Tales from the Backlog

Dave Jackson
  • 4.9 (57)
  • VIDEO GAMES
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

A video games podcast where Dave Jackson and guests break down and discuss the games they play. Each episode looks at one game in depth, focusing on mechanics, story, music and other aspects, with no spoilers until a clearly marked spoiler wall in the middle.

  1. 1D AGO

    213: Hitman 3 & Freelancer Mode (with Scott Danielson)

    Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog Join Dave and returning guest Scott Danielson as they dive into the third and final entry in the Hitman: World of Assassination Trilogy (IO Interactive), as well as its roguelike mode, Freelancer. This whole package is an absolute treat, and this also brings the Tales from the Backlog Hitman Episode Trilogy to a close. Listen in for allllll (most) of our thoughts! Guest info: Scott Danielson (he/him) TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Title Card 0:25 Introductions 8:25 Our Histories with Hitman 12:39 Top-Level Thoughts 17:13 Story Setup 24:43 Levels and Locations 34:16 What's New and Mission Stories 43:26 The Sandbox and Freelancer Mode 1:02:32 Other Bonus Missions 1:09:07 Who Should Play Hitman? 1:17:03 Spoiler Wall and Patron Thank-Yous 1:18:57 Spoilers- Dubai 1:37:53 Spoilers- Dartmoor 1:50:43 Spoilers- Berlin 2:10:03 Spoilers- Chongqing 2:27:31 Spoilers- Mendoza 2:41:54 Spoilers- Carpathian Mountains 2:53:56 Spoilers- Ending and Ambrose Island Music used in the episode is credited to Niels Bye Nielson. Tracks used: Death Awaits, Best-Laid Plans, Sceptres of Dubai, End of an Era, Planning, Death in the Family, Chongqing Requiem, Mission Accomplished Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures

    3h 10m

  2. APR 29

    212: The Séance of Blake Manor (with Brian Edwards - Cane and Rinse, Character Issues)

    Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog Join Dave and special guest Brian Edwards as they dive into one of 2025's most acclaimed games, The Séance of Blake Manor (Spooky Doorway, Raw Fury, 2025). It's a captivating mystery set in an Irish countryside manor-turned-hotel, full of both literal and figurative ghosts, culminating in a grand séance. It's full of memorable characters, fantastic voice performances, Irish folklore and mythology, and always manages to keep you guessing. Check out the podcast for more. Guest info: Brian Edwards (he/him) Check out the Character Issues podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-character-issues-podcast/id1530881747?l=zh-Hant-TW Check out Cane and Rinse https://caneandrinse.com/ TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Title Card 0:16 Introductions 4:24 Personal Histories 7:59 Top-Level Thoughts 14:15 Story Setup and Cast of Characters 24:18 Spooky Atmosphere 29:00 Character Schedules and the Passage of Time 41:41 Lack of Deductive Reasoning 48:43 Some Mechanical Frustrations 56:09 Some Puzzly Puzzles 58:44 Irish Folklore & Mythology 1:05:31 Who Should Play? 1:09:40 Character Issues & Cane and Rinse 1:19:04 Spoiler Wall and Patron Thank-Yous 1:20:57 Spoilers- Favorite Moments and Storylines 1:49:27 Spoilers- What's Going On Here? Music used in the episode is credited to Clement Panchout. Tracks used: The Séance of Blake Manor, Vincent Varley, Blake Manor I, Courtyard, The Ritual, Serenade for Evelyn Deane (End Credits) Check out Dave's guest DJ set on Chillscape: A Chill VGM Podcast: https://superpodnetwork.com/podcast/chillscape-a-chill-vgm-podcast Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures

    2h 14m

  3. APR 22

    211: Baby Steps (with Josh Galecki - Pixelated Playgrounds)

    Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog Join Dave and special guest Josh Galecki (Pixelated Playgrounds, Moonroof Studios) to take a long walk into the woods of Baby Steps. Developed by Bennett Foddy, Gabe Cuzillo and Maxi Boch and published by Devolver Digital, Baby Steps is an extremely unique game, one where its story of its failson protagonist meshes with its frustrating-yet-rewarding gameplay for a very rewarding and genuinely funny experience. Check out the podcast for more. Guest info: Josh Galecki (he/him) Check out Pixelated Playgrounds https://www.pixelatedplaygrounds.com/ Check out Josh's games on Steam https://store.steampowered.com/search/?developer=Moonroof%20Studios Check out more of Josh's games on itch https://joshuagalecki.itch.io/ TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Title Card 0:11 Introductions 5:42 Our Histories with Baby Steps 9:42 Top-Level Thoughts 15:11 Characterization of Nate 20:18 Walking Mechanics 26:56 Difficulty and World Design 40:19 Hating On Nate and Comedy 54:27 Visuals, Music and Sound 59:13 Who Should Play Baby Steps? 1:04:16 Pixelated Playgrounds and Moonroof Studios 1:08:40 Spoiler Wall & Patron Thank-Yous 1:10:17 Spoilers- Jim, The Manbreaker, Other Challenges 1:32:19 Spoilers- Let's Talk About Nate 1:42:28 Spoilers- Nate's Journey and Endings 1:55:43 Accomplishments vs Achievements 2:04:23 Guys...Where Are We? Sound clips in episode were captured in game. The Secret Lives of Games interview with Bennett Foddy & Gabe Cuzillo- https://eggplant.show/152-walking-over-it-with-gabe-cuzzillo-and-bennett-foddy-baby-steps Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures

    2h 20m

  4. APR 15

    Is It Harder for Video Games to Be Funny? (with Doug Lief & Gen Moonen)

    Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog Guest info: Doug Lief (he/him) and Gen Moonen (they/them) Listen to Nostalgium Arcanum https://nostalgiumarcanum.fireside.fm/ Listen to Playing By Ear https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/playing-by-ear/id1815995146 Listen to Still Muppeting https://www.patreon.com/c/stillloadingpod/posts Listen to "Fun" and Games https://funandgames.libsyn.com/ TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Title Card 0:10 Introductions and Top-Level Thoughts 7:20 Unpredictability- Problem or Opportunity? 19:48 Failure Can Be Funny 38:35 Jokes In Any Form 50:07 Unique Challenges Facing Game Comedy 1:32:15 More Ways Games are Uniquely Funny 1:44:46 Wrap-Up Thoughts 1:48:56 Gen & Doug's Podcasts Music used in the episode: Secret Hoppin' (Vacation Mix)- ClascyJitto (Pizza Tower OST) Whispering Rock Psychic Summer Camp- Peter McConnell (Psychonauts OST) Dave's guest appearance on Play Along Podcast- https://linktr.ee/PlayAlongPodcast Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures

    1h 57m

  5. APR 8

    210: Vampire: The Masquerade: Bloodlines (with TroytlePower)

    Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog Join Dave and special guest TroytlePower as they discuss Vampire: The Masquerade: Bloodlines, developed by Troika Games and published by Activision in 2004. Any recommendation to play Bloodlines comes with all sorts of disclaimers attached, which makes it nearly irresistable for someone with a brain like mine. And while all of those bad things I had heard about the game turned out to be extremely true, it's still a fascinating game that led to a fun discussion. Check out the podcast for more! Guest info: TroytlePower (he/him) Check out all of Troy's work! https://troytlepower.com/ TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Title Card 0:17 Introductions 4:30 Our Histories with Bloodlines 8:39 Top-Level Thoughts 13:57 Story Setup and Clan Selection 21:03 The Masquerade and Vampire Society 28:06 Presentation and Game World 36:53 Music and Vibes 44:34 Vampire Lore TM 51:00 Character Building 1:02:04 Combat 1:17:00 If They Only Had More Time... 1:25:52 Who Should Play Bloodlines? 1:31:00 Troy's Podcasts and Writing 1:35:56 Spoiler Wall and Patron Thank-Yous 1:37:51 Spoilers- Early-Midgame Quests and Stories 2:23:00 Spoilers- The Sewers and Onward Music used in the episode is credited to Rik Schaffer. Tracks used: Main Menu, Downtown, Disturbed and Twisted Combat, Generic Combat, Santa Monica, Crypt Combat Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures

    3h 7m

  6. APR 5

    PAX East 2026 Wrap-Up

    Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog Dave recaps 13 indie games that he played on the PAX East 2026 show floor. TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Intro 0:25 The Secret of Weepstone 2:05 Throwback! Jai-Alai Heroes 2:59 Canvas City 3:51 DREADMOOR 5:03 Fractured Blooms 6:20 GNAW 7:31 Valor Mortis 8:32 Well Dweller 9:39 Never's End 11:17 ZWAARD 12:15 Project Lexa 13:37 Backyard Baseball 15:20 Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon 16:31 Wrap-Up 17:06 More Indie Game Coverage! 17:52 Outro and How to Support Game links: The Secret of Weepstone- https://store.steampowered.com/app/3702100/The_Secret_of_Weepstone/ Throwback! Jai-Alai Heroes- https://www.astrocrow.com/throwback Canvas City https://store.steampowered.com/app/3226830/Canvas_City/ DREADMOOR https://store.steampowered.com/app/3629430/DREADMOOR/ Fractured Blooms https://store.steampowered.com/app/3730310/Fractured_Blooms/ GNAW https://store.steampowered.com/app/2306490/GNAW/ Valor Mortis https://store.steampowered.com/app/2828710/Valor_Mortis/ Well Dweller https://store.steampowered.com/app/3699590/Well_Dweller/ Never's End https://store.steampowered.com/app/1999930/Nevers_End/ ZWAARD https://store.steampowered.com/app/2251170/ZWAARD/ Project Lexa https://store.steampowered.com/app/3162890/Project_Lexa/ Backyard Baseball https://store.steampowered.com/app/3935020/Backyard_Baseball/ Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon https://store.steampowered.com/app/1466060/Tainted_Grail_The_Fall_of_Avalon/ Music used: High Above the Land (The Flying Machine)- Jake Kaufman (Shovel Knight) Various tracks from The 16-Bit Starter Pack, composed by Bert Cole [bitbybitsound.com](bitbybitsound.com) For more PAX and indie game coverage, check out: https://theindieinformer.com/ https://www.sixoneindie.com/ https://nosmallgames.com/ https://funandgames.libsyn.com/ https://youtube.com/@crossplayconvos https://youtube.com/@danomak https://leftbehindgame.club/ https://youtube.com@NOLAnerdcast https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/pixelspectrum/ https://www.gamesandwich.com/ https://www.buzzsprout.com/747596 https://kzum.org/podcasts/underplayed/ https://youtube.com@CGDannyB https://youtube.com@Kimchica https://bossrush.net/ https://passthecontroller.io/ https://www.gamerheadspodcast.com/ https://www.youtube.com/@PSTrophyRoom https://datewithuspodcast.podbean.com/ https://epiloguegaming.com/ https://somanygames.co.uk/ https://dotzip.online/ https://skyboxcritics.com/ https://www.quitthebuild.com/1h1d Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures

    19 min

  7. APR 1

    209: Chants of Sennaar (with Travis Colenutt - Left Behind Game Club)

    Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog Join Dave and guest Travis Colenutt on their language-learning journey up the tower in Chants of Sennaar (Rundisc, Focus Entertainment, 2023). What do our languages say about our culture, and how can learning another language change the way we see the world? All of this and more in the discussion! Guest info: Travis Colenutt (he/him) Check out Left Behind Game Club https://leftbehindgame.club/ Follow on Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/traviscolenutt.bsky.social TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Title Card 0:21 Introductions 4:53 Why Did We Play Chants of Sennaar? 9:50 Top-Level Thoughts About Chants of Sennaar 16:06 Story and Language Learning Setup 28:00 Using Language to Make Progress 33:40 Learning About Culture Via Languages 39:04 Making Connections Via Languages 48:02 Stealth In My Puzzle Game? 53:58 Visuals, Music and Sound 1:08:31 Do We Recommend? 1:11:17 Left Behind Game Club 1:15:10 Spoiler Wall & Patron Thank-Yous 1:17:34 Spoilers- The Devotees & Warriors 1:40:05 Spoilers- The Bards & Alchemists 1:55:32 Spoilers- The Anchorites & Ending Music used in the episode is credited to Thomas Brunet. Tracks used: The Call, Out of the Cavern and into the Light, Catch Me!, Envers, Bonds Reforged Catch Dave on Nostalgium Arcanum talking about Rocky https://nostalgiumarcanum.fireside.fm/ Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures

    2h 24m

  8. MAR 25

    208: Death Howl (with Bryan Skursha - Pixelated Playgrounds)

    Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog Join Dave and guest Bryan Skursha as they deep dive Death Howl (The Outer Zone, 11 Bit Studios, 2025) on their journey through the underworld to find out what the hell a soulslike deckbuilder even is. Brutal turn-based combat, a story about grieving and a mother's love, and all the f****d up guys a gamer could ask for. Listen in to find out more! Guest info: Bryan Skursha (he/him) Check out Pixelated Playgrounds https://www.pixelatedplaygrounds.com/ Follow on BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/bsushi.bsky.social TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Title Card 0:18 Introductions 5:39 Our Histories with Death Howl 10:50 Top-Level Thoughts 15:42 Story Setup 23:58 Dreamy, Hazy Visuals and Sound 40:01 Combat Basics and Deckbuilding Strategy 54:58 Is It Soulslike? 1:05:00 Open-Ended Structure and Side Quests 1:10:22 Combat Depth 1:16:40 Who Should Play Death Howl? 1:19:00 Pixelated Playgrounds 1:22:55 Spoiler Wall & Patron Thank-Yous 1:24:58 Spoilers- Favorite Areas, Bosses, Decks 1:41:00 Spoilers- Final Area and Final Bosses 1:55:46 Spoilers- Story Discussion Music used in the episode is credited to Chris Bjørumslet & Malte Burup. Tracks used: Death Howl, Olvi, Shadows of Rot, Cantharsis, Meadows of Delusion, Moon Eel, Ever Since Your Heart Stopped Beating Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures

    2h 25m
See All (255)

4.9
out of 5
57 Ratings

About

A video games podcast where Dave Jackson and guests break down and discuss the games they play. Each episode looks at one game in depth, focusing on mechanics, story, music and other aspects, with no spoilers until a clearly marked spoiler wall in the middle.

Information

  • Creator
    Dave Jackson
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    255
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Tube Podcast Network
  • Show Website
    Tales from the Backlog

You Might Also Like