Emotive Pixels — Marginalia on Videogames
- Episodes
- 109
- Released
- monthly
- Latest episode
- Oct 6, 2026
About the podcast
A one-game-at-a-time deep dive podcast where we treat videogames like texts worth reading closely. Each episode, we pick a game, spoil its story, and dig into it the way you would with a book club—except we’re usually reading an academic book alongside it and using it as a lens for discussion. Season 5 focuses on AAA games and what that label actually means in practice. Friendly to listeners who haven’t played the games, but unapologetically spoil-heavy and discussion-driven.
Episodes 109
South of Midnight — Insufficient placeness
Three white guys find themselves wanting more Blackness from a story that is definitely trying.
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth — The beauty of longevity
We decide to start a series with its eighth entry, and find surprising life circumstance relevance. Nate gameworms David Chapman's "Zainichi Korean Identity and Ethnicity".
Q-Up — Art Happened — What is a game?
We, as gamers, conflate labor and free time. But more importantly, we explore another chapter of Will.Wasting Time: Human Idleness and Durational Mechanics in Idle Games, Liam Kelly, Game Studies, volume 26 issue 1
Stellar Blade — K-Feminism 101 (AAA in 2026: First Studio Releases)
We explore the empty procedural rhetoric of changing Eve's clothes, and probe if we have *feelings* about the matter. We also cover two books, Elise Hu's "Flawless" and "Practicing Feminism in South Korea: The …
Show notes
We explore the empty procedural rhetoric of changing Eve's clothes, and probe if we have *feelings* about the matter. We also cover two books, Elise Hu's "Flawless" and "Practicing Feminism in South Korea: The women's movement against sexual violence" by Kyungja Jung.
Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden & Dragon Age: The Veilguard (AAA in 2026: Polish)
We find more in common between two seemingly different tiers of 2024 games than we expected, generating questions about interactivity and polish.
Book Club: Ender’s Game — Getting to Know Will
We get to know our cohost Will with his life's companion piece.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 — Wanderwunder (AAA in 2025: Ludomaximalism)
We discuss the 2025 charmer that would go on to sweep the Keighleys, while slowly continuing to investigate and yet unravel our gaming personalities.
Blue Prince — Three Mediocre Mechanics (AAA? in 2025: Death of Monoculture)
We journey through 45 rooms and a permanent foundation in a game about becoming a character from Divinity: Original Sin 2.The hardest dungeon EVER designed, the video Will was recently watching, about Maze …
Show notes
We journey through 45 rooms and a permanent foundation in a game about becoming a character from Divinity: Original Sin 2.
- The hardest dungeon EVER designed, the video Will was recently watching, about Maze: Solve the World's Most Challenging Puzzle by Christopher Manson
Emotive Pixels Episode 100: The Bracket Battle (Part 1)
We subject many of our games covered so far against each other in only 2 of 8 brackets of a double elimination match, to be concluded sometime in the future. For the long-time fans 💖Featuring the following: The …
Show notes
We subject many of our games covered so far against each other in only 2 of 8 brackets of a double elimination match, to be concluded sometime in the future. For the long-time fans 💖
Featuring the following: The NPC Award, The Experimental Excellence Award, The Should Have Been Huge Award, Put It On Repeat Soundtrack Award, The Photomode or It Didn't Happen Award, The Inventory Tetris MVP Award, The If You Build It, They Will Cry Award, The Wait... What Just Happened? Award, The Came Out of Nowhere Award, The Haunting Vibes, No Jumpscares Award, and The Most Satisfying Button-Press Award.
And producing the following quotes:- "Bro, are you serious? [Game 1] launched broken; [game 2] launched to economic collapse and heartbreak!"
- "This game was Factorio 10 years before Factorio existed!"
- "I don't have any lovers to be in my dangerous space-time!"
- "[This game] was great, back in like, 1960..."
- "It's a fart, but it's a dragon punch."
- "Whereas, everybody has made a Duck Tales game by this point, which is what [this game] is."
