TopPodcast.com
Menu
  • Home
  • Top Charts
  • Top Networks
  • Top Apps
  • Top Independents
  • Top Podfluencers
  • Top Picks
    • Top Business Podcasts
    • Top True Crime Podcasts
    • Top Finance Podcasts
    • Top Comedy Podcasts
    • Top Music Podcasts
    • Top Womens Podcasts
    • Top Kids Podcasts
    • Top Sports Podcasts
    • Top News Podcasts
    • Top Tech Podcasts
    • Top Crypto Podcasts
    • Top Entrepreneurial Podcasts
    • Top Fantasy Sports Podcasts
    • Top Political Podcasts
    • Top Science Podcasts
    • Top Self Help Podcasts
    • Top Sports Betting Podcasts
    • Top Stocks Podcasts
  • Podcast News
  • About Us
  • Podcast Advertising
  • Contact
Not in our directory?
Add Show Here
Podcast Equipment
Center

toppodcastlogoOur TOPPODCAST Picks

  • Comedy
  • Crypto
  • Sports
  • News
  • Politics
  • True Crime
  • Business
  • Finance

Follow Us

toppodcastlogoStay Connected

    View Top 200 Chart
    Back to Rankings Page
    Games & Hobbies

    Eggplant: The Secret Lives of Games

    Candid conversations with game creators that dive deep into the art, craft, and process of making games.

    Advertise

    Copyright: © Eggplant: The Secret Lives of Games 2018-2022

    • Apple Podcasts
    • Google Play
    • Spotify
    Latest Episodes:
    EP: A Year of UFO 50 - Mortol Nov 01, 2024

    We're joined by Aaron "ix" Kearsley (speedrunner), Stephanie Boluk (UC Davis), and Patrick LeMieux (UC Davis) to discuss Mortol, the sixth game in the UFO 50 collection.

    “How many people will lay down their lives to save Mortolia?”

    Next week: Velgress

    http://discord.gg/eggplant

    https://www.patreon.com/eggplantshow

    EP: A Year of UFO 50 - Magic Garden Oct 25, 2024

    We're joined by Daniel Mullins (Inscryption), Stuffed Wombat (Mosa Lina), and XanaGear (youtube.com/xanagear) to discuss Magic Garden, the fifth game in the UFO 50 collection.

    “Stop the jealous witch Cloverana from sabotaging your garden!”

    Next week: Mortol

    Into the Depths: Caves of Qud (Part 1) Oct 20, 2024

    In the first installment of a new Into the Depths series, we dive into the brilliant Caves of Qud. This sprawling open-world roguelike has been in development since 2007 and Early Access since 2015, and we're celebrating it as it nears a v1.0 release. Doug and Rob, together with guest host and Qud-head Jack Schlesinger (Puzzmo, Knotwords, Good Sudoku), talk to Caves of Qud creators Brian Bucklew and Jason Grinblat all about post-apocalyptic worldbuilding, building an emergence-focused game engine, and what it takes to keep a project and partnership going for nearly two decades.

    Don't forget to join our discord and play along with the series. Try to get a character to Level 5 before our next episode, where we'll get into some basics around the early game and Qud's many interlocking systems. You can purchase Caves of Qud -- still in Early Access, for now -- on Steam or GOG.

    Discussed in this Episode

    Gamma World Dwarf Fortress Kitfox Games Data-Driven Engines of Qud and Sproggiwood, talk by Brian Bucklew @ IRDC 2015 A Data-Driven Object System, talk by Scott Bilas @ GDC 2002 ("Looks like the paper isn't available but here's a talk on the same subject matter") The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind Ancient Domains of Mystery (ADOM) Tracery for context-free grammar generation Emergent Narrative in Dwarf Fortress, talk by Tarn Adams @ Progression Mechanics 2017 The Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe Clark Ashton Smith Sam Wilson (pixel artist) Craig Hamilton (OST)

    EP: A Year of UFO 50 - Paint Chase Oct 18, 2024

    We're joined by Frank Lantz (The Beauty of Games) to discuss Paint Chase, the fourth game in the UFO 50 collection.

    “Rev your engines and color your way to victory in the local paint racing competition!”

    Next week: Magic Garden

    EP: A Year of UFO 50 - Ninpek Oct 11, 2024

    We're joined by Adam Robinson-Yu (A Short Hike) to discuss Ninpek, the third game in the UFO 50 collection.

    “It’s ninja time! Run and jump to reach the end of the world.”

    Next week: Paint Chase, with guest co-host Carolyn Petit

    EP: A Year of UFO 50 - Bug Hunter Oct 04, 2024

    We're joined by Frank Lantz, Jack Schlesinger, and John Axon to discuss Bug Hunter, the second game in the UFO 50 collection.

    “The moon quarry has a bug problem and you’ve been hired to fix it.”

    Next week: Ninpek

    EP: A Year of UFO 50 - Barbuta Sep 27, 2024

    We're joined by Xalavier Nelson Jr., Sylvie, and Gabe Cuzzillo to discuss Barbuta, the first game in the UFO 50 collection.

    "Explore the castle but watch out for traps!"

    EP: A Year of UFO 50 - Introduction Sep 20, 2024

    We introduce Eggplant Presents: A Year of UFO 50 - our new 1-year weekly show covering every game in the UFO 50 collection. Join us!

    Next week: Barbuta, with guest co-hosts Xalavier Nelson Jr. and Gabe Cuzzillo.

    142: Winning Together with Sarah Elmaleh (SAG-AFTRA Video Game Strike) Sep 01, 2024

    We’re joined by our own Sarah Elmaleh, who is currently leading the SAG-AFTRA video-game actors’ strike as Chair of the union's Interactive Negotiating Committee. In this rare topical emergency episode, we discuss the urgency of securing basic protections for performers in the age of so-called “generative A.I.,” the power of collective action, and why this fight has existential stakes for video games as a commercial medium. Happy Labor Day!

    Show Notes

    Sarah Elmaleh

    SAG-AFTRA Video Game Strike Official FAQ

    SAG-AFTRA Interim Agreements

    SAG-AFTRA Tiered Budget Interactive Media Agreement

    Into the Depths: Slice & Dice - Part 3 Aug 28, 2024

    In this 3rd and final installment of our latest deep-dive miniseries, the crew continue to discuss “yahtzee roguelike” Slice & Dice, a host favorite that has made our GOTY list for two years running. We're joined once again by series guest co-host Darius Kazemi.

    This episode, we ask Slice & Dice developer tann six (6) questions about the game. We also discuss Nightmare mode, as well as the modding system.

    Show Notes:

    Slice & Dice on Steam, itch, iOS, and Google Play

    Into the Depths: Slice & Dice - Episode 1 & 2

    Eggplant interview with Animal Well's Billy Basso and Dan Adelman

    Eggplant interview with Balatro's localthunk

    Slice & Dice 20 Boss Bossrush mod

    Knytt & Knytt Stories by Nifflas

    An otherworldly Eggplant announcement! Aug 21, 2024

    Sorry for the lack of new episodes! We have some big stuff brewing though, tune into this announcement for the details.

    141: Challenging Orthodoxy with sylvie Jul 17, 2024

    Doug and Zach talk to prolific game maker sylvie (love game), together with guest co-host Raigan Burns (Metanet Software). We talk about sylvie's design process, freeware games, subverting traditional orthodoxies around gamefeel, sylvie's influences, and more.

    Show Notes:

    sylvie's website

    Catalog of sylvie's games

    sylvie's blog posts

    sylvie's post on playtesting

    Bennett Foddy on JIGGLY ZONE

    Eggplant Episode 11 with Raigan

    Melos Han-Tani on Living in the Relational Playworld

    John Thyer's How To Make Good Small Games

    140: Minding Your Manors with Botany Manor Jun 28, 2024

    We're joined by Laure De Mey and Kitt Byrne of Balloon Studios to chat about their Victorian first-person puzzler Botany Manor. We discuss building a space that feels the right amount of "real," letting history guide your setting, weaving a subtly affecting narrative, and...priest holes.

    Show Notes:

    Laura De Mey

    Kitt Byrne

    Alba: A Wildlife Adventure

    Return of the Obra Dinn

    Pettson O Findus in the Garden

    Sapphire Tower

    Monkey Island

    Over the Garden Wall

    Little Women

    MacDowell Colony

    Nicholas Owen / Priest Holes

    RickRack Cactus

    Cragside Manor

    Greenway House

    Wild garlic

    Into the Depths: Slice & Dice - Part 2 Jun 14, 2024

    In this 2nd installment of our latest deep-dive miniseries, the crew continue to discuss “yahtzee roguelike” Slice & Dice, a host favorite that has made our GOTY list for two years running.

    We're joined once again by series guest co-host Darius Kazemi, as well as very special guest Michael Brough (!), whose own roguelike Cinco Paus is one of the cited inspirations behind Slice & Dice. This episode, we discuss the game's curses and blessings system, as well as its links to some of Michael's games, including 868 HACK.

    Join our Discord and send in your questions for the Slice & Dice designer tann.

    Show Notes:

    Slice & Dice on Steam, itch, iOS, and Google Play

    Michael Brough's blog posts on streak scoring (2013, 2017)

    868-HACK

    Cinco Paus

    Michael Brough's blog post on the "powerup" (curse) system in 868-HACK

    Slice and Dice | 98%+ Winrate Unfair Hero Tier List video

    Hoplite

    Classic Unfair run with Doug, Rob, and Andy

    139: Sticking to Your Systems with Animal Well Jun 01, 2024

    We're joined by Animal Well's sole developer Billy Basso and his business partner Dan Adelman to discuss their genre-defying/defining, steeped-in-secrets hit. Plus special guest co-host Adam Conover (Adam Ruins Everything), as we dig deep into the game's slow-burn development, the iteration of its manifold gameplay (and other) layers, and the delicate balance of stoking the fires of your fanbase.

    Show Notes:

    Animal Well

    Billy Basso

    Dan Adelman

    Adam Conover

    Scary kangaroo video

    Axiom Verge

    The Decade-Long Quest for Shadow of the Colossus' Last Secret

    Fez

    The Witness

    Spelunky

    Why do God of War's characters keep spoiling puzzles?

    All of the Secret Bunnies in Animal Well (HUGE SPOILERS)

    The Ultimate Secret Ending of Animal Well (EVEN BIGGER SPOILERS)

    haseverythinginanimalwellbeenfoundyet.com

    ARG Guardrails blog post

    VVVVVV

    Riven

    Super Win the Game

    Into the Depths: Slice & Dice - Part 1 May 27, 2024

    In the first installment of our Slice & Dice deep-dive miniseries, the crew head Into the Depths with the “yahtzee roguelike” that's shown up on our GOTY list for two years running. We're joined by interactive artist/developer Darius Kazemi to help introduce the game and share beginner tips from our (significant) playtime, and get into its unique combination of maximalist design and systems-driven humor.

    Next episode, we’ll get into some of our favorite game modes: Classic Unfair, Cursed, and Cursed-Hyper. Don’t forget to join our Discord and send in your questions for the game's designer tann, to be answered over email later in the series.

    Show Notes:

    Slice & Dice on Steam, itch, iOS, and Google Play

    Eggplant’s 2022 GOTY Episode (S&D Rob’s #2)

    Eggplant’s 2023 GOTY Episode (S&D Doug’s #2)

    Darius Kazemi’s Spelunky level-gen browser tool

    Slice & Dice development history essay, by tann

    Allison Parrish’s talk on designing to explore possibility spaces

    Slice & Dice beginner tips powerpoint

    Sid Meier’s 2010 GDC keynote

    Tharsis on Steam

    The stream where Rob and Doug “puppeteered” Andy to a Classic Unfair victory in Slice & Dice v2.0

    138: Getting Goofy with Listener Letters May 08, 2024

    Left to our own devices without a guest, we get a little goofy - thankfully our listener letters overfloweth, so we dive into a few of them. Thanks, listeners!

    Show Notes:

    Jupiter Sunrise

    Dinner with the Band

    GeoGuesser World Cup 2023

    Knytt

    Seiklus

    Daniels: Why We Tell The Stories We Tell

    Pale Fire

    137: Reflecting (and More) on GDC 2024 Apr 22, 2024

    Four of ours hosts went to the 2024 Game Developers Conference, and we lived to share anecdotes, interesting games we saw, and the highlights (and injuries) of our week! Also, Rob chases down a handful of other lovely devs to tell us the best/hardest things about making games right now.

    Show Notes:

    Arranger: A Role-Puzzling Adventure

    Experimental Game Workshop

    Museum of Mechanics: Lockpicking

    Once Upon a Jester

    Misshapen

    Mediterranea Inferno

    Kill Lincoln

    The Crush House

    136: Going in Blind with Balatro Apr 05, 2024

    We're joined by LocalThunk, solo creator of the hypnotic deckbuilder Balatro. We discuss flauting the fashion of a genre and going into development blind, the benefits of balacing by feel, and why Balatro shouldn't exist.

    Show Notes:

    Balatro

    LocalThunk

    Big two

    Luck Be a Landlord

    Slice & Dice

    Slay the Spire

    Risk of Rain 2

    135: Harnessing the Algorithm with Eric Chahi Mar 15, 2024

    We're joined by renowned designer Eric Chahi (Another World, From Dust) to discuss his singularly surreal VR adventure Paper Beast. We discuss building a living ecosystem born from constraints, how the craft has changed over the decades, and the indecency of technology.

    Show Notes:

    Eric Chahi

    Paper Beast

    Another World

    From Dust

    Heart of Darkness

    Strandbeest

    TsuShiMaMiRe

    Paprika

    Pale Blue Dot

    134: Striving for Imperfection with Jon Ingold (A Highland Song) Feb 24, 2024

    We're joined by Jon Ingold, co-founder of Inkle Studios (80 Days, Heaven's Vault) to discuss A Highland Song - a wild adventure through the Scottish Highlands. We chat about creating narrative-driven games without a critical path, allowing players to fail forward, and the origins of Inkle's beloved narrative scripting language, ink.

    Show Notes:

    Jon Ingold

    A Highland Song

    Inkle Studios

    ink

    The Forever Labyrinth

    Rick Dangerous

    TV Superstars

    Inform

    MUDs

    Uncharted 3's horse-riding section

    133: Celebrating Our 5th Anniversary! Feb 09, 2024

    We (belatedly) celebrate the 5th anniversary of our show with a sprawling, silly, reflective episode with a full house of hosts! Thanks for listening to us for all this time. <3

    Show Notes:

    Bob Mould

    Heat: Pedal to the Metal

    Everest Pipkin's The Poppy Grower

    Learning Moonring with Zach

    A Link to the Past Redux

    Paper Beast

    Late Show 3-Legged Race: Video Game Speedrunner Edition

    Tharsis

    Blue Thunder

    Everyday Shooter

    PixelJunk Monsters

    Puzzled Pint

    Sleep No More

    Teeny Little Super Guy

    LearnedLeague

    132: Welcoming Rob! Jan 30, 2024

    We welcome Rob Dubbin (he/they) as a permanent member of the host pool! We discuss his journey from Late Night into making games, applicable lessons learned in the writers' room, and the importance of making your own shot.

    Show Notes:

    Rob Dubbin

    NYU Game Center

    Babycastles

    Wonderville

    Game Studies Study Buddies

    I Am America (And So Can You!)

    Earl Grey

    ZZT by Anna Anthropy

    London Jerry: Freelance Mailman

    Stephen Colbert at the White House Correspondants' Dinner

    Samurai Gunn

    Sportsfriends

    Scripto

    Scripto + Global Game Jam 2024

    131: Using All of Your Tools with Kevin Poupard (Jusant) Jan 12, 2024

    We're joined by Kevin Poupard, co-creative director of the beautiful, meditative climbing game Jusant. We discuss the pains and gains of physics, trying something new as a studio, and anthropomorphizing mountains. Plus special guest co-host Mark Brown of Game Maker's Toolkit! Thanks Mark!

