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Total Pebble Knockdown

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In weekly discussions that result in absolutely no clear answers, Nathan and Alex delve into the endless choices that make up games. What…

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Total Pebble Knockdown

About Total Pebble Knockdown

In weekly discussions that result in absolutely no clear answers, Nathan and Alex delve into the endless choices that make up games. What can we learn from video games, storytelling, and the real world, and how can we apply that to tabletop games?

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Episodes

Latest 200 episodes in the feed
  1. Oct 26, 2026 · 47 min

    243. WOW Modern (Episode 9)

    And so, we have reached the Draenor portion of the series. Alex has said this is his favorite expansion to World of Warcraft and now he gets to inflict... I mean, introduce... Nathan to this campaign. We experience an alternative world where the orcs... uh... they capture the demons... the demons that used them in the original story... but they didn't drink the potion? Anyways, welcome to Draenor!

  2. Oct 9, 2026 · 56 min

    242. WOW Modern (Episode 8)

    We recreate our corpse run to the Dark Portal with drastically different results. Then, we take the time to explore some of Outland and the areas of the Burning Crusades that we previously didn't see.

  3. Oct 5, 2026 · 1 hr 2 min

    241. WOW Modern (Episode 7)

    It's time to return to our old stomping grounds. We begin at Thunder Bluff, head through the Barrens, visit Thousand Needles, stop off at Gadgetzan and take a tour of Orgrimmar. How have these places been affected after 20 years?

  4. Oct 2, 2026 · 1 hr 5 min

    240. WOW Modern (Episode 6)

    It's time to save the centaurs, meet some walruses, feed some hippos and learn a valuable lesson about reading mysterious scrolls.

  5. Sep 28, 2026 · 58 min

    239. WOW Modern (Episode 5)

    We have now entered centaur country. Time to do some hunting. Also, we protect some eggs... unsuccessfully.

