Tales from the Backlog - Episodes Tagged with “Adventure”

209: Chants of Sennaar (with Travis Colenutt - Left Behind Game Club)

Dave Jackson — Wed, 01 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400

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Join Dave and guest Travis Colenutt on their language-learning journey up the tower in Chants of Sennaar (Rundisc, Focus Entertainment, 2023). What do our languages say about our culture, and how can learning another language change the way we see the world? All of this and more in the discussion!

Guest info: Travis Colenutt (he/him)

Check out Left Behind Game Club https://leftbehindgame.club/
Follow on Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/traviscolenutt.bsky.social

TIMESTAMPS

0:00 Title Card
0:21 Introductions
4:53 Why Did We Play Chants of Sennaar?
9:50 Top-Level Thoughts About Chants of Sennaar
16:06 Story and Language Learning Setup
28:00 Using Language to Make Progress
33:40 Learning About Culture Via Languages
39:04 Making Connections Via Languages
48:02 Stealth In My Puzzle Game?
53:58 Visuals, Music and Sound
1:08:31 Do We Recommend?
1:11:17 Left Behind Game Club
1:15:10 Spoiler Wall & Patron Thank-Yous
1:17:34 Spoilers- The Devotees & Warriors
1:40:05 Spoilers- The Bards & Alchemists
1:55:32 Spoilers- The Anchorites & Ending

Music used in the episode is credited to Thomas Brunet. Tracks used: The Call, Out of the Cavern and into the Light, Catch Me!, Envers, Bonds Reforged

Catch Dave on Nostalgium Arcanum talking about Rocky https://nostalgiumarcanum.fireside.fm/

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

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207: Skate Story (with Josh Leslie - IndieQuest)

Dave Jackson — Wed, 18 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0400

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Join Dave and special guest Josh Leslie as they discuss Skate Story, developed by Sam Eng and published by Devolver Digital in 2025. How does the skating compare to touchstone games like Tony Hawk's Pro Skater or skate.? How does its poetic storytelling land? How do the aesthetics enhance other aspects of the game? All this and more- enjoy!

Guest info: Josh Leslie (he/him)

Check out IndieQuest podcast https://indiequest.buzzsprout.com/
Check out The Monthly Mishap podcast https://monthlymishap.buzzsprout.com/

TIMESTAMPS

0:00 Title Card
0:21 Introductions
5:00 Our Histories with Skate Story
9:05 Top-Level Thoughts
16:00 Story Setup and Poetic Storytelling
23:42 Open Zones and City Life
27:58 Visuals and Music
41:00 Skating and Downhill Sections
50:48 Boss Encounters and Challenges
59:43 Plan and Perform
1:03:30 Recommendations
1:07:13 Josh's Work- IndieQuest and The Monthly Mishap
1:11:34 Spoiler Wall & Patron Thank-Yous
1:13:21 Spoilers- Eating the Moons
1:31:08 Spoilers- Emotional Arc & Interpretations
1:50:20 Spoilers- Final Boss and Ending
1:56:32 Spoilers- We Still Exist

Music used in the episode: Collapsing, Like Clouds Into Smoke (Blood Cultures), Where the City Can't See (Blood Cultures), Redvoid (John Fio), Lyceum (John Fio), Alcian Blue (Blood Cultures), Hole in the Sun (Blood Cultures), Godhook (John Fio)

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

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205: Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective (with Steve aka Blinkoom)

Dave Jackson — Wed, 04 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0500

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I always tend to take note when a game from previous generations gets a remaster and the general consensus is "hell yeah, finally!", which just so happened to be the case when Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective (Capcom, 2010) got the HD treatment in 2023. The DS is a real blind spot for me, as are the works of ShuTakumi, so this has been on my backlog list for a while now. Listen in to find out how my guest and I felt about it!

Guest info: Steve aka Blinkoom (he/him)

Check out IndieQuest podcast https://polymedianetwork.com/indiequest
Check out Polykill podcast https://polymedianetwork.com/podcast
Check out Steve's YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@Blinkoom
Follow Steve on Twitch https://www.twitch.tv/blinkoom

TIMESTAMPS

0:00 Title Card
0:21 Introductions
5:37 Our Histories with Ghost Trick
9:20 Top-Level Thoughts About Ghost Trick
13:26 Story Setup
19:11 Ghost Tricks and Puzzles
37:16 Where Does the Charm Come From?
49:35 Handheld Console Pacing
55:09 Closing Thoughts and Recommendations
1:01:10 Steve's Work
1:04:54 Spoiler Wall and Patron Thank-Yous
1:06:38 Spoilers- Favorite Levels/Puzzles
1:22:50 Spoilers- More Story Thoughts
1:34:15 Spoilers- Big Mysteries and Reveals
1:43:21 Spoilers- Ending

