Mind Controllers

WARNING: This episode deals heavily with loss, and mentions of death, grief, and suicide ideation. Please take care of yourselves as you are listening through.Slight Spoilers for: Ghost of YoteiWe get fully in our feels this week as Tim joins us to chat about grief in video games! We go for a full mask off discussion of how video games have affected our lives, in both good and bad. I’d love for you to join us as we share some of the defining moments of our lives that surround video games. Also, this is a heavy episode. Please take care while listening, and don’t be worried to take a break if needed.Games we talked about this week: Ghost of YoteiCheck out https://www.startmenu.co.uk/ , an awesome site Brandon is now writing for! And check out his latest review on Nocturnal 2 Demo here at this link!Article of the Week: Unraveling Grief: Design Space Analysis of Death-themed GamesIf you are experiencing any sort of mental health distress, or just need someone to talk to, please call 988 contact some of these resources gathered on https://www.nimh.nih.gov/ Feel free to message us with suggestions for games or questions at our socials and we’ll respond to your question on the upcoming pod! Be sure to follow us on socials like Youtube, Instagram, Bluesky, Twitter, and Twitch. Don’t forget to Subscribe to the podcast on your favorite podcast listening app!Support our Patreon at patreon.com/MindControllers and get a thank you sticker!Tracks are: "We Decide" by TatamiPodcast Art by @_forza_art on Instagram

We have a new guest this week, so please welcome Jordan Fanaris! Jordan tells us all about how he became a level designer, his previous work making the popular Black Mesa mod, his time at Heart Machine (makers of Hyper Light Breaker), and the state of the industry now! We then close it with a bit of Space Warlord Baby Trading Simulator, a new game by Strange Scaffold and Xalavier Nelson Jr.Games we talked about this week: Metaphor Refantazio, Space Warlord Baby Trading SimulatorCheck out Jordan’s indie studio, NerveLabs, on SteamCheck out https://www.startmenu.co.uk/ , an awesome site Brandon is now writing for! And check out his latest review on Nocturnal 2 Demo here at this link!If you are experiencing any sort of mental health distress, or just need someone to talk to, please call 988 contact some of these resources gathered on https://www.nimh.nih.gov/ Feel free to message us with suggestions for games or questions at our socials and we’ll respond to your question on the upcoming pod! Be sure to follow us on socials like Youtube, Instagram, Bluesky, Twitter, and Twitch. Don’t forget to Subscribe to the podcast on your favorite podcast listening app!Support our Patreon at patreon.com/MindControllers and get a thank you sticker!Tracks are: "We Decide" by TatamiPodcast Art by @_forza_art on Instagram

It’s the Brandons again! Here with the article of the week about co-op gameplay, hot takes on Highguard, a fusion of SCP and Half-Life, and an interesting new Metroidvania. It’s been wild out there, so come have a seat with us.Games we talked about this week: Popucom, Highguard, Abiotic Factor, Idle Champions of the Forgotten Realms, Nocturnal 2Check out https://www.startmenu.co.uk/ , an awesome site Brandon is now writing for! And check out his latest review on Nocturnal 2 Demo here at this link!Article of the Week: Exploring Compatible Interaction Preferences with a Puzzle Video GameIf you are experiencing any sort of mental health distress, or just need someone to talk to, please call 988 contact some of these resources gathered on https://www.nimh.nih.gov/ Feel free to message us with suggestions for games or questions at our socials and we’ll respond to your question on the upcoming pod! Be sure to follow us on socials like Youtube, Instagram, Bluesky, Twitter, and Twitch. Don’t forget to Subscribe to the podcast on your favorite podcast listening app!Support our Patreon at patreon.com/MindControllers and get a thank you sticker!Tracks are: "We Decide" by TatamiPodcast Art by @_forza_art on Instagram

Tim joins us for his first pod of the year as we chat about an interesting game study on the use of touch and smell in VR, Tim’s obsession with Battletech, and more! It was a great pod, so I hope you hang out with us as we go down this weird rabbit hole!Games we talked about this week: Battletech, Ghost of YoteiCheck out https://www.startmenu.co.uk/ , an awesome site Brandon is now writing for! And check out his latest review on Goodnight Universe here at this link!Article of the Week: Research on the interaction design of VR plant installation under the perspective of embodimentIf you are experiencing any sort of mental health distress, or just need someone to talk to, please call 988 contact some of these resources gathered on https://www.nimh.nih.gov/ Feel free to message us with suggestions for games or questions at our socials and we’ll respond to your question on the upcoming pod! Be sure to follow us on socials like Youtube, Instagram, Bluesky, Twitter, and Twitch. Don’t forget to Subscribe to the podcast on your favorite podcast listening app!Support our Patreon at patreon.com/MindControllers and get a thank you sticker!Tracks are: "We Decide" by TatamiPodcast Art by @_forza_art on Instagram

Sorry, it's been a busy week. There are a lot of exciting things coming up with us, so please stay tuned! I appreciate you all!

