Postgame - A Sidequest.zone Podcast

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Sidequest.zone’s podcast all about hot takes on cold games. Our show features criticism, commentary, and more from: Melissa Brinks (she/her), Sidequest’s EIC; Maddi Butler (she/her), Sidequest’s jock editor; Zora Gilbert (they/them), Sidequest’s assistant editor and copy ogre; Zainabb Hull (they/them), Sidequest’s assistant editor; Naseem Jamnia (they/them), Sidequest’s former managing editor

  1. 10/31/2025

    Postgame.31 – Socks Are Just Little Guys for Your Feet

    Welcome back to Postgame, Sidequest’s monthly-ish podcast where the editors lay down hot takes on cold games. This month, Maddi, Melissa, and Zora tackle six distinct topics by rolling a die and setting a ten minute timer, because why not? Topics include: the price of video games, the end of Polygon as we know it, Epic Games vs. Apple, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Zora’s Dragon Age roleplay, and Belatro. Mistakes: Melissa couldn’t find anything about a specific agreement between game developers, but it’s generally agreed that $60 is the peak price point that the market will support before customers push back. Pieces (or things) we mentioned: Why Nintendo is so expensive by Margaret Guzman, Clancy Morgan, and Amelia Kosciulek Video Game Prices: Why Games Are $60, Where Your Money Goes, & Who Benefits Most by Melissa Brinks Why New Video Games Still Cost $60 by Evan Narcisse Pay more to play: Video game publishers ready to hike prices by Olga Kharif and Takashi Mochizuki The $70 AAA price point — it’s about time | Opinion by Rob Fahey Playing dangerously: The environmental impact of video gaming consoles by Claire Asher Postgame.27 – James Gournalism GYGO Mobile: More Lawsuits by Melissa Brinks No Fun: The Queer Potential of Video Games that Annoy, Anger, Disappoint, Sadden, and Hurt by Bo Ruberg Cruising Utopia by José Esteban Muñoz Postgame.29 – Sexuality in Dragon Age Regrettably, the catnip frog photo has been lost at the moment, but we will update the show notes if we can find it! Curious Crop Pattern Theme music is Beat Thee by Alexander Nakarada, used under Creative Commons 0. Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Patreon Excerpt: https://sidequest.zone/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Postgame-31-Clip-1-Microtransactions.mp3 Melissa Brinks: Yeah, I started doing these roundups, like, I don’t know, a couple years ago or so. And, my God, it’s relentless, the Apple versus Epic nonsense. Supposedly it’s over. Supposedly they’re gonna drop all future charges or whatever against—like, because it’s just Epic suing Apple. Supposedly they’re gonna drop it going forward. I’ll believe it when I see it. Zora Gilbert: Yeah, it’s a nightmare. Melissa: It’s never gonna end. And if it does, don’t worry, because then there’s 500 Roblox things to talk about. Zora: It’s so—I hate—oh, go ahead, Maddi. I’ve been talking constantly. Maddi Butler: I was just gonna say, remember, the real loser is all of us, because we are rooting for an outcome about microtransactions. I don’t want to root for microtransactions. Melissa: And we’re rooting for Epic Games. Zora: Right, yes. Maddi: I’m not rooting for Epic Games, to be clear. Melissa: Yeah, fair. Zora: This is what I have to—like, this is my thing, is I’m like, I’m in a position where I’m like, “Yeah, Tim Sweeney! You’re fighting on the side that will make the world less bad.” Maddi: Yeah. Melissa: Just heinous. Zora: Yeah! Melissa: Just awful. What if the Ultimate Showdown of Ultimate Destiny f*****g sucked? Maddi: Every day we’re forced to consider it. Like, we’re here. Zora: Yep. Melissa: Yeah.

