229: The Beginner's Guide (with Matt aka Stormageddon - "Fun" and Games, Reignite)

Dave Jackson — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 00:00:00 -0400

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

After the breakout success of The Stanley Parable, Davey Wreden's next game is a bit darker and a lot more personal. The Beginner's Guide (Everything Unlimited Ltd, 2015) examines a lot of things, but at the forefront is the relationships we have with others and some complex and slippery situations that can arise. To say more would be to start spoiling things, but luckily we have a discussion longer than the game itself. As always, no spoilers for a while- enjoy!

Guest info: Matt aka Stormageddon (they/them)

Listen to "Fun" and Games https://funandgamespod.com/
Listen to Reignite https://reignitepod.libsyn.com/
Follow on Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/djstormageddon.com

TIMESTAMPS

0:00 Title Card
0:16 Introductions
4:38 Our Histories with Davey Wreden's Games
9:49 Top-Level Thoughts
13:38 Story and Game Setup
19:53 Narration and Thematic Overview
24:42 Who Should Play?
31:53 "Fun" and Games and Reignite
37:36 Spoiler Wall and Patron Thank-Yous
39:51 Spoilers- Davey & Coda
58:53 Spoilers- Thematic Exploration
1:31:24 Spoilers- More Thematic Exploration
1:52:51 Spoilers- Ending

Music used in the episode is credited to Ryan Roth. Tracks used: Vertibrae, The Whisper Machine, Stars, D.S. Al Coda, Escape from This Place

Check out Dave on Super Pod Saga talking about some great games you can get for under $5 full price- https://superpodsaga.com/episodes/5-buck-bangers-downwell

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

Tales from the Backlog - Episodes Tagged with “Davey Wreden”

229: The Beginner's Guide (with Matt aka Stormageddon - "Fun" and Games, Reignite)