Earlier episodes (195)
  1. Sep 25, 2026 238. WOW Modern (Episode 4)
    The dragons are fighting... and we have to help them. We head into our very first dungeon raid. We storm the castle. We mispronounce names some more. Also, falling from great heights.
  2. Sep 21, 2026 237. WOW Modern (Episode 3)
    It's a song of ice and fire as we head into lava flows and frozen tundras. We also meet a bunch of dragons, help them with their eggs and learn how to fly the Warcraft skies!
  3. Sep 15, 2026 236. WOW Modern (Episode 2)
    Now on the Dragon Isles, it's time to get acquainted with our surroundings, meet the locals, save the wildlife and look at the map of WoW as it stands today.
  4. Sep 9, 2026 235. WOW Modern (Episode 1)
    We stepped into the portal and were transported to modern World of Warcraft. Now we have to make our characters, go on a new quest, travel to the Dragon Isles, learn how the mechanics of the game work and choose our specialization. Nathan gets whiplash experiencing the change from Classic to Modern as we begin the next leg of our adventure.
  5. Aug 31, 2026 234. TPK plays P.A.C.S.
    Somehow, we got our hands on a PACS beta. And so, Psitanium, ExpLimited and Craeveyard brave the post-apocalypse to deliver packages.
  6. Aug 24, 2026 233. WOW Classic (Episode 8 Finale)
    Silvermoon, Stranglethorn Vale, Duskwood, Swamp of Sorrows, many corpse runs and the portal at the end of Part 1.
  7. Aug 19, 2026 232. WOW Classic (Episode 7)
    We approach the end of the journey. Time to do some sight-seeing! Thousand Needles, Shimmering Flats, Gadgetzan, the flyover areas and, finally, The Undercity.
  8. Aug 15, 2026 231. WOW Classic (Episode 6)
    The Wailing Cavern, finally getting to Orgrimmar, discussion on modern WoW, talking about Final Fantasy 13-2 for some reason.
  9. Aug 3, 2026 230. WOW Classic (Episode 5)
    Nathan-Bear fails at being a bear. Alex wonders if he should do his shaman quest. We wander into Durotar. Nathan discusses the differences between WOW and The Old Republic.
  10. Jul 27, 2026 229. WOW Classic (Episode 4.5)
    Nathan goes on a Druid spirit quest into Moonglade, looks for a ghost bear, visits some flyover areas and fights a big owl. Sidequest time!
  11. Jul 17, 2026 228. WOW Classic (Episode 4)
    Some change of scenery... several actually.We head into the Barrens, explore the oasis, explore the town of Ratchet, fight some pirates and steal the centaur's booty.
  12. Jun 29, 2026 227. WOW Classic (Episode 3)
    Time to level up to 10, so we can unlock new features. Also, Nathan may be picking up a few hobbies for his journey going forward. And we spend a little more time in Thunder Bluff, finally.
  13. Jun 22, 2026 226. WOW Classic (Episode 2)
    We start to get into the main game loop of World of Warcraft, which is to say, we start to play an MMO. Will our taurens survive the wilds of Azeroth or do continuous corpse runs back to their fallen bodie
  14. Jun 15, 2026 225. WoW Classic (Episode 1)
    After 20 years, Nathan has returned to the world of Azeroth in a series that will live in infamy. Nathan and Alex begin part 1 of a 3-part series with a trip back to World of Warcraft Classic, specifically Burning Crusades as it is the closest version to what he would remember from playing so many years ago. Will his return to the classic MMORPG prove to be a pleasant stroll down memory lane or a slog that reminds…
  15. Jun 3, 2026 224. Why Do Some Games Only Make Sense the Second Time Around?
    Have you ever played a game, absolutely hated it, but then found yourself thinking about it years later? On this episode of Total Pebble Knockdown, We dive deep into the world of "second chances" in gaming, and exploring why we feel compelled to go back to titles that didn’t click the first time.From a 15-year journey in Dark Souls, to the rocky evolution of Fallout 76. We discuss how a specific build (hello,…
  16. May 25, 2026 223. Back*Space
    We're going to a traditional liminal space game, trying out the demo for the recently released Back*Space. Nathan made Alex play this one to see how it stacked up to the many other liminal games he has played and ask if it would sell him on the full game.
  17. May 18, 2026 222. Last Minute Shopping
    Time to speed run a shopping trip to Ike... uh, Generic Swedish Furniture Store. Alex and Nathan take a trip through Last Minute Shopping, a free game on Steam that explores a somewhat liminal space for a much different reason than the Backrooms or Pools... because this time we have to navigate a department store.
  18. May 15, 2026 221. Warhammer: Space Marine 2 (Final Mission - Dawn's Descent Part 2)
    We face our final challenge, Titus' story concludes and we debrief on what we have taken from the game.
  19. May 11, 2026 220. Warhammer: Space Marine 2 (Final Mission - Dawn's Descent Part 1)
    We descend deeper, both narratively and literally, as the conclusion to Titus' story looms overhead...
  20. May 4, 2026 219. Warhammer: Space Marine 2 (Operation 5 - Sword of Atreus)
    Let's get a big ship to pull a Holdo.
  21. Apr 27, 2026 218. Warhammer: Space Marine 2 (Operation 4 - Reliquary)
    Giant mechs and space dragons.
  22. Apr 17, 2026 217. Shop Sim Slop
    Alex has some thoughts about shop simulators. You know, the likes of Supermarket Simulator or TCG Card Shop Simulator. These are also games Nathan has played extensively. So, let's jump into the world of shop sim slop and discuss it's problems, as well as interesting things you could do with the formula. Meanwhile, Nathan will take you around his supermarket, because it is so big now.
  23. Apr 13, 2026 216. Warhammer: Space Marine 2 (Operation 3 - Vox Liberatis)
    So many turrets, so little time.
  24. Apr 10, 2026 215. Warhammer: Space Marine 2 (Operation 2 - Decapitation)
    You gotta cut off the head to get ahead.
  25. Apr 6, 2026 214. Warhammer: Space Marine 2 (Mission 5)
    Mission 5: Voidsong in our Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 co-op playthrough! We head to the planet Avarax to reach the astropathic relay and send a message to Lord Calgar.Along the way, we battle through Tyranid swarms, face a Carnifex boss fight, and deal with the mysterious arrival of the Thousand Sons. We also dive into 40k lore, discussing the Horus Heresy, the origin of Primaris Marines like Cairon, and the…
  26. Mar 23, 2026 213. The Warhammer Lore Dump Interlude
    Before we started playing Mission 5 of Space Marine 2, Alex discussed some more specific lore about Warhammer and it's factions. Nathan had some questions...
  27. Mar 16, 2026 212. Warhammer: Space Marine 2 (Mission 4)
    A new enemy appears.
  28. Mar 13, 2026 211. Warhammer: Space Marine 2 (Mission 3)
    New planet, who dis?
  29. Mar 9, 2026 210. Warhammer: Space Marine 2 (Mission 2)
    We get jet packs. Let's go!
  30. Mar 6, 2026 209. Warhammer: Space Marine 2 (Inferno Mission)
    We step away from the main story of Space Marine 2 for a moment to play Inferno. This is a little side story between Mission 1 and 2. It also introduces players to different roles and loadouts you can take in multi-player. Nathan gets to use big guns, Alex gets to smash things with a hammer. Everybody wins.
  31. Mar 2, 2026 208. Warhammer: Space Marine 2 (Mission 1)
    A rare occasion in our playthrough series, we are going to play an action shooty game. We have indeed chosen to jump into Space Marine 2 and take on the not-zergs. Because this is Warhammer, Alex will be explaining more about the lore of this world and the characters, while Nathan tries to concentrate on what is happening. Luckily, Space Marine 2 is multi-player, so we will be fighting side-by-side, which will go…
  32. Feb 16, 2026 207. The Lost Painter
    Ravenhome has created another game. Previously, we played Liminal Lane and this time we play the follow-up The Lost Painter. Similar in structure, our character recalls memories of his family by journeying through his paintings. Shall we restore our works and our memories? Let us jump in to find out.
  33. Feb 9, 2026 206. Year in Review & Save Bury Reboot
    It's that time of year, when we look at our Steam Replay and also choose some games for Save, Bury, Reboot. We're doing it all on this episode! Also, we'll discuss some of the games we played the most this year. And what happened with The Game Awards?
  34. Feb 2, 2026 205. Killer Frequency (Part 5)
    The Whistling Man has a name and a past. The lights go out. Will we save the citizens of Gallows Creek?
  35. Jan 30, 2026 204. Killer Frequency (Part 4)
    An alarm code. A caller who is not as they seem. A medical emergency. So many floppy disks.
  36. Jan 26, 2026 203. Killer Frequency (Part 3)
    The back alley returns. A Charlie Day corkboard. A cover-up from decades ago.
  37. Jan 23, 2026 202. Killer Frequency (Part 2)
    A knock at the door. A hedge maze. A friendship quiz. The horrors of Killer Frequency never cease.
  38. Jan 19, 2026 201. Killer Frequency (Part 1)
    Forrest is having a difficult night on his late-night radio show, as The Whistling Man stalks his audience and they call in for advice on how to survive. Nathan and Alex step into his shoes at KFAM to play Killer Frequency. Is it a puzzle game? Is it a horror game? Is it a narrative game? Maybe it's all of those!
  39. Jan 12, 2026 200. Survival Crafting: The Industrial Complex
    Survival crafting is a popular genre and we here at TPK are more than familiar with it. On this episode, we are going to discuss the basics of how survival crafting games work while also playing one, i.e. Minecraft. How do these games start? How do these games progress? Also, when do these games start to lose momentum or continue being interesting in the late game?
  40. Jan 5, 2026 199. LIDAR Exploration Program (Part 2)
    We finish our tour through LIDAR Exploration Program, uncover fantastical creatures and quote Britney Spears lyrics. Also, Nathan talks about The Menu, Morels 2 and cosmic horror imagery.
  41. Dec 29, 2025 198. LIDAR Exploration Program (Part 1)