    1h 34m

  2. 07/08/2025

    Postgame.30: Orbs That Make You Evil

    Welcome back to Postgame, Sidequest’s monthly-ish podcast where the editors lay down hot takes on cold games. This month, Maddi and Melissa, the two least qualified people for this topic, discuss escapism in games. What is it? Can we do it successfully? What is a Nut Sort-like? Mistakes: The Alexandra Rowland piece about hopepunk Melissa mentions is actually originally published by Festive Ninja, not on Tumblr. Rowland does have a Tumblr post that predates the Festive Ninja article, but that isn’t the one Melissa was thinking of. Pieces (or things) we mentioned: One Atom of Justice, One Molecule of Mercy, and the Empire of Unsheathed Knives by Alexandra Rowland Postgame.17: Shit-Ass Wuss Man Idle Animations: Breath of the Wild’s Quiet Places by Melissa Brinks Fake Geek Girls Play Baldur’s Gate III Review: Wanderstop Is Pretty, but Fails to Capture the Challenges of Healing by Melissa Brinks 6 Video Games to Play During a Chronic Illness Flare by Zainabb Hull Theme music is Beat Thee by Alexander Nakarada, used under Creative Commons 0. Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Patreon Excerpt:   https://sidequest.zone/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Clip-1-Away-From-the-Horrors.mp3   Maddi Butler: Cozy games are hard for me because— Melissa Brinks: Yeah. Maddi: I just—I think it’s a term that gets blanket applied a lot. Melissa: Yeah. Nobody’s calling Baldur’s Gate 3 cozy. But you know what? Maddi: Yeah. Melissa: Maybe it is for me. Maddi: Maybe it—yeah, maybe it is. It’s something that’s going to mean something different to everyone. And I wouldn’t call NieR Replicant a cozy game, there’s a lot of lasers and robots and stuff and shooting, Melissa: Yeah. And there’s, I think— Maddi: Oh, sorry, when I think of peak comforting games, that’s it. I listen to that soundtrack all the time. It’s so good. Melissa: Yeah, that’s kind of how I feel about—very different. But that is kind of how I feel about—what was I just talking about? Spiritfarer! I listen— Maddi: Yeah. Melissa: —to the soundtrack all the time. Maddi: Yeah. Melissa: It’s a really lovely soundtrack. And there are moments of coziness, right, even in games that I certainly wouldn’t call cozy, like any Soulslike. The bonfires— Maddi: How about Nutsort-like? Melissa: Huh? Maddi: How about Nutsort-like? Melissa: [LAUGHTER] How about Nutsort-like? The bonfires in FromSoft games are quite—they’re a moment of coziness, amidst the horrors. Maddi Butler: Yeah! And like—I mean, before it’s like totally on fire—but the workshop in Bloodborne you can just like walk around. It’s a nice, nice view, there’s flowers in the field and stuff. Melissa: I think that is the kind of escapism that resonates most with me. Maddi: Yeah. Melissa: When—just to have a moment away from the horrors. Like the show? Support our Patreon, and get early access to future episodes of Postgame for just $1 per month!

    1h 10m

  3. 03/23/2025

    Postgame.29 – Sexuality in Dragon Age

    Welcome back to Postgame, Sidequest’s monthly-ish podcast where the editors lay down hot takes on cold games—in this case, flamin’ hot takes on games ranging from ice-cold to fresh out of the oven. Melissa and Zora sat down to discuss the representations of sexuality and gender in the Dragon Age series, with some (maybe) surprising praise and some (less) surprising criticisms.   Pieces (or things) we mentioned: The World Wasn’t Ready for the Nuance of Dragon Age II’s Bisexuality by Melissa Brinks Becoming Addicted to Dragon Age in 7 Steps by Naseem Jamnia What big publishers can learn about representation from small games by Meg Jayanth David Gaider’s Bluesky thread about writing Zevran David Gaider’s Bluesky thread about writing Dorian Trick Weekes’ Twitter thread about Solas and bisexuality David’ Gaider’s Bluesky thread about writing Cassandra (we didn’t actually discuss this but it’s interesting) Dragon Age: The Veilguard‘s romanceable companions won’t just wait around for you to woo them—also, they’re all canonically pansexual by Harvey Randall Theme music is Beat Thee by Alexander Nakarada, used under Creative Commons 0. Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Patreon Excerpt:   https://sidequest.zone/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Postgame-29-Take-Up-Arms-Clip.mp3   Melissa Brinks: A lot of people—after it came out, a lot of people interpreted [Josephine] as ace, because you don’t have a sex scene, which is—that’s your headcanon. That’s fine. I don’t have any, like— Zora Gilbert: No. Melissa: —clear— Zora: That’s Varric. Melissa: Yeah. Zora: I’ll die on this hill. I will die on this hill. Melissa: And I support you. Zora: Thank you. Melissa: I don’t want you to die, but if that’s it— Zora: Then take up arms with me, brother! [LAUGHTER] Melissa: You and me on the hill fighting off legions of enemies. But I agree. Like, is Josephine bisexual? Or is she a character for—you know. You know. Zora: Yeah. Melissa: You’ve heard us talk for two hours now.

