This time, I’m joined by Felix Klein – co-founder of Radical Fish Games and one of the minds behind CrossCode. We dive into the indie RPG that became a cult hit, the decade-long journey to get it made, and how Radical Fish is pushing things further with their upcoming project Alabaster Dawn.

From crowdfunding struggles to coding your own engine, we cover the highs, lows, and game design lessons only learned the hard way. Grab a drink, save at the nearest inn, and join us for a chat that proves some side quests are worth every hour.

🎮 Episode Content Overview
📖 Correcting Wikipedia with the real CrossCode story
🎯 How a Yoshi’s Island egg throw inspired the entire combat system
🕹️ The long grind of Early Access and why transparency matters
💸 Indie funding: crowdfunding, Game Pass deals, and government grants
⚔️ Why CrossCode was more puzzle-driven than story-driven – and how Alabaster Dawn changes that
🛠️ Rewriting their entire engine from scratch (and why Felix wanted to)
🏘️ Settlement growth inspired by Terranigma
🍲 Cooking systems designed to end “item hoarding” forever
🎵 Building the soundtrack with returning composer Dennis and new themes
👀 Hints at cameos, DLC plans, and story pacing improvements
🎮 RPGs Felix thinks deserve more love: Grandia, Chrono Trigger, Valkyrie Profile

🔗 My Links🍻 Join 🍻The Tavern Discord🍺: https://discord.gg/73KfecTgEW🎮 Twitch: https://twitch.tv/chefmonkeygaming🐦 X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/ChefMonkeyGames📷 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chefmonkeygaming🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@chefmonkeygaming🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@chefmonkeygaming🌤️ BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/chefmonkeygaming.bsky.social🎙️ Follow Side Quests & Save Points Podcast:🐦 X (Twitter): https://x.com/sqsppodcast🌤️ BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/sqsppodcast.bsky.social🎙️ Guest Links – Felix Klein / Radical Fish Games🐟 CrossCode: https://www.instant-gaming.com/en/3948-buy-crosscode-pc-mac-game-steam/?igr=chefmonkey🕹️ Radical Fish Games: https://radicalfishgames.com/

🧵 Threads of Fate
#SideQuestsAndSavePoints
#CrossCode
#AlabasterDawn
#IndieRPG
#GameDesign
#RadicalFishGames
#Grandia
#ChronoTrigger
#ValkyrieProfile
#IndieDev
#GamingPodcast

This time, I’m joined by Javier Prusky – actor, streamer, and the voice of Bakool Ja Ja in Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail. From clown school in Paris to Fallout 76 and finally to Eorzea, Javier’s story is as entertaining and unpredictable as the characters he plays.

We talk about career origins, chaotic auditions, Reddit trolls, and how voicing one of the most talked-about characters in Dawntrail has changed his world overnight.

🎮 Episode Content Overview
🎭 From clown school to voice acting – the unlikeliest career path🎙️ Fallout 76, early credits, and breaking into games
🐊 Finding the voice (and dual personalities) of Bakool Ja Ja
🔥 How one last-minute audition changed everything
📢 Reddit reactions and becoming a community meme overnight
🎮 RPG memories from Kingdom Hearts to Final Fantasy
🎤 Performance capture, character depth, and creative burnout
🧩 Building confidence and owning your craft

🔗 My Links🍻 Join 🍻The Tavern Discord🍺: https://discord.gg/73KfecTgEW🎮 Twitch: https://twitch.tv/chefmonkeygaming
🐦 X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/ChefMonkeyGames
📷 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chefmonkeygaming
🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@chefmonkeygaming
🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@chefmonkeygaming
🌤️ BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/chefmonkeygaming.bsky.social

🎙️ Follow Side Quests & Save Points Podcast
🐦 X (Twitter): https://x.com/sqsppodcast
🌤️ BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/sqsppodcast.bsky.social
📺 Full Episodes: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL59mESx4aCcWhq2l2P4YcYh9KLMfCDv6N

