

The Besties
Russ Frushtick, Chris Plante, Griffin McElroy, Justin McElroy
It's Game of the Year meets King of the Hill as four of Earth's best friends – Griffin McElroy, Justin McElroy, Chris Plante, and Russ Frushtick – rank and review their favorite video games. Because shouldn't the world's best friends pick the world's best games?
Episodes
Mentioned books

Oct 28, 2022 • 60min
Mario and Rabbids and Marvel and Sonic and Minions
Mario and Rabbids, two distinguished IPs operating on identical levels of critical acclaim, have been squished together once again in the turn-based stratgizer, Sparks of Hope. Join us as we examine their japes, and also get really into a Marvel-based TCG. 2022's just full of surprises. Also discussed: God of War: Ragnarok, Resident Evil 8 DLC, Case of the Golden Idol, The Hidden, Willie's Wonderland, Dangerous Game: The Legacy Murders
Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Oct 21, 2022 • 59min
A Desperate Dive Into the Grab Bag
Look, we were gonna do Arkham Knights this week, but realized nobody wanted to hear an hour long dunkfest - join us as we pivot to talking about a bunch of good games, instead! With just a liiiiittle dunking for good measure.Games discussed: Case of the Golden Idol, EverCrawl, Binding of Isaac, I Was A Teenage Exocolonist, Deadeye Deepfake Simulacrum, No Man's Sky
Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Oct 18, 2022 • 49min
No Man's Sky, All Rats' Earth [The Resties]
A Plague Tale: Requiem is an exceptionally beautiful, technologically modern video game built with a blueprint from a different era. The Resties discuss the comfort and frustration of Xbox 360-era video game design, the power of graphics, and what makes a great tutorial. Then they empty out the remainder of the mailbag, talking about the future of games, media, and games media. Discussed on this episode: A Plague Tale: Requiem, No Man's Sky, The Invisible Man, House of the Dragon.
Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Oct 14, 2022 • 1h
Getting Up Close and Persona(l)
With the impending multiplatform launch of Persona 5 Royal and its portable predecessors, we decided to sit down and discuss all the highs and lows of Atlus's super-social RPG franchise. Also, what's the best way to quit playing a game? Let's find out!Also discussed: Binding of Isaac: Repentance, In Memoriam series, At Dead of Night, Neon White, Rogue Legacy 2, Tunic, Sniper Elite 5
Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Oct 7, 2022 • 56min
Honey, We Shrunk the Us in Grounded
This week, we're playing Obsidian's miniaturized survival sim Grounded, and mostly talking about stripping Rick Moranis of his science license. Also, ROCK AND STONE! By which we mean: We're also talking about Deep Rock Galactic, now that we've all actually played it!Also discussed: Binding of Isaac, RogueJack, Mars First Logistics, Near Dark, Q: The Winged Serpent
Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Oct 4, 2022 • 60min
The Video Game Required Reading List: 1995-1999 [The Resties]
The Resties Required Reading List returns! Our goal is to curate a "must play" list of 25 games released between 1980 to 2020. Think of it like Video Games 101. This week, we've selected games from 1995-1999. Join us as we revisit the moment when video games went mainstream! Visit @thebestiespod on Twitter to see a full list of games from this week's episode.Previous picks:1985-89 - Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda, SimCity2005-09 - Resident Evil 4, Wii Sports, Call of Duty: Modern WarfareThis week's bonus recs: Deep Rock Galactic and When Worlds Collide (1951)
Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Sep 30, 2022 • 1h 6min
The Fall 2022 Indie Gaming Pick-A-Mix
We couldn't pick a game to discuss this week, so instead we present to you an installment of Oops! All Indie Games. We've got a bumper crop of backlog material for you to dive into, from slime-based horticulture to interstellar mining simulators.Games discussed: Trombone Champ, Slime Rancher 2, Shovel Knight Dig, Deep Rock Galactic, The Diofield Chronicle, Steel Rising, Squad 51 vs. the Flying Saucers
Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Sep 23, 2022 • 54min
Dreaming the Impossible Dreamlight Valley
We're as surprised as anyone that Dreamlight Valley, Gameloft's Disney-flavored life sim, has enraptured our hearts and our minds. Join us as we force feed Goofy raw fish while hunting the unquiet spirit of Minnie Mouse. Also discussed: Return to Monkey Island, Final Fantasy X, The Elden Ring Manga, Predator: A Memoir, Arcade Paradise, Slay the Spire
Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Sep 20, 2022 • 1h 7min
Game Pass got a killer Pikmin-like, plus the end of Immortality
We forgot to mention the announcement of Pikmin 4 on last week's Besties, maybe because we've been so content with Tinykin, which blends Nintendo's real-time strategy game with chunks of 3D Mario and a heaping cup of Dreamcast magic. After explaining why this colorful indie is worth a download (especially if you have Game Pass) we return to Immortality, this time without fear of spoilers. Plante finally gets to make use of all that time spent on the Criterion Channel. We also chat about Delicatessan and Disney Dreamlight Valley, the latter of which will get the full Besties treatment next week. [Ed. note: A small correction for the episode. True Lies is back on a streaming service! You can currently watch the James Cameron action-comedy on Hulu.]
Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Sep 16, 2022 • 57min
We're Not Squidding Around with Splatoon 3
The great inkening is upon us once again. Join us for a discussion about Nintendo's third installment in their paint-wasting simulator Splatoon! Also, we break down the big announcement's from this week's Nintendo Direct, which is to say, we talk about like a hundred farming games.Also discussed: Dark Souls 2, Godard films, Severance, Melvor Idle, Slay the Spire, Le Circ Rouge
Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!


