The Level
The Level is a podcast for people who love video games. It's a weekly roundtable hosted by friends and industry outsiders Kaye Ross, Ben Merkel, Dennis Furia, Moxie, and Jala Prendes. Every Friday, we discuss video game news, the games we've been playing, and listener mail. RSS Feed: https://www.patreon.com/rss/80117?show=1693347
The Level 595: Sallow Snake
Kaye, Ben, Dennis, and Moxie talk about Big Walk, Quasimorph, The Forest, and much more!
The Grind:
Ben: Big Walk.
Moxie: Quasimorph. Diablo IV.
Dennis: Diablo IV. Far Cry 3. EverQuest Legends.
Kaye: The Forest.
The Multiplayer:
What’s your favorite cartridge or other video game packaging?
The Level 594: It Hasn't Been Two Hours Yet
Kaye, Ben, Dennis, and Moxie talk about MECCHA CHAMELEON, Project: Mist, The Horror at Highrook, and much more!
The Grind:
Dennis: Far Cry 3.
Ben: Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. Promise Mascot Agency. The Horror at Highrook.
Kaye: Desktop Explorer. Project: Mist. MECCHA CHAMELEON.
Moxie: MECCHA CHAMELEON. Nine Sols. Diablo IV.
The Multiplayer:
What ten year old game should get a new DLC?
The End Boss:
EA is now owned by more villains than usual.
Kid releases joke game...
The Level 593: A Spouse in Every Town
Kaye, Ben, and Jala talk about Palworld, Everything is Crab, Vampire the Masquerade: Redemption, and much more!
The Grind:
Jala: Dungeons & Dragons: Eye of the Beholder. Vampire the Masquerade: Redemption.
Ben: The Incident at Galley House. Palworld.
Kaye: Desktop Explorer.
The Multiplayer:
Tell us some mods you like!
The End Boss:
Amazon’s Warhammer television series is in production.
Platinum is working on a TMNT game, The Last Ronin.
The new CEO of NexusMods is saying some concerning stuff.
...The Level 592: Femmes Fatale
Kaye, Ben, Jala, and Moxie talk about The Incident at Galley House, Desktop Explorer, Vampire Therapist, and much more!
The Grind:
Jala: Chicken Police: Paint It RED! Vampire Therapist.
Kaye: Desktop Explorer.
Ben: Eventide Matter. The Incident at Galley House.
Moxie: Diablo IV.
The Multiplayer:
What was your first computer OS for playing games and what do you miss about it?
The End Boss:
Microsoft desperately announces new Fallouts, Elders Scrollses.
Florida Man arrested in Steam malware crypto heist.<...
The Level 591: Don't Eat Me, You Might Choke!
Kaye, Ben, Dennis, and Moxie talk about the Homestar Runner DLC for Walkabout Mini Golf, tEverQuest Legends, Nodebuster, and much more.
The Grind:
Ben: Linelith. Stacklands. Nodebuster.
Moxie: Diablo IV.
Kaye: Walkabout Mini Golf Homestar Runner Content. EverQuest Legends.
Dennis: EverQuest Legends. Darkwood.
The Multiplayer:
Propose a concept album based on a video game.
The End Boss:
Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced is a success, disaster.
New cast members for Far Cry anthology show announced.
The Le...
The Level 590: Why So Gun?
Kaye, Dennis, Jala, and Moxie talk about EverQuest Legends, Gokigen Lovely Days, Thirsty Suitors, and much more!
The Grind:
Jala: Thirsty Suitors. Gokigen Lovely Days.
Kaye: EverQuest Legends.
Dennis: iRacing. Trackmania. Diablo IV. Knights and Bikes.
Moxie: Diablo IV.
The Multiplayer:
FREE PLAY!
The End Boss:
Sony is going to stop shipping game discs.
Microsoft laid everyone off.
Blizzard got rid of good Diablo IV items.
The Level 589: People Just Don't Look Back
Kaye, Ben, Dennis, and Moxie talk about MOLE, Pronoun Palace, Order of the Sinking Star, and much more!
The Grind:
Ben: Saros. Order of the Sinking Star (Demo).
