Gamer Chronicles

Pixels, Profanity, and Power-Ups: Your Ultimate Holiday Gaming Guide

• Aden • Episode 7

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Welcome, gamers and chaos enthusiasts! In this jam-packed episode, we dive into the Ultimate Guide to Holiday Gaming Madness. Whether you're here to laugh, scream, or figure out which game will have you swearing at your screen the most, we’ve got you covered.

We kick things off with the latest gaming news, including:

  • Mighty Kingdom's leadership changes and the challenges facing indie developers.
  • The return of Fortnite OG mode as a permanent feature—hello, nostalgia!
  • The buzz around Windstorm: The Legend of Khiimori, a peaceful horse-taming game set in 13th-century Mongolia.
  • How mobile gaming is leveling up to AAA quality experiences.
  • A surprising study on gaming’s benefits for workplace skills—yes, gaming really can make you a better problem-solver.
  • Tips on where to find amazing free games, from Epic Games Store to Amazon Prime Gaming.

Then, we dive into the main event: a hilarious and detailed rundown of the best games to grab this holiday season. From the platforming delight of Astro Bot, the emotionally charged Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, to the chaotic fun of Super Mario Party Jamboree and the terrifying Alien: Rogue Incursion—there’s something for every kind of gamer. Whether you’re taming horses, managing grumpy beavers, or dodging xenomorphs, this lineup has you covered.

This episode is your go-to guide for holiday gaming, filled with humor, profanity-laced honesty, and practical tips for making the most of your gaming time. Whether you're shopping for the perfect gift or planning your next gaming marathon, we’ve got you covered.

Episode Highlights:

  • Gaming news you can’t miss (1:03)
  • Free games you didn’t know you needed (6:22)
  • The ultimate holiday game recommendations:
    • Astro Bot (9:59)
    • Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (11:21)
    • Metaphor: ReFantazio (12:28)
    • Super Mario Party Jamboree (13:30)
    • Indiana Jones and the Great Circle (14:47)
    • Baldur’s Gate 3 (16:12)
    • Against The Storm (18:41)
    • Teardown (20:44)
    • Mario & Luigi: Brothership (22:37)
    • Soul Reaver Remastered (23:43)
    • Alien: Rogue Incursion (24:51)

Laugh, cry, and rage your way into 2025 with these incredible titles. Whether you’re a casual player or a hardcore gamer, this episode is your holiday survival guide. Press play, grab your controller, and let the chaos begin!

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0:00
So welcome gamers and chaos enthusiasts to the Ultimate Guide to holiday gaming Madness. Whether you're here to laugh, scream or just figure out which game you'll have swearing at your screen the most. We've got you covered from games that make you cry over pixelated heartbreaks to the ones that just let you blow shit up for fun. This guide is your one stop shop for everything you need to dominate or completely fail this holiday season. 

But as usual, before we dive into the insanity of game recommendations, let's start with the latest gaming news. 


 ------ Mighty Kingdom ------  1:03

1:03
So Mighty Kingdom's leadership change. The Australian game developer Mighty Kingdom is facing turbulent times as its managing director, David Ian steps down after just eight months in the role. This decision comes amidst internal disputes and ongoing financial difficulties, despite implementing cost cutting measures, which, as we all know in the gaming industry mean just laying people off. And striving to enhance revenue from their game titles, The company has struggled to stabilize mighty kingdoms. Challenges reflect the broader pressures faced by smaller game studios in an increasingly competitive industry. a few years ago, indie gaming was so big, so great, so many companies were doing it. As long as you had a computer, anyone could do it. all kind of taken over by triple-A developers, and what's ended up happening is a lot of indie games are now getting published, like triple-A games, and the ones who don't have that kind of budget are really stuck where they are. So it is a shame. Let's just hope that they can recover


 ------ Fortnite OG ------  2:11

2:11
So next is Fortnite O.G. mode, which Epic Games is bringing back as a permanent feature starting on December six, 2024, which is also the release date of a game that I'm going to talk about later on in this list. After a hugely successful Fortnite OG season which reignited interest with classic content, player numbers skyrocketed. This move signals Epic's acknowledgement of the nostalgia factor giving both veteran and new players the chance to enjoy the original Fortnite experience indefinitely. For all you Fortnite players out there, I'm not personally one of them. I don't play anymore. I played a little bit with some friends, but not for me.Are  you happy that the OG mode is coming back? Is that the one where you kill Because they got rid of the building for a bit, didn they? And then you just had like, a shooting game. Similar to Rogue Company? I think I'm not entirely sure. 