    What does LIDAR even mean? We'll find out in this episode as we play LIDAR Exploration Program. A million points of light shall guide our way. Also, we start talking about The Unfinished Swan and Cyberpunk 2077 for some reason.
  42. Dec 26, 2025 197. Voices of the Void | The Debrief
    Following a 12-part series where Nathan played Voices of the Void, we do a bit of a debrief to discuss his crisis of faith following the events that unfolded. Where do we go from here? What does the future hold with VOTV?In addition, we follow Alex playing a newer version of the game and showing Nathan some of the changes he would enjoy.
  43. Dec 22, 2025 196. What's the deal with achievements?
    In this episode we have a deep-ish dive into the psychology and implementation of achievements and trophies in video games.
  44. Dec 19, 2025 195. Voices of the Void (Part 12)
    Catbot gets into trouble. Mannequins are out touching grass. An object over the base. Bad doggie.
  45. Dec 15, 2025 194. Voices of the Void (Part 11)
    All my wooden friends are gone and there is something at the door.
  46. Dec 13, 2025 193. Voices of the Void (Part 10)
    Our new cat robot friend (kerfur) is very clingy. Still worth it.
  47. Dec 9, 2025 192. Voices of the Void (Part 9)
    Calling it uneventful might have jinxed the whole game. Will Nathan survive all the new ordeals on this one? Find out that and more!
  48. Nov 28, 2025 191. Voices of the Void (Part 8)
    A message from the stars. Lessons from the extreme sports genre. A lost crowbar. The last of the shrimp. A concerning knocking sound...
  49. Nov 24, 2025 190. Voices of the Void (Part 7)
    You can climb things with hooks. Also, we put out an eye. The ATV rolls down a hill. There's a signal in the woods...
  50. Nov 22, 2025 189. Voices of the Void (Part 6)
    The true horror was the friends we made along the way. Voices of the Void continues to create more mysteries than answers. We start settling into the old workplace routine.
  51. Nov 17, 2025 188 . Voices of the Void (Part 5)
    It would appear that the ATV is in need of repair. Better work on fixing that, but we'll need some money for a toolbox. Also, we need to figure out the toolbox exists.
  52. Nov 15, 2025 187. Why do we enjoy working in games?
    Just why people enjoy playing simulation games that mimic real-life jobs, such as Lawn Mower Simulator, Power Washing Simulator, and Car Mechanic Simulator.
  53. Nov 11, 2025 186. When games are frustrating (by design)
    Nathan and Alex discuss how frustration can be an intentional and beneficial game mechanic, particularly in Souls-like and roguelike genres.If you're new here, we've been doing out podcast while gently playing the Sunlit Valley mod for Minecraft as something to do while we chat about games.
  54. Oct 31, 2025 185. Voices of the Void (Part 4)
    Things are starting to go horribly wrong. It was really our fault. ATV landed in a lake, slipped on some oil, jumped off a wind turbine, failed at upgrading, can't math anymore, etc. We may never find life beyond the stars due to our own ineptitude. Welcome to part 4 of Voices of the Void.
  55. Oct 27, 2025 184. Voices of the Void (Part 3)
    Back at our satellite array, we start getting serious about our job. Time to do some maintenance on the satellites, transformers and maybe even ourselves. But we also find time for some sick ATV stunts and exploration both above and below...
  56. Oct 24, 2025 183. Voices of the Void (Part 2)
    Now that we have the basics down, it's time to get our first assignment and get the facility up and running. But more importantly, we get an ATV! Time to do some sick tricks!
  57. Oct 20, 2025 182. Voices of the Void (Part 1)
    We begin our journey into Voices of the Void, the indie darling taking gaming by storm. In this series, Nathan will be taking the reins to learn the ropes at his new job managing a satellite array. Alex, who will not tell Nathan about the game, is going to continue trying not to tell him about the game as we go.On this episode, we spend the first day on the job learning what we are supposed to do, determining what…
  58. Oct 13, 2025 181. Our Taste in Gaming has Changed
    We're getting back to our old podcasting ways a bit - on this episode we discus how the types of games we now play are different than the games we used to play years ago. Is this a good thing, a bad thing, or just something that happens as we get older?
  59. Sep 15, 2025 180. Minecraft - Sunlit Valley (Part 9)
    Nathan finds a geode, Alex encounters a very odd golem, a town gets robbed, the dogs have multiplied and we build boats for some unknown reason.
  60. Sep 12, 2025 179. Minecraft - Sunlit Valley (Part 8)
    We form an actual team, spend a busy day on the farm and explore separate caves...
  61. Sep 8, 2025 178. Minecraft - Sunlit Valley (Part 7)
    It's time to go spelunking as Nathan finally descends into the beeg hole, Alex names his dog, the lychee orchard takes over our lives and we expand out the town.
  62. Aug 29, 2025 177. Minecraft - Sunlit Valley (Part 6)
    With renewed spirit and vigor, Nathan and Alex return to Sunlit Valley, armed with increased knowledge and skills. Let's explore some caves, find a pet, kill some deer, build a farmstand and become a lychee tycoon.
  63. Aug 25, 2025 176. Minecraft - Sunlit Valley (Part 5)
    Stonehenge, slimes, tree faces, Nathan's pointless McMansion.
  64. Aug 22, 2025 175. Minecraft - Sunlit Valley (Part 4)
    There is a house in the sky. Also, a cabin full of treasure. Also a dirt shack. We also raise an ET.
  65. Aug 18, 2025 174. Minecraft - Sunlit Valley (Part 3)
    Upgrading tools, upgrading skills, upgrading our rage. Perhaps that's what Minecraft was really about all along.
  66. Aug 15, 2025 173. Minecraft - Sunlit Valley (Part 2)
    It's Nathan versus the Travelling Baker, yet more ill-conceived plans and we compare houses.
  67. Aug 11, 2025 172. Minecraft - Sunlit Valley (Part 1)
    So, the time has finally come for Alex to sell Nathan on Minecraft. In order to do so, we will need to mod it completely and appeal to his natural inclinations. Therefore, we are playing Sunlit Valley, a conversion to traditional Minecraft that turns it into a farming life sim with elements of Stardew Valley, Slime Rancher, Harvest Moon and more. Will this be the way to make Nathan like Minecraft for real? Watch…
  68. Aug 4, 2025 171. Blue Prince (Part 4)
    Once more into the fray. We take everything we learned and slowly realize that we have learned very little. What secrets were hidden in plain view? What new rooms will be discovered? Also, how much does the Weight Room suck, right? Red rooms... it's always the red rooms.
  69. Jul 29, 2025 170. Blue Prince (Part 3)
    It's Day 5 and we are uncovering several new rooms. Secrets will be revealed. Puzzles will be solved. A frustrating lack of keys will be felt. Make a wish as we explore another run through Blue Prince.
  70. Jul 22, 2025 169. Blue Prince (Part 2)
    Now more informed to the structure of Blue Prince, we attempt running through the game again... and again... and again. What new information do we get? What new mechanics will be discovered? What fun rooms will we unlock? Oooh, an aquarium!!!Blue Prince on Steam - https://store.steampowered.com/app/1569580/?snr=1_5_9__205#letsplay #blueprince #roguelike
  71. Jul 15, 2025 168. Blue Prince (Part 1)
    Nathan has been interested in playing Blue Prince for a couple months now and finally he got to try it out. We use it as an excuse to look at a different kind of non-linear space. Also, we learn how to do logic and math puzzles. It's a ride. Blue Prince on Steam - https://store.steampowered.com/app/1569580/?snr=1_5_9__205 #letsplay #blueprince #roguelike
  72. Jul 8, 2025 167. Emotionless: The Last Ticket (Part 2)
    We didn't play much for Steam Next Fest, but there was one intriguing demo we decided to play. Emotionless: The Last Ticket is a walking sim that takes it's inspiration from cosmic horror. So, let's jump into an abandoned amusement park and discover the evil that lurks beneath.Emotionless on Steam - https://store.steampowered.com/app/3777250/EMOTIONLESS__The_Last_Ticket_Demo/#emotionless…
  73. Jul 1, 2025 166. Emotionless: The Last Ticket (Part 1)
    We didn't play much for Steam Next Fest, but there was one intriguing demo we decided to play. Emotionless: The Last Ticket is a walking sim that takes it's inspiration from cosmic horror. So, let's jump into an abandoned amusement park and discover the evil that lurks beneath.Emotionless on Steam - https://store.steampowered.com/app/3777250/EMOTIONLESS__The_Last_Ticket_Demo/
  74. Jun 24, 2025 165. Haunted House Renovator (Part 2)
    We finish remodeling our haunted apartment, choose many wallpapers, find a secret room and attempt to play with world physics.
  75. Jun 17, 2025 164. Haunted House Renovator (Part 1)
    Alex finally gets to take his love of home renovations and exorcism at the same time as we play the demo of Haunted House Renovator. Can we repair a moving statue? Expel a goblin in a tutu? Clean up ghost splooge? Let's find out!
  76. Jun 10, 2025 163. Pools (Level 6)
    We finally reach the end of Pools. Will our questions be answered? No. But it's gonna be fun anyways.
  77. Jun 3, 2025 162. Pools (Level 5)
    Things start to wrap up in Level 5 of Pools as we get a new perspective on some old locations. Also, everything is fake: walls, houses, us.
  78. May 26, 2025 161. Pools (Level 4)
    We have returned to Pools to finish the game. In this video we meet a new friend, admire some statues and start get our entendres doubled.
  79. May 20, 2025 160. Liminal Lane
    Let's take a stroll down Liminal Lane and see the elements of liminal space games that it uses. Will we be able to swim? Can we kick the ball? Is this the '50s or the '90s? All this and more will be revealed!
  80. May 12, 2025 159. Pools, Part 2
    Alex dives deeper into Pools.
  81. May 5, 2025 158. Pools, Part 1
    Alex is in the hot seat this time, playing liminal space game Pools. In part 1 we run through the first level, which may involve cameras, ducks, hands and high jumps into the void.
  82. Apr 28, 2025 157. Backrooms Cleanup Crew, Part 2
