#63: A recent Kotaku article about a game developer who was diagnosed with PTSD after working on Mortal Kombat 11 inspired this conversation about the potential secondary and vicarious trauma that can occur from prolonged exposure to graphic content. Players may see a fatality for a few seconds while the employees who make the game may be looking at graphic reference material for months. In the second half of the episode, we provide some recommendations for developers on how to protect and...

#62: We have favorite games and series but what makes that your favorite game series? We are joined by special guest Marc Cuiriz, host of the new Assassin’s Creed podcast The Codex to talk about what makes our favorite game series our favorite. Not to be confused with our favorite games because that might be more difficult to answer. Check out the Geek Therapy Discord – geektherapy.com/discord Get all the latest Geek Therapy Gaming updates. Questions? Comments? Discuss...

#61: In a recent Kotaku article, Cecilia D’Anastasio wrote “…video games aren’t just entertainment—they’re communication technologies” and we completely agree. We discuss the article and some research around communication and gaming. Follow us on Twitch at twitch.tv/geektherapy Get all the latest Geek Therapy Gaming updates. Questions? Comments? Discuss this episode on the GT Forum. Notes: * For Men Who Hate Talking On The Phone, Games Keep Friendships Alive...

#60: A study finds a specific region of the brain that stores pokémon information? 100,000 people played Pokémon simultaneously and beat the game? We’ll be able to play Pokémon in our sleep? We love pokémon so much! 😭 Follow us on Twitch at twitch.tv/geektherapy Get all the latest Geek Therapy Gaming updates. Questions? Comments? Discuss this episode on the GT Forum. Notes: * Brain scans reveal a ‘pokémon region’ in adults who played as kids –...

#59: Apex Legends introduced a ping system that has changed the way we think about non-verbal communication in games. It’s great. Every game should copy this feature immediately. We also discuss other examples of non-verbal communication we appreciate. Join the Geek Therapy Discord server. Get all the latest Geek Therapy Gaming updates. Questions? Comments? Discuss this episode on the GT Forum. — Visit us at www.HeadshotsPodcast.com. Follow us on...

#58: The Black Mirror episode Bandersnatch is a game, right? We discuss Bandersnatch as a work of interactive fiction, compare it to other games in the genre, and what we think of Netflix’s interactive future. We also discuss choice-supportive bias, where we positively defend a choice because, well, we made it. Follow us on Twitch at twitch.tv/geektherapy Get all the latest Geek Therapy Gaming updates. Questions? Comments? Discuss this episode on the GT...

#57: Lauren shares her recent escape room experiences, we discuss escape rooms for learning, and what we’d like to see in future escape rooms. Join the Geek Therapy Discord server. Get all the latest Geek Therapy Gaming updates. Questions? Comments? Discuss this episode on the GT Forum. — Visit us at www.HeadshotsPodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter: @HeadshotsCast | @CHICKENDINOSAUR | @JosueACardona Headshots is part of the Geek Therapy Podcast...

#56: We discuss the wonderful and uplifting Wandersong, a game about saving the world despite everyone telling you it’s impossible. It’s a very colorful game in which you sing to solve problems. It’s amazing. Go play it right now. Get all the latest Geek Therapy Gaming updates. Questions? Comments? Discuss this episode on the GT Forum. — Visit us at www.HeadshotsPodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter: @HeadshotsCast | @CHICKENDINOSAUR |...

Check out season 2 of Headshots: The Psychology and Gaming Podcast!

Geek Therapy’s Josué Cardona has hijacked this feed to make a special announcement. The Geek Therapy Network, including Headshots, is brought to you in part by member of Geek Therapy on Patreon. For the month of February GT is holding a special offer for all new and current members. Listen to learn more and visit patreon.com/geektherapy to become a member. Thank you!

#55: Josué and Lauren follow up the last episode with more horror games, this time talking about their favorite horror games. If you like Silent Hill and Eternal Darkness, this episode is for you. Join us on November 3rd in raising money for sick and injured kids. – geektherapy.com/extralife Questions? Comments? Discuss this episode on the GT Forum. — Visit us at www.HeadshotsPodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter: @HeadshotsCast | @CHICKENDINOSAUR | @JosueACardona Headshots is part of...

#54: Josué and Lauren geek out about horror games. Lauren loves horror games and Josué played a bunch of them for science. What are your favorite horror games? Join us on November 3rd in raising money for sick and injured kids. – geektherapy.com/extralife Questions? Comments? Discuss this episode on the GT Forum. — Visit us at www.HeadshotsPodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter: @HeadshotsCast | @CHICKENDINOSAUR | @JosueACardona Headshots is part of the Geek Therapy Podcast Network. Geek...

#53: Josué and Kelli talk about the academic concept of peer review in games research and gaming media in general. Is a YouTube essay any more or less significant to games research than a journal article? And what would academic peer review of YouTube videos even look like? Join us on November 3rd in raising money for sick and injured kids. – geektherapy.com/extralife Questions? Comments? Discuss this episode on the GT Forum. Notes: * TED Ed – https://ed.ted.com/ * Seeking Contributors...

