Unarchived (Season 3, Episode 3)

with Jason Boyd (Host), Jeremy Andriano, Kevin Ghouchandra, Chelsea Russell Broadcast Date: 24 November, 2024 Writer: Jason Boyd Producer; Jeremy Andriano In this episode, the panel discusses Don’t Starve, Klei [rhymes with ‘play’] Entertainment’s quirky contribution to the survival game genre, first released in 2013. The game is an open-ended experience with a narrative arc and setting that has been developed in the years since its release through a variety of paratextual elements and game expansions. This evolving narrative arc, coupled with the game’s roguelike repetitions and open setting, provide a great “touchstone” for exploring emergent, play-driven storytelling in games, … Continue reading Unarchived (Season 3, Episode 3)

Venba

https://venbagame.com/ Entry by Leila Kazeminejad A. BASIC INFORMATION Creator(s): Visai Studios Abhijeeth (Abhi) Swaminathan (Lead Programmer, Designer, Writer) Shahrin Khan (Producer and Writer) Tatsuya Morita-Ahad (Programmer) Sam Elkana (Art Director) Rae Minos (Gameplay Artist) Danik Tomyn (VFX Artist) Nathan Pilla (UX Designer) Jason Roy (Character Designer) Cecile Richard (Logo Designer) Divya Vivekanandan (Recipe Designer and Food Consultant) Sashi Lavanya Appavuraj (Food Consultant) Vignes Ravi (Food Consultant) Alpha Something (Music Composer) Neha Patel (Sound Designer) Lynn Alexandria Morgan (QA Lead) Jace Hijazi (QA Lead) Creation technology: Unity Publisher: Visai Games Date of original release: 31 July 2023 ESRB Rating: T (Teen) … Continue reading Venba

Unarchived (Season 3, Episode 1)

with Jason Boyd (Host), Patrick R. Dolan, and Tanya Pobuda (special surprise cameo by Elio the Cat) Broadcast date: September 23, 2024 Writer: Jason Boyd Producer: Jeremy Andriano Myst is a first-person, point-and-click graphic exploration/adventure game with mystery and puzzle-solving elements designed by brothers Rand and Robyn Miller. It was originally released for the Macintosh in 1993, and was distributed on CD-ROM. Myst was marketed with the tagline, “The surrealistic adventure that will become your world.” It created a sensation when it was released in 1993, and went on to become the best selling PC game until surpassed by The … Continue reading Unarchived (Season 3, Episode 1)

Gone Home

https://gonehome.com/ Entry by Kevin Ghouchandra A. BASIC INFORMATION Creators: The Fullbright Company (https://fullbrig.ht/) Steve Gaynor (Design, Writing) Johnnemann Nordhagen (Programming) Karla Zimonja (Art) Kate Craig (Art) Emily Caroll (Art) Chris Remo (Composition) Creation technology: Unity Publisher: The Fullbright Company and Majesco Entertainment (PlayStation 4/Xbox One), Annapurna Interactive (Nintendo Switch/iOS) Date of original release: 15 August 2013 (Linux, Windows, OS X) Platforms: Linux, Windows, OS X, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, iOS, Google Play Version used for entry: Nintendo Switch Ver 1.0.4 Peripherals required: Speakers/ Headphones Rating: ESRB Mature 17+ Awards/Distinctions: Independent Games Festival 2013: Excellence in Narrative British Academy Games … Continue reading Gone Home

Unarchived (Season 2, Episode 7)

with Jason Boyd (Host), Jeremy Andriano, Patrick R. Dolan, Kevin Ghouchandra, and Chelsea Russell Broadcast date: July 15, 2024 Writer: Jason Boyd Producer: Patrick R. Dolan Time Index Introduction (0:00:00) Part One: Might and Delight, Indie Developers/Games (0:10:25) Crowdfunding (0:25:12) Early Access (0:37:53) Studying Early Access Games (0:47:50) Discussion of Book of Travels‘ Character Creation (1:00:37); Questlines (1:03:26); Day/Night Cycle (1:06:21); Player Interaction/TMORPG (1:09:55); Permadeath (1:16:55) Part Four: Aesthetics and Affects in Book of Travels (1:22:16) Gameplay (1:30:05) Narrative Design (1:36:50) Slow Gaming (1:56:36) The Risks of Innovation (2:05:35) Conclusion (2:11:35) Might and Delight’s Book of Travels (2021-) deliberately challenges … Continue reading Unarchived (Season 2, Episode 7)

