HPP #46 - RealLifeVania

No one ever discovered anything by sitting inside their house. Well, thanks to the Internet, maybe that's not entirely true. Still, youcan only experience so much within the comfort of your home/apartment/dorm/condo. If you really want to see what's out there, you gotta walk the walk! In this episode, MasterWife and MasterJoe discussthe importance of regular exploration and how it can widen your social circle and improve your relationship building skills. There's also an Extra Piece at the end of this one! Head over to hppodcast.com and click on the episode post to check out the after-show. BONUS: The origin of Vania, Willy Wonker, LinkUp! RUNTIME: 47 minutes 46 seconds

HPP #45 - Party Management

Most everyone who's played an RPG knows a thing or two about partymanagement. You'vegot to make sure you'vegot the right composition of do-gooders to vanquish the dark forces. However, we bet most folks haven't considered how they can use the same party management logic from video games to build better social circles in real life! In this episode,MasterWifeandMasterJoediscuss the idea of party management in video games to see how it can be applied in real life. Whether at work, in class, on the court or on the beach, we'll help you power up your social circles by making sure you've got the right kind of company for the situation! BONUS: Breath of the Mods,The Wiz, Boost or Break RUNTIME: 40 min

HPP #44 - Inventory

Today's the day. You got a good night's sleep. Your morning smoothie is ready. You printed 3 copies of your resume. You've got your phone. Your keys are in hand. You're wearing your lucky socks, your"hire me" blazer, and Joe Esposito is telling you you're the best around. Today's the day! You're halfway down the highway. Then it hits you. You forgot your pants... Job Hunt Quest Failed. You left a critical piece of equipment in your closet. In this episode,MasterWife and MasterJoe talk about using the concept of inventory management in gaming to help with the constant struggle to make room for yourself, your job, your friendships, goals, dreams, relationships, health, and aspirations in the real world. You'd never hunt a Rathian without Antidote, so never go job hunting without pants! BONUS: #POCcasters, The "Blue Suit", Link Up! RUNTIME: 40 min

HPP #43 - Cooldown

Greetings HPeeps! Did you miss us? As we're sure you're aware, we've been on a bit of a cooldown. So we thought, why not talk about that for today's episode? Afterall, sometimes you need to ease back from the fast track and take it easy. Relax. Perhaps to re-energize yourself with a slice of pepperoni. In this episode,MasterWifeandMasterJoediscuss the importance of spending time away from the the hustle and bustle or everyday life to reconnect with yourself, others, and the world around you at your own pace. Your social life will thank you for it! Oh, and the answer was the Baroness Von Sketch Show. And it's not on Netflix. Sorry. BONUS: HIRMA, Meet Mr. Miyagi, Bust-A-Doodle RUNTIME: 40 min

HPP #42 - One Night Stand with Lucy Blundell

EVisualize this moment in time whilst we paint you a picture. You are out perusing the internet and you strike up a conversation with a complete stranger. You say "ya-ma-to," they say "ya-mo-to," and next thing you know,you wake up in your recording studio at 6 am with a microphone in your face and an empty cup of what was probably coffee once with nothing but a foggy memory of your life choices over the past 8-10 hours to show for it. The real twist? That's kind of a true story. In this episode, MasterWife and MasterJoe are joined by the indie game developer behind the One Night Stand, the lovely Lucy Blundell. We chat about her games' recent nomination for an Independent Games Festival award, why she should marry her boyfriendand the logistics of milking cows (or people?) on the Nintendo Switch. Top it all off with gratuitous amounts of the late great George Michael and a hot and steamy version of a fan favorite mini

HPP #41 - The Con Life Shuffle

MAGfest 2017 was awesome! There's nothing quite like pressing your face against a friend's face, attending random elevator parties, playing Japanese rhythm games like no one is watching, having your face melted repeatedly by amazing artists and DJs, andplanning the post-mortem services for your bank account after you finish buying ALL the merch. Yup, MAGfest is awesome. You know what's not awesome? MAGstress! There's so much to do! So many people and performances to see, games to play and pizza to eat!Just how the heck do you juggle the unjuggleableCon Life? In this episode, MasterWife returns to join MasterJoe as they recap their MAGfest 2017 experience and share the secret to making the most of your con experience without getting overwhelmed by the chaos. This episode is full to the brim so listen up HPeeps! Andrew Jackson! p.s. special thanks to all of our friends and listeners that we got to see and meet at MA

HPP #40 - With Love, from the Netherlands

A wise person once said, the way to a man's heart is through his abdominal food bag. Turns out that's very much true! In this episode,Masterjoeis joined by the newly engaged gamer couple, Hotsammysliz (in his second appearance on the podcast) and Ms. Marvel! We chat about how their relationship progressed to the big questions, their plan to answer lots of repeat questions at MAGfest, and share some little known facts. For example, did you know that one of us can crochet? Which game does Sammy likebetter, Sonic Adventure 1 or 2? And what is a Stroopwafel?! Masterwifewas busy working her big girl job and had to sit this one out but we hope you enjoy and miss her presence as much as MasterJoe did :< BONUS: Crochet Master, MAGfest, Bust-a-doodle RUNTIME: 42 min

HPP #39 - Digital Love-mance?

Note: Storytime HPeeps! We recorded this episode last week but before we could upload it, MasterJoe's computer died! The video card went bad so the computer had to be sent in for repair.3-5 miserable business days later, we have our computer back and are happy to finally release this episode for you all. We hope you enjoy! Humankind hasmade lots of improvements over the years. We added motion to pictures, brought color to TVs, and made 2D relationships more appealing than their 3D counterparts. Wait, what? Just what the heck are we going to be talking abouthere?! In this episode, MasterWife and MasterJoe are joined by special guest Justin Choe to discuss just what it is that makes 2D characters appealing and how we can use that knowledge to improve our real life relationships. We also sidebar into chatting about the treatment of real life Japanesewomen and whether or not Japanese feel that relationships are bothersome. We bet you don't know how to prono

HPP #38 - Action/Adventure Dating

Dating can be a grind for gamers. You're out there doing your best to climb the ladder but you just can't seem to rank up, or worse, you may be getting demoted. Maybe you've been looking for that Shiny Pokémon in the tall grass but keep running into Pidgeys. Or perhaps you've stomped all the goombas and dished out the coins only to discover your prince or princess was in another— well you get the idea. There's got to be a more effective way, right? MasterWife and MasterJoe explain the concept of "action-adventure dating" and how you can change up your dating strategy to start having better dates. Whether you're single or already in a relationship, there's something for you in this episode! Also, what the heck is Geocaching? Why isn't there a Geekeasy near us? And why shouldn't you name your newborn baby girl Sonic?! BONUS: Tetris Champion, Ben Briggs, Bust-a-Doodle RUNTIME: 43 min

HPP #37 - Happy Gamesgiving

Do you smell that? The sweet yet slightly sweaty fragrance of the kind ofsoul food gaming that only happens once (maybe twice) a year? Thanksgiving brings people together, and when people get together, epic gaming occurs. MasterWife and MasterJoe share of their favorite Gamesgiving games to play with friends and family.After your done throwing down in the dining room, let us knowhow you throw it down in the living room! BONUS: The Origin of Wendy, U GAMEIT, Bust-A-Doodle RUNTIME: 37 min