Nice Games Club - a gamedev podcast!

Latest Episodes:

Designing like a Dungeon Master (with Katrina Ostrander and Jon Kiehne) Dec 10, 2021

Show notes

Your nice hosts (Ellen, mainly) conduct a double-interview, with a consummate professional and a committed amateur, on the subject of game design though the lens of tabletop game mastering. Subjects include the dynamic between system design and session design, the balance between planning and improvisation, and how players can be encouraged to participate in the process.

Designing like a Dungeon Master

Game Design Narrative Tabletop Alternity - Sasquatch Game Studio MDA: A Formal Approach to Game Design and Game Research - Robin Hunicke, Marc LeBlanc, Robert Zubek, Northwestern University Dread, a game of horror and suspense - The Impossible Dream Thousand Year Old Vampire - Tim Hutchings Robin's Laws of Good Game Mastering - Robin D. Laws Unpossible Game Labs Con of the NorthKatrina imagined a future with "Westworld as a video game," which coincidentally was a topic in one of our first episodes:"It's against the law to stop."

"Gamedev is jazz." Player Count; Hidden Information Dec 03, 2021

Show notes

Three nice hosts, plus two topics, plus three meta topics equals a good time! Listen to Stephen's secret to popcorn success, Mark bringing up the Observer effect multiple times and Ellen's branding plans for her latest game.

0:08:33

Player Count

Developers explain why 4 is the magic multiplayer numberCass MarshallPolygonMultitapWikipediaMAG ReviewDAN RYCKERTGame InformerParenting young kids is exhausting. Should we rethink the nuclear family?Sophie Brickman0:36:33

Hidden Information

"Maximum Whooo!" Learning to Use Tools; Co-Op Games Nov 25, 2021

Show notes

As the podcast approaches its fifth anniversary, your hosts get a little (more) frivolous. Mark shares some industry news about hardware releases. Ellen prompts everyone to share their experiences of learning development tools and examine their process of learning through the lens of Maximum Whooo. Stephen explores the difference between cooperative and collaborative gameplay, and invents something called a Feedborm. Dang!

14:05

Learning to Use Tools

Articulate Storyline 360, an e-learning development tool Godot, an open-source 2D & 3D game engine Godot: Getting Started >> Step by stepJuan Linietsky, Ariel Manzur and the Godot communityGodotTuckman's stages of group developmentWikipediaCoDecks: Playful Planning Sonder (a story)Ludum DareProactive and Retroactive Interference (re: learning interference)Dr. Saul McLeodSimply Psychology53:10.0

Co-Op Games

Overcooked Co-Op Review: Five-star co-op gamingJason LoveCo-OptimusThere’s a Difference Between Cooperation and CollaborationRon AshkenasHarvard Business Review

A screenshot from Dune (2021) depicting a bagpipe player descending a ramp. — **“The different beams I can do.” Power-ups; Franchises** Nov 18, 2021
Show notes

This week, your nice hosts discuss Star Trek, Star Trek, and Ghostbusters. Plus, Mark talks something out of existence, and Ellen is not even gonna not disagree with Stephen.
NOTE: Early in the episode we promise a picture of Dale's Halloween costume for the show notes, but we did not have one as this episode went to press. Check this episode's page on our website, and/or our Twitter in the next few days...
Mutant Giant Spider Dog - SA Wardega, YouTube
The Inside Story of Mass Effect 3's Endings, Finally Told - People Make Games, YouTube
The suspense!
0:23:09
Power-ups
0:52:10
Franchises
List of best-selling video game franchisesWikipediaHow many Super Mario games are there?jan MisaliYouTube

Early Access (with Sami Sati and Erick Sati) Nov 11, 2021

Show notes

This week the clubhouse is joined by our second favorite pair of game development brothers - Sami Sati and Erick Sati, developers of Astral Gunners. The Sati brothers talk about staying motivated, when to release early access, and saving some of your heart and soul for future projects.

