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Submit Your Question For The MinnMax Show Podcast (Patreon)

Published:
2025-01-07 20:15:40
Imported:
2026-06
Tags:

Content

Happy 2025, everybody! Thanks so much for supporting MinnMax, we're excited to tackle a ton this year. We hope you enjoyed the new episode of Bonus Pod with Haley, Sarah, and Kelsey talking about what they played over the holiday break. Funky note for this upcoming episode of The MinnMax Show: we're streaming it live for folks at the Backstage Pass tier on Wednesday at 3pm Central but it won't be in the bonus podcast feed until Thursday. We have an announcement to make on the show and we prefer it doesn't get out on the internet ahead of time. This is all assuming the folks at the Backstage Pass tier can keep a secret, we're all counting on you. Don't dream too big with your guesses, but it's something we're excited about.

This week for community questions on the podcast, we'll have Ben Hanson, Haley MacLean, Janet Garcia, and a special guest. It's your turn to make the show better by leaving a question, news story, BetterQuest goal for the new year, or anything else for us to read on the show as a comment below! We’ll choose our favorite and iam8bit will ship out the great prize below for the winner! We'll stop pulling questions around 8am Central on Wednesday.

On this week’s episode we’ll be talking about...

Our Most-Anticipated Games Of 2025

The Community's Two Tens for 2024 (Based on the community poll results)

Let us know your most-anticipated game of 2025!

Everybody at the Backstage Pass tier can watch us record the show live on Wednesday at 3pm Central, with an exclusive pre and post show. The unedited archive will be available to view after the fact. You could do us a favor by subscribing to the audio version of the podcast on iTunes or your favorite podcast app, telling a friend, leaving a review, and subscribing to our YouTube channel!

https://apple.co/3lRbzbE

https://www.youtube.com/minnmax

You can also find the Outer Wilds vinyl for sale in iam8bit’s online store, and you can use the promo code TWOTWOSANDONEFIVE for 10% off everything under $100. Psst… please don’t post that promo code anywhere else on the internet. It’s a MinnMax-exclusive thing. https://www.iam8bit.com/collections/all

Files

Comments

Jerry Young

If you cut a deck of cards are you changing the order of the deck or just the starting point?

Malcolm Holliday

Happy New Year MinnMax, what potato chip flavor and brand best represents you as an individual?

Aaron White

What strategies would you recommend for prioritizing a backlog over new games this year and managing the FOMO that comes with not playing every new release?

Palo

Happy 2025 Minnmax! AGDQ is going this week, if you could 'get good' at speedrunning one thing, what would it be? (note: does not have to be a video game)

SlyCut

Hello all, I'm currently on vacation and am about to go tubing. What is your favorite winter activity?

Liz Phillips

Do you think GTA VI gets released this year or do you think it’ll get delayed?

Orryn Echols

Happy New Year Everyone, Anything random happened during your guys’ break that made you unintentionally think of your fellow cohort?

Alex Lovendahl

Going with my usual icebreaker. Given that they are willing and eager, which X-Men character would you kiss?

David Perry

On the topic of most anticipated games: What was yalls most anticipated game in the past that was incredibly disappointing upon release?

RickyWinterborn

Whats the most daunting game in your backlog that has the strongest pull to start playing it? Mine is Disco Elysium.

Travis in Fargo

I drive by a billboard every day with a spelling error on it. What’s the biggest typo, whether in size or scope, that you’ve seen?

Swansonge

What’s your favorite game you missed playing prior to the 2 Tens but got to catch up on during the break?

Conner McCabe

A late missed joke opportunity: On the year end music episode, Ben asked Charles to rank the instruments he is the best at, and Charles responded “I’m a trombone player, Trombone number 1.” When we could have said “I’m a trombone player. A trombone champ, if you will.”

Travis in Fargo

Who’s your favorite Spice Girl AND which Spice Girl are YOU?

resident eva

Hi! Happy new year! What are your New Years Resolutions??

Marty

Hey Ben and co.! There are tons of games I'm looking forward this year, but if I had to choose one, it's Citizen Sleeper 2. I'm submitting it on behalf of the glorious indie games hub in the discord, where many of us are anxiously awaiting the sequel to one of our favorite games.

AJ

Hi! Long time first time. I’m a craft bartender in Austin, been doing it for almost 9 years. If minnmax was to have a signature cocktail, what would be its flavor profile (sweet, tart, tangy, bitter, floral, etc.) and/or base spirit? (bourbon, rum, mezcal, gin, etc.)

John Lee

What do you think you'd be more excited for? Being a NYT crossword answer or a Jeopardy question? And what do you think your question or clue would be??? Happy New Year to the crew and listeners! Here's to our next ones being our best ones !

Elias Armendariz

Hi MinnMaxers, Following up on the two tens, what kind of year would you prefer? A year full of 7's or a year with a few 10's?

Blobarsmartin

What’s the most/least interesting location for a game studio that you’ve visited? For example, Machinegames are located above my local supermarket where I get lunch a few times a week.

Joshua Ayers

What game gets the most unfair boost to its cool factor/real estate in your brain from music or some other media associated with it? Dante's Inferno will forever occupy part of my mind for using "Ain't No Sunshine" in its commercials, and I haven't played it (and might never).

