Kinda Funny Gamescast: Video Game Podcast · Kinda Funny

Game of The Year So Far - Kinda Funny Gamescast

·1 hr 9 min·5 clips

Imran reveals how 'At Fate's End' lets you negotiate with family members during boss fights to heal broken relationships.

The episode opens with the gang gathered at the Kind Funny studio during GDC week in March 2026. Blessing hosts Imran Khan, who flew in from Kansas City for the conference, Paris Lilly attending her first-ever GDC, and Stella Chung. Right away the hosts bond over GDC life — nearly all their meetings happened in hotel rooms rather than on the convention show floor, leaving Paris somewhat surprised since she came specifically to observe game development panels. Stella recounts nearly being injured when jumping off an elevated stage at a GDC party, and Blessing reveals karaoke footage of himself singing Lupe Fiasco's 'Kick Push' that ended up on Instagram. The main topic is their 2026 Game of the Year picks so far, done as a quarterly check-in with guests to get diverse perspectives. Imran nominates Monster Hunter Stories 3, praising its compulsive checklist gameplay loop despite initially mixed feelings, noting he sank about 60 hours into it and nearly 100-percented it. He also mentions Palokopia — which his wife reviewed — as the clear frontrunner if it counts. Resident Evil Requiem comes up multiple times as a strong contender, sitting at 89 on Metacritic, praised for its visuals, tension, and tight 12-hour runtime. Paris and Stella weigh in with their own picks, and the group discusses Capcom's strong 2026 run. An indie title called Esoteric Ebb — described as a Disco Elysium-style CRPG with D&D mechanics — gets enthusiastic mentions. The group also highlights Screenbound, a unique game shown at GDC that displays gameplay on both a 3D screen and a 2D Game Boy-style screen simultaneously. Fighting game talk covers the Avatar: The Last Airbender game, which Blessing calls better than Teken, and the upcoming Invincible Versus. A broader conversation develops around how indie games are thriving with diverse aesthetics — Vital Shell, a 90s mech anime survivors game; Hyper Beat; and Don't Stop Girly Pop — as developers gain freedom from publisher constraints. Blessing draws a parallel to music streaming, arguing that just as Spotify fragmented music tastes, games are increasingly tailored to niche audiences. The conversation wraps with the hosts sharing where listeners can find them, shoutouts to super chat supporters, and a preview of the upcoming Ghost of Yotei Legends stream.

As heard by us

A loose reunion episode that turns Pokemon nostalgia into the real story.

The episode has the easy lift of having Imran back in the room, and it starts as a reunion before settling into a relaxed, more useful hang. The opening stays on Kansas City jokes and barbecue talk, letting the panel bounce around without losing the thread.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

For a games cast that feels like a welcome-back hangout and then swerves into Pokemon obsession.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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