Casual Mode

Casual Mode | Episode 10: Dead Good Start

Episode 10. We made it to double digits, which feels like an achievement and a warning sign in equal measure. This week the lads hit a card show, argued about video editing like it matters, and debated whether a camera upgrade counts as a personality. Then it all unravels, as it tends to. Expect: Liverpool managerial speculation (we've fixed it, don't worry), World Cup squad selection (also fixed), strong opinions on a film none of us are qualified to review, vegan pizza discourse, a taxi anecdote that probably should've been edited out, and a deeply serious conversation about Pokemon Snap and Lego Batman. Three grown men. One episode. Roughly forty minutes of content and approximately none of it useful. Chapters * 00:00 Episode 10: Casual Married Tenet * 05:11 Setting Up at the Card Show * 10:12 Recycled Plastic and Vegan Pizzas * 15:16 Liverpool Managerial Speculation * 21:41 Film Review and Expectations * 31:47 Lego Batman and Pokemon Snap

Casual Mode | Episode 9: Ethan Knows Star Wars

This week on Casual Mode, we cover the important stuff first: pizza. Specifically, whether vegan pizza deserves to exist and what that says about us as people. From there it's the usual controlled chaos. Karaoke, Star Wars, a review roundup of a few games including Replaced (it's good, calm down), and the eternal question of whether a game can be "too indie" or if that's just what people say when a bigger studio didn't make it. We also check in on Blue Sky, which is either dying or fine depending on how emotionally invested you are in engagement metrics. Spoiler: we're a little invested. Then someone lost a wallet, someone found a microphone, and we ended up in an arcade. Classic. Chapters * 00:00 Pizza Chat and Vegan Options * 07:01 Karaoke and Entertainment * 13:03 Star Wars and Gaming Reviews * 19:02 Nostalgia * 24:29 The Impact of Blue Sky on Social Media * 32:28 Lost and Found: A Wallet and Microphones * 38:36 The Thrill of Claw Machines and Arcade Games * 44:47 Goodbyes and Final Remarks

Casual Mode | Episode 8: Crunch Time

This week, Ethan, Dan, and Karl did something nobody asked for and absolutely nobody can stop talking about: a full crisp bracket. Yes. A bracket. For crisps. With a final. Along the way there are childhood memories, strong opinions about texture, and a Squares vs McCoy's showdown that gets more serious than it has any right to be. There's also gaming news and some Star Wars chat, but let's be honest, you're here for the mouthfeel discourse. Somehow this is a real podcast.

Casual Mode | Episode 7: GeForce Now or GeForce No?

Another week, another conversation that started as a retro gaming deep dive and somehow ended at a card show with opinions about event snacks. You're welcome. This episode the lads wade through the warm swamp of gaming nostalgia, argue about whether you actually own anything digital (you don't), and debate Game Pass vs GeForce Now with the kind of energy usually reserved for things that matter. There's also monster truck games. Nobody asked. They delivered anyway. If you grew up haunting the second-hand section of a game shop that smelled vaguely of carpet and regret, this one's for you. Takeaways * Gaming nostalgia * Retro game collecting Game Pass vs GeForce Now * Physical vs Digital Games * Monster Truck Games Trading and selling at events * Gaming experiences on new devices Chapters * 00:00 Gaming Nostalgia and Retro Game Collecting * 23:06 Gaming Subscriptions: Game Pass vs GeForce Now * 34:10 Physical vs Digital Games * 43:55 Monster Truck Games and Card Show

Casual Mode | Episode 6: Peak Gaming Was Probably 2003, Actually

This week we're grieving tennis games that were better when we were twelve, arguing about gadgets that exist purely to make you feel like you're doing something productive, and somehow ending up in a conversation about digital handwriting like adults. The main event: games that looked you dead in the eye, showed you a cinematic trailer, took your £60, and delivered something that can only be described as a crime against expectations. You know the ones. We also get into collectible cards (yes, really), YouTube subscriptions (the irony is not lost on us), and the usual banter that makes this show either charming or insufferable depending on your tolerance levels. Chapters if you want to skip straight to the bit where we lose the plot: 00:00 Tennis Gaming Nostalgia 05:59 Humorous Banter and Inside Jokes 19:43 Digital Penmanship and Gaming 30:49 Games that Lied to Us 38:37 Collectible Cards and Subscriptions Like, subscribe, and leave a comment telling us which game betrayed you the most. We'll judge your taste accordingly. Chapters * 00:00 Tennis Gaming Nostalgia * 05:59 Humorous Banter and Inside Jokes * 19:43 Digital Penmanship and Gaming * 30:49 Games that Lied to Us * 38:37 Collectible Cards and Subscriptions