The Indie Diarist

Happy 4-year anniversary Outer Wilds! In the longest episode of The Indie Diarist yet, I had the pleasure of spending an outstanding hour with Kelsey Beachum, Narrative Designer of Outer Wilds (plus DLC) and The Outer Worlds' DLCs among other things. We discussed anything from rewarding player exploration to NASA's missions in space – and of course, a lot of Outer Wilds (with way too much nerdage from my part). This episode features special questions from the Outer Wilds subreddit (r/OuterWilds), which I thank very much for being one of the most lovable communities on the whole internet. Also, Elwensa's stories may well be canon soon. Safe travels! ----- Find Kelsey online: - Twitter: https://twitter.com/VanKelsing - Website: http://kelseybeachum.com/ - Play Outer Wilds, you heretic: https://store.steampowered.com/app/753640/Outer_Wilds/

In this episode, I had an amazing chat with a fellow compatriot from my country of birth: Ramon Bocca, a studio producer from Turin, Italy! Ramon and his team are working on a beautiful series of lovecraftian, story-driven games called Omen Exitio, and they're currently finalising their work on their first sequel - 1927. As you can imagine, it will feel very much noir indeed. :) ---- Find Ramon and Tiny Bull Studios online: - Twitter: https://twitter.com/TinyBullStudios - Steam page: https://store.steampowered.com/publisher/tinybullstdios - Wishlist Omen Exitio: 1927: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1466520/Omen_Exitio_1927/

In this episode I chatted with US-based solo dev Erik Andersen, a fellow language geek who's now working on "So to Speak" – a game about the Japanese language. If you played and loved Heaven's Vault, you're going to love this one: the references were many, and Erik's passions led to a much relaxed conversation about the beauty of game development, how to learn to take risks, and more incredibly interesting topics. ------- Support Erik: - Wishlist So to Speak (Demo available): https://store.steampowered.com/app/1779030/So_to_Speak/ - Erik's Twitter: https://twitter.com/elander99 - Game's Twitter: https://twitter.com/SoToSpeakGame

In this episode, I spent some time with Romain Mesa, founder of KnightStudio and developer of Mama: Die and Retry, an old school platformer celebrating the heroes of the working class. A former lawyer, Romain is a dedicated believer of the argument of video games as a form of art – and as someone who did his dissertation on the topic, I couldn't miss the occasion to have a beautiful conversation around everything art, literature, aesthetic and game design. Enjoy! ------ Try Romain's game: Mama: Die and Retry on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2211800/Mama_Die_and_Retry/ Romain's Twitter: @KnightStudio1

In this episode I chatted with the developers of SILT, a beautiful indie puzzle-horror game created by Spiral Circus Games – a UK-based studio. Two explosive creative minds coming together, Tom & Dom met by chance and have started creating games together since. They're now working on their next big thing, and they spent some time to chat with me about their story, their biggest achievements and fears – in line with the mood of their lovely little game. ------- BUY SILT (available on all major platforms): https://store.steampowered.com/app/1325890/SILT/ Spiral Circus Website: https://spiralcircusgames.com/ Spiral Circus Twitter: https://twitter.com/gamescircus Spiral Circus Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spiralcircusgames/

J Wesley isn't the first and won't be the last developer to use creativity as a form of relief, catharsis and purification. His story and amazing personality, though, make for one of the most powerful episodes of the show yet. In this new Indie Diary, J and I talked about our love for id Software, the importance of self-love and acceptance, and why everyone has the power to change – if they put their mind to it. TRIGGER WARNING: This episode focuses on the topics of addiction, rehabilitation and recovery through the power of creative arts. ------ Follow J online: Website: mindovermatterentertainment.com Twitter: @MindOMatterEnt

Ever wondered what a mix of Dungeons & Dragons and poker (yes, the card game) would look like? Wonder no further, for this episode's guest is Enrique Dryere, co-founder of Triple B Titles and developer of Aces and Adventures! From the secrets of creative inspiration to MMOs and fantasy RPG games, we had a great deal of fun in this episode. ------ Buy Aces & Adventures: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1815570/Aces__Adventures/ Follow Triple B Titles: https://twitter.com/triple_b_titles

Remember all those Facebook games back in the day? In this episode, I spoke to the man who made the engine for Mafia Wars, among others: Aleksey Dmitriev, a once studio lead now gone solo, tuning in straight from Turkey. We chatted about creativity, successes, achievements and pride as a game developer – delving into the brightest and darkest sides of game development. ---- Follow Aleksey: https://twitter.com/dekart1234

In this episode we meet Mateo Covic, a young developer from Germany who's just released his first game. That's one way to open the new year! Mateo is a great pixel artist and an amazing developer, who put his heart and soul into Maki's Adventure – a "fintastic sharkvania" where you get to swim, dash, dart, and bite your way to freedom. Enjoy! --- Wishlist/Buy Maki's Adventure: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1843110/Makis_Adventure/ --- Follow Mateo and his game: Twitter: https://twitter.com/Zoroarts_Dev Tiktok (German Account): https://www.tiktok.com/@makisadventure_official Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zoroarts18/ Website: https://www.makisadventure.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwYSfJQbbUV8dw_JtkbD3ZA

In this episode we meet Thomas Kildren, a stay-at-home dad and VR developer who has a flair for turning his kids' works of art into games. Creator of Booper, Get Home!, Thomas is a hugely creative and dedicated person with an artist's soul, and someone who really puts his heart and soul into every game he works on. We discussed his current project, ambitions and personal story, in a cozy episode that is sure to warm up your heart this winter. Enjoy! ---- Follow Thomas online: - Support on Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/fletcherstudios - Website: http://www.fletcherstudios.net - Twitter: https://twitter.com/thomaskildren - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Fletcher-Studios-105542046147996/ ----