Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson
Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog

Join Dave and special guest Leah Haydu (Cane and Rinse, Character Issues) as they discuss Kingdom Hearts (Square Enix, 2001). Leah is a longtime fan and Dave just played for the first time, and that led to a great conversation about the infamous story, the Disney and Final Fantasy tie-ins, the action-RPG combat, and the simplicity at the "heart" of it all. Listen in for more, and as always, no spoilers for a while.

Guest info: Leah Haydu (she/her)

• Check out Character Issues https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-character-issues-podcast/id1530881747
• Check out Cane and Rinse https://caneandrinse.com/

TIMESTAMPS

• 0:00 Title Card
• 0:29 Introductions
• 4:02 Our Histories with Kingdom Hearts
• 9:50 Top-Level Thoughts
• 19:24 Story Setup and Disney Stuff
• 33:10 Final Fantasy Stuff
• 35:16 Understanding Kingdom Hearts
• 43:25 The "Heart" of the Story
• 51:11 More Music Talk
• 58:16 Gummi Ship
• 1:02:32 Combat
• 1:23:45 Some Gameplay Criticisms
• 1:30:26 Who Should Play?
• 1:34:00 Character Issues & Cane and Rinse Podcasts
• 1:40:24 Spoiler Wall & Patron Thank-Yous
• 1:42:08 Spoilers- Disney Worlds
• 1:54:58 Spoilers- Let's Talk Plot
• 2:04:13 Spoilers- Sora, Riku and Ansem
• 2:16:55 Spoilers- Final Bosses and Ending

Music used in the episode is credited to Yoko Shimomura: Dearly Beloved, Destiny Islands, Hollow Bastion, Welcome to Wonderland, Traverse Town, The End of the World, Dearly Beloved -Reprise-

Check out Unlockables Podcast for an extensive dive into the story of Kingdom Hearts: https://unlockables.fireside.fm/tags/guiding%20keys

Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures

Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson
Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog

Join Dave and special guest Rachel Watts (Thinky Games, Indieventure podcast) as they discuss Cairn (The Game Bakers, 2026). Cairn is a meticulous, thoughtful climbing game that takes you into the mind of an elite athlete as she attempts a climb that has never been done before. While it has some (unintentionally) frustrating moments, Cairn is an extremely strong and affecting game- listen in to find out more, and as always, no spoilers for a while!

Guest info: Rachel Watts (she/her)

• Check out Thinky Games https://thinkygames.com
• Check out Indieventure https://indieventurepodcast.co.uk

TIMESTAMPS

• 0:00 Title Card
• 0:23 Introductions
• 5:09 Our Histories with The Game Bakers & Cairn
• 8:58 Top Level Thoughts
• 17:32 Story Setup and Characterizing Aava
• 31:40 Climbing Mechanics
• 37:36 High Difficulty Meets a Few Shaky Systems
• 54:53 Visual Design, Sound Design and Music
• 1:03:12 Survival on Mt. Kami
• 1:17:58 Who Should Play Cairn?
• 1:24:32 Thinky Games and Indieventure Podcast
• 1:28:54 Spoiler Wall & Patron Thank-Yous
• 1:30:30 Spoilers- Fun Moments & Tough Challenges
• 1:54:19 Spoilers- Let's Talk About Aava
• 2:22:42 Spoilers- Ending Discussion

Music used in the episode is credited to Martin Stig Andersen, Gilda and The Toxic Avenger. Tracks used: The Mountain is Calling, Rise, Fatigue Is In Your Head, Only the Mountain, In My Gut, Stars, Part of a Whole

Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures

Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson
Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog

Join Dave and returning guest Scott Danielson as they dive into the third and final entry in the Hitman: World of Assassination Trilogy (IO Interactive), as well as its roguelike mode, Freelancer. This whole package is an absolute treat, and this also brings the Tales from the Backlog Hitman Episode Trilogy to a close. Listen in for allllll (most) of our thoughts!

Guest info: Scott Danielson (he/him)

TIMESTAMPS

• 0:00 Title Card
• 0:25 Introductions
• 8:25 Our Histories with Hitman
• 12:39 Top-Level Thoughts
• 17:13 Story Setup
• 24:43 Levels and Locations
• 34:16 What's New and Mission Stories
• 43:26 The Sandbox and Freelancer Mode
• 1:02:32 Other Bonus Missions
• 1:09:07 Who Should Play Hitman?
• 1:17:03 Spoiler Wall and Patron Thank-Yous
• 1:18:57 Spoilers- Dubai
• 1:37:53 Spoilers- Dartmoor
• 1:50:43 Spoilers- Berlin
• 2:10:03 Spoilers- Chongqing
• 2:27:31 Spoilers- Mendoza
• 2:41:54 Spoilers- Carpathian Mountains
• 2:53:56 Spoilers- Ending and Ambrose Island

Music used in the episode is credited to Niels Bye Nielson. Tracks used: Death Awaits, Best-Laid Plans, Sceptres of Dubai, End of an Era, Planning, Death in the Family, Chongqing Requiem, Mission Accomplished

Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures