| MinnMax | |
| Industry: | Entertainment |
| Location City: | Minneapolis, Minnesota |
| Location Country: | U.S. |
| Key People: |
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MinnMax is an online entertainment company based in Minnesota that focuses on "games, friends, and getting better." MinnMax's flagship content is the weekly video podcast The MinnMax Show, which focuses on video game reviews and previews, industry news, and community questions. The company's output also includes live-streamed personality-driven videos, interviews with professionals in various fields, and documentaries. The company is led by Ben Hanson, one of four founding members and host of The MinnMax Show, with a rotating cast of Cohorts, Contributors, and Friends of MinnMax additionally contributing to the content. The company is crowdfunded via Patreon, with different contribution tiers offering various incentives, such as receiving the weekly podcast a day early.
In August 2019, Game Informer laid off a number of their editorial staff. Ben Hanson, host of The Game Informer Show podcast at the time, was not included in the layoffs, but became disillusioned with working for a large corporation like GameStop and left the company several months later. On 24 October 2019, the same day Hanson left Game Informer, he launched MinnMax as a Patreon along with Kyle Hilliard, Suriel Vazquez, and Jeff Marchiafava, all of whom had been laid off by Game Informer in August. The stated goal was to create a sustainable, supporter-funded video game media outlet with a larger focus on video content and community-building. By receiving funding directly from supporters via Patreon, the company was specifically designed not to be beholden to corporate interests.
In addition to their flagship podcast, The MinnMax Show, a key part of MinnMax's initial pitch to supporters was game club-style content called The Deepest Dive. The first Deepest Dive discussed The Outer Worlds over multiple episodes, with community members writing in with comments and questions about the game. MinnMax has continued to use this format, even expanding outside of video games for The Deepest Dive on .
On 10 August 2020, Hanson interviewed former Visceral Games developers Zach Mumbach and Ben Wander, leading several video game websites to report details about a canceled Star Wars game, Project Ragtag, that came to light in the interview. This started a trend of details from MinnMax interviews being picked up by notable media outlets, including information about Fall Guys, Wii U, WWE, God of War Ragnarök, and more.
On 16 October 2020, MinnMax released Trailheads: The Oregon Trail's Origins Documentary, which received attention from both video game and local news outlets. The documentary was a project Hanson started in 2009 "while working for a community television station in Roseville," with most of the featured footage having been captured years before its release. MinnMax has continued interest in documentaries, also producing The Oral History of PopCap Games, which released on 5 April 2021, and hosting a recurring event called "Doc Lightning", featuring documentaries submitted by community members.
Every month beginning in February 2021, MinnMax live streams a video game trivia show called Trivia Tower, open to all members of the Patreon to play as contestants. Notably, MinnMax has hosted two special editions called Trivia Tower All-Stars, which brings together various members of the video game media to compete instead of Patreon members, with 100% of the prize going to the winner's charity of choice. Similarly, MinnMax has hosted several special editions of Trivia Tower in collaboration with other media outlets, which include stakes based on which community wins.
Every November since 2020, MinnMax has hosted a charity livestream. They initially participated in Extra Life, a fundraising event for the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals. Besides the MinnMax staff, these streams have included collaborations with former MinnMax collaborators, current and former Game Informer staff, and Easy Allies creators. In 2023, MinnMax instead participated in "Give to the Max", benefitting the nonprofit Connections to Independence.
Since 2022, MinnMax has been included in the voting jury of The Game Awards.
The company's name references the practice of min-maxing in video games, as well as Minnesota, the company's primary state of operations. The two Ns in MinnMax are frequently noted in the outlet's content, with even their game of the year list, The Two Tens, referencing the letters. Furthermore, some of the company's content riffs are on the name, such as MinnFAQs, MinnSnax, and Max Spoilers.
