On this podcast, we're not afraid to venture the bravest, boldest opinions. The opinions THEY don't want you to hear. Opinions like: Myst should have a jump button. A LOT of Chicago talk in this one, because Roses had a birthday and Matt went out to celebrate. We talk about pizza, Malort, a weird collectibles store... you know, Chicago stuff! But t…

Listen, the first 15 minutes of this podcast are about hair. We understand the inconvenience this may cause you. You expect a certain level of non-hair content from us, and we have failed to fulfill this responsibility. We will take accountability and reflect on our actions (and our hair) and, while we cannot promise that we won't do it again, we c…

A very sleepy Matt and a very inspired PushingUpRoses welcome an incredible guest onto the show to talk about one of the weirder games we've ever played. Musician, video producer and hella talented dude Neil Cicierega is on the show to talk about playing adventure games as 90's kid -- your dad bringing home shareware adventure games to install on y…

This week, Matt and Roses are joined by the first developer we ever talked about on this show, MEREDITH GRAN, the creative force behind Perfect Tides and the upcoming Perfect Tides: Station to Station. We take some time to discuss our feet before discussing art, nostalgia, and the creative decisions by – let’s face it – one of our favorite frickin’…

It’s been a wild (sic) since we’ve done a Q & A, so we address topics like our favorite references in games, games that we liked as kids but disliked as adults, Roses’ favorite Carmen Sandiego, and what franchises we’d like to see as adventure games! But first, we talk about our thoughts on Wanderstop, which is an incredibly unique and interesting …

R. Floppy K., Jr. can’t keep Matt and PushingUpRoses down. These two are gonna push through all the colds, the tiny guacabowli bowls, the loneliness, and the fork-and-knife taco crowd to play some Next Fest Demos! We warmed you up last week, but this week we dive FULLY IN to some cool demos. But first, we have a long talk about player choice in gam…

You know him, you love him; The one and only Dave Gilbert is on the show this week to talk about our relationships to gaming as we all get older. Is nostalgia inherently good or bad? Is ET for Atari as artistic a feat as Perfect Tides? We get really really deep into it. Also, Roses and Matt each played a few Next Fext demos (maybe more to come next…

Look, you all knew this was coming eventually. Matt put it off as long as he possibly could, but the time has finally arrived. Despite it having practically every element that PushingUpRoses hates in adventure games, we play one of her favorites of all time: Sanitarium! Roses is still playing Cabernet, trying to get the good ending. Matt is Playing…

Roses and Matt roll up their characters and embark on an adventure, avoiding Killer Tomatoes and sadistic oral surgeons, leveling up their scratching skills with Itch Simulator VR 4000, and making their way to becoming full-fledged blood-drinking vampires! This week, we discuss the new vampire game Cabernet, an adventure/RPG hybrid in which you liv…

Come take a train ride with Matt and Roses and help us solve the murder of Lady Untervald. If only Matt still played adventure games, instead of SGG (Shoot-Gun Games). First, though, some orders of business: We have a surprising TEETH UPDATE. Roses got a new toy! Matt's new favorite game was finally release. And two cool games got release dates. An…

Matt and Roses are in a terrible struggle against the new villain of the podcast, but only a little bit. Mostly, we're talking about all the games we're looking forward to in 2025. There's a ton. Also, Roses started making salsa dishes and Matt played a deduction game about a very complicated family tree! Email us! [email protected] Games Ment…

It’s our 2024 Wrap-Up episode! We talk about our BEST GAMES OF 2024, including some runners-up and some older games that we played this year and fell in love with. Also, about this intro, all we can say is we’re sorry. The views and opinions of Elmo do not represent those of your hosts, Matt Aukamp and PushingUpRoses. We do not endorse Elmo and we’…

PushingUpRoses and Matt Aukamp welcome you into their trans-dimensional Christmas cabin to play a bunch of holiday-themed games with them and their amazing guests. We play a cat game with Crimson Diamond's Julia Minamata! We play an obnoxious boy game with Alasdair Beckett-King. We play a creepy depressing game with Francisco "Grundislav" Gonzalez.…

