Have you ever picked up a game, played what felt like a few hours, and suddenly you're staring at the end credits? Yeah, that’s happened to us, too — mostly Mike, but still!

Or maybe you find yourself obsessing over a game you've long since beaten, and you hear that siren's call and have to pick it up again. Yep, us too.

If you're known to use any of these phrases, then face it... you may be addicted.

• "Just one more hour"
• "Just one more round"
• "Once I beat this boss, I'll take a break"

We name our top 6 addictive games and why they are so near and dear to our hearts.

So, what does it take to be a gamer? Can they play all kinds of games regardless of difficulty and genre or is it only for those elite players who can beat games at the highest difficulty.

This episode takes a look at video game integrity and "git gud" culture. We look at the common "real game" tropes and argue why they don't actually matter.

Spoiler Alert: Games should be fun and for everyone.

Since the very first video game movie, fans have been in a state of constant disappointment. From Assassin's Creed to Resident Evil, game to movie adaptations tend to leave us wondering if the people in tinsel town have any clue about the source material. Probably not, but it's not just a video game problem.

Books, board games, comics, and so many other mediums have a hard time making the move to the silver screen. Of course, there are plenty of success stories too! In this podcast, we discuss the wins and pitfalls in video game movie adaptations, and how it could be trending up.

What happens when we get a little extra free time? Mike beats three games, and Sara's stuck on the same one. THANKS, JRPGs.

This episode discusses why sometimes it's good to go back and play a 16-year-old game to see what the fuss is all about and the importance of grinding.

If clearing out a few games in a week or two wasn't enough, we also go into the dreaded backlog and why it sometimes takes so long to dig yourself out. As if one JRPG or open-world game was enough, how is it possible to work your way through them all when time is of the essence?

Games discussed: Psychonauts, Psychonauts VR, and Gone Home.

Sara and Mike are back, and this time, we tackle video game immersion.

So, what makes games so immersive? Is it the story, ambiance, sound effects, world-building, or is it some trumped-up phrase overused by game execs? We cover what draws us into games and what - like a splinter - can ruin the experience entirely.

We're back - and this time, it's all about parents. We discuss the stigma with parents and video games, who these devices are actually for, and look at some of the most memorable parents in games.

Welcome to the Still Alive Podcast

Before we can dig into the sweet, sweet video game deets, it's probably best you know where we're coming from. In our debut episode, we introduce ourselves and give you a little background about our lives in games.

We discuss how we ended up in this mess, what we're trying to play, and give you the run-down before tackling the hard issues...like inventory management.