For our 250th episode, your nice hosts play a few rounds of a pair of games made by the folks from Game Dev London as part of their very own Nice Games Jam! Ellen makes fun sounds, Mark counts all his Jefferies Tubes, and Stephen is reliable as the morning sun.We talked about big episode numbers in:"A Spark Plug." 200th Episode SpecialStephen's grumpy tweet.Game Dev London0:18:36Safecracker!!Nice Games Club's 1hr Game Jam Challenge - Part 1Game Dev LondonYouTubeCreating "Safecracker!!" in part 1 of Game Dev London's 2-part episodeThe Lockpicking LawyerYouTube0:41:19Adventurer, PleaseNice Games Club's 1hr Game Jam Challenge - Part 2Game Dev LondonYouTubeCreating "Adventurer, Please" in part 2 of Game Dev London's 2-part episodeMark's Beverly Crusher t-shirt Jefferies TubeMemory AlphaUnplugged Independents: Weave: Storytelling RedefinedSeamus Conneely Cannibal Halfling Gaming

This week, your Nice Hosts talk about "games you get for free" on various gaming platforms. Also, the trio explores the relationship between "fun" and "joy"—and where does "engaging" fit in? Ellen won't tell us the grade, and Stephen is told he has to yell at Mark.Amber Waves of Games"America the Beautiful" sung by Ray Charles - YouTubeYou made it! Thanks for another unforgettable year of Global Game Jam!15:00Games You Get for FreeXbox Game Pass Ultimate tip: How to get 3 years of access to hundreds of games …PCWorldKo-FiThe Jolly Jawbreaker44:00Joy vs. FunThe Giver: Language and CommunicationStudy guideShmoop

Hiatus flew by this year for your nice hosts, but they're back in the newly-renovated clubhouse with their annual recounting of what they got up to while away. Ellen keeps a promise, Stephen returns a gift, and Mark sees thru' these architects eyes.Our renovated clubhouse table.These foam acoustic panels came vacuum-sealed, so they needed to be soaked in water to inflate them.Of course, once-inflated, the water-logged panels needed to be dried out, which meant an hour in the dryer.It was pretty hard to drill these holes to mount our mic stands, and about as hard to measure them out because our clubhouse table has no straight edges or corners.Measure twice, then 100 more times.Mark mounted at set of ports for mic and headphone connections under the clubhouse table.Mark's "B+" cable management.The finished clubhouse. It's much cozier (and quieter) in here now.What We Did On Our Winter Break (2021-2022)The path to unionizing has been rough for Raven Software, and it’s about to get…Ash ParrishThe VergeGame Dev LondonSeven Billion HumansUntitled Goose Game is getting a second goose and local co-opNicole CarpenterPolygonThe replay aired last week, but in case you missed it:Nice Thinking: "Sledgehammer Bride"Mark talked about building localization systems in: "I definitely thought of that ahead of time."David Bowie Brilliant Adventure (1992 – 2001)Esperanza Spalding Is The 21st Century's Jazz GeniusLara PellegrinelliNPR

#240Sledgehammer BrideNice Thinking2021.10.28It'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 SocietySledgehammer Bride Stephen McGregorGame DesignNarrativeA Brief History of Beat ’em Up Video Games - Hero ConceptProspective Teachers Misperceive Black Children as Angry  - Bryan Goodman, American Psychological AssociationThe Brute Caricature - History on the NetExamining Game Pace: How Single-Player Levels Tick - Mark DaviesShank 2 - Klei Entertainment, SteamHow the Original Hyrule Warriors Broke The Mold for Musou Games Forever - Dale Bashir, IGN

#211Building Blocks of DesignInterview2021.04.08It's back to basics this week as we welcome Osama Dorias, lead game designer on the upcoming Gotham Knights at WB Games Montréal, to talk about his multi-year journey of making games with his kids, and what it taught him about his craft. It might be our cutest episode yet! Osama, along with Fawzi Mesmar, and Rami Ismail, recently launched their own very nice gamedev podcast, The Habibis!Building Blocks of DesignArtGame DesignIRLTabletopToolsThe Game CrafterA selection of cards from "Ali and Mimi's Card Game"Osama's son trying to look professional while presenting "City Game I Love This."Osama's daughter beaming with pride at her creation, "05Q7654321 0."Osama's kids' first video game.Osama DoriasGuestOsama works at WB Games Montréal, where he is the lead game designer on Gotham Knights. He is a co-founder of the Montreal Independent Game Awards, a professor at Dawson College, and a co-host of The Habibis podcast.He loves hugs and poutine.External linkOsama on TwitterGotham KnightsMontreal Independent Game AwardsThe Habibis