Kaye: PHASE ZERO (Demo). Silver Pines (Demo). MOLE.
Dennis: Pronoun Palace.
Moxie: Diablo IV.
The Multiplayer:
Video game adaptations.
The End Boss:
Grand Theft Auto 6 to be a $100 code in a box.
Call of Duty no longer day and date on Game Pass.
Kyle MacLachlan is Jill Valentine’s bo...
The Level 588: ILW: I Love Worms
Kaye, Dennis, Jala, and Moxie talk about Mina the Hollower, Thirsty Suitors, The Walking Trade, and much more!
The Grind:
Jala: Neofeud. Thirsty Suitors.
Kaye: Mina the Hollower. The Walking Trade.
Dennis: Worms W.M.D.
Moxie: Diablo IV.
The Multiplayer:
What’s a game moment that made you cry?
The End Boss:
EU says it can’t stop games from being killed, yoinked.
Sonic statue purports to have Sonic DNA in it.
Resident Evil Veronica announced, Resi...
The Level 587: There's Nothing but Candy in the Pit
Kaye, Dennis, and Moxie talk about 007 First Light, Wreckfest, Diablo IV, and much more!
The Grind:
Kaye: 007 First Light. Wreckfest.
Moxie: Diablo IV.
Dennis: Diablo IV.
The Multiplayer:
Favorite rainbows in games.
The End Boss:
Bungie ends active support of Destiny 2.
Rayman Legends Retold takes a beautiful game and uglifies it.
Stuntman: Hollywood announced, looks rad.
The Level 586: Lure King
Kaye, Dennis, Jala, and Moxie talk about Idols of Ash, Forbidden Solitaire, Knights and Bikes, and much more!
The Grind:
Jala: Book Bound. Lurking. Idols of Ash. Dispatch.
Dennis: The Dark Queen of Mortholme. Knights and Bikes.
Moxie: Operation Epic Furious: Strait to Hell. Dead as Disco.
Kaye: Forbidden Solitaire.
The Multiplayer:
The best gaming hub worlds.
The End Boss:
Steam shakes up its tags.
California law could stop games from being killed.
Sony won’t put Wo...
The Level 585: You Put Down the Gun
Kaye, Ben, Dennis, and Moxie talk about Dead as Disco, Saros, Deadlock, and much more!
The Grind:
Moxie: Dead as Disco.
Ben: Saros.
Dennis: Deadlock.
Kaye: Forbidden Solitaire.
The Multiplayer:
What lesson from games works best for you in real life?
The End Boss:
Nintendo Switch 2 game bundle is last chance to get a good deal.
The Mortal Kombat 2 movie is out.
eBay rejects GameStop’s absurd offer to buy them.
The Level 584: You're a Cowboy Now
Kaye, Ben, Dennis, and Moxie talk about Saros, Diablo IV: Lord of Hatred, Trepang2, and much more!
The Grind:
Moxie: Trepang2. Minishoot’ Adventures.
Ben: Saros.
Dennis: Diablo 4: The Lord of Hatred.
Kaye: RimWorld.
The Multiplayer:
Pick a game character to run your city.
The End Boss:
Steam Controllers sell out immediately, because of resellers.
Maniac restores Nintendo’s first arcade game: Wild Gunman.
Resident Evil Survive is a neat-looking fan-made beat-em-up.
Subnautica 2 gets late May earl...
The Level 583: Snake Draft
Kaye, Ben, Dennis, and Moxie talk about Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred, Vampire Crawlers, Marathon, and much more!
The Grind:
Dennis: Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred. Trackmania.
David: Minishoot’ Adventures. Marathon.
Kaye: Marathon.
Ben: Slay the Spire 2. Twilight Imperium. Talisman. Vampire Crawlers.
The Multiplayer:
What’s your favorite nonviolent video game?
The End Boss:
Steam hardware details leak.
Want a Mario coffin? Good news!
Tomodachi Life players love cigarettes.
Phasmophobia is getting character creation after all of this...
The Level 582: Roving Escape Room Gangs
Kaye, Ben, Dennis, and Moxie talk about Slay the Spire 2, Karate Survivor, Minishoot’ Adventures, and much more!
