GameVerse Pub : Crafting Game Talk

Shawn, Gee, Shane, and Scotty are back at the GameVerse Pub, this time shuffling their way into the wild and addictive world of Balatro! 🃏🔥

We kick things off by breaking down what Balatro actually is — how it plays, why it hooks you so fast, and what makes this roguelike deck-builder feel so damn unique.

From there, we dive into the Jokers: the weird ones, the powerful ones, the ones we still barely understand, and the ones that m...

Shawn, Piel “The Beer Guy,” Pidge, and Olive are back at the GameVerse Pub for Part 2 of our Hogwarts Legacy deep dive! 🧙‍♂️🪄

1. We kick things off by exploring Hogwarts Castle itself—its secrets, moving parts, hidden rooms, and all the magical details that left us wandering its halls for hours.
2. Then we take to the skies to talk flying, broom mechanics, mount choices, and the freedom (and chaos) that comes with so...

Shawn, Piel “The Beer Guy,” Pidge, and Olive are at the GameVerse Pub to dive into the magical world of Hogwarts Legacy! 🧙‍♂️✨

1. We start off by sharing our personal Harry Potter stories, how we got hooked on the wizarding world and what it means to us. 
2. Then we jump into our first impressions of the game, exploring the moments that wowed us and the things that surprised us.
3. Next, it’s time for a fun quiz w...

The OG4 (Shawn, Piel the beer guy, Gee, and Gab the pretty cowboy) return to the pub table for another round of retro gaming nostalgia! This time, we crack open three very different classics:

🦁 The Lion King (SNES/Genesis) – a gorgeous but brutally tough Disney platformer
👹 Aaahh!!! Real Monsters (SNES) – slimy, goofy, and full of Nickelodeon charm
🧩 Tetris Attack (SNES) – puzzle perfection that still tests our ...

In this Player Profile episode, we shine the spotlight on our good friend and guest Shane and dig into his gaming story. The twist? Shane had to do his homework before joining us, he brought three multiple-choice questions that reveal his gaming history and preferences.

Here’s what he asked us:

1. What is my favourite game?
A) Zelda: Link’s Awakening (Game Boy)
B) GoldenEye 007 (N64)
C) World of Warcraft
D) Red Dead R...

The OG4 (Shawn, Piel the beer guy, Gee, and Gab the pretty cowboy) gather for a special GameVerse Club - Book Club for Games edition! 🍻 This time, we dive into the retro games we’ve all been playing over the past few months:

⭐ Kirby’s Dreamland – the puffball’s first big adventure
🏎️ Crash Team Racing (CTR) – PlayStation’s answer to Diddy Kong Racing
🐢 TMNT (NES) – the notoriously tough turtle classic

But that’s not all, a...

The OG4 are back at the table! 🍻 Shawn, Piel "The Beer Guy", Gee, and Gab "The Pretty Cowboy" crack open some cold ones and take a nostalgic trip back to the 90’s, when boardgames ruled living rooms before Wi-Fi did. From the classics we all fought over at family game nights to the hidden gems collecting dust in the closet, we’re digging into the games that defined our childhoods. Expect laughs, stories, and ma...

Shawn, Platinum J, Scotty, and Piel “The Beer Guy” are back on the digital ice for Part 2 of our NHL deep dive! 🏒

This time, we move beyond the covers and rankings to explore how the EA Sports NHL series has evolved, from gameplay mechanics and graphics to the overall direction of the franchise. We debate where EA should take the series next and what strategies could breathe new life into the games.

Then it’s tim...

In this first half of our epic NHL recording session, Shawn, Platinum J, Scotty, and Piel “The Beer Guy” hit the ice for a trip down hockey memory lane. 🏒

We kick things off with Platinum J’s glory years, when he was ranked Top 10 in the world at EA Sports NHL08, NHL09, and NHL10. Then, the competition moves off the rink and onto the table with two NHL cover-themed games:

1️⃣ Who’s Doubled Up? – Guess which 3 pla...

