- 59 minutes 46 secondsNon-Fatal Flaws: Bad Bits in Good Games
This week's topic is all about the maggot in the apple, the flaw in the diamond, the suspicious stain on the clean-smelling underwear. That's right, it's the parts of otherwise great games that we hate. Disgusting sound effects, tedious intros, impossible tasks and unfamiliar mechanics have all weaselled their way in to the Boys' all-time favourites.
But before that, they catch up on what they've been up to this week. Sarah's been developing a nepotistic empire, Glenn's teamed up for a puzzling hike and Pierre's losing himself to one of the most satisfying games he's ever played.
Thanks again to all those who came to Button Boys Live at Leicester Square Theatre. If you missed it, we're doing another live date on October 15th in Balham at the Cheerful Earful festival. Link below!
Cheerful Earful Festival Live Show
If you can't get enough Button Boys content, head over to Patreon, where you can find our weekly Hidden Cache bonus episode featuring more gripes, game recommendations and our Heavy Rain playthrough, and Player 4, where we interview a different comedian every month about their gaming lives.
Follow along with the Button Boys on Instagram or TikTok for highlights, behind-the-scenes content and future podcast announcements.
Games Mentioned in this week's episode:
- Kynseed
- Stardew Valley
- Crusader Kings
- Mewgenics
- The Occultist
- Darkwood
- Split Fiction
- Big Walk
- Untitled Goose Game
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 7
- Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings
- Heavy Rain
- Sandustry
- Dorfromantik
- Factorio
- A Game About Digging A Hole
- Star Fox
- 007 First Light
- Marvel's Wolverine
- Princess Peach: Showtime!
- Yoshi and the Mysterious Book
- Super Mario Bros. Wonder
- It Takes Two
- Blue Prince
- Red Dead Redemption 2
- The Simpsons: Hit & Run
- Grand Theft Auto III
- Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
- Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
- The Blood of Dawnwalker
- The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
- Alien: Isolation
- A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead
- Fortnite
- Total War: Warhammer
- Uncharted 4: A Thief's End
Produced and edited by Ben Drayton
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30 September 2026, 11:00 pm - 1 hour 4 minutesThe Worst Game Pitch-Off
If you missed out on the first ever Button Boys LIVE, don't worry, we remembered to record it! This week, the Boys had to pitch their worst-ever game ideas to an audience at Leicester Square Theatre. After a few minor technical hitches, Sarah came straight out of the gates with an avian-themed game for the gerontophiles among us, Pierre set out his vision for a drone-controlled dating sim and Glenn's idea... well, I think you need to hear it for yourself.
But before all that, they catch up on what they've been up to, with Glenn playing a nephew game, Sarah trying to lower expectations with the latest Marvel game and Pierre returning 18th-century warfare with the Swedes in his sights.
To follow along with the Button Boys outside the podcast:
Cheerful Earful Festival Live Show
If you can't get enough Button Boys content, head over to Patreon, where you can find our weekly Hidden Cache bonus episode featuring more gripes, game recommendations and our Heavy Rain playthrough, and Player 4, where we interview a different comedian every month about their gaming lives.
Follow along with the Button Boys on Instagram or TikTok for highlights, behind-the-scenes content and future podcast announcements.
Games Mentioned in this week's episode:
- Heavy Rain
- Master of Command
- Empire: Total War
- Marvel's Wolverine
- Dynasty Warriors
- The Blood of Dawnwalker
- CONTROL Resonant
- Crimson Desert
- The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
- Inside
- LittleBigPlanet
- Octodad
- Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy
- QWOP
- Streets of Rage
- Metal Gear Solid
- Half-Life: Alyx
- Planet Coaster
- RollerCoaster Tycoon
- GoldenEye 007
- Gran Turismo
- Dark Souls
- Assassin's Creed II
- Resident Evil 2
- Until Dawn
Produced and edited by Ben Drayton
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23 September 2026, 11:00 pm - 55 minutes 47 secondsAugust Annals: What We've Been Playing
I'll let you into a secret. We've been lying to you all this time. Every week, when you think you're listening to the latest video game content your podcast app of choice has to offer, we've been pulling the wool over your eyes. That's right, what you've been hearing is literally weeks old.
