods in there too, each one more ripped and romance-worthy than the last. Maybe you can escape the fires of Asphodel, but what about your fiery passions for your co-workers? Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 1:34 - game stats 3:03 - one sentence description 7:48 - Steam popularity rankings and comparison to other games 10:36 - Replay value discussion after years away from game 16:50 - Heat system and difficulty customization mechanics 23:18 - our story begins and spoiler alert warning 32:26 - Meta progression currencies and door selection system 38:23 - Story pacing and character relationship development 54:47 - Ten-ending sequence and Persephone reunion storyline 1:08:05 - Weapon variety discussion and combat mechanics analysis 1:16:00 - Hammer upgrades and build modification complaints 1:25:49 - End game criticism and pacing issues 1:31:39 - Hades 2 wishlist and improvement suggestions 1:32:28 - rankings and final thoughts 1:42:43 - similar games Next episode: Rift Wizard Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Charles Mingus - When Your Lover Has Gone Outro music: Darren Korb - Out of Tartarus Fri, 17 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000 http://grogpod.zone/2025-01-17-hades/ http://grogpod.zone/2025-01-17-hades/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite 1:54:40 The winter special episode is here! This week we turn back the clock 3 months to a number of interviews Scott did with developers and panelists at PAX West here in Seattle. A ton of fun, he got to talk to a lot of really cool and fun people who entertained my nonsense questions. With so many great games played and talked about, we’re already penciling out plans for next year’s possibilities! Check the timestamps below for interviews with friends of all sorts and their games and studios. Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 4:18 - Live on the streets! 9:11 - Vampire Survivors tournament champion interview with Alan 14:58 - Slay the Spire board game playtest with Nathan and Erin 22:17 - Barony with Josiah Colborn from Turning Wheel Games 33:56 - “What is a rogue-like?” with Jenna Stoeber and Anica Cihla, see their “What Defines A Soulslike?” panel VOD here 41:30 - Rogue Climber with Christian and Eric from Imaginary Game Studios 46:04 - AO: Containment Breach with Jules aka Prismatix- 49:52 - Ultra Mega Cats 54:36 - Let’s Build a Dungeon with James Barnard from Springloaded 1:02:07 - Rogue Waters with Mateusz Pilski from Ice Code Games 1:07:48 - “What is a game publisher?” with Matthew Palacio from Hooded Horse Games 1:14:24 - ctrl.alt.DEAL with Gwen from Only By Midnight Ltd. 1:17:37 - Show wind down Next episode: Season 3 kicks off with Hades! Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro/outro music: Vince Guaraldi Trio - O Tannenbaum Tue, 31 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000 http://grogpod.zone/2024-12-31-winter-special2/ http://grogpod.zone/2024-12-31-winter-special2/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite 1:21:37 Season 2 has come to an end with an impressive slate of top-tier rogue games! If you’ve never listened to the show before, these recap episodes are a great place to start. This year we see how well our new #1 overall rated game of Slay the Spire will hold off contenders like Vampire Survivors and Balatro. We revisit some oldies and goodies with games spanning releases all the way back to 2003! We have some great listener comments sprinkled throughout, including some of the devs from games that we’ve covered. So go get a corndog (grogdog?), a #1 fan foam finger or two, and strap in for our longest, and therefore best podcast episode to date. Our finalists include: Balatro DoomRL Heat Signature Into the Breach Inscryption Jupiter Hell Risk of Rain 2 Slay the Spire Slice & Dice Star of Providence Vampire Survivors World of Horror Who will take the ultimate prize of the GROGPOD Omegabowl??? ! The full tournament bracket with spoiled results can be found here Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 1:54 - Tournament plan, categories, and games 7:04 - Wildcard 1: Risk of Rain 2 vs Heat Signature 13:42 - Wildcard 2: Slice & Dice vs Star of Providence 23:48 - Wildcard 3: Balatro vs DoomRL 30:06 - Wildcard 4: Inscryption vs World of Horror 38:57 - Division 1: Slay the Spire vs ??? 44:40 - Division 2: Vampire Survivors vs ??? 56:20 - Division 3: Jupiter Hell vs ??? 1:03:44 - Division 4: Into the Breach vs ??? 1:14:40 - Semi-finals 1 — possibly the REAL omegabowl finals here — 1:35:32 - Semi-finals 2 1:43:10 - Grand finals 1:58:24 - Show wind down Next episode: Roguelike developer interviews from PAX West 2024! Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Scott Schreer - NFL Fox Outro music: Clark Aboud - Battle with the Champ Fri, 20 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000 http://grogpod.zone/2024-12-20-omegabowl2/ http://grogpod.zone/2024-12-20-omegabowl2/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite 2:03:49 Risk of Rain returns and in threeeee deeeeee! One of the most popular rogue games ever closes out season 2 of our podcast this year by dropping into a chaotic swarm of low-poly, monster-infested lands backed by screaming synth guitar sounds. From multiplayer near-victories, to solo-play over confidence, Risk of Rain 2 is a Bundle of Fireworks to send us off into the holiday season for some Bison Steaks and Energy Drinks. Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 1:42 - game stats 3:35 - one sentence description 6:32 - Seekers of the Storm DLC problems and negative reviews 9:06 - Gameplay mechanics comparison between Risk of Rain 1 and 2 18:04 - Artifact of Command debate and randomization preferences 24:09 - Co-op multiplayer experience and final boss encounter 26:22 - Map design, scale, and navigation discussion 31:38 - Difficulty scaling and time pressure mechanics 35:39 - Drop pod story and lore explanation 41:22 - DLC content and character unlocks discussion 49:29 - Character variety and playstyle differences 57:49 - Art direction and aesthetic design analysis 1:06:50 - Mod scene popularity and proper save feature 1:14:20 - rankings and final thoughts 1:22:14 - similar games As discussed in the outro, Scott has recorded a bunch of tutorial videos with Caves of Qud youtuber BigSimple which you can find here! Stay tuned for our coverage on it next season! Next episode: Omegabowl 2: The 2024 GROGPOD Roguelike Playoffs Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Seatbelts - Tank! Outro music: Chris Christodoulou - …con lentitud poderosa Wed, 04 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000 http://grogpod.zone/2024-12-04-risk-of-rain-2/ http://grogpod.zone/2024-12-04-risk-of-rain-2/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite 1:34:14 Clap! Bow! Clap! Clap! Bow! Not even 6 days of power outage can stop this week’s attempt at exorcising demons of the world, as we visit fictional 198X Japan’s World of Horror. We explore a manga-style 1-bit Shiokawa, where a spooky lighthouse is causing something strage in the neighborhood. Evil Eldritch gods are awakening to turn our shower water into black goo, the townsfolk into bloodthirsty cultists, and even our apartment neighbors against us! Together, we can help solve the mysteries of “Spine-Chilling Story of School Scissors”, “Freaky Feature of Found Footage”, and many other awesomely alliterative manga mystery thrillers. There’s very vew problems a crowbar and kicking can’t solve! Especially when they’re sourced from a happy Shiba Inu dog vendor. Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 2:09 - game stats 3:35 - one sentence description 7:07 - Game structure explanation (5 mysteries, bespoke events system) 13:36 - Story setting in 1980s Japan and Old Gods premise 16:42 - Arkham Horror board game comparisons and inspirations 21:05 - UI legibility issues and one-bit art style problems 25:30 - Combat mechanics and enemy health display confusion 31:29 - Game pacing discussion and mystery completion times 33:22 - Save system criticism (losing allies when quitting) 42:53 - Random event system debate (hidden vs revealed outcomes) 56:35 - Combat strategy analysis and dominant stabbing approach 1:04:18 - Combat feedback and visual clarity problems 1:14:18 - rankings and final thoughts 1:25:39 - similar games Next episode: Risk of Rain 2 Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Pucho & The Latin Soul Brothers - Slippin’ Into Darkness Outro music: World of Horror OST - School Combat Mon, 25 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000 http://grogpod.zone/2024-11-25-world-of-horror/ http://grogpod.zone/2024-11-25-world-of-horror/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite 1:31:08 Glitch or Treat! On the final day of Space Halloween we dive deep into an acidy nebula of warring factions in dire need of some liberation. The Foundry, The Glitchers, Offworld Security, and Sovereign are vying for control, but they didn’t account for one thing: you. Enter Heat Signature: the tense, tactical, real-time-with-pause puzzle shooter leveraging the use of teleporters, time-slowing devices, bullet-reflecting shields, and rusty pipe wrenches. Join us as we make embark on Mistake-level missions, crash some space ships (for liberation purposes that is) and stand in awe of the real legends exacting their revenge with only 10 minutes to live! Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 1:16 - game stats 3:29 - one sentence description 6:01 - Top-down shooter mechanics and mandatory pause feature discussion 9:25 - Difficulty curve complaints and tutorial vs advanced missions 15:27 - Story setup and nebula liberation campaign structure 24:29 - Mission terminology confusion and character trait system 29:57 - Faction mechanics and nebula map disappointments 38:41 - UI design praise and criticism of system complexity 46:27 - Death mechanics discussion and permissive respawn system 54:11 - Daily challenge mode as game’s crown jewel 1:01:51 - ending spoilers 1:14:52 - rankings and final thoughts 1:21:51 - similar games Next episode: World of Horror Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Horace Silver - Liberated Brother Outro music: John Halpart - Quantum Immortality Wed, 06 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000 http://grogpod.zone/2024-11-06-heat-signature/ http://grogpod.zone/2024-11-06-heat-signature/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite 1:31:50 The dead walk! It’s after midnight and something evil’s attacking your town in Terminus: Zombie Survivors. A turn-based, grid-based, permadeath RPG with open-world survival crafting, Terminus turns the spook factor up for this ghoulish episode with Walkers galore. Barracade that door, cover the windows with some bloody rags and cozy up in a corner of a pharmacy with your favorite roguelike podcast! And though you fight to stay alive, your body starts to shiver! For no mere mortal can resists, the evil of the Terminus! (Vincent Price laughter) Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 1:29 - game stats 2:40 - one sentence description 4:56 - Traditional roguelike classification debate and permadeath settings 8:30 - Story setup and city navigation map structure 13:34 - Open world survival mechanics vs linear progression 20:14 - Crafting system complaints and hoarding behavior discussion 28:11 - Multiple ending types and achievement-driven gameplay 36:00 - Timer mechanics discussion (cold weather and resource depletion) 49:05 - Combat effectiveness and weapon durability systems 55:54 - Strategy optimization and character class differences 1:00:26 - UI/UX criticism and controller accessibility praise 1:07:49 - Looting workflow complaints and menu design issues 1:21:04 - rankings and final thoughts 1:33:55 - similar games 1:35:00 - pokemon smash or pass stream with previous guest Daniru17 Next episode: Heat Signature Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Artemis - Lights Away From Home Outro music: Terminus in-game bgm Wed, 23 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0100 http://grogpod.zone/2024-10-23-terminus/ http://grogpod.zone/2024-10-23-terminus/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite 1:39:23 Bam! It’s listener request week again and this time we’re blowing the dust out of our SNES cartridges to play Mystery Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderer! A game with a long legacy of nostalgia and fanning the flames of the Mystery Dungeon franchise from a Dragon Quest spinoff, Shiren also comes in a dual-screen form for the Nintendo DS. So for our first console-exclusive we talk about the 1990s landscape of traditional roguelikes, pokemon mystery dungeon games, dirty cheating by route of save states, and really celebrate the first official foray into the Mystery Dungeon franchise for the podcast. That little monster ringing the bell sound you hear is the summoning for us to cover some more of these games in the future for sure! Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 2:02 - game stats 4:38 - one sentence description 18:54 - our story begins 30:09 - dungeon clearing strategy 41:37 - metaprogression 45:00 - ending and late game, NPCs 1:00:28 - pokemon mystery dungeon 1:05:42 - item strategy 1:11:55 - Fay’s puzzle dungeon 1:18:20 - Shiren 6 1:28:04 - rankings and final thoughts 1:46:30 - similar games Next episode: Terminus: Zombie Survivors Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Joanne Brackeen - Mountain Flight Outro music: Koichi Sugiyama - Canyon Hamlet Wed, 09 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0100 http://grogpod.zone/2024-10-09-shiren-the-wanderer/ http://grogpod.zone/2024-10-09-shiren-the-wanderer/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite 1:54:51 (Play along for now) Ah yes Inscryption! A completely normal game of deckbuilding between you and a crazed lunatic in a desolate cabin. A winner of numerous game awards for … totally normal reasons … we celebrate the end of Spooktember with sacrificing squirrels for blood to feed our science experiment grizzly bears. (Hit the download button) You’re also looking at your podcast feed thinking “ah but this isn’t a roguelike game!” You might be right, but at least a solid third of this game is, and we felt it important and interesting enough to round up to being an honorary inclusion in the conversation. (Rate the podcast 5 stars) That being said, this is a completely spoiler heavy episode! So if by some happenstance you haven’t played it, we strongly recommend you do so before listening. Don’t fiddle with that shackle around your wrist, we have some Transcending to do! Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 3:45 - game stats 5:50 - final warning for spoilers!!! 6:44 - one sentence description and honorary roguelike candidacy 15:19 - act 1: our story begins 34:28 - act 2 55:58 - act 3 and finale 1:24:11 - rankings and final thoughts 1:36:00 - similar games Next episode: Mystery Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderer Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Dan Wilson - Vessels of Wood and Earth Outro music: Jonah Senzel - Deathcard Cabin Wed, 25 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0100 http://grogpod.zone/2024-09-25-inscryption/ http://grogpod.zone/2024-09-25-inscryption/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite 1:43:49 Oy, Gary! Is that you? Join us this week as we rehydrate some prisoners for derelict spaceship looting zaniness with Void Bastards! A 2.5D space shooter with more mutated freaks than the typical bus stop in Yoker, we try to appease the voice from the Stanley Parable with some bureaucratic busywork in the form of gun shooting. All the while fending off space pirates, space whales, and assessing if that gas station sandwich you just spent your credits on is or is not going to give you a parasite to start talking with a Glaswegian accent, aye? Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 1:19 - game stats 2:33 - one sentence(?) description 5:29 - Art style appreciation and initial gameplay impressions 11:17 - Story setup and tutorial sequence discussion 15:02 - Immersive sim comparisons and system complexity debate 22:30 - Looting mechanics criticism and lack of meaningful decisions 28:30 - Story problems and space whale encounter disappointment 34:23 - Weapon crafting system and progression unlock issues 43:30 - Development ambition vs execution capability discussion 48:40 - Character trait system praise and gameplay variety 54:18 - Missing boss battles and set piece sequences 58:40 - Wild Bastards sequel preview and comparison hopes 1:03:48 - rankings and final thoughts 1:12:37 - similar games Next episode: Inscryption Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Chip Whickham - Space Walk Outro music: Ryan Roth - Walk the Plank! Wed, 11 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0100 http://grogpod.zone/2024-09-11-void-bastards/ http://grogpod.zone/2024-09-11-void-bastards/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite 1:20:05 Caw caww!! It’s almost every episode that we reference Slay the Spire in some way, so what better time to finally cover it for the podcast than on our 50th episode spectacular?! Listen in as some Spire pros educate some Ascension 0 players on skills, powers, potions, relics and attacks. Every card is a block card if you try hard enough in this episode, but is Claw, in fact, Law? Who watches The Watcher? Why didn’t my Fairy Bottle trigger? With about 1,200 hours of gameplay under our Champion Belts, surely we can Slay these questions along with the beating of that hideous Heart! But will this game be the one that finally ascends the Spire that is our rankings list? You’ll have to tune in to our longest (and therefore highest quality) episode to date! Or just skip ahead to the rankings timestamp with those fancy Wing Boots of yours. Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 2:24 - game stats 3:33 - one sentence description 12:37 - our story begins 23:32 - the characters and archetypes 47:20 - general gameplay 52:00 - ascension mode 1:03:00 - ideal win percentage 1:08:00 - Slay the Spire 2 wishlist 1:11:52 - Downfall 1:16:00 - music and art 1:18:50 - victory…? 1:26:46 - rankings and final thoughts 1:44:57 - similar games Next episode: Void Bastards Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Dave Brubeck - Take Five Outro music: Clark Aboud - Exordium, The Guardian Emerges Wed, 28 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0100 http://grogpod.zone/2024-08-28-slay-the-spire/ http://grogpod.zone/2024-08-28-slay-the-spire/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite 1:53:28 Hey everyone look, an old man is talking! This week we feel the weather change via our bones as we play the turn-based colony sim roguelite dotAge, created by solo developer Michele Pirovano! Listen in as we battle omens on the horizon of time and try to swiftly shuttle our pips and pippins to ward off the impending evils that await the village. And remember: the gift quote must be met, as Santa won’t accept ANY excuse! Now where was I? Oh yeah! The import thing was: I had an onion on my belt, which was the style at the time. You couldn’t find any white onions, because of the war. The only thing we had were those big yellow ones… Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 2:06 - game stats 3:02 - one sentence description 8:44 - Tech Tree Mechanics & Randomization Critique 13:17 - Memory System & Meta Progression Complaints 18:10 - Agricola Board Game Comparisons & Design Philosophy 22:52 - Story Setup & Prophecy Mechanics Introduction 28:20 - Domain System & Doom Event Explanations 32:56 - Losing Mechanics & Rim World Comparisons 38:41 - Domain Implementation & Boss Battle Critiques 47:08 - Santa Claus Elder & Alternative Game Modes 54:12 - Development History & Early Access Discussion 59:26 - Difficulty Settings & Accessibility Issues 1:10:03 - rankings and final thoughts 1:27:58 - similar games Next episode: Slay the Spire Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Marian McPartland - I’m Old Fashioned Outro music: Luigi di Guida - Je Vivroie Liement Wed, 14 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0100 http://grogpod.zone/2024-08-14-dotage/ http://grogpod.zone/2024-08-14-dotage/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite 1:36:13 It is a good day to dice! This week we polish up some D6’s for the dungeon crawler Slice & Dice and throw them against all sorts of hideous monsters. We’re talking goblins, zombies, exploding skeletons, bloodthirsty fanatics, and so many more. In a game with modes on modes on modes, we try to navigate being cursed, blessed, and blursed while slaying dragons, succubi and undead samurai. Can our party of housecats and an over-levelled wizard save the day or will all of our dice be turned to stone and we get swarmed by imps? Ready to roll out! Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 1:46 - game stats 4:42 - Game Addiction & Mobile Gaming Appeal 8:33 - Undo Mechanics & Core Gameplay Differences 13:50 - Order of Operations & Dice Strategy Discussion 18:14 - Game Content Stats & Character Variety 23:16 - Game Mode Varieties & Cursed Gameplay Options 28:47 - Run Length & Difficulty Scaling Complaints 35:30 - Final Boss Problems & Surprise Counter Mechanics 39:08 - Item Shop Critique & Agency Issues 44:46 - Cursed Mode Strategy & Player Agency 51:27 - Dice Rolling Physics & Animation Quality 56:28 - Auto-Flee Mechanics & System Explanations 1:02:39 - rankings and final thoughts 1:10:04 - similar games Next episode: dotAge Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Thelonius Monk - April in Paris Outro music: Louigi Verona - Ancient Books of Magic Wed, 31 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0100 http://grogpod.zone/2024-07-31-slice-and-dice/ http://grogpod.zone/2024-07-31-slice-and-dice/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite 1:15:06 Demonic presence at unsafe levels, podcast in effect! For our listener request week, we summon a granddaddy of the traditional roguelike pantheon: DoomRL - Doom: The Roguelike. But we couldn’t talk about a game with a 20+ year legacy without also crash landing on its gorgeous modern 3D remaster: Jupiter Hell. A traditional roguelike with…graphics? Voice acting? A b-b-budget? Come listen in on how to configure .ini files, assemble tactical rocket launchers, and learn how to be a sailor-mouthed hellish freight train on wheels. That’s how we do things downnnnntownnnnn. Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 2:24 - Doom RL Release History & Developer Background 4:23 - One-Sentence Game Description & Roguelike DNA 8:17 - Roguelike History & Revolutionary Aspects Discussion 15:45 - Childhood Gaming Memories & Doom Experiences 20:16 - Story Setup & Mars Base Scenario 25:16 - Hell Arena Side Branches & Risk Reward 28:22 - Weapon Assembly System & Modification Mechanics 33:45 - Jupiter Hell Development & Legal Issues 38:08 - Production Values & Visual Upgrades 45:17 - Traditional Roguelike Evolution & Budget Impact 56:34 - Tutorial Quality & Cover System Mechanics 1:07:12 - Corner Shooting Exploits & Game Balance 1:19:28 - Music Comparison Between Games 1:23:35 - rankings and final thoughts 1:30:41 - similar games Next episode: Slice & Dice Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: The Geeky Guitarist - At Doom’s Gate (E1M1) Jazz Fusion Cover Outro music: Sonic Clang - E1M1 Wed, 17 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0100 http://grogpod.zone/2024-07-17-doomrl/ http://grogpod.zone/2024-07-17-doomrl/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite 1:37:37 Adagio, listeners! This week is our summer special focusing on the wide diversity of music found in roguelike games! From the biggest budget orchestras, to the lowliest growling chants that 1bitdragon can muster, there’s a lot of love to be listened to when playing $5 indie games. We thank the listeners that wrote in with tons of suggestions for us to cover and we’ll definitely have to revisit this format in the future. We also have some listener correspondence to cover on topics from not liking games, randomness, and how long is TOO long for roguelikes at the end of the show. Enjoy and be sure the blast some GROGPOD on the beach for all your friends this summer weekend! A talking-free version of all the tracks featured today can be found on our youtube playlist here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-ShOmyMvd4gaydO4wbNhLsDIFbEsBTUO Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 