 ------ Windstorm: The Legend of Khiimori ------  3:06

3:06
Windstorm, The Legend of Khiimori, an upcoming title set in the 13th century Mongolia has captured the attention of gamers worldwide. The game uniquely focuses on horse taming, breeding and training, diverging from traditional combat centric mechanics, It's immersive worldbuilding and cultural authenticity has earned it a viral status among gamers looking for fresh, peaceful gameplay experiences, which is what I always look for. Because I love games like Farming simulator. They are so peaceful power simulator. They bring in my energy, kind of like meditation and they are great games, shit all you want, but these are some of the best games out there, especially for you older gamers who are out there working. You know, you're not in school anymore, you're not enjoying uni anymore. You're out there struggling away with life. The simulation games are the best just to get away from everything. So, yes, I'm going to keep an eye on this and I shall probably be grooming a horse soon. So looking forward to that. 


 ------ Mobile Gaming Goes AAA ------  4:17

4:18
Mobile gaming which has historically been criticised for being overly simplistic or riddled with microtransactions fucking loads of micro-transactions is getting a renewed reputation for quality and innovation the mobile gaming space. Now rivals PC Gaming in diversity, offering triple-A quality games alongside indie titles. Developers are leveraging the platform's accessibility to create deeply engaging experiences showing that mobile gaming can no longer be dismissed as casual entertainment. I mean, you've got to be stupid not to pick up that a lot of people who game at home want a game on the go, but they want to carry a huge console with them everywhere. So it makes sense to be able to play games on your phone that you can take with you. Tell you what, Netflix has some great games and that's something I need to mention. I'll mention after the news


 ------ Gaming Benefits Career Skills ------  5:16

5:16
Study shows gaming benefits, career skills. So a study from the University of Houston highlights the positive impact of gaming on workplace skills. It suggests that games foster critical abilities such as problem solving, teamwork, leadership and self-confidence. These transferable skills are increasingly valued in professional environments, countering stereotypes of gaming as a time wasting hobby. Do I agree with the statement? I do. I because I'm an engineer. I have friends who are engineers. And what do we all have in common? We love certain types of games. Be it simulation, game strategy games, thinking games. And yet. And we're all in a problem solving career. So problem solving games, Problem solving, career low. Satisfactory. Not so much at work, but there you go. I digress. never think gaming is a time wasted hobby. My parents thought it was, and I've been doing it since I was like six or seven. So 30 years of gaming and I've loved every moment of it. And I would never stop unless I'm asleep


 ------ Free Games ------  6:22

6:22
Right, before we get into games, I recommend you should get for Christmas. I thought I mentioned something that someone was talking to me about because a friend of mine mentioned this and he said, Actually, You'd be surprised how many people don't know that there are free games out there. And when I say free games, I mean games that are actually pretty good, that are for free, not by the developer, but by one of the platforms that you can buy games on. Pretty much Epic always has free games. I think they release one or two a week depending on how much money they spend. I've seen Subnautica free before. Borderlands was free once upon a time. Fallout have been free on there, bro. Taito will be free next week. I think It has a good selection. If you're not on the epic games store for anything else, go there for the free games. And they're not giving away these games like they are. Obviously, you get them for free, but they do actually pay the publishers money for them and quite a lot of money they paid a lot of money for Subnautica and Borderlands. So I suggest you go on there. You could get them on GOG as well. Good old games. I've gotten dishonored two. Once upon a time, three on there. And there's some other free games on there. think I got Fallout New Vegas free on there. And these are the full games you get to keep them and play them for as much time as you like. No subscription needed. They are genuinely free. Steve does have some as well, but not that often. So yeah. And also if you didn't know this game pass and EA play, they go hand-in-hand. So you could get games that you can play on EA play which aren't obviously the latest titles but so if you want to play FIFA or FC, I should say 25, you can't, you can play AFC 24. But the new Formula One game before the new one comes out, you can play the the current one. So yeah, just a thought out there. You know if you're looking for some games to play that are actually free, always check out epic games. They always have great free ones. Check out good old games. Every now and again they have free ones. So yeah, just keep an eye on Amazon Prime if you're a prime member. you can get dishonored the definitive edition. So these are games that you can download there on different platforms depending on what you have, but most of them are good old games, So they do the cloud one, but they also do ones you can download. So you can download Dishonored definitive edition. Plague Tale of Innocence. Great game. I highly recommend you play it. Blade of Darkness BioShock Remastered scored Borderlands two Kerbal Space Program. Excellent game Highly suggested Super Meat Boy Overcooked Mafia Definitive Edition. The List is endless. So if you get if you got prime gaming Netflix on mobile they offer mobile games Yeah make sure you make the most of it because there are some great games on here and I know actually I was surprised by how many people don't know about it. So thank you. Ben for telling me that people didn't know about it

So into the games that I'm going to recommend that you get for Christmas or get someone you know for Christmas who loves games, there's a good mix and match here for everyone. Every console. So you shouldn't struggle to get someone a game and it's in no particular order. So we're starting off with Astro Bot, which was on the PlayStation five and released September six, 2024. 


