Matthew Castle
@mrbasilpesto.bsky.social
Magazine killer, podcast maker.
Co-host of The Back Page: A Video Games Podcast.
Co-host of The Back Page: A Video Games Podcast.
Marty Supremely Long.
January 4, 2026 at 11:06 PM
Marty Supremely Long.
Digging into some detective games I missed last year. Standout is The Case of the Worst Day Ever, which uses the Golden Idol format for comic, non-murder scenarios - but despite the jovial tone, it's a proper challenge. Dense with info to parse. A case about dog food properly broke me.
January 2, 2026 at 7:05 PM
Digging into some detective games I missed last year. Standout is The Case of the Worst Day Ever, which uses the Golden Idol format for comic, non-murder scenarios - but despite the jovial tone, it's a proper challenge. Dense with info to parse. A case about dog food properly broke me.
Pray for the one dad legging it around Southbank lighting all those London fireworks with that little taper that comes in the box.
January 1, 2026 at 12:10 AM
Pray for the one dad legging it around Southbank lighting all those London fireworks with that little taper that comes in the box.
If I'm on the character select screen for The Long Walk, no way I'm picking the diarrhoea guy.
December 31, 2025 at 9:10 PM
If I'm on the character select screen for The Long Walk, no way I'm picking the diarrhoea guy.
This was a good one. Worried it was going to solve itself a little, but ended up being much cleverer than I thought (as the best ones always are). I like it when you can work out 50% of what is going on, to get that hit of smugness, but can still grin when the main trick is revealed.
You know it's going to be a good one when A) there's a floorplan on page one, and B) the floorplan looks like *that*.
December 29, 2025 at 9:49 PM
This was a good one. Worried it was going to solve itself a little, but ended up being much cleverer than I thought (as the best ones always are). I like it when you can work out 50% of what is going on, to get that hit of smugness, but can still grin when the main trick is revealed.
Reposted by Matthew Castle
I've been waiting my whole life for this prompt
December 29, 2025 at 7:12 PM
I've been waiting my whole life for this prompt
Brutal cliffhangers in Culinary Class Wars this season.
December 29, 2025 at 2:42 PM
Brutal cliffhangers in Culinary Class Wars this season.
Lovely to see the podcast get a little nod in The Guardian's Going Out/Staying In list this week.
December 27, 2025 at 1:37 PM
Lovely to see the podcast get a little nod in The Guardian's Going Out/Staying In list this week.
Found the top ten list tricky this year - there's a huge pool of excellent things I'd fill out 20-11 with. We skipped honourable mentions (the episode was long enough as is) but would have shown some love for Old Skies, Strange Jigsaws, Chronoquartz, The Drifter, Mario Kart World and Bionic Bay.
New episode! The Best Games of 2025. Two top 10 lists of the year's greatest video games. 3+ hours of chatter.
Thanks for listening this year! Get it wherever podcasts are available:
open.spotify.com/episode/7fd3...
Thanks for listening this year! Get it wherever podcasts are available:
open.spotify.com/episode/7fd3...
Spotify – Web Player
open.spotify.com
December 26, 2025 at 4:16 PM
Found the top ten list tricky this year - there's a huge pool of excellent things I'd fill out 20-11 with. We skipped honourable mentions (the episode was long enough as is) but would have shown some love for Old Skies, Strange Jigsaws, Chronoquartz, The Drifter, Mario Kart World and Bionic Bay.
Got to show a little love for The Roottrees are Dead and Old Skies.
Every year I ask the Guardian's games contributors to come up with some lesser-known game recommendations, and every year I end up with a bunch of impulse purchases in the Steam winter sale
www.theguardian.com/games/2025/d...
www.theguardian.com/games/2025/d...
The video games you may have missed in 2025
Date a vending machine, watch intergalactic television and make the most out of your short existence as a fly. Here are the best games you weren’t playing this year
www.theguardian.com
December 26, 2025 at 4:10 PM
Got to show a little love for The Roottrees are Dead and Old Skies.
Brad Pitt flitting between all those driving disciplines in F1 had big Forza Horizon energy. Bring on the sequel where he races a hovercraft.
December 25, 2025 at 10:54 PM
Brad Pitt flitting between all those driving disciplines in F1 had big Forza Horizon energy. Bring on the sequel where he races a hovercraft.
You know it's going to be a good one when A) there's a floorplan on page one, and B) the floorplan looks like *that*.
December 25, 2025 at 3:09 PM
You know it's going to be a good one when A) there's a floorplan on page one, and B) the floorplan looks like *that*.
Katharine knocks it out of the park once again with this year's Christmas card.
December 25, 2025 at 10:42 AM
Katharine knocks it out of the park once again with this year's Christmas card.
On the second watch I think Wake Up Dead Man might be my favourite of the three - has some real character substance to go with the fun of the mystery. The scene with Bridget Everett on the phone is just so excellently done. Lovely bit of acting.