In this episode of GameVerse Pub, we crack open a few drinks and dive deep into Elden Ring: Nightreign, the fast-paced roguelike spinoff of the beloved Soulsborne universe. With its brutal three-day loop, preset Nightfarers, and Sekiro-style aggression, this game is not your typical Elden Ring experience and we’ve got the perfect crew to break it all down.

Featuring:

• 🏆 Justin (Platinum J) – Our local Elden Ring completionist who...

In this episode of GameVerse Pub, we crack open a few drinks and dive deep into Elden Ring: Nightreign, the fast-paced roguelike spinoff of the beloved Soulsborne universe. With its brutal three-day loop, preset Nightfarers, and Sekiro-style aggression, this game is not your typical Elden Ring experience and we’ve got the perfect crew to break it all down.

Featuring:

• 🏆 Justin (Platinum J) – Our local Elden Ring completionist who...

This week, we’re joined by the incredibly talented Angelica Jones, lead singer and guitarist of the band Angelica Jones, and the artist behind our podcast’s signature soundtracks: “Crispy Bill” (intro) and “Let it Slide” (outro).

In this Player Profile episode, Angelica takes the hot seat with three multiple choice questions so that we get to learn about her gaming history and also to test how well Shawn knows her as a gam...

This is our very own book club for games, where we spin the wheel, pick a retro title, play it between episodes, and come back to share our thoughts, stories, and sometimes… our regrets.

In this episode, the OG4 return to talk about our latest pick from the wheel:
💥 Killer Instinct (Game Boy) – the ambitious handheld port of a brutal arcade fighter. Did it land a combo with us or get KO’d by nostalgia?

After giving our honest ta...

The OG4 are back at the table! In this episode, Shawn, Gee, Piel, and Gab go head-to-head in four community-powered gaming debates. Each question was posted as a poll on Threads, and after our crew shares their takes, Shawn reveals how the Threads gaming community voted. Spoiler: some of the results definitely surprised us.

Here’s what we debated:

1️⃣ What’s more important in a game?
a) Story
b) Gameplay

In this new Player Profile episode, we sit down with our guest Justin — now officially nicknamed Platinum J — because when it comes to gaming, this guy doesn’t just play... he masters. We’re talking platinum trophies for some of the hardest games out there.

Like all Player Profile episodes, our guest brings 3 multiple choice questions from their own gaming history. The goal? Get to know them one game at a time. Let’s see h...

Time to meet the gamer behind the clippers - Sean Ze Barber is in the hot seat for this week’s Player Profile! As always, the guest brings 3 custom multiple-choice questions about their gaming life, and it’s up to Shawn and Gee to guess the right answers.

Here’s what Sean hit us with:

1️⃣ Which game did I beat first?
Diablo
Zelda: A Link to the Past
Kyle Petty’s No Fear Racing
Legacy of Kain

2️...

This is our very own book club for games, where we spin the wheel, pick a retro title, play it between episodes, and come back to share our thoughts, stories, and sometimes… our salt.

This time, the OG4 reflect on our last pick from the wheel:
🍄 Super Mario Land – the tiny but mighty Game Boy launch title that sent Mario to the mysterious land of Sarasaland. Does it still hold up? Did we enjoy it or just endure it? An...

In this episode, Shawn is joined by Gee, Piel, and Scotty to tackle a familiar beast for every gamer: the gaming backlog. What is it? Why does it grow? And most importantly—how the heck do we deal with it?

We break down the reasons backlogs happen, swap stories about the games haunting our hard drives and shelves, and cheer each other on to finally tackle those long-overdue titles. It’s part confession, part therapy, and a...

In this episode, Shawn and Piel crack open some beers and dig through Shawn’s personal SNES collection - the games that shaped his childhood, one cartridge at a time. From absolute legends like Super Mario World and Yoshi's Island, to underrated gems like Turn and Burn: No-Fly Zone and Captain America and the Avengers, it’s a nostalgic trip full of laughs, memories, and surprising opinions.

Did Super R-Type actually m...