Mind Controllers

Brandon Craw
  • 5.0 (4)
  • Video Games
  • Updated Biweekly

Welcome to a podcast about shining the light behind the psychological aspects of some of our favorite video games! Host Brandon Craw (MA Clinical Psychology) and guests dive deep into video games, exploring the background behind some characters, point out which parts of their traumatic life can be attributed to their potential mental illness or explain their behavior, and discuss the human factors behind video game design. Then, we like to chat about what we're playing now. Come join us! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. Break Week

    6d ago

    Break Week

    I'm a bit under the weather and have a flight to catch tomorrow. So wasn't able to make this episode happen this week, and I'll be in Europe next week. So I will see you all again in 2 weeks! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1 min
  2. Scatterbrained - Summer Game Fest Recap

    Jun 19

    Scatterbrained - Summer Game Fest Recap

    Brandon is back and he is here to tell you all about Summer Game Fest! It was his first time there, so we take you behind the scenes! What does SGF look like from the press? How do you navigate it all? What’s the swag like? All of this and more in today’s episode! If you leave a review of the podcast on an app, screenshot it and send it to me via DM on any of the socials, I’ll enter your name into the Pizza Raffle! One lucky winner every month will get sent a digital gift card to a pizza spot of their choice! SGF Starts Here - 03:21 SGF Showcase Recap and Experiences - 04:40 SGF Appointment Recap - 25:58 It’s Been a Journey - 46:46 Wrapping Up and Thank You - 01:07:40 Games we talked about this week: Slap Out of It! , Blood Dungeon, Shot One Fighter, Bub, Stranger Than Heaven, Alien Isolation 2 Check out https://www.startmenu.co.uk/ , an awesome site Brandon is now writing for! And check out his latest previews of SGF! If you are experiencing any sort of mental health distress, or just need someone to talk to, please call 988 contact some of these resources gathered on https://www.nimh.nih.gov/  Feel free to message us with suggestions for games or questions at our socials and we’ll respond to your question on the upcoming pod! Be sure to follow us on socials like Youtube, Instagram, Bluesky, Twitter, and Twitch.  Don’t forget to rate, review, and subscribe to the podcast on your favorite podcast listening app! Support our Patreon at patreon.com/MindControllers and get a thank you sticker! Tracks are:  "We Decide" by Tatami Podcast Art by @_forza_art on Instagram Check out Whisp band HERE Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 11m
  3. Gunstoppable with Salaar!

    Jun 12

    Gunstoppable with Salaar!

    Back to back interviews! I had the pleasure of speaking with Salaar, a lifetime game developer and co-founder of CAGE studios who left Sony Santa Monica Studios to pursue their dream. We chat all about Gunstoppable, CAGE Studio's upcoming FPS rogue-lite focused on breakneck speeds, gun combinations, and a strong narrative about family. You don't want to miss this one! Welcome Salaar! - 01:19 Salaar's Journey - 03:31 Why this genre? - 07:09 How Did You Create the Narrative? - 12:10 Variety in Gunstoppable - 17:29 Broken Weapon? - 23:26 What Else before you cross the finish line? - 28:24 Inspirations Behind Gunstoppable - 30:23 Thank You Salaar!! - 38:32 Go wishlist Gunstoppable now!!! If you leave a review of the podcast on an app, screenshot it and send it to me via DM on any of the socials, I’ll enter your name into the Pizza Raffle! One lucky winner every month will get sent a digital gift card to a pizza spot of their choice! Check out https://www.startmenu.co.uk/ , an awesome site Brandon is now writing for! And check out his latest review of Pragmata! If you are experiencing any sort of mental health distress, or just need someone to talk to, please call 988 contact some of these resources gathered on https://www.nimh.nih.gov/  Feel free to message us with suggestions for games or questions at our socials and we’ll respond to your question on the upcoming pod! Be sure to follow us on socials like Youtube, Instagram, Bluesky, Twitter, and Twitch.  Don’t forget to rate, review, and subscribe to the podcast on your favorite podcast listening app! Support our Patreon at patreon.com/MindControllers and get a thank you sticker! Tracks are:  "We Decide" by Tatami Podcast Art by @_forza_art on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    40 min
  4. HAE Stack Interview

    Jun 5

    HAE Stack Interview

    I was lucky enough to sit down with Jake Rabinowitz, the solo developer of HAE Stack, a game about Surveillance Capitalism with a bold message. Join us as we chat about the inspiration behind the game, how this is game is reflective of real world technologies, and how our phones are spying on us. This chat was so fascinating so I hope you enjoy it too! Interview - 00:49 Game Summary - 07:51 Why Real Instead of Parody? - 13:41 UI Design - 19:08 How Did the Playtest Affect Your Game? - 26:54 Will There Be a Conclusion? - 37:43 Are We Heading In a Bad Direction? - 41:10 Thank You Jake! - 51:51 Visit the HAE Stack site here: https://haetechnologies.com/  Check out HAE Stack on steam! Check out https://www.startmenu.co.uk/ , an awesome site Brandon is now writing for! And check out his latest review of Pragmata! If you leave a review of the podcast on an app, screenshot it and send it to me via DM on any of the socials, I’ll enter your name into the Pizza Raffle! One lucky winner every month will get sent a digital gift card to a pizza spot of their choice! If you are experiencing any sort of mental health distress, or just need someone to talk to, please call 988 contact some of these resources gathered on https://www.nimh.nih.gov/  Feel free to message us with suggestions for games or questions at our socials and we’ll respond to your question on the upcoming pod! Be sure to follow us on socials like Youtube, Instagram, Bluesky, Twitter, and Twitch.  Don’t forget to rate, review, and subscribe to the podcast on your favorite podcast listening app! Support our Patreon at patreon.com/MindControllers and get a thank you sticker! Tracks are:  "We Decide" by Tatami Podcast Art by @_forza_art on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    53 min
  5. Pragmata Spoilercast

