Gaming The System - The Feminist Gaming Podcast
The podcast where 3 intersectional feminists examine gaming and games through a feminist lens.
New Episodes every Thursday.
Alex, Jem and Matt believe gaming is good. Gaming is good for relaxation, for learning, for bringing people together and for your mental health. But like all media, there is both good and bad and we want to address how we make gaming a safe and healthy environment for women and minority groups (although lets not forget that people of colour are the global ethnic majority).
We want to see the small steps towards an intersectional feminist future that have been made in games to go further. We are Gaming the System because we want to see our beloved world of Gaming reflect the values we hold dear, and until it does we are here to shine a light on what needs to change.
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PAYPAL & PATREON
If you want to support us, you can send us a one-off donation via paypal or subscribe monthly to our Patreon.
For paypal, send your donation to:
wearegamingthesystem@gmail.com
For patreon:
patreon.com/gamingthesystem
Episodes
279 episodes
The Dark Matter of Gaming: Attitudes & Wellbeing Part 2 (Episode 277)
Sometimes the things shaping how we feel about our hobby are the things we can't see.In Part 1, we dug into Oxford research showing that when it comes to gaming and mental health, the hours matter far less than whether the time felt wort...
Gaming the Guilt: Shame, Pressure, and What Healthy Gaming Really Looks Like (Episode 276)
Is screen time the enemy, or is it the shame we attach to it? In this episode, GTS examine new research suggesting it's not how long you spend gaming that affects your mental health, but whether you feel that time was worthwhile. ...
Mount Rushmore of Gaming Part 02 (Episode 275)
On Gaming the System, host Matt joins Alex and Jem to kick off a lighter episode building their “Mount Rushmore” of gaming icons.
Mount Rushmore of Gaming Part 01 (Episode 274)
On Gaming the System, host Matt joins Alex and Jem to kick off a lighter episode building their “Mount Rushmore” of gaming icons.
273 - GTS News: New study on Misogynistic Abuse in gaming
In this episode of Gaming the System, Gem, Alex, and Matt discuss a recent Sex Roles study showing that women gamers who identify as feminists or take action for gender equality are blamed more for the sexism they experience online, especially ...
GTS News: DLSS 5 Slop, Accessibility Non-features and Fortnite V-Bucks Inflation (Episode 272)
This week Jem, Matt and Alex take a look at three stories from across the games industry.Alex kicks things off with Nvidia's DLSS 5 controversy. Their latest AI graphics feature has been accused of applying unwanted filters to game visua...
271 - Gaming for the CV Part 2 - Soft Skills
In part two of their “Skill Boosts from Gaming” series, Alex, Gem, and Matt discuss soft skills developed through games, focusing on resilience, teamwork, communication, empathy, and problem-solving/critical thinking. They use examples like Sla...
270 - Gaming for the CV Part 1 - Hard Skills
Alex hosts gem and Matt on Gaming the System to discuss, tongue-in-cheek, how gaming can help build “hard skills” that could translate to a CV. They focus on campaign/project management through clear goals, planning, progress tracking, and deci...
Women in Games Part 2 - Who's Training the Machine? (Episode 269)
In Part 1, Jem, Alex, and Matt explored the Women in Games Manifesto and the persistent gender gap in the games industry. In this follow-up episode, the conversation turns to artificial intelligence. Could it be the catalyst for change the indu...
The Balance Paradox: Women, Games & the Fight for Equity (Episode 268)
This week, Jem, Alex and Matt dig into the updated Women in Games (WIG) Manifesto, originally released in 2024 and refreshed in January 2026. With women making up at least 50% of gamers but only 24–30% of the games industry workforce, the imbal...
267 - Making a Man Out of GPU - Part 2
The hosts discuss how visible identity affects prejudice and whether men are less likely to challenge toxic masculinity because they can “pass” as traditionally masculine through code switching. They explore the “crisis of masculinity,” arguing...
266 - Making a Man Out of GPU - Part 1
This episode continues a multi-part conversation on masculinity and “positive masculinity,” focusing on who gets to define masculinity and how the concept has changed throughout history. The discussion is sparked by China’s media crackdown on “...
265 - Video Game Concerts: A Musical Adventure - Part 2
Join us as we recount an incredible evening filled with live performances of iconic game soundtracks and encounters with talented composers. From the captivating music of 'Return' and 'Disco Elysium' to Gareth Coker’s breathtaking work for 'Ori...
264 - Video Game Concerts: A Musical Adventure - Part 1
In this episode of Gaming the System, join us as we dive into the enchanting world of live video game music performances. Our host recounts their recent experience at a world premiere concert of BAFTA-winning and nominated video game music at t...
Meeting Wayfarer's Rest - Sanding Tables and Crafting Community (Episode 263)
What does it take to turn a passion for gaming into a thriving high street fixture? In this episode, Alex and Jem sit down with Sarah and Katie, the founders of Wayfarer’s Rest in Godalming, Surrey, UK to discuss their journey from non-b...
262 - GTS News! Rockstar Games' Union Controversy, AI's Impact on Gaming, and Roblox's Age Restrictions
In this episode, we delve into some pressing issues in the gaming industry as we kick off 2026. Alex discusses the allegations of union busting at Rockstar Games, where 30 employees were dismissed under controversial circumstances. We explore t...
261 - Christmas Game-cation and 2026 Predictions
In our first session recording of the year, we dive into an exciting discussion about our gaming activities over the Christmas holidays and look ahead to the games we're anticipating in the coming year. Join us as Jim shares his experiences wit...
260 - Gentle Men: Antidotal Masculinity
In this episode of Gaming the System, hosts Matt, Alex, and Gem dive deep into the impactful discussion of positive male role models in video games. They explore how characters like Spider-Man, Kratos from God of War, and Jin from Ghost of Tsus...
Xmas special : Playing in the Dark: Light, Shadow, and Seasonal Gaming (Episode 257)
As the year moves toward the winter solstice, this episode of Gaming the System explores how light and darkness function as both technical tools and emotional languages in games. Jem, Alex and Matt reflect on how lighting shapes atmosp...
Death in Games, Part 3: Grief, Memory, and Meaning (Episode 256)
In the final part of our series on death in games, we shift from mechanics to meaning. We explore how modern games use grief, memory, and emotional pacing to create more honest depictions of loss than many linear stories can manage. From Sp...
Death in Games Part 2 Learning to Die Better: How Games Shape Our View of Death (Episode 255)
In this second episode of our three-part series on Death in Games, Jem, Alex, and Matt dig deeper into how death is portrayed across gaming, and what that means for how we understand grief, resilience, and the human condition.We...
Death in Games Part 1 - Between Story and Respawn (Episode 254)
In this episode, hosted by Jem, the GTS team explores how games use death as a storytelling tool, a gameplay mechanic, or a cheap shot. From emotional companion deaths to endless respawn loops, we dig into what death actually means in ...