Whether you are just getting into games media, or you are looking to expanding beyond your regular rotation, this is a diverse sampling of the best gaming podcasts out there.
Note: These are all podcasts that discuss video games, gaming culture or specific topics therein. If you are looking to check out a couple great actual play podcasts, I recommend Friends at The Table and The Adventure Zone.
The Giant Bombcast & Giant Beastcast
For a traditional gaming podcast, it doesn’t get much better than Giant Bomb’s two weekly shows, the Bombcast from the West Coast team and the Beast in the East. A comforting mix of chuckleheadedness and insight, these podcasts will catch you up on the week’s news, release, emails, and an assortment of random topics related to the interest of the GB community. I’ve been following Giant Bomb for years, so at this point, they feel like family, but even for a newbie the free-flowing conversation and consistent format make this a great comfort listen. The only intimating factor may be the 2+ hour length in most episodes.
Waypoint’s twice-weekly show is sometimes an excellent political analysis of gaming culture. And sometimes they just talk about alien alloys. Each Monday show has Waypoint EIC, game’s academic, and certified big boy lover Austin Walker leading a diverse staff through the week’s news and new releases. The Friday show is generally a more focused discussion around a relevant topic in gaming, often led by Danielle Riendeau. Waypoint Radio, like all great podcasts, is as funny as it is analytical, but if you don’t want to mix politics and games, you’ve come to the wrong podcast (and the wrong list, I might add.)
No Cartridge is a little niche, but if you are looking for a philosophical Marxist critique of games, this is the best it gets. Host Trevor Strunk brings on a guest to discuss a different topic each week, be it a specific franchise or trend within the industry. No Cartridge is a refreshingly academic take on games and features a ton of influential voices from leftist and gaming Twitter circles. I recommend starting with the episodes featuring Scott Benson, writer and developer of the superb Night in the Woods.
Jeremy Parish is one of the most knowledgeable video game historians working in the media. Formerly a 1up podcast, during Parish’s tenure at the dearly departed outlet, Retronauts is gaming’s premiere retro podcast. Each episode tackles either a topic or specific game, leading to a profoundly focused show that listeners can pick up when a particular episode suites their interests.
From Waypoint’s Rob Zacny, this strategy podcast is a great listen even if you aren’t a huge strategy gamer. On the same network as Idle Thumbs and Idle Weekend (great podcasts in their own right), Three Moves Ahead is clearly the work of gamers who have been playing, writing, and thinking about the strategy genre for decades. The chess episode is a fantastic place to start, as most people have probably played chess, yet have no idea what the modern state of play is.
The two biggest all-women gaming podcasts are different, yet charming and smart in their own ways. Polygon’s take is more humorous and leans into the streamed video format, so I’d recommend watching that one either live or on Youtube. What’s Good Games is a more traditional show hosted by Andrea Rene, Kristine Steimer, and Alexa Ray Correia. All are brilliant former mainstream games journos who have been covering the industry for years.
Bryn Gelbart is a Brooklyn based writer. He loves gaming, Moviepass, and that feeling you get when a stranger lets you pet their dog. His prior work can be found on Observer, Indiewire, and Hacker Noon, among others.
Follow him on Twitter @feelthebryn
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