Video Gamers Podcast - BEST Indie Draft! – Gaming Podcast

Episode Date: August 7, 2025

Gaming hosts Josh, Ryan and Ace are going head-to-head……to head, in the ultimate indie video game team draft! Each host must pick one indie gem from four different genres and one WILDCARD—. With bragging rights on the line and a stacked lineup of incredible video games, who will build the best indie dream team? We break down the picks, why each game deserves a spot, and how these indie standouts are shaping the future of gaming. From pixel art masterpieces to narrative-driven horror, this episode celebrates the diversity and creativity of the indie scene. If you love video games with heart, risk, and style, this one’s for you. It’s a must-listen episode for all fans of video games and the spirit of indie gaming—only on the Video Gamers Podcast!   Thanks to our MYTHIC Supporters: Redletter, Disratory, Ol’ Jake, Gaius, Jigglepuf and Phelps   Thanks to our Legendary Supporters: HypnoticPyro, Patrick, NorwegianGreaser and PeopleWonder   Connect with the show: Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/videogamerspod Join our Gaming Community: https://discord.com/invite/Dsx2rgEEbz Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/videogamerspod/  Follow us on X: https://twitter.com/VideoGamersPod  Subscribe to us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@VideoGamersPod?sub_confirmation=1    Visit us on the web:https://videogamerspod.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hello, fellow gamers, and welcome to the video gamers podcast. Variety is the spice of life, and few things spice up my life, like Indies. Today, we're going to draft a team of Indies to find out who here truly is the indie expert. I am your host, Ace, and join you. me he may have a small list of indies he's played but chat gpt and google will surely carry him to victory today it's ryan it will carry me to victory and my name's not surely always with that joke with you every single time gotta use it every time one day i'll find out where it comes from oh no and when i told him we were drafting games today the first thing he

asked me was, can I pick Paddlefield 6? It's Josh. Yes, because at one point they probably were an indie developer. Oh, right? There's no way. EA was ever indie. You don't think, I mean, everybody has to start somewhere.

2042 had to be indie because that was oh, gosh. That's slanderous to indie devs, Ryan. That's really slanderous to indie devs. Listen, on behalf of the video gamers podcast, we apologize for Ryan to all indie devs out there.

Oh, dude. Well, fellas, indie games probably have the widest variety of genres you could pick from. And I love to talk about them probably too much. So I figured we're well overdue for a good indie draft around here. I don't know about you. How you feel

about that? Have we had an indie draft before? We did one. You hosted, I believe we drafted best indie games. Oh, I must have blocked that out. best. Wait, are we, so wait, for these categories, are we not supposed to pick the best indies? Oh, you can pick the best, but it better fit the category. Okay, that's fine. That's fine. Okay. Just making sure. And you please have, just please have played it. That's all I've played all. I've played all of the, like, unlike Ryan, every game on my list I have played.

If that's a stipulation, I'm a bow now. I'm telling you that much, right? Hey, people have ever wondered, we're always honest on this show. You know, Honest's intro for me, wasn't it? He wasn't kidding, you know. That wasn't hyperbole. But yeah, we're drafting indies of specific categories and specific genres to really show the variety that the indie game genre offers. And honestly, just to build the best list of indies we can, we'll be drafting a roguelike, a platformer action game. weird or experimental game, a cozy or narrative-driven game,

and then I gave you a free slot because I'm nice like that. Yeah. And the AI overlords decided that Josh actually gets to go first. I don't think I've picked first in any of these drafts, me. No, you always lose the AI. I don't think I've ever had the first pick. And if there was ever a topic that I want the first pick on, it's this one. All right, man.

The floor is yours. This is number one pick. You better make you count. Oh, it's going to count. one's easy. Cozy narrative driven game Expedition 33 boys I sing it

oh come on man you think okay number one we've gone like three episodes I would go for with that there's there we've gone like three episodes without mentioning Expedition 33 so kudos to us by the way but also when you talk about a narrative driven game like come on man

and let's be honest I ain't picking a cozy game yeah I didn't expect that's why added the narrative driven. I was like, there's no way either of them picking a cozy game. I'd have been like is, uh, is Remnant a cozy game? It makes me feel all warm and cozy inside, but, A, it's not a cozy game. B, it's not an indie game. Yeah, that's fair. So that's already eliminated. Yeah, Expedition 33, easy 101. I could have put that in almost any category, except for maybe the rogue like category. Yeah, that's fair. All right, Ryan. All right. You're up,

buddy. You're in the hot seat. It's to me. Yeah, it's you, buddy. Okay, so I am just going to go with what I know. This game I have played, so I better start with, you know, something good. I'm going to go with Risk of Rain 2. Dang it, Ryan. Oh, you think that was going to last? Come on.

