Best MemeLord Podcasts (2025)

1
134. Hideo Kojima, Memelord | Year of Metal Gear | S6E01 56:14

1M ago56:14

56:14

In this, the first episode of season 6, our YEAR OF METAL GEAR, we dive into the Kojima lore, why you shouldn't always take it at face value, and what it means to think of one's creative output as a kind of genetic legacy. ALSO: a mysterious message from an enigmatic stranger... Substack: https://gamedesigndiscourse.substack.com/ Patreon: https://w…

1
133. Kiki's Delivery Service (1989) | S5E11 1:01:44

3M ago1:01:44

1:01:44

For our final episode of Season 5, before THE YEAR OF METAL GEAR, we look at the seminal Studio Ghibli film, Kiki's Delivery Service. We discuss what it means to come of age in a context where you are a literal outsider and how the film indirectly meditates on what it means to doubt your creative powers, lose them, and ultimately get them back. Sub…

1
132. Halo: Combat Evolved | S5E10 56:33

4M ago56:33

56:33

In which we argue that Halo represents a genuinely novel approach to shooter design at a time when the video games industry was becoming but had not yet turned into what we know it to be today. Join us as we delve into the complex narrative and gameplay relationship between Master Chief and Cortana and ask... is Halo a tragedy? Substack: https://ga…

1
131. Ghost in the Shell (1995) | S5E9 56:26

5M ago56:26

56:26

In celebration of Pride month, we take a somewhat unusual look at Oshii Mamoru's Ghost in the Shell as an allegory of trans becoming. We look at how trans individuals have read the film against their own experiences and how this highlights a queerness in Kusanagi's character that Oshii likely never intended yet is still palpably there. Substack: ht…

1
130. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 | S5E8 58:49

6M ago58:49

58:49

In this episode, we think about games as a complete composition of many artforms and how Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 withholds the kinds of information that normally aid gameplay in order to get the player to treat the game as much as a work of art to be appreciated as be immersed in. Substack: https://gamedesigndiscourse.substack.com/ Patreon: htt…

1
129. Cyberpunk: Edgerunners | S5E7 1:00:18

7M ago1:00:18

1:00:18

Following up on our discussion of Cyberpunk 2077, we consider the Netflix series and what it means to be bodies in spaces, how we lie to ourselves and each other, and how the anime aspires to say something profound but ultimately get too caught up in its own romantic tropes to truly grapple with what it's trying to show. Substack: https://gamedesig…

1
128. Cyberpunk 2077 Redux | S5E6 57:05

8M ago57:05

57:05

After several years we return to Cyberpunk 2077 to discover that it's a very different game! In this episode, we focus on how the game's environments blend the broad visual and aural aesthetics of the game with a really tight sense of encounter design and worldbuilding that inscribes little incidental narratives onto the streets of a fully realized…

1
127. Look Back (2024) | S5E5 56:52

9M ago56:52

56:52

In this month's free episode, we take a look at the visual and narrative aesthetics of 2024's Look Back, based on the manga of the same name by Fujimoto Tatsuki. We consider how mirroring, doubling, and reflection work not only as visual metaphors but as way of thinking about the overall narrative structure in this gut-wrenching coming-of-age story…

1
Good Bye :') 9:09

10M ago9:09

9:09

Yea you read that correctly, this will be my final episode of MemeLord Monday. However, I have a lot of really cool stuff to announce in this episode as well. Thanks for everything guys, seriously. I'm so grateful for all your views and comments through the years and I wanted to make sure you're all aware of what's next for me. Love ya! Ways you ca…

1
126. Narrative Violence in Slay the Princess | S5E4 53:20

10M ago53:20

53:20

This month we tackle the topic everyone loves to hate: violence in video games. But with a twist. We discuss how Slay the Princess uses a form of narrative violence, breaking the conventions of how story gets mapped onto gameplay, to show how love, hurt, loss, and existential dread can all be thought of as facets of a greater whole in the human exp…

1
125. Tokyo Godfathers | S5E3 53:42

11M ago53:42

53:42

In this episode we make a deep dive into Kon Satoshi's 2003 Christmas romp (?), Tokyo Godfathers. We focus especially on the dramatic tension between what characters imagine themselves to be and the reality of who they are--and how, sometimes, reality has a weird habit of slipping into fantasy. Substack: https://gamedesigndiscourse.substack.com/ Pa…

1
Mike Tyson & The New Testament Church 27:51

12M ago27:51

27:51

Get Magic Mind at 50% off with the Black Friday offer, available only through my link until December 6th: https://www.magicmind.com/memelordbf

1
How To Worship As a Human w/Elias Dummer 1:12:17

12M ago1:12:17

1:12:17

Former lead singer of the Christian band City Harmonic Elias Dummer, is BACK! Together, we delve into profound topics including Christian nationalism, worship music, and the intersection of culture and faith. Dummer is known for his academic insight into Christian worship, answers YOUR questions and shares his thoughts on how the church can engage …