Neal McMahon

Hey Maxers! It’s time to play the 2025 rendition of a game I like to call, “Real life video game mechanics”, where each person explains their thoughts on what would happen in real life. I give a game scenario and the MinnMax crew gives the real world scenario. Game scenario: When you complete a side quest what is that object the quest holder always gives you? Life scenario: explain a real world example of receiving a side quest reward.

resnet

Happy new year MinnMax! Outside of the public holidays and special occasions like birthdays, Valentine's, Thanksgiving, Chirstmas, etc. do you and your family or friends have your own weird little yearly ritual? For example, I used to gather every year with a few friends on summer solstice to say goodbye to the sun as it starts to turn further away.

Christian Hall

Hey MinnMax! What would you title your memoir?

Nate Voris

At the start of every year I have games that I am looking forward to that I inevitably forget about. What upcoming 2025 games are you excited for that you predict will be forgotten by the end of the year?

Jackson Davis

People often ask around this time of year about what games you wish you had fought harder for during the Two Tens. But are there any games you regret fighting for upon further reflection?

Jacob Mazanowski

Yall Two Tens conversations are some of my favorite content of the year. A big part of that is when people on the show disagree. You guys do such a great job of not turning your disagreement into arguments and hate. In general I’m a big fan of when people disagree because I think it promotes more interesting conversation and points of view. I only don’t like when people take disagreement personally and it turns negative and hateful. My question is, what is one thing that is typically viewed as a negative thing you wish or hope people could use in a positive way? Disagreement is mine (obviously)

jacob cummings

If video games were meals (for example: sonic would be a chilli dog paired with a caffeine overdose inducing energy drink while mario would be a nice big bowl of meatball and mushroom spaghetti paired with a peach capri sun) what would be the most delicious game and what would be the grossest?

Thom Blackburn

Hi minnmax, I have a game! Think back to when you were in school and were told not to misbehave or else it will go on your "permanent record". Now imagine your gaming crimes and find out who would serve the longest sentence! Thanks, Thom

McGreevy

Hiya Cohorts! Time to brag. What's the best gift you have even given to someone else? Could be a solo gift or psrt of a group present.

Michael Lane

Hi MinnMaxers! Curious, say you're sitting at a red light behind a driver who's absolutely oblivious to it turning green. How long do you wait before giving a honk?

Jesse Eberenz

What’s your favorite snow level in a video game? For me, it’s either Snowbound (multiplayer map from Halo 3) or Surface I (Goldeneye 007).

Calltire

One game I’m looking forward to in 2025 is 2XKO, Riot’s league of legends fighting game. I played in the alpha lab and it was a blast. Hopefully it proves accessible yet deep enough to both get new players and veterans to play the game

tuxpeng

Hey gang! I was thinking about Indy and how great that circle is, specifically about the Raiders sequence in the game. It got me wondering: what do y'all think would be the best/most fun scene from a show, movie, etc to play through in a game?

thejjuan1

Hello Ben. You replied 9 times with “post your top 10” on the YouTube comments of the ten tens. This was by far the most Midwestern thing you ever did. You and the crew want to talk about the discourse of the two tens when it comes to FF7 Rebirth?

notweirder

How many photos do you think you appeared in last year without you knowing?

CJ

What was the best game you played in 2024 that came out before 2024?

DJ Tommy Pizza

Happy 2k25 cohorts! Regarding the Two Tens list & the patreon post with everyone's top 10s of 2024, I was curious what an objective MinnMax top 10 would look like. So, for each of the 9 cohorts on the panel for the discussion, I gave each cohorts' #1 10 points, #2 9 points, and so on. Here is MinnMax's ranked choice top 10 of 2024: 1. Astro Bot - 55 points 2. Metaphor ReFantazio - 39 pts 3. 1000xResist - 39 pts 4. Balatro - 33 pts 5. Like a Dragon Infinite Wealth - 31 pts 6. UFO 50 - 24 pts 7. Lorelei & the Laser Eyes - 21 pts 8. Mouthwashing - 16 pts 9. FF7 Rebirth - 15 pts 10. Minishoot' Adventures - 13 pts

kajmo

Who on the panel could make the best bowl of chili?

Qax

Sometimes I think goty is overrated. I wanna hear peoples fav game of the year regardless of release date, ya know? Mine is still 1000xresist but still!

Jim Chatterton

Hey Cohorts! What are your gaming new year resolutions? Try new genres? Finish that one game in your backlog? Finally start playing League of Legends?

Fancygraham

There’s lots of games that have had an upturn in public perception like No Man’s Sky or Death Stranding. But can you think of games that have had a downturn in public perception? Bioshock Infinite comes to mind.

Rikimaru

Hi MinnMax! I was looking over my most anticipated games and started to notice a pattern: Ghost of Yōtei (Ghost 2) Hades II Monster Hunter Wilds (MHW 2) Death Stranding 2: On the Beach The Outer Worlds 2 A lot of games are getting sequels, including indies! Citizen Sleeper 2, Kingdom Come Deliverance 2, Moonlighter 2, Slay the Spire 2, Streets of Rogue 2, TOEM 2, Trails through Daybreak 2, Okami 2!? I love getting new IPs but I can't help but be excited to see how these sequels pan out. Does it feel like this year will have more sequels than normal? Is this a regular thing in other mediums and becoming more common in games?

Hieronymus Josh

Hey gang! Do you all cuss, curse, or swear?

Angus RW

What is your least favourite moment from your favourite game?

