Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson
Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog

Join Dave and special guest IdolismJ as they tackle Drakengard (Cavia, Square Enix, 2003). Drakengard has a reputation for being bad, unplayable, interesting and edgelordy to a certain extent, and we can confirm that some, but not all of those, are correct. Drakengard challenges the player in ways that most games don't, driving you crazy alongside the protagonist. Whether the effect is intentional or accidental, Drakengard certainly left an impression on us. Listen in to find out more, and as always, no spoilers for a while!

Guest info: IdolismJ (he/him)

• Check out Jay's YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@IdolismJ
• Support on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/cw/idolismj
• Follow on Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/idolismj.yase.world

TIMESTAMPS

• 0:00 Title Card
• 0:18 Introductions
• 4:26 Our Histories with Drakengard and Nier
• 7:28 Top-Level Thoughts about Drakengard
• 11:53 Story Setup and Caim's Well-Being
• 21:40 Following the Plot
• 27:43 Combat- "Is It Bad on Purpose?"
• 40:28 Music to Go Insane to
• 50:14 Air Combat
• 58:00 Auteur Theory, Revisited
• 1:08:54 Art, Party Members, Voice Acting
• 1:18:10 Who Should Play Drakengard?
• 1:21:58 IdolismJ on YouTube
• 1:27:16 Spoiler Wall & Patron Thank-Yous
• 1:29:04 Spoilers- Things Get Worse Until They End
• 1:39:23 Spoilers- Ending A
• 1:47:44 Spoilers- Ending B
• 1:51:55 Spoilers- Ending C
• 2:00:38 Spoilers- Ending D and Some Hairy Subject Matter
• 2:16:49 Spoilers- Ending E and Connection to Nier

Music used in the episode is credited to Takayuka Aihara unless otherwise noted. Tracks used: Weapon Select, First Chapter - Sky, Fifth Chapter - Ground, Fourth Chapter - Ground (Nobuyoshi Sano), Fifth Chapter - Sky, First Chapter - Castle Interior, Eighth Chapter - Closing (Nobuyoshi Sano), Route C Staff Roll, Mission Clear (Nobuyoshi Sano)

Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures

Support Tales from the Backlog

Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson
Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog

Join Dave and special guest Claire as they deep dive Fire Emblem: Three Houses (Intelligent Systems, Kou Shibusawa, Nintendo, 2019). They discuss the life sim and battle elements, how they tie together to make you fear permadeath even more, the four playthroughs, and much more. As always, no spoilers for a while!

Guest info: Claire (she/her/any)

• Check out Date With Us podcast https://www.datewith.us
• Check out Claire on Twitch https://www.twitch.tv/claireafterall
• Get a sick wrestling belt https://www.trophysmack.com/

TIMESTAMPS

• 0:00 Title Card
• 0:21 Introductions
• 5:03 Our Histories with Fire Emblem
• 7:35 Top-Level Thoughts
• 14:36 Story Setup and Choosing Your House
• 23:49 Life Sim Elements and How To Spend Time
• 30:00 Teaching and Character Building
• 36:11 Relationship/Support Mechanics
• 40:25 Relationship and Dating Elements
• 55:36 Combat and Permadeath
• 1:05:18 Combat Basics
• 1:15:00 What's New in the DLC?
• 1:19:56 Soundtrack
• 1:26:10 Visual Design and Art
• 1:31:57 Who Should Play?
• 1:38:17 Date With Us and Claire's Streaming
• 1:44:36 Spoiler Wall and Patron Thank-Yous
• 1:46:26 Spoilers- Story Discussion
• 2:29:39 Spoilers- MVPs and Results

Music used in the episode:

• The Crest of Flames (Yuka Tsujiyoko)
• Fódlan Winds (Takeru Kanazaki)
• Life at Garreg Mach Monastery (Takeru Kanazaki)
• Tearing Through Heaven (Hiroki Morishita)
• Tempest of Seasons (Rei Kondoh)
• A Guide for the Future (Takeru Kanazaki)
• A New Dawn (Takeru Kanazaki, Rei Kondoh)
• The Land Beloved by the Goddess (Takeru Kanazaki)

Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures

Support Tales from the Backlog

Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson
Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog

Join Dave and special guest Flora Merigold (Epilogue Gaming, Left Behind Game Club) as they discuss Many Nights a Whisper (Deconstructeam, Selkie Harbour, 2025). Many Nights a Whisper puts you in a high-pressure situation and asks you to make tough choices that will have an impact on whether you make the climactic shot or not. We discuss the marriage of narrative and mechanics, our approaches to granting or denying wishes, the shot, and much more. As always, there are no spoilers for a while.

Guest info: Flora Merigold (she/her)

• Check out Epilogue Gaming https://epiloguegaming.com/author/flora-merigold/
• Check out Left Behind Game Club https://leftbehindgame.club/
• Follow Flora on Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/floramerigold.bsky.social

TIMESTAMPS

• 0:00 Title
• 0:16 Introductions
• 3:53 Personal Histories with Many Nights a Whisper
• 5:44 Top-Level Thoughts
• 13:09 Story Setup and Wishes
• 20:29 Wishes, Tension and Thematic Explorations
• 38:53 Practice Makes Perfect
• 44:45 Music and Visuals
• 46:35 Who Should Play?
• 49:15 Flora's Creative and Artistic Work
• 53:41 Spoiler Wall & Patron Thank-Yous
• 55:56 Spoilers- Pink Cats and Healthy Tobacco
• 1:06:39 Spoilers- Removing Animal Souls and Making Gender Irrelevant
• 1:20:46 Spoilers- No More Work and Wanting a Nemesis
• 1:41:33 Spoilers- Mounting Pressure, No More Sleep, No More Religion
• 1:56:04 Spoilers- The Last Wish
• 2:09:53 Spoilers- The Shot and Final Musings

Music used in the episode is credited to fingerspit. Tracks used: Many Nights a Whisper, Ten Years Ago You Were Chosen, Doing My Best Is All I Can Give Them, New Strength, My Heart's Faint Call, The Ceremony, Into the Moonless Night

Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures

Support Tales from the Backlog

Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson
Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog

Join Dave and special guest Jesse Guarascia (noclip, noclip_2 and more) as they strengthen their block-pushing muscles for a deep dive into Isles of Sea and Sky (Cicada Games, 2024). They discuss its rich world full of secrets, why Sokoban-style puzzles feel like a great foundation for weird narratives or layers of secrets, whether the open-ended design works well, and much more. As always, no spoilers for a while.

Guest info: Jesse Guarascia (he/him)

• Check out noclip https://www.youtube.com/@NoclipDocs
• And check out noclip2 https://www.youtube.com/@Noclip2
• And Blowback! https://blowback.show/
• Follow on Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/jesseguarascia.com

TIMESTAMPS

• 0:00 Title
• 0:22 Introductions
• 6:16 Our Histories with Isles of Sea and Sky
• 11:26 Top-Level Thoughts
• 18:38 Game Setup and Open Structure
• 29:19 Puzzle Design
• 40:40 Sokoban as a Base Layer for Building Secrets
• 53:15 Visual Design
• 1:00:00 Music and Sound
• 1:03:32 Who Should Play?
• 1:08:28 Jesse's Work at NoClip and More
• 1:16:53 Spoiler Wall and Patron Thank-Yous
• 1:19:17 Spoiler Section

Music used in the episode is credited to Craig Collver. Tracks used: Isles of Sea and Sky, Ancient Island, Stoney Cliffs, Tidal Reef, From Sea to Sky

Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures

Support Tales from the Backlog

Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson
Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog

Join Dave and special guest Leah Haydu (Cane and Rinse, Character Issues) as they discuss Kingdom Hearts (Square Enix, 2001). Leah is a longtime fan and Dave just played for the first time, and that led to a great conversation about the infamous story, the Disney and Final Fantasy tie-ins, the action-RPG combat, and the simplicity at the "heart" of it all. Listen in for more, and as always, no spoilers for a while.