1
124. Dragon Age: The Veilguard | S5E2 49:14

12M ago49:14

49:14

In this episode, Lauryn and Nicholas go all in on Bioware's Dragon Age: The Veilguard. We talk about core combat not from the perspective of mechanics but in both thematic and narrative terms. Mostly, though, we discuss the companion system, and why many of the frustrations with DA:TV stem from how the game isn't really about you as the super speci…

1
Can A Christian Vote Blue? Deep Discussion w/ @inphilosophersgarb 1:12:52

1y ago1:12:52

1:12:52

On this episode I interview my friend James Agnew, a ThD candidate in Theology. We get into the complex and controversial topic of whether Christians can vote for a Democratic candidate, specifically addressing the reasons Christians may feel conflicted about voting blue. We talk about the theological perspectives, ethical dilemmas, and the politic…

1
123. Delicious in Dungeon Crawl | S5E1 52:32

1y ago52:32

52:32

Welcome to Season 5, where we'll be focusing on game and media aesthetics! We wanted to started things off with a game/anime crossover in the form of Delicious in Dungeon. In this episode, we discuss how media narratives can reflect game narratives and aesthetics, as well as how to envision a narrative structure that enhances characterization. Subs…

1
Where We're Headed in Season 5 5:05

1y ago5:05

5:05

Just a brief check-in during our hiatus month to give you a taste of what we'll be talking about in the coming year.By Nicholas Theisen

1
I should tell you guys what's been happening... 3:34

1y ago3:34

3:34

Here's what's been going on behind the scenes and what's coming in the next few months... see you soon! EMAIL ME: [email protected] Support the show for as little as $2/mo: memelordmonday.supercast.com Visit memesforjesus.com for PREMIUM merch and use "MONDAY" for 15% off your order!

1
122. Novelty and Innovation | S4E11 50:36

1+ y ago50:36

50:36

In this episode, we consider how to make your game stand out from the others, the importance of a clear hook or appeal to the player, as well as how to translate the sense of innovation you might find more easily in solo projects back into larger, collaborative efforts. Download the Sympathetic Memories demo for free on our Itch.io site: https://fu…

1
121. Playtesting | S4E10 50:23

1+ y ago50:23

50:23

In this episode we delve into the subject of playtesting: how to choose the right playtesters for your game as well as learning how to go after the criticism you need, not necessarily what you want to hear. We talk about the qualitative differences between testing for smaller indie and mass market games, as well as how you develop a community of pe…

1
::DEBATE:: Is Western Culture Superior to Other Cultures? 1:26:29

1+ y ago1:26:29

1:26:29

I love hearing from you! Text me!My friends Charismatic Calvinist and The Nerdy Christian debate the topic of whether or not "The West" is a superior culture. Their Channels: @TheNerdyChristianPod @charismatic_calvinst00:12 - Setting the Stage for the Debate02:14 - Introducing the Debaters07:06 - John's Controversial Post08:54 - Chris's Rebuttal an…

1
Creating Authentically w/The Lord's Giant 35:48

1+ y ago35:48

35:48

I love hearing from you! Text me!In this episode of Meme Lord Monday, Matt interviews The Lord's Giant, a Christian content creator known for his impactful and biblically grounded social media presence. They discuss the state of Christian content online, touching on issues like the prevalence of fear-mongering and inauthentic posts. The Lord's Gian…

1
120. Friction in Video Games | S4E9 57:05

1+ y ago57:05

57:05

This month we tackle the concept of friction in game design, how it's not necessarily the same thing as challenge or difficulty, and why it's important for making even the tiny little things you do in a game an engaging experience. Download the Sympathetic Memories demo for free on our Itch.io site: https://furidashipod.itch.io/sympathetic-memories…

1
What Happened to the Post-Pandemic Church? w/Benjamin Vrbicek (my pastor) 57:00

1+ y ago57:00

57:00

I love hearing from you! Text me!On this interview I interview my pastor, Benjamin Vrbicek. I ask him a TON of TOUGH questions about the church and how it's been viewed by the public post-pandemic. He gave a lot of wisdom and insight here was was helpful for me and viewers of the livestream that was only available to supporters. 00:15 Introducing P…

1
119. The Human Toll of Gamedev | S4E8 50:06

1+ y ago50:06

50:06

This month we stop talking around the fact that the games industry is imploding and tackle it head on. We address the collective psychic damage we all seem to be suffering as a result, as well as how not to despair in dark times. In the end, we need to protect the creative parts of ourselves from those who only want to profit from our talents at an…