Early Access

Marketing Production Cave Games - Cave Interactive Co., Ltd, Wikipedia Astral Gunners

The Sati Bros. Present: Tips for Early Access

Make sure you can finish your game if nobody buys it:
- Delaying release maybe is OK for your reputation.
- Cancelling a release will reflects badly on your reputation and will make it tougher to release your next game.
Being open and honest with players (customers).
Make sure your core game is finished, so the only things you need to add in are extras and content: levels, features, characters, etc.
Centralize your player feedback forums. Think about where you would like to talk about a similar game.

"..." Debugging; Silent Protagonists Nov 05, 2021

Show notes

Mark goes over the theory and practice of debugging (in Unity, at least). Ellen gets the gist of it. Stephen considers when a game can benefit from having a silent protagonist, or at least a main character that doesn't say anything. Stay tuned after the outro music for bonus sound effects!

Wordplay 2021: Celebrating Writing in Contemporary Games - Hand Eye Society

0:02:06

Debugging

Working in the Inspector: Toggling Debug ModeUnity0:43:58

Silent Protagonists

Concept: Silent ProtagonistGiant BombSilent protagonistWikipediaHeroic MimeTV Tropes

Nice Thinking: "Sledgehammer Bride" Oct 28, 2021

Show notes

It's Stephen's turn at Nice Thinking, our new episode format where we brainstorm around a single concept someone brings into the clubhouse. Get ready for your first contact with the Sledgehammer Bride!

Glom will be part of Wordplay 2021, November 13-14 - Hand Eye Society

Sledgehammer Bride

A Brief History of Beat ’em Up Video GamesHero ConceptProspective Teachers Misperceive Black Children as Angry Bryan GoodmanAmerican Psychological AssociationThe Brute CaricatureHistory on the NetExamining Game Pace: How Single-Player Levels TickMark DaviesShank 2Klei EntertainmentSteamHow the Original Hyrule Warriors Broke The Mold for Musou Games ForeverDale BashirIGN

"Oh is that Rugrats?" Relaxing Games; Commitment Oct 22, 2021

Show notes

This week's episode has things getting a little crepuscular in the clubhouse! Mark possibly flubs the intro (jury is still out on this!), Stephen has prepared two rants and Ellen requests all of our best silly noises.

Editors note: I (Stephen) did in fact edit this episode, but it's really early in the morning so I didn't find fun sounds to put in there. There is a fun sound in the episode though!

0:05:30

Relaxing Games

‘Optica’ is the Mind-Bending Spiritual Successor to ‘Strata’ that’s Launching N…Jared NelsonTouch ArcadeMonument Valley 2 Really Bad Chess What is Chess 960 or Fischer Random Chess?Chess.comDoctor Who 20480:35:00

Commitment

Understanding What "Commitment" Means in Fighting Games LordKnightYouTubeSo Mew2King just got 3-stocked... HungryboxYouTube“I’m not fast enough to play fighting games”Patrick MillerMedium

"Just-In-Time Compiler." Deluxe Editions; Illusions of Choice Oct 15, 2021

Show notes

Your nice hosts recorded this episode on an especially-timely Tuesday evening. It turns out that recording on an "off" day does goofy things to a podcaster's brain. Can you improve upon the game of "rock, paper, scissors"? How common are red stop signs across the globe? What noises does a wind serpent make? Do video games really give us choices? How many Kirby plushies does Stephen have? We're asking the tough questions here on Nice Games Club.

10:04

Deluxe Editions

Rock, Paper, Scissors: Deluxe Edition (on Kickstarter)Day of Dragons (in early access)37:28

Illusions of Choice

Jellyvision Labs Jellyvision (history) WikipediaStop signsWikipediaOperation Lifesaver The Illusion of Choice in Telltale Games' The Walking DeadAdrian FroschauerOntological Geek

"The drama of the reveal." Prototypes; Game Shows Oct 09, 2021

Show notes

In this episode Ellen points out the wisdom of Stephen and Mark makes up excuses to talk about his new favourite T.V. programme (and it's not even a Star Trek show!).

5:15