This week, we’re playing a game that made us so angry, we had to yell about it. And to do this, we brought in the internet’s best angry yeller: Pearlmania500. Comedian Alex Pearlman hangs out to tell us a bit about politic and then the 1994 “edutainment” game Wrath of the Gods. Matt talks a bit about Loco Motive, Roses talks a bit about Kings Quest…

We’ve got a high-energy, Smirnoff Ice-fueled shorter episode here for you to kick off the month of December. There is some good news and bad news about the December schedule you won’t want to miss. Roses played a terrible mobile game out of spite. Matt played a rad PS1 throwback game. Then, we get some really good rolls on the Ranking segment. Game…

Happy American Thanksgiving, everyone! This is absolutely our yuckiest, most disturbing intro ever. And in the last episode, we talked about piss-proof toilet decals! And we are thankful you let us into your lives with this filth. This week Matt and Roses talk about two of the best Storiented™ mystery-puzzle games ever made, Case of the Golden Idol…

So. We had already decided we were going to spend the entire episode ranking Adventure Games – many of which, we've never played – but then, we decided to start out by talking about piss for 15 minutes. Matt and Roses bring a bizarre, chaotic energy and a true EXPERTISE on Adventure Games to this ALL-RANKING episode! Plus, we talk about some games …

This episode was recorded on November 5th… Yeah. There’s a manic, ignoring-the-news energy to this episode where we take your listener questions! We also talk about Joe Richardson’s new game Death of the Reprobate and talk to our guest expert Joshua Cleveland of Adventure Game Hotspot about the requirements for “adventure game” status. Visit www.ad…

IT'S THE LAST EPISODE OF SPOOKY MONTH! We hope you all have a great Halloween. To help you one last time with your spooky mood, we talk about the SCARIEST GAMES WE'VE EVER PLAYED. WOOOOOO. And we talk about the new gothic point-and-click adventure game Prim. We love Deep Plots(TM). Email us! [email protected] Follow us on Instagram @SaveYourGa…

TEETH UPDATE! For the teeth enthusiasts and teeth curious, we unveil a brand new chapter in the PushingUpRoses Teeth Saga ™. Roses discovered a detective game that Matt’s been telling her about since day one and Matt played some demos! Then, we dig deep into a world of horror, mystery, intrigue, and Japanese folklore in the Japanese ADV game Parano…

The first episode of the brand-new medical/dental advice podcast: Save Your Teeth! Call your Endodontist. Eat your allergy medicine. And don’t tell anyone we exist! The spookiest thing about this installment of spooky month is that we played these games at all. Matt and Roses review the Hugo’s House of Horror trilogy and a 1990’s 3D shoot ‘em up???…

Spooky Month takes a turn for the sad as we tackle a game about trauma, growing up, mental illness, and murder. Matt and Roses do a deep dive into Fran Bow. We also talk about some upcoming episodes and... a BOOK?! What are we, frickin nerds? Email us! [email protected] Games Mentioned: Phantom Fellows Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Ho…

Guess what folks? The season of spookiness is upon us, and your spooky queen PushingUpRoses reins it in with Matt Aukamp, the real-life inspiration for Jack Skellington and their terrifying guest, Paul Korman – The Phantom Fellow himself. Paul talks to us about his newly-released game The Phantom Fellows (available on Steam https://store.steampower…

Paris in the fall holds many memories for Matt and Roses. Memories of pushing their “woke” propaganda. Memories of pickles and olives. Before we do our DEEP DIVE into the classic GRAND ADVENTURE from Revolution Software, Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars, we talk about our new Stardew-like obsession with Fields of Mistria. Who is your new romanc…

Welcome in! PushingUpRoses and Matt Aukamp take your recommendations seriously! And they prove it by playing four of them and reviewing them in this episode: There Is No Game: Wrong Dimension, The Journey Down, Voodoo Detective, and Life is Strange. We also bring back some SPECIAL GUESTS for our RANKING EVERY ADVENTURE GAME segment. Email Us! matta…

We're not here to fuck spiders, we're here to talk about Adventure Games with our brilliant and charming friends Dani and Bill from Escape This Podcast and the upcoming Rise of the Golden Idol! We talk about nostalgia and the way it colors – or does not color – our views of games, and just goof the hell around. So, I guess we were here to fuck spid…

