Welcome to week two of The Stage Select’s game of the year deliberations for 2025! We once again paired a veteran to the deliberations with a first-timer, as Xavier Kreiger joins Sixty X Celph to discuss the best returning game, crown the best ninja, and determine the best character in a completely reworked category. Enjoy!

00:00 Introduction

03:38 Best Returning Game

47:27 Best Ninja

01:02:00 The Ichiban Kasuga Award For Best Character

Theme song and interstitial music by Megan McDuffee: https://meganmcduffee.com

Logo and artwork by John Gholson

Announcer: John Gholson

Join our Discord, learn about how you can support the show, and more: https://linktr.ee/TheStageSelect

Email: thestageselectpod@gmail.com

Copyright 2024 Space Monkey Mafia Productions

Welcome to week one of The Stage Select’s Game of the Year Deliberations for 2025! We’re joined by returning champion Mike Fallek as well as first-time deliberator Addie to go over the best game not released this year, the best porn game, and the best-looking game. Let’s go!

00:00 Introduction

04:05 Best Game Not Released in 2025

01:35:26 We Played it For the Story (Best Porn Game)

02:17:58 Best Looking Game

Keep up on Mike’s latest projects here: https://bigweasellilweasel.club/

Theme song and interstitial music by Megan McDuffee: https://meganmcduffee.com

Logo and artwork by John Gholson

Announcer: John Gholson

Join our Discord, learn about how you can support the show, and more: https://linktr.ee/TheStageSelect

Email: thestageselectpod@gmail.com

Copyright 2024 Space Monkey Mafia Productions

And that’s a wrap, folks! Well, after this season finale it is. Listen to us talk about the year in gaming that was 2025, a look towards next gen (whether we want it or not), and get into the nitty gritty about the state of the podcast. We’re off for six weeks but don’t fret; episodes will be releasing every week that we’re gone. See you in 2026, a totally real year that’s about to happen!

00:00 Recording the end of season stuff is wild

03:51 Xbox making every wrong move imaginable in 2025

35:35 Another phenomenal year if you play video games, another terrible year if you make or cover them

53:17 Combating the doomsaying in video games

01:17:35 AI is EVERYWHERE now, and we hate it

01:41:44 Looking towards next gen: what we want vs what we expect

02:07:41 The state of The Stage Select

Theme song and interstitial music by Megan McDuffee: https://meganmcduffee.com

Logo and artwork by John Gholson

Announcer: John Gholson

Join our Discord, learn about how you can support the show, and more: https://linktr.ee/TheStageSelect

Email: thestageselectpod@gmail.com

Copyright 2024 Space Monkey Mafia Productions

Our penultimate episode of the season is a short one but a good one. We recorded this the day before recording the big final Game of the Year episode, so this week is light on games as we were focused on last minute prep and also had other things to record this week. Join us next week for our year in review as we bring season 2 to a close!

00:00 Being a target for Agent 47

15:52 Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot, Silksong

27:08 Unbeatable

40:51 Mortal Kombat Legacy Kollection

58:34 Julian’s last-minute game of the year prep (Ghost of Yotei, revisiting Expedition 33)

01:20:10 Justin’s movie roundup (Man Finds Tape, Die Hard, Fatal Attraction, Basic Instinct, The Resident, Die, My Love)

01:42:44 CQC (Comments, Questions, Concerns)

Theme song and interstitial music by Megan McDuffee: https://meganmcduffee.com

Logo and artwork by John Gholson

Announcer: John Gholson

Join our Discord, learn about how you can support the show, and more: https://linktr.ee/TheStageSelect

Email: thestageselectpod@gmail.com

Copyright 2024 Space Monkey Mafia Productions

It’s a big week, as we’re joined by Friend of the Show (and star of Man Finds Tape!) John Gholson to talk about his new movie, being a hungry actor, and The Game Awards. Also other things!

00:00 Musical theater

11:08 John talks about the response to Man Finds Tape and the struggle of full-time acting

40:57 Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair

52:45 Catching up with John’s recent gaming, Dispatch

01:09:44 Marvel Cosmic Invasion

01:29:48 Final thoughts on Death Stranding 2

01:49:24 Ghost of Yotei

02:02:55 Blade Runner, becoming a home owner

02:14:33 Recapping The Game Awards 2025

Please support John's next project, Terms and Conditions if you can! https://seedandspark.com/fund/terms-conditions#story

Theme song and interstitial music by Megan McDuffee: https://meganmcduffee.com

Logo and artwork by John Gholson

Announcer: John Gholson

Join our Discord, learn about how you can support the show, and more: https://linktr.ee/TheStageSelect

Email: thestageselectpod@gmail.com

Copyright 2024 Space Monkey Mafia Productions

It's a secret to everybody!

As we begin to wind down the second season (and the holidays are upon us) we have fewer games to talk about. But this is still a fun episode, I think. Maybe. I don’t even know anymore. I’m tired, y’all.

00:00 Thanksgiving

14:41 Julian returns to Death Stranding 2

34:50 Justin returns to Cyberpunk 2077, Julian is done with Ball x Pit

01:00:35 Judge My Mix

01:41:44 Julian’s trek for mall Chinese food, Zootopia 2

02:02:08 Lord of the Rings and what it means to Julian

02:11:16 Justin also watched movies (High Tension, The Others, Once Upon A Time in Hollywood, The Roses)

Theme song and interstitial music by Megan McDuffee: https://meganmcduffee.com

Logo and artwork by John Gholson

Announcer: John Gholson

Join our Discord, learn about how you can support the show, and more: https://linktr.ee/TheStageSelect

Email: thestageselectpod@gmail.com

Copyright 2024 Space Monkey Mafia Productions

Hello. This is Morgun, the stage manager for The Stage Select. Julian told me to write the show notes for this week’s episode, but I am not allowed on stage during the show, so I am not aware what they discussed. However, I would like to say that I am okay after they landed their spaceship on me. I am not sure how long I was unconscious, but Abramo told me that he didn’t get around to moving the ship until three days after they landed. Which makes me a little sad, but at least it’s better than living in the poison swamps…

00:00 The McRib is BACK

29:28 Julian’s final thoughts on Bloodlines 2, Dispatch

01:11:06 Justin’s final thoughts on Dark Deity II

01:40:54 Justin’s adventures in home searching

01:50:34 The decisions made for Black Ops 7 are the worst possible; Demonschool

02:13:59 Movie roundup (Keeper, Bugonia, Final Destination series, The Usual Suspects)

02:31:26 CQC (Comments, Questions, Concerns)

Theme song and interstitial music by Megan McDuffee: https://meganmcduffee.com

Logo and artwork by John Gholson

Announcer: John Gholson

Join our Discord, learn about how you can support the show, and more: https://linktr.ee/TheStageSelect

Email: thestageselectpod@gmail.com

Copyright 2024 Space Monkey Mafia Productions