Post Games

Chris Plante

Post Games is an audio magazine about how and why we love video games. Each week, host Chris Plante reports on a new, overlooked, or underappreciated topic in gaming culture. Why do people play games that scare them? Why do great games sometimes flop? How has one award turned tiny indie game makers into big-name millionaires? With original interviews, writing, and a traditional audio-magazine structure, Plante keeps things entertaining, informative, and always under 90 minutes. Because Post Games is meant to be listened to, not buried in a backlog. Learn more at www.post.games.

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66 episodes
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Oct 27, 2025 · 54 min
20 years later, Shadow of the Colossus still matters
Get video episodes, extra segments, bonus episodes, and early access at www.patreon.com/postgames Get full show notes free at post.games Few video games achieve mainstream cultural relevance. Fewer still get labeled as "art." And only a handful of games that get through the culling manage to retain their relevance across decades. Shadow of the Colossus is the exception to the rules of video games. What makes it so unique? How has its place in gaming culture evolved? And why does it play a special part in the life of today's guest, video essayist and author Jacob Geller? Act 1: Why Shadow of the Colossus never lost its relevance Act 2: How Shadow of the Colossus launched a critic’s career Patreon bonus: The future of video essays about video games Act 3: News of the Week Art by James Bareham Theme by Mark Sparling See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Oct 20, 2025 · 51 min
Why Great Games Sometimes Flop
Get weekly bonus segments, Patreon exclusive episodes, and early access at patreon.com/postgames Get the full show notes for free at www.post.games Last week, Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier explained how the too many games problem came to be. This week, we hear how game creators are adapting to make sure the best games reach you – rather than get lost at the bottom of an ever-growing pile. Today’s guest, Simon Carless, is an expert in helping game creators strike this balance between the artist’s vision and the audience's interests. Carless is a pioneer in the exponentially important research of “game discoverability." Act 1: The art of Game Discovery Act 2: Do endless sales help or hurt gaming? Patreon bonus: The strangest tricks and “hacks” to get a game seen Act 3: The news of the week Art by James Bareham - Happicamp.com Theme by Mark Sparling See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Oct 13, 2025 · 46 min
The "Too Many Games" Problem
Get bonus segments and episodes, plus early access, at Patreon.com/postgames Get full show notes for free at www.post.games At an unknowable point in the past five years, gamers were granted three wishes: I want more games to play than I could ever have time for. I want them to be cheap, if not free. And I want to be able to play them whenever and however I want. The result has been great for fans of the hobby, but a radiating headache for game creators. Over the next two episodes, we’ll learn why we’re suddenly drowning in video games (more than we could play in a lifetime) and what both players and game creators are doing to adapt. Today, we'll focus on how "too many games" became gaming's unusual dilemma. Bloomberg reporter and Triple Click host Jason Schreier joins me to explain how the video game business is battling with its own abundance. Act 1: Heaven for gamers Act 2: Hell for game makers Patreon bonus: A big chat about mainstream media and gaming Act 3: News of the week See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Oct 6, 2025 · 1 hr
Demystifying Nintendo (Plus: Life as an NSFW gaming YouTuber)
Get video episodes, weekly bonus content, and early access at Patreon.com/postgames Get the full episode notes for free at www.post.games This week, you get two podcasts for the price of one. First: the Nintendo mailbag. Listeners sent in a U-Haul's worth of questions about Nintendo. What's up with the unusually "usual" approach to the Switch 2 release? Why can the publisher do whatever it likes without the fandom going into revolt? Second: I complete our NSFW video game interviews. In previous episodes, we spoke with an NSFW game designer and an NSFW game academic. Today, you’ll meet Annie, the host of Sex Positive Gaming, an NSFW gaming YouTube channel. How does a YouTube channel dedicated to games that break the YouTube terms of service exist? You’ll get the answer to that question and many more! This week on Post Games, a double-episode I'm dubbing "Mario's Nipples." Act 1: Making sense of modern Nintendo Patreon bonus: Why Nintendo ignores some of its biggest franchises Act 2: Life as an NSFW game YouTuber Act 3: News of the Week See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Sep 29, 2025 · 49 min
The growing threat of video game censorship
Subscribe to the Patreon for bonus content at patreon.com/postgames Subscribe to the free newsletter for full show notes at www.post.games A few months ago, NSFW games appeared to be thriving. Then came the censorship campaign. To help us understand what shifted in the culture over the summer, and where NSFW games go from here, I needed an expert on media censorship, video games, pornography, feminism, and the history of sex labor activism. Today’s guest is that unicorn. Jean Ketterling is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Studies – Women’s and Gender Studies Program at the University of Saskatchewan. Act 1: The summer sexy games got banned Act 2: The future fight against game censorship Patreon Bonus: The gooner contingency and NSFW game recs Act 3: News of the week Patreon Bonus: What I saw at SEGA See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Sep 22, 2025 · 1 hr 5 min
