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PODCAST

Epic Free Game Reviews

Two long-time friends and college professors embark on a journey to review the games Epic has given away for free in chronological order. Each episode focuses on a new game as the hosts bring different approaches and perspectives as gamers, educators, and people interested in pop culture.

leisure video games

All Episodes

70:14

Episode 28: Hyper Light Drifter - American Horror...

Epic Free Game Reviews ·

2026/02/06

In this episode, we discuss the game Epic gave away from August 15 to August 22, 2019, Hyper Light Drifter. This allows us to have conversations about the ideal gaming console (with a shout out to the Dreamcast!), the role of emotions and narrative in games, Platonic philosophy and the Great Chain of Being as a theme, and achievements. Kanye is also in the cast of characters that unfortunately makes an appearance in this discussion! The developers definitely dodged a bullet

en

64:38

Episode 27: Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden - Don't...

Epic Free Game Reviews ·

2026/01/30

In this episode, we discuss the game Epic gave away from August 15 to August 22, 2019, Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden. We had conversations about how media deals with imagining the future, the genre of tactical strategy games (and their number crunchiness), Cold War politics, and what furry we would want to be if we were one. Also, if you hate Kpop, blame the Cold War

en

56:16

Episode 26: GNOG - Carnival of the joyful posthuman...

Epic Free Game Reviews ·

2026/01/23

In this episode, we discuss the 2017 puzzle game GNOG, which Epic gave away from August 8 to August 15, 2019. In this conversation we get into some practical conversations (around music, achievements, etc) and also philosophical conversations around ontology, how we value and rank things, postmodernism, and what defines a game (for the latter, I recommend Thi Ngyuen's wonderful book Games: Agency as Art).

en

66:21

Episode 25: For Honor - Your Permissions Ubisuck

Epic Free Game Reviews ·

2026/01/16

In this episode, we discuss the second game Epic gave away from August 2 to August 9, 2019, the multiplayer online battle arena game, For Honor. This allows us to discuss the phenomenon of online games (battle passes, their popularity, etc.), Ubisoft's business practices, and cultural and historical stereotyping in games.

en

68:58

Episode 24: Alan Wake - Asians Don't Like Twin Peaks

Epic Free Game Reviews ·

2026/01/02

In this episode, we discuss the game that Epic gave away from August 2 to August 9, 2019, the 2010 game Alan Wake. This allows us to cover topics like asking what makes something scary, to considering the use of Americana and tropes in games, elements like over the shoulder cameras, and the role of anger and masculinity in media

en

68:48

Special Episode 1: The Epic-est Games So Far (2025) -...

Epic Free Game Reviews ·

2025/12/26

In this special episode, we discuss what games - of the 23 games Epic gave away that we played in 2025 - were the top five games for each of us. We also discuss which we thought were the two worst games, and also mention non-Epic games we played this year that we thought were great (Felvidek, Venba, Octopath Traveller 2, and Terraria, among others). Audio Note: Daniel's wi-fi was having some issues because it was storming in California, a state unprepared for any weather. Apologies!

en

70:26

Episode 23: Moonlighter - In the Soviet Union, we...

Epic Free Game Reviews ·

2025/12/19

In this episode, we discuss the game that Epic gave away July 25 to August 2, 2019, the 2018 game Moonlighter, which we may describe as an Ebenezer Scrooge McDuck Simulator. The conversation allows us to consider music, nostalgia, capitalism, and the different ways that games are played now as opposed to the past. We also discuss some academic contexts, such as procedural rhetoric and persuasive play

en

62:04

Episode 22: This War of Mine - "Are the Children...

Epic Free Game Reviews ·

2025/12/12

In this episode, we discuss the game that Epic gave away from July 25 to August 2, 2019, This War of Mine. We cover what makes a good war film and game, the role of war as a theme, the ethics of using games to raise money, and food culture - what is acceptable and not acceptable to eat? (Spoiler alert - everything is fine, but not humans!).

en

60:33

Episode 21: Limbo - Even Hell is Better With Your...

Epic Free Game Reviews ·

2025/12/05

In this episode, we discuss the game that Epic gave away July 18 to July 25, 2019, the 2010 puzzle game Limbo. This allows us to revisit conversations like games as art and difficulty in games, as well as discuss games as tool for teaching writing, vulnerability in games, dystopia, and achievements (not to mention RFK's brain worm and the fact that Ray identifies with mole people). I also sadly had to cut many wonderful title possibilities, such as "There is a portal to Cricket Land in my bath tub"

en

59:31

Episode 20: Torchlight - Even My Cat Has Hegemonic...

