Join Alanah Pearce (game writer), Mike Bithell (game director), and Austin Wintory (game composer) as they talk about all the games, movies, TV and 'whatever else' that took their interest that week, from three unique perspectives in the games industry.
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Sep 29, 2026 · 53:28
Mike and Alanah chat with Double Fine's Tim Schafer on the indie future (and past?) of the studio since leaving Xbox, including how you can help!
Sep 4, 2026 · 1:01:24
This week, Mike and Alanah sat down with Em from A Shell in the Pit to talk about BIG WALK, and, ultimately, steal foley (sound design) knowledge for use in their own games. Hey,…
Jul 24, 2026 · 53:19
In this week's episode, the crew discusses THE DEFINITION OF ART (2026 ver), and finding inspiration in the real world rather than other media, as a result of Alanah visiting…
Jul 12, 2026 · 1:07:07
This week, Mike announced the latest game from Bithell Games (now a studio of three), Vampirium 1997. Alanah asks him about it!
Jun 19, 2026 · 1:03:19
This week, we talk a bit about composing for early access, and how much scores (and VFX) influence films.
May 29, 2026 · 1:11:29
This week, Mike, Austin, and Alanah mostly talk about human nature. No, really. The new James Bond game is also spoken about for about 10 minutes at the end.
May 13, 2026 · 1:07:16
Alanah and Mike chat to game director Nic Tringali about science-fantasy city-builder "Amberspire".
Apr 24, 2026 · 1:00:11
Mike and Alanah chat about the pit-falls of working for yourself, and how to manage your time as a freelance (or self-funded indie) game developer.
Apr 24, 2026 · 1:10:43
SORRY AUDIO LISTENERS: podcast services briefly put a hold on our uploads, so you'll get a few in a row as we catch up! This episode features Austin, Mike, and Alanah talking…
Jan 27, 2026 · 44:22
This week, Mike and Alanah discuss Bithell games, whether Mike is a Golden Retriever Boyfriend, the new era of the cosplay community, collaboration among indie game devs, and our…
Jan 3, 2026 · 1:34:00
Alanah, Mike, and Austin discuss sex (or the lack thereof) in video games, and how video game writing and film/TV do and do not compare. Also, happy new year!
Jan 2, 2026 · 1:03:42
Apologies for the late upload! On this episode, Mike & Austin chat about the success of Dispatch, changes to video game dev structures, and where the industry seems to be headed.
Nov 12, 2025 · 1:13:21
This week, Austin, Mike, and Alanah are joined by Adhoc Studios' Pierre Shorette to talk about Dispatch - the latest narrative driven game made by a group of Telltale alumni.
Oct 24, 2025 · 59:41
Alanah and Mike discuss indie game marketing, and the fact that getting past being worried about something sucking is the best way to start... making something!
Oct 3, 2025 · 1:11:47
This week, Alanah, Mike, and Austin chat about Hollow Knight: Silksong (yes, it's hard) and how media seems to prefer difficult games, Alanah's recent ChatGPT video (though this…
Sep 12, 2025 · 1:08:29
This week, we sat down to chat with Matt Nava from Giant Squid, all about the studio's latest game - Sword of the Sea.
Jul 30, 2025 · 57:55
Austin, Mike, and Alanah chat about IP Rights and our (very early, uniformed lol) thoughts on the "Stop Killing Games" petition.
Jul 12, 2025 · 58:56
This week, Mike and Alanah talk about learning to use game engine Godot, the brilliant lighting in TRON: Catalyst, and ethics in genitalia shown in film.
Jun 17, 2025 · 1:05:44
This week, Alanah, Mike, and Austin sat down to chat to Tonda Ros - the director of Blue Prince. Apologies for Tonda's echo!
May 24, 2025 · 1:08:24
Alanah and Austin chat Blue Prince, addictive video games, and Satisfactory.
May 8, 2025 · 1:13:53
This week, Mike, Alanah, and Austin chat to co-founder of Stoic, the creators of The Banner Saga and, more recently, Towerborne!
Apr 6, 2025 · 58:08
This week, Alanah and Mike discuss the Switch 2 presentation!