    Back to cleaning up, Alex and Nathan try Level 4 and 5 in Backrooms Cleanup Crew. But they also look for secrets, find secret corners of the game and get a strange message from an alarm clock.
  83. Apr 22, 2025 156. Backrooms Cleanup Crew, Part 1
    Alex and Nathan decide to cooperate for a change and play Backroom Cleanup Crew, combining the surreal horror of the backrooms with the quiet satisfaction of Power Wash Simulator. Watch us they clean up sigils, chuck tires into a trash cart, have some odd encounters with an alarm clock and find out what is in that vent.
  84. Apr 15, 2025 155. You've Been Touched by an Angel
    Nathan has finally gotten back to playing new titles after getting lost in Anemoiapolis. So, let's catch up with his time playing Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Avowed and Atomfall.
  85. Apr 7, 2025 154. Anemoiapolis Chapter 1 (Part 3)
    On the show today: We wind up in the backrooms and see the conclusion to Anemoiapolis. Our final thoughts and uneasy feelings. #anemoiapolis #videogames #liminalspace
  86. Apr 4, 2025 153. Anemoiapolis Chapter 1 (Part 2)
    On the show today: We are back in Anemoiapolis and exploring a lazy river and a claustrophobic golf course. Also, there's some locker rooms that are totally normal and an elevator with a pitch black sign outside. No big.We are also discussing what anemoia actually is, why malls are no longer around, the disorientation of water, atmospheric gameplay and slides. Also, Alex has thoughts on Planet Coaster and…
  87. Mar 24, 2025 152. Anemoiapolis Chapter 1 (Part 1)
    On the show today:Nathan and Alex get a hands-on experience playing Anemoiapolis Chapter 1 while discussing architecture, psychology, horror, illogical level design and mannequins.
  88. Mar 18, 2025 151. Stop and Smell the Digital Roses
    On the show today: For several years now Nathan has put out a Best to Worst list of new games he played from the previous year. However, 2024 was a unique case. Because of this there will not be a list this year and on this episode we discuss the reasons why. And also, we go over what the list was going to be for those who are curious.
  89. Mar 12, 2025 150. 35% Positive
    Steam Next Fest brought us many interesting demos for upcoming games. Alex and Nathan got ahold of several and wanted to discuss them on this episode. We have vampires, zombies, radiation and scariest of all... fishing!
  90. Mar 9, 2025 149. Dude, Where’s My Corpse?
    We have a few D&D questions from Reddit. What happens when we become and vampire AND a werewolf? What happens when we want to switch our character out mid-campaign? What if our players keep trying to unionize everyone? Let's discuss.Reddit – bit by a werewolf and a vampire – https://www.reddit.com/r/DnD/comments/1h2xdkq/one_of_my_players_got_bit_by_both_a_vampire_and_a/Reddit – switching characters –…
  91. Mar 2, 2025 148. Die, Katana!
    Sometimes, we need to get some fiber in our gaming diet. Today, we discuss some nutritional games that help us better understand and appreciate the medium of video games.NOTE: Nathan made a mistake when talking about Deus Ex. Let us know in the comments if you catch it.
  92. Feb 3, 2025 147. I've Turned it into French Fries
    On the show today: Sometimes we load up on empty calories. Video games are no different. But what are junk food games and which ones do we binge on in an unhealthy fashion? Could there be a real benefit to playing them or are they a waste of our time.... comparative to playing other games.
  93. Jan 28, 2025 146. They Made the Cheese Out of the Macaroni
    Sometimes you just want to play something familiar that has a special place in your heart. Much like comfort food, we will occasionally revert to playing comfort games. Let's talk about a few examples from our experiences and what we get out of the experience.
  94. Jan 21, 2025 145. Let’s Clip Out the Blown Out Butts
    NOTE: Apologies for the audio issues. Much of the episode is done in voice-over since the original audio was so poor. On the show today: There are many reasons why we stop playing games. Some of those reasons are a natural end to a great experience, some because they are unplayable and some are far more complicated. Nathan lays out his 7 cases of why we stop playing a game, from best case to worst case.
  95. Jan 14, 2025 144. I'm a Bad Uncle
    In the course of a year, we often play many games that are not new releases. In this episode, Nathan goes over 5 games he played in 2024 that released before the year that really impressed him. And quite a variety it is. We discuss a survival crafting game, a card game, secret horror title, soul-like and open-world shooter. A little something for everyone.
  96. Jan 7, 2025 143. Spider Graph, Spider Graph
    On the show today: It's that time to play Save, Bury, Reboot. What games do we save from destruction, which will we throw into the E.T. pit and which will get a whole new coat of paint? Bonus: we have some other game related things to bury while we are here. Now that 2024 is behind us, we can look at our Steam spider graphs to see what kind of games we really got into this last year. What were the 6 major tags…
  97. Dec 16, 2024 142. The 2024 Advent Calendar, Part 2
    On the show today: Welcome to part 2 of our December Advent Calendar. A topic for every day of the month. On this episode, we give you 9 more to get you through until Christmas Day. 17. The Peasant Railgun is no longer possible, but that's not the only D&D shenanigans that have been destroyed by D&D 2024. Today, we ask if anyone had even heard of Ladder+Saw=Infinite Money.…
  98. Dec 3, 2024 141. The 2024 Advent Calendar, Part 1
    On the show today: Welcome to part 1 of our December Advent Calendar. A topic for every day of the month. On this episode, we give you the half. That's right, you get 16 whole conversations in one giant package! Like how Santa has packages... 1. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 and bad first impressions 2. Valve changes Steam’s season pass guidelines –…
  99. Nov 19, 2024 140. DMV, Please
    On the show today: Nathan returns to Palworld. Nearly a year ago, the game rocked the video game industry with record sales. But we haven't really played it since February. So, what is it like now? Lucas Pope is a talented game designer with unique ideas. Papers, Please and Return of the Obra Dinn are critically acclaimed games with accolades aplenty from gamers. However, today Nathan has a criticism sandwich…
  100. Nov 16, 2024 139. Owning Our Mixtapes
    On the show today: It's the 10-year anniversary of the "Too Much Water" meme from IGN's Pokemon review. Sometimes a bullet point of game analysis misses the context you need. And sometimes the point is not warranted. Let's discuss which one this was. https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/too-much-water Can you play D&D by yourself? Also, should you? One Quora answer explains how you could theoretically…
  101. Oct 29, 2024 138. Rob Moss
    On the show today: Survival crafting and horror sound like a match made in spooky heaven but after Nathan tried the demo for upcoming Project Mist, he started asking if these two should ever be near each other. We discuss why the mechanics of these genres has trouble meshing. Jump scares are just not as scary as horror can be by building atmosphere. We talk about the idea of tension and release and some games that…
  102. Oct 22, 2024 137. Bob Slenderman
    On the show today: Urban legends are sometimes rooted in truth, but sometimes they become self-fulfilling prophecies. Take the case of the Goat Man of Pope Lick Creek. A monster that is said to lead people to their death by crossing a trestle bridge may not be real, but the consequences of that story are just as bad. USA Today –…
  103. Oct 15, 2024 136. Pain the Floof
    On the show today: Alex has played over 70 hours of Warhammer: Space Marine 2. Having already been familiar with Space Marine back in 2011, Alex wanted to discuss how the new game follows up with the story and mechanics of the first, so he's going to do that. Dredge has an interesting mechanic called Panic, which accrues when you stay up too late at night. Suddenly you see things that aren't there and get…
  104. Oct 8, 2024 135. I'm Scorchin' It
    On the show today: WikiHow can theoretically teach you things, but can it help you avoid a TPK? We look at the article and ask if we can learn anything from the article. Avoiding a TPK – https://www.wikihow.com/Tpk-Dnd Card mechanics have been used in many ways in video games. Sometimes you construct a deck to use against other decks. Sometimes the decks are constructed to do battle or are built over the course of…
  105. Sep 24, 2024 134. When the Question Hit My Head
    On the show today: Dave the Diver was an indie darling last year and Nathan got to play it on stream this month. Having continued to play it far after our monthly stream, he found that many of the advances hinted at the beginning get paid off far later and entice players to keep moving forward. Let's discuss how Dave the Diver incentivizes players from the beginning. Deep Diving with Dave -…
  106. Sep 17, 2024 133. Steampunk Gerbil Ball
    On the show today: Elon Musk took issue with the Fallout slogan "War Never Changes" back in May. Instead of simply complaining, we take a moment to look at how players can see the same information in different ways and how to better inform players to the themes of the game. https://futurism.com/elon-musk-fallout-tweet https://x.com/girldrawsghosts/status/1815417466509463757 Josh Sawyer (of Black Isle and Obsidian…
  107. Sep 3, 2024 132. A Stream Needs a Flow w/ DC Lasair
    On the show today: DC Lasair is here to explain how he runs tabletop game streams, the tech he uses, the way he structures games and how to move story along when you are playing live. How long can you hold an audience's attention? What do you have to go over with your cast ahead of time? How much prep do you need? DC has run many charity livestreams. How do you set those up? What resources are available? What kind…