    Show Notes:

    Jusant

    GMTK - How Jusant Makes Rock-Climbing More Immersive

    Mind Over Magnet

    Grow Home

    Shadow of the Colossus

    130: Games of the Year 2023 Dec 31, 2023

    We sit down with our newest co-host, writer/developer Rob Dubbin, to each count down our Top 5 games of 2023, alongside picks from previous show guests and our listeners. Happy New Year!

    Our GOTY picks (SPOILERS):

    Zach: Super Locomotive Kirby's Dream Land 2 The F Train Simulator Playing Wii-U with a kid Yamaha TENORI-ON Sarah: Betrayal at Club Low Puzzmo Crosswords The Emerald Flame Case of the Golden Idol Organized Labor Andy: System Shock (remake) Pikmin 1+2 (remakes) Horseless Carriage Betrayal at Club Low Twilight Imperium Fourth Edition

    Rob: Puzzmo Crosswords Overflow Lasers & Feelings Mr. Sun's Hatbox Rude Tales of Magic Laura: Dredge Return of the Obra Dinn-likes VIDEOVERSE Girls' High School Mystery Class The Exit 8 Doug: The Password Game Human Chess 5th Season of Survivor Maryland Slice & Dice Blood on the Clocktower Nick: Rez Infinite PSVR2 w/ eye tracking Hi-Fi RUSH So Clover! Tux and Fanny EARTH DEFENSE FORCE 6

    Other picks from guests and listeners: Suika Game Baldur's Gate 3 Puyo Puyo Tetris Picross S9 Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty Disc golf Void Stranger El Paso, Elsewhere Basilisk 2000 Whist 22 Xenonauts 2 myhouse.wad Pikayune Dreams Magic Spellslingers

    Other things mentioned: Rob Dubbin Laura's 31 Days of Halloween newsletter Berghain Trainer Glitch City bathroom game

    129: Reinforcing Worldbuilding through Gameplay with Spoils Dec 23, 2023

    Daria Radu, Ben Wilson, and our very own Douglas Wilson join us to discuss their trick-taking card game Spoils, featured as an optional game within story-driven adventure game Saltsea Chronicles. We discuss the genesis of the game, drawing inspiration from worldbuilding, trick-taking as a mechanic, the programming of the AI systems, and more.

    Show Notes:

    Episode 69: Building a Better Bridge with Ben Wilson

    Spoils - A Development Retrospective

    Briscola Chiamata

    Bridge

    Skat

    The Fox in the Forest

    128: "Yes, And"-ing Your Design with Albert Birney and Gabriel Koenig (Tux and Fanny) Dec 13, 2023

    The creators of Tux and Fanny - Albery Birney and Gabriel Koenig - stop by to discuss their existential and hilarious adventure game Tux and Fanny. We discuss collaboration as improv comedy, the benefit of working with people from outside of games, and creating a Saturday morning cartoon from another world.

    Show Notes:

    Tux and Fanny (game)

    Tux and Fanny (film)

    Albert Birney

    Gabriel Koenig

    Dr. Mario or: House I Learned to Love Video Games Again and Accidentally Made One

    Pixilart

    Stalker

    Birth - Eggplant Episode

    Turn Towards Instead of Away

    Russian Winnie-the-Pooh

    McPixel

    Animal Crossing: New Horizons

    Katamari Damacy by L. E. Hall

    Humanity

    Stray

    Super Mario Bros. 35

    The Books - The Lemon of Pink (bonus from post-show discussion)

    127: Plotting a Course with Hannah Nicklin and Harry Josephine Giles (Saltsea Chronicles) Nov 26, 2023

    We're joined by creative director Hannah Nicklin and writer Harry Josephine Giles to discuss Die Gute Fabrik's beautiful new story-driven adventure, Saltsea Chronicles. We dig into the world-building and construction of the playable ensemble cast, the writer's room that pulled it off, and building out design process as design.

    Show Notes:

    Saltsea Chronicles

    Die Gute Fabrik

    Hannah Nicklin

    Harry Josephine Giles

    Ink

    Deep Dive: Designing a narrative for multiple middles and multiple heroes in Saltsea Chronicles

    Saltsea Chronicles and Writing the Future

    Pool Panic

    Building a Better Bridge with Ben Wilson

    A Paradise Built in Hell by Rebecca Solnit

    notgoingbacktonormal.com

    'Endemic' SARS-CoV-2 and the death of public health

    Rebecca Solnit: When the Hero is the Problem

    126: Building Your Own Platform with Zach Gage (Puzzmo) Nov 12, 2023

    We talk to our very own Zach Gage about his brand new games website, Puzzmo. We talk about player curiosity, newspaper games, Crosswords, and more.

    Show Notes:

    Episode 37: Designing Around Language with Zach Gage

    Puzzmo manifesto

    AVCX

    How Hard Could It Be? (crossword puzzle by Rob Dubbin)

    125: Exploring Your Own Landscape with Mars First Logistics Oct 28, 2023

    Ian MacLarty and Kalonica Quigley join us to discuss their open world physics simulation game, Mars First Logistics. We talk about the tech art behind the game's visual style, the procedurally generated landscape, the humor of the gameplay, and more.

    Show Notes:

    Mars First Logistics

    Catacombs of Solaris

    Apartment

    Red Desert Render

    Out of Bounds: Exploring the Limits of Videogames

    Ian's tech art posts

    Jumpgrid

    Bennett Foddy blog post about zk map

    124: Thinking Inside the Box with Patrick Traynor (Patrick's Parabox) Oct 07, 2023

    We're joined by Patrick Traynor, creator of Patrick's Parabox, a mind-bending recursive puzzle game about boxes within boxes. We discuss following your gut to what a game wants to be, being part of the puzzle design community, and our core philosophies behind puzzle design.

    Show Notes:

    Patrick's Parabox Patrick Traynor Linelith I Wanna Be the Guy Fangames Sokosoko Sokoban Stephen's Sausage Roll Singles - Rebecca Sugar Patrick's Parabox OST Osmos Puzzle Level Idea Strategies The Witness Tyler Glaiel - Make and release lots of small games before making a big one Jonathan Blow - Truth in Game Design
    123: (Rerun) Maximizing Minimalism with Disc Room Aug 25, 2023

    We're taking a small summer break, so please enjoy one of our favorite episodes from 2020 with a new introduction from Doug!

    The ENTIRE all-star Disc Room team - Kitty Calis, JW Nijman, Doseone, and Terri Vellmann - stop by for a rowdy disc-ussion on their new arcade sci-fi avoid-em-up. We chat about making the Margherita pizza of games, nailing the details to make a simple concept sing, and making the most of team collaborations.

    Show notes:

    Disc Room

    Launch trailer

    Kitty Calis JW Nijman Doseone Terri Vellmann

    Pizza Margherita

    Disc Room Game Jam

    VVVVVV

    Chris Ware

    Monolith

    Bit Pilot

    122: Finding Decency in Reality with Gilles De Coster (De Mol) Aug 11, 2023

    We're honored to be joined by Gilles De Coster, host of our favorite Belgian reality TV game show - De Mol - to talk about the process, inspirations, and execution of the sublime game design behind its thrilling, subversive challenges. We spend the first hour giving all the context you'll need to follow along, before diving into the interview. This is a special one for us, check it out!

    Show Notes:

    De Mol (SPOILERS)

    The Mole (inferior American version)

    Wie is de Mol? (Dutch version)

    The Amazing Race

    Every Game in This City

    Bestemming X

    121: Developing Your Taste with Abhi (Venba) Jul 28, 2023

    We're joined by Abhi to discuss Venba - Visai Games' short narrative cooking game about family, love, and loss. We discuss uniting narrative and gameplay, making a very personal game in a commercial industry, and creating a cooking experience with its own distinct flavor.

    Show Notes:

    Abhi

    Venba

    Papers, Please

    Assemble with Care

    Idli

    Exit/Corners

    Wholesome Games

    Laundry Bear Games

    Alpha Something - Venba soundtrack

    Keel Haul

    Abhi's picks:

    Favorite cooking videos: Layered Biriyani Kerala Style Fried Chicken Chicken Ghee roast Great Tamil movies to get started with: Merku Thodarchi Malai Kaaka Muttai Kaithi A playlist of songs that inspired Venba's soundtrack

    120: Making a Case for Intuition with Andrejs Kļaviņš (The Case of the Golden Idol) Jul 14, 2023

    We're joined by Color Gray Games' Andrejs Kļaviņš to discuss their deeply rewarding detective game The Case of the Golden Idol. We discuss building on the game's cross-media inspirations, finding the 'aha!' moments in playtesting, and trusting yourself to trust your players.

    Show Notes:

    The Case of the Golden Idol

    Color Gray Games

    Andrejs Kļaviņš

    Resonance

    Return of the Obra Dinn

    gamedeveloper.com interview

    GMTK - What Makes a Good Detective Game?

    Understanding Comics

    William Hogarth

    Her Story

    Outer Wilds

    Dark Souls

    Foucault's Pendulum

    PostCurious episode

    Godot Engine

    Mark Brown episode

    SpiderHeck

    Hercule Poirot

    Poker Face show

    Under a Killing Moon

    119: Collaborating in Character with Ashly Burch and Guerrilla Games (Horizon) Jun 30, 2023

    We're joined by actor Ashly Burch and Guerilla Games' Ben McCaw and Jochen Willemsen to deconstruct their deeply collaborative work on the Horizon game franchise - building the character of Aloy, the role of performance capture, and carving out nuance and evolution in a blockbuster series.

    Show Notes:

    Horizon Forbidden West

    Horizon series

    Ashly Burch

    Ben McCaw

    Jochen Willemson

    Hey Ash Whatcha Playin'?

    Tenzin (Uncharted 2)

    Gildun (Horizon character)

    Seyka (Horizon character)

    118: Exploring Your Curiosity with Rita Orlov (PostCurious) Jun 16, 2023

    We're joined by Rita Orlov to discuss her PostCurious catalog of captivating narrative tabletop puzzle games, including her journey from physical and fine art into games, why designers love bouldering, and trusting players to summit her puzzles.

    Show Notes:

    Rita Orlov

    PostCurious

    The Emerald Flame

    Threads of Fate KickStarter

    Lauren Bello

    Rita’s furniture

    Rita's masks

    Prague tunnels

    Bouldering

    Chip’s Challenge

    Syberia

    Rush Hour

    Society of Curiosities

    Traveler's Guide to Little Sodaburg

    Jack Fallows

    Voynich Manuscript

    Codex Seraphinianus

    The Case of the Golden Idol

    Mother of Frankenstein

    117: Answering Your Questions without a Guest (June 2023 Edition) Jun 02, 2023

    Four of our hosts get a little loopy answering questions submitted by our listeners, from how we all met, to our favorite game controllers, to the importance of mechanics vs vibes. We plan to do more of these episides once in a while, so let us know what you think and send us your most burning, random questions!

    Show Notes:

    Andean Abyss

    Zach's dreamy eyes

    Game of Thrones board game

    NeGcon

    Gravis PC GamePad

    PsychOdyssey

    Dysforgiveness

    Unify

    XOXO Festival

    Edgar Rice Soiree

    Clusterf**k!

    Every Game in This City

    The AirBnB we were going to rent

    findsatoshi.com

    The Jejune Institute

    Signal Tower speakeasy

    Lost Cities

    Planet of Lana

    The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

    Chrono Trigger

    EarthBound

    116: Finding Hope in Loss with Red Hook Studios (Darkest Dungeon II) May 19, 2023

    We're joined by co-founders Tyler Sigman and Chris Bourassa to discuss Red Hook Studios' new roguelike road trip of the damned, Darkest Dungeon II. We explore heroism by contrast, the delicate stakes of making an unforgiving game more forgiving, and fostering the will to get back up again when the road gets tough.

    Show Notes:

    Red Hook Studios

    Darkest Dungeon II

    Tyler Sigman

    Chris Bourassa

    Fury (2014 movie)

    115: Doubling Down on Intuition with Kenny Sun (Mr. Sun's Hatbox) May 08, 2023

    We're joined by Kenny Sun (Twinfold) to chat about his slapstick, roguelite platformer Mr. Sun's Hatbox. We talk about the benefits of setting a prototype down for a while, what humor can let you get away with, and trusting your instincts.

    Show Notes:

    Kenny Sun

    Mr. Sun's Hatbox

    Kenny's concert photography

    Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

    Gabe Cuzzillo

    Ape Out

    114: Loving Mondays with Cosmo D (Betrayal at Club Low) Apr 21, 2023

    We're joined by Greg “Cosmo D” Heffernan to discuss his IGF-winning, dice-fueled fever dream Betrayal at Club Low. We explore his fascinating journey from making music to making games, balancing for transparency, and letting your love of the process guide you.

    Show Notes:

    Cosmo D

    Betrayal at Club Low

    Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories

    Boiler Room London live set

    Despelote

    Glasslands Gallery

    Gloomhaven

    The Brooklyn Strategist

    Disco Elysium

    Fate role-playing system

    Charles Pratt

    Desktop Dungeons

    Wizardry

    Vlaada Chvátil

    Parasite

    Infinity Engine

    113: On top of the Fires of Hell w/ Daniel Benmergui (Storyteller) Apr 09, 2023

    We're joined by Daniel Benmergui (I Wish I Were the Moon, Fidel Dungeon Rescue), creator of the narrative-weaving puzzle game Storyteller. We discuss the challenges of designing playful and snappy interaction, wrangling cause and effect, and managing expectations for a game 15 years in the making.

    Daniel Benmergui

    Storyteller

    Cosmicomics

    Petri Purho

    I Wish I Were the Moon

    Today I Die

    Fidel Dungeon Rescue

    Scribblenauts

    Florence

    worm club

    Framed

    Façade

    112: Playing in the Moment with Videogamo (DOBOTONE) Mar 24, 2023

    We're joined by Hernán Sáez of Videogamo (DOBOTONE, NAVE) to discuss his beautifully ephemeral party/arcade games, as well as Marie Foulston, a playful curator/creative director who commissioned Videogamo's latest work, GOL-E-GOL. We discuss site-specific experiences, and the slippage between hardware and software realms.

    Show Notes:

    Hernán Sáez

    Marie Foulston

    Videogamo

    Máximo Balestrini

    NAVE Arcade

    DOBOTONE

    Gol-E-Gol

    Videogames: Design/Play/Disrupt

    Wild Rumpus

    No Quarter Exhibition 2022

    The Grannies

    Australian Centre for the Moving Image

    OUYA

    B.U.T.T.O.N.

    California Extreme

    Slick Shot (pool arcade game)

    111: Finding Your Groove with John Johanas (Hi-Fi RUSH) Mar 11, 2023

    We're joined by John Johanas, Director of Tango Gameworks' pitch-perfect rhythm action game Hi-Fi RUSH. We discuss the many challenges of creating a world and systems that stay on beat, while John and Sarah discuss the creation of the character she plays in the game (!), Korsica.

    Show Notes:

    John Johanas

    Hi-Fi RUSH

    Tango Gameworks

    Sekiro

    Skate's text-based prototype

    Everyday Shooter

    Tormentor X Punisher

    Patapon

    PaRappa the Rapper

    GuitarFreaks

    Guitar Hero Live

    Dyad

    Thumper

    Zwan - Honestly

    110: Making Friends with Madison Karrh (Birth) Feb 24, 2023

    We're joined by Madison Karrh, the solo dev behind Birth, a curious new adventure puzzle game about building a companion to quell your loneliness. We discuss the density and voyeurism of exploring city spaces, embracing the aesthetics of death, and making games that respect your time on earth.