I was hoping you'd pick from a different category or something. Now, I'm going to go with the ones I know when I play. Because otherwise, I'm going to start out strong. And then near the end, I'm going to taper off. I'm like, yeah, this one, because chat GPD. Right, it's just going to flounder. On like the last two picks, man. But yeah, risk of rain.

Solid, awesome. I am super glad that Josh, you made me play this. And then we all got together and played it. It's just, it's an awesome, fun, amazing, rogue like that everyone should check out. It's so good. Here's what I love about this, dude. So T-Falls in our community literally just started playing Risk of Rain, too. I mean, like, a couple days ago.

And his very first thing was like, guys, this game's like. like a ton of fun and it's like we tell everybody that man if you have not played risk of rain too you should be playing risk of rain too it is one of the most just simple fun games to play man the the gameplay loop is fantastic it is an insanely replayable game you can play it with friends which makes it even better but it's still fun solo i don't know how many times we have to shout this to the world dude but risk of rain too is absolutely fantastic I feel like it still doesn't get enough credit despite how much we bring it up

It's just it's that good dude We try it's like we try to say Hey people should try these games And you don't have to listen to us that's fine But also you're missing out You're missing out like it's really good All right Yeah that was my one-on-one pick for the Rogelike 2

So good on you Ryan You actually I snaked you? I won't say you snakeed him You didn't snake me all right But I get to go twice here which if there was ever a draft I wanted to go twice on, it's this one. And I'm going to also draft a roguelike, and I'm taking Hades, boys.

Dang it, Ace. Solid pick. Good thing I had three options here, boys. I choose Abyst. That case's not even out yet. And I don't know. I can't pick that game. I'm not going to lie, not to get sidetracked, but Void Breakers is kind of higher on my

hype level than Abysus is right now. That's fair, but Void Breakers also isn't multiplayer. Not yet. That game would be utter chaos. I know. I don't know if you know this ace, but I love chaos. Thus, like, Simon for Battlefield 6, you know. Oh, dude, but Hades is the roguelike.

Whenever I think of a single player rogue like, I want to play like all the time. Just whatever device I have, I buy Hades for it. Are we getting Hades 2 full release this year? Do you think this year? I think we're getting it this year, dude. We're either going to get it really late this year or really early next year. I think it'll be late this year, but they literally just said, hey, this last patch is our last patch before full release.

And that tells me we're probably getting Hades 2 this year, which makes me excited. Do you think they're still hype for it? Like, do you think people are waiting for it? I've never played the early access. Like, that is one of those games where I said, listen, I absolutely want to check out the full release on this game. I refuse to play the early access on it. So I'm pretty hyped for it. I've heard mixed things from people about Hades too. So, I mean, it's really hard to follow up Hades and make it better. So it's like, but even if it's like 80% of what Hades is, like, that's fine with me.

There's a lot of competition in the genre now for them too. Yeah, that's true to keep up with. Scorn or Sworn came out and like, which I haven't played. Have you played Sworn? I have. Sworn is great. It's, and it's multi. player, so it's even better. Plus, if you really like that lore of like King Arthur and all that stuff, and you'd rather go through that. I know. I mean, that's super cool, too.

Well, thanks for the invite to play sworn with you, Ace. You don't like early access games. Did Ace invite you to play sworn with him? Neither you would have picked it up. It's on my wish list. You gotta go check, like in the mail? I had the wish listed. I didn't know that I had what I thought were friends playing the game.

You know? It's in early access. Neither you would have picked it up anyway. All right. Dang it. Dang it. Yeah, I win. I had them too, Ryan. Next time. We'll get them. We'll get them. All right. Now I get a second pick, which if I'm picking a second game, I'm going for the platformer slash action game.

