Best Ultima Gaming Podcasts (2025)

1
Episode 177: Bluebooks 47:34

8d ago47:34

47:34

Griffin and Logan discuss using Bluebooks at the table Want to join the conversation? Join us on Discord: https://discord.gg/gPVH7a9 We are also affiliates with Fan Roll Dice by Metallic Dice Games: Follow this link: https://fanrolldice.com and enter the promo code STORYTOLD10 to receive 10% off your order! To help support the show, share it, or ra…

1
Kenneth Jones, "African American Males and Video Games: How Gaming Technology Can Motivate and Enhance Learning" (Myers Education, 2025) 20:01

9d ago20:01

20:01

African American males are confronted with formidable barriers in their pursuit of quality education, resulting in stark disparities in academic performance, economic opportunities, and social outcomes. Despite numerous educational initiatives striving for parity, African American males persistently bear the brunt of the highest rates of suspension…

1
Earthworm Jim 1:57:14

10d ago1:57:14

1:57:14

"It's a day like any other. A crow is chasing a worm, a worm named Jim. Today the worm escapes to safety and the crow eats dirt. Jim looks left, then right. It seems he has given the crow the slip. Jim returns to his normal daily life, cruising about avoiding crows and doing other general worm-like things. Jim is suddenly struck by a very large ult…

1
Nathan Wainstein, "Grant Us Eyes: The Art of Paradox in Bloodborne" (2025) 24:13

11d ago24:13

24:13

Grant Us Eyes is a book-length close reading of Bloodborne by literary critic Nathan Wainstein (LA Review of Books, Cartridge Lit, American Book Review). Grant Us Eyes situates the game’s oft-discussed difficulty in relation to a much longer tradition of difficult art – surrealist painting, the modernist novel, etc. Wainstein probes the difficulty …

1
S1 EP8: Pilot Drop 1:13:37

13d ago1:13:37

1:13:37

The squad has some downtime before they need to get moving again. It's not nearly enough time to wrap their heads around what happened but it's better than no time at all. Content warnings for SACRED MACHINATIONS include violence, blood, broken bones, giant monsters, death, complex relationships, grief, romance, loss of loved ones, guns and blades …

1
Radical Dreamers 1:42:31

14d ago1:42:31

1:42:31

What's this? Another little bonus? Sorry we didn't get to your reviews and questions. We recorded this pretty late, as you might be able to tell. We will not let you down when we review Chrono Cross. Make sure to send in your questions and reviews for that (and this) now. Although, it'll probably be a few months. Email us: [email protected] D…

1
Dom Ford, "Mytholudics: Games and Myth" (de Gruyter, 2025) 56:10

14d ago56:10

56:10

Dom Ford joins Jana Byars to talk about Mytholudics: Game and Myth (DeGruyter Brill, 2025). Games create worlds made of many different elements, but also of rules, systems and structures for how we act in them. So how can we make sense of them? Mytholudics: Games and Myth lays out an approach to understanding games using theories from myth and folk…

1
Episode 176: The Household RPG 51:37

22d ago51:37

51:37

Logan and Griffin discuss the Household vol 1 RPG from Two little mice. FInd out more here. Buy the game here! Want to join the conversation? Join us on Discord: https://discord.gg/gPVH7a9 We are also affiliates with Fan Roll Dice by Metallic Dice Games: Follow this link: https://fanrolldice.com and enter the promo code STORYTOLD10 to receive 10% o…

1
Cameron Kunzelman, "The World is Born from Zero: Understanding Speculation and Video Games" (de Gruyter, 2022) 37:34

27d ago37:34

37:34

The World is Born From Zero is an investigation into the relationship between video games and science fiction through the philosophy of speculation. Cameron Kunzelman (Mercer University, Macon, Georgia, USA) argues that the video game medium is centered on the evaluation and production of possible futures by following video game studies, media phil…

1
James O'Connor, "Untitled Goose Game" (Boss Fight Books, 2025) 23:18

1M ago23:18

23:18

It's a beautiful day in the village, and you are a horrible goose, ready to wreak charming havoc on the weary locals. You'll ruin their gardens, invade their pub, and terrorize their children. What kind of scoundrels would make such a devious game? Before the critical acclaim, the tweets from celebrities, the major awards, the memes, the fan art, a…

