Nice Games Club - a gamedev podcast!

In this episode Lydia is back in the clubhouse to discuss her first job, and to help make a game about said job. But, because your nice hosts couldn't choose just one, it is also about Ellen's job at her parents' pet store, and Stephen's first job. Mark's also.When introducing Lydia to the concept of a nice games jam, the stages of the nice game jam are referenced. Here are the stages: 1) Panic 2) Prompt 3) More Panic 4) Scramble 5) Oh, we can do this 6) We did this - let’s do more We have throw pillows nowWhile designing this game Stephen mentions the phrase "experience bij." This comes from the 'Star Trek the Next Generation Interactive VCR Board Game."Star Trek the Next Generation Interactive VCR Board Game - Board Game GeekCompilation of "Experience bij." - YouTubePrompt"Create a game based on one of your team’s first job (either gig-based, such as babysitting or lawn mowing or paycheck based), but set in a world with either evil robots, monsters, or aliens."Game typeTabletop gameMaterialsVHS tapeMall mapRulesTakes place in a mall, in a starbaseTheater, retail, pet store, cafeteriaPen and paper RPG, players need to figure out what’s going on outside without leaving the mall/their jobsCommunication is limited somehowNosy kids?Point where we’re in too deep?It’s now a VHS tape/DVD game.Each character has unique roles and abilities based on their jobCafeteria unboxer person, sees recycling bins, can make things out of trashRetail, interacts with customers regularlyPet store, young kid who does mischief thingsTheater, technical expertise, interacts with other staff of theaterMall wide announcements (security, mall, etc.)Different locations have a stack of cards containing information, they have unique ability to access these different decks. Info from cards cannot be talked about, you need to move to another player to give them that information.NPCs move on a track separately, they move during the “computer” turn, the mall is a separate turn/entityNPCs control how much players can move (they may have customers they need to deal with)Each round the players have certain actions, different actions if there are customers in the storeSome cards are gossip (from customers), some cards are evidence (physical things you find)Some of the gossip is false, good/juicy information is rareNarrativeThree actsAct 1: Something’s going on! Busier than normal, more security, longer shifts than normal because everyone needs to be in the mall, the management wants to keep everyone thereA lot of the rumors are about not being able to do their regular jobs outside of the mallAct 2: It’s one of three thingsAct 3: Did we figure out what’s going on?You have to figure out what the threat is, afterwards pick some number of ways to deal with it, depending on the response you have a list of tasks to complete to fulfill. If the tasks you did relate to the actual threat, you get points.

All of your hosts are together in the Clubhouse for a special interview! Lydia Symchych is an impact game designer who has been working with Ellen over the last year. Today, she shares her experience of making an escape room that needed to be rendered in both "physical" and and digital environments. Also, sound effects and pillows.In the USA, November 28th is Thanksgiving Day, and November 29th is National Native American Heritage Day. Happy holidays, if you're in the USA—and if you're not, we hope you have something to be thankful for. 💖Digital Escape RoomsGame DesignArticulate Storyline 360HyperCard - WikipediaExhibit Design - WikipediaEscape Room Races with the Lads - Northernlion, YouTubeEscaping a Room of Terrors - GameGrumps, YouTubeLydia SymchychYour Nice HostGuestLydia is a collaborative game designer and cross-disciplinary translator, who approaches design with compassion and ✨ sparkles ✨.She creates interactive and interpretive learning experiences, including museum exhibits and positive impact + educational games.Ellen (and everyone else) thinks she is great!External linkYou can find Lydia on LinkedIn

Your nice hosts chew over a concept Stephen brings into the clubhouse: a series of "game jams" where participants iterate on one specific idea in each session.Playdate Update - Fall 2024 - Panic, YouTubeNoble Engine - Noble RobotIGDATC Events - igdatc0:04:30Iterative Game JamMeditations

Releasing 2019's "Baba is You" after more than a decade of making puzzle games was a milestone for this week's guest, but it was also just the beginning of his design journey. Arvi "Hempuli" Teikari talks to your nice hosts about the balance between giving players freedom and constraining their expression, the pacing and sequencing of individual puzzles, what happens when a "cool" design annoys players, and more.Arvi's cats make a spirited apperance in the back half of the episode. Here they are basking in the Finnish sun.Puzzle SystemsGame DesignToolsMultimedia Fusion 2 - ClickteamClickteam Fusion 2.5 - ClickteamConstruct - Scirra LtdMP2MP2 Chowdren EngineBring the ice cube to the goal without exposing it to heat. - IncreparePuzzleScript - IncrepareCovechrome - Hempuli, itch.ioYou nice hosts previously discussed what happens to players who become developers in:"Numbers go up."Arvi "Hempuli" TeikariGuestExternal linkHempuli - social media linksHempuli on Itch.io

