Video Gamers Podcast - BEST Indie Draft! – Gaming Podcast [Flashback Friday]

Episode Date: November 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, Phelps and NorwegianGreaser   Thanks to our Legendary Supporters: HypnoticPyro, PeopleWonder and Bobby S.   Connect with the show: Support us on Patreon: ⁠patreon.com/videogamerspod⁠ Join our Gaming Community: https://discord.gg/vUzjAZBV 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

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Oh, yeah. Way better. Save on insurance by switching to Bel Air Direct and use the money to fix your car. Bell Air Direct, insurance, simplified. Conditions apply. 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 joining 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 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 my gosh That's a slant 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 can 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. Like overall 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 of the like unlike ryan every game on my list i have played if that's a stipulation i'm gonna bow on now i'm telling you that much right hey people have ever wondered we're always honest on this show you know honest his intro for me wasn't he he wasn't kidding you know he wasn't hyperbole but yeah we're drafting indies of specific categories and civic 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 platform or 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. What a guy. 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 number one pick. You better make you count. Oh, it's going to count. This one's easy. Cozy narrative-driven game.

Expedition 33, boys. I, dang it. Yeah, well, come on, man. You think, okay, number one, we've gone like three episodes. There was two I would go for with that. 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 it. That's why I added the narrative-driven. I was like, there's no way either of them are picking a cozy game. That would have been like, 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. 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. 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. No, I'm going to go with the ones I know when I've played. 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 said. Right, it's just going to flounder on like the last two picks, man. Well, 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. um it's just it's an awesome fun amazing rogue like that everyone should check out it's so good here here here's what i love about this dude so teafoles in our community literally just started playing risk of rain too i mean like a couple days ago and and his very first thing was like guys this game's like a ton of fun 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 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 2 is absolutely fantastic. I feel like it still doesn't get enough credit despite how much we bring it up. We try. It's that good, dude. We try. 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. Yeah, you're missing out. Like, it's really good. All right. Yeah, that was my one-on-one pick for the Rogue-Like, too. So good on you, Ryan. You actually...

I snaked you? I snaked 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 Abisusus. That game's not even out yet. 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 Abystis is right now. That's fair, but Void Breakers also isn't multiplayer. Not yet. That game would be utter chaos. It would. 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 rogue like 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 two 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 2.

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 still 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 you have you've played sworn i have you have sworn is great it's and it's multiplayer so it's even better yeah plus if you really like that lore of like king arthur and all that stuff i do love king arthur 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? No, I'm not submitted. 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, you know, 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. Yeah, I win. I thought we had them too, Ryan. Next time. We'll get him. 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 wrong, I guess. I'm going to get back

to back picks. Don't you all worry. I feel like Hollow Night's pretty self-explanatory. It's one of the greatest Metroidvania's ever, and it's got the most anticipated see. cool 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 Ais 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. Maybe maybe I'm learning a little bit.

Oh no. All right, Ryan. It's back to you, buddy. So it's me. So. Yeah, it's you again, bud. I am going to go with Platformer as well. I would have went with Holo 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 was wondering, I mean, you could have had an 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 love. All right, that's fair. I can't even tease Ace about Hollenight,

because Hollow Night's so good. It's like, I can't even, you know. 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 This podcast where my legendary pick for you too Was Shovel Night And Paul broke all the checkpoints In the game To be fair

Like the fact that any game lets you Destroy your checkpoints For like a reward instead of the checkpoints reward i yeah but that one was like i 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 after i mean yeah it is it is you got no checkpoints it is all right josh man 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 eight-bit graphics were going to be distracting and stuff but that is the perfect like throwback

that 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. Shuffle nights everywhere. What are you talking about? Yeah. I know. He's the grandfather of indie games and here I am trying to hype him up like no one knows about it. 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 going to, boys. No, don't do it. I'm taking a lethal company. Oh, it was on my list. Yeah, weird experimental game.