Chandler

If you were given the option, would you send Charles to the moon for minnmax travelogue content?

Vilis

Any Fourth Wing fans on the crew hoping to tear into Onyx Storm later this month? Fan theories?

Cashewual

Dear Minnmaxers: What's a skill or something you learned in 2024?

Surells

Do you guys make new years resolutions and find them useful, or do you think they're just a waste of time? If you do make them, are there any you're willing to put out there? Also, a stupid one as my dog is next to me on the bed: what are the best dogs in video games history? My vote goes to Dogmeat from Fallout 3, even though he was an idiot. I must have reloaded my save a thousand times to keep him alive.

Anthony Botz

Most anticipated for 2025: Clair Obscure Expedition 33, and Slay The Spire 2

Chablahblah

What was your favorite demo you played from 2024?

Stephen Woodson

Howdy, What's your favorite soundtrack to a game you've never played? Mine is Final Fantasy 7, either version. (I know, I know, it's on the backlog.) Cheers! -Stevo

DylanTheWizard

To Sara: You mentioned a while ago that you were excited for the Magic the Gathering Hatsune Miku colab. What was your experience buying the cards and did you succeed in getting them? Context: the first sale sold out in 5 or 6 hours and the second sale sold out in 2 hours.

RynaGoGo

Howdy all and Happy New Year! It’s 2025. It’s hard to believe that it’s been 5 years since the pandemic and that we are halfway to 2030. Assuming no other global catastrophes happen for the remainder of the decade is there anything in the gaming space that will have a bigger impact than Covid? Do you think that when we are in the 2030s we will look back and say, that was the Covid generation of gaming or something else? (End of physical? Rise of portable gaming, streaming gaming finally taking off?)

BEEFCAKE

How often should you say hello to a person that you see regularly? I once had a housemate that would say "hey man" every time I saw them. Most of the time when I see people I don't say hello I just continue on whatever conversation we were having the last time I saw them

PoorAndCurly

Happy New Year Minnmax! There's some hot indies come out just in January with Citizen Sleeper 2, Tails of Iron 2: Whiskers of Winter, and Blade Chimera. Also hoping that Eternal Strands turns out alright, with some big industry names behind it.

BenMan

When you have upset someone and text an apology, do you have to acknowledge the apology the next time you see them?

David Campbell

Hey MinnMax! If, after you died, you had to spend eternity haunting the world of any video game, what would you choose to haunt? You could be the player or simply part of the larger world

Cole Harper

Hey Cohorts, the Two Tens is one of my favorite podcasts of the year for so many reasons. I know it takes a ton of time and prep but have you ever thought about doing an all time Two Tens for RPGs, Rouges, platformers etc? I love seeing the passion and insights that come from these conversations.

It's Hugo's Nook

People love using New Years to start doing new things as part of their new years resolutions but I think it's just as valid to stop. Are there any bad gaming habits you're trying to break? Never being a PC gamer, ever since I got the steamdeck I've fallen to the allure of steam sales and in 2024 I've spent too much money in games that I've yet to touch. No more sales or preorders in 25, I'll buy games right as I'm ready to play them.

Michael Archer

My Heart Will Go On is a song that lives forever in the shadow of being the big hit from the movie Titanic. It along with countless movie tie-in songs have wormed their way into the greater social consciousness with radio stations and wedding DJs playing these blockbuster hits across the country. This got me thinking, is there/will there ever be a song equivalent to My Heart Will Go On that comes from video games? A song that transcends this medium we all love to be accepted as "real music". Anyways, peace and blessings, yall

Andy Dwyer

At what point in the year are you behind on game of the year prep vs. just not playing all the new games? Do you have a new plan to prep for Game of the Year this year?

A.853

I would love to know if there were any books you read in 2024 that stood out to you. (Does not have to be a 2024 book).

James from Michigan

Hey Cohorts, if there was a MinnMax Voltron, who would be what part of the MinnMax machine

Devin Atlee-Nutts

Hey MinnMaxers, I wrote in a few weeks ago about listening to an old MinnFaqs episode where Kelsey's singing talents were revealed (Lewin or otherwise). Ben mentioned going out for a karaoke session together sometime over the holiday, so how was it?! PS: If you don't read this question, I'll have to assume Ben's feedback would be... Less positive.

CrabPalace

Is the 2025 GOTY a game we know about, or some indie we won't have heard of until it's randomly the best selling game of all time on steam?

MF_GOOMBA

Hope everyone enjoyed the break! When's the right time to take down your Christmas tree?

Clayton Dexter

How important is ‘finishing’ a game for a GOTY debate compared to merely putting some time into it? Do shorter games get a bias since they are easier to finish, or do they tend to move down because there isn’t as much time to put in?

Sean

Hey minnmax What game would you erase from your fellow cohorts minds to cause them the most psychological damage?

Troy Ellison

How do you feel about getting clothing as a gift? When I was growing up I was pretty indifferent to my ceremonial Christmas gift of new pajamas/t shirts, but I've realized I've done a 180 since this year when my girlfriend gifted me the comfiest socks I've ever worn.

Lamb Dance

Hey MinnMax, since we didn't have Best Character as a category for the awards this year, do you want to shout out your personal favorite characters from gaming last year?

Ben with one N

Hey MinnMax. How come more people don't talk about Splatoon? This is one of Nintendo's greatest franchises and I feel like it never gets the love it deserves. If this question is read on the show and it gets even one person to play it, I will have done my squid kid duty. Play Splatoon, people!

