The Besties
by Russ Frushtick, Chris Plante, Griffin McElroy, Justin McElroy
Last updated Oct 23, 2026Is this your podcast?It's Game of the Year meets King of the Hill as four of Earth's best friends – Griffin McElroy, Justin McElroy, Chris Plante, and Russ Frushtick – rank and review their favorite video games. Because shouldn't the world's...
Insights from recent episode analysis
On the show
- Ron Funches2 eps
- Andy Cortez1 ep
- Matt Apodaca1 ep
Also: Jason Schreier, Lucy James, Jeff Grubb, Stephen Totilo, Mary Kish
Audience Interest
- video game reviews
- game rankings
Podcast Focus
- ranking favorite video games
- reviewing video games
Publishing Consistency
- weekly episodes
- 14 years active
Insights are generated by CastFox AI using publicly available data, episode content, and proprietary models.
Most discussed topics
Brands & references
Total monthly reach
Based on 1 signal.
Built from
By chart position
- 🇺🇸United States · Video GamesHOME#32.0M to 10M
- 🇨🇦Canada · Video Games#467K to 357K
- 🇦🇺Australia · Video Games#543K to 225K
- 🇬🇧United Kingdom · Video Games#1425K to 132K
- 🇧🇷Brazil · Video Games#1421K to 113K
- Per-Episode Audience
Est. listeners per new episode within ~30 days
2.2M to 12M🎙 ~2x weekly·517 episodes·Last published 5d ago - Monthly Reach
Unique listeners across all episodes (30 days)
4.4M to 23M🇺🇸90%🇨🇦3%🇦🇺2%+3 more - Active Followers
Loyal subscribers who consistently listen
2.4M to 13M
Market Insights
Platform Distribution
Reach across major podcast platforms, updated hourly
Total Followers
—
Total Plays
—
Total Reviews
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* Data sourced directly from platform APIs and aggregated hourly across all major podcast directories.
| Date | Episode | Topics | Guests | Brands | Places | Keywords | Sponsor | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10/23/26 | Castlevania, Ace Combat, and Ron Funches. What More Can You Want? | Ron Funches joins us for a double header! First, Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse is the first new side-scrolling Castlevania in over a decade. Is it worth the wait? And second: Ace Combat 8 is the most decadent entry in the long-running series. But is this an entry point for newcomers, or has the series locked on to hardcore plane nerds? Plus, the boys saw some documentaries! | 57m 01s | ||||||
| 10/16/26 | Echo Weaver Is Like Outer Wilds in 2D | Even though we were traveling for the live show, we still made time to play new games! Echo Weaver is a Metroidvania in the style of Outer Wilds, but simplified from 3D to 2D. It’s a little rough around the edges, though not enough to tarnish its big ideas. Plus, Griffin joins Plante on the Dragon’s Dogma train with the updated Dragon Dogma’s 2: Dark Arisen. But have some of those changes led Plante to reconsider his fandom? So many mysteries! To get the answers, I suppose you’ll just have to listen! | 56m 26s | ||||||
| 10/9/26 | The Star Wars Game Renaissance Is Here! | Sure, we expected Star Wars: Galactic Racer to be good off the pitch alone. A new studio, featuring members of the Burnout team, is creating a spiritual sequel to the Nintendo 64 podracing game? Yes, please! We didn’t, however, predict the game’s creator would splice a clever story and an inspired roguelike structure into the racing genre. Our GOTY conversation just got a bit more complicated. Plus, we discuss how Galactic Racer is one part of a larger trend of delightful Star Wars games that have a fresh vision for the franchise. | 54m 17s | ||||||