But don't fear, because The Boys are back and fresh as hell. With a month off between recordings, they've created quite a backlog of games, so in this episode they're going to recap the heady days of August and early September.
Pierre spills the tea on what actually happened on his gaming PC's Odyssean adventure, Sarah's returned to an old nemesis and finds themselves much better acquainted than they expected and Glenn's been suffering from the munchies when the sun goes down.
To follow along with the Button Boys outside the podcast:
Cheerful Earful Festival Live Show
If you can't get enough Button Boys content, head over to Patreon, where you can find our weekly Hidden Cache bonus episode featuring more gripes, game recommendations and our Heavy Rain playthrough, and Player 4, where we interview a different comedian every month about their gaming lives.
Follow along with the Button Boys on Instagram or TikTok for highlights, behind-the-scenes content and future podcast announcements.
Games Mentioned in this week's episode:
- Final Fantasy XIV Online
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Baldur's Gate 3
- Horizon Zero Dawn
- Horizon Forbidden West
- Mister Mosquito
- Command & Conquer
- Hell Let Loose: Vietnam
- Bloodborne
- Elden Ring
- Demon's Souls
- Dark Souls
- PowerWash Simulator
- The Blood of Dawnwalker
- The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
- Pentiment
- Shift At Midnight
- Inkonbini: One Store. Many Stories
- Papers
- No
- Burglin' Gnomes
- Militsioner
- Big Walk
- RV There Yet?
- Marvel's Wolverine
- CONTROL Resonant
- Silent Hill: Townfall
- Onimusha: Way of the Sword
Produced and edited by Ben Drayton
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
16 September 2026, 11:00 pm - 47 minutes 51 secondsFirst Impressions: Tutorials and Intros that Stick
This week we're getting to grips with the age-old tutorial. Whether it's boot camp, prison or simply being born every game takes its time to show you the ropes. The Boys look at the seamless, the absurd and the downright clunky attempts at tutorials.
But before that, we catch up with what they've been playing. Pierre's switched off his brain with a psychedelic throwback to impenetrable Japanese games, Glenn's having a religious experience with spooky puppets and Sarah's revisiting a game we all thought they'd given up on.
To follow along with the Button Boys outside the podcast:
If you can't get enough Button Boys content, head over to Patreon, where you can find our weekly Hidden Cache bonus episode featuring more gripes, game recommendations and our Heavy Rain playthrough, and Player 4, where we interview a different comedian every month about their gaming lives.
Follow along with the Button Boys on Instagram or TikTok for highlights, behind-the-scenes content and future podcast announcements.
Games Mentioned in this week's episode:
- 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim
- Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom
- TAMASHIKA
- Temple Run
- Denshattack!
- Dark Souls
- Demon’s Souls
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
- The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
- The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
- The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
- The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
- Bloodborne
- The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
- Blue Prince
- Crisol: Theater of Idols
- Blasphemous
- Red Dead Redemption
- Horizon Zero Dawn
- Lies of P
- Fear the Spotlight
- Silent Hill
- Grave Seasons
- The Eternal Life of Goldman
- Hell Let Loose: Vietnam
- MOUSE: P.I. For Hire
- Helldivers 2
- Call of Duty: United Offensive
- Medal of Honor Frontline
- Medal of Honor Allied Assault
- Silent Hill: Townfall
- 007 First Light
- Call of Duty: Vanguard
- Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
- Uncharted 4: A Thief's End
- Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception
- Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
- Heavy Rain
- Hitman 3
- Cairn
- Prey
- Terra Invicta
- Stronghold
- Halo: Combat Evolved
- Detroit: Become Human
- Karma: The Dark World
- God of War
Produced and edited by Ben Drayton
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
9 September 2026, 11:00 pm - 49 minutes 7 secondsGetting the Ick: How to Ruin a Game
Have you ever found yourself enjoying a game and then BAM... you hit an ick? Something so minor but so off-putting that you just have to put the controller down and walk away.
This week's episode is all about those moments. The small things that games can do to really ruin your experience. From cringey box blurb and clunky dialogue to lame side quests and lewd camera angles, we've got ick covered.
But before that, we catch up with what the Boys have been up to. Sarah's been revisiting an absolute classic with a whole new perspective, while Glenn's been going extremely deep on his latest wildly addictive game.