Xavier Richardson

An idea that's been rolling around my brain since playing Metaphor Refantazio: How do you all approach new media from established teams/artists that is so fundamentally similar to their previous works? After seeing the "new" fantasy rendition of the velvet room and other staple Persona mechanics and story elements, my enjoyment started to wane because while I expected a totally new experience from the Persona team, I instead got a fantasy-flavored refinement of many past ideas, which while not bad, definitely didn't feel as new as I had hoped it would.

SuperThisWay

Have you all figured out if there’s a cut off date for the two tens? I really enjoyed the argument from all sides about Indiana Jones game being included or not but I also wouldn’t mind if this topic isn’t resolved too!

Grizzled Gaming

Hey, gang! What's something you're really excited about, personally or professionally, in 2025? It doesn't have to be anything gaming-related.

pbpufs

PlayStation is blue, Nintendo is red, Xbox is green. If you had to choose a new iconic color for each, what would they be?

Tess

What's the color of an exit sign, Red or Green?

Jake Eckert

Get a load of this! As of January 7th 2025, it’s been 2,403 days since Bethesda put out that Elder Scrolls VI teaser trailer. 2,403 days before that day, Skyrim released! If you’re 30 years old you have roughly 8 of these-sized chunks of time left in your life. Take it easy!

Internet.Levi

Hey Minnmax folks, With the goty talks all over, and some time to think about you're own personal lists, do you think your #1 game from 2024 cracks you top 20 of all time? If so, where does it rank?

Matthew W

My most anticipated for 2025 is Citizen Sleeper 2!

Edern

Hi MinnMaxers, hope you had a great holiday season! My 2025 resolution is to dive into more retro games. Alongside the Switch Online collection, I treated myself to an Analogue Pocket for Christmas. However, I keep returning to childhood favorites like Tetris, Mario, Zelda (and Kuru Kuru Kururin :). What 8- or 16-bit games would you recommend that stand out for their solid controls, good progression, and great graphics—nostalgia aside? Thanks, and happy new year!

Bon Jon Bovi

Early last year, I asked the cohorts which studio would be the next to make a Larian-style jump to concensus GOTY status. All of the answers given were plausible, but Janet answered Team Asobi so I think she deserves some serious kudos for that! For this year's kudos, yes or no: Assuming it comes out this year, will GTA 6 win GOTY at the Game Awards? Is it inevitable, or will something topple it?

Jordan G

Hey MinnMax! Why does Nintendo get a pass so often? Don’t get me wrong, I am a Nintendo fan, but it really surprises me that they went an entire console generation without directly addressing the Switch’s biggest problem: stick drift. Whether they’re independent joy-cons or part of a Switch Lite, Nintendo made out like bandits when it comes to a lifetime console issue. I feel like Sony and Microsoft could not have gotten away with this.

Brody Weller

Happy New Year, y’all! What was your weirdest New Year’s celebration that you have ever been a part of?

HoneybadgerMD

Since the new year, instead of tackling all the great games mentioned in GOTY discussions, I've been playing tons of Proverbs (a very relaxing puzzle game similar to minesweeper), which has actually been a nice palate-cleanser. What are your go-to low stakes relaxing games?

Jesse Manfra

Most anticipated for 2025 is obviously GTA VI, but not for the GTAness of it all. Vice City is my number #1 cozy game. It's the game I watched my older brother play, the one I snuck into friend's houses, the one that made me fall in love with 80s music. It's the game I would play just to drive around and exist in the world. And then I met my wife and she grew up in Miami and now I get to visit once or twice a year. It in a weird way feels like a second home. All that to say; I can't wait to revisit one of the coziest places ever: Vice City. My question to the cohorts is, what game do you find cozy that is absolutely not a cozy game?

Dominic Cichocki

Hey all! In the spirit of a new year, I was thinking about Every Game Is Interesting. What if instead of literally pointing to every game ever, it became a series about looking into some of the interesting oddities and little-talked about games that might spark larger discussion? I'm thinking like the Game Freak PS1 game Click Medic, or the very first King's Field that never got localized for the States. Or, for something closer to home, the Rockstar/Bungie PS2 game Oni. In style it'd be akin to what Ben was doing with that Tomato Adventure game from AlphaDream. Anyway, excited for the announcement, I'm really excited for the new Layton game. Thanks!

Travis in Fargo

What’s your favorite one-season-only TV show?

Travis in Fargo

Not to get political here, but what do you think Donald Trump’s game of the year 2024 was?

demo_sphere

Hola Minnmaxers What will be the most divisive game of 2025? I'm leaning towards GTA6, though I believe Death Stranding 2 will be fairly divisive as well. Happy new year and happy gaming 🎉

Aging_Poorly

Like a lot of us, I came down with a nasty case of Astro Bot Fever over the break. I was able to scrounge up a PSVR1 for $20 on Facebook marketplace and played Astro Bot Rescue Mission VR. That was a killer app! My hot take: it has more charm and memorable moments than the 2024 release. Related question: when investigating old games in a series because you couldn't get enough of a new entry, have you ever found yourself enjoying the older entry even more than the newer one?

