S2 E4: Friendship and Existential Anxieties in Competitive Game Playing

S3 E1: The "Zone," The Mysterious Calm Before a Creative Storm

It's a new year and new season and we're hit with a new sensation we've called THE ZONE, a reference to Andrei Tarkovsky's film Stalker. It get's strange and lost in discussion, but what better way to explore than to dive right in. Let us know what you're thinking as well and join the discussion here at the Midnight Lantern! https://discord.gg/hp3Uqrk [Join our discord for discussions and hangouts! https://discord.gg/hp3Uqrk]

S2 E4: Friendship and Existential Anxieties in Competitive Game Playing

Shawn and JC discuss listener responses, as well as problems relating to enjoying cooperative gameplay over competitive games. They discuss angst related to worth, competence, human development, and death while contemplating their own experiences with competitive games and elo structures. They also discuss the juxtaposition between the perspective of the game designer and the game player, and try to off perspective to the issue.

S2 E3: Difficulty In Video Games & Spicy Food

With a scuffed intro and iconic off beat metaphors and analogies, The Midnight Lantern returns with an episode discussing the design of difficulty in video games and why we play them. We respond to the youtube video: "Why You Keep Playing Brutally Tough Games" by Daryl Talks Games (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8cavOfbwHw) and break down our own personal perspective and experience when approaching difficult games and how designing challenges for players could be a great tool for art to be experienced. Catch the stream at https://twitch.tv/SwanStudioTV Join our discord for discussions and hangouts! https://discord.gg/hp3Uqrk

S2 E2: Intentional Fundamentals, The Witness, & Fighting Games

The Midnight Lantern continues the discussion from various episodes about our learning process and pursuit of performance when it comes to video games and hobbies. JC reflects on his experience with "The Witness", a puzzle adventure indie game, while Shawn reflects on his return to video games for the new year. Topics include game design, competitive nature, psychology of learning, and more! Catch the stream at https://twitch.tv/SwanStudioTV Join our discord for discussions and hangouts! https://discord.gg/hp3Uqrk

S2 E1: Hades Game Design, Discussing Identity, & Revisiting High Performance

We're back with a new season to kick off the new year! On this episode we finally discuss our experience playing Hades and its great game design (15:45). Then we dive into a conversation we've been struggling with recently with the connection between hobbies and identity (31:50), and then revisit the ideal of high performance in gaming and life (52:30). Catch the stream at https://twitch.tv/SwanStudioTV Join our discord for discussions and hangouts! https://discord.gg/hp3Uqrk