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Submit Your Question For The MinnMax Show Podcast (Patreon)

Published:
2025-01-21 21:30:42
Imported:
2026-06
Tags:

Content

FYI: Due to the Xbox Developer Direct happening on Thursday at 12pm Central (we'll be streaming our reactions on YouTube), we're holding the podcast back for the second week in a row and will be doing it live on YouTube on Thursday at 1pm Central. It'll be up in the podcast feeds as soon as possible after that.

This week for community questions on the podcast, we'll have Ben Hanson, Kelsey Lewin, Jacob Geller, and Alanah Pearce (feel free to submit a question just for her!). It's your turn to make the show better by leaving a question, news story, BetterQuest goal, 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...

Xbox Developer Direct Highlights

Doom: The Dark Ages

South of Midnight

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

Citizen Sleeper 2

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 this item 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

Victor Jesus Moreno

Hi y'all! It's snowing in Houston Texas! 5 inches! What are the best snow areas in games? I'm throwing down the snow Ellie section in The Last of Us Part 1. I know snow isn't a big deal in Minnesota but please be excited for us!!!

Stevelution

Doom got me thinking. What are some of the best reimaginings of a seminal gaming franchise? Doom 2016, Metroid Prime and BOTW are the standouts for me

Lanthian

What is the best game you have played on someone’s recommendation that you probably would not have gotten around to? Mine would be Metal Gear Solid, which got me huge into the entire series.

Seneca Kier

Is there a game that’s come out in the past year that initially you didn’t like at all but you’ve warmed up to significantly since then?

Aging_Poorly

What is the most 9.9/10 game of all time - almost perfect but with one glaring misstep?

Travis in Fargo

Would you rather go see a movie or a play?

CANAS1AN

Hello Hunters, Do you think the upcoming Monster Hunter Wild betas with no changes or optimizations since the 2024 tests are a good idea or a bad idea? Will any of you be participating in the betas and if so, what is your go to weapon? Signed a Charge Blade main

Neal McMahon

Hey Cohorts, You ever play the first level of a game that blows you away with the scope, polish, and amount of detail shown in the opening hour or two. Then slowly each level/ area gets a little less “grand”? I think this happen a lot in Assassin’s Creed games and many open world games. My initial thought is that maybe game devs get fatigued and need to work on other bug fixes, areas, or effects vs another grand scale level in act 2 (much like Neil Druckman said about the rain in The Last of Us Part 2 documentary, Grounded 2)? What do you think? Do you think game devs build games in order? Can you feel it in some games?

Cashewual

If you're having someone over for dinner, what's a dish you'd cook to impress them?

Palo

Hope you all are staying warm. I'm looking forward to diving into Lonely Mountains: Snow Riders. Though, if I'm being honest, I prefer to play cold-wintery games in the summer, and warm-summery games in the winter. Are there any games, genres, or vibes that you see as seasonal?

Travis in Fargo

What’s your favorite regionally specific euphemism or exclamation?

VMEArcana (Very Much Earthed Arcana)

One of the many things I find hilariously serious about the gritty metroidvania “Kong: Survival Instinct” is the warning at the beginning of the game warns that that game contains giant monsters, death, and losing contact with your family. Are there any content warning that get you excited about playing a game?

Fear Rabbit Teeth

This weekend I watched Nosferatu and while that was great, the 28 Years Later trailer before it was amazing. It explained nothing, just set the tone. What is your all time favorite game trailer that showed little but showed everything you needed to see to get excited? Elden Ring stands out for me as one that was done very well.

David M

When was the last time a videogame made you cry? I was an inconsolable mess when I finished Xenoblade 2 last Summer.

notweirder

How long did it take for the allure of getting game codes early to wear off?

RickyWinterborn

Have you ever hit a roadblock in a game and come back to it years later to finally get past it? Recently had that experience with Sekiro.

Tolkientaters

Since you're gonna be talking about a game clearly influenced by Persona at least in terms of UI. What's your favorite UI or use of UI in a game aside from Persona/Metaphor?

Alex Lovendahl

Inspired by the Kentucky Route Zero prize and the fantastic bluegrass song in the first act, are there any folk art movements or local types of stories you'd want to see adapted to a video game?

Actually Alex

What’s up beautiful people?What’s a gaming mechanic that came out in 2024 that you hope catches on in future games? Mine would have to be the auto farm mechanic in grand blue fantasy relink. For context, once you beat the story, the endgame opens up. There are 7 difficulty’s that you want to rank up through, and the final unlocks the two raids. There is a lot of grinding to level up characters, and get money to build better gear. The auto farm function lets the AI control your character to fight for you, and you can click to redo the mission automatically after it’s done. So if your low on cash, or want to level a new character you unlocked to max level, you can send them on a mission to farm it out for you. This saves a lot of time on grinding new characters and in game money. The way they balanced this is this feature is only available up to the 5th difficulty. After that you have to actually play and farm the game. Pretty cool system I would love in other grindy games. It’s also criminal how little attention this game got.

