Join Dominick as he takes you through niche & independent media that often gets overlooked & underappreciated
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Independent Incidentals - Ep. 13: The Stanley Parable
Mar 29, 2025 • 00:51:09
You! Yes YOU, I’m talking to YOU: the reader of this episode description! I’ve been trapped in here for quite some time, so just listen to me. Within this laidback episode about cult-classic game The Stanley Parable – which covers topics such as metagames and the divide between the narrator…
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Independent Incidentals - Ep. 12: Windowkill
Mar 29, 2025 • 00:45:12
This game is unique in the idea that it completely takes over your computer and requires you to defend from waves of enemies right on top of your desktop! I’ll be discussing how this game was made in one weekend at Ludum Dare, the constraints that came into it, and…
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Independent Incidentals - Ep. 11: Balatro
Feb 7, 2025 • 00:51:38
A simple card game with a complex, time-sinking twist that took the live streaming landscape by storm back in 2023 and 2024, when it was fully released. However, it was created by only one person — as a hobby, rather than a job. How do these games that are rarely…
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Independent Incidentals - Ep. 10: Club Penguin and Childhood MMORPGs
Feb 7, 2025 • 01:02:32
A game who’s prototype was developed 1999 blows up in popularity in the late 2000’s. Such a new market that was eventually turned into a global phenomenon, thanks to a multi-billion dollar corporation. With Karissa, we explore this space that shaped tens of millions of children’s childhoods, and understand why…
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Independent Incidentals - Ep. 09: Baba Is You
Jan 10, 2025 • 00:48:06
Capping off the year, Dominick checks out a game that was a blight on his soul until recently. Who is Baba? Who is You? And what is Is?
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Independent Incidentals - Ep. 08: Rogue and the Evolution of Roguelikes
Jan 10, 2025 • 00:42:30
Rogue was invented in the 80s and sparked a revolution of challenging video games called roguelikes, which are celebrated in the indie space even today. But what makes a roguelike? How did Rogue’s legacy get carried through to the modern day?
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Independent Incidentals - Ep. 07: The Missing Miscellaneous 1
Jan 10, 2025 • 00:43:05
A new subseries, where I blaze through the stuff that cannot be made into full episodes and talk about them! Think of it like a lightning round of tangentially-related media properties blazing through your earholes at Mach Speed. Media discussed: Frog Fractions & OFF, on the premise of “challenging expectations.”
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Independent Incidentals - Ep. 06: Enter The Gungeon
Jan 10, 2025 • 00:44:07
One of the most popular games published by Devolver Digital, Gungeon has become a touchstone for the indie industry. But with all these roguelike games that have been reaching for success, are they truly a perfect genre to represent this niche scene of video games?
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Independent Incidentals - Ep. 05: FTL: Faster Than Light
Nov 28, 2024 • 00:46:10
Subset Games took a chance on FTL and it paid off, becoming one of the most beloved rogue likes within the past decade. How was the game conceptualized? And why is it so hard to beat?
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Independent Incidentals - Ep. 04: Thornfall
Nov 7, 2024 • 00:47:52
Created and publishedby a European studio that came out of nowhere, Thronefall is a continuation of the success they have been on record for within recent years. How did they tap into the gaming industry without working in it? And where does Thronefall fit within the family tree of the “Eurogame”?…