1
Episode 175: Harvest from Possum Creek Games 1:03:42

1M ago1:03:42

1:03:42

Logan and Griffin sit down to discuss a new BoB game from Possume Creek Games, the newest imprint of Steve Jackson Games. FInd out More about Possum Creek Games here. Order Harvest Here. Want to join the conversation? Join us on Discord: https://discord.gg/gPVH7a9 We are also affiliates with Fan Roll Dice by Metallic Dice Games: Follow this link: h…

1
Loom 2:41:09

2M ago2:41:09

2:41:09

"Rise, son of Cygna. It is the dawn of your seventeenth year. The Elders await you in the sanctuary." If you didn't listen to the 30 minute audio drama first, you'd have no idea what's going on when you first play Loom (1990, Lucasfilm Games). And if you did listen to it, you probably weren't any less confused. And on top of its unique magical fant…

1
S1 EP7: Chipped from Memory 1:22:34

2M ago1:22:34

1:22:34

The squad returns to the Resistance headquarters, tries to recuperate, and plans their next steps. Content warnings for SACRED MACHINATIONS include violence, blood, broken bones, giant monsters, death, complex relationships, grief, romance, loss of loved ones, guns and blades as weaponry, tight or enclosed spaces, kidnapping, isolation, human capti…

1
Episode 174: Fabula Ultima 1:03:50

2M ago1:03:50

1:03:50

Logan & Griffin sit down to review the awesome JTRPG, Fabula Ultima in preperation for our upcoming AP! Buy the game hhere! Want to join the conversation? Join us on Discord: https://discord.gg/gPVH7a9 We are also affiliates with Fan Roll Dice by Metallic Dice Games: Follow this link: https://fanrolldice.com and enter the promo code STORYTOLD10 to …

1
S1 EP6: Supposed to Be 1:10:29

2M ago1:10:29

1:10:29

One does not encounter a Sacred and leave unchanged. Dr. Zhong, Sirin, Yazrin, Five, and Ifunanya try to wrap their heads around what they just experienced. Content warnings for SACRED MACHINATIONS include violence, blood, broken bones, giant monsters, death, complex relationships, grief, romance, loss of loved ones, guns and blades as weaponry, ti…

1
Elliot Lichtman, "The Computer Always Wins: A Playful Introduction to Algorithms through Puzzles and Strategy Games" (MIT Press, 2025) 46:46

2M ago46:46

46:46

In The Computer Always Wins: A Playful Introduction to Algorithms through Puzzles and Strategy Games (MIT Press, 2025), Elliot Lichtman will teach you some of computer science’s most powerful concepts in a refreshingly accessible way: exploring them through word games, board games, and strategy games you already know. Learn recursion by playing tic…

1
Carly A. Kocurek and Matthew Payne, "Ultima and Worldbuilding in the Computer Role-Playing Game" (Amherst College Press, 2024) 27:12

2M ago27:12

27:12

Ultima and World-Building in the Computer Role-Playing Game (Amherst College Press, 2024) is the first scholarly book to focus exclusively on the long-running Ultima series of computer role-playing games (RPG) and to assess its lasting impact on the RPG genre and video game industry. Through archival and popular media sources, examinations of fan c…

1
Trans Technologies 1:03:27

2M ago1:03:27

1:03:27

How can technology creates new possibilities for transgender people? How do trans experiences, in turn, create new possibilities for technology? Trans Technologies, (MIT Press, 2025) by Dr. Oliver L. Haimson, explores how and why mainstream technologies often exclude or marginalize transgender users. Trans Technologies describes what happens when t…

1
Revisiting DOOM 2:11:34

2M ago2:11:34

2:11:34

Florian has been counting all of our regular "one game a month" episodes, and it turns out we've hit 100 of them! We started this club back in March of 2017 with the first DOS game that came to mind, which happened to be DOOM (id Software, 1993). In hindsight this was a bit of a big game to kick things off, so even though we did have a great time w…