  108. Aug 26, 2024 131. Deer Mimicry Skills
    On the show today: Oh Deer asks you to act like an NPC in a video game lest you get shot by an increasingly unhinged hunter. The TPK crew played this to hunt each other for sport and came away with a sense that it was unlike other gaming experiences because of it's structure. What does it feel like when you have to act like you are not playing a game? Getting a player acclimated to a new game can be a daunting…
  109. Aug 12, 2024 130. AAA User’s Manual RPG
    On the show today: It's not used very often, but tremorsense is an extrasensory ability some monsters use in D&D. There are some interesting scenarios that utilize this, but it's often a secondary thought. What is tremorsense? What are some fun ways to utilize it? Also, could there be something similar for water? Flanking maneuvers are common in warfare, but less common in RPGs. But they can provide good…
  110. Aug 6, 2024 129. Avongers Ensemble
    On the show today: We recently made a pros and cons episode on modding games and it got Nathan to thinking about something. What if he modded a game he had already played and beaten several times? And so, this is a tale of playing the modded version of KOTOR. Can you actually categorize all video games into "Parkour" and "Menu"? A Calvin & Hobbes meme seems to think so, but it might not be as simple as all of…
  111. Jul 30, 2024 128. Druck of the Law
    On the show today: Space is really big, but you might not want to play a game in it. There are games that bypass the enormity of the great void, but others insist on making you traverse it. How can we mitigate this vast nothingness? And why would you travel 45 minutes to a space station on the other side of the galaxy? Games often punish you when things go wrong. However, there are some that insist that you succeed…
  112. Jul 23, 2024 127. Be a Carrot
    On the show today: The Exit 8 is not a long game, but it's not a bad thing. Can you imagine an Exit 80 just to pad the runtime? Some gamers want to maximize the amount of content, but it doesn't always apply. What do we want to experience in a game and how long is too long? Traditional thinking is that villains are more interesting to play than heroes, but perhaps that's just because heroes were not written with…
  113. Jul 16, 2024 126. Snack Horse
    On the show today: Green Hell may have the most extreme level of survival mechanics Nathan has ever seen. It is unapologetic in how many ways you can die and presenting you with a world that wants you dead. It can be frustrating and will likely make you paranoid. It is also one of the best survival crafting games he has ever played. Why does this level of mechanics work so well for Green Hell and why can't you…
  114. Jul 9, 2024 125. The Condos at Grandpa’s Farm
    On the show today: Have you ever started playing a survival crafting game where you wash up alone on an island? I know, it's never happened before, but for the sake of this conversation, we're going to talk about how this is a common trope and we can change up the formula. Maybe it's not an island. Maybe you're not alone. Maybe you went there intentionally. Also, we brainstorm a survival crafting version of Oregon…
  115. Jul 1, 2024 124. Medieval Tech Support
    On the show today: Someone needed to know what happens when you get turned to stone. Primarily, do you shrink? Yes, this is a physics segment about being turned to stone. You are welcome. https://www.reddit.com/r/rpg/comments/p1325p/a_pointless_thought_on_the_physics_of_being/ The bad guy is using ceremonial circles for blood sacrifices. What do you do? Is there something more interesting than just fighting some…
  116. Jun 25, 2024 123. Resting Bored Face
    On this episode of Total Pebble Knockdown: KlaytonCalix joins us to discuss Steam Next Fest Summer 2024. He wanted to tell us about playing Drill Core and Ova Magica, which were among the 12 games he got to this time. Alex tells us about Viking survival in Aska and why it worked better for him than Valheim. Nathan attempts to explain what you do in Goblin Cleanup, the most unique and bizarre game he played during…
  117. Jun 11, 2024 122. Do You Want to Fight a Mountain?
    On this episode of Total Pebble Knockdown: We are back from vacation and Nathan wanted to discuss his time at Hancock Shaker Village because it got him thinking about how fantasy tech works. We will talk a bit about the round hay barn, the water turbine and how pre-industrial societies handled common day-to-day life. What does this teach us about the world-building of your RPG? Nothing says relaxing vacation like…
  118. May 28, 2024 121. The Dragon or The Egg
    On this episode of Total Pebble Knockdown: It's our first episode recorded in front of a live studio audience! Some folks listened in to our episode before we went on vacation and had some comments to add to this discussion of weird questions from Reddit. The player wants to kill off their character because they did stats bad. But, like, why would you do that? Perhaps they can just go to an adventuring tavern…
  119. May 21, 2024 120. Les Elementals
    On this episode of Total Pebble Knockdown: Nathan searched for "Total", "Pebble" and "Knockdown" at r/DMAcademy and found the first entry that came up. The results will shock you. Should you take away player agency or perform "total action denial"? Is it good game design for either the players or the monsters? We shall discuss this because we here at TPK still have a free action. How acceptable are total action…
  120. May 14, 2024 119. Papa’s Pocket Pizzeria
    On this episode of Total Pebble Knockdown: May 9 saw the release of at least 10 noteworthy indie games, at a time when AAA publishers are shuttering studios. We discuss whether the major releases are even interesting anymore and what smaller games we have been playing lately. A thread on new indie games - Ryan T. Brown 🎮🩷 on X: "There may never have been a day as big as today for indie games. On the back of mass…
  121. May 7, 2024 118. The Superintendent of Family Values
    On this episode of Total Pebble Knockdown: Comedy is all over games, but some games rely on it far more than others. After playing Helldivers 2, Alex and Nathan decided to compare the humor seen in that game to some others, such as Borderlands and Breathedge. What is the difference between them and what works better? The Helldivers 2 we were NOT going to discuss at this time - Helldivers 2 on Steam now requires a…
  122. Apr 30, 2024 117. Game-ception
    On this episode of Total Pebble Knockdown: Candyland may not be a very feature-rich game, but perhaps it could be used as a mechanic for another game... for reasons. We look at a post suggesting this and ask the question about what these mechanics could be if we really wanted to whip out this board game from the back of the closet. Candyland as a mechanic? -…
  123. Apr 23, 2024 116. Hit F to Pay Devs
    On this episode of Total Pebble Knockdown: Fallout got a TV show and Nathan thinks it did a really good job at representing the series, even for people who have no previous experience with the series. Let's talk about how the characters help introduce many of the big themes about Fallout. Also, how can you adapt one medium into another, especially when you move from an interactive to non-interactive one? Demos can…
  124. Apr 16, 2024 115. Two Left Feet in the Moshpit
    On this episode of Total Pebble Knockdown: Metroidvanias are coming back and Nathan recently found a few interesting mechanics that should be more utilized in examples of the genre. Why? Because Nathan needs his Metroids and Vanias! Alex got to play Ripout during a free weekend and frankly did not know how to feel about it. He spent 6 hours trying to figure out if he liked it or not. His conclusion? Listen to find…
  125. Apr 2, 2024 114. Godfather with Vampires
    On this episode of Total Pebble Knockdown: After hearing about the horror that is the false hydra, Nathan started thinking about rectifying player knowledge versus character knowledge. If you know how to combat a monster that is imperceivable by normal means as a player, should your character prepare to fight it accordingly? Dungeon Dad explains the False Hydra - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PydSva7lHdk What is…
  126. Mar 26, 2024 113. The MacGyver Skill
    On this episode of Total Pebble Knockdown: Nine years ago we released the 1st episode of Delve, a podcast about game mechanics. On this episode we revisit some of our early topics from the show. What are some of the RPG skills that don't get represented in games? Can you build small machines or mediate a discussion between others? We talk about the skills that are often not listed in the player's handbook. We just…
  127. Mar 19, 2024 112. Let's Play Rageball!
    On this episode of Total Pebble Knockdown: To celebrate March Madness and our very good understanding of sports ball, we are talking about sports IN games. Namely, how could we create competitions in a role-playing game. And what D&D classes would be best suited for our fantasy Olympics. Sometimes, even a straight-forward board game can have mechanics that derail the action and discourage new players. Nathan…
  128. Mar 12, 2024 111. Completely Off the Mark
    On this episode of Total Pebble Knockdown: Should we worry about RPG campaigns that are focused on storytelling? An article shared with one of our long-time friends of the show discussed an experience where plot dominated the agency of the players. We discuss the legitimacy of this concern and also talk about how we disagree with the conclusion. Realm Builder Guy -…
  129. Mar 5, 2024 110. Wonka’s Chonka Dungeon of Change
    On this episode of Total Pebble Knockdown: After seeing the end of joy that was Willy's Chocolate Experience in Glasgow, Scotland, Nathan felt inspired to make his own version of a trainwreck with "Super Awesome Dungeon". While it may not have oompa loompa at home or AI image promotion, it may have three goblins in a trenchcoat. The Chocolate Experience that wasn't -…
  130. Feb 27, 2024 109. Starry Llama Night
