The Secret Lives of Games EP: A Year of UFO 50 - Epilogue: Final developer interview
Sep 26, 2025
Join game designers Derek Yu, known for Spelunky, and Jon Perry, noted for compact, themed games, alongside musician Eirik Suhrke, indie dev Paul Hubans, and Tyriq Plummer as they reflect on their journey with UFO 50. They delve into the beauty of ambiguity in game narratives, the impact of emergent storytelling in Party House, and the evolution of audio across the collection. Personal anecdotes highlight the project's significance in their lives, while insights into their collaborative process offer a glimpse into indie development dynamics.
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Episode notes
Power Of Intentional Ambiguity
- Ambiguity can deepen engagement and lengthen a game's cultural life.
- The team deliberately kept parts of UFO 50 mysterious to preserve multiple interpretations and community speculation.
Ambiguity Fuels Player Projection
- Leaving intentional undefinedness lets players project meaning and enriches community storytelling.
- Eirik Suhrke and others argued that designed ambiguity creates multiple valuable layers of interpretation.
Finding Freedom In 50 Small Games
- Paul Hubans described UFO 50 as the best project he's worked on and enjoyed the freedom of 50 small games.
- He liked jumping between titles to avoid burnout and would join a similar future project eagerly.
