Pick Up Your Sticks

The Brobots of Roboquest, Catching them all in Monster Sanctuary and More

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 07 Aug 2022 06:00:00 -0500

This week we talk about Brett’s continued adventures in Monster Sanctuary, Walker's experience with Roboquest which is an early access title on Game Pass that plays like a FPS Risk of Rain 2. Walker also shares about the PS5 and a random smattering of other titles.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Neon White - Discarding Demons in Style

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 24 Jul 2022 06:00:00 -0500

This week Walker talks about his time with the recent hit Neon White. Neon White is an FPS parkour platformer with lots of style and speedrunner like mechanics that make for a really fun experience. Neon White is unique in a variety of ways and delivers on all of them and the sound track by Machine Girl wraps the entire game in a wonderful mix of songs that deliver over and over.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Monster Sanctuary - Monster Taming Meets Metroidvania

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 10 Jul 2022 06:00:00 -0500

Tell us if you have heard this one before. A metroidvania, a monster tamer, and a JRPG all walk into a bar... Ok there isn't a joke like that BUT if those three had a night to remember then 9 months later we would have Monster Sanctuary. The game is made with love in all aspects and delivers an awesome platforming, creature taming and battling, RPG experience that is excellent. Brett shares about his recent time with the game.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Ridiculousness in 4k

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 26 Jun 2022 06:00:00 -0500

This week Brett and Walker dive into Maneater. Maneater is a unique title in which the player assumes the role of a powerful and deadly shark in Georgia. Walker briefly tried the game a year or so ago and Brett recently completed the main campaign. Maneater brings about a variety of responses both good and bad.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Project: Gorgon - Immersion and Discovery

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 12 Jun 2022 06:00:00 -0500

This week we Brett and Walker talk about the bold and delightful MMO Project: Gorgon. Project: Gorgon offers a sense of discovery and exploration through its sizable web of skills and abilities. Brett and Walker share their favorite ways to play and how the game offers a compelling PvE adventure experience.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Failure Reframed

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 29 May 2022 06:00:00 -0500

This week Brett shares stories from his recent trip to the Kinetic Fire Retreat and we chat about the importance of becoming comfortable with failure when learning something new. This is a common theme in gaming as well in something like Elden Ring or Starcraft 2 ladder.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Terraforming Mars - 4X Board Game Magic

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 15 May 2022 06:00:00 -0500

This week we talk about the enormously popular board game Terraforming Mars. The board game version also supports single player which is not common in all board games. Terraforming Mars features a variety of strategy layers and replayability in what is effectively a 4X board game. There is also a digital version available on PC which is basically a recreation of the board game.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

MMO Megazord

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 01 May 2022 06:00:00 -0500

This week we dive into a variety of MMOs including Crowfall, Mortal Online 2, Book of Travels, Lost Ark, and Guild Wars 2. Each MMO has something unique to offer and its own twist on a genre that has seen immediate flops and decades long worlds (or galaxies *EVE* ahem) for players to be immersed in.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

The Gamer's Ranch Vacation, Pinball Awesomeness and Single Player Board Games

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 17 Apr 2022 06:00:00 -0500

This week we talk about Brett's recent vacation to the Gamer's Ranch in central Missouri. Brett and about 20 other friends stayed at the Gamer's Ranch for a few days and played some awesome co-op and single player board games, got to see what pinball looks like in 2022 and had access to just about every type of game under the sun.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Gamer's Ranch Website: https://gamersranch.com/

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Risk of Rain 2 Xpac and Super Auto Pets

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 03 Apr 2022 06:00:00 -0500

This week we talk about the latest expansion pack for Risk of Rain 2, "Survivors of the Void". We also touch on the fun auto battler Super Auto Pets and look forward to the new Rocket League season.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Project Zomboid Deserves Your Attention

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 20 Mar 2022 06:00:00 -0500

This week we talk about the long-shambling zombie survival title Project Zomboid from developer The Indie Stone. Project Zomboid has been in (and remains in) early access on Steam for close to a decade. Project Zomboid is a terrific example of Early Access done right and was featured in an epsiode we did in November of 2020. In the last several months the game has seen a surge in popularity with the addition of several new features and streamlined multiplayer. If you like RPGs and survival then this game has to be on your radar as it is one of a kind.

Vampire Survivors

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 06 Mar 2022 06:00:00 -0500

This week Brett and Walker talk about #VampireSurvivors, the indy hit on PC and mobile from developer poncle. Vampire Survivors is an incredible value combining Castlevania style art (and floor chicken) into a time survival game with minimalistic gameplay and roguelite elements.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Assassin's Creed Origins

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 20 Feb 2022 06:00:00 -0500

This week Brett and Walker talk about Assassin's Creed Origins which served as the first title in the series reboot. Shifting to an every other year release schedule and incorporating a much heavier emphasis on RPG elements, AC: Origins is heralded a hallmark of the series. Walker recently completed the game and shares his thoughts.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Halo Infinite and Microsoft/Blizzard Thoughts

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 06 Feb 2022 06:00:00 -0500

This week Brett and Walker talk about the acquisition of Activision-Blizzard by Microsoft and why they think its a win. Brett and Walker also dive into Halo Infinite and talk about the campaign and multiplayer goodness that Halo has delivered for 20 years.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Arcane and The Witcher - Awesome Gaming Related TV

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 23 Jan 2022 06:00:00 -0500

This week Brett and Walker dive into a couple of awesome gaming related TV shows on Netflix. The first is the live action The Witcher which recently released season 2. Next we talk about Arcane, the new series based on League of Legends. Neither Brett or Walker has deep experience with the gaming franchises but found both shows to be awesome for a variety of reasons.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Supreme Commander - Remaining Relevant for 15 Years

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 09 Jan 2022 06:00:00 -0500

This week Brett and Walker talk about Supreme Commander which originally released in 2007. Despite its age Supreme Commander brings ideas and mechanics to the RTS genre that are still not replicated in other titles. Enormous maps, a continuous campaign structure, and a unique multiplayer experience that still has a faithful and competitive player base all culminate in Supreme Commander being loved and played to this day.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

2021 Pick Up Your Sticks Year In Review

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 26 Dec 2021 06:00:00 -0500

Brett and Walker look back over the last year and review the moments from gaming and the podcast that stood out. There were lots of awesome guests on the show in 2021 as well as plenty of titles to look back on, what did you like most from 2021?

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Celebrating a New PC and All The Frames

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 12 Dec 2021 06:00:00 -0500

This week Brett and Walker talk about Walker's new gaming PC and what he has been enjoying on the new rig. Ark Survival Evolved finally runs at max settings without a hitch and DOOM Eternal has never looked so good. Despite the new hardware Hexcells Infinite also gets some more love.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Potion Craft: Alchemist Simulator - The Best Alchemy Game

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 28 Nov 2021 06:00:00 -0500

This week Brett and Walker talk about the indie delight Potion Craft: Alchemist Simulator. Brett has yearned for years to play a proper alchemy game in which the emphasis is on discovering and creating potions rather than just running a shop. Potion Craft delivers in many ways and still being in early access is sure to only improve. Developer Niceplay has created a unique and innovative experience that is one of a kind and very enjoyable to play.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Blizzard's Fall From Grace

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 14 Nov 2021 06:00:00 -0500

This week Brett and Walker discuss Blizzard's fall from grace. While events about the workplace culture have dominated headlines this year and driven many to seek work or play elsewhere, we wanted to explore the degradation in Blizzard's gaming catalogue. A company that constantly pushed the envelope with innovation has failed to innovate in a meaningful way in years. The workplace culture of sexism and misogyny would be sufficient reason to walk away in the first place but the quality of games hasn't held up either.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Switching to Nintendo

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 31 Oct 2021 06:00:00 -0500

This week Brett and Walker talk about Walker's recent purchase of a Nintendo Switch. Walker is currently playing Breath of the Wild, Mario Kart, and Smash Bros with a few other titles in the mix. Will Walker ever complete a game on the Switch? Will an MMO come to the Switch to satisfy Walker's constant MMO thirst? Listen in and decide for yourself!

