In this episode of Pixelated Playgrounds, Josh and Bryan dive into a Roguelite Roundup double feature with Loop Hero (2021) and Ball x Pit (2025), exploring how each game twists genre conventions in its own eccentric way. They start with Loop Hero, the 2021 auto-battling, world-rebuilding oddity from Four Quarters, unpacking its eerie DOS-inspired aesthetic, its “zero-player” design origins, and its signature loop structure that blurs the line between dungeon-master and adventurer. Bryan and Josh break down the tension between player strategy and character automation, how tile placement shapes risk and reward, and why the game’s intentionally opaque systems are both fascinating and frustrating.

Next we turn to Ball x Pit, the recently released brick-breaker–meets–city-builder from Kenny Sun and Friends. We discuss the game’s gleefully chaotic blend of chunky 3D constructions and crisp pixel effects, its two intertwined gameplay loops, and its ever-expanding roster of characters, buildings, and more than sixty ball types. The conversation digs into the fusion, fission, and evolution mechanics that make every volley unpredictable, the strategic timing involved in choosing upgrades, and the playful experimentation the design encourages. With its brisk metaprogression, flexible buildcrafting, and constant sense of discovery, Ball x Pit feels tightly crafted and refreshingly energetic.

Three Word Reviews:

Loop Hero:

Bryan - Around in Circles

Josh - Loops Within Loops

Ball X Pit:

Bryan - Not the Pits

Josh - Leans Too Far

In this episode of Pixelated Playgrounds, Bryan and Josh dive into and Roger, a short but emotionally powerful experience from developer TearyHand Studio. Initially framed as a horror story, the game follows a girl who wakes to find a stranger in her home, with disorienting minigames and high-contrast visuals amplifying her fear and confusion. They discuss the game’s unusual narrative delivery, its WarioWare-like micro-interactions, minimal text, and evocative sound design. What begins as a tense mystery gradually reveals deeper questions about the protagonist, hinting at something more intimate than danger.

Later on they explore how the game’s story revelations transforms earlier gameplay into poignant commentary through mechanics rather than exposition. Its notable that while the game concludes with a Bible verse, its message remains universal, human, and deeply felt. And Roger is a memorable, compassionate experience less about fun and more about understanding, which showcases how interactive storytelling can reframe emotions in a remarkable way.

Notes:

Florence

One of 2025's Best Games, And Roger, Is About God, Love, and Loss (Patrick Klepek, Remap)

Three Word Reviews:

Bryan - Revelation and Reframing

Josh - Confusion and Uncertainty

In this episode, Bryan and Josh dive deep into Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, the 2025 dark fantasy RPG from French studio Sandfall Interactive and published by Kepler Interactive. This is the first outing of director Guillaume Broche, formerly of Ubisoft, featuring a powerhouse voice cast including Jennifer English, Ben Starr, and Charlie Cox, and a wildly eclectic soundtrack by Lorien Testard and Alice Duport-Percier that spans classical to dubstep. If that wasn’t enough to draw you in the premise of the game alone is one of the more intriguing in recent memory: For the last 67 years, the island of Lumière has endured the “Gommage,” a ritual in which an ethereal being known as the Paintress erases everyone older than a mysteriously dwindling number. Expedition 33 sets out to confront the paintress, them embark on an exploration of how art, death, and memory intertwine within the game’s Belle Époque-inspired world.

Bryan and Josh also unpack the game’s richly layered writing and worldbuilding, noting how the prologue perfectly sets the tone and how the setting pulses with French cultural flair, even down to battling a mime in the opening minutes. Clair Obscur features a truly memorable cast, contributing to a story that’s equal parts tragic and hopeful, and while the combat system’s balance of dodge, parry, and unique “Pictos” and “Luminas” mechanics met the challenge of keeping combat snappy and engaging. However, at the end of it all, Clair Obscur’s core themes of death and grief give it both its weight and its beauty, cementing its place as one of 2025’s standout video game experiences.

Notes:

The impossible (true) stories behind the making of Clair Obscur Expedition 33

The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 | Lumière

Three Word Reviews:

Bryan - What Comes After

Josh - Overcaffeinated, Moving, Obscure

In this episode Josh and Bryan are talking about Pyre developed by Supergiant Games and released in 2017 for PC, Mac, Linux, and PlayStation 4. Pyre is considered by some to be Supergiant’s most experimental and heartfelt title, a mystical mix of visual novel and ritualistic sport. From the creators of Bastion, Transistor, and Hades, Pyre stands apart for its boldness a “mournful revolution” where victory means saying goodbye to a beloved comrade, and every loss fuels the greater cause of rebellion. With lush art by Jen Zee, music and sound by Darren Korb and Ashley Barrett, and the powerful writing of Greg Kasavin, Pyre delivers a story of loss and revolution. Join us as we resurrect this lost episode of Pixelated Playgrounds to discuss literacy as rebellion, the beauty of bittersweet freedom, and why even in defeat, there’s purpose in pressing onward.