    2h 38m

  4. 01/16/2025

    Postgame.28 – A Good Grade in Dragon Age

    Welcome back to Postgame, Sidequest’s monthly-ish podcast where the editors lay down hot takes on cold games. Maddi, Melissa, and Zora have been playing games! Some of them are Dragon Age, which means a disproportionate amount of this podcast is devoted to Dragon Age. Melissa and Zora would say they’re sorry, but the truth is: they aren’t. Pieces (or things) we mentioned: The Weird and Wonderful World of Nicole He’s Technological Art by Melissa Brinks Soylent Dick ENHANCE.COMPUTER (mistakenly called ZOOM ENHANCE) How to Break D&D for Fun by Melissa Brinks A Belated and Nostalgic PAX West 2024 Roundup by Melissa Brinks and Kael Lockwood Theme music is Beat Thee by Alexander Nakarada, used under Creative Commons 0. Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Patreon Excerpt:   https://sidequest.zone/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Clip-5-Defending-the-White-Guy.mp3   Melissa Brinks: The shit that I have seen about Anders—and some of it was by my own doing, because I was researching this article I was writing—but my God, the things that people say about him. Zora Gilbert: And it’s so crazy that we’re on this podcast, and we’re defending the white guy. [LAUGHTER] Melissa: Yeah. Zora: But— Melissa: He’s my white guy. Zora: “He’s my white guy.” Well, Gale is my white guy. Melissa: You know what? I have a shocking amount of white guys. Am I okay? Zora: I’m not—I’m not. [LAUGHTER] The thing about Anders is that within—you know he’s, he’s the white guy, sure. Melissa: God, if you put Alistair and Anders in a blender, you do kind of get Gale, don’t you? Zora: Yeah… Melissa: F**k! Maddi Butler: You’re not going to make me play Dragon Age just so I understand that reference. Melissa: Maddi. Maddi: It is just simply not going to happen. Melissa: Maddi, if you put Alistair and Anders in a blender, you get Gale. Maddi: I don’t want to put anyone in a blender. Zora: Alistair wants to go in that blender. Melissa: Yeah, so does Gale. F**k, Anders does too, honestly. They hunger for the blender. Zora: The thing about—okay, sorry, I have to defend my defending the white guy briefly. And it’s, you know, it’s gonna get into games creating like a fantasy thing to be oppressed so that they don’t have to look at real-world oppression. But that is the thing about Anders, is that in this fantasy world, he is sort of like the model oppressed character. Melissa: Spoilers for my essay, but he’s also bisexual in a world where queerness is not as accepted as we would like to say it is. Zora: As shown by Dragon Age Origins. Melissa: Dorian Pavus. I’m making a snarky face right now. Zora: Yeah. Anders is the only character through which the game chooses to tell a story about oppression, on like a categorical scale. Fenris personally has experienced slavery, and that is very horrible in ways that are not even obvious by me saying that he has experienced slavery. This man has been through it. Merrill personally has experienced prejudice and alienation and essentially excommunication. Aveline personally has experienced tragedy. Anders has personally and sort of like on a community scale undergone and understood and chosen to take a stand against institutional oppression of a class, right? And he’s safe to do that with because he’s a white guy, and BioWare doesn’t know what the f**k they’re doing. But that means that his story is engaging to me on that level, in a way that the other characters’ stories are not. And it also means that people on the internet have opportunities to show their ass about what they—what they sort of think on a narrative moral level outside of the very specific space of political issues that they have identified talking points around. Does that make sense? Melissa: Yeah. I mean, it makes sense to me, but I’ve played the game. Zora: I’m not saying if you don’t like Anders, you’re a bad person. Melissa: I am. No, I’m just kidding. I’m not. [LAUGHTER] Zora: But yeah, it’s… uh, it, eh—[LONG SIGH]