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Masterful Puzzle Game Hexcells Infinite

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 17 Oct 2021 06:00:00 -0500

This week Brett and Walker talk about the incredibly engaging puzzle game Hexcells Infinite. Combining elements of sodoku and minesweeper along with its own unique ideas Hexcells Infinite shows that games can be meaningful and engaging even without cutscenes or character arcs.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

What sets Crowfall apart from other MMOs?

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 03 Oct 2021 06:00:00 -0500

This week Brett and Walker talk about Crowfall the MMO that released in July 2021. Walker has been eagerly awaiting Crowfall as it offers a variety of unique ideas and systems that could prove to make it the best version of a sandbox MMO. Walker has also cohosts The Crowfall Podcast which shares stories and perspectives from the world of Crowfall.

Episode notes:

The Crowfall Podcast site: the-crowfall-podcast.captivate.fm/

The Crowfall Podcast Twitter: @CrowfallPod

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Starcraft Legend Artosis

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 19 Sep 2021 06:00:00 -0500

This week we are joined by Starcraft Legend Artosis. One half of the legendary GSL casting duo "Tastosis", Artosis has been living in South Korea for over a decade casting the highest level Starcraft 2 tournament in the world. Artosis shares about his life prior to moving to Korea, what it was like in the mid 2000s moving to Korea with ambition, a dream, and a few weeks of income. We also discuss why Starcraft and the RTS genre in general is so compelling.

Episode notes:

Artosis Twitter: twitter.com/Artosis

Artosis Twitch: Twitch.tv/Artosis

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

The Brilliance of Horizon Zero Dawn

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 05 Sep 2021 06:00:00 -0500

This week Brett and Walker talk about the brilliance of Horizon Zero Dawn. Visually Horizon Zero Dawn is a striking a satisfying game with the robot wildlife and dinosaur like creatures that the player encounters. Mechanically the game is fun to play and perhaps most impressively the game manages to tell a post apocalyptical story in completely innovative and unique tale.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Interview with Longtime Starcraft 2 Pro Nina

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 22 Aug 2021 06:00:00 -0500

This week Brett and Walker have an interview with longtime Starcraft 2 Pro Nina from PsiStorm Gaming. Nina talks about her journey into professional gaming, living in team houses, what separates top level ladder players with the pros, and what she is pursuing now outside of gaming.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Nina Twitter: @NinaStarcraft

Nina Twitch: twitch.tv/ninasc2

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Creativity and Variety in Starcraft 2 with BeNeFiT

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 08 Aug 2021 06:00:00 -0500

This week Brett and Walker chat the endless creativity and variety in Starcraft 2 with BeNeFiT. BeNeFiT is a Master's level player and former team manager in Starcraft 2. BeNeFiT has played Starcraft 2 since he was 9 years old and loves getting into his opponents head and finding innovative ways to solve the endless situations found in the Starcraft 2 ladder.

BeNeFiT Twitter: twitter.com/SC2BeNeFiT

BeNeFiT Twitch: twitch.tv/sc2benefit

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

"Mango Mischief" - JRPG Developer - Chris Mango

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 01 Aug 2021 06:00:00 -0500

This week Brett and Walker are joined by Chris Mango the developer of a new 16 Bit JRPG "Mango Mischief" which is coming to Steam in 2022. Chris talks about the interesting approaches he is using in Mango Mischief from the perspective of both game mechanics and story. Chris also dives into the games that inspire him, growing up with gaming, and the adventure of making a game without a background in coding.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Mango Mischief Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJyn3zYtY08&t=4s&ab_channel=MangoMischief

Mango Mischief Website: mangomischief.com

Mango Mischief Twitter: @MangoMischief

Mango Mischief Instagram: @mangomischiefvideogame

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Casting Starcraft2 and Pursuing a Ph.D - Philip 'BeoMulf' Mulford with Team AlphaX

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 25 Jul 2021 06:00:00 -0500

This week Brett and Walker are joined by Starcraft 2 caster and streamer Philip 'BeoMulf' Mulford. BeoMulf talks about his journey into Starcraft 2 casting, getting to Masters level in ladder and then leaving the game for 5 years only to return to play at a similar level and getting back into casting. BeoMulf also talks about his pursuit of a Ph.D and why Starcraft 2 continues to be exciting and fresh.

Episode notes:

BeoMulf Twitter: twitter.com/BeoMulf_SC2

BeoMulf Twitch: twitch.tv/beomulf

Team AlphaX YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCaSk3vO831VZd9O1pfwEqmA

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Interview with Esports Industry Veteran Bryan "Gwop" Andersen

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 18 Jul 2021 06:00:00 -0500

This week Brett and Walker are joined by Bryan "Gwop" Andersen. Bryan started as a professional gamer before moving on to work for the ESL helping to put on gaming shows around the world. Most recently Bryan has become a part owner of PSISTORM Gaming which features pro players across a variety of titles. Bryan has fascinating stories from his time in the industry and unique insights into the entire Esports universe.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Starcraft 2 Coach Raiden - Balancing University, Investing, and Coaching

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 11 Jul 2021 06:00:00 -0500

This week Brett and Walker are joined by Tom "Raiden" Weiss who started playing Starcraft 2 at eight years old and was coaching players through the ranks in his early teens. Raiden currently balances playing Starcraft, learning about investing, and pursuing a double masters degree. Raiden talks about the similarities he sees between gaming and investing, how earning money from coaching Starcraft 2 is more fun than mowing yards as a teenager and his current hobbies and interests.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Episode 100 - Super Fan Chris Johnson

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 04 Jul 2021 06:00:00 -0500

Pick Up Your Sticks has hit episode 100!! This week Brett and Walker are so excited to welcome long time supporter and fan of Pick Up Your Sticks, Chris Johnson. Chris has supported the show since it started and is himself a lifelong gamer. Chris joins the show to share his journey of gaming, what games he plays these days, and why gaming matters to him.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Diving Into Subnautica: Below Zero

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 27 Jun 2021 06:00:00 -0500

This week Brett and Walker share the delight of Subnautica and its improved successor Subnautica: Below Zero. While on the surface the Subnautica games look like other survival games the largely underwater atmosphere, clear narrative, and lack of persistent combat really set it apart from other sandbox titles. Both games are great and certainly worth a look for anybody who enjoys a good exploration and adventure game.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Creighton Olsen - An Unconventional Route to Starcraft Casting Stardom

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 20 Jun 2021 06:00:00 -0500

This week Brett and Walker are joined by Creighton Olsen who is a world class Starcraft 2 caster, tournament organizer, and wildly entertaining personality on twitch. Creighton has an incredible story taking him around the globe and a background in theatre that empowers him to bring a professional quality to his entertainment that is first class. Creighton has casted for the GSL and regularly contributes to The Pylon Show. Creighton is only getting started and is sure to continue as a recognizable name in eSports and gaming culture at large.

