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Guy whose only played Sayonara Wild Hearts: "I'm getting a lot of Sayonara Wild Hearts energy in this game."

Today we're talking about Toroa: Skycall by Atawhai Interactive! A game about gliding and just hangin' out.

Get Toroa: Skycall on Steam!!! Follow Atawhai Interactive's work on their website!

Discussed in the episode:
The sourdough shaping video that AJ talked about by Matthew James Duffy on YouTube Shorts(tm)
TWG Steam Curator Page
Making Kin with the Machines, Archer et al. from the Journal of Design and Science by MIT Press
Royal Albatross Centre 
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Visit our website!

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Follow the show on Bluesky!

Check out The Worst Garbage Online!

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Art by Tara Crawford

Theme music by _amaranthine

Additional sounds by Boqeh

Produced and edited by AJ Fillari
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Timecodes:

(00:00) - The end of a 20 minute conversation

(02:31) - We're not fighting!!!

(03:43) - fort.nite ????

(05:52) - Oh right the podcast

(06:12) - What is Toroa: Skycall

(07:36) - This game feels AMAZING

(10:21) - The MUSIC

(11:38) - The game is steeped in culture

(13:46) - Talking to other animals

(17:02) - Songs of the sea have been dulled by the drums of progress

(21:48) - The game wants you to just hang out

(23:05) - Bird heaven????

(28:49) - Everything is connected

(33:57) - You get where you're going

(35:57) - Made with love

(36:31) - Everything is connected!!!

(37:15) - Big Takeaways

(37:17) - Kim's Big Takeaway

(42:31) - AJ's Big Takeaway

(47:09) - Help the Northern Royal Albatross!!!

(47:38) - Thank you for listening!

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This is a sports game! Well it's a game that centers around a sport... Er, it's a game that has a sport as a central narrative piece... uh...

Today we're talking about despelote by Julián Cordero and Sebastián Valbuena! A game about soccer and tuning out the adults in your life.

Get despelote on Steam, Switch, or Playstation!!! Follow Julian's work on his website! Follow Sebastián on his website!
Follow Matt on his YouTube channel, Flow State!

Discussed in the episode:
A Sportslike Manifesto by Grapefruit Games
Despelote review: miraculous slice-of-life soccer game pulls a hat trick by Moises Taveras for Digital Trends
Additional links:
Despelote with Moises Taveras by Tales from the Backlog on YouTube
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Support us on Ko-fi!

Visit our website!

Follow us on YouTube!

Follow the show on Bluesky!

Check out The Worst Garbage Online!

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Art by Tara Crawford

Theme music by _amaranthine

Additional sounds by Boqeh

Produced and edited by AJ Fillari
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Timecodes:

(00:00) - The sausage gets made

(00:19) - Babby's first intro

(01:34) - The Sports Corner

(04:20) - What is despelote?

(08:13) - Sportslike

(11:24) - Witholding the big stuff

(13:35) - Making it back to the bench

(14:36) - The first ten minutes

(18:39) - Standout moments

(26:07) - Being a child among adults

(31:24) - What happened...

(32:43) - Turn the game on!

(35:06) - Crossing narrative lines

(37:22) - The very end

(41:11) - Big Takeaways

(41:16) - Matt's Big Takeaway

(44:12) - Robin's Big Takeaway

(46:27) - Chase's Big Takeaway

(49:43) - Thank you Matt for coming on!

(49:53) - Chase attempts an outro

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Would you mind picking me up a mystery skull while you're out?

Today we're talking about Dépanneur Nocturne by KO_OP! A game about getting little treats and going to the washroom.

Get Dépanneur Nocturne on Steam!!! Follow Ko_OP's work on their website!

Discussed in the episode:
_amaranthine's (Jake's) new project Foster Hope on bandcamp!
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Support us on Ko-fi!

Visit our website!

Follow us on YouTube!

Follow the show on Bluesky!

Check out The Worst Garbage Online!

---

Art by Tara Crawford

Theme music by _amaranthine

Additional sounds by Boqeh

Produced and edited by AJ Fillari
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Timecodes:

(00:00) - Eldot Ring

(00:21) - ahem

(00:34) - Snow day!!!!!!

(01:38) - What is Depanneur Nocturne?

