Hey, Good Game explores the stories behind your favorite brainy games. Each week, we interview game creators and dig into what it takes to build a successful indie game, how to monetize, and how to get traction.
Site
RSS
Apple
Data updated on 04/07/2026
Recent rankings
Latest chart positions across Apple Podcasts and Spotify rankings.
Shared links between episodes and podcasts
Links found in episode descriptions and other podcasts that share them.
Award-winning artist, animator, and game designer Michael Frei joins Nate and Joseph to share his creative journey from apprentice construction draftsman to co-founder of Zurich’s Playable, the indie studio behind critically acclaimed interactive works like Plug & Play, Kids, and the meditative mortality sim Time Flies.
Michael breaks down his minimalist approach to game design—how stripping away noise can lead to emotional clarity—and explains why humor, absurdity, and interaction are central to his artistic voice. He reflects on transitioning from animation to games, his fascination with weird player dynamics, and why making something personally meaningful matters more than chasing trends.
Frei also shares lessons from testing, iterating, and publishing across platforms, as well as advice for aspiring indie creators navigating simplicity, success, and staying creatively grounded in a crowded market.
From Wall Street to Wordplay: Inside Pete Muller’s Mind
Episode 71
Tuesday, July 15, 2025 • Duration 48:51
Pete Muller is not your average guest—he’s a quant hedge fund legend, a touring singer-songwriter, and a prolific puzzle constructor whose creations appear in The New York Times and The Washington Post. In this episode we dive into Pete’s polymath life: his journey from math to markets, from poker tables to music stages, and how puzzles tie it all together. We also discuss his latest creation, the “Think Twice” puzzle, and what drives him to keep solving, creating, and performing. Whether you love games, music, or stories about reinvention, this conversation will surprise and inspire.
Games Mentioned: Poker - Pete's favorite game to play Crosswords Variety cryptics Bridge Chess Ping pong Ultimate Frisbee Blackjack Wordle Letter Boxed Stray Cat Strut Meta Puzzle Scrabble Sudoku Spelling Bee KenKen
--
(00:00) - Introduction to Pete Muller: A Modern Polymath
(01:58) - Pete's Favorite Games and Puzzles
(03:39) - From Poker to Quantitative Trading
(06:05) - The Evolution of PDT Partners
(10:34) - Balancing Music and Finance
(13:13) - The Art of Puzzle Creation
--
Funding Dreams & Crafting Stories: Lessons From an Indie Game Visionary
Episode 70
Tuesday, July 1, 2025 • Duration 38:35
Indie-game luminary Tatiana Delgado joins Nate to trace her 20-year journey from drawing paper games as a kid to co-founding Madrid’s Out of the Blue Games. She explains how titles like Call of the Sea create emotional tension without combat, why early VR prototyping was both thrilling and nausea-inducing, and how small studios can balance artistic vision with funding realities.
Tatiana also teases two new projects—Lovecraft-flavored sequel Call of the Elder Gods and branching visual-novel series The Vigilante Diaries—while sharing hard-won advice on user testing, team culture, and pitching in today’s crowded market.
From Zero to Hooked in 20 Seconds: The Stopwatch Strategy for Sustainable Indies
Episode 69
Tuesday, June 24, 2025 • Duration 46:06
What does it take to turn a minimalist text-based game into a global phenomenon?
Indie developer and software craftsman Amir Rajan joins us to unpack his unconventional path from enterprise software to the top of the App Store with A Dark Room. In this episode, we explore how Amir built the DragonRuby Game Toolkit, why betting on hyper-niche communities pays off, and how rapid prototyping drives sustainable success in indie dev. From cracking console publishing to navigating the unpredictable App Store ecosystem, Amir shares hard-earned insights into the creative and financial realities of going solo in the game industry.
Whether you’re a seasoned dev or just starting out, this episode offers an honest look at the intersection of craft, code, and commerce.
Games Mentioned: Illusion of Gaia - Amir's favorite game to play Slay the Spire Balder's Gate mildly interesting RTS Dark Room De Noble Circle Inside Vista Dragon Ruby Game Toolkit
--
--
Why Most Web Games Skip the Sound—and What They’re Missing
Episode 68
Tuesday, June 17, 2025 • Duration 47:19
What does it take to create unforgettable game audio—from eerie soundscapes in Death Stranding to iconic branding in Mortal Kombat?
Composer and sound designer Joel Corelitz joins us to talk about his path from writing music for pharmaceutical ads to shaping the sonic identity of major titles. We dive into the creative process, what good feedback really sounds like, the overlooked potential of sound in web games, and why sometimes doing the work is more important than waiting for inspiration.
Games Mentioned: Dark Souls - Joel's favorite game to play Halo Infinite Death Stranding Mortal Kombat One The Unfinished Swan Nine Souls The Last Clockwinder Hyperlight Breaker Hyperlight Drifter Lazy River
--
(00:00) - Introduction to Joel Kitz and Wave Plant
(00:56) - Joel's Favorite Games and Balancing Work and Play
(03:36) - The Journey from Advertising to Game Composing
(08:52) - The Creative Process and Musical Language
(15:51) - Feedback and Collaboration in Game Music
(19:30) - Budgeting for Game Music and Audio Branding
(25:30) - Exploring Sound Design in Games
(26:14) - The Role of Musicality in Sound Design
--
From Craps Tables to Sudoku Grids: A Microsoft Vet's Journey into Puzzle Setting
Episode 67
Tuesday, June 10, 2025 • Duration 40:11
Meet David Workman, known in the puzzle world as "HalfBakedLunatic" - a Microsoft veteran who creates Sudoku puzzles so difficult he can't solve them himself.