Microsoft before and after the Xbox
Get bonus segments and episodes for $5 at Patreon.com/postgames Get full show notes in the free newsletter at post.games This week on Post Games: How did Xbox get here? Former VP of Xbox Game Studios Shannon Loftis takes us on a guided tour of Microsoft's gaming ambitions, from the days before Windows 95 to Xbox's ambitious bet on the future of entertainment. Patreon bonus prologue: The case for having fun Act 1: Microsoft’s first tiny team of game makers Act 2: Xbox before the acquisitions Act 3: News of the week Art by James Bareham Theme by Mark Sparling See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Sep 15, 2025 · 54 min
Going to college for video games
Get bonus content in every episode at patreon.com/postgames Get full show notes in the free newsletter at www.post.games What's it like to pursue a degree in video games? And what's life like as a video game professor? This week, my guest is Aaron Trammell, a professor at the University of California, Irvine, who teaches undergraduate and graduate students about games, ranging from video games to tabletop games, the craft of design to the critique of play. Act 1: Life as a video game student Act 2: Life as a video game professor Patreon bonus: 5 new video game books to read this fall Act 3: The news of the week (Audio note: There's a little bit of audio level imbalance with my guest's recording in this episode. I was able to fix most of the issues, but it sounds just a little strange, that's why. This should be a one-off issue. Thanks for your patience!) Find episode notes and more at www.post.games. Subscribe to the Patreon for early access to episodes, additional segments, and bonus materials at patreon.com/postgames. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Sep 8, 2025 · 54 min
The rarest video game podcast returns
Get full episode notes at post.games Get bonus segments and episodes for $5 at patreon.com/postgames This week on Post Games: Act 1: The story of a video game studio in 2025 Act 2: Behind-the-scenes of A Life Well Wasted Patreon Bonus: Games and perverts Act 3: The news of the Week Find episode notes and more at www.post.games. Subscribe to the Patreon for early access to episodes, additional segments, and bonus materials at patreon.com/postgames. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Sep 5, 2025 · 9 min
The True Story Behind Street Fighter: The Movie (Patreon Bonus Sample)
Listen to the full audiobook at patreon.com/postgames. Find episode notes and more at www.post.games. Subscribe to the Patreon for early access to episodes, additional segments, and bonus materials at patreon.com/postgames. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Sep 1, 2025 · 50 min
Can you fit cable TV into a video game?
Subscribe for $5 to get bonus segments and episodes at Patreon.com/postgames Get the newsletter with full show notes and links for free at www.post.games This September, following a successful run on the experimental gaming handheld Playdate, Blippo+ will release on Nintendo Switch and Steam. The game, created in collaboration with an iconic indie band, attempts to reproduce the feeling of channel surfing in the early days of cable television. Its graphics aren’t graphics at all, but full-motion video. Actors bounced around shows that resemble episodes of Pee-wee Herman, the concerts of Klaus Nomi, and the “I can’t believe they made this for kids” programming of early Nickelodeon and MTV. As I played Blippo+, flipping through the channels, I felt a deep nostalgia for something I'd nearly forgotten. And then I wondered: what inspires artists to try to recreate not just a show or a TV channel’s slate, but the entire TV experience. To find out, I spoke with rockstar, journalist, and Blippo+ writer Claire Evans! This week on Post Games: Act 1: From Rockstar to Game Maker Act 2: The Birth of Blippo Patreon Bonus: A Guide to Metal Gear Solid: Delta Act 3: News of the Week Find episode notes and more at www.post.games. Subscribe to the Patreon for early access to episodes, additional segments, and bonus materials at patreon.com/postgames. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Aug 25, 2025 · 1 hr 1 min
How video game movies got good
Get full episode notes at www.patreon.com/postgames and www.post.games Video game adaptations threaten to replace superhero movies as Hollywood's favorite fad. How did Mario and friends evolve from box office poison into some of the most valuable IPS in movie history? Today on Post Games: an extended interview with filmmaker and video essayist Patrick H. Willems, in which we make sense of 30 years and five distinct eras of video game adaptations. Act 1: The Doomed Decades Act 2: The Hollywood Hits A Patreon bonus: The Future of Video Game Movies. Patrick sticks around to speculate on the future of video game adaptations – including no fewer than 46 movies in active development Act 3: The News of the Week You can now watch Post Games shorts on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. Like the show? Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! Find episode notes and more at www.post.games. Subscribe to the Patreon for early access to episodes, additional segments, and bonus materials at patreon.com/postgames. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Aug 18, 2025 · 56 min
A Broadway musician’s double life as a murder mystery maker
