Episodios

  • Best of Roguelike Music - 2025 Summer Music Fest

    Best of Roguelike Music - 2025 Summer Music Fest
    Jul 18 2025
    Jammin! Summer jammin, that is. Our mid-year summer break featuring the best of roguelike and roguelite music returns featuring some really old games and some really big budget scores. Featuring artists ranging from Makeup & Vanity Set, Noisestorm, Mili, OC Remixers, and shirtless indie devs weilding spears and axes, you have 2 hours of solid roguelike tunes to blast on the UE4 rendered crab rave beach. We’ll turn the clocks backward (as well as our baseball hats) and revisit some certified classics while also shredding and shedding some light on some lesser known titles. A talking-free version of all the tracks featured today can be found on our youtube playlist here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-ShOmyMvd4iiH7UO17MilF87AkzdDG2a Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 00:00 - Azure Dreams GBC - Title Theme 05:09 - Cave Noire - Combat Dungeon 11:27 - Toejam & Earl - Toejam Jammin’ 19:20 - Fatal Labyrinth - Floors 1-9 24:36 - Tangledeep - Mysteries of Time 32:50 - Moonring - Angels 40:00 - UnReal World - Outro Theme 48:49 - Noita - Beat of the Kosmos 53:40 - Diablo - Tristram 1:05:40 - Shogun Showdown - Hibiku Wastelands 1:11:25 - AK-xolotl - Sakura Pink Inferno 1:15:27 - Quasimorph - Storm of the Formorians 1:21:05 - Roboquest - Metal Hero 1:26:23 - Crypt of the Necrodancer - Mausoleum Mash 1:31:42 - Brigador - Solo Nobre Must Fall 1:38:13 - Synthetik - Hypernoma 1:44:37 - Crab Champions - Ace 1:48:55 - Library of Ruina - String Theocracy 1:56:00 - Slay the Spire - Battle with the Champ 2:05:00 - Show wind down and next episode preview mystery track! Next episode: Clues in the final outro song for this! Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone
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  • Vellum

    Vellum
    Jul 2 2025
    The pen is mightier than the sword! This week we crack open that new book smell with a first edition copy of Vellum: the third-person literary hack-and-slash game. We navigate the maze-like stacks, pet some colorful wolf friends, and talk about how many puns is TOO many for understanding a game properly. Don’t be quick to judge a book by it’s steam store page! There’s plenty of spells and quills and swords, but remember: A game a lone a last a loved a long the- Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 1:22 - game stats 2:50 - one sentence description 6:47 - Hub world complexity and literary theming commitment 12:37 - Overly complex terminology and ability descriptions 19:04 - Enemy design and literary theme implementation 25:33 - “One more run” phenomenon and replay motivation 29:17 - Positive aspects including UI and visual effects 33:00 - Inscription system and meta progression mechanics 38:26 - Vignette encounters and their effectiveness debate 42:54 - Tome selection system and special level rules 48:07 - Progression gating and attunement level complaints 55:39 - End game content and endless mode discussion 1:01:29 - Boss strategy discovery and magical lamp exploit 1:14:13 - rankings and final thoughts 1:22:08 - similar games 1:24:50 - listener correspondence: does the GROGPOD need a public discord channel? Next episode: 2025 Summer Music Fest Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: My Little Brown Book - Duke Ellington, John Coltrane Outro music: Vellum OST - Boss Battle
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  • Spiritfall