Guest info: Leah Haydu (she/her)

• Check out Character Issues https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-character-issues-podcast/id1530881747
• Check out Cane and Rinse https://caneandrinse.com/

TIMESTAMPS

• 0:00 Title Card
• 0:29 Introductions
• 4:02 Our Histories with Kingdom Hearts
• 9:50 Top-Level Thoughts
• 19:24 Story Setup and Disney Stuff
• 33:10 Final Fantasy Stuff
• 35:16 Understanding Kingdom Hearts
• 43:25 The "Heart" of the Story
• 51:11 More Music Talk
• 58:16 Gummi Ship
• 1:02:32 Combat
• 1:23:45 Some Gameplay Criticisms
• 1:30:26 Who Should Play?
• 1:34:00 Character Issues & Cane and Rinse Podcasts
• 1:40:24 Spoiler Wall & Patron Thank-Yous
• 1:42:08 Spoilers- Disney Worlds
• 1:54:58 Spoilers- Let's Talk Plot
• 2:04:13 Spoilers- Sora, Riku and Ansem
• 2:16:55 Spoilers- Final Bosses and Ending

Music used in the episode is credited to Yoko Shimomura: Dearly Beloved, Destiny Islands, Hollow Bastion, Welcome to Wonderland, Traverse Town, The End of the World, Dearly Beloved -Reprise-

Check out Unlockables Podcast for an extensive dive into the story of Kingdom Hearts: https://unlockables.fireside.fm/tags/guiding%20keys

Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures

Support Tales from the Backlog

Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson
Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog

Join Dave and special guest Rachel Watts (Thinky Games, Indieventure podcast) as they discuss Cairn (The Game Bakers, 2026). Cairn is a meticulous, thoughtful climbing game that takes you into the mind of an elite athlete as she attempts a climb that has never been done before. While it has some (unintentionally) frustrating moments, Cairn is an extremely strong and affecting game- listen in to find out more, and as always, no spoilers for a while!

Guest info: Rachel Watts (she/her)

• Check out Thinky Games https://thinkygames.com
• Check out Indieventure https://indieventurepodcast.co.uk

TIMESTAMPS

• 0:00 Title Card
• 0:23 Introductions
• 5:09 Our Histories with The Game Bakers & Cairn
• 8:58 Top Level Thoughts
• 17:32 Story Setup and Characterizing Aava
• 31:40 Climbing Mechanics
• 37:36 High Difficulty Meets a Few Shaky Systems
• 54:53 Visual Design, Sound Design and Music
• 1:03:12 Survival on Mt. Kami
• 1:17:58 Who Should Play Cairn?
• 1:24:32 Thinky Games and Indieventure Podcast
• 1:28:54 Spoiler Wall & Patron Thank-Yous
• 1:30:30 Spoilers- Fun Moments & Tough Challenges
• 1:54:19 Spoilers- Let's Talk About Aava
• 2:22:42 Spoilers- Ending Discussion

Music used in the episode is credited to Martin Stig Andersen, Gilda and The Toxic Avenger. Tracks used: The Mountain is Calling, Rise, Fatigue Is In Your Head, Only the Mountain, In My Gut, Stars, Part of a Whole

Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures

Support Tales from the Backlog

Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson
Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog

Join Dave and returning guest Scott Danielson as they dive into the third and final entry in the Hitman: World of Assassination Trilogy (IO Interactive), as well as its roguelike mode, Freelancer. This whole package is an absolute treat, and this also brings the Tales from the Backlog Hitman Episode Trilogy to a close. Listen in for allllll (most) of our thoughts!