Metaphor: ReFantazio — Political Personas (AAA in 2025: JRPGs)
We get deep into the plot of this large JRPG political election story, its metatextual commentaries (or lack thereof) on 16th century English authors, and its intertwining of Medieval royal succession and …
Show notes
We get deep into the plot of this large JRPG political election story, its metatextual commentaries (or lack thereof) on 16th century English authors, and its intertwining of Medieval royal succession and liberal democracy.
Baldur's Gate 3 — Mile Wide, Inch Deep (AAA in 2025: Awards & Expectations)
We break the hearts of fandom as we are baffled by the rampaging success of Baldur's Gate 3, an interesting game made of many spectacular details that don't cohere for us into something that we like playing - a …
Show notes
We break the hearts of fandom as we are baffled by the rampaging success of Baldur's Gate 3, an interesting game made of many spectacular details that don't cohere for us into something that we like playing - a game whose reception and accolades led us to be very confused: "It's all informed by the next sentence you don't get to pick."
Part 2 in our evolving series of wrestling with understanding the inherent appeal of all-consuming and frictional media objects.
Cyberpunk 2077 — Singleplayer Live Services (AAA in 2025: Fidelity & Launch)
We continue our investigation of what big-budget gaming means with one of the titans of AAA graphical fidelity, marred by a rocky launch. Yet, after 4 years, the game captivates us all. Was it all the dollars …
Show notes
We continue our investigation of what big-budget gaming means with one of the titans of AAA graphical fidelity, marred by a rocky launch. Yet, after 4 years, the game captivates us all. Was it all the dollars spent on Polish demoscene graphics programmers, fantastic voice acting, and Studio Trigger tie-ins?
Pixel Array V (ft. UFO 50, Astro Bot, Home Safety Hotline, and more!)
From Keighleys 2024 winners to Italian gamebook dozen-sellers. Craig: Lil' Gator Game, The Plucky Squire, Shadow Warrior 3, Road 96, Astro Bot Nate: Balatro on mobile updates, Another Crab's Treasure …
Show notes
From Keighleys 2024 winners to Italian gamebook dozen-sellers.
- Craig: Lil' Gator Game, The Plucky Squire, Shadow Warrior 3, Road 96, Astro Bot
- Nate: Balatro on mobile updates, Another Crab's Treasure, 1000xResist, Final Fantasy XVI, Felvidek
- Pauly: 49 Keys, Home Safety Hotline, White Knuckle, NaissanceE
Immortals of Aveum — Immoral Birds (AAA in 2025: What is AA?)
Season 5 is all about AAA gaming in 2025, and in episode 1 we inspect the EA-published Immortals of Aveum, which was declared a commercial failure last year, with most of its studio laid off. What is going on …
Show notes
Season 5 is all about AAA gaming in 2025, and in episode 1 we inspect the EA-published Immortals of Aveum, which was declared a commercial failure last year, with most of its studio laid off. What is going on in the game - can we find a reason for its lack of success? Is it actually an indie game in disguise, and is that what "AA" gaming is?
Caravan SandWitch: French Touch
We ride the cozy caravan into the storm in this charming open world. We ponder identity, coziness, and the differing texture between this and Sable.
Still Wakes the Deep: Oil Rig Runaway
We dive deep into the mind of a lekky on a crumbling North Shore oil rig as the otherworldly manifestation of our avoidance gives us a hard time.
Pacific Drive: Rattle Royale
We fall into the Olympic Peninsula trauma-bonded to a four-wheel Object of Power. Pacific Drive and the New Weird A Shell in the Pit's website Dear Dwery: Pacific Drive with Alexander Dracott
Harold Halibut: Capitalism in Clay
We probe the tender and potentially autistic-coded Harold Halibut, a German narrative game handmade with over 200kg of clay.
