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Side Story: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Friends at the Table
Side Story is a bi-weekly podcast about games and the stories we tell about them, presented by Friends at the Table and supported by our patrons at friendsatthetable.cash.
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The most recent episodes — sign up to get AI-powered summaries of each one.
- 1 weeks ago1h 19m
31: Putting the Player in the Kiln
We talk about friction a lot here on Side Story. Friction as difficulty. Friction as texture. Friction as erotics. But today, as the gem slides onto the lathe, as the clay spins around the wheel, as the brush strokes across the long arm, we talk about friction-as-friction, literally. But I mean, yes, we also talk about it as all that other stuff. Of course. Who do you think we are? Show Notes Chapters 00:00 Introduction 03:17 Lapidary 31:43 Master of Pottery 58:29 Meccha Chameleon
- 3 weeks ago1h 34m
30: A Game About Shitheads
Gather up your ore nuggets, bind quicksave to an easy to reach button, and prepare to be killed in one hit by a level 1 mole creature because this week, Jack and Austin descend into the Khorinis mines and the magically-sealed penal colony within, delving for the first time into the renowned Gothic series via the newly released Gothic 1 Remake. Support us on Patreon! Show Notes The Lost Art of Collectivist RPGs by Crocodile Gambit Sin Vega's Gothic 1 Remake Review https://xetoxyc.github.io/gothic-remake-lockpicker/ Go check out the Special Edition 10th Anniverary Marielda Vinyl Album! Featuring Jack de Quidt and Austin Walker Produced by Ali Acampora Cover Art by A Liang Chan Music by Jack de Quidt
- Jun 23, 20261h 2m
29: The Ship Is Like a Piano to Me
Go check out the Special Edition 10th Anniverary Marielda Vinyl Album! Begin. Motion. D4. Nav 3 R4; gather all. D4. D3. Nav 1 R3; Motion. D5. Nav 3 R5. Interface. Scan. Defense. D6. Nav 3 R6; Gather All. Fuck. Defense. Nav 1 D6; Tow. Nav all R1. Exit. Chapters 00:00 Marielda Vinyl Announcemnet 01:33 Intro 05:09 Today's Topic: Duskers 18:43 Introversion's Uplink 22:35 Duskers: When Things Go Bad 43:18 For All Mankind 46:28 Space Horror 51:10 Reentry - A Space Flight Simulator 53:01 Duskers Final Thoughts Support us on Patreon! Featuring Sylvi Bullet and Jack de Quidt Produced by Austin Walker Cover Art by A Liang Chan Music by Jack de Quidt
- Jun 9, 20261h 33m
28: The Abstraction Gap
We've all been there. You sit down and break the seal on a new pack of cards, you smell the new card smell, you deal out a starter hand of Solitaire -- and then it dawns on you: you accidentally bought evil cards again! This keeps happening! Today, Jack and Austin sit down to talk about evil card games and discuss Forbidden Solitaire and Black Jacket. Support us on Patreon! Featuring Jack de Quidt and Austin Walker Produced by Ali Acampora Cover Art by A Liang Chan Music by Jack de Quidt Chapters 00:00 Introduction 05:06 An Introduction to Evil Games 15:00 Forbidden Solitaire 38:20 Black Jacket
- May 26, 20261h 49m
27: The Machine Needs the Blood
Stop. Take a breath. Make the decision: Which Pokémon would you choose as your roommate. Could Voltorb help you keep the electricity bill down? Would Houndoom make you feel safe at night? Might you let Sinistcha make you its delicious Matcha Gotcha even though it is, somehow, the matcha in question? Today, Ali and Janine take you on a tour of Pokopia, and at least one of them will reveal their answer to this question. Any guesses? 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 Chapters 00:00 Introduction 01:21 Pokopia Intro 05:28 Basics: Interacting, Building, Exploring 29:22 Building Philosophies 34:54 Pokemon Roommate Choices 01:10:26 A Game Built For Building 01:18:59 Entering the Spoiler Zone 01:36:33 Re: The Social Media Response
- May 12, 20261h 21m
26: The Juice Is in the Ambiguity
With spring turning into summer, Art, Jack, and Austin have found that it's time to once again drink the Potion of Liking Baseball. Well, no, it's not that broad: It's the Potion of Liking the Weird Ludic Corners of Ambiguity at the Heart of Officiating, Especially With Regard to the Use of Automated and Mechanical Tools, As in the MLB's Newly Arrived Automated Ball-Strike System. But that's unfortunately a little too long for an episode title. Show Notes The First Instant Replay Jerar Encarnacion challenge mentioned at 38:00 Minutes Cam Smith Challenge mentioned at 38:30 Watch Jack, Austin, and Sylvi Play Thomas Colthurst's 2025 Game Pt.1 Media Club Plus Soprano's Screenshot Stream Late Pledges Still Available for Realis Chapters 00:00 Introduction 05:07 How Is the Baseball Going 12:59 Wait, What Is Baseball? 22:57 The Instant Replay World 31:41 ABS: The Automated Ball-Strike System 42:10 The Referee Is Part of the Pitch 54:58 Why Is Baseball Like This? 59:53 The Spectator Experience of ABS 01:04:20 Instant Replay and Referee Bias in Video Games Featuring Austin Walker, Art Martinez-Tebbel, and Jack de Quidt, Produced by Austin Walker Cover Art by A Liang Chan Music by Jack de Quidt
- Apr 28, 20261h 47m
25: Submerged in Fish Medication
Have you heard the news? There's a new Postman in town, and a new Fairie Queen in the court. I hear the Postman keeps bringing her big palettes of wood, and she's using it to build some sort of cat tower. I hear she's sending her entourage to business school, and he's got to carry her letters of recommendation. I hear war is coming, but don't worry, we're safe here on our island court in the fog. I hear we'll always be safe here. Side Story only exists because of support from listeners like you. Go to friendsatthetable.cash to support us! Show Notes Realis Kickstarter Blood Machine's Bluesky Post which first clued us into Island Off Outer Darkness Austin's Realis Interview Roundup | Clockwork Worlds Chapters 00:00 Introduction 10:23 Island Off Outer Darkness 01:19:34 Titanium Court Featuring Austin Walker, Keith Carberry, and Jack de Quidt, Produced by Austin Walker Cover Art by A Liang Chan Music by Jack de Quidt
- Apr 14, 20262h 0m
24: A Key Part of the Gloop
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. Support us on Patreon! 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
About Side Story
Side Story is a bi-weekly podcast about games and the stories we tell about them, presented by Friends at the Table and supported by our patrons at friendsatthetable.cash.
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