Joe Kafchinski

What's the deal with Josef Fares? The guy exclusively makes bangers, yet I never hear him mentioned alongside the likes of Kojima, Druckmann or even indie darlings like Lucas Pope or Derek Yu. He also clearly enjoys the spotlight but somehow only appears in public once a year at The Game Awards, like a foul-mouthed Punxatawny Phil. Why is this guy who makes great games and loves attention so quiet 364 days a year?

James

What's your opinion on Pee-Wee Herman? Personally I love Pee-Wee - My wife however hates (maybe even loathes) Pee-Wee. I find his strange, energetic persona genuinely hilarious. I love it! While my wife finds his strange, energetic persona genuinely off-putting. I'm curious to see how the cohort feels about Pee-Wee. Extreme answers only.

Luca Alberti

Howdy MinnMax crew! In the latest news it seems the former staff of Annapurna took over Private Division, and I'm rejoyed by this news: not just because they'll keep working in the industry, but because for the longest time I've been mixing up these two publishers!! Their black and white logos and focus on artsy indie to AA games made them become a single entity in my brain long before this merger! What are two companies or IPs from the gaming industry you often mix up?

ARob

Hello and Happy New Year to the computer-loving cohorts! I spent Christmas at my dad's, and every time I go we end up watching an absurd number of movies. With Indiana Jones and the Great Circle looking so good, I finally got around to watching the original Indiana Jones trilogy. My biggest takeaway? They're all great, but Temple of Doom is the best Resident Evil movie ever made. Did you watch any particularly great (or terrible) movies over the holidays?

Mike Lynch

There are lots of stories about fans creating mods or maps for their favorite games, and then that fan is hired by the company. Which of those stories is your favorite?

FinalSin

Hey all, are you a Bath or Shower Person ??

Chalkfullof

Legitimate question: can someone explain to me why GTA 6 is going to be such a big deal? I remember GTA 3 being a huge jump and fun sandbox but it seems like a lot of journalists are talking about this upcoming game like it's going to be something that dramatically shifts the industry at large

AlexTheSnood

What type of snow do you prefer and why?

Sabai

What is a game/series that you respect but don't necessarily enjoy? As professional critics, how do you approach reviewing such games, further than its "just not for me"?

Devin Atlee-Nutts

Have you ever had a computer virus? What did it do? The worst I've had is questionable browser extensions appearing on the family PC's browser circa late 2000s.

Dec

Why are they called “twin” stick shooters? I get that we are using 2 sticks but where did the twin bit come from ?

wittynicknamehere .

Hello, Cohorts. In light of Janet's and Ben's recently championing the adoption of "rogues" to replace the meaningless terms "roguelike" and "roguelite," I agree and hereby propose another long overdue one: Let's get rid of "Metroidvanias." We don't need it! They're just "metroids"! The only reason Castlevania ever got glommed onto it was that it found great success by deciding to move away from its core style of game and emulate... you guessed it... Super Metroid! Isn't it easier to just say "there's a new metroid game coming out soon"? There's a reason shooters were called "Doom clones" for ages instead of "Wolfendooms," after all.

Shakenbake67

Hello Minnmaxers My question is simple, chocolate strawberries or chocolate bananas? Which side of history are you on. I’m a chocolate banana guy myself but my wife is on the wrong side of history and chose chocolate strawberries. How bout y’all?

Catpurrnicus

Disappointed that Crystal Billy recreating a key to fool the goblins wasn't mentioned for favorite moment or greatest work of art.

Phelix Diaz

If movie trailers are a shortened experience of the full movie. Are demos the real trailers of video games and therefore every game should have a demo?

Catpurrnicus

I noticed that during the goty discussion saying that you didn't like a game but you're glad it exists is taken as this is a bad game and people who like are stupid. It's the best thing ever. It's the equivalent of last year's goty discussion when you acknowledge games below a certain number are the freaks of the gaming industry.

Mikkel Juul Thomsen

The Two Tens were great, but what about “The Two Ends”? What were your two favourite endings to games last year? Could be how the story concluded, a climactic boss fight or a middling game that was saved by a great ending.

Kelsey Sims

Now that the new year is here and the pressure to finish games released in 2024 has lifted, I'm considering it to be backlog season! Do you take this time to continue checking out games from the last year? Or do you reach further back in your library to finally play something older that you never got around to?

Machine Gun Keeley

Recently Jacob Geller mentioned an hour long analysis of 1000XResist. Can he please share the name?

AnAttackCorgi

Hello Cohort Crew! AnAttackCorgi here. Sony announced new movies set in the Helldivers, Horizon, and Sekiro games. Feedback from the MinnMax community is mixed; some feel like this is just a money grab from Sony, others feel adaptation fatigue, and still others are kinda excited! What’re your thoughts ?

Veltis

What was the best part of everyone's holiday celebration/time off/etc?

Marques Casarez

Im doing a no buy 2025, which means I will going through my backlog and playing games on game pass and not buying any new games. In a year in which the switch 2 is presumably coming out, I worried I may miss some of the zeitgeist. If the minnmaxers were doing a no buy year, what is the one game that would cause them to break the goal? For me it would be an announcement/release of Marvel Vs. Capcom 4

Travis in Fargo

Was 2024 Nintendo’s weakest year for game releases in recent memory? I couldn’t help but notice a paucity of Nintendo games on most outlets’ GOTY lists. Do we blame this on the upcoming release of the Switch 2 (aka Switooch)?

Poofydoo

Does anybody agree that Nintendo has gone hard on developing the Nintendo Music app? True it does not have a big library, however, every single track has key art that applies to the track specifically and also they have unique playlists. They could have simply just dumped a bunch of albums. Am I alone on this?

Anthony J Kane

I have seen a few people mention that this time of year is great for clearing some of that back log. I agree. In my older age, 42, I find I look forward to playing games I missed over the years more than new releases at times. This year I’m looking forward to finally playing 2014’s Metal Gear Rising: Revengence and 2015’s Darksiders II. What are some of your hotly anticipated backlog entries to play this coming year? Kyle… will you finally play Spec Ops the Line?

James Ford

G'day Cohorts! The Switch is a great console for indies, and even with its successor presumably releasing this year I had previosly thought that the Switch would be long supported by Indie developers for its install base and still being a great spot for the indie. However the Steam deck and its ilk seem to have taken over as being the go to place to play indie games in recent years. How do you think Indies will approach the switch to Switch 2, has the PC handheld taken some momentum from Nintendo and how can /will they get it back?

FelixA

Hey folks! Happy New Year! I've only played one Dynasty Warrions in my life but man why am I excited for the one coming out? Any of you have a title that invokes the same emotions?

mantaguy

I accidently submitted my picks for favorite game music after that bonus podcast episode was recorded, thinking that they happened on Tuesday, not Monday. Just out of curiosity, do any of you look at community submission docs on your own time to look for any stragglers? Also, super hyped for Metroid Prime 4 and Abyss X Zero!

jakcflynn

Happy new year team! Last year I had the goal of running my first marathon. I did so running the Twin Cities marathon in October! I loved it and plan on running it again this year, but faster! Checking my watch data showed me I ran over 1,500 miles this year. While this made me feel really accomplished and it got me thinking about my stats for other things. I would hate to see my stats for how many hours I spent scrolling Twitter. If y'all could have one stat that you could track for the year what would it be? Which wouldn't you want to see?

Joshua Shelvock

Thanks for a great 2024 Two Tens! @Leo @Haley After watching Hitmansplaining, then hearing the way everyone talked about Leo’s Mr. Smith moment with Hitman Freelancer in the 2023 Two Tens, I had to go back and hear for myself and became radicalized for Freelancer. Now I can’t stop playing and trying to get my perfect campaign. Question for Leo and Haley: Did it take a while to beat your first campaign? I have gotten very far, and it hurts to lose it all to a dumb move but I keep coming back to trick out my spy pad

Ryan Stanton

Hi team, love the content as always. The discussion about not having time to play Indy yet in the Two Tens got me thinking: What’s the game on your backlog that you want to get to the most that you still haven’t. I’ve had the Metal Gear series on mine for years, for example. But I still haven’t gotten around to actually playing them. So what’s the game that you know you really should play, but time, mood, or other factors have kept you from pulling the trigger on

pork bun powered

Happy new year MinnMax! Us backstage pass members get exclusive access to "the GOTY pissy zone", a safe space for cohorts to piss all over other people's faves. However, this only started for GOTY 2022! What games from 2021's Two Tens or before do you think needs to be taken down a peg?

Mister Donuts

Hey Cohorts Happy 2025! This new years when I was more a little less than sober I got wondering, what video game character is the greatest hang or alternatively who's the character you'd like to hang out with the most? For me It'd either be Akiyama from Yakuza or Vector the Crocodile from Sonic.

Devin Atlee-Nutts

If gold and iron swapped colours, would the jewellery industry still exist?

KiwiTheGoo

Hey Ben and the CLCs, I find I'm very often wishing for games to be a bit shorter, a bit tighter with their content. When's the last time you wished for a game to be longer? Bonus points if it's a game that's longer than 10 hours to begin with. Does this say something about the industry, or maybe just being an adult means you value shorter experiences? Thanks!

mbc

If someone wanted to get into the business of games media these days…what would be your advice? Make a YouTube channel? Give up and do something else? Thanks!

Brett N

What's the dumbest sentence you've said due to a videogame recently? Inspired Coshimitsu by in the Discord who randomly dropped "I like doing the perfect switch to ghost wife" when discussing a game

Erik Lawther

Happy new year cohorts. Is there a game or piece of media you have interacted with even though you knew it might not be the best for your mental health. If so what did you do to try and look after yourself Everything I've heard about mouthwashing deeply interests me but I am worried about what it's depictions of chronic health might do to my mental state.

GoomPatrol

Hi MinnMax crew! Can’t wait for the all the great content you guys will bring this year. Big fan going on three years now. I was wondering if you guys ever considered doing a fantasy video game critic bit like KF does. I love the idea of it and it would be cool if you guys threw your own twist on it too. Love you guys!

Cody A

What's the happiest song you can think of? Don't stop me now by Queen might be my answer

MrButtons

Hey MinnMax, Over the holiday break I was finally able to finish Metaphor: Refantazio and sadly the final boss soured my love for the game. Even after bumping the difficulty down to the easiest setting, it was still a truly miserable experience that left me feeling like the game was actively punishing me for trying to beat it. Are there any final bosses that you feel ruined a game you otherwise loved up to that point?

CANAS1AN

Happy New Year Gamers! My most anticipated game is only a short wait since it releases in February, Monster Hunter Wilds! After the beta test, I upgraded my computer situation and can't wait to dive back in with all the great changes to my beloved Charge Blade and Lance. Hunting big new monsters, exploring new locales. engaging in the beautiful dance that is MH combat, gearing up, making builds etc. i can't wait! Are any of you planning on checking out MH Wilds? I know at least Kelsey is!