🎙️ Guest Links – Javier Prusky
🌐 Website: https://www.javierprusky.com
📷 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/JavierPrusky/
🐦 Twitter (X): https://x.com/JavierPrusky
💬 Bakool Ja Ja Discord: https://discord.gg/tDqVUHTAYj
🎥 Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/thereal_jajavier
🎁 Cameo: https://www.cameo.com/javierprusky
🖋️ Streamily Prints: https://streamily.com/javierprusky

🧵 Threads of Fate#SideQuestsAndSavePoints
#FFXIV
#VoiceActing
#BakoolJaJa
#FinalFantasyDawntrail
#JavierPrusky
#Fallout76
#GamingPodcast
#RPGCommunity
#MMORPG

Today, I’m joined by Guillaume Boucher-Vidal – CEO of Nine Dots Studio and the creative mind behind the cult RPG favourite Outward (and the upcoming Outward 2).
Grab a drink, prep your backpack, and let’s dive into the wild world of indie RPG development, stubborn design choices, and the spirit of adventure.

🎮 Episode Content Overview

In this full-length adventure, we cover:

• The origin story of Nine Dots Studio

• Early career experiences that shaped Guillaume’s philosophy

• How Outward's concept evolved from idea to full release

• Creative compromises, unexpected wins, and lessons learned in RPG development

• Why RPG systems matter more than flashy graphics

• A little side quest energy into future projects like Lost in Prayer and Outward 2

  
  

🔗 My Links

🍻 Join The Tavern Discord:
https://discord.gg/TCnSdcq3w4

🎮 Chef Monkey (Brand Content):

• Twitch: https://twitch.tv/chefmonkeygaming

• X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/ChefMonkeyGames

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chefmonkeygaming

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@chefmonkeygaming

• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@chefmonkeygaming

• BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/chefmonkeygaming.bsky.social

🎙️ Follow Side Quests & Save Points Podcast:

• X (Twitter): https://x.com/sqsppodcast

• BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/sqsppodcast.bsky.social

  
  

🎙️ Guest Links

🌐 Website:
https://ninedotsstudio.com

🐦 Twitter/X:
https://twitter.com/NineDotsStudio

📷 Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/ninedots_studio/

🎵 TikTok:
https://www.tiktok.com/@ninedotsstudio

📘 Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/NineDotsStudio/

📺 YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/user/ninedotsstudio

🎮 Twitch:
https://www.twitch.tv/ninedotsstudio

🌤️ BlueSky:
https://bsky.app/profile/ninedotsstudio.bsky.social

🍻 Join the Nine Dots Discord:
https://discord.gg/HnGpdftdZS

🗺️ Treasure Map Tags

#SideQuestsAndSavePoints #RPGPodcast #GamingPodcast #IndieGames #GameDevelopment #Outward #NineDotsStudio #LostInPrayer #Outward2 #GamingCommunity #TavernTalk

We cover anime. We cover JRPGs. We (barely) define what even counts as an RPG. It’s a wild ride across multiple media and genres – so grab a drink, double-check your Pokédex, and settle in for a conversation that derails harder than a chocobo on espresso.

🎮 Episode Content Overview
In this full-length tavern ramble, we unpack:

• Whether Pokémon is actually a JRPG (and yes, we have opinions)

• The crossover between anime, manga, and RPGs – and why it's basically inevitable

• Our shared childhood trauma over canceled anime MMOs and bad video game movies

• What makes a JRPG feel like a JRPG, and why instant gratification might be killing nuance

• What games deserve anime adaptations, and which animes deserve proper games (Monster Hunter fans, we’re talking to you)

• Party Make-Up picks, cursed NPC date nights, and the dream of one day fishing up Lovecraftian horrors in Dredge: The Anime

Plus: Zinogre mount fights, Monster Hunter addictions, VR fantasies, and a very firm stance on the sacred status of Gengar.