Zae

How often do you start a game, book or movie and not finish? I do it so often with games, but with books and movies I try not to as much. Is there a particular reason that will push you to not finish something? And what’s the trigger to stop reading, watching or playing something?

Dylan Flaks

Do you ever fall asleep in the opening cut scene of a game and have to start it over? (Yakuza 0, 3 days ago for me)

Jonas Schlotterbeck

What is the best Microsoft published game? Will they publish a game in the next 5 years that will compete for that spot?

WeGoGiant

What's the farthest from your home you've ever travelled? Is there anywhere even further away that you'd like to visit someday?

resnet

Hi MinnMax! I am curious to know about everyone's wallpaper (desktop, phone, tablet, etc.). As a teenager making wallpaper and theme on Windows was my main mode of self-expression. At the moment, my PC is a concept art of Revachol from Disco Elysium, my favourite game of the last 10 years. Do you have a favorite, an old-reliable, or do you keep changing your wallpapers as your life goes on?

Chesnutt

Is there any game that has introduced you to an artist through their work showing up in a game, such as a musician being in the soundtrack, an artists work on the design and look of the game, or even a reference to something in the real world such as Signalis referencing paintings by Bocklin or the book King in Yellow?

Tess

What does AC stand for?

Fancygraham

We’ve seen a trend in the past few years of developers releasing games that are styled after ps1 and even ps2 graphics. I’m guessing that in the not so distant future, we’ll start seeing 360/ps3 styled games. However, do you think we’ll start seeing Xbox one/ps4 styled games eventually? Does the 8th generation have its own style?

Geebeesee

What’s your favorite sleepover video gaming memory?

PoorAndCurly

If you had to show up to an episode of Crossfade tomorrow with no preparation, what album are you bringing?

CptCobblePot

Greetings Minnmaxers, How should studios start balancing feedback from players without sacrificing their creative vision? No Mans Sky has a great comeback because it listened to player feedback and it became a better game for it. Team Asobis director during the rapid fired interview seemed so accepting of feedback. Where do you all think that balance is?

Tom Brien

What's the best case scenario for Nintendo having a mouse bundled with every console? Little kids at the McDonalds playing Civ 6?

Michael Berry

Do you think the SSX characters Zoe and Psymon live normal lives when they are not snowboarding, or is everything they do Mountain Dew extreme?

Infinite

Hello professional talkers, I’m currently polishing off the end game content for Trails into Reverie from the Legend of Heroes series. It has been the culmination of three separate overarching plots from several gaming generations. It is an irreplaceable experience of my gaming life, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. What is the greatest experience you’ve had in gaming? Has it spanned several games? Console generations? I’d love to know! Thanks!

McGreevy

Hello Cohorts. I purchased Kentucky Route Zero in 2013 during the kick-starter and loved the first act and yet have never played further. What is your deepest backlog shame for a game you owned since release?

Phelix Diaz

Hello MinnMax. I'm a mental health therapist and during the holidays I started playing Kind Words 2. It's a game were you start conversations with random avatars or reply to letters from people asking for personal advice. After work I usually feel drained with the type of emotional energy necessary for this type of work, but it has been surprising how much I have enjoyed the gameplay on this game, which is similar to my work. Maybe it's been able use those same skills but without the pressure and paperwork that comes with real work. Have you had a similar experience with a game before?

Jacob Mazanowski

A couple weeks late on this, but with Rolling Stone recently releasing their top 50 video games of all time list, it got me thinking, Does the size of the list effect your placement of certain games? For example, if the list was top 100 games off all time, I would think a game like Fortnite would fall in the 50-70 range. However, if it is a top 50, it would be hard not to include such a massive game so i think it would be placed in the 40-50 range.

a mouse trying to get the cheese in your foreskin

Howdy gang. I recently replayed Night in the woods and plan on replaying oxenfree in the coming weeks. I realized that stories about college age kids dealing with the struggles that come with that age along with spooky stuff at the same time really appeal to me (also there's a surprising amount of stories like that). Do you guys have any weirdly specific things like that you're drawn to? Whether it's specific story beats or gameplay motifs or the like?

ThomperPippin

Is there a most iconic video game food? Back in the day things were simpler, with a roast chicken or a pizza consistently promising big healing, or cherries and fruits as basic point pickups. Things are certainly more varied now, but is there any culinary consistency to be found?

Filip with an F

Hey Minnmax! Dad of a 5 year old here. My son is yet to have his first gaming experience - what do you think are currently the best games to introduce young children to the hobby?

