Gaming The System - The Feminist Gaming Podcast

GamingtheSystem

The podcast where 3 intersectional feminists examine gaming and games  through a feminist lens.  New Episodes every Thursday. Alex, Jem and Matt believe gaming is good.  Gaming is good for relaxation, for learning, for bringing people together and for your mental health. But like all media, there is both good and bad and we want to address how we make gaming a safe and healthy environment for women and minority groups (although lets not forget that people of colour are the global ethnic majority). We want to see the small steps towards an intersectional feminist future that have been made in games to go further. We are Gaming the System because we want to see our beloved world of Gaming reflect the values we hold dear, and until it does we are here to shine a light on what needs to change. -----PAYPAL & PATREONIf you want to support us, you can send us a one-off donation via paypal or subscribe monthly to our Patreon.For paypal, send your donation to:wearegamingthesystem@gmail.comFor patreon:patreon.com/gamingthesystem 

  1. Jun 27

    Bafta's 2026: The Big Finish! (Episode 283)

    Alex hosts Jem and Matt on Gaming the System, promoting their Patreon and PayPal support, then launches into a discussion of awards and categories through the lens of Clair Obscur, which they describe as transcendent and unfairly dominant in contexts like “debut game,” especially compared with smaller-studio releases. They debate BAFTA/Game Awards vibes, the shift to a single “performer” category, and highlight nominated voice actors including Erika Ishii, Ben Starr, Jennifer English, Troy Baker, and others, plus a call for a dedicated motion/performance-capture award citing Clair Obscur’s mocap work and Charlotte Hopfner. The conversation critiques “safe” corporate diversity choices, trigger warnings used as justification for suppressing difficult art, and contrasts this with celebratory, sanitized event branding, alongside brief thoughts on the new James Bond game’s music/celebrity choices. 📢 Support the Podcast! Let us know on BlueSky (@gamingthesystem.bsky.social), Instagram (@gamingthesystempodcast) or in the comments on YouTube! If you love Gaming The System, consider supporting us: 🔹 Patreon: patreon.com/gamingthesystem – get exclusive content! 🔹 PayPal Donations: gamingthesystem@gmail.com 🔹 Subscribe & Review: Share the podcast with fellow gamers! 🎙 Gaming The System releases new episodes every Thursday Thanks for listening, and remember – there’s always another game to play that isn’t full of nonsense. 🎮✨ #GamingTheSystem #GamingCulture #FeministGaming  #feministgamingpodcast​ #feministgamers​ #intersectionalgaming​ #equalityingames​ #GamingRepresentation #AccessibleGaming #IntersectionalGaming #GamingTheSystemPodcast

  2. Jun 18

    BAFTA 2026: More Categories, Bigger Questions (Episode 282)

    Picking up from Family Game, Alex, Jem, and Matt work through Audio Achievement, Music, Narrative, New IP, and Debut Game — with Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 casting a long shadow over most of the conversation. Matt has strong feelings about this game. The team has questions about nominations versus wins. Especially when Jem brings some eye-opening numbers about just how many games were in contention before the nominations list was even drawn up. Representation runs as a thread throughout. Jem raises the diversity controversy surrounding Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2's Narrative win and makes the broader point that the stories we choose to reward signal which stories are worth telling. The New IP category opens up a more nuanced conversation about appreciation versus appropriation.  What does it mean for two white developers to stand on stage to accept an award for a game built around Black American narrative? Part three is up next week, and covers Best Game, BAFTA Fellowship, and Performer in a Leading Role. Plus, the team discuss the controversies surrounding this year's ceremony, including a game trailer that was pulled from the show at the last minute. Episode tags: #BAFTAGames2026 #BAFTAGamesAwards #ClairObscur #GhostOfYotei #KingdomComeDeliverance2 #SouthOfMidnight #007FirstLight #MarioKartWorld #Dispatch 📢 Support the Podcast! Let us know on BlueSky (@gamingthesystem.bsky.social), Instagram (@gamingthesystempodcast) or in the comments on YouTube! If you love Gaming The System, consider supporting us: 🔹 Patreon: patreon.com/gamingthesystem – get exclusive content! 🔹 PayPal Donations: gamingthesystem@gmail.com 🔹 Subscribe & Review: Share the podcast with fellow gamers! 🎙 Gaming The System releases new episodes every Thursday Thanks for listening, and remember – there’s always another game to play that isn’t full of nonsense. 🎮✨ #GamingTheSystem #GamingCulture #FeministGaming  #feministgamingpodcast​ #feministgamers​ #intersectionalgaming​ #equalityingames​ #GamingRepresentation #AccessibleGaming #IntersectionalGaming #GamingTheSystemPodcast

