Épisodes

  • FREE TO ALL: Text Adventure: Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell

    FREE TO ALL: Text Adventure: Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell
    Feb 3 2026

    This episode was previously exclusive to our Patreon backers, but we're making it available to everybody to show what you're missing behind the paywall. You can get access to more Text Adventure plus a year of other subscriber episodes, at patreon.com/TotalPlaytimePodcast.


    Text Adventure is our videogame book club, in which we and a guest read a videogame novelisation and try very hard to like it. In this episode we are joined by Johnny Chiodini to read Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell, which turns out to be story about a neocon Alan Partridge who's totally devoid of emotional intelligence and incredibly bad at stealth. Which is quite close to how we played Splinter Cell but not, we suspect, the outcome they were aiming for for.


    Music by God Ribbon, art by Marsh Davies and our entire existence care of our Patreon backers. Please consider joining them and enabling us to continue our quest to find a games book that isn't absolutely terrible.


    Games!

    You can still buy the first Splinter Cell game, but the remake is out soon(ish)


    Links

    This is the book most of us read and this is the one Nate read.


    Recommendations!

    Going to the charity shops in the most fancy area available to you, London Centric's snail farmer mafioso article, thermal instant cameras, and the Realms Unknown podcast which has featured our own Nate!

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    1 h et 34 min
  • Episode 27: The Legendary Milk Egg

    Episode 27: The Legendary Milk Egg
    Jan 22 2026

    It's a heady intersection of belief systems this week, as we combine Alice's insomniac enthusiasm for weird Instagram crystal sales with Nate's rigorous interrogation of Tim Cain's Types Of Quests. Plus: a horny dog, a nightmarish Pikachu, the Roman god of webinars and Games Anubis joins our increasingly incoherent pantheon.


    You can listen to the episode right here, or find it in your podcasting apps:

    iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/total-playtime/id1790845149

    Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1jPv8y9BRzqATFT7zXRxKW

    RSS: https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/6786cf573ceecdbe85eac067


    Nate's Quiz will be coming to Patreon next month, but in the meantime we have many other fine episodes to which you get full access by subscribing at patreon.com/totalplaytimepodcast. Thanks to all our current Patreons for making the podcast happen, and to Marsh Davies for our art and God Ribbon for our music. You can suggest quest types and your means of death at totalplaytimepod@gmail.com.


    Links!

    Tim Cain's 9 types of Quest. The moderately nightmarish Lego Pikachu is yours for £179.99. Various people will sell you bootleg plans for Lego Metal Gear Rex and probably also the Horizon Zero Dawn Tallneck because Lego long since sold out. Facepunch offered to buy New World after it was given 12 months to live.


    Games!

    Assassin's Creed Origins and New World, but only if you bought it already.


    Recommendations!

    The Holdovers, Tokyo These Days and The Long Walk.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    1 h et 4 min
  • Episode 26: New Year's Resolutions

    Episode 26: New Year's Resolutions
    Jan 8 2026
    It's 2026, and Alice's dog is still being a dick so she had to leave Jonty, Nate and Brendan to share their gaming New Year's Resolutions, only for the wheels to come off immediately because Nate won't commit to playing new games and Brendan won't commit to resolutions as a concept. We were nevertheless able to muster some recommendations along important discussion of the Eurovision of games, becoming The Balls Guy and the unsettling experience of joining an ARC Raiders suicide cult.You can listen to the episode directly right here, or find it in your pod catching apps.iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/total-playtime/id1790845149Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1jPv8y9BRzqATFT7zXRxKWRSS: https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/6786cf573ceecdbe85eac067Acast: https://shows.acast.com/total-playtimeMusic by God Ribbon, art by Marsh Davies and our entire existence care of our Patreon supporters, without whom this show would not exist. Consider joining them at https://www.patreon.com/c/TotalPlaytimePodcast. Share your comments and additional New Year's Resolutions for Alice to totalplaytimepod@gmail.com.Links!People are convincing themselves that Half-Life 3 is coming. The plan for Subnautica 2 is mostly litigation.Games!ARC Raiders. Mon Bazou. Totally Legit Wheeler Seller. Let's Build A Zoo. Ark Nova. Crusader Kings 3: Roads to Power. Nivalis. Streets of Fortuna.Recommendations!but the games were good. Get yourself a snake plant, and schedule an input day but don't give Nate any credit for it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    56 min
  • Episode 25: The Awards Awards