Mar 7, 2025 · 54:45
This week, Alanah and Mike start out by talking about the lay-offs across WB Games, then jump into talking about Microsoft's newly announced AI "Muse", and then we - finally -…
Feb 26, 2025 · 1:13:01
This week, Austin and Alanah sit down to talk to Mike Laidlaw, the game director of Dragon Age: Origins who most recently started his own studio and make ETERNAL STRANDS. Which…
Feb 15, 2025 · 1:27:01
Apologies for the delay here - the audio file was corrupted! This week, Mike and Alanah are joined by Strange Scaffold's Xalavier Nelson Jr to talk about how the studio makes so…
Jan 27, 2025 · 53:59
After a break due to the LA fires - which we talk about to begin with here - we chat about a recent 200-page document called "The State of Video Games in 2025" from Matthew Ball.…
Dec 23, 2024 · 59:26
Happy four years of PWL! Sorry about Mike's audio here, we don't know what happened.
Dec 6, 2024 · 1:01:31
Alanah left her job at Sony, and Mike got in trouble for saying something on Bluesky. We discuss the state of the games industry now that it's December 2024, and the notion that…
Nov 24, 2024 · 56:25
We're back from a brief hiatus! Immediately discussing: should Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree be nominated for GOTY even though it's a DLC? Also: Mike announced another video…
Oct 18, 2024 · 1:01:42
This week, FROSTPUNK 2!
Sep 20, 2024 · 56:57
This week, AUSTIN TURNS 40 (technically over a week ago at the time of publishing). So, we indulge him with almost an entire episode about Star Wars (Outlaws) and video game bugs.
Sep 7, 2024 · 1:13:01
This week, Alanah, Austin, and Mike discuss the economic state of the games industry and if game prices need to go from $60 to $70.
Aug 21, 2024 · 1:01:40
After a month off, we have returned to bring you TOP QUALITY VIDEO GAME CONTENT! But mostly, a lot of us talking about the TV show The Expanse. And Sex in the City?
Jul 20, 2024 · 1:09:37
Austin, Mike, and Alanah chat about Austin's demanding freelance schedule, the GamePass price increase (and GamePass' impact as a whole), and the Halifax Harbor Explosion. Note:…
Jul 2, 2024 · 53:43
Alanah and Mike discuss OLD game development! And Myst!
Jun 17, 2024 · 1:16:33
This week we talk about Summer Game Fest and, because we never stay on topic, music licensing! Also featuring Rahul.
May 29, 2024 · 55:53
This episode features journalist Nathan Grayson chatting to Mike and Alanah about the state of games journalism (and that side of the industry) in 2024. This comes after IGN…
May 11, 2024 · 54:46
This week, Alanah and Austin chat to one of the creators of the Fallout franchise, Tim Cain, all about the Fallout TV show. Includes spoilers.
Apr 29, 2024 · 1:14:21
This week, we talk to Abubakar Salim about his transition from actor to full-blown game director. How did he do it!?
Apr 12, 2024 · 1:28:10
Featuring Rahul Kohli, and the return of Troy, AND we're all in the same room!?
Mar 30, 2024 · 43:29
This week, Mike and Alanah chat about GDC, LinkedIn, business cards, and give great life advice.
Mar 18, 2024 · 1:22:27
A LOT OF TOPICS THIS WEEK, WE SIMPLY CAN'T BE CONTAINED.
Mar 4, 2024 · 1:03:21
This week Mike and Alanah chat about the continued lay-offs impacting the games industry.
Feb 17, 2024 · 1:12:47
It's an Austin and Alanah special, and we actually talk about video games the WHOLE TIME!? This week, we talk about games we wish we could play again, and games that…
Feb 6, 2024 · 51:00
The title says it all, I don't understand what more context you could possibly need?
Jan 20, 2024 · 1:26:01
Apologies for the weird audio mix here. Regardless, this week we talk about Society of the Snow (a little), and then delve into the world of AI and capitalism. Again. Oh no.
Dec 26, 2023 · 58:24
This is publishing a little later than planned because of internet issues, but this week we talk about Cunk on Earth, game direction, and more! Thanks for another year of…
Dec 10, 2023 · 50:01
You can't talk about good games this year without also talking about lay-offs, so hey, let's do both!
Nov 19, 2023 · 1:26:16
This week, Austin and Alanah chat to Rahul (actor) and Andy (composer and 1/2 of the Newton Brothers) about their work on The Fall of the House of Usher! Also, Stray Gods gets…
Oct 15, 2023 · 52:55
An update on the Unity system, and an important question: do you own any baskets? Why?