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 are we going to call? What do you call the genre? If you give me a better name to call this genre? Friend whatever, but I hate the word slop like something.

I don't know. 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 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 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 Subnautica for my wildcard game. So that is one of my favorite games to this day. You know, all this talk we've been doing about grounded to, subnonica is the game. I've said this before that got, that got me to realize that I absolutely love survival craft.

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 subnotica 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 subnotica for my next two picks. All right, Ryan, you're next. But Before that, we're going to take a little break. Get you and your crew to the big shows with Go Transit. Go connects to all the main concert venues like TD Coliseum in Hamilton and Scotia Bank Arena in Toronto.

And Go makes it affordable with special e-ticket fares. A one-day weekend pass offers unlimited travel across the network on any weekend day or holiday for just $10. And a weekday group pass offers the same weekday travel flexibility from $30 for two people and up to $60 for $5. buy yours at gotransit.com slash tickets 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 does this mean ace 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 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 a pretty standard. 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 it's widely considered weird a bit weird at least but in a good way of course and if you google you'll get exactly what i just said right what was your favorite upgrade that you got in uh in outer wilds oh man the plasma rifle that's not fair ryan i'm just messing with you what's your favorite 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, that he's kind of like more like a mini boss though. Oh, okay. My bad.

Yeah, there's no boss fights in this game. I was like, oh, I'm aware that you were just. But great game, Ryan, 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. like, well, Ryan wins, man. Yeah, good pick, bro. Good pick. Good pick. Oh, all right, boys. I'm getting, hold on. I'm getting better at Indy, okay? You are getting better. You are better. You are. Because you're actually trying and you're, you're, you're, expanding your, your horizons with these games and stuff. The amount of stinking demos I play for ACEs twig, you know, for indie twigs, like, I've been playing a lot of indies, all right?

That's fair. That's fair. Fewy's going to have to explain. 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 elizio 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 driven 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 this has a great narrative you know there's the old Dragon Age games where it's like, oh, this is great, you know, I guess

those aren't really indie games though either, but yeah, that's, Disco Elysium. 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. They hate each other so much.

All these offshoots 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. 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 really hate aces list right now man yeah so is it me no no yeah one more for me

oh yeah that's right you got 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 going to add celeste to it Yeah, that was my... Good pick. Wait, didn't you already take your platformer? It's like a wild card. Oh, that's your wild card. Okay, okay, sorry.

Well, dang it. It's like, wait, I want that one. Remember how I said I was going to wait on my platformer and my rogue like because, you know, you guys had already taken yours? Well, Ace just snagged my freedom left. That's the wild. Good stuff. See, Ace is learning the draft.

He's getting good. And I 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, playing it 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 platforming. 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 a la 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 Astrobat 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. It is. 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 this stupid wild card, man. Oh, man.

I love wild cards and drafts. I have to put more of them. That's pretty cool. All right, Ryan. You're up, bud. It's me? Oh, man. So, you know, when you're feeling cozy, you want to hunker down and play a game,

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 your environment, though, Ais. I'm going with Cardioux 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 Starry Valley. And I was like, well, I'm just going to take Expedition 33. because, you know.

Man, we've dunked on Stardier'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 like 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, 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 right now she's playing the fantasy life, the girl who steals time.

Oh, 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 Starkey Valley.

Like, she jumped in. She played it for like an hour. I think it's the pixel graphics. Like, honestly, like, she likes cutesy, right? Like, that's the thing is she wants her games to look cute. And I think to her, like, Starry 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 going to say, I think it runs in the family where it's like, are we all graphics snubs?

Like, all of us? Oh, I love it. Yeah. I will say it's incredibly impressive that game was made by one dude. Oh, just how much is in that game and all the, like, details. 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 Starty 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 something. 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 different 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 filthy stinking rich right now so yeah don't listen to me man you do you because it's working just keep making them 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 uh 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 yeah 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 um i love difficult games man i 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 that it's regarded as it was never the game's fault that you lost no it was always user error yeah i'm just bad i love that but see that's what i want like this is elden 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 try again. Yeah. Plus the developers, like, remorget their house twice to get that game made. Did they really? I had no idea. That's awesome. They were almost homeless just to make that game.

