How to make a video game, with Auroch Digital – Details, episodes & analysis

For our last episode of the season, we highlight something Auroch has done for a few years now but never really spoken about much on the podcast – Steam Events! Since 2020, we have been running them yearly and it’s a pleasure to share that work with you all. 

Auroch colleague and esteemed guest, Simon Marshall, joins Matt and Jess in the studio to talk about what Steam events are and how to run one if you are a developer looking to do your own. We cover the lows and highs (mostly highs!) and chat about why they’re worthwhile for devs and players alike. 

Show Notes  

If you want to check out our most recent event, you can head to the archived Steam page to check out the fantastic artwork by LadyRed, plus see the games we featured and maybe give them a wishlist! 

And if you’re a developer or publisher and want to be involved in our future Steam events, you can sign up to our Steam Events mailing list where you’ll be the first to be notified of anything we run in the future!

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🕹️ Check out our latest titles:  🍻 Brewmaster and 🔫 Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun  

🚀 Wishlist Mars Horizon 2: The Search For Life on Steam 

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🎙️ Missed an Episode? Find our previous Seasons here   

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TIGA award nominated for Best Audio, Warhammer 40,000 Boltgun’s soundscape hits harder than a bolter, with more fire power than the Blood God himself 🔥 

Matt returns with his audio episode for the season, chatting about building the dynamic system for Boltgun. Find out his favourite tracks, and how powerful music and sound can be in conveying that feeling of power! 

Show Notes  

For even more Warhammer content, check out our previous episodes on: 

• Retro Warhammer 
• The origins of Warhammer 40,000 
• The Release of Boltgun

📝Sign up to our Newsletter to stay up to date with Auroch Digital   

💬 Want to talk to us? Join our Discord   

🕹️ Check out our latest titles:  🍻 Brewmaster and 🔫 Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun  

🚀 Wishlist Mars Horizon 2: The Search For Life on Steam 

🙋 Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn   

🎙️ Missed an Episode? Find our previous Seasons here   

⭐Please do rate the podcast and spread the word! 

Today we step into the Psychology of creating a video game, in a whistle stop tour led by our resident neuroscientist, Jess. They describe the psychology behind art, music and colour within videogames, and why gaming can be so important for our mental health.  

*content warning* mild discussion of struggling with mental health 

Show notes 

Thanks for tuning in to an episode that’s close to our hearts (and brains) here at Auroch Digital. If you’d like to read a little more about the content discussed in today’s episode, you can check out our blog post. 

At Auroch we take mental health as seriously as physical health, supporting colleagues who need time off for their wellbeing, and accommodating for therapy and counselling sessions. 

We're an anti-crunch studio too, and this is built into our production approach for each project to protect the wellbeing of our employees.  If you'd like to join the team at Auroch, or the wider Sumo group, you can check out the company jobs page here!

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🕹️ Check out our latest titles:  🍻 Brewmaster and  Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun

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🎙️ Missed an Episode? Find our previous Seasons here 

⭐Please do rate the podcast and spread the word! 

We’re entering the dawn of a new age in role playing games – or at least, so we at Auroch Digital believe. RPG enthusiasts Peter Willington and Lucy Cook join hosts Matt, Jess and Tom for this episode. They contemplate the idea of an RPG renaissance, that RPGs and TTRPGs are stronger and more varied than ever, and that now is the perfect time to invest in the wealth of joy and fun that RPGs have to offer. 

Show Notes 

Thanks to the Grognard podcast for giving us a great model to start this show off with 🍻

You can check out the great group of games we curated for Steam Digital Tabletop Festival 2021, and maybe pick up a few titles to try! 

If analogue is your preferred style, here’s a link to a great collection of TTRPGs on itch. 

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🕹️ Check out our latest titles:  🍻 Brewmaster and  Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun

🙋 Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn 

🎙️ Missed an Episode? Find our previous Seasons here 

⭐Please do rate the podcast and spread the word! 

We’re back with fresh insights into the dos and don’ts of interviews within the games industry, led by our Studio Director Tomas Rawlings. Having conducted over 100 interviews, Tom is on hand to answer burning questions such as ‘do I need a portfolio?’ and ‘what should I wear?’, as well as suggest what you in turn can ask your prospective employers. 

Show Notes    We’re currently hiring for various roles at Auroch Digital, so head on over to our website and check out what we have available.  

If you’d like to find out more about what it’s like to work with us, you can check out our previous podcast episodes.  

📝Sign up to our Newsletter to stay up to date with Auroch Digital 

💬 Want to talk to us? Join our Discord 

🕹️ Check out our latest titles:  🚀 Mars Horizon  and 🍻 Brewmaster 

🙋 Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn 

🎙️ Missed an Episode? Find our previous Seasons here 

⭐Please do rate the podcast and spread the word! 