Episode notes:

Creighton Twitch: twitch.tv/creightonolsen

Creighton Twitter: twitter.com/CreightonOlsen

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Return to Burning Crusade and Crowfall Excitement

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 13 Jun 2021 06:00:00 -0500

This week Walker talks about his return to Burning Crusade Classic and all of the fun and weirdness that comes with playing a version of WoW that he played 16 years ago the first time it released. Walker then shares his excitement about a new MMO called Crowfall that is releasing in July with some interesting ideas to solve longstanding problems with sandbox MMOs. Finally Walker recently tried Maneater which is a game where the player character is a shark.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Nathanias - Humble Beginnings to All Star Professional Commentating

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 06 Jun 2021 06:00:00 -0500

This week Brett and Walker are joined by Nathan Lawrence "Nathanias" Fabrikant who is a professional commentator and caster for Starcraft 2 on all of the biggest stages for the last decade. Nathanias decided to try his hand as casting matches and quickly found a natural talent and passion for what would become his career. Nathanias shares his story, insights into the pro gaming scene and several great stories.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Nathanias Twitter: twitter.com/nathanias

Nathanias Twitch: twitch.tv/nathanias

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Mindustry - Strategy Genre Megazord

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 30 May 2021 06:00:00 -0500

This week Brett and Walker talk about the indie strategy game Mindustry available on PC and mobile. Mindustry combines gameplay from Tower Defense, Real Time Strategy, and Logistics games to create a fun and unique experience can be completed in bite size chunks or extended play sessions.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Prodigy Turned Pro an Interview with Dan "ViBE" Scherlong

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 23 May 2021 06:00:00 -0500

This week Brett and Walker are joined by retired Starcraft 2 professional Dan "ViBE" Scherlong who had a long career as a Starcraft 2 pro before shifting to full time Twitch and YouTube content creation. ViBE has multiple iterations of the Bronze to GM series in Starcraft 2 which are an amazing place for any new or returning player to start from.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

ViBE YouTube: youtube.com/ViBElol

ViBE Twitch: twitch.tv/vibelol

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Loop Hero - RPG, Auto Battler, Deck Building Mania

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 16 May 2021 06:00:00 -0500

This week Brett and Walker discuss the complex and innovative title Loop Hero from developer Four Quarters and publisher Devolver Digital. Loop Hero combines staples from multiple genres to create a thoughtful, challenging, and rewarding experience that is truly like nothing else.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

JimRising - Pro Gamer and Streamer

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 09 May 2021 06:00:00 -0500

This week Brett and Walker are joined by professional Starcraft 2 player and Twitch Streamer JimRising. JimRising shares his journey into playing Starcraft 2 at a high level, the state of being a pro gamer and streamer, and how he was introduced into gaming growing up in Mexico.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

JimRising Twitch: twitch.tv/jimrsng

JimRising Twitter: @JimRisingSC

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Dancing and DJing in Beat Saber and Electronauts

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 02 May 2021 06:00:00 -0500

This week Brett shares the magic of two different Virtual Reality music related games. Beat Saber is a very popular rhythm and dance game with sweet light sabers that is more of a traditional game. Electronauts offers more of a music experience as there is no real way to win or lose. Both games are awesome experiences in VR and should be checked out by anybody with a VR setup.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Trevor Gray - Founder of Pro eSports Team Genesis Gaming

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 25 Apr 2021 06:00:00 -0500

This week Brett and Walker are joined by Trevor Gray who is the founder and owner of the international multi title eSports organization and tournament organizer Genesis Gaming. Genesis Gaming has bases of operations in Europe, NA, South Korea & South Africa and features players in CS:GO, Dota 2, Hearthstone, and Starcraft 2. Trevor provides an inside look at what goes into running a professional eSports organization.

Episode notes:

Genesis Gaming Twitter: twitter.com/xGenesisGamingx

Genesis Gaming Discord: discord.gg/9EnanG8V

Genesis Gaming Website: genesis-gaming.com/

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Hades - Roguelike Perfection

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 18 Apr 2021 06:00:00 -0500

This week Walker gushes about his love for the very popular title Hades. Hades is from Supergiant Games who have a track record of great titles the first major hit being Bastion. Hades checks every box including combat mechanics, character builds, beautiful art, great sound, and terrific writing. Hades strikes a balance that few games achieve and delivers something truly special.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Interview with Pro Gamer and Content Creator Beastyqt

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 11 Apr 2021 06:00:00 -0500

This week Brett and Walker are joined by longtime Starcraft 2 pro Aleksandar "Beastyqt" Krstic. Beastyqt started gaming in his home of Serbia before moving to the United States in 2012 to pursue his dream of playing professional Starcraft 2. Beastyqt played professionally for many years before transitioning into creating content for Twitch and YouTube. Beastyqt shares stories from his journey along with his insights into being a professional gamer.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Throwing Hands with Injustice 2 and Lethal League Blaze

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 04 Apr 2021 06:00:00 -0500

This week Brett and Walker visit one of their least played genres, fighting games, with Injustice 2 and Lethal League Blaze. Injustice 2 features DC comic characters but is made by the same people that make Mortal Kombat so shares much of that DNA. Lethal League Blaze is a very different game that oozes style and a great aesthetic that Brett and Walker absolutely love.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Interview with Professional Starcraft 2 Commentator Ravi "feardragon" Pareek

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 28 Mar 2021 06:00:00 -0500

This week Brett and Walker are joined by veteran professional Starcraft 2 commentator Ravi "feardragon" Pareek. Feardragon has been casting professional Starcraft 2 on some of the biggest stages for several years. The discussion includes insight into feardragon's journey, his love of Starcraft, Celeste, and Smash Bros, along with how gaming can be used to teach about life.

Episode notes:

feardragon YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/feardragon64

feardragon Twitter: https://twitter.com/feardragon64

feardragon Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/feardragon64

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Cyberpunk 2077 - Thoughts and Impressions

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 21 Mar 2021 06:00:00 -0500

This week Brett shares his thoughts on the enormously popular and polarizing Cyberpunk 2077. Brett found himself somewhere in the middle of the spectrum on his satisfaction with the game and while some portions were less than ideal in many ways the game succeeds.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Starcraft 2 Pro "Skyler" from Team eXoN

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 14 Mar 2021 06:00:00 -0500

This week Brett and Walker are joined by special guest Barnabas "Skyler" Yu from Team eXon. Skyler has been playing Starcraft since his early childhood as his father played Broodwar and introduced Skyler to the game. Since then Skyler has logged countless hours of gameplay and enjoys streaming on Twitch and coaching when he isn't competing. Be sure to check out Skyler and Team eXoN during the weekly open cup we sponsor every Wednesday.

Episode notes:

Skyler Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/gm_skyler

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Dungeons & Dinners and The Mansion of the Mad Mage

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 07 Mar 2021 06:00:00 -0500

This week Brett shares about his podcast Dungeons & Dinners which explores the fun and adventure had in both Dungeons & Dragons and cooking. Brett talks about his background with both topics, why they blend together so naturally, and what some of the themes of his episodes are. Brett also recently collaborated with Maps N Quests to create an adventure module for Dungeons and Dragons called The Mansion of the Mad Mage which is available now.