    On this episode of Total Pebble Knockdown: What if you went to the Van Gogh Museum and came away with a painting of Pikachu? Crazy, right? Anyway, that was an actual possibility in 2023 and is possibly going to happen again. So, let us discuss Pikachu in Grey Felt Hat and brand integration with museums. Pokemon x Van Gogh -…
  131. Feb 20, 2024 108. Steam Next Fest
    On this episode of Total Pebble Knockdown: It’s Steam Next Fest 2024 and KlaytonClaix rejoins us to tell us some fun games he played as the plethora of demos fell upon us. He takes a second look at Folklands, gets his tactics on in Sword of Convallaria, does some resource collecting in Isometria, builds a better skeleton in Necrosmith 2 and makes a sweet gun in NIMRODS. Alex also played demos during Next Fest and…
  132. Feb 5, 2024 107. 16 Times the Artifacts
    On this episode of Total Pebble Knockdown: Bethesda had a Developer Direct showcasing 5 games coming out in 2024. We will discuss these as well as talk about how they relate to the leak from September on their roadmap of content and what this means. Developer_Direct 2024 Microsoft documents leak new Bethesda games, including an Oblivion remaster Baldur’s Gate 3 is a very good game, but Nathan had a nagging problem…
  133. Jan 30, 2024 106. A Very Palworld Special
    On this episode of Total Pebble Knockdown: KlaytonCalix joins us for a special Palworld episode as we have each played it for more than 50 hours. There must be something great about this game to hold our attention this long. What did we love about this game and what itches did it scratch for us as gamers. If you take the good, you take the bad. Those are the facts of life. Palworld is not without issues. Some of…
  134. Jan 23, 2024 105. Armored Souls
    On this episode of Total Pebble Knockdown: We have reached 500 videos on YouTube! Well, 506 or so, but we’re late to the party. It sure feels like we should do something to celebrate, so let’s look at a mathematically constructed list of the 500 greatest games of all time. What were the best of all time? More importantly, what were the least best of all time? A very official list of the best games - The…
  135. Jan 16, 2024 104. The Troll in the Room
    On this episode of Total Pebble Knockdown: It’s that time of year again when we do Save, Bury, Reboot. What games do we keep, which do we throw away and which ones need a makeover? Better listen to find out. The Steam Awards happened and we smell some shenanigans. Trolls apparently got into the mix and voted for some unlikely choices for nominees in these game categories. So, let’s talk about Labor of Love and Most…
  136. Jan 9, 2024 103. Resolutionary
    On this episode of Total Pebble Knockdown: Some games deserve a second chance. Nathan talks about some of the games he plans on giving this chance in 2024 and what he hopes to get out of the experience. We are not a news program. However, we are hoping to revisit old news stories that fell by the wayside. What ever happened with the OpenGL or Unity stories? What happened to the bad games that got apology jpegs?…
  137. Dec 19, 2023 102. The Moist Bandicoots
    On this episode of Total Pebble Knockdown: Nothing gets Nathan in the holiday spirit like Die Hard. On this episode, we become John McClane and create a quest to stop an assault on a wizard’s tower. Is it part of a campaign or a one shot? How does our party get there? How do they stop the fantasy terrorists? Is Die Hard a Christmas movie? All that and more on this festive episode. When Frank Capra made It’s a…
  138. Dec 12, 2023 101. Goal-a-mid
    On this episode of Total Pebble Knockdown: Sometimes you need an expert to teach you the basics. So, we looked at Will Wright’s Masterclass on writing game mechanics to see if his 5 tips are worth taking into consideration. Then, we try to parse numbers 3 and 4 to make it make sense. The Masterclass article - Will Wright’s 5 Tips for Writing Game Mechanics So, what is the difference between linear and emergent…
  139. Dec 5, 2023 100. Un-hundred
    On this episode of Total Pebble Knockdown: There are many gaming mysteries, from glitchy pokemon to unattainable chests to questions about who kicked off a nuclear war. However, we have avoided discussing these things on the show. And now we explain the reason why. We were once told we were bad at reviewing games. This is particularly weird since we do not review games. So, let’s discuss what we are apparently very…
  140. Nov 21, 2023 99. Draft Ladybug
    On this episode of Total Pebble Knockdown: The Game Awards announced nominees for 2023. Now, we here at TPK care so deeply for award shows that we almost forgot it was even happening. However, eagle-eyed viewers asked us about it, so we are going to look through some of the categories and see if we even know what these games are. What will win? You can vote for yourself here - The Game Awards | Streaming Live…
  141. Nov 14, 2023 98. Very Small Snowman
    On this episode of Total Pebble Knockdown: Big things are happening at The Escapist. Or I should say, big things used to happen at The Escapist before the staff left. We are talking about what happened with Nick Calandro and all the staff that followed him out the door. We also discuss what the future holds for Escapist ex-pats, most notably Yahtzee Croshaw from Zero Punctuation. The Second Wind intro - An…
  142. Nov 7, 2023 97. Tuna Fish Ice Cream
    On this episode of Total Pebble Knockdown: Midnight Acres promises a unique combination of farming sim and tower defense game that seemed like a good idea when Nathan originally picked it up. Oh, how innocent we were… Perhaps there are genres that were never meant to go together and we are going to talk about it on this episode. The act of playing tabletop games can be represented in video games, both through games…
  143. Oct 31, 2023 96. Trolled Right Out of the Game
    On this episode of Total Pebble Knockdown: So, you’re adventure party is outnumbered and outgunned. Now they have to choose to fight or surrender. Can you explain the statistically small odds of them succeeding? Can you save them from near-certain death? We look at a Reddit question to offer some unsolicited advise. The Reddit post for those who wish to see the discourse - Potential TPK for level Level 13 party :…
  144. Oct 24, 2023 95. My Name is Doug, I’m Here to Murder You
    On this episode of Total Pebble Knockdown: Steam Next Fest hit us with tons of game demos and trials to play, but not many piqued our interest. However, we have four titles to discuss today, as well as our overall impressions of the offerings we saw. Have you ever gotten the urge to tattoo Van Gogh’s Starry Night on your forehead, but were too afraid to do it because all your co-workers are Klimpt stans? Well,…
  145. Oct 17, 2023 94. Ask Your Doctor if Viral Lycanthropy is for You
    On this episode of Total Pebble Knockdown: Have you ever tried a game that you thought you’d hate, only to heartily enjoy it? Well, Dadam asked this question of us a couple months back and Nathan had a couple games that fit that bill. Which ones? Are they the ones you’re thinking about right now? Probably not, but watch to find out. Redfall hit a low of 3 concurrent players in October. Before the recent update,…
  146. Oct 10, 2023 93. Gooseface
    On this episode of Total Pebble Knockdown: Palia is an interesting MMO that takes place in a world similar to Stardew Valley. Can a cozy game work as a multi-player online experience? Does it make sense to apply the trapping of such an online experience to a cozy game? Well, do we have stuff to say about that. If you want to check out Palia yourself, it is free to sign up at - Palia – Welcome Home Seasons change…
  147. Oct 2, 2023 92. The Whole Family Tree in One Convenient Place
    On this episode of Total Pebble Knockdown: Epic has laid off nearly 900 members of it’s staff, 16% of it’s entire workforce. We’re going to talk about that and also do a little math on how much Tim Sweeney makes. Fun times. Epic Games is reportedly laying off around 900 employees | Eurogamer.net There’s an island full of kings and tyrants. Will you free them? Nathan ran across an interesting mission in Starfield…
  148. Sep 26, 2023 91. Selling You the Cake without the Icing
    On this episode of Total Pebble Knockdown: What is happening with Embracer Group? First they buy up a bunch of game companies, then they lose 40% of their stock value, now they are selling off or shuttering the same game studios they bought. Let’s go over a timeline of unfortunate events and a cautionary tale of what large corporate investments could entail. Embracer Group Stock Drops 40% After $2 Billion Mystery…
  149. Sep 19, 2023 90. It’s time crimes, guys!
    On this episode of Total Pebble Knockdown: We got a request to react to a video about creating a World of Warcraft expansion using AI, so that’s what we’re doing. Echoes of Azeroth is not actually an expansion to WoW, but how close to a real one does it get? I Made a World of Warcraft Expansion with AI - YouTube Nathan has been playing a little indie game by the name Starfield. The latest in Bethesda’s line of epic…
  150. Sep 4, 2023 89. I Could Buy Waterfront Property
    On this episode of Total Pebble Knockdown: What if I told you there was a multi-player horror game that you could pick up for the low low price of a million dollars? Great deal, right!? Developer Bloody Bear tried the strangest marketing strategy for their game Spooky Men and now we have to talk about it. New Steam Game Costs $1 Million (gamerant.com) Well, it took months, but after all the procrastination, Nathan…
  151. Aug 29, 2023 88. Mindflayers and Githyanki
    On this episode of Total Pebble Knockdown: It’s time to talk about Baldur’s Gate 3. Alex has been playing Larian’s new CRPG and has some thoughts on what the game does right in addressing central problems that have plagued the genre. So, we will be discussing pacing, combat and inventory management. Recently, a Polygon article suggested that we should accept save-scumming as the best way to play RPGs after playing…
  152. Aug 15, 2023 87. Ghost Cooking Mama