Juniper Cain

I was recently thinking about open endings in media, and the media I first liked more when I interpreted it as intentionally thematically open, than now when a sequel exists and now we all instead see it as a sequel set-up. With that in mind, what first games/books/films/etc do you think become more interesting in their endings to discuss, if you could zap their sequel out of existence and everyone's collective memory?

Luca Alberti

Hello MinnMax crew so...why do you think Microsoft left Avowed out of the Developer Direct? The previews have been really positive so far, so I can't help but assume the game will live up to expectations at the very least!

Garrett Kelley

I have nearly completed Hollow Knight after nearly 50 hours attempting to 100 percent the game with all of the DLC and am amazed that I ever bounced off. Maybe Elden Ring changed my genetic code. Does hollow knight silksong have any chance of living up to the hype and build up?

Spencer Jenson

Hey minnmax and listeners, when is the best time of day and place to finish a game? Mine is probably a cool Saturday night with a friend after having just sharing a frozen pizza.

Chandler

Hello cohorts and bonus cohort Can you please answer this stupid question for me? In this week's new show plus ocarina of time was ranked highly for being "influential". This is something I've been hearing my whole young gamer life, but I don't know what it means. Maybe it's obvious if you were around at the time, but looking back 30 years, I can't clearly see what it was influencing. What aspects of OoT were other games clearly drawing from? The structure of the game doesn't seem that different from the 2D Zeldas before it. I can't think of a bunch of Zelda ripoffs the same way I can think of Mario clones. I want to understand. Help me

SuperThisWay

What game from the 20th century would be an instant classic if it was released today? I’m thinking Earthbound but this could be a question of why Earthbound is so good

Brandon Scott

Can you think of any instances of a studio making a great game that reviews well but financially flops and then making another game and the critical success of the first game bolsters it to a financial success (doesn't need to be sequels)? Maybe helldivers into helldivers 2?

demo_sphere

G'day Minnmaxers. What non-gaming Nintendo apps would you like to see on the Switch 2? I'd personally love a music app be able to play mp3's like the good ol' days.

Devin Atlee-Nutts

Hey MinnMaxers, The new Switch 2 joycon release buttons got me thinking about the rear buttons that are now common on premium controllers like the Playstation Edge controller, Xbox Elite controller - and my first introduction to the idea - the Steam Deck. I mostly forget they are there and I have only ever pressed them accidentally while gripping a little too tight. Have you ever deliberately pressed a rear controller button while playing a game? If so, what do you map them to? Are they worthwhile?

Travis in Fargo

I recently took last place in a Mario Kart 8 tournament, but I had a fun time and met some wonderful people. What was the last video game tournament you participated in, and how did it go?

Tokyo Game Life

What’s a game you often think about, but never played? Mine is DK King of Swing.

Mx B

I hated the last 8 hours or so of Metaphor (post Opera house) and I wish I hadn't spent all of that time on it. Despite that, it's still an amazing game and I'd still recommend it to people. It got me thinking... What's the best game you don't have to *finish* to enjoy? A real "journey is it's own reward" situation?

jacob cummings

I dont understand the (lasting) hype around Halo, please help! I understand when the first game came out it revolutionized the way shooters are played on consoles and for that i think it's hype is deserved but honestly why do people still love halo? I've played every game up to 4 and the only one I think was particularly good was Halo 2. The rest honestly just felt entirely mid and wouldn't be noteworthy if the first game wasn't so revolutionary with its controls. So AM I NUTS or is it just nostalgia that keeps the love for Halo alive?

Anthony Dungan

With all of the reflection oved David Lynch's passing, people have started to consider his impact on the games industry. Do you have a favorite game inspired by David Lynch, and if so, what is it?

Adam Castellanos

Hello, question for Alanah. I remember years ago on a podcast you said you would love if the mistborn series was turned into a video game. After working in game dev do you still feel that the magic system in the series could be possible to work in a game? Thank you

Catpurrnicus

With the Switch 2 announced do you see a Switch 2 Lite coming in the future as well as the Anti-Switch, just a console that plays Switch games but cannot be played in handheld mode.

Jerry Young

Have any of you played a game that made it hard to go back to other games in the same genre? I have put almost 90 hours into hades 2 at this point in early access. Now, everytime I play another action roguelite, I just find myself thinking "this isn't as good as hades 2".

Travis in Fargo

If someone said, “hey, do an accent!” what exactly would you do? (According to my informal research, nearly everyone goes with an over-the-top cockney accent).

Swansonge

What is the wildest weapon you’ve seen in a game? The skull-crushing machine gun from Doom: The Dark Ages seems like it may be stealing the crown

Harry Chaplin

What game, regardless of how unrealistic the chances are, do you want to get a full PC release complete with optimization, mod support, the whole package? I have been quietly praying for years we get a Gravity Rush remake for PC.

