Side Quests Episode 431: SCHiM with Matt Sowinski

Side Quests is back and so is host Matt Sowinski! He is a podcaster, writer and lil creature that lives in shadows! The game he is talking about today is SCHiM by Ewoud van der Werf, Nils Slijkerman and Extra Nice. You can also check out his podcast here and his writing here! We have a Patreon! Gain access to episode shout outs, bonus content, early downloads of regular episodes, an exclusive rss feed and more! Click here! You can find the show on Bluesky, Instagram and YouTube! Please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts! Rate us on Pocket Casts! Wanna join the Certain POV Discord? Click here! Episode Art by Case Aiken Episode Music by Geoff Moonen

Very few games get perfect scores. So why would anyone play a game that wasn't the best? Is there any reason to play something that's considered only "okay"? Well, yes. Matt & Geoff discuss the middle of the road titles, the mediocre releases, and the overshadowed experiences. They explore why a review score never tells the full story, and finding joy in the flaws when you're trying to roll credits on the game in front of you. We have a Patreon! Gain access to episode shout outs, bonus content, early downloads of regular episodes, an exclusive rss feed and more! Click here! You can find the show on Bluesky, Instagram and YouTube! Please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts! Rate us on Pocket Casts! Wanna join the Certain POV Discord? Click here! Episode Art by Case Aiken Episode Music by Geoff Moonen  

Side Quests is back and so is host Ben from Dragoon Effect! He is a podcaster and wise cracking demon hunter! The game he is talking about today is DmC: Devil May Cry by Ninja Theory and Capcom. You can also find his podcast here. We have a Patreon! Gain access to episode shout outs, bonus content, early downloads of regular episodes, an exclusive rss feed and more! Click here! You can find the show on Bluesky, Instagram and YouTube! Please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts! Rate us on Pocket Casts! Wanna join the Certain POV Discord? Click here! Episode Art by Case Aiken Episode Music by Geoff Moonen

Side Quests is back and so is host Darren Hupke! He is a writer, podcaster, publisher and all-star pro skater! The game he is talking about today is Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 by Neversoft and Activision. You can also find all his work here. We have a Patreon! Gain access to episode shout outs, bonus content, early downloads of regular episodes, an exclusive rss feed and more! Click here! You can find the show on Bluesky, Instagram and YouTube! Please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts! Rate us on Pocket Casts! Wanna join the Certain POV Discord? Click here! Episode Art by Case Aiken Episode Music by Geoff Moonen

Side Quests is back and so is host Keith Gasper! He is a podcaster and R.P.D. officer on his first day of duty! The game he is talking about today is Resident Evil 2 (1998) by Capcom. You can also check out his podcast here! We have a Patreon! Gain access to episode shout outs, bonus content, early downloads of regular episodes, an exclusive rss feed and more! Click here! You can find the show on Bluesky, Instagram and YouTube! Please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts! Rate us on Pocket Casts! Wanna join the Certain POV Discord? Click here! Episode Art by Case Aiken Episode Music by Geoff Moonen

Often, when you're given a sword in video games, the only solutions it provides are violent. But what if was also how you opened doors, solved puzzles, and traversed a wide map? You'd need a pretty big sword to do all that.  Matt & Geoff are joined by Jack Breen, solo dev behind Studio Hybrid's first title, The Zelda-influenced metroidvania GIGASWORD, to discuss bringing influences and old ideas into new projects, the pitfalls of genre pigeonholing, and the importance of how a game feels  Check out GIGASWORD on Steam You can find this episode's guest on Bluesky and Youtube We have a Patreon! Gain access to episode shout outs, bonus content, early downloads of regular episodes, an exclusive rss feed and more! Click here! You can find the show on Bluesky, Instagram and YouTube! Please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts! Rate us on Pocket Casts! Wanna join the Certain POV Discord? Click here! Episode Art by Case Aiken Episode Music by Geoff Moonen  

Side Quests is back and so is host Louard! He is an indie game developer, artist, writer, and young soldier in the army of Cypress! The game he is talking about today is Shining Force: The Sword of Hajya by Sonic! Software Planning and SEGA! You can also check out his work here! We have a Patreon! Gain access to episode shout outs, bonus content, early downloads of regular episodes, an exclusive rss feed and more! Click here! You can find the show on Bluesky, Instagram and YouTube! Please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts! Rate us on Pocket Casts! Wanna join the Certain POV Discord? Click here! Episode Art by Case Aiken Episode Music by Geoff Moonen

Side Quests is back and so is host Chris Osborne! He is a podcaster and puzzle punching eternal warrior! The game he is talking about today is Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo by Capcom. You can also listen to his podcasts, Play Comics, and Sugar, Spite, and Everything is Fine. We have a Patreon! Gain access to episode shout outs, bonus content, early downloads of regular episodes, an exclusive rss feed and more! Click here! You can find the show on Bluesky, Instagram and YouTube! Please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts! Rate us on Pocket Casts! Wanna join the Certain POV Discord? Click here! Episode Art by Case Aiken Episode Music by Geoff Moonen

Side Quests is back and this episode's host is podcaster and criminal planning a heist, Ben Robinson! The game he is talking about today is Sunday Gold by BKOM Studios and Team17! You can also find his podcast here! We have a Patreon! Gain access to episode shout outs, bonus content, early downloads of regular episodes, an exclusive rss feed and more! Click here! You can find the show on Bluesky, Instagram and YouTube! Please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts! Rate us on Pocket Casts! Wanna join the Certain POV Discord? Click here! Episode Art by Case Aiken Episode Music by Geoff Moonen

Another year, another mountain of games. There may never land on a definition of "Indie". One can only shake thier fists at studio closures. But there will always more games to find and play. Matt & Geoff share their Top Ten games of the year, what they're excited to see in 2026, and where they hope the conversation in games can go in the new year. We have a Patreon! Gain access to episode shout outs, bonus content, early downloads of regular episodes, an exclusive rss feed and more! Click here! You can find the show on Bluesky, Instagram and YouTube! Please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts! Rate us on Pocket Casts! Wanna join the Certain POV Discord? Click here! Episode Art by Case Aiken Episode Music by Geoff Moonen