    Show Notes:

    Madison Karrh

    IndieCade: Canabalt's Adam Saltsman's Pursuit of the Infinite

    Cole Imperi (Thanatologist)

    Double Fine's PsychOdyssey

    Everyone I Know Keeps Breaking Things

    A Chat With the Creator of Birth - Eurogamer

    Feral Earth

    Solar Protocol

    Weiwei Xu's Multiverse

    Library of Babel

    109: Answering Your Questions without a Guest Feb 11, 2023

    No guest this week, so we chat about the motley selection of games we're playing, before hopping into some thoughtful listener questions. We talk reality shows, historical board games, our go-to podcasts, and the importance of making things for yourself.

    Show Notes:

    Betrayal at Club Low

    Noita

    Slice & Dice

    Hi-Fi RUSH

    Duolingo

    I Imported EDF6, And Here's Why You Should Too

    Boss Fight Books - Season 6 Kickstarter

    OODA loop

    Paolo Pedercini's Making Games in an F****d Up World

    Greening the Games Industry

    Homo Ludens Podcast

    Playing at the World

    Molly House

    Dead Eyes

    Rashomon

    Unreal: A Critical History of Reality TV

    The Eleventh podcast

    The Worst Idea of All Time

    Guy Montgomory

    Lolita Podcast

    You Must Remember This

    A More Civilized Age

    Dr. Gameshow

    Hey Riddle Riddle

    Just Button

    108: Designing For Delight with Vectorpark (Windosill) Jan 27, 2023

    Patrick "Vectorpark" Smith joins us to discuss his curious and inspiring oeuvre, the lost art of Flash games and DVD menus, and the pros and cons of keeping your art to yourself.

    Show Notes:

    Vectorpark

    Windosill

    Patrick's paintings

    Haunt the House

    Dorling Kindersley's 1995 Encyclopedia of Nature

    Daniel Clowes

    Chris Ware's Jimmy Corrigan

    Julie Doucet

    Jim Woodring's Frank

    "Playdate" by Chris Ware

    Richard McGuire

    TET

    Playables

    Hollow Ponds

    Noby Noby Boy

    107: Welcoming Laura! Jan 13, 2023

    We welcome Laura E. Hall (they/she) as a permanent member of the cast! Fresh off a session of their online escape game The Traveler's Guide to Little Sodaburg, we dig into its web-savvy design, how the last few years have impacted the immersive games space, and the inspirations behind a rad career of experience design.

    Show Notes:

    Laura E. Hall

    The Traveler's Guide to Little Sodaburg

    The Pop Star's Room of Doom

    Pursuit of the Assassin Artist

    Palace Games

    Sleep No More

    Meow Wolf

    I Love Bees

    The Beast

    Masquerade book

    The 11th Hour book

    Level99

    The Silence in Room 1258

    De Mol

    A Game Designer's Analysis of QAnon

    106: Games of the Year 2022 Dec 30, 2022

    Per tradition, we sit down with immersive puzzle designer Laura E. Hall - and bonus guest writer/developer Rob Dubbin - to count down our Top 5 games of 2022, alongside picks from previous show guests and our listeners. Happy New Year!

    Our GOTY picks (SPOILERS):

    Laura: Pentiment Bureau of Multiversal Arbitration Immortality The Case of the Golden Idol The Emerald Flame

    Rob: Kubb I Was a Teenage Exocolonist Fun City Slice & Dice Babble Royale Andy: Metroid Dread Pentiment (... and Modern Warfare 2) Neon White Elden Ring (and Sekiro) Root (and John Company, Oath, and Pax Pamir)

    Sarah: Horizon Forbidden West Knotwords Escape Academy Subaltern Music League (but actually kpop)

    Zach: (Three-way tie) Elden Ring / Robotron: 2084 / fetch Super Mario Land DX (on the Analogue Pocket) Need for Speed Unbound (Tie) Isle of Arrows / Gargoyle’s Quest Legend of Zelda Ancient Dungeon (Complete Conversion of NES Legend of Zelda)

    Doug: Top 5 TikTok Games Apartment Claim to Fame The Mo!e ORG (application form) Super "Sonic Saves the World" World

    Nick: God of War: Ragnarök Tinykin Spots Tunic FAR: Changing Tides

    Other picks mentioned by previous guests/listeners: Moon: Remix RPG Adventure Paradise Killer Dwarf Fortress TEAM3 Super Mario World romhack - The Getaway Poinpy Pigments Sylvie Lime Stunt Derby Cinco Paus Dome Keeper Game Boy Camera Outer WIlds: Echoes of the Eye Linelith Citizen Sleeper Skate Story trailer Dota 2 Final Fantasy VI Stardew Valley - anthropomorphic animals mod Wordle Bally's Fathom pinball machine Hyper Meteor PRODUCER 2021 The Crew: The Quest For Planet Nine Bespoke Counter Depth 4-Door Flex Refridgerator

    105: Making History with Josh Sawyer (Pentiment) Dec 16, 2022

    Josh Sawyer (Fallout: New Vegas, Pillars of Eternity) joins us to discuss Obsidian's historical, narrative-driven adventure game Pentiment. We chat about text boxes as game feel, creating hard player choices that don't feel bad, and putting yourself in your art.

    Show Notes:

    Josh Sawyer

    Pentiment

    The Name of the Rose

    Pitching a 16th Century Murder Mystery - AIAS Game Maker's Notebook

    Juice It or Lose It talk

    Lettermatic

    Night in the Woods

    So where *is* Tassing, actually? (Tumblr post)

    Darklands

    Guillermo Del Toro's Pinocchio

    Andrei Rublev

    104: Thanksgiving Leftovers Dec 08, 2022

    Our guest couldn't make it, so we gathered some listener questions and got weird! Join us for Thanksgiving recipes, our favorite recent game mechanics, and some "state of the industry" musings. Enjoy!

    Show notes:

    Vectorpark

    Meathead's AmazingRibs.com

    Manchego mashed potatoes

    Kabocha Pie

    Nick's pancake recipe

    Paprika Recipe Manager

    Sarah's Konsoll talk

    Sarah as She-Venom

    Marvel Snap

    Caper: Europe

    Air, Land & Sea

    God of War: Ragnarok

    Pax Pamir

    John Company

    Tango

    Theory of Mind

    Donkeyspace

    103: Day of the Devs Special Nov 20, 2022

    We (well, Nick) stops by the annual Day of the Devs event in San Francisco, and chats to a bunch of lovely developers about the games they're showing there, their biggest design challenges, and what it feels like making games in the cursed year of 2022.

    Show notes:

    Day of the Devs

    Double Fine

    iam8bit

    Pietro Righi Riva

    Saturnalia

    Chandana Ekanayake

    Thirsty Suitors

    Jasper Oprel

    Indiana Jonas

    Surmount

    Madison Karrh

    Birth

    Billy Basso

    Animal Well

    Xalavier Nelson Jr.

    Sunshine Shuffle

    Rachel Heleva

    Astra Games

    Doseone

    Game Over by A7PHA

    Brandon Sheffield

    Demonschool

    102: Playing on Your Own Terms with Wayward Strand Nov 04, 2022

    Ghost Pattern's Jason Bakker and Georgia Symons join us to discuss their heartfelt interactive story Wayward Strand. We meander through its immersive theater inspirations, the origins of its airship, and the process of rethinking player agency in the attention economy.

    Show Notes:

    Jason Bakker

    Georgia Symons

    Ghost Pattern

    Wayward Strand

    Need 4e+9 Speed

    The Last Express

    Sleep No More

    The Drowned Man

    The Life Aquatic

    VicScreen

    Freeplay

    101: Working in a Vacuum with Heavenly Bodies Oct 21, 2022

    Alexander Perrin and Joshua Tatangelo join us to discuss their expressive, physics-driven space puzzler Heavenly Bodies. We chat about designing a challenging game that isn't antagonistic, a funny game whose comedy is inherent, and their inspirations (or lack thereof).

    Show Notes:

    Heavenly Bodies

    2pt Interactive

    Pogo Cat

    Short Trip

    Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy

    Meredith Hall

    Untitled Goose Game

    Simpsons space scene

    100: Just One (Hundred) with Friends of Eggplant Oct 04, 2022

    We're joined by dear friends of the show Laura E. Hall, Bennett Foddy, and Doseone for a Doug-masterminded, Eggplant-themed game of Just One. Stick around after the insanity for a reflection on the past four years of the show, how our lives have changed since, and what the show means to us (and you - thanks for the letters!).

    Show notes:

    Laura E. Hall

    31 Days of Halloween newsletter

    Find Satoshi

    Bennett Foddy

    Doseone

    Demon Throttle

    Immortality

    Hyper Demon

    Just One

    Anthony Carboni

    99: Charting the Future with Sarah Northway (I Was a Teenage Exocolonist) Sep 16, 2022

    Sarah Northway (Northway Games) joins us to discuss her sprawling new narrative RPG I Was a Teenage Exocolonist. We discuss juggling a staggering script, deckbuilding as storytelling, and some of the wilder places that the game's time looping can go.

    Show notes:

    Northway Games

    Sarah Northway

    I Was a Teenage Exocolonist

    Museum of Other Realities

    Princess Maker (series)

    Groundhog Day

    Signs of the Sojourner

    Dragon Age (series)

    Jogging House

    98: Escaping Your Fate with Coin Crew Games (Escape Academy) Sep 02, 2022

    Co-founders Wyatt Bushnell and Mike Salyh - and special guest co-host Laura E. Hall - join us to discuss Coin Crew's awesome new co-op escape room game Escape Academy. We discuss pandemic pivoting to the digital space, designing for arcades vs. living rooms, and the perils of playtesting in both mediums.

    Show notes:

    Coin Crew Games

    Escape Academy

    Laura E. Hall

    Planning Your Escape

    The Traveler's Guide to Little Sodaburg

    Space Squad in Space

    Two Bit Circus

    Hot Wheels: King of the Road

    999 (series)

    The Room (series)

    My Hero Academia

    Mark Rosewater

    97: Hosting Online Reality Games (ORGs) w/ Ash Neleh Aug 19, 2022

    Ash Neleh, host of the ! Series of online reality games, joins Doug for a conversation about adapting reality TV competition games for online fan communities. We talk about the 18-year history of the ! Series, as well as some of the favorite twists he's designed.

    Show notes:

    ! Series Wiki

    ! Series Discord

    De Mol

    96: Eavesdropping for Inspiration with Grace Bruxner (Frog Detective) Aug 05, 2022

    Frog Detective creator Grace Bruxner joins us to discuss the inspirations and process behind her charming detective series, including the upcoming Frog Detective 3: Corruption at Cowboy County. We discuss sticking to scope (or not), making the most of adventure game tropes, and finding inspiration in the mundane.

    Show notes:

    Grace Bruxner

    Frog Detective

    ALIEN CASENO

    Games Talks 2020: Grace Bruxner

    Building Games Around Humor (GDC talk)

    L.A. Noire

    Frog Detective Twitter account

    Freaky Ep 7 - Dummy

    Round the Twist (full first season)

    95: (Rerun) Making Generous Games with Terry Cavanagh (Dicey Dungeons) Jul 22, 2022

    We're taking a small summer break, so please enjoy one of our favorite episodes from a few years ago. And check out the new mobile version of Dicey Dungeons, and the free DLC!

    Terry Cavanagh (Super Hexagon, VVVVVV) joins us to talk about his fantastic roguelike deckbuilder, Dicey Dungeons. We discuss the thread of generosity in his game design, the challenges of working across genres, and what might be next for Terry!

    Show notes:

    Terry's distractionware.com

    Dicey Dungeons

    VVVVVV

    Super Hexagon

    Tiny Heist

    Stephen Lavelle

    Dream Quest

    7 Day Roguelike

    Naya’s Quest

    The Long Dark

    Super Hexagon playthrough at Fantastic Arcade

    Hearthstone Battlegrounds

    94: Learning to Unclench with Ben Esposito (Neon White) Jul 08, 2022

    Ben Esposito (Donut County, What Remains of Edith Finch) joins us to talk about his heavenly new card-powered, speedrunning FPS Neon White. We discuss making tight designs by keeping things loose, what a "career" of indie games feels like, and making games u wish 2 see on the Dreamcast.

    Show notes:

    Ben Esposito

    Neon White

    Donut County

    Arcane Kids

    Glitch City

    Super Meat Boy

    Killer7

    Cowboy Bebop

    Trigun

    Hunter x Hunter

    GoldenEye 007

    Lovely Planet

    Machine Girl

    Sonic Dreams Collection

    Perfect Stride

    CRAP! No One Loves Me

    Room of 1000 Snakes

    Arcane Kids manifesto

    93: Cheating Depth with Card Shark Jun 24, 2022

    Card Shark creators Arnaud De Bock of Nerial (Reigns) and Nicolai Troshinsky join us to discuss their innovative new adventure game about cheating. We discuss its filmic inspirations, the narrative progression of chaining tricks, and designing a game loop of teaching and testing.

    Show notes:

    Arnaud De Bock

    Nicolai Troshinky

    Nerial

    Reigns

    Pikuniku

    UFO On Tape

    Loop Raccord

    Barry Lyndon

    The Expert at the Card Table

    Gambling Sleight of Hand - Steve Forte

    The Magic Castle

    92: Untangling Language with Knotwords Jun 10, 2022

    Knotwords creators Jack Schlesinger and our own Zach Gage chat to us about their elegant new logic puzzle word game. We discuss "cracking" the game design they'd been chasing forever, and how they created the puzzle/word generator that makes it great.

    Show notes:

    Jack Schlesinger

    Zach Gage

    Knotwords

    Nikoli puzzles

    Alcazar

    Two Not Touch puzzles

    Good Sudoku

    SpellTower+

    Bit Pilot

    Wordle

    Calvin & Hobbes

    This episode edited by Dylan Shumway, thanks Dylan!

    91: Finding Poetry in Geometry with Mahdi Bahrami (Tandis) May 27, 2022

    Mahdi Bahrami joins us to discuss his beautiful, mind-bending new puzzle game Tandis. We discuss teaching complex geometry concepts without any numbers, poetry as playtesting, and drawing a line through Mahdi's math-inspired oeuvre.

    Show notes:

    Mahdi Bahrami

    Tandis

    Engare

    Farsh

    ArsTechnica Tandis review

    Waldorf Education

    Mercator Projection

    90: Rethinking Reality with Tender Claws (The Under Presents) May 13, 2022

    Tender Claws' Samantha Gorman and Danny Cannizzazo join us - alongside guest co-host Star St. Germain - to discuss their singular immersive theater experience The Under, creating an enriching social space in VR, and gameplay as an act of rebellion.

    Show notes:

    Tender Claws

    The Under

    Virtual Virtual Reality

    Star St. Germain

    Tumball

    Piehole

    The Severance Theory: Welcome to Respite

    Royal Shakespeare Company's Dream

    Talk 'n Play

    The Invention of Morel

    Uncle Roy All Around You

    Janet Cardiff

    Mary Sweeney

    Walkabout Mini Golf

    Into the Depths: Super Mario World - Bonus Episode! Apr 29, 2022

    Surprise! In the spirit of SMW's bonus worlds, we're back with a Special episode to cap off our deep-dive miniseries, as previous Into the Depths guests Stephanie Boluk and Patrick LeMieux take us on a tour of some of the coolest SMW ephemera yet!

    Show notes:

    Stephanie Boluk

    Patrick LeMieux

    Tons of links this week, so please check out this great syllabus that Patrick put together for us!