The Grind:
Dennis: Family Escape Room (not a video game!). Slay the Spire 2.
Ben: Karate Survivor.
Kaye: Resident Evil: Revelations 2. Marathon.
Moxie: Marathon. Minishoot’ Adventures.
The Multiplayer:
What’s the quickest and hardest you’ve fallen out of love with a game?
The End Boss:
Microsoft drops Game Pass price, removes day one Call of Duty.
Elden Ring movie gets 2028 release date.
Tro...
The Level 581: A Disappointment That Will Not Wash Away
Kaye, Ben, and Jala talk about Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly REMAKE, 100 Jumps, Eclipsium, and much more!
The Grind:
Jala: 100 Jumps. Eclipsium. Exit 8. Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo.
Ben: REANIMAL. Slay the Spire 2.
Kaye: Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly REMAKE.
The Multiplayer:
What series or game from an established studio was a big disappointment for you?
The End Boss:
Confidential Rockstar information leaked by ransomware hackers.
Sony announces Bloodborne animated movie with YouTuber JackSepticEye as producer.
Google pulls...
The Level 580: The First Geneva Convention
Kaye, Ben, and Moxie talk about Reanimal, Hozy, Quasimorph, and much more!
The Grind:
Ben: Slay the Spire 2. REANIMAL. Mewgenics.
Moxie: Quasimorph. Marathon.
Kaye: Marathon. Hozy.
The Multiplayer:
What game’s aesthetic works for you, even if you don’t play it?
The End Boss:
They’re making a Backrooms movie.
Elden Ring movie set photos published.
Chris Pratt doesn’t know very much about Mario.
The Rooks are unionizing.
The Level 579: A Three Hour Psychological Event
Kaye, Ben, Dennis, and Jala talk about Super Battle Golf, Expelled!, The Drifter, and much more!
The Grind:
Jala: Cyclopean II: The Dreamlands and The Bagman (demos). The Dark Queen of Mortholme. Expelled!. The Drifter.
Dennis: Marathon. Slay the Spire 2. iRacing.
Kaye: Marathon. Super Battle Golf. Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake.
Ben: Mewgenics.
The Multiplayer:
What kind of game do you like even though you’re bad at it?
The End Boss:
PlayStation price hikes hurt everyone.
Star Wa...
The Level 578: Staph McRacken
Kaye, Ben, and Dennis talk about Marathon, Slay the Spire 2, Mewgenics, and much more!
The Grind:
Kaye: Marathon. Resident Evil: Requiem.
Dennis: iRacing. Slay the Spire 2. John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando.
Ben: Mewgenics.
The Multiplayer:
What game enemy has the highest dangerousness delta between its appearance and how much of a threat it actually is?
The End Boss:
Crimson Desert devs caught using AI placeholder art.
The RAM shortage is having a bigger effect than we thought.
EverQuest Legends is...
The Level 577: You Can Do All Kinds of Magical Things With Blood
Kaye, Ben, Dennis, and Jala talk about Pokemon Pokopia, John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando, Resident Evil: Requiem, and much more!
The Grind:
Jala: Resident Evil 4 Remake. Resident Evil Requiem.
Kaye: Resident Evil: Requiem. Pokemon Pokopia. John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando.
Dennis: John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando. Slay the Spire 2.
Ben: Mewgenics.
The Multiplayer:
What’s your favorite game where you play the bad guy?
The End Boss:
New movement in the Subnautica 2 court case.
Alex commits some incest in the newe...
The Level 576: Oh No, We Were Annoying Too!
Kaye, Ben, Dennis, and Moxie talk about Resident Evil: Requiem, Slay the Spire 2, Mewgenics, and much more!
The Grind:
Kaye: Resident Evil: Requiem.
Dennis: Slay the Spire 2. Helldivers 2.
Moxie: Helldivers 2.
Ben: Mewgenics.
The Multiplayer:
Create your own microgenre.
The End Boss:
Sony will stop releasing their games on PC.
Who knows when the Steam machine will be released? Not Valve!
Mega Man voice actor being dropped by Capcom over union protections.
The Level 575: Spelling Dolphin Words
Kaye, Ben, Dennis, and Moxie talk about John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando, Vampire Crawlers, Cursed Words, and much more!