To follow along with the Button Boys outside the podcast:
If you can't get enough Button Boys content, head over to Patreon, where you can find our weekly Hidden Cache bonus episode featuring more gripes, game recommendations and our Heavy Rain playthrough, and Player 4, where we interview a different comedian every month about their gaming lives.
Follow along with the Button Boys on Instagram or TikTok for highlights, behind-the-scenes content and future podcast announcements.
Games Mentioned in this week's episode:
- Dredge
- The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
- Horizon Forbidden West
- Cyberpunk 2077
- Red Dead Redemption 2
- A Game About Digging A Hole
- PowerWash Simulator
- Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings
- Age of Mythology
- Conker: Live & Reloaded
- Rusty Rabbit
- Perky Little Things
- Duke Nukem 3D
- Immortals of Aveum
- Assassin's Creed Odyssey
- Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
- Final Fantasy XIV Online
- The Elder Scrolls Online
- Stellar Blade
- Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
- Persona 5
- Heavy Rain
- Unravel Two
- Darwin's Paradox!
Produced and edited by Ben Drayton
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
2 September 2026, 11:00 pm - 50 minutes 25 secondsYou've Got to Be F***ing Kidding Me
We've all had those moments. You put down the controller, take a long, measured breath and express your absolute shock/consternation/contempt/awe (delete as applicable) with the phrase, 'You've got to be f***ing kidding me!'
This week the Boys relive their most jaw-dropping debacles. Whether it's realising they can't complete a game because of a terrible decision, treacherous save points, game-changing power-ups or the simple act of a bad throw, you'll find it hard not to feel their pain.
Before all that though, we catch up on their weeks, Sarah's been saddened by a clear statement on the climate crisis through the eyes of James Bond, Pierre's increasingly frustrated by Heavy Rain and Glenn's found himself surrounded by dead bodies and armed only with a notebook and a time machine. Standard Thursday for him, then.
To follow along with the Button Boys outside the podcast:
If you can't get enough Button Boys content, head over to Patreon, where you can find our weekly Hidden Cache bonus episode featuring more gripes, game recommendations and our Heavy Rain playthrough, and Player 4, where we interview a different comedian every month about their gaming lives.
Follow along with the Button Boys on Instagram or TikTok for highlights, behind-the-scenes content and future podcast announcements.
Games Mentioned in this week's episode:
- Milk inside a bag of milk inside a bag of milk
- The Incident at Galley House
- Milk outside a bag of milk outside a bag of milk
- Heavy Rain
- Type Help
- The Rootrees are Dead
- Return of the Obra Dinn
- TR-49
- The Séance of Blake Manor
- Hell Let Loose
- 007 First Light
- Uncharted 4: A Thief's End
- The Last of Us Part II
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
- Cairn
- Final Fantasy XIII
- Final Fantasy XIV
- Hollow Knight
- Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Celeste
- Dark Souls
- Two Point Hospital
- Disco Elysium
- Fall Guys
- The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
- Balatro
- Horizon Zero Dawn
- God of War
- Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver
- The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
- Baldur's Gate 3
- Stardew Valley
Produced and edited by Ben Drayton
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
26 August 2026, 11:00 pm - 51 minutes 59 secondsButton Boys Presents: Hell Let Loose Vietnam (Sponsored)
*Cues Fortunate Son*
Bone spurs will not save you from this very special episode of Button Boys, brought to you by Hell Let Loose: Vietnam. So don your warpaint and load up the Huey because we're in for a wild ride.
And by wild ride I mean Sarah, Glenn and of course Pierre have been getting to grips with Hell Let Loose: Vietnam. From hidden boat attacks, helicopter evacs and dragging your teammates to safety, to tactical mastery, the horrors of war and Pierre's new codename, the Boys are here to talk you through their experiences in the jungles, mountains and villages of Vietnam.
If you enjoyed this episode and you want to get stuck in, Hell Let Loose: Vietnam is now available on PC, PlayStation and Xbox. Head on over to the Discord to find out about our upcoming plans with Hell Let Loose and sign up to the official Button Boys battalion.
