PlayFrame patron update!
Added 2024-02-17 00:51:43 +0000 UTCHello, all! I hope you're having a lovely week.
It's been a while since we had a bonus playthrough or a survey or some other random opportunity to give general updates on the channel, so here's a random update post!
Playlists!
I've always worked to maintain a library of organized playlists on our channel page in an effort to make our playthroughs as easy to find and watch as possible. We've played hundreds of games at this point, and I know digging through that backlog of episodes isn't always easy.
So, to make things a little more convenient, I've updated our main page with a few new helpful category rows! You can go HERE and scroll down to see all of them now, but let me walk you through some of the new additions and highlights...
Playthroughs currently in progress
A list of the games which are currently being played on the channel.
ALL playthroughs (in alphabetical order)
A complete list of ALL the games we've played on the channel (excluding one-off episodes, which have their own playlist).
COMPLETE playthroughs
A list of the games we've actually finished.
Fan Favorites
A collection of some of the most popular playthroughs we've done over the years, just in case someone is looking for a place to start.
Family Friendly
All of the playthroughs which are appropriate for younger viewers! A few folks who watch our videos together with their kids requested this, and it's a great idea.
We've also got a few rows dedicated to things like our highlight reels, playthroughs that involve Carrie, playthroughs that involve Dan Jones, Side Quest playthroughs and more.
I'll be keeping all of these updated as we play more games, so I hope they prove a useful resource!
The Wednesday Slot
In the old times, our "main" weekday playthrough would air new episodes Monday through Friday. But then in 2021, as we kicked off that gargantuan Elden Ring playthrough, we decided to start a new tradition of "One-Off Wednesdays", using Wednesdays as a day for one-off episodes of random games in hopes that they might provide some welcome variety to folks who weren't interested in Elden Ring (or whatever other giant playthrough threatens to dominate the channel for months at a time).
This new tradition has had a lot of benefits! It's given us a bit more variety in our weekly release schedule, it's given us a place to feature neat games without committing to a full playthrough, and it allows us to feature more games and potentially draw in more viewers who might not otherwise discover us.
Of course, there are downsides also. It's made those long playthroughs last even longer, it's created weird pacing gaps when we decide to go back to finish a one-off game (examples: Tunic and SANABI), and finding games that are interesting enough to feature but not finish is pretty tricky.
This week, I decided to pull Wednesdays back into the main weekday slot in order to accelerate the Final Fantasy VII playthrough a bit, and that's felt pretty nice to get back to! I'm thinking in the future we'll go back and forth, depending on how things feel?
I am curious to hear your opinions, though! Do you prefer Wednesdays being for one-offs, or do you prefer having five episodes of the weekday series?
Playthroughs Coming Soon
Here's the plan for some of our next few playthroughs!
Weekdays (Dan)
Once we've finished Final Fantasy VII (which I've been enjoying immensely), we'll be set to roll right into Final Fantasy VII Rebirth on the following Monday. I expect our episodes won't start airing until a week or two after the game launches, so that'll give folks a bit of time to play it themselves if they don't want to be spoiled.
After that (assuming we haven't had a surprise drop of something major like Silksong or Elden Ring DLC), we'll next do Deltarune Chapter 2. It's been a longer-than-intended gap between chapters, and I'm eager to see more of that one.
After that (again, assuming something major hasn't dropped), I actually plan to put it to a Patron Vote! It's been a while since y'all had the chance to vote for a Bonus Playthrough, but I've got a LOT of games I've been wanting to get to, so I'm thinking I'll put together a short list and y'all can vote for which game we play first.
Saturdays (Dan & Dan)
Unknown! I expect Dan and I will be enjoying Stranger of Paradise for a good while yet, and we're not 100% decided on what we'll move to after.
Sundays (Dan & Carrie)
But Carrie and I do have our next game picked! Once we've wrapped up Smushi Come Home, we'll do a quick one-off for fun before starting up Heaven's Vault. A language puzzle mystery sounds like a pretty perfect fit for us. :)
**UPDATE** It turns out Heaven's Vault isn't very Let's Play friendly, so we pivoted to a different language puzzle game, Chants of Sennaar, which absolutely rules.
Lots to look forward to!
