Not Your Mama's Gamer

This week we're talking about games and videogame pairings. Not specifically the music from the specific videogames, but music that we pair with the specific games that we are playing or thinking about. What We're Playing Atomfall* South of Midnight* Nobdy Saves the World Split Fiction Minecraft Fallout 76 What We're Reading Fahrenheit-182 by Mark Hoppus Model Home by Rivers Solomon What We're Drinking Great Notion Blueberry Muffin Tart Sour Water Cold Brew Coffee *Code received for streaming and review purposes What We Paired Victoria “You’re Gonna Go Far, Kid” The Offspring – Fallout New Vegas “Rox in the Box” The Decemberists – Don’t Starve Together “Hiding in the Blue” The Fat Rat & Riell – Minecraft “Feed the Machine” Poor Man’s Poison – Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 “Mothman (Cryptid)” Rat Wyfe – Fallout 76 Lord of the Rings soundtrack – Warlords Battlecry 3 “Mezmerize” (album) System of a Down – Final Fantasy VIII Jordyn "Kingdom Fall" Clare Wyndyam - FFXV "Two Roads" Janani K. Jha - Life is Strange, Life is Strange: Double Exposure "Here, Before, Now, and After" Morgan Clae - Kena: Bridge of Spirits LoTR - particularly Concerning Hobbits, Old Friends, Into the West - Breath of the Wild, Tears of the Kingdom "Same Old Energy" + "Burn Your Village" (Explicit) Kiki Rockwell; "The Consequence of Imagination is Fear" Junie and the Hutfriends - Little Hope Sam Bad Ass Women Playlist: Call of Duty Writing: Black Ops 6 Paratext Playlist: Call of Duty Be Real Black For Me Playlist: Mafia III Gregorian Chant Playlist: Metaphor ReFantazio South of Midnight OST: Literally EVERYTHING right now (but moving to Minecraft and farming sims?) Bastion OST: Playing over Bastion (But not the Build A Wall level)

This week we talk about book and game pairings. If you like these games you might like these books! Errata: Sam said The Monsters We Defy by Justina Ireland and she meant to say by Leslye Penelope What We're Playing Monster Hunter Wilds Assassin's Creed Shadows* Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 What We're Reading The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang A Glimmer of Death by Valeria Wilson Wesley Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins What We're Drinking MARS the Y.A. Japanese Whiskey Cold brew coffee with cold foam What We Paired Jordyn 1. The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson and The Devil in Me by Supermassive 2. Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake and Queen by Midnight published by Derrington Press 3. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and Orwell Keeping an Eye on You by Osmotic Studios 4. The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton and What Remains of Edith Finch by Giant Sparrow 5. The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor and Lies of P by Round8 Studios Sam 1. Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler and Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah and Freedom Wars Remastered by Bandai Namco 2. Trail of Lightning and Storm of Locusts by Rebecca Roanhorse and Monster Hunter Wilds by Capcom (Middle Grade: Race to the Sun by Roanhorse and Monster Hunter Stories 1&2 by Capcom) 3. The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang and Avowed by Obsidian 4.What the River Knows by Isabel Ibanez and Tomb Riader by Crystal Dynamics  5. Ophie's Ghosts by Justina Ireland and The Monsters We Defy by Leslye Penelope and Spiritfarer by Thunder Lotus Games Sam's Honorable Mentions 1. Devil in the Blue Dress by Walter Mosley and L.A. Noire by Team Bondi 2. Dread Nation by Justina Ireland and The Poisons We Drink by Bethany Baptiste and South of Midnight by Compulsion Games  *Code received for streaming and review purposes

This week we talk about our most anticipated games of 2025. Will there be overlap? Will Victoria list Silksong...again? What We're Playing Hello Kitty Island Adventure Avowed * Party Animals Slay the Spire Board Game For the King II Streets of Rogue Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante Lethal Company What We're Reading Master of Djinn by P. Djeli Clark The Poisons We Drink by Bethany Baptiste The Fireborne Blade by Charlotte Bond Harpo Speaks by Harpo Marx What We're Drinking Garage Brewing Co. Marshmallow Milk Stout Crangrape juice Cherry Republic Hard Cherry Cider *Code received for streaming and review purposes

This week we talk about the Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 campaign. Caution: SPOILERS ABOUND! What We're Playing Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Luma Island Longvinter Balatro Stardew Valley FO76 Phasmophobia What We're Reading The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas The Hooligans of Kandahar by Joesph Kassabian What We're Drinking Quinta de Infantado Ruby Port Diet Pepsi, the elixir of the gods

This week we talk about gifts we are giving and getting this gift giving season (or any time of year). What We're Playing Last Time I Saw You* Inscryption Nobody Saves the World Lies of P Metaphor: ReFantazio What We're Reading The Echo of Old Books by Barbara Davis What We're Drinking Stone Imperial Seasonal Stout Coffee and sadness *Code received for streaming and review purposes