DCFatCat

Has AGDQ ruined games by being too focused on the ending than the worlds created by the team?

landsealion

What's the most wrong way you've played a game? What did you do when you found out? For example, my first playthrough of FFVIII I used summons almost exclusively to win fights, barely used the junction system and grinded to 100 which makes the game even harder.

Fancygraham

Would you be able to do a two tens with games only released in December from the last ten years?

Infinite

Alright, enough of the video game nonsense. It’s time to get serious. What are the cohorts favorite hot drinks during the summer, and favorite cold treats during the winter? Thanks for all the fun and happy (belated) New Year!

SuperCerberus

Is Spelunky secretly the most influential game of the last fifteen years? Considering it kickstarted the roguelike/lite genre, I think there’s a case to be made there.

Fachasaurus

Have you ever noticed or experienced something in a video game that you then saw in real life later with a whole new level of appreciation for it? Years ago, I remember when playing Drive Club I noticed how incredible the dynamic rain physics were in the game - actually floored at the time. Before that game, I would drive around in the rain and not think anything of it whatsoever - but now - I am in absolute awe at how individual raindrops falls on to the windshield or pools up and slides around the hood or brilliantly swishes away with each swing of the wiper blades. Something so mundane but I would never have thought twice about it without being enamored by the physics they implemented in that game.

PJZ64

Have you ever rung in the new year by/while playing a video game? If so, what was your experience like and would you recommend it? A few years after college, my childhood friend group got together, had a few beers, and played Mortal Kombat (2011) for hours. If we hadn't heard the fireworks outside, we wouldn't have known it was midnight already.

Ary Rose

What’s the video game or other piece of media you most wish was not spoiled for you ahead of time?

Alistare

Who would win in a MinnMax tug-of-war? Team A: Leo, Sarah, Kyle, Kelsey, Charles vs Team B: Ben, JeffM, Haley, Janet, Jacob

Chris Pelley

Is there a road trip you want to do but just haven't? How will you know "this is the year I do it"?

Kendra

The Two 10s got me thinking about Atlus and I was wondering if any of y’all played their incredible N64 Snowboard Kids series. The two games in the series a staple of my childhood, but I haven’t met anyone outside of my family who has played them. We rented the first one in Japanese from our local video store and eventually got the English versions when they released. A fun side note to that: my mom loved them so much that for her birthday last year she bought herself a Nintendo 64 and the first Snowboard Kids and invited all the kids and grandkids over to play it with her.

Jalopy Slow

On a typical weekday, what time do you set your alarm for in the morning? And what's the first couple of things you do?

Antti

Dear MinnMaxers, reaffirmed by Janet mentioning Stevie Wonder's Songs in the Key of Life (during the 2009 Spike Video Game Awards video) as one of, if not the greatest album of all time, and it probably being better than any game she's played in the last 10 years, to ask the following question: If you were to create a combined list of your personal top 10 albums and games of all time, which art form would earn more of those coveted spots? This question could also be narrowed down to specific decades or even years (1990s or 2024, for example) to show potential changes through time.

micspam

Hey all- I've got a game for you all this week called Game that FAQ. I went to GameFAQ and copied REAL questions submitted by REAL gamers. All you have to do is name the game the questions are from. As a hint, all of these questions were asked within the last 3 years, and all of the games are still selling tons of units... GAME 1 I hung my down jacket on the wall but now it is gone. Can I get it back? where can I get a garbage can? How many houses do I need to do to unlock the hospital? I accidentaly deleted my sleeping bag and supplies as soon as I reached my tent the 1st night. What do I do? ANSWER: Animal Crossing: New Horizons GAME 2 why wont my garage open? CAN YOU LEGALLY HIRE YOUR CLOSEST FREINDS AND FAMILY TO INSTALL REAL LIFE VEHICLE MODS TO YOUR WINDOWS PC??? i want to know why its not letting me do a mission if im with the right character and the correct time of day? What happens if you're taking a stripper home and one of your businesses calls to do a delivery? ANSWER: GTA V GAME 3 Can I take things back out of my kid's chests without upsetting them? How the fast way to earn money without leveling up, combat and exploit? Why are 2 out of 5 of my followers now warewolves? What mods should I get? Do I have to reload a save here? ANSWER: Skyrim Bonus: Will worlds be destroyed? Stupid profanity Filter, how to bypass? can fox after giving a sweetberry not dropping so he can pick it up giving despawn? Please help can't download or build portal to SpongeBob world??? What is this strange box underground? ANSWER: MINECRAFT

EndgameXpress (edited)

Comment edits

2026-09-14 16:00 Hi everyone. My Wife and I finished up Astrobot on New Years Day, then started playing Super Mario Galaxy. We're taking turns passing the controller. Do you have any recommendations for similar games or you can play together? We've played It Takes Two and are looking forward to Split Fiction when that releases in March. Happy new year and wishing you all the best for 2025.
2025-01-08 09:58

BurnAfterGaming

Hey MinnMax! What are some of your most memorable first experiences with a new piece of technology? In 2006, my aunt took me and a couple of friends to the Nintendo Fusion Tour. For those unaware, the Nintendo Fusion Tour was a short-lived, yearly event that was part Nintendo tech showroom and part emo concert. For us middle school boys, this combo couldn’t have been more perfect. It’s like something we would have dreamed up at the time, I’m as shocked now as I was then that it even existed. There were long lines to get to try the Wii for the very first time. This was a couple months before it would hit store shelves so we were all itching to get our hands on it. We waited, watching in awe as people strapped Wiimotes and nunchucks to their wrists to play short demos of either Wii Sports or WarioWare Smooth Moves. We chose WarioWare, of course, and it blew our freakin socks off. Then we headed into an auditorium to watch Hawthorne Heights, Relient K, and The Plain White T’s perform. A bizarre, memorable, and very mid-2000’s experience. I hope I still have the shirt somewhere. Do any of you have any good stories about your first time with a new piece of technology ?

