With too many games coming out recently, Austin, Sylvi, and Dre had to determine a metric to decide which ones to cover on this week's episode. What makes the most sense? Maybe 'games relevant to ongoing Friends at the Table campaigns'? Or perhaps 'games that we've teased wanting to talk about in the past'? No, absolutely not. There is only one metric: Games that look sick as shit.

Show Notes

Marathon Thief Grapple

"If you're hoping to make friends in Marathon like you can in Arc Raiders, expect a knife in the back" | PC Gamer

Marathon, Reprise | Aurahack

Chapters

00:00 Introduction & Icebreaker Marathon Upate
07:34 The Cool Games We Don't Have Time to Talk About Yet
10:32 Romeo Is A Dead Man
47:43 Marathon (2026)

Featuring Austin Walker, Andrew Lee Swan, and Sylvi Bullet

Produced by Austin Walker

Cover Art by A Liang Chan

Music by Jack de Quidt

With Austin separated from his microphone because of a snowstorm, Janine and Ali (who herself had to record on a travel mic) return to chat about the rise of Devices. You know? Gadgets? Geegaws? Retro emulation handhelds? Also, we have a classic Friends at the Table "Now is not the time for this diversionary topic" followed by 30 full minutes on the diversionary topic.

It's a good podcast.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction
01:03 Device Talk Begins
26:34 Palia Diversion Begins
55:11 Back to the Gadgets and the Games We're Playing On Them

Support us on Patreon!

Featuring Janine Hawkins and Ali Acampora

Produced by Austin Walker

Cover Art by A Liang Chan

Music by Jack de Quidt

On Sunday 15th and Monday 16th of February 2026, we're going to be hosting ICEBREAKER, a two day fundraising marathon on twitch.tv/friendsatthetable to raise money for the Women's Foundation of Minnesota's Immigrant Rapid Response Fund!

As Minnesota faces the brunt of a violent anti-immigrant crackdown, and ICE's cruelty continues to spread nationwide, we are inspired by the solidarity, community, and mutual aid demonstrated by those on the front lines of immigration justice. The WFM's Immigrant Rapid Response Fund distributes funding to organizations working to provide food, housing, rent relief, transportation and healthcare as well as legal support for immigrants, detainees, and their families. The fight for immigration justice is immensely important to us all. Please join us to help raise some money!

In addition to streaming, new limited edition t-shirts will be available on the Friends at the Table store on Sunday 15th, featuring the incredible ICEBREAKER art by Conner Fawcett. For the months of February and March, all proceeds from any purchases made at friendsatthetable.shop will go to the Immigration Law Center of Minnesota, which provides free legal representation to immigrants and their families. After March, this t-shirt will no longer be available!

Please stay tuned to our social media and here on Patreon for upcoming information about the schedule, as well as our fundraising goals. We'll be kicking off around 11am ET and going all day with a carefully selected blend of games, running the gamut from emergent multiplayer disasters to 90s educational software to — let me just check my notes here — it looks like someone's written down "Flegg Hell"? We'll see you on Sunday!