Post Games
Hosted by Post Games
A weekly audio magazine using video game history and expert interviews to explain the industry's current trends and cultural phenomena.
This is a journalistic, NPR-inspired deep-dive into video game culture and business. Each episode tackles a single, focused topic—from the concept of 'Weird Nintendo' to the economics of AAA development—using a guest's expertise as a lens. The host's lengthy, context-setting monologues are a key feature, framing the interview as an investigation into a central thesis.
“Unlike typical game podcasts, Post Games is highly structured, using a signature 'Acts' format and a single-host, single-expert model per episode. Its defining feature is the host's long, narrative-heavy introduction that provides a thesis for the guest to then explore and react to, making it feel more like a reported feature than a casual chat.”
Who hosts this show
Post Games is an interview podcast from veteran games journalist Chris Plante that explores the 'why' and 'how' of video games. Plante, a co-founder of Polygon and former editor-in-chief, uses his industry experience to frame conversations with developers, historians, and critics, often using a historical lens to understand the present moment in gaming culture. The show is structured like an audio magazine, with distinct 'acts' guiding the narrative of each episode.
Credentials & credits
- Host, Post Games
- Co-founder and former Editor-in-Chief, Polygon
- Co-host, The Besties podcast
- Former Senior Editor, The Verge
- Created NYU's first games journalism course
- Writing published in The New York Times and The Guardian
Other ventures
- The Besties (podcast)
- Polygon (co-founder)
- The Verge (founding team)
- Limetown (co-authored story)
- Quest (TTRPG editor)
What kind of podcast
When new episodes drop
- 01What's Weird Nintendo (and Is It Still Alive?)Jun 29, 2026 · 1h 22m
- 02How the Games Industry Got to This PointJun 22, 2026 · 1h 00m
- 03The Earliest Game of the Year AwardsJun 15, 2026 · 2h 53m
- 04How to Have a Persona SummerJun 8, 2026 · 1h 48m
- 05What You Should Know about James BondJun 1, 2026 · 1h 07m
- 06How to See the Profound Beauty in Gaming's Tiniest DetailsMay 25, 2026 · 1h 12m
- 07The History (and Future) of BubsyMay 18, 2026 · 1h 20m
- 08The History of The Legend of Zelda (1986)May 11, 2026 · 1h 20m
Notable episodes
- 01How the Games Industry Got to This Point
Features Blizzard's former Chief Creative Officer, Rob Pardo, tracing the evolution of AAA development from small teams (Starcraft's 27 developers) to massive, complex operations.
- 02What's Weird Nintendo (and Is It Still Alive?)
A prime example of the show's format, using an expert guest (historian Jeremy Parish) to dissect a specific cultural concept ('weird Nintendo') in response to current events (the Switch 2).
- 03The Earliest Game of the Year Awards
Showcases the host's extensive network and a unique format, featuring dozens of pre-recorded segments from critics, designers, and comedians to highlight often-forgotten early-year releases.
What you'll be asked on this show
Chris Plante's interview style is journalistic and thesis-driven. He begins not with a question, but with a lengthy, carefully scripted monologue that provides historical context and establishes the central question of the episode. This opening act sets the stage for the guest, who is brought in as an expert to help explore or challenge the host's framework. His questions are designed to build a narrative, often starting with broad historical inquiries ('How did the business model work in the 90s?') before drilling down into specifics. He uses the guest's career as a timeline to explore larger industry shifts, effectively making the interviewee a primary source for a historical investigation.
The show is a single-host interview format, though some special episodes feature a montage of pre-recorded guest segments. Host Chris Plante begins each episode with a detailed monologue to frame the topic. The main body of the show is then structured into distinct, titled 'Acts' that guide the conversation.
Questions Post Games keeps coming back to
11 cataloguedIf you're going on this show as a guest, expect some version of each of these. Each note explains when Post Games reaches for it.
money
2- Q.01
“How did the business model for [industry/genre] work in [past era]?”
He often asks this early to establish a historical baseline for the conversation.
- Q.02
“Why didn't [company] just repeat its successful [business model] for other games?”
This question digs into the strategic thinking and creative choices behind major business decisions.
process
3- Q.01
“When did you realize that [major industry shift] was happening?”
This question seeks to pinpoint a specific moment of change from a veteran's perspective.
- Q.02
“How big was the team making a game like [classic title] back then?”
