Button Boys

The Things In Games You’ve Never Done IRL

Button Boys

Show Notes

Dumped surreptitiously into your podcast app, it's another episode of Button Boys, the world's only gaming podcast hosted by Glenn Moore, Sarah Keyworth and Pierre Novellie.

This week the Boys are on the hunt for game mechanics and tropes that feel completely normal in games, but they've never actually done themselves, questioning the very fabric of the digital worlds we all inhabit.

In slightly less of an existential manner, Glenn's been dwelling in a dank cathedral basement this week, frantically inputting numbers; Sarah's tried out a game they so nearly picked as a ‘one to watch’; and Pierre's signed up for planetary defence, perhaps at the cost of his own sanity.

Any game developers out there should listen closely, too, as Pierre pitches what may be the first $10m-grossing Button Boys game. We're open for business...

If you can't get enough Button Boys content, head over to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, where you can find our weekly Hidden Cache bonus episode featuring more gripes, game recommendations and our Hitman: World of Assassination playthrough, and our brand new Player 4 show where we interview a different comedian every month about their gaming lives.

Follow along with the Button Boys on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for highlights, behind-the-scenes content and future podcast announcements.

Games Mentioned in this week's episode:

TR-49

Expelled!

80 Days

Overboard!

Strange Horticulture

Winter Burrow

Frostpunk

Terra Invicta

Europa Universalis IV

XCOM

Ico

Mass Effect 2

Dog Pile

Cyberpunk 2077

Ghost of Yotei

Medal of Honor

Horizon Zero Dawn

Streets of Rage

Wordle

Produced and edited by Ben Drayton Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

More from Button Boys

Oct 21, 2026

We've all had one of those days: just missing the bus, stepping in a deep puddle, pissing ourselves a little bit. But none of us have had the kinds of days that gaming protagonists routinely face. From severed limbs to shipwrecks, we subject our digital avatars to the worst possible experiences.

Oct 14, 2026

Much like side streets, side arms, side tables, side dishes and sidemen, can provoke surprisingly strong feelings. This week we're going off the beaten track, ignoring the main objective and tackling the good, the bad and the ugly of secondary storylines. We've got drunken foolery, farting pigs and complete letdowns. But enough about the hosts, on with the podcast!

Oct 7, 2026

This week the Boys try to settle the debate raging across the country: which historical or futuristic period makes the best setting for a game? From early symbolic thought through to space travel across the outer reaches of the universe, gaming covers every era, but which one suits it best?

Sep 30, 2026

This week's topic is all about the maggot in the apple, the flaw in the diamond, the suspicious stain on the clean-smelling underwear. That's right, it's the parts of otherwise great games that we hate. Disgusting sound effects, tedious intros, impossible tasks and unfamiliar mechanics have all weaselled their way in to the Boys' all-time favourites.

Sep 23, 2026

If you missed out on the first ever Button Boys LIVE, don't worry, we remembered to record it! This week, the Boys had to pitch their worst-ever game ideas to an audience at Leicester Square Theatre. After a few minor technical hitches, Sarah came straight out of the gates with an avian-themed game for the gerontophiles among us, Pierre set out his vision for a drone-controlled dating sim and Glenn's idea... well, I think you need to hear it for yourself.

See all episodes →