The Bit Effect

This week we descend into the terrifying halls of System Shock, the legendary immersive sim that helped shape modern gaming. From the haunting atmosphere of Citadel Station to the rise of the iconic AI villain SHODAN, we explore what the remake brings, and what we like and don't like about System Shock as it stands today. Any game suggestions or feedback? Email us at [email protected] and we will glady play what you tell us, unless it's Stellaris. Support The Bit Effect by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/thebiteffect Find out more at http://thebiteffect.com

No witty intro, no puns, we have nothing for this. Just two guys chatting about a game neither liked for a variety of reasons. Any game suggestions or feedback? Email us at [email protected] and we will glady play what you tell us, unless it's Stellaris. Support The Bit Effect by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/thebiteffect Find out more at http://thebiteffect.com

This month we took a foggy wander back to Silent Hill 2, only this time it’s shinier, moodier, and somehow even more terrifying in the remake. You’re still James Sunderland, you’ve still got that mysterious letter, and the town is still absolutely crawling with things that make you regret ever opening a door. The remake does a cracking job of keeping the atmosphere that made the original such a classic. The oppressive fog, the dread-soaked streets, the fantastic monsters and NPCs, while giving it a modern polish that makes the whole nightmare feel fresh again. So grab your torch, steel your nerves, and join us as we stumble through one of horror gaming’s most iconic stories all over again. Any game suggestions or feedback? Email us at [email protected] and we will glady play what you tell us, unless it's Stellaris. Support The Bit Effect by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/thebiteffect Find out more at http://thebiteffect.com

This month we picked up the phone for Home Safety Hotline, a game that looks like a daft bit of admin but quickly turns into one of the most unsettling shifts you’ll ever work. On paper, you’re just answering calls and giving out advice to worried homeowners. In practice? You’re frantically flicking through a dusty binder trying to decide if that thing in the cupboard is a harmless spider… or something that definitely shouldn’t exist in your house. It’s retro, it’s creepy, and it’s way funnier than it has any right to be. Half the time you’re second-guessing yourself, the other half you’re laughing at how bizarrely polite people are while describing absolute horrors in their loft. So pop the kettle on, take a seat at the world’s least reassuring call centre, and join us as we try to keep the neighbourhood safe one questionable bit of advice at a time. Any game suggestions or feedback? Email us at [email protected] and we will glady play what you tell us, unless it's Stellaris. Support The Bit Effect by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/thebiteffect Find out more at http://thebiteffect.com

It’s that time of year. Dave and Craig sit down to argue, agree, and completely change our minds as we break down our Games of the Year for 2025. Big wins, big disappointments, and a few hot takes along the way. Any game suggestions or feedback? Email us at [email protected] and we will gladly play what you tell us, unless it's Stellaris. Support The Bit Effect by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/thebiteffect Find out more at http://thebiteffect.com

This month we hacked, slashed, and danced our way through Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess, a game that feels like someone threw a tower defence, an action brawler, and a fever dream of Japanese folklore into a blender and somehow made it work. You’re protecting a shrine maiden, purifying villages, and choreographing villagers into battle formations while trying not to get completely overwhelmed by the demonic hordes pouring in. The greatest challenge faced however was actually Craig's dad somehow deleting a cloud save of his 90% finished game. So grab your sword, practice your best interpretive dance moves, and join us as we talk about saving the mountain one battle at a time. Any game suggestions or feedback? Email us at [email protected] and we will glady play what you tell us, unless it's Stellaris. Support The Bit Effect by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/thebiteffect Find out more at http://thebiteffect.com

This month we jacked ourselves into Shadowrun Returns, a game that somehow smashes together cyberpunk hacking, gritty crime noir, and bloody great fireballs. One minute you’re bribing a dodgy street doc, the next you’re summoning spirits in a back alley while wondering if your decking skills are up to much. So pour a synth-juice, slot in your datajack, and join us as we wander the rain-soaked streets of Seattle making all the wrong choices in style. Any game suggestions or feedback? Email us at [email protected] and we will glady play what you tell us, unless it's Stellaris. Support The Bit Effect by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/thebiteffect Find out more at http://thebiteffect.com

Our next listener suggestion is up and we are playing Thank Goodness You’re Here, and… well… how do you even describe it? You don’t. You just play it. Honestly, it’s one of the funniest, weirdest things we’ve touched in ages, and spoiling any of it would ruin the fun so we’re not going to. Trust us: go in blind, have a laugh, and then come back and tell us if you’ve recovered. But because we couldn’t just leave you hanging with a “go play it” and call it a day, we stuck Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth on the end as a bit of a chaser. So if surreal British comedy chaos isn’t enough, you can settle in for some chat about Ichiban, Kiryu, and all the JRPG nonsense we know all love. This recording of LAD was lost to the ages and cloud storage, only having discovered we forgot to release it in December 2024... Enjoy! Any game suggestions or feedback? Email us at [email protected] and we will glady play what you tell us, unless it's Stellaris. Support The Bit Effect by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/thebiteffect Find out more at http://thebiteffect.com

