841. 1Upsmanship: Mouthwashing
Added 2025-03-14 13:00:17 +0000 UTC
It’s an indie game this time! A psychological horror adventure game that follows the crew of a derelict ship as supplies dwindle. Lauded for its nonlinear narrative and visual style, let’s see if Adam and Michael put this one on the hard drive!
Michael Swaim: https://bsky.app/profile/michaelswaim.bsky.social
Adam Ganser: https://bsky.app/profile/ganz.bsky.social
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Comments
Alcohol based mouth wash 2x is straight up bad for you bro, you need to read into it, it's not making your mouth more healthy and it's definitely increasing your risk of mouth cancer and decimating your mouth microbiome.
William Ranney
2025-04-12 20:36:41 +0000 UTCI floss and water pick but that's because I have a bridge and that's mainly what the waterpick is for. The double mouthwash seems excessive to me though
Billy Whitman
2025-04-01 15:58:09 +0000 UTCThank you for covering this! As someone that doesn’t really play video games anymore because I get motion sick very easily, I love hearing about all the new games and your thoughts on them - particularly because I love art in all mediums so feel like I’m missing out because this is one I can’t actively experience for myself. I enjoy all of your episodes but my favorites are ones like these, where I feel like you’re covering something that’s new to the medium. The exploration of this deeply unsettling aspect of human nature may not be great gameplay, but moved (disturbed) me even experiencing it second hand through you. It reminded me a bit of your Gone Home episode, where it seemed some truly impressive minds worked at telling a deeply affecting story. So keep up the great work and thanks again for giving me a way to experience this without barfing 😅
Maddy
2025-03-17 00:19:47 +0000 UTCGreat episode. I've played through the game three times because it's so short, and I have some minor complaints, but you guys really highlighted the best parts of the story. The gameplay sections are definitely the weakest part. I wonder if the developers were passionate about those sequences, or if they just felt like indie horror games were obligated to have a Spooky Hallway Jumpscare.
Magnanimous
2025-03-15 02:04:52 +0000 UTCProps to Adam for catching the assault twist with that one line. Really shows his character, with how quickly he spotted someone in trouble.
Nick Fontaine
2025-03-15 00:18:33 +0000 UTCI think Anya not being very represented in the game is intentional, since Jimmy doesn't try to think about her and the impact he has had on her. I think ultimately deleting it was the right decision. Narratively, this game is excellent, but it's very limited in its interactivity, so it doesn't feel that much like a game. I give the game, and this review, a Lockheed and a Martin both way up.
Sydney (Kanserus Bone Saw) Bowdish
2025-03-14 20:46:54 +0000 UTCSpoilers I also don't like that Anya and Daisuke don't get more in the narrative, but I don't really blame the game for that. I blame Jimmy and Curly. Jimmy doesn't believe in the personhood of Daisuke until Swansea forces that on him. He never believes in the personhood of Anya because nobody ever truly confronts him about that. It's a part of how Jimmy makes them victims. I think the only way you could flesh out Anya and Daisuke without betraying Jimmy's characterization is to have a 3rd perspective. I think that would blow out the games scope enormously, because the best way to add that third eye would be to remodel the whole ship in a different style. That way you could use the shift not just to talk about Anya and Daisuke, but also to drive home the idea that Jimmy and Curly are essentially similar.
John Pratt
2025-03-14 20:14:46 +0000 UTCAnya was sooooo underwritten it made me sad. Yeah I think it’s fine and interesting to do a story about a villain’s inner dialogue, but adding that to our zeitgeist when we’re in the middle of a fascist uprising (AND we have the internet) is not needed
Andee Oord
2025-03-14 19:07:19 +0000 UTCWAHOOOO MOUTHWASHING EP
Andee Oord
2025-03-14 18:05:44 +0000 UTCTotally in my blindspot, really interesting chat. I bought 3 Lockheeds and half a Martin because of this show.
drunkencoyote
2025-03-14 17:43:08 +0000 UTCDon’t think those guys like Jimmy because he’s charismatic, it’s because they are seeing themselves so much in him and they don’t have the emotional maturity to make that question themselves. They just think they’re the main character.
LoveTriscuit
2025-03-14 16:34:22 +0000 UTCI just assumed that this game was the most satisfying dentist simulator ever. Like a power washing game and a surgery simulator mashed together.
A Blodgett
2025-03-14 16:16:35 +0000 UTCSpoilers obviously: I think the disjointed time lets experience Jimmy’s madness from his perspective. When you start the game, you might feel like you CAN fix everything, because that’s how most games work. Since Jimmy’s biggest issue is self rationalization, you start the game with his world view. And the reality dawns on the player as it dawns on Jimmy. But his awareness is disjointed because of his defense mechanisms. I think the chronology of the scenes as presented to the player map onto a scale of Jimmy’s denial of reality at the beginning and his “acceptance” as we get closer to the end. The justification, I think, is that presenting it that way lets you live in his head and experience the psychosis with him. Otherwise it would be a pretty cut and dry narrative about a crazy guy.
SpongeGunderson
2025-03-14 14:40:54 +0000 UTCI really wanted to hear your takes on this one! Thanks!
Dave Ruff
2025-03-14 13:42:03 +0000 UTCThese Friday shows make my payday all the sweeter, thanks fellas.
Alexander Ault
2025-03-14 13:27:22 +0000 UTC
