It’s that time of year. Dave and Craig sit down to argue, agree, and completely change our minds as we break down our Games of the Year for 2025. Big wins, big disappointments, and a few hot takes along the way.

Any game suggestions or feedback? Email us at [email protected] and we will gladly play what you tell us, unless it's Stellaris.

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This month we hacked, slashed, and danced our way through Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess, a game that feels like someone threw a tower defence, an action brawler, and a fever dream of Japanese folklore into a blender and somehow made it work.

You’re protecting a shrine maiden, purifying villages, and choreographing villagers into battle formations while trying not to get completely overwhelmed by the demonic hordes pouring in. The greatest challenge faced however was actually Craig's dad somehow deleting a cloud save of his 90% finished game.

So grab your sword, practice your best interpretive dance moves, and join us as we talk about saving the mountain one battle at a time.

Any game suggestions or feedback? Email us at [email protected] and we will glady play what you tell us, unless it's Stellaris.

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This month we jacked ourselves into Shadowrun Returns, a game that somehow smashes together cyberpunk hacking, gritty crime noir, and bloody great fireballs. One minute you’re bribing a dodgy street doc, the next you’re summoning spirits in a back alley while wondering if your decking skills are up to much.

So pour a synth-juice, slot in your datajack, and join us as we wander the rain-soaked streets of Seattle making all the wrong choices in style.

Any game suggestions or feedback? Email us at [email protected] and we will glady play what you tell us, unless it's Stellaris.

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Our next listener suggestion is up and we are playing Thank Goodness You’re Here, and… well… how do you even describe it? You don’t. You just play it. Honestly, it’s one of the funniest, weirdest things we’ve touched in ages, and spoiling any of it would ruin the fun so we’re not going to. Trust us: go in blind, have a laugh, and then come back and tell us if you’ve recovered.

But because we couldn’t just leave you hanging with a “go play it” and call it a day, we stuck Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth on the end as a bit of a chaser. So if surreal British comedy chaos isn’t enough, you can settle in for some chat about Ichiban, Kiryu, and all the JRPG nonsense we know all love. This recording of LAD was lost to the ages and cloud storage, only having discovered we forgot to release it in December 2024... Enjoy!

Any game suggestions or feedback? Email us at [email protected] and we will glady play what you tell us, unless it's Stellaris.

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Find out more at http://thebiteffect.com

This month we crept our way through Darkwood , well, Dave did. Craig noped out as fast as possible and ran the whole game screaming and killing anything that moved. Luckily, Dave picked up the slack and actually braved the woods and engaged with NPCs enough to tell us what the hell was going on.

Darkwood is one of those horror games that doesn’t need jump scares, the atmosphere alone makes your skin crawl. Every night feels like an eternity, every noise outside your door is something worse than you imagined, and the whole thing oozes a vibe that can only be described as "gross".

So if you fancy hearing about Dave slowly losing his mind while Craig quietly cheers from the sidelines for getting it over with, grab a torch, bolt the doors, and join us for a trip into the worst forest since Forest Whittakers appearance in Arrival.

Any game suggestions or feedback? Email us at [email protected] and we will glady play what you tell us, unless it's Stellaris.

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Find out more at http://thebiteffect.com

For this special listener request we dove headfirst into Persona 3 Reload and let’s be honest, few games swing from “high school hijinks” to “the weight of mortality” quite like this one. One minute you’re feeding your social links, the next you’re battling eldritch horrors at midnight while wondering if you’ve studied enough for tomorrow’s exam.

On one hand it’s stylish, emotional, occasionally daft, and just as much of a time sink as you’d expect. On the other hand it's got a 25 year old feel to bits, the protagonist is tofu, and we have played a LOT of Persona already.

We might start off on a bit of a downer, and that might continue for a while as well, but don't get angry immediately! There are positives and lessons to be learned from more modern games. And all in this is still a solid game and entry point in to the series,

So grab your evoker and join us as we chat about friendship, fate, and far too many nights spent grinding in a tower that never seems to end. No matter how much you want it to...

Any game suggestions or feedback? Email us at [email protected] and we will glady play what you tell us, unless it's Stellaris.

Support The Bit Effect by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/thebiteffect

Find out more at http://thebiteffect.com

We are back! New logo, new website, a schedule we can stick to, and all our personal demons are set straight. Just in time for a happy go lucky romp through a frozen wasteland!

This month we threw ourselves into Frostpunk, which is basically the cheeriest game about freezing to death you’ll ever play. It’s cold, it’s bleak, it makes you feel like a terrible human being for making kids work in coal mines, and yet somehow, we couldn’t stop talking about it.

Do you save the people or save the city? Do you cling to hope or rule with an iron fist? Do you build a pub before you build a hospital? (Spoilers: yes.) Every choice feels like the “least bad” option, and that’s kind of the whole magic of it. So, grab your warmest coat, pour yourself something strong, and join us as we chat about keeping humanity alive one questionable decision at a time.

Any game suggestions or feedback? Email us at [email protected] and we will glady play what you tell us, unless it's Stellaris.

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Hi folks! That's us back in action with a little welcome back update! new logo, new sounds, new schedule, and new website! Woohoo!

Thanks for listening, we look forward to many more games and good chat! :)

Any game suggestions or feedback? Email us at [email protected] and we will glady play what you tell us, unless it's Stellaris.

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Find out more at http://thebiteffect.com

A wee update from Craig and Dave on why it's been so quiet here and what have we been up to!

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After the very good Mutant Year Zero we thought Miasma Chronicles would just walk it in. We were wrong. Come join us for an hour of complaining!

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