TALK THIS: It's Dangerous to Podcast Alone

Talk This! is a weekly podcast about video games, old and new. Each main episode, hosts Emma and Madelyn Paquette have a lively debate about two random video games (one old and one new) and then subsequently make up their own by mashing together the best elements of each.

Side-Quest 223. Katamari Desperation 11/16/2025

Side-Quest 223. Katamari Desperation In this not-episode, Madelyn and Emma talk about their last six weeks in gaming and there's a second Katamari fix of the year so Madelyn's getting greedy. Also featuring slightly too late updates, games that grab your brain lobe, and control scheme hot takes. /episode/index/show/talkthispodcast/id/39047110

Episode 226. Drag x Terraria 11/09/2025

Episode 226. Drag x Terraria In this episode, Madelyn and Emma discuss Terraria and Drag x Drive and go into the potential of a pickaxe controller peripheral. Also featuring damaging expensive equipment, the downfall of modding, and reinventing Civilization. /episode/index/show/talkthispodcast/id/38960675

Side-Quest 222. Monstrous Implications 11/02/2025

Side-Quest 222. Monstrous Implications In this not-episode, Madelyn and Emma talk about monster and creature design in video games and what happens when your game monster gets too smart. Also featuring unloaded environments, women, and how limitations have shaped design. /episode/index/show/talkthispodcast/id/38873740

Episode 225. Destiny of the Sea 10/26/2025

Episode 225. Destiny of the Sea In this episode, Madelyn and Emma discuss Destiny and Sword of the Sea and whether flow states can be insidious. Also featuring out of context poetry, how everything is Thoreau's fault, and extreme high pressure Jenga. /episode/index/show/talkthispodcast/id/38782370

Side-Quest 221. Cross Generational Bonding 10/19/2025

Side-Quest 221. Cross Generational Bonding In this not-episode, Madelyn and Emma talk about developing games across console generations and where to get a Switch 2 dev kit. Also featuring the power of Mario Kart, the creature called the PlayStation 3, and what gamers want: the 4DS. /episode/index/show/talkthispodcast/id/38631205

Episode 224. Lost Soul Undertale 10/12/2025

Episode 224. Lost Soul Undertale In this episode, Madelyn and Emma discuss Undertale and Lost Soul Aside and the difficulties of making a dream game. Also featuring save point features, the awesome power of fandom, and taking inspiration from other games, you know, like a mash-up. /episode/index/show/talkthispodcast/id/38550785

Side-Quest 220. Eating Onions and Feeling Sick 10/05/2025

Side-Quest 220. Eating Onions and Feeling Sick In this not-episode, Madelyn and Emma talk about their last six weeks of gaming and also some other random stuff like TGS. It's gaming related. Also featuring driving good, getting scared, and some overall gender stuff. /episode/index/show/talkthispodcast/id/38469165

Episode 223. Chibi-Robo Life i 09/28/2025

Episode 223. Chibi-Robo Life i In this episode, Madelyn and Emma discuss Chibi-Robo and Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time and think about what makes a good checklist. Also featuring domestic issues, starting from scratch, and expected alien invasions. /episode/index/show/talkthispodcast/id/38381525

Side-Quest 219. Trailer-Made Hair Flips 09/21/2025

Side-Quest 219. Trailer-Made Hair Flips In this not-episode, Madelyn and Emma talk about custom-made cinematic trailers and whether all games should be required to show their menus instead. Also featuring capturing the essence of a game, changing contexts, and why marketing teams should consider a funny little song instead. /episode/index/show/talkthispodcast/id/38295410

Episode 222. MindsEye OverDrive 09/14/2025

Episode 222. MindsEye OverDrive In this episode, Madelyn and Emma discuss Sunset Overdrive and MindsEye and the different scales of mistake. Also featuring ground beef reviews, what makes a Spiderman, and the dying screams of all video games and cars. /episode/index/show/talkthispodcast/id/38212310