Elden Ring: Neoliberal Dismay
Three gamers absolutely fail to grok a cultural phenomenon that uniquely represents today's neoliberal world. Ordered map of Elden Ring Hustling Souls — Hard games and neoliberal catharsis Hollywood's Downfall …
Show notes
Three gamers absolutely fail to grok a cultural phenomenon that uniquely represents today's neoliberal world.
Indika: How not to be a nun
We question the voice in our head during a surrealist existentialist Siberian adventure about faith and relationships, full of a lot of interesting and satisfying mechanics. This game has it all!
Pixel Array IV (ft. Chess for Idiots, The Thaumaturge, Red Dead Redemption 2, and more!)
We slay a major white whale. Pauly: Future Racer 2000/Silkbulb Test, Chess for Idiots, Asphalt Legends 9, Mullet Mad Jack, Star Trucker, racing sim updates Nate: Night Runners Prologue, 20 Small Mazes, Sheepy …
Show notes
We slay a major white whale.
- Pauly: Future Racer 2000/Silkbulb Test, Chess for Idiots, Asphalt Legends 9, Mullet Mad Jack, Star Trucker, racing sim updates
- Nate: Night Runners Prologue, 20 Small Mazes, Sheepy: A Short Adventure, Exophobia, NASCAR Heat 4 (bad), Exit 8, The Thaumaturge
- Craig: Cuccchi, Super Mario Maker 2, Super Mario Brothers Wonder, God of War Ragnarök: Valhalla, Red Dead Redemption 2
Balatro: Solitaire-y Runs 🃏
We are gripped by poker-solitaire fever. Playing Balatro is Like Being Elon Musk on Ketamine
VR DJing, racing sims, Persona 5, Jett: The Far Shore, Foam Stars — Pixel Array III
The gang's all here! We cover racing sims, VR DJing, visual novels, aspirational Unity jank, and splatterfests. Automobilista 2, Assetto Corsa, Hotshot Racing, Vampire Survivors, Windy Meadow - a Roadwarden …
Show notes
The gang's all here! We cover racing sims, VR DJing, visual novels, aspirational Unity jank, and splatterfests.
Automobilista 2, Assetto Corsa, Hotshot Racing, Vampire Survivors, Windy Meadow - a Roadwarden Tale, Slay the Princess, Jett: The Far Shore + Given Time, Foam Stars, Persona 5, virtual reality DJing feat. Vinyl Reality and Tribe XR, Killer Frequency
The Talos Principle 2: Megastructures and Philosophy
We regale in deep philosophy and fantastic Yugoslav architecture.
Forza Motorsport: Criticism Chicane
We aim to hit the best line of loving Forza without comparing to Gran Turismo, but end up off-track.
Pixel Array II (ft. Playdate & 2023 GOTYs)
A celebration of the Playdate, as well as some retrospectives on 2023. We take a new approach to reviewing the year, with 6 categories of highlights and a look to the year ahead. Some of what we mentioned …
Show notes
A celebration of the Playdate, as well as some retrospectives on 2023.
We take a new approach to reviewing the year, with 6 categories of highlights and a look to the year ahead. Some of what we mentioned: Saturday Edition, Crankin's Time Travel Adventure, Forza Motorsport, Talos Principle 2, Chants of Sennaar, Marvel's Spider-Man 2, Tinykin, Super Mario Brothers Wonder, Jusant, Red Dead Redemption 2, Cities Skylines 2, and Baldur's Gate 3.
Alan Wake 2: Postmodernism 101
We attempt to fit Alan Wake 2 in the Alan-Wake-2-shaped-hole in Nate's heart labeled "POSTMODERN MEDIA THEORY".
Dead Space Remake: Glen Schofield's Delight & Despair (ft. The Callisto Protocol)
We remove all the limbs, and are not triggered by any of it. In a bonus segment, we also fail to escape prison.
Oxenfree II: Confused about Parentage
We visit Mortimer Goth's digs while creating a gorgeous but confusing [Loading...] bridge to the undead and time-warped.
These are the latest 40 of 109 episodes. You’ll find older episodes in the podcast’s feed.
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