    Spiritfall
    Jun 20 2025
    Dat ain’t Falco! This week we wavedash into Spiritfall: the platformer beat-em-up with strong influence from the Super Smash Brothers series as well as Hades. The Blight has taken over the lands and your mysterious animal gods have tasked you, the Omenforged, to beat them back. With an array of weapons ranging from an axe-hammer to a scythe that transforms into a baseball bat, join us as we down-smash, L-cancel, and neutral-air our way across deserts, jungles, frozen wastelands, and all the way up to the source of the Blight itself! No Johns in this episode, we promise. Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 2:04 - game stats 3:16 - one sentence description 5:57 Story Overview 8:58 Controls & Tutorial Complexity 12:46 Smash Bros Experience & Wave Dashing 18:10 Combat Mechanics & Arena Types 25:44 Generic Terminology & Art Style 32:38 Comparison to Dead Cells & Boss Fights 39:31 Map Navigation & Decision Making 50:39 Story Completion & Meta Progression 57:28 Hypothetical Smash Bros Crossover 1:22:39 - rankings and final thoughts 1:34:52 - similar games Next episode: Vellum (for real this time) Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Charles Mingus - Mood Indigo Outro music: Spiritfall OST - The Frigid Veil
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  • Blue Prince

    Blue Prince
    Jun 4 2025
    Day 967… This week we unlock the enigmatic puzzle adventure / drunken architect simulator Blue Prince! Your wealthy great uncle has left you his strange estate for you to claim as your own, only if you can unravel the mysteries that lie within. I see a black cat with a red flag… pawns among bishops… ChatGPT solving wild word puzzles… IQ bending logical mysteries and more! Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 1:04 - game stats 2:33 - one sentence description 4:07 - Spoiler-Free Initial Impressions 9:00 - Multi-Brain Gaming & Spoiler Transition 10:37 - Puzzle Spoilers & Game Mechanics 16:11 - Story Setup & Opening Cinematics 22:13 - Room Drawing Mechanics & RNG 29:05 - Foundation Room & Basement Mechanics 34:13 - Puzzle Solutions & External Help 40:43 - Digital Journal Critique & Comparison to Other Games 50:35 - Board Game vs Video Game Format 55:27 - Specific Gameplay Elements 1:03:02 - Game Design Analysis & Improvements 1:20:26 - listener letter on game pricing 1:29:00 - rankings and final thoughts 1:41:26 - similar games Next episode: Spiritfall (due to last second schedule change after the recording) Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Dave Brubeck Quartet - Someday My Prince Will Come Outro music: Trigg & Gusset - Bequest
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  • Forty-Five / Buckshot Roulette

    Forty-Five / Buckshot Roulette
    May 21 2025
    Draw! This week we go akimbo with two high-caliber games between the college project wild west themed deckbuilding hit Forty-Five and an Estonian Eurotrance solo dev effort in Buckshot Roulette! We’ll spin the barrel on what makes a free game good, if board games are roguelites (because what isn’t at this rate?) and whether or not we fired six shots, or only five. Are you feeling lucky enough to go double or nothing? Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 1:38 - Forty-Five game stats 4:46 - Forty-Five in one sentence 5:40 - Forty-Five general discussion 8:22 - Developer Critique & Student Project Context 10:37 - Visual Design & Art Style Discussion 20:20 - Core Cylinder Mechanic Explanation 24:24 - UI Issues & Game Feel Problems 31:01 - Bullet Combinations & Game Potential 34:17 - Western Theme & Story Elements 39:30 - Buckshot Roulette Introduction & Sales Success 47:42 - Buckshot Mechanics & Atmosphere 52:56 - Single Player vs Multiplayer Experience 1:00:11 - Board Game Comparison Discussion 1:08:29 - Game Ratings & Reviews 1:17:56 - Similar Games Recommendations 1:21:38 - Next Episode Teaser & Blueprints Preview Next episode: Blue Prince Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Mark Lewis - Ghost of a Chance Outro music: Mike Klubnika - General Release
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  • Path of Achra

