Describing The Skybox

Describing The Skybox
  • 4.4 (14)
  • Video Games
  • Updated Weekly

WELCOME TO DESCRIBING THE SKYBOX! We are a fortnightly, book club-styled podcast in which we attempt to go in-depth on an individual video game and figure out what makes it unique. Episodes are around an hour to an hour and a half long and primarily feature free form discussion on themes and mechanics present in each episode’s titular game. Bear in mind that we are not reviewers, so as far as we critique the games at hand, our intent is not to convince you to play any particular work. SPOILER WARNING: Given the depth at which we intend to cover the games in question, those which feature a story, plot, mechanical surprises, fun moments you may not have heard about or otherwise will be fully discussed, likely at length. Given this, it is advised that you go into each episode with the understanding that these elements will most likely be spoiled. If you are sensitive to that sort of thing, we recommend that you either play the game before listening to the podcast, or skip the episode altogether. (Though the latter option would make us all very sad!)

  1. 20h ago

    One Year of Describing the Skybox - The Worst Guys

    Is “Describing the Skybox Day” too wordy of a name? Do we have to give up before being declared a national holiday, despite ten very successful years? Maybe, just maybe, we could keep the old name? The annual celebration of one’s self, or in this case one’s niche video game podcast enterprise, is core to what makes us human, or podcast. The bloopers episode went away last year, and I’m sure to some, this was an omen that maybe under a new name, the podcast would begin to take itself too seriously. I mean, we’re closing in on two hundred whole subscribers, that’s basically the big time. We recognized that error and want to show to you that we are committed to honoring past traditions, invoking nostalgia. A throwback. Maybe we try out the old name again, just to see how it feels. I am trying to sell you on this because upon listening back, I realized I did accidentally say “Happy NOCLIP Day” in the introduction to this episode. Thank you for joining us for another year of podcasts, and I hope this blooper reel can remind you to keep your expectations comfortably low so we can continue just covering the games we want, whether they happen to be some of the largest games of the year or single-developer projects. And if you have any suggestions for us to check out, we love talking to everyone over on our Discord, so come check it out. I have also posted an article talking about the best games I played this year, on or off the podcast, which you can check out along with my Top 100 games here (https://describingtheskybox.com/top100). As always, thank you so much for listening, and we’ll be back next week with an episode on Alisa!

    One Year of Describing the Skybox - The Worst Guys

  2. Sep 26

    Episode 22 - Toilet Flap Maneuver - Demon's Souls

    Soul of the host, withdrawn from its podcast. Welcome back to Describing the Skybox! Today, and honestly, a bit on a whim, we’re going to be talking about Demon’s Souls! Demon’s Souls has been out for a very long time, and the impact it has made on modern games is obvious, but there is still something fascinating about a game that went from the lesser-talked about older brother of Dark Souls to the big budget remake system seller title. Demon’s Souls is an experimental game, and one that forces the player to be deliberate with their actions. Much less reflex intensive than later titles in the genre, many of the areas and bosses have specific, puzzle-like solutions that ask you to bring certain items or to vary your approach in one way or another, and while it strays from the larger Souls philosophy that says playing well enough can overcome any disadvantage, it has a different kind of charm that will still remind you of your first time through Dark Souls. My larger point here is that if you are someone who was introduced to the series through a later game, I would encourage you to give Demon’s Souls a chance, or another chance if you, like me, tried it (twice!) before and bounced off of it. The frustrating elements of the game, of which there are a few, still help put the whole series in context and further highlight the really innovative things this game did. We’re going to be talking about how impressive this design was in its original context, the perception (and reality) of the “gimmicky” design of the bosses, and how we really love Valley of Defilement. Thank you for joining us this week! Having just played this game through for the first time, we decided to slot this in before Halloween while it was still fresh. Now is the game fresh for everyone? No, it came out in 2009, but that’s basically to be expected from us I guess. Still, this is one of those games that might require a few attempts before you really get into it, but once you do it has a way of making you really fall in love with it. Were you able to get into it on your first time through? Did you come back to it after playing other games in the series? Let us know in the comments or over on our Discord! Next time, we’re going to be talking about Alisa to kick off Halloween, so we hope you’ll join us then!

