Episode 435: The Most Liminal You Can Be Is a Flume

The Crate and Crowbar

Jamie and Marsh reel from Microsoft’s latest layoffs, mismanage time in Hades 2, paddle in the uncanny, chlorinated waters of Pools, devour the bite-sized city-building triumphs of Against the Storm, and indulge their flaws in The Thaumaturge.

• The last lay offs of 2024. Thankfully there won’t be any more of those! Phew!!
• Nathan Brown’s Hit Points newsletter which I incorrectly namechecked as Bullet Points. Look, there are only so many pithy game-related analogies to go around, ok?
• Hades 2, the much anticipated ARPG sequel – perhaps not ideal for the time-poor?
• Destiny 2 is unintelligible at this point, but the guns still go bang.
• Animal Well is a pixelart indie Metroidvania with notes of Fez and Cocoon.
• Knytt and Within a Deep Forest are two excellent pixelart indie Metroidvania’s from yesteryear. You can find them in Nifflas’s archive here.
• POOLS is about vibing in weird swimming pools.
• Dreamcore is about vibing in weird swimming pools, and then being jump-scared.
• Against the Storm is a city-builder for people who don’t have the mental capacity for city-builders.
• The Thaumaturge could be the best 7/10 RPG of the year. Terrific character.
• The Royal Mob – Jamie’s TV show about orgies and dying of exposure.
• Judas is a roguelike shooter from Ken Levine’s studio, Ghost Story Games.

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Our intro music is by The Mandibles from their track Clambake. Many of the band members now tour as Count Bobo And The Bullion.