00:00 - Vampire Survivors - Tides of the Foscari 6:39 - Crypt of the Necrodancer - Disco Descent (1-1) 11:19 - The Last Spell - Distant Memories 17:40 - Hades - The Unseen Ones 23:08 - DoomRL - Unholy Cathedral 27:09 - Returnal - Ascend the Spire 32:05 - Caves of Qud - Lazarus 37:23 - Rogue Tower - Orcs Attack 42:04 - Path of Achra - Main Theme 46:13 - Dwarf Fortress - Main Theme 51:07 - Risk of Rain 2 - The Rain Formerly Known as Purple 57:56 - Balatro - Main Theme 1:04:57 - Spelunky - Yeti Caves 1:08:47 - Brutal Orchestra - Feel the Rhythm (Music Man Theme) 1:15:01 - Enter the Gungeon - Enter the Gungeon Rap 1:19:58 - Rimworld - Waiting for the Sun 1:23:36 - Lonestar - Main Menu Theme 1:27:45 - Inscryption - Leshy’s Theme 1:33:00 - FTL: Faster Than Light - Last Stand 1:38:22 - Slay the Spire - The Heart 1:43:28 - Hades - The King and the Bull 1:48:26 - Listener emails (Not liking games) 1:52:13 - Listener emails (Star of Providence updates) 1:55:06 - Listener emails (Roguelike RNG) 2:00:35 - Listener emails (How long do YOU like your gameplay?) Next episode: DoomRL / Jupiter Hell Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Wed, 03 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0100 http://grogpod.zone/2024-07-03-summer-special/ http://grogpod.zone/2024-07-03-summer-special/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite 2:08:17 OwO it’s VTuber time! This week we grab out pet aligators and wrap them in a trench coat to investigate the wild world of Holocure - Save the Fans! We’re talking jazzy beats, explosions of color, shrimp simps, skeletons with baseball bats, and (you guessed it!) six-legged monsterific horrors that would be well at home in any HR Geiger film. To navigate this deep sector of internet a-pog-rypha, we’re joined by VTuber and friend of the show Daniru17! We’ll need all the help we can get unraveling the mysteries of the Shubangelion and where exactly that character upgrade tab in the shop is. Here’s where you can find Daniru17 on the interwebz! Twitch: daniru17 Youtube: daniru17 X/Twitter: Dani_daniru Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 2:02 - game stats 3:07 - one sentence description 4:47 - What is the V-tuber world explanation 8:22 - Character selection and V-tuber identification discussion 13:30 - Fan project nature and free game monetization 16:10 - Danny’s introduction to HoloCure and publicity 19:42 - Gameplay differences from Vampire Survivors 25:05 - Story segment and narrative setup 29:23 - Enemy types and mascot character explanations 32:06 - Boss battles and specific character references 37:58 - Meta progression and upgrade systems discussion 44:16 - Character builds and gameplay strategies 48:49 - Future content plans and dungeon crawling 56:26 - Trumpet stamp and cosmetic upgrades discussion 1:07:20 - rankings and final thoughts 1:15:09 - similar games Next episode: Summer Music Fest and listener emails! Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Emmet Cohen Trio ft. Patrick Bartley - After You’ve Gone Outro music: eufrik - Suspect Wed, 19 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0100 http://grogpod.zone/2024-06-19-holocure/ http://grogpod.zone/2024-06-19-holocure/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite 1:22:20 Adoro l’aglio! The time has come to suck the blood out one of the most popular roguelikes of all time: Vampire Survivors! A wild tale of a 5-dollar indie game that created its own sub-genre of bullet-heaven one-stick shooters, Vampire Survivors is nothing short of the gamedev dream. We celebrate bizarre Italian nomenclature with returning guest Woody and try to suss out what could possibly be the plot of a Vampire Survivors tv show. Grab some Tirajisú for dessert and strap in for a tasty treat of a game, but just keep an eye out for a gigantic Katamari of skeletons looking to run you over. Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 2:42 - game stats 7:25 - one sentence description 13:36 - TV show adaptation announcement and story elements 17:37 - Game pricing history and mobile monetization features 21:16 - Basic gameplay loop and 30-minute timer mechanic 25:28 - End game content and killing Death character 29:01 - Genre terminology debate (bullet heaven vs survivor-like) 31:37 - Progression system and relic collection mechanics 41:01 - Meta progression criticism and character stat upgrades 48:52 - Level design comparison with Brotato arena gameplay 54:04 - Soundtrack quality and sound effects discussion 1:02:08 - Best character recommendations and tier lists 1:06:35 - rankings and final thoughts 1:14:25 - similar games Next episode: Holocure: Save the Fans! Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Giorgio Gaslini - Conservatorismo Puro Outro music: William Davies‎‎ - The Beginning, Filippo Vicarelli - It’s Raining Minotaurs Wed, 05 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0100 http://grogpod.zone/2024-06-05-vampire-survivors/ http://grogpod.zone/2024-06-05-vampire-survivors/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite, vampire survivors 1:22:14 Okay, 3…2…1… Let’s Jam! This week we are blasting off across the galaxy in pursuit of scum and villainy to collect some bounties for the space sheriff in Lonestar! With a unique spin on the roguelike deckbuilding genre, we debate over what is red versus orange as we power up our lasers in an epic showdown. Well, when we’re not using our vacation days of course! Build up your outlaw-hunting ship with tons of parts and upgrade those energy points to deal massive damage, or spend those points to defuse the spider mine the enemy has planted on you! Sit down in a space saloon for a nice relaxing card game, but be on the lookout for someone’s pet cat wearing a scouter level eyepiece! Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 1:36 - game stats 2:43 - one sentence description 4:07 - Will’s challenge and players’ surprising victory rates 10:08 - Game terminology and localization issues discussion 17:13 - Soundtrack appreciation and space western aesthetic 19:43 - Game lore and event description experiences 29:10 - Narrative elements and story generation in roguelikes 34:32 - Three-lane combat system and unique mechanics 42:12 - Learning curve and frequent gameplay revelations 48:00 - Energy draw system and deck building mechanics 53:11 - Character variety and pilot abilities discussion 1:00:07 - Difficulty curve and ascension level balancing 1:03:19 - Proposed mechanics to improve the game 1:08:06 - Retreat mechanic and infinite retries discussion 1:14:23 - rankings and final thoughts 1:22:00 - similar games Next episode: Vampire Survivors Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Sonny Rollins - Way Out West Outro music: Lonestar - Main Menu Theme Wed, 22 May 2024 00:00:00 +0100 http://grogpod.zone/2024-05-22-lonestar/ http://grogpod.zone/2024-05-22-lonestar/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite 1:28:08 Chip chap chipchipchap! For our listener-requested episode this week, we are dungeon diving through Barony: the voxelized roguelike with split-screen co-op! Listen to our encounters with horrible gnomes, armies of human villagers, and Pac-Man ghost scouts. There’s a lot to unpack from a game with just one axis of movement, be it spellcrafting, hunger management, commanding your army of the Zap Brigade against the minotaur, and navigating halls of rolling boulders. Lucky for you there’s a robust tutorial system…if you survive! Drop in and listen or we’ll drop you into The Underworld! Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 1:09 - game stats 3:00 - one sentence description 4:17 - Story introduction criticism and scrolling text complaints 8:23 - No meta progression and first biome experience 16:58 - Combat system discussion and melee problems 25:09 - Magic system and wizard class advantages 30:20 - Identification system and item appraisal mechanics 34:51 - Tutorial system criticism and death penalties 42:30 - Multiplayer experience and split-screen chaos 45:53 - Emergent gameplay moments and ZAP brigade 52:57 - Comparison with Shattered Pixel Dungeon mechanics 59:17 - Level design issues and lack of complexity 1:03:39 - DLC content and monster race characters 1:04:38 - Music discussion and audio cue importance 1:07:48 - rankings and final thoughts 1:15:18 - similar games 1:16:36 - listener email from the Wildermyth developers! Next episode: Lonestar Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Billy Cobham - Red Baron Outro music: Barony - Merchant’s Theme Wed, 08 May 2024 00:00:00 +0100 http://grogpod.zone/2024-05-08-barony/ http://grogpod.zone/2024-05-08-barony/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite 1:22:53 Helios has been abandoned! This week we’re playing the multiple BAFTA Award-winning Triple-A roguelite shooter Returnal. We continue bullet hell/heck month with swarms of huge colorful orbs, energy swords, and as many tentacled Matrix-inspired laser squids as you can shake your noodly appendages at! Join us in our foray into the first actual big-budget rogue-game of the pod with a game that had been locked behind Playstation 5 exclusivity like a gigantic interlocking metal door. We were able to just barely eek through the podcaster-sized hole in the bottom, but can we beat the boss that is…uh…well the first boss even??? Aim assist to maximum! Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 2:10 - game stats 4:53 - one sentence description 5:30 - all devs go to heaven warning (sort of) 7:34 - Difficulty preferences and boss fight frustrations 16:18 - Story introduction and crash landing setup 22:33 - Atmosphere and alien environment descriptions 27:53 - Biome structure and room types explanation 32:46 - Progression systems and weapon upgrading mechanics 39:03 - PC port performance and hardware requirements 44:11 - Weapon synergies and parasite systems 51:24 - Game length criticism and pacing issues 55:00 - story spoilers discussion 1:04:05 - rankings and final thoughts 1:14:30 - similar games Next episode: Barony Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: McCoy Tyner - Search For Peace Outro music: Bobby Krlic - Hyperion Wed, 24 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0100 http://grogpod.zone/2024-04-24-returnal/ http://grogpod.zone/2024-04-24-returnal/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite 1:19:24 Ghostly squeal! This week we’re descending the floors of an ancient facility filled with ghosts, mages, machines, talking cats, and bullets! So, so many bullets. What else would you expect from the bullet hell game that is Star of Providence? A charming, NES-inspired modern throwback, Star of Providence puts us to the test with harrowing boss fights, secret endings, and more guns than you can shake a sword that shoots bullets at! Team D-13 were kind enough to give a quick Q&A on how Star of Providence came about for us. Give it a look-see here! Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 1:52 - game stats 7:31 - Bullet hell categorization and genre spectrum discussion 11:04 - Boss fight difficulty and traditional schmup comparisons 15:19 - Retro aesthetic appreciation and NES style graphics 19:11 - Story and setting overview with facility exploration 22:38 - Tutorial quality and instant teleport feature praise 26:47 - Room design and environmental interaction mechanics 31:17 - Weapon system and ammo management mechanics 35:47 - Keyword system and weapon modification features 42:47 - Dash mechanics and movement system differences 48:17 - Meta progression and scoring multiplier complaints 54:17 - Health and power-up economy criticism 1:07:47 - rankings and final thoughts 1:17:24 - similar games 1:20:25 - upgrade terminal podcast shoutout Next episode: Returnal Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Time-Lapse City - GoGo Penguin Outro music: Tonal Dissonance - garoslaw Wed, 10 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0100 http://grogpod.zone/2024-04-10-star-of-providence/ http://grogpod.zone/2024-04-10-star-of-providence/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite 1:24:50 We did it listeners, we saved the city! This week we revisit Subset Games with their hit mecha-tactics bug-squisher puzzle-roguelike: Into the Breach. Time travel shenanigans are at a maximum this time, as we push our recording date back a couple days to get everyone in here. Woody joins us once more to talk about balancing the destruction of apartment buildings with making sure the train gets to its destination on time. Jump mechs, swap mechs, science vesseles, weapons to surpass Metal Gear, bugs that think!?!? Into the Breach is a timeless gem of intense noodle-scratching thought, so drop in from the sky and help us save the corporate islands! Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 1:39 - game stats 3:00 - one sentence description 6:09 - Reactive turn-based combat system mechanics explanation 9:01 - Game rule consistency and fairness discussion 14:19 - Story setup: humanity defeated, time travel mechanics 19:07 - Criticism of story elements and time travel narrative 22:07 - Developer interview insights and content cutting decisions 27:04 - Squad variety and achievement system discussion 32:13 - Energy/reactor system and item acquisition complaints 38:22 - Item excitement and randomness in roguelike games 46:56 - Final boss absence and game completion discussion 54:56 - Game length and run time considerations 1:07:11 - Squad preferences and favorite team mechanics 1:15:49 - rankings and final thoughts 1:28:50 - similar games Next episode: Star of Providence Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Stanley Turrentine - June Bug Outro music: Ben Prunty - Into the Breach Wed, 27 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0000 http://grogpod.zone/2024-03-27-into_the_breach/ http://grogpod.zone/2024-03-27-into_the_breach/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite, into the breach, subset games, ftl faster than light 1:37:22 This week we’re drawing a straight with the recent smash hit poker-puzzle deckbuilder Balatro! Join our four-of-a-kind hosts to talk about who will have the last laugh between random card draws and overtly complicated computer simulations. But no adventure is complete without joker hats and joker feet! Many jokes and many quips have passed behind our funny lips. By poking fun and making merry, our podcasts won’t be half as scary. So don’t be timid, don’t be nervous - Joker’s here, at your service! Aheuhheuuehehhah! Find a link to Will’s optimal hand play simulator here. Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 1:18 - game stats 3:25 - one sentence description 6:06 - Will’s discovery and immediate obsession with the game 10:56 - Player statistics and victory counts discussion 13:44 - Story explanation: no narrative, just poker with jokers 18:00 - Will’s advanced mathematical analysis and strategy depth 24:06 - Randomness versus determinism debate in deck builders 32:31 - Accessibility and poker knowledge requirements discussion 42:17 - Most fun aspects beyond winning runs 52:04 - Strategy discussion: flushes, synergies, and joker combinations 1:01:17 - Runtime discussion and fast restart mechanics 1:08:45 - Hand ranking problems and inflexible build issues 1:17:15 - rankings and final thoughts Next episode: Into the Breach Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Lee Morgan - The Joker Outro music: LouisF - Balatro OST Wed, 13 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0000 http://grogpod.zone/2024-03-13-balatro/ http://grogpod.zone/2024-03-13-balatro/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite, balatro, localthunk, poker 1:31:38 Lousy Smarch weather! Come in from the cold and warm up with an episode on the recent hit citybuilder roguelite Against the Storm. We’ve got biscuits and pie, jerky, and a nice dry roof to keep your resolve high. There’s lots to talk about between lizard happiness, a Queen that no one has confirmed exists or not, and everyone’s favorite topic: supply chain logistics! Man it’s wet out there. Check me through will you? Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 1:19 - game stats 3:30 - one sentence description 6:20 - » all devs go to heaven warning « 9:30 - our story begins 12:19 - End game disappointment and seal mechanics explained 17:10 - Overworld structure and meta progression criticism 19:39 - City building mechanics and randomized building systems 27:07 - UI problems and blueprint menu frustrations 32:44 - Queen’s impatience meter and reputation system mechanics 42:12 - Art style debate (Warcraft-like graphics divisive opinions) 51:20 - Tutorial experience problems and UI learning curve 1:06:00 - rankings and final thoughts 1:16:48 - similar games Next episode: Balatro Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Chad Lawson Trio - If I Only Had A Brain Outro music: Mikołaj Kurpios - Forest Lights Wed, 28 Feb 2024 00:00:00 +0000 http://grogpod.zone/2024-02-28-against-the-storm/ http://grogpod.zone/2024-02-28-against-the-storm/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite, against the storm 1:26:03 Happy TOMEntines day! This week we choo-choo choose to revisit the traditional roguelike-sphere with an oldie but a biggie. Tales of Maj’Eyal holds a special place in the hearts of old guards of tradrogues, continuing a legacy from an Angband spinoff in 1998. There’s a lot of love stemming from a vibrant community around TOME, if you can look past the ugly duckling presentation. It’s time to use our Chronomancy to turn back the clock, fight back the Spellblaze Scar, and try to charm the master of Dredfell Tower to watch some sappy romcoms with us. Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 1:57 - game stats 4:31 - one sentence description 6:13 - First impressions discussion and art criticism begins 10:18 - Will’s 60-hour experience and frustration with mechanics 16:41 - Mechanical cohesion: enemies use same systems as players 19:06 - Different starting scenarios for various races/classes 23:37 - Auto-explorer feature and movement controls discussion 30:19 - Game modes: permadeath vs multiple lives system 34:12 - Debate on roguelike length and investment vs permadeath 45:58 - Vault mechanics and elite enemies discussion 50:28 - Controls and UI complexity criticism 56:40 - Music repetition and sound design complaints 59:49 - Graphics critique: “objectively ugly” debate and art cohesion 1:12:32 - Dating quest discovery and bikini character screenshots 1:18:21 - rankings and final thoughts 1:26:38 - similar games Next episode: Against the Storm Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Thomas Marriott - The Tale of Debauchery Outro music: Celestial Aeon Project - Virtue Lost Wed, 14 Feb 2024 00:00:00 +0000 http://grogpod.zone/2024-02-14-tome/ http://grogpod.zone/2024-02-14-tome/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite, tome, tales of majeyal, darkgod 1:34:35 Reap and tear! This week we’re DOOMing it up with the BOOMer shooter rogue Nightmare Reaper. We all go a little mad sometimes, but what better way to relieve that stress with some out-of-left-field minigames? Keep an eye out for the trumpet skeleton, platforming puzzles, and bolwing ball-launching shotguns. Oh and did I mention there was a chainsaw grappling hook? One more time for the folks in the back: chainsaw. grappling. hook! Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 1:17 - game stats 2:34 - one sentence description 6:16 - Host preferences on shooter genres and boomer shooters 10:34 - Story setup: asylum patient experiencing nightmares/dreams with combat 14:18 - Gameplay loop: one chance per level, weapon persistence mechanics 17:57 - Weapon variety and combat mechanics discussion 24:27 - Level design and enemy behavior criticism 31:26 - Upgrade system problems and “should have been default” features 33:25 - Mario-style mini-game tech tree complaints and accessibility options 45:20 - Level navigation issues and procedural generation problems 57:11 - Gun sprite graphics quality and visual design critique 1:07:42 - Music discussion and soundtrack evaluation 1:12:13 - Roguelike classification debate and story execution issues 1:21:29 - rankings and final thoughts 1:27:50 - similar games Next episode: Tales of Maj’Eyal Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Charles Mingus - Orange Was the Color of Her Dress, Then Silk Blues Outro music: Andrew Hulshult - Lucid Mayhem Wed, 31 Jan 2024 00:00:00 +0000 http://grogpod.zone/2024-01-31-nightmare-reaper/ http://grogpod.zone/2024-01-31-nightmare-reaper/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite 1:35:17 Gather round children, it’s story time! This week we’re talking about the pop-up storybook RPG Wildermyth! We’re fighting gorgons with poison blood, turning into wolf people, and replacing arms with pirate hooks. You know, the normal things you always read about in kids books. It’s time to customize your coworkers, pick your pet, and save the lands from mechanical clockwork monsters! Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 1:29 - game stats 2:23 - one sentence description 4:11 - Art style discussion: paper standee aesthetic and monster design 6:57 - Age of Ulstryx campaign experience and generic fantasy start 8:35 - Story volume complaints: too much text, too few choices 12:19 - Character customization and personality trait system discussion 16:38 - Magic system: infusing with environmental objects mechanics 21:44 - Overworld exploration and time pressure mechanics 28:13 - Difficulty and strategic decision-making critique 33:03 - Legacy character system and campaign connections 39:05 - Randomization vs bespoke story content debate 46:35 - Procedural vs handcrafted narrative generation discussion 52:27 - Combat mechanics and camera control issues 53:58 - rankings and final thoughts 1:01:10 - similar games Next episode: Nightmare Reaper Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Wayne Shorter - Wild Flower Outro music: Wildermyth Overworld Wed, 17 Jan 2024 00:00:00 +0000 http://grogpod.zone/2024-01-17-wildermyth/ http://grogpod.zone/2024-01-17-wildermyth/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite 1:04:46 Happy New Pod! Or new game! Or new game+! For our second season kickoff we bring an army of orcs and goblins marching on your doom in Rogue Tower. What other podcast can you find deep dives on tower defense strategy in the form of thrilling spreadsheet functions and macros? The Excel fincancial modelling world cup may have just ended, but this game sure EXCELs at metal tunes, one-more-turn-itis, and laser-blasting pyramids. Does Will hold a world record for this game? Send in your armies of Boron-encased glass panes and find out for yourself! Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 1:47 - game stats 3:13 - one sentence description 4:32 - Discord data science discussion and Andrew’s 17-level maximum revelation 7:02 - Game mechanics: health, armor, shields and tower specialization 11:14 - UI clarity issues and upgrade system confusion 18:21 - Tower placement strategy and height mechanics discussion 24:27 - Card draw upgrade system and meta progression criticism 30:25 - Mod discussion and game speed improvements 35:48 - Tower defense comparisons and roguelike elements breakdown 39:32 - UI problems: click-through issues and Steam Deck complaints 47:36 - Music discussion: harpsichord metal soundtrack praise 50:12 - rankings and final thoughts A link to Will’s crazy spreadsheet optimization tool can be found here And because I totally spaced on the similar games segment, if you’re a fan of Rogue Tower you should also check out: The Last Spell Dungeon of the Endless Tower Tactics: Liberation Bardbarian Bloons TD6 Roguelike mod Next episode: Wildermyth Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: George Shearing - I Didn’t Know What Time It Was Outro music: Andrew R. Mason - Orcs Attack! Wed, 03 Jan 2024 00:00:00 +0000 http://grogpod.zone/2024-01-03-rogue-tower/ http://grogpod.zone/2024-01-03-rogue-tower/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite 1:03:40 It’s the holiday season (backup singers: the holiday season) and the GROGPOD is coming ‘round for a special winter break episode! We’ve been asked by listeners for a while to do a developer interview so who better to bring on the program than amazing solo dev Huw Milward of previous episode Warsim: The Realm of Aslona! We kick off the first hour of the program with Huw, Will, and I chatting by the fireplace with our ‘nog (grog?) in hand about topics like inspiration, marketing strategy, and of course ChatGPT. Join us after the interview for some listener letters too! Find Warsim on Steam here Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 2:20 - Interview with Huw Millward, solo dev of Warsim: The Realm of Aslona 6:25 - Warsim dev history and future 10:45 - How to stay inspired and creative? 