Show Notes:

Gamedeveloper.com - How Supergiant Games aggressively prototyped its way into Pyre

Darren Korb going hard as usual (Never to Return, Supergiant In Concert)

Three Word Reviews:

Bryan - Rites, Remorse, Revolution

Josh - Single Player Sport

In this episode Bryan and Josh are diving into UFO 50, the long-awaited indie collaboration from Derek Yu, Jon Perry, Eirik Suhrke, Paul Hubans, Ojiro Fumoto, and Tyriq Plummer collects fifty original games into one sprawling anthology made by a fictional company called UFO Soft between 1982 and 1989. They explore its meta-narrative, collective authorship, its “lost console” aesthetic, and how its ambitious scope becomes a keen commentary on the experience of creating games across a console generation. From the clever chaos of Party House to the moody depths of Porgy and the sprawling weirdness of Grimstone, we’ll talk about which games could stand alone and which thrive because they exist in conversation with the rest. Not every game shines equally, but together they form a unique love letter to game-making and retro gaming.

Three Word Reviews:

Bryan - Crafty Creative Cornucopia

Josh - A Design Feast

Show Notes:

TIGsource - The Indie Game Source

In this episode of Pixelated Playgrounds, Bryan and Josh explore the impossible geometry of Monument Valley, the 2014 iOS puzzle classic from ustwo games that transformed the mobile landscape with its serene vibes, minimalist Escher-inspired design, and ingenious visual mechanics. Listen in as the guys dive into the game’s meditative atmosphere, its sparse but evocative storytelling through Princess Ida’s journey, and the meticulous development process that focused on polish over size. They also reflect on how Monument Valley stood apart in an era of noisy, ad-driven free-to-play titles, becoming a landmark “art game” that proved mobile experiences could be elegant, premium, and profoundly moving—all while sparking a legacy that continues to influence indie design today.

Three Word Reviews:

Bryan - Platform Perspective Shift

Josh - Delightful Puzzle Box

Show Notes:

Relativity, MC. Escher

US Two Interview Article

In this episode of Pixelated Playgrounds, Bryan and Josh dive into Cipher Zero, the minimalist logic puzzler developed by Boston-based indie studio Zapdot and released in July 2025. Beginning life as a Ludum Dare entrant, Cipher Zero has evolved into a sprawling collection of nearly 400 handcrafted puzzles, each one teaching players through experimentation rather than exposition. With its sleek UI, geometric art, and reactive industrial soundtrack, the game communicates ideas wordlessly, then layers and recombines them to expand what’s possible within its puzzle language. The guys explore its satisfying rule discovery, linear progression, and the elegance of its design choices while also considering where its lack of hints or philosophical pretension set it apart from genre peers. Spoilers abound after the first 29 minutes, so join us as we pick apart how Cipher Zero turns tile toggling into a gamified learning curve full of gratifying “aha” moments.

Three Word Reviews:

Bryan - Gamified Learning Curve

Josh - Start with Silence

Show Notes:

Composer - Will Seegers

Chris Remo

Josh’s Talk for Roguelike Celebration 2023

A Monster’s Expedition: Through Puzzling Exhibitions & Snakebird

In this episode of Pixelated Playgrounds, Bryan and Josh dive into the cozy corner of gaming with two titles redefining what it means to “play” in the background: Rusty’s Retirement, the low-screen-real-estate Stardew that keeps your crops thriving while you multitask, and Spirit City: Lo-Fi Sessions, a beautiful blend of productivity and play that turns your to-do list into an aesthetic experience. We’ll unpack how these games fit (or don’t fit) into our lives, explore why ambient gaming is on the rise, and debate whether these functional, low-pressure titles are the future of the cozy game trend or just a passing vibe. Along the way, we’ll touch on the fascinating stories of their developers, the design philosophies behind these multitask-friendly experiences, and how they blur the line between tool and entertainment. Tune in as we break down what makes these experiences so compelling even as they push you away to go do other things.

Three Word Reviews:

Spirit City: Lo Fi Sessions

Bryan - Chill Life Admin

Josh - A Different Drummer

Rusty's Retirement

Bryan - Second Screen Stardew

Josh - Chill Garden Party

Music Used:

To the Beach by Mondo Loops

Vermillion Cliffs by Odem Medo

Last River by InternalEye

When Stars Lit Up the Sky by lost.mindd

Lars Asger - Carrot

Lars Asger - March of the Machines

Lars Asger - Seven Minus Two

Lars Asger - Sun Beam

Lars Asger - Stream

Early Garden - Secret Messages

Coastal Moods - MujjO