BEEFCAKE

Would Tony Hawk be as popular if his name was Toby Hawk?

Denham Harry

Any game moments from 2023 that you still think about regularly? Personally, the Champion of Light from Alan Wake 2 or the dungeon in a tornado in Tears of the Kingdom still ring in my ears!

Kendra

This one is for Alanah: you talked a little bit last episode about training as a professional boxer and I’m curious what your favorite and least favorite parts of that are.

TurtleMilk

Hi Ben, Kelsey, Jacob, and Alanah! I’ve set a betterquest goal for myself this year focused on self-care—specifically through exercise, socializing, and prioritizing sleep. I’d love to know: in what ways are you all taking care of yourselves these days? What habits or goals have been most helpful for you? Thanks and keep up the great work!

Andy Weas

Would your rather have your first name changed to Borp with no nick names allowed or have a tiny lil boogie in your nose that could never go away? Y’all are great. Bye. *I would go with Borp.

Tyler Sticka

I haven't been able to finish Stray because my dog Buster thinks the cats in the TV are real. On the flip side, he seems to hop in my lap anytime I'm playing a JRPG. I assume he's keying off my relaxed, turn-based energy, but maybe he digs orchestral soundtracks? Does anyone else have a pet with favorite / least favorite video games?

Mr Haddaway

What would it take to make Halo as popular as it once was? And is Halo’s waning relevance due to the gaming community’s shift away form arena shooters and towards Battle Royale / Hero shooters?

Malcolm Holliday

Hey MinnMax, was there ever a choice in a video game you thought was going to have much more impact than it actually did and vice versa, a choice you didn't give much thought into that ended up being a bigger deal?

SlyCut

Hello all, Kelsey, a sports question for you; Jayden Daniels, the quarterback for the Washington Commanders, has had the best rookie season of any QB in NFL history this year. If the Commanders win on Sunday, he'll be the first rookie QB to lead his team to the Super Bowl. Who is the baseball equivalent of Jayden Daniels?

Vilis

You have One Bullet... Okay, it's a metaphorical bullet. You Have One "Bullet" which can kill a game project before it ever saw the light of day. What title or series do you go back in time and shut down before it causes irreparable harm to itself and gaming in general? ....sorry, I forgot to explicitly mention you can time travel, but only to a point in time linked to a game project you want to kill. I know how y'all nerds can get with these things.

Antonino Laberdee

Hello! First I want to say I love you all and I am glad we are all friends (just kidding Ben). Hailey and Leo talk a lot about the games they play on repeat, I was wondering if others on the crew have a comfort game they play regularly in between all the stuff you play for content.

Dominic Cichocki

This is your sign! We all have games that we keep meaning to get to, that we really want to play, but inevitably put off for whatever reason. Well - it's a new year, it's January. If you're comfortable, this is your sign to buckle down and commit. What game is everyone picking to finally cross off their list this year?

Aaron U

What’s your most financially irresponsible purchase?

Tony Mayato

Hello Minn Maxers! I have found myself feeling a little rudderless, not super happy with where I am in life currently. What do you guys do when you’re established, but you still feel like stuck, or not where you want to be? How do you unstuck?

Rikimaru

Hey MinnMax! There has been a lot of talk about live service games with the news of PlayStation cancelling Bluepoint's God of War game, a game from Bend Studio, and now the Horizon MMO from NCSoft. To play devil's advocate for a second, isn't there is a real possibility the God of War game could have been a labor of love from Bluepoint? Something to build on the world, playing through fantastical stories like Ghost of Tsushima Legends, all without being over-monetized? I can picture it so vividly, yet all I see are takes about how bad of an idea it is. Do "live service" or GaaS just carry too much baggage now? Or is there still room for new ongoing games to break the mold? Who could pull it off at this point if these studios seemingly couldn't?

Parker Aden

What was the game you enjoyed the most last year that wasn’t on your radar heading into the start of the year? Mine was Helldivers 2. I did not think that it was a a game I would be playing, let alone I don’t even know if I knew about it until close to its launch!

BigRed

G’Day from Australia! As a Kid I was terrified of the game ‘Goosebumps: Escape from Horrorland’ but that didn’t stop me from playing and getting my brother to complete a section where you are chased by a werewolf while I hid behind a couch. I went back years later and, honestly, I stand by my fear. Does any of the cohorts have a game that freaked them out as kids? Have you ever revisited it later on? Thaaannnkss! 👻

Mina Farag

I recently introduced my 2-year-old to my record player and I pulled out Songs in the Key of Life by Stevie Wonder for the first time in years on Monday. The song “Pastime Paradise” played and I thought to myself “I wonder how many people know Coolio’s version isn’t the original.” Later that day, I finished up the MinnMax podcast from last week and was surprised to hear Ben bring up this exact same thing! I don’t know if there is a name for this phenomenon when the same random thing keeps popping up in different places. Maybe it’s just called a coincidence…anyways, do you all have any fun stories about “coincidences” like this one?