    1h 37m

  5. 10/28/2024

    Postgame.27 – James Gournalism

    Welcome back to Postgame, Sidequest’s monthly-ish podcast where the editors lay down hot takes on cold games. This time, Maddi, Melissa, and Zora mourn the state of games journalism and try to understand how we got here and where we have left to go. It’s not all depressing—there are still good people doing good work!—but you might want to plan a candlelight vigil to follow this one. Topics and Timestamps: Nothing specific! This one’s less about the games and more about the journalism. Pieces (or things) we mentioned: Episode 199 – X-Men: From the Ashes with Nola Pfau by Fake Geek Girls NYU Game Center Lecture Series Presents Austin Walker The Games Industry Needs A Stronger Games Media by Andrew King Other things you might like (“like,” in today’s case): On outlets closing: Dicebreaker’s future remains unclear as silenced site makes editor-in-chief, senior staff writer redundant after IGN takeover by Mike Didymus-True Things Are Not Looking Good For Dicebreaker, One Of The Few Good Board Game Websites by Luke Plunkett Media Companies Like Vox Are Feeding Their Journalists’ Work Into An AI Wood Chipper by Luke Plunkett Long-time Staffers At RPS, GamesIndustry.biz, VG247 Surprised By Layoffs As IGN Buys Network by Nathan Grayson Dicebroken: the travails of tabletop media and what to do about it by Jim Rossignol and Marsh Davies Tabletop Journalism Deserves Better Than This, And So Do You by Chase Carter On the wider games and games writing industry: Austin Walker on burnout, studio closures, and working in the games industry Several games writers on the state of the criticism scene (and its lack of money) Theme music is Beat Thee by Alexander Nakarada, used under Creative Commons 0. Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Patreon Excerpt:   https://sidequest.zone/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Postgame-27-Clip.mp3   Melissa: There is no lack of good writers in games, but there is a severe lack of outlets willing and able to pay a living wage to make it possible, and this is so harmful to an industry. And I don’t just mean to the individuals writing. I mean without a solid press, corruption goes unchecked because we don’t have investigative journalists, and we don’t have investigative journalists because we can’t pay for investigative journalism, and because the outlets—you need a solid legal team to do that kind of work, and that’s expensive, and other non-gaming press don’t generally want to pick this kind of stuff up because it’s not relevant to the average person. And this is—it’s like watching—you know those really sad videos of a gigantic ice shelf crumbling into the sea because of climate change? That’s how I feel watching games media right now. It’s terrible. It is literally like watching your future crumble away, not because—I legitimately don’t have any interest in being a professional games critic or anything anymore. I’ve moved past that stage of my life, which is not a tragedy, it’s good, actually.