| 10/2/26 | Control Resonant Rewards Your Patience | Control Resonant is technically a sequel to 2019’s Control. But developer Remedy has (as they often do) opted to stretch the definition of sequel as far as possible, converting the third-person shooter series into an open-world action game. Shockingly, it works… once you get your sea-legs. Plus, we talk about how the release of Gears of War: E-DAY falls in the shadow of the brutal layoffs and changes at Xbox. | 59m 16s | ||||||
| 9/25/26 | With Fire Emblem, Is It Finally Time to Buy a Switch 2? | Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave is the biggest exclusive for the Nintendo Switch 2 — quite literally. A completionist run of the new tactics RPG could take you 200 hours. For some fans, the epic length will be a decadent pleasure. For others, like Plante, it’s a threat. To guide us through the huge adventure, longtime Fire Emblem-lovers Griffin and Frush share what works and doesn’t. Meanwhile, Plante wonders if the current list of exclusives has made the Switch 2 a worthwhile upgrade. | 59m 20s | ||||||
| 9/18/26 | Wolverine Is a Disaster | Most of the time, we chat about games we enjoy. So many games debut every week, and picking promising new ones is relatively easy. But every so often, a game with high expectations ends up being a colossal disappointment. Wolverine, we’re sad to say, is one of those games. And yet, we’re making lemonade from lemons. Because all of Wolverine’s flaws make for a good conversation about what we expect (and hope for) from video games. Especially ones that cost so much. Speaking of expensive stuff: Frush shares hands-on impressions with the Steam Frame. | 57m 08s | ||||||
| 9/11/26 | OnimushaCapcom+4 | Ron Funches | CapcomOnimusha: The Way of the Sword+2 | United States | OnimushaCapcom+5 | — | 57m 23s | ||
| 9/4/26 | grim fantasy RPGvampires+3 | Mary Kish | Rebel WolvesCD Projekt Red+1 | Carpathian mountains | Blood of DawnwalkerRPG+3 | — | 1h 00m 46s | ||
| 8/28/26 | Blood DungeonVampire Survivors+4 | — | Blood DungeonMesshof+2 | — | Blood DungeonVampire Survivors+5 | — | 57m 21s | ||
| 8/21/26 | game comparisonindie games+3 | — | Stardew ValleyFields of Mistria | — | Stardew ValleyFields of Mistria+3 | — | 57m 32s | ||
| 8/14/26 | Big Walkmultiplayer games+3 | — | Big WalkUntitled Goose Game+1 | — | Big WalkHouse House+5 | — | 1h 02m 59s | ||
| 8/7/26 | action-RPGgame development+4 | Ron Funches | Game FreakBeast of Reincarnation+3 | — | Beast of ReincarnationGame Freak+5 | — | 57m 18s | ||
| 7/31/26 | video gamesSplatoon Raiders+3 | — | Splatoon RaidersSplatoon | — | Splatoon RaidersSplatoon+3 | — | 54m 57s | ||
| 7/24/26 | HaloXbox strategy+4 | — | Halo: Campaign EvolvedPalworld+2 | — | HaloXbox+4 | — | 59m 42s | ||
| 7/17/26 | indie gamesremakes+3 | Jeff Grubb | Giant BombUbisoft+2 | — | DenshattackAssassin’s Creed+6 | — | 49m 31s | ||
| 7/10/26 | Rhythm HeavenNintendo+4 | — | Rhythm Heaven GrooveSteam Machine+1 | — | Rhythm HeavenNintendo+3 | — | 56m 10s | ||
| 7/3/26 | gaming newsphysical game production+4 | Stephen Totilo | StarfoxGame File+3 | — | SonyNintendo+4 | — | 52m 38s | ||
| 6/26/26 | best gamesgame of the year+3 | — | The Grinch 2 | — | best games 2026GOTY contenders+3 | — | 58m 59s | ||
| 6/19/26 | video gamesDLC+3 | — | Steam | — | video gamesDLC+4 | — | 1h 00m 14s | ||
| 6/12/26 | Summer Game Festvideo game releases+3 | — | Tomb RaiderStranger Than Heaven+1 | Los Angeles | Summer Game Festvideo games+3 | — | 55m 52s | ||
| 6/5/26 | video gamesJames Bond+3 | — | 007 First LightIO Interactive+2 | — | 007 First LightIO Interactive+3 | — | 1h 05m 26s | ||