This week we talk about a spooky cozy casual mystery plant game called Strange Horticulture that rules. Also, Matt raves about Fallout: New Vegas, Roses has a stylish mystery game to talk about and we rank a bunch of adventure games, ridiculously. Email us! [email protected] Games Mentioned: A Case of Mistrust Fallout: New Vegas Zelda: Breath …

PushingUpRoses and Matt Aukamp talk about dialogue trees in adventure games; What makes them good? What makes them bad? Do you skip them? Matt says some stuff that's likely to get him cancelled by Sierra-heads. Plus, PlayDate with Matt and RANKING EVERY ADVENTURE GAME EVER. We don't know. Whatever makes sense. Email us! [email protected] Games…

Stay hydrated, everyone! No matter the cost. Matt and Roses talk about their favorite non-adventure games, plus PlayDate with Matt!, ranking every adventure game ever, and other silliness. Matt also pitches a weird game idea he had about Machiavelli and he's sorry (but also don't steal it!) Email us! [email protected] Games Mentioned: The Crim…

Hey everyone, we're so sorry about the two-week break, but we're back with ENERGY! Matt has two new segments to present. One that's very normal, and one that's utterly bizarre. Roses went to England and played some arcade games. Matt went to the Adventure Game Fan Fair and we talk about a bunch of demos. The rest, you're just gonna have to hear for…

IT'S BAKING TIME! Matt makes bad cookies and then Roses and Matt plan some really cool Stardew-themed Macarons. We briefly revisit the Detective Grimoire series and talk about Rise of the Golden Idol. Then we do a deep-dive into a game that captured the hell out of our imaginations: Dreams in the Witch House! PLUS A RETURN OF A BELOVED SEGMENT!!! E…

Lets talk about guinea pigs for a while then too many Lorelais before we DEEP DIVE into TANGLE TOWER - a fun mystery game! And we talk about its predecessor Detective Grimoire and the demo for the third game in the series, The Mermaid Mask. It's, honestly?, just a good episode. Email us! [email protected] Games Mentioned: Lorelai Lorelei and t…

Roses has new teeth and can't eat no potatoes, but she DID learn about a lot of games with an overwhelming number of cats. We take your questions about achievements, non-adventure game mechanics, console gaming, genre distinctions, Andrew Plotkin's Cruelty Scale, and much more! Email us! [email protected] Games Mentioned: Lorelei and the Laser…

Healthcare! World Hunger! Capitalism! Unfinished Games! Get ready for some R-A-N-T-S! "Aw, Man..." coming soon to NBC Also, we talk about Laura Bow: The Dagger of Amon Ra for an hour. Email us! [email protected] Games Mentioned: A Space for the Unbound Stardew Valley The Haunted Chocolatier Lorelai Lorelei and the Laser Eyes Journeyman Project…

After a week off, Matt and Roses are back fresh as... roses, I guess. After the contractually obligated Stardew Valley talk, we discuss four of YOUR AUDIENCE RECCOMENDATIONS! A Space for the Unbound, The Invincible, The Journeyman Project, and The Cat Lady! This leads to a deep discussion of the entire Harvester Games catalogue. YOUR TAKEAWAYS: 1) …

Hey everyone, we're not doing an episode this week, so we just thought we'd throw you a quick episode to tell you how we're not doing an episode. So, sorry there is no episode, but here's an episode about that. And, while we were here, we thought, to apologize for not having an episode, we'd answer a few listener questions. In conclusion, there is …

First, you should know: It's not Matt's fault. Second, you should know: PushingUpRoses is a chaotic force. Third, you should listen to us talk about video games. We talk a lot about games we WANT to play, but haven't, then we DEEP DIVE into both of the major releases from Postmodern Adventures. Email us! [email protected] Games Mentioned: Duck…

We all knew it was coming eventually. THE BIG TWO! Such a natural pairing of two pieces of media we probably don't even need to mention it. But we will. Matt and Roses play and talk about Duck Detective: The Secret Salami and Harvester. The 1996 FMV video game Harvester. The episode basically records itself. We also say goodbye to a dear, dear, dea…

