PODCAST · games
Novel Not New
by Jen Unkle, Six Dettmar, and Olivia Joseph
Novel Not New is a visual novel game club with a queer focus and a casual bent. Every month, join Jen Unkle, Six Dettmar, and Olivia Joseph for a critical and fun conversation about a new visual novel game. Our favorites will be dated, murders will be solved, lives will be lived, and all bad ends will be expunged from memory as we read our way through this most literary of video game genres. Novel is right in the name!
Episodes
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Novel Not New 42: Hakuoki: Edo Blossoms
The sun sets on this period of Novel Not New, just as it does on the Bakumatsu Period and its defenders the Shinsengumi. A doomed romance either from 153 years ago or, strangely, perhaps 4 years ago as we tie up the last loose end on this show. After covering the first game in this two-part…
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Novel Not New 41: AI: The Somnium Files - nirvanA Initiative
A good mystery is like a good croissant: I bet it’s been a while since Kotaro Uchikoshi has made either. Heyoooo! Jen and Six are joined by former cohost Olivia and special guest Kim to tackle the sequel to AI: The Somnium Files, and the latest game by the creator of the Zero Escape series. It’s...
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Novel Not New 40: Shenmue 1-3
Stories don’t always have to end to be over. Though the dream of a Shenmue 4 remains alive in the minds of a few, the reception of 3 made that more unlikely than ever. The Shenmue series is very near and dear to us- we’re late converts but our faith is strong. In an effort to tell all of y’all…
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Novel Not New 39: Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin
We came, we saw, we killed chaos. A bit outside of our normal wheelhouse, but with just Jen and Six at the reins we’re gonna make some wild choices. We’re here to tell the story of Jack Unknownlastname with Jackson (@headfallsoff) from Abnormal Mapping and Ryan (@BluestRose430) from The Safe…
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Novel Not New 38: BUSTAFELLOWS
The boys are back in town. The boys are still in town? We’re heading down to Fake New York to time travel, fight crime, and get a boyfriend. Sorry, that’s a lot, isn’t it? To be fair, so is BUSTAFELLOWS, which they write in all caps every time so I’m pretty sure I have to as well. It’s otome game...
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Novel Not New 37: Riven - The Sequel to Myst
I bet it’s been Ages since you thought about this one, huh? Myst was an unlikely explosion of popularity, a strange point-and-click puzzler that surged to being the best selling game of all time. How do you follow a game like that up, with as unexpectedly huge as it became? Is it as simple as…
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Novel Not New 36: Oxenfree
It's Teen Time again as the NNN crew heads to Edwards Island for a night on the beach. A momentary distraction with paranormal radio signals goes wrong, and suddenly we're dealing with ghosts and stuff. That sounds bad, right? No, trust me, it's vastly preferable to spending any more time with…
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Novel Not New 35: Get in the Car, Loser!
Another entry in the desperately underserved genre of roadtrip RPGs! What happens when you put three (maybe four, hard to tell) queers in a car on their way to slay an ancient evil? Well, unfortunately, you get the first game in Novel Not New's history that we decided not to finish. We've got a…
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Novel Not New 34: Heart of the Woods
What happens when you make a career out of pretending something exists, and then just as you're about to quit you find out it really does? Apparently you get real close to a gayst (a gay ghost), or least that's Madison's reaction in Heart of the Woods, a fantasy yuri VN. There are some definite...
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Novel Not New 33: Four Horsemen
You don't need an apocalypse for life to be miserable. Four Horsemen tackles the bigotry, hate, and oppression that immigrants face, all with a punk aesthetic and rebellious spirit. Unfortunately, our time with it left us frustrated with mechanical opaqueness, inconsistent theming, messages we...
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Novel Not New 32: Overboard
We've solved murders before on this show. And we've certainly caused some. But can you DERAIL a murder investigation? This is the task set to us in Overboard, as we try to get away with the murder of our truly dreadful husband. But getting away with murder is easy. Doing it with no loose ends is...
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Novel Not New 31: Ace Attorney: Spirit of Justice
As Great Ace Attorney finally hits Western territories, the Novelists turn their gaze to the last release in the series. By the time of Ace Attorney 6, the series had become a digital-only series with little fanfare, but the writing might be more ambitious than ever. We're not just in "America"...
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Novel Not New 30: Vampire: The Masquerade — Night Road
Even in death, you can't escape your commute. Jen, Olivia, and Six embrace the vampire life as a young kindred courier fully out of their depth in a game of grand undead politics. The Inquisition, dark magic, an angry elder vampire... it may seem like a lot, but don't worry. You could always just...
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Novel Not New 29: Suzerain
This is the podcast room where it happens. We have a country to run. Now, running the country? That's easy. Just be a big socialist. But dealing with all the people that those decisions make mad? Well, that's a different matter.... This Month's Game! Suzerain Next Month's Game! Vampire: The...