The Grind:
Dennis: John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando (Demo). Cursed Words (Demo). Backseat Champions (Demo). Helldivers 2.
Moxie: Helldivers 2.
Ben: Mewgenics. Vampire Crawlers (Demo).
Kaye: Nothing!
The Multiplayer:
What system do you understand but not really?
The End Boss:
Jala’s game has a demo!
Highguard to shut down.
Bloodborne remake isn’t happening.
The Level 574: Canadians Are Like IGN
Kaye, Ben, Dennis, and Moxie talk about Mewgenics, Backpack Hero, the new Deep Rock Galactic content, and much more!
The Grind:
Kaye: Nothing!
Ben: Silksong. Mewgenics.
Dennis: Backpack Hero. Deep Rock Galactic. Helldivers 2.
Moxie: Nothing!
The Multiplayer:
What's your favorite puzzle in a non-puzzle game?
The End Boss:
Xbox is falling apart, names AI chief as new CEO as Schiller steps aside.
Insomniac’s Wolverine game gets September release date.
Discord delays age verification by six months, cu...
The Level 573: The Most Wholesome Glory Hole
Kaye, Ben, Dennis, and Jala talk about Terminator 2D: No Fate, My Winter Car, Many Nights a Whisper, and much more!
The Grind:
Jala: Terminator 2D: No Fate. Terror of Hemasaurus. Many Nights a Whisper.
Ben: Silksong.
Dennis: One Finger Death Punch 2. Trackmania.
Kaye: Ball X Pit. My Winter Car.
The End Boss:
Cyclopean developments.
Details about the new Fable emerge.
Virtual Boy is coming to Switch Online soon.
People are suing Hasbro for printing too many Magic cards.<...
The Level 572: Punxsatomic Phil
Kaye, Dennis, and Moxie talk about Quarantine Zone: Last Check, DeadCore Redux, Robocop: Rogue City, and much more!
The Grind:
Kaye: Quarantine Zone: Last Check.
Moxie: Robocop: Rogue City. BALL x PIT.
Dennis: DeadCore Redux. One Finger Death Punch.
The Multiplayer:
What’s a suboptimal way that you play games?
The End Boss:
Life is Strange: Reunion brings Max and Chloe back together.
Hardware modder fuses all modern consoles into one box.
Fans keep Anthem alive on private server.
...The Level 571: Philistinko
Kaye, Ben, Dennis, and Moxie talk about Pathologic 3, Nubby’s Number Factory, Q-Up, and much more!
The Grind:
Dennis: Diablo IV.
Kaye: Pathologic 3.
Moxie: Dead Island 2.
Ben: Q-UP. Nubby’s Number Factory.
The Multiplayer:
What are you favorite diegetic interfaces in games?
The End Boss:
Fortnite adds gambling again.
Meta shuts down tons of AI game studios.
Indie publisher Hooded Horse forbids AI use in its games.
The Level 570: Snakes (Not) on a Plane
Kaye, Ben, Dennis, and Moxie talk about Ball x Pit, Carnival Massacre, Dead Island 2, and much more!
The Grind:
Moxie: Dead Island 2.
Ben: Slots and Daggers. Ball x Pit.
Dennis: Liar’s Bar. Tactical Breach Wizards. Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown.
Kaye: Carnival Massacre.
The Multiplayer:
What new years resolution are you going to break?
The End Boss:
Clair Obscur loses Indie Game Awards GOTY, Blue Prince wins instead.
Helldivers 2 file size reduced. You can install other games now.
...
The Level 569: Who Are My Kids?
Kaye, Dennis, and Jala talk about Guilty as Sock, Embr, Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown, and much more!
The Grind:
Kaye: Resident Evil VII but it’s Simpsons. Bloodborne Randomizer. Embr. PEAK. Guilty as Sock. Pico Park 2.
Jala: Guilty as Sock. Pico Park 2. One-Eyed Likho.
Dennis: Embr. PEAK. Guilty as Sock. Pico Park 2. Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown.
The Multiplayer:
TOTY Results
The End Boss:
New Zealand’s game industry is one of the only ones that’s growing.
