After years of mobile-first strategy, Netflix has announced its foray into game streaming with a focus on couch co-op party games - including a heavy hitter. We discuss why this makes a ton of sense for the streamer.

Plus: The lingering secrets in "Expedition 33," why the new side-scrolling beat-em-up "Absolum" hits so hard, and the triumphant release of dopamine generator "BALL x PIT," which mixes "Space Invaders," "Vampire Survivors," and "Breakout" into a perfect video game.

Watch the video version of this episode here: https://youtu.be/NbU_WbHZo6s

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So Nintendo uploaded a thing to their YouTube channel with ZERO context, and the Internet has been wondering what's the point. But details in the Nintendo Today app have new clues.

PLUS: We are hopelessly addicted to Megabonk, because it's Vampire Survivors in 3D with jumping!

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Xbox Game Pass just got significantly more expensive and subscribers are freaking out (and canceling in droves).The value proposition — unlimited access to 500+ games for $30/month — is still unprecedented. But as the cost of streaming and living rises across the board, and the hours we have to enjoy remain the same, that equation quickly gets more complicated.

We break down the value of Game Pass in a 2025 media ecosystem, and the future of subscription (and Cloud-based) game services.

Plus: An update on SILENT HILL f, and a game about many numbers going up at the same time.

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Colette played 4 hours of "Silent Hill f" in one sitting. So, is it good?

(yes)

And Matt has a spiritual awakening thanks to digital fur babies (some of whom are dead).

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Hey, uh...Nintendo? Yeah.

Could we have a quick word?

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Hey! There's a new game out called Silksong, and apparently it's good?

Deranged Metroidvandia fanatic Sky Burkson returns to the pod to school us on how Hollow Knight became a genre-defining (refining?) game, and why the long wait for its sequel turned into an Internet-breaking cultural phenomenon that's definitely not for everyone.

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Seven years of hype for "Hollow Knight: Silksong" literally took down Steam and Nintendo eShop servers when the game debuted this week as millions of fans rushed to buy and play the sequel. And we couldn't be happier for the small, devoted indie team that made it.

Meanwhile, "No Man's Sky" released its 6.0 update called "Voyagers" that allows players to build their own custom corvettes, which lead to an enormous spike in players for the 9-year-old game.

And Valve has patented a "Steam Frame," which sounds an awful lot like their rumored VR headset. Is new Steam hardware imminent?

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Colette has finished "Clair Obscur: Expedition 33" (and on her second playthrough) and Matt has watched all of the game's cinematics. And one thing is certain:

We have been forever changed by this unbelievable work of art.

This week, we go full spoiler mode on the plot, lore, characters, theories, cultural impact, and existential meaning of this extraordinary game, and why a French surrealist fever dream about grief is the LEAST commercial idea imaginable, yet an undeniable smash hit for the games industry (and why the world needs it more than ever).

Obviously, this episode contains super duper SPOILERS for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. You have been warned.

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