Guest info: Scott Danielson (he/him)

TIMESTAMPS

• 0:00 Title Card
• 0:25 Introductions
• 8:25 Our Histories with Hitman
• 12:39 Top-Level Thoughts
• 17:13 Story Setup
• 24:43 Levels and Locations
• 34:16 What's New and Mission Stories
• 43:26 The Sandbox and Freelancer Mode
• 1:02:32 Other Bonus Missions
• 1:09:07 Who Should Play Hitman?
• 1:17:03 Spoiler Wall and Patron Thank-Yous
• 1:18:57 Spoilers- Dubai
• 1:37:53 Spoilers- Dartmoor
• 1:50:43 Spoilers- Berlin
• 2:10:03 Spoilers- Chongqing
• 2:27:31 Spoilers- Mendoza
• 2:41:54 Spoilers- Carpathian Mountains
• 2:53:56 Spoilers- Ending and Ambrose Island

Music used in the episode is credited to Niels Bye Nielson. Tracks used: Death Awaits, Best-Laid Plans, Sceptres of Dubai, End of an Era, Planning, Death in the Family, Chongqing Requiem, Mission Accomplished

Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures

Support Tales from the Backlog

Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson
Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog

Join Dave and special guest Brian Edwards as they dive into one of 2025's most acclaimed games, The Séance of Blake Manor (Spooky Doorway, Raw Fury, 2025). It's a captivating mystery set in an Irish countryside manor-turned-hotel, full of both literal and figurative ghosts, culminating in a grand séance. It's full of memorable characters, fantastic voice performances, Irish folklore and mythology, and always manages to keep you guessing. Check out the podcast for more.

Guest info: Brian Edwards (he/him)

• Check out the Character Issues podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-character-issues-podcast/id1530881747?l=zh-Hant-TW
• Check out Cane and Rinse https://caneandrinse.com/

TIMESTAMPS

• 0:00 Title Card
• 0:16 Introductions
• 4:24 Personal Histories
• 7:59 Top-Level Thoughts
• 14:15 Story Setup and Cast of Characters
• 24:18 Spooky Atmosphere
• 29:00 Character Schedules and the Passage of Time
• 41:41 Lack of Deductive Reasoning
• 48:43 Some Mechanical Frustrations
• 56:09 Some Puzzly Puzzles
• 58:44 Irish Folklore & Mythology
• 1:05:31 Who Should Play?
• 1:09:40 Character Issues & Cane and Rinse
• 1:19:04 Spoiler Wall and Patron Thank-Yous
• 1:20:57 Spoilers- Favorite Moments and Storylines
• 1:49:27 Spoilers- What's Going On Here?

Music used in the episode is credited to Clement Panchout. Tracks used: The Séance of Blake Manor, Vincent Varley, Blake Manor I, Courtyard, The Ritual, Serenade for Evelyn Deane (End Credits)

Check out Dave's guest DJ set on Chillscape: A Chill VGM Podcast: https://superpodnetwork.com/podcast/chillscape-a-chill-vgm-podcast

Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures

Support Tales from the Backlog

Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson
Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog

Join Dave and special guest Josh Galecki (Pixelated Playgrounds, Moonroof Studios) to take a long walk into the woods of Baby Steps. Developed by Bennett Foddy, Gabe Cuzillo and Maxi Boch and published by Devolver Digital, Baby Steps is an extremely unique game, one where its story of its failson protagonist meshes with its frustrating-yet-rewarding gameplay for a very rewarding and genuinely funny experience. Check out the podcast for more.