HEAVY Spoilers for and Roger, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33Brandon and Joe finally come together again to discuss their Top 10 games from the year! Brandon gets pretty in his feels for this one, so be ready!Timestamps:Introduction - 00:09Pre-GOTY Setup - 01:56Honorable Mentions - 03:34Joe #10 - 06:46Brandon #10 - 12:37Joe #9 - 15:20Brandon #9 - 17:56Joe #8 - 19:44Brandon #8 - 26:36Joe #7 - 30:48Brandon #7 - 35:38Joe #6 - 41:50Brandon #6 - 46:41Joe #5 - 46:58Brandon #5 - 1:01:51Joe #4 - 1:02:02Brandon #4 - 1:14:35Joe #3 - 1:15:17Brandon #3 - 1:25:10Joe #2 - 1:36:31Brandon #2 - 1:51:01Brandon and Joe #1 - 1:57:54Heavy Spoilters for our #1 - 2:03:41Looking Forward - 2:18:05Wrapping Up the Year and Thank You! - 2:19:21Check out https://www.startmenu.co.uk/, an awesome site Brandon is now writing for!If you are experiencing any sort of mental health distress, or just need someone to talk to, please call 988 contact some of these resources gathered on https://www.nimh.nih.gov/ Feel free to message us with suggestions for games or questions at our socials and we’ll respond to your question on the upcoming pod! Be sure to follow us on socials like Youtube, Instagram, Bluesky, Twitter, and Twitch. Don’t forget to Subscribe to the podcast on your favorite podcast listening app!Support our Patreon at patreon.com/MindControllers Tracks are: "We Decide" by TatamiNight in Kyoto by AVBE:https://uppbeat.io/t/avbe/night-in-kyotoLicense code: OY9ADKUOX62ZMAXYPodcast Art by @_forza_art on Instagram

Mind Controllers is on break for the next few weeks! Craw is traveling and then hosting some guests at his house. So hopefully we will return on December 19th!Check out https://www.startmenu.co.uk/ , an awesome site Brandon is now writing for! And check out his first review on and Roger here at this link and now 2nd review of Keeper!If you are experiencing any sort of mental health distress, or just need someone to talk to, please call 988 contact some of these resources gathered on https://www.nimh.nih.gov/ Feel free to message us with suggestions for games or questions at our socials and we’ll respond to your question on the upcoming pod! Be sure to follow us on socials like Youtube, Instagram, Bluesky, Twitter, and Twitch. Don’t forget to Subscribe to the podcast on your favorite podcast listening app!Support our Patreon at patreon.com/MindControllers and get a thank you sticker!Tracks are: "We Decide" by TatamiPodcast Art by @_forza_art on Instagram

Slight Spoilers for: Outer Worlds 2It’s Brandon, Courture, and Tim back together again to talk about all the games we’ve been playing this week! Brandon and Courture talk about their time with Outer Worlds 2 and how it doesn’t quite live up to the expectations it sets for itself at the start of the game. And Tim tells us about his new foray into RTS games.Games we talked about this week: and Roger, Keeper, Outer Worlds 2, Battle of Wesnot, BattletchCheck out https://www.startmenu.co.uk/ , an awesome site Brandon is now writing for! And check out his first review on and Roger here at this link!To find out more about Tim’s music, check out: www.whisp.band !If you are experiencing any sort of mental health distress, or just need someone to talk to, please call 988 contact some of these resources gathered on https://www.nimh.nih.gov/ Feel free to message us with suggestions for games or questions at our socials and we’ll respond to your question on the upcoming pod! Be sure to follow us on socials like Youtube, Instagram, Bluesky, Twitter, and Twitch. Don’t forget to Subscribe to the podcast on your favorite podcast listening app!Support our Patreon at patreon.com/MindControllers and get a thank you sticker!Tracks are: "We Decide" by TatamiPodcast Art by @_forza_art on Instagram