Each year, MinnMax produces special episodes of the podcast called The MinnMax Awards. In these episodes, specific category awards are chosen, such as "Best Thing" and "Greatest Work of Art of All Time". Furthermore, a list known as The Two Tens ranks the ten best games of the year (the first ten), as well as the next ten best games of the year (the second ten). Below are the games MinnMax has listed as number one on the first ten each year.
| Year | Game | |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Resident Evil 2 | |
| 2020 | Final Fantasy VII Remake | |
| 2021 | ||
| 2022 | Elden Ring | |
| 2023 | Baldur's Gate 3 |
The following table lists most of MinnMax's recurring shows, in order of their first appearance.
| Title | Description | First Appearance | Status | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The MinnMax Show | Flagship podcast discussing video game news and answering community questions. | On-going | ||
| MinnFAQs | Q&A show answering community questions from a live chat. | Ended ; Replaced by MinnMax Council | ||
| The Great GOTY Hunt | Livestream playing games from within the last year. | Ended ; Sometimes returns on New Show Plus | ||
| The Deepest Dive | Game club series discussing games and other media in great detail. | On-going | ||
| Max Spoilers | Spoiler discussion of media, usually a new movie, TV show, or video game. | On-going | ||
| MinnSnax | Suriel Vazquez tries various foods. | Ended ; Appeared in 2nd Anniversary Celebration on 23 October 2021 | ||
| Tabletop Game Night (Original) | Livestreams of a group playing a tabletop game in person. | Ended | ||
| CrossFade | Matt Helgeson and a guest discuss two albums, one chosen by each. Formerly known as MinnTrax. | Ended (indefinite hiatus) | ||
| Photomode Snap | MinnMax staff rate community-submitted video game screenshots. | Ended ; Has returned for some special episodes | ||
| BetterQuest | Community-focused podcast about "getting better" by setting monthly goals. Hosted by Ben Hanson and Jeff Cork. | Ended | ||
| Refreshed | Ana Diaz interviews a guest about internet culture. | Ended | ||
| Watch Later | Video game-focused video essays by Leo Vader. | Ended | ||
| New Show Plus | Weekly livestream featuring a format voted upon by Patreon supporters. The previous week's format is always included as an option in the vote. | On-going | ||
| MinnMax Council | Weekly call-in type show exclusively for Patreon supporters. Replaced MinnFAQs. | Ended Replaced by Party Chat | ||
| Trivia Tower | Monthly video game trivia competition. All Patreon supporters can participate through Discord. | On-going | ||
| Party Chat | Weekly show using a Discord "Stage" for discussion with Patreon supporters. Replaced MinnMax Council. | Ended Replaced by Bonus Pod | ||
| Cream of the Steam | Explores little-known games published to Steam that month. Hosted by Sarah Podzorski, with Ana Diaz usually appearing as the guest. Formerly known as Steam's Secret Stash. | On-going | ||
| Ana's Internet Cafe | Ana Diaz and a guest interact with a live stream chat while discussing internet culture. Spiritual Successor to Refreshed. | Ended | ||
| New Show Overflow | Occasional livestream featuring a format that was lost in some previous New Show Plus polls. MinnMax staff choose the format instead of Patreon supporters. | On-going | ||
| Tabletop Game Night (Revival) | Tabletop game-focused livestreams. | Ended | ||
| Collector Corner | Kelsey Lewin of the Video Game History Foundation shows off the video game collections of community members and other guests. | Ended | ||
| Better Together | MinnMax staff play multiplayer games with community members. | Ended | ||
| Bonus Pod | Weekly bonus podcast hosted by Haley MacLean. Although it replaced Party Chat, the community call-in aspect has been de-emphasized. | On-going |
The following table lists all of MinnMax's Deepest Dives, in the order they were released.
