A fever dream laced with laughs: a deep dive into the liminal space between shame and hilarity.

An atmospheric nightmare.

Who knew a manipulative, pathological relationship could be so much fun? “Night Games” eavesdrops on a late-night encounter between Jack and Jimmy, as it escalates from flirtatious banter to tug-of-war as each tries to bend the other to his will. Michael Maloney shines as Jimmy, injecting his performance with equal parts menace and childlike neediness. But the real star here is Warner’s mastery of the form, honed by his experience writing radio plays. Dialogue, music and effects come together into a hypnotic blend with the raw feel of stream-of-consciousness. For fans of Brechtian psychodrama, or just those looking for a distinctly unique podcast experience, “Night Games” is a must-listen.

Night Games sits in that eery space between horror and comedy -- a hard trick to pull off. By turns jaunty and menacing and filled with semi-surreal non-sequiturs, these short two-handers are knowingly Pinteresque -- in a good way: homage rather than pastiche. They lodge in the mind, half-uninvited -- just the way that the creepy Jimmy seems to have settled into Jack's gaff. Delightfully unsettling.