    Episode 25: The Awards Awards
    Dec 25 2025
    Merry Christmas, sausages one and all, and please enjoy our seasonal gift of grumbling about a Geoff Keighley event. All four of us, plus Anthony Hopkins, took time out from Christmas shopping/wrapping/disorganisation to judge the best of the year-end awards season, and also debate movie series that Alice should binge-watch in her act of seasonal self-harm.Plus: the least-qualified discussion of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 on any gaming podcast this year, Lenny Kravitz as recession indicator, Rolf the Dog smoking a joint with Joe Rogan and finally building The Interat. Correction: Alice mistakenly credited Rage 2 to Ubisoft when it was of course Bethesda and Jonty was too polite to point this out UNTIL NOW.You can listen to the episode directly right here, or find it in your pod catching apps.iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/total-playtime/id1790845149Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1jPv8y9BRzqATFT7zXRxKWRSS: https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/6786cf573ceecdbe85eac067Acast: https://shows.acast.com/total-playtimeMusic by God Ribbon, art by Marsh Davies and our entire existence care of our Patreon supporters, who remain the most special sausages even in the face of stiff seasonal competition. Thanks again for making all of this happen. You can send us comments, feedback and suggestions for terrible movie franchises to totalplaytimepod@gmail.com.Games!Star Wars Fate of the Old Republic, Ace Combat 8, Bradley the Badger, Control: Resonant, Tomb Raider: Catalyst, Sunset Overdrive, Order of the Sinking Star, Ontos, Total Warhammer 40k, Stupid Never Dies, Gang of Dragon.Links!The interminable appearance of the Street Fighter Cast. Here is a music journalist getting mad at "gaming 'journalists' and other slack-jawed, brainless zombies" for disrespecting Andrew WK's E3 performance. Damion Schubert pointed out that Game Awards pricing is actually pretty good by contemporary marketing standards. Casey Hudson and Jason Schreier disagreed on when Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic will come out. The Divinity trailer was gross AF. The internet was entirely normal about the Divinity statue. The first trailer for Baldur's Gate 3 was also a bit much. Alan Hazelden on being part of a Jonathan Blow game. Some people got hype, and then disappointed, by Half-Life 3 again. Anthony Jeselnik's Top 10 books of 2025.Recommendations!The Sycamore Gap Mystery and The Salt Path Scandal (here's the Observer exposé), A Passion for Passion, the Inside of You podcast, The Three Body Problem. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    1 h et 7 min
  • Episode 24: They Play Horses, Don't They?

    Episode 24: They Play Horses, Don't They?
    Dec 11 2025
    In this episode we discuss the (frankly, needlessly) controversial HORSES, an Italian surrealist horror game that has been banned from Steam and, latterly, the Epic Game Store, and boy everyone and their mother has been yapping about it. What do we think of Steam's ban? Is nudity ever okay? And what's up with this Ian dude? (Answers: Steam can do what they want but this is still bad; no, live in shame you freaks; it is beyond the remit of this podcast to discover that). A big thank you to God Ribbon for our music, Marsh Davies for our art, and our Patron supporters, who are all too hot for TV. You can share comments, suggestions, and NO FEEDBACK WHATSOEVER to totalplaytimepod@gmail.com.You can listen to the episode directly right here, or find it in your pod catching apps.iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/total-playtime/id1790845149Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1jPv8y9BRzqATFT7zXRxKWRSS: https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/6786cf573ceecdbe85eac067Acast: https://shows.acast.com/total-playtimeLinks!*deep breath* Horses got banned from Steam, in events described by the devs here and supplement by a statement from Valve; Eurogamer also further interviewed Pietro Righi Riva, studio director, here. The game was also yoinked from Epic and briefly delisted by Humble (a summary from the Verge here). This kerfuffle despite the fact that most people who play the game kind of shrug at the content (Edwin, at our old stomping ground, seemed to like it, and his review provides a lot of context). Also, Ian Bogost rose from the dead to remind us that games shouldn't have stories anyway, and if they do they're bad. Horses is available on Itch, Humble and GOG.Games!Brendy has been shredding in Skate Story. Jonty has been playing The Séance of Blake Manor and is incorrect about it. Santa Ragione's website with links to their other games is here.Recommendations!Brant recommends The Ooh Directory (via PCGamer), Jonty recommends internet newsletter Read Max, and I recommend cooking channel Kaz Cooks. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    1 h
  • The John Cena Xbox 360 Anniversary Special

    The John Cena Xbox 360 Anniversary Special
    Nov 27 2025

    We celebrate the birth of the Xbox 360, and God's own sausage-in-a-suit-jacket Phil Spencer. But mostly the Xbox 360. We reminisce about what the 'box mean to us, and Jonty reveals some of the behind-the-scenes dead-eyed virtual child Milo goss you've been waiting for. Plus! Games Satan returns with possibly his weirdest question yet.


