What would you do if your boss was actually a giant bug? Something to think about.Today we're talking about Sub-Verge by Interactive Tragedy, Limited! A game about listening to people and trying not to drown. Get Sub-Verge on Steam or itch.io. Follow Interactive Tragedy, Limited's work on their website!Links:Subtle Mind - A Sub-Verge prequel by Zach Dodson on Steam---Support us on Ko-fi!Visit our website!Follow us on Twitch!Follow the show on Bluesky!Check out The Worst Garbage Online!---Art by Tara CrawfordTheme music by _amaranthineAdditional sounds by BoqehProduced and edited by AJ Fillari---Timecodes:(00:00) - drop.zip
(00:30) - Interactive tragedy-likes
(01:13) - What is Sub-Verge?
(05:12) - There are multiple endings
(05:59) - Trying to pick the right order
(14:02) - The player can only decide who pulls
(15:54) - What the game is "about"
(17:56) - Spoilers
(17:57) - The Mind
(20:46) - How the story is doled out
(22:27) - Krake 2025
(27:25) - Some friction
(29:27) - High level story chat
(34:06) - The endings
(40:15) - The game is bleak!
(42:29) - The game is good
(44:32) - Big Takeaways
(44:52) - Chase's Big Takeaway
(51:46) - AJ's Big Takeaway
(57:57) - A Noam Chomsky cliffhanger
(58:17) - Thank you for listening<3
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1:02:39
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1:02:39
Losing Whimsy in Pine: A Story of Loss
Members got a special segment about the Wikipedia page on Tier Lists this week. Like and Subscribe to our Ko-fi for exclusive content like that. (Also shoutout to our friends on Total Party Skill (a good podcast) for drawing attention to the page!!!)Today we're talking about Pine: A Story of Loss by Made Up Games! A game about learning how to let go and replacing the grass in your roof so it doesn't leak.Get Pine: A Story of Loss on Steam, Switch or iOS. Follow Made Up Games' work on their website!Links:Pine: A Story of Loss OST by Blankfo.rms on Steam---Support us on Ko-fi!Visit our website!Follow us on Twitch!Follow the show on Bluesky!Check out The Worst Garbage Online!---Art by Tara CrawfordTheme music by _amaranthineAdditional sounds by BoqehProduced and edited by AJ Fillari---Timecodes:(00:00) - Kim is a sports muse
(01:30) - Welcome to Wifeguy Fall
(02:09) - What is Pine: A Story of Loss
(04:28) - A whittle segment
(06:35) - A word-light narrative
(09:04) - How the game handles shows grief
(13:15) - Very beautiful game
(13:28) - Spoilers!
(13:29) - They added a FIFTH season!!!!!!!!!
(14:57) - The music
(16:40) - Winter
(18:03) - Embracing the grief
(26:40) - dotzip's Greatest Hits
(28:04) - Big Takeaways
(28:07) - Kim's Big Takeaway
(29:22) - AJ's Big Takeaway
(31:09) - A story of Live Laugh Love
(34:08) - ZOTY is COMIN'
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35:13
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35:13
Not Getting Closure in and Roger
It's really hard to type when your entire body has been hollowed out by a video game.Today we're talking about and Roger by Tearyhand Studio! A game about waking up in a strange place and going to a bakery. Get and Roger on Steam or Switch. Follow Tearyhand Studio's work on their Steam page!Links:One of 2025's Best Games, And Roger, Is About God, Love, and Loss by Patrick Klepek for RemapAnd Roger Is A Short, Moving Game About Family by Riley Macleod for AftermathAnd Roger Review - When Actions Speak Louder by Marcus Stewart for Game Informer and Roger Is One Of 2025’s Most Special Games, And It’s Cheap by Kenneth Shepard for Kotaku---Support us on Kofi!Visit our website!Follow us on Twitch!Follow the show on Bluesky!Check out The Worst Garbage Online!---Art by Tara CrawfordTheme music by _amaranthineAdditional sounds by BoqehProduced and edited by AJ Fillari---Timecodes:(00:00) - being.real
(01:14) - Surprise the episode is here!