Get full show notes at www.post.games Subscribe for bonus segments and episodes, plus everything is ad-free! www.patreon.com/postgames Heads up! You can now watch Post Games shorts on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. Today's guest is musical composer, orchestrator, lyricist, conductor, and musician Mike Pettry, who climbed the rungs of the theater world and now performs in the orchestras of award-winning Broadway shows. His performances have accompanied artists like Ben Platt and Idina Menzel. But as his Broadway career blossomed, Pettry began to fantasize about something else entirely: making a musical… video game. A murder mystery musical video game, to be precise. Murder at the Birch Tree Theater is a deduction game, in the style of Return of the Obra Dinn and The Case of the Golden Idol. Set across many years at a small community theater, it tells a story of intrigue, small-time fame, and, as the title promises, murder. I talk with Pettry about juggling his two dreams on the world's biggest stage. Or under it. He plays in the orchestra after all. Act 1: A gamer in the Broadway pit Act 2: Fine-tuning a musical murder mystery game Patreon-bonus: Three original songs based on retro gaming classics, created by Mike Pettry and his longtime collaborator Eli Bolin The two previously wrote and orchestrated songs for John Mulaney’s Sack Lunch Bunch and Documentary Now! Act 3: The news of the week Like the show? Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! Find episode notes and more at www.post.games. Subscribe to the Patreon for early access to episodes, additional segments, and bonus materials at patreon.com/postgames. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Aug 11, 2025 · 56 min
Big predictions for the future of games
Get full episode notes for free at www.post.games Get bonus content, early episodes, and extended episode notes for $5 a month at www.patreon.com/postgames This week on Post Games, I'm answering your questions about the future of games. Plus, an extended conversation with video game podcaster, YouTuber, and content creator Brendon Bigley about his long-running series Into the Aether and his new gaming news publication, Wavelengths. Act 1: A Q&A about the future of video games Bonus for Patreon: The nitty-gritty bits of gaming’s future, from AI to Act 2: How to launch a new video games media brand w/ Brendon Bigley Bonus for Patreon: The trick to creating a successful podcast Act 3: The news of the week You can now watch Post Games shorts on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. Like the show? Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! Find episode notes and more at www.post.games. Subscribe to the Patreon for early access to episodes, additional segments, and bonus materials at patreon.com/postgames. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Aug 4, 2025 · 54 min
Games about death improve our lives
Two options for full show notes, including links to stories, games, and related topics! Subscribe to the Patreon at www.patreon.com/postgames Subscribe to the free newsletter at www.post.games Next week: For the mailbag, send voice notes to postgamesmailbag (at) gmail. Please keep them under 90 seconds and include your name and pronouns. This week on Post Games Countless video games depict death, but few ask us to contemplate our mortality. Thank goodness. Mario wouldn’t be nearly as fun if we had to attend every goomba’s funeral. And yet, as I approach 40 and my death anxieties find new ways to keep me awake, I wonder if video games could be uniquely equipped to help us emotionally grapple with the big question that has no answer: what comes next? So, I called an expert. Video game writer and narrative director Kaitlin Tremblay has written three games exploring the many sides of death: A Mortician’s Tale, Seasonala Cemetery, and the upcoming Ambrosia Sky. Don't let the topic fool you. This is an uplifting conversation. And hey, if you're listening to this episode, then I can guarantee one thing: you're alive. Act 1: A life of making games about death Act 2: How death in games can help us Patreon Bonus: Why I keep playing this tiny game about dying Act 3: News of the Week Find episode notes and more at www.post.games. Subscribe to the Patreon for early access to episodes, additional segments, and bonus materials at patreon.com/postgames. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Jul 28, 2025 · 50 min
The forgotten history of Donkey Kong
Get the full episode notes at www.post.games Subscribe to the Patreon for bonus content and early releases at www.patreon.com/postgames Gaming historian Jeremy Parish joins me for the entire episode to tell the story of gaming’s most famous primate. Act 1: How Donkey Kong saved Nintendo Act 2: Donkey Kong’s long journey back to the top Patreon Bonus: The Top 5 Donkey Kong games – and the #1 strangest Act 3: The news of the week Find episode notes and more at www.post.games. Subscribe to the Patreon for early access to episodes, additional segments, and bonus materials at patreon.com/postgames. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Jul 21, 2025 · 1 hr 9 min
How to make video games funny
Get the full episode notes with links at www.post.games Subscribe to the Patreon for early access, bonus segments, and a monthly video series at patreon.com/postgames This week on Post Game: Late-night comedy writer Mike Drucker and Tactical Breach Wizards director Tom Francis explain how they make video games funny and find the humor in loving video games. Patreon bonus prologue: What it's like to write jokes for Nintendo Act 1: Adapting a life of video games into a comedic memoir Act 2: The cheats to make your video game funny Act 3: The news of the week Bonus book excerpt: Good Game, No Rematch - "The StarCraft Conspiracy" Find episode notes and more at www.post.games. Subscribe to the Patreon for early access to episodes, additional segments, and bonus materials at patreon.com/postgames. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Jul 14, 2025 · 49 min