    Into the Depths: Super Mario World - Part 5 Apr 15, 2022

    In the fifth - and final! - installment of our Super Mario World deep-dive miniseries, streamer/speedrunner Grand POOBear joins us to discuss the uncanny valley of SMW Remade From Memory, and the masterful Super 'Sonic Saves the World' World romhack by the mysterious 'Maddy, allegedly'.

    Show Notes:

    GrandPOOBear

    The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe

    DougDoug

    SMW Remade From Memory

    Super 'Sonic Saves the World' World

    Grand Poo World 2

    Invictus SMW romhack

    Luminescent SMW romhack

    Celeste.smc

    Spelunky 2 randomizer

    Celeste: Farewell

    Into the Depths: Super Mario World - Part 4 Apr 01, 2022

    In the fourth installment of our Super Mario World deep-dive miniseries, Davey Wreden (The Stanley Parable) joins us to discuss the infamous Star and Special worlds, and walk us through the ever-evolving, often hilarious culture of Kaizo Mario.

    Show notes:

    Davey Wreden

    The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe

    The Beginner's Guide

    Ivy Road

    Elden Ring VICE article

    The Japanese names for the Special courses

    Asshole Mario Stage 1

    Asshole Mario Stage 10

    Asshole Mario 2 Stage 9

    Claustrophobia Kaizo hack

    Icing (game)

    The Complete History of Kaizo Mario

    Homework for next episode:

    SMW Remade From Memory

    Sonic Saves the World played by Grand POOBear

    Into the Depths: Super Mario World - Part 3 Mar 18, 2022

    In the third installment of our Super Mario World deep-dive miniseries, David Hellman (Braid) joins us to discuss the aesthetics of SMW, touch on its recent widescreen mod, and suffer through the game's worst world and level (while savoring the interesting bits).

    Show notes:

    David Hellman

    Braid: Anniversay Edition

    Satoru Iwata tribute

    The eyes on question mark blocks

    Mario shades of red

    SMW widescreen mod

    SMW jazz fusion album

    Homework for next episode:

    Star World

    Special World

    Watch some Kaizo/Asshole Mario World

    89: Elden Ring roundtable with Jake Kazdal (17-Bit) Mar 11, 2022

    Our friend Jake Kazdal (17-Bit) joins us for a (spoiler-free!) roundtable discussion of Elden Ring, in which we compare our experiences in FromSoftware's latest monsterpiece, consider the inseparable nature of its community, and deliberate its bolder design decisions.

    Show notes:

    Jake Kazdal

    17-BIt

    Elden Ring

    Souls (series)

    Resident Evil 7

    Nick's home invasion thread

    Clint Hocking on the virtues of exploration

    Lord of the Rings (films)

    Assassin's Creed Odyssey: Discovery Tour

    There's no such thing as an Elden Ring cheese

    Halo Infinite

    Bill Mudron on player summoning

    Into the Depths: Super Mario World - Part 2 Feb 25, 2022

    In the second installment of our Super Mario World deep-dive miniseries, Mare Sheppard and Raigan Burns of Metanet Software (N++) join us to talk about the inertia that makes Mario feel like Mario, the beautiful strangeness of the cape, and just how deep SMW's control quirks go.

    Show notes:

    Metanet Software

    N++

    The Story of Super Mario World

    Elasto Mania

    Bernard Suits

    MineRalph

    Gish

    Tumbledown Drive

    Jiggly Zone

    Making History with Summoning Salt

    Kaizo Kindergarden

    The Decade-Long Quest for Shadow of the Colossus' Last Secret

    Retronauts on SMW

    Reverse Design: SMW

    Burned Mario and Luigi

    SMW Widescreen

    11 Years of N

    Into the Depths: Super Mario World - Part 1 Feb 11, 2022

    In the first installment of our Super Mario World deep-dive miniseries, Derek Yu (Spelunky) and Maddy Thorson (Celeste) join us to talk about our personal histories with the game, its iconic world map and multi-layered secrets, and all sorts of Mario ephemera in-between.

    Show notes:

    Super Mario World

    Derek Yu

    Maddy Thorson

    Ep. 75: Finding our Intersection Tastes

    Kaizo Mario

    SMW as an "athletic game"

    Atheltic Theme

    The Wizard (1989)

    Mario death sprite

    How to get 50+ lives in SMW

    LOVE

    88: Welcoming Sarah! Jan 28, 2022

    We celebrate Sarah Elmaleh as a permanent new member of the cast! Yay Sarah! We also announce the next Into the Depths series, dive into some wildly different topics du jour, and answer your questions!

    Show notes:

    Sarah Elmaleh

    Super Mario World

    "King Me": A Defense of King-Making in Board Game Design

    Shut Up & Sit Down Root review

    Line Goes Up - The Problem with NFTs

    Wordle

    The Saturday Paper - Wordle

    Wordles of the World

    Lingo UK

    Wordle as poetry generator

    The Wreck

    The Red Lantern

    The Beatles: Get Back

    Pokemon Red

    Blinfolded Sekiro run

    OODA loop

    Games Done Quick

    Hanabi

    87: Fighting Words with Everybody House Games (Babble Royale) Jan 14, 2022

    Frank and James Lantz of Everybody House Games join us to discuss their tactical word-slinging free-for-all, Babble Royale. We discuss the built-in texture of language, reconsidering elegance, and why not: we phone a few friends for some live rounds of Hey Robot.

    Show notes:

    Frank Lantz

    James Lantz

    Everybody House Games

    Hey Robot

    Babble Royale

    Babble Royale beginner's guide

    Babble Royale advanced guide

    Chris Hecker

    Scrabble

    Wordle

    Typeshift

    Nethack

    A Wizard of Earthsea

    Wordnik

    Starcraft: Brood War

    Lessons in the Fundamentals of Go

    PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds

    Wavelength

    86: Games of the Year 2021 Dec 31, 2021

    Recurring GOTY guest / immersive puzzle designer Laura E. Hall joins Sarah Elmaleh and the rest of our crew to count down our Top 5 games of 2021, alongside picks from previous guests and our listeners. Happy New Year!

    Show notes:

    Laura E. Hall Planning Your Escape The Traveler's Guide to Little Sodaburg Ynglet 101% Completion Guide Find Satoshi Laura's Animal Crossing: New Horizons Dream Code: DA-9271-2414-8564

    Our GOTY picks (SPOILERS):

    Zach: Monster Hunter RiseDeath’s DoorMetroid FusionWordleHalo Infinite

    Sarah:Mass Effect (1) Legendary EditionWildermythThe Maze on Planet 7 (streaming)It Takes TwoKentucky Route Zero

    Nick:Sea of ThievesElecheadIt Takes TwoGuardians of the GalaxyInscryption

    Doug: Survivor, South Africa, Season 8Ynglet Learned LeagueAlien (folk game)Factions (Discord game by Doug)

    Andy:Ynglet (Skee Mask - Pool)Unpacking (Porter Robinson - Nurture)Kentucky Route Zero (Low - HEY WHAT)Inscryption (Squid - Bright Green Field)Babble Royale (Madlib - Sound Ancestors)

    Laura:The Forgotten CityValheimPursuit of the Assassin ArtistInscryptionUnpacking

    85: Thinking Outside the Box with Witch Beam (Unpacking) Dec 17, 2021

    Witch Beam's Wren Brier and Tim Dawson join us to discuss their cozy zen puzzle game, Unpacking. We chat about the origins of its subtle narrative, living life on the grid, and the generous details that make it feel like home.

    Show notes:

    Witch Beam

    Assault Android Cactus

    Unpacking

    Wren Brier

    Tim Dawson

    Stugan

    Aseprite

    Making Generous Games with Terry Cavanagh

    The UI Artist's Survival Kit

    Cohesion is Key: Art Direction for Indies

    84: Digging the Rabbit Hole with Daniel Mullins (Inscryption) Dec 03, 2021

    Daniel Mullins (Pony Island, The Hex) joins us to discuss his inky black card-based odyssey, Inscryption. We discuss [redacted], [redacted], and [redacted]. Just go play it, then come back and listen. Thanks also to our guest co-host Star St. Germain!

    Show notes:

    Daniel Mullins Games

    Inscryption

    Pony Island

    The Hex

    Daniel's Itch Page

    Star St. Germain

    Magic: The Gathering Arena

    Slay the Spire

    Boss Fight Books - The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask

    Buddy Simulator 1984

    Hidden my game by mom

    Sam Barlow

    ARG video with Daniel

    Masquerade book

    Borg vs McEnroe

    83: Getting Feedback with Derek Yu Nov 19, 2021

    Our old pal and Spelunky creator Derek Yu stops by to discuss his helpful blog post on how to think about feedback on your game. We discuss sympathetic vs unsympathetic feedback, thinking about feedback across your entire creative practice, and why feedback can be valuable beyond the content itself.

    Show notes:

    Derek Yu

    Indie Game Dev: Getting Feedback

    Osmos

    Creativity, Inc.

    One Night Ultimate Werewolf

    Slay the Spire: Metrics Driven Design and Balance

    Lil' Dozer

    Playtesting: Avoiding Evil Data

    Hannah Nicklin on Critical Response

    r/DestoryMyGame

    82: Nurturing a Spark with NamaTakahashi (ElecHead) Nov 05, 2021

    ElecHead creator NamaTakahashi joins us to discuss his inventive puzzle-platformer, one of our favorites in years. We discuss the indie scene in Japan, making a game about secrets, and how to avoid players getting too "full" on your game. Big thanks to Chao from Asobu for translation help!

    Show notes:

    NamaTakahashi

    Indie Brains podcast (Japanese language)

    ElecHead (also on Steam)

    Chao Zen

    Makers Fund

    Asobu

    Branching Paths

    Archipel

    Enhance Experience

    Celeste

    VVVVVV

    NamaTakahashi profile video

    Downwell

    Toki Tori 2

    81: Scaling and Scoping with Asher Vollmer (Beast Breaker) Oct 22, 2021

    We're joined by Asher Vollmer (Threes) to discuss the mouse-bouncing adventure Beast Breaker, the debut game from his studio Vodeo Games. We discuss the perils of overscoping, scaling up (and back down), and building a studio ethos.

    Show notes:

    Asher Vollmer

    Vodeo Games

    Threes

    IndieCade Awards

    Royals

    holedown

    Ballz

    BBTan

    Monster Hunter

    The Witcher

    A Playful Production Process

    80: Envisioning a Future with JETT: The Far Shore Oct 08, 2021

    Craig D. Adams (Superbrothers A/V) and Patrick McAllister (Pine Scented Software) join us as they embark on the release of their interstellar adventure JETT: The Far Shore. We cover its 10+ year development, telling a small piece of a big story, and assembling the right squad to help land it.

    Show notes:

    JETT: The Far Shore

    Superbrothers A/V

    Pine Scented Software

    Fatal Inertia

    Sworcery ARG?

    Jim Guthrie

    scntfc

    MotorStorm: Pacific Rift

    Monster Hunter

    Fumito Ueda

    Ralph McQuarrie

    17-BIT

    Getting Things Done

    79: Shifting Perspectives in Storytelling with Variable State (Last Stop) Sep 24, 2021

    Variable State co-founders Jonathan Burroughs, Terry Kenny, and Lyndon Holland pop by to chat about their supernatural anthology drama Last Stop. We discuss capturing London through its details, telling an interconnected story across multiple genres, and the importance of pacing.

    Show notes:

    Variable State

    Virginia

    Last Stop

    Hannah Nicklin

    Attack the Block

    Fleabag

    Firewatch

    Thirty Flights of Loving

    Primer timeline

    Dunkirk

    78: Making Myths with Worldwalker Games (Wildermyth) Sep 10, 2021

    We're joined by Anne Austin and Nate Austin of Worldwalker Games to explore their charming myth-making tactical RPG, Wildermyth. We dig into the challenges of procedural storytelling, clever ways of handling time passage and death, and capturing a tabletop feel without the table.

    Show notes:

    Wildermyth

    Worldwalker Games

    AI-Driven Dynamic Dialog through Fuzzy Pattern Matching

    The Thing (video game)

    The Thing: Infection at Outpost 31 (board game)

    Descent: Journeys in the Dark

    XCOM

    Spirit of the Century

    77: Learning to Let Go with GoodbyeWorld Games (Before Your Eyes) Aug 27, 2021

    Graham Parkes and Bela Messex of GoodbyeWorld Games join us to discuss their beautiful, blink-controlled adventure through the afterlife, Before Your Eyes. We discuss the benefits of disempowerment, working off faith in technology, and teaching players to let go.

    Show notes:

    Before Your Eyes

    GoodbyeWorld Games

    Graham Parkes

    Bela Messex

    Little Bug

    Close Your

    Blendo Games

    Walter Murch's In the Blink of An Eye

    Death of a Salesman

    C.S. Lewis' The Great Divorce

    Where You Are short film

    76: Seeing For Yourself with Tali Faulkner (Umurangi Generation) Aug 13, 2021

    We chat to Umurangi Generation's Tali Faulkner about his (IGF grand prize-winning!) "first-person photography game in the sh*tty future." We discuss keeping scope small while having a lot to say, the role of respectful design and Indigenous knowledge, and positioning players to see for themselves.

    Show notes:

    Tali Faulkner

    Umurangi Generation

    Sarah Elmaleh

    Shooting the Apocalypse by Jini Maxwell

    Freeplay Parallels 2020 talk

    Neon Genesis Evangelion

    British nuclear tests at Maralinga

    ThorHighHeels' OST

    Umberto Eco's UR-FASCISM

    75: Finding Our Intersecting Tastes (75th episode special!) Jul 30, 2021

    For our 75th episode special, we endeavor to find which games lie at the intersection of our tastes, talking through our ranking algorithm and counting down our top 22 games. Thanks for all the support so far!

    Show notes:

    Sportsfriends

    Knytt

    StepMania

    0SPACE

    The Little Prince

    Let's Mosey: A Slow Translation of Final Fantasy VII

    Chrono Trigger by Michael P. Williams

    Chrono Trigger Mixtape

    Losing Your Grip: Futility and Dramatic Necessity in Shadow of the Colossus

    Arcane Kids Manife$to

    Kaizo Mario

    TENNNES

    TENORI-ON

    Our Top 22 (SPOILERS):

    10th place: Super Puzzle Fighter N++ Katamari Damacy Dance Dance Revolution 9th place: Samurai Gunn 8th place: Everyday Shooter 7th place: Kentucky Route Zero Fez The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 6th place: Super Mario Kart Super Mario Galaxy Portal Final Fantasy VII Doom 5th place: Mario 64 Drop7 Desert Golfing Chrono Trigger 4th place: Shadow of the Colossus 3rd place: Spelunky 2 2nd place: Spelunky HD 1st place: Super Mario World

    74: Taking Our Time with Durational Games (Airplane Mode special #2) Jul 16, 2021

    The second special episode originally created in partnership with AMC Games for the in-flight entertainment of Airplane Mode, a very literal flight simulator. We chat about ritual in games, rethinking our relationship to time, and bringing it to bear on our own work and play.

    Show notes:

    Lifeline...

    Shadow of the Colossus

    Tharsis

    Star Trek: Discovery

    The Castles of Burgundy

    Lost Cities

    Desert Bus

    Pippin Barr's Durations

    Marina Abramović’s The Artist is Present

    Zach’s Transit Meditation

    San Andreas Deer Cam

    Dishonored

    Assassin's Creed Odyssey: Discovery Tour

    Grand Theft Auto Pacifist

    The Traveling Swordsman Problem

    Nick's Thanksgiving Blade Triptych

    Casey Reas’ Processing

    How to do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy

    Delayed Response: The Art of Waiting From the Ancient to the Instant World

    The Great British Bake Off

    Apex Legends

    VESPER.5

    Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP

    Brandon Sanderson

    73: Constructing Your Dreams with HoloVista Jul 02, 2021

    Aconite founders Star St. Germain and Nadya Lev and lead designer Scott Jon Siegel join us to discuss their beautiful, mixed reality mind bender HoloVista. We chat about embracing hidden object game design, telling personal stories through a lens of social media, and subverting the selfie museum.