He asks this to create a stark contrast between the scale of past and present game development.
- Q.03
“How did players even find out about new games back in the 90s?”
This surfaces the dramatic changes in marketing and discovery from the pre-internet era.
backstory
1- Q.01
“How would you define or differentiate [concept A] from [concept B]?”
Used at the start of an episode to establish the core definitions for the topic at hand.
craft
2- Q.01
“Why don't big companies do more [smaller, experimental] types of projects?”
This question challenges the perceived risk-aversion of modern AAA development.
- Q.02
“Tell us about your game pick and one specific detail that makes it so memorable.”
A prompt used in showcase episodes to elicit a focused, personal take rather than a broad review.
industry
1- Q.01
“Is the difference between [concept A] and [concept B] just a matter of commercial success?”
This question probes whether a concept is a genuine category or a label applied in hindsight.
controversy
1- Q.01
“How is this concept different from the well-worn trope about 'weird Japan'?”
The host directly addresses and attempts to move past potentially problematic stereotypes early on.
future
1- Q.01
“Why are niche series like [franchise A] and [franchise B] coming back now?”
This question seeks to understand a company's current strategy regarding its back catalog and niche properties.
Signature segments
- · Structuring episodes into numbered 'Acts'
- · Long, narrative host monologues to open episodes
- · The 'EGOTYs' (Earliest Game of the Year Awards)
- · Patreon-exclusive bonus segments
- · Monthly 'Past Games' history episodes
Topics covered repeatedly
Who gets booked here
Guests are typically industry veterans with deep, specific expertise. The show books seasoned developers (like Blizzard's former CCO Rob Pardo), dedicated game historians (like Jeremy Parish), and a wide range of critics, designers, and academics who can speak with authority on a single topic.
- Jeremy Parishon What's Weird Nintendo (and Is It Still Alive?)
- Rob Pardoon How the Games Industry Got to This Point
- Greg Milleron The Earliest Game of the Year Awards
- Nina Freemanon The Earliest Game of the Year Awards
- Kirk Hamiltonon The Earliest Game of the Year Awards
Where to find this show
Audience & reach
Sponsors include tech brands (Alienware), direct-to-consumer goods (Quince), meal delivery services (Factor), and privacy services (Incogni). This mix, combined with a heavy emphasis on a Patreon subscription, suggests an audience of professionally established, tech-savvy adults with disposable income.
Subscriber and view counts are pulled live from YouTube and re-verified on a 30-day cycle. Listener estimates for the RSS feed aren't published here unless they're host-verified.
Pitch Post Games
People also ask
- Who is the host of Post Games?
- The host is Chris Plante, a veteran games journalist who co-founded Polygon and previously served as its Editor-in-Chief.
- What is the format of the show?
- It's a weekly, single-host interview show structured into 'Acts'. Each episode is a deep dive on one topic with one expert guest, framed by the host's opening monologue.
- Is this podcast still running?
- Yes, based on the provided data, the podcast is active and releases episodes on a weekly basis.
- Where can I listen to the podcast?
- The podcast is available on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and other podcast platforms. The official website is post.games.
- What makes Post Games different from other gaming podcasts?
- It focuses on historical context and in-depth analysis rather than news or reviews. The host's journalistic, thesis-driven approach and the 'audio magazine' structure are its key differentiators.
- How can I support the show?
- The show has a Patreon (patreon.com/postgames) which offers bonus segments, exclusive episodes, and other perks for subscribers.
Built from the show's public RSS feed, YouTube, the host's own websites, and the cited sources below. Computed and AI-extracted fields are labelled. Facts only — no private info, no fabrication, no transcripts republished.
Sources & how this page was built
This page is AI-assisted, grounded in the public sources cited below, and host-verifiable. We publish facts only; we do not republish transcripts. If anything here is wrong, the host can claim and correct the page above.Model: gemini-2.5-pro · high confidence
- [01]Post Games - Official Site (via ART19)art19.com
- [02]Post Games on Apple Podcastspodcasts.apple.com
- [03]Chris Plante's Muck Rack Profilemuckrack.com
- [04]AMA with Chris Plante on Redditreddit.com
- [05]Post Games: A new podcast by former Polygon Editor-in-Chief Chris Plante - Zero Countszerocounts.com
- [06]NYU Game Center Lecture Series Presents Chris Planteyoutube.com
- [07]Chris Plante - Polygon Wikipolygon.fandom.com
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