December 24, 2025 at 11:25 PM
On the second watch I think Wake Up Dead Man might be my favourite of the three - has some real character substance to go with the fun of the mystery. The scene with Bridget Everett on the phone is just so excellently done. Lovely bit of acting.
I'm probably reaching for a cameo that isn't there, but is that Hugh Grant singing a couple of seconds of Cats in Wake Up Dead Man?
December 24, 2025 at 10:55 PM
I'm probably reaching for a cameo that isn't there, but is that Hugh Grant singing a couple of seconds of Cats in Wake Up Dead Man?
I adore Culinary Class Wars, but do wonder if the second round black spoon vs white spoons blind taste test is truly legit - like, they could easily eliminate all the black spoons by mistake and nuke the format.
December 24, 2025 at 9:47 AM
I adore Culinary Class Wars, but do wonder if the second round black spoon vs white spoons blind taste test is truly legit - like, they could easily eliminate all the black spoons by mistake and nuke the format.
Finally getting round to @fireproofgames.com's Ghost Town on PSVR2 - perfectly judged level of spookiness for a wuss like me, with the added treat of all those tactile levers, cranks and switches they do so well.
December 22, 2025 at 1:08 PM
Finally getting round to @fireproofgames.com's Ghost Town on PSVR2 - perfectly judged level of spookiness for a wuss like me, with the added treat of all those tactile levers, cranks and switches they do so well.
3+ hours of game of the year chat - some surprises, a few minor upsets and (hopefully) heaps of recommendations to mop up over the Christmas holiday.
It was a monster.
December 22, 2025 at 1:02 PM
3+ hours of game of the year chat - some surprises, a few minor upsets and (hopefully) heaps of recommendations to mop up over the Christmas holiday.
This is secretly my favourite episode we do every year - awards feel like an NGamer Christmas issue feature and I love having our pals from the year drop in with their picks. A good reminder of the nice community around the pod.
New episode! The alternative GOTY awards 2025. Best hang. Worst hang. Location that would make a great Hitman level. Worst discourse. Best in-game food. These, and many more!
Listen wherever you get podcasts:
open.spotify.com/episode/1eUg...
Listen wherever you get podcasts:
open.spotify.com/episode/1eUg...
Spotify – Web Player
open.spotify.com
December 19, 2025 at 7:31 PM
This is secretly my favourite episode we do every year - awards feel like an NGamer Christmas issue feature and I love having our pals from the year drop in with their picks. A good reminder of the nice community around the pod.
Kirby Air Riders is such a looker and those swirling grind rail shots are a great pitch for a Switch 2-powered Kid Icarus Uprising.
December 18, 2025 at 7:36 PM
Kirby Air Riders is such a looker and those swirling grind rail shots are a great pitch for a Switch 2-powered Kid Icarus Uprising.
It's indulgent, but I'm reposting this thread again because it made me chuckle so much. Current favourite: Blake Manor.
Our Discorders answered the question, 'what if the games of 2025 were Simpsons stills?' Judge the results for yourself.
December 17, 2025 at 7:00 PM
It's indulgent, but I'm reposting this thread again because it made me chuckle so much. Current favourite: Blake Manor.
Not had a chance to listen yet, but the pairing of the picks episode and the resulting GOTY episode always makes for some of the most boisterous and entertaining games podcasting of the year.
482: Game of the Year Draft 2025
Ahead of next week's GOTY pod, it’s time to choose our Draft picks + Wildcards.
Also: Skate Story, Terminator 2D: No Fate, Karma: The Dark World, The Game Awards + more
📺 Watch: youtu.be/Ytd2rB0L4AA
🎧 Listen: plinkhq.com/i/1100170036...
🤝 Patreon: patreon.com/tcgs
Ahead of next week's GOTY pod, it’s time to choose our Draft picks + Wildcards.
Also: Skate Story, Terminator 2D: No Fate, Karma: The Dark World, The Game Awards + more
📺 Watch: youtu.be/Ytd2rB0L4AA
🎧 Listen: plinkhq.com/i/1100170036...
🤝 Patreon: patreon.com/tcgs
December 17, 2025 at 3:12 PM
Not had a chance to listen yet, but the pairing of the picks episode and the resulting GOTY episode always makes for some of the most boisterous and entertaining games podcasting of the year.
Reposted by Matthew Castle
Our Discorders answered the question, 'what if the games of 2025 were Simpsons stills?' Judge the results for yourself.
December 17, 2025 at 9:37 AM
Our Discorders answered the question, 'what if the games of 2025 were Simpsons stills?' Judge the results for yourself.
That's Metroid Prime 4 done. In a series with some notoriously thin characters, Sylux is a next-level nobody. Way more egregious than any of the companions.
December 16, 2025 at 10:09 PM
That's Metroid Prime 4 done. In a series with some notoriously thin characters, Sylux is a next-level nobody. Way more egregious than any of the companions.