    1h 27m

  6. 07/04/2024

    Postgame.26 – Bitches and Haters

    Welcome back to Postgame, Sidequest’s monthly-ish podcast where the editors lay down hot takes on cold games. This month, Maddi, Melissa, and Zora discuss character creation in tabletop RPGs—how we do it, why we do it, and why sometimes a little haterade is good for you. Topics and Timestamps: Nothing specific! We just love to yap. Pieces (or things) we mentioned: Let Me Tell You About My OC: Elaine Morrigan is Terrible by Zora Gilbert Let Me Tell You About My OC(s): Tabletop RPGs as Disempowerment Fantasies by Melissa Brinks Other things you might like: Review: Get Creative to Cheat Death in End of the Line by Melissa Brinks Theme music is Beat Thee by Alexander Nakarada, used under Creative Commons 0. Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Patreon   Excerpt:   https://sidequest.zone/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Postgame-26-Site-Clip.mp3 Zora Gilbert: Anyway, my friend’s character was a vampire named Drazah, and the reason he was named Drazah is because it’s “hazard” backwards. Melissa Brinks: I love it. Alucard vibes. Zora: Truly, I didn’t know about—none of us knew about Alucard. We came to that completely independently. Maddi Butler: Every generation will be naming vampires backwards. Melissa: Yes. Zora: I still think Drazah’s a really good name for a vampire, though. Melissa: It is! Maddi: That is a good name for a vampire. Zora: It just sounds really good. Maddi: I would take that vampire seriously. Melissa: Yeah. Zora: Right? Melissa: It is true human nature that a vampire name must be another word backwards. Zora: Yes. Melissa: That’s innate to human nature. Zora: Because vampires are humans backwards. [GHOST NOISES] Melissa: Whoa! Zora: Anyway. Maddi: Yeah, we’re coming to the big conclusions on this podcast.

    1h 4m

  7. 05/02/2024

    Postgame.25: Best Game Ever

    Welcome back to Postgame, Sidequest’s monthly-ish podcast where the editors lay down hot takes on cold games. This month, Maddi, Melissa, Zainabb, and Zora discuss the best games ever, objectively. No, shh, we’re right. Mistakes: At one point, Melissa says Portal 2 is the best game ever (outside of the point where she says that Portal 2 is a better game than Portal). Obviously she is mistaken—she meant to say Portal is the best game ever. Topics and Timestamps: Sonic Adventure 2 Battle (00:03:20) Portal (00:27:35) Nier (00:50:09) Facade (01:11:30) Pieces (or things) we mentioned: Sonic bridal carrying Princess Elise Melissa accidentally posting Sonic carrying Princess Elise multiple times in our Slack Bloodborne Rap Number One Bloodborne Rap Number Two Kick The Rock! (feat. Hunnid-P) – Wild Canyon Theme from Sonic Adventure 2 Venus in Chains by harveyjames Nier Rap Other things you might like: No Matter His Age, the Point of Nier is Compassion, Not Tragedy by Madison Butler Nier: Reimagining Apocalypse by Madison Butler 2020: The Problem is Capitalism by Madison Butler Theme music is Beat Thee by Alexander Nakarada, used under Creative Commons 0. Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Patreon   Excerpt:   https://sidequest.zone/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Postgame-25-Site-Clip.mp3 Zora Gilbert: Now, people may tell you that the emerald hunt and robot levels are bad. Zainabb Hull: Yes. Zora: They’re wrong. [LAUGHTER] Zora: They are not always good. And some of them have indeed taken years off my life. Zainabb: Yes. Zora: However, comma. Is it not true that suffering makes joy all the sweeter? Is it not true that we must know the bad in order to truly enjoy the good? Zainabb: That’s the Foucault. Melissa Brinks: Would you say that the bad levels are like kind of a prison, maybe, in which you are kept? Zora: I do believe that there are they are a prison, but I don’t think anybody’s watching. It’s a different kind of suffering. [LAUGHTER] Melissa: Maybe this is more Camus than then Foucault. Zora: I’ve got to read any philosophy. Melissa: Wow, how dare you. Maddi Butler: I have a cheat sheet I can send you. Zainabb: Imagine if you were in the cave and the shadows on the wall looked like Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles. That would be an experience. Zora: To me, Sonic Adventure 2 Battle is the form that all other games are simply shadows of. Is that how that works? Melissa: OK. Zora: Hold on. Melissa: Yeah. Zora: Yeah! Melissa: Yeah, it’s the real thing behind the shadows. Zora: Indeed, it is the real thing behind the shadows. All later Sonic games are simply the shadows created by Sonic Adventure 2 Battle. Melissa: The Shadow the Hedgehog, right? That’s a thing, right? Zainabb: Oh my god. Like the show? Support our Patreon, and get early access to future episodes of Postgame for just $1 per month!