    Show notes:

    HoloVista

    Star St. Germain

    Nadya Lev

    Scott Jon Sigel

    Aconite

    Coilhouse

    The Fallen Cosmos

    SFZero

    Journey to the End of the Night

    Ian Bogost

    Jane McGonigal

    Gardens of Time

    How Return of the Obra Dinn Works

    Mariode

    Blake Kathryn

    Nour: Play With Your Food

    Andrew Morgan

    Andi Hegedus

    MTV Cribs

    Meow Wolf

    teamLab

    Museum of Ice Cream

    Strix

    Cory O'Brien

    LiveJournal

    Sara Carr

    Mesmer & Braid: The Alternate Reality Game

    Steve Peters

    Nick Tierce

    72: Expanding Your Universe with Jakub Wasilewski (Slipways) Jun 18, 2021

    Jakub Wasilewski of Beetlewing joins us to talk about his new grand-yet-bite-sized space strategy game, Slipways. We discuss game feel as inspiration, breaking your game for fun and profit, and limiting your universe to expand your audience.

    Show notes:

    Jakub Wasilewski

    Beetlewing

    Slipways

    PICO-8

    Indie Fund

    Celeste

    hearthstone

    Pocket-Run Pool

    Twilight Imperium

    Teomachia (Jakub's board game)

    Master of Orion

    Magic: The Gathering

    SpellTower

    Slay the Spire

    Tom Francis

    71: Surviving the Big Bang with Feral Cat Den (Genesis Noir) Jun 04, 2021

    Evan Anthony and Jeremy Abel of Feral Cat Den join us to discuss their inspired cosmic adventure game, Genesis Noir. We discuss the aesthetics of interaction, processing your game launch, and shooting for the stars with your ending.

    Show notes:

    Feral Cat Den

    Evan Anthony

    Jeremy Abel

    Genesis Noir

    Vectorpark

    Hohokum

    GNOG

    Cosmicomics

    Reaktor

    Florence

    Skillbard

    Oikospiel

    Inside

    Busby Berkeley

    Rez

    Marcin Zeglinski

    Interstellar

    L.A. Noire

    Wabi-sabi

    Kintsukuroi

    70: Embracing Your Scars with Hannah Nicklin (Mutazione) May 21, 2021

    Die Gute Fabrik's Studio Lead Hannah Nicklin joins us to discuss her writing and narrative design work on their sublime mutant soap opera, Mutazione. We discuss working with time and an ensemble cast to create a story with "multiple middles," embracing the scars of a lengthy development cycle, and the best bikes in video games.

    Show notes:

    Hannah Nicklin

    Die Gute Fabrik

    Mutazione

    Into the Depths: The Music of Mutazione - Part 1

    Divised theater

    Grey’s Anatomy

    Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

    Narrative Design Sliding Doors

    Multiple Middles & Mutazione

    Kentucky Route Zero

    Critical Response

    Stephen King's On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

    N+1 a bike/game zine

    Sokpop's Digital Bird Playground

    69: Building a Better Bridge with Ben Wilson May 07, 2021

    We sit down with Creative Producer Ben Wilson to discuss the thrilling cooperative trick-taking game The Crew: The Quest for Planet Nine, and how the game builds on and subverts precedents like Spades and Bridge.

    Show notes:

    Ben Wilson

    Wizard Jam

    Spelunky Dare Challenge Bot

    Trick-taking games

    The Crew: The Quest for Planet Nine

    The Crew - A Card Game for Everyone

    Skat

    Hearts

    Spades

    Bridge

    Zach's Grit

    Bourre

    Hanabi

    The Perfect Game of Hanabi

    Ha Ha Ha! game

    Codenames

    #remoteplay: Playing in a Pandemic, Part 2

    Into the Depths: Kentucky Route Zero - Part 6 Apr 30, 2021

    In the final installment of our Kentucky Route Zero miniseries, we sit down with two of its creators - Jake Elliott and Ben Babbitt - to discuss the origins of their collaboration, drawing from influences beyond games, and the process of working on such a long-term project.

    Show notes:

    Kentucky Route Zero

    Jake Elliott

    Ben Babbitt

    Stephanie Boluk

    Patrick LeMieux

    Sarah Elmaleh

    A House in California

    KRZ Kickstarter

    Pillars and Tongues

    Dog and Bone are Friends

    Jon Cates

    Critcal Artware

    Demoscene

    Ableton

    .microsound

    Magic Matrix Mixer Mountain

    Sidequest

    The Museum of Jurassic Technology

    Jorge Luis Borges

    Balloon Diaspora

    68: Bravely Replacing Randomness with Gloam Collective (Bravery Network Online) Apr 23, 2021

    Gloam Collective's Min-Taylor Bai-Woo and Damian Sommer join us to chat about their thrilling new turn-based fighter Bravery Network Online. We discuss the design of its Pokémon-inspired battles, the clever ways in which they replaced randomness, and making friends in the post-post-apocalypse.

    Show notes:

    Gloam Collective

    Min-Taylor Bai-Woo

    Damian Sommer

    Bravery Network Online

    Guillaume Singelin

    OKAYKELLYK

    Emily Carroll

    Pokémon Showdown!

    droqen

    Good BNO example match w/ commentary

    BNO first tournment playlist

    Daigo Umehara

    Star Wars: Destiny

    Magic: The Gathering - Commander

    Final Fantasy Tactics

    Splatoon

    Yomi

    Umurangi Generation

    PATH

    Into the Depths: Kentucky Route Zero - Part 5 Apr 16, 2021

    In the fifth installment of our Kentucky Route Zero miniseries, we broadcast our thoughts on the Un Pueblo De Nada interlude, before prowling our way through Act V and our closing thoughts on the game.

    Show notes:

    Kentucky Route Zero

    Stephanie Boluk

    Patrick LeMieux

    Sarah Elmaleh

    Alice Munro - Dear Life

    Clara Rockmore - The Art of the Theramin

    Clara Rockmore - The Swan

    Brian Rotman: Signifying Nothing - The Semiotics of Zero

    Bob Moog

    WEVP-TV transmedia videos

    Sandin Analog Image Processor

    Our Town

    Jenny Odell - How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy

    How to unlock the bonus interlude

    Noah Caldwell-Gervais - Notes From Along Kentucky Route Zero

    Robert Frost - The Death of a Hired Man

    Orthographic projection

    Projective Geometry

    Haruki Murakami - The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle

    Can't Tell Me Nothing with Zach Galifianakis HQ

    Walt Whitman - Song of Myself, Verse 52

    Nabokov and spirals

    Jon Cates

    Metal Gear Solid 3, I Love You With All My Heart

    Jordan Youngblood “Is Metal Gear’s Rectum a Digital Grave?: Queer Trauma and Failure in the Metal Gear Solid Series.” Panel on Queer Failure. Queerness and Games Conference. University of Berkeley. 24-26 October 2013

    67: Finding the Right Words with Dyala Kattan-Wright (Signs of the Sojourner) Apr 09, 2021

    Echodog Games' Dyala Kattan-Wright joins us to discuss their wildly unique and wonderful narrative card game Signs of the Sojourner. We chat about the process of developing the game's innovative dialogue system, its surprising effects on player experience, and why sometimes you just can't go home again.

    Show notes:

    Eggplant Patreon

    Dyala Kattan-Wright

    Echodog Games

    Signs of the Sojourner

    Slay the Spire

    Ascension: A Case Study in Deckbuilding Games

    Friday

    Consentacle

    Fog of Love

    Hanabi

    Hearthstone

    Dream Quest

    80 Days

    Arkham Horror: The Card Game

    Signs of the Sojourner Original Soundtrack

    Into the Depths: Kentucky Route Zero - Part 4 Apr 02, 2021

    In the fourth installment of our Kentucky Route Zero miniseries, we dial in our thoughts on the Here and There Along the Echo interlude, before bringing our insight to bear on the brittle facts of Act IV.

    With guest co-hosts Stephanie Boluk, Patrick LeMieux, and Sarah Elmaleh!

    Show notes:

    Kentucky Route Zero

    Stephanie Boluk

    Patrick LeMieux

    Sarah Elmaleh

    Limits and Demonstrations Little Berlin installation

    Sarah's Part 3 Twitter thread

    Karl Marx, Capital Vol. III

    Karl Marx, The Fragment on Machines

    Museum of Jurassic Technology

    Lee Tusman

    Richard Lemarchand, Attention Not Immersion

    Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy (Will Oldham), I See a Darkness

    Kelly Reichardt, Old Joy

    Martin Deny, Exotica

    Audiogames.net

    Kenji Eno, Real Sound: Kaze No Regret

    Sound of Metal

    Nomadland

    Gabriel A. Radvansky et al., Walking Through Doorways Causes Forgetting

    Andre Bazin, Ontology of the Photographic Image

    Sigmund Freud, The Uncanny

    66: In-Flight Entertainment with Hosni Auji (Airplane Mode) Mar 26, 2021

    A special episode originally created in partnership with AMC Games for the in-flight entertainment of Airplane Mode, a very literal flight simulator. We chat with its creator Hosni Auji about the challenges and benefits of simulating the mundane, our strangely poignant experiences with the game, and our personal flight etiquette.

    Show notes:

    Airplane Mode

    Hosni Auji

    AMC Games

    F.E.E.D.

    Zero Age

    NYU Game Center Incubator

    Gone Home

    The Twilight Zone - Nightmare at 20,000 Feet

    BLAH airlines

    Captain Bennet Foddy

    Into the Depths: Kentucky Route Zero - Part 3 Mar 20, 2021

    In the third installment of our Kentucky Route Zero miniseries, we take a seat for The Entertainment interlude, before exploring the physical manifestation of debt in Act III. With recurring guest co-hosts Stephanie Boluk and Patrick LeMieux, and bonus guest Sarah Elmaleh!

    Show notes:

    Kentucky Route Zero

    Stephanie Boluk

    Patrick LeMieux

    Sarah Elmaleh

    Giving Games a Voice with Sarah Elmaleh

    Resonance game

    The Consolidated Power Company

    The Entertainment paperback

    Maxim Gorky, The Lower Depths

    Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Kubla Khan Eugene O’Neill, The Iceman Cometh The Last of Us

    Samuel Beckett, Waiting for Godot

    Julee Cruise, Rockin’ Back Inside My Heart on Twin Peaks

    Colossal Cave Adventure

    Junebug, Too Late to Love You

    Vannevar Bush, As We May Think

    Steve Russell et al., Space War!

    Joseph Weizenbaum, Eliza/Doctor

    Eliza Douglas Engelbart, The Mother All Demos Ted Nelson, Computer Lib/Dream Machines Roberta and Ken Williams, Mystery House

    David Graeber, Debt: The First 5000 Years

    IF titles: the next generation of generation

    65: Making History with Summoning Salt Mar 12, 2021

    Game historian and documentarian Summoning Salt joins us to discuss the world of speedrunning, the process behind his deep-dive videos that unpack its most exciting moments, and the ineffable magic that makes some classic games so beautifully broken.

    Show notes:

    Summoning Salt

    Home - We're Finally Landing

    Breaking World Records with Kinnijup and ix

    The Quest for 1 Million Subscribers

    Games Done Quick

    SS's speedrun.com records

    The Quest to Beat Matt Turk

    The History of Wii Sports Resort Golf World Records

    Jon Bois

    Tim Rogers' Action Button

    Summoning Salt Patreon

    The History of Contra World Records

    Mario Kart 64: The Quest for World Record Perfection

    Video Game History Foundation

    World Record Progression: Half-Life 2

    Andy's latest EP

    Into the Depths: Kentucky Route Zero - Part 2 Mar 05, 2021

    In the second installment of our Kentucky Route Zero miniseries, we marinate in the Limits & Demonstrations interlude, before navigating the Zero to Act II to tackle bureaucracy, bears, and the recurring question: are we inside, or are we outside?

    Show notes:

    Kentucky Route Zero

    Stephanie Boluk

    Patrick LeMieux

    Nam Jun Paik, Random Access

    Edward Packard, UFO 54-40

    Museum of Other Realities

    KRZ Fulltext

    Jack Burnham, Software Catalogue

    Eddie Shanken, "The House that Jack Built"

    Le Corbusier, "Five Points of Architecture"

    The Jejune Institute

    SCP Foundation

    Robert Frost, "Two Tramps in Mud Time"

    Robert Frost, "Death of the Hired Man"

    Mark Z. Danielewski, House of Leaves

    Rene Magritte, The Blank Signature

    Marie Foulston, Videogames: Design/Play/Disrupt

    64: Giving Games a Voice with Sarah Elmaleh Feb 26, 2021

    Actor, advocate, and consultant Sarah Elmaleh (Afterparty, Anthem, Gone Home) joins us to discuss her craft across myriad game roles, the connections between voiceover and design, and using your voice to fight for equity and connectedness.

    Show notes:

    Sarah Elmaleh

    Eggplant Podcast Community Game Jam

    Void Protocol

    Babycastles

    Behind the Voice

    Dominic Armato

    Afterparty

    Anthem

    Gears 5

    Superbowl spot

    Getting Over It With Bennett Foddy

    A Play of Bodies

    Hades

    Disco Elysium

    Johann Sebastian Joust

    Lifeline

    Earplay: Jurassic World Revealed

    SAG-AFTRA Low Budget Agreement

    Pyre

    Star Wars Twitter thread

    Gamedev.world

    IndieCade 2020 Awards

    Into the Depths: Kentucky Route Zero - Part 1 Feb 21, 2021

    In the first installment of our Kentucky Route Zero miniseries, we meet our guest co-hosts, with whom we put Act I's opening scene under a microscope, discuss the game's novel dialogue system, and dive deep into the first batch of its many intertextual references.

    Show notes:

    Stephanie Boluk

    Patrick Lemieux

    Kentucky Route Zero

    Cardboard Computer

    A House in California

    Metagaming book

    Mutazione

    Designing for Mystery in KRZ GDC talk

    Dear Esther

    Fluxus

    Grapefruit

    Successful Reflective Choices in Interactive Narrative

    Colossal Cave Adventure

    Where the Water Tastes Like Wine

    Recoding Gender: Women’s Changing Participation in Computing

    Playing with Feelings: Video Games and Affect

    Game of Life

    Somewhere Nearby is Colossal Cave

    One Hundred Years of Solitude

    A Pedestal, A Table, A Love Letter: Archaeologies of Gender in Videogame History

    Hundred Thousand Billion Poems

    1976: Adventure

    Mathematical Theory of Communication

    New Media Reader

    63: Finding Your Own Path with Daniel Helbig (Lonely Mountains: Downhill) Feb 12, 2021

    Daniel Helbig of Megagon Industries (Lonely Mountains: Downhill) joins us to discuss the magic behind their pitch-perfect 2019 mountain biking game. We discuss the trials and techniques of their game-defining controls, physics, and camera work, and mastering multifaceted mountains (phew!).

    Show notes:

    Eggplant Game Jam

    Daniel Helbig

    Megagon Industries

    Lonely Mountains: Downhill

    Skiing Yeti Mountain

    Ski Stunt Simulator

    Game Feel book

    Downhill Domination

    Deep Rock Galactic

    Ring of Pain

    62: Rethinking Difficulty with Maddy Thorson Jan 30, 2021

    Maddy Thorson (Celeste, TowerFall) joins us to discuss the evolution of their excellent catalog of platformers, how Celeste made them reconsider difficulty, and the benefits of working with a team you can trust.

