Two Vague is 2 player cooperative conversation program about a topic and how that topic is or could be related to video games or game design.The Two Vague recipe for an entertaining show:Step 1: ResearchStep 2: Presentation and DiscussionStep 3: Creative Exploration and Buffoonery
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Faith joins Ben this week to discuss the premise of the latest book she has been writing, which involves a pandemic-era social media scrolling phenomenon. The two Gen Xers talk about her origins in an assortment of social need-based therapy disciplines, her career development and research activities, and how she is working with Microcosm Publishing to help amplify neurodiverse voices and perspectives. They wrap up the episode with an exploration of the game Ultimate Grandma Simulator, a quick chat about how games have the potential to subtly teach in addition to providing entertainment, and a
Christian from Imaginary Game Studios joins Ben for a conversation involving a very important aspect of video game promoting, advertising, and audience connections. To start it all off with a proverbial BANG, Ben talks about a couple of games that he has been playing recently, Monday Syndrome and RACCOIN, and Christian professes his undying love for Japanese coin-pusher machines. Next, the fellows discuss the recently announced DLSS 5 technology, how the “message” was received by gamers and developers, and the resulting spin from Nvidia’s CEO Jensen Huang. FINALLY… they explore the topic word
Erik from Imaginary Game Studios joins Ben this week for, to Norah's chagrin, a math-free conversation about curved paths. After discussing a little game design philosophy as it relates to the games Ben has been playing (Stellar Wander DX and the Pragmata Sketchbook Demo), chatting about Erik’s first viewing of the 1983 movie Brainstorm, and dispensing with the miscellaneous “what have we been up to” pleasantries, they move on to the definition accompanied by a brief homophone detour. In the video games segment, they apply the Kübler-Ross model for processing grief to Ben’s experiences with th
Jamie Stormbreaker from One More Game joins Ben this week to discuss game design philosophy and the amazingly zany and fun game SWAPMEAT—a third-person shooter featuring a unique part-switching mechanic. Jamie and his team are very excited to share their full “out of early access” version of the cooperative-focused roguelite with the world on June 17th, so there is a LOT of juicy conversational MEAT to consume. As a perfectly marbled audio morsel, no additional gravy is required or encouraged. *** 00:00:58 - Lawyer input, industry to independent, Saros is a seven, THAC0, and for all ten of us0
Norah is visiting Tucson this week, so she has stopped by the studio to procure some Mango affection (via bribery) and make an appearance on the podcast! They were planning on doing a different word initially, but they are keeping it in the same wheelhouse to make a distinction between the two words—often used as synonyms. After a quick introduction where Ben talks about the game review code he received for the recent port of the N64 game Glover, Norah and Ben discuss their thoughts on the differences between retro and vintage, antique and vintage collections or items, and educational techniqu
Cheyenne joins Ben this week to talk about the myriad changes they both have been going through since his last appearance on the show. After a little bit of work-centric catch-up, they switch it up by front-loading the program with the video game chat a little earlier than usual. Cheyenne has been playing Fields of Mistria, Ben has been playing HAMSTERMIND, and they both have thoughts they are eager to share about these titles. Then by way of the definition, they TRANSITION into a more philosophical and anecdote-filled discussion about life, learning, the rise of PC usage, and current communic
We have double the guests for you this week for a show so special that it inspired a new and spicy 2VP T-shirt design—available on Andrew’s TeePublic storefront! In the first segment, Ben sits down with a visiting “aunt of the pod,” Norah, to discuss her first impressions from playing the demo of Black Jacket on the Steam Deck. The second segment features Jakub, the associate producer of this wonderful offering from Mi’Pu’Mi Games. The hosts have a discussion about the development of the game, Jakub’s role at Mi’Pu’Mi’ Games, the importance of variety as it relates to game development, and an
Mango the pod-cat, joins Ben this week to meow about his favorite word, his upcoming appearance in Andrew’s latest zine, and other assorted nonsense. Ben’s grasp of the feline language is a little rusty, but he does his best to keep up. After Mango gets bored of chatting, he provides a little ASMR-inspired purring to close out the show. *** 00:00:20 - Mee Meow Meow Meowcast introduction, meow-meow me…ow, and right meow00:02:02 - Meow, meow, final meows, closing the show, and Mango’s ASMR outro *** Follow Two Vague on…Our website: https://www.twovaguepodcast.comOn Instagram: https://www.instagr