Sep 25, 2023 · 1:00:34
This week, Mike and Alanah go over some of the biggest question's about Starfield.
Sep 20, 2023 · 1:23:26
We're back! This week Austin chats about Jacob Collier - apparently the best musician alive - and then Alanah asks Mike and special guest Rami Ismail all about the Unity drama.
Aug 23, 2023 · 1:12:15
This week, Mike and Alanah discuss some of the responses to Baldur's Gate 3's exceptional quality.
Aug 17, 2023 · 1:22:01
We have our first ever guest! Summerfall Games' Liam Esler joins Alanah and Austin to talk about Taylor Swift's enormous Eras Tour, plus, of course, the launch of Stray Gods.
Jul 30, 2023 · 53:43
This week, Alanah, Mike, and Austin are back to chat about Stray Gods, plus a little bit of Barbie and Oppenheimer at the very end.
Jun 10, 2023 · 58:17
This week, we talk about Apple's new Vision Pro and how it might assist with each of our vocations, as well as AI, again. Turns out it's still relevant. Who'd have thought?
Jun 7, 2023 · 1:01:36
This week (technically last week, the audio file just got stuck in processing and I didn't realise), Austin, Alanah, and Mike discuss The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom…
May 6, 2023 · 1:21:42
We're back from a month off! And this week, we catch up on Bithell Games' latest release - Tron: Identity. Then Austin (and his dog Canvas) join to catch us up on a game he and…
Apr 3, 2023 · 53:21
This week, Alanah and Mike talk about what makes Zelda's recent physics so impressive, E3's cancellation, and the latest from Bithell Games - Tron: Identity!
Mar 11, 2023 · 51:17
This week, Alanah and Mike aggressively interrogate Troy about his experience playing Joel in The Last of Us (spoilers).
Mar 8, 2023 · 29:35
Alanah and Mike talk about DICE, and how alcohol is often encouraged at games industry events (but probably shouldn't be), plus why Rocksteady may have gone from making the…
Feb 11, 2023 · 50:55
This week, Alanah and Austin talk about The Grammys, and why/how Assassin's Creed: Valhalla won while games like Elden Ring and God of War were not nominated.
Feb 9, 2023 · 54:19
This week, all four of the Play, Watch, Listen horsemen are together to discuss the third episode of HBO's The Last of Us series. There are spoilers.
Jan 30, 2023 · 1:02:46
This week, Alanah and Mike discuss The Menu, then Troy joins and the group talks about the fine dining experience and food as 'art'. Then, of course, we step into talking about…
Jan 25, 2023 · 51:59
This week, Alanah asks Mike an impossible question about programming, we talk a tiny bit about The Menu, and then jump into our reactions of HBO's The Last of Us episode 1.
Jan 14, 2023 · 1:00:22
This week, AUSTIN IS LATE! But Troy, Mike, and Alanah are there from the start to chat about The Last of Us TV show, plus successful game-to-movie adaptations.
Dec 18, 2022 · 1:07:42
This week, Alanah and Mike discuss AI art and it's inevitability, and then are joined by Austin and Troy who close out with a discussion on The Last of Us TV show.
Dec 10, 2022 · 52:36
This week, Alanah and Mike chat about The Game Awards, which I cut short for the public version just because it was definitely a conversation we've had numerous times. Then,…
Dec 5, 2022 · 1:20:11
This week, Mike and Alanah chat about Immortality, their picks for 2022's game of the year, and then get into details regarding why some oft requested features can't make it into…
Nov 26, 2022 · 32:47
You'll see.
Nov 8, 2022 · 1:24:04
This week, Alanah reacts live to seeing the God of War Ragnarok metacritic score, and Austin joins to chat about review embargoes, scores, and Bear McReary.
Oct 29, 2022 · 1:23:20
HAPPY HALLOWEEN, EVERYONE! This week, Alanah, Austin, Mike, and Troy discuss Andor, what TV shows to watch, and eventually... ghosts. Spooky.
Oct 8, 2022 · 1:12:03
I'm pretty sure this is the first Mike and Austin exclusive episode, but I'll be honest, I don't remember. We've been doing this show since 2019. There are 117 episodes. I won't…
Oct 1, 2022 · 1:02:42
This week, we chat about South Park, and then Austin talks about his experience in scoring the new Netflix show, Thai Cave Rescue.