PushingUpRoses and Matt Aukamp talk to Stuart Ashen (Ashens, of YouTube fame,) about moon logic and weird, unfair, bizarre, beautiful adventure game puzzles. Also, Matt played Lil' Guardsman. Ashens' talk on moon logic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7nk_Apf35A Email us! [email protected] Games Mentioned: The Adventures of Mad Dog Williams i…

We went into this one with NO PLAN, folks. It's free-style nerding today on the old podcast. Matt played some cool games and finally hit up that Stardew Valley update. Roses talks about Home of the Underdogs and some of retro games we really didn't enjoy. Plus, some ranting about game preservation. Flashpoint: Infinity: https://flashpointarchive.or…

Special guest Francisco González stops by and tells us a wild story about his new role playing hobby. Matt thinks Indika is weird and incredible. We talk for over an hour about how great Disco Elysium is, and then like 15 minutes about The Thaumaturge. Email us! [email protected] Games Mentioned: Rosewater Grand Theft Auto Online Indika Disco …

Roses falls in love with Disco Elysium and Matt goes frickin' ham discussing Marvel Midnight Suns. We take a ton of audience questions and discuss a variety of topics. Text Adventures, games that we hated after we loved but thought we'd hate, "That doesn't work!", genre distinctions in games, "The Power of Cheese", and an EXHAUSTIVE dissection of D…

The charming and insightful Cressup joins Matt and PushingUpRoses to talk about the ethics and complexities of streaming narrative games. We talk about the finger puzzle in Monkey Island 2 a lot, a weird Greek FMV game, the creeping date range of “retro games” and just have a blast. Email us! [email protected] Games Mentioned: Grim Fandango Mo…

The album of the year is finally out, and let us be the first to tell you that T.S. did NOT disappoint with her newest release, 3D MARIO. Best Nintendo-themed, 3-D album yet. We did not play Harold Halibut yet, but Matt did play an Adventure/RPG set in 1905 Poland and Roses played with her cat. We talk about Return to Monkey Island so much that we …

In our LONGEST EPISODE YET Roses and Matt take on the monumental task of summarizing all of The Last Door. All 2 seasons. All 8 chapters. We also talk about Roses' birthday, April's amazing adventure game releases, BREAKING GOLDEN BACHELOR NEWS, kneecap tattoos, and an annoying podcast Matt listened to. Email us! [email protected] Games Mentio…

IT'S OUR TENTH EPISODIVERSARY! Thank you all for sticking with us. To celebrate, Matt and Roses buy each other pizza and talk about their not-so-guilty pleasure: HIDDEN OBJECT GAMES! Email us! [email protected] HoliznaCC0's Bandcamp: https://holiznacc0.bandcamp.com/ Pizza pix: https://imgur.com/a/VAbPgiN Games Mentioned: My Brother Rabbit The …

Matt and Roses review some of the games YOU, THE PEOPLE recommended to us! Also, Matt can't stop playing Marvel: Midnight Suns, and the new Stardew Valley update is out! Email us! [email protected] Every Folk Song episode on The Two Sisters: http://everyfolksong.libsyn.com/8-the-twa-sisters Games Discussed: Stardew Valley (Update) The Space Ba…

We clamped down another podcast, everyone! Matt and Roses go all out, discussing the LucasArts classic: Sam and Max Hit the Road. Email us! [email protected] Games Discussed: Who Pressed Mute on Uncle Marcus The Exit 8 Sam and Max Hit the Road The Secret of Monkey Island Toe Jam and Earl King’s Quest Sam and Max Save the World Sam and Max Beyo…

This episode contains the terribly charming, hilarious, and otherwise multi-talented Alasdair Beckett-King. We talk about comedy in adventure games and a million other things. Email us! [email protected] Games Discussed: Ben Jordan: Paranormal Investigator Pentiment Disco Elysium Sherlock Holmes: Consulting Detective Dagger of Amon RA A Short …

Rose and Matt talk about the most fun games they've ever played before they launch into a long, philosophical discussion about how various adventure games have handled failure, game overs, unwinnable states, and death over the years. Email us! [email protected] Games Discussed: Stardew Valley (SORRY!) The Curse of Monkey Island Animal Crossing…