Idle Thumbs

Len and Brian "Chef Lu Bu" Smawley are joined by friend of the show Diana to peek into the near distance at the strategy games we're interested in that have announced or probable release dates in 2026. It's going to be another big year for city-builders! Also, is Total War 40K even a good idea? Games discussed: Total War: Warhamer 40,000, Dawn of War 4, Menace, Slay the Spire 2, Nova Roma, Norse: Oath of Blood, DarkSwitch, Battlestar Galactica: Shattered Hopes, Beyond These Stars, SkyRig, SpaceCraft, Game of Thrones: War for Westeros, Star Wars: Zero Company

In this episode, Soren interviews Paul Kilduff-Taylor, best known for his work on Frozen Cortex and the Frozen Synapse series. They discuss whether a sword-fighting game should be controlled with a mouse, why Frozen Synapse uses simultaneous turns, and how it ended up as one of the first indie games on Steam. This episode was recorded on July 15, 2025. Games discussed: Contraption, Wing Commander series, King’s Quest series, Ultima series, The Longing, Determinance, Frozen Synapse series, DEFCON, Flotilla, Offworld Trading Company, Advanced Wars series, Old World, Frozen Cortex, Tokyo 42, The Colonists, Fights in Tight Spaces, Citizen Sleeper, Into the Breach, Slay the Spire, Prison Architect

Len and Jon are joined by But Why Tho?'s Kate Sánchez and CGMagazine's Dayna Eileen to build Rome in a day with Anno 117: Pax Romana. We discuss the series history and our jumping-on points with it, what's different about this one, and how it serves as an interesting lens through which to view the height of the Imperial Era.

Len, Rowan, and Jon are at last granted the liberty to speak on their experiences with Europa Universalis 5, Paradox's latest and most ambitious grand strategy game. Is it actually good? Is it even possible to evaluate it in a that straightforward of a way at this point? And why has it turned Rowan into The Joker?

Len, Ian, and Fraser are placed onto the battlefield from strategic reserves to talk about the past and future of Dawn of War. The past: the recent Dawn of War: Definitive Edition and how well it holds up for a 20-plus-year-old game. The future: Dawn of War 4, which Len and Fraser both got some hands-on time with.

With Stormgate leaving Early Access alongside the release of its first full single-player campaign, Ashes of Earth, Len chatted with Frost Giant's Top Tims, Tim Morten and Tim Campbell, about what has changed in the last year and what this new chapter means for the RTS. Check out this wild custom map made without triggers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSjGR4HGuiU

In this episode, Soren interviews veteran game designer Patrice Desilets, best known for his work on Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, the Assassin’s Creed series, and Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey. They discuss why they couldn’t put rewind into Assassin’s Creed, the problem with designing for a meeting, and why he needed to have players beat up the pope. This episode was recorded on April 15, 2025. Games discussed: Assassin’s Creed, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, the Civilization series, Assassin’s Creed II, Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood, 1666 Amsterdam, Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey

In this episode, Soren interviews veteran game designer Patrice Desilets, best known for his work on Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, the Assassin’s Creed series, and Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey. They discuss being hired as the first developer at Ubisoft Montreal, the similarities between improv theater and game design, and why he wants to remove UI from his games. This episode was recorded on April 15, 2025. Games discussed: Lode Runner, Choplifter, Metroid, Legend of Zelda, Mario Kart, Hype: The Time Quest, Chrono Trigger, Donald Duck: Goin’ Quackers, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, Rainbow Six, the Civilization series, Prince of Persia, Knockout Kings, Assassin’s Creed