Aches and Games

03/10/2025

* New episode clarinet *

It's borderline ridiculous that another month has disappeared already but the one solace is that it does mean another episode of the monthly Aches & Games podcast has dropped like a tonne of bricks falling from a sky of gaming goodness.

I can't personally think of a better way of spending 78 minutes than delving into the minds of two middle aged men with an irrational urge to get sidetracked but if you need some bona fide evidence of the epicness of this month's show why not look below at some of the topics discussed:

* Why does a game developer who clearly loves dolphins make you ride one across a dry, scratchy desert?
* Why would someone who works at an airport want to play a game that involves building an airport?
* Why are people not more emotional when all of their 33 year-old friends are wiped out and turned into roses?
* Does grass seed sprinkled in September actually grow?
* Does repairing a sofa really count as a highlight of the month?
* Do Steve and Javier really count as two separate listeners?
* Is Terry's Chocolate Orange Bailey's the best Bailey's ever created?

If you want to know the answers to all of these questions and so many more you really need to have a listen, by clicking on the link below. It's entertaining and educational in equal measures, and I genuinely forgot we had recorded it until I saw an advert for it pop up this afternoon 👍🏻

https://bit.ly/m/Aches-and-Games

It's what your brain and your heart would want you to do...

06/09/2025

* New episode trombone*

You might have thought that our last episode of the podcast couldn't have been improved upon, but it turns out you were very wrong indeed!

So if you have a spare 85 minutes and want to expand your mind in more ways than you thought possible and receive some nuggets of wisdom about the following:

* Why have so many people watched KPop Demon Hunters
* How to finally defeat the big lion thing in Prince of Persia
* Why you must turn off your mobile phone when surrounded by airborne alcohol
* What the future holds for Reading International Airport
* How much Giles enjoys sitting in fields
* How to have a successful golf career

then you really need to click the link below which will answer all of those questions and so, so many more.

https://bit.ly/m/Aches-and-Games

You're worth it...

13/08/2025

Nuns, spiders, surfers and Harold Halibut walking very slowly. Exciting month ahead 👍🏻

02/08/2025

* New episode klaxon *

It's what your earholes have been waiting a whole month for. That's right, it's the August edition of the Aches & Games podcast coming live and direct from the hotbed of gaming podcastery, Reading, England.

If you want to know:

* What Oasis were wearing at one of their recent gigs
* How to quickly & efficiently clear up a crime scene
* How to avoid a painful follow through
* How many times 2 middled-aged men can accidentally say FIFA when referring to EAFC25
* Our views on the Lionesses recent triumph
* How close we were to keeping this episode to 45 minutes

then you really need to click the link below which will open your eyes to a whole new world of entertainment & knowledge:

https://bit.ly/m/Aches-and-Games

You won't regret it 👍🏻

04/07/2025

It's the first Friday of the month, which can only mean one thing! Yes, it's the weekend tomorrow 🎉

Also it means our new monthly podcast episode is available on all of your favourite podcast places, and on YouTube and via our website!

This month we cover an absolute smorgasbord of vital topics, including why I was told to be a bilingual secretary and not an assassin, how hot two people can become whilst recording a podcast, why I can't win a graffiti tricks challenge against some mute 80s all-female crew and loads of the normal gaming stuff.

So if you want to hear about stuff and things and our views on the ten games we played between us over the past month you can't afford to miss it.

Pop to your usual podcast places as a matter of urgency or click on the link in the first comment!

30/06/2025

We've just recorded our July episode of the podcast and I can tell you - it's HOT.

Dropping (like it's hot) on Friday. Recognise.

29/06/2025

We did an Xbox special episode recently. Here is a clip from it.

What are your thoughts on how Xbox is developing as a brand rather than just as a console?

05/06/2025

If you've been struggling to sleep in anticipation of the latest episode of the monthly Aches & Games Podcast, I am here to put you out of your misery because it is now live on your favourite podcast platform. Woooo and indeed hooo!

So if you have a 1hr 15m hole that needs filling and you enjoy listening to 2 aching men talking about gaming, trips to Majorca, Lady Gaga tribute acts, French karaoke, Penguins, escape rooms, giraffes wearing ties, atomic sites in the Lake District and much, much more then I'd strongly recommend you click on the link below to discover all the many and varied ways you can listen to or watch us in action.

https://bit.ly/m/Aches-and-Games

You can also pop along to our website from there and discover the wonders of our recent game reviews and opinion pieces including Giles' hopes for the upcoming Xbox Games Showcase.

We hope you enjoy it and I look forward to seeing which random middle-aged person will choose to react to this post with an angry face emoji like someone does each and every month. It's what keeps us humble...

05/06/2025

With this year's Xbox Games Showcase coming up very soon, Giles gave his thoughts on what he would like to see, and gushes a bit about how good last year's one was!

Have a read below...

I have no idea how it’s June already and can only assume that I overslept by two months at some point last week. But, assuming this all isn’t some elaborate prank that the world is pulling on me – that does means that the Xbox Games Showcase 2025 is nearly here. So with that excitement in mind...

27/05/2025

If you fancy reading a mildly detailed review of Silent Hill 2, composed whilst lying on a sunlounger in Majorca, you now can!

I enjoy a nostalgic trip back into the past as much as the next guy, but this particular backwards stroll is particularly hazy as I never actually played Silent Hill 2 the first time around. I remember the hype and the legions of devoted fans at the time and obviously more recently the excitement si...

02/05/2025

First Friday of the month is fish day at Joshua's school, but it's also the day our latest Aches & Games Monthly Podcast episode drops like a potato from a rocket.

This month we talk about the mysteries of Blue Prince (which contains a lot of blueprints), vomiting monsters, the supernatural deep South, chipped baths, waving plastic boxes at trees, how much more exciting it is to Rage than it is to Bloom and all the things we're looking forward to playing in May (including our new play along game, Atomfall).

You can watch the full thing on YouTube below, which is handy for those who can't keep up with my fast talking as you can attempt to lip read or pop on the captioning.

Alternatively, if our faces aren't something you want to spend an hour staring at, you can find all the other places to listen by clicking this link instead: https://bit.ly/m/Aches-and-Games

As always, we'd love to hear from you and will feature any comments, emails, semaphore signals or pigeon-carried messages on next month's show.

Hi everyone! In May's episode of "Aches & Games monthly" we talk about the intriguing Blue Prince plus everything else that we’ve been playing, watching and ...

01/05/2025

It's the first Friday of the month tomorrow...

You know what that means!