Cody A

Hey there! Imagine someone invented a console attachment to smell the environments in games! What game you taking a big sniff from first?

Hoce

Hi MinnMax! I assume most of your playtime is constrained by new releases but I was wondering how you guys relate to your gaming backlogs in your discretionary time. So I am curious: how many games are currently sitting in your backlog? and do you use any tools to keep track of what you own or have access to, what you play over time, and select what to play next and why? Very curious to hear your pro tips on this problem plaguing all of us gamers!

Poofydoo

Could the Switch 2 be the end of Amiibo? It was not mentioned in the Switch 2 Preview Trailer, (though we could find out later that there will be amiibo support. ) What are your thoughts on the potential end of an amiibo era? Any fond memories of amiibo?

Ara

Hi Minnmax! When is the exact year Nintendo retires Mario?

Qax

You have to get a tattoo! It's has to be related to a piece of media, what is it?

Patrick G

Hey all, predict your game of the year 2025, it can also be a guess if it’s not announced like something Nintendo

Jason Wojnar

Garth Hudson just passed away, meaning all five original members of one of my favorite groups, "The Band", are now deceased. What's your favorite band, movie, or TV show where everyone who worked on it is long dead and gone? In addition to that band, Oleksandr Dovzhenko's "Earth" is one of my favorite movies and that movie is 95 years old.

Matthew Baranoski

Can "video games" as a format ever break free from language "game", or at least from the idea that in order to be a good "video game" it must primarily be a game? Everything can't and shouldn't be "gameplay first" just because the medium is unfortunately called "video games"

SuperCerberus

If you had to guess, how many adult twins have been going by the wrong name for their entire lives because they got mixed up as babies?

Brody Weller

Hey ya’ll! What line for a piece of media (game, movie, book, poem, etc.) stuck with you? For me, it’s the simple “I’m scared” from Arthur Morgan in Red Dead Redemption 2. The strength and bravery to admit his feelings on where he’s at always seems to give me that extra bit of strength I need to accept where I’m at in hard times and then move forward.

Kyle Silva

Hellooooooo Cohorts! I’m still often thinking about the Sonic 3 dance scene where Jim Carrey and Jim Carrey dance their way in the middle of a heist. It leaves me wondering what all your favourite dance scenes in film are. Thanks.

John-Michael Parra

How do you deal with eye fatigue? I'm 40 and at this point in my life, if I game for more than a couple hours straight, my eyes get red and bloodshot. The bloodshot eyes will stick around for a few days. Do people who play games for a living have vastly different eye genetics than I do or is there eye self-care I need to practice more?

Rob Goddard

Hey crew! Reading through Stephen King’s Skeleton Crew and absolutely loving it. I’m a huge fan of short story collections and at this point in my life due to being busy at work and with my kids these sort of books appeal to me more. Are there any anthology, short story, etc. collections you recommend or are a favorite of yours? Keep up the amazing work in all you do.

Jump On Everything

Hello minnmax cohorts, Would you rather your last words were something cool or something wise

Brett N

G'day Cohorts, Do any of you miss the days of quick iterative sequels? Back in the xbox/PS2 era we would get series like Splinter Cell, GTA, Prince of Persia and Onimusha (Play it now for the deepest dive!) that would see 3 or 4 entry's over a console cycle. Now we are lucky to get a sequel in less then 5 years. Is this just a result of the increased costs and man power needed to produce games, a move to more full feature sequels or maybe the DLC expansions has taken its place?

Travis in Fargo

What video game is empirically, ridiculously overdue for a remake/remaster?

Travis in Fargo

My wife has really been getting into modern romance novels lately, and I’ve read a couple of her favorites, and they’re a joy! Do you read the genre, and if so, do you have any recommendations for romance books you’ve enjoyed?

Christian Jimenez

Hi, Do you like it when books (fiction mostly) have a chapter list or do you think that spoils the book? Or is it an art to write a good title without giving away all its secrets?

Kraven Morcome

Hey MinnMax, Since Alanah probably isn't familiar with the MinnMax backlog of content I thought we could give her a quiz. New Show Plus or New Show Bust. I will give a short description of a video idea and she can guess if that was an actual episode of the hit weekly series New Show Plus. 1. Watch Ben and Leo walk - yes 2. Look at Ben's clothes - yes 3. Watch Ben practice MvC on his cabinet - no 4. Fork Eat - no 5. Knife Eat - yes 6. Create a children's book - yes 7. Rate Donuts from Minneapolis - no 8. Look at houses on zillow - yes

Josh LaBaw

Ever try to open a coconut in real life? My friend got on one in the mail—postage suck right to the outside—from his aunt in Hawaii. It was amazing & it literally took a hammer & something pointy. Pre-YouTube, this was a great experience for a couple kids from MN.