13:00 - How to build an indie game community? 16:39 - Windows CMD design and spaghetti code 18:18 - Kitfox remasters of Dwarf Fortress and Caves of Qud 21:00 - Ascii art aesthetics, SanctuaryRPG, WORD GAME 26:39 - Randomness vs proc gen 34:24 - Gamedev feature strategy 37:48 - Steam reviews and marketing strategy 49:13 - ChatGPT 55:40 - Gamedev persistence and community engagement 58:30 - Favorite games and gamedev pen pals 1:05:43 - Emails: How long to evaluate a roguelike game? 1:18:31 - Emails: Mystery Dungeon games Next episode: Season 2 starts with Rogue Tower! Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Huw Warren - Porto Alegre Outro music: Warsim 8bit main theme Wed, 20 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000 http://grogpod.zone/2023-12-20-winter-special/ http://grogpod.zone/2023-12-20-winter-special/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite, warsim, huw millward, solo dev, wales 1:39:23 The end of season 1 of the podcast is here and to celebrate we are pitting our top games in a playoff tournament fight to the death! If you’re new to the podcast or the genre this is a great place to start. With a wide range of categories from platformer rogues, to solo dev efforts, to squad management simulators, there’s something for everyone today. Thanks to all the listeners that voted as well! Our finalists include: The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth Cogmind Dead Cells Enter the Gungeon FTL: Faster Than Light Hand of Fate 2 Invisible Inc The Last Spell Luck Be A Landlord Monster Train Rimworld Streets of Rogue Who will take the ultimate prize of the GROGPOD Omegabowl??? ! The full tournament bracket with spoiled results can be found here Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 2:00 - Tournament plan, categories, and games 7:21 - Wildcard 1: Cogmind vs Luck Be A Landlord 21:10 - Wildcard 2: Streets of Rogue vs Invisible, Inc. 28:04 - Wildcard 3: Rimworld vs Hand of Fate 2 37:28 - Wildcard 4: The Last Spell vs Enter the Gungeon 45:36 - Division 1: FTL: Faster Than Light vs ??? 51:34 - Division 2: Binding of Isaac: Rebirth vs ??? 58:19 - Division 3: Dead Cells vs ??? 1:06:45 - Division 4: Monster Train vs ??? 1:14:50 - Semi-finals 1 1:21:54 - Semi-finals 2 1:27:58 - Grand finals 1:40:18 - Show wind down Next episode: Holiday special! Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Heavy Action - Johnny Pearson Outro music: Lost Sun (battle) - Squishyboi Wed, 06 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000 http://grogpod.zone/2023-12-06-omegabowl1/ http://grogpod.zone/2023-12-06-omegabowl1/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite 1:46:16 That gooey flopping sound isn’t your GROGsgiving dinner quite yet, it’s the sound of you being reanimated for another run of the 2018 hit action platformer Dead Cells! Join the crew and returning guest Woody as we slice, dice, parry, and pray for mercy against monstrous bosses and darkening sephulcurs. Feel the guitar-strumming beat of a French co-op gamedev’s masterpiece and strap in for some fast kickin’, low biome times, and meta-progression? You bet! We round out this season of the podcast with a great one, but we’ve covered a lot of great games this year. Our next episode will feature a playoff tournament of our top rated games to see who takes the ultimate crown this year. Place your votes here and use your democratic power to help us crown a champion. Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 4:27 - Game stats 13:48 - One sentence description 16:55 - Our story begins 19:00 - Core gameplay mechanics and weapon unlock system 25:20 - Cursed chests risk/reward mechanic discussion 29:10 - RPG stat system and color-based weapon scaling 36:02 - Legendary items and synergy build strategies 42:06 - Character design criticism and aesthetic evaluation 51:08 - Boss cell difficulty progression and accessibility options 59:12 - Game criticism: poor explanation of core mechanics 1:08:29 - Rankings and final thoughts 1:17:50 - Similar games 1:21:48 - Roguelike playoffs preview! Next episode: GROGPOD Roguelike Playoffs - the Omegabowl! Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Coleman Hawkins & Ben Webster - Prisoner of Love Outro music: Valmont - ClockTower Wed, 22 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0000 http://grogpod.zone/2023-11-22-dead_cells/ http://grogpod.zone/2023-11-22-dead_cells/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite 1:27:23 Who’s a good baby amphibian? Is it you? Is it you? It is AK-Xolotl: the AK-47 wielding, you guessed it, axolotl baby raising simulator! Are reptiles different than amphibians? Is it worth sacrificing your children for permenant meta-progression unlocks? These are the kinds of questions all new parents need to answer at some point in their quest to take down Cthulhu-like monstrosities and heavy metal kittens. What other podcast will go into depth on axolotl biology while also talking about the intracacies of the Sten 9×19mm? Who’s a good submachine gun? Is it you? Is it you? Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 1:14 - Game stats 3:04 - One sentence description 4:27 - Comparison to Enter the Gungeon and twin-stick shooters 7:23 - Core criticism: lack of meaningful variety and randomization 9:53 - Opening cutscene confusion and narrative issues 13:47 - Baby management simulator vs shooting mechanics discussion 18:16 - Weapon unlock system and meta progression problems 21:48 - Baby care mini-game criticism and design flaws 26:25 - Kickstarter campaign and missing promised features analysis 32:27 - Quality vs quantity problems and Early Access comparison 36:08 - Controller issues and key binding problems 42:04 - Easy mode discussion and accessibility features 55:28 - Rankings and final thoughts 1:01:30 - Similar games Next episode: Dead Cells Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Charles Mingus - II B.S.* Outro music: AK-xolotl - Hell’O Kitty Wed, 08 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0000 http://grogpod.zone/2023-11-08-akxolotl/ http://grogpod.zone/2023-11-08-akxolotl/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite 1:05:44 Have you ever thought to yourself ‘Is it possible to import my friends into this game and harvest their skin for the leather of my chairs?’ Then you’ve tuned to the right episode! In an accidentally relevant-to-spooky-season selection, we turn to Rimworld! But wait, that’s not a roguelike, you’ll inevitably shout at your podcast feed. We decided to pull some editorial leeway this time with the defense of ‘well if Dwarf Fortress did it…’ Join our starving colonists as they try to figure out how to grow potatoes and fight off insectoid invasions and mind pulse machines as they dig too deep and unleash the terrors of internet connectivity issues. Thanks again for the gracious hosts of this year’s Roguelike Celebration, in which Scott was able to present his talk ‘The Data Science of Roguelikes’. You can find it on youtube here! Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 1:47 - Welcome new listeners from the 2023 Roguelike Celebration! 3:20 - Game stats 5:09 - One sentence description 7:19 - Comparison with other colony sims and Dwarf Fortress 13:39 - Tutorial quality discussion and new player experience 18:34 - AI storytellers and difficulty selection advice 21:40 - Randy Random vs Cassandra Classic storyteller comparison 27:12 - Victory conditions and different player goal approaches 32:25 - Optimal drug production strategy and economic gameplay 36:17 - Cannibalism and organ harvesting meme discussion 41:03 - Food production confusion and learning curve challenges 54:00 - World map exploration and caravan system 56:48 - DLC content overview (Royalty, Ideology, Biotech) 1:05:30 - Rankings and final thoughts 1:18:27 - Similar games Next episode: AK-xolotl Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Kenny Burrell - Out of This World Outro music: Alistair Lindsay - Alpaca Wed, 25 Oct 2023 00:00:00 +0100 http://grogpod.zone/2023-10-25-rimworld/ http://grogpod.zone/2023-10-25-rimworld/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite 1:24:36 Happy GROGSversary! As we celebrate one whole year of doing this program, we combine our forces to attempt our own answer at the unsolvable question of “what is a roguelike?” In possibly our longest episode to date, we dive into the pre-history of rogue-games, the infamous Berlin Interpretation, and just how “rogue-lite” games fit into all this. We talk about jazz subgenres, whether or not Minecraft is a roguelike game, Solitaire (yes that one), hierarchies of game design needs, and who could forget Elf Metal! Of course, no one can be told what a roguelike is, you have to experience them for yourself. Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 2:56 - Today’s fight club topic: What is a roguelike game? 4:07 - Our story begins / why do we care? 13:30 - One-sentence summaries of roguelike genre definitions 15:30 - What is the original 1980 Rogue, the first games like Rogue, the Berlin Interpretation 30:00 - What are rogue-lites? 2008’s Spelunky, Binding of Isaac, and Rogue Legacy 49:32 - Are “-lite” games less hardcore? Does metaprogression matter? 56:42 - How roguelike is this game? (Minecraft, Diablo, X-Com, Into the Breach, Deep Rock Galactic, Don’t Starve, Inscryption, Gloomhaven) 1:08:30 - Data-driven roguey-ness and Steam tags 1:16:28 - Can board games be roguelikes? 1:20:55 - Do music genres suffer the same problem that the rogue-community has? 1:27:00 - Summary and final thoughts As promised, below you can find some of our notes referenced in this chonker of a recording: Our collected list of roguelike definitions over the years Scott’s 16 pages of show notes Will’s hierarchy of game needs Colin’s google sheet of undebateably roguey-ness scores Check out Scott’s tangentially related talk on The Data Science of Roguelikes here! See how the genre has evolved over time with our definitions timeline here. Next episode: Rimworld Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Bill Evans - Nardis Outro music: Tarn Adams - Dwarf Fortress mode theme Wed, 11 Oct 2023 00:00:00 +0100 http://grogpod.zone/2023-10-11-what-is-a-roguelike/ http://grogpod.zone/2023-10-11-what-is-a-roguelike/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite 1:40:31 It’s finally here, our episode on one of the major traditional roguelike cornerstones: Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead. Humanity’s greatest desire is to drive crudely built, ascii-tiled cars in open source videogame projects. That and escape from zombies, of course. Tune in as we spend half an hour trying to open up menu systems and try to see just how big this fantastical world of “New England” really is. There’s only so much time to listen to this episode before XE037 finds you and adds you to the blobular collective! As noted, we’ve done a few developer interviews for CDDA which you can find here. Thanks to the devs for taking the time to answer some of our questions! Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 1:30 - game stats 5:12 - one sentence description 6:37 - »»CDDA fans trigger warning alert«« 11:20 - Game story setup and multiple apocalypse scenarios 15:30 - Tutorial video requirements and learning curve comparisons 22:15 - Dwarf Fortress comparison and menu system complexity 28:45 - Character creation praise and detailed trait systems 34:20 - UI/UX criticism and accessibility problems discussion 42:15 - Simulation depth vs playability debate and system complexity 48:30 - Story expectations vs reality and emergent gameplay 55:45 - Target audience analysis and programmer appeal discussion 1:03:02 - rankings and final thoughts 1:17:52 - similar games Next episode: A GROGPOD fight club special episode to celebrate our 1 year anniversary of the podcast! We’ll be tackling the topic of “What Is A Roguelike?” There will be blood! Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Hal Leonard Jazz Ensemble - Ain’t No Sunshine Outro music: CDDA Chesthole Soundpack - Ambient Track 1 Wed, 27 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0100 http://grogpod.zone/2023-09-27-cataclysm/ http://grogpod.zone/2023-09-27-cataclysm/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite, cdda, cataclysm dark days ahead 01:37:36 One way or another, we were going to play this hit indie JRPG roguelike! Its One Way Heroics week for this dimension, as we take a keen eye at some anime pixel mobs and try not to wall ourselves in with a creeping black wall of doom. We must move forwards, not backwards! Upwards not forwards! And always twirling, twirling, twirling towards the 2000 KM goal to save the kingdom from the dark dragon of doom. Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 3:13 - game stats 6:23 - one sentence description 8:17 - let’s talk JRPGs 12:15 - Game description: streamlined JRPG with wall of darkness 18:20 - Difficulty mode confusion and tutorial problems 25:40 - Wall of darkness mechanic and time pressure gameplay 32:15 - Combat system simplification compared to traditional JRPGs 38:45 - Save system mechanics and level trading discussion 42:30 - Hidden content and 2000 kilometer endgame discovery 48:15 - Meta progression and dimensional vault storage system 52:30 - NPC recruitment and character storyline advancement 58:00 - rankings and final thoughts 1:04:04 - similar games Next episode: Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Thelonious Monk - Straight No Chaser Outro music: Beginning Theme 1 - Saia Hyouseki, Boss Dead Theme 2 - Jinfa Dragon Symphony Wed, 13 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0100 http://grogpod.zone/2023-09-13-one-way-heroics/ http://grogpod.zone/2023-09-13-one-way-heroics/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite, playism, one way heroics, smokingwolf 01:13:36 Ymg’ ah ain’ghft eldritch n’ghftdrn ai! This week the podcast dials back the clock to one of the earliest roguelike games released on Steam: Eldritch! You remember Minecraft, right? Ever thought to yourself: “What if it had a bunch of tentacle monsters and guns?” Well have we got the game for you! Tune in as we confusingly bumble our way around a library looking for a good book to escape into, literally. All the while trying to frantically run away from gloopy, wet fish-men looking to mess you up in traditional H.P. Lovecraft fashion. Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 2:25 - game stats 4:18 - one sentence description 8:45 - Game description: 3D voxel-based Lovecraftian dungeon crawler 14:30 - Procedural generation quality and 3D maze navigation 20:15 - Enemy design and Cthulhu Mythos creature discussion 25:45 - Combat mechanics and weapon systems criticism 31:20 - Stealth mechanics and difficulty balance issues 36:15 - Procedural vs handcrafted level design debate 42:30 - Horror effectiveness and atmosphere evaluation 47:23 - rankings and final thoughts 54:57 - similar games Next episode: One Way Heroics Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Eric Verlinde - Are You Free Outro music: Eldritch OST - Mountains of Madness Wed, 30 Aug 2023 00:00:00 +0100 http://grogpod.zone/2023-08-30-eldritch/ http://grogpod.zone/2023-08-30-eldritch/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite, eldritch 1:15:08 Hold onto your Brotatoes! You demanded, we listened: listener request week is over and from the ashes of our submissions arose the bullet heaven Brotato and the tower defense zombie horde killhouse The Last Spell. We are also joined by a new full-time member of the podcast: previous guest Andrew Harshman! With so much content to cover, will we be able to channel our summoner energies together before the hour is up? Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript) 1:42 - The GROGPOD Grows! 4:09 - Brotato game stats 6:44 - Vampire Survivor-like subgenre terminology debate (bullet heaven vs one-stick shooters) 10:49 - Brotato aesthetic criticism and Flash game comparisons 16:23 - Arena limitation complaints vs exploration desires 20:56 - Nintendo eShop story description and potato world lore 25:09 - The Last Spell introduction and tactical combat overview 32:57 - Game phases: town building, defense setup, and night combat 38:14 - Decision fatigue criticism and feedback loop discussion 46:17 - Character generation and goddess dialogue segments 54:21 - Night phase tactical combat depth analysis 1:07:24 - Roguelike classification debate and genre elements 1:11:30 - Rankings and final thoughts Next episode: Eldritch Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Jean Luc Ponty - Mirage Outro music: The Algorithm - Oath Wed, 16 Aug 2023 00:00:00 +0100 http://grogpod.zone/2023-08-16-the_last_spell/ http://grogpod.zone/2023-08-16-the_last_spell/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite 01:27:11 Snake eyes! Because we forgot to do our homework this week, we are gambling away our fortunes to pay our rent with Luck Be A Landlord! Come spin some slots in a cutesy veneer of a capitalist hellscape. We needed some more time to review CDDA so stay tuned in an upcoming episode, but we did conduct an interesting set of dev interviews that you can check out here. In the meantime, get your crabs in a row, your gem golems lined up, and anchors in the corners for our spiciest take on apartment rent yet! Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 0:51 - CDDA episode update 2:45 - game stats 8:32 - Progression system and difficulty scaling discussion 13:10 - Anti-capitalist story and rent payment mechanics 18:31 - Symbol synergies and engine building strategies 25:16 - Advanced strategy: avoiding noob traps and deck management 31:24 - Criticism: overwhelming symbol variety and decision paralysis 39:16 - Comparison to Slay the Spire and deck building preferences 45:10 - Anti-capitalism narrative and billionaire mechanics discussion 48:18 - rankings and final thoughts Next episode: Surprise listener request episode! It’s a secret! Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Elvin Jones - Lady Luck Outro music: Vincent Colavita - Big Man Zaroff Wed, 02 Aug 2023 00:00:00 +0100 http://grogpod.zone/2023-08-02-landlord/ http://grogpod.zone/2023-08-02-landlord/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite 59:18 Welcome to the family follower. Everyone here is happy and healthy. CHOP WOOD! MINE STONE! Obey our glorious leaders commands! This week we meditate on the nature of organized labor and religious indoctrination with Cult of the Lamb. What lies beneath the adorable art and crown that sits atop our infallible and fluffly leader’s head? Tune in for how to build your very own machine learning model to cheat at Knucklebones. That’s not a commandment, right? The Lamb is good, the Lamb is great, we surrender our will as of this date! No microphone problems, in the name of The Lamb! Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 1:22 - game stats 3:29 - one sentence summary 5:39 - Split gameplay discussion: town builder vs roguelike combat 12:13 - First act strength and compelling intro sequence 17:17 - Art style discussion and Don’t Starve comparisons 18:06 - Cult naming and follower management mechanics 24:17 - Speedrun strategy reveals minimal colony management needed 28:51 - Rimworld comparisons and colony simulation elements 32:55 - Content update wishes and weapon system improvements 41:41 - Knucklebones minigame and machine learning potential discussion 53:42 - rankings and final thoughts 1:01:20 - listener emails Next episode: Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! Request an episode here https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Archie Shepp - Like a Blessed Baby Lamb Outro music: River Boy - Work and Worship Wed, 19 Jul 2023 00:00:00 +0100 http://grogpod.zone/2023-07-19-cult-of-the-lamb/ http://grogpod.zone/2023-07-19-cult-of-the-lamb/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite 01:28:25 Ooooooh guns gun guns! The GROGPOD is playin to-night! I never miss a game. This week we visit an all-time bullet-hell classic of Enter The Gungeon. How many gun puns can we cram into 60 minutes? Is it as easy as shooting fish in a barrel, or using a barrel to shoot fish instead? Lock ‘n’ load your Uzi 9MM, your .45 longslide with laser sighting, and join us in finding a bullet that can kill our past. Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 5:26 - Shattered Pixel Dungeon episode fallout 6:44 - game stats 12:54 - one sentence summary 18:57 - Story Setup & Gun That Kills Past 24:12 - Game Difficulty Changes Since 2016 Launch 28:26 - New Player Experience & Learning Curve 34:36 - Character Selection & Starting Equipment Discussion 39:27 - Meta Progression & Hegemony Currency System 48:00 - Health Management & Boss Perfection Strategy 56:41 - Comparison Discussion With Hades & Isaac 1:13:18 - Enter the Gungeon 2 Sequel Speculation 1:23:26 - rankings and final thoughts 1:33:55 - guest plugs Next episode: Cult of the Lamb Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Charles Mingus - Gunslinging Bird Outro music: doseone - Enter the Gun Tue, 04 Jul 2023 00:00:00 +0100 http://grogpod.zone/2023-07-04-gungeon/ http://grogpod.zone/2023-07-04-gungeon/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite 01:37:36 You have 1 new message: a podcast episode about the hit roguelike mobile game Shattered Pixel Dungeon! We explore the android/ios sphere for the first time with an influential open source and community-driven spin on the dungeon crawling genre. Join us old boomers as we puzzle out why all the kids are looking at their phones all the time. Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 1:31 - game stats 4:31 - one sentence summary 10:21 - Mobile interface challenges and magnifying glass discovery 13:37 - Pixel Dungeon series history and open source community 18:31 - Potion identification mechanics and traditional roguelike elements 24:45 - Game structure: five biomes and Amulet of Yendor goal 29:24 - Hunger clock mechanics and enemy respawning discussion 32:36 - Boss fights and tactical combat strategies 38:39 - Shop mechanics and tactical decision making depth 42:32 - Accessibility and hand-holding criticism for new players 46:50 - reddit meltdown 54:28 - rankings and final thoughts Next episode: Enter the Gungeon Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Sonny Rollins - Dial S For Sonny Outro music: Kristjan Thomas Haaristo - DM300 Boss Theme Wed, 21 Jun 2023 00:00:00 +0100 http://grogpod.zone/2023-06-21-shattered-pixel-dungeon/ http://grogpod.zone/2023-06-21-shattered-pixel-dungeon/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite, shattered pixel dungeon, mobile gaming 01:08:26 Are you tired of the daily grind? Stressed out from the demands of modern life? Introducing Darkest Dungeons 2, the stress-relieving sequel that will transport you to a world where your worries melt away and your courage shines through. For the low, low price of … urhgm … $40, you too can battle eldritch horrors beyond your comprehension! Listen in on another contentious episode where the hosts try to keep their stress levels below the meltdown threshold. Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 2:00 - game stats 3:57 - one sentence summary 5:41 - our story begins 8:36 - Darkest Dungeon 1 experience comparison and expectations 12:17 - Sequel vs prequel numbering and dungeon absence discussion 15:00 - Wagon driving mechanics and tutorial zone frustrations 20:18 - System complexity overload and decision fatigue criticism 27:20 - Inn mechanics and European board game comparisons 32:24 - Character unlock system and $40 pricing complaints 38:51 - Combat encounter length and boss fight difficulties 45:16 - New player experience problems and Act 1 redesign suggestions 53:40 - Enemy intent system comparison to other games 1:01:58 - rankings and final thoughts Next episode: Shattered Pixel Dungeon Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Sonny Rollins Trio - Wagon Wheels Outro music: Stuart Chatwood - Battle of the Mountain Wed, 07 Jun 2023 00:00:00 +0100 http://grogpod.zone/2023-06-07-darkest-dungeon-2/ http://grogpod.zone/2023-06-07-darkest-dungeon-2/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite 01:17:40 We’re on the Highway to roguelike deckbuilding Hell this week, riding a Crazy Train filled with demons, sentient blackberry bushes, and occultic Lumières! We are also joined by special guest Joe Homes from Cephalofair Games: publisher of the award-winning tabletop deckbuilding game Gloomhaven, so there will be at least one person here who knows what they’re talking about in terms of game design. Come listen in on one of our highest rated games in a long while, as we discuss stategies to beat 4 story-tall gem gods and consume tasty, tasty, morsels. Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 2:58 - game stats 4:58 - one sentence summary 7:10 - Hell narrative setup and train mechanics explanation 8:11 - Art style discussion and visual aesthetic opinions 11:27 - DLC discussion and Last Divinity expansion features 17:18 - Core gameplay differences from Slay the Spire mechanics 21:41 - Faction unlock progression and grinding criticism 25:02 - Dual class system and deck synergy strategies 34:04 - Deck size optimization and slim deck strategies 40:07 - Boss transparency and strategic planning advantages 48:24 - Visual readability issues when screen gets crowded 53:52 - Slay the Spire comparisons and “Spire-like” genre discussion 1:00:17 - rankings and final thoughts Next episode: Darkest Dungeon II Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Oscar Peterson Trio - Night Train Outro music: Jordan Chin - Daedalus, The Professor Wed, 24 May 2023 00:00:00 +0100 http://grogpod.zone/2023-05-24-monster_train/ http://grogpod.zone/2023-05-24-monster_train/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite, monster train 01:13:28 When you walk in Griftlands, you better watch your back. There’s no room for heroes, just mercenaries and hacks. Every decision counts, every card in your hand. Gonna need luck to get through this land. Join us as the podcast hosts use both our battle and negotiation decks to convince each other about Griftlands’ rankings this week. Tune in for Will’s chicanery-level rant on games that aren’t Slay the Spire. Better call Sal Ik-Derrick! Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 1:10 - game stats 3:06 - one sentence summary 6:14 - Story setup with bounty hunter Sal and revenge narrative 8:09 - Run-based structure and character progression mechanics 11:39 - Story comparison to Mass Effect and Hades approaches 16:18 - Run length comparison to other roguelike games 17:14 - Dialogue criticism and auto-skip functionality discovery 22:38 - Combat vs negotiation deck mechanics explained 29:43 - Game development theory and Slay the Spire comparison 33:07 - Card upgrade system and visual design criticism 41:04 - RPG vs deck builder identity discussion 47:28 - Art style and Klei Entertainment visual aesthetic opinions 54:34 - Potential improvements and single deck theory 1:01:21 - rankings and final thoughts Next episode: Monster Train Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Tom Waits - Down in the Hole Outro music: Griftlands OST - Smith Boss Battle Theme Wed, 10 May 2023 00:00:00 +0100 http://grogpod.zone/2023-05-10-griftlands/ http://grogpod.zone/2023-05-10-griftlands/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite, griftlands 01:12:06 THE OOZE! IT SPREADS! We have a surprise double-feature this time because we accidentally beat our planned episode of Streets of Rogue too quickly. It turns out the apes that run this podcast ooked too hard for the new mayoral election and won in a landslide. So to balance out the podcast, we’re also talking about Devolver Digital’s surprise roguelike hit Loop Hero! Join us to hear about drug-hunting robots, zombie apocalypses, and the heat death of the universe. Brother may I have some more loops? Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 1:44 - Streets of Rogue game stats 2:31 - one sentence summary 6:45 - Level design criticism and repetitive mission objectives 11:30 - Character variety and multiplayer vs solo gameplay differences 14:20 - Local co-op setup difficulties and controller configuration 16:45 - Disaster events and zany gameplay modifiers discussion 20:30 - Loop Hero introduction and card placement mechanics 23:15 - Auto-battler gameplay and equipment control limitations 26:00 - Resource grinding and gear replacement frustrations 31:45 - Watchtower strategy and meta progression building 37:30 - Necromancer character unlock and attack speed strategy 42:15 - Pixel art readability issues and font options 44:30 - Narrative appreciation and enemy encounter dialogue 57:47 - rankings and final thoughts Next episode: Griftlands Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Harlem Nocturne - Corelli Jazz Orchestra Outro music: Craig Barnes - Slum Scrum Wed, 26 Apr 2023 00:00:00 +0100 http://grogpod.zone/2023-04-26-streets-of-rogue/ http://grogpod.zone/2023-04-26-streets-of-rogue/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite 01:11:57 I am GROGPOD. I take care of the place while the Master is away. What’s that? Oh HAND of Fate! Yes that’s the game (not movie) that we’re playing this week. Join us as we talk through two games of card shuffling, gnome-kicking, moustache twirling mania with our special guest Dahlia Tolleth! The Master would definitley approve of you listening to this episode. Prepare to explore some trap-laden dungeons, negotiate with bandis and play some metronome-based fishing minigames with Hand of Fate 1 and it’s well-polished sequel Hand of Fate 2. It will be dark soon. There is no way out of not downloading this podcast. It will be dark soon. Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 2:50- game stats 3:51 - one sentence summary 6:38 - Card-based mechanics with 3D battle sequences explanation 9:25 - Resource management: health, food, and gold systems 12:45 - Card shuffling chance mechanics and Monty Hall strategy 18:19 - Hand of Fate 2 improvements and release details 21:26 - Popularity comparison between first and second games 26:28 - Narrator and dealer character discussion between games 35:40 - Token collection mechanics and encounter rewards 43:21 - Combat differences and ranged weapons in sequel 52:46 - Hypothetical Hand of Fate 3 improvements discussion 1:04:28 - listener emails Next episode: Streets of Rogue Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Robert Smith Jr - Love Inside This Magic Circle Outro music: Jeff van Dyck - Hand of Fate Wed, 12 Apr 2023 00:00:00 +0100 http://grogpod.zone/2023-04-12-hand-of-fate/ http://grogpod.zone/2023-04-12-hand-of-fate/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite 01:19:47 Roll for initiative! This week’s episode has us examining the world of Dungeons and Dragons through the DnD combat simulator Low Magic Age. Join us for dicussions on vancian magic, royalty free music overlaps with previous episodes, and summoner-based arena races! We put the pal back in paladin and wonder why it is that you can’t make an Asamir chatoic evil. Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 1:45 - game stats 2:46 - one sentence summary 5:37 - D&D video game vs real-life tabletop differences discussion 10:07 - Roguelike classification debate and party-based RPG comparison 13:32 - Tutorial vs actual gameplay and lack of story content 16:22 - Character creation frustrations and level adjustment rules 21:08 - Arena mode explanation: five fights with boss battles 23:28 - Adventure mode: procedural dungeons with limited interactions 26:32 - Early Access status and unfinished game assessment 27:25 - Mining and crafting mechanics criticism as boring grinding 32:09 - Death mechanics and lack of permanent consequences 38:42 - Combat limitations and lack of reward progression 43:59 - Music quality and War Sim soundtrack similarities 48:24 - rankings and final thoughts Next episode: Hand of Fate 1+2 Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Teru - Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra Outro music: Low Magic Age - Battle Music Wed, 29 Mar 2023 00:00:00 +0100 http://grogpod.zone/2023-03-29-low-magic-age/ http://grogpod.zone/2023-03-29-low-magic-age/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite 56:31 Query(Cogmind) » A podcast episode about evolving a robot in a facility hell-bent on destroying it. We talk about one of the most influential modern traditional roguelike games of the past few years and why Will probably needs thicker glasses. This episode will crawl up from the scrapyard to escape to the surface of Tau Ceti IV with all sorts of lasers and tank treads attached. Trojan(Download) » Force(Listen). Chance of Success: High (100%) Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 1:05 - game stats 1:41 - one sentence summary 4:31 - Traditional roguelike comparison and combat disincentivization discussion 6:21 - Will’s graphics criticism: 8x8 pixel art readability issues 9:13 - Visual aesthetic debate and ASCII art comparisons 16:02 - Combat loop mechanics and tactical decision-making 17:54 - Stealth mechanics and “Mecha Gear Solid” comparison 22:54 - Equipment management and weight capacity systems 28:41 - Faction interactions and NPC alliance mechanics 32:31 - Will’s proposed fixes: Into the Breach graphics and meta progression 35:53 - Meta progression debate and traditional roguelike purity 48:07 - Power scaling and late-game weapon variety 1:00:11 - rankings and final thoughts Next episode: Low Magic Age Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Sadik Hakim - Peace of Mind Outro music: Cogmind ambient soundscape Wed, 15 Mar 2023 00:00:00 +0000 http://grogpod.zone/2023-03-15-cogmind/ http://grogpod.zone/2023-03-15-cogmind/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite 01:13:05 This week is a podcast episode so cunning you could brush your teeth with it! We finally answer the question: what if Dwarf Fortress, Zork, and Black Adder all joined forces into a game made by a single person in a 70,000 line long single program? Why of course the answer is Warsim: The Realm of Aslona! In our most widely divergent podcast thus far, we talk about goblin arena fighting statistics and gambling addictions, failing history exams of the Far North, and of course, the Doomstone! Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 1:20 - game stats 3:03 - one sentence summary 6:45 - Colin’s keyboard complaint: no numpad makes game physically uncomfortable 9:15 - Procedural race generation discussion: 98 billion possible combinations 12:30 - Battle score mechanics and overpowered Behemoth lunar godlings 18:00 - Will’s detailed turn breakdown and Google sheet optimization strategy 22:45 - Arena betting as primary income source (78-85% of total income) 28:30 - Scott’s exploration focus: black market towns and world discovery 34:15 - Colin’s graphics criticism: needs maps and visualizations for engagement 39:30 - Kenshi comparison and emergent gameplay discussion 43:00 - AI-generated content future possibilities debate 1:04:49 - rankings and final thoughts Next episode: Cogmind Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Sun Ra - Kingdom of Not Outro music: Warsim main menu theme Wed, 01 Mar 2023 00:00:00 +0000 http://grogpod.zone/2023-03-01-warsim/ http://grogpod.zone/2023-03-01-warsim/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite, warsim 01:16:45 If we FITS then we SITS down to listen to this week’s episode on Fights in Tight Spaces! Drop into a room with a bunch of very patient and polite criminals for this highly stylized deckbuilding roguelike. Keep your momentum up, sharpen up those high heels, and watch those replays of the spinning roundhouse kicks yeet those biker gangs right out the door! Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 1:24 - game stats 2:22 - one sentence summary 4:06 - “Into the Breach meets Slay the Spire” comparison and single character focus 8:54 - Deck selection systems: preset decks vs drafting mode preferences 11:18 - Tutorial appreciation and symbology learning curve discussion 13:35 - Combat mechanics: pushing enemies into void spaces for instant kills 18:23 - Replay mode functionality and cinematic camera options 25:02 - Boss progression through different acts: bikers, prison, ninjas, mafia 28:22 - Deck building sameness problem and lack of variety 35:41 - Steven Seagal look-alike enemies in ninja act discussion 41:27 - Combat resource systems: momentum and combo mechanics 46:04 - Shop system comparison to Slay the Spire’s merchant features 54:18 - Event system criticism and missed narrative opportunities 1:05:32 - rankings and final thoughts Next episode: Warsim - The Realm of Aslona Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Freddie Hubbard - First Light Outro music: Kinetic Move - nervous_testpilot Wed, 15 Feb 2023 00:00:00 +0000 http://grogpod.zone/2023-02-15-fits/ http://grogpod.zone/2023-02-15-fits/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite 1:13:38 Today’s forecast is partly sunny with a Risk of Rain. Join us to talk about the 10 year old (but timeless in our hearts) loot-collecting roguelike platformer with an incredibly enduring legacy. Be a Burning Witness to a podcast where two Meat Nuggets try to convince the third that his Tough Times could really just be solved by seven Crowbars and a Hydraulic Gauntlet. Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 1:28 - game stats 3:24 - one sentence summary 14:20 - our story begins 54:20 - rankings and final thoughts Next episode: Fights in Tight Spaces Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Bill Evans - Waltz for Debby Outro music: Chris Christodoulou - Coalescence Wed, 01 Feb 2023 00:00:00 +0000 http://grogpod.zone/2023-02-01-riskofrain/ http://grogpod.zone/2023-02-01-riskofrain/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite 1:08:37 Stack ‘em up! This week we’re playing the 2022 (literal) card game by the Sockpop Collective that became way more popular than they could have imagined. Join our Strange Portal of discussion about walls of carrots, ninjas, magic dust, and booster packs as we build a village of slowly completing progress bars in this relaxed and chill game of survival. Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 1:09 - game stats 2:23 - one sentence summary 48:58 - rankings and final thoughts Next episode: Risk of Rain Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Thelonious Monk Quartet - ‘Round Midnight Outro music: Stacklands Village Theme Wed, 18 Jan 2023 00:00:00 +0000 http://grogpod.zone/2023-01-18-stacklands/ http://grogpod.zone/2023-01-18-stacklands/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite 59:08 Call me Sna- uh, er, Inc. Invisible, Inc. The tactical espionage (action?) game by renknown developers Klei Entertainment! Your mission, should you choose to download it, is to tune in on our descriptions of cybernetic noir, wireless daemon hacking, and comparisons with X-Com. Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 2:20 - game stats 3:50 - one sentence summary 50:37 - rankings and final thoughts 56:04 - listener emails Next episode: Stacklands Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Bill Evans - Romain Outro music: Vince de Vera and Jason Garner - Plastech Cybermedical Wed, 04 Jan 2023 00:00:00 +0000 http://grogpod.zone/2023-01-04-invisible/ http://grogpod.zone/2023-01-04-invisible/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite 1:07:26 A space plague has broken out, but you have to break in to The Pit! Join us as we dive through 30 floors of monsters and robots with shotguns, psionics, and hyper intelligent dolphins and explore the cartoonishly styled traditional roguelike from the Sword of the Stars creative universe. Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 1:12 - game stats 4:30 - One-sentence game description and setting confusion about “pit” 6:45 - Character classes and extended universe background 9:15 - Recipe system criticism and food scarcity problems 12:30 - Tutorial praise and voice acting disappointment 15:45 - Art style appreciation and Steam Deck compatibility 18:00 - Gameplay texture and pacing comparison problems 21:30 - Traditional roguelike mechanics and floor progression 25:00 - Strategy limitations and combat simplicity complaints 28:45 - Sequel discussion and graphics quality concerns 32:15 - Game texture theory and lack of variety 36:00 - Difficulty balance and fairness issues 40:30 - Ending spoiler discussion and trophy controversy 1:00:42 - rankings and final thoughts Next episode: Invisible, Inc. Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Bill Evans - Santa Claus is Coming to Town Outro music: Ben Lam - Sword of the Stars Main Menu Theme Wed, 21 Dec 2022 00:00:00 +0000 http://grogpod.zone/2022-12-21-sots_the_pit/ http://grogpod.zone/2022-12-21-sots_the_pit/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite 1:10:00 Fire up your warp drives because we’re outrunning the rebels to deliver to YOU what they’re after: a podcast about one of the most popular roguelikes of all time: FTL Faster Than Light. We are lucky to be joined by our good friend Woody Ciskowski from the Ultra64 / Wii-Universe podcast (https://www.ultra64podcast.com/) to talk about how giant alien spiders are no joke. FTL Multiverse info can be found here. A direct download link can be found here. Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 00:00 - Podcast Introduction & FTL Game Overview 2:37 - game stats 4:40 - one sentence summary 05:42 - Genre Classification Debate (RTS vs Board Game) 09:47 - Personal Play Time & Difficulty Statistics 14:23 - Story Setup & Federation vs Rebels 17:08 - Ship Selection & Unlocking Mechanics 21:35 - Combat Strategy & Resource Management 26:18 - Event System & Random Encounters 34:07 - Final Boss Difficulty & Strategies 43:22 - Advanced Edition Content & Hacking Systems 46:35 - FTL Multiverse Mod Discussion 51:58 - Game’s Lasting Impact & Influence 1:01:17 - Podcast Promotion & Social Media Updates 1:02:13 - rankings and final thoughts Next episode: Sword of the Stars: The Pit Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Eric Dolphy - Hat and Beard Outro music: Ben Prunty - Space Cruise Wed, 07 Dec 2022 00:00:00 +0000 http://grogpod.zone/2022-12-07-ftl/ http://grogpod.zone/2022-12-07-ftl/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite 1:13:20 Happy GROGsgiving all! This week we go down the wormhole on a couple super indie titles and one megapopular rogue. We talk about how Mario meets Inception with Cargo Commander, the overwhelming visual nature of Realm of the Mad God, and the spartan enigmatically of Din’s Curse. Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 00:00 - Podcast Introduction & Thanksgiving Theme 01:16 - Episode Bundle Overview & 2012 Games Context 03:31 - Cargo Commander Introduction & Developer Background 08:37 - Cargo Commander Story & Working Class Themes 12:11 - Cargo Commander Gameplay Mechanics & Gravity System 18:23 - Cargo Commander Assessment & Content Analysis 27:25 - Realm of the Mad God Introduction & Popularity Stats 32:34 - Realm Development History & Publisher Changes 37:18 - Realm Gameplay Experience & MMO Elements 43:50 - Realm Combat Mechanics & Character Progression 49:01 - Din’s Curse Introduction & Diablo Comparison 54:08 - Din’s Curse Character Classes & Skill System 58:09 - Din’s Curse Quest Structure & Town Dynamics 1:06:17 - Din’s Curse Permadeath & Procedural Generation 1:08:26 - Final Rankings & Episode Wrap-up Next episode: FTL: Faster Than Light Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! Intro music: Bill Evans - Romain Outro music: Nineyards - Down the Drain Wed, 23 Nov 2022 00:00:00 +0000 http://grogpod.zone/2022-11-23-madgod/ http://grogpod.zone/2022-11-23-madgod/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite 1:18:39 We kick off the roguelikes of 2012 with a collection of the some pretty extreme indie titles: Hack, Slash, Loot - a coffeebreak length roguelike with inventory slots as small as your character, the overall bamboozling title A Valley Without Wind, and the explosive squad-based shooter Pineapple Smash Crew. Thanks again for David Williamson and Rich Edwards for providing indie game dev Q&A for this episode. You can find David’s full response here and you can find Rich’s one here. Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 00:00 - Podcast Introduction & 2012 Game Overview 01:39 - Steam Greenlight Context & Episode Structure 05:05 - Hack Slash Loot Introduction & Developer Background 13:58 - Hack Slash Loot Story & Gameplay Mechanics 18:24 - Character Unlocks & Death-Based Progression 23:43 - A Valley Without Wind Introduction & Developer History 28:25 - Valley Development Challenges & Design Changes 30:01 - Valley Art Style & Procedural Generation Issues 35:24 - Valley Opening Text & Overwhelming Complexity 43:15 - Pineapple Smash Crew Introduction & Developer Background 48:29 - Pineapple Story & Core Gameplay Loop 52:25 - Pineapple Boss Design & Replay Value 56:32 - Pricing Discussion & Game Value Assessment 59:29 - Final Rankings & Game Comparisons 67:26 - Episode Wrap-up & Next Episode Preview Next episode: Cargo Commander / Realm of the Mad God / Din’s Curse Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! Intro music: Pharoah Sanders - You’ve Got To Have Freedom Outro music: Syphus - Fragmentation Symphony Wed, 09 Nov 2022 00:00:00 +0000 http://grogpod.zone/2022-11-09-pineapple/ http://grogpod.zone/2022-11-09-pineapple/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming, rogue-like, rogue-lite, roguelite 1:09:18 Prepare to cry edition! For our spookiest episode yet, we are covering a historic pillar of the modern Roguelike genre by covering the 2011 smash hit The Binding of Isaac and its 2014 remaster The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth. It’s not a trick, it will be a treat to listen to … if you dare traverse the depths of Mom’s basement! Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 1:51 - game stats 03:20 - Developer Background & Flash Gaming History 07:32 - Edmund McMillan’s Career & Super Meat Boy 09:14 - Biblical Story of Isaac & Religious Themes 17:53 - Gameplay Overview & Progression Structure 24:27 - Items, Power-ups & Visual Changes 28:57 - Item Complexity & Wiki Dependency Issues 31:29 - Binding of Isaac Rebirth Introduction 35:26 - Content Comparison & DLC History 38:34 - Development Issues & Community Relations 41:30 - Future Sequels & Biblical Themes Discussion 47:50 - rankings and final thoughts Next episode: Hack, Slash, Loot / A Valley Without Wind / Pineapple Smash Crew Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com Intro music: Charles Mingus - Moanin’ Outro music: Binding of Isaac Rebirth - Genesis 22:10 Wed, 26 Oct 2022 00:00:00 +0100 http://grogpod.zone/2022-10-26-isaac/ http://grogpod.zone/2022-10-26-isaac/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming 59:30 We’re live! Join us for the first episode of the podcast on the surprise hit of 2011: Dungeons of Dredmor by Gaslamp Games. Get your Diggles in a row, stop by a vending machine and hear about our plans for the podcast and what we think about monster zoos. Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 00:00 - Podcast Introduction & Goals 01:06 - Genre Explosion & Motivation 02:53 - Learning the Genre & Host Experience 03:53 - Steam Data & Game Selection Process 07:35 - Defining Roguelikes & Host First Experiences 11:24 - Steam Roguelike Statistics & Tags 17:09 - Dungeons of Dredmor Introduction 17:54 - 2011 Gaming Context & Traditional Roguelikes 20:48 - Developer Background & History 29:02 - Game Overview & Character Creation 33:55 - Skill Builds & Player Strategies 40:07 - Enemies, Combat & Game Mechanics 51:37 - Art Style, UI & Technical Issues 54:06 - Game Design Criticisms & Improvements 62:46 - Final Thoughts & Rankings Next episode: The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com Intro/outro music “Blue Monk” by Thelonious Monk Trio Wed, 12 Oct 2022 00:00:00 +0100 http://grogpod.zone/2022-10-12-dredmor/ http://grogpod.zone/2022-10-12-dredmor/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming 1:05:00 Hi friends and welcome early arrivals to a new podcast about games in the roguelike genre! If you’re here, sit back, relax, and stay tuned for our first episode coming in a few days. We’ll cover our podcast roadmap, how we go about selecting games, our experiences with games in the roguelike genre, nerdy stats, and possible predictions to come. We hope you enjoy the podcast! Mon, 26 Sep 2022 00:00:00 +0100 http://grogpod.zone/2022-09-26-watch/ http://grogpod.zone/2022-09-26-watch/ yes steam, roguelike, podcast, gaming