Ive been meaning to get into the Hotel.. whats the speedrun guide? If you dont mind sharing
Anon I am kissing you on the forehead I am SO glad you asked, bestie! Please also feel free to come into my DMs and go "WHEN THE LOBBY BOY!!! AND THE MANAGER!!! AND THE OWNER!!!" so I can be like "Oh bestie I KNOW!!!"
THE HOTELPOD SPEEDRUN GUIDE FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE BUSY LIVES
(written by Kwiyatsi, who has some form of Hotelpod Cordyceps)
SEASON 1:
really you just need the first two episodes and then owner i-iv. the rest is flavor text. jenny range HIGHLY encouraged but not needed. also noreen highly recommended but not needed for trespasses.
HOTELPOD ANY% RUN GOOD LUCK TO ANON!!!
GREAT guide, agree 100% with these recs!! I hope it's okay to add my cordyceps to the mix by giving a summary of each season for any prospective listeners:
Season 1: Settling into the 'Hotel that murders people' concept. Episodes are very short and digestible, running between 7-13 minutes. Follows the formula of one of the staff talking about that night's guest and what their role is in said guest's death. Some growing pains as you'd expect, most of it's flavor yeah. Use this to quickly and easily find out if you like these characters and want more of them.
Season 2: Aaah shit all the staff have been turned into monsters that are hunting down and killing the guests! Also, instead of the standard hotel setting, episodes take place in rental homes. Only 7 eps compared to S1's 16. Agree completely with Kwiyatsi though, Burger Baby and Cracker Man are so good and worth the listen but you won't miss too much if you skip them.
Season 3: The closest thing to backstory we'll probably ever get? More of a plot here than S1 or 2, but less than 4 and 5 imo. No guests at all, but the staff suffer a lot. And die. A Lot. Weird, winding, and experimental, but formula gets traded in for more in-depth and interesting character work (though i'm biased since S3 is my favorite). Many fun sound effects including a gibbering, snorting, hurgling creature and the Hotel Herself's sexy SHODAN vocal layering.
Season 4: A return to S1's formula: A guest checks in and dies in the standard hotel setting. Episodes run longer due to featuring two narrations in one episode (anywhere between 20-40 min). The Hotel Herself debuts as a narrating character like the others rather than as a Special Event like in the earlier seasons. Plus the staff start rotting to death every episode! I personally recommend 4.16 Alex Potenski (Carl Larpe is also very good, these eps aren't necessary for your speedrun but they are fan favorites from what i've seen, like Cracker Man and Burger Baby for s2.)
Season 5: The MOST linear plot-heavy season, for sure, coming off the back of the ending events of S4. Begins with some S2 like episodes, featuring the staff as creatures. Then the focus shifts to introducing a new cast of characters, the New Crew, and how they interact with the old crew we've come to know.
The great thing about the Hotel Podcast is that you don't have to jump in right from the beginning and go in order. It's nonlinear and tbh the most continuity we've had is from S4 going into S5. The other seasons aren't straightforwardly connected. So if one of these sounds more your style than the others, imo you wouldn't miss much by just jumping into what sounds coolest to you!
HONESTLY YEAH I FORGOT TO GIVE SUMMARIES!! Your cordyceps are a Welcome Addition.
And now, for Anon or anyone else who might want to jump in, go forth and any% this podcast! The power is yours!
ADDING ONTO THIS POST AGAIN!
This link (x) is a masterpost of the most common content warnings in each episode. Feel free to give it a look through before getting into The Hotel.
That said, we hope you enjoy your stay with us, your Hotel for the evening! 🛎️