Episode notes:

Dungeons & Dinners Podcast: https://dungeons-and-dinners.captivate.fm/

Dungeons & Dinners Twitter: @AndDinners (https://twitter.com/AndDinners)

The Mansion of the Mad Mage: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qJB6e2sph5bp5k8SHiyPu1lKOvEzvJ1a/view?usp=sharing

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Valheim - Survival Adventure Utopia

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 28 Feb 2021 06:00:00 -0500

This week Brett and Walker share their thoughts and experiences in the recently released and massively popular Valheim. Valheim is selling millions of copies, and with good reason, its one of the best takes on the survival adventure style genre that either Brett or Walker has ever seen.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Interview with "Creeper World" Series Developer Knuckle Cracker

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 21 Feb 2021 06:00:00 -0500

This week Brett and Walker are joined by special guest Virgil Wall aka Knuckle Cracker who has developed the Creeper World game series and many others. Creeper World 4 just released on December 3rd of last year and is one of the most innovative games on the market. Creeper World 4 blends elements of RTS and Tower Defense to create a truly unique experience that everybody should check out. Virgil shares about his development process, his thoughts on the state of the indie gaming scene, what his inspirations are, and much more.

Episode notes:

Creeper World 4 is available on Steam, GoG, or directly at: https://knucklecracker.com/

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Problem Solving and Analysis Discussion with Pro Gamer Cham

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 14 Feb 2021 06:00:00 -0500

This week Brett and Walker are joined by special guest and Starcraft 2 professional gamer Pablo Cham Blanco of Team eXon. Hailing from Mexico and playing at the professional level since 2012, Cham shares his journey in becoming a professional gamer, how he thinks about the game and evaluates his play, and how he approaches problem solving.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Cham Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SC2Cham

Cham Twitter: https://twitter.com/eXonCham

Cham Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/chamsc2

Cham TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@pablochamblanco?

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Founding Society in Dawn of Man and Exploring Gone Home

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 07 Feb 2021 06:00:00 -0500

This week Walker finally makes good on his end of a longstanding with Brett by completing the 2013 indie hit Gone Home. Walker also shares his thoughts on the town management game Dawn of Man. Brett and Walker also revisit Donut County one of the strangest games around.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Salvaging Ships in Hardspace: Shipbreaker and Saving Dwarves in Regions of Ruin

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 31 Jan 2021 06:00:00 -0500

This week Walker shares his experiences with the fun RPG town builder Regions of Ruin. Brett discusses Hardspace: Shipbreaker which is a first person game about deconstructing space ships with some truly unique mechanics and gameplay ideas. Both games are surprisingly well done and fun to spend some time with.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Solitarica and Monster Train - Roguelike Card Battler Fun

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 24 Jan 2021 06:00:00 -0500

This week Brett and Walker discuss Solitarica and Monster Train which are both rogue style card battler games. Solitarica offers a fun spin on the classic solitaire while Monster Train feels like a more accessible Slay the Spire experience.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Rocket League is Bae

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 17 Jan 2021 06:00:00 -0500

After years of campaigning Walker has finally convinced Brett to try out Rocket League and the results are awesome! The joy of Rocket League is one of the most fun competitive games to play of all time. Brett and Walker are completely hooked and the episode covers all the reasons why.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

VR Gaming On a New Valve Index

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 10 Jan 2021 06:00:00 -0500

This week Brett and Walker chat about a wide variety of VR games they have checked out on Brett's new Valve Index. VR Gaming continues to get better with titles like Half Life Alyx and the innovations that will come out of it are very exciting.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Civilization and The Joy of 4X Games

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 03 Jan 2021 06:00:00 -0500

This week Brett and Walker talk about their favorite 4X games. With classics like Master of Orion and Alpha Centauri, to the genre defining Civilization series which has lasted through time, to some of the newer titles like Endless Space, the 4X genre has been delivering fun for decades.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

A Love of RPGs, MMOs, and Video Games with Nick Erwin cohost of It Taste's Different Gaming Podcast

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 27 Dec 2020 06:00:00 -0500

This week Brett and Walker are joined by guest Nick Erwin who is a long time friend and cohost of It Taste's Different which is a gaming podcast. Nick brings decades of gaming experience with a love for RPGs, MMOs, and gaming in general. Joining Nick on It Taste's Different are 3 other cohosts all of whom bring a different perspective to the show.

Episode notes:

Nick's Website: https://ittastesdifferent.com/

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Ghostbusters Remastered and Rogue-like Mania

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 20 Dec 2020 06:00:00 -0500

This week Brett shares about his trip down memory lane with Ghostbusters Remastered which almost serves as the third movie in the franchise with most of the original cast still involved. Walker can't stop playing rogue-likes and gives a rundown of what he has been playing lately.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

A Lifetime of Gaming and Technology

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 13 Dec 2020 06:00:00 -0500

This week Brett interviews his Dad regarding his long history in technology and gaming. They discuss everything from ham radio operation in the 60's and 70's, generations of gaming on consoles and PC, and wrap up with a discussion on the two's most recent adventure into virtual reality games.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Ori and The Blind Forest Review

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 06 Dec 2020 06:00:00 -0500

This week Brett and Walker give a full review of the gorgeous game Ori and The Blind Forest. While being visually amazing the game also delivers a thoughtful story and compelling gameplay that both of the hosts adored.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Gaming Blogger Shane Page talks Earthbound and the Mother Series, Nintendo and Super Smash Melee

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 29 Nov 2020 06:00:00 -0500

This week Brett and Walker are joined by gaming blogger Shane Page who runs the blog "Frog by Frog" which details Shane's playthrough of the 2006 game Mother 3. The blog is very well written and Shane's love of the game and gaming at large is obvious. Shane is also an avid Nintendo gamer and shares his thoughts on Super Smash and some of Nintendo's less popular decisions.

Episode notes:

Shane's Blog: https://frog-by-frog.com/

Shane's Twitter: https://twitter.com/FrogByFrogBlog

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

GoldenEye 64, Perfect Dark and Other Old School Titles Ahead of Their Time

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 22 Nov 2020 06:00:00 -0500

This week Brett and Walker visit the timeless classic GoldenEye 64 which is one of if not the most important titles from that era. Rare continued to set the mark high with Perfect Dark which was a tremendous spiritual successor. Brett shares about the hidden gem Time Splitters 2 which offered features years ahead of its time.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Interview with Professional Starcraft 2 Caster Dave 'SteadFast' Loose

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 15 Nov 2020 06:00:00 -0500

This week Brett and Walker are joined by Dave 'Steadfast' Loose who is a professional Starcraft 2 caster. Steadfast shares thoughtful insights into his own love of gaming and journey to becoming a caster. The conversation also explores the current gaming and eSports scene and what the future may bring.