1
Episode 173: Daggerheart 1:04:11

2M ago1:04:11

1:04:11

The gang sits down to discuss the newest release from Darrington Press and Critical Role, Daggerheart. FInd out more or buy Daggerheart here We reference this video specifically,rom Bob World Builder, within the episode. Want to join the conversation? Join us on Discord: https://discord.gg/gPVH7a9 We are also affiliates with Fan Roll Dice by Metall…

1
S1 EP5: Flesh & Steel 45:43

3M ago45:43

45:43

A predator stalks Dr. Zhong through the woods. Two Remnants have appeared and attacked. And metal giants have formed around the remainder of the squad, giving them a fighting chance. Content warnings for SACRED MACHINATIONS include violence, blood, broken bones, giant monsters, death, complex relationships, grief, romance, loss of loved ones, guns …

1
Episode 172: Setting the Table 1:18:11

3M ago1:18:11

1:18:11

Kim and Griffin sit down to discuss the prep that comes before the game! Want to join the conversation? Join us on Discord: https://discord.gg/gPVH7a9 We are also affiliates with Fan Roll Dice by Metallic Dice Games: Follow this link: https://fanrolldice.com and enter the promo code STORYTOLD10 to receive 10% off your order! To help support the sho…

1
Dave Cook, "Go Straight: The Ultimate Guide to Side-Scrolling Beat-'Em-Ups" (Bitmap Books, 2022) 19:26

3M ago19:26

19:26

Get ready for the fight of your life in Go Straight: The Ultimate Guide to Side-Scrolling Beat-'Em-Ups (Bitmap Books, 2022). Written by award-winning author Dave Cook, and opening with a foreword by legendary Double Dragon creator, Yoshihisa Kishimoto, this odyssey through bare-knuckle nostalgia features over 200 games spanning 37 years. At over 45…

1
S1 EP4: Vine and Ash 1:21:45

3M ago1:21:45

1:21:45

A monster approaches, and the party is but ants in its presence. Content warnings for SACRED MACHINATIONS include violence, blood, broken bones, giant monsters, death, complex relationships, grief, romance, loss of loved ones, guns and blades as weaponry, tight or enclosed spaces, kidnapping, isolation, human captivity, dehumanization, interpersona…

1
Ultima Underworld 3:10:53

3M ago3:10:53

3:10:53

We're back with a big one, in more ways than one! Normally we do a different game every month, but between December and February we've focused on Ultima Underworld for three months in a row. This was mainly done to give ourselves a chance to catch up, as we've been lagging behind with the podcast a fair bit. But also it's not easy to beat an open w…

1
#369 - The End of [Nude]Clan 6:13:14

3M ago6:13:14

6:13:14

What a great ride. Discord Server: discord.gg/cFFx4N5 *** If you would like to contact Nude Clan, check out the links below: Watch us play and record our podcast live on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/nudeclangaming Check out our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/nudeclangaming Podcast RSS Feed: https://nudeclan.libsyn.com/rss Facebook Page: …

1
S1 EP3: No Rest 44:24

3M ago44:24

44:24

The squad pulls itself out of the wreckage of the collapsed mech, Achilles, and takes a moment to tend to their wounds as they wrap their heads around what has just occurred. Content warnings for SACRED MACHINATIONS include violence, blood, broken bones, giant monsters, death, complex relationships, grief, romance, loss of loved ones, guns and blad…

1
Episode 171: Mappa Mundi Interview 1:01:18

3M ago1:01:18

1:01:18

Logan is joined by George Bickers, writer and game designer of Mappa Mundi, an Exploration + Ecology RPG. Find Mamma Mundi and more about Three Sails Studios here. Titles also avaliable at DrivethruRPG.com. Follow Grorge and Three Sails Studios here. Want to join the conversation? Join us on Discord: https://discord.gg/gPVH7a9 We are also affiliate…

1
S1 EP2: Many Heads, Many Minds 1:33:19

3M ago1:33:19

1:33:19

Sirin Wolfe, the retired mech pilot, joins the squad, Yazrin, Ifunanya, Five, and Nemesis, to venture further into the wilderness beyond the city walls to investigate the source of the aberrant signal.Content warnings for SACRED MACHINATIONS include violence, blood, broken bones, giant monsters, death, complex relationships, grief, romance, loss of…

