Best Genre Distraction Podcasts (2025)

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Ep28 - Good Podcasts Borrow, Great Ones Steal | 10 Minute Topics 1:04:20

4h ago1:04:20

1:04:20

Thank you to Catching Foxes for this idea. James and Conner discuss 4 different topics that circulate within the gaming sphere. They are provided 5 minuets each to discuss their take before the other speaks. And yes, ChatGPT was used to create these list of topics and provide a jumping off question to start the discussion. The topics are as follows…

1
Ep27 - GO MY FAVORITE SPORTS TEAM!!! | Discussion of the Sports Genre 59:15

5d ago59:15

59:15

James and Conner discuss growing up with sports and sports games ... and why they don't play them anymore. Sorry sports fans. Other topics discussed are old favorite YouTube videos, church architecture, and James's recent skin problem, and quotes from Brian Regan, like the episode title.By Those Catholic Gamers

1
Ep26 - Got To Catch Them All | Discussion and Review of Pokemon Red, Blue, and Yellow 1:02:34

14d ago1:02:34

1:02:34

Merry Christmas Everyone! Andrew, Joe, Conner and James all get together to talk about the all important Pokemon series. Specifically Pokemon Red, Green, Red, Blue, and Yellow. Its a wacky episode, Joe is hosting, Conner makes a Linux reference, and a good 6 minuets of the recording decided to go missing. Strap in for the conversation. Review: All …

1
Ep25 - Violence and Virtue | Discussion and Review of Halo: Combat Evolved 58:36

24d ago58:36

58:36

Andrew, Conner and James discuss their interactions of the Goat of first person shooters, Halo: Combat Evolved. Rating: A2By Those Catholic Gamers

1
Ep24 - So What Else Do You Do? | Discussion About Our Other Hobbies 1:05:11

1M ago1:05:11

1:05:11

James has moved away from Conner so they can't catch up like they use to. This episode they discuss their some of their other hobbies besides video gaming.By Those Catholic Gamers

1
Ep23 - You Play What?: Part 1 | Discussion of Our Favorite Obsure Games 59:29

1M ago59:29

59:29

James, Joe, and Conner are a little tired and decided to talk about some games that most people may not know about. Games discussed include, Disney's Treasure Planet: Battle of Procyon, Hyperlight Drifter, NEO Scavenger, and Duskers.By Those Catholic Gamers

1
Ep22 - Nerds Just Gushing ... and Getting Distracted | Discussion and Review of Half Life 2 1:03:23

1M ago1:03:23

1:03:23

The guys try to review Half Life 2 on the 20 year anniversary of its release. The end result is more of a gushing about how good the game is and the legacy it left. Rating A3By Those Catholic Gamers

1
Ep21 - There and Back Again - Interview of Co-Host Andrew 1:03:44

2M ago1:03:44

1:03:44

As a first in a series of deep dives into the history of the hosts' Catholicism and gaming hobby, James sat down with Andrew to discuss Andrews history with both aspects. The discussion that followed turned into more of a tale of the Prodigal Son. Warning: The discussion includes personal experiences of drug use and thoughts of suicide. If you are …

1
Ep20 - The Frozen North and Hot Takes | Review of The Long Dark 57:15

2M ago57:15

57:15

Joe and James review the 1st person survival game, The Long Dark, while dropping some hot takes about the its release schedule. Review Joe - A2 James - A3By Those Catholic Gamers

1
Ep19 - Theft and Evangelization | Reivew of Payday 2 1:10:49

2M ago1:10:49

1:10:49

Joe and Conner talk about and review one of their go to co-op games, Payday 2, while James just asks questions. Ratings James - O Joe - O Conner - LBy Those Catholic Gamers

1
Ep18 - Being Distracted by a Legacy | Review of Rouge Legacy 57:36

3M ago57:36

57:36

James and Conner try to discuss and review Rouge Legacy while being distracted by other bits of banter. James and Conner Rating - A2By Those Catholic Gamers

1
Ep17 - Killing Time with James and Conner | Discussion on Our Steam Wishlists 55:41

3M ago55:41

55:41

While James and Conner wait for Joe to hop on the recording to discuss Payday 2, the guys start talking about what games are currently in their Steam Wishlists. Other bits of banter include the NFL, Ross Scott, and our gaming preferences.By Those Catholic Gamers

1
Ep16 - Games We May Not Have Tried 1 | Discussion of They Are Billions, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, and Papers Please 1:03:11

3M ago1:03:11

1:03:11

Conner and James are joined by a new friend to the podcast, Andrew. The three sit down and discuss different games that they others may not have played before and pitch the games to them.By Those Catholic Gamers

