Side Story

Somewhere between Goo and Glue and Goop, is Gloop. And that's the stuff that makes up the middling (and middle-ing) parts of many vast, open world RPGs. Flat but enjoyable-enough random encounters. Rhythmically repetitive dungeons. The Good Old Fetch Quest. The mortar holding the bricks of the castle wall together. Gloop.
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The Kickstarter campaign for Austin's new TTRPG, Realis, is now live!  
Show Notes

Crunch returns to Naughty Dog for Xmas as Intergalactic devs work overtime on a demo for Sony, claims report
No Games for Genocide
The Indiana Pacers Fan Couple Clip
Chapters
00:00 Introduction
01:55 ToeJam & Earl Aside
07:30 Ardenfall
52:12 Road to Vostok
Featuring Austin Walker and Jack de Quidt
Produced by Austin Walker
Cover Art by A Liang Chan 
Music by Jack de Quidt

Happy Side Story anniversary! To celebrate our first year of the show, Austin, Janine, and Jack get together to talk about the year they've spent playing Nine Dots' RPG-meets-sim Outward (which you can watch them play by supporting us at https://friendsatthetable.cash/!)
Speaking of supporting our work, the Kickstarter campaign for Austin's new TTRPG, Realis, is now live!  
Support us on Patreon!
Featuring Austin Walker, Janine Hawkins, and Jack de Quidt
Produced by Austin Walker
Cover Art by A Liang Chan 
Music by Jack de Quidt

With too many games coming out recently, Austin, Sylvi, and Dre had to determine a metric to decide which ones to cover on this week's episode. What makes the most sense? Maybe 'games relevant to ongoing Friends at the Table campaigns'? Or perhaps 'games that we've teased wanting to talk about in the past'? No, absolutely not. There is only one metric: Games that look sick as shit.
Show Notes



Marathon Thief Grapple
"If you're hoping to make friends in Marathon like you can in Arc Raiders, expect a knife in the back" | PC Gamer
Marathon, Reprise | Aurahack
Chapters
00:00 Introduction & Icebreaker Marathon Upate
07:34 The Cool Games We Don't Have Time to Talk About Yet
10:32 Romeo Is A Dead Man
47:43 Marathon (2026)
Featuring Austin Walker, Andrew Lee Swan, and Sylvi Bullet
Produced by Austin Walker
Cover Art by A Liang Chan 
Music by Jack de Quidt

With Austin separated from his microphone because of a snowstorm, Janine and Ali (who herself had to record on a travel mic) return to chat about the rise of Devices. You know? Gadgets? Geegaws? Retro emulation handhelds? Also, we have a classic Friends at the Table "Now is not the time for this diversionary topic" followed by 30 full minutes on the diversionary topic.
It's a good podcast. 
Chapters
00:00 Introduction
01:03 Device Talk Begins
26:34 Palia Diversion Begins
55:11 Back to the Gadgets and the Games We're Playing On Them
Support us on Patreon!
Featuring Janine Hawkins and Ali Acampora
Produced by Austin Walker
Cover Art by A Liang Chan 
Music by Jack de Quidt

On Sunday 15th and Monday 16th of February 2026, we're going to be hosting ICEBREAKER, a two day fundraising marathon on twitch.tv/friendsatthetable to raise money for the Women's Foundation of Minnesota's Immigrant Rapid Response Fund!
As Minnesota faces the brunt of a violent anti-immigrant crackdown, and ICE's cruelty continues to spread nationwide, we are inspired by the solidarity, community, and mutual aid demonstrated by those on the front lines of immigration justice. The WFM's Immigrant Rapid Response Fund distributes funding to organizations working to provide food, housing, rent relief, transportation and healthcare as well as legal support for immigrants, detainees, and their families. The fight for immigration justice is immensely important to us all. Please join us to help raise some money!
In addition to streaming, new limited edition t-shirts will be available on the Friends at the Table store on Sunday 15th, featuring the incredible ICEBREAKER art by Conner Fawcett. For the months of February and March, all proceeds from any purchases made at friendsatthetable.shop will go to the Immigration Law Center of Minnesota, which provides free legal representation to immigrants and their families. After March, this t-shirt will no longer be available!
Please stay tuned to our social media and here on Patreon for upcoming information about the schedule, as well as our fundraising goals. We'll be kicking off around 11am ET and going all day with a carefully selected blend of games, running the gamut from emergent multiplayer disasters to 90s educational software to — let me just check my notes here — it looks like someone's written down "Flegg Hell"? We'll see you on Sunday!