Music used in the episode is credited to Masakazu Sugimori. Tracks used: Ghost Trick, Prologue, Cabanela, Lynn ~ A Targeted Redhead, 4 Minutes Before Death, The Last Desperate Struggle, Epilogue ~ The End of the "Night"

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

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202: Goodnight Universe (with Jill Grodt - The Indie Informer)

Dave Jackson — Wed, 11 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500

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Goodnight Universe had a lot to live up to as the spiritual successor to Before Your Eyes, utilizing the same innovative webcam-based gameplay mechanics to tell a story...about a psychic baby? Well, the premise sounded weird but these creators had earned my trust, and it turns out that this might be the perfect way to play as a baby in a video game. Goodnight Universe turned out to be interesting, if not great, and won me over in a few key ways. Check out the discussion for more!

Guest info: Jill Grodt (she/her)

Read Jill's work at The Indie Informer https://the-indie-in-former.com/
Find The Indie Council podcast here https://www.youtube.com/@theindieinformer

TIMESTAMPS

0:00 Title Card
0:30 Introductions
8:01 Our Histories with Goodnight Universe
11:51 Opening Thoughts About Goodnight Universe
17:49 Story Setup, Characters and "The Cave"
31:28 Camera Tracking Tech & Gameplay
41:06 What Didn't Work?
52:28 Closing Thoughts and Recommendations
55:36 The Indie Informer
59:27 Spoiler Wall and Patron Thank-Yous
1:01:00 Spoiler Section- Big Reveals
1:27:35 Spoiler Section- The Family

Music used in the episode is credited to Oliver Lewin. Tracks used: Homecoming, A New Channel, Normal Boy, Being Orson, Your Room

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

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196: Sword of the Sea (with AndresPlays)

Dave Jackson — Wed, 17 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0500

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There is a certain type of atmospheric (usually) indie game that gets praised for its tone, vibes and emotional impact, but sometimes criticized for underbaked or limited gameplay mechanics. Walking sims used to get the brunt of this, but the same could also be said for games like Sword of the Sea director Matt Nava's most famous works, Journey and Abzu. Sword of the Sea may not be an intentional response to those criticisms, but it does add more "involved" gameplay into the fold, incorporating sand surfing and tricks into your verb set. It then begs the discussion- on paper, adding more involved gameplay is good, right? But is that always the case?

Guest info: AndresPlays (he/him)

Twitch, Writing and More https://linktr.ee/andresplays93
Follow on BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/andresplays.bsky.social

TIMESTAMPS

0:00 Title Card
0:19 Introductions
4:50 Our Histories With Matt Nava's Games and Sword of the Sea
7:43 Opening Thoughts About Sword of the Sea
14:35 Game Setup and Visual Presentation
20:00 Speed and Sand Surfing
36:16 Music and Visual Presentation
39:54 Lack of Punch and Impact
56:01 Top-Level Story Thoughts
1:01:05 Closing Thoughts and Recommendations
1:06:24 AndresPlays- Writing, Streaming and Little Victories
1:11:37 Spoiler Wall & Patron Thank-Yous
1:14:28 Spoiler Section- Story Interpretations
1:28:05 Hype Moments and Ending

Music used in the episode is credited to Austin Wintory. Tracks used: From a drop, a flame, One drop remained, Unpredictable and joyous, Swimming in the sky, Sacred River, A city where none live

Check out Dave on Geeks & Grounds analyzing Final Fantasy X https://www.geeksandgrounds.com/
Check out Dave on Pixel Project Radio analyzing NieR: Automata https://linktr.ee/pixelprojectradio
Check out Dave on the King of Games 1999 https://linktr.ee/retrohangover

Social Media:
BlueSky- https://bsky.app/profile/tftblpod.bsky.social
Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/talesfromthebacklog/

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

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40: Outer Wilds (with Keith Gasper - The Main Quest)

Dave Jackson — Wed, 24 Aug 2022 00:00:00 -0400

Some games are fun to explore, some games create worlds that amaze you, some games tell stories you'll never forget...and some games do all of the above. Mobius Digital's 2019 space exploration sim Outer Wilds certainly qualifies. But was it all love all the time? Joining me to discuss it all is the great Keith Gasper from The Main Quest podcast!

TIMESTAMPS
Intro/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 1:08
Setting/Story Setup 23:08
Gameplay/Music/Sound Design 41:07
Final Thoughts/Housekeeping 1:04:00
SPOILER WALL 1:17:00

Noclip documentary about the making of Outer Wilds

The Main Quest is Keith's personal journey to revisit and replay every game from his childhood through early adulthood, and you can find the podcast and all social media links by clicking here!