    A big thank you to God Ribbon for our music, Marsh Davies for our art, and the best sausages in the world, our Patreon supporters, for financing our silliness. You can share comments, suggestions, feedback, and Xbox memories to totalplaytimepod@gmail.com.


    You can listen to the episode directly right here, or find it in your pod catching apps.

    iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/total-playtime/id1790845149

    Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1jPv8y9BRzqATFT7zXRxKW

    RSS: https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/6786cf573ceecdbe85eac067

    Acast: https://shows.acast.com/total-playtime


    Links!

    Eurogamer's piece on the end of the 360, and their hub of 360 articles. Here's the Milo demo, and the whole 2010 conference that Jonty was at if you're arsed. Enjoy the 360 reveal feat. Elijah Wood on PCGamer.


    Recommendations!

    Conceited by Lola Young, Wharf Aquatics, Wirecutter's mystery Amazon pallet unboxing, and The Turn Of The Screw by Henry James.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    1 h
  • Episode 22: GTA6 Definitely Won't Be Delayed Again

    Episode 22: GTA6 Definitely Won't Be Delayed Again
    Nov 13 2025
    This week is another two-hander, as Jonty and Nate are both away, so Brendy earns his keep by joining me as we have mild opinions about Rockstar delaying Grand Theft Auto VI, but stronger opinions about Rockstar firing a bunch of developers out of nowhere. We also discuss an interesting interview from Tomas Sala, developer of Bulwark and The Falconeer, AND, as a special treat, we've been playing some topical and current video games this week. A big thank you to God Ribbon for our music, Marsh Davies for our art, and ethical and sensible Patreon supporters for financing our silliness. You can share comments, suggestions, feedback, and union support to totalplaytimepod@gmail.com.You can listen to the episode directly right here, or find it in your pod catching apps.iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/total-playtime/id1790845149Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1jPv8y9BRzqATFT7zXRxKWRSS: https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/6786cf573ceecdbe85eac067Acast: https://shows.acast.com/total-playtimeLinks!GTAVI is delayed, but Strauss Zelnick is like 'no worries m8'. Rockstar has been accused of union busting and can suck it if this is indeed the case (since we recorded Rockstar are facing legal action). Tomas Sala on finding a sustainable dev life away from virality, via Eurogamer.Matthew "Iggy" Kowalski needs a kidney.Games!Arc Raiders! Dispatch! The Séance of Blake Manor!Recommendations!Bronder recommends Gutshot by Amelia Gray, and I recommend A Very Vexing Murder by Lucy Andrew Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    1 h et 16 min
  • Episode 21: An Xbox Where His Hand Should Be

    Episode 21: An Xbox Where His Hand Should Be
    Oct 30 2025
    This week we're down a Jonty (not permanently, don't worry) but up a new chair, thanks to our Patreon pals! And it's been a week of upheaval elsewhere, as Microsoft and Xbox has been the focus of a lot of news. Halo is re-back, but also on PlayStation!? What do we think this means for hexboks? Nothing particularly encouraging, but Brendy is annoyed by some Halo rocks. PLUS Nate makes fun of AI, and Alice has been playing Bloodlines 2, as is her curse.A big thank you to God Ribbon for our music, Marsh Davies for our art, and our very cool and majestic Patreon supporters for being the wind beneath our wings - a wind that allows for a new host, no less. You can share comments, suggestions, feedback, and strong opinions about Halo rocks at totalplaytimepod@gmail.com.Links!Xbox allegedly pushes for 30% margins, is unconcerned by other platforms, and is putting arguably its flagship product on the Sony box. Remember when the internet stopped working? That was because of one software bug, but best not to worry unless your bed bricked. EA signed a deal with Stability AI, and it's fun to laugh at bad AI, unless you're on dating apps, I guess.Games!Keep Driving! Bloodlines 2! PowerWash Simulator 2! Dawn Of War! Carimara!Recommendations!Make a kind of mincemeat toast instead of a mince pie, observe Stewthius, the perpetual stew, watch ish's terrifying Minecraft social experiments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    1 h et 6 min