GROGPOD Roguelike Podcast

(Hacker voice) I’m in. We’re pentesting the mainfraime this week with 868-HACK! A small-scope puzzle-y rogue-y game by one Michael Brough: multi award-nominated IGF game designer of other similarly overlooked titles like Imbroglio, Cinco Paus, and Zaga-33. Michael’s games were originally designed for iOS mobile devices back in the hallowed days of the early 2010s, in that bubbling time when roguelites were just getting their foothold. Listen in as we isolate the nodes, jack the creds, warp some viruses and dump them on the other side of the router. Think you got what it takes to hack the big leagues, kid, or are you one siphon short of getting point-attacked in the NCIS firewall?







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1:08 - Game stats
6:51 - One sentence description
8:28 - Platform Origins: iOS First, PC Port, No Android
12:21 - Hacking Aesthetic, Art Style & Tutorial Walkthrough
17:24 - Points as Primary Goal Debate
22:27 - Run Scoring Systems
26:24 - Difficulty Escalation
33:23 - Gameplay debates
39:09 - Progs & Ability Combos
45:04 - Sound Design & Aesthetic
47:40 - 868-BACK Sequel
52:50 - Movie Hacking
1:00:34 - Plan B DLC Mechanics & Harder Starting Conditions
1:04:08 - Awards, Critical Acclaim & Eric Dolphy Jazz Analogy
1:10:30 - Rankings & final thoughts
1:24:06 - Similar games & show wind-down

Next episode: UFO 50

Contact us at [email protected]!

https://grogpod.zone

Intro music: GROGPOD Theme 1 by Balatro composer LouisF - https://louisfmusic.com/

Outro music: 868-HACK background music and 868-BACK background music

It’s not a bug, its a feature! This week we crack open the most meme-filled game of 2025 with Megabonk: the first game by (very likely) youtuber game developer Danidev in over 4 years. Is your Megachad’s aura farming going to crash out or is your drip fire enough to hit different? Just how long can a skateboarding skeleton with sunglasses last against Anubruh or … sigh … Scorpionussy? We can always return to Monke, fellow kids! 😱↪️⭕







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1:23 - Game stats
4:38 - One sentence description
5:21 - How do you do, fellow memers?
13:34 - Danidev deep dive
17:01 - Initial Impressions: Vampire Survivors Meets Risk of Rain 2
19:28 - Shrines Mechanic
23:28 - Weapon Upgrade System
26:13 - Characters
36:39 - Items & Weapons
40:54 - Skeleton Skateboarding
51:13 - Maps, Stage Tiers & Boss Variety Complaints
1:14:00 - Rankings & final thoughts
1:27:20 - Similar games & show wind-down

Next episode: 868-HACK

Contact us at [email protected]!

https://grogpod.zone

Intro music: GROGPOD Theme 1 by Balatro composer LouisF - https://louisfmusic.com/

Outro music: Miguelangell960 - She Mega On My Bonk (All Night Long)

Rise… champion… again! The Spire returns to be slain once more, in the biggest roguelike launch of all time! Our top rated game of the podcast now has a sequel, but how will its early access evaluation period hold up? How sly will our ratings of the new characters be? Will we DEMAND to visit a more exciting planet? Will our souls be eternally bound to a tooth-filled grimoire? What about Osty? Is he safe? Is he alright? Who is this mysterious Architect who sits atop the new Spire with a bunch of deflated hearts and bronze automotons?? Finally it arrives!

We also finally welcome a new theme for the podcast after 4 years! Developed as part of a suite of multiple recordings, it’s a tune that will evolve over time, so keep an ear out and don’t immediately skip that first 30 seconds of random jazz music I’ve been posting previously! You can find more about Louis’ work on his website here







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1:02 - New intro theme by Balatro composer LouisF!
2:41 - Game stats
4:40 - One sentence description
5:37 - Early Access Disclaimer & Future Revisit Discussion
7:50 - Comparing Sequels
10:42 - Major New Features
12:23 - Art, Animation & Dynamic Music Integration
14:06 - New NPCs, Story Beats & Lore Progression
21:04 - Unlock Systems & Achievement Design Discussion
30:25 - Infinite Builds, Balance Patches & Review Bombs
32:45 - 4-Player Co-op Mechanics & Board Game Origins
45:30 - The Regent & Necrobinder
1:09:02 - Card Enchantment System
1:19:01 - Art & Animation Improvements
1:29:30 - Rankings & final thoughts
1:44:49 - Similar games & show wind-down

Next episode: Megabonk

Contact us at [email protected]!

https://grogpod.zone

Intro music: GROGPOD Theme 1 by Balatro composer LouisF - https://louisfmusic.com/

Outro music: Clark Aboud - Ceremonial Beast

This Is Part Of! … the roguelike pantheon of short games! A beloved mobile game classic, we hop in to Hoplite this week: the Greek underworld dungeon crawling chess tactics inspired puzzle game of spear-chucking, shield-bashing, and hoppin! Featuring at seemingly simple 16-floor dungeon that can go on infinitely should you so desire, the game also boasts a seemingly bottomless pit of bespoke puzzles. So get swipin and swipe on that play button either for the pod or the game, they’re both good!







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1:39 - Game stats
4:55 - One sentence description
8:19 - Mobile gaming on the go
9:45 - Tutorial & Mechanics
19:26 - Quest for the Golden Fleece
21:30 - Enemy Types & Elegance of Game Design
22:05 - Filler Games vs. Epic Games: Scope & Value Discussion
31:31 - Altar of Apollo Upgrades & Upgrade System
37:44 - Challenge Modes, Daily Puzzles & Bonus Dungeons
41:51 - Sound & Music
1:01:15 - Rankings & final thoughts
1:09:15 - Similar games & show wind-down

Next episode: Slay the Spire 2

Contact us at [email protected]!

https://grogpod.zone

Intro music: Stolen Momens - Orballo Jazz Cuartet

Outro music: Hoplite Main Theme

Brains! Brains! This week in “yes we know it’s not a roguelike”, we venture into the heart of Kentucky for some country-fried human flesh with Project Zomboid. The zeds have spread and you have one goal: survive as long as possible. Do you loot the local school for backpacks and safety scissors, or the police station for pistols and shotguns? Do you dare risk alerting the manic hordes with your car as you break windows in your desperate search for prescription painkillers? …in the game, I mean… allegedly, Your Honor…







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1:34 - Game stats
4:16 - One sentence description
5:50 - Roguelike arugments from the Zomboid community
12:00 - Actual gameplay
14:22 - Zombies as Environmental Hazard vs. Villain
27:47 - Tutorial Design & Quality Praise
30:43 - Character Creation, Occupations & Traits
32:30 - Map Size, Starting Location & Open World Scope
36:00 - Lack of Win Condition & Sandbox Design
49:19 - Combat Mechanics, Difficulty & Stealth
1:00:01 - Defining a Winning Run & End-Game Goals
1:20:00 - Rankings & final thoughts
1:38:32 - Similar games & show wind-down

Next episode: Hoplite

Contact us at [email protected]!

https://grogpod.zone

Intro music: Jimmy Greene - Last Summer

Outro music: Project Zomboid OST - Maybe We Can Win This