(02:31) - This is a game about existing in a new place

(10:11) - The backroom

(11:25) - Going to the washroom

(15:31) - Sharing little secrets

(18:27) - The cashier

(23:01) - Our big takeaways for our beautiful partner

(29:40) - Big Takeaways

(29:53) - AJ's Big Takeaway

(31:42) - Robin's Big Takeaway

(33:16) - A beautiful game about going shopping

(33:52) - Thanks for listening!

★ Support this podcast ★

In this one AJ and Robin experience every human emotion at once!

Today we're talking about The Sea Will Claim Everything by Jonas Kyratzes! A game about a sentient house and needing to read more philosophy. This game was suggested by Alex! If you'd like to suggest a game head over to our website!

Get The Lands of Dream collection on Steam!!! Follow Jonas Kyratzes' work on their website!

Discussed in the episode:
The Sea Will Claim Everything walkthrough and review on jayisgames.com (for the love of god don't click anywhere else around the website lol)
Emergence blog post on Jonas Kyratzes' website
Fear of Twine: Zombies and Elephants (Verena Kyratzes) on YouTube
Life Support by Veran Kyratzes
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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 Crawford

Theme music by _amaranthine

Additional sounds by Boqeh

Produced and edited by AJ Fillari
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Timecodes:

(00:00) - Remember that you have free will

(00:52) - The podcast intro equivalent of waking up in a pitch dark hotel room

(01:43) - The saga of The Lands of Dream

(04:52) - What is The Sea Will Claim Everything?

(08:09) - It's goofy!

(14:12) - Some advice

(14:59) - Some of the first text things you see

(15:18) - "The Sea Will Claim Everything, part II" by Chris Christodoulou, The Sea Will Claim Everything

(17:41) - Welcome to Underhome

(24:43) - Out into the world

(31:46) - The Isle of Stars

(34:20) - The Isle of Becoming

(38:58) - "Grains of Sand" by Chris Christodoulou, The Sea Will Claim Everything

(40:36) - Saying "No"

(40:49) - "Victory March" by Chris Christodoulou, The Sea Will Claim Everything

(41:15) - Saying "No"

(43:36) - The Oracle

(47:41) - Goodbye

(48:28) - "The Sea Will Claim Everything, part II" by Chris Christodoulou, The Sea Will Claim Everything

(52:31) - The packaging

(52:47) - SPOILERS FOR GREAT GOD GROVE

(52:59) - The packaging

(54:21) - All abooooard!

(54:27) - AJ's Big Takeaways

(56:59) - Robin's Big Takeaway

(58:42) - Hoo baby that's a video game

(59:14) - A little bit of diving

(01:00:34) - Thank you for listening!

★ Support this podcast ★

Sometimes every single part of the game is so good that you simply can't articulate it completely.
Today we're talking about Sayonara Wild Hearts by Simogo! A game about playing a pop album and therapeutic movement!
Get Sayonara Wild Hearts everywhere!!! Follow Simogo's work on their website!

Discussed in the episode:
Sayonara Wild Hearts Analysis – Use of Tarot in Game Design and Narrative by Angie for Backlog Crusader
Additional links:
Fading Memories (Demos and unused tracks from Sayonara Wild Hearts) on YouTube
How Simogo built Sayonara Wild Hearts' best stage by Matt Leone for Design Room
Teddy Girls: The Style Subculture That Time Forgot by Laura Havlin for AnOther (fashion that inspired SWH's design)
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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 Crawford
Theme music by _amaranthine
Additional sounds by Boqeh
Produced and edited by AJ Fillari
---
Timecodes:

(00:00) - Fem unc?

(01:26) - Welcome to 2026!

(02:05) - Welcome to 2026 (correct version)!

(03:06) - What is Sayonara Wild Hearts?

(04:55) - How was it?

(12:56) - Spoilers

(13:38) - Favorites?

(18:54) - The effect of switching stuff up so much

(24:04) - There are levels to this game

(25:18) - The game is good and we don't know what else to say

(31:08) - Big Takeaways

(31:29) - Chase's Big Takeaway

(34:33) - AJ's Big Takeaway

(35:14) - Robin's Big Takeaway

(37:17) - It's a good one!

(40:00) - Think about sleeping and hire Robin

★ Support this podcast ★