And I'm taking Hollow Night, boys. You jerk, dude. Hades Hollow Night. You literally took my first two picks in both of these categories, man. You act like they're not going to get picked. Come on. I'm just saying I was hoping one of them would make it back to me. Oh, you hoped. I guess. I'm going to get back to back picks. Don't y'all worry. I feel like

Hollow Night's pretty self-explanatory. It's one of the greatest Metroidvanias ever and it's got the most anticipated sequel in indie history. This is how I know that Ace is pandering a little bit because he would have picked Ender Magnolia. People are tired of hearing that word. I'm just saying, but this is how I know Ace is pandering just a little bit on this draft here because he's like, the fact that you picked Hollow Night over Ender Magnolia tells me all I need to know. Ace is learning how to draft. is what it is. Yeah, maybe I'm learning a little bit.

Oh, no. All right, Ryan. It's back to you, buddy. So it's me? Yeah, it's you again, bud. I am going to go with Platformer as well. I would have went with Hollow Night for sure, but I'm going to go with another night,

and I'm going to go with shovel night. Oh, you son of a gun. That was on my list, yeah. I mean, you could have had it, Ace, but you know, you went with your true love instead of, you know, the game. You know what, both of them are on the shelf. They're both my true.

all right that's fair i can't i can't even cheese like tease ace about hollanay night because hollonite's so good it's like i can't even what do you like about shovel night ryan i like that it's awesome and it's a metastore of 91 and it's like in all these other games which is so cool so yeah he's been in all kinds of games too yeah dude that'll forever be my favorite story of this podcast where my legendary pick for you two was hollow or was uh shovel night and And Paul broke all the checkpoints in the game. Okay, to be fair, like, the fact that any game lets you destroy your checkpoints for, like, a reward instead of the checkpoints. Yeah, but that one was like, we did laugh at Paul for that one because he was like, I didn't know.

That's such a Paul thing. Yeah. He hated the game so much. He thought it was the hardest game ever. I mean, yeah, it is hard. You have no checkpoints. When you got no checkpoints, it is. I like that was I'll be honest that was a game I did not think I was going to enjoy I thought

the like the 8 bit graphics were going to be distracting and stuff but that is the perfect like throwback game to like the older days of like Nintendo but with just enough modernness to like feel like you're not stepping back like 20 years yeah it's so good I really wish more people would play it so we could get more shovel night stuff but you know yeah Trouble nights everywhere. What are you talking about? I know. He's the grandfather of indie games and here I am trying to hype him up like no one knows about. I need more. I need more. Okay. So you got to see, this is where I'm going to get creative here because you guys both have taken your rogue likes. You both have taken your platformers, which means I don't have to pick either one of those. Not you're safe on those. Now, the weird experimental category, my game pick for that one, I don't think either of you have played. But there is a more popular game.

in that category that it's like do I want to pander to the crowd and I think I'm gonna boys no don't do it I'm taking lethal company oh it was on my list okay yeah weird experimental game that I mean it was this is what put friend slop on the map

man you know like was there a friend slop game that came out before lethal company I hate that name I hate the name but it's like what do you call that term what do you call the genre if you give me a better name to call this genre whatever but I hate the word like something I Yeah, the word slop is just, no, it's not slop.

It's like, peak is the sloppiest of slops, man. They're dumb, easy games to develop that are entertaining for like a few hours and then you throw them in the trash, like slop. I can't think of another one right now. I know, I can't either. That's what sucks is he's got us because I can't think of anything. Yeah. That's a good pick, though.

Yeah, lethal company. I'm just going to, well, I'll throw my other one out at the end because I don't think either one of you play, but I actually like this other game way more than lethal company honestly. And then I'm going to go with my wild card. Oh, all right. You're going to use the wild card. Yeah. This one's tough, man, because it's like, there are two, there are actually three games that I have listed out on this one that to me are two of these are all timers, dude. With the recent news and all the drama, I'll tell you what, I'm taking subnotica for my wild card game. So that is one of my favorite games.

to this day. You know, all this talk we've been doing about Grounded to, Sub-Nonautica is the game, I've said this before, that got, that got me to realize that I absolutely love survival crafting games, dude. It is one of my favorite genres. I get, it's super oversaturated, and yes, I pass up 90% of the survival crafting games that come out, but there are a few games that just draw me, like, just keep me playing, keep me playing like the survival crafting games do. So Sub-Nautica, to me, is the cream of the crop. It was getting a sequel for a reason. That's because it's really good.