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Novel Not New 28: Eliza
Folks, a chatbot is not an adequate solution for mental health. Eliza is a game that goes "of course it's not. We all know that. But. I mean it KIND of is, right?" Jen, Olivia, and Six shake their head at a game that thinks it's talking about counseling, but is really just about Silicon Valley…
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Novel Not New 27: Return of the Obra Dinn
2021 on Novel Not New starts with murder most foul. ...Quite a few murders, actually. And a few accidents. And illness. Monsters? Jen, Olivia, and Six explore the derelict Obra Dinn, and discover that the ship has seen more than its share of bad times. This Month's Game! Return of the Obra Dinn...
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Novel Not New 26: Signs of the Sojourner
Mom's dead, explore. It's time to follow in the footsteps of your deceased mother and travel the world talking people into trading with you... through CARDS! Jen, Olivia, and Six tackle this ambitious but clumsy conversation game. This Month's Game! Signs of the Sojourner Next Month's Game!…
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Novel Not New 25: Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective
It's time to solve a murder... your own?! Hang out with Jen, Olivia, Six, and the world's nicest ghost dog as we check out Ghost Trick This Month's Game! Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective Next Month's Game! Signs of the Sojourner
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Novel Not New 24: Another Three Small VNs
We're frankly exhausted with big visual novels. Let's take a break, and check out three itch.io gems! Let's think about identity, death, and the beach. It'll be chill. This Month's Games! Last Day of Spring Wide Ocean, Big Jacket A Mortician's Tale Next Month's Game! Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective
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Novel Not New 23: Kindred Spirits on the Roof
Every time Steam decides to change its policy on visual novels or adult games, one game in particular always comes up. The first adult game on Steam, the yuri visual novel Kindred Spirits on the Roof. Jen and Olivia play this game to learn more about the title that's become central to a debate on...
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Novel Not New 22: The Last Express
For our second ever adventure game on the show, Jen, Olivia, and Six ride the last voyage of the Orient Express on the eve of World War 1. A friend is killed, gun smuggling is afoot, and there's a... robot bird? Hmm. Not all as it seems aboard this train. This Month's Game! The Last Express Next...
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Novel Not New 21: Psychedelica of the Ashen Hawk
It can be a little hard to focus on finding the boy of your dreams when there are serial killings going on, you're hiding your identity, and it's POSSIBLE all of existence is a dreamlike hellscape where it's literally impossible to be happy for long... but we do our best in this surreal otome…
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Novel Not New 20: 80 Days
New cohost Olivia joins us for a trip around the world! What mysteries await us in this steampunk reimagining of Jules Verne's classic? Automata and empires stand between us and making around the world in 80 days or less! This Month's Game! 80 Days Next Month's Game! Psychedelica of the Ashen Hawk
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Novel Not New 19: Dizzy Hearts
The podcast, long divided, must unite. Jen and Six meet up for a fantasy fish out of water story with more than a hint of sexual tension. Maybe it's better for hentai developers to just make hentai, than to dance around the issue? Dizzy Hearts claims to issue in the "Year of the Elf." Let's see…
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Novel Not New 18: Unavowed
We’re back with the first game of a new era, an era when we can click on things and solve puzzles in addition to just reading games. Join us as we explore the strange new world of magic and the afterlife with WadjetEye’s adventure game/bioware style RPG with Unavowed! This Month's Game! Unavowed...
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Novel Not New 17: 428: Shibuya Scramble
After many months off we return with one of the longest games we’ve covered, and boy are our arms tired. What does it mean when a game has all the stories in it? Does live action convey anything special to narrative past charm at some hokey acting? Can glossary text single-handedly save a game?…
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Novel Not New 16: Why Am I Dead At Sea?
It’s time to die and time to not let that stop us as we explore the tangled web of intrigue in this small narrative RPG Maker mystery. Do novel character-hopping abilities make up for the rough seas of buggy games, or is this one particular love boat run aground? The winds blow both ways this...
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Novel Not New 15: Portopia Serial Murder Case
We go into the distant past of the 1980s to explore the very origins of both Japanese adventure games and visual novels with Yuji Horii’s incredibly influential Portopia Serial Murder Case. From Phoenix Wright to Metal Gear, so much of gaming started with this one quiet murder and the exploration...
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Novel Not New 14: Ladykiller in a Bind
We’re back with one of our longest, most involved episodes yet as we take a look at the (in)famous Ladykiller in a Bind. What is it like to play a death game with no death? Just how much can you get away with being nice when you have to play an asshole? And really, what is UP with the Swimmer,...
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Novel Not New 13: Pyre
We return, Reader, to the mystic Rites once again, for tales of corrupted saves and questionable sacrifice as we explore the strange lands of Supergiant’s third game, Pyre. Join us as we travel to purgatory and back in our quest to answer once and for all: can magic basketball be a visual novel?...