Thank You!
As always, thank you very much for supporting this thing we make! Life has been a bit more turbulent for us in recent months, and we're very grateful to all of you for making it possible for us to pour so much into this channel we so enjoy working on. Making PlayFrame brings us a lot of joy, and we're very happy it does the same for so many of you! <3
That's everything I think! Have a lovely weekend!
Dan
Comments
Also, one offs are fine unless I’m really into the game. So, it just seems it depends on what you are really digging or want to get through. I’ve yet to experience a period where I’m not interested in at least something you are publishing.
Corey (johnnyjordan)
2024-04-20 20:44:10 +0000 UTCReally enjoying FF and all of the FF videos you do. That includes SoP and XIV. Will you do more jrpgs in the future? I’m thinking of Octopaty Traveller and Bravely Default. Those types. I just love so much of the music and would love to watch a play through to get a feel for how the story works with the music. And honestly, your channel is the only one I can watch and enjoy when it comes to games. Keep it up!! :)
Corey (johnnyjordan)
2024-04-20 20:29:27 +0000 UTCSomeday probably! We'd probably tackle some other, smaller Zelda games first, and I expect I'd put together a pretty planned route through BotW and TotK's world and stories in order to keep the series length within reason, but I'm game for attempting it someday.
PlayFrame
2024-03-04 01:19:54 +0000 UTCI imagine this has been asked a bunch already, and I know it’s a daunting undertaking, but are there any plans to do a BotW2 Let’s Play in the near future?
Jessica Coonrod
2024-03-03 03:26:21 +0000 UTCAh, yeah, I had forgotten about that. That did take a while to get used to.
Adam Gardner
2024-02-27 04:58:47 +0000 UTCIt's mostly the fact that you have so little control over the pace of text or dialog. It made it extremely difficult to find room to actually discuss anything that was happening.
PlayFrame
2024-02-27 04:58:07 +0000 UTCAwww. Sad you won’t be playing Heaven’s Vault. Out of curiosity, what about it do you find to be not lets-play friendly?
Adam Gardner
2024-02-27 04:48:00 +0000 UTCI think keeping wednesdays flexible sounds like a happy medium. (Or mondays/fridays like another commenter suggested). No need to force it if there’s not a game that fits, and having the option to accelerate a playthrough sounds like a good tool to have.
Graham Manson
2024-02-20 17:57:19 +0000 UTCI like both approaches to Wednesdays honestly, for all the same reasons you described. Going either way (or leaving it flexible) you keep making great choices and I'm enjoying the ride.
Paws
2024-02-19 05:35:04 +0000 UTCEchoing what others have said: I'm in favor of one off Wednesdays, but understand why you might skip them at certain points! I think the one off Wednesdays are especially important when the main series is just not a game I'm interested in so I still have PlayFrame weekday content to enjoy!
bird on the loose
2024-02-18 23:44:21 +0000 UTCI also really like the Wednesday one offs for the variety and learning about cool new games. But a regular game day is no deal breaker either. And if I may be so bold, since a new vote is coming up for a Patreon Bonus Playtrough, could I suggest "Laika: aged trough blood" to the option list? It is surprisingly similar yet different from Sanabi in both the story (tragic tale about family and sacrifice in a distopic world) and gameplay (a physics-based metroidvania with a quite unique mechanic).
lChronosl
2024-02-18 22:44:13 +0000 UTCI really like wednesday one offs! They let you show off games you may not have been able to otherwise and potentially turn into a series, and also serve as a nice break from the main series. This is especially nice if the long series you are doing is one I'm not watching - for example, I'm in the "I don't want any FF7 spoilers" camp so I'll be avoiding your FF7 series' for a while. One offs are nice because no matter what is going on with the current series on the channel, I'll probably still have a Playframe to watch every week, which is really nice for me as a viewer. ...also I tend to buy a lot of the games you showcase in your one offs wednesdays.
MayImilae
2024-02-18 08:25:25 +0000 UTCSadly not uncommon in this business. I appreciate the offer to help, but Carrie and I will be ok! It's just an unfortunate disruption.