Steadfast Twitter: https://twitter.com/SteadfastSC2

Steadfast Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/steadfastsc

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Puppies for Peace in Sea of Thieves, Project Zomboid's Bottomless Depth, and More Love for Risk of Rain 2

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 08 Nov 2020 06:00:00 -0500

This week Brett enlists a new four legged ally in Sea of Thieves to engage the pirates in surprising ways. Walker can't stop playing Risk of Rain 2 which continues to deliver surprising engagement and a trove of secrets. Brett also talks about a long time early access title Project Zomboid, which despite its early access status has been an impressive title for years and offers a level of choice and player agency unlike anything else.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Wing Commander and the Golden Age of Space Flight Sims

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 01 Nov 2020 06:00:00 -0500

This week Brett and Walker suit up to talk about their favorite space flight sims like the Wing Commander franchise. These games had a significant impact on both host's lives and still shape their gaming preferences today.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

We Love Kerbal Space Program and You Should Too

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 25 Oct 2020 06:00:00 -0500

This week Brett and Walker share their thoughts on Kerbal Space Program which is one of the most innovative and inspiring games of the last decade. Kerbal is educational, silly, entertaining, fascinating and a game that everybody should at least play for a few hours.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Running and Gunning in Risk of Rain 2 with Two Sides of Terror in Alien Isolation and Carrion

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 18 Oct 2020 06:00:00 -0500

This week Brett shares his tale of being frightened in Alien Isolation and becoming the bump in the night in Carrion. Walker shares his recent experiences with Risk of Rain 2 and New Super Lucky's Tale.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Review Of The PC Gamer Top 100 Games List

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 11 Oct 2020 06:00:00 -0500

This week Brett and Walker review the recently released Top 100 list from PC Gamer. PC Gamer has been publishing content about computer gaming for decades now and is one our our favorite media sources for news, reviews, and analysis in the pc gaming space.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Brand New Gaming PC Celebration, DOOM Eternal Delivers, and Dual Universe The New Sandbox MMO

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 04 Oct 2020 06:00:00 -0500

This week Brett and Walker celebrate Brett's brand new gaming pc! Brett has built a custom gaming pc and has gone to hell and back in DOOM Eternal. While Walker shared his thoughts a few months ago, Brett has his own take on the game as he completed it in short order after being able to play. Brett has also decided to check out the new sandbox space MMO Dual Universe which shares some design DNA with Eve Online, Space Engineers, and No Man's Sky.

Episode notes:

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Star Wars Galaxies, Eve Online, Albion Online and What Makes the Sandbox MMO So Compelling

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 27 Sep 2020 06:00:00 -0500

This week Brett and Walker dive into the rich and storied history of the sandbox MMO. While many games have fallen into this space, Walker shares his stories from his time in Star Wars Galaxies, Eve Online, and Albion Online. The sandbox MMO offers markets, stories, and gameplay options that feel almost limitless when compared to the traditional theme park MMO. The grind can be intimidating but for some the rewards are worth it for years on end.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Falsely Accused In Among Us, Becoming The AI In Other Waters, and How Much Do Games Cost Now?

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 20 Sep 2020 06:00:00 -0500

This week Brett and Walker share experiences from the recently popular title Among Us, Brett shares his adventures in the interesting indie title In Other Waters, and they have a healthy discussion about the changes to state of pricing, distribution, and monetization as Take Two has just announced they plan to increase prices going forward.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Will Marvel's Avengers Join the Ranks of Great Superhero Games?

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 13 Sep 2020 06:00:00 -0500

In light of the recent release of Marvel's Avengers Brett and Walker discuss their preview thoughts on the new game and their experiences with super hero games throughout the years along with the comics and movies that inspire them. Single player titles as far back as Spiderman 2 from the Playstation 2, MMOs like City of Heroes and Champions Online, fighting games like Injustice and many other super hero games have defined a game theme that spans the decades.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Factorio 1.0 Arrives, Steamworld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech is Conquered, Tyrian 2000 Reveals Additional Mechanics, and All Games Done Quick Summer 2020

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 06 Sep 2020 06:00:00 -0500

This week Brett shares his final thoughts on Steamworld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech as he has completed the game. Walker gushes about Factorio after diving back in following its 1.0 release. Brett discovers EVEN more game play mechanics in Tyrian 2000 after 20+ years of playing. All Games Done Quick Summer 2020 has recently concluded so a shout out is in order for such an awesome event.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Tyrian 2000 - The Greatest Top Down Shooter

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 30 Aug 2020 06:00:00 -0500

This week Brett and Walker do a deep dive on Brett's favorite game Tyrian 2000. Tyrian 2000 is a top down shooter in many ways similar to many other games in the genre born from Galaga or Space Invaders. Instead of being arcade-y like the vast majority of games in this vein Tyrian 2000 separates itself with a wide variety of ship upgrades and more than one way to succeed. Tyrian 2000 has been a gem for over 2 decades and Brett provides a wonderful breakdown of all the reasons you should check it out.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Boom Headshot! - A 25 Year Retrospective on Our Favorite First Person Shooters

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 23 Aug 2020 06:00:00 -0500

This week Brett and Walker look back over their gaming lives at all of the First Person Shooter titles that they have loved. FPS games have shaped the gaming industry for decades and certainly have a mixed bag of game play offerings. While initially not self identifying as "FPS Bro's" Brett and Walker realize through this episode just how much they love the genre and many of its titles ranging from Doom, 007/Bond Games, Borderlands, Call of Duty, Halo, Half-Life, and more!

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Falling for Fall Guys, Beating Earth Defense Force 5, and Returning to Assassin’s Creed Black Flag to Feed the Pirate

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 16 Aug 2020 11:00:00 -0500

This week Walker jumps into the fad train and enjoys some slapstick fun in Fall Guys, the new massively multiplayer party game. Brett shares his adventures in completing the story of Earth Defense Force 5, thoughts on his ongoing play through of Hand of Gilgamech and his penchant for destroying gaming mice. Walker gives some final thoughts on the Eisenhorn book trilogy which is set in the Warhammer 40K universe, his Sea of Thieves inspired addiction to sailing and shooting, and his delight with Ori and the Blind Forest.

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Massive Levelhead Update, Initial Impressions on the Ori series and Outward, Sea of Thieves Shenanigans, FOMO in Hand of Gilgamech and JRPGs

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 09 Aug 2020 11:00:00 -0500

This week Brett and Walker look at party limitations in RPGs as a game mechanic and try to understand how and why they exist. Walker shares more pirate adventures from Sea of Thieves, progress on Slay the Spire, and initial thoughts on the Ori franchise as well as the RPG Outward. Brett looks at MOTHERGUNSHIP and Carrion which are a couple of titles on his possible purchase list. Finally Brett shares news of the massive recent update to Levelhead from good guy developer Butterscotch Shenanigans.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Slay the Spire & SteamWorld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech – Delightful Card Battling Adventures

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 02 Aug 2020 11:00:00 -0500

This week Brett and Walker share their thoughts and experiences in “SteamWorld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech” and “Slay the Spire”. While both titles are within the same loosely defined rpg-card battling genre, they both feature unique and interesting experiences. Both offer an innovative single player foray in a game type that is typically dominated by player vs. player games such as Blizzard’s “Hearthstone” or Riot’s “Legends of Runeterra.” Both “SteamWorld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech” and “Slay the Spire” are terrific games that are worth exploring.