Autistic stand-up comedienne Holly Huff joins Ben this week to talk about her comedy club experiences, her future plans for utilizing her writing talents, and her thoughts on Batman movies. After an exchange of pleasantries and a discussion about Holly’s background and ambitions, they dig into the definition specifics and Ben’s favorite Google feature! Next, they take a brief detour through the subject of ice cream novelties before the video game shenanigans commence! Games discussed in this episode include Dispatch, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Kingdoms of Amalur Reckoning, and Rocksteady Stu
Karen Morrison, program director of virtual events at the International Game Developers Association Foundation and narrative designer at Soda Den, joins Ben this week to talk about her adventures in Argentina and all of the wonderful things she and her peers do at IGDA and the IGDA-F to help passionate folks gain entry into the video games industry. After a quick Argentinian-flavored travelogue compliments of Karen, Ben talks about the game he’s been playing, ZOE Begone! Then it’s time to explore the endless expanse of the word and what it means—the sky’s the limit! To conclude the program, th
Andrew joins Ben this week to celebrate their penchants for approaching things from a different angle. Lack of perpendicularity aside, they discuss the abundant number of neurodiversity irons Andrew has in the proverbial fire, along with strategies to navigate creative blocks and coping skills for mental burnout. Before doing a deep dive into Andrew's ADHD Coping Skills deck and how they navigate their emotions, they pit Brian Eno’s Oblique Strategies deck against Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey. And OF COURSE, Ben will put on a perspective drawing clinic before describing (in excruciatingly pain
Norah joins Ben this week to close out the last 4 games in our 2025 pile of review codes. These games revolve around a diverse assortment of actions: smithing, plundering, angling, and foraging. There’s sure to be a game to pique your interest here, so get cozy, sit back, and relax. *** Blades of Fire by MercurySteam SL - published by 505 Games 00:00:20 - Cozy game disclaimer, amazing details, and Ben says “system” instead of “steam.” 00:03:06 - Summary of the background story, Aran and Adso, and the blade-forging mechanics 00:07:33 - A mini-game critique, discovering resources, and engaging i
We have a combo episode for you this week centered around the amazing game StarVaders. In the introduction segment, Ben describes his game experiences to Norah and answers her questions. Spoiler alert: by the end of the conversation she is sold, so now she just needs to get a Steam Deck. In the second segment, Ben showers the StarVaders game designer Eddie with praise before getting into a fascinating discussion about a sandwich-centric philosophical debate on video game design and the odd assortment of definitions for the topic word. *** Pre-show discussion and review of StarVaders with Norah
Ben has lots to say about his last day at PAX this year, from meeting an actual Larian Studios cosplaying brand ambassador on the streets of Seattle to another first-time purchase. He even conducted an interview that was so much fun, he forgot to press the record button! Ben also had a chance to talk with an assorted variety of folks: developers, PR specialists, CEOs, Twitch streamers, and a ghostwriter of mysteries turned game designer. To close out the program, Ben contemplates his plans for the show next year and provides another bonus game review for your external auditory meatuses! *** 00
If your question right now is, “Hey Ben, what did you see and do at PAX West on day 3?” then this show is for you! The short answer—he saw two of his favorite games of the entire four-day show and played a handful of others. Starting off the episode with the favorites, Ben describes his experiences playing the outrageously goofy meat-centric 3rd-person shooter SWAPMEAT and the skiing-themed rhythm game Fresh Tracks. Next, he moves on to the other games he played: Birdseed VR, Rebel Engine, Pax Autocratica, Arcane Eats, and Black Jacket. Finally, to put a bow on the show and phonetically into b
Ben’s schedule on the second day of PAX West was packed with game demos, time loops, interviews, and… time loops. Ben talks about playing a large assortment of demos, including Fractured Blooms, Project ATOM, ATMOSFAR, Bakudo, OPUS: Prism Peak, Anthem#9, Unyielder, and Aether and Iron. Other conversations he had on Day 2 of the show were with Hank: Drowning on Dry Land game director Jakub Lisinski from My Next Games, Blocks for Babies designers/developers Noah Ritz and Dan Rock from BunkSoft Interactive LLC, and Karen Morrison from the International Game Developers Association (IGDA) Foundatio