    Episode 22 - Toilet Flap Maneuver - Demon's Souls

  3. Sep 12

    Episode 21 - A Chef Dances Out - Indika

    Does a podcast have a soul? Welcome back to Describing the Skybox! Today, we’re going to be talking about Indika, a (mostly) 3D adventure game in which you play as a nun with the devil on her shoulder. Describing Indika in typical genre terms is maybe not extremely descriptive, suffice to say that if you like experimental narrative-focused games, you will likely get along with Indika pretty well. Not to say that it doesn’t have mechanics, you just do a lot of different things as you move through the story. Indika (the game) really lives fast and dies young taking you through a whirlwind of different puzzles, platforming, chase sequences, minigames, vehicle…segments…kind of, and then ending in under five hours. This makes it a great one to two sitting type of game that leaves you with a lot to digest. Without getting into spoilers, the story focuses a lot faith, power structures, whether the choices we make are really ours, lighthearted stuff, mostly, and treated in a serious manner while still maintaining a sharp sense of humor. Certainly not for everyone, but Indika makes a lot of bold choices and does so while still being competently made and engaging. We’re going to be talking about why the medium of games is so integral to the story this game is trying to tell, the slow unravelling of the world and characters, and we let slip a major spoiler that will leave any third graders in the audience devastated. Thank you for joining us again this week! In the overall scheme of how we decide games to play, sometimes we’ll just put a game on the list because we wanted to try it and didn’t have time otherwise. Sometimes this ends up being just okay, but I am very happy with how this game turned out. Did you play the game, and if so, did it work for you? If you didn’t play the game but listened to the episode were you like “giant tuna cans? What?” Let us know in the comments or over on our Discord! Next time, we’re going to be talking about Demon’s Souls, which feels kind of overdue but better late than never. We hope you’ll join us then!

    Episode 21 - A Chef Dances Out - Indika

  4. Aug 26

    Episode 20 - Betrayed by George Lucas - Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

    A Podcast is a friend who will welcome you home. Welcome back to the podcast! Today, after an admittedly long wait, we’re finally talking about Expedition 33, the turn based RPG from an Ubisoft ex-pat that took the world by storm at its release. A game with both a narrative focus, and the mechanical hook of being able to dodge and parry in a turn based game, it manages to reach across the aisle, presuming both sides of that aisle contain fans of single player RPG campaigns. Not to say the game isn’t successful at what it does and I can imagine this bringing people into the fold who were enticed to try it out due to the hype. However, in our experience this one takes a little while to get going, and maybe finishes a little too quickly to get the most out of its systems and even its story. That being said, the narrative strengths are a lot of what its reputation was built on, and it contains a lot of strong concepts, performances, and good character writing which do elevate it beyond what you would typically see. We’re going to be talking about defensive options as they apply to a turn based RPG, the major narrative events of the game and our feelings on them, and we make profound revelations about love that will change your life. Thank you for joining us again this week (and for waiting as long as it took us to finish this one)! This game was sort of forced onto our list by the insane response to it, which, is understandable given just how big it was and all the awards it won, etc., but even so we’re probably pretty far beyond the zeitgeist talking about it a year later. Still, it does have a lot of interesting things going on, and is also notable for the team that made it, so it does feel like an important game in context. Did you play the game when it came out, were you swayed by the hype surrounding it? Let us know in the comments or over on our Discord server! Next time, we’re going to be talking about Indika, so we hope you’ll join us for that.

    Episode 20 - Betrayed by George Lucas - Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

  5. Jul 19

    Episode 19 - Scrappy and Independent - Perfect Tides: Station to Station

    It’s a sacred podcasting ritual, like pissing in the same spot. Welcome back to the Describing the Skybox podcast! Today, we’re looking at a sequel to one of our most surprisingly liked games from a few years ago. Perfect Tides: Station to Station is a narrative adventure game and direct sequel to Perfect Tides which focuses on the same protagonist, Mara Whitefish, just a few years older as she enters college. The character writing that was at the center of our enjoyment of the first game is in full force again here, Mara’s maturation is apparent and feels very natural. She feels very much like the same character growing up in a very realistic way. Her issues are still at the forefront of the game, dealing with the stress of college work, but with a big focus on her romantic and social life. The character writing takes center stage here and is the reason you will want to continue playing the game. The mechanical side of things is much lighter this time around, with the point and click adventure game mechanics mostly removed entirely, your interaction is much lighter now focusing around talking to people, gathering information, and writing papers using a simple two-topic system that ultimately doesn’t seem to have much impact on the overall experience. Still, you just sort of have to trust me when I say that doesn’t matter too much if the narrative parts of the game are what you’re here for, which you should be. We’re going to be talking about the very human way characters are written, the game’s themes of love, art and self, and when someone gets a new pet that is the same as their old pet. Thank you for joining us again this week! Or, not joining us, based on the statistics from the last time we talked about Perfect Tides. I am a big sucker for these games, though, so we’re talking about them and if you do happen to check it out, let us know in the comments or over on our Discord! Next time, we’re going to be talking about Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, which statistically you probably have played, so we hope you’ll join us for that!