 ------ Astro Bot ------  9:59

9:59
So Astro Bot is just a cute little robot. It's a smug little bastard will make you question your skills as a gamer while you're fumbling to figure out where to go next. Astros are ready waving at you like, Come on, Slowpoke, and don't even get me started on how ridiculously good he is everything. This little guy makes you look bad in your own living room. The game's attention to detail is absolutely delightful. From the way Astro flails his arms when jumping to the way he dances. When you complete a level, be prepared to yell, Holy shit, Did you see that at least 50 times? Which is fine because your friends and family will be too busy playing to notice what makes Astro what truly next level is the ability to make even the simplest actions feel epic. Pull a lever, The controller vibrates like you just launch a rocket. Mr. Jump Astros exaggerated tumble will make you laugh so hard you'll forget to rage. Quit. Just remember, no matter how many times you fall, Astros got the patience of a saint and you don't. Because I very impatient person. I get really frustrated with games like this. I played it takes two with a beat and it was just fucking messy because you have to rely on both of you just to do everything perfectly and it never works. I'm sure a lot of friendships ended because of that. 


 ------ Final Fantasy VII Rebirth ------  11:21

11:20
Right. Next is another PlayStation five exclusive at the moment, which is Final Fantasy seven Rebirth, which released February 29th. This year. and holy fuck, does Rebirth crank the drama dial up to 11? You'll be crying one minute, laughing the next, and then shouting, What the fuck's up, Ruth? As it casually ruins your day for the fifth time. And let's be real clouds. Hair doesn't make you feel jealous that his sword certainly will. The open world is so massive that you'll forget what the main quest even was. By the time you finished collecting random shit and fighting overpowered monsters. You realize you spent 6 hours doing nothing, productive and loved every second of it? Pro-tip obviously save offered as you can because after the accidental deaths, you'll be happy. I told you that the story is Absolute cinematic brilliance. Just when you think you've got the plot figured out, it'll slap you with a curve ball so dramatic you'll have to pause and stare at the screen in disbelief at the soundtrack is amazing as well. 

Next 


 ------ metaphor refantazio ------  12:29

12:28
is metaphor refantazio and this is on the PlayStation five Xbox series X s and PC and released November the 15th, 2024. And this game doesn't just throw you into a surreal fantasy world. It drops kicks you right into an acid trip with swords. One minute you'll be fighting a dragon and the next you question your existence while a magical deer judges you and you'll be like, What the fuck is happening in this game? The art style is amazing and the gameplay so addictive you'll forget to eat. Just be prepared for your party members to roast you every time you make a stupid decision. They're not here to babysit you and they'll definitely remind you that you suck at diplomacy. See, combat is as flashy as it is strategic, forcing you to think three steps ahead or risk getting annihilated, and the characters equal parts lovable and unhinged. Trust me, you'll accidentally fall in love with at least one morally grey weirdo. 


 ------ Super Mario Party Jamboree ------  13:30

13:30
And of course, we can't forget about the switch. And we have Super Mario party Jamboree, which released October 20th, 2024. And if you've ever wanted to scream, are you fucking kidding me at your family? This is the game for you. Mario Party Jamboree is less about fun and more about anarchy. Bowser will steal your stars. Your cousin will sabotage your metagame, and your mum will somehow win by literally doing nothing. Don't even get me started on the fucking dice rolls. You'll swear the game is rigged and you'll roll a one for the 10th time in a row. But let's face it, that's the magic of Mario party. You hate it, you love it, and you keep coming back for more. Just don't play on Christmas if you want to avoid a family brawl. The mini games are as ridiculous as ever. From dodging cannibals to stacking pancakes like a madman. And the boards, they're full of traps designed to make you hate everyone at the table. By the time the game's over, you'll either be crying with laughter or plotting revenge. 