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Ghost of Tsushima Review with Special Guest Chris Crabtree

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 26 Jul 2020 11:00:00 -0500

This week Brett and Walker are joined by friend of the show Chris Crabtree to discuss the recently released Ghost of Tsushima on Playstation 4. Ghost of Tsushima is made by developer Sucker Punch who is well known for the generally well received "Infamous" series along with the "Sly Cooper" franchise. Ghost of Tsushima is a new open world 3rd person action/rpg game set in feudal Japan. Ghost of Tsushima is a masterpiece of this genre, offering excellent stealth, action, and role playing options.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Exciting Tales from Dungeons and Dragons, Hilarious Stories from Sea of Thieves, Massive Starcraft 2 Update, Warhammer 40k in a Book

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 19 Jul 2020 11:00:00 -0500

This week Brett and Walker cover a wide variety of topics from creating a giant digital map for the Dungeons and Dragons campaign Brett is playing along with fun session highlights, silly pirate mishaps in Sea of Thieves, a big update to Starcraft 2, and a brief review of a Warhammer 40k book series, Eisenhorn, written by Dan Abnett.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Playing with Fire and Oops Killing in Magicka, Megazord Fights in Earth Defense Force 5, and Grand Yet Petty Adventures in Sea of Thieves

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 12 Jul 2020 11:00:00 -0500

This week we are joined by special guest Chris Hamacher. Chris is a long time friend of both Brett and Walker and also a passionate gamer. Today Brett shares about adventures in Earth Defense Force 5 which has gone from a slightly appreciated game to one of Brett's favorite games of the year. Walker and Chris share their adventures on the high seas robbing and hunting in Sea of Thieves. Then all three hosts share about the innovative and charming game Magicka.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Steam Summer Sale Pick-Ups, Saving the Planet in Earth Defense Force 5 and the Joy of Bloons TD 6

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 05 Jul 2020 13:20:00 -0500

Happy Independence Day! Brett and Walker share their recent purchases from the Steam Summer Sale. Brett is defending the planet from monsters in Earth Defense Force 5 and loving it despite the games seemingly intentional B-movie quality. Walker picked up Bloons TD 6 on PC which is on a deep discount during the sale. The follow-up to the Homeworld RTS Series Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak is also full of fun details and features.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Dying in Ghost Recon: Wildlands, Excitement for the Creeper World 4 Demo, Dungeons and Dinner, plus News from EA and Mixer

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 28 Jun 2020 11:00:00 -0500

This week Brett and Walker share their excitement about the recently released Creeper World 4 demo on Steam. Creeper World 4 is an innovative blend of RTS and Tower Defense that is a shift in the series from 2D to 3D which is terrific. Walker shares some ridiculous happenings in the open world military shooter Ghost Recon: Wildlands. Brett continues his recently started D&D campaign which literally has too many cooks in the kitchen, as the dinners his group is enjoying during their sessions are just as appetizing and enjoyable as the adventures they are have. Finally the some recent news regarding EA and Mixer is discussed.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Revisiting Borderlands 3, Smashing and Shooting With Mechs in Brigador, Nostalgic Brawling in Redeemer, and Shopkeeping in Moonlighter

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 21 Jun 2020 11:00:00 -0500

This week Brett and Walker open with their thoughts on the gaming industry's response to the Black Lives Matter movement happening in the USA. Walker has returned to Borderlands 3 to check out the DLC and actually completed the old school brawler, Redeemer. Meanwhile Brett has been dungeon crawling and running a storefront in indy hit Moonlighter and stomping around maps in Brigador.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Take-Two Joins the Dark Side, Minecraft Dungeons Looks Like a Gem, Giant Turtles Invade, and Character Creation in D&D

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 14 Jun 2020 11:00:00 -0500

This week Brett and Walker talk about the disappointing story of publisher Take-Two's aggressive and hostile tactics surrounding the development of the highly anticipated Kerbal Space Program 2. Diablo 4 has released some new gameplay footage, Archero continues to shine in the mobile space, and Minecraft Dungeons looks like a delightful, well made ARPG. Brett also shares some of his experience with D&D character creation and his excitement for a new campaign he hopes to start soon.

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

All Your Total War Are Belong To Us, Playing Kerbal While Watching a Space X Launch, and a Look at EA's Track Record of Destruction

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 07 Jun 2020 11:00:00 -0500

This week Brett and Walker discover that similar to determining the number of licks required to reach the center of a tootsie pop, there is no way to quantify how may Total War games are too many. Brett shares a wonderful immersive experience he had playing Kerbal Space Program while simultaneously watching the recent Space X launch. The original Command & Conquer games are remastered and released from EA, which warrants a look at the ways in which EA has annihilated the quality of long standing franchises again and again including but not limited to Command & Conquer, Madden, Warhammer Online, and many others.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Heisting with Russians in GTA V Online, Wild Stories from Heat Signature, Overthrowing Evil Empires in MMOs, and a new Warhammer 40K Trailer

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 31 May 2020 11:00:00 -0500

This week Brett shares his recent adventures running heists in GTA V online, which is a daunting experience for a new player but with the help of some new Russian friends who have a deep understanding of the game Brett was able to experience a vast array of content and learn many of the interwoven systems. Walker shares stories of Evil Empires being overthrown in the old school MMO Shadowbane as well as the still thriving EVE Online. Warhammer 40k recently released a new trailer for the next edition of the tabletop so stick around to hear Brett and Walker's thoughts and reactions to the reveal.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Are Goals and Objectives Important in Gaming?

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 24 May 2020 11:00:00 -0500

This week Brett and Walker share stories of PvP in Legends of Runeterra and running into brick wall bosses in Don't Starve Together. Brett recently booted Kerbal Space Program back up and found the career objectives a bit lacking. That led to a discussion about the value of objectives in games. In some games like Minecraft, the absence of objectives can be both an invitation to be creative or a road to boredom as the player isn't sure what to do next.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Deep Rock Galactic: Co-op Exploration, Shooting, and Mining Adventures

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 17 May 2020 11:00:00 -0500

This week Brett and Walker jump into the recently released co-op shooter Deep Rock Galactic developed by Ghost Ship Games and published by Coffee Stain Publishing. Deep Rock Galactic is a unique and fun take on the co-op shooter by also incorporating exploration and mining into the formula. With procedurally generated levels, a fun variety of classes, weapons, and missions, Deep Rock Galactic is a true highlight in Pick Up Your Sticks gaming library.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

The Value of Community Involvement in Game Dev, Tabletop and Digital Gaming in Warhammer 40k, and Fun with Friends in Don't Starve Together

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 10 May 2020 11:00:00 -0500

This week Brett and Walker talk about the value of community involvement in game development with examples of where that goes right like Don't Starve or LevelHead and where it goes wrong with something like Robocraft. Brett shares his recent adventures in Don't Starve Together while Walker is still searching for his Warhammer 40k hook and returns to WoW.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

LevelHead 1.0 Full Release - A 2D Platformer and Level Design & Creation Game

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 03 May 2020 11:00:00 -0500

Join Brett and Walker in their celebration of the full or 1.0 release of LevelHead developed and published by Butterscotch Shenanigans. LevelHead is a 2D Platformer and Level Design & Creation Game. Basically 2 games in 1, LevelHead features a tightly made 2D platformer that includes varied and unique enemies, level designs, powerups, abilities, boss fights and everything else you might expect from a 2D Platformer. In addition LevelHead also includes a level design and creation toolkit that is the SAME THING THE DEVS USE for the community to create and share infinite amounts of content. LevelHead has cross platform, its has co-op, it has speedruns, it has a wonderful soundtrack, it has so much to offer. The Butterscotch Shenanigans team is truly one of the good guy developers out in the world as they clearly pour their hearts into their games. We couldn't be more excited to share our thoughts and hope you can enjoy LevelHead as much as we do.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Driving, Shooting, and Super Jumping - A GTA V and Saints Row IV Extravaganza