This month we crept our way through Darkwood , well, Dave did. Craig noped out as fast as possible and ran the whole game screaming and killing anything that moved. Luckily, Dave picked up the slack and actually braved the woods and engaged with NPCs enough to tell us what the hell was going on. Darkwood is one of those horror games that doesn’t need jump scares, the atmosphere alone makes your skin crawl. Every night feels like an eternity, every noise outside your door is something worse than you imagined, and the whole thing oozes a vibe that can only be described as "gross". So if you fancy hearing about Dave slowly losing his mind while Craig quietly cheers from the sidelines for getting it over with, grab a torch, bolt the doors, and join us for a trip into the worst forest since Forest Whittakers appearance in Arrival. Any game suggestions or feedback? Email us at [email protected] and we will glady play what you tell us, unless it's Stellaris. Support The Bit Effect by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/thebiteffect Find out more at http://thebiteffect.com

For this special listener request we dove headfirst into Persona 3 Reload and let’s be honest, few games swing from “high school hijinks” to “the weight of mortality” quite like this one. One minute you’re feeding your social links, the next you’re battling eldritch horrors at midnight while wondering if you’ve studied enough for tomorrow’s exam. On one hand it’s stylish, emotional, occasionally daft, and just as much of a time sink as you’d expect. On the other hand it's got a 25 year old feel to bits, the protagonist is tofu, and we have played a LOT of Persona already. We might start off on a bit of a downer, and that might continue for a while as well, but don't get angry immediately! There are positives and lessons to be learned from more modern games. And all in this is still a solid game and entry point in to the series, So grab your evoker and join us as we chat about friendship, fate, and far too many nights spent grinding in a tower that never seems to end. No matter how much you want it to... Any game suggestions or feedback? Email us at [email protected] and we will glady play what you tell us, unless it's Stellaris. Support The Bit Effect by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/thebiteffect Find out more at http://thebiteffect.com

We are back! New logo, new website, a schedule we can stick to, and all our personal demons are set straight. Just in time for a happy go lucky romp through a frozen wasteland! This month we threw ourselves into Frostpunk, which is basically the cheeriest game about freezing to death you’ll ever play. It’s cold, it’s bleak, it makes you feel like a terrible human being for making kids work in coal mines, and yet somehow, we couldn’t stop talking about it. Do you save the people or save the city? Do you cling to hope or rule with an iron fist? Do you build a pub before you build a hospital? (Spoilers: yes.) Every choice feels like the “least bad” option, and that’s kind of the whole magic of it. So, grab your warmest coat, pour yourself something strong, and join us as we chat about keeping humanity alive one questionable decision at a time. Any game suggestions or feedback? Email us at [email protected] and we will glady play what you tell us, unless it's Stellaris. Support The Bit Effect by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/thebiteffect Find out more at http://thebiteffect.com

Hi folks! That's us back in action with a little welcome back update! new logo, new sounds, new schedule, and new website! Woohoo! Thanks for listening, we look forward to many more games and good chat! :) Any game suggestions or feedback? Email us at [email protected] and we will glady play what you tell us, unless it's Stellaris. Support The Bit Effect by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/thebiteffect Find out more at http://thebiteffect.com

A wee update from Craig and Dave on why it's been so quiet here and what have we been up to! Support The Bit Effect by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/thebiteffect Find out more at http://thebiteffect.com

After the very good Mutant Year Zero we thought Miasma Chronicles would just walk it in. We were wrong. Come join us for an hour of complaining!

We have just wrapped up our February podcast episode - Doki Doki Literature Club. Did we enjoy it? Well… we tried. Turns out being old and grumpy just did NOT help! :D Support The Bit Effect by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/thebiteffect Find out more at http://thebiteffect.com

Nearly 2 weeks late (very sorry it was all Dave's fault) here's our GOTY for 2024! Back to usual scheduling with Silent Hill2 out later in the month! Support The Bit Effect by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/thebiteffect Find out more at http://thebiteffect.com

It's been a while with a little bit of a gap but we are finally back in action! I mention that it is October during this episode, do not be alarmed, it's really December you aren't crazy. A few episodes will release over the next week or two before we get back on schedule for 2025! RE4 Remake was an experience and a half to get us back in the game. We talk Alan Wake, Evil Within, Dead Space, and generally get side tracked a million times! Enjoy! Support The Bit Effect by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/thebiteffect Find out more at http://thebiteffect.com

We FINALLY get to chat about Alan Wake 2. In this we talk mechanics, story, get confused, talk about what a skibbidy rizzler might be. All in, it's a wild ride! Support The Bit Effect by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/thebiteffect Find out more at http://thebiteffect.com

First off, that artwork. With AI being all the rage that is generative AI at its best with the prompt "Othercide meets helldivers"... The episode itself is what happens when one of us doesn't want to play a game, a chat about the game, othergames, and nonsense! Support The Bit Effect by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/thebiteffect Find out more at http://thebiteffect.com

We waited two years to play this one, finally we got around to saving the world. Clearly there were more important priorities!