    Episode 19 - Scrappy and Independent - Perfect Tides: Station to Station

  6. Jun 27

    Episode 18 - Second Level Pants - Donkey Kong Bananza

    Can’t blame a Kong for podcasting. Welcome back to the podcast! Today, we’re going to be talking about Donkey Kong Bananza, the first 3D Donkey Kong game in almost 30 years and a launch title for the Switch 2. The main thrust behind Bananza is that it’s a collectathon platformer not dissimilar to Mario Odyssey, but with the ability to heavily interact with the terrain. This means punching through the walls and floors, grabbing projectiles out of the ground, and through this making your own paths through the levels. It has the launch title energy of trying to show off the new hardware, and the terrain deformation effects combined with the generally improved graphical fidelity does a pretty good job of it. The game also fills the levels with unique gimmicks and prescribed challenge areas, and also features an endgame and a DLC with even more content so it isn’t short on things to do if you want sink like a hundred or more hours into it. Personally, just seeing the credits took long enough for me, though I wouldn’t describe the main story as having too much filler. Altogether this feels like a worthy game for the (admittedly now year old) new console. We’re going to be talking about the game’s pacing and how we each found our flow through the levels, Bananza transformations and how they play, and how no one cares about your dog unless you’re a famous game developer. Thank you for joining us again this week! It may seem like a typical us move to not talk about a big tentpole release until a year after it came out, and it is. Whoops. I am glad to have finally gotten to play it, partially because it justifies the purchase of a Switch 2 I made earlier this year, but also because the game is actually quite good. How did your opinion of the game differ from that of the trailer, if that was an experience you had? Let us know in the comments or over on our Discord server! Next time, we’re going to be talking about Perfect Tides: Station to Station, the sequel to the point and click adventure game we played a couple years ago, so we hope you’ll join us then.

    Episode 18 - Second Level Pants - Donkey Kong Bananza

  7. Jun 7

    Episode 17 - Rudy Slippers - Earthbound Halloween Hack

    You little podcasts are going to have your bodies ripped in half. Welcome to our last episode of Mystery May this year, where the game we play is decided by dice roll. This time around, fate has deemed it necessary for us to play the Earthbound Halloween Hack, which is notorious for a few reasons, most notably being that it was created by Toby Fox who would later go on to develop Undertale. However, the games share little in common and even the writing doesn’t quite hit the same mark (and in some cases falls exceedingly short), but you can tell in the spirit of the whole thing as well as in the art and music, which were mostly also done by Fox where they weren’t borrowed from the original game. The game’s difficulty is also ramped up within the hack, requiring a truly awful amount of grinding for the average player, so I do think the audience for this is limited, though there is a creative idea here that is expanded on in a fairly interesting way. We’re going to be talking about the creative elements of this game and its novel setup, the nature of romhacking and how it even came to be, and then we went and drank some beer and banged some chicks. Hell yeah. Thank you for joining us again this week! This whole month has been interesting game after interesting game and for very different reasons each time, so while maybe we didn’t play a whole lot that we outright loved, it sure sated our curiosity a good bit. How much did you know about this game on a scale of “this is the first time I’ve heard of Earthbound” up to “I edit the Toby Fox wikia”? Let us know over on our Discord or in the comments below! I fell probably somewhere around the high “knew Toby Fox used to go by Radiation online” range and still didn’t get exactly what I was expecting out of this. Next time, we’re going to finally do some regular episodes for the summertime and up first is Donkey Kong Bananza, so we hope you’ll join us then!

    Episode 17 - Rudy Slippers - Earthbound Halloween Hack

  8. May 24

    Episode 16 - Surprisingly Little All Star - Dreams

    You may say I’m a podcast, but I’m not the only one. Welcome back to Describing the Skybox! This week for our second episode of Mystery May this year, the die has decided we play Dreams, the game development software slash game on the Playstation 4 (and 5). Dreams is an odd one to talk about in our format to some degree, as a lot of what defines what this game is is tied up in the tools it provides for designing not just logic but also 3D models and music, which are robust in their capabilities but weirdly restricted to being used with a controller. It is difficult to get used to, but surprisingly capable once you do. Additionally though, Dreams is also a games browser with surprisingly good discovery tools. So, in addition to the creation tools, we played and will discuss a number of games that reflect what you can make with the tools provided. We’re going to be talking about the distinctive “Dreams-like” feeling of the games, the strengths developers can lean into and weaknesses they try to avoid, and we talk probably for too long about a meme game. Thank you for joining us again this week! Dreams was a time killer game for us a while ago so I was a little surprised at how interesting parts of it were when we took a deeper look. Have you ever made anything in Dreams? Let us know in the comments or over on our Discord! Mystery May served us a bit of a weird one this week, and it’s going to continue into next time as well because we’re talking about the Earthbound Halloween Hack by Toby Fox, so we hope you’ll join us then.

    Episode 16 - Surprisingly Little All Star - Dreams
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4.4
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About

WELCOME TO DESCRIBING THE SKYBOX! We are a fortnightly, book club-styled podcast in which we attempt to go in-depth on an individual video game and figure out what makes it unique. Episodes are around an hour to an hour and a half long and primarily feature free form discussion on themes and mechanics present in each episode’s titular game. Bear in mind that we are not reviewers, so as far as we critique the games at hand, our intent is not to convince you to play any particular work. SPOILER WARNING: Given the depth at which we intend to cover the games in question, those which feature a story, plot, mechanical surprises, fun moments you may not have heard about or otherwise will be fully discussed, likely at length. Given this, it is advised that you go into each episode with the understanding that these elements will most likely be spoiled. If you are sensitive to that sort of thing, we recommend that you either play the game before listening to the podcast, or skip the episode altogether. (Though the latter option would make us all very sad!)

Information

  • Creator
    Describing The Skybox
  • Years Active
    2016 - 2026
  • Episodes
    300
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Show Website
    Describing The Skybox

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