To follow along with the Button Boys outside the podcast:
If you can't get enough Button Boys content, head over to Patreon, where you can find our weekly Hidden Cache bonus episode featuring more gripes, game recommendations and our Hitman: World of Assassination playthrough, and Player 4, where we interview a different comedian every month about their gaming lives.
Follow along with the Button Boys on Instagram or TikTok for highlights, behind-the-scenes content and future podcast announcements.
Produced and edited by Ben Drayton
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
23 August 2026, 11:00 pm - 51 minutes 11 secondsOne and Done: Games We’d Never Play Again
The past is a foreign country: they do things differently there. And we don't like different. Or too much of the same. And that's why this week's episode is all about the games you play once and have absolutely no appetite to return to.
Whether it's outdated mechanics, not wanting to spoil their nostalgia or just because the games were plain terrible, the Boys examine the games they've known and loved but won't go near again.
But before that walk down memory lane, we catch up with what they've been playing this week. Pierre's been preparing for battle with the Button Boys Battalion, Sarah's taken a musical trip north of the border and Glenn's got into dentistry, or at least that's what I think he said.
To follow along with the Button Boys outside the podcast:
If you can't get enough Button Boys content, head over to Patreon, where you can find our weekly Hidden Cache bonus episode featuring more gripes, game recommendations and our Hitman: World of Assassination playthrough, and Player 4, where we interview a different comedian every month about their gaming lives.
Follow along with the Button Boys on Instagram or TikTok for highlights, behind-the-scenes content and future podcast announcements.
Games Mentioned in this week's episode:
- Hell Let Loose
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 7
- Denshattack!
- OlliOlli World
- Subway Surfers
- Heavy Rain
- A Highland Song
- Shark Dentist
- Cairn
- A Short Hike
- The Artful Escape
- Inside
- Return of the Obra Dinn
- Blue Prince
- Age of Empires II
- Shadow Man
- Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver
- Medal of Honor: Allied Assault
- Call of Duty
- Medal of Honor: Frontline
- Until Dawn
- The Walking Dead
- 007: First Light
- Baldur's Gate 3
- Hitman: World of Assassination
- The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
- The Witcher
- Marvel's Spider-Man
- Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales
- Ghost of Tsushima
- Ghost of Yōtei
- Dark Souls
- Elden Ring
- Dark Souls II
- Dark Souls III
- Bloodborne
Produced and edited by Ben Drayton
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
19 August 2026, 11:00 pm - 51 minutes 10 secondsFood, Glorious Food (and Drink)
Pop on a bib and bring out your best dinnerware, as this week's theme is food and drinks. From phone booth chicken to liquid burgers for two, the Boys discuss the entire range of video game F&B. Mouthwatering meals and stomach-churning sustenance are all on the menu for today.
But before that, we catch up with what they've been playing, with Sarah's discovery of a delightful point-and-click, Pierre's hungover magical chess and Glenn's determination to play a game that's more broke than woke.
To follow along with the Button Boys outside the podcast:
If you can't get enough Button Boys content, head over to Patreon, where you can find our weekly Hidden Cache bonus episode featuring more gripes, game recommendations and our Hitman: World of Assassination playthrough, and Player 4, where we interview a different comedian every month about their gaming lives.
Follow along with the Button Boys on Instagram or TikTok for highlights, behind-the-scenes content and future podcast announcements.
Games Mentioned in this week's episode:
- Heavy Rain
- Until Dawn
- Below the Crown
- Duskers
- Lost in Play
- Comedy Quest
- Dustborn
- Road 96
- Dark Souls
- Conker's Bad Fur Day
- Streets of Rage
- Golden Axe
- Pokémon Stadium
- Donkey Kong Bananza
- Red Faction II
- Resident Evil 2
- The Magic School Bus Explores the Human Body
- Yakuza: Like a Dragon
- Overcooked!
- Portal
- Age of Empires
- Sea of Stars
- Final Fantasy XI
- Dave the Diver
- The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
- Dragon's Dogma 2
- Final Fantasy XV
- Wolfenstein
- Wolfenstein: The New Order
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance
- Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
- The Sims
- The Sims 2
- Dredge
- Marker 34
- Yeba
- Stardew Valley
- Celeste
- Pac-Man
Produced and edited by Ben Drayton
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
12 August 2026, 11:00 pm - 1 hour 46 secondsThe Future is Now: Times When Our Minds Were Blown
Every person who plays video games has had a moment when their jaw drops, their eyes widen and they find themselves dribbling onto their laps the sheer effort of comprehending the paradigmatic shift in front of them.