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 26 Apr 2020 11:00:00 -0500

Brett and Walker discuss a couple of their favorite open world games, Grand Theft Auto V and Saints Row IV. While the early renditions of these franchises had something in common, GTA and Saints Row have really carved out their own identity and offer very different game play experiences within a similar framework. The conversation also touches on other titles such as the Prototype series, Prison Architect, Secret of Mana, and more. Unlike most of our episodes this one does contain some explicit content as these games are certainly for mature audiences.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Chasing The Dragon - Stories from Random Dice, Donut County, Satisfactory, Warhammer 40k, and more

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 19 Apr 2020 11:00:00 -0500

Brett and Walker catch up on what they have been playing recently. Brett has found a hidden gem reminiscent of an io game he enjoyed called Donut County. Random Dice is a mobile pvp/tower defense hybrid that has recently grabbed Brett's attention with a unique mix of gameplay. Walker shares about a variety of games including a few of the Warhammer 40k games, Satisfactory, Terraria, Sonic Mania, and a whole 20 minutes with My Friend Pedro.

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Avorion - Space Sandbox and Ship Building

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 12 Apr 2020 11:00:00 -0500

Brett and Walker are excited to talk about a game that has recently left early access called Avorion. Avorion is a procedurally generated sandbox game set in space that has an incredible amount of options for how to play. Combat, trading, smuggling, piracy, manufacturing, fleet management, all are in play but beyond those trappings Avorion offers one of the most robust ship building tools available in gaming. Avorion is a voxel game but in the building tool you can stretch, scale, and shape the components to exactly what you are wanting. Avorion is a terrific title that is worth anybody's time who has even a passing interest in a sandbox space adventure.

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

How Gaming Shaped a Life with Guest Jamison Smallwood

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 05 Apr 2020 11:00:00 -0500

This week for the first time in the show's history Brett and Walker are joined by a special guest. Jamison Smallwood of the Culture and Conversations podcast shares stories from his early childhood and beyond about how gaming shaped his life by providing a social outlet, confidence, and a career trajectory. This episode is a great episode of why gaming matters.

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Jamison Podcast: https://www.cultureandconversations.com/

Culture and Conversations Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cultureandconversations

The Group Chat Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/CultureAndConversationsPresentsTheGroupChat/?source_id=2105446853009007

The DOOM Eternal Struggle - Spoiler Free Thoughts and Review

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 29 Mar 2020 11:00:00 -0500

DOOM Eternal is out and Brett and Walker have finally gotten their hands on it. Brett ran into some technical difficulties but Walker has several hours under his belt and couldn't be more excited for the game. The best single player FPS title on the market in 12 years was DOOM from 2016 and DOOM Eternal has upped the ante. The discussion is primarily about how the game plays and what to expect from a design perspective, with minimal story discussion. RIP and TEAR is alive and well.

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

DOOM 2016 and DOOM Eternal

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 22 Mar 2020 11:00:00 -0500

With DOOM Eternal releasing Brett and Walker discuss why they are so excited for the new game by looking back at all of the things they loved from DOOM 2016 which was basically everything. Gameplay, level design, sound, music, and more from DOOM 2016 are examined to show how one of the oldest franchises in gaming is still one of the most relevant.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Board Games, Tabletop RPGs, and How Physical and Digital Games Compare

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 15 Mar 2020 11:00:00 -0500

This week Brett and Walker visit the world of physical games and how these non-digital games have woven themselves into Brett and Walker's gaming lives. They discuss many titles including classics like D&D or Backgammon, new takes on classics such as Risk Legacy, and newer games like Betrayal: House on Haunted Hill. Board games offer their own unique experiences that compliment any video gamer's hobby. Physical games can also offer chances to bond with a non video game player through a gaming experience.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com\

Blizzard in 2020 and Beyond

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 08 Mar 2020 11:00:00 -0500

Pick Up Your Sticks kicked off with a series about Blizzard gaming. This week Brett and Walker dive back into the world of Blizzard to look at what has transpired since the original episodes were released as well as what the future holds. There were several announcements at Blizzcon last year and after some stumbles it looks like the future is still bright for Blizzard.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Path of Horizon Zero Loot Boxes

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 01 Mar 2020 12:00:00 -0500

This week Brett and Walker discuss recent leaks and announcements regarding Horizon Zero Dawn and Path of Exile. They also dive into the good and the bad of microtransactions and the trends seen in gaming today. Graveyard Keeper and Forager are discussed as the recent games the hosts have been playing.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

A Long Long Time Ago We Went Back To The Future

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 23 Feb 2020 12:00:00 -0500

This week Brett and Walker look at a loosely connected series of games and developers that both hosts have engaged in throughout their lives. This connection was only realized very recently and spans multiple decades. Sci-Fi and fantasy are also compared and contrasted through games, movies, and RPGs.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Playing Like We're Icarus

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 16 Feb 2020 12:00:00 -0500

Have you ever played a new or favorite game too much and found yourself burning out on it? Brett and Walker share experiences and thoughts about playing a variety of games both due to burn out and in trying to avoid it.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Reanimated Genres

Pick Up Your Sticks — Mon, 10 Feb 2020 12:00:00 -0500

In this episode, Walker and Brett talk reanimating the dead as they speak their thoughts on Graveyard Keeper and many other games while exploring the concept of different companies making the same game in their own unique styles.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Variety and Voice

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 02 Feb 2020 12:00:00 -0500

This week Walker and Brett discuss a history of options, from the ability to play the same game in different ways just by switching servers, to the history and importance of voice chat in games. Speaking of which, we have a discord now! Join us at the link below!

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Multiplayer Madness

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 26 Jan 2020 12:00:00 -0500

This week Brett and Walker get their co-op on! Walker plays a number of games with friends in couch co-op while Brett dives in to the world of private servers. X-Morph: Defense, Space Engineers, Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime, Overcooked 2, and Command and Conquer are discussed in this episode.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Community and Sharing

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 19 Jan 2020 12:00:00 -0500

This week Brett and Walker talk about the importance of community and how sharing an experience can be just as important as the experience itself. Join in to listen to Brett's recent adventures in Space Engineers, Walker's recreation of a Top Gun dogfight in WoW, and more.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Beautiful Platforming

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 12 Jan 2020 12:00:00 -0500

This week Brett and Walker discuss a hidden gem called Gris. Gris is one of the most beautiful games either have seen and really provides an alternative example of what a game can be. Both Brett and Walker found the game to be incredibly satisfying for a myriad of reasons that they dive into on this episode.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Friendship is Magic

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 05 Jan 2020 14:00:00 -0500

It's 2020 and that means New Year's Resolutions! Get your resolution done and out of the way by following this brief guide. PUYS will return with more great content when Walker returns from his vacation. So take this time to make some friends and share some experiences.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Top 5 Games of 2019

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 29 Dec 2019 12:00:00 -0500

As 2019 comes to a conclusion Brett and Walker look back over the top 5 games that mattered most to each of them throughout the year. These are the games that Brett and Walker found the most significant, regardless of genre, platform, or release year.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

The Importance of Immersion

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 22 Dec 2019 12:00:00 -0500

Finding a game that you can be fully immersed in is one of the most rewarding experiences in gaming. What builds immersion? What breaks it? Join Brett and Walker as they explore this idea by looking the Far Cry Primal, open world Ubisoft games in general, and more.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Motivation for Playing