I love stories like that where people believe so much 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 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 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 um almost like a risk of rain melee like third person kind of game it looks really cool in the 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 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, 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 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 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 there's my little. There's my little. aside. Sorry developers. Make sure you're... Okay, one other aside on this because I love shouting this game out dude. Tito. Okay? 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. 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.

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? 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. Yeah. Last pick. For me, Roguelike, there is one more Roguelike that stands apart from all the rest,

and that is Slay the Spire Boys. Oh, okay. I'm a huge fan of the card-based rogue-like genre. 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. It's just incredible, man. And it's another game... Dead Cells 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. Like...

Yeah, you're definitely going to catch flack for that. I know. I know. But no, but no, but... 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 days. 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 abyssusiness demo, which I'm pretty sure we're actually going to wind up doing a deep dive on.

But like, 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 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 I 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 can be really repetitive and annoying it's why I'm hoping with Abyss is like that's just a demo thing to just 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 I would like to say for the record we are available for consulting okay for a 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. You don't. So, all right.

This far is 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 name.

No more segues. No more sides for John. So what do I got? I got my wild card is all that I have left. Yeah, you got your wild card. So, um, 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

uh there there's a 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 um and this is personally just for me and you'll understand it by these words rockinstone Broken Stone! Hey, Dick, man. Dude. Also, Deep Rock Galactic, baby.

That's, that is my, I just love it so much. I was almost debating too on the roguelikes going Deep Rock Galactic Survivor, which I fell in, I fall in love. I had to reinstall that. It is so much fun. Like, you guys don't even understand. I'd like to check that one out. It is an amazing, amazing little rogue like that they've created. But overall, 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 going to 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 in with me and they're so excited to have people to play with it's just it's awesome so yeah had to do it 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 myself 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. You didn't have Rocket League either? I didn't even think about Rocket League. I think because it's like, It's ionics get bought out by, like, a big publisher. So it's like, in my brain, they're not really indie 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, it's not really into, like, once you get to, like, e-sports level, like, I don't know how indie you are anymore. Yeah, yeah, that's true. E-sports collabs with Fortnite 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 weirder experimental game. And I knew what game. I wanted for this from the start. Ace made his Categority just for this game. Yeah, I'm pretty sure, yeah. Well, initially I considered

Stray, 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 it is 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 jrpg 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 player witch style man yeah yeah it dude inscription is so good guess which part of inscription i stopped playing at the pixel art jrpg graphic part 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 for sure absolutely goes in stages How inscription ends is 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 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.

You can't use the moon? 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, Subnautica,

Cuphead, and Slay the Spire. Oh, what a list! Dang it, that is the good list. That is some heavy hitters, boys. Ryan came out the gate with Risk of Rain two Shovel Night, Outer Wilds, Stardew Valley, and Deep Rock Galaxy. It's a heck of a list, but I'm laughing at the same time.

No, there's a lot there that feels a little dis-a-old. honest. Then the champ, me, of course, I drafted the best list with Hades, Hollow Knight, Disco Elysium, Celeste, and Inscription. Dang it. That is a good list. That is a dang good list. 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 Exponition 33. Come on. Forget about all of Ace's awesome games that he picked. All of my amazing games that have probably some of them won game of the year. My dwarven folk will carry me to the future. Your dwarven folk in Stardu 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, 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 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. and 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. You need to figure out a sign off, dude. Ace keeps stealing mine! You can't use it the most! All right. Bye, everybody.

Love you guys and girls. Out there, all you gamers. Are we done? Are we done? Was that my sign-off? I don't know. That's your sign-off, bud. Bye, everyone.

Bye!