Episodes
![Episode 8: The Return of the Vault](https://pbcdn1.podbean.com/imglogo/image-logo/17398332/indieventure-art_f68qxd_300x300.jpg)
Thursday Jan 25, 2024
Episode 8: The Return of the Vault
Thursday Jan 25, 2024
Thursday Jan 25, 2024
In Episode 8 of Indieventure, we re-introduce an old favourite concept of ours from days gone by: the Indieventure Vault, an eclectic mind-palace of our own construction where we store the very best indie games, blending personal favourites with undeniable classics.
Previous inductees — which we take the time to re-induct, since this Vault is completely legally distinct from any other indie game Vaults you might be thinking about — are two all-time favourite indie games from each of us. Rebecca carefully places Monster Prom and Firewatch on a commemorative shelf, Rachel chucks Kentucky Route Zero and Return of the Obra Dinn in the same vague direction, and Liam drop-kicks Hypnospace Outlaw and Paradise Killer into a hole in the ground, but like, respectfully. Everyone's very on-form.
Then it's time to introduce some new games to the collection, and this time we've each selected one indie game that we all feel is just far too important to omit. For Liam, that's just got to be Stardew Valley; Rachel makes a compelling case for the enduring appeal of Disco Elysium; and Rebecca uses science (after a fashion) to conclude that Hades really needs to be there too. And, not least of all because 10 vaulted games is a nice round number to start off with, we also put Dredge on a special shelf of its own to indicate that it was our very first Indieventure Game of the Year in 2023.
Hyperfixations this week see Rachel still obsessed with The Traitors: Series 2, Rebecca still obsessed with Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney, and Liam reading Masters of Doom by David Kushner like a proper adult.
![Episode 7: Our most anticipated indie games of 2024](https://pbcdn1.podbean.com/imglogo/image-logo/17398332/indieventure-art_f68qxd_300x300.jpg)
Thursday Jan 11, 2024
Episode 7: Our most anticipated indie games of 2024
Thursday Jan 11, 2024
Thursday Jan 11, 2024
Happy New Year to all our lovely listeners! Whether you've been with us since the old days of [REDACTED PODCAST] or are joining us for the first time today, we hope you'll be adding plenty of new recommendations to your wishlist over the course of this episode, where we discuss our most-anticipated new indies coming up in 2024.
First though, a quick chat about what we all played over our Christmas break. Rachel's been enjoying eco-fiction visual novel South Scrimshaw, Part One; Rebecca was pleasantly surprised by 2023's latest video game adaptation of Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express; and Liam may have finally found his true simulated calling in House Flipper 2.
Onto our most anticipated indies of the year, and we're keen to highlight a few games in particular. Settle in as we extol the upcoming virtues of 1000xRESIST, Demonschool, The Mermaid's Tongue, Pacific Drive, Sucker For Love: Date To Die For, Thank Goodness You're Here!, and Tiny Bookshop.
But obviously, there's way more than just those seven indie and AA titles on the horizon that we're excited for. Our particular honourable mentions go to Anger Foot, Creepshow, Crow Country, Europa, Loco Motive, Lost Records: Bloom & Rage, Rise of the Golden Idol, and Synergy. And given how much angsting we went through to narrow it down even that far, we're pretty confident that we're going to have plenty to talk about throughout 2024.
This week's hyperfixations are The Traitors: Series 2, Resident Evil 4: Separate Ways DLC, and DC's Harley Quinn adult animated series. (We'll leave you to guess whose is whose, since long-time listeners will probably be able to puzzle it out.)
Music is Cigarette Boat by Marc Torch.
And as always, thank you for listening!
![Episode 6: Our 2023 Indie Games of the Year](https://pbcdn1.podbean.com/imglogo/image-logo/17398332/indieventure-art_f68qxd_300x300.jpg)
Thursday Dec 21, 2023
Episode 6: Our 2023 Indie Games of the Year
Thursday Dec 21, 2023
Thursday Dec 21, 2023
Well, here we are, folks: our final episode of 2023! It's been a wild ride of a year and we've had some wonderful times recording podcasts and, of course, playing indie games. Lots and lots of indie games. So many, in fact, that our GOTY episode ran a little long despite our best intentions — but, since we're taking a slightly longer three-week break between episodes while we all head off for the holidays, we hope this feature-length episode will tide you over until we come back on January 11th!
Usually this is where we'd list the games we talk about in the episode, but since this is technically an award show we're running here today, we thought we'd build up the suspense a little and keep it a surprise for our lovely listeners. Here's a clue though: there are 13 games here on our collective GOTY list — including the one we've crowned the inaugural Indieventure GOTY — and we've podcasted about all of them at some point over the course of the past year! Even our hyperfixations this time around are shrouded in festive mystery, because trust me, they really went some places and we're sure you'll want to hear it.
All that remains for us to do is wish you a merry Christmas, happy holidays, or a peaceful winter break if you don't celebrate at this time of year. We are all so incredibly grateful for an amazing first year of podcasting, and it's all thanks to you that we get to keep on doing this! Thank you and see you in 2024! Happy new year!
(Music is, as ever, Cigarette Boat by Marc Torch!)
![Episode 5: The Indieventure Christmas Special](https://pbcdn1.podbean.com/imglogo/image-logo/17398332/indieventure-art_f68qxd_300x300.jpg)
Thursday Dec 07, 2023
Episode 5: The Indieventure Christmas Special
Thursday Dec 07, 2023
Thursday Dec 07, 2023
'Twas eighteen nights before Christmas, when all through the house,
We were recommending indies, to a skeleton and a mouse.