1
Tracy Fullerton and Matthew Farber, "The Well-Read Game: On Playing Thoughtfully" (MIT Press, 2025) 32:08

3M ago32:08

32:08

How players evoke personal and subjective meanings through a new theory of player response. In The Well-Read Game: On Playing Thoughtfully (MIT Press, 2025), Tracy Fullerton and Matthew Farber explore the experiences we have when we play games: not the outcomes of play or the aesthetics of formal game structures but the ephemeral and emotional expe…

1
Peter Krapp, "Computing Legacies: Digital Cultures of Simulation" (MIT Press, 2024) 1:10:44

4M ago1:10:44

1:10:44

We're pleased to welcome Dr. Peter Krapp, the author of Computing Legacies: Digital Cultures of Simulation (MIT Press, 2024), to the New Books Network. In Computing Legacies, Peter Krapp explores a media history of simulation to excavate three salient aspects of digital culture. Firstly, he profiles simulation as cultural technique, enabling symbol…

1
Episode: 170: Touchstones & Twists 1:05:14

4M ago1:05:14

1:05:14

in our continued exploration of tools in the player toolkit Griffin & Kim sit down to discuss the importance of touchstones at the table. Want to join the conversation? Join us on Discord: https://discord.gg/gPVH7a9 We are also affiliates with Fan Roll Dice by Metallic Dice Games: Follow this link: https://fanrolldice.com and enter the promo code S…

1
S1 EP1: A Tree Does Not Make A Forest 1:06:18

4M ago1:06:18

1:06:18

Four Resistance fighters leave the walls of their city on a mission to find a pilot from years long past and the source of a strange signal... Content warnings for SACRED MACHINATIONS include violence, blood, broken bones, giant monsters, death, complex relationships, grief, romance, loss of loved ones, guns and blades as weaponry, tight or enclose…

1
Trailer: SACRED MACHINATIONS 2:15

4M ago2:15

2:15

When ancient monsters re-awaken, five resistance fighters must embrace their destinies as divinely endowed mech pilots—despite clashing duties and domains. These pilots are Yazrin Wali, a mechanic-turned-mech prodigy who only feels human in the cockpit; Ifunanya, a bionic experiment designed to be the perfect pilot; Five, a simple farmer who’s secr…

1
James Cartlidge, "The Rise of the Roguelite: Inside a Gaming Phenomenon" (CRC Press, 2025) 27:12

4M ago27:12

27:12

The Rise of the Roguelite: Inside a Gaming Phenomenon (CRC Press, 2025) analyzes the wave of roguelite games that have appeared over the past decade, putting them in historical context, informing readers about their development out of and relation to the roguelike genre that inspired them. The book includes discussions of the historical development…

1
Subwar 2050 1:36:17

4M ago1:36:17

1:36:17

We've featured a lot of different kinds of sim games over the years. We've piloted fighter jets, space ships, a ww2-era bomber and even giant mechs. But never before have we gone under water! In a lot of ways, 1993's Subwar 2050 by Particle Systems and MicroProse could be described as "aquatic Wing Commander". But even though it might be a little l…

1
Episode 169: The Wildsea Character Demo 1:31:45

4M ago1:31:45

1:31:45

Slightly returning to our roots, The gang sits down at the table to explore the world of The Wildsea RPG by way of character and ship creation! Buy the wildsea here! And be sure to check out the chracter app we used here. Want to join the conversation? Join us on Discord: https://discord.gg/gPVH7a9 We are also affiliates with Fan Roll Dice by Metal…

1
Jonathan D. Cohen, "Losing Big: America's Dangerous Sports Gambling Boom" (Columbia Global Reports, 2025) 56:01

4M ago56:01

56:01

In 2018, the United States Supreme Court opened the floodgates for states to legalize betting on sports. Eager for revenue, almost forty states have done so. The result is the explosive growth of an industry dominated by companies like FanDuel and DraftKings. One out of every five American adults gambled on sports in 2023, amounting to $121 billion…