🔗 My Links
🍻 Join The Tavern Discord: https://discord.gg/TCnSdcq3w4
🎮 Twitch: https://twitch.tv/chefmonkeygaming
🐦 X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/ChefMonkeyGames
📷 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chefmonkeygaming
🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@chefmonkeygaming
🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@chefmonkeygaming
🌤️ BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/chefmonkeygaming.bsky.social
🎙️ Follow Side Quests & Save Points Podcast:
🐦 X (Twitter): https://x.com/sqsppodcast
🌤️ BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/sqsppodcast.bsky.social

🎙️ Guest Links – Grimsabr
🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@grimsabr
🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@grimsabr
📷 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/grimsabr
🐦 X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/grimsabr

🧵 Threads of Fate
#SideQuestsAndSavePoints #JRPGPodcast #PokemonDebate #AnimeRPG #MonsterHunterAddict #GengarBestBoi #GamingNostalgia #PodcastWithTooManyTangents #TavernTalk

Welcome to 🎙️Side Quests & Save Points💾 – the podcast where ignoring the main quest is half the fun and every great adventure starts with a side quest!

Today, I’m joined by Joesephyr – content creator, RPG enthusiast, Final Fantasy XIV raider, and a man brave enough to dive headfirst into the Pokémon series for the first time as an adult.
Grab a drink, check your Pokédex, and get ready for a tavern chat full of RPG love, spicy opinions, and plenty of side quest detours.

🎮 Episode Content Overview

In this full-length adventure, we cover:

• First experiences with Pokémon, Final Fantasy, and the RPG genre

• Trying to define what actually makes an RPG an RPG

• Favourite JRPGs and hidden gems

• Opinions on DLCs, expansions, and monetisation trends

• Plenty of off-topic chaos, bad jokes, and new side quests we absolutely didn’t plan for

🔗 My Links

🍻 Join The Tavern Discord: https://discord.gg/TCnSdcq3w4

🎮 Twitch: https://twitch.tv/chefmonkeygaming
🐦 X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/ChefMonkeyGames
📷 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chefmonkeygaming
🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@chefmonkeygaming
🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@chefmonkeygaming
🌤️ BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/chefmonkeygaming.bsky.social

🎙️ Follow Side Quests & Save Points Podcast:
🐦 X (Twitter): https://x.com/sqsppodcast🌤️ BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/sqsppodcast.bsky.social

🎙️ Guest Links – Joesephyr

🎮 Twitch: https://twitch.tv/Joesephyr
🐦 X (Twitter): https://x.com/joesephyr
🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Joesephyr
📷 Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/joesephyr/
🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@joesephyr
🍻 Discord Community: https://discord.gg/wwk795B

🧵 Threads of Fate

#SideQuestsAndSavePoints #RPGPodcast #GamingPodcast #FinalFantasyXIV #Pokemon #MMORPG #JRPGCommunity #GamingDiscussion #TavernTalk #PodcastAdventures

This week, I’m joined by Genesis VII - content creator, retro RPG expert, and a man who knows the pain of FFVII’s Guard Scorpion better than most. We dive deep into the golden age of JRPGs, celebrate underappreciated titles, and ask the most important question: is Donald Duck secretly a top-tier black mage?

From Ni no Kuni and Shadow Madness to Final Fantasy IX Remake speculation, platinum trophy grinds, and RPG systems that need a comeback, this episode is a tour through the highs, lows, and weird design choices that make the genre what it is.

So grab your memory card, save at the nearest moogle, and join us at the Tavern for another long rest.

🎮 Episode Content Overview🎯 First encounters with Final Fantasy (and rage quitting FFVII)
🦆 Donald Duck: top 3 black mage in Final Fantasy?!
📀 Underrated RPGs – Ni no Kuni and Shadow Madness
⚔️ Innovative RPG systems we miss (Golden Sun, FFXII Gambits)
🗺️ World maps, exploration, and the beauty of RPG freedom
🎮 RPG definitions – what makes a JRPG, really?
💡 Platinum trophies, hidden gems, and RPG recommendations
🔥 Hopes for Final Fantasy IX Remake and the Switch 2

🔗 My Links🍻 Join 🍻The Tavern Discord🍺: https://discord.gg/73KfecTgEW🎮 Twitch: https://twitch.tv/chefmonkeygaming🐦 X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/ChefMonkeyGames📷 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chefmonkeygaming🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@chefmonkeygaming🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@chefmonkeygaming🌤️ BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/chefmonkeygaming.bsky.social