Yeah. So lethal company and subnautica for my next two picks. All right, Ryan, you're next. But before that, we're going to take a little break. All right, Ryan, you're up. What are you got, buddy? I am, I am. So I am going to hit this weird or experimental category.

This one was a little tricky for me because Josh took. It was tricky for me, too. I had to ask Ace. Like, what is this mean? Ace. Like, what? I'm going to go with a game that I found on Google. That I found on Google.

It's got a unique time loop and space exploration. I'm going with Outer Wild. You jerk. You're a jerk. Okay. Number one, that was my other wild card pick that I almost went with. I figured as much. Why don't you tell me what makes that game weird?

What's so weird and experimental? Yeah, what makes it so weird? That's kind of like. I don't know. It has a unique, I don't know, it has a unique premise. It's handcrafted solar system with strange planets and a time loop mechanism that adds to the distinct feel. Is that? Is that it? Huh? I feel like, you know, going and exploring locations isn't really weird. Oh, come on. It's widely considered weird. A bit weird at least. But in the good way, of course. And if you Google, you will get exactly what I just said. Right. What was your favorite upgrade that you got in? in Outer Wilds. Oh, man. The plasma rifle. That's not fair, Ryan.

I'm just messing with you. What's your favorite boss fight from Outer Wilds? Oh, man. The big guy. I forget his name. I forget his name, but the big one. Oh, the guy with like the six arms? No, I think he had four.

Oh, he's kind of like more like a mini boss. Oh, okay. Yeah, there's no boss fights in this game. I was like, oh, I'm aware that you were just. But great game, Ryan. this is going. One of my favorites of all time. Listen, I'm here to win, baby.

That's all we're here for. That's fair. That's fair. This is the beauty of this. It's like, all people are going to see is Outer Wilds. They're like, well, Ryan wins, man. Yeah. Good pick, bro. Good pick.

Good pick. All right, boys. I'm getting, hold on. I'm getting better at Indy. You are getting better. You are getting better. You are because you're actually trying and you're, you're expanding your horizons with these games and stuff.

The amount of stinking demos I play for ACE's twig you know for indie twigs like i've been playing a lot of indies all right that's fair that's fair few he's gonna have to explain later yeah right all right boys i'm actually going to go ahead and take my cozy slash narrative driven game and as i'm going for narrative driven as well but i'm taking disco elizia oh nice good heck dude you know what's crazy i didn't even put that on my list because i knew i was taking expedition 33 but one of the best narrative games that is out there like for being a pure narrative like yes there's balder's gate three that people would be like oh well this has a great narrative you know there's the old

dragon age games where it's like oh this is great you know um i guess those aren't really indie games though either but yeah that's it disco leicium dude it's so sad what happened to that studio man it is dude because we're never going to see like anything by that team ever again because they're like they hate each other but they hate each other so much all these that are trying to like make the next disco elysium but it's like i think if you're trying to make it it just doesn't work at the same time either that's the thing you it has to be something that's that's natural and organic like you can't force certain things and this was like an organic creation that turned out to be amazing like it's just yeah it's something you can't force yeah dang i i i really

hate aces list right now man yeah so is it me no no yeah man one more for me oh yeah that's right you get another one i'm also going to take my wild card and you know just because my list looks so darn good right now i'm gonna add celeste to it yeah that was my good pick that wait didn't you already take your platformer that's wild cards anything oh that's your wild card okay okay sorry well dang it shots is like wait i want that one remember how i said i was going to wait on my platformer and my rogue like because i you know you guys had already taken yours Well, Ace just snagged my free-de-lawful. Good stuff.

See, Ace is learning the draft. He's getting good. I don't like this version of Ace, man. The winning version. Come on, man. Celeste is like the best indie platformer. Maybe the best platformer we have right now. In my opinion, Celeste is the best platformer.