Guest info: Josh Galecki (he/him)

• Check out Pixelated Playgrounds https://www.pixelatedplaygrounds.com/
• Check out Josh's games on Steam https://store.steampowered.com/search/?developer=Moonroof%20Studios
• Check out more of Josh's games on itch https://joshuagalecki.itch.io/

TIMESTAMPS

• 0:00 Title Card
• 0:11 Introductions
• 5:42 Our Histories with Baby Steps
• 9:42 Top-Level Thoughts
• 15:11 Characterization of Nate
• 20:18 Walking Mechanics
• 26:56 Difficulty and World Design
• 40:19 Hating On Nate and Comedy
• 54:27 Visuals, Music and Sound
• 59:13 Who Should Play Baby Steps?
• 1:04:16 Pixelated Playgrounds and Moonroof Studios
• 1:08:40 Spoiler Wall & Patron Thank-Yous
• 1:10:17 Spoilers- Jim, The Manbreaker, Other Challenges
• 1:32:19 Spoilers- Let's Talk About Nate
• 1:42:28 Spoilers- Nate's Journey and Endings
• 1:55:43 Accomplishments vs Achievements
• 2:04:23 Guys...Where Are We?

Sound clips in episode were captured in game.

The Secret Lives of Games interview with Bennett Foddy & Gabe Cuzillo- https://eggplant.show/152-walking-over-it-with-gabe-cuzzillo-and-bennett-foddy-baby-steps

Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures

Support Tales from the Backlog

Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson
Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog

Guest info: Doug Lief (he/him) and Gen Moonen (they/them)

• Listen to Nostalgium Arcanum https://nostalgiumarcanum.fireside.fm/
• Listen to Playing By Ear https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/playing-by-ear/id1815995146
• Listen to Still Muppeting https://www.patreon.com/c/stillloadingpod/posts
• Listen to "Fun" and Games https://funandgames.libsyn.com/

TIMESTAMPS

• 0:00 Title Card
• 0:10 Introductions and Top-Level Thoughts
• 7:20 Unpredictability- Problem or Opportunity?
• 19:48 Failure Can Be Funny
• 38:35 Jokes In Any Form
• 50:07 Unique Challenges Facing Game Comedy
• 1:32:15 More Ways Games are Uniquely Funny
• 1:44:46 Wrap-Up Thoughts
• 1:48:56 Gen & Doug's Podcasts

Music used in the episode:

• Secret Hoppin' (Vacation Mix)- ClascyJitto (Pizza Tower OST)
• Whispering Rock Psychic Summer Camp- Peter McConnell (Psychonauts OST)

Dave's guest appearance on Play Along Podcast- https://linktr.ee/PlayAlongPodcast

Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures

Support Tales from the Backlog

Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson
Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog

Join Dave and special guest TroytlePower as they discuss Vampire: The Masquerade: Bloodlines, developed by Troika Games and published by Activision in 2004. Any recommendation to play Bloodlines comes with all sorts of disclaimers attached, which makes it nearly irresistable for someone with a brain like mine. And while all of those bad things I had heard about the game turned out to be extremely true, it's still a fascinating game that led to a fun discussion. Check out the podcast for more!

Guest info: TroytlePower (he/him)

• Check out all of Troy's work! https://troytlepower.com/

TIMESTAMPS

• 0:00 Title Card
• 0:17 Introductions
• 4:30 Our Histories with Bloodlines
• 8:39 Top-Level Thoughts
• 13:57 Story Setup and Clan Selection
• 21:03 The Masquerade and Vampire Society
• 28:06 Presentation and Game World
• 36:53 Music and Vibes
• 44:34 Vampire Lore TM
• 51:00 Character Building
• 1:02:04 Combat
• 1:17:00 If They Only Had More Time...
• 1:25:52 Who Should Play Bloodlines?
• 1:31:00 Troy's Podcasts and Writing
• 1:35:56 Spoiler Wall and Patron Thank-Yous
• 1:37:51 Spoilers- Early-Midgame Quests and Stories
• 2:23:00 Spoilers- The Sewers and Onward

Music used in the episode is credited to Rik Schaffer. Tracks used: Main Menu, Downtown, Disturbed and Twisted Combat, Generic Combat, Santa Monica, Crypt Combat

Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures

Support Tales from the Backlog