5. What happens when you dabble with "Art" Games

5. What happens when you dabble with "Art" Games

Author: A.S.K. June 13, 2020 Duration: 1:02:41

In this episode, on the fanboy's behest, we task ourselves to experience "art" games (after painfully enabling flash). Join us as Rathi grills the fanboy on his definition of art while Shreyas fails to produce examples to back up his lofty claims. Whether you resonate more with Rathi's realistic nitpicking or with Gajapure's childlike curiosity; this episode explores many themes and raises many pertinent questions.

[G- Games, Q- Questions, S- Standoff, N- Note, H- Highlight]

Games we played for this episode

[G] Triennale Game Collection (Il Filo Conduttore, LOCK, Neighbor, A Glass Room, The Worm Room): https://bit.ly/2C1WUZ9

[G] High Delivery: https://bit.ly/3flO5I3

[G] I'll: search for ill.z5 in https://bit.ly/37vOPHS

[G] Storyteller (but didn't discuss): https://bit.ly/3fmwijF

[G] Free will: https://bit.ly/2UCpsi5

[G] Violet: https://bit.ly/37mNQJK

What we discussed this episode

[Q] What do you mean by art games?

[Q] Are video games a form of art?

[Q] How do art games push the boundaries of the game industry?

[G] Persona 5 (https://bit.ly/30xnTWJ): A game that Gajapure considers art because of its unique UI design

[G] Firewatch (https://bit.ly/2AkARwo): Art for the fanboy not just for the graphics but for the entire game; Rathi remains unconvinced and Shreyas remains neutral (as usual)

[G] BioShock (https://bit.ly/3hnQ28E): Art for its visual and narration

[G] High Delivery: Art for its unique approach to interacting with " the object"; Rathi remains unconvinced but Shreyas is swayed

[G] Neighbor (TGC): A game that is as interesting as the amount of time you put into it (and if you actually do what the game expects you to). Warning: You cannot save your progress!

[G] A Glass Room (TGC): The game that only Gajapure could figure out how to play

[G] LOCK (TGC): The game that we don't feel is a "game".

[N] Tale of Tales (https://bit.ly/2AkJ7fR): The studio that the fan-boy mentions has better games

[G] The Worm Room (TGC): The botany game no one enjoyed.

[G] No man's Sky (https://bit.ly/2AZxRFu): Used as a contrast for the Worm Room (an unfair comparison yes, but a comparison that the fanboy made)

[G] Il Filo Conduttore (TGC):  A fun game that will leave you with a question mark at the end.

[G] Free Will: An art game that is borderline a meme

[Q] What do you want from a game? Is having fun enough and does a game have to justify itself?

[N] Shreyas would like to correct himself when he said that he did not have fun playing "Neighbor", he did.

[G] I'll: A game that demonstrated free will better than the game "Free Will"

[H] During the discussion of I'll https://imgflip.com/i/44synf

[G] Violet: The game that the fanboy failed and Rathi was disjointed with the web hosting service

[Q] Can you call something art objectively?

[Q] Can "something" be used regularly by still not be a part of the mainstream?

[Q] Revisited: What is an art game?

[G+S] Monument Valley (https://bit.ly/2XSLbEB): Why is a game like this considered "art"?


Every Saturday, Aditya, Shreyas, and Kshitij-three friends navigating the uncertainty of post-college life-gather for A Random Mexican-Standoff. The premise is simple: bring a passionate, often fiercely held opinion about any piece of art, media, or culture into the room. What follows is never simple. Each conversation is a spirited, unscripted clash of perspectives, where a debate over a beloved film's ending can spiral into an exhaustive analysis of its soundtrack, cinematography, and cultural impact. The terrain of these friendly skirmishes is wildly unpredictable, covering everything from the sublime to the seemingly trivial with equal intensity. You'll hear the energy of three voices diving headlong into the things that genuinely move them, dissecting video games, books, music, and movies with a depth that borders on obsessive. This isn't a formatted review show; it's the sound of lifelong friendships tested by passionate disagreement and solidified by shared curiosity. Tune in to this leisure-focused podcast for the feeling of pulling up a chair at a lively, ongoing argument among friends, where the only guaranteed outcome is a thoroughly examined opinion. New episodes arrive weekly, each a fresh battlefield for their latest cultural fixations.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 14

A Random Mexican-Standoff
Podcast Episodes
What makes Chernobyl a compelling watch? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:12
Following our long discussion on the movies of Tarantino, we sit down to talk about the hit HBO-miniseries "Chernobyl". With Shreyas indisposed, the task fell on Rathi and Kshitij to discuss the horrors of a nuclear disa…
13. An In-Depth Discussion on Tarantino [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:18:43
This time we are going to have a very long discussion on the genius director Quentin Tarantino. So sit back, relax, grab some popcorn and enjoy this ride as we look at Tarantino and his movies from all possible angles. S…
12: Summer anime in depth: A case study of the 3 episode rule [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:24
Welcome, one and all, to our latest case study of the 3 episode rule - where each of us watches 3 episodes of currently airing anime and passes judgment on whether it is worth our time. As you'd expect, sparks fly again…
11. 1917: A Cinematic Tale through the Horrors of War [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:31
In this episode, we attempt to understand the cinematic masterpiece that is 1917 - an award-winning movie set during the First World War. With most of the episode dedicated to deconstructing the cinematography, we find o…
10. Exploring Humanity through Visual Storytelling [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:32
In this unusual (mostly spoiler-free) episode, we sit down to discuss two amazing story-centric games "A Normal Lost Phone" {https://bit.ly/2OkwkNM} and "missed messages" {https://bit.ly/38VvUXr}. So join us as we try to…
9. Taxi Driver - An Existentialist Perspective [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:13
This time around (with tight time-constraints) we sit down to discuss the "instant-classic" Taxi-Driver. In a first where the fanboy was actually disappointed, we talk about the different themes, endings, and parallels t…
8. Accidentally discussing the wrong anime season [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:24
With an amazing summer season right around the corner (https://bit.ly/3dObWPi) we sit down to discuss the anime that aired the last season (full disclosure: we were supposed to discuss the next season). So join us as we…
7. Comprehending the genius of The Man from U.N.C.L.E [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:16:13
This time around we discuss Guy Ritchie's "The Man from U.N.C.L.E."; a movie that exudes so much style, that we had to bring in our friend Shakya to even begin to comprehend it. Join us as elitists are born, filming deci…
6. 3 Idiots play Overcooked [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:25:03
Do watch on Youtube for the full experience. https://youtu.be/DDUFL8Se8Ac This episode is somewhat different from the usual discussions that we have. This time we play the game 'Overcooked' which is supposedly a cooking…
4. Is the Dichotomy between Fun and Seriousness as Rigid as it seems? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:17
In this episode, we try to understand the nuances of getting serious about something you are passionate about. To help us tackle this and other such serious questions we call upon our friend Akhil, who is invested in all…