find every episode of Welcome to Night Vale on:
Welcome to Night Vale Starter's Guide
Welcome to “Welcome to Night Vale”, a twice-monthly fiction podcast from the town of Night Vale, where every conspiracy theory is true.
Want to jump into Night Vale but are a little freaked out by the fact that we have over 250 episodes, not to mention ten recorded live shows, three novels, and four script collections?
Don’t be! You can start listening to Welcome to Night Vale with any episode, and you should feel free to skip around, or move backwards. Time is weird, so your listening experience can be, too.
Plus, the novels and live shows are completely standalone stories, so you can go read, watch, or listen to any of them without having to know anything about the show.
We also have a recap show called Good Morning Night Vale. Each episode is a deep dive into one episode of Welcome to Night Vale, starting with the very first episode from 2012. It's a great audio companion for a first time listener, and you can subscribe right here.
Looking for a place to start?
We’ve collected some of our favorite episodes below. These single episodes and short series are stand-alone. You won't be spoiled if you decide you love them so much you want to start from the beginning.
SINGLE EPISODE STORIES:
13 – A Story About You
This episode is a standalone short story about you, the listener. A long time fan favorite, and one of the first episodes that showed us the potential of what we could do with 25 minutes of audio fiction.
26 – Faceless Old Woman
Sometimes you want a creepy story. And sometimes you want the voice of Mara Wilson whispering weird things to you. This episode gives you both.
33 – Cassette
We dive into the strange childhood of our narrator Cecil. A definite fan favorite episode. This is another creepy one. I dunno, we do creepy a lot.
42 – Numbers
A stand alone story about the tantalizing possibility of independence, and the difficulty of pursuing your dreams. Also about coded messages, government conspiracies, and numbers stations, which are completely real and bizarre things. Featuring the first appearance of guest voice Molly Quinn.
60 – Water Failure
Another episode in which we play with the podcast format. In this case, a good chunk of the episode takes the form of an automated phone tree. We want you to know that the woman who voiced the phone tree did so in a single, uninterrupted first take.
67 – [Best Of?]
Our play on the typical podcast “best of” episode. Except none of the clips are from any episodes we’ve ever released, and they go back farther into history than would seem technologically possible.
71 – The Registery of Middle School Crushes
Our heist episode. We always wanted to make a heist episode, and so we did. This is it.
79 – Lost in the Mail
A beautiful short story by frequent guest writer Zack Parsons about a teenager whose father can’t be there for her, for reasons that are very difficult to explain.
133 – Are You Sure?
Our podcast host has software that allows us to insert, change & remove ads. We used that software on this episode to create multiple possible endings to the same episode. You'll need to listen a few times to hear them all.
174 – Radio Jupiter
Featuring Robin Virginie as a mysterious voice from beyond the cosmos, the character of Radio Jupiter became a fan favorite, and one that we later returned to for the Radio Jupiter Holiday Special
188 -Listener Questions
Night Vale co-creator Joseph Fink hops on to apologize that, due to circumstances beyond our control, we didn’t have an episode that week. Instead, he would answer a few listener questions we’ve gotten over the years. This does not go as he planned.
190 - listeners
An episode that took over a year to get together, it is a celebration of podcasting and the podcasts we love, featuring the voices of….well, a lot of people.
216 - The Ball is where the win is
Steve Carlsberg just wants to be a good coach for the high school wheelchair basketball team. A look at the life and generous spirit of one of Night Vale’s most beloved characters.
224 - Liminal Spaces
The kids are very into liminal spaces these days, and Cecil wants to be supportive of the kids. Except things go wrong in ways that echo with Cecil’s own mysterious childhood.
Short Series:
The Sandstorm
These episodes were released simultaneously in 2013. They are the exact same event (a sandstorm that creates doppelgängers) told from two different cities' points of view. Also the first appearance of one of our most popular characters.
eGemony
A three parter guest written by novelist and friend of the show Glen David Gold. These episodes are just a blast, and stand entirely on their own as an exciting and strange adventure for our host.
A matter of blood
Dana Cardinal, voiced by Jasika Nicole, must come to terms with her own past, and the great sin that started this whole story for her.
The Birthday of Lee Marvin
Night Vale's most local and legendary local legend celebrates his 30th birthday today and every single day. Incomparably voiced by TL Thompson
The Blood/Space War
We explore the long and convoluted history of the Blood/Space War, from PTA Bake Sale fundraisers, to time travel, to 19th Century farmers making crop circles.
Abby Palmer tells all
We finally hear from Cecil’s sister directly, as she tells her own version of her childhood with Cecil. These episodes pair well with our live show Ghost Stories, which also delve into Abby and Cecil, and their difficult relationship with their mother.