  3. Jun 11

    God of War: Laufey Trailer Reaction - Episode 281

    PlayStation dropped the God of War: Laufey gameplay trailer at State of Play this month, and Matt and Alex were EXCITED. In this episode, they react live to the reveal before unpacking what they saw. From Faye's combat style and the weight behind her character design, to the introduction of antagonists Sekhmet and Begtse, the return of Bear McCreary, and the tantalising threads connecting back to the 2018 game. They also get into the online criticism that followed the trailer, and why it doesn't hold up. If you want to watch along, the full trailer is over on our YouTube channel https://youtu.be/4mx7dih_Vdk Note: the live reaction segment has been lightly condensed for audio. Episode tags: #GodOfWar #GodOfWarLaufey #Faye #PlayStation #StateOfPlay #Sekhmet #BearMcCreary #TrailerReaction 📢 Support the Podcast! Let us know on BlueSky (@gamingthesystem.bsky.social), Instagram (@gamingthesystempodcast) or in the comments on YouTube! If you love Gaming The System, consider supporting us: 🔹 Patreon: patreon.com/gamingthesystem – get exclusive content! 🔹 PayPal Donations: gamingthesystem@gmail.com 🔹 Subscribe & Review: Share the podcast with fellow gamers! 🎙 Gaming The System releases new episodes every Thursday Thanks for listening, and remember – there’s always another game to play that isn’t full of nonsense. 🎮✨ #GamingTheSystem #GamingCulture #FeministGaming  #feministgamingpodcast​ #feministgamers​ #intersectionalgaming​ #equalityingames​ #GamingRepresentation #AccessibleGaming #IntersectionalGaming #GamingTheSystemPodcast

  4. Jun 4

    BAFTA 2026: Half the Awards, All the Opinions (Episode 280)

    Alex and Matt kick off GTS's two-part coverage of the 22nd BAFTA Games Awards, working their way through the first half of the night's categories and they have opinions. The pair run through Multiplayer, Artistic Achievement, Evolving Game, Performer in a Supporting Role, British Game, Animation, Game Design, and Technical Achievement. Along the way, they dig into whether BAFTA's categories are broad enough to be meaningful, the tension between hyperrealism and genuine artistry, and whether studios that shipped broken games at launch should get credit for fixing them a decade later. Matt has thoughts on that last one. Strong ones. They also touch on the changes BAFTA made to its voting process this year, bringing in specialist craft chapters for key categories for the first time and what that might mean for who wins going forward. Part two is coming, with the remaining categories plus a deeper look at representation, inclusion, and the controversies surrounding the ceremony. Episode-specific tags: #BAFTAGames2026 #BAFTAGamesAwards #ClairObscur #GhostOfYotei #DeathStranding2 #Atomfall #Dispatch #NoMansSky #Blueprince 📢 Support the Podcast! Let us know on BlueSky (@gamingthesystem.bsky.social), Instagram (@gamingthesystempodcast) or in the comments on YouTube! If you love Gaming The System, consider supporting us: 🔹 Patreon: patreon.com/gamingthesystem – get exclusive content! 🔹 PayPal Donations: gamingthesystem@gmail.com 🔹 Subscribe & Review: Share the podcast with fellow gamers! 🎙 Gaming The System releases new episodes every Thursday Thanks for listening, and remember – there’s always another game to play that isn’t full of nonsense. 🎮✨ #GamingTheSystem #GamingCulture #FeministGaming  #feministgamingpodcast​ #feministgamers​ #intersectionalgaming​ #equalityingames​ #GamingRepresentation #AccessibleGaming #IntersectionalGaming #GamingTheSystemPodcast

About

The podcast where 3 intersectional feminists examine gaming and games  through a feminist lens.  New Episodes every Thursday. Alex, Jem and Matt believe gaming is good.  Gaming is good for relaxation, for learning, for bringing people together and for your mental health. But like all media, there is both good and bad and we want to address how we make gaming a safe and healthy environment for women and minority groups (although lets not forget that people of colour are the global ethnic majority). We want to see the small steps towards an intersectional feminist future that have been made in games to go further. We are Gaming the System because we want to see our beloved world of Gaming reflect the values we hold dear, and until it does we are here to shine a light on what needs to change. -----PAYPAL & PATREONIf you want to support us, you can send us a one-off donation via paypal or subscribe monthly to our Patreon.For paypal, send your donation to:wearegamingthesystem@gmail.comFor patreon:patreon.com/gamingthesystem