A Study in Games Podcast – Lifeline 2: Bloodlines – S5, E5

Lifelines 2: Bloodline game logo

Hello friends in Podcastland! For the month of May we played Lifeline 2: Bloodlines (iOS, Android) by Dave Justus and 3 Minute Games as part of our season of mobile games. This real-time, choose-your-own narrative game is the second in a collection of games in this critically-acclaimed, interactive storytelling genre.

We all really enjoyed playing this game, not only for it’s fun story, but for the way the game used the mobile environment to present the story at the core of the game. Give us a listen and let us know what you think in the comments below or on our Facebook page.


Music credits: Plain Loafer, by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) – Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 – http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

A Study in Games Podcast – Final Fantasy Tactics: WotL – S5, E4

Happy May to all of our friends out there in podcast land! We hope you’re all staying safe and healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic.

For last month’s podcast, we played the mobile port of classic Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lion from Square Enix. This turn-based, tactical RPG was originally published for the PlayStation Portable back in 2007 and ported to iOS in 2010 and Android in 2015.

We had mixed opinions about this game, and it gave us a lot to unpack in terms of game mechanics, UI/UX, the value of nostalgia, and much more. Give us a listen above or on your favorite podcast service. And as always, if you played along with us last month, let us know in the comments below or on our Facebook page.


Music credits: Plain Loafer, by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) – Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 – http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

A Study in Games Podcast – Adorable Home – S5, E3

Adorable Home title screen

Hello from coronavirus lockdown! We hope you’re all staying health and keeping up safe social distancing. For this month’s episode we sheltered in place and played Adorable Home from HyperBeard and Lake Queen games. It’s a great way to pass the time while you’re stuck in YOUR adorable home while the pandemic blows over.

If you played along with us, let us know what you thought of Adorable Home in the comments below or on the Little Rock Games Facebook page. Stay well, friends!


Music credits: Plain Loafer, by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) – Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 – http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

A Study in Games Podcast – Lily’s Garden – S5, E2

Hi friends and welcome to the February edition of A Study in Games! This season, we’re playing mobile games, and this month Joe picked the narrative-rich puzzle game, Lily’s Garden from Tactile Games. Join us as we talk about romance, birds and bees, relationship goals, and the oddly alluring world of mobile game advertising.

Give the podcast a listen, and let us know what you think in the comments below or on the Little Rock Games Facebook page!


Music credits: Plain Loafer, by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) – Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 – http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

A Study in Games Podcast – Game of Sultans – S5, E1

Greeting and welcome to the January 2020 episode of A Study in Games Podcast. This month we were joined by our friend (and my wife) Carmen Mosley-Sims as we talked about the weird world of managing your quasi-Turkish empire as the Sultan-in-Chief in Game of Sultans from Mechanist Games. Join us as we discuss the finer points of endlessly addictive game loops, small worlds that seem big, and ethics in advertising for mobile games.

Give the podcast a listen, and let us know what you think in the comments below or on the Little Rock Games Facebook page!


Music credits: Plain Loafer, by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) – Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 – http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

A Study in Games Podcast – Fallout 3 – S4, E5

Hello to all you mutants, raiders, and wasteland wanderers out there! Welcome to A Study in Games podcast. For the month of November, we played the classic 2008 game Fallout 3 from Bethesda Game Studios. This season, we’ve been playing games that are near and dear to our hearts, and Tanner chose Fallout 3 as “a game that reignited [his] interest in games.”

Give the podcast a listen, and let us know what you think in the comments below or on the Little Rock Games Facebook page!


Music credits: Plain Loafer, by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) – Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 – http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

A Study in Games Podcast – Pokémon Franchise – S4, E4

Aloha, Trainers! Welcome to the October 2019 Study In Games podcast. This month we played games from the Pokemon main series, by Game Freak. We talked about the joys of exploring the pokemon world across multiple generations. We also touched on how the surprisingly complex and robust mechanics of this game helped sustain its popularity for 20 years and counting.

Not a lot of spoilers to warn you about in this episode, so go ahead and dive right in. And as always, if you’ve played Pokémon before (and we know you probably have), comment below or join the conversation on the Little Rock Games Facebook page!


Music credits: Plain Loafer, by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) – Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 – http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

A Study in Games Podcast – Tales of Maj’Eyal – S4, E2

Ever had déjà vu? That feeling that you’re going through the same dungeon? Like the film Groundhog Day, but with orcs, sorcerers, and mystical portals? You might be playing a rogue-like game!

For the month of August, we played Tales of Maj’Eyal 2 from Netcore Games (over and over again). Give the podcast a listen to hear what we thought about this surprisingly deep, deceptively complex rogue-like dungeon crawler. Find out why it’s one of Joe’s favorite games EVER and why he wanted to share it with us.


Music credits: Plain Loafer, by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) – Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 – http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

A Study in Games Podcast – Elder Scrolls Online – S4, E1

Hello to all you templars and wardens, nightblades and dragonknights, sorcerers and necromancers from Tamriel and beyond! For this month’s podcast, we played The Edler Scrolls Online from ZeniMax Online Studios and Bethesda Softworks. This was our first crack at an MMORPG on the podcast, and we had lots to say about what makes it and what breaks it for us. Give it a listen here on our website or from your favorite podcast service. As always, if you played along with us this month, leave a comment below or join the conversation on the Little Rock Games Facebook Page.

You may also notice that we’ve changed the name of our podcast from the “Game of the Month Club” to “A Study in Games.” After three seasons of the podcast we knew that we needed a name that better captured the depth of our conversation here with our focus on game design and mechanics. We settled on “A Study in Games.” All the same great talk and analysis, but with a catchy new title. We hope you enjoy the coming seasons.


Music credits: Plain Loafer, by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) – Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 – http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/