🎙️ Follow Side Quests & Save Points Podcast🐦 X (Twitter): https://x.com/sqsppodcast🌤️ BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/sqsppodcast.bsky.social

🎙️ Guest Links – Genesis VII🎮 Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/genesissvii🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/GenesisVII🐦 X (Twitter): https://x.com/GenesissVII🧵 Threads: https://www.threads.com/@genesissvii

🧵 Threads of Fate#SideQuestsAndSavePoints#GenesisVII
#FinalFantasyIX#JRPGPodcast#NiNoKuni#ShadowMadness#GoldenSun#RetroGaming#RPGCommunity#GamingPodcast

📜 Today’s Side Quest ❗
Welcome to 🎙️Side Quests & Save Points💾 – the podcast where ignoring the main quest is half the fun and even the dialogue options go off-script.

This time, I’m back with Annie VanderMeer – narrative designer, writer, and world-builder whose resume runs from Neverwinter Nights 2: Storm of Zehir to Guild Wars 2, Destiny, Unpacking and beyond.

We dive deep into the wild world of publishers vs. developers, behind-the-scenes chaos of canceled projects, lore drops that never made it into the final cut, and why old-school RPG mechanics still haunt our save files.

🎮 Episode Content Overview
📚 From Castlevania and childhood gaming memories to writing sequels for cult classics
🕹️ The unmade Taxi Driver game and how Hollywood IPs nearly broke the dev cycle
⚔️ Obsidian years: Neverwinter Nights 2, Alpha Protocol, and the canceled Aliens RPG
🐉 Building Guild Wars 2’s “personal story” and making choice matter in an MMO
💀 Lore drops that never saw daylight (Lyra the goddess of illusion lives… maybe)
🚪 Side quests that spiraled into chaos (Monkey Island insults, frog puns, and more)
🎲 What it’s really like working with publishers and IP holders behind the curtain
🌌 Dream RPG settings Annie would love to write for: Fallout and Star Wars

🔗 My Links
🍻 Join 🍻The Tavern Discord🍺: https://discord.gg/73KfecTgEW
🎮 Twitch: https://twitch.tv/chefmonkeygaming
🐦 X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/ChefMonkeyGames
📷 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chefmonkeygaming
🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@chefmonkeygaming
🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@chefmonkeygaming
🌤️ BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/chefmonkeygaming.bsky.social

🎙️ Follow Side Quests & Save Points Podcast
🐦 X (Twitter): https://x.com/sqsppodcast
🌤️ BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/sqsppodcast.bsky.social
📺 Full Episodes: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL59mESx4aCcWhq2l2P4YcYh9KLMfCDv6N

🎙️ Guest Links – Annie VanderMeer
🎧 Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@frienda_podcast🌐 Website: https://www.annievandermeer.com/

🧵 Threads of Fate#SideQuestsAndSavePoints
#GameWriting
#RPGPodcast#NarrativeDesign
#NeverwinterNights2
#GuildWars2
#DestinyGame
#UnpackingGame
#Fallout
#StarWarsGames

✨ In this Episode:🎮 Sena’s journey from Final Fantasy XI to voicing in XIV: Dawntrail🎙️ Vocal Theft Auto — which voices they’d steal for a day
🐉 Favorite Final Fantasy MMO memories & design philosophy📖 English major deep dives: narrative conflict in RPGs
🕹️ RPG Super Party picks & dream game roles
🎨 Sena’s own indie RPG project and pixel art adventure
💬 Critical Role, Baldur’s Gate 3, Tactics Ogre, and more RPG classics

🔗 My Links
🍻 Join 🍻The Tavern Discord🍺: https://discord.gg/73KfecTgEW
🎮 Twitch: https://twitch.tv/chefmonkeygaming
🐦 X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/ChefMonkeyGames
📷 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chefmonkeygaming
🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@chefmonkeygaming
🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@chefmonkeygaming
🌤️ BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/chefmonkeygaming.bsky.social

🎙️ Follow Side Quests & Save Points Podcast
🐦 X (Twitter): https://x.com/sqsppodcast
🌤️ BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/sqsppodcast.bsky.social

🎙️ Guest Links – Sena Bryer
🐦 BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/senabryer.bsky.social
🎮 Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/squidsena

🧵 Threads of Fate
#SideQuestsAndSavePoints
#FFXIV
#WukLamat
#SenaBryer
#VoiceActing
#FinalFantasyDawntrail
#MMORPG
#RPGPodcast#NarrativeDesign#GamingCommunity

Featuring special guest: @RinKarigani

Welcome to The Tavern, adventurer — you’ve found your save point.