Sep 17, 2022 · 1:01:51
This week, we get to publicly ask Mike about something we've been privately asking him about for FOREVER! Also, it wouldn't be an episode of Play, Watch, Listen without a…
Sep 3, 2022 · 1:06:08
For this week's episode, I did my best to scrub through and find a topic of any kind but I am not convinced one exists. Here's Austin, Troy, and Mike talking about nothing.
Aug 28, 2022 · 58:36
This week, Alanah found out some more details about Obsidian's Pentiment, plus we talk about GamesCom News and House of Dragons.
Aug 28, 2022 · 53:58
This episode got caught in a processing error loop, so apologies for the delay! We chat about Batgirl's cancellation and what's happening at HBO, plus the reality of late-stage…
Aug 13, 2022 · 59:17
This week, Alanah and Mike talk about the new Predator movie: Prey! And then briefly about a new Forspoken trailer, but mostly about Prey.
Aug 8, 2022 · 54:39
This week, we talk about Troy lying about riding a horse, the TV show The Offer (for some reason?), and if any of us have ever known ahead of release if what we're working on is…
Jul 15, 2022 · 1:06:21
This week, we are excited to GET TO MAKIN' MORE CREATIVE STUFF WITH PATREON! Plus, we stay shockingly on topic with discussions on The Boys season 3, completely spoiler-free.
Jul 10, 2022 · 1:22:40
This week, we spoke about fake leakers, swatting, and video game writing that feels like pandering.
Jul 6, 2022 · 59:31
This week, the whole squad is here to discuss good vs bad game design, floppy disks, games being saved on cartridges, and actors.
Jun 26, 2022 · 54:25
Also, cows and fireflies, or something.
Jun 18, 2022 · 54:55
This was a difficult episode to title because we spoke about 1,000 different things, so note that the title was an attempt but is not really a large focus of the episode. SORRY.…
Jun 14, 2022 · 1:08:03
This week, we largely talk about the episode of Love, Death + Robots that Troy is in, called Bad Travelling.
Jun 3, 2022 · 51:42
I guess we caught up on some MEDIA!
May 21, 2022 · 1:06:39
Featuring the point of play-testing, separating art from artist, Elden Ring, privilege, and "choice" in a workplace. But also feet. Sorry.
May 14, 2022 · 54:50
This week, we talk about Gotham Knights and then somehow rapidly progress into discussing games industry contracts, and their prevalence.
Apr 29, 2022 · 51:58
Join Alanah Pearce (video game writer), Troy Baker (video game actor), Austin Wintory (video game composer), and Mike Bithell (video game director) as they celebrate ONE HUNDRED…
Apr 25, 2022 · 1:07:33
This week, the team discusses Spaghetti Westerns, inflated hours for game releases, and plans for EPISODE 100!
Apr 2, 2022 · 56:27
We actually mostly talk about government and religion, as is tradition every 25 episodes or something.
Mar 22, 2022 · 1:07:12
Journey turned 10, so this week we largely celebrate the release of Austin's new album, called "Traveler - A Journey Symphony".
Mar 4, 2022 · 1:23:18
This week, Alanah and Austin talk about, er, how they record audio for the show, the game-musical Austin is working on, the Oscars removing certain categories from the show, Epic…
Feb 26, 2022 · 1:00:34
This week, Alanah, Mike, and Austin are IN THE SAME ROOM!? We talk about how events like DICE are useful for those in the games industry, and what 'networking' really is.
Feb 18, 2022 · 1:01:31
This week, we talk about Nintendo Direct! Mostly, I think. I'll be honest, I wasn't there for the start of the episode and I haven't had time to watch it. They could've spoken…
Feb 6, 2022 · 57:50
This week, we mostly talk about movies that came out over a decade ago. And then Poker. And then Age of Empires! Thank God for Austin.
Jan 29, 2022 · 1:09:13
This week, for some reason (?), Austin, Alanah, and Mike delve into STATISTICS, discussing console sales and the percentage of hardware owners that end up buying first-party…
Jan 22, 2022 · 1:03:02
This week, it's just Alanah and Mike, ready to discuss what will undoubtedly be the biggest gaming news of 2022.
Jan 15, 2022 · 1:02:07
Troy tweeted something very pro-NFT, and trended on Twitter as a result. Here's us talking about that.
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