    Path of Achra
    May 7 2025
    O, glorious roguelikes! Listener request week returns with a recent hit in the traditional rogue sphere: Path of Achra. A Bronze-Age, Zoroastrian-inspired synergy simulator of brutal combat and Conan-like mythological flavor, Path of Achra brings us a menagerie of unique themes and playstyles ranging from dancing swordsmen, to telporting dreamer mages, to giant stone tank warriors, and of course: brutal naked apes. Escape the rising tides to The Obelisk and seek the stars, O Pilgrim! Struggler of the trench of slaughter. Praise Humbaba! Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 1:45 - game stats 2:32 - one sentence description from the community 5:08 - Game mechanics explanation: turn-based grid combat system 8:38 - Tab key automation and streamlined controls discussion 14:06 - Spell synergy systems and trigger mechanics comparison 19:02 - Music and atmospheric soundtrack appreciation 23:28 - Developer background and sequel development plans 28:05 - Story fragments and world-building elements 32:14 - Difficulty cycles and progression scaling systems 38:49 - Path selection and arena design mechanics 47:26 - Character creation: cultures, classes, and religions 59:01 - Event log issues and quality of life concerns 1:04:28 - Arena design limitations and movement mechanics 1:13:51 - Slay the Spire comparisons and boss fight critiques 1:17:56 - Final ratings discussion begins 1:27:50 - similar games 1:31:13 - Podcast wrap-up and next episode preview Next episode: Forty-Five Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Theo Croker - Imperishable Star Outro music: Path of Achra OST
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  • Reignbreaker

    Reignbreaker
    Apr 23 2025
    Can you imagine a dystopian world where overlords are oppressing you through communication networks? Where your friends skitter in the shadows to sell you trinkets and spikes erupt through the floor to maim you? We’re talking Reignbreaker this week, not your average trip downtown in 2025. The recently released Hades-inspired action game puts you in control of muscle mommy Clef as she seeks to break the reign of the Queen of Keys. An interesting blend of javelin throwing, fist punching mayhem, join us as we each try as strained of a Cockney accent we can muster and free our dear rat friends. Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 1:10 - game stats 3:25 - one sentence description 5:47 - Developer studio closure and unfinished game discussion 8:20 - Voice acting quality critique and comparison issues 15:12 - Game feels unfinished despite potential quality elements 19:08 - Bold aesthetic choices and punk theme discussion 24:21 - Character design and muscle mommy protagonist analysis 29:28 - our story begins 32:16 - Development team size surprise 40:25 - Combat mechanics comparison to Hades gameplay differences 48:43 - Enemy variety limitations and single biome problem 56:25 - Dungeon crawl elements versus arena-based combat design 1:00:45 - Story issues and final boss disappointment 1:08:03 - “So bad it’s good” games discussion 1:10:55 - rankings and final thoughts 1:17:54 - similar games 1:21:23 - Next episode preview: Path of Achra listener request Next episode: Path of Achra Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Pat Metheny - Calvin’s Keys Outro music: Djerv - Reignbreaker
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  • Cube Chaos

    Cube Chaos
    Apr 9 2025
    Ordo ab Cubo! It’s a mad, mad, mad, mad world out there so what better way to celebrate than with Cube Chaos? The solo-dev effort of thousands of different units, synergies, and mayhem all warring in a hybrid RTS auto-battler filled with arena destruction, lasers, ants, stomach acid, warrior plants, snow knights, and yes repli-crabs. A truly unique experience, come listen to how its maybe was TOO unique for some of us, while the others frantically battle waves of clay anomalies and curious moils! Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 1:23 - game stats 2:14 - one sentence description 5:44 - Cognitive load comparison to previous episode Daisomancer 8:08 - Steam Deck performance and Java runtime discussion 12:18 - Synergy mechanics and verbosity versus cognitive complexity 23:20 - our story begins… actually what IS this game? 28:01 - Different playstyles and time scaling strategies discussion 32:25 - Character classes and species combinations variety 38:32 - Art style critique and charming pixel aesthetics 50:09 - Story absence and lack of thematic elements 55:40 - AI-generated art improvement suggestions and visual discussion 1:07:16 - Boss fights and music quality feedback 1:11:20 - Community feedback and player experiences sharing 1:15:16 - rankings and final thoughts 1:25:32 - similar games 1:28:19 - listener letter and listener request week! Next episode: Reignbreaker Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Dave Brubeck - Autumn in Washington Square Outro music: Cube Chaos OST
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