 ------ Indiana Jones and The Great Circle ------  14:47

14:46
Now. This is a game I'm looking forward to. And it's coming out December the fifth, 2024. I did write something on it, so I hope it's all true what I've said and it comes out on the Xbox series X s and PC and is on Game Pass. Day one from Bethesda is Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. Want to feel like a badass treasure hunter? Great. Want to feel like a dumbass because you can't solve a fucking ancient puzzle even better. This game will humble you faster than a rolling boulder will to the face. Indy's whip is as cool as shit, but good luck using it without accidentally swinging yourself into a pit. Still, nothing beats the thrill of finding a hidden artifact Except maybe finding out it's booby trapped and you get your face blown off. It looks like if Bethesda Bethesda's done it right, the storytelling is going to be top notch with great twists and turns and a fair share of, oh, shit moments. Plus, the environments look amazing from what I've seen. And you'll wish you could go there minus the death traps and hostile locals, of course, but I am looking forward to this. I really hope Bethesda didn't fuck this up. I'm like, pleading with everything because I need a good game this year. There have been a few, but this one is just. Yes, I need this


 ------ Baulders Gate 3 ------  16:12

16:12
coming up next. This game released last year on the PC PlayStation five, Xbox series X and S and is Baldur's Gate three I love this game. I need to cover it one of these days on the show. But it's just too much. It's too much of a game to talk about. But how I could describe it is Have you ever wanted to romance a vampire piss off a wizard and accidentally start a war all at the same time? But you're in the right place. Baldur's Gate three is the place to do it because every decision you make will absolutely bite you in the arse. The dice rules are unforgiving, which is why I always say before dice rolled and reload, I cheat every single dice roll. The enemies are brutal, which is why I cheat every day. And your party members are chaotic and little shits who can't agree on anything. So whether you're flirting with danger literally, or setting entire towns on fire, don't that. You'll never have a dull moment. Just don't blame the game when you get deep in shit. You did this to yourself and I have fucked up so many times at Baldur's Gate three. I actually went through this whole thing of trying to fight the devil, and it was kind of just like a guessing game for me. And I didn't realize that it was actually quite something quite hard to be able to get it, to actually go into hell and fight the devil. And it was just it was epic. It was one of the best fights ahead of the game. The world is packed with secret side quests and lore so deep you'll need a snorkel. You'll spend hours exploring only to realize the main story still waiting for you, probably alongside a pissed off dragon. And you can play however you want. So you can play really good. You can kill off your companions if you want. You can side with the good guys. You can side with the bad guys. The choices are endless. It's one of the only RPG games that I literally started straight away after I finished it because I did a good playthrough and now I'm going to be an evil bastard and just kill everyone I see. Sexy vampire, gone wizard. Fuck you. you haven't played it, it's on all the main consoles minus the switch, because the switch would be able to run it, get it. Even if you're not a big fan of D&D or Dice roll games or RPGs. It's a great game. Storytelling is amazing and they listen to the fans because they brought out early access and they built it all the way along. So it is a very polished, very good game. 


 ------ Against The Storm ------  18:41

18:41
Right. Coming in next, another game I love against the storm. You will never be brought back to a repetition like this. And it was PC only released November. The first, 2023. It was in early access for a while. But this game doesn't just throw you into a city building challenge. It throws you into a shitstorm. And by that I mean literally, you've got endless rain, grumpy beavers, ungrateful humans, foxes, harpies, frogs. If you pay for the DLC, they make against the storm a monster class. And most of the time you're just wondering how you do this. There are also lizards for of the lizards. Every decision you make feels like the wrong one. Did you just give the lizard a fancy tavern instead of building more houses? Maybe this makes the humans hate you more, and watching your entire settlement implode is definitely half the fun. If you love chaos, this game is definitely for you. It is so dark and it does get difficult after a while because you have difficulties where you can choose from. Obviously, easy, which I think is pioneer and then settler and then it goes on to veteran viceroy. But as you go further on in the map, it gets harder and harder and harder. So you can't pick the easier difficulty. So it just it just turns into a shit show and is just the same thing every time you're just building up a settlement and then cutting some wood, building up a settlement, cutting some wood. and you just always hope you have beavers and lizards because beavers cut wood, lizards do meat, and then you don't care with third classes. But it never happens that way. The visuals are stunning in that dark but oddly cozy way, and the gameplay loop is so addictive. Again, you'll forget again. The clock will just start. You'll be playing for half an hour and next thing you know, you'll be playing for five, 6 hours. 