| 5/29/26 | Mina the Hollowervideo game influences+3 | Jason Schreier | BloombergTriple Click+3 | — | Mina the HollowerDragon Quest 12+4 | — | 1h 19m 32s | ||
| 5/22/26 | video gameopen world+3 | — | Forza Horizon 6 | Japan | Forza Horizon 6open world+4 | — | 58m 03s | ||
| 5/15/26 | game reviewmusical games+3 | Lucy James | Friends Per SecondMixtape | — | Mixtapemusical game+5 | — | 58m 58s | ||
| 5/8/26 | video gamesbullet-dodging action+3 | — | HousemarqueReturnal+2 | — | Sarosbullet heaven+6 | — | 1h 00m 16s | ||
| 5/1/26 | indie gamesVampire Crawlers+4 | — | Vampire CrawlersVampire Survivors | — | Vampire CrawlersVampire Survivors+4 | — | 58m 16s | ||
| 4/24/26 | NintendoTomodatchi Life+4 | — | Tomodatchi LifeUniversal Studios | Super Nintendo World | Tomodatchi LifeSuper Nintendo World+3 | — | 56m 32s | ||
| 4/17/26 | video gamethird-person shooter+4 | Andy Cortez | PragmataCapcom+1 | — | PragmataCapcom+5 | — | 59m 44s | ||
| 4/10/26 | film adaptationvideo game movies+3 | Matt Apodaca | Get PlayedThe Super Mario Galaxy Movie | — | Super Mario Galaxymovie adaptation+3 | — | 1h 00m 19s | ||
| 4/3/26 | low-priced gamesgaming alternatives+4 | — | Creature KitchenScritchy Scratchy+1 | — | Creature KitchenScritchy Scratchy+5 | — | 1h 05m 05s | ||
| 3/27/26 | video gamesextraction genre+4 | — | MarathonDestiny+2 | — | MarathonBungie+5 | — | 54m 16s | ||
| 3/20/26 | video gamesgame reviews+3 | — | Slay the Spire 2Marathon+1 | — | Slay the Spire 2Resident Evil 9+3 | — | 1h 06m 14s | ||
| 3/13/26 | game developmentPokopia+4 | — | PokopiaNintendo+4 | — | PokopiaNintendo+6 | — | 50m 01s | ||
| 3/6/26 | nostalgiagaming+4 | — | Scott Pilgrim EXScott Pilgrim+3 | NES | Scott Pilgrimnostalgia+6 | — | 53m 38s | ||
| 2/27/26 | Resident Evilvideo games+3 | — | Resident Evil: RequiemResident Evil: Village | — | Resident EvilRequiem+5 | — | 55m 04s | ||
| 2/20/26 | puzzle-platformerco-op gaming+3 | — | ReanimalLimbo+3 | — | ReanimalLimbo+6 | — | 1h 00m 40s | ||
Showing 36 of 517
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Distribution & Reach
About the show, platforms, and key insights.
Distribution & Reach
About the show, platforms, and key insights.
Key insights
What the show covers
- ranking favorite video games
- reviewing video games
- discussing gaming culture
- sharing personal experiences
Audience interests
- video game reviews
- game rankings
- gaming discussions
- friendship dynamics
Platform reach
- available on major podcast platforms
- growing listener base
- potential for broad distribution
- no specific platforms detected
Publishing consistency
- weekly episodes
- 14 years active
- 497 total episodes
- consistent release schedule
Chart history for The Besties
Peaked at #3 in United States, top 10 in 7 of 50 tracked markets, currently #3 in United States.
| Market | Genre | Peak | Current | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | — | #3 | #3 | — |
| Canada | — | #4 | #4 | — |
| Australia | — | #5 | #5 | — |
| PT | — | #5 | #5 | — |
| New Zealand | — | #6 | #6 | — |
| ID | — | #6 | #6 | — |
| Denmark | — | #8 | #8 | — |
| SG | — | #11 | #11 | — |
| United States | — | #12 | #12 | — |
| Norway | — | #12 | #12 | — |
| United Kingdom | — | #14 | #14 | — |
| Brazil | — | #14 | #14 | — |
| VN | — | #15 | #15 | — |
| South Africa | — | #15 | #15 | — |
| IS | — | #18 | #18 | — |
| Canada | — | #20 | #20 | — |
| South Korea | — | #20 | #20 | — |
| PH | — | #21 | #21 | — |
| IL | — | #23 | #23 | — |
| Netherlands | — | #26 | #26 | — |
Chart Positions
50 placements across 36 markets.
Chart Positions
50 placements across 36 markets.