PlayFrame
2024-02-17 19:44:33 +0000 UTCRegarding the Wednesday one-offs, I feel fine trusting you to make the choice, and switch between one-offs and main playthroughs as you see fit. Other than that, it's nice to see an update, so thanks! Can't wait for FFVII Chapter 2!
Yoav Zack
2024-02-17 19:20:13 +0000 UTCMay I suggest a compromise? Just do the Wednesday one-offs when you feel like it and/or have an interesting game to showcase. Don't make them a mandatory every-Wednesday thing.
Lance Edens
2024-02-17 19:13:51 +0000 UTCI'd say do whatever helps to keep you motivated to produce such consistent, high-quality content. :) But if you're asking options, I am in the "continue playthrough on Wednesdays" camp. I like the continuity in tone and story as I watch daily. And I find I don't always finish your Wednesday episodes, as once I get an idea of gameplay the story isn't there to hook me. But if you like Wednesdays to feel fresh and it gives you a chance to take a break, then by all means please continue.
Lance Edens
2024-02-17 19:10:00 +0000 UTCI'm not the hugest fan of singleton one-off episodes (although to be fair, I have found a game or two via those that I've enjoyed playing myself), but I do like having something that is a break from longer games / that changes up more frequently, especially when they're longer games that I'm not particularly interested in watching. So I guess I would be for Wednesdays (or some other day of the week) to be for shorter games that you can get through quickly in the range of, like, 2 - 10 episodes? (As opposed to a sample platter of 1 episode of the beginning of many games.) It seems like that gives a lot of opportunities to showcase a lot of smaller indie-type games.
The Furies
2024-02-17 18:46:16 +0000 UTCI enjoy the one off Wednesday episodes, but I feel like they can break the momentum of a narrative focused game. I feel like one off Mondays or one off Fridays might flow better. Excited for the upcoming schedule!
William O'Brien
2024-02-17 16:56:26 +0000 UTCyeah he mentioned it in the new frame plus post
Reya
2024-02-17 15:57:32 +0000 UTCThanks for this massive update. I do enjoy the one-off Wednesdays (how else would I have learned about Tunic or Sanabi?). However if it makes it easier to drop it for a bit that makes sense. I can't imagine how much of an undertaking it is to have a schedule this packed with the quality and editing you all put out.
Paul Ungar
2024-02-17 15:52:36 +0000 UTCWait, Dan moved to his new job, then got laid off?
Jonathan Syrigos
2024-02-17 15:41:20 +0000 UTCI prefer five episode of the weekday series. I like finishing games, so seeing a glimpse of a game I like without finishing it is a little annoying. That being said, I only found out about a few of the games you played from the Wed slot, (and purchased them) because you played them in that slot. So maybe every so maybe bring it back for one or two games every so often?
Jonathan Syrigos
2024-02-17 15:37:09 +0000 UTCi've enjoyed both regular wednesdays and one-off wednesdays. i think you should have the freedom to keep it flexible.
Robert Calhoun
2024-02-17 15:03:30 +0000 UTCI'm so sorry you've been laid off. Is there anything we as patrons can do to help?
Reya
2024-02-17 14:37:38 +0000 UTCI think one-off Wednesdays are nice for longer playthroughs but are kind of annoying for shorter ones (although I understand it can be hard to tell ahead of time just how long a playthrough is going to be)
Kobold
2024-02-17 14:22:02 +0000 UTCOccasional one-offs are a source of fun variety, but I'm not particularly attached to any fixed schedule - I'll watch most whatever you put out. So all good from my perspective to use that slot for whatever you see fit on a week to week basis.