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 15 Dec 2019 12:00:00 -0500

What does a title do to make you select it out of your Steam library? With such a variety of games to play these days, there are just as many reasons we are compelled to play. Brett and Walker talk about recent games they have been playing and why they find themselves trying in the first place and in some cases going back for more.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

The More Things Change

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 08 Dec 2019 13:00:00 -0500

In a world of games with infinite playability, what constitutes the end of a game? Brett and Walker dive into how they approach sandbox and automation games, followed up with a conversation on how gaming in general can help you have a space to process difficult life situations in a healthy way.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Klei Entertainment

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 01 Dec 2019 12:00:00 -0500

Klei Entertainment is a truly unique game developer that has created some of the most charming (yet brutal) games out there, such as Don't Starve and Oxygen Not Included. With an excellent blend of sound and visual design it's almost easy to forget that their games are some of the hardest out there. Brett and Walker love Klei games and have a robust discussion about the various Klei titles on the market.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Enjoyable Distractions

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 24 Nov 2019 12:00:00 -0500

Whether it be character design, watching sims run around the city, or the Zealots ponytail in Starcraft 2 bounce, games are full of enjoyable distractions. Brett and Walker dive into the enjoyable distractions that they lose themselves in while playing games and explore how these elements can be just as important as the core gameplay loops that games are built on.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Mobile Games

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 17 Nov 2019 12:00:00 -0500

Mobile games account for a significant share of the gaming market these days. Brett and Walker have seen the whole trip from Snake on a Nokia to the modern world of app stores and monetization schemes. Listen in on the conversation about mobile games and why they have mattered.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Blizzcon 2019

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 10 Nov 2019 12:00:09 -0500

Blizzcon 2019 has generated plenty of buzz with its major announcements regarding Diablo 4, World of Warcraft: Shadowlands, and Overwatch 2. All three franchises are taking some interesting risks that Brett and Walker were eager to discuss.

Email the hosts at pickupyourstickspodcast@gmail.com
Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz
Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Faking Your Death and Emergent Gameplay

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 03 Nov 2019 12:00:00 -0500

Brett and Walker discuss the immersion of emergent gameplay in games that don't have a strong narrative. To some extent role playing in games that aren't necessarily designed to be RPGs but that are fun to do so in. Walker also shares a story about a faked death in an MMO that included an in game funeral for the fake deceased and a return a later date from the falsely deceased.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Minecraft and Modding

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 27 Oct 2019 11:00:00 -0500

Minecraft is a wonderful game that is greatly enhanced by mods. Brett and Walker jump into a discussion about Brett's latest Minecraft game and the highs and lows of getting just the right mods. Mods are not exclusive to Minecraft and the conversation about mods looks at mods as a whole and key examples outside of Minecraft where they have added value.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Untitled Goose Game

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 20 Oct 2019 11:00:00 -0500

Honk honk. Stop being bullied by geese and turn the tables! Brett and Walker discuss Untitled Goose Game from developer House House, the game where you play as a diabolical goose. The conversation also touches on some other indie titles and the fun ways that genres get bent and twisted to create unique experiences.

Referenced in this episode: What Games Are Like For Someone Who Doesn't Play Games - https://youtu.be/ax7f3JZJHSw

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Shenanicon 2019

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 13 Oct 2019 12:00:00 -0500

Brett and Walker traveled to St. Louis, MO to attend the 2nd annual Shenanicon, a conference hosted by game developer Butterscotch Shenanigans. The conference was awesome with a dev talk, live podcast, project showing, and levelhead relay race. Following the conference was a dinner & hangout which was a delightful experience. Brett and Walker share their time and stories from the event on this episode.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Borderlands 3: Part Deux - Story, Endgame, and Spoilers

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 06 Oct 2019 12:00:00 -0500

Brett and Walker return to discuss the story and endgame of Borderlands 3. The endgame modes of Borderlands 3 have some nice twists from previous entries while the story of Borderlands 3 is entertaining throughout the game. **SPOILERS ABOUND**

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Watching vs Playing

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 29 Sep 2019 12:00:11 -0500

In the last decade the ability to watch others play games has exploded with YouTube and streaming services such as Twitch. Brett and Walker discuss their views on watching lets plays and streams alongside actually playing games. There are some really great content makers out there and the streaming scene only continues to improve and expand.

Email the hosts at pickupyourstickspodcast@gmail.com
Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz
Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Borderlands 3

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 22 Sep 2019 12:00:11 -0500

Borderlands 3 from Gearbox Entertainment has finally arrived and it is wonderful! Brett and Walker have been playing since launch and are here to share their thoughts on the game, as well as the Borderlands franchise as a whole. The art style, humor, and gameplay of Borderlands has always been terrific and the latest entry does not disappoint.

Borderlands history video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wvb8jAKsno
Email the hosts at pickupyourstickspodcast@gmail.com
Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz
Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Blizzard Series Episode 4: Overwatch, Hearthstone, and Heroes of the Storm

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 15 Sep 2019 12:00:00 -0500

We finish out our series on Blizzard by discussing Overwatch, Hearthstone, and Heroes of the Storm. Overwatch and Hearthstone specifically are leaders in their categories and much like the other Blizzard IPs they are genre defining.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Blizzard Series Episode 3: Warcraft

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 08 Sep 2019 12:00:00 -0500

Continuing the Blizzard series this episode takes a look at the Warcraft franchise. Starting as an RTS but ultimately turning into the standard for MMOs, Warcraft has been a longstanding universe in the hearts and minds of millions. Brett and Walker have decades of time in Lordaeron and beyond, and are experienced in the ways of both the alliance and the horde.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Blizzard Series Episode 2: Diablo

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 01 Sep 2019 12:00:00 -0500

We continue our series about Blizzard and their storied catalogue of games. This week we delve into the genre defining Diablo franchise. We discuss our countless hours defending Tristram from the Prime Evils, hunting legendaries, and hoarding gems.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Bonus Episode: Brett and Walker Return to SC2

Pick Up Your Sticks — Wed, 28 Aug 2019 12:00:00 -0500

After discussing the Starcraft franchise at large Brett and Walker could not resist diving back into Starcraft 2! We had to record another episode to talk about how much fun we have been having with the game and all that it continues to offer. Learn about how the game has changed over the years, all the modes that are available, and what streamers to check out for tips to git gud.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Blizzard Series Episode 1: Starcraft

Pick Up Your Sticks — Sun, 25 Aug 2019 12:00:00 -0500

This Blizzard mini-series features Brett and Walker's take on a single developer's impact on gaming. Blizzard is one of our favorite developers and has created some of the most iconic franchises in gaming history. This week we start off by taking a look at Starcraft's past, present, and future.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com

Why Gaming Matters

Pick Up Your Sticks — Fri, 23 Aug 2019 12:00:00 -0500

Welcome to Pick Up Your Sticks! Get to know your hosts Brett Lindley and Walker Neer. In this kick off episode we talk about why gaming matters and our inspiration for the show.

Episode notes:

Buy Pick Up Your Sticks a Cup of Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/puyspod

Join the discussion! All of our links including twitter, discord, youtube, email, and more can be found at: https://puyspod.carrd.co/

Music by Misha Zarins https://mekzvsbear.wixsite.com/mekz

Art by Riley O’laughlin riley_olaughlin@ymail.com