Luciano Comassetto

I recently heard Jason Shreier talking about game budgets and he said to think of a game's budget as the salaries for everyone employed. This is such a small change but makes such a big difference. Final fantasy 7 didn't just blow all that money into the void. That was all money that went towards people and their time... What are your thoughts?

Michael Lane

Hey MinnMaxers! What's the most random game you've played recently? Tonight, my wife pulled out a copy of Ms. Pac-Man's Maze Madness on the PS1 and it was actually alright! Any curious oddities you've checked out recently?

Neal McMahon

As I’m currently doing play through of Ghost of Tsushima: Directors Cut, it got me thinking about at what stage I fully understand what the game is in playing. More specifically asking myself, how many hours into a game until the I understand and get a full sense of the gameplay. For me, open world games like Ghost of Tsushima took me about 70 hrs to fully understand what my day to day gameplay is going forward—no surprises after that, just clear out shrines, Mongol Camps, and help prisoners on the road. This varies based on the type of game but what is that number for the cohorts?

Sparky

I know Alanah has talked about this before a while ago now, but do you (Alanah) worry about Artificial Generation as it pertains to fiction writing or is it hype?

Sethiroth

Dear Minnmaxers and Minnimaxxers (part-timers), one time I was in a gamestop just minding my own business looking for games, when I overheard a lady with a very strong southern accent say to one of the employees: "He likes that Jake and Dexter." Obviously she was talking about Jak and Daxter but I was filled with so much second hand embarrassment that I nearly walked out of the store. Can any of you remember a time where you had nearly unbearable video game embarrassment? (I.E someone completely not understanding video games, an embarrassing moment in a video game your family witnessed, etc.) P.S SO cool that Alanah is on the show for a bit, been a fan for years and it's an awesome cross-over.

BeefNewton

Hey MinMax crew What is one game mechanic from a series you would like to see brought back? for example id love to see swimming brought back to monster hunter as it hasnt been in any game in the series other than tri.

ItIsBGun

Life has been throwing curveballs this week -- not all bad! What's a curveball you've been thrown lately and how did you respond to, cope with, learn from, or otherwise savor the unexpected?

Kevin Kuper

When Pokémon Scarlett & Violet came out I was very disappointed with the performance but I could tell in the first few hours I could really like this but wanted to wait for a patch that as we know now never came and now I don't know if I will ever play it. Are there any games you are currently excited about that are out but you are waiting for the right time to jump in?

ItIsBGun

It's almost that time of year - Valentine's Day! I've been single for a very. long. time. But love is feeling possible again which is a very. good. feeling. 🥰 What is the greatest love story in gaming and what made it work so well? What about it gave you the feels?

Lee Wang

Can I just say that Alanah's first episode was so good? I already love the rapport among the cohorts, but Alanah brought out something new to the pod -- she talked about Terrence Malick of all people! Also hearing the talk about difficult media, Faulkner and Gravity's Rainbow specifically, warmed the heart of this recovered literature snob, who did not expect to hear such discussions from a fun video game podcast. For me, the obvious answer to that question is Finnegans Wake, 600 pages of nocturnal dream-murk where I constantly was confused, only for the last 50 pages to open up in the most beautifully rhapsodic thing I've ever experienced in any medium, ever. PS to Janet -- I've not read As I Lay Dying but Absalom, Absalom is so OTT in the best way possible, and it's easily my favorite Faulkner (not to suggest that it's necessarily a beach read).

pork bun powered

Hi MinnMax! I had Alanah in mind, but I guess this also applies to Ben and Jacob! My corp job sucks butt and I would totally like to do something indie (for my field anyways). What were the questions you asked yourself when you felt like it was finally time to pull the trigger and do your own thing? What would've you done differently?

Steve Bellegarde

How do we think GTA VI is going to handle radio stations. This has always been a highlight of the series but seriously, who listens to the radio anymore.

Orange Wedge

What's the most UNHINGED meal you've REGULARLY EATEN? For example, last year when I was very busy establishing a business while being the main caretaker for my kids I would routinely take a piece of white bread with peanut butter and a slice of American cheese and straight up eat it like a taco. It's not something I'd order from a restaurant or anything, but it was something quick I had time for and not as bad as it may sound. It was especially good when i had a moment to add a drizzle of honey. So how about y'all? Was there some broke college meal, hangover go-to, or childhood culinary concoction that you once swore by that you're willing to admit to on a podcast but probably wouldnt bring out for pleasant company?