coming 


 ------ Teardown ------  20:44

20:44
in next is a game that I still play up to today. Another PC only release and that is Tear Down, which released in 2022. I have to say, though, you need a really powerful PC to run this game, even though it's all pixelated. Looks like a pixelated mess of Minecraft because if you want to blow shit up, tear it down and create absolute mayhem with zero consequences. Then tear down is the game for you. Sandbox of Destruction where your only limit is how much fuckery you can cram into a single heist. The physics engine is so realistic it's alarming by that. When I say realistic, you may start a game at 144 hertz, but as you blow shit up, every little piece, then flies out it's part of the physics. And at the end of it you could have a frame rate of 20, depending on how much stuff you blown up. you will spend so long planning the perfect heist just for like an hour, a minute and a half that you do it. I spent an hour planning a heist that only lasted 90 seconds, and I spent over an hour doing that. Or sometimes you'll plan it perfectly, and then you'll just fuck it at the end. You be You, Bill, are banging on the keyboard Brilliant game you know your what the beauty of it is. It encourages creative failure and the destruction, though. That's just part of the great part of it. And the modding support is brilliant. You can swap out wrecking balls for lightsabers, whatever they whatever people have come up with. Brilliant game. Like I said, the graphics are appallingly crap, but there's a good reason for that. 


 ------ Mario and Luigi Brothership ------  22:38

22:37
Next is another Nintendo Switch exclusive, which released November the seventh, 2024, and that is Mario and Luigi Brother Ship. Mario Luigi's latest adventure proves that even plumbers can't fuck up on the high seas. Between Luigi's cowardly shenanigans and Mario's overconfidence, you'll spend half the time yelling, What the fuck are you doing at your screen? puzzles are clever as hell. But don't get cocky. You'll still feel like a dumbass when you miss an obvious solution. And the humor is just spot on. Just try not to throw your switch when Bowser inevitably shows up to ruin everything again. I have to say I bought the game. Well, I did buy the game. His grandmother bought it for me. I bought the game for my son and I've been watching him play it and it did it brilliant looks. I probably tried to steal the switch off him, if I can, and the nautical setting adds a fresh twist to the classic formula with pirate ships, underwater temples and enough treasure to make Wario jealous. Plus, the duo's banter is pure gold, reminding you why these brothers are gaming royalty even when they're screwing everything up. 


 ------ Soul Reaver Remaser ------  23:43

23:43
Next we have one of the games I've been waiting years to come out, which is a remaster of the legacy of Kain series The Soul Reaver one and two remastered on the PC PlayStation five Xbox series X/S coming December 2024 Razelle is back and he's still as pissed as hell, betrayed by his boss, left for dead and now hunting down vampires like it's his fucking day job. This guy has zero chill and we love him for it. The remastered graphics make Nozgoth look creepier than ever, and Raziells monologues are gothic poetry. If you ever wanted to feel like a brooding badass, this game is for you. combat. It's satisfying and makes every battle feel like a high stakes duel. And of course, the puzzles are challenging as fuck. You'll hate them, but you'll feel like a genius when you figure them out. And I'm looking forward to it. Getting back to Nosgoth because I missed it. You know, it's been years since I've played a game, from the Legacy of Kain series. can't remember which one I played last. But anyway, I digress. Another great game, so looking forward to that. 


 ------ Alien:Rogue Incursion ------  24:51

24:52
And last on the list is a VR game because of course we can't leave you without one of them. Obviously on the PC PlayStation VR, two meter Quest three and Steam VR. And the game releases 19th December 2024. And if you thought Alien isolation was scary, well, Alien Rogue Incursion is here to prove you wrong. The Xenomorphs are relentless little fuckers who will hunt you down, outsmart you, and then scare the absolute shit out of you. Because if you remember alien isolation, that was scary as hell and that was not VR. The game Stealth mechanics are tense as hell. You'll spend half the time hiding in lockers and the other half swearing at the AI for being too smart. let's be honest, you definitely didn't buy this game to relax. You want to scream, cry and probably piss your pants. The environments are so dark and atmospheric you'll feel like you're actually in space, which is great until you hear that xenomorph hiss behind you obviously. Protip if you see a vent run the other way or don't, either way you're probably fucked. I won't be playing that game first because I don't have a VR headset and even if I did, alien isolation is scary as fuck. So yeah, fuck that. Any of you have VR headsets who were playing that are brave enough to play it? Let me know how it goes because yeah, I'm definitely not playing that game, although I'm going to enjoy watching people play that and getting the shit scared out of them. I'm sure people will be crying. And there you have it folks. A collection of games that will keep you laughing, crying and swearing well into the new year. Whether you're taming horses, magic, Grumpy Beavers or surviving as xenomorphs. One thing is for sure, this holiday season is going to be wild. And obviously this isn't the last show for the year. I just thought I would get this out there, enjoy and enjoy these games there. I'm sure they're all going to be brilliant. The ones that haven't released and the ones that have definitely give them a go.