Like, plain and simple. It is, and I was very hesitant. Like, I resisted playing this game forever in a day. The only reason I played it was. because on a spontaneous whim, I think on one of our squadcast episodes, like, Paul was like, I was like, Paul, pick a game. And he's like, Celeste.

And I'm like, okay, and I downloaded it because it was like two megabytes. And I wound up playing it. And then that's when I was like, oh my gosh, dude. Like, terrible graphics aside, this might be one of the best platformers I have ever played, man. You think it's better than Astrobot? So I think I'm pure platform.

It's not, you said just overall platformer. This is the thing, though, from a pure platforming, like, technical perspective, Celeste is way better than Astrobot, dude. Astrobot is a much more complete all-around game. Like, I kind of consider Astrobot, like, almost like a 3D platformer, like, allah, like, Mario kind of thing. But if we're talking straight platform mechanics, like the purest nature of it, then, yeah, I think Celeste is the best out there.

Like, would I rather play Astrobot? Like, yes, I would because, you know, number one, it doesn't make my eyes bleed. And it's got a lot of really cool mechanics. So, yeah, I'm picking Astrobot. But if I have to give credit to Celeste, dude. Yeah, Celeste is one of a kind. I don't think we'll ever see anything try to even get close to it. I'll be real.

It's all right. It's really good. And I hate that you stole it from me. You thought I was safe. I thought you were safe. I would have taken it if I forgot about the stupid wild card. man oh man i love wild cards and drafts and i have to put more of them that's pretty cool all right ryan you're up bud it's me oh man so uh you know when you're feeling cozy

you want to you want to hunker down and play a game this is so maybe during you know covid or all these crazy things you want to go with something where you can farm and fish and take care of this is actually the right answer though is i'm going with ardu valley this is actually the right answer on this one. You know, I took Disco Elysium in this slot, so I think these two are interchangeable. It's funny as my two were Expedition 33 and Stardy Valley. And I was like, well, I'm just going to take

Expedition 33 because, you know. Man, you've dunked on Stardy's so much. Well, and I don't like Stardy Valley. Have you played Stardy Valley, Ryan? I have not. No. You're not missing anything. I've watched more than enough to know that I have no interest in playing it. Yeah. Sorry for everybody who loves it.

I get it. I get why you love it. It's just not for me. A lot of couples. to play it. I will say that. Yeah. I mean, it's a great couple game. If my wife wanted to play, I would play it, you know, to get her to play some sort of game. But, uh, yeah, she's not a gamer. You know what's really weird? My wife, cozy games are her favorite games. Like, plain and simple, that's literally all she plays unless it's like a Mario or Zelda game.

Like, like right now she's playing the fantasy life, the girl who steals time. Oh, yeah. Yeah. She's loving that game, by the way. Like, I actually talked her into it because I was like, I've seen a lot of people praise this game. you should pick it up and she finally picked it up and she's like this game is great she does not like starty valley like she jumped in she played it for like an hour i think it's the pixel graphics like honestly i like she likes cutesy right like that's the thing is she wants her games to look cute and i think to her like starty valley just looks ugly which is true so it's kind of like so it runs in the family the graphics like that's literally i was like i think it runs in the family

where it's like, are we all graphics snubs? Like, all of us? Oh, I love it. I will say it's incredibly impressive that game was made by one dude. Like, just how much is in that game and all the, like, detail and things like that. Not to segue again, but, like,

you know how he's making haunted chocolatier right now? Yeah. Right? Like, that just looks like Stardiv Valley to me. Like, I don't understand. Like, there's all this hype about he's making, you know, haunted chocolatier. And I've seen some screenshots

and I've seen some, like, I think there's even maybe a little, like, five or ten second snippet of gameplay or a trailer or so. And I'm like, it's just starting Valley with a different name. And I know there's millions of people are like, I hate this guy. How dare you say that? But that's what it looks like. How is it any different? I mean, it's the same way that Delta Roots differ than Undertale, I guess.

I think if you're just a solo dev who listens to your audience, they just, they don't care what you make as long as you care. That's all the thing and rich right now. Don't listen to me, man. You do you because it's working. Just keep making them. Yeah. Yeah. All right, Josh.

You ready to give us your last two? Oh, my last two. Okay. Well, I was saving these. So I guess I better pick one. The only one I have left left on my list. Now, this is not a slouchy game by any means. But I am for platformer slash action because I think this melts the two perfectly.