1
Connor Jackson, "Zombies, Consumption, and Satire in Capcom's Dead Rising" (Routledge, 2024) 16:06

4M ago16:06

16:06

Zombies, Consumption, and Satire in Capcom's Dead Rising (Routledge, 2024) explores the relationship between video games and satire through an in-depth examination of Capcom’s Dead Rising series, which alludes to, recontextualises, and builds upon George A. Romero’s filmic satire on American consumer culture, Dawn of the Dead. Proposing a taxonomy …

1
Milena Droumeva, "Playthrough Poetics: Gameplay as Research Method" (Amherst College Press, 2024) 31:57

4M ago31:57

31:57

Game streamers and live commentators are producing increasingly comprehensive analyses of gameplay, yet scholarship still tends to flatten the experiential media of video games into text for close reading. By shifting focus toward the immersiveness of video games, Playthrough Poetics: Gameplay as Research Method (Amherst, 2024) makes the case for g…

1
Daryl Fairweather, "Hate the Game: Economic Cheat Codes for Life, Love, and Work" (U Chicago Press, 2025) 35:04

4M ago35:04

35:04

The secret insights of economics, translated for the rest of us. Should I buy or rent? Do I ask for a promotion? Should I tell people I’m pregnant? What salary do I deserve? Should I just quit this job? Common anxieties about life are often grounded in economics. In an increasingly win-lose society, these economic decisions—where to work, where to …

1
Episode 168: Mausritter - Motte and Bailiff 1:30:18

4M ago1:30:18

1:30:18

Here is our Mausritter AP titled, Motte and Bailiff. Thanks to our players Christian Darnell, August Hakvaag, and Carlos Jiga Check our review here. The music is by The Fanet, listeners can find out more at thefanet.bandcamp.com Find Mausritter here! Follow August Hakvaag - Wingwomen Follow Carlos Jiga - Dash Want to join the conversation? Join us …

1
Chrono Trigger 2:36:30

5M ago2:36:30

2:36:30

Enjoy this little bonus... Email us: [email protected] Discord: discord.gg/cFFx4N5

1
Heretic 1:40:38

5M ago1:40:38

1:40:38

The Serpent Riders have made the kings of Parthoris their puppets and their undead legions are swarming the land. Only you, the Elf Corvus have the power to - you know what? The story probably isn't one bit more important than it is in DOOM, the masterpiece that this month's game is based on. Heretic was the breakthrough success for Raven Software,…

1
Episode 167: Mausritter 56:32

5M ago56:32

56:32

Logan, Griffin & Kim sit down to review the OSR derived game, Mausritter. FInd Mausritter here! Special thanks to your players of Mausritter which can be found on our youtube here: Christian Darnell August Hakvaag - Wingwomen Carlos Jiga - Dash Want to join the conversation? Join us on Discord: https://discord.gg/gPVH7a9 We are also affiliates with…

1
Mia Consalvo et al., "Streaming by the Rest of Us: Microstreaming Videogames on Twitch" (MIT Press, 2025) 41:20

5M ago41:20

41:20

The vast majority of people who stream themselves playing videogames online do so with few or no viewers. In Streaming by the Rest of Us: Microstreaming Videogames on Twitch (MIT Press, 2025) Dr. Mia Consalvo, Dr. Marc Lajeunesse, and Dr. Andrei Zanescu investigate who they are, why they do so, and why this form of leisure activity is important to …

1
Episode 166: Keys to the Kingdom - Onboarding and beyond 55:55

5M ago55:55

55:55

The gang discusses verious ways to bring a player into a game be they beginner or seasoned. Find Trophy here. FInd Mothership here. Hear us talk about The One Ring here. Want to join the conversation? Join us on Discord: https://discord.gg/gPVH7a9 We are also affiliates with Fan Roll Dice by Metallic Dice Games: Follow this link: https://fanrolldic…

1
Sarah Stang, et al., "Monstrosity in Games and Play" (Amsterdam UP, 2024) 50:47

6M ago50:47

50:47

Sarah Stang, editor, joins Jana Byars to talk about Monstrosity in Games and Play (Amsterdam UP, 2024). Monsters fascinate us. From ancient folklore to contemporary digital games, they are at the core of the stories we tell. They reflect our fears, deepest desires, and the monstrosity hidden within ourselves. Monsters hold a mirror to our contempor…

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