#235The New ClubhouseNice Thinking2021.09.16After many months of recording over Discord (or together in Mark's and Dale's apartment), Nice Games Club is finding a new place to meet. Well, "finding" isn't really the right word. Mark and Dale are making it happen. The new clubhouse is being customized as a workspace and community hub, and this week on the show, Your Nice Hosts talk about how to start things up in the new spot.The New ClubhouseMark LaCroixIRLMetaErgonomic stools by Herman MillerThe cover image for this episode's page is from The Treehouse, an educational game published in 1991. Ellen played this game a lot when she was a kid. Learn more here: https://www.myabandonware.com/game/the-treehouse-1ag

#224"To whom it may concern."Roundtable2021.07.09Holly Harrison, aka "Best Friend of the Show," is back in the clubhouse! And we recorded this episode in person again! Can you tell? It probably comes through in the goofs...There's plenty of silliness in this week's episode, even though your Nice Hosts explore some serious topics. Holly asks us what we can do to become more ethical consumers (and developers) of games. Ellen examines the dynamics of grind. Stephen finally admits to something BIG, and Mark takes a break.Join Lobby - Video Game Culture Feed - Holly Harrison, InstagramHolly joined us for episode 40...Community Managment...and for episode 88...The Gaming Press...and for episode 89..."A mean secret that stays in this room."...and for episode 201..."Not like Beauty and the Beast."...and for episode 202!Business SpeakEllen's new laptop: Alienware M15R4Gris (a game, not a musical) - SteamNoble Engine - Mark LaCroixHere's episode 217, in which we discussed open source.Open Source SoftwarePhoto by Helmi Lutvyandi from PexelsEthical Consumption0:13:06Holly HarrisonGamingMisc.Conflict minerals: Which gaming companies may have funded human rights abuses i… - Rebekah Valentine, GamesIndustry.bizIs There Really Such a Thing as “Ethical Consumerism”? - Maya Singer, VogueSummary of sexual and non-sexual allegations (megathread) - RedditGrind0:47:59Ellen Burns-JohnsonGame DesignGamingr/truegaming: For those who like talking about games as much as playing them. - RedditEllen’s take on grind: “Going through the same content multiple times as a means to progress towards an in-game goal that doesn’t pertain to the player’s skill.”

#210GlomNice Games Jam2021.03.31This week your nice hosts have a rowdy game jam. Dale gave us a prompt: Create a matching game with a puzzle element. The puzzle must be "what matches first" and bonus points if there's cats.The goal of every Nice Games Jam is for the team to come up with a playable game by the end of the episode. Did Stephen, Mark, and Ellen make it happen, or did they end up with a pile of nonsense? Well, maybe a bit of both.The "dot game" that Ellen referenced is called Dots & Boxes - WikipediaA three-sided die similar to the one that Eric, Ellen's partner, owns.Here's a place you can buy your own three-sided die - Nvenom8 Designs on ShapeWays MarketplaceGame typeTabletop gamePlayer countAnyMaterialsPaper, pencil or penSetupEach player should have:Paper (or someplace to compose sentences)Something to write with (typing on a screen is fine)Some way of indicating points passed to other players (chips, coins, etc.) -- in the rules below, these will be referred to as "chips"The game requires three decks. As of this airing, each deck has three cards:Prompts deck "Nice to meet you.""Where is the bathroom?""Can I pet your cat?"Constraints deck No letter Es (this is incredibly difficult)Exactly 4 wordsOnly single-syllable wordsScoring deck Most wordsMost lettersLongest word in the sentenceRulesThe goal of the game is to acquire the most points out of all the players.Players acquire points by writing sentences that adhere to the Prompt, Constraint, and Scoring card drawn for each round.SetupShuffle all three decks.Distribute chips evenly amongst all players.Starting a RoundDraw a single card from each deck. Place all three face-down on the table.Set the timer for the desired duration: 1 minute, 2 minutes (default) or 3 minutes.Flip all three cards face-up and start the timer.All players then attempt to compose a sentence that meets the criteria of all three cards (Prompt, Constraint, and Scoring) within the time limit.Share Your SentencesEach player speaks their sentence aloud. (If you're playing online, you can also enter your sentence into the text chat.) The sequence in which players share their sentences doesn't matter—just be nice about it.Round ScoringPlayers can’t use any of the words in the phrase on the Prompt card. There’s a penalty (-1 point) for each word used. Exception: You can use the same spelling of a word if it’s another type of word (noun vs. verb) Alternate rule for extra challenge and silliness: Remove the exception to the above rule.The player whose sentence meets the conditions on that round's Scoring card wins 3 points.Players pass one of their chips to the person who had, in the player's opinion, the coolest sentence. This is a subjective judgment and has nothing to do with the rules. Each chip received counts as 1 point for the receiving player.DisputesDuring Round Scoring, any player can raise an argument about how the rules apply to another player's sentence. If you bring an argument, you have to propose a resolution, and people will vote on the proposal. (For example, you can propose a change to someone's point total that round, or suggest a change to a person's sentence to bring it within the rules.) If the vote passes, the solution goes through.Continue Play and End the GameFor each subsequent round of play, draw a new set of cards. Play and score according to the above rules.The game ends when all Prompt cards have been used. Shuffle Constraints and Scoring cards back into their respective decks as needed.The player with the most points wins!

