You're on a path in the woods, and at the end of that path is a cabin. And in the basement of that cabin is a Podcast… I mean Princess. In this episode Bryan, Josh, and Clint steel their nerves and descend the staircase to discuss Slay the Princess. Developed by Black Tabby Games and released for PC in 2024, Slay the Princess was developed as a side project to support the ongoing development of their other game Scarlet Hollow. And what a side project it is! Boasting a dizzying variety of possible outcomes, Slay the Princess is a fascinatingly broad and cerebral visual novel that explores a lot of interesting themes in a very economical approach to storytelling and a stylish black and white hand-drawn aesthetic. However, what starts as merely a provocative 4th wall breaking narrative eventually gives way to something even more surreal and captivating. So grab your dagger… I mean headphones… and listen in as the guys explore the multitude of ways to Slay the Princess! But remember: Its a love story…

Show Notes:

The Egg by Andy Weir

Three Word Reviews:

Bryan - Personality Uncertainty Principle

Josh - Power of Story

Clint - What Just Happened

Have you ever wanted to play a turn-based city builder that’s inspired by Luck be a Landlord and Islanders? That’s drenched in a stylish cyberpunk aesthetic and boasts intricate tactical depth? One with a dark sense of humor and killer hip-hop inspired soundtrack? Well you’re in luck! Josh’s latest game, Neongarten, is releasing on April 22nd, 2025 on Steam!

As is tradition, Bryan and Josh sat down to record a podcast about the game, its inspirations, and the process of creating it. Neongarten was a novel experience for Josh to develop for a variety of reasons, not least of which was working in 3d and a new engine, Godot. This time around Josh also partnered with Goblinz Publishing to take the game to the next level. With the initial prototype finishing up just ahead of the birth of his second child, Neongarten has been a game that’s grown alongside his own family and alongside his own craft as a game developer.

So listen in as Bryan interviews Josh about how he riffed, fixed, and remixed his way to creating the game he envisioned those many months ago, and check it out when it releases on April 22nd, 2025!

Show Notes:

Neongarten Steam Page

Goblinz Publishing

TinyMass Games

Neongarten’s Composer, Joel Kent, is part of Audimus

Dex is the album that helped inspire the game

In this episode Bryan and Josh welcome host of Tales from the Backlog, Dave Jackson, to discuss Persona 4 Golden! Bryan’s played Persona 5, Josh has played Persona 3, so now they’re meeting in the middle and asked Dave to join for a wide ranging discussion that starts with an analysis of the studio’s evolving approach to game design then pivots to a deep dive of Persona 4 Golden’s characters, combat mechanics, and broader themes.

The Persona series is an interesting game for multiple reasons, not least of which are its design priorities which focus on atypical areas such as UI design and Music, and writing. By the same token analyzing a social / life sim game from 2008 in 2025 is not without its pitfalls including the sometimes clumsy handling of representation and other social issues. Even so, the artistry of the game’s stylish design and writing, combined with a unique take on themes of personal growth rooted in Jungian psychology, are certainly with the price of admission.

Show Notes:

Dave’s Podcast - Tales from the Backlog

Persona 4 Reincarnation

Three Word Reviews:

Bryan - Experience Myriad Truths

Josh - Solid Detective Story

Dave - Jungian Scooby Doo