The life, death, death, death, death, and rebirth of Atari
Get full show notes for free at https://postgame.substack.com/ Get bonus segments, early and ad-free episodes, and a monthly video series at https://www.patreon.com/c/PostGames This week on Post Games, Atari CEO Wade Rosen joins me to discuss gaming’s ship of Theseus. While everyone remembers Atari at its height, most folks ignored the company's struggles following the games industry crash of 1983. Understandably! For forty years, Atari has been a brand in search of a purpose. Rosen is determined to change that, making Atari relevant for the first time in forty years. And he wants to do so while having a sense of humor and respect for the brand's long, long journey. Who doesn't love a comeback story? Patreon bonus prologue: A history of Atari and its lost decades Act 1: Why Atari can’t die, an extended conversation with Atari CEO Wade Rosen Act 2: What is a “modern” Atari game Act 3: The news of the week Find episode notes and more at www.post.games. Subscribe to the Patreon for early access to episodes, additional segments, and bonus materials at patreon.com/postgames. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Jul 7, 2025 · 1 hr 8 min
Why video games feel better and worse than ever before
Get full episode notes, links, and related materials for free at www.post.games Get extra-long episodes, bonus content, monthly videos, and more (plus, no ads!) at patreon.com/postgames Welcome to Post Game’s first annual physical, in which a special guest joins me to assess the health and stability of gaming, from the creators to the players, the industry to the culture. I’ve invited one of the smartest, analytical, and forward-thinking minds in video – writer, developer, publisher, critic, analyst, and occasional voice actor Xalavier Nelson Jr. – to give video games a thorough workup Bonus Patreon Prologue: The state of games 10, 20, and 30 years ago Act 1: The best of times - Why 2025 could be the golden age of video games Act 2: The worst of times - Why video games feel doomed Bonus Patreon interview segment: Xalavier on gaming’s past, present, and future Act 3: The news of the week, including the ghoulish mass layoffs at Xbox Today's episode's act-interstitials feature music from the games of Strange Scaffold! Find episode notes and more at www.post.games. Subscribe to the Patreon for early access to episodes, additional segments, and bonus materials at patreon.com/postgames. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Jun 30, 2025 · 49 min
The case of Dunkey vs. Death Stranding
Get full episode notes at www.post.games and subscribe on Patreon at patreon.com/postgames. Before we get started... If you have a moment and don't mind, please leave a review of Post Games on Apple Podcasts. I know, it's silly, but it's also a humongous help in these early days. This week on Post Games Act 1: Dunkey on his love/hate relationship with Death Stranding, life as YouTube game critic, and the power of changing your mind A bonus act for Patreon subscribers: Dunkey on video game critics and criticism Act 2: A "guide" to Death Stranding 2’s big, weird ideas Act 3: The news of the week Find episode notes and more at www.post.games. Subscribe to the Patreon for early access to episodes, additional segments, and bonus materials at patreon.com/postgames. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Jun 23, 2025 · 1 hr 21 min
How to fight brilliant (and stupid) AI
Editor’s note: This week, I’m making all acts available to all listeners. The Patreon edition of the episode, however, is still early and ad-free. For context: My two guests participated on tight timelines and under special circumstances. And my essay was the conclusion of last week’s episode. As I finished the edit, I felt bad putting any of the acts behind the paywall. This won’t be the norm – frankly, I’ll need more paid subscribers before the end of the year if I want to keep this my full-time focus – but for this week, it felt like the right decision. For those who subscribe on Patreon, thank you so much for your support. I don’t take it for granted. Hope you enjoy this behemoth!This week on Post Games Act 1: The five-year AI timeline that blew up my plans for the future Act 2: What if AI is dumb, but we’re dumber Bonus act: The year-long strike to protect video game voice actors from AI An interview with Sarah Elmaleh, the chair of the SAG-AFTRA Interactive Media Agreement Negotiating Committee Act 3: The news of the week And another bonus act: An excerpt from the audiobook of Everything Must Go, Dorian Lynskey's non-fiction history of apocalyptic storytelling. The chapter: apocalyptic AI! Get full episode notes at www.post.games Subscribe to Post Games on Patreon. For $5, subscribers get bonus segments in every episode — and none of the ads! They also have access to a monthly video series, receive new episodes days before the ad-supported feed, and ensure the show stays alive! Now available: the first video in the Video Game Journalism 101 series! Find episode notes and more at www.post.games. Subscribe to the Patreon for early access to episodes, additional segments, and bonus materials at patreon.com/postgames. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.