And you thought I’d only do one new podcast this year. Chapter Select is a season-based podcast. Myself and Logan Moore pick a series each season and play all its entries alongside guests. The twist is we play the first game and then the most recent game, bouncing back and forth until we meet in the middle; allowing us to explore a franchise’s design, legacy, and evolution. Season 1 is launching next week on June 2, 2021. There is also a test run we did in 2020, focusing on *The Last of Us*. If you wanted my thoughts on *The Last of Us Part II* hot off beating it, they have been recorded and on my hard drive for nearly a year. You can listen to the first two episodes now: S0E1 - The Last of Us *[Download](https://traffic.libsyn.com/chapterselectpod/CS_S0E1_Final_v3.mp3) (40MB) – [[S0E1 Transcript - The Last of Us|Episode Transcript]]* <audio controls> <source src="https://traffic.libsyn.com/chapterselectpod/CS_S0E1_Final_v3.mp3"> </audio> S0E2 - The Last of Us Part II *[Download](https://traffic.libsyn.com/chapterselectpod/CS_S0E2_Final_v3.mp3) (51MB) – [[S0E2 Transcript - The Last of Us Part II|Episode Transcript]]* <audio controls> <source src="https://traffic.libsyn.com/chapterselectpod/CS_S0E2_Final_v3.mp3"> </audio> - [RSS Feed](https://chapterselectpod.libsyn.com/rss) - [Overcast](https://overcast.fm/itunes1568777352) - [Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/chapter-select/id1568777352) - [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/4f1TLZXbwtSX7uHROe9KlS) Chapter Select is an idea I have had for nearly three years. It’s been in development for roughly one of those years. Back in college, I discovered a fun show called *[James Bonding](https://www.earwolf.com/show/james-bonding/)*, where hosts and guests watched the Bond films in this same manner *Dr. No* then *Skyfall* then *From Russia with Love* and so on. Unfortunately, that show in its entirety is behind a paywall now, but this format always stuck with me. I like it quite a bit and wanted to expand its potential. At the end of college, I left the podcasting scene. While there is more to the story, one element that wore me down was a rigid weekly schedule. Having a seasonal show allows us a few luxuries: 1. No inherent crunch 2. Structure how we like, bank episodes 3. Gives listeners (you) a higher quality product It also lets Logan and myself really pick and choose which game series to tackle each season. We already have a slew of ideas and have Season 2’s focus locked in. Here at launch, we have already released what we affectionately are calling “Season 0,” with its two episodes about *The Last of Us* and *The Last of Us Part II*. Then, throughout the month of June, we will be releasing (at least) the first three episodes of Season 1. We are still in the process of playing and recording the back half of Season 1. Now if you’ll indulge me, I wanted to share some of the little touches we are using in the production of the show. Up first are what I consider standards for podcasts I produce at the moment – chapters. Seems like all major podcast players outside of Spotify fully support chapter markers and chapter art, so I’m happy to have them there. Speaking of art, there is both seasonal and episodic show art. When you look up the show, it will have art tailored for the specific series we are covering at the time. Each episode will have art for the game we are talking about. This seems to be supported in most major podcast players at this point. I have had a blast making this custom art, especially for Season 1. I cannot wait to share it with you all. This has been a project on my mind for a long time and I am immensely excited to finally release it. I truly think this a great show. I haven’t been this excited to engage in conversation about games in years. It sort of reminds me of Logan and I’s early efforts to lean into the “Millennial” part of Millennial Gaming Speak. We’d play old games we had never played before and try to do it in a weekly fashion. It was far too taxing, even on a college schedule, but it lead to us playing some of gaming’s all-time greats and exploring them through our lens. The one game I actually beat at the time was *Castlevania: Symphony of the Night*. I see immense potential in us evolving that core idea into this Chapter Select format. I hope you all enjoy.