    Show notes:

    Maddy Thorson

    Celeste Classic 2

    Celeste source code

    Axiom Verge randomizer

    Spelunky Dare Challenge Bot

    Maddy's Mario Maker 2 courses

    Maddy's Super Mario World Remix

    Twilight Imperium

    Detransition, Baby book

    Dreamsnake book

    Line Rider

    Andy's first Spelunky 2 Cosmic Ocean run

    61: The Joy of Shipping with Xalavier Nelson Jr. Jan 15, 2021

    Narrative Director Xalavier Nelson Jr. joins us fresh from his announcement of Space Warlord Organ Trading Simulator, the latest in his lengthy list of collaborations. We discuss the methodology behind his prolific oeuvre, the benefits of planning ahead, and how he approaches the unique narrative of a game like Hypnospace Outlaw.

    Show notes:

    Xalavier Nelson Jr.

    Xalavier's Itch.io page

    Space Warlord Organ Trading Simulator

    Hypnospace Outlaw

    An Airport For Aliens Currently Run By Dogs

    Guts of Glory

    Up in the Air

    Paper Mario: The Origami King

    Oreskaband

    Skatune Network

    Into the Depths: The Music of Mutazione - Part 4 Jan 08, 2021

    The final installment of a special miniseries produced by developer Die Gute Fabrik, an examination of their wonderful 'mutant soap opera' told through the lens of its music. In this episode, they discuss the rest of the game's Story Mode music, and play some early sketches.

    Show notes:

    Die Gute Fabrik

    Mutazione (Original Game Soundtrack)

    Alessandro's Spotify playlist of music that influenced Mutazione

    Nils' Spotify playlist of music that influenced Mutazione

    60: Games of the Year 2020 with Laura E. Hall Jan 01, 2021

    Immersive puzzle designer Laura E. Hall returns for another huge year-end show, as we each count down our Top 5 games of 2020, alongside picks from previous guests and our listeners. Happy New Year!

    Show notes:

    Laura E. Hall Planning Your Escape: Strategy Secrets to Make You an Escape Room Superstar Every Game in This City

    Our GOTY picks (SPOILERS):

    Laura: Animal Crossing: New Horizons Box One Presented by Neil Patrick Harris Holovista The Room VR: A Dark Matter The Truth About Edith / Cain's Jawbone

    Zach: Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown Persona 5 Final Fantasy VII Remake Hearthstone Battlegrounds Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order

    Andy: Spelunky 2 Death Stranding Through the Ages Disco Elysium Outer Wilds

    Doug: De Mol 2020 season Spelunky 2 Kentucky Route Zero The Crew: The Quest For Planet Nine PlayingCards

    Nick: Ghost of Tsushima Spelunky 2 Astro's Playroom A Short Hike / Lonely Mountains: Downhill Spider-Man: Miles Morales

    Guest picks: Astro's Playroom Sludge Life Penko Park Deep Rock Galactic Apex Legends Duck Game Hades Cinco Paus Animal Crossing: New Horizons Web Liero Death Stranding Umurangi Generation STALKER: Shadow Over Chernobyl

    Listener picks: Hades Universal Paperclips Mancala Roundguard Mutazione Blaseball Signs of the Sojourner Tenderfoot Tactics Animal Crossing: New Horizons Ring Fit Adventure Paradise Killer Treachery in Beatdown City

    Into the Depths: The Music of Mutazione - Part 3 Dec 25, 2020

    The third installment of a special miniseries produced by developer Die Gute Fabrik, an examination of their wonderful 'mutant soap opera' told through the lens of its music. In this episode, they discuss the creation and iteration of the game's main 'town' music.

    Show notes:

    Die Gute Fabrik

    Mutazione (Original Game Soundtrack)

    Knytt Stories

    Sea & Cake

    59: Making Magic with Chevy Ray Johnston (Ikenfell) Dec 19, 2020

    Ikenfell creator Chevy Ray Johnston joins us to explore the inner workings of his tactical magic school RPG, from building a meaningful story with interpersonal stakes, to nailing the timing on a streamlined yet dynamic combat system.

    Show notes:

    Chevy Ray Johnston

    Ikenfell

    Ring Fit Adventure

    Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

    Carmilla YouTube series

    Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga

    Ikenfell Original Game Soundtrack

    A Shell in the Pit

    Sammus

    Rowan Atkinson bee comedy

    Into the Depths: The Music of Mutazione - Part 2 Dec 11, 2020

    The second installment of a special miniseries produced by developer Die Gute Fabrik, an examination of their wonderful 'mutant soap opera' told through the lens of its music. In this episode, they discuss the creation of the game's generative musical gardens.

    Show notes:

    Die Gute Fabrik

    Mutazione (Original Game Soundtrack)

    Gardens teaser video

    Brian Eno - Music for Airports

    58: Easing into Hades with Supergiant Games Dec 04, 2020

    Greg Kasavin and Amir Rao of Supergiant Games join us for a deep design dive on their smash hit dungeon-crawler Hades, from how (and why) they tackled gameplay and narrative persistence in a roguelike, to creating dynamic systems and characters that always have something new to say.

    Show notes:

    Hades

    Greg Kasavin

    Amir Rao

    Dead Cells

    Slay the Spire

    Noclip's Hades: Developing Hell series

    Into the Depths: The Music of Mutazione - Part 1 Nov 27, 2020

    Introducing a special Into the Depths miniseries produced by developer Die Gute Fabrik, an examination of their wonderful 'mutant soap opera' told through the lens of its music. In this first installment, they discuss the origins of their collaboration, and the early direction and influences that informed the tone of both the game and its music.

    Show notes:

    Die Gute Fabrik

    Mutazione (Original Game Soundtrack)

    Rückblende

    Alessandro's Spotify playlist of music that influenced Mutazione

    Nils' Spotify playlist of music that influenced Mutazione

    The Books - Lost and Safe (album)

    Sifteo Cubes

    57: Small Games with Stuffed Wombat Nov 21, 2020

    Josh "Stuffed Wombat" Hollendonner joins us to discuss his inspiring oeuvre of Small Games, from creating the 10mg collection - and his entry Always Down - to exploring the tiny text adventures of Ord, and the sustainability and learnings of exploring the Small Games space.

    Show notes:

    Stuffed Wombat

    10mg Collection

    The Small Game manifesto

    Gutwhale

    How to delete your Twitter account

    Ord.

    Handulum+

    qomp

    Into the Depths: Spelunky 2 - Part 5 Nov 13, 2020

    In the final installment of our deep-dive Spelunky 2 miniseries, creator Derek Yu and lead programmer Micky Pascual regale us with stories of development, their approach to the post-launch changes, and how they tackled an ocean of secrets. First half is largely spoiler-free (until 1:14), second half is full spoilers!

    Show notes:

    Derek Yu

    Micky Pascual

    BlitWorks

    Conor McGregor vs. Donald Cerrone

    Minus World

    Spelunky book

    Andy Baio's kid

    Eirik Suhrke

    UFO 50

    Goats screaming like humans

    56: Sourcing Locally with Ngoc Vu (Necrobarista) Nov 07, 2020

    Necrobarista's lead artist Ngoc Vu sits down to tell us how her team created the singular aesthetic of their kinetic visual novel, and talks us through its inseparable Melbourne inspirations.

    Show notes:

    Ngoc Vu

    Route 59 Games

    Necrobarista

    Long Live the Queen (the game Ngoc couldn't remember!)

    Tumblr Cinegraphs

    Rabbit Rush

    Kotaku anime frustration article

    Tachikoma

    Bin chickens

    Ned Kelly

    Sidney Nolan

    Understanding Comics

    Tilt to Live

    Into the Depths: Spelunky 2 - Part 4 Oct 31, 2020

    In the fourth installment of our deep-dive Spelunky 2 miniseries, we wade into the deepest secrets and SPOILERS of the game, covering the entire "chain" path and far beyond, giving our impressions, tips, and design musings along the way.

    Show notes:

    Mummy's voice meme

    A breakdown of 2013's most fascinating video game moment

    Ancient Egyptian sacrificial mythology

    Nick's first trip to Duat

    Our new voicemail number: 312-809-9680‬

    55: Maximizing Minimalism with Disc Room Oct 22, 2020

    The ENTIRE all-star Disc Room team - Kitty Calis, JW Nijman, Doseone, and Terri Vellmann - stop by for a rowdy disc-ussion on their new arcade sci-fi avoid-em-up. We chat about making the Margherita pizza of games, nailing the details to make a simple concept sing, and making the most of team collaborations.

    Show notes:

    Disc Room

    Launch trailer

    Kitty Calis JW Nijman Doseone Terri Vellmann

    Pizza Margherita

    Disc Room Game Jam

    VVVVVV

    Chris Ware

    Monolith

    Bit Pilot

    Into the Depths: Spelunky 2 - Part 3 Oct 16, 2020

    In the third installment of our deep-dive Spelunky 2 miniseries, we continue the discussion on its unique difficult curve, debate the latest changes to the game, and talk through the design of worlds 3-5.

    Show notes:

    Noita 1.0

    Thanks for a Great Launch (Update)

    JakeTreester's Reddit criticisms (big spoilers!)

    Nick's Olmec whiff

    Nick's Jiangshi whiff

    Colin's Daily in a GIF

    54: Trusting Your Gut with Tj Hughes (Nour: Play With Your Food) Oct 10, 2020

    Tj Hughes (Terrifying Jellyfish) joins us to talk about his upcoming experimental food/art game Nour: Play With Your Food. We discuss games as toys, making things accessible by making them weird, and the most important element of both cooking and design (spoilers: it's love).

    Show notes:

    Tj Hughes

    Nour: Play With Your Food

    Feesh

    Panoramical

    Electroplankton

    Tabor Robak on Video Games

    Food in FFXV

    Breakfast in Dreams

    Hero of Time, Vegan of Hyrule

    Toasted Ravioli

    City Museum

    Into the Depths: Spelunky 2 - Part 2 Oct 02, 2020

    In the second installment of our deep-dive Spelunky 2 miniseries, we discuss the game's radical approach to difficulty, break down and contrast the second worlds of the game, and compare results on the Daily challenge.

    53: Keeping it Short with Adam Robinson-Yu (A Short Hike) Sep 25, 2020

    A Short Hike creator Adam Robinson-Yu chills with us to chat about his cozy exploration game, from its Humble origins and inspirations, to balancing feature density with scope.

    Show notes:

    A Short Hike Adam Robinson-Yu Pitfall Planet Adam's Itch.io page Fund: Futures Crafting a Tiny Open World: A Short Hike Postmorterm Building Games Around Humor: Lessons from The Haunted Island, A Frog Detective Game Stugan Breakwaters Kickstarter doseone's new album

    Into the Depths: Spelunky 2 - Part 1 Sep 18, 2020

    In the first installment of our deep-dive Spelunky 2 miniseries, we have a - spoiler-free! - discussion of the first world of the game, design changes big and small and their implications, and what this sequel does to recapture the essence of what make the series so special.

    Show notes:

    Spelunky 2

    Noita

    Surviving Spelunky 2: Tips for a Successful Expedition/Transition

    Northway Games

    I Was a Teenage Exocolonist

    Museum of Other Realities

    Polygon Spelunky 2 review

    Ojiro's Spelunky 2 death

    Nick's Spelunky 2 shotgun forgetfulness

    eggplant.show

    52: Barking Up the Right Tree with Lucy Morris (Best Friend Forever) Sep 11, 2020

    Lucy Morris (Starcolt) joins us to talk about her recently-released dating/pet care sim Best Friend Forever! We discuss running a studio in a small community, building three dimensional characters, and the emotional travails of launching a game.

    Show notes:

    Lucy Morris

    Lovegames podcast

    bffgame.dog

    Launch Day: the emotional cost of releasing a game

    Jared Rosen + Dream Daddy

    Love Transcends All (Geographical) Boundaries

    acrylic

    51: Good Sudoku with Zach Gage Aug 28, 2020

    We kick off a new era with a fully rebranded show! After navel-gazing about the changes, we talk to our own Zach Gage about making a Sudoku game that loves you.

    Show notes:

    eggplant.show

    Good Sudoku

    doseone

    Richard Hogg

    Northway Games

    Sportsfriends

    Osmos

    The Worst Idea of All Time

    Hot Tub Time Machine

    Arcane Kids Manife$to

    The Miracle Sudoku

    The Berenst#in Bears problem

    Put Your Name on Your Game GDC talk

    50: Spelunky 2 with Derek Yu and Eirik Suhrke Aug 14, 2020

    We close out this chapter of the podcast with some (spoiler-free!) impressions of the near-final Spelunky 2, with creators Derek Yu and Eirik Suhrke to guide us through their design process and answer your burning questions. The walls are shifting...

    Some things we discussed:

    Derek Yu Eirik Suhrke

    Spelunky 2 release date trailer

    Super Mario World

    Downwell

    Faxanadu

    49: Fun with Hexes with Ricky Haggett, Jonathan Whiting, and Tim Schafer (Loot Rascals) Jul 31, 2020

    Loot Rascals co-designers Ricky Haggett and Jonathan Whiting join us to discuss their whimsical cosmic roguelike, as does superfan Tim Schafer to help us sing its praises! We discuss playing with hexes in the pub, the function of humor in games, and how Loot Rascals is the first "stranding" game.

    Some things we discussed:

    Loot Rascals

    Hollow Ponds

    Jonathan Whiting

    Double Fine Productions

    RAD

    Davey Swatpaz

    Archon: The Light and the Dark

    Skylanders

    HeroQuest

    Good Sudoku

    Nethack

    Into the Breach

    I Am Dead

    Meowza

    Jon Boam

    48: Making It Personal with Shawn Alexander Allen (Treachery in Beatdown City) Jul 17, 2020

    Shawn Alexander Allen joins us to talk about his tactical brawler, Treachery in Beatdown City. We discuss the roots and inspirations of this innovative mash-up, the action economy that makes it tick, and the process of translating life experience into your creative work.

    Some things we discussed:

    Shawn Alexander Allen

    Treachery in Beatdown City

    Hybrid Heaven

    V.A.T.S. system

    Put Your Glock Away, I've Got a Stronger Weapon For You (A Maze talk)

    @writnelson's Blockbuster thread

    Cory Arcangel's Super Mario Clouds

    Being black in America

    47: Indie Dev as Engine Building with Theresa Duringer Jul 03, 2020

    Theresa Duringer (Temple Gates Games) joins us to discuss the process of bringing board games to digital platforms. We discuss tutorial and UI challenges, machine learning for AI, and how to find your niche as a small studio.

    Show notes:

    Theresa Duringer

    Temple Gates Games

    Roll of the Galaxy beta

    Gen Con

    Machine Learning for Boardgame AI in Race for the Galaxy

    TD-Gammon

    AlphaStar: Mastering the Real-Time Strategy Game StarCraft II

    Keldon Jones' Race for the Galaxy AI

    How to Run a Studio Without a Surprise Hit

    Scythe: Digital Edition

    Terraforming Mars

    46: Reconsidering Civilization with Soren Johnson (Old World) Jun 20, 2020

    Soren Johnson (Offworld Trading Company) joins us to discuss his new historical strategy game Old World, as we dive into playing by feel in a numbers-driven game, the problematic themes inherent to the 4X genre, and personalizing games through narrative scale.