noggin-scratcher
2024-02-17 13:21:33 +0000 UTCI honestly really like the One Off Wednesdays. They break up series which might not be for everyone and also give you a chance to play something that could be a hit or a miss. It also lets me catch up on things that I might have fallen behind on to be honest! But I do understand that sometimes you want to just get through a series and having that one extra episode (instead of a one off) makes so much sense. I guess I'm asking that you don't do away with the one offs completely, they're really good. Like maybe one or two a month? Just to highlight something you've noticed but aren't sure of? Maybe right at the start/end of the month as a breather for yourself. Edit to say: Thank you so much for the family friendly playlists~
TeapotGamer
2024-02-17 11:38:36 +0000 UTCI like the change of pace in mixing up the Wednesdays. Like others here, it did introduce me on occasion to new games I'd never seen before (like Worldless, which looked incredible). But keeping up the momentum of main games makes sense too, so alternating at your discretion feels like the absolute right choice, assuming the whims of The Algorithm doesn't hate the rather arbitrary changes. Or if that's even important. If you're keen on and enjoy Heaven's Vault, I can also highly and strongly recommend Chants of Sennaar. In my opinion it was just a better execution of a similar conceit (language and analysis thereof being the core of the game), and I found it significantly more compelling than Heaven's Vault. It ends up feeling a lot more like a strong Myst game than Heaven's Vault, which felt more to me like a VN with a few pattern matching puzzles thrown in. Nothing wrong with that approach, of course, but the recommendation to check out Chants of Sennaar remains!
Claudio de Sa
2024-02-17 07:55:17 +0000 UTCI am so incredibly excited for you two to play Heaven's Vault, and I hope you get to experience it without too many spoilers because gosh is it an amazing playthrough. Also, even if it doesn't become part of the playthrough I highly recommend New Game Plus in that game, soooooo much good language nerding!
Louis Hansen
2024-02-17 07:29:59 +0000 UTCI tend to prefer the One-off Wednesdays, but like others have said, switching back and forth could definitely work! Depending on the length and tone of the main playthrough, you could have the have one offs or not. I love learning about cool new games, and getting a little glimpse into them, especially if the main playthrough is expected to last a month or more. Either way, I'll enjoy what y'all put out ✨
Han
2024-02-17 05:52:56 +0000 UTCI have a slight preference for not doing the One-Off Wednesdays and just continuing the main weekday playthrough all five weekdays, mostly because I get thrown off by the Wednesday slot and have to readjust my expectations. It isn't a big deal to me, though, which is why I said it's a slight preference. Thanks for doing what you do!
Sientir
2024-02-17 05:27:04 +0000 UTCI agree with others about One-Off Wednesdays: I think they serve an important purpose in breaking up longer playthroughs and giving some spotlight to games people might not otherwise know about, but I think they can also be sidelined as necessary to accelerate a playthrough (such as right now with FFVII). I also really, really appreciate the playlist/playthrough organization on the channel- it makes it so easy to browse and find things. ^ ^ Truly, thank you! Really excited for the coming months, I hope you and Carrie and everyone are doing well and staying healthy through the winter!
Eliz
2024-02-17 04:45:39 +0000 UTCHonestly, I feel the best approach to your Wednesday slot is what you've just decided to do--switch back and forth depending on what the main playthrough is. If you feel like the main playthrough is short enough that we don't really need to break it up, it seems best to power through so we can get to another full playthrough (I'm, personally, generally more fond of full playthroughs than one-offs--I can't get as invested knowing that I'm not likely to see any further in the story, since I have my own game backlog and I'm not likely to pick up anything you spotlight to add to that pile). On the other hand, it makes perfect sense to break up the release schedule and give people who aren't a fan of the main playthrough something to watch when you're in the midst of a longer game.
A. Carlson
2024-02-17 04:44:50 +0000 UTCI don't have any strong preference on Wednesdays. Whatever feels best to you :) And yes, seconding the comment above in that I would love to see the next part of the FFXIV playthrough!
LlamaMaster
2024-02-17 03:24:07 +0000 UTCI really enjoy both versions for Wednesdays. The one offs have introduced me to a lot of smaller titles I might never have otherwise seen which is great. The 5 days of main game lets me get into more of a flow with the story which feels nice. I think switching between the two options depending on main game length or having something you want to show off or any other reason is a good idea.
HeroOfCantonOH
2024-02-17 03:20:52 +0000 UTCI notice you haven't mentioned if yoou have a planned date to pick FFXIV back up, which is absolutely fine! But I've been enjoying your playthrough immensely. I think it may be because you want to wait until Dawntrail launches and the massive login queues die down again, but whenever you want o pick it back up obviously works for me! I like One-off Wednesdays quite a bit, and I've picked up at least aa handful of games from that series. tunic notably. But i do think if you're playing a longer game, it might be better to have the more episodes of that going so you can geet through it just that bit faster, with maybe One-Off tagging in for the Wednesday position of whatever mon-wed-fri series you may have going? I really hope Neo The World Ends With You is an option for the voting series. I only picked it up because of your playthrough of the first game and i really liked how they adapted the pin system to a more conventional controller. And the characters are just... another bunch of fun dorks.