Looks like Larian uses AI and...
The Level 567: The Kids Hunger for Lore
Kaye, Ben, Dennis, and Moxie talk about Total Chaos, Asbury Pines, PEAK, and much more!
TITLE OF THE YEAR VOTING IS NOW OPEN!
The Grind:
Moxie: PEAK.
Ben: Asbury Pines.
Dennis: PEAK. Five Nights at Freddy’s.
Kaye: Total Chaos. Puzzmo.com.
The Multiplayer:
What’s a good implementation of something you otherwise think is bad in games?
The End Boss:
Roblox CEO wants to groom kids into gambling.
Tim Sweeny mocks Steam’s AI disclosures.
Amaz...
The Level 566: Pitch Problem
Kaye, Ben, and Dennis talk about Dispatch, Deadpool VR, Umigari, and much more!
The Grind:
Dennis: Deadpool VR.
Ben: Dispatch.
Kaye: Final Sentence Demo. Umigari Demo.
The End Boss:
Megabonk dev pulls the game out of running for VGA.
No sign of a Steam Deck 2 in sight.
The Level 565: If You Said Guts...
Kaye, Dennis, Jala, and Moxie talk about House of Necrosis, The Last Train Home, Islands of the Caliph, and much more!
The Grind:
Jala: Fire Emblem: Awakening. Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles. Aberration Analyst. Ookami Okami (Demo). Islands of the Caliph.
Moxie: NOTHING.
Dennis: Last Train Home. Hades II. War Thunder.
Kaye: Junji Ito Maniac: An Infinite Gaol. House of Necrosis.
The Multiplayer:
Gaming opinions that will start a Thanksgiving fight.
The End Boss:
Valve hardware announcements: Steam Frame, Steam...
The Level 564: Quiet, Mathematician!
Kaye, Ben, Dennis, and Moxie talk about Baby Steps, PEAK, War Thunder, and much more!
The Grind:
Kaye: Baby Steps.
Dennis: PEAK. War Thunder.
Moxie: No Man’s Sky.
Ben: Expeditions: Rome.
The Multiplayer:
What’s your non-live service forever game?
The End Boss:
Grand Theft Auto VI delayed by a year. Oh well.
Someone built a Death Star in No Man’s Sky, and it crashed the game.
AI robot falls down, goes boom.
The Level 563: I Regret to Inform You the Enemy is HorseMaxxing
Kaye, Ben, Dennis, and Moxie talk about PEAK, Battlefield 6, The Tenants, and much more!
The Grind:
Dennis: PEAK. Battlefield 6.
Ben: Expeditions: Rome.
Moxie: No Man’s Sky. Starfinder.
Kaye: The Tenants.
The Multiplayer:
Favorite fictional brands in games.
The End Boss:
Simpsons coming to Fortnite, Futurama coming to Simpsons: Hit and Run.
Dragon Ball Z is coming to Minecraft and all of this crossover shit must be stopped.
Someone got Doom running on a satellite.
Ne...
The Level 562: Scott is Steve's Boss
Kaye, Ben, Dennis, and Moxie talk about PowerWash Simulator 2, Tormented Souls II, Q-UP, and much more!
The Grind:
Ben: 9Kings. Q-UP.
Kaye: PowerWash Simulator 2. Tormented Souls II.
Moxie: Megacopter: Blades of the Goddess. No Man’s Sky. Hades 2.
Dennis: Hades 2. ARC Raiders.
The Multiplayer:
What’s your favorite fan nickname for a game character?
The End Boss:
Regime uses AI photos of Trump in Master Chief armor to recruit gamers for ICE, Microsoft says, does, nothing.
We’re getting a Halo...
The Level 561 : 1.Ocracy
Kaye, Ben, and Dennis talk about Hades 2, Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles, 9 Kings, and much more!
The Grind:
Ben: Aska. 9 Kings.
Dennis: Hades 2.
Kaye: Silent Hill f. Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles.
The Multiplayer:
What’s your favorite “voice in your ear” in games.
The End Boss:
Nintendo creeps everyone out with a baby animation.
More Mewgenics details.
Microlandia is a brutally realistic city builder.
