Game of the Year 2025

Game of the Year 2025

Author: Deep Listens January 8, 2026 Duration: 2:47:29

In this episode Gino, Pete, Em, Chris "ZombiePie" -REDACTED-, Braden "ArbitraryWater" -REDACTED-, Adam "Borgmaster" -REDACTED-, and Jeff Rud debate the games we played this year for our annual Trenchies! The categories this year are: Game of the Year 2025, Best Comedy, Best Horror, Best Drama, Best Action, Best Adventure, Best Puzzler, Best Character, Worst Character, Best Soundtrack, Prettiest Game, Best Performance/Voice Acting, Best Mechanic, Biggest Disrespect of the Player's Time, Best Twist, Worst Game of Our Year 2025, Worst Story or Written Dialog, Biggest Indictment of Capitalism, Quote of the Year, Best Non-Game, John Paul Sartre Memorial Award for Game That Best Expresses the Ultimate Futility of the Human Condition, Gino's Platypus Award for Game That Should Not Be, ZP's "Help I'm Trapped in Sysiphean Torment" Award, Em's Sheeple Award: Most Wildly Overstated/Overrated, Braden "ArbitraryWater" REDACTED presents the Dubious Championship League, and Game of Our Year.

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Every two weeks, the Deep Listens podcast gathers around a virtual table for what feels like a lively, insightful book club, only the texts we're reading are video games. Each episode picks apart a single title, not just to review it, but to truly unpack it. Conversations wander through the narrative themes and literary devices a game employs, dig into the philosophical questions it might raise, and examine the deliberate choices in its design that shape the experience. It’s a format that treats games as rich subjects worthy of deep discussion, but the tone remains consistently warm and humorous-more like friends hashing out their passions than a dry academic lecture. You'll come away hearing your favorite games discussed in a new light, appreciating the layers of thought and craft that can often go unnoticed during play. This podcast is for anyone who believes that the games we love are more than just entertainment; they're complex stories, fascinating systems, and art that merits a closer look. Thoughts and suggestions for games to cover are always welcome.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Deep Listens
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