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Novel Not New 12: Rose of Winter
We finish up the year with a tale of cold winds and warm hearts as we nestle up to a burly lady with Rose of Winter! Adventures in size play, vore, time travel, gender reversals, and more as we explore dangerous fantasy worlds and lighthearted romantic trysts. And all of it while we suffer the...
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Novel Not New 11: Subsurface Circular
We’re back for a trek underground to a train filled with robots and aspirations for a better tomorrow. Come with us as we explore short fiction in games, the right way to do developer commentary, and whether it matters or not if choice matters. Workers, rise up! Gamers, rise up! This Month's…
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Novel Not New 10: Hakuoki: Kyoto Winds
Jen and Six have a duo adventure as we travel back to ancient times when swords were sharp and the men were sharper. Dating, demons, and daimyo politics abound as we stretch the concept of what can be played in a month to its limit with Hakuoki: Kyoto Winds. This Month's Game! Hakuoki: Kyoto…
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Novel Not New 9: Hotel Dusk: Room 215
We take a look back to the grimy times of the 70s as we follow one man on his years-long quest to find a good place to stay and people to tell him he has a good name. Join us as we live a day in the worn down shoes of one Kyle Hyde, salesman extraordinaire, as he chats his way through a variety…
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Novel Not New 8: Ghosts of Miami
Your friendly neighborhood visual novel book club returns today with Ghosts of Miami! We take a look at this recent and seemingly obscure visual novel, entrench ourselves in an actually good 80s aesthetic, and ask the all important question: why would anyone ever want to be a cop? Dating, danger,...
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Novel Not New 7: Long Live the Queen
We return after some extra time off with a new episode about everyone's favorite princess death simulator Long Live The Queen! Enjoy our tales of confusion. intrigue, and being surprised just how many threads this seemingly simple game can have! This Month's Game! Long Live the Queen Next Month's...
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Novel Not New 6: Three Small VNs
It's just Jen and Em this month as we take a break from the long toil of big games to enjoy this collection of three smaller releases. After the exhaustive trek of DanganRonpa, this is exactly the break we needed. It's nice to remember that games can be good and enriching and interesting while…
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Novel Not New 5 - DanganRonpa V3: Killing Harmony
Welcome to a fresh, shining day for Novel Not New. We are hopeful, we are at our peak, we are ready to tackle the greatest video game series ever made, DanganRon-NO WAY DANGANRONPA IS AWFUL THIS IS THE NO GOOD AWFUL SERIES THAT WILL BRING NOTHING BUT DESPAIR! Either way... we ask, in this extra...
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Novel Not New 4 - Butterfly Soup
We take a break from the long and complicate for the short and fun this month as the reading crew crack open the delightfully breezy Butterfly Soup, by Brianna Lei. Baseball, childhood pressures, the way the 90s taught us racism, and more all take their turns at bat as we slide into home with…
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Novel Not New 3 - VA-11 HALL-A
We've finally done it, we've finally played a bad game! It only took three episodes. But that doesn't mean it's a bad podcast, as the Novelettes all pile in for a lengthy episode about the ups and downs of drink making and people chatting in Glitch City with the cyberpunk mess that is VA-11…
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Novel Not New 2 - Narcissu
Hello and welcome back to Novel Not New: A True End Podcast! We take a look back in time for episode 2 and talk about a small visual novel from the mid 00s, Narcissu! Thanks everyone for your feedback from last time, we're glad people like the show so much. A shorter episode this time, as we talk...
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Novel Not New 1 - Dream Daddy
Hello everyone and welcome to the first podcast of our new show, Novel Not New. This is a monthly visual novel game club hosted by Jennifer Unkle (@jbu3), featuring Colin Dettmar (@sixtwosixfour) and Em Marko (@em_being). We're here to talk about visual novels new and old, with an eye for queer...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Novel Not New is a visual novel game club with a queer focus and a casual bent. Every month, join Jen Unkle, Six Dettmar, and Olivia Joseph for a critical and fun conversation about a new visual novel game. Our favorites will be dated, murders will be solved, lives will be lived, and all bad ends will be expunged from memory as we read our way through this most literary of video game genres. Novel is right in the name!
HOSTED BY
Jen Unkle, Six Dettmar, and Olivia Joseph
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Novel Not New have?
Novel Not New currently has 42 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Novel Not New about?
Novel Not New is a visual novel game club with a queer focus and a casual bent. Every month, join Jen Unkle, Six Dettmar, and Olivia Joseph for a critical and fun conversation about a new visual novel game. Our favorites will be dated, murders will be solved, lives will be lived, and all bad ends...
How often does Novel Not New release new episodes?
Novel Not New has 42 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Novel Not New?
You can listen to Novel Not New on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Novel Not New?
Novel Not New is created and hosted by Jen Unkle, Six Dettmar, and Olivia Joseph.
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