Means of Play

How does a video game translate the overwhelming cognitive load of teenage life, disordered eating, and spiritual burnout into interactive play?In this episode of the Means of Play podcast, Cozy Tea Pastor (Ian) and NerdPastorNate (Nathan) offer a close reading of 'Consume Me', the semi-autobiographical life simulator developed by Jenny Jiao Hsia and AP Thomson, and published by Hexecutable. Winner of the 2025 IGF Seumas McNally Grand Prize and a 2026 Apple Design Award for Social Impact, 'Consume Me' uses WarioWare-style minigames to simulate the intense pressures of high school senior year and college applications.CONTENT WARNING: 'Consume Me' depicts dieting, disordered eating, fatphobia, and body image struggles. In alignment with the design of the game, this discussion avoids specific weights, calorie counts, or instructional behaviors.The analysis examines how the game's mechanical abstraction of dieting acts as a critique of self-improvement culture. The hosts also address the polarizing controversy surrounding Chapter 4, evaluating whether the appearance of "White Jesus" is Christian propaganda or a biting satire of faith used as a modern productivity app.Additionally, the episode features a discussion on the cyberpunk legal visual novel 'Of the Devil' by nth Circle Studios and analyzes why the shifting environments of 'Blue Prince' by Dogubomb have turned a single-player puzzle game into an accidental couch co-op phenomenon.TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 - Reading Games as Sacred Texts: The 'Means of Play' Methodology 01:33 - Weekly Gratitude: Cybersecurity and Morgan's Poker Trials in 'Of the Devil' 02:12 - Nostalgia Check: Star Fox 64 on Nintendo Switch 03:00 - 'Consume Me' Deep Dive: Dieting as a Spatial Puzzle 05:30 - Ludonarrative Distraction: The 360-Degree "Owl" Reading Mechanic 11:03 - The Zero-Sum Game of Time Management and College Burnout 13:50 - The Church Sequence: The Sound Design of AP Thomson’s Worship Leader 17:09 - Evaluating "White Jesus" as an Optimization Tool 24:00 - The Ending Checklist: Waking Up Alone in the Sanctuary 29:48 - Weekly Praxis: Twitch Checkpoints and Couch Co-op in 'Blue Prince' 33:02 - Community Outro: Preparing for 'Unpacking' (2021)RESOURCES: • Play Consume Me: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2359120/Consume_Me/ • Play Of the Devil: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2739630/of_the_Devil/ • Play Blue Prince: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2364580/Blue_Prince/ • Means of Play Official Site: http://meansofplay.comIf this critical approach to interactive media resonates with you, please consider leaving a 5-star rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.