In our very first episode, we’re joined by Rin Karigani, Twitch Partner and Capcom Creator, for a genre-spanning deep dive into the worlds of RPGs and MMOs. From iconic boss fights and evolving combat systems to the chaos of content creation, we proudly ignore the main quest in favor of the real adventures.

This episode is packed with:

• The evolution of Monster Hunter and FFXIV combat

• Rin’s first RPG love (yes, it involves Disney and keyblades)

• MMO burnout, social systems, and how player housing became high-stakes real estate

• The beautiful mess that is Yakuza

• The current state of in-game monetisation (EXP boosts, cosmetics, shop systems)

• The real talk on content creation highs and lows

• And the upcoming RPGs we can’t wait to lose sleep over

Grab your favourite drink, pull up a chair, and get comfortable — it’s time for your next side quest.

🍻 Join The Tavern:
Discord → https://discord.gg/73KfecTgEW

📺 Watch the Episode on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/-RO7144TpaY (Part 1)
https://youtu.be/3X4CQtB_wWg (Part 2)
https://youtu.be/tDqJcm8em3M (Part 3)

🔗 Follow Us Online:
Twitter (X): https://x.com/sqsppodcast
BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/sqsppodcast.bsky.social
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@chefmonkeygaming

🔥 Guest: Rin Karigani
Twitch: https://twitch.tv/RinKarigani
Twitter (X): https://x.com/RinKarigani
YouTube: https://youtube.com/RinKarigani

🎶 Music Credit:
Huge shoutout to Fraser Edwards for the incredible track featured in this episode.
🎵 Listen to “The Adventure”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBOw_KnHDEU

This time I’m joined by TheBroodles - world record Final Fantasy IX speedrunner, streamer, and professional breaker of games. From Sega childhoods to Pokémon as a first JRPG, to shaving dozens of hours off games most of us take months to beat, Broodles dives deep into how speedrunning works, the categories, the skips, and the chaos behind chasing world records.

🎮 Episode Content Overview⚡ Early gaming memories (Sonic, Mega Drive, and Pokémon as the first JRPG)⚔️ First steps into Final Fantasy IX and how speedrunning became an obsession⏱️ Excalibur II runs, failed attempts, and the addiction of retrying🌀 Explaining categories like Any%, 100%, and "No Slots" in FFVII & IX💥 Famous glitches, skips, and the genius (or madness) behind finding them🎲 Why FFIX speedrunning is “pure” chaos compared to FFVII & VIII🏆 Holding multiple world records, blindfold runs, and community races🔥 Unpopular RPG opinions & why FFVIII deserves more love

🔗 My Links🍻 Join 🍻The Tavern Discord🍺: https://discord.gg/73KfecTgEW🎮 Twitch: https://twitch.tv/chefmonkeygaming🐦 X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/ChefMonkeyGames📷 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chefmonkeygaming🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@chefmonkeygaming🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@chefmonkeygaming🌤️ BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/chefmonkeygaming.bsky.social🎙️ Follow Side Quests & Save Points Podcast:🐦 X (Twitter): https://x.com/sqsppodcast🌤️ BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/sqsppodcast.bsky.social📺 Full Episodes: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL59mESx4aCcWhq2l2P4YcYh9KLMfCDv6N🎙️ Guest Links – The Broodles🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@broodoo01🎮 Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/thebroodles🐦 X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/thebroodles🌤️ BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/thebroodles.bsky.social🧵 Threads of Fate
#SideQuestsAndSavePoints

#FinalFantasyIX

#FFIX

#Speedrunning

#JRPGPodcast

#TheBroodles

#GamingPodcast

#RPGCommunity

#FinalFantasySpeedrun

#FF9Remake