This week on Brain Lords we solve the equation for what makes a game worth it. That it has to cost you $1 for every hour of fun, right? Special guest Keifer from the Select & Start Podcast helps us in this crossover episode where we break down what people actually mean when they say a game is "Worth It"?

Questions, Comments, Suggestions? CONTACT US: brainlordspod@gmail.com

Kyle - Cute Monster Props

Jorge - JMV

Keifer - Select & Start Podcast

THINGS DISCUSSED

Final Fantasy XV, Kingsglaive, Final Fantasy Advent Children, Garfield and Friends, Brandish, Rumble Roses 2, Dead or Alive Extreme Beach Volleyball, Street Fighter 3rd Strike

How does playtime factor into a game's worth? (0:12:30)

Death Stranding, Breath of the Wild, Elden Ring, Dark Souls, Balatro, Silent Hill F, Bayonetta, Resident Evil 4, Heat (1995), Nier Replicant

Does price or accessibility matter in measuring a game's worth? (0:26:17)

Gran Theft Auto 6, Shiren the Wanderer, Boku no Natsuyasumi 2, Ys III, Castlevania Rondo of Blood, Fallout New Vegas

Game Ratings: Video Game Fandoms (0:44:06)

Armored Core, Animal Crossing, Deltarune, F-Zero, Bit Brigade, Star Fox 64, Star Fox Command, Lisa The Painful, Look Outside, Lisa the Hopeful, Lisa the Pointless, Mother franchise, Earthbound, Deep Rock Galactic, Hitman series, Final Fantasy XIV, Tom, Final Fantasy XI

How worthy are the recommendations or opinions of strangers for games? (1:15:42)

Brandish, Red Dead Redemption 2, Dear Passengers, The Matrix Path of Neo

How does a game stand out from a wide breadth of options? (1:27:23)

Ocarina of Time, Final Fantasy VII Remake, Resident Evil 2 Remake. Live A Live, Lies of P, Hollow Knight

So, what then do people mean when they ask if a game is "worth it"? (1:38:30)

Bioshock, Super Mario 64, 1000xResist

The Question Zone (1:48:42)

Mewd says: With any piece of art, I want to walk away from the work carrying something with me. I want to be affected. I want to be able to reflect back on that experience and relate it to life.

Idle escapism can be enjoyable too, but the games that are most 'worth it' for me are the ones where I'm still thinking and feeling after the game ends.

The Rec Room (1:51:26)

Games Done Quick runs for: Resident Evil 9, Mario 64 120 Star TAS, Memoirs of Magic, Snoopy (Commadore 64), Elden Ring All Bosses Coop, Total Nuclear Annihilation, Hey You Pikachu, The House that Dragons Made, Pluribus, Toree Series, In the Mouth of Madness, Alan Wake 2, Hitman World of Assassination, MGSV The Phantom Pain

This week on Brain Lords all the games are a stage and all the avatars are merely players! Ever dramatically look backwards, slowly walk along a vista, or equip suboptimal gear because it made for a cooler experience? It turns out with a little imagination any game can be a role playing game. Jorge and Kyle discuss the ways in which we can add a little extra to any kind of game, as well as the ways the “intended experience” took us out of the moment. Alas poor Link…I knew him well.

Questions, Comments, Suggestions? CONTACT US: brainlordspod@gmail.com

Kyle - Cute Monster Props

Jorge - JMV

THINGS DISCUSSED

Baten Kaitos, Etrian Odyssey, Dragon Quest III

What defines a Role Playing (Video) Game? (0:09:51)

Baldur's Gate, Final Fantasy VII, The Legend of Zelda series, The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask, Super Mario RPG

Have you ever imagined something in a game that made for a better, more personal experience outside of developer intent? (0:23:51)

Metal Gear Solid, Metal Gear Solid 2, Metal Gear Solid 3, Mega Man X, Pokémon Gold and Silver, Yume Nikki, VVVVVV

How can slower, quieter moments offer better storytelling than more active moments with dialogues or cutscenes? (0:43:37)

Deltarune Chapter 5, Breath of Fire, Death Stranding, Mr. Gimmik, UFO 50

Game Ratings: Silent Protagonists (0:56:25)

Chrono Trigger, Chrono Cross, Super Mario RPG, Doom 2016, Persona 5, Half Life 2, Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

How have you changed the way you played explicitly to tell a better story for yourself? (1:19:17)

Elden Ring, Psychonauts 2, Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening, Final Fantasy IV, Breath of Fire, Kingdom Hearts, Mina the Hollower, Evolution: World of Sacred Device, Signalis

Have you ever felt that a game's design or developer intent actively becomes an obstacle in role playing? (1:33:48

The Last of Us 2, Star Fox (2026), The Adventures of Elliott, Shin Megami Tensei IV, Golden Sun, Deus Ex: Mankind Divided

The Question Zone (2:02:12)

Zohar and Goodnight asks: What are the strengths and weaknesses between a silent protagonist and a protagonist with acting dialogue and participation in the story?

Fox McLeod of the Clan McLeod asks: How important is it for you as a player to feel connected to a main character?

Hotline Miami

The Rec Room (2:13:29)

Tanuki: Pon’s Summer, Boku No Natsuyasumi 2, Witch Hat Atelier, Sayonara Wild Hearts, Speed Racer 4K (2008)

This week on Brain Lords shuffle up and let's duel, we’re talking card games! Why play a digital version of a game that is designed around its physical limitations? We discuss all the unique things that only digital card games can do. From Gameboy adaptations like Pokémon TCG, to 2000s genre bending spinoffs like Mega Man Battle Network, to the modern age of Slay the Spire inspired Rogue Like deck builders and more, It’s your move!

Questions, Comments, Suggestions? CONTACT US: brainlordspod@gmail.com

Kyle - Cute Monster Props

Jorge - JMV

THINGS DISCUSSED The World Cup, Mina The Hollower What introduced you to collectible card games? (0:10:10) Pokémon TCG, Digimon TCG, Yu-Gi-Oh What are the strengths and weaknesses of digital card games when compared to physical collectible cards? (0:21:32) Culdcept Saga, Culdcept Revolt, Scythe, Arkham Horror What are the key differences between card games being a feature in a video game, and the genre itself? (0:34:42) FFVII, Baten Kaitos, Phantasy Star Online Ep. III, UFO 50, SNK VS Capcom: Card Battle, Lost Kingdoms, Mega Man Battle Network 2, Yu-Gi-Oh! The Duelists of the Roses, Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories, Phantom Dust, Back 4 Blood, Voice of Cards, Inscryption, Slay the Spire Game Ratings: TCG Formats (0:54:09) Flesh and Blood, The Cube, Gleaming the Cube How have digital collectible card games evolved over the years and where are we now? (1:19:06) Battle Chip Challenge, Monster Rancher Card Battle, Dragon Ball Daimao Fukkatsu, Arcana, Metal Gear Ac!d, Phantasy Star Online III, Phantom Dust, Dominion, Dream Quest, Balatro, Isekai Big Dick Are digital card games better than physical card games? (1:54:32) The Question Zone (2:01:20) Unicorn Overlord, Odin’s Sphere, Muramasa Demon Blade, Dragon Quest series, Mega Man X, Xenoblade series, Hollow Knight, Silksong, Magi Nation, Magic: the Gathering (Dreamcast), Heavy Metal: Geomatrix, Mega Man Command Mission Nothing is Ever Ogre Battle 64 asks: Is there a Video Game you would like to see adapted in the form of a Physical Card Game? Unban The Hex Maniac Card asks: Do you have a favorite Promo Card that was included with a Video Game? The Rec Room (2:15:13) Culdcept Series, Dungeons and Dragons: Shadows Over Mystara, Mega Man Battle Network 2, Magic the Gathering Shandalar, Gundam TCG, Destroy All Humans They Can’t Be Regenerated, Onani Master Kurosawa, Attack of the Friday Monsters