Unarchived (Season 2, Episode 6)

with Kevin Ghouchandra (Host), Patrick R. Dolan, and Alex Hurezeanu Broadcast date: March 19, 2024 Writer: Kevin Ghouchandra Producer: Jeremy Andriano Shadow of the Colossus (2005; remade in 2018) is often cited as a seminal game that has gone on to influence many, many others. The quiet, picturesque landscape of the Forbidden Lands is the backdrop for the cruelty, loneliness, and death that pervades Wander’s journey as they locate and destroy the colossi, sixteen massive beings spread across the land. Join members of the Unarchived podcast team as they explore how a simple game premise provides so much depth.  All … Continue reading Unarchived (Season 2, Episode 6)

Unarchived (Season 2, Episode 3)

Death Stranding (Kojima Productions) with Patrick R. Dolan (Host), Jeremy Andriano, Jason Boyd, and Alexander Hurezeanu Broadcast date: November 21, 2023 Writer: Patrick R. Dolan Producer: Patrick R. Dolan As the weather gets colder, join Patrick, Alexander, Jeremy, and Jason as they trudge through the windy mountains of Hideo Kojima’s latest title, Death Stranding, its unique gameplay, perplexing story, and the aesthetics of its auteur developer. All audio clips in the podcast quoted from Death Stranding. Sources and Resources: Abe, Kobo. “Nawa” (“The Rope”). Translated by Tim Rogers. Medium, 1 Nov. 2019. https://medium.com/@108/nawa-the-rope-by-kobo-abe-19db9afa6dd3 Calandra, Nick. “Death Stranding Is Now One … Continue reading Unarchived (Season 2, Episode 3)

Unarchived (Season 2, Episode 2)

Revisiting Resident Evil: Resident Evil (2002) (Capcom) with Noah Pedinelli (Host), Julia Froio, and Alex Hurezeanu Broadcast date: October 24, 2023 Writer: Noah Pedinelli Producer: Jeremy Andriano Capcom’s Resident Evil series is one of the most popular and beloved horror franchises in contemporary popular culture. In the 2002 remake of the first game, players take control of Jill Valentine and Chris Redfield in order to uncover the terrifying mysteries of the Spencer Mansion. The original Resident Evil established the survival horror genre and the series’ subsequent remakes continue to shape and define the genre today. All audio clips in the … Continue reading Unarchived (Season 2, Episode 2)

Unarchived (Season 2, Episode 1)

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Nintendo) with Taryn Rollins (Host), Patrick Dolan, Alex Hurezaneau and Chelsea Russell Broadcast date: September 12, 2023 Writer: Taryn Rollins Producer: Patrick Dolan In Nintendo’s 2017 The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, the player controls an amnesia-inflicted Link in an expansive and beautifully designed open-world conceptualization of Hyrule. The Zelda universe’s narrative power resides in its world-design and exploration-driven story. As with other Zelda games, Breath of the Wild utilises flashbacks to tell the story of the past. However, unlike the other games, in Breath of the Wild the player … Continue reading Unarchived (Season 2, Episode 1)

Hades

http://www.supergiantgames.com/games/hades/ Entry by Kevin Ghouchandra A. BASIC INFORMATION Creators: Amir Rao (Design) Gavin Simon (Engineering and Design) Greg Kasavin (Design and Writing) Andrew Wang (Engineering) Darren Korb (Music and Sound) Jen Zee (Art) Josh Barnett (UI and Visual FX) Creation technology: Microsoft XNA Publisher: Supergiant Games Date of original release: September, 17th 2020 (Epic Games Store, Nintendo Switch, Steam) Platforms: PC, Mac, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, PlayStation 4, Playstation 5 Version used for entry: Nintendo Switch Ver 1.0.38233 Peripherals required: Speakers/Headphones Rating: ESRB T (Teen) Awards/Distinctions: Golden Joystick Awards 2020: Best Indie Game, Critic’s Choice The Game … Continue reading Hades