[Support Tales from the Backlog on Patreon!](patreon.com/realdavejackson) or buy me a coffee on Ko-fi!
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Social Media:
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Twitter
Facebook
Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://www.instagram.com/jackallencaricatures/ and his other pages

Listen to A Top 3 Podcast on Apple, Spotify and [other podcast platforms](atop3podcast.fireside.fm)!

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32: The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask (with Alan Nichols - A Top 3 Podcast)

Dave Jackson — Wed, 08 Jun 2022 00:00:00 -0400

Dave is joined by Alan Nichols to discuss The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask. What was once little brother to the much more popular Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask has begun to resonate with many of us who grew up with the N64 during our childhoods. Add in some things that hit a bit closer to home since the pandemic started, and we have a game worth revisiting. But did the gameplay hold up? Listen to find out what we think.

*I experienced some technical issues wirh my track recording that affected sound quality. Hope it doesn't hinder your enjoyment of the episode! -Dave

TIMESTAMPS:
Intro and Opening Thoughts 0:43
Personal Histories, Masks and Time Loop 9:30
Story and Setting, Music and "Zelda Stuff" 55:35
Spoiler Wall 1:56:41

Listen to A Top 3 Podcast on Apple, Spotify and [other podcast platforms](atop3podcast.fireside.fm)!

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22: Before Your Eyes (with Brian Edwards - Cane & Rinse)

Dave Jackson — Wed, 16 Mar 2022 00:00:00 -0400

Dave is joined by Brian Edwards from Cane & Rinse to discuss GoodbyeWorld Games' wonderful experiment with interactivity, Before Your Eyes.

TIMESTAMPS: Intro 0:00, Before Your Eyes 10:55, Spoiler Wall and Content Warning, 1:00:41

Find Brian on Twitter, at his blog, and on his Twitch channel.
Listen to Cane and Rinse on Apple, Spotify or wherever else you podcast, follow them on Twitter and Instagram, and please consider supporting them on Patreon. You can also join their forums at their website.

Listen to A Top 3 Podcast on Apple, Spotify and [other podcast platforms](atop3podcast.fireside.fm)!

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16: A Short Hike (with Ryan Delaney)

Dave Jackson — Mon, 07 Feb 2022 00:00:00 -0500

In the fourth edition of the Lazy Sunday Series focusing on short indie games, Dave is joined by Ryan Delaney to discuss Adam Robinson-Yu's charming hiking game, A Short Hike. In a gaming landscape full of punishing action games, blockbuster AAA titles and promises of hundred of hours of content, sometimes all your soul needs is a short hike with some cute animal characters.

TIMESTAMPS: Intro 0:00, A Short Hike 12:30, Spoiler Section 45:00

The making of A Short Hike GDC talk

Listen to A Top 3 Podcast on Apple, Spotify and [other podcast platforms](atop3podcast.fireside.fm)!

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9: Gone Home (with Jake Anderson)

Dave Jackson — Mon, 20 Dec 2021 00:00:00 -0500

Listen to A Top 3 Podcast on Apple, Spotify and [other podcast platforms](atop3podcast.fireside.fm)! In the second entry in the Lazy Sunday series focusing on short indie games, Dave is joined again by newly typecasted Walking Sim enthusiast Jake Anderson to talk about Fullbright's groundbreaking hit, Gone Home.

Gone Home is one of the OG Walking Sims, and may even be responsible for that genre name. But since the genre has evolved since Gone Home's release, what is it like playing it for the first time after playing some of the more recent hits in the genre? Listen in to find out what Dave and Jake think. And don't forget to turn all the lights on!

TIMESTAMPS: Intro 0:00, Gone Home 12:43, Spoiler Section 45:18

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Social Media:
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Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://www.instagram.com/jackallencaricatures/ and his other pages

Listen to A Top 3 Podcast on Apple, Spotify and [other podcast platforms](atop3podcast.fireside.fm)!

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5: Firewatch (with Jake Anderson)

Dave Jackson — Mon, 22 Nov 2021 03:00:00 -0500

In the first in the Lazy Sunday series focusing on short indie games, Dave is joined by climbing safety enthusiast Jake Anderson to discuss Campo Santo's hit walking sim, Firewatch. Firewatch is at the same time critically acclaimed and a bit of a lightning rod for criticism. Find out what Dave and Jake think in the episode.

TIMESTAMPS: Intro 0:00, Firewatch 12:15, Spoiler Section 44:47

GDC Talk on making the world of Firewatch

Listen to A Top 3 Podcast on Apple, Spotify and [other podcast platforms](atop3podcast.fireside.fm)!

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