Epic Free Game Reviews ·

2025/11/28

In this episode, we discuss the game that Epic gave away from July 11 to July 18, 2019, the 2009 dungeon crawler/Diablo-like Torchlight. In the conversation we cover the role of basic, non-offensive (but fun) games, the influence of Lord of the Rings on the fantasy tropes of games, and what we like about games that are like Diablo

en

52:25

Episode 19: Overcooked! - Clack Your Tongs,...

Epic Free Game Reviews ·

2025/11/14

In this episode, we explore the game that Epic gave away for free from July 4 to July 11, 2019, the 2016 cooking sim game Overcooked! We discuss real world cooking, being alone in a failed kitchen versus bothered in a successful one, multiplayer games, the evolution of gaming hardware, and how we feel about onions.

en

59:35

Episode 18: Last Day of June - No Eyes, So Creepy...

Epic Free Game Reviews ·

2025/11/07

In this episode, we discuss the game Epic gave away from June 27 to July 4, 2019, Last Day of June. We focus on the aesthetics and styles of games, life as a form of tragedy, and sound and music. The made up language used in the game also brings us to a tangent on the fact that...musicians like Katy Perry have recorded their songs in Simlish. Join us for this episode on a game that Ray calls the "Italian Final Destination"

en

65:27

Episode 17: Rebel Galxy - Tokyo Drifting in...

Epic Free Game Reviews ·

2025/10/31

In this episode we discuss Rebel Galaxy, which Epic gave away from June 20 to 27, 2019. We cover topics that range from the scope of games to the use of music and voiced dialogue. We also, because of the development history of the game, talk about toxicity in gaming and the hatred of the Epic Games Store.

en

47:53

Episode 16: Enter the Gungeon - A Very American Game

Epic Free Game Reviews ·

2025/10/17

In this episode we discuss the 2016 game Ebter the Gungeon, which Epic gave for me free from June 13 to June 20, 2019. Through this game, we discuss repetition and progress in games, guns as symbolism, and what it means to be an "okay" game, among other topics. Also, circles and coughing skeletons, again!

en

58:33

Episode 15: Kingdom New Lands - Secretly there is a...

Epic Free Game Reviews ·

2025/10/10

In this episode, we cover the game Epic gave away from June 6 to 13, 2019, the (what we describe as) anti-Civ game, Kingdom: New Lands. In the discussions we cover the American Dream, the city and civilization builder genre, and the economics of games (including a slight detour about Xbox's current problems)

en

60:52

Episode 14: City of Brass - No Utopias Here (Where...

Epic Free Game Reviews ·

2025/10/03

In this episode, we discuss the dungeon crawler game City of Brass, which Epic gave away from May 30 to June 6, 2019. We discuss whether the game industry is oversaturated, the corporatization of the different components of gaming, and the politics behind game reviews.

en

67:42

Episode 13: Rime - It All Goes Back to Poop

Epic Free Game Reviews ·

2025/09/26

In this episode, we talk about Rime, a 2017 puzzle adventure game that Epic gave away from May 23 to May 30, 2019. We both thoroughly enjoyed this game, although we do talk about motion sickness and 3D space. We also discuss the role of silence and voice in games, the omnipresence of circles, and the cute culture of games

en

68:24

Episode 12: Stories Untold - Bring Back Knobs!

Epic Free Game Reviews ·

2025/09/19

In this episode, we discuss the twelfth game Epic gave away (from May 16 - May 30, 2019), the narrative adventure game Stories Untold. We discuss the literary elements of games, how we feel about horror as a genre, and moralizing in video games, among other conversations.

en

69:57

Episode 11: World of Goo - Be Goo(d) to Mom

Epic Free Game Reviews ·

2025/09/12

This episode covers the 2008 puzzle game World of Goo, which Epic gave away from May 2 to May 16, 2019. This game allows us to re-consider the gendered politics of indie games, explore the boundaries between mobile and other games, and think back on the political climate that existed during its release (and unexpected comparisons to Bioshock emerge!)

en

64:32

Episode 10: Transistor - Eat the Rich

Epic Free Game Reviews ·

2025/09/05

In this episode we discuss Transistor, which Epic gave away from April 18 to May 2, 2019. We focus on defining the boundaries of the RPG genre, discussing how 2014 was an important moment in the history of gaming more broadly, and comparing Transistor to other Supergiant games. Since both of us have also played Transistor years ago, we also consider the role memory and aging have on how we approach games. Trigger warning: due to the nature of the game's themes, we do discuss suicide in this

en

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