    1h 38m

  8. 04/11/2024

    Postgame.24: 12 Seasons of Bones

    Welcome back to Postgame, Sidequest’s monthly-ish podcast where the editors lay down hot takes on cold games. Maddi, Melissa, and Zora are back from our long-for-us, quick-for-you break, discussing all the things we did during the absence. By which we mean Baldur’s Gate III. Topics and Timestamps: Hollow Knight (00:03:40) Bloodborne (00:12:20) Betrayal at Club Low (00:19:50) Disco Elysium (00:24:45) Pathfinder and Witch+Craft (00:29:20) Noita (00:41:25) Heart: The City Beneath (00:45:30) Baldur’s Gate 3 (00:54:50) Pieces (or things) we mentioned: REVIEW: Mask of the Rose Provides Character-First, Monster-Dating Fun by Melissa Brinks Let Me Tell You About My OC(s): Tabletop RPGs as Disempowerment Fantasies by Melissa Brinks GYGO D&D and TTRPGs: The Year Ahead for D&D by Evelyn Grey Stewpot Maddi’s excellent Gale meme Others, Mothers and Monsters: Body Diversity and Fatphobia in Video Games by Megan Patterson THE LEATHER LESBIANATRIXES OF THE DARK DOM DROW DUNGEON by skeleton Dungeons and Diets: Antifatness in Baldur’s Gate 3 by Tayo Theme music is Beat Thee by Alexander Nakarada, used under Creative Commons 0. Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Patreon   Excerpt: https://sidequest.zone/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Postgame-24-Site-Clip.mp3   Zora Gilbert: Wait, can I ask you all something? Because I don’t know if this is just a me thing or if it’s something we got from the internet. My roommate and I have started describing s****y male characters of a certain type, like a certain level of pathetic—maybe I got this from Missy—as just like, a wet man. Melissa Brinks: So I’ve heard that on Tumblr. Zora: Like he’s just wet. Maddi Butler: Yeah, I don’t— Melissa: We had a real discussion recently about “wet cat of a man—” Zora: Yes. Melissa: —versus “poor little meow-meow.” Zora: Right. Gale is not a poor little meow-meow. He is a wet cat. Melissa: He’s a wet cat. Zora: Yes. Melissa: Wyll is a poor little meow-meow. Zora: Yes. Maddi: Is this an appropriate time to ask what the hell a “meow-meow” is? Because I have seen this for years and I am not familiar. Zora: It’s like a character who’s pathetic and sweet and needs help. Like a sad kitten, you know? Melissa: Yeah. Maddi: Uh-huh. Zora: Sad kitten energy. Melissa: Wyll is a poor little meow-meow. Maddi: Okay. Melissa: Versus Gale, who’s a wet cat. Zora: Who’s an adult cat who got thrown in the bathtub. Melissa: Yeah. Zora: But like isn’t doing anything to solve that for himself. Melissa: I think Astarion is a wet cat disguising himself as a poor little meow-meow. Zora: Yes. People want Astarion to be their poor little meow-meow, but actually, he does want to enslave people. Melissa: He’s a wet cat. Zora: So. Maddi: Astarion is very funny to me. Melissa: I love Astarion—you know what? Zora: One of my Tavs—uhh, yeah. [LAUGHTER] Zora: One of them. One of my four. Like the show? Support our Patreon, and get early access to future episodes of Postgame for just $1 per month!

    2h 13m
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About

Sidequest.zone’s podcast all about hot takes on cold games. Our show features criticism, commentary, and more from: Melissa Brinks (she/her), Sidequest’s EIC; Maddi Butler (she/her), Sidequest’s jock editor; Zora Gilbert (they/them), Sidequest’s assistant editor and copy ogre; Zainabb Hull (they/them), Sidequest’s assistant editor; Naseem Jamnia (they/them), Sidequest’s former managing editor

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