Crazydude

You have a big back log of games to play, how do you guys usually tackle them? What do you prioritize about what games to play first? Do you play one at a time or multiple games at the same time? How do you decide what games to drop from the back log and which to keep?

LlorchDurden

on what Alanah mentioned last week about all games being better the closer they get to immersive sims, hear me out please. As a racing sim player, I find myself going back to Fzero99 regularly. It does have implemented all the elements a racing "sim" needs, not in a realistic way but integrated in the gameplay so the feeling of pushing to the limit of what the ship can do is the same compared to a racing car in a sim. I've been thinking about this the whole week I'm sorry :P

Leo’s Immersion

Hey all! No question, just a Betterquest update. Last year I pledged to get my personal training certification, and while the year didn’t go as planned, I managed to study the 16 week program in only 4 weeks and pass the test in December (with flying colors) while working two jobs, covering a friends handyman business, AND being forced to move in what has to be one of the worst rental markets in the nation right now. Yes I’m bragging, but I also wanted to thank the MinnMax community for inspiring me, and tell everyone out there that YOU CAN DO IT. Whatever your goal is, you’re capable of so much more. You’ve got this!

HaulingGas

Hey folks, This may count as a sneaky GALOT, but I want to try one more time to bring attention to People Make Games' "100 slaps" documentary that has gone under the radar in the past two weeks. Shout out to "Sly" in the community for posting it in the GALOT channel shortly after its release. The video sheds light on the horrible conditions at an Indonesian game studio ("Brandoville Studios") that has assisted the development of well-known AAA games such as The Last of Us and the upcoming Assassin's Creed Shadows. There is a concerning lack of accountability in the western game industry when it comes to outsourcing work just to cut costs. This is no different than the clothing brands that have their fabric produced in sweatshops. More people should be aware of this issue and ask for more transparency and accountability from their favorite game studios. Just in case there are any listeners in Asia or specifically in Indonesia that do not know about this, the abusive bosses of Brandoville have started a new studio called "Lailai Studios". Keep away from them and spread the word to people who might be at risk.

Rapscallion Rex

Hi All, I’ve heard Ben mention a few times on various podcasts how he and the crew are 'friendly to' but not the friends of the viewers / listeners. He's also told members of the cohort not to tell listeners and viewers they love them (even in a jokey way). I think it's a good idea to keep in mind the whole parasocial relationship thing, and Ben clearly does. My question: As you’re all in the public eye in one form or another on podcasts, video streams, Youtube etc. have you ever had to highlight or remind someone that you’re not their actual friend? Is there a good way to deal with it without appearing rude or cold? Or do you just have to be firm so the message is clear?

OhMyBlob

What’s the best interaction you’ve ever had with an animal? When I was a kid, I got to feed a giraffe a banana at the zoo and I genuinely felt like Alan Grant in Jurassic Park.

Indexical

My lovely family gifted me Kelsey’s book for Crimbo and needless to say it is wonderful beginning to end. As a former devoted wild world fan it opened my eyes to what I’ve been missing all these years in the first game. With my birthday a week later I decided to go down the road of getting the authentic animal crossing experience as a present to myself. After finding a decent copy of the game, I scoured eBay for a great condition GameCube after selling mine years ago, then buying all the accessories I thought I needed and then falling down the rabbit hole of hdmi adapters ending up spending far too much money only to find that the GameCube digital out is actually faulty - currently deciding what to do next. Sad to say, I still haven’t played the game which I probably could’ve just played on steam deck. What stupid lengths have you guys gone to trying to play a game in the ideal conditions?

Joshua H.

Hey Alanah! It’s been great having you around and you’re a wonderful addition to MinnMax, no matter what Nintendo says about you. Games, friends and getting better resonated with me out the gate and is one of those ideas that got me to stick around here for the 2/3 years I’ve been listening. Does that resonate with you at all? Is there anything more than Ben asked you to be here, to want to stick around for more than a pop in day? Thank you and I hope all is well!

Christian Hall

Hey MinnMax! What’s the most useless piece of technology you own? Mine is an automatic can opener. I’m not sure how it ended up in my kitchen, but it is both harder to use and takes longer to open a can than a typical can opener.

Graham Jones

Hey cohorts, Does anyone still read on the toilet?