Side-Quest 218. Kicking the Silksong Nest 09/07/2025

Side-Quest 218. Kicking the Silksong Nest In this not-episode, Madelyn and Emma talk about when to release your game and the high-octane impact of Silksong on everything. Also featuring wishlist numbers, thinking about movies, and the disappearance of marketing avenues. It's possible I forgot to remove a moment where we get distracted by a dog being cute in the background, but honestly that'd just be a bonus for you listeners if true. /episode/index/show/talkthispodcast/id/38117385

Episode 221. Jack Frost's Soccer Autobiography 08/31/2025

Episode 221. Jack Frost's Soccer Autobiography In this episode, Madelyn and Emma discuss Raidou Kuzunoha vs The Soulless Army and Despelote and how many things would be improved by adding a katamari. Also featuring soccer fandom, the mascot appeal of Jack Frost, and Rasputin also for some reason. /episode/index/show/talkthispodcast/id/38034180

Side-Quest 217. Congrats Silksong Fans 08/24/2025

Side-Quest 217. Congrats Silksong Fans In this not-episode, Madelyn and Emma talk about their last six weeks of gaming and honestly don't talk about Silksong, I just feel like it needs to be acknowledged. Also featuring corny mechanics that hit, alternate mobile game universes, and comparisons to fanfiction. /episode/index/show/talkthispodcast/id/37933070

Episode 220. Strap a Rocket to This Duck 08/17/2025

Episode 220. Strap a Rocket to This Duck In this episode, Madelyn and Emma discuss Rocket League and the Duck Detective series and ponder how many kids still watch Miss Congeniality. Also featuring statistical analysis, Shakespeare plays, and the mysterious existence of salami. /episode/index/show/talkthispodcast/id/37850605

Side-Quest 216. Adult Content, Credit Cards, and You 08/10/2025

Side-Quest 216. Adult Content, Credit Cards, and You In this not-episode, Madelyn and Emma talk about content moderation on gaming storefronts from the influx of AI slop to the pressures of credit card companies to remove adult content. Also featuring how to design good UI, the myth of the benevolent censor, and whether there are too many games. /episode/index/show/talkthispodcast/id/37747615

Episode 219. Bloom & Tamagotchi: Corner Shop 08/03/2025

Episode 219. Bloom & Tamagotchi: Corner Shop In this episode, Madelyn and Emma discuss Tamagotchi Connection: Corner Shop and Lost Records: Bloom and Rage and the joy of mindless repetition in childhood. Also featuring teenage band skills, consoles for kids, and Labubus on rockets. /episode/index/show/talkthispodcast/id/37650670

Side-Quest 215. Celebs in Computer Games 07/27/2025

Side-Quest 215. Celebs in Computer Games In this not-episode, Madelyn and Emma talk about their Hollywood celebrities in video games and how to identify a true gamer. Also featuring Mario 64 references, the appeal of acting in a game, and what star power can do for you. /episode/index/show/talkthispodcast/id/37563500

Episode 218. Her Split Fiction Story 07/20/2025

Episode 218. Her Split Fiction Story In this episode, Madelyn and Emma discuss Her Story and Split Fiction. That's a lot of women and a lot of fiction right there. Also featuring what FMV stands for, movie backgrounds, and fantasy land cops stuff. /episode/index/show/talkthispodcast/id/37469780

Side-Quest 214. A Dream, A Salvation 07/13/2025

Side-Quest 214. A Dream, A Salvation In this not-episode, Madelyn and Emma talk about their last six weeks of gaming and looking super cool in-game and irl. Also featuring last act twists, Lumines-style meditation, and bad TV adaptations. /episode/index/show/talkthispodcast/id/37388700

Episode 217. Clair Lumines 07/06/2025

Episode 217. Clair Lumines In this episode, Madelyn and Emma discuss Lumines: Puzzle Fusion and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and the terrifying reality of your thirties being old. Also featuring all kinds of blocks, swollen batteries, and remembering the era of the Walkman. Sorry for Madelyn's quietness, we used the same mic, and she was not close enough. Did my best to boost her sound where I could! /episode/index/show/talkthispodcast/id/37293215