And that's a game called Cuphead, boys. Oh, yep. Yeah. I, you know, talk about one of those iconic games. It has platforming elements with the running gun shooting stuff. And then, you know, it is pure just action at the same time. I love difficult games, man. Cuphead was just a blast.

Like, it was one of those games that could absolutely frustrate you. But it was just, it's, it's kind of like Celeste in that. The mechanics in that game are insanely tight, like so tight that it helps carry that game to the level that it's regarded as. it was never the game's fault that you lost it was always user error which was like okay yeah I'm just bad I love that but see that's what I want like this is Eldon Ring this is Dark Souls

like I get really frustrated when it's due to like bad mechanics or RNG when it's on me I can 100% just get behind that and it drives me to be better at that point because it's like that's my fault when you die or you have to restart and you just go oh okay

come on and then you load back up and you're ready to go again like it says something for that game when you just kind of no matter what you're charged back up to to try again yeah plus the developers like remorgeted their house twice to get that game made did they really yes that's awesome they were almost homeless just to make that game i love stories like that where people believe so much in in what they've created you know inventions or whatever it may be businesses and stuff to where they just put it all in the line like in a lot of them fail the vast majority fail but when you succeed

it is so rewarding and so cool it's such a cool story so that's awesome yeah i mean they they were determined to get that authentic look to their animation and make it just the way they want it and they would not settle for anything less and you're like you just got to admire that dude i'm not a so again a little segue here but like i tried a game demo for this game called i think it's called godbreakers right i just went on a little demo spree the other day and it's a it's very much a almost like a risk of rain, melee, like third person kind of game. It looked really cool in the preview. And I'm not trying to trash this game by any means,

because I think there's actually a lot of cool stuff about it. But the thing that stood out to me the most was like when I hit the attack button, there's almost like a half second delay. And it might just be that the animation's a little slow or drawn out or something to where. But like that little thing was enough for me to kind of go like, this game's got some good ideas, but it's not like blowing me away, you know? And that's when you think about like the responsiveness of Celeste or Cuphead, you know, where it's just like, we're Hades. Like, let's be honest.

Like, Hades control is top notch. Something so simple and something so minor as just having your control scheme be absolutely peak makes all the difference in the world. And it's funny because like these games that we talk about, they all have that, you know. And it's like in this game that I tried, like I said, this is not shade to the game at all. But, like, it didn't have that. And it was almost distracting to me where I was like, it just feels a little slow. Like, I feel like my button inputs and the way that I move just don't quite feel right.

And if this was snappier and, like, more impactful, like, I think you'd be on to something. But because it's not, it just kind of felt like it's one of these, like, I've played a hundred of these at this point. And so that's not anything that's impressing me, which is like with void breakers, which we've been talking about, that game, snappy as anything. man oh yeah that thing is reactive as it comes exactly and so it's like that's what people are looking for man you have to have that thing that kind of sets it apart a little bit so anyway there's my little aside sorry developers make sure you're okay one other one other aside on this because i love shouting this game out dude tito okay yeah yeah tito i was thinking

about tito absolutely fantastic controls dude like that's like especially in a 3d platformer like tito comes to mind because i remember playing the demo and i'm like bro these controls feel great. Like, it's responsive, it's quick, it feels right, it moves the way that my brain like is communicating with my hands and like, kudos to them. So good job, Tito, but that's

like a good example of like, here's a developer that absolutely nailed the control scheme in their game at the same time. So. You love to see it. You really do. I don't know what it takes. People who care about the things like that. Completely ignorant as to what it takes to develop snappy controls.

But do it. But do it. But then the other thing is, do you remember. Mr. Sleeping Man. Like, you remember he was talking about how hard it was to code these controls for a 3D platformer. He was like, bro, nobody knows how difficult it is to get just the controls right. Poor guy. But you notice it when you're playing it, right?

Like, that's nothing. And it feels great. He mastered that. It's awesome. Love to see it. So, all right. Sorry for all the asides, guys. Your last pick, sir.

