GameDev Breakdown

Latest Episodes:

Author and Designer Caleb J. Ross Aug 12, 2025

Show notes

Caleb J. Ross is a gaming content creator and the author of Suddenly I was a Shark!, an exploration of What Remains of Edith Finch as well as numerous novels, short stories, and non-fiction works. He's also the creator of Beta Break, an innovative card game for the rock climbing gym.

In this episode we discussed life with all first names, the compulsive urge to try everything, failing comfortably, artistic perspective that shifts with age, and throwing up in a VR headset. Join us.

Caleb and Todd each have books in the StoryBundle Greatest Hits Game Bundle 2 through August 14th at https://storybundle.com/games.

Caleb's links:

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/calebjross.com

https://calebjross.com/

GameCube Historian Travis Nicholas Aug 09, 2025

Show notes

Project Dolphin series author, Travis Nicholas, hangs out to discuss capturing the entire history of the Nintendo GameCube as well as its modern legacy.

Travis and Todd both have books in StoryBundle's Greatest Hits Volume 2 bundle which is available for about five more days at StoryBundle.com!

Follow Travis on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/projectdolphin.bsky.social

Catch more of his material in the Video Game Maps series created by friend of the show Brian Riggsbee!

Actor and Musician Abby Nissenbaum Aug 01, 2025

Show notes

Abby Nissenbaum hangs out to discuss her history in game development balanced with a day job, being a recording and performing music artist, and more. She's the voice of the hero in Benevolent, the debut first-person narrative exploration game in development at Skango Games.

We discuss the novelty of voicing a character while knowing no more than the player does (or less!), the rise of international teams in game development, 3-year-olds with podcasts, and more.

Abby's music is available on music streaming platforms and she posts on Instagram/Threads @AbbyNissenbaum.

Todd's book, Inside Video Game Creation is still available in the StoryBundle Greatest Hits Game Bundle with 65 other great gaming books until August 14th at StoryBundle.com.

Micah Orsie of Crashable Studios Jul 25, 2025

Show notes

Micah Orsie joins to discuss Wildwood Down, an award-winning hybrid 2D/3D adventure game featuring a protagonist with Down Syndrome, designed after and voiced by Micah's life-long friend.

Wildwood Down launches August 7th on Steam.

Todd's podcast companion book, Inside Video Game Creation, is currently part of a 66-book Greatest Hits collection at StoryBundle. All books are available at one great price until August 14th.

The Balatro Story Aug 24, 2024

Show notes

Original Air Date: Aug. 24, 2024 - Todd's weird connection to the game that set the world ablaze, and what's happened since.

Is It Indie? (Ray Marek of Unparalleled Comics) Aug 16, 2024

Show notes

Ray Marek returns. We discuss how we consume entertainment, helping your work survive on social media, stepping between the industry and your kids, and more.

Unity Is Over. Now What? Nov 04, 2023

Show notes

Original Air Date: Nov. 4, 2023 - John Riccitiello is out at Unity. Most of us agree it's too little, too late. Lots of users are rightfully taking a look at Godot. I'm doing something a little different.

As always, show notes and more at CodeWritePlay.com.

Red Panda Derailed Mar 20, 2023

Show notes

Original Air Date: Mar. 20, 2023 - A second virus in less than a month ravages the Mitchell household as GDC goers discover a privacy policy so bad they thought there had been a data leak. We discuss the status of the Red Panda project, Todd's favorite getting-things-done methods, and what to do when you have an actual gamedev breakdown. For articles, show notes, and more, visit codewriteplay.com

Red Panda Mechanics Mar 06, 2023

Show notes

Original Air Date: Mar. 6, 2023 - This one is all about the progress we've made in taking our red panda archaeology game concept and bringing it to life. It's a look at the implications of the game's concept, the philosophy of the art and character design, our intention to develop a simple map system with Godot's tilemap tools (prior to the recent release of version 4.0), implementation of basic RPG controls and collisions, and the UI work so critical to a story-driven game.For show notes, articles, and more, visit //codewriteplay.com

Let's Design a Game with Boss Fight Author Sebastian Deken Feb 23, 2023

Show notes

Original Air Date: Feb. 23, 2023 - Boss Fight author Sebastian Deken returns to the show to be our first guest co-designer. We discuss city living, echoes of the Satanic Panic, and more. Finally, we pull up the design whiteboard and ask, what secrets would an abandoned Animal Crossing village leave behind?Find show notes, articles, and more at https://codewriteplay.com

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