How To Make a Video Game with Auroch Digital is back with another season! This teaser episode takes you on a rundown of all that season 8 has to offer - we can't wait to have you back in the studio with us.

Show Notes

📝Sign up to our Newsletter to stay up to date with Auroch Digital 

💬 Want to talk to us? Join our Discord 

🕹️ Check out our latest titles:  🚀 Mars Horizon  and 🍻 Brewmaster 

🙋 Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn 

🎙️ Missed an Episode? Find our previous Seasons here 

⭐Please do rate the podcast and spread the word! 

It's our last episode of season 7, and what an episode to finish on! We welcome guest David Rock, AKA granitepenguin, to a conversation between Matt, Tomas and Jess about his journey with Steve Jackson Games' Ogre. David details how he started as a dear fan of the TTRPG and our digital adaptation for PC, and tells us of his experience as being a Line Editor at Steve Jackson Games. Tomas and David talk deep-strategy, and Jess and Matt remark on how incredible a journey it is to be a community member who ends up working on the very game you love.

Show Notes Did Ogre pique your interest? You can purchase it on Steam now Be sure to look through Steve Jackson Games' expansive games catalogue too, for anything else you may be interested in playing!

📝Sign up to our Newsletter to stay up to date with Auroch Digital

💬 Want to talk to us? Join our Discord

🕹️ Check out our latest titles:  🚀 Mars Horizon  and 🍻 Brewmaster

🙋 Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn

🎙️ Missed an Episode? Find our previous Seasons here

⭐Please do rate the podcast and spread the word!

For this episode we bring to you a fascinating 1-1 session between our Studio Director, Tomas Rawlings, and Steve Jackson of Steve Jackson Games. They talk about the origins of Ogre, the wargame centred on immensely powerful giant cybernetic tanks, and Steve Jackson remarks on the journey of bringing Ogre to the LastGameboard, a digital platform that transcends the realm between digital and physical boardgames. 

Show Notes Did Ogre pique your interest? You can purchase it on Steam now Check out the Last Gameboard too, where we have brought Ogre and our other title, Mars Horizon: Blast Off! to a hybrid digital space. Be sure to look through Steve Jackson Games' expansive games catalogue too, for anything else you may be interested in playing!

📝Sign up to our Newsletter to stay up to date with Auroch Digital

💬 Want to talk to us? Join our Discord

🕹️ Check out our latest titles:  🚀 Mars Horizon  and 🍻 Brewmaster

🙋 Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn

🎙️ Missed an Episode? Find our previous Seasons here

⭐Please do rate the podcast and spread the word!

Join hosts Tomas, Matt and Jess in this episode that focuses on Climate Change in Games Development. With guests Dr Benjamin Abraham and Steven Webb, we explore why it is the Games Industry is a key component in the movement against climate change. We ask what a sustainable future for the industry looks like with Ben, discuss games like our own Dark Future: Blood Red States and how they’re used as a storytelling tool to host the conversation around climate change, and talk to Steven about Sumo Group’s Carbon Neutral by 2025 pledge. Our colours may be orange, but our heart is very much green here at Auroch Digital.  Show Notes Find out more about each of the people, programmes, and resources mentioned in the show:

• The British Peatland Restoration Programme 
• Playing for the Planet
• Ark2030 
• Dr Benjamin Abraham and a link to his upcoming book 'Digital Games After Climate Change' 
• Sumo group Environmental, Social and Governance ESG | Sumo (sumogroupplc.com) 
• UKIE Green Games Guide 
• Joshua Aslan (2020) Climate change implications of gaming products and services, DOI: 10.15126/thesis.00853729 

For the games discussed in the episode, why not check out Coconut Sunshine and Dark Future: Blood Red States?

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🕹️ Check out our latest titles:  🚀 Mars Horizon  and 🍻 Brewmaster

🙋 Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn

🎙️ Missed an Episode? Find our previous Seasons here

⭐Please do rate the podcast and spread the word!

Let us take you back to the dawn of Games Workshop's infamous Warhammer 40,000. In this episode we are joined by Studio Director Dr Tomas Rawlings, who takes us through in immeasurable detail the 1st edition of 40K and his continuing journey as a passionate player of a franchise that has spanned over 30 years going from strength to strength. We ask what is it about 40K's design that makes it both so effective as a product, and enjoyable as player. Recommended (but not essential): your own miniatures to paint as you listen in.

Show Notes Please do check out Games Workshop's official site to check out the latest products, including starter kits if you're looking to get into 40K!

📝Sign up to our Newsletter to stay up to date with Auroch Digital

💬 Want to talk to us? Join our Discord

🕹️ Check out our latest titles:  🚀 Mars Horizon  and 🍻 Brewmaster

🙋 Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn

🎙️ Missed an Episode? Find our previous Seasons here

⭐Please do rate the podcast and spread the word!