    On this episode of Total Pebble Knockdown: Dadam inquired into games that we should have liked but really did not. We discuss some of the games that work for us IN THEORY but do not IN PRACTICE. Get ready to hear about some Souls-likes, Metroidvanias and Cozy Games. Alex is very excited to discuss the first support spec for World of Warcraft and how it has affected the game. So much so that he brought charts. Does…
  153. Aug 8, 2023 86. Too Many Words, Make Book Longer
    On this episode of Total Pebble Knockdown: There has been more UnEarthed Arcana from Wizards of the Coast looking at updates to the One D&D character classes. We picked three we liked and get to discuss them on this episode as Wizards will be looking for feedback later in August. The UnEarthed Arcana for One D&D - Unearthed Arcana Playtest - Unearthed Arcana - Sources - D&D Beyond (dndbeyond.com) We…
  154. Aug 2, 2023 85. The Quest We Made Along The Way
    On this episode of Total Pebble Knockdown: Nathan used ChatGPT and now his soul is trapped in limbo. But before that happened, he asked the AI to come up with the best adventure hook and… it gave him something. Let’s see how GPT did and give some useful notes on “The Lost Relic of Ages Past”. Patrick H. Willem’s breakdown of AI filmmaking - A.I. Filmmaking Is Not The Future. It's a Grift. - YouTube…
  155. Jul 25, 2023 84. Not a Youngin Anymore
    On this episode of Total Pebble Knockdown: Nathan went back to play the Mass Effect Trilogy thanks to the recent Legendary Edition release. However, now facing the ending of ME3, he has gotten a sudden reluctance to finish the last leg of his journey. Why is that happening? What prevents us from finishing a game even when we really like it? You wander into town and your party goes directly to the tavern or the…
  156. Jul 18, 2023 83. All Improv, Let’s Go!
    On this episode of Total Pebble Knockdown: Photorealism is coming to games near you with the advancements in engine technology. But, perhaps it’s a good time to ask if realistic graphics are what we really want in our gaming experience. We talk about where we are going and what genres will benefit the most of photorealism. Also, which ones would be foolish to adopt it? Virtual Bamboo Grove | UE5 [4K] - YouTube…
  157. Jul 11, 2023 82. Harvest Souls
    On this episode of Total Pebble Knockdown: Imagine coming back from your epic adventure to find that you were a legend that existed 1,000 years ago. Now what do you do? Are your parents still there? Does anyone recognize you? What was the last quest you went on? We explore another adventure hook as Nathan leads Alex down a time trippy rabbit hole. What if you took Stardew Valley and smashed it together with Dark…
  158. Jul 4, 2023 81. Dead Cheddar Society
    On this episode of Total Pebble Knockdown: We now move away from limes you can plug into a computer and try looking at tabletop hacks that might be useful. How good are they? Can we come up with some better alternatives? Which ones have Alex already done? What if your party wanders into a town and no one is there? No people, no monsters, no animals. Just a recently abandoned town. Alex ponders this adventure hook…
  159. Jun 27, 2023 80. Swanzilla
    On this episode of Total Pebble Knockdown: Life hacks are everywhere these days. But have you ever heard of gaming hacks? Well, Nathan ran across a video from 5 Minute Crafts claiming to give us “13 Gaming Hacks You Should Know” and has tasked Alex with rating them from “Must Have” to “Kill it with Fire”. 13 GAMING HACKS YOU SHOULD KNOW - YouTube Sometimes we have adventure hooks that needed more time in the oven.…
  160. Jun 20, 2023 79. The Floor is Cube
    On this episode of Total Pebble Knockdown: The Xbox Showcase was surprisingly good and made some big announcements. What Nathan really wanted to discuss, though, was the amount of new IPs presented from established developers. So, let’s talk about those, including the one that made him VERY excited. [4K] Xbox Games Showcase + Starfield Direct - YouTube Space is very vast and so goes the games based in space that…
  161. Jun 13, 2023 78. I got a group of orcs who are willing to move in tomorrow
    On this episode of Total Pebble Knockdown: Cyan recently released their new VR game, Firmament, and it was met with less than stellar reviews compared to their previous efforts. It has now come out that they used AI-assistance to develop the game. How far did that assistance go? Did voice actors get credit for their work? What role should AI even play in art moving forward? Also, did you see this stupid expanded…
  162. May 23, 2023 77. Bear-barian
    On this episode of Total Pebble Knockdown: So… Five Nights at Freddy’s is getting a major motion picture. This is happening and you can’t stop it. The question remains: Who is this made for and will it make children cry? Five Nights At Freddy's | Official Teaser - YouTube Nathan and Alex saw the Tetris movie, which we quickly have to clarify is NOT a documentary but a docu-drama. Sorry Alex was misled on that…
  163. May 16, 2023 76. World of Barrelsmithing
    On this episode of Total Pebble Knockdown: Unreal Engine 5.2 has now released and we are starting to wonder how blurry the line between reality and fiction is going to be. While impressive tech spurs the imagination, we’re taking a moment to ask how the outside observer could even tell the difference between a photograph and in-game engine footage. Will the advanced tools change how studios make games? Also, how…
  164. May 9, 2023 75. The Blizzarding World of Dairy Potter
    On this episode of Total Pebble Knockdown: They found the spoon! And it’s all thanks to Pokemon Go! No, you don’t get more context for that yet. Giant Spoon Taken From Arizona Dairy Queen Found Arizona Dairy Queen Searching For Missing Giant Red Spoon Redfall is the latest title from Arkane and really marks a troubling downturn in quality from a great studio. Nathan played, or at least attempted to play, the…
  165. May 2, 2023 74. A Lycanthropic Warlock
    On this episode of Total Pebble Knockdown: What would you do if you won a free lifetime of GamePass? Well, someone did and turned it down because of taxes. If you live outside the U.S. this might confuse you. Welcome to our world. A Gamer Declines a Lifetime Xbox Game Pass Due to Taxes (80.lv) I Won Game Pass Ultimate for Life and Declined the Prize (AKA: Taxes are a Bitch) We recently talked about D&D 3E and,…
  166. Apr 18, 2023 73. It's All About Dinosaur Family
    On this episode of Total Pebble Knockdown: Ark is asking players to pay for the next-gen upgrade while taking the previous servers offline. This is totally a good and customer-friendly business model that will absolutely go over well with the fans. Do I have to explain that was sarcasm? https://kotaku.com/ark-2-survival-evolved-2-delay-ps5-upgrade-servers-1850293672…
  167. Apr 11, 2023 72. Blue Beams R Us
    On this episode of Total Pebble Knockdown: Last week, Klaus Teuber, the legendary game designer who created Catan, passed away. So, we are talking a bit about Catan, specifically the differences between the board game and the dice game that came later. How did the mechanics change in the process and what had to get sacrificed to make the switch? Nathan finally gets to talk about this modern classic board game. What…
  168. Apr 4, 2023 71. Celestial Butt
    On this episode of Total Pebble Knockdown: E3 2023 has been cancelled. But not for the reasons it had been cancelled the last few years and that might bode really badly for future conventions. Has the digital age completely changed how video game companies release information to the public? E3 Has Been Canceled - IGN Stay awhile and listen. We played in the Diablo 4 open beta and had some thoughts on what we saw.…
  169. Mar 28, 2023 70. I’m Going to be a Tiny Elephant
    On this episode of Total Pebble Knockdown: Do you actually need a dedicated healer in your party? Can other D&D classes fill the role outside of the cleric, druid, paladin, etc. that might fill that role? Also, is it even a good idea to have a dedicated healer or is that counter-productive? That is what we are discussing on this week’s Crit Think. The 18 Best Healing Subclasses In D&D (thegamer.com) Many…
  170. Mar 21, 2023 69. Drive-By Scooting
    On this episode of Total Pebble Knockdown: In a follow-up to our discussion on the PS6, we talk about the main reason for the Sony document that got revealed. Intriguingly enough, it has little to do with the PS6 and far more to do with Call of Duty’s future on Sony consoles. What if GamePass gets Activision/Blizzard titles? What happens if they become exclusive to Microsoft? We will look at some of the…
  171. Mar 14, 2023 68. The Final Rim of Sky
    On this episode of Total Pebble Knockdown: Epic has launched self-publishing tools for their game store, making them more competitive against Steam, but they're playing by a slightly different set of rules. Will these set Epic apart? And will they get more games on the platform? We don't know, but we'll speculate. Epic launches self-publishing tools, calls out Valve again: 'Steam has created a…
  172. Mar 7, 2023 67. A Backup Spellbook
    On this episode of Total Pebble Knockdown: Managing money in the real world is pretty hard, but managing multiple currencies in a game can be unneccessarily harder. Can there be a justification for using multiple currencies or is it just there to complicate things that should be easy to understand? So, the party wants to fight each other in ritual combat. Just a typical Saturday night at the tavern. The question…
  173. Feb 28, 2023 66. Dad God Energy
    On this episode of Total Pebble Knockdown:  It's time for a confession: Nathan does not like boss battles. That's right, the boss battles did a bad job in the game. It's about how they have been implemented in games, especially in modern ones. And so, I guess we'll get into this and the real reason he feels this way.  Imagine your party is just completing a quest and... oops,…
  174. Feb 21, 2023 65. Blockumentary