1
Ep15 - Lost In The Forest With Friends | Review of The Forest 56:42

3M ago56:42

56:42

Joe, Conner, and James reminisce about the time that they all started hanging out by goofing off in the The Forest.By Those Catholic Gamers

1
Ep14 - Banter, Banter, and More Banter | Discussion of Backyard Sports and Steam Family Share 53:50

4M ago53:50

53:50

In a completely unfiltered episode, Conner and James discuss life events and then finally get around to talking about the Backyard Sports announcement and the newly announced update for the Steam family share program.By Those Catholic Gamers

1
Ep13 - This Is An Episode About A Man Named Stanley | Review of The Stanley Parable 51:53

4M ago51:53

51:53

James and ... um ... Joe ... um ... review ... um ... the Stanley Parable ... um ... Joe's Rating - A1 James's Rating - A2By Those Catholic Gamers

1
Ep12 - Go For the Eyes Boo!!! | Review of Baldur's Gate 1:08:55

4M ago1:08:55

1:08:55

Joe and James discuss the grandfather of the CRPG, Baldur's Gate. Turns our this is a darker story then Joe was anticipating. Review of Baldur's Gate. Review - A2By Those Catholic Gamers

1
Ep11 - Anger and Humor | Review of Don't Starve & Don't Starve Together 48:31

4M ago48:31

48:31

Conner rages in hatred toward Don't Starve Together while James makes one well-timed musical dad joke ... make that two ... and a three and a four and a ... . Review of Don't Starve and Don't Starve Together. A-2----more---- Image by rocketpixel on Freepik Music by dopestuff from Pixabay Sound effect by adhimahadi from Pixabay…

1
Ep10 - This Was A Triumph | Review of Portal 51:16

4M ago51:16

51:16

Joe, Conner, and James discuss their history with the half-baked add-on to the Orange Box, Portal. What was essentially a quick puzzle game turned into a beloved story with one of the most notable villains in gaming history, GlaDOS. Just remember, the cake is a lie. Image by rocketpixel on Freepik Music by dopestuff from Pixabay…

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Ep9 - The Gamer Saint | Discussion of Blessed Carlo Acutis 56:00

5M ago56:00

56:00

Even though James didn't read the outline, Conner and James discuss the life story Blessed, soon to be Saint, Carlo Acutis. Image by rocketpixel on Freepik Music by dopestuff from PixabayBy Those Catholic Gamers

1
Ep8 - Ghosts, Goblins, and Ghouls ... Oh My! | Discussion of the Horror Genre in Video Games 1:07:46

5M ago1:07:46

1:07:46

Conner, Joe, and James discuss the horror genre, their interactions with it, and its interaction with the Catholic Church. Image by rocketpixel on Freepik Music by dopestuff from PixabayBy Those Catholic Gamers

1
Ep7 - Deus Vult | Review of Stronghold Crusader 51:52

5M ago51:52

51:52

Scott and James, two friends who met in college, share their stories of playing this classic RTS from their youth, Stronghold Crusader. Rating - A2 Image by rocketpixel on Freepik Music by dopestuff from PixabayBy Those Catholic Gamers

1
Ep6 - Wololo | Review of Age of Empires 2 43:17

5M ago43:17

43:17

Conner and James discuss one of their most beloved games that they grew up with, Age of Empires 2. Image by rocketpixel on Freepik Music by dopestuff from PixabayBy Those Catholic Gamers

1
Ep5 - Wow ... This Banter Sucks! | Retrospective - Reveiw of Borderlands 2 52:07

6M ago52:07

52:07

Conner, Joe, and James sit down and discuss one of their go-to hang out games, Borderlands 2. Image by rocketpixel on Freepik Music by dopestuff from PixabayBy Those Catholic Gamers

1
Ep4 - Member Pokemon? Yah, I member! | Discussion: First Video Game Memories 50:21

6M ago50:21

50:21

This week, Conner and James are joined by two other friends, Joe and Scott, to discuss what their first memories of video games were and how that effected their growth in their Catholic faith. Games discussed include, Pokemon Red, Blue and Yellow, Age of Empires, Image by rocketpixel on Freepik Music by dopestuff from Pixabay…

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Ep3 - Killing Younglings? | Review of Star Wars: Battlefront 2 (2005) 44:02

6M ago44:02

44:02

James and Conner reminisce on the landmark game of Star Wars: Battlefront 2 (2005). No Jedi Younglings or Padawans were harmed in the making of the this episode. Image by rocketpixel on Freepik Music by dopestuff from PixabayBy Those Catholic Gamers

1
Ep2 - Dad Jokes and Nihilism | Review of Warhammer: Vermintide 2 57:14

6M ago57:14

57:14

Conner and James review Warhammer: Vermintide 2. Image by rocketpixel on Freepik Music by dopestuff from PixabayBy Those Catholic Gamers