    Some things we discussed:

    Soren Johnson

    Mohawk Games

    Civilization IV

    Spore

    Offworld Trading Company

    Old World

    4X genre

    Designer Notes podcast

    Heroes of Might and Magic

    Guns versus butter

    Guns, Germs, and Steel

    Battle Line

    Lost Cities

    Into the Depths: Noita - Part 5 May 29, 2020

    In the final installment of our Noita miniseries, Nolla Games' Petri Purho and Olli Harjola join us for a deep dive Q&A on the game! We discuss the influence of magic on its design, its origins and early iterations, how they empower different play styles, and where the boundaries of the game might actually be. Some things we discussed:

    Kloonigames

    Facepalm Games

    Hempuli

    Sisu

    Knytt

    The Magic Way

    Frog Fractions

    NetHack

    Game Feel book

    Stair Dismount

    Liero

    The Fight of the Sumo Hoppers

    Pro Pilkki

    My Summer Car

    Nokia worm (Snake)

    Wings

    Soldat

    Stephen’s Sausage Roll

    Apex Legends Forge misdirect

    45: Andy's Sprawling Birthday Spectacular May 22, 2020

    It's Andy's big 5-0 and we're celebrating by diving into our mailbag of thoughtful listener questions! We discuss working within a team, how academic practice intersects development, framing your work across a career, the role of aesthetics in games, and the materiality of engines. Phew! Some things we discussed:

    The Last Dance

    B.U.T.T.O.N.: On Self-Effacing Games and Unachievements

    Characteristics of Games

    Terry Cavanagh

    Design Anarchy

    Ansel Adams

    Clusterf*ck

    GMTK Game Jam

    N

    Designing with Physics: Bend the Physics Engine to Your Will

    Super Pole Riders: How We Got Full Pole Control

    Lost Cities

    Lonely Mountains: Downhill

    Into the Depths: Noita - Part 4 May 15, 2020

    In the fourth installment of our Noita miniseries, we discuss the intention of randomness, getting stuck in our play patterns, leaning into the game's weirdness, and some modifications we'd like to see. Some things we discussed:

    10,000 Bowls of Oatmeal Problem

    Brogue

    Teamfight Tactics

    Balancing Multiplayer Games

    44: Quarantine Arcade with Derek Yu May 08, 2020

    Spelunky creator Derek Yu returns for an expansive discussion on the membrane between players/devs, the connection between design/process, and the understated influence of arcade games on his work - all through the lens of what we've been playing and thinking about in quarantine.

    Some things we discussed:

    Derek Yu

    UFO 50

    Noita

    Animal Crossing: New Horizons

    AC:NH QoL fan video

    Marina Abramović

    Streets of Rage 4

    Metal Slug X

    Rainbow Islands: The Story of Bubble Bobble 2

    Web Liero

    Scourgebringer

    Bargain Basement Bathysphere

    Gals' Fighters

    boardgamearena.com

    Can’t Stop

    Acquire

    Innovation

    Sea Block Factorio mod

    SnowRunner

    Caveblazers

    Miasmata

    Escape From Tarkov

    Gutwhale

    Just One

    Lost Cities

    Azul

    What Up With That?

    Into the Depths: Noita - Part 3 May 01, 2020

    In the third installment of our miniseries, we discuss Noita's worldbuilding, secrets in game culture, games as toys, tutorialization (or lack thereof), and the conflicts of wandcrafting. Some things we discussed: Noita Arcane Kids Manife$to Magicians Trilogy Rain World Noita 101 - Tips for new players Else Heart.Break() My Summer Car - Early Access trailer TIS-100

    43: A Window Into Narrative Systems with Tom Francis Apr 24, 2020

    Tom Francis (Gunpoint, Heat Signature) crashes in to discuss his upcoming small-scale strategy game Tactical Breach Wizards, how he finds and focuses on the cores of his games, and the narrative systems that make them sing.

    Some things we discussed:

    Tom Francis Gunpoint Heat Sig Tactical Breach Wizards (new walkthrough) RPS: What Works And Why Morphblade Imbroglio GameMaker Into the Breach The GIPF Project Dawn of War: Dark Crusade Dishonored Brick Design Talk: Difficulty is Random

    Into the Depths: Noita - Part 2 Apr 17, 2020

    In the second installment of our miniseries, we discuss our different play styles, wand customization, building games around online communities, and our experiences with - and the implementation of - Noita's Daily Challenge.

    Some things we discussed:

    Noita Risk of Rain Zach's badass barrel kick Noita 101 - Tips for new players Wand Stats - Noita Notes 4

    42: The Secrets of Simplicity with Martin Jonasson (holedown) Apr 10, 2020

    Martin Jonasson (holedown) joins us to extract the juiciness that powers his "delightful spectacle of bouncing," reveals the truth behind his rounded corners, and discusses the aesthetic and scope commitments that drove games like twofold inc. and rymdkapsel.

    Some things we discussed: grapefrukt games holedown twofold, inc. rymdkapsel jesus vs. dinosaurs Juice it or lose it Breakout: Pilgrim in the Microworld experimental gameplay project vectorpark

    Into the Depths: Noita - Part 1 Apr 03, 2020

    In this first installment of our new miniseries focused on Noita (with guest co-host Bennett Foddy), we share our early stories and beginner tips, discuss the genealogy of the game, and contemplate how we feel about shooting being its primary verb.

    Some things we discussed:

    Noita

    Bennett Foddy

    Crayon Physics Deluxe

    The Swapper

    Baba Is You

    Liero

    Worms

    Kuron and the Jelly Islands

    Sisu

    41: Producing More Than You Consume with Tyriq Plummer (Catacomb Kids) Mar 27, 2020

    Tyriq Plummer (Catacomb Kids, UFO 50) joins us to discuss the guts and evolution of his long-term roguelike project, how he stays motivated, and making his minions matter. Plus a very special show announcement! Some things we discussed:

    Tyriq Plummer Catacomb Kids UFO 50 Our new Discord! Noita Made out of Meat: Health Systems in Video Games Tyriq's dev streams Pixelation.org Aesop Rock Sachin Teng Basic Animation Aesthetics by David OReilly The External World The Amazing World of Gumball

    40: The Physics of Uncertainly with Andrea Roberts (Roundguard) Mar 13, 2020

    Andrea Roberts of Wonderbelly Games talks to us about her brand-new bouncy dungeon crawler Roundguard! We discuss physics as a system of uncertainty, combining Peggle with a roguelike formula, and using that formula to create player friendliness.

    Things we discussed:

    Roundguard

    Spelunky 2 PS Blog post

    Dunklords

    Peggle

    Fable

    A Guide to Proc Gen Practitioners

    That's the Way the Ball Bounces: Using Physics to Manifest Chance in Roundguard

    Caves of Qud

    Subterfuge

    Disgaea

    Cleromancy

    Baby's First RPG

    Electronic Rituals, Oracles and Fortune Telling

    Cinco Paus

    39: The Tricks of the Toolkit with Mark Brown (Game Maker's Toolkit) Feb 28, 2020

    Mark Brown of Game Maker's Toolkit joins us to talk about the process behind his excellent series on game design. We discuss his recent video on randomness - diving deep on input/output randomness - as well as roguelike progression, and much more!

    Things we discussed:

    Game Maker's Toolkit

    How (And Why) Spelunky Makes its Own Levels

    The Two Types of Random

    Michael Brough's Imbroglio "brog"

    Characteristics of Games

    Playing at the World

    Sid Meier's Psychology of Game Design

    Geoff Engelstein's "pink noise" talk

    Roguelikes, Persistency, and Progression

    Let's Game it Out YouTube channel

    The Best Games from GMTK Game Jam 2019

    38: The Rhythms and Layers of Ryan Clark Feb 15, 2020

    Ryan Clark of Brace Yourself Games (Crypt of the Necrodancer, Cadence of Hyrule) sashays in to chat with us about how he hit on his rhythm roguelike formula, layering in depth to make his systems sing, and how he's found - and repeated - indie game success.

    Some things we discussed:

    Brace Yourself Games

    Crypt of the Necrodancer

    Industries of Titan

    Phantom Brigade

    Bard seeded speed world record

    How to Consistently Make Profitable Indie Games

    Dwarf Fortress

    Meteorfall

    Clank! Legacy: Acquisitions Incorporated

    37: Designing Around Language with Zach Gage Jan 31, 2020

    We get cozy with our own Zach Gage to talk about his just-released SpellTower+, the follow-up to the puzzle game that put him on the map. We discuss making word searches interesting, the design of letter distribution, and making the Westworld of word games.

    SpellTower+ zachgage.com Kinnijup’s new eggplant run world record Kinnijup's new low% hell run world record Puzzlejuice Letterpress The history of Tetris randomizers Typeshift

    36: Game Feel as Procrastination with Jan Willem Nijman Jan 17, 2020

    Jan Willem "JW" Nijman (Nuclear Throne, Minit) sits down with us to help us fix mini golf, before we dig into some of the design thinking behind Vlambeer's amazing catalog of action games, how he approaches prototyping, and being the self-proclaimed "Jamie Oliver of game feel."

    Things we discussed:

    Vlambeer The Dark Pictures: Man of Medan

    Ribbit King

    JW's The Art of Screen Shake talk

    Samurai Gunn

    Monolith

    35: Games of the Year 2019 with Laura E. Hall Jan 03, 2020

    Immersive puzzle designer Laura E. Hall joins for our big GOTY show, as we each share our Top 5 games of 2019. We also hear many of YOUR picks (thanks!), and stick around until the end to hear picks from several of our 2019 guests. Happy New Year!

    Things we discussed: Laura E. Hall Katamari Damacy by Boss Fight Books Every Game in This City podcast Sleep No More Trolling as an Air Traffic Controller in Flight Sim X

    Our GOTY picks (SPOILERS)

    Laura: Heaven's Vault Elsinore Lianna Fled the Cranberry Bog: A Story in Cootie Catchers Shenmue III Storyteller's Secret

    Zach: Call of Dury: Modern Warfare Slay the Spire The Pinball Wizard Apex Legends Vagante

    Doug: Slay the Spire Disco Elysium Return of the Obra Dinn A Short Hike Petscop

    Andy: Lonely Mountains: Downhill A Short Hike Sekiro Song of Bloom Auto Chess

    Nick: Ape Out Painter Detective Pilgrims Remember Our Trip Earth Defense Force 5

    34: Getting Over Spelunky with Bennett Foddy Dec 20, 2019

    With the help of our friend Bennett Foddy (QWOP, Getting Over It) we consider Spelunky as the Game of the Decade - we discuss what influence it's had (or hasn't had) in and beyond its genre, its distinct connection to Dark Souls, and experiencing the external narrative of modern gaming. Things we discussed:

    Bennett Foddy's games

    Ape Out

    TIGSource

    Tim Rogers Presents The Games of the Decade

    Finishing a Game by Derek Yu

    Vagante

    Characteristics of Games

    Assassination of Lord British

    Reasons and Persons book

    Put Your Name on Your Game GDC talk

    Song of Bloom

    33: Making Generous Games with Terry Cavanagh (Dicey Dungeons) Dec 07, 2019

    Terry Cavanagh (Super Hexagon, VVVVVV) joins us to talk about his fantastic roguelike deckbuilder, Dicey Dungeons. We discuss the thread of generosity in his game design, the challenges of working across genres, and what might be next for Terry!

    Things we discussed:

    Terry's distractionware.com

    Dicey Dungeons

    VVVVVV

    Super Hexagon

    Tiny Heist

    Stephen Lavelle

    Dream Quest

    7 Day Roguelike

    Naya’s Quest

    The Long Dark

    Super Hexagon playthrough at Fantastic Arcade

    Hearthstone Battlegrounds

    32: (Rerun) Into the Breach with Justin Ma Nov 22, 2019

    We're taking a much-needed week off, but please enjoy one of our favorite episodes from early on. We'll be back in two weeks with guest Terry Cavanagh to talk about his new roguelike deckbuilder (dicebuilder?) Dicey Dungeons - check it out and send us your questions! Anyways, on to our show:

    Justin Ma of Subset Games joins us to discuss the design of his excellent sci-fi strategy game Into the Breach, from its Spelunky-inspired high/low-level design, to how they cracked its time-driven gameplay, to why throwing away 80% of their work...worked.

    Things we talked about:

    Justin Ma

    Subset Games

    FTL

    Into the Breach

    Input / Output Randomness

    'Into the Breach' Didn't Click Until I Played it Like an EMT

    Into the Breach - Fantastic Arcade 2017 Developer Commentary

    Stephen's Sausage Roll

    Return of the Obra Dinn

    31: Good Times With Bad Robots with Frank Lantz (Hey Robot) Nov 08, 2019

    Frank Lantz (Drop7, Universal Paperclips) stops by to tell us about his new party game for smart speakers, Hey Robot. We discuss fun ways to engage with rigid AI - and the privacy issues inherent to doing so - before taking a wild detour into the taxonomy of paddle boats. Things we discussed:

    Frank Lantz

    Hey Robot

    Breakfast Spelunky

    Shiren the Wanderer

    ClemmyGames' Top 10 Best Underrated Roguelike/Roguelites

    NYU Game Center

    Pac Manhattan

    Drop7

    Universal Paperclips

    Everybody House Games

    Antigrams

    SmileBot

    Lodden Thinks

    Paddle Boats

    The history of Tetris randomizers

    Frank's How to play Cinco Paus

    Hanabi

    30: Making Games is Hard Oct 25, 2019

    Free of guests or a "plan," our crew of intrepid hosts dives into a bounty of stimulating listener questions! We discuss our personal roads into game design, the challenge of procedural generation in AAA games, and the game design of reality shows.

    Things we discussed:

    Kirby703_'s World 23 correction

    Demon’s Souls

    IndieCade

    Game Design Deep Dive: The creative camaraderie behind Wilmot's Warehouse

    Kate Compton's 10,000 Bowls of Oatmeal

    Drop7

    Noita

    Conan Death Stranding video

    Classic Tetris World Championship

    Deadwood

    Are You The One?

    The Stormlight Archive

    Pilgrims

    Machinarium Remixed

    Card of Darkness

    29: Card of Darkness with Zach Gage Oct 11, 2019

    The gang’s all here to chat with our own Zach Gage (SpellTower, Tharsis) about his new Apple Arcade adventure game, Card of Darkness. We discuss distilling roguelikes, the role of randomness, and designing 52 cards in two days.

    Things we discussed:

    Card of Darkness

    Andy’s baby!

    World 23 Spelunky glitch

    The Grannies (Red Dead Redemption explorers)

    Zach’s collaborators

    Card of Darkness soundtrack

    Zach's games

    Hearthstone: Dungeon Run

    28: Surviving Overland with Adam Saltsman Sep 27, 2019

    Finji’s Adam Saltsman drops by for a deep dive on his new road trip survival game Overland. We discuss its surprisingly affecting narrative innovations, design epiphanies from its 6+ year development, and its understated influence from Legacy board games.

    Things we discussed:

    Overland

    New Spelunky duplication glitch

    Canabalt

    Finji

    Adam's blog

    X-COM: UFO Defense

    868-HACK

    Weird Worlds: Return to Infinite Space

    Oasis

    Rebuild

    Underworld

    Play Dead Podcast with Adam

    27: Teamfight Tactics with Greg Borenstein Sep 13, 2019

    Riot Games’ Greg Borenstein joins us to chat about the design behind their red-hot autobattler Teamfight Tactics, as we discuss the benefits of embracing complexity, the rise of randomness, and what the game has in common with Sorry! You know, that Sorry!

    Things we discussed:

    Teamfight Tactics

    Mutazione

    Untitled Goose Game

    UFO 50

    Riot Games controversy - timeline of events

    Riot Games controversy - one year later

    Dota Auto Chess

    Dota Underlords League of Legends

    Richard Garfield: Luck and Games

    26: The Nick and Andy Show Aug 30, 2019

    Our crew is stretched thin, but we soldier on with a wide-ranging, freeform 1-year anniversary episode! Nick and Andy chat about the recent glut of amazing game releases - and upcoming highlights (roguelights?) - while Andy reflects on the 10-year anniversary of his career-defining game Osmos, and we dive into a bounty of beautiful listener letters.