Side-Quest 213. Let Me In Your Magic Circle 06/29/2025

Side-Quest 213. Let Me In Your Magic Circle In this not-episode, Madelyn and Emma talk about games that include the player in its story and pick up the concept of the magic circle. Also featuring tutorial talk, deep invasions of privacy, and save data as a diary. /episode/index/show/talkthispodcast/id/37176200

Episode 216. Kerbal Space Skin 06/22/2025

Episode 216. Kerbal Space Skin In this episode, Madelyn and Emma discuss Kerbal Space Program and Skin Deep and all the things that can go wrong in space. Also featuring deep hatred of science, Looney Tunes vibes, and the ubiquitous indie troublemaking cat. /episode/index/show/talkthispodcast/id/37102765

Side-Quest 212. Growing Up to RPG Mentor Age 06/15/2025

Side-Quest 212. Growing Up to RPG Mentor Age In this not-episode, Madelyn and Emma talk about aging in video games and when we'll see developers being nostalgic for their thirties. Also featuring new FIFA mechanics, buffing and debuffing factors, and 3D models vs real life humans. /episode/index/show/talkthispodcast/id/37014795

Episode 215. Angry Tactical Bird Wizards 06/08/2025

Episode 215. Angry Tactical Bird Wizards In this episode, Madelyn and Emma discuss Angry Birds and Tactical Breach Wizards and the power of a good little sphere with a face. Also featuring different approaches to comedy, thinking about the serious issues, and desiring a touch screen. /episode/index/show/talkthispodcast/id/36902135

Side-Quest 211. Secret T-Pose Ending 06/01/2025

Side-Quest 211. Secret T-Pose Ending In this not-episode, Madelyn and Emma talk their last seven weeks of gaming and everything they quote unquote finished. Also featuring gratitude to the European Union, secret screenshots, and defeat in the face of math problems. /episode/index/show/talkthispodcast/id/36805375

Episode 214. Wanderstop Your Valiant Hearts 05/25/2025

Episode 214. Wanderstop Your Valiant Hearts In this episode, Madelyn and Emma discuss Valiant Hearts: The Great War and Wanderstop and the fantasy of running a nice store without the capitalism parts. Also featuring the reality of trenches, forgetting names of things, and little creatures following you around. /episode/index/show/talkthispodcast/id/36702820

Special Episode: Fun Times at PAX East 2025 05/18/2025

Special Episode: Fun Times at PAX East 2025 In this special episode, Madelyn and Emma go over their PAX East 2025 experience, and resolve to maybe try West next time. Also featuring in-depth soda reviews, a heavier-than-expected prop, and Jesus Christ himself. /episode/index/show/talkthispodcast/id/36612235

Side-Quest 210. Taking Down the Notes 05/11/2025

Side-Quest 210. Taking Down the Notes In this not-episode, Madelyn and Emma talk journalling and notetaking for video games and their quick eating of food. Also featuring beautiful art projects, pencil calluses, and frog???? /episode/index/show/talkthispodcast/id/36458080

Episode 213. Blue Prince of Mordor 05/04/2025

Episode 213. Blue Prince of Mordor In this episode, Madelyn and Emma discuss Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor and Blue Prince and get into competing elements of Madelyn-core. Also featuring funny orc names, scholars of different things, and ASMR page sounds. /episode/index/show/talkthispodcast/id/36421690

Side-Quest 209. The Beauty of Jank 04/27/2025

Side-Quest 209. The Beauty of Jank In this not-episode, Madelyn and Emma talk about jank in video games and how it's actually a positive description. Also featuring the line before broken, more mangled quotes, and the memorability of a bug. /episode/index/show/talkthispodcast/id/36326380

TALK THIS: It's Dangerous to Podcast Alone

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