The Secret Lives of Games
The Secret Lives of Games
Candid conversations with game creators that dive deep into the art, craft, and process of making games.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Jul 3, 2020 • 1h 15min
47: Indie Dev as Engine Building with Theresa Duringer
Theresa Duringer (Temple Gates Games) joins us to discuss the process of bringing board games to digital platforms. We discuss tutorial and UI challenges, machine learning for AI, and how to find your niche as a small studio. Show notes: Theresa Duringer Temple Gates Games Roll of the Galaxy beta Gen Con Machine Learning for Boardgame AI in Race for the Galaxy TD-Gammon AlphaStar: Mastering the Real-Time Strategy Game StarCraft II Keldon Jones' Race for the Galaxy AI How to Run a Studio Without a Surprise Hit Scythe: Digital Edition Terraforming Mars
Jun 20, 2020 • 1h 52min
46: Reconsidering Civilization with Soren Johnson (Old World)
Soren Johnson (Offworld Trading Company) joins us to discuss his new historical strategy game Old World, as we dive into playing by feel in a numbers-driven game, the problematic themes inherent to the 4X genre, and personalizing games through narrative scale. Some things we discussed: Soren Johnson Mohawk Games Civilization IV Spore Offworld Trading Company Old World 4X genre Designer Notes podcast Heroes of Might and Magic Guns versus butter Guns, Germs, and Steel Battle Line Lost Cities
May 29, 2020 • 2h 1min
Into the Depths: Noita - Part 5
In the final installment of our Noita miniseries, Nolla Games' Petri Purho and Olli Harjola join us for a deep dive Q&A on the game! We discuss the influence of magic on its design, its origins and early iterations, how they empower different play styles, and where the boundaries of the game might actually be. Some things we discussed: Kloonigames Facepalm Games Hempuli Sisu Knytt The Magic Way Frog Fractions NetHack Game Feel book Stair Dismount Liero The Fight of the Sumo Hoppers Pro Pilkki My Summer Car Nokia worm (Snake) Wings Soldat Stephen's Sausage Roll Apex Legends Forge misdirect
May 22, 2020 • 1h 42min
45: Andy's Sprawling Birthday Spectacular
It's Andy's big 5-0 and we're celebrating by diving into our mailbag of thoughtful listener questions! We discuss working within a team, how academic practice intersects development, framing your work across a career, the role of aesthetics in games, and the materiality of engines. Phew! Some things we discussed: The Last Dance B.U.T.T.O.N.: On Self-Effacing Games and Unachievements Characteristics of Games Terry Cavanagh Design Anarchy Ansel Adams Clusterf*ck GMTK Game Jam N Designing with Physics: Bend the Physics Engine to Your Will Super Pole Riders: How We Got Full Pole Control Lost Cities Lonely Mountains: Downhill
May 15, 2020 • 1h 27min
Into the Depths: Noita - Part 4
In the fourth installment of our Noita miniseries, we discuss the intention of randomness, getting stuck in our play patterns, leaning into the game's weirdness, and some modifications we'd like to see. Some things we discussed: 10,000 Bowls of Oatmeal Problem Brogue Teamfight Tactics Balancing Multiplayer Games
May 8, 2020 • 1h 53min
44: Quarantine Arcade with Derek Yu
Spelunky creator Derek Yu returns for an expansive discussion on the membrane between players/devs, the connection between design/process, and the understated influence of arcade games on his work - all through the lens of what we've been playing and thinking about in quarantine. Some things we discussed: Derek Yu UFO 50 Noita Animal Crossing: New Horizons AC:NH QoL fan video Marina Abramović Streets of Rage 4 Metal Slug X Rainbow Islands: The Story of Bubble Bobble 2 Web Liero Scourgebringer Bargain Basement Bathysphere Gals' Fighters boardgamearena.com Can't Stop Acquire Innovation Sea Block Factorio mod SnowRunner Caveblazers Miasmata Escape From Tarkov Gutwhale Just One Lost Cities Azul What Up With That?
May 1, 2020 • 1h 32min
Into the Depths: Noita - Part 3
In the third installment of our miniseries, we discuss Noita's worldbuilding, secrets in game culture, games as toys, tutorialization (or lack thereof), and the conflicts of wandcrafting. Some things we discussed: Noita Arcane Kids Manife$to Magicians Trilogy Rain World Noita 101 - Tips for new players Else Heart.Break() My Summer Car - Early Access trailer TIS-100
Apr 24, 2020 • 1h 39min
43: A Window Into Narrative Systems with Tom Francis
Tom Francis (Gunpoint, Heat Signature) crashes in to discuss his upcoming small-scale strategy game Tactical Breach Wizards, how he finds and focuses on the cores of his games, and the narrative systems that make them sing. Some things we discussed: Tom Francis Gunpoint Heat Sig Tactical Breach Wizards (new walkthrough) RPS: What Works And Why Morphblade Imbroglio GameMaker Into the Breach The GIPF Project Dawn of War: Dark Crusade Dishonored Brick Design Talk: Difficulty is Random
Apr 17, 2020 • 1h 20min
Into the Depths: Noita - Part 2
In the second installment of our miniseries, we discuss our different play styles, wand customization, building games around online communities, and our experiences with - and the implementation of - Noita's Daily Challenge. Some things we discussed: Noita Risk of Rain Zach's badass barrel kick Noita 101 - Tips for new players Wand Stats - Noita Notes 4
Apr 10, 2020 • 1h 14min
42: The Secrets of Simplicity with Martin Jonasson (holedown)
Martin Jonasson (holedown) joins us to extract the juiciness that powers his "delightful spectacle of bouncing," reveals the truth behind his rounded corners, and discusses the aesthetic and scope commitments that drove games like twofold inc. and rymdkapsel. Some things we discussed: grapefrukt games holedown twofold, inc. rymdkapsel jesus vs. dinosaurs Juice it or lose it Breakout: Pilgrim in the Microworld experimental gameplay project vectorpark