    Things we discussed:

    Mutazione

    Zach's game tease

    Noita

    Overland

    Osmos

    agar.io

    Telling Lies

    Eliza

    Control

    Dicey Dungeons

    RAD

    Plunge

    EarthNight

    Loren Schmidt's Roguelike

    Loot Rascals

    Michael Brough

    Kamibox

    Cryptark

    Teamfight Tactics

    25: Slay the Spire with Anthony Giovannetti Aug 18, 2019

    Megacrit’s Anthony Giovannetti sits down with us to dive deep into the iterative design process of his hit roguelike deckbuilder, Slay the Spire.

    Things we discussed:

    Slay the Spire

    Stimhack

    Android: Netrunner

    Spelunky 2 delay

    Magic: the Gathering

    Dominion

    Dream Quest

    GDC talk - Slay the Spire: Metrics Drive Design and Balance

    FTL

    Desktop Dungeons

    The Binding of Isaac

    Brogue

    Why Revealing All is the Secret of Slay the Spire's Success

    How Slay the Spire's Original Interface Almost Killed the Game

    Milling in MtG

    24: Going Rogue with Glenn Wichman (Rogue) Aug 01, 2019

    The co-creator of Rogue - yes, THAT Rogue - chats with us about the creation and legacy of his seminal 1980 game that birthed a genre! We discuss the origins of its key innovations of procedural generation and “consequence permanence,” its surprisingly Chesslike origins, and the secret metagame behind Quicken (shhh!).

    Rogue

    Hack

    Nethack

    Brogue

    Curses programming library

    Diablo

    ADOM

    Moria

    Angband

    Rogue's instruction manual

    Glenn’s unused Rogue manual art

    23: Reinventing Basketball (and Spelunky) with Andy Hull (Dunk Lords) Jul 18, 2019

    Our full crew is reunited, and just in time for a very special guest! Spelunky HD programmer Andy Hull joins us to chat about his time as a toy designer, rebuilding Spelunky from the ground up, and nailing the jelly shader in his upcoming 2v2 basketball beat ‘em up, Dunk Lords.

    Things we discussed:

    Dunk Lords

    Mossranking

    Klik & Play

    Sushi Slicing Play Set

    Scoop & Stack Ice Cream Cone Play Set

    Bake & Decorate Cupcake Set

    What is Bothering Carl?

    Spelunky book

    Aquaria

    Braid

    Ridiculous Fishing

    Corridor Crew

    Spelunky render dupe

    Solo Eggplant Run

    Indie Tech Talk #17: Andy Hull

    Getting Over It With Bennett Foddy

    Ape Out

    NBA Jam

    22: Making the post-post-apocalypse RAD with Double Fine’s Lee Petty Jul 04, 2019

    Lee Petty of Double Fine (Psychonauts, Brütal Legend, Stacking) drops by to talk to us about their upcoming post-post-apocalyptic roguelike, RAD! We discuss the emergent origins of its procedural design, capturing ‘80s nuclear angst, and Tim Schafer’s love/hate relationship with farts.

    Things we discussed:

    leepetty.com

    Tharsis (iPad)

    Brutal Legend

    Broken Age

    Stacking

    Headlander

    RAD

    Amnesia Fortnight

    Psychonauts 2

    Grim Fandango Remastered

    Brothers Quay

    Hitman

    Autonomous

    Chromehounds

    Risk of Rain

    Inside Out

    The Return of Heracles

    Gamma World

    Moebius

    Talisman

    21: Keeping Spelunky Alive with MossRanking Jun 21, 2019

    MossRanking creator Mathieu “saturnin55” Legaré and advisor/speedrunner Kevin “meowmixmix” Hyer join us to talk about the history and design behind Spelunky’s incredible community hub.

    Things we discussed:

    MossRanking

    mewomixmix's GDQx2018 run

    Playing the Spelunky 2 demo at TwitchCon

    speedrun.com

    Bananasaurus Rex's infamous solo eggplant run

    Crypt of the Necrodancer

    Nick’s Daily Death

    20: Going Into the Void (Bastards) with Cara Ellison and Farbs Jun 06, 2019

    Sci-fi strategy-shooter Void Bastards is tearing up the charts, and we’ve got two of its creators on the show! We discuss worldbuilding via British bureaucracy, telling stories in a world of roguelite progression, and yelling at yourself in your own game...as a pirate.

    Things we discussed:

    Void Bastards

    Embed with Games: A Year on the Couch with Game Developers

    System Shock

    Dishonored 2

    Captain Forever

    Card Hunter

    Brazil

    Red Dwarf

    The Stanley Parable

    Choose Your Own Anna Anthropy interview

    19: The Organized Chaos of Edmund McMillen May 23, 2019

    The creator of The Binding of Isaac and Super Meat Boy joins us for a career-spanning discussion of his design ethos, and the organized chaos that drove the creation of the most successful roguelite ever.

    Things we discussed:

    Super Meat Boy The Binding of Isaac

    The End is Nigh

    The Binding of Isaac: Four Souls

    Gish

    Aether

    Closure

    Dungeon Crawl Stone SoupDesktop Dungeons

    Fingered

    The Binding of Isaac: Antibirth

    Keyforge

    Overwatch

    Kingdom Death

    18: Exploring Brogue with Brian Walker May 10, 2019

    Brogue creator Brian “Pender” Walker joins us to chat about the elegant design behind his sublime roguelike dungeon-crawler, from the lessons he took from Rogue (and those he didn’t), to creating a rich world of interactions while keeping things simple.

    Things we discussed:

    Brogue

    Zach's instructional Brogue stream

    Brogue w/ Daily Challenge

    Brogue w/ Daily Challenge + Potion change

    Rogue

    Angband

    Nethack

    Derek Yu on Brogue

    Roguelike Celebration talk: Procedural level design in Brogue and beyond

    Hearthstone's Dungeon Run

    David Sirlin on balancing multiplayer games

    Slay the Spire

    Andrew Doull's Ascii Dreams

    Unangband

    Brian's lessons From the original Rogue post

    Brian's Roguelike Radio interview

    Brogue's Jellymancer build

    Into the Breach

    Caves of Qud

    Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup

    Braid

    17: Climbing Gloves in the Jungle Apr 26, 2019

    The crew makes the most of being paired off: Andy and Zach talk climbing documentaries, persistence, and design back home, while Nick and Doug play and discuss some Spelunky co-op on the road in New Zealand. Plus a quick interview with Mini Metro’s Robert Curry, one of the biggest Spelunky fans we know!

    Things we discussed:

    Free Solo

    The Dawn Wall

    PRACTICE 2016 Talk - Mastering Movement

    Notes on the Synthesis of Form

    Grow21

    Typeshift

    Mini Metro

    16: The Spelunky Book Club Apr 11, 2019

    We delve deep into the pages of Derek Yu’s excellent Spelunky book, from its thoughtful musings on creativity, to its inspiring lessons in game design. A must-read on how our favorite game came to be! Plus some record-breaking Spelunky news, the Weekly Challenge, and more.

    Things we discussed:

    Now Play This

    Low% Hell World Record

    d_tea's back-to-back World Records

    Co-op All Journal Entries run

    Spelunky book

    Boss Fight Books Humble Bundle

    TIG source

    Derek Yu's Twitter thread on difficulty

    Mutazione announcement trailer

    Shopstorm, A Spelunky Story

    Spelunky Generator Lessons

    A Breakdown of 2013's Most Fascinating Video Game Moment

    15: GDC Special - Derek Yu and Slay the Spire Mar 28, 2019

    We return home from the Game Developers Conference with hands-on impressions of the new Spelunky 2 demo, while the muse himself Derek Yu gives us a Spelunky 2 development update. Plus Slay the Spire’s Casey Yano talks about the design of their hit roguelike deckbuilder!

    Things we talked about:

    GDC

    Day of the Devs

    Slay the Spire

    Dream Quest

    Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

    Cyber Shadow

    14: Diversifying Play with Greg Johnson (ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove) Mar 14, 2019

    ToeJam & Earl creator Greg Johnson gets funky with us, as we deconstruct his latest entry in the series - Back in the Groove - and discuss his approach to playfulness and accessibility in roguelikes, the lack of cultural diversity in games, and much more.

    Things we talked about:

    New Spelunky WR run

    Dwarf Fortress remaster

    ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove

    HumaNature Studios

    Doki Doki Universe

    Brogue

    A Few Provocative Thoughts by Greg Johnson

    ToeJam & Earl launch party

    13: Procedural Storytelling with Tanya X Short Feb 28, 2019

    Tanya X. Short of Kitfox Games drops by to discuss her co-edited essay collections Procedural Storytelling / Generation in Game Design, as well as her own approach and challenges to procedural narrative in Moon Hunters, and the upcoming Boyfriend Dungeon.

    Things we talked about:

    Kitfox Games

    Procedural Generation in Game Design

    Procedural Storytelling in Game Design

    Dwarf Fortress

    Spelunky Udjet Eye run

    Moon Hunters

    The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind

    Age of Conan

    Boyfriend Dungeon

    The Shrouded Isle

    ESC

    12: Into the Breach with Justin Ma Feb 14, 2019

    Justin Ma of Subset Games joins us to discuss the design of his excellent sci-fi strategy game Into the Breach, from its Spelunky-inspired high/low-level design, to how they cracked its time-driven gameplay, to why throwing away 80% of their work...worked.

    Things we talked about:

    FTL

    Into the Breach

    Input / Output Randomness

    'Into the Breach' Didn't Click Until I Played it Like an EMT

    Into the Breach - Fantastic Arcade 2017 Developer Commentary

    Stephen's Sausage Roll

    Return of the Obra Dinn

    11: Taking Back Roguelikes with Raigan Burns Jan 31, 2019

    Raigan Burns of Metanet Software (N, N+, N++) stops by for a spirited debate on the term “roguelike,” as we discuss the tenets of the genre, why (and if) they’re important, and how Spelunky fits into it all.

    Things we talked about:

    N++

    GMTK: Roguelikes, Persistency, and Progression

    Wandering Towards Interactive Narrative

    Notes on the Synthesis of Form

    DoomRL

    probability 0

    Downwell

    10: Keyforge with Richard Garfield Jan 17, 2019

    The creator of Magic: the Gathering, Netrunner, King of Tokyo, and so much of the modern gaming culture we love joins us to talk about finding cohesion in the beautiful randomness of his latest design: the world’s first Unique Deck Game, Keyforge.

    Things we mentioned in the interview:

    Keyforge!

    The Art of Warcast: A Keyforge Special

    Richard Garfield - Game Boy Geek interview

    Richard Garfield on Luck vs. Skill

    Characteristics of Games

    Rest of the show:

    Blindfolded Final Fantasy IX menu

    Everspace

    Noita

    Mutant Year Zero

    How I Built This podcast

    Dev Game Club podcast

    Reply All podcast

    In 2019, We Need to Learn How to Break a Perpetually Tied Game

    09: Games of the Year 2018 Dec 31, 2018

    We sit down to talk about our favorite games that we played in 2018 - from videogames, to board games, to escape rooms, to Malaysian schoolyard games. Join us for the most diverse GOTY list you’ll hear! We’ll see you - and Spelunky 2 - in 2019!

    ... Our GOTY picks (SPOILERS)

    Zach:

    Dr. Meep

    Mega Man 11

    Noita

    Pokémon Go

    Hollow Knight

    Andy:

    Wind the Film

    Into the Breach

    Azul

    Cinco Paus

    Magic: the Gathering Arena

    Doug:

    Holedown

    Arkham Horror: The Card Game - The Path to Carcosa

    Classroom Murder Unsolved: Part 2

    The Best Thing

    Children's Malaysian folk game

    Nick:

    Celeste

    The Mind

    Florence

    Here Comes the Dog

    Bacon/Supertype/See/Saw

    08: Designing Tharsis with Zach Gage Dec 20, 2018

    We chat to our own Zach Gage about his 2016 spacefaring strategy game Tharsis, from its roguelike and tabletop influences, to promoting player narrative, to the psychology of randomness. Plus first impressions of Twinfold and Below!

    Some things we mentioned: The Systems Design of TharsisLet's Get Physical: Lessons From the Real WorldHow to win Tharsis

    Twinfold Below

    07: Death in Roguelikes with Kawa Dec 06, 2018

    Roguelike expert and advocate Kawa (@KawaiiDragoness) stops by to talk Death in Roguelikes, and the power and potential of the post-death "morgue" experience. We also dig into our relationship to dying in Spelunky, and recount our best deaths!

    Links from the interview with Kawa: Nethack fanfic dramatic reading Original fic A Trip to the Morgue Roguelike Radio Twitter: @kawaiidragoness Discord - Kawa#7680

    Our best Spelunky deaths: NickAndy @toythatkills@aaronkearsley @aaronkearsley2d_tea @tictacfoe

    06: Making Spelunky 2 with Derek Yu Nov 15, 2018

    Spelunky creator Derek Yu joins us for a wide-ranging discussion on his design philosophies for approaching a sequel, embracing chaos in design, and so much more. This is a special one, so brew some tea, grab a pug, and get comfortable!

    05: The Design of Spelunky Nov 01, 2018

    We dive deep into the core design of Spelunky - what exactly fuels its procedural perfection, and why is its world still so compelling? And what design touches do our listeners love, and which would they send to Hell? Plus some new Spelunky 2 tidbits!

    04: Making the Spelunky 2 trailer with Derek Lieu Oct 18, 2018

    Master trailer craftsman Derek Lieu stops by to go deep on the making of the awesome Spelunky 2 trailer! We talk through his process, the unique challenges of working with a procedural game, and even unearth a few new Spelunky 2 tidbits along the way.

    03: Breaking world records with Kinnijup and ix Oct 04, 2018

    We welcome world-record speedrunners and all-around Spelunky experts Jamie “Kinnijup” White and Aaron “ix” Kearsley to the show! We talk about the culture of competitive Spelunky, recent record-breaking runs, and why speedrunning feels like skateboarding.

    02: The Spelunky Beginner's Guide Sep 20, 2018

    The Spelunky Beginner’s Guide! For anyone who ever hit a wall, we’re here to help. We dive into both the practical and philosophical approach to upping your Spelunky game, and share some great tips submitted by listeners. Plus the first Weekly Challenge!

    01: First Spelunky 2 impressions! Sep 05, 2018

    Hands-on Spelunky 2 demo impressions! Nick is fresh off the PAX plane, and Andy, Zach, and Doug are here to grill him on the details, while the whole crew breaks down the first gameplay trailer, chat about the new art, branching paths, mounts, and more.

      Related Podcasts

      The Beehive Jive Beekeeping Podcast

      1

      The Beehive Jive Beekeeping Podcast Games & Hobbies
      Clutchkick

      2

      Clutchkick Automotive
      Crit Academy: A Dungeons and Dragons Podcast

      3

      Crit Academy: A Dungeons and Dragons Podcast Games & Hobbies
      How We Roll Podcast

      4

      How We Roll Podcast Games
      A Life Well Wasted

      5

      A Life Well Wasted Games & Hobbies
      Land Ho! – A Sea of Thieves Podcast

      6

      Land Ho! – A Sea of Thieves Podcast Games & Hobbies
      footer-logo

      Contact Us

      Toll Free: 844-670-7747

      Links

      • Home
      • Top Charts
      • Networks
      • Apps
      • Independents Podcasts
      • Podcast Advertising
      • Podcast News
      • Contact Us
      • About Us
      • Analytics & Insights

      Stay Connected

        Privacy, Terms of Use & Our Code of Ethics Protecting Content Creators Copyrights