    May 29

    Pragmata Spoilercast

    *Heavy Story Spoilers for Pragmata* Joe and Brandon reunite for the spoiler heavy discussion of Pragmata, a game both of them loved! Then we wrap it up with some discussion of what games we're next looking forward to playing. Come hang out with us as it's been a while! If you leave a review of the podcast on an app, screenshot it and send it to me via DM on any of the socials, I’ll enter your name into the Pizza Raffle! One lucky winner every month will get sent a digital gift card to a pizza spot of their choice! Pragmata Discussion - 01:16 Secret Ending - 14:18 Most annoying Enemy - 36:11 What Game Will You Play Next? - 51:42 Destiny Says Goodbye - 01:01:06 Wrapping Up and Thank You - 01:05:43 Check out https://www.startmenu.co.uk/ , an awesome site Brandon is now writing for! And check out his latest review of Pragmata! If you are experiencing any sort of mental health distress, or just need someone to talk to, please call 988 contact some of these resources gathered on https://www.nimh.nih.gov/  Feel free to message us with suggestions for games or questions at our socials and we’ll respond to your question on the upcoming pod! Be sure to follow us on socials like Youtube, Instagram, Bluesky, Twitter, and Twitch.  Don’t forget to rate, review, and subscribe to the podcast on your favorite podcast listening app! Support our Patreon at patreon.com/MindControllers and get a thank you sticker! Tracks are:  "We Decide" by Tatami Podcast Art by @_forza_art on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 7m
  6. Scatterbrained - Mixtapology

    May 22

    Scatterbrained - Mixtapology

    Slight Story Spoilers: Mixtape Brandon and Tim reunite to talk about the nostalgia-filled game: Mixtape! And the past is the theme of today’s episode as we chat about all of the retro consoles/games and try to answer the question: Why do we care about nostalgia? And I have another post credit surprise, courtesy of Tim. It’s a fun one! If you leave a review of the podcast on an app, screenshot it and send it to me via DM on any of the socials, I’ll enter your name into the Pizza Raffle! One lucky winner every month will get sent a digital gift card to a pizza spot of their choice! Retro/Nostalgia Discussion - 02:01 Mixtape - 44:36 Wrapping Up and Thank You - 01:00:39 Games we talked about this week: Mixtape Check out https://www.startmenu.co.uk/ , an awesome site Brandon is now writing for! And check out his latest review of Pragmata! If you are experiencing any sort of mental health distress, or just need someone to talk to, please call 988 contact some of these resources gathered on https://www.nimh.nih.gov/  Feel free to message us with suggestions for games or questions at our socials and we’ll respond to your question on the upcoming pod! Be sure to follow us on socials like Youtube, Instagram, Bluesky, Twitter, and Twitch.  Don’t forget to rate, review, and subscribe to the podcast on your favorite podcast listening app! Support our Patreon at patreon.com/MindControllers and get a thank you sticker! Tracks are:  "We Decide" by Tatami Podcast Art by @_forza_art on Instagram Check out Whisp band HERE Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 7m
  7. Break This Week

    May 15

    Break This Week

    Been a busy week and we will be back next week for more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1 min
  8. Scatterbrained - Digging Roguelike Expert

    May 8

    Scatterbrained - Digging Roguelike Expert

    Slight Story Spoilers: Saros Brandon and Courture are at it again, ranting way too much about our home city! Brandon tells us all about his time with Saros, the latest bullet-hell from Housemarque. Then Courture chats about his expertise in Digging based Roguelike games. We wrap it up with a quick Star Fox trailer check-in. No Article of the Week this week. Come hang out with us! If you leave a review of the podcast on an app, screenshot it and send it to me via DM on any of the socials, I’ll enter your name into the Pizza Raffle! One lucky winner every month will get sent a digital gift card to a pizza spot of their choice! Dome Keeper - 06:04 Saros - 19:38 Outworld Station - 37:40 Star Fox Switch 2 - 47:15 Wrapping Up and Thank You - 55:23 Games we talked about this week: Dome Keeper, Saros, Outworld Station, Star Fox Check out https://www.startmenu.co.uk/ , an awesome site Brandon is now writing for! And check out his latest review of Pragmata! If you are experiencing any sort of mental health distress, or just need someone to talk to, please call 988 contact some of these resources gathered on https://www.nimh.nih.gov/  Feel free to message us with suggestions for games or questions at our socials and we’ll respond to your question on the upcoming pod! Be sure to follow us on socials like Youtube, Instagram, Bluesky, Twitter, and Twitch.  Don’t forget to rate, review, and subscribe to the podcast on your favorite podcast listening app! Support our Patreon at patreon.com/MindControllers and get a thank you sticker! Tracks are:  "We Decide" by Tatami Podcast Art by @_forza_art on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    57 min
See All (91)

Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

Welcome to a podcast about shining the light behind the psychological aspects of some of our favorite video games! Host Brandon Craw (MA Clinical Psychology) and guests dive deep into video games, exploring the background behind some characters, point out which parts of their traumatic life can be attributed to their potential mental illness or explain their behavior, and discuss the human factors behind video game design. Then, we like to chat about what we're playing now. Come join us! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Information

  • Creator
    Brandon Craw
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    91
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Brandon Craw and Joe Moreno
  • Show Website
    Mind Controllers