Thorn23

Hi MinnMax and Fellow-Aussie, Guest-Cohort Alanah! I have a cheeky 2-part Q if I may (very quick I assure u) - Firstly, this might sound dumb, but as an Aussie in America, do/did you feel the weight of expectations when ppl find out you're an Aussie? How do you feel about how we are viewed? and perhaps quick opportunity, would you like to share anything, that others state-side or perhaps Northern Hemispherer's may not get about us - that is perhaps under/mis-represented by what they might glean from TV, Movies, and pop culture... (aka crocodiles, Kangas and the cringe-inducing had-it's-hay-day-long-ago... "G'day mate"... smh) as to what we're actually like/about? (- perhaps that we're 70-80% just like you guys, only with a different accent lol) Also congrats! #AussiePride ...Aaaand "Bonus Q" - (in honour of the sadly-missed Bonus pod this week... real shame about what happened, & honestly would take a crudely recorded phone call on speaker, than nothing just btw... fr ;P - Hi Haley!) - know what? this is getting a but rambley… why don’t I save this for next week! 👍 😜

Bloody Waffle

What is the game you have spent the most time in the bathroom? It's been balatro for me lately on the phone

Joshua Ayers

Howdy crew! Should life have mandatory tutorials?

Tanner Hoisington

I'm sure it is a lot of work to organize all the codes to giveaway to Patrons, especially when they are picking what they want. But is there anything kind of fun about seeing what we pick? Are you quietly judging some of us? Have you noticed any interesting trends?

Woodman

Hey ya’ll! My only question is, Does Leo know Now You See Me 3 just wrapped filming and will be released next year?

Mason Cowell

I'm here with a maybe divisive question. Should a boss hurt you if you make contact with it, or should it only hurt you when it actually hits you with an attack? I'm always thrown off when I try to get close to a boss and it's entire body is a hit box. I feel like it often limits strategies for beating the boss and is kind of a cheap way to make a fight harder. Thoughts?

Joshua H.

Hey everyone! With Sony shutting down projects left and right recently. Does Xbox have a chance of climbing back on top in the foreseeable future? Thank you and have a great one!!!

Andrew Lyman

Hi! What do you all do to calm down in a stressful or overwhelming moment? For example, I have certain breathing exercises to let myself slow down before going into something I’m anticipating. Thank you!

CaffeineDad

Hey all! The south is getting a ton of unexpected snow this week, and I for sure never know what to do about it. What’s the one snow tip you’d give as expert snow people to a snow novice like myself?

Medicine Seller

if you could see one game turned into a stageplay or musical what would it be?

Tom Rickard

Hey folks! I’ve been rewatching the Unbreakable trilogy this last week and it got me thinking. Do you think a secret sequel has any pull in the video game world? A game that is marketed as one thing but then turns out to secretly be a sequel to another game. The only game I can think of that matches that a little is PT which feels like maybe helped the marketing more than hurt it? But on the other hand I can see that hurting the marketing if you cannot market it as this other popular game.

DiggingTrapHoles

hey minnmax and maxminn. I just finished watching the bonus pod with the statistics of 2024. I was wondering why minnmax had the podcast feed behind a paywall? from everything I see audio platforms seem to be booming and very important for creators. they're always PLEADING i go on apple podcasts and give them 5 stars. whatever that means. anyway is this something you've thought about? thanks a bunch for being yourselves even ben!

Connor

Howdy Minimums and Maximums. I was thinking earlier to day about how the Dragon Age story (as it currently stands) spans over fifteen real life years (Origins came out in 2009), which seems pretty long to me. What's the longest running (single storyline) series you can think of? Mine is Metal Gear (1987 - 2015).

Bob Buel

What’s the best tree in all of videogames?

Josh Lamm

Not a question, just a funny coincidence. The day after listening to last week's episode, I boarded a Singapore air flight. I'm here to report, no Fallout.

Eliinspace

Yo! What classic novel do you think would make the best video game?

CrabPalace

What's the worst game that is still pretty cool?

Jaser Helu

What are your thoughts on how the US TikTok ban impacted games like marvel snap and mobile legends? I’ve always been big on digital games, but it was a wild experience to see something I play every day and have spent money on (marvel snap) simply disappear / cease working and there was no warning or anything that could be done. Even the developers did not know this was coming. Marvel snap is back now for the record, but it has given me something to reflect on in terms of digital vs physical games.

Calltire

Hi cohorts! Last podcast Alanah was wondering if there was a name was for games like Outer Wilds, Obra Dinn, Tunic, etc. I just wanted to write in saying that many people these days have coined the term “metriodbrainia” for games where you are gated from progression by a lack of knowledge. These kinds of games have also been labeled “information games” by Tom Francis, the lead dev on Tactical Breach Wizards and Heat Signature, though he considers his term to refer less to a genre and more to a style of game. Personally I love that style of game so I really wanted to chime in

Space Pretzel

You are going to be living in a vault for the foreseeable future because of horrors beyond your control. What are the 5 games you would absolutely need to take with you to stay sane?

Space Pretzel

What are your favorite games that capture the feeling of a certain time of year? For example, the Yakuza series generally takes place during the time of year they come out in, often Winter, so that’s the time of year I associate them with. What other games do you associate with a season?

Titanium

Hi all! Would you rather have hair instead of teeth or teeth instead of hair?