Ok, maybe not every person. Still, this episode is dedicated to those moments: the times when you just couldn’t believe what a leap forward games had taken; the times when you realised the future was now. From achingly beautiful vistas and hyper-realistic mechanics to dense world-building and the bits where your character, unprompted, scratches their bum, the Boys cover it all.
But before all that, Glenn tells a tale of utter humiliation and we catch up with what everyone’s been playing this week. Sarah's had a slight change of heart since last episode's theatrical hatchet job, Pierre's finally on board with Bond, and Glenn, of course, has found an indie game where he can do two jobs at once.
To follow along with the Button Boys outside the podcast:
If you can't get enough Button Boys content, head over to Patreon, where you can find our weekly Hidden Cache bonus episode featuring more gripes, game recommendations and our Hitman: World of Assassination playthrough, and Player 4, where we interview a different comedian every month about their gaming lives.
Follow along with the Button Boys on Instagram or TikTok for highlights, behind-the-scenes content and future podcast announcements.
Games Mentioned in this week's episode:
- The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales
- Horizon Zero Dawn
- Perky Little Things
- Anime Feet Boys: The Charm Finder Quest
- 007 First Light
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance
- Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
- Princess Peach: Showtime!
- Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
- Venba
- Grave Seasons
- Stardew Valley
- Marvel’s Spider-Man
- Assassin’s Creed
- Spider-Man 2 (2004)
- Kingdom Hearts
- Assassin’s Creed Mirage
- Peter Jackson’s King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie
- Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
- Grand Theft Auto III
- Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
- MotorStorm
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
- Metal Gear Solid
- The Last of Us
- SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
- Starfield
- Bubsy
- Crash Bandicoot
- Spyro
- Final Fantasy IX
- The Sims
- The Sims 2
- GoldenEye 007
- Mass Effect
- Mass Effect 2
- Uncharted: The Lost Legacy
- Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune
- Tomb Raider
- TimeSplitters 2
- TimeSplitters: Future Perfect
- Killzone
- Call of Duty
- Shadow of Rome
Produced and edited by Ben Drayton
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
5 August 2026, 11:00 pm - 52 minutes 5 secondsFrom Rags to Rupees: Money in Games
Unzip your wallets and loosen your coin pouches because this episode's all about the most filthy of lucre: money.
From septims to souls, in-game currency has been integral to countless RPGs, platformers and Glenn's favourite shopkeeper games. But how do you spend yours? When does it work, and when does money lose all meaning? Why does Glenn like being poor so much? And what's the vendor doing with all my cheese?
But before all that, the Boys catch up on what they've been playing this week. Glenn's wardrobe malfunction ruins a finale while Sarah's been longing for more skateboarding but has ended up at the theatre with a not-so-progressive Peach.
To follow along with the Button Boys outside the podcast:
If you can't get enough Button Boys content, head over to Patreon, where you can find our weekly Hidden Cache bonus episode featuring more gripes, game recommendations and our Hitman: World of Assassination playthrough, and Player 4, where we interview a different comedian every month about their gaming lives.
Follow along with the Button Boys on Instagram or TikTok for highlights, behind-the-scenes content and future podcast announcements.
Games Mentioned in this week's episode:
- Late Shift
- Resident Evil 5
- Resident Evil 4
- OlliOlli World
- Princess Peach: Showtime!
- The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
- Super Mario Bros. Wonder
- Dark Souls
- The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
- Cyberpunk 2077
- Horizon Zero Dawn
- Dredge
- Hollow Knight
- Bloodborne
- Age of Empires
- Crusader Kings III
- Rome: Total War
- Red Dead Redemption 2
- Grand Theft Auto VI
- Atomfall
- Forge of Empires
- Master of Command
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
- Disco Elysium
- Zero Parades: For Dead Spies
- Balatro
- EVE Online
- Two Point Hospital
- Two Point Campus
- Grand Theft Auto IV
- Dreams in the Witch House
Produced and edited by Ben Drayton
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
29 July 2026, 11:00 pm - More Episodes? Get the App