1
118. The Mechanics of Pleasure | S4E7 47:18

1+ y ago47:18

47:18

In this episode, we discuss the sensuous side of gamedev, the upsides and downsides of "friction," and how to better understand what your player wants to be doing, so as to craft a better suited gameplay experience for them. Download the Sympathetic Memories demo for free on our Itch.io site: https://furidashipod.itch.io/sympathetic-memories Substa…

1
117. Working in Teams, Working Alone | S4E6 52:54

1+ y ago52:54

52:54

In this episode we deconstruct the concept of auteur theory and show how even when a game's production has a strong creative direction, often that means getting people to buy into that vision and contributing to it rather than having their work dictated to them. We talk about the documentary Hideo Kojima: Connecting Worlds and how it reveals the wa…

1
116. From Inspiration to Game Design | S4E5 55:31

2y ago55:31

55:31

In this episode Lauryn and Nicholas tackle how game designers translate their own interests and influences into tangible elements in their own games. Working from Nicholas' ongoing work on Sympathetic Memories, we first examine the way historical and literary influences work their way in. Then, we round out the episode by exploring how solo work of…

1
115. Subjectivity in Narration | S4E4 47:32

2y ago47:32

47:32

In this episode we talk about the uses of first and second person narration in games, not only in terms of basic storytelling but also how they work their way into systems like objectives and quest logs. We explore the philosophical underpinnings of first person perspective and try to show how games can actually meaningfully collapse what we typica…

1
114. Themes and Pillars | S4E3 49:46

2y ago49:46

49:46

In this episode we focus on where ideas come from, how they develop out of our experiences and interests, and how they ultimately coalesce into specific pillars and themes for a game. We also discuss what it means for these pillars to be in tension with one another, and how that can play out both in terms of a game's narrative as well as its mechan…

1
JESUS CHROIST Guy, LGBTQ & The Church, So Long 2023 39:03

2y ago39:03

39:03

I love hearing from you! Text me!On this episode I rant about a bunch of topics and say so long to 2023. LAST SHOW OF 2023... I'LL BE BACK!!!STUFF MATT LIKES:My friend Than runs an amazing Apologetics YouTube Channel - Exploring Realityhttps://www.youtube.com/@ExploringRealitySUPPORT THE SHOW:https://memelordmonday.supercast.com/EMAIL ME: memelordm…

1
Christian NIGHTCLUB?! 45:58

2y ago45:58

45:58

I love hearing from you! Text me!On this episode I rant about a "Christian Nightclub" that has gone viral on the internet, and I get your thoughts as well.STUFF MATT LIKES:My friend Jonathan listened to K-Love for a week straighthttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEmVzExYGu8SUPPORT THE SHOW:https://memelordmonday.supercast.com/EMAIL ME: memelordmonday…

1
Christians Being TOO BOLD For Their Faith? 40:12

2y ago40:12

40:12

I love hearing from you! Text me!On this episode I rant about when "boldness" goes wrong. And yea, I actually quoted scripture this time lol SUPPORT THE SHOW:https://memelordmonday.supercast.com/EMAIL ME: [email protected]______________________________________😎 Join me LIVE on YouTube, MONDAYS @ 8:00pm EST🎙️__________________________________…

1
What You Didn't Know About Cessationism 44:47

2y ago44:47

44:47

I love hearing from you! Text me!On this episode I rant about why I hold to cessationism, the view that the spiritual gifts in Christianity have ceased. BUT, it's not just as simple as that... SUPPORT THE SHOW:https://memelordmonday.supercast.com/EMAIL ME: [email protected]______________________________________😎 Join me LIVE on YouTube, MOND…

1
Charismatic Church Survival Guide 56:46

2y ago56:46

56:46

I love hearing from you! Text me!On this episode I rant about the different experiences you can have in pentecostal and charismatic churches.SUPPORT THE SHOW:https://memelordmonday.supercast.com/CHRISTIAN MEME GAME (Kickstarter):https://the-christian-meme-game.kckb.st/420b3939______________________________________😎 Join me LIVE on YouTube, MONDAYS …

1
113. Encounter Design Blues | S4E2 56:54

2y ago56:54

56:54

In this episode, Lauryn and Nicholas pick up where they left off in discussing how Baldur's Gate 3 structures its skill check encounters. We look at how encounter design in video games generally seems to privilege a system of challenges and achievements where the player's subjective experience is either an afterthought or simply a second order effe…

1
Holy Headache 46:43

2y ago46:43

46:43

I love hearing from you! Text me!On this episode I rant about how we should really have more secrets with God and not shout our Ws from the rooftops on social media.SUPPORT THE SHOW:https://memelordmonday.supercast.com/CHRISTIAN MEME GAME (Kickstarter):https://the-christian-meme-game.kckb.st/420b3939______________________________________😎 Join me L…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

MemeLord Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Quick Reference Guide