LlorchDurden

can a NS+ option become an option just cause the name of the show would be THAT good? if so, from the MinnMax council knowledge, when is Minnfinity Nikki happening?

OhMyBlob

With the Helldivers film announcement at CES this week, it seems like almost every game is on the cards for a film adaptation - my question is… is there a video game character role complex and interesting enough to convince Daniel Day-Lewis to come out of retirement?

Thorn23

Hey Minnesota Maxers and More Cherished out-of-staters Question for Janet, apologies if this was brought up previously, but I like most in the gaming community who grew up and especially valued the timeless and more importantly priceless artifact that is Physical media, am devastated by the loss and heartless destruction (or should that be desecration? do u think resident Poet and wordsmith Janet haha) of beloved GameInformer magazine last year, in the still honestly-painful shadow of which, heard on the reddit boards about a Kickstarter for a new crowdfunded gaming magazine called Generations, which colour me pleasantly surprised, when I looked into it, saw Wesley Le Blanc, a GI alum, was in fact on board & also alleged to be supported by a regular-issue contributor by the one and only Janet Garcia! Apologies for the extended preamble, but I wanted to check as the Kick starter Wrapped up just shy of a month ago, and wanted to know if she had heard anything, or had any insight, info, or updates on how it was going? (as I had done a v quick check - but could not seem to locate any immediate updates from them, and kinda lowkey have fears that it may have gone a little dark...) 😰 Otherwise, like Hanson (hope u don't mind a smidgen of informality haha) characterised so well (in ep 252), and should it still be full steam ahead, I honestly don't know how Janet's keeps stacking so many things on, but Super congrats on the regular-writing get! Well deserved! and can I just quickly say your drive and unstoppable work energy is no kidding a lowkey inspo for me personally, so yeah, haha! Keep up the good work MinnMax crew! (& soz, can I also give special fan shout outs to u Hanson, Leo & Haley too! - All the crew are ofc appreciated for what u bring, keep it up! - also honestly no such thing as too much content! pls if u can more audio content tho would be greatly appreciated!) P.S. (this part might just more for Hanson lol) Honestly am also willing and eager to give as much feedback as you're happy to take in, if you want - pls let me know if there is a best way to contact you generally/let you know about feedback, if this sounds okay to you. (not sure sometimes, where to put suggestions - and feel reluctant to just annoy/overwhelm the discord community with a text dump of my honest thoughts on positive little tweaks I think could be made!) (Feedback and seeing how to improve things is honestly such a core part of me - that it's honestly a blessing, ref to Janet's oth podcast colleague ofc heheh, and curse sometimes lol - love to have somewhere to share it, and grateful to have someone happy to listen, if you have the time - for making the show better for all! #betterquest #community) (& this part for all cohorts again haha) Apologies once again for the ramble, 😥 With that said thanks for what you all do & to another 5 years and more - Viva MinnMax! #GIproud P.P.S. Feel free to filter as much of this out as you like Hanson, for the reading. (if 🤞 chosen as a Show Q) Thank you & Let’s Go (2025)!! 🎉🥳🎉

ItIsBGun

I'm approaching 6 years single and feel like there's got to be another chapter for me! I am stepping into 2025 with the intention to date from a place of more hope and openness and less cynicism and doubt. I love all things horror and sci-fi, but I'm trying to balance my content with some "love is possible" stories... I started Heartstopper last night and it turns out it's a heart-starter! What else should I put on my "love is possible" watch list? (P.S. Bonus points for queer stories but love is love and I'll watch it all - anything to thaw this heart a bit.)

Sincerly, Eric

New Year, New Plans, New Hobbies? Is there anything you all are looking forward to trying out this year, whether learning a skill. Or picking up a new hobby?

Fred Dinovo

Hello Special Guest, Is this your first time being a special guest? How do you like being a special guest? What is more fulfilling, being a regular or being a special guest? Thank you.

CptCobblePot

Greetings Minnmaxers, What’s one game you are carrying from your backlog into 2025, but you will play this year?

John Millett

Team Asobi are so pleased about the game of the year win that they want to feature the MinnMax cohorts (and today's special guest!) as rescuable bots. What would everyone's gacha accessories and trademark-dodging titles be?

Adam Castellanos

I feel as though 2024 was the year of the JRPG, Persona 3 reload, Like a dragon infinite wealth, Metaphor refantazio, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, just to say a few where standouts for the genre in 2024. What genre will be the stand out for 2025? Thank you for all of your end of the year coverage. Also wishing Janet and anyone in the Los Angeles area safety due to the wildfires.

Brody Stamann

my biggest anticipated game... is news on Kingdom Hearts 4 😭