Last pick. For me, Roguelike, there is one more Rogue Like that's. stands apart from all the rest and that is slay the spire boys oh okay i'm a huge fan of the card based roguelike genre i again another genre that has just been absolutely saturated with games but slay the spire still stands apart in my opinion i still dive into slay the spire all the time um it's just incredible man and it's another game did not go again what's that dead cells was not drafted again dude I know I'm going to catch flack for this,

but I did not love dead cells, dude. It falls into that too repetitive for me. Yeah, you're definitely going to catch flack for that. I know, I know, but no, but see, I get that it's a me thing. I get that it's, because you gifted me dead cells if I remember right age. And I started playing it. I'm like, oh, let's see what the hype is. And I got, like, I think I played it for probably three, four hours,

but it just was like, I don't want to start over every single time. And I mentioned this to you when we were doing the abyss. this demo which I'm pretty sure we're actually going to wind up doing a deep dive on but like yeah I love roguelike games but you cannot start me at the exact same spot every single time and force me to fight boss number one who is exactly the same every single time before I can advance to boss number two it just the the repetition absolutely drives me wild dude like honestly I don't I don't like it I love Risk of Rain is a perfect example of we're going to start you on a random map. You know, maybe it's the same seven maps.

Don't get me wrong. But we're going to at least randomly start you on one of these. So it doesn't feel absolutely identical every single time. And I need that little bit of variety for whatever reason. I get that. We're starting in the same area. It can be really repetitive and annoying. That's why I'm hoping with Abyss is like that's just a demo thing.

Dude, just make it a random role. You've already got the data. You know, it's not like you're, I don't know. I don't, but, and again, I love roguelike games. Why don't they listen to you, bro? Like, why don't they listen? You know, I would like to say, for the record, we are available for consulting. Okay.

For a, uh, my is very small. Guys, perfect example of this is peak. The reason I hated peak instantly is it's like I'm starting on the same exact mountain, on the same exact spot on the beach, making the same trek to the same rock, climbing the same path over and over and over again, dude. Peaks Mountain changes daily. Okay, but it didn't change when we were playing it, and by the fourth time... Because you played for an hour.

But that's my point. You didn't keep me interested because it was the exact same thing. Exactly. They couldn't have done anything to have kept you interested, dude. You just didn't like it. Like, that's what it is. That's fine. That's fine.

I don't think I like climbing games too, Ace. I think you're right. We don't. So, all right. Sorry, sorry. It's a good pick there. All right, Ryan. That's my last one.

that's your last one you're done you're done no more cut as my no more segues no more no more sides for John so I what do I got I got my wild card is all that I have left yeah you got your wild card so

man for a wild card you can go with anything you know it's it could be something great like Rocket League or it could be something fantastic like I don't think anyone's picked it but Blotro yeah there's there's many good amazing games

that you can pick for a wild card with the indie world. I'm going to go with one that's near and dear to my heart. And this is personally just for me. And you'll understand it by these words. Rockinstone! Rockinstone! Hey, Dick, dude! Hey, Dick, man.

Also, Deep Rock Galactic, baby. That is my... I just love it so much. I was almost debating two on the rogue likes going Deep Rock Galactic Survivor. which I fell in I fall in love yeah I can reinstall that it is so much fun like you guys don't I'd like to check that it is an amazing amazing little roguelike that they've created but uh overall i deep rock galactic it is it is next level it is something that um everyone should check out

it is such a cool game such a cool community anyone you ever tell I'm gonna play deep rock galactic if they've played it they're like oh yeah yeah come on man come on you know and they'll hop you know hop in with me and they're so excited to have people to play with it's just it's awesome so yeah aside from us deep rock galactic might have the nicest gaming community dude i think so on i was gonna say the the community if if you've not played it but you're worried like that community is fantastic dude i have not met a single jerk playing deep rock galactic man yep no i don't know what it is about that game that draws like the nicest people but yeah i am ashamed of my self that deep rock galactic was not on any of my list and i am ashamed because i'm the biggest

fan of rocket league here and i did not even think about rocket league i think about rocket league i think because it's like didn't psionics get bought out by like a big publisher so it's like in my brain they're not really indy anymore it's like owned by epic now i think so actually yeah it is owned by epic and so i think my brain just kind of turns it off now when i think about indie games because it's like well once you get to like e-sports level like i don't don't know how indie you are anymore like yeah yeah that's true e-sports collabs with fortnight and all that stuff you're like oh boy all right boys is my turn to bring it home all i got left is my weird or experimental