Craig and Dave explore a strange new world in this sci fi surprise! Apologies to regular listeners and subscribers, we went on holiday somehow having made the last few episodes private, all fixed now!

Craig and Dave explore Union in this wax filled survival horror. Many doors to be kicked in this one. So many doors.

Craig and Dave explore the big bad world in Little Nightmares, both of them!

Back to the old west for part two of our pairing with Desperados. Between recording and release this game was added to the PSPlus service so what better time to have a listen and decide if you want to combat the Evil West.

Join us as we embark on an epic stealthy murderfest journey across the wild west. We cover Desperados, tactics, smores, and testicular torsion. If you want to suggest a game hit us up at thebiteffect.com.

Craig and Dave kick off the return of The Bit Effect with our 2023 game of the year episode. These as always aren't all games from 2023, more just a selection of games we have played. Although a lot of them still are actually from 2023! We return in a slightly reduced schedule with our next game being Desperados 3, releasing 1st Feb. After that we will pop out a game every month till we are back up to full speed! Glad to be back and thanks for sticking with us. As always write in any time to [email protected] with any requests of feedback. Support The Bit Effect by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/thebiteffect Find out more at http://thebiteffect.com

This week Craig and Dave put their little grey cells to work trying to figure out how they feel about this long titled game.Want to tell us what to play? Hit us up at on twitter or on the web

It's time to get depressed with Amicia and the gang in the sequel to one of our favourite narrative driven games! Want to tell us what to play? Hit us up at on twitter or on the web

The full team get together to look at the classic Dishonored, blink and you will miss it!Want to tell us what to play? Hit us up at on twitter or on the web

Craig and Dave crack in to Thymesia, a stellar souls like with some teeth in places!Want to tell us what to play? Hit us up at on twitter or on the web

Craig and Dave dive in to the French revolution this week in Steelrising. Want to tell us what to play? Hit us up at on twitter or on the web

Dave and Craig explore Stellaris to varies degrees of success. Want to tell us what to play? Hit us up at on twitter or on the web

This weeks' double header of FTL and Stellaris will release in 2 parts, rather than wait a week we will travel faster than the speed of light and release Stellaris same time tomorrow! Want to tell us what to play? Hit us up at on twitter or on the web

A great man, called Dave, once said "Shinji Mikami has never let me down". Let's see if that still rings true. Want to tell us what to play? Hit us up at on twitter or on the web

Craig, Luke and Dave travel the west in search of weird things. Will there be ghosts or zombies? Aliens? Or just pineapple on pizza? Let's find out! Want to tell us what to play? Hit us up at on twitter or on the web

This week the gang play The Medium, some have a small amount of fun, some have a large amount of fun, and some have a, erm, middle amount of fun.Want to tell us what to play? Hit us up at on twitter or on the web

There was no part one episode...Want to tell us what to play? Hit us up at on twitter or on the web

Craig and Dave embarked on a quest to play 2 revised version of some pretty special games. This is the result!Want to tell us what to play? Hit us up at on twitter or on the web

Final part of our GOTY 2022, join us as we talk about every game other than THAT one...Want to tell us what to play? Hit us up at on twitter or on the web

In this episode we look back at the games we have played this year to pick out some odd category winners! Part two out at the usual Thursday time.Want to tell us what to play? Hit us up at on twitter or on the web

You may have noticed we have not been posting in a while... Want to tell us what to play? Hit us up at on twitter or on the web

Last in the DS2 run, Craig and Dave go through the rest of the bosses and give their final thoughts!Want to tell us what to play? Hit us up at on twitter or on the web

In our mini weekly Dark Souls spree we get talking about the first half of the bosses, part three out next week!Want to tell us what to play? Hit us up at on twitter or on the web

Craig and Dave dive in to Dark Souls 2, much maligned widely, but very much loved by Dave! :D Want to tell us what to play? Hit us up at on twitter or on the web

Craig and Dave play a remake of a classic, how does it hold up against the more modern Tales of Arise?Want to tell us what to play? Hit us up at on twitter or on the web

Dave, Craig and a bit of Luke discuss the year so far and 3 games a piece that COULD be game of the year so far. Want to tell us what to play? Hit us up at on twitter or on the web

Dave, Craig, and Luke throw the gauntlet down with ANOTHER Tales game. Craig is still moving house hence some delay between episode drops, sorry!Want to tell us what to play? Hit us up at on twitter or on the web

Craig twiddles his moustace while Dave becomes a large donkey in the 2nd of our murder mystery whodoneit binge! A prize if you spot the purposeful mistake we made in editing!Want to tell us what to play? Hit us up at on twitter or on the web

Guys, this episode is a week late you say? But Holmes is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.Want to tell us what to play? Hit us up at on twitter or on the web

It's been a long time coming but Dave and Craig FINALLY return to the madness. Want to tell us what to play? Hit us up at on twitter or on the web