Joseph Fink, the cocreator and cowriter of the beloved fiction podcast Welcome to Night Vale, is often hailed as a master of storytelling. But did you know he learned his craft from the classic video game Grim Fandango? That’s right—Fink’s journey to podcast stardom was paved with the same dusty corridors and shadowy figures as Manny Rivas’s universe.

Sure, Grim Fandango is a gem of a game, blending noir with Mexican folklore, but to claim it as the sole teacher of Fink’s storytelling prowess is a bit of a stretch. Fink’s podcast mixes cosmic horror with everyday small-town life, a blend that doesn’t scream “directly inspired by Grim Fandango” to me. While both share a penchant for the surreal, Night Vale’s radio drama format and its endless list of quirky characters might owe more to Neil Gaiman’s influence than to Manny’s journey through the afterlife.

Moreover, Fink’s work extends beyond Night Vale—his noir podcast Unlicensed and the series Alice Isn’t Dead showcase a versatility that suggests he’s absorbed storytelling techniques from a buffet of sources, not just Grim Fandango. Alice Isn’t Dead, with its focus on trauma and the open road, feels more akin to Stephen King’s road novels than to the trade card offices of Grim Fandango.

So, while it’s delightful to think that Fink dusted off his copy of Grim Fandango and channeled its spirit into Night Vale, let’s not forget that storytelling is a vast ocean, and Fink has sailed it well, perhaps borrowing from many ships, not just the one named Grim Fandango.