game and i knew what game i wanted for this from the start ace made his ace made his category just for this yeah he did i'm pretty sure yeah well initially i considered uh stray uh the game where you play is the cat that falls into the underground world but i ended up deciding to choose inscription. Oh, that's a great game, dude. Bro, inscription is so cool. Because you start off in that 3D cabin with the low polygraphics

where you're playing the card game against the, you know, the shadowed stranger. And as you get further and further in the game, you can get up and explore the cabin and solve puzzles, like it's some kind of Resident Evil game. It's almost like an escape room in a way.

Yeah, it's for that first part. But then you get to the halfway point where you beat the guy in the cabin, and now you're playing a pixel RPG like a JRP and if you beat that again there's more I'm not going to spoil it because that's like way at the end but like the game keeps changing and experimenting and this whole time you're also getting these like

thrown in live action cutscenes of a guy digging up a game cartridge in the woods where witch style man yeah dude inscription is so good guess which part of inscription I stopped playing at ace the pixel art JRP graphic part I absolutely loved the cabin card game part. I made it out. And I was like, I did it.

This game is awesome, man. Like, these are the best. And then I was like, oh, what's this weird cutscene? And then it goes into the pixel art thing. And I'm like, what the heck is this? And then I just noped out, man. I literally just noped out. And I'm like, I'll just like inscription for the first part of the game.

Hey, guys, I know what we should do with our game. Let's make it good and then make it look really bad. To be fair, there's a lot of people out there that absolutely love like how inscription goes in stages. How it's really cool. Dude, you could have just kept me in that cabin solving puzzles in the escape room style for 20 hours and I would have been more than happy.

Oh, good news, man. They got an endless mode now where you just stay in the cabin and play the card game. Dude, some of those card challenges were freaking hard too, man. I remember getting frustrated a little bit. I'm like, there's no way. He's cheating. He's cheating. He's taking all my good cards away from me. What do you mean? He brought the moon down. Yeah. You can't use the moon?

but that is it fellas those are our list read the team's back ace i say let me read them back to you real quick i forget what i picked josh drafted expedition 33 lethal company subnotica cup head and slay the spy oh what a list dang it that is that is some heavy hitters boys yeah yeah ryan came out the gate with risk of rain two shovel night outer wilds star do valley

and deep rock galactic it's a heck of a list but I'm laughing at the same time I know there's a lot there that feels a little dishonest then the champ

me of course I drafted the best list with Hades hollow night Disco Elysium Celeste and Inscription Dang it that is a good That's a dang good list boys

That is a really good I need Expedition 33 To carry me people You all out there know how amazing This game is I mean I need the vote It's Expedition 33 Come on

Forget about all of Ace's awesome games That he picks All my amazing games That have probably some of them One Game of the Year my dwarven folk will carry me to the to the future your dwarven folk in Stardew Valley but those are our list and we would be

thrilled to know your list down in the comments below or come check us out in our Discord and tell us there because just like Deep Rock Galactic community we're super welcoming and we love to have new people coming to our Discord Ryan do you want to tell people how they can help out the show absolutely so uh you know if you love what we do If you love drafts or different crazy stuff that we've done today, maybe consider support.

Link is in our bio description. We have Patreon subs that you can start as, you know, as low as $5 a month. And it goes all the way up. And there's a lot of awesome cool perks behind the scenes. You know, we do a video now. So if you're not watching a video, check it out. If you're on a Patreon support package, you get to see before and after, you know, the kind of preamble and post stuff. So there's a lot of cool things that come with that service, and then it really does help us out.

You know, we're a small local crew. It's all thanks to you and everyone that supports us that keeps us going. So if we do a lot, consider that helping us out. Again, the episode description has all the stuff you need to know. Heck yeah, man. And thank you all so much for listening. And until next time, happy gaming. See ya.

yeah and we're in this awkward spot again guys where you need to find figure out a sign off dude ace keeps stealing mine you can't use the host all right bye everybody love you guys and girls out there all you gamers are we done are we done i think was that my sign off i don't know that's your sign off bud bye everyone bye You know,