#220“My face is over here.” Special In-Person SpecialSpecial2021.06.10Your vaccinated hosts return to the clubhouse to record their first in-person episode in over a year. This one's for us, but you might like it, too.There was a lot of hugs before the recording.Charity EP Jam (the new album drops June 11th!) - Chel WongIndie bundle for Palestinian Aid - Alanna Linayre, itch.ioMark's "Widget Satchel II" was featured in Panic's E3-style announcement video.Special In-Person SpecialMark LaCroixStephen McGregorEllen Burns-JohnsonIRLMetaMisc.South Korea’s COVID Success Stems From an Earlier Infectious Disease Failure -  Jiyeon Kim and Neil Richards, Slate

#219Therapeutic GamesInterview2021.06.03🎉 🎂 🎉 It's Ellen's birthday! 🎉 🎂 🎉Wish her a happy one via the show's feedback form (seriously, that's what she asked for): nicegames.club/feedback.Can games be used for therapeutic purposes? Absolutely! In this episode we talk with Adam Davis, therapeutic Game Master, and a co-founder and executive director of Game to Grow, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. The organization is focused on "the use of games of all kinds for therapeutic, educational, and community growth."Adam shares his experiences from over a decade in therapeutic play—how Game to Grow began, how he thinks about games as part of therapeutic experiences, and how he once managed SEVEN tabletop RPG campaigns simultaneously. We hope you enjoy our inspiring conversation with this really cool guy!Helmet nachos! Source: Target Field Eats on Twitter https://twitter.com/tfeats/status/1039672499892576256Therapeutic GamesGame DesignTabletopGame to Grow blogCritical Core on KickstarterDrama Therapy - North American Drama Therapy AssociationWheelhouse WorkshopIndividualized Education Plan (IEP) - Understood.comCollaboration vs. cooperation: What's the difference? - The Ripple Team, Ripple IntranetGame to Grow Keynote at the 2018 Washington Therapy Conference  - Adam DavisNo Thank You, Evil: The Award-Winning Game of Make-believe for Creative Kids an…Adam DavisGuestAdam D. Davis, MA Ed, earned his Master’s degree in Education with a focus in drama therapy from Antioch University Seattle, and is a recognized member of the North American Drama Therapy Association.Adam is a contributing author to three publications: Integrating Geek Culture into Therapeutic Practice; Game Play, 3rd Edition; and The Walking Dead Psychology.In addition to his work with Game to Grow, Adam developed the CoRe Gaming program at the Atlantic Street Center utilizing video games to teach Dialectical Behavioral Therapy skills, served as an educator at Seattle’s Woodland Park Zoo, and taught fourth-grade literacy for Seattle Public Schools.External linkGame to Grow websiteGame to Grow on Twitter