The AIAS Game Maker's Notebook

Austin Wintory chats with Brian Trifon and Brian Lee White from the  award winning music composition and sound design team, Finishing Move Inc. Together they discuss their history in music and what led them to games; why they began collaborating on game scores and the advantages that brings; how they tackled a massive franchise with set audience expectations; and the genres and techniques they leveraged to give Doom: The Dark Ages a distinct sound. This episode is sponsored by Xsolla Episode Host: Austin Wintory Producers: Claudio Tapia and Josh Chu, The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing and leaving us a rating and review. Support the show and get all of our episodes early/ad-free: https://bit.ly/4kU34Lt Follow us: linktr.ee/AIAS Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation

Alexa Ray Corriea chats with actor Ray Chase about his first project as a game developer, Date Everything. Together they discuss his memorable work as the voice behind many of our favorite characters and why he decided to try his hand at development; where the idea to date household objects came from; how they managed to write dialogue for 100+ dateable characters; and how they assembled the immense voice cast.  This episode is supported by Xsolla Episode Host: Alexa Ray Corriea Producers: Claudio Tapia and Josh Chu, The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing and leaving us a rating and review. Follow us: linktr.ee/AIAS Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation

Trent Kusters chats Klaus Lyngeled and Olov Redmalm from Moonhood, who recently released the handcrafted cozy horror game, The Midnight Walk. Together they discuss their early careers and how they found themselves working together and eventually co-founding their own studio; their previous work on titles such as Fe and Lost and Random and how that informed their latest game; creating the real-life puppets and the scanning technology they developed to implement them inside the game; and blending horror with levity to create a thrilling yet relaxing experience.  This episode is sponsored by Xsolla Episode Host: Trent Kusters Producers: Claudio Tapia and Josh Chu, The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing and leaving us a rating and review. Support the show and get all of our episodes early/ad-free: https://bit.ly/4kU34Lt Follow us: linktr.ee/AIAS Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation

Trent Kusters chats with Stéphane Varrault from Guerrilla Games and Xu Xiaojun from Studio Gobo about their collaborative work on LEGO® Horizon Adventures. Together they discuss how their two studios worked together on bringing Aloy's adventures to the LEGO® universe; what it takes to appeal to a younger audience; how they designed the game to focus on problem solving; adapting complex game mechanics for younger players; playtesting with children and applying player telemetry to improve the game; and how they translated the characters, world, and art to the LEGO® aesthetic. This episode is sponsored by Xsolla Episode Host: Trent Kusters Producers: Claudio Tapia and Josh Chu, The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing and leaving us a rating and review. Support the show and get all of our episodes early/ad-free: https://bit.ly/4kU34Lt Follow us: linktr.ee/AIAS Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation

Adam Orth chats with Juhana Myllys, creator of physics based platformer Bionic Bay. Together they discuss how he identifies great ideas and where he finds inspiration; the early designs and concept art that led to the development of Bionic Bay; designing the core gameplay such as the swap mechanic and platforming; and creating a visual language that is both mechanical and organic.  Episode Host: Adam Orth Producers: Claudio Tapia and Josh Chu, The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing and leaving us a rating and review. Support the show and get all of our episodes early/ad-free: https://bit.ly/4kU34Lt Follow us: linktr.ee/AIAS Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation

Austin Wintory chats with Lorien Testard, the composer for Sandfall Interactive's debut hit RPG, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Together they discuss his background in music theory and how he connected with Sandfall; working with singer Alice Duport-Percier to create the vocal pieces; creating a soundtrack with diverse sounds that keeps a unified vision; creating art for art's sake; and what kinds of projects he hopes to work on next. This episode is sponsored by Xsolla Episode Host: Austin Wintory Producers: Claudio Tapia and Josh Chu, The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing and leaving us a rating and review. Support the show and get all of our episodes early/ad-free: https://bit.ly/4kU34Lt Follow us: linktr.ee/AIAS Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation

Trent Kusters chats with CEO and Co-Founder of Shiro Games, Nicolas Cannasse. Together they discuss his career in games including co-founding two succesful indie studios with his prior work at Dead Cells developer Motion Twin; creating his own programming language called Haxe; his work as a game director on titles such as Evoland, Northgard, and Wartales; DLC as a platform for indie success; how to blend genres to create fresh experiences; and the importance of government advocacy for the health of the games industry. This episode is sponsored by Xsolla Episode Host: Trent Kusters Producers: Claudio Tapia and Josh Chu, The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing and leaving us a rating and review. Support the show and get all of our episodes early/ad-free: https://bit.ly/4kU34Lt Follow us: linktr.ee/AIAS Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation

Trent Kusters chats with Julian Gollop, founder and game designer at Snapshot Games. Together they discuss his legendary journey designing games from the creation of the original XCOM: UFO Defense to his studio's latest release, Chip 'n Clawz vs. the Brainioids; how to use constraint as a key design pillar; having the courage to remove features for a better play experience; and when to lean on tried and true conventions and when to avoid them.  This episode is sponsored by Xsolla Episode Host: Trent Kusters Producers: Claudio Tapia and Josh Chu, The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing and leaving us a rating and review. Support the show and get all of our episodes early/ad-free: https://bit.ly/4kU34Lt Follow us: linktr.ee/AIAS Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation

Jennifer Svedberg-Yen, lead writer at Sandfall Interactive, transitioned from finance to game development, crafting the narrative for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. She shares how the game's story evolved through collaborative efforts during the pandemic, blending personal experiences and literary inspirations. Svedberg-Yen discusses the complexities of character development, balancing player choices with meaningful interactions. They also explore the unique character design, including humorous motifs, and the moral dilemmas presented in the game's endings, allowing for personal player interpretation.

Prokop Jirsa, Lead Designer at Warhorse Studios, discusses the fascinating world of Kingdom Come: Deliverance II. He highlights the importance of historical accuracy and the emotional connections players forge through their choices. The conversation explores unique games mechanics like Savior Schnapps and new features such as horseback archery, emphasizing how Czech culture profoundly influences the game’s narrative. Jirsa also reflects on evolving design philosophies, fostering player engagement through moral complexity and immersive storytelling.