Jolly Saint Nick is a guest on the show,
Spreading good cheer with a wink and a ho.
His cough is persistent, a fun phlegmy hack,
But he gains a pile of indies to put in his sack.
The trio wraps up with some dinner guest chatter,
A parade of indie characters who feast from food platters.
When all's said and done, another episode out of sight,
We wish a Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.
Oh also our hyperfixations this week are A Profound Waste Of Time by Caspian Whistler, What We Do In The Shadows and In Stars And Time.
Music is Cigarette Boat by Marc Torch.
![Episode 4: What does success look like for indie games?](https://pbcdn1.podbean.com/imglogo/image-logo/17398332/indieventure-art_f68qxd_300x300.jpg)
Thursday Nov 23, 2023
Episode 4: What does success look like for indie games?
Thursday Nov 23, 2023
Thursday Nov 23, 2023
It's Indieventure Episode 4, and this week we're doing things a little bit differently and having a freeform chat about how we measure success when it comes to indie games. Traditional success in the gaming space is, of course, financial: games that are a commercial hit and sell loads and loads of copies. But we also consider other factors, such as positive critical reception and the growth of a dedicated fanbase even in the absence of breakthroughs in term of money, fame, and accolades; meeting a dev's personal goals for the project enough to allow them to invest in creating future games; and games that launch quietly only to enjoy slow-burn success over the long-term (we're looking at you, Among Us).
We also take a quick dive into what we've been playing recently: Rachel's been building communities after the end of the world as we know it in Saltsea Chronicles; Rebecca's falling in love with an evil princess — yet again — in Slay The Princess; while Liam's time with Spin Rhythm XD has him not only reliving the glory days of Guitar Hero and DDR but wondering whether it's surpassed them both.
Meanwhile, the tech gremlins have invaded for the second episode in a row, so our apologies that Rebecca occasionally sounds like a robot this time! Her microphone's a bit broken but she hasn't been replaced by an extremely realistic AI, we promise; no machine could simulate just how fast she talks when she's getting excited about her nerd stuff.
Speaking of which, this episode's hyperfixations are all spooky indie games, it turns out! So stay tuned for some bonus geeking over the recent remake of Sherlock Holmes The Awakened, queer horror visual novel Mediterranea Inferno, and ultra-nostalgic zombie horror You Will Die Here Tonight.
Music is Cigarette Boat by Marc Torch.
![Episode 3: Our favourite autumnal indie games](https://pbcdn1.podbean.com/imglogo/image-logo/17398332/indieventure-art_f68qxd_300x300.jpg)
Thursday Nov 09, 2023
Episode 3: Our favourite autumnal indie games
Thursday Nov 09, 2023
Thursday Nov 09, 2023
In the third episode of the Indieventure podcast, the gang are all about those autumnal vibes, picking out some of our favourite indie games that are more cosy than sipping pumpkin spice latte dressed in a chunky knit sweater while kicking through fallen leaf piles in the park, or whatever.
In fact, the autumn air was so crisp when we recorded this that it got right into Rachel's microphone and made her audio a bit, erm, crispy. Which is my clever(?) way of saying sorry for some minor technical difficulties in this one! Don't worry, though, the whole episode is perfectly audible; you won't miss a second of our signature top-tier Muppet fashion chat. Oh, and we also talk about indie games, you can hear that too!
Our featured games this week are Cultic, Wytchwood, Beacon Pines, Frog Detective: The Entire Mystery, and the collected works of Rusty Lake and Madison Karrh.
This week's hyperfixations are Cyberpunk 2077, The Fall of the House of Usher on Netflix, and an impulsive decision to learn some basic Japanese using Duolingo.
Music is Cigarette Boat by Marc Torch.
![Episode 2: Our most anticipated indies for winter 2023](https://pbcdn1.podbean.com/imglogo/image-logo/17398332/indieventure-art_f68qxd_300x300.jpg)
Thursday Oct 26, 2023
Episode 2: Our most anticipated indies for winter 2023
Thursday Oct 26, 2023
Thursday Oct 26, 2023
It’s episode 2 of Indieventure! This week the gang chat about their most-anticipated indies set to release at the end of 2023 and - thanks to October’s Steam Next Fest - some upcoming 2024 picks too.
This episode features Underground Blossom, Inescapable: No Rules, No Rescue, Little Goody Two Shoes, SteamWorld Build, Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor, 1000xResist, and Another Crab’s Treasure.
Hyperfixations: The Odyssey by Lara Williams, Castlevania: Nocturne, Ghostwire: Tokyo, and Alice in Borderland.
Music is Cigarette Boat by Marc Torch.
![Episode 1: We’re back babyyy!](https://pbcdn1.podbean.com/imglogo/ep-logo/pbblog17398332/indieventure-art_300x300.jpg)
Wednesday Oct 18, 2023
Episode 1: We’re back babyyy!
Wednesday Oct 18, 2023
Wednesday Oct 18, 2023
If you love indie games and love listening to friendly folks chat about indie games, congrats! You’ve found the right podcast! It’s the first official episode of Indiventure and after an exciting reunion Liam, Rebecca, and Rachel get right into what they’ve been playing recently.
This episode features A Space for the Unbound, Goodbye Volcano High, The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood, Cocoon, The Case of the Golden Idol, and Bomb Rush Cyberfunk (plus a bit of Gunbrella).
Liam's video! 2023 Is An Unbelievable Year For Games.
Music is Cigarette Boat by Marc Torch