1
Ep1 - Who are These Weirdos? 28:03

7M ago28:03

28:03

Conner and James discuss the direction of the podcast and provide a little background about themselves and their gaming history. Image by rocketpixel on Freepik Music by dopestuff from PixabayBy Those Catholic Gamers

1
How trans surfers find community 27:09

1+ y ago27:09

27:09

Trans surfers are beginning to find community among themselves in a sport that too often isolates and even shuns them. Today, we hang out with some at the beach, to hear their joy and pain. Read the full transcript here. Host: L.A. Times senior producer Denise Guerra More reading: Biden sports plan angers transgender advocates and opponents Black s…

1
Masters of Disasters origin stories! 38:29

1+ y ago38:29

38:29

In a live taping, three of our Masters of Disasters talk about how they got into covering catastrophes, why they continue to do it — and how they try to convey hope. Read the full transcript here. Host: Gustavo Arellano Guests: L.A. Times earthquake reporter Rong-Gong Lin, L.A. Times wildfire reporter Alex Wigglesworth, and L.A. Times coastal repor…

1
Can anything stop distracted driving? 23:57

1+ y ago23:57

23:57

After a decades-long decline in automobile fatalities, numbers began to go up with the dawn of smart phones. Laws banning use of cellphones while driving haven’t stopped the rise — and the dawn of smart cars seems to be making things worse. Today, we talk about efforts to stop distracted driving — and why they don’t seem to work. Read the full tran…

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The music genre Korean elders 'trot' to 23:12

1+ y ago23:12

23:12

“Trot” is a Korean music genre that has been around for decades. But in recent years, it has exploded in popularity in Southern California. The biggest fans? Immigrant seniors. Today, we talk about trot’s history, staying power and role in the Korean American community. Read the full transcript here. Host: Gustavo Arellano Guests: L.A. Times Asian …

1
Is Biden too old to run again? 27:03

1+ y ago27:03

27:03

When Joe Biden won in 2020, he became the oldest president in U.S. history. If he runs again in 2024 and wins, he’ll beat own record. Is that a problem? Today, we talk about the grumbles from Republicans and Democrats alike over Biden’s age. Read the full transcript here. Host: Gustavo Arellano Guests: L.A. Times reporter Courtney Subramanian More …

1
Can Dr. Simi cure the Mexican healthcare system? 19:00

1+ y ago19:00

19:00

Farmacias Similares is the largest privately owned chain of pharmacies in Mexico, and has a cute mascot — Dr. Simi — who is beloved across the country. What could possibly be wrong about this scenario? Many things. Today, we talk about what the rise of Dr. Simi says about Mexico’s broken healthcare system. Read the full transcript here. Host: Gusta…

1
Introducing 'Foretold' 48:02

1+ y ago48:02

48:02

"Foretold" is the newest podcast from the L.A. Times, and we're sharing the first episode with you here today. In the fall of 2019, reporter Faith E. Pinho received a tip from a woman named Paulina Stevens. Paulina claimed she had grown up in an insular Romani community in California, where she was raised to be a wife, mother and fortuneteller — un…

1
An FBI investigation into college basketball gone wrong 21:24

2y ago21:24

21:24

An FBI investigation tried to expose malfeasance in the world of NCAA men’s basketball. Instead, the mirror was turned on the agency itself when one of the lead agents abused his position. Today, you’ll hear the story of how that came to be — and whether the investigation turned up anything. Read the full story here. Host: Gustavo Arellano Guests: …

1
Who suffers if the U.S. bans TikTok 28:09

2y ago28:09

28:09

Democrat and Republican lawmakers are pushing for a U.S. ban on TikTok, arguing the Chinese-owned social media app is a national security risk. But many of its users argue that will severely harm their businesses. Today, we hear from some of them. Read the full transcript here. Host: Gustavo Arellano Guests: L.A. Times reporter technology reporter …

1
The mainstreaming of curanderos 26:03

2y ago26:03

26:03

For centuries, communities across Latin America have relied on curanderos — healers who rely on indigenous tradition — for their physical and mental health. Will mainstream American health ever embrace it? Today, we examine the subject. Read the full transcript here. Host: Gustavo Arellano Guests: L.A. Times utility reporter Karen Garcia More readi…

1
Are Biden and Trump border buddies? 20:17

2y ago20:17

20:17

During the 2020 presidential campaign, Joe Biden decried U.S. border policies enacted by the Trump administration as racist. But Biden has not only not rolled some of them back — in some cases, he’s doubled down. Today, we try to figure out what changed. Read the full transcript here. Host: Gustavo Arellano Guests: L.A. Times immigration reporters …

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Genre Distraction Podcasts

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