David shares the incredible story of how he invented TiVo's core technology in 1996, only to watch it slip away when his two-page concept paper got buried at Microsoft. He reveals his epic gambling simulation that proved why casinos always win (even with unlimited money, you'd eventually make bets exceeding the world's GDP), and explains the paradox of puzzle creation - building something is the opposite of solving it.
With 64 puzzles published and 10 featured on the legendary Cracking the Cryptic YouTube channel, David has earned his place among elite puzzle setters. His masterpiece had viewers watching for 45 minutes before a single digit was placed. Plus: the hilarious tale of licensing Elvis for $1,200 while a cockroach photo nearly cost millions.
Games Mentioned: Craps - David's favorite game to play Pinochle Sudoku Kropki puzzles
--
(00:00) - Introduction to Puzzle Setting
(00:28) - Meet David Workman: The Prolific Puzzle Setter
(01:08) - David's Favorite Games and Betting Strategies
--
The Faceless Creator Behind One of YouTube’s Brainiest Channels
Episode 66
Tuesday, June 3, 2025 • Duration 56:06
In this episode, we talk with Jason Todd—aka Timberlake—the faceless creator behind the YouTube channel Smart Hobbies. Jason shares how he turned Sudoku from a personal pastime into a thriving YouTube channel with over 900K views on a single video. We dive into the strategy behind his growth, why he stays off-camera, how he connects with an older audience, and the surprising power of Sudoku games in a fast-paced creator economy.
Games Mentioned: Sudoku - Timberlake's favorite game to play Wingspan Scrabble Chess
--
(00:00) - Introduction and Top Videos Overview
(00:20) - Welcome to the Hey, Good Game Podcast
(01:12) - Meet Jason Todd, AKA Timberlake
(01:51) - Jason's Favorite Games
(02:22) - The Birth of Smart Hobbies
(04:04) - The Faceless Channel Strategy
(06:25) - Jason's Background and Career
(08:33) - The Journey to YouTube Success
(10:35) - Content Creation and Audience Engagement
(23:44) - Revenue Streams and Future Plans
(29:30) - Balancing Work and Personal Life
(29:49) - Overcoming Regret and Embracing Routine
(30:18) - Collaborating in the Sudoku Community
(33:35) - Growing Your YouTube Channel
(34:14) - Choosing the Right Platform for Courses
(39:15) - Understanding Your Audience
(41:51) - The Importance of Quality Content
(45:36) - Exploring the Benefits of Sudoku
(52:07) - Future of Sudoku and Community Building
--
From Red Dead to WordGlyph: The Actor Who Built a Word Game With Toothpicks and Code
Episode 65
Tuesday, May 27, 2025 • Duration 59:22
Kevin Glikmann, actor and creator of WordGlyph, joins us to share his wild creative journey—from voicing unforgettable characters in Red Dead Redemption to hand-building one of the most unusual word games on the internet.
We talk about the inventing spirit that started with childhood roller coaster blueprints, the challenge of onboarding players in a genre-breaking game, and how Kevin used AI to accelerate coding without losing control. He also shares scrappy marketing tactics, ASMR game videos, and why rejection just means you’re onto something original.
Game Mentions Chess - Kevin's favorite game to play WordGlyph
Red Dead Redemption
Scrabble
Upwords
Chopper (Apple II)
--
(01:20) - – Playing Bullet Chess and Getting Stuck
(03:15) - – Inventing at Age 9: A Roller Coaster Pitch to Disneyland
(05:00) - – Creative Parents and Early Exposure to Production
(06:30) - – From Airplane Spoofs to Apple II Coding
(08:00) - – Taking Apart the Rubik’s Cube to Make It Harder
(09:30) - – Balancing Left-Brain Code with Right-Brain Performance
(11:00) - – Vulnerability in Acting vs. Game Design
(14:00) - – Why Seth Breyers Didn’t Return in Red Dead 2
(16:30) - – Favorite Roles and Joy of Physical Acting
(18:40) - – Why Game Creation Is So Much Harder Than Voice Acting
(20:00) - – Kevin’s Failed Game Inventions (Scrap Ball, Word Race)
--
One Game, 50 Million Views: How Word Salad Took Off
Episode 64
Tuesday, May 20, 2025 • Duration 50:19
Samuel Johnston, co-founder of Bleppo and co-creator of Word Salad, joins us to share how a daily word game turned into a viral hit with over 50 million views. We talk about designing for TikTok, teaching new users game mechanics, building games that are fun (not addictive), and what it’s like growing a studio by betting on the right kind of sharing.
How to Build a Crossword Puzzle (That People Actually Want to Play)
Episode 63
Tuesday, May 13, 2025 • Duration 41:43
David Steinberg went from submitting crosswords to the New York Times at age 12 to becoming the editorial manager at Andrews McMeel. In this episode, he shares how puzzles captured his imagination, what makes a great daily game, and why accessibility, surprise, and player-first design are key to long-term success. We also dive into how AI, onboarding, and syndication are shaping the future of games for indie developers and solvers alike.
Discover shows related to Hey, Good Game, based on actual content similarities. Explore podcasts with similar topics, themes, and formats, backed by real data.