The Level 560: Strike While The Pipe is Hot
Kaye, Dennis, Jala, and Moxie talk about Silent Hill f, Mars First Logistics, Cyclopean: The Great Abyss, and much more!
The Grind:
Jala: Cyclopean: The Great Abyss. Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc.
Moxie: Warhammer 40k: Darktide.
Dennis: Warhammer 40k: Darktide. Borderlands 4. Expeditions: A Mudrunner Game. Merge Maestro.
Kaye: Mars First Logistics. Silent Hill f.
The Multiplayer:
Propose a kiddie version of an otherwise mature game.
The End Boss:
EA bought by Saudia Arabia and various other villains.
Lord of the...
The Level 559: Give 'Em the Sha-Schwing, Dad!
Kaye, Ben, and Dennis talk about Aska, Deep Rock Galactic Survivor, Vintage Story, and much more!
The Grind:
Ben: Aska.
Kaye: Vintage Story. Silent Cleaning. Aberration Analyst. Anno 117.
Dennis: Deep Rock Galactic Survivor. Elden Ring.
The Multiplayer:
What game has completely outshined and replaced its predecessors?
The End Boss:
ICE uses Pokemon theme song for ghoulish kidnapping video.
Hideo Kojima shows trailer for new horror game, OD.
Dispatch comes out next month, with weekly episodic structure.
The Level 558: The Holes Unit
Kaye, Ben, Dennis, and Moxie talk about Borderlands 4, Silksong, No Case Should Remain Unsolved, and much more!
The Grind:
Ben: No Case Should Remain Unsolved.
Moxie: The Division 2. Silksong.
Kaye: Silksong.
Dennis: Silksong. Borderlands 4. I Am Your Beast.
The Multiplayer:
Favorite game quotes and/or barks.
The End Boss:
Silent Cleaning markets cleaning products with a horror game.
Splinter Cell is getting an animated series.
Danganronpa 2 remaster announced, with extra content.
The Level 557: Silksong True Ending EXPLAINED
Kaye, Ben, and Moxie talk about Silksong, Schedule I, the Mewgenics gameplay reveals, and much more!
The Grind:
Kaye: Silksong.
Moxie: Silksong.
Ben: Schedule I.
The Multiplayer:
What non-boss enemy always gets you?
The End Boss:
Mewgenics gets release date.
Pacific Drive: Whispers in the Woods expansion is going to be very folk-horror.
The Level 556: Go Where the Hurt Is
Kaye, Ben, Jala, and Moxie talk about Metal Gear Solid Delta, Heartworm, SPRAWL, and much more!
The Grind:
Jala: Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc. Alterium Shift. Cyclopean: The Great Abyss. Trine 5: A Clockwork Conspiracy.
Kaye: Metal Gear Solid Delta. Heartworm. Picross.
Ben: PAX West. The Fate of the Fellowship.
Moxie: SPRAWL. Fallen London. The Division 2.
The Multiplayer:
Put together an RPG team out of any video game character!
The End Boss:
Silksong stomped all over other indie game release dates.
...
The Level 555: Germany Mode Any% [No Bratwurst]
![The Level 555: Germany Mode Any% [No Bratwurst] episode artwork](https://c10.patreonusercontent.com/4/patreon-media/p/post/137711549/c8ed0391f580492bb0966e7355ea4cce/eyJkIjo3MiwiaCI6MzAwMCwic3RyaXBfYWxwaGEiOjEsInciOjMwMDAsIndlYnAiOjB9/1.jpg?token-hash=8Ox6Ac3o6mFYdr8zjI3IkglTawH5ttT-fwl-YcOPulo%3D)
Kaye, Ben, Dennis, and Moxie talk about Nine Kings, Threshold, Voxelgram, and much more!
The Grind:
Dennis: Nine Kings. Elden Ring.
Ben: Voxelgram.
Moxie: Warhammer 40k: Darktide.
Kaye: Threshold. Eyes on the Exam.
The Multiplayer:
What kind of game surprised you, either positively or negatively?
The End Boss:
AI company’s poll says game developers love AI, don’t ask any further questions.
John Carpenter’s game, Toxic Commandos, announced at GamesCom.
Valor Mortis is a first person...