    On this episode of Total Pebble Knockdown: They made Tetris into a movie. No, I am not kidding. It's a real thing. There is a trailer. This came as quite a shock to Alex when he heard the news and now we get to discuss if we even want to see it. Also, what other docu-drama style movies could we make from video games? The Tetris trailer - Tetris — Official Trailer | Apple TV+ - YouTube So if you have ever heard…
  175. Feb 14, 2023 64. ChunnelQuest 2023
    On this episode of Total Pebble Knockdown: On this episode of Total Pebble Knockdown:  That'll be $70 please. The standard pricing of AAA video games has unceremoniously been raised to a defacto $70, but does that really seem justified? Moreover, is it something we would pay and is there any game that would be worth it? Nasu video - The Absolute State of Unfinished AAA Game Releases - YouTube You have…
  176. Jan 31, 2023 63. Zero Character Growth
    On this episode of Total Pebble Knockdown: Xbox and Bethesda gave us a Developer Direct video explaining upcoming projects for the upcoming year. So, does anything they showed look appealing? We will discuss Minecraft Legends, Forza Motorsport, Hi-Fi RUSH, Elder Scrolls Online’s new Necrom expansion and Redfall. Developer_Direct, presented by Xbox & Bethesda - YouTube In a previous episode, we discussed the…
  177. Jan 24, 2023 62. Don't Trust Us
    On this episode of Total Pebble Knockdown: Google Stadia is dead. The cloud servers are down, the platform has ceased to be. It is an ex-Stadia. While a blow for the future of cloud gaming, there were some real lessons to learn from it’s end. What were the promises of this cloud platform and what were the problems? Google Stadia Is Dead, And It’s A Sad Day For Gaming (forbes.com) Stadia ☁️🎮 on Twitter While…
  178. Jan 17, 2023 61. You Gotta Power Up Your Feet
    On this episode of Total Pebble Knockdown: Alex played a game you would not expect him to play which means we are doing a GYDTWP. On this episode, we discuss Hardship Spacebreaker… cough… Hardspace Shipbreaker and the surprising joys of breaking down space shuttles for scrap. A game of physics, puzzles, survival and dying, we talk about one of the hidden gems from this past year which is already making best of…
  179. Jan 10, 2023 60. The Cat Came Extra
    On this episode of Total Pebble Knockdown: It's a new year and so let's start things off right by talking about... Diablo 4? Alex played the closed beta and now that the beta period has ended, he had some thoughts on what he saw. He got to play a barbarian, a druid and a necromancer... wait, is this Diablo 2? We'll discuss how this compares to Diablo 2 and 3 as well as other games, what he saw for…
  180. Dec 20, 2022 59. A Total Pebble Karol
    On this episode of Total Pebble Knockdown: It's the holiday season and whoopdie doo and dickory dock, don't forget to put a pebble in your sock. It's our holiday special and we are becoming Scrooge in real time. Luckily, the Pac Man ghosts have visited us so we can learn the true meaning of gaming. Let us go back in time to gaming past. We discuss the original board games we learned, the old school…
  181. Dec 13, 2022 58. 11 Pages of Ants
    On this episode of Total Pebble Knockdown: Well, it's time for a souls-like round up. Nathan has been playing Steelrising and Asterigos and has many positive things to say about them, surprisingly. We also discuss Alex's attempt at playing Code Vein and how that worked out. Badly, we're guessing. So more One D&D playtest material has been released and this time it revolves around the Cleric. We…
  182. Nov 29, 2022 57. Re;ACT - The Arts of War (w/Ming)
    On this episode of Total Pebble Knockdown: Ming from BrotherMing Games is joining us on this episode to discuss his Kickstarter for Re;Act: The Arts of War, a game where artists do battle with cards. Can you dance your way around a calligrapher? Inquiring minds want to know. You can find more information about Re;Act here - Re;Act - The Arts of War | Brother Ming Games Ming started out making fan board games. He…
  183. Nov 22, 2022 56. Tickle Me Elmo Isn't Killing People Anymore
    On this episode of Total Pebble Knockdown: Black Friday is right around the corner and thus the deals are all over the place. However, how does that translate to games? Not as well as you might think. We’ll look at “deals” for the PS5, the arcade cabinet you totally wanted and a few tabletop sales. Also, has Black Friday changed in the last few years and is that a good thing? Vampire Survivors is one of the biggest…
  184. Nov 14, 2022 55. Just Pretend it Doesn't Exist
    On this episode of Total Pebble Knockdown: A close encounter with an old-school D&D player left Alex with a lot to ponder. And so, we're discussing how older versions of D&D were played as opposed to the newer versions, what changed, why it changed and how everyone could benefit from the input of others. Open worlds, rich mechanics, grand storytelling, personal journeys, complex customization and more…
  185. Nov 8, 2022 54. Second Ignition (with Breeze Grigas)
    On this episode of Total Pebble Knockdown: Breeze Grigas joined us on this episode to discuss the upcoming Kickstarter for AEGIS: 2nd Ignition. Who would not want to enjoy combining robots in a tactical game? Well, all the people who enjoyed the first game can now enjoy the new one. Can we think of ways to combine games about combining robots? Yes. Kickstarter launches Jan. 17th. The Kickstarter page - AEGIS…
  186. Nov 1, 2022 53. Poke Poke Literature Club
    On this episode of Total Pebble Knockdown: Once upon a time, Nathan backed a Kickstarter for a game called Coral Island. Although he did not play the alpha when it released a year ago, he has been playing the early access version that released on Steam and other platforms 2 weeks ago. But it has become evident over 30+ hours that big chunks of the game are not actually developed yet. So, let’s discuss what it does,…
  187. Oct 25, 2022 52. Slenderclown
    On this episode of Total Pebble Knockdown: It is our season one finale, a time to look back on where we’ve gone in the past year and what we plan on doing in the future. Guests? Livestreams? More obscure videos? Let’s find out on a very close-to-home Weekly Muse It’s the last chapter in our spoopy fest and we have saved the worst for last: CLOWNS! We go into why clowns are scary and how you can make them even more…
  188. Oct 18, 2022 51. Suplex the Trolley
    On this episode of Total Pebble Knockdown: Everybody get on the trolley. Oh no, some people are tied to the tracks! What shall we do? On this Crit Think, Nathan subjects Alex to a few of his homebrewed trolley problems to see how cruel he is toward the poor people about to be run over. An overview of the trolley problem - What is the 'Trolley Problem?’ | Merriam-Webster Last of the One D&D expert classes…
  189. Oct 10, 2022 50. Old Man Jenkins was a Ghost the Whole Time!
    On this episode of Total Pebble Knockdown: Steam is having a Next Fest with tons of demos for upcoming video games. Nathan got the chance to play a few of these games. Some of these were good, some were mediocre and one was basically unplayable. Find out which are which in this Weekly Muse. Some more discussion on draft material of One D&D because of course. This time, we'll talk a little about The Rogue,…
  190. Oct 4, 2022 49. Bardstein
    On this episode of Total Pebble Knockdown: Star Citizen, the game that still has not actually been released, just passed $500 million in funding. We still have no idea when the game is coming out, but there are rumblings about sequels. Anyways, let’s discuss this milestone after 10 years in development. Star Citizen Crowdfunds Half a Billion Dollars - and $100 Million In Less Than a Year - IGN Star Citizen has now…
  191. Sep 19, 2022 48. A Bardic Troupe of Chipmunks
    On this episode of Total Pebble Knockdown: So, a lot of discussion has been going on around player character death, so let’s discuss what you can do with characters once they die. Perhaps they can have a fun adventure in the afterlife, fight some demons, haunt the living, reincarnate, be a rat therapist… okay, we might go off the rails here. Cozy games are an ever-growing genre of video games, but it’s mostly been…
  192. Sep 13, 2022 47. Astral Plane-ology
    On this episode of Total Pebble Knockdown: In Weekly Muse, is Matt Mercer a terrible DM? This is something we decided to discuss following comments on the most recent Critical Role episode. So, we're going to talk about how dangerous a world should be, what the consequences are for a player's actions and other ways to slam players when things go wrong. We will also answer that question. WARNING: Spoilers.…
  193. Sep 6, 2022 46. Sleep Debt Storage Amulet
    On this episode of Total Pebble Knockdown: Are you getting enough sleep? Not in real life, we already know the answer to that is "No". Instead, are you getting enough sleep in games? We're looking at sleep, resting, curfews and other annoyances that games will use to make you end your business day, even if you were doing something cool. Does this work? Should it be changed? Are there better ways to use the…
  194. Aug 29, 2022 45. Multiverses of Magic
    On this episode of Total Pebble Knockdown: On this episode of Total Pebble Knockdown: Wizard Presents 2022 gave us many big announcements concerning Dungeons and Dragons and Magic: The Gathering. We are somewhat familiar with these things, so let's break down some of the big announcements, from Warhammer cards to the upcoming supplements to the huge One D&D reveal. Wizard Presents 2022 So, One D&D was…
  195. Aug 22, 2022 44. Three Segments You Didn't Think We'd Make
    On this episode of Total Pebble Knockdown: If you have ever watched a movie or TV show, played a game or read a book, you have probably noticed some typical character archetypes. At a certain point these become tropes that are easy to fall back on as writing devices. But does that mean you should play one in your games? We look at a list of 15 character tropes to see how these could work in your games and whether…
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