#52: Josué and Lauren discuss video game preservation because it’s scary to think about how much game history has been lost. Some people are doing great things to preserve the history of video games and we want to celebrate their efforts. Also, someone, anyone, bring back Scott Pilgrim, please. Join us on November 3rd in raising money for sick and injured kids. – geektherapy.com/extralife Questions? Comments? Discuss this episode on the GT Forum. — Visit us...

#51: Lauren asked members of the GT Community about their most memorable game deaths and then wrote a paper on it. Lauren and Josué discuss what makes a game death memorable and why so many people answer the question with “Aeris from FFVII.” This topic was inspired by Gabby DaRienzo and the Play Dead Podcast. Questions? Comments? Discuss this episode on the GT Forum. Notes: * Help Lauren with a research project: What is your most memorable game death? (GT Forum)...

#50: Your favorite games are sometimes the ones you remember the most fondly, not the games you are best at or know the most about. In the 50th(!!!) episode of Headshots, Josué realizes he loves Mega Man games despite knowing very little about them.  Questions? Comments? Discuss this episode on the GT Forum. — Visit us at www.HeadshotsPodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter: @HeadshotsCast |  @JosueACardona Headshots is a member of the Geek Therapy Podcast Network. Join us on...

#49: The new God of War surprised us by how genuine the relationships felt and all of the emotions we experienced throughout our playthroughs. Josué and Lara discuss how much they related to the game, what they felt, and why they think it matters. *Get Geek Therapy merchandise at geektherapy.com/store. (Affiliate Disclosure) — Visit us at www.HeadshotsPodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter: @HeadshotsCast | @GeekTherapist | @JosueACardona Headshots is a member of the Geek Therapy Podcast...

#48: Josué and Kelli discuss reactions to games like Sea of Thieves and No Man’s Sky that seem to make many gamers angry. We talk about the feelings that follow playing a game that doesn’t meet expectations or simply isn’t what you wanted it to be. Questions? Comments? Discuss this episode on the GT Forum. This episode is sponsored by: Plus 7 Intelligence, the podcast about how games impact people. — Visit us at www.HeadshotsPodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter: @HeadshotsCast |...

#47: Josué and Lauren played Detroit: Become Human and had experienced completely different stories. We take a very long and spoiler-filled look at our experiences and discuss many of the game’s themes. What did you think of Detroit? Questions? Comments? Discuss this episode on the GT Forum. This episode is sponsored by: Plus 7 Intelligence, the podcast about how games impact people. — Visit us at www.HeadshotsPodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter: @HeadshotsCast | @CHICKENDINOSAUR |...

#46: Kelli and Josué discuss STAY, a pixel-art adventure game whose protagonist Quinn is a therapist that has been abducted. You play as the only person who can communicate with and help Quinn. The game deals with mental health issues and you can constantly monitor Quinn’s mood, his trust of you, and your bonding with him. Questions? Comments? Discuss this episode on the GT Forum. — Visit us at www.HeadshotsPodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter: @HeadshotsCast | @KelliNDunlap |...

#45: Josué and Lauren have been playing Minit which got them talking about the different ways time is used in games. *Enter our gaming week giveaway by visiting geektherapy.com/giveaway. For more on Mega Cat Studios, visit megacatstudios.com. — Visit us at www.HeadshotsPodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter: @HeadshotsCast | @KelliNDunlap | @JosueACardona | @CHICKENDINOSAUR Headshots is a member of the Geek Therapy Podcast Network. Join us on the Geek Therapy Facebook Group. Geek Therapy...

#44: Fortnite is huge. Everybody is playing it. But why? We discuss some of the reasons why we think people love Fortnite and compare it to other phenomenons like GTA5, Minecraft, and Pokémon GO. *This episode includes an advertisement for Gamefly. If you use the link geektherapy.com/gamefly, Geek Therapy may receive compensation. (Affiliate Disclosure) — Visit us at www.HeadshotsPodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter: @HeadshotsCast | @KelliNDunlap | @JosueACardona Headshots is a member of...

#43: Josué and Lara played A Way Out, directed by Josef Fares.  They had a lot of fun but Josué really disliked how it made him feel at one point because he disagreed so strongly with the choices he was given. Join us for a spoiler full discussion of A Way Out. *This episode includes an advertisement for Gamefly. If you use the link geektherapy.com/gamefly, Geek Therapy may receive compensation. (Affiliate Disclosure) — Visit us at www.HeadshotsPodcast.com. Follow us on...

#42: This episode of Headshots is actually episode #130 of another show on the Geek Therapy Network called GT Radio where talk about all the ways and reasons why we love co-op games. What are your favorite co-op gaming memories? *Consider subscribing to Geek Therapy on Twitch. For instructions on how to subscribe for free using Amazon Prime visit geektherapy.com/prime. — Visit us at www.HeadshotsPodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter: @HeadshotsCast | @KelliNDunlap | @JosueACardona Headshots...