11 episodes

A long form podcast that analyzes the intersection between gameplay and narrative. Hosts Blake Guthrie and Preston Johnson aim to answer a simple question. How do game mechanics tell stories?

The Ludonarrative Podcast Epilogue Gaming

    • Leisure
    • 3.9 • 7 Ratings

A long form podcast that analyzes the intersection between gameplay and narrative. Hosts Blake Guthrie and Preston Johnson aim to answer a simple question. How do game mechanics tell stories?

    Super Mario Odyssey

    Super Mario Odyssey

    In this month's episode of LudonarrativeFM, Preston and Blake journey through the many joyful kingdoms in Super Mario Odyssey (2017). This bouncy and boisterous 3D platformer boasts a bunch of boundless fun and movement tech. We begin by critiquing and pulling this game apart for being over-hyped and simplistic, but end by celebrating the abundance of creativity and polish in this Mario installment. This episode asks: in what ways does Mario Odyssey fit into discussions of ludonarrative?

    Support LudonarrativeFM: Patreon.com/EpilogueGaming
    For more discussions like these: EpilogueGaming.com
    Chat with us on Twitter: LudonarrativeFM
    Chat with us on Twitch: Twitch.tv/LudoFM
    Join the Epilogue Discord: discord.gg/yzD2kMT

    • 1 hr 43 min
    Undertale

    Undertale

    In this month's episode of LudonarrativeFM, Preston and Blake laugh and wonder at Toby Fox's unforgettably idiosyncratic game, Undertale (2015). This narratively complex and multifaceted game ensnares the player in a multitude of unique situations that only video games could provide. Your expectations will be undermined, played with, tricked, and reinvented. Undertale proves that characters are perhaps the most powerful vehicle towards meaningful plot and consequence.



    Support LudonarrativeFM: Patreon.com/EpilogueGaming

    For more discussions like these: EpilogueGaming.com

    Chat with us on Twitter: @LudonarrativeFM

    Chat with us on Twitch: Twitch.tv/LudoFM

    Join the Epilogue Discord: discord.gg/yzD2kMT

    • 2 hr 8 min
    Gris

    Gris

    In this month's episode of LudonarrativeFM, Preston and Blake explore the uniquely artistic and emotional Gris (2018). This melodic platformer envelops you in a swirling watercolor world of hand-animated beauty, illustrating the journey of a young woman through emotional grief and depression. We argue that Gris will be enshrined as an affirming response to the question of whether videogames are art.

    Support LudonarrativeFM: Patreon.com/EpilogueGaming 
    For more discussions like these: EpilogueGaming.com 
    Chat with us on Twitter: LudonarrativeFM 
    Chat with us on Twitch: Twitch.tv/LudoFM 
    Join the Epilogue Discord: discord.gg/yzD2kMT

    • 1 hr 39 min
    The Walking Dead

    The Walking Dead

    In this month's episode of LudonarrativeFM, Preston and Blake relive the harrowing tales of Telltale's The Walking Dead (2012). This episodic series of games frames large swaths of its narrative in terms of player choice, making you feel like a deep part of moral decisionmaking. The unforgettable relationship between Lee and Clementine binds these otherwise horrible and gruesome plots together in a beautiful and lasting way.

    Support LudonarrativeFM: Patreon.com/EpilogueGaming
    For more discussions like these: EpilogueGaming.com
    Chat with us on Twitter: LudonarrativeFM
    Chat with us on Twitch: Twitch.tv/LudonarrativeFM
    Join the Epilogue Discord: discord.gg/yzD2kMT

    • 2 hr 3 min
    Pony Island

    Pony Island

    In this month's episode of LudonarrativeFM, Blake and Preston play Pony Island (2016). Pony Island, created by Daniel Mullins, is a deceptive puzzle game that breaks all the rules of how videogames should behave.

    Support LudonarrativeFM: Patreon.com/EpilogueGaming
    For more discussions like these: EpilogueGaming.com
    Chat with us on Twitter: LudonarrativeFM
    Chat with us on Twitch: Twitch.tv/LudonarrativeFM
    Join the Epilogue Discord: https://discord.gg/yzD2kMT
    Who won the 30 Second Recap?: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQL…wform?usp=sf_link

    • 1 hr
    Dark Souls

    Dark Souls

    In this month's episode of the Ludonarrative Podcast, Blake and Preston talk Dark Souls (2011). Dark Souls is game that seamlessly integrates its lore into storytelling. The game mechanics are a pastiche of classic RPGs, combined in a such a way that has earned Dark Souls a reputation for extreme difficulty. Dark Souls, created by Hidetaka Miyazaki, deliberately leads us nowhere - or so it would seem. We ask how video games establish trust, and how death shapes identities in games.

    Support the Ludonarrative Podcast: Patreon.com/EpilogueGaming
    For more discussions like these: EpilogueGaming.com
    Chat with us on Twitter: LudonarrativeFM
    Chat with us on Twitch: Twitch.tv/LudoNarrativePodcast

    • 1 hr 9 min

Customer Reviews

3.9 out of 5
7 Ratings

7 Ratings

Alfonso Hair ,

These guys deep dive into games!

These two take their time getting into games. I mean, sure they can get into the weeds, but even in those weeds they are entertaining. I’ve gone through all of their episodes and waiting for more. It’s been a while, so hoping they come back. Favorite so far was the Dark Souls one.

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