Bittersweet was the buzzword of day four at PAX West. One by one, our team members made their way home, but not before proper goodbyes and a much-needed victory lap around the Expo Halls. What did we play? Who did we speak to? Keep reading to find out!

Pat: Chief Games Officer

My hope for the final day at PAX was that the exhibition hall wouldn’t be as crowded as the last two days, and my wish was granted. I went to Bandai Namco to try out the Little Nightmares III demo, and I wasn’t disappointed. After that, I checked out Yar’s Rising at Atari, and I was bopping my head to the soundtrack as I cruised through that awesome metriodvania. Afterwards, I met back up with Steph, Ed, and Nellie, and we all did a victory lap, or just one last walk around the floor. We got to say good-bye to the many creator friends that we’ve made along the way and try out any last-minute demos. It was definitely a more chill day then the rest, but nevertheless productive day.

Ed: VP, Co-Host of Nintendo Pow Block Podcast

What a time at Pax West. Day four concluded the event, and I got to spend a fun time with the rest of the Boss Rush crew and Nellie today. It was tough to see my broham, Corey, leave us, but we hope to reconnect when the time comes. As for me, I got to see and play some exciting games for the last time and I have to say, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl running on PC was a sight to behold. With its 60 frames per second, crisp and beautiful lighting, creepy atmosphere, and open world, it is aiming to be a huge hit when it releases. I only got to see the PC version, so the Xbox version is something I am waiting to get my hands on.

I also got to play Y’s 10: Nordic, which is a very action-packed game. Although I jumped into the game not knowing the controls, I managed to fight the boss and enemies I encountered. It does have a Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin feel when switching between the two protagonists. I don’t know how the level-up system works, but once I do, I’m going to grind a lot, so I can explore the world with ease.

I also played a tabletop card game that is reminiscent of Oregon Trail for PC titled Arooze. It was so much fun, and it’s in early access for Steam. In this game, you and some travelers must make decisions to stop an evil force that is planning to destroy the world. You can play it solo or co-op. The demo Nellie and I played was the solo campaign, and we were laughing because we were hooked on the game.

The last game I played was Cuisineer. A diagonal top-down RPG sim by Battlebrew Productions and published by Marvelous. It’s available for Steam now with the console versions planned for January 28th, 2025. It’s very cute and fun to play. Opening your restaurant your parents left to you to manage, fighting enemies for resources, and using your income to better the shop and your weapons and armor. Very fun.

Sadly, it was time for me to leave and head home, and truly, I miss them all while typing this. This Pax West was a ball, and with so many people, developers, content creators, and podcast hosts I got to meet and talk to, I felt overjoyed by the love and passion we all have for video games, board games, card games, and all the entertaining things that bring us all together. 

Until next time, and hopefully, PAX East, see you all later. WOOHOO!!

Stephanie: Copy Editor, Co-Host of Boss Rush Podcast

As the remaining staff member of Boss Rush, I stuck around for a few more appointments and friendly conversations. The morning kicked off nice and easy, and on our way to the Expo Hall, I ran into Billy Basso, solo dev behind Animal Well. It was great to see him after PAX East and playing his game. He was waiting in line to demo Astrobot, so I quickly said hi, took a picture, and wished him and his team well.

From there, I walked the floors with Pat, Ed, and later, Nellie. I loved my first appointment with Summitsphere’s ANTONBLAST. The demo was fun, but more importantly, I thoroughly enjoyed the conversation with creator Tony and the rest of the team. I mean, we took a group photo with Satan and his voluptuous bum. My second appointment was with DreadXP once more, but this time, it was to play Heartworm. I heard so many great things about it, and I was happy to try out the latest demo.

Other than that, I took it easy and said hello/good-bye to friends of Boss Rush such as Kris from Toge Productions, the devs from A Corgi’s Cozy Hike, and Roger from the Gamerheads Podcast. It was a pleasure and an honor to reunite with old friends and make new ones… This is Stephanie signing off from PAX West 2024.

Boss Rush Podcast – A Podcast about Video Games

The Boss Rush Podcast – A Podcast about Video Games – is the flagship show of the Boss Rush Network and Boss Rush Media. Each week, hosts⁠ Corey Dirrig and LeRon Dawkins⁠ are joined by friends, fellow creators, indie developers, and industry veterans to discuss the latest in the world of video games, including news, rumors, new releases, and what they’ve been playing. They also answer listener questions, debate important industry topics and Boss Rush Banter discussion points, and feature a rotating weekly segment. New episodes post every Monday.

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