(01:48) - and Roger
(02:27) - Okay this episode you do actually have to do the homework pls
(05:18) - When we realized what was going on
(07:12) - We have to get into spoilers sorry lmao
(07:53) - SPOILERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(08:01) - The clock
(10:01) - The horror
(11:55) - How the core mechanic tells the story
(17:29) - There is no closure
(18:37) - Roger
(27:07) - The religion
(31:01) - The unique perspective of the game
(38:09) - The name of the game
(38:35) - Big Takeaways
(38:38) - SPOILERS FOR WITHOUT A DAWN | Kim's Big Takeaway
(41:45) - Chase's Big Takeaway
(47:01) - AJ's Big Takeaway
(49:14) - Hoo man..
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54:39
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54:39
Fighting Persistence in The Dark Queen of Mortholme
"Git gud"? How about "git empathetic"? "Git compassionate"?Today we're talking about The Dark Queen of Mortholme by Mosu! A game about killing the hero and killing the hero and killing the hero and killing the hero and waiting for the hero and killing the hero and killing the hero and waiting for the hero and... waiting.......... for the hero.............. and......................... waiting..................................Get The Dark Queen of Mortholme on Steam or itch.io. Follow Mosu's work on their itch page!Discussed in the episode:Extinction Burst on Wikipedia---Support us on Kofi!Visit our website!Follow us on Twitch!Follow the show on Bluesky!Check out The Worst Garbage Online!---Art by Tara CrawfordTheme music by _amaranthineAdditional sounds by BoqehProduced and edited by AJ Fillari---Timecodes:(00:00) - Pugoween
(01:11) - Become a member for the jumpscare-cut
(02:08) - What is The Dark Queen of Mortholme?
(06:38) - Commentary on the commentary
(10:44) - The mechanics
(13:24) - Very minor spoiler
(14:16) - Bonding with the hero
(16:27) - Where do Ornstein and Smough eat lunch?
(18:29) - The mentorship arc
(22:17) - The personality of the Queen
(25:14) - NOT Chase's Big Takeaway
(27:45) - Big-Sized Takeaways
(28:39) - Hello
(31:50) - Kim's Big Takeaway
(36:35) - Chase's Big Takeaway
(41:54) - AJ's Big Takeaway
(51:30) - We've perservered to the end of the episode!
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57:00
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57:00
Being Alone in Without a Dawn
Sometimes the game makes you feel so bad that you can't make a joke about it.Today we're talking about Without a Dawn by Jesse Makkonen! A game about being alone and looking out the window.Get Without a Dawn on Steam.🚨CONTENT WARNING: HALLUCINATIONS, PARANOID DELUSIONS, OBSESSIVE THINKING, SELF-HARM, DISTURBING IMAGERY🚨Discussed in the episode:Interview with Jesse Makkonen by Wayne Goodchild for EnebaAdditional links:Without a Dawn is a haunting campfire story by Phil Bothun for 70 Percent Complete---Support us on Kofi!Visit our website!Follow us on Twitch!Follow the show on Bluesky!Check out The Worst Garbage Online!---Art by Tara CrawfordTheme music by _amaranthineAdditional sounds by BoqehProduced and edited by AJ Fillari---Timecodes:(00:00) - dot.hang out
(00:39) - Chase is BACK
(03:36) - You don't have to play all the games we do!!!!
(05:41) - It's still Octoadber, baby
(06:12) - What is Without a Dawn
(07:03) - BIG CONTENT WARNINGS!!!! CHECK THE SHOW NOTES!!!!!
(08:22) - ASCII art!!
(10:56) - How this game handles delusions
(16:22) - Ringo is in this game
(16:37) - What's the PJ situation
(17:19) - The blinds
(18:22) - What is happening and is it important?
(21:22) - The ending
(30:07) - Why not a vampire?
(33:11) - Big Takeaways
(33:13) - AJ's Big Takeaway
(35:37) - Kim's Big Takeaway
(37:02) - Chase's Big Takeaway
(45:03) - Wa-hoo!
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A show about big games in small packages! Join AJ, Kim, and Chase every week to talk about short video games, indie tabletop games, and maybe other stuff!
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Visit us online at https://dotzip.online
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Art by Tara Crawford
Music by _amaranthine
Additional sounds by Boqeh
Produced and Edited by AJ Fillari
UK