Founded in 2021, Nextlander is an independent podcast and streaming project from former Giant Bomb hosts Vinny Caravella, Brad Shoemaker, and Alex Navarro. Their primary show, The Nextlander Podcast, covers both the latest game releases and the biggest news in the industry every week, and you can watch them play many of those games three times a week over on their Twitch channel. This year the team also launched The Nextlander Watchcast, a show aimed at ticking off the movies and shows on their respective bucket lists.
Time to make a controversial statement right out of the gate: there are a lot of video game podcasts in the world. If you are the sort of person who likes video games but has always found trying to sift through all the shows covering your favorite hobby too daunting, we’re here to help. This list does not comprise the totality of Great Video Game Podcasts, but it is a healthy selection of shows we think are pretty neat.
8-4 Play
Founded in 2005, the 8-4 team is primarily focused on localization, specifically translating and localizing Japanese games to the English market and vice versa. But when they’re not hard at work making games accessible to new audiences, they host the 8-4 Play podcast, which covers games from around the world, albeit with a particular focus toward the Japanese scene.
Abnormal Mapping
Hosted by Em Marko and Jackson Tyler, Abnormal Mapping actually encompasses several Patreon-supported podcasts that cover a broad range of entertainment focuses, including full-scale coverage of the entirety of Mobile Suit Gundam to a semi-regular book club for Star Trek novels. Their primary show is a monthly games club where one or two specific games are covered in great detail. Recent episodes feature games like the PC adventure Riven: The Sequel to Myst, DS favorite Trauma Center: Under the Knife, and RPG maker classics Yume Nikki and Ib.
Axe of the Blood God
If you’re a fan of RPGs, Axe of the Blood God is a podcast aimed squarely at your interests. Each week, hosts Kat Bailey, Nadia Oxford, and Eric Van Allen cover a wide swath of titles from various subgenres, including classic computer games, JRPGS, MMOs, and whatever else falls under the banner of role-playing.
Castle Super Beast
Previously known as the Super Best Friendscast, hosts Woolie and Pat cover the latest gaming news and chat about what they’re playing. This is one of those shows where the easy chemistry between the hosts goes a long way, making for an enjoyable mix of thoughtful commentary and goofing around.
Fire Escape Cast
If chaos is what you crave in your video game podcasts, then Fire Escape is probably just what you’re looking for. Every couple of weeks, co-hosts Dan Ryckert, Mary Kish, and Mike Mahardy get together to ostensibly talk about video games, but conversations have a tendency to devolve into stories of old debaucheries, food crimes, and bathroom nightmares. None of that is intended as a criticism. If anything, the divergences make for a lively and unpredictable show.
Game Studies Study Buddies
A part of the Ranged Touch network of Patreon-supported podcasts, Game Studies Study Buddies is a monthly podcast covering books written about games. It’s a more academically minded show than most video game podcasts, and it frequently reaches beyond strictly covering video game materials–tabletop games factor in heavily as well–but hosts Cameron Kunzelman and Michael Lutz do a great job of making the materials digestible to the average listener.
Noclip
Noclip has been putting out detailed documentaries covering the behind-the-scenes work that goes into making your favorite video games since 2016, and the crew’s podcast is a mix of discussion of the latest games they’re playing and additional interviews with developers. If you’re into hearing how the video game sausages are made, this is one of the best options around.
Pitch, Please
Part of the Yogscast family of podcasts, Pitch, Please takes the unique approach of presenting an idea for a game that does not currently exist, and allowing the hosts to talk through their approaches to how they’d set about making it work. The ideas range wildly in terms of feasibility, but the hosts always do their level best to talk out what it would take to bring each concept to fruition.
Retronauts
Retronauts has existed in some form going all the way back to the mid-2000s, but its current incarnation, hosted by former IGN executive editor Jeremy Parish and Talking Simpsons co-host Bob Mackey, has been covering classic video games of all stripes since 2013. Featuring a wide variety of guests and games of just about every genre, odds are anyone with a fondness for classic games will find at least something of interest in this show’s vast catalog of episodes.
Spawn on Me with Kahlief Adams
If you don’t have the time for more 2-3 hour podcasts in your life, Kahlief Adams’ Spawn on Me might be more your speed. Though originally launched as a multi-host show, these days Kahlief hosts solo, mixing in hour-long discussions on what’s going on in the world of gaming and bite-sized interviews with developers and personalities from around the industry.
Three Moves Ahead
If your gaming interests lean toward the more strategic side of things, Three Moves Ahead is the show for you. Whether they’re talking about micromanaging Civil War battalions or building grand space empires, the hosts approach each game drawing from their years of collective critical experience, giving thoughtful takes on what each title brings to the table.
Waypoint Radio
Waypoint Radio has been the flagship podcast of Vice’s gaming vertical since it launched in 2016, and the current cast of Rob Zacny, Patrick Klepek, Renata Price, Ricardo Contreras, and the recently returning Natalie Watson get together twice a week to talk about the week’s biggest games and news stories. The feed also includes some of the team’s side ventures, including a newly launched sports podcast and periodic deep dives into classic films, but the primary show, now over 500 episodes deep, remains one of the most engaging regular video game podcasts around.
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