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Justin McElroy

Griffin McElroy

Russ Frushtick

Chris Plante

It's Game of the Year meets King of the Hill as four of Earth's best friends – Griffin McElroy, Justin McElroy, Chris Plante, and Russ Frushtick – rank and review their favorite video games. Because shouldn't the world's best friends pick the world's best games?

The Besties

The Besties chat about the games of 2025, advocating for their GOTY darkhorses that they fear will go overlooked. There’s no clear favorite to take home the Besties top spot. Hell, we’re not even sure what will make the bracket. And more great games are still being released every week.

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Reflecting on 2025’s Best Games Ahead of GOTY

Fortnite’s new Simpsons update reimagines the entire experience through the decades-old cartoon. You can select from Homer, Lisa, Flanders, Moe, and other playable characters, then skydive into a faithful recreation of Springfield. The detail is absurd, down to the operable trap door button in Mr. Burns’ office. It feels like the culmination of Epic Games’ efforts to be the black hole that pulls in every corner of mainstream pop culture. Fortnite has become so big and so appealing that it raises the uncomfortable question floating around the rise of similar Forever Games: are most people motivated to play anything else?

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Fortnite's Humongous Simpsons Update Raises an Awkward Question

This week, we talk about a mystery game that feels like a book, a historic epic that plays like a movie, and a simulator that takes the place of our favorite chores. No surprise, The Besties find themselves wondering what a video game even is.

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

What Even Is a Video Game?! (Grab Bag!)

Pokémon Legends Z-A is the latest entry in the pocket monster franchise, and the first in years to run quite well on Nintendo’s hardware. But what does the game offer beyond technical improvements? Plus, Keeper plops us in the … shoes? … of an ambulatory lighthouse. 

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

There’s Always a Lighthouse, a Pokémon, a City

The studio that created Fallout: New Vegas has had a busy year, delivering Avowed, the early access of Grounded 2, and now Outer Worlds 2. This latest release comes the closest to the team’s legacy in the Fallout universe. But can it achieve those high highs without the beloved trappings of post-apocalyptic America? And would you believe it has strong feelings about capitalism? 

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Is Outer Worlds 2 the Second Coming of Fallout New Vegas?

Ball x Pit makes an incredible first impression. But whether it’s a great break from the frustrations of life or an overly powerful time suck will depend on your taste in games. The Besties explain why.

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

One Game to Consume All of Your Time

What if you combined the structure of Hades with the minute-to-minute gameplay of Castle Crashers? Absolum! The new game from the creators of Streets of Rage 4 is one of the best surprises in a year full of them. Plus, The Besties take a trip to 1960s Japan with Silent Hill f. It might not look like other entries in the series, but we explain why this is definitely a Silent Hill game.

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Silent Hill and the Heir to Castle Crashers' Crown

The Besties were mixed on 2020’s Ghost of Tsushima, but have found a lot to love in its new sequel, Ghost of Yotei. What makes this open-world Sony-exclusive stand out? Plus, Griffin updates the group on the brilliant remake of Final Fantasy Tactics. And we make some time to pick through the mailbag!

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Ghost of Yotei Slashes Through Open-World Filler

Baby Steps is the latest game from the creators of QWOP, Getting Over It, and Ape Out. This time, these connoisseurs of challenge have created a game about an awkward man who is transported from his parents’ basement to a fantastical mountain. His goal: reach the top. The challenge: learning to walk.

Plus, Justin catches us up on the state of emulator handhelds.

Like the show? Leave a review!

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Baby Steps is Video Game Heaven and Hell

Borderlands 4 reimagines the series with more weapons and less snark. Will that be enough to appease longtime fans and attract skeptical newcomers? The Besties chat about the many positive tweaks and the one structural decision that impacts the entire experience. Plus, Justin talks about mobile Destiny, and Plante shares his opinions on a new co-op indie game.

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

The Highs and Lows of Borderlands 4

Griffin and Justin are off galavanting for a week, leaving the rest of the podcast, Plante and Frushtick, to carry on The Besties name. In honor of that, we're doing a deeper dive into one of the greatest games ever discussed on the podcast: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. What were some of its best ideas and how do we expect things to play out in the still-unnamed sequel? 

Other games discussed: Flight Simulator on Xbox Series X, Curse of the Dead Gods on Game Pass, and Wildermyth.

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Why Zelda: Breath of the Wild could still be GotY in 2021

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