Ben went to the Penny Arcade Expo in Seattle this year and has a ton of stuff to share, so much so, in fact, that we had to split the episode up into four parts! In this episode, Ben talks about escaping his first room or whatever (Tomb Raider themed, of course), chatting with artist extraordinaire Dan Paladin, trying out the latest demo of friend of the pod Christian’s Rogue Climber, experiencing the incredibly nostalgic “martian death race” style game Ascent: Rivals, being gifted some sweet spatial gaming earbuds from SAN Sound, taking a quick peek at the free-to-play turn-based strategy gam
Norah’s back to assist Ben with reducing his game review backlog before he heads out to Seattle for PAX West 2025. The games discussed this week are Antro by Gatera Studio, The Precinct by Fallen Tree Games, and Revenge of the Savage Planet by Raccoon Logic. *** Antro trailer - https://youtu.be/wjgHmfYvA6g?si=DgqE4EDU6643M7eo 00:00:20 - Running with rhythm, the promotional materials description, and what drill music is 00:03:35 - Don’t stop listening, catching El Salvador, and just a nice guy delivering for FedEx 00:06:47 - Translated rap tracks, atmospherically appropriate, and pushing button
In an episode inspired by a game review code we received, Andrew returns alongside Ben, who’s been buying a single movie multiple times for SOME reason. Ben has given up on “Sucky Assassin's Creed” for now, but he sees promise in an “FRPG” game he’s been playing recently. Andrew has been doing something incredibly constructive with his pent-up frustration from the consistent misrepresentation of autism by the Department of Health and Human Services; he’s also been working on constructing a companion deck of cards for his ADHD book. Next, they think about their oddly numerous and influential pu
Ben STILL has too many review codes, so Aunt Norah is back to help him get through the backlog. Norah watches the trailer, Ben plays the game, and they discuss their impressions. This episode contains three conversations themed around the games Ben has been playing for review purposes. Topics and games covered this week include the following: the impact of vector graphics featuring Stratogun, the nostalgia of GBA-style adventure games with Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo, and exploring the dating sim concept in Date Everything! *** PART 1 - Vector graphics in the game Stratogun Horsefly Games’
Christian from Imaginary Game Studios joins Ben this week to talk about a word that is very dear to him. In addition to being a component in the name of Christian’s game development company, imagination is something that both of the hosts love to use in their day-to-day lives and in all of their creative endeavors because it brings them so much joy. As one would expect from the topic of imagination, the conversation goes many fascinating places—cooking, mixology, childhood toys and games, and imaginary friends… to name a few. In the video games-focused segment, they engage in a little brainsto
Ben has TOO MANY game codes, so Aunt Norah is here to help! This back to back episodes… episode contains two conversations themed around the games Ben has been playing for review purposes. In the top half, they talk about the representations of the mental ailments in the games Next of Kin and RATSHAKER™. In the latter half, they talk about the handling of the animal protagonist in Spirit of the North 2. *** PART 1 - The portrayal of mental fitness topics in and opinions about Next of Kin and RATSHAKER™ 00:00:20 - Going global-ish and an explanation of the next batch of Norah episodes Next of K
Erik joins Ben this week to chew the fat about… math? NOPE! We’ll just insert THAT version of the definition into the title graphic instead, thank you (sorry, Norah)! However, the fellas ARE going to discuss how the word "derivative" is used in positive and negative contexts, but first a warmup—talking about their “glory days” and high school experiences. In the obligatory “What Have They Been Up To" intro, Erik shares details about what’s going on in the development of Rogue Climber, and Ben offers details and opinions about the games Spacepunk Survival and Polterguys: Possession Party. FINAL
Ben’s long time friend Jen joins the podcast this week to talk about her bread making business called Worth Her Salt Sourdough, the challenges of understanding and navigating social media as a Generation X-er, her experiences teaching from primary school to community college, how video game culture has changed in the last 50 years, and the assorted video games her four daughters played in the 90s and 2000s. *** 00:00:20 - Jen’s business, cooking school, pirates, and showing your value… through baking00:04:39 - Post-layoff experiences, first jobs, the DQ Q, and the Subway vs. Dairy Queen feud 0
Sky, one of the hosts of a men’s mental health podcast called Hey Man; It’s Ok, joins Ben this week to have a discussion about the word growth. After talking about the games they have been playing recently, they each open up a little bit and share their experiences with managing various mental health challenges and utilizing therapy. Next, they shift their focus to an exploration of how growing is handled in video games. Finally, they wrap it all up with some parting words of advice. Games mentioned by the hosts in the episode include Star Wars: Outlaws, Ghost of Tsushima, Ender Magnolia: Bloo