In this episode Ellen usurps the normal process for a nice game jam prompt to explore her own idea on tabletop mechanics. Who would have thought the scoring system for this game would be 'Points for the Future War'?Stephen's One-Minute Movie - Stephen McGregor's Group, YouTubeDiscussion during developmentSubbuteoSoapboxderby.orgBullet Bill Soapbox Derby Car - Lou Whitmire, Mansfield News JouralPromptMake a tabletop game where the core mechanic is modulating the friction on the board.Game typeTabletop gamePlayer count3-5MaterialsBoard - 5x5 grid where tiles can be placed5 racer sledsRacer weightsTiles with different friction coefficients (terrain tiles)Mission from HQ CardsSpecial Objective CardsSetup1) Racer sleds and racer weights are randomly distributed to the racetrack row. 2) Each racer sled gets the name of a racer. Each racer name should be silly, like Jenny Too-fast or Billy Tumble. 3) Each player draws two Mission from HQ cards and picks one to be their secret objective.  RulesPlayers are given each a set amount of time-travel credits.On their turn, each player uses a time-travel credit to either replace or swap terrain tiles.When each all players have spent their time travel credits, the race is on! All racer sleds are released from their starting box, and the results of the race are observed. Each completed mission results in the number of 'Points for the Future' on the mission from HQ card awarded to that player. The number of points is based on the difficulty of the mission.After the weekend derby is complete (15 rounds), the player with the most point for the future war is declared the winner, but not for 20-30 years.

"Tutorials shouldn’t feel like tutorials!" Like most aspects of game design, it's an easy concept to summarize but a difficult one to pull off. Luke Spierewka and the team at Afterburn Games have mastered it, using their charming approach in successful titles like Golf Peaks and Railbound. Come learn the arcane secrets of the puzzle game tutorial! Also featuring some great room sound.Afterburn Games (studio)Tutorialization with PuzzlesGame DesignOn crafting Railbound, a cozy track-bending puzzle game - Evgeny Obedkov, Game World ObserverDynablaster (game) - WikipediaLuke SpierewkaGuestLuke is a game designer, programmer, and jack of all trades. He makes games, organizes events, gives talks (and interviews) and does "lots of other stuff." He's worked on many titles, including Railbound, Golf Peaks, Gwent, and SUPERHOT. Learn more about Luke at http://spierek.net/

This week, your nice hosts talk a little bit about our civic duty before getting into two very on-brand topics. Make a plan to vote on (or before!) November 5th. Information at https://vote.org/Everything You Need to Vote - Vote.orgWhat States Allow Same Day Voter Registration and When? - Rock the VoteThe Only Patriotic Choice for President - The New York TimesThese are the Republicans endorsing Harris over Trump - Niha Masih, The Washington PostDonald Trump Is Unfit to Lead - The New York TimesDonald Trump’s First Term Is a Warning - New York Times Opinion, The New York TimesRuntime Asset ManagementPhaserSimplify your content management with AddressablesUnityWADDoom WikiDouble Jump vs. DashGames Are Better With Double JumpsHeather AlexandraKotakuWhy Celeste's dash feels great Alex WiltshireRock Paper ShotgunKaizoWikipedia

Timothy Staton-Davis, Lead Encounter Designer at Brass Lion Entertainment and Creative Director of Melanated Game Kitchen, dives into the art of combat design. He explores the importance of player agency and skill development, likening it to rock, paper, scissors. The conversation highlights how 'juice' enhances gameplay through visual effects and animations. Staton-Davis stresses the iterative process of balancing mechanics with player experience, using examples from beloved titles like 'Monster Hunter' and 'Hades' to illustrate his points.

This week, Ellen kicks things off with a chat about how games tell players, “This might be tough!” and how to make that fun and fair. Stephen and Mark jump in with their takes on what makes difficulty settings shine. Then, Mark thinks about the practice taking familiar game mechanics and twisting them into something fresh. Think pacifist runs or limited equipment modes. Why limit yourself to one way to play when you can remix the whole game? As always, there are some goofs in here, too.Unity 6 Preview is now available - Nancy Larue, UnityUnity is canceling the Runtime Fee - Matt Bromberg, UnityUnite Conference - UnityHasbro Game Night (for Switch)We Were Here Series - Total Mayhem Games, SteamLoopy: a tool for thinking in systems - Nicky CaseMachinations: Create digital twins for your systems, processes or economies0:21:44Communicating DifficultyReally Bad ChessPuzzmoOrta Therox & Zach GageAggro Crab Studio"Why Quitting Is Usually Worth It"David Duchovny & Stephen DubnerFreakonomics Radio Network0:40:35Remixed Play ModesMetro NexusNoble Robot10 Most Unique Multiplayer Modes In Video GamesJames KennedyThe GamerExtra game modesUniversal Videogame ListPARKS Board Game59 Parks

The hosts dive into their educational journeys, balancing passion and traditional learning. There's a delightful discussion on a family game night and insights from a filmmaking class. They explore the different types of scoring systems in games, including experience points and victory points, and the impact on player experience. The conversation reveals the challenges of being both a creator and a consumer while reflecting on empathy in art. Finally, they discuss the perception of game development and its complexities compared to the film industry.