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We believe that video games can serve as tools for understanding ourselves, each other, and the world around us— and we celebrate gaming in its many contexts: as a hobby; as an art form; as therapy.

Get cozy – this is Pixel Therapy.

We believe that video games can serve as tools for understanding ourselves, each other, and the world around us— and we celebrate gaming in its many contexts: as a hobby; as an art form; as therapy.

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Latest Episodes

How Kena: Bridge of Spirits was Shaped by Balinese Gamelan with Dancer and Artist Ayu Larassanti – Pixel Therapy Pod

It's an exciting time to be a Playstation fan, or a Sony pony, as Jamie always says! Fresh off of the forthcoming God of War: Ragnarok trailer that debuted at Sony's Playstation Showcase 2021, we kick things off with some excited speculation about the new characters that were introduced: Tyr, Thor, and Angrboda! Then, Jamie takes us on a ride through the sun-drenched, small-town roads of Providence Oaks in Gamious' new mailperson simulator/slice of life drama, Lake. But the fun doesn't stop there! This week we're joined by dancer, musician, vocalist, and voice-over artist for Kena: Bridge of Spirits' titular heroine: Dewa Ayu Dewi Larassanti! We chat all about her unexpected but absolutely joyful experience bringing Kena to life after the game's developer, Ember Lab, reached out to her family's organization Gamelan Çudamani for help in bringing Balinese music into its score and atmosphere– and ended up contributing to the fabric of the game in more ways than one! Kena: Bridge of Spirits is a Playstation exclusive coming out on September 21st, 2021 – learn more about Ember Lab here: https://www.emberlab.com/ Side Quest Trash Hero Indonesia https://trashhero.org/donations/ (https://trashhero.org/donations/) Trash Hero mobilises thousands of people around the world to take action on waste in their communities, change their everyday behaviour and reduce their dependency on single-use plastic. We rely on your help to do this. About Pixel Therapy New episodes drop every other Tuesday. Learn more at pixeltherapypod.com or follow us on social media @pixeltherapypod. We're proud members of the But Why Tho? Podcast Network: visit ButWhyThoPodcast.com for everything pop culture in an inclusive geek community! If you like what you hear, please take a moment to rate us, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts (or your listening app of choice) & subscribe! Want more? Unlock monthly bonus episodes for $2/mo and help us save up for streaming equipment at patreon.com/pixeltherapypod ! Support this podcast
  1. How Kena: Bridge of Spirits was Shaped by Balinese Gamelan with Dancer and Artist Ayu Larassanti
  2. DIYing Game Dev with Game Designer in Residence and Author Anna Anthropy
  3. Envisioning Our Best Selves in Mass Effect with Professional Trekkie Swapna Krishna
  4. Adapting to Change and Shifting Perspectives with Beekeeper Ang Roell
  5. Games as Explorations of Desire with Writer and Adult Developer Ana Valens
  6. Navigating Hope and Despair in Danganronpa with Indie Developer Courtland Messam
  7. How QTBIPOC Theatremakers Built a Solarpunk Mystery Game! with Gregory Keng Strasser and Sara Eskandari

Nice things folks have said about us

It’s really opened my mind thinking about how queerness and gaming can intersect.

5-Star Listener Review

This podcast is absolutely amazing. I have never heard people talk about this aspect of video games.

5-Star Listener Review
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Have you listened to our new episode yet?! Big thank you to the wonderful folks at @emberlab for connecting us with Ayu Larassanti, the voice of Kena in the upcoming PS-exclusive, #KenaBridgeofSpirits! We had the loveliest time talking all about Kena, and specifically how Balinese instruments and vocals were infused into the spirit of the game ❤️ We literally can’t wait to play come September 21st! New ep dropped yesterday! 💖 Featuring the wonderful @annaanthropy!! Check it out everywhere podcasts are found and let us know what you think by dropping us a star rating / review ❣️😘 New episode! ❣️ Jamie and Spencer kick things off by diving into two visual novel-esque games that couldn't be more different in their content and execution: Kitfox Games' Boyfriend Dungeon and Modern Storyteller's The Forgotten City! Join us as we date weapons and sink our teeth into some queer subtext, and work to escape a time loop while evading avenging angels, respectively. Is humanity truly capable of taking responsibility for each other? Is a polyam queer utopia possible? Join us as we discuss all this and more! 𝑫𝑬𝑨𝑻𝑯’𝑺 𝑫𝑶𝑶𝑹 ⚔️ This incredible game is out now for Xbox and Steam from the amazing two-person UK-based team at #AcidNerve 🧪 This immersive and irreverent dungeon-crawler follows a young soul-reaping Crow as he slowly becomes aware that the company he harvests souls for may have questionable motives… Check out our latest episode everywhere podcasts are found for Jamie’s full review - and in the meantime enjoy feasting your eyes upon Jamie’s custom @xboxdesignlab controller 😍😍😍😍 NEW!🐝 Sup y'all! August already?! Spencer kicks things off this week by hurling baseless accusations at Jamie for not vocally praising Ratchet and Clank: A Rift Apart enough (which has dimensionated itself right into Spencer's heart and the top of their totally unofficial Games of the Year list), while Jamie shares a peek into Death's Door and the life and times of a soul-reaping crow. 𝘿𝙤𝙠𝙞 𝘿𝙤𝙠𝙞 𝙇𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝘾𝙡𝙪𝙗 𝙋𝙡𝙪𝙨! 𝙒𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙃𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙇𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙨 🌀 is a surreal, sprawling, narrative epic adventure by @armature_studio - at 600,000 words of dialogue and text-based artifacts and with 16 endings, it’s longer than The Lord of the Rings, War and Peace, and Infinite Jest! 😮 NEW!✨🤠 Howdy, y'all! Spencer and Jamie kick things off this week with a little HOT, SPICY, and SPIRITED debate (for us) on @armature_studio 's new surreal narrative adventure: Where the Heart Leads! 🌀Tumble into the time sinkhole with us as we delve into this 600,000-word everyday epic about a family man who finds himself reliving the formative moments of his life, including his present and even his future- and gains the ability to change them.

About the show

We’re a bi-weekly podcast bringing you new perspectives on video game culture and current events with folks who may or may not identify as gamers– from streamers and industry folks to artists and activists, everyone deserves a little pixel therapy. Launched September 2020, we have fun, we go deep, and we explore the love of games within a broader social and cultural context while challenging conventional notions of what it means to be a “gamer”— and who gets to call themselves one. Pixel Therapy Pod is independently produced and co-hosted by Spencer Icasiano (they/them), a queer and trans, mixed race Filipino writer and UX designer, and Jamie Siebenaler (she/her), a queer team and project manager with a deep passion for games.