| Topic | Episode Count | First Episode Date | Panel | Ref | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Outer Worlds | 3 | Ben Hanson, Kyle Hilliard, Jeff Marchiafava, and Suriel Vazquez | |||
| 2 | Chrono Trigger | 3 | Ben Hanson, Kyle Hilliard, Jeff Marchiafava, and Suriel Vazquez | |||
| 3 | 3 | Ben Hanson, Ana Diaz, Sarah Podzorski, and Kelsey Lewin | ||||
| 4 | Final Fantasy VII Remake | 5 | Ben Hanson, Kyle Hilliard, Jeff Marchiafava, Grant, and Ronnie | |||
| 5 | What Remains of Edith Finch | 1 | Ben Hanson, Ana Diaz, Marcus Stewart, and Jacob Geller | |||
| 6 | The Last of Us Part II | 4 | ||||
| 7 | 3 | Ben Hanson, Kyle Hilliard, Jeff Marchiafava, and Suriel Vazquez | ||||
| 8 | Super Mario 64 | 3 | Ben Hanson, Ana Diaz, Dan Ryckert, and Ronnie | |||
| 9 | 3 | Ben Hanson, Leo Vader, Mike Mahardy, and Javy Gwaltney | ||||
| 10 | 2 | Ben Hanson, Ana Diaz, Kyle Hilliard, and Kyle Bosman | ||||
| 11 | Cyberpunk 2077 | 4 | Ben Hanson, Suriel Vazquez, Leo Vader, and Jeff Marchiafava | |||
| 12 | 2 | Ben Hanson, Kyle Hilliard, Bryan Vore, and Brandon Jones | ||||
| 13 | Mass Effect | 3 | ||||
| 14 | Final Fantasy VII Remake Intermission | 1 | Ben Hanson, Kyle Hilliard, Grant, and Ronnie | |||
| 15 | Dead Space (2008) | 2 | Ben Hanson, Kyle Hilliard, Jacob Geller, Kate Sanchez, and Zach Mumbach | |||
| 16 | Metroid Dread | 2 | Ben Hanson, Janet Garcia, Kyle Hilliard, and Joe Juba | |||
| 17 | Halo Infinite | 2 | Ben Hanson, Kyle Hilliard, Jeff Marchiafava, Suriel Vazquez, and Wade Wojcik | |||
| 18 | 2 | Ben Hanson, Sarah Podzorski, Janet Garcia, and Kelsey Lewin | ||||
| 19 | Chrono Cross | 4 | Ben Hanson, Kyle Hilliard, Joe Juba, and Rebekah Valentine | |||
| 20 | 2 | Ben Hanson, Jeff Marchiafava, Janet Garcia, Charles McGregor, and Ryan Biniecki | ||||
| 21 | Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis | 2 | Ben Hanson, Leo Vader, Bryan Vore, and Ross Pfund | |||
| 22 | God of War Ragnarök | 3 | Ben Hanson, Suriel Vazquez, Jill Grodt, and Kyle Bosman | |||
| 23 | 3 | Leo Vader, Jacob Geller, Sarah Podzorski and Michael Higham | ||||
| 24 | Resident Evil 4 (2023) | 3 | Ben Hanson, Sarah Podzorski, Kyle Hilliard, and Jeff Marchiafava | |||
| 25 | 4 | Ben Hanson, Kelsey Lewin, Leo Vader, Jeff Marchiafava, Jacob Geller, Kyle Hilliard, Haley Maclean, and Jenna Stoeber | ||||
| 26 | 3 | Jacob Geller, Suriel Vazquez, and Renata Price | ||||
| 27 | Alan Wake 2 | 3 | 26 October 2023 | Ben Hanson, Sarah Podzorski, Leo Vader, Haley Maclean, and Jeff Marchiafava | ||
| 28 | Final Fantasy VII Rebirth | 5 | Ben Hanson, Grant, Ronnie, and Ross "The Star Wars Guy" Pfund |
The following are series that have been featured in New Show Plus three or more times, sorted by first appearance.
| Title | Appearance Count | |
|---|---|---|
| House Hunter Rise | 10[1] | |
| The Great GOTY Hunt | 3 | |
| E3 Memories | 5 | |
| Bonus Podcast | 5 | |
| Nintendo OnWine | 5 | |
| Showdown | 5 | |
| Sarah the Horse Girl | 5 | |
| We Sports | 5 | |
| We Spore | 3 | |
| Walking Simulator Simulator | 3 | |
| Haley's Laws, Clause, and Claws | 3 | |
| Thirst Council | 3 | |
| Spiciest Interview | 4 |