Gatlin Burnside
2024-02-17 03:06:15 +0000 UTCSo many exciting things! I'm super stoked to see what all is in store!
Amanda Stoner
2024-02-17 03:00:23 +0000 UTCOne-off Wednesdays have been a nice way to find out about a lot of games I might not have otherwise heard of or checked out, and it's certainly contributed a number of games to my library or wishlist. I'd be content either way, if a series would be best served by running 5 days a week to avoid dragging on for too long, or if there's a lack of interesting games that would be better served with a one-off than a full series, then so be it.
Karashata
2024-02-17 02:57:32 +0000 UTCI enjoy One-Off Wednesdays for the most part, but I think I generally prefer weekdays all being one game. I think it's good to have One-Off Wednesdays in the back pocket for if they're needed for a particularly long series, but otherwise I like having the same series throughout the week better.
InkMaster
2024-02-17 02:12:38 +0000 UTCI prefer five episodes of the main game each week, rather than Wednesday one-offs, but I'm not at all bothered by the one-offs. (I hate to suggest splitting the difference and doing one-offs on alternate weeks though...) When I skip a regular series, I make a point to watch most of the one-offs, but for extra-long series, extending it by 20% really adds up to a lot. So maybe one-offs actually make the most sense when they're breaking up shorter games?
Nicholas Ehlers
2024-02-17 01:44:57 +0000 UTCI only joined the fold after One-Off Wednesday was a thing, and I love the concept! That said, I'd be lying if I said there wasn't a mild twinge of disappointment when I see whatever the main playthrough is isn't on that day, but I love instead seeing new games I would never otherwise experience. Those one-offs have definitely added more than a few games to my library (I got Sanabi about 10 minutes into the video because it looked SO GOOD!!!). I like the idea of One-Off Wednesday, but if the current playthrough has momentum, or you just don't have a game that sounds interesting and one-off-able, you shouldn't feel the need to force it.
Kellen Watt
2024-02-17 01:43:58 +0000 UTCI tend to get behind on the main playthroughs so it's nice to have Wednesday one offs that I can just watch. Switching back and forth as you have one offs to do or want to make more progress on a man playthroughs is fine by me.
Kyle Brown
2024-02-17 01:42:38 +0000 UTCI like the Wednesday Oneshots but I understand wanting to power through 7 to get to . . . 7. Loving Stranger in Paradise has me seriously tempted to pick up the game.
Joe Rundin
2024-02-17 01:40:13 +0000 UTCOoooh, Heaven's Vault! I'm really excited to see you two play through that game! I need to get back into it for a spell. As for the Wednesday slot, I'm honestly pretty easy either way, but I really enjoy the one-offs for recommendations and getting an idea for the gameplay and style. It's like watching someone play through a demo. I do like Amielle's idea of a palette cleanser although I hope you bring back something like 'Metroidvania Week' but with a new genre so you can show off some interesting or quirky or genre-specific games for us to enjoy.
SparkyDJM1
2024-02-17 01:37:39 +0000 UTComg heaven's vault, yay! been hoping y'all would give that one a shot!
Dan Boger
2024-02-17 01:24:42 +0000 UTCI’m usually more invested in the main play throughs rather than one off Wednesdays, although the variety is fun to sample when I’m looking for something new to watch! It’s not necessary helpful feedback but I’m honestly happy with whatever makes the schedule feel good for you as the creators 🤣 Amielle’s idea about using one offs as a “palette cleanser” between major games also sounds like a fun idea!
Sierra Lomo
2024-02-17 01:21:12 +0000 UTCI like the variety of One-off Wednesdays, particularly when the main playthrough is months long, but I also like the faster progress of the 5-day weeks, and it does feel a little disjointed having 2 days on, 1 off, 2 on, 2 off. I'd support a more flexible approach.
rmsgrey
2024-02-17 01:19:40 +0000 UTCI'm a big fan of the one-off Wednesdays! I've gone on to play so many of them myself, I love to see a good indie game I've missed every now and then! Currently looking forward to watching through Sanabi once I finish playing it!
Tim Hawkins
2024-02-17 01:13:58 +0000 UTCI have to say I love the one off Wednesdays. You’ve introduced me to a lot of games that I’ve gotten and played myself and it’s nice to have something to watch when I’m not interested in the play throughs. I look forward to the Patreon vote! Should be fun.
Quixotic Raven
2024-02-17 01:13:27 +0000 UTCMy two cents on Wednesdays, if the playthrough is going to be long (Over two months) maybe use it to break the monotony of the same game, if it's going to be short then just play through.
Zach Vaul
2024-02-17 01:12:54 +0000 UTCThis is a great update, I appreciate all the info and news that I’ve been wondering about for a few months now. As for the Wednesday slot, I’m someone who prefers the full five days schedule, it made it really easy and natural to follow along and now right when I may be getting into a play through there is a bump on Wednesday. I don’t think the Wednesday slot should totally go away but I think it should be spaced out more, kinda like when there’s a sponsored video, something that just has to be seen and is really good for a one off. Thanks for the update y’all looking forward to Rebirth!
Jordan Glazer
2024-02-17 01:05:53 +0000 UTCMore flexible Wednesday sounds like a good idea. In general I skip Wednesdays because I'm usually not interested in watching games that won't be finished.
Sqishy
2024-02-17 01:05:49 +0000 UTCI'm hoping that one of the games on the patron vote is persona 3 reload. Though I could see the persona games being a potential for a story mode series in the future.
Samuel
2024-02-17 01:03:29 +0000 UTCRegarding the one-offs, how abouy moving them to the end of a playthrough instead? Like having one or two on-offs as a palate cleanser between long playthroughs?
Aimelle
2024-02-17 01:02:11 +0000 UTCIm on the fence about Wednesday. I like the idea of using the slot for the games you really want to feature but not play through. I also like what you did with the stanly parable playing some shorter games in that slot. But i do miss the 5 releases a week. Im for a more flexible Wednesday slot i think.
Festa Brews
2024-02-17 00:59:41 +0000 UTCFor the Wednesday slot, I kind of prefer having all five weekdays be the same game, but I'll also admit that, on the longer playthroughs, having a something different on Wednesdays is a nice change of pace. So I'll just defer to what other people think, since I just want both.
Font of Wisdom
2024-02-17 00:58:56 +0000 UTCFirst of all, I personally like the one-off wednesdays a lot; I don’t often have time to watch the monster series play throughs (or don’t want to spoil a game I haven’t played yet), so having the Wednesday slot be unrelated games makes for a nice opportunity to still enjoy stuff. Second, I am *really* looking forward to you guys playing Heaven’s Vault. I *adore* that game, and played it through multiple times back to back (like, four or five times) just to try out different dialog paths and try to uncover additional lore or secrets (it helps that subsequent play throughs offer a sort semi-new-game-plus). Also also, I really really like the voice actress for the main (and only voiced) character.
Adam Gardner
2024-02-17 00:58:51 +0000 UTCLet's see: Wednesdays: one offs. Deltarune Chapter 2: kind of wish you'd do this before FF7, you're missing out on the best tune in the whole Undertale/Deltarune series. Heaven's Vault: excellent game, looking forward to your playthrough.
Steve Jakab
2024-02-17 00:57:23 +0000 UTCHeaven's Vault! I got my other linguistically minded friend SUPER into it despite never actually getting around to it myself. Sounds like I better do that 😅
Just Ember
2024-02-17 00:57:16 +0000 UTCI really like the oneshot wednesdays, and have bought 2-3 of the games played there even over just the previous couple months. . It's especially good when you're caught playing a game I have no interest in - final fantasy is one for me, as I have to stay away from MMO's for my mental health.
Lars Gottlieb
2024-02-17 00:56:52 +0000 UTCYay! Thank you to the playlist fairy! Excited about the lineup.
maia
2024-02-17 00:55